Wednesday, May 18, 2011

A day at a time...

We used to go over the whole week's schedule during family council on Sunday. That worked great, until several Sundays ago, where I started hyperventilating before we even got to Wednesday on the calendar. Now we have this nifty little system where we go over the next day's schedule as we're climbing into bed. Much better. That way, days like tomorrow (6:30 a.m. MRI for Lexi, EEG for Lexi, driving carpool, Sophi's therapy, school carnival, sixth grade party, dance pictures-- meaning full hair/makeup/costumes for girls, Jeremy's meeting, baseball-- this is just off the top of my head) isn't grouped in with the rest of the weeks events, and doesn't evoke quite as much panic.

So today I am grateful for the towel fairy. Yes folks, I have a laundry service. I put a basket of dirty towels/sheets on my porch every Monday morning, and they are returned the following day, clean and neatly folded. I usually don't even know who the fairy-of-the-week is-- they come and go without me even knowing, like true fairies. A group of wonderful angels that live in my ward just decided that I have a lot on my plate, and a towel fairy is just what I needed.

They were right! (:

PS. I went crazy today and posted a lot (even opted out of a nap to do it) so scroll on down. (:

Heaven for her...

...is having a Daddy.

Wheelchair pics, as promised!







The haircut

I like to pretend a lot. I pretend I know how to raise eight children. I pretend I know how to teach Braille. I pretend my bedroom is clean. I pretend I understand the health issues our family faces.

And I pretend I know how to cut hair.

Graci is the only child that's ever had a REAL haircut, and that was to spoil her before her surgery and Make-a-Wish celebrations. Usually Jer and the kids just have to settle for me.

The other day, I decided that Lexi's hair really needed help. We're trying to grow it out, but in the meantime, it needed some style. So I got out my scissors and, well, pretended.

I think it turned out pretty cute!

If I were rich...

One of my favorite foods in the world is dried apricots. But not the kind you're probably thinking about. Every dried apricot I've purchased at a store just doesn't do the trick. I grew up on my grandpa's farm, which had apricot trees. We dried them ourselves, and the flavor and texture is soooo much better. There is only one brand of dried apricots that come close taste-wise, and those are Archer Farms apricot fruit strips. They are my little splurge if I ever find myself at Target.

Well, Saturday evening found me there. (It may or may not have been following a complete emotional breakdown, causing Jeremy to gently suggest that I needed to go and have a night and day to myself, but I'll never tell.)

I don't shop at Target very often. Not because I don't LOVE it, but because it's more expensive than say, Walmart. Not much, but enough. Anyway... this Target happened to be a Super Target, meaning it also carried groceries. I went to pick out some snacks for myself. I chose:

(And, of course, chocolate.)

Pretty much heaven. These are all soooo yummy. (In fact, I saved a bit of everything and shared it the following day, and my kids won't stop begging me to buy more.) On my way out of the store, I was given a sample of Archer Farms hummus, with a carrot to dip. I'm not so much a hummus fan, but I really loved it. So, I've pretty much decided that Archer Farms is my new favorite brand. If I were rich, I would start shopping at Super Target, and I would always have a bag of those strawberry mango twists in my purse. And at least 50 bags in the pantry. Ahem.


And if I were rich, I would pay for THIS adoption. My sweet friend, Gretchen, is raising money for their new little one, and I can't think of a better cause. So go on over and buy something or just donate a bit, if you feel so inclined. I can promise that this family is just sooooo great and that even $5.00 would be appreciated. After all, giving a child a family is even better than dried apricots.

And that says a lot. (:

More Pics

These were on my phone, so they are other shots from some things we've already blogged about.

Jesi on the night Daddy curled her hair:Xander as "Wee Willie Winkie" for his kindergarten nursery rhyme festival:
More pics from Disneyland:

Lexi loves the New Orleans Jazz Band at Disney:On the shuttle bus back from Disney each night:Taylor in Grandma's BYU apron:)Poor Elli after her dental surgery:Taylor has an EKG:Sophi's love/hate relationship with her nursery class at church:
Sophi goes "fishing":Graci and Jesi at dance class:Xander's 6th birthday breakfast in bed:
With Al Jefferson of the Utah Jazz (he was pretty enamored with Soph!):
???:

-Jer