Random Happenings

We've had a lot going on around here lately.  Which explains the lack of new posts.  I've been trying to get a handle on my new calling.  No small feat.  Shaggy has been traveling for work which makes it very hard for him to find the time to keep fixing all the things that are breaking.  The heater.  The van.  The toaster.  The bathroom door.  The dishwasher.  The crock pot.  Baby B.  Oh, wait, she's not broken, she's just a menace.

Some of those are lost causes (hopefully not the case with B, but we'll see).  We had to completely replace one of the heating systems in our house.  Good thing we happened to have so much extra cash just lying around.  Oh, wait, we didn't.  

The misbehaving van is a serious source of stress.  I continually picture myself getting stranded on the side of the road with all the kids in tow on our way to the orthodontist.  Or with a van full of young women on the way home from a stake dance.  Shaggy has been trying to pinpoint the problem, but has been unsuccessful thus far.  He'll be trying another round of troubleshooting and new parts this weekend.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.  It would be nice to be able to actually accelerate up a hill without having the engine chug and chug and chug like it's just going to keel over and die.  Maybe I should make the kids chant, "I think I can!  I think I can!" loudly enough to drown out the horns of the impatient motorists behind us.  I would really like to be going faster than half of the speed limit.  Really, I would.

But since total disaster hasn't hit us yet, we'll just keep chugging along the best we can, trusting that we'll somehow make it through.  The kids will continue to be kids, oblivious to all these worries, ever ready to jump into some imaginative game.

I came home from a grocery run one day to find them all dressed up like this, ready to get their passports.  I'm not sure where they were going, but they were certainly dressed for the occasion. 

R and B have regular expeditions together, which typically require obscene amounts of toys gathered from the far corners of the house as well as blankets wrapped 'round their shoulders.  When they're finished playing, it looks like a hurricane zone with temporary shelters set up in all the corners of the room where they hoard all those toys.  I think it takes twice as long to clean up as it does for them to play.

B does her best to avoid boredom when I am not available to give her all the attention she desires.  She'll often steal my hat and "go on a 'venture" while she impatiently waits for me to clean or shower or cook.

We've been trying out a new dough recipe found here.  Shaggy found it online, can't imagine why he was drawn to it.  I'm sure he didn't find the name of the website hilarious or anything.  It's not like he's still thirteen inside.  Oh, wait, yes he is.

But the dough is super easy.  We've successfully used it for cinnamon rolls, pizza and fried dough.  The kids give it 10 thumbs up.

Other random accomplishments are listed in no particular order.

R can read.

J went to Rome for a day.

B has almost persuaded me to change her crib into a toddler bed.

K can make eclairs.

S knows how to knit.

I only have pictures for two of those things, for the rest you'll just have to trust me.  Or wait for future posts.  Which may or may not come anytime soon.