Thursday, November 15, 2012

Juggling. Never one of my strengths.

I feel like a juggler these days.


When I think about juggling I think about people on unicycles.

And when I think about people on unicycles I think about parades.

And when I think about parades I think about clowns.


I do not like clowns... and I do not like anything that reminds me of clowns. Like juggling. (I have nothing against people on unicycles however.)

These days I've been juggling. A lot.

I do laundry on Saturday so I can plan outfits for the kids for Monday through Friday, I pull outfits together on Sunday (appropriate outfits based on what they'll be doing at school on a given day) for the whole week and I *try* to check the calendar to see if there are any special activities going on* and put out clothes that would be good for that activity. I grocery shop on the weekend in between wrangling kids and mediating fights.

*I forgot to do this a couple of weeks ago. I went to pick Katie up from school and was surrounded by kids... IN COSTUME. Dancing and listening to a DJ. Because, you know, costume parties are common for HALLOWEEN. I totally forgot kids could dress up that day, even though a note was sent home about it. I would have felt worse except that Katie wasn't mad about it. Neither of us said a word about the kids in costume all around us like it was an everyday thing. (Oh, that princess over there with the gown and gloves and tiara? Not wierd at all. Or the kid in the hulk costume with the bulging muscles? Totally normal for a Friday.) She just walked to get her backpack and coat and headed to the car saying good-bye to a few friends as we left. It was odd, but a big relief. Jacob had HIS dress up day a week later. I didn't forget. Definately some guilt going on.

It's pretty busy and I have to be totally on. Like, can't forget I paid a big bill so DON'T spend big bucks at the grocery store, even if meat is on sale on.

And in the middle of all that crazy, I have to think about holidays.

Like Halloween. All I can say is that I'm glad Jake's costume still fit him after a whole year (of wearing it around the house to play in). Even if it was a little... snug and maybe a tad bit... short in the legs. Oh, and yay that he still had all three pieces for it! We didn't buy new costumes for any of the kids this year which was nice, but I can just tell that next year we're going to need to get new costumes (or maybe we can hit some sales soon!).

So even with the usual craziness, Halloween was fun. Me, the kids, Grandma and Grandpa, and Grammy and Grampy went to church for the harvest festival. Telling knock knock jokes in the car on the way.

Candy, games, bouncy house... they had a blast. Oh, and hot dogs and chips for dinner. (I wonder why hot dogs taste better anywhere but at home...?)

Katie was... a princess (shocker, right?), Jake was batman, and Jackson was a lion. He wore the costume big sis and big bro wore when they were around his age.

When we got home at around 7:30, me, mom, and Katie and Jake* walked around the neighborhood and stopped at probably 15 houses. They were so cute running up to each house.

Along the way, Katie heard some big kids say "trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat" and was facinated by it. At the second to last house, mom noticed she paused before getting to the steps... Katie was doing a quiet run through under her breath.

She wasn't quite ready to tell the people at that house but at the last house mom told the lady that Katie was practicing something and Katie did recite it. It was quiet but she got it all said and got a second piece of candy for her efforts!

Then it was back to our house. The kids dumped out their buckets and we looked at the sea of candy and oohed and ahhhed over the treats until bed time.

*Jackson stayed home; he was pretty tired after running wild at church for an hour and all of the excitement and people, but the other kids had some energy to burn!)


Finally the house quieted down... and I got to enjoy a few pieces of candy!


Me with my princess, my lion, and my batman.