A Letter To My Very Unwelcome House Guests

Half the contents of my pantry as we were putting it back together last night.

Dear Weevils in my pantry,

You disgust me. How dare you intrude on someone's home? You have overstayed your welcome greatly, as you never even had a welcome. You are so presumptuous as to sneak in my house, eat my food, cause great disgust, invite your relatives and not leave when asked.

To top it off, your stay has caused me an inability to eat any kind of pasta, mac' n cheese, cake mixes, muffin mixes, flour and other wheat products because I had to throw them away. Your wormy little bodies gross me out. You also caused a great deal of inconvenience when I had to empty my pantry because of you. Is it any wonder that I used a Bug Bomb against you?

This is an official eviction notice. I am kicking you out of my house. You are never welcome back.

Sincerely,

Michelle

I don't really feel like blogging today

Maybe it's because I'm tired. Or maybe it's because I'm worried that we might have to pay a lot of money because for an accident (not a car accident; we lost something). Maybe it's because Matt isn't going to work tonight and I was hoping to have the evening with him, but he's at Stake Priesthood meetings so I'm alone with the children. Who are sleeping, by the way. Maybe it's because I feel really hot and I don't really know why except that Nathalie had a fever last night.

But I did want to show you this picture. This is our first successful pumpkin (it is completely orange now). Emily holds it every day. I asked her what she wanted to do with it, and she said "Carve it." So it looks like we will be carving a pumpkin in the next few days and yes, I do know that it's July. By my almost-3-yr-old is SO EXCITED....and I simply can't refuse her.

What should I have said, for example, to the b-o-t-t-o-m d-w-e-l-l-e-r who recently belittled my existence?

Some of you may know that my girls are a little energetic. Nathalie in particular likes to get into everything she shouldn't. She is only 15 months and already she looks at me, smiles, shakes her head no, then runs away or does whatever she wants to. She especially likes doing this when I tell her no and she accompanies it with this face (see picture below).


So today I was getting the stroller out from our entryway. Nathalie was playing on the sidewalk. I turned around and when I turned back around, Nathalie was in the street, right next to our parked car.

Just then, some incredible examples of upright living drove by in their truck. Two men, one woman. Tattoos, missing teeth, unwashed hair.... you get the picture. The woman looked at Nathalie and yelled to me (as I ran into the street and grabbed Nathalie), "That's child endangerment! I'm calling CPS, b****!" One of the men yelled, "I can't believe you don't f***-ing watch your child!"

They glared at me as they drove away.

I wish I had yelled back, but nothing came to mind except this: "When you finally have the pleasure of the saying the thing you mean to say at th emoment you mean to say it, remorse inevitably follows."

Of course, now I have a great retort. Go figure.

While I was trying to get Nathalie to do her frowny face for the camera tonight, Emily begged me to take a picture of her. Here it is and don't you JUST LOVE those curls?!?!

Stinker Nathalie. But a pretty stinker.

Week in Review

Monday: Nathalie, the accident prone child.

Wednesday: stomach flu Emily

Thursday: made freezer corn, canned 5 pints of tomatoes and 2 pints of onions and peppers

Friday: celebrated Matt becoming an RN with coupons from the library

Saturday: canned 8 more pints of tomatoes

Sunday: went to church in my new dress. Matt's Nana put the white hem on the bottom--even though I bought a size bigger, the dress was still too short. Completely botched a hymn during church. When I say botched, think "the hymn wasn't even singable for both of the verses because I was trying to play it in the wrong key". Came home from church and noticed that the size sticker was still attached to my sweater. yeesh.

Not an awesome or terrible week. Kind of in between but at least I got to wear a beautiful new dress!

Then and now

Me and Helga, circa 2005.

Me and Mabelba, I think the same night.

Us now. A little older, a little wiser and a little more wrinkly.

Back with the girls, part II

So the first day and a half we spent talking, eating and shopping. The last day we were there, we went to a farm-playground for the kids. It was really hot, but the kids had a good time until the end. Seriously awesome little bikes. I wonder if I could find them online.

Little Jimbob does well riding the bikractor with his cast.

Helga and Mabelba, with Spongebob.

Spongebob didn't like his hat. He got so hot. He cried the whole way home and had a heat rash even though we took off his shirt.

The Elvis of chickens.

Trying to eat Nathalie's granola bar. She started crying whenever the chicken came near.

Bunny petting.

"What's this weird attachment?"

"Let me give this goat loves, Mommy."

Random, fun but really hot ball pit in the playbarn.

Can you see how flushed Emily's cheeks are?

I'm showing you this picture because I want you to notice Nathalie's curls in the back. Looks like I might get another curly girl!

So she's obviously not the next Calamity Jane.

"Mom, I'm soooo cool."

Back with the girls

Two of my old roommates, Mabelba and Helga (no, those aren't actually their names), were on this side of the Missisippi and we three decided to get together. Mabelba's family lives in Cincinnati and Helga lives in Chicago. We pitched in, bought Helga a ticket to visit us and decided to have a girls weekend. We had a blast.

Mabelba and Helga making this delicious salad which I promptly came home and made. My girls even liked the chicken.

Mabelba's baby, Spongebob, 6 months.

Mabelba brought her two boys with her, and Emily and Nathalie had a great time with them. We ate way too many sweets (Mabelba's mom is the BEST COOKE MAKER EVER), stayed up until 2am every night (and Nathalie wakes up at 7:30 sharp), talked, talked and talked some more. We jumped on the trampoline in the middle of the night, went running (but only once), laughed a ton, cried a little and it was a wonderful week.

Can you tell it's a smiley face? Emily's favorite thing to draw, though she usually adds curly hair.

Emily and Mabelba's toddler, Jimbob, who are only 4 months apart in this picture. I do believe Emily is coloring on Jimbob's cast.

Emily and Jimbob reading about an owl and a firefly. Jimbob is in his jammies and Emily is halfway between jammies and clothes, obviously.

Matt passed the NCLEX yesterday. He is officially an RN. Thank you, for those of you who knew and prayed for us. We are feeling really grateful and especially humbled right now. We can't count the number of times that the Lord blessed Matt in his tests to get the grade he needed. Yesterday was another example.

The Many Faces of Emily and Nathalie in all her cuteness

I've just gotten back from a fabulous weekend with two of my favorites ladies. I have lots of pictures and stories to post....and I'm slowly getting to them. But before that, this is a funny little series of Emily and Nathalie pictures.

I don't know why. I just think this picture is cute.

She looks so old to me here.

Emily's Kerjak face. (Kerjak is the male gorilla in Tarzan and according to Emily he is "frustrated.")

Emily's sad face.

Emily's happy face.

So sometimes I don't think they look alike

Nathalie, 13 months.

Emily, 13 months.

Nathalie, 13 months.

Emily, 13 months.

And sometimes they do. Especially when they smile.

Had this conversation with my mother today.

Me: Mom, guess what we're growing?!?!

Mom: A BABY!!!!

Me: (long pause) No. Sorry. We're growing a pumpkin!

Mom: Oh. A PUMPKIN!!!!!

Hilarious.

Saw this, laughed a lot, cried a little and felt like I could go on

I saw this today. Laughed hysterically at the part where the baby is playing in the toilet, then laughed again when the baby was crying at the fridge, again when the toddler and baby were crying in the stroller. It looked a LOT like everyday at my house.

But my girls are worth it.

Saw this, laughed a lot, cried a little and felt like I could go on