ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

DAY 1:  -Mom takes shower (20 minutes--left Barney on for girls to watch on my bed 15 feet away)
-Anne comes in bathroom at end of shower to say, "Lucy make a mess!"
-Mom came into kitchen to find Lucy pouring newly opened box of Cream of Wheat all over kitchen floor for skating? (still has wherewithal to photograph evidence)

-Mom goes downstairs (after sweeping up cereal) to get something for dinner out of storage room, and finds EVERYthing within reach pulled off of shelves onto floor.  It took a minute to realize what had happened.  My first thought was, "Big Mouse??"Gallons of honey, cases of beans, chili, peanut butter, ketchup, pasta, oil, and chips.  Fortunately, only some pasta boxes and graham crackers were opened.  (I had to tell Anne to keep out of my sight while I cleaned up, but still had foresight to photograph)

DAY 2:  -Mom is foolish enough to shower again (left girls with JayJay the Jetplane on downstairs, closer to all of the toys)
-Got on phone since things seemed calm, and went downstairs just to check on girls
-found ENTIRE DVD/XBOX CABINET OVERTURNED AND EMPTY.  Luckily, Mom didn't answer when I called, so I could make sure none of our equipment was broken as it dangled down from the TV (mounted to the wall).  Put Anne in "Eternal Time Out," truly questioned the innocence of children for a brief moment, then got her out of time out to help me put the dvd's away, before putting her back in time out (it didn't help that she giggled her way through time out--and went upstairs to find
-Lucy spooning out half a can of baking powder with a measuring spoon all over that cream of wheat floor.
(no photographs that day)
 This was all just ON TOP of all of the ordinary emptied drawers all over room, upturned box of ribbons in bathroom, pulling every washcloth and handtowel into that bathtub, having a permanent meal stuck to the floor under the table, pulling all of the pillows off of the couch to use as personal trampolines, Lucy taking all of her clothes and diaper off in her crib (which she recently did 3 TIMES in one night, and then crying when she wets the sheets!) and emptying my makeup all over my bathroom after applying--all of which happens at LEAST weekly, and to which I am used to! Did I just say a blog or 2 ago how I felt more on top of things in January, like I could get into a schedule?? Did I just say how wonderful I felt like all of the Suzuki time was for Anne and her growth and our relationship?? It also didn't help to have Early Out week all week, and the children getting home 2 hours early, JUST as I'm starting to get a handle on things.  This is just to make me feel better on those lonely empty-housed days when all of the children are gone or in school, and I become one of those moms telling the mothers of toddlers, "Oh, ENJOY it!--these are the BEST YEARS!" And they are--the best in my life so far, but it sometimes makes it challenging to accomplish one simple goal of not losing my temper or raising my voice anymore! Maybe I'll just stop showering!

On a more adult note though, we've had fun jumping into civic affairs this week! Brian and I attended a rather heated City Council Mtg Tuesday night in an effort to prevent some industrial development being put in right next to our high school, and across the street from a lot of our ward.  We've just had a couple of new council members elected that are giving the mayor a little bit of a run for her money, and (fortunately) making it harder for her to push everything through she wants to.  Brian, along w/ many from our ward, spoke during public comment time on some research he'd found on the harm industrial developments can have on land and home values, and had quite a few calls through the week, trying to make sure he continues to come and speak at these meetings.  We also went to Nate & Stacey's Saturday afternoon to hear from a new Senatorial Candidate (Dan Liljenquist) here in UT, and from a group trying to spread the word about a Common Core Curriculum being accepted by nearly all the states in the Union, even though the roots of the program begin w/ UNESCO and the UN, and are predominantly funded by Bill Gates.  Even if he were the most qualified and virtuous educator available, it still tastes awfully foolhardy to give so much power to educate so many people to just one person, and relinquish so much of our states' rights.  Stacey didn't know much about this Dan Liljenquist, but as a county delegate, she was curious to hear his message, and Brian and I were heartily impressed---he's done quite a bit on our state Senate financially--passing huge welfare and medicare reforms w/ unanimous support, and has trained 16 other states in similar areas.  Also w/ strong moral foundations, I was REALLY intrigued because he was an ECONOMIST, and used a lot of that reasoning and incentive idea to make sensible and practical solutions.  After loving Freakonomics, written by economists, and just watching Moneyball (starring the amazing work of an economist in baseball), I was already convinced an economist running our country could be brilliance :). Also loved his optimism, and loved the chances to feel like a grownup for a bit.--which was good, because this is what I came home to :)--Lucy apparently wanted some cocoa: