Commentary on a Rough Day. . .

This day was dreaded from the moment yesterday that I contemplated all that must be done. I'm tired, I hurt, I must go forth.....so to help me along

Today I am thankful for. . .
1. Compassionate people who are doing all they can to be the hands and hearts of the Lord in bringing comfort and care to those in Haiti who have suffered an aftershock of 6.1 causing more damage and more injury and more fear a week after the first earthquake (7.1)...people like Troy and Tara, John and Beth, the Buxman's, Lori and Licia, and so many others.

2. My home, my children, warmth, food enough, running water, electricity, my husband, lotion...there is so much I am blessed with that I take for granted. Sometimes I get bogged down in the bigger struggles of life and forget to realize that all the small things I am blessed with would be unfathomable for much of the world. I am blessed!

3. Well behaved children (mine and others) that play well together and at least try to clean up when it is time to go.

4. My husband who totally get that I need 5 childless minutes when he walks in the door!



Today I accomplished. . .

Before 11:00
1. Mushrooms, kiwi fruit, mangos, Thyme, Sage, Parsley, Rosemary all in the dehydrator and preserving themselves for future meals of yumminess! (My house smells SO good!)

2. Prayed for those in Haiti and those with loved ones in Haiti.

3. Kitchen, bathroom, and living room cleaned, laundry folded (now where is that little elf that will put it all away?)

4. Prayed for those in Haiti and those with loved ones in Haiti.

Note: We have NT visiting with us again today. He and the Comedian will entertain us all at the library later on this afternoon for Storytime.

AFTER 11:00
5. so at 11:00 I bundled the Tyrant and NT into the van to go pick up the Comedian from Kindergarten, got back home about 11:30

6. bustled NT and Comedian upstairs and plopped them in front of a movie (put 3 corndogs in the microwave for 1 minute), opened the door for the Tyrant's Developmental Therapist,

7. spent an hour trying to get the Tyrant to jump through her testing hoops, waved goodbye to the therapist and her tag-a-long observer at 12:40,

8. Prayed for patience and a civil tongue and then again prayed for those in Haiti and those with loved ones in Haiti. Prayed for baby Obama and even prayed for our President. That he could do it right and do what needed to be done and for one moment focus on something other than his agenda.

9. popped the corndogs in the toaster-oven to toast, got shoes and coats on all 3 kids, grabbed spill-resistent cups full of juice and buckled the kids in the van, gave them a drink and a corndog, ran back in the house for the forgotten movies and keys that needed returned to the library and we were off for Storytime, got to the Library 7 minutes early (how? I know not!)

10. sent the boys in to Storytime and played on the kiddy computers with the Tyrant for a (blessedly quiet and still) half hour. And truthfully, thought about Haiti and prayed in my heart that miracles would be happening in many lives. Then we checked stuff out and redid all the buckling up, came home let the Tyrant watch one episode of Superman, put him down for a nap

11. Had Princess L and her sister Missy L come over to play for a couple of hours while their mom went to her new job.

12. At 3:45 the Engineer came home from school and then all the mom's from our Babysitter's club stopped by to set up our Friday night's Out schedule for the next 4 months.

13. They and their children departed at 4:20ish and then it was time for the Comedian and Engineer to sit down and start their homework. The Tyrant is still napping and the sister's L are watching Horton Hears a Who, playing with blocks, the race track, and reading books

14. Called a friend for quick reassurance that "It was all going to be okay"

15. Somewhere in there I tried to make peanut butter bars.....emphasis on the "TRYING" which is a whole other story in and of itself. Thank goodness it was NOT my night to cook. I love my dinner exchange friends.

16: Now I'm sending my boys out the door with my husband to go Home Teaching to a family and (even though that isn't really how it is supposed to be done...but tonight.....in our house...it is)

I'm going to read my scriptures for a brief moment and again offer up prayers to my Creator on behalf of all those suffering and pray that I can have a better appreciation for all the many, many blessings which I have been gifted with..............before the bedtime adventures begin...

Memorable moments:

1. I was trying to fulfill a promise to a little boy that we would make cookies today. Well....I did try...although it might not have been one of my finer culinary moments. We were given a mix for peanutbutter chocolate bars for Christmas in 2008 and I had never used it. So I thought what could be easier than a mix that I just need to toss in a few things, stir and put in the oven. Before we left for Storytime (in the midst of that crazy corndog, juice, out the door dance) I took out a cube of butter to soften (as per the instructions on the tag of the mix). When we got back home from the library things were a tad bit chaotic so I tried to hurry through the rest of the preparations. I looked and read 3 1/2 Cups milk ---and I thought to myself...really? that's a lot of milk...but don't question the instructions just do it--- added an egg, the butter, some peanut butter, and the entire bag of mix and had a soupy crazy looking thing....which I couldn't reconcile with the instructions that said "firmly pat into well greased pan".......

HOLD IT! REREAD THE INSTRUCTIONS!

3 1/2 cups M. I. X. .....not milk......so I tried to salvage it by adding a carrot and white cake mix .....which got me 3 pans of cake and no pans of cookie bars....which I sent home with some of the ladies who came to set the schedule......ugh!

It turned out okay...not terrible....not wonderful either....

2. The Tyrant did quite well on most areas of his testing he is almost up to his chronological age. Which is truly AWESOME! It also makes me feel like I can focus more on the skills he is way behind in rather than trying to work on every area with him.

3. Tyrant screaming at the top of his lungs forever and ever just because, being put in his room and told he can come out when he is ready to "try again" and then....several minutes later I ask him if he's ready to try again and his sweet voice sucks the sobs in and responds with joy "Uhuh!" then down the stairs he comes ready to try again. (It only lasted for a quarter of an hour or so before he needed to re-regulate himself......but each time he was so full of joy at the opportunity he had to "try again" and it just made me think....me too.....I am so joyful that my Savior gifted me with opportunities to repent and try again no matter how many times I fall down or fall short.....JOY! God is Good!)