This Month...

So school has started. I really wanted to get a nice, normal picture of the girls in front of the door (mostly so I can continue to compare child-to-doorknob ratios) and this is what I got. Lots of pictures of Ella being WAY too excited. Lots of yelling "KINDERGARTEN" and then striking random poses a la Mary Catherine Gallagher. Grace is loving 1st Grade- especially since she gets to spend a portion of her day harassing Ella by reminding her how totally "last year" all that lame-o kindergarten stuff is. And then telling her that maybe one day, if she works very hard, maybe she could read Level Six books. We have also heard that there is some kind of poking or excessive "looking" going on during recess, but guess what? NOT MY PROBLEM! Finally, my tax dollars ARE at work!! Someone else can make my strange children Stop Looking At Each Other during school hours! And somehow, that makes the thousands of dollars I have to pay each year very, VERY worth it.

Other Very Exciting Things going on...

• Babies, Babies, Babies are coming soon. I am gearing up for fantastic Aunt action- which mostly just involves smooshing babies and then giving them back to their parents when they poop or need something paid for. I LOVE being an aunt- it's the best gig ever. Why, just look... I totally do not have to pay for her, yet I get to benefit from the cute-ness. Love being the Aunt.



• I have started working at the little local hospital, and I can now honestly say that I am totally addicted to the crazy. There is NOTHING like working in the emergency room at a rural hospital- it is probably exactly what you would picture in the darkest corners of your mind. I love that I grew up in this town (My brother was born in this hospital. My mom shared a bathroom with a logger, but that's a whole different story) and I have seen lots of people that I recognize. For example- this weekend a little old man came wandering in claiming that he lost his wife. Apparently he took a nap and when he woke up, he couldn't remember where she was. He thought she might be in the hospital. Or getting her hair done. (Alzheimer's is a sad thing- can you imagine?) By coincidence, I remembered my mom telling me that an elderly woman got lost in their neighborhood a few weeks ago and everyone was out looking for her. I asked the man if his wife was Shirley (my mom said everyone was wandering around yelling SHIRLEY!) and it turns out it was the same woman. The little old man was very embarrassed and confused that he couldn't find his wife and had left the ER before we were able to figure out where she had gotten to Saturday night, but, since I recognized him from walking his little dog down my parent's street, we were able to send a police officer to his house just to check up on him and help find Shirley. See? You don't get that kind of service (or crazy rambling stories) from a Big City ER. *Shirley, by the way, had been living in a rest home for the past two weeks. I hate alzheimers.


• We had the Fabulously Sick Aunt Haley at our house for several days and did NOT catch the sickness!! WOOT! (Hooray for Lysol!! Lots & lots of Lysol!!) Since our family catches literally every freaking germ that passes within 700 yards of us, this is a monumental event. Also, we are glad Aunt Haley was able to make a full recovery and get back to babysitting monkeys at the monkey place she works at. And that my children brag to their friends about, because seriously- do YOU have an aunt that watches monkeys? I think not.
  
• We are about to become a Family that Camps. Next on the agenda- the Family that Owns a Travel Trailer, because I do not like bugs or sticks. We got a screaming deal on a campground membership (a campground with POOLS.) and decided we need some fun family bonding-type thing to do, so here goes.


• Eric started his New Job. I would explain it to you, but I don't understand a freaking word of it. Please contact Eric immediately if you would like an more detailed explanation of this new position. Make sure you have at least 45 minutes of time available, as he will certainly explain in GREAT DETAIL. He is also available to discuss the Benefits of Large Flat Screen TV's and Why He Should Have an IPhone. Things he will NOT discuss- Why His Wife Will Destroy Him at Fantasy Football and How Doing the Dishes Doesn't Count if you Leave the Pots in the Sink. FYI- He also is an expert on bringing his wife warm-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies on Saturday nights when she is working in the ER, officially making the entire ER staff, both male and female, fall in love with him.


• I cleaned the girl's stupid closet. It took 12 hours of my life. I AM NOT KIDDING. Next time I think it's a good idea to get everything out, sort through it all and then IRON it, please come over and hit me on the head with a shovel.


• I made Funeral Potatoes for the first time for a friend who had lost her Grandmother, officially coming one step closer to Insane Mormon Housewife status. All I need now is 6 more kids and some prozac.


• The Hawaii Jar is coming along quite nicely- we currently have $72.65, which I believe is enough to send a small empty box across the Pacific Ocean. Next weekend we are having a family garage sale with all proceeds going the the HJ. I am forcing the children to go through all their junk for the sale. I'm all- do you want this crappy toy, or do you want to SEE KATIE?? It's a pretty low tactic. And it's working quite well. We should be in Hawaii by 2012 at this fantastic rate.
  
• I burned myself with broccoli steam. Don't do this. It hurts.


• Eric and I are big nerds who are super excited about New TV Shows! YAY! New TV!! This has required several intense sessions with the Tivo, carefully examining our New TV priorities. We totally need a life.

And that about sums it up. See why I have been totally lax on the blogging? It's because we are lame (except for that broccoli burn thing, that was thrilling.) Stay tuned for more Very Exciting blog posts about my obligatory Fall Craft Frenzy, where I start 12 more projects I will never finish, and my adventures in amateur cabinet installation (where Eric gets a concussion from either a cabinet falling on his head or me smacking him with a hammer for not letting me install the cabinets myself.)
And just one more picture, because you need it...

SUPERSTAR!