Overwhelming

That would be the word I would use to describe things in my life, lately:  the fatigue, the queeziness, the emotions, the state of the dishes...

...the smell of the forgotten crock pot on my counter.

For the past week or two (or more, lets be honest, here), my dishes have been in a sad state of neglect.  We've been cycling through them for the most part, doing a load almost every day, and my kids have been merrily earning more video game time by eagerly doing them for me on occasion.

Two days ago, I noticed my crock pot still sitting on the counter from a previous meal.  (I'm not going to tell you how long it's been sitting there, that's just embarrassing.)

I thought, oh, how nice - Matt cleaned it for me!

I went to lift the lid and was oh-so-quickly proven wrong.  After closing the lid almost as quickly, I walked away.

I've been avoiding it since then.  Seriously.

Until tonight, when I found an ounce of motivation and a smidge more of fed-uppedness due to the clutter on my counter that makes me dread breakfast time.

I was going to wash the crock pot. 

Matt was with me.  I asked him for his special work mask that keeps out all things toxic to one's lungs.  He thought I was kidding.

I wasn't.

He helped me put it on and I set to the task.

Word to the wise:  when wearing said mask, make sure it's tight enough or it just doesn't work.  (I almost lost my dinner in the two inches of space in front of my nose and mouth.)

While Matt held the mask on tight enough for me while trying not to toss his cookies (he really does love me), I scrubbed, rinsed, added more than was needed in soap, rinsed some more, then dried.

The smell was still there.

The crock pot is now soaking with soap and hot water till I can tackle it tomorrow. 

If I had to describe the smell, Matt and I both agreed it smelled like rotting flesh.  No joke.  (Leftover roast?)

Needless to say, the dishes will be at the top of my list from now on.  ;)

p.s.  For those of you cursing my husband right about now for not helping me with the dishes, no need.  He DID try to help me, even enlisted the kids.  But, due to my psychotic emotions, I felt I was being run out of my own kitchen and told them to stop.  That's what I get.  lol

Funnelicious

After a bike ride with the kids and some gardening, my inner child and I decided we needed to sit for a minute.  (I really hate getting tired so easily - I hope this passes with the 1st trimester!)

This year, our family made a goal to learn something new every month.  We put some topics in a jar and every 1st Sunday we pick a new topic.  So far, we've chosen places around the world (we each chose a place and learned about it), our bodies, volcanos, art, and space.  This month, cooking was chosen. 

We typically try to have some sort of grande finale presentation or learning experience (i.e. for art, we went to a gala and created our own piece of artwork using the medium of our choice; for volcanos, we created a volcano using a cool recipe... stuff like that.) and yesterday for our Family Home Evening, we made our very first funnel cakes.

I've only ever had funnel cake at amusement parks and such where they're terribly expensive, so I've always shared one - never had one to myself.  Until yesterday.... mmmmmm hmmmmm!

We all added and mixed the ingredients and fried away.  We used this recipe, here.  I get nervous about frying, but this was quite a success:

Better things to do with my time

Do you ever just not feel like blogging? I have a list of blogs on the right side of my page that I like to read when they're updated - and I see that there are people who haven't updated in a very long time.

I used to think that was weird.  Why have a blog if you're not going to keep it updated?

I almost feel like I'm growing out of it, if that makes any sense.  Like, why would I want to waste so much time uploading pictures when I could be out taking more? Or better yet, having so much fun the camera isn't even thought of?

My kids have been on summer break for four official days, now, and I've loved every minute of it.  We've gone on bike rides, watered the garden, ran through the sprinkler, mowed the lawn, jumped on the tramp, gone for walks, gone grocery shopping... and it's been awesome.  No lists, no schedules, just us. 

I've been looking at my front and back yard while thinking, I need to take a picture of these things and label it "These are a few of my favorite things" on my blog. 

But then I think, nah, I just want to stay out here and keep enjoying it. 

I don't feel the urge to keep up on other people's lives or keep whoever cares updated on mine, anymore. 

I just want to live life.  

So, my garden pictures will stay right where they are, daily growing out of date because of the things that are daily growing in my garden.  My lilac bushes will only be remembered when the heat of the day wafts the scent in through my bedroom window at night because a camera just doesn't do that justice.  My beloved trees in the backyard will have to continue providing the perfect canopy without ever gracing this computer screen.  The only images of my two year old bouncing his cares away on the trampoline will be the ones ingrained in my memory.  (Well, I might take a picture of that, but only because it's just too cute not to.) My kids riding their scooters down the driveway on their bums will only be seen by those passing by.

Here's to life.  :)

RPE rocks the barn

I'm a big Richard Paul Evans fan.  Huge. 

My husband was browsing Amazon.com one night and found one of his books I not only didn't own (I own all of his books), but haven't even heard of. 

So, I did some searchin'.  I was only able to find it on Amazon.com used, starting at $63.00.  I couldn't find it anywhere else. 

I wasn't about to pay that, so I did the next best thing.  I emailed Richard.  Ok, not Richard, himself, but someone who takes his emails for him. 

She told me it was out of print but she just happened to have one.  She said send me a check and she'll get it right to me.

$5.00 and a couple weeks later, I have it.  :)

And I got his autograph! Again! (This is my second one!) :)

Summertime!

I could listen to the "Fresh Prince's new definition of summer madness" over and over.  ;)

We went for a short walk today.  We try to every evening if the weather's nice enough.  I think we hit 86 degrees! Woohoo!

Natalie's smelling my lilacs.  My huge, out of control because the people who lived here before never took care of them lilacs.  :)

The fam strolling down the street, Quin doing his cute little hippity-hoppity run:

And this one was just cute:

I'm so stinkin' excited for summer! And I don't plan on blogging about most of it! Though, we've put so much work in to our rockin' garden, I have to post pics about that.  ;)

Defective Typewriter

Ever seen Grease?

You know the part when Rizzo's in the bathroom with Marty and she says she skipped a period? When I try to put into words my outlook on life today, that scene comes to mind.

"I feel like a defective typewriter."

I hope this goes away.  I hate snapping at people.  Especially my kids.