A Love Story

Well, it's been another week and you know what I learned?

A lot of things.

You know what I'm going to share right now?

Probably none of them. I'm tired. :)

Oh, but I will share this - - I learned that if I were a single mom I would have the cleanest house in the world.

JC went hunting last Thursday, rejoining us Saturday night. I missed him. With my kids in bed (Luckily, they were pretty cooperative) and nobody to share my evenings with, I moved my attention on to the next thing on my list of things that I love...having a clean house. Seriously. My house gets messy because life happens. It stays messy because I have a wonderful husband I want to just be with at the end of the day. Take that out of the equation and ta-da! Midnight rolls around and I find myself very satisfied with a very clean house. It was nice. Don't think I'd make the trade permantly though. :)

My friend, Katie, introduced me to a children's recording artist named Laurie Berkner a while back. The kids and I love her songs. There is one that always gets stuck in my head. I walk around the house singing it all day. The kids eventually ask me to stop.

But, having missed JC while he was gone and, as always, finding myself pondering the journey that is our friendship and marriage, I dedicate the lyrics of this mentally ever-present song to him.

Enjoy some illustrations (and notice that while my different "faults" are displayed quite well, it appears JC only has one that is ever caught on camera...repeatedly falling asleep while taking care of the kids. And now that the whole sleep apnea thing is under control, that rarely happens anymore...hmmm...think he got the short end of the stick here...)

I'm not perfect.

(sink overflowing with dishes...)

No, I'm not.

(Stretch marks very apparent on a very pregnant-with-Ben belly. Are they as apparent now? No. Are they there? Absolutely.)

I'm not perfect...

(This is what I have looked like much of the time since beginning my baby-having about three and a half years ago. Sleep deprived, puffy, ponytail, pjs or sweats, pale from never seeing the sun, etc. But, that smile is real. Baby-having, as much as it contributes to my imperfection, contributes at least as much to my happiness. Also, look how sweet Baby James is, so tiny!)

but I've got what I've got!

I do my very best...

(decorating)

...do my very best...

(gardening...sort of)

...do my very best each day.

(mommy-ing)

But I'm not perfect...

(A line of laundry waiting to be done. I'm not gonna lie. This has happened more than once.)

and I hope you like me that way!

You're not perfect.

(zzzz...)

No, you're not.

(zzzzzzzz...)

You're not perfect...

(ZZZZZZZZZZZ....)

but you've got what you've got!

(This sexy, masked man is my freshly-(temporary)tattooed husband who took me to the Renaissance Festival for my birthday. By the way, is it obvious that I lead a rather sheltered life when I don't think I can even SPELL tattoo correctly? I am unsure and unmotivated to spell-check it. Forgive me.)

You do your very best...

(getting James started on Harry Potter at an early age/holding the baby so mommy can get a rest/appeasing mommy by taking up reading a little bit so she will stop trying to explain the entire plot and how the book is different from the movie)

...do your very best...

(the kids' favorite thing to do - - play Bingo with Dad)

...do your very best each day.

(grilling something fantastic. always is.)

But, you're not perfect...

(ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....)

and I really like you that way!

Love you, honey. There's nobody I'd rather walk the quirky road of imperfection with.

Afterthought . . .

I can't believe I forgot to mention two of the best parts about last week - -


JC and I, thanks to the help and support of both of our moms, had a nice overnight stay at The Hilton here in town, just to have a peaceful night's rest and some grownup time! I tried to surprise him with it, but surprises never end up happening with us...so, he knew about it, but it was fun all the same! We ordered movies, took a snooze, ate at Red Lobster, Mimi's Cafe and Cheesecake Factory (this was over the course of two days, mind you), woke up whenever we wanted to Saturday morning and leisurely strolled around the mall. (where I bought some sweet mary jane crocs to use as "house shoes") It was a very nice time. Another one of those "remind us that we're adults and that we like to be together" times. The days too often turn into survival mode and we don't get too just enjoy each others' company as much as we'd like...I know that goes with this time of life but it it always nice to have a break from it! Thanks Grandma Trudie and Grandma Teri. The kids had a lot of fun. And so did we.


THEN, we also had a family member acheive celebrity status for Saturday night! My brother, Andrew, won a competition for which the prize was playing with Weezer onstage at their concert here at the Arizona State Fair! Can't get much better than that! There will probably be more about it on their blog but I felt it worth mentioning. Especially since he got selected for a solo. Woohoo!! I am so proud of him. He is so talented and definitely deserves something cool (understatement) like this. We weren't able to be there, due to parental duties but Bonnie got good video of Andrew's solo and there are pics online here, with a wonderful close-up of the famous Hawkes. You can also watch his entry video on youtube. Just search "I want to be a weezer hawkes."
Good stuff.

Happier moments lead to detox on the brain...

First off, I want to thank everybody who felt sorry for me last week. :) Haha, just kidding, but I really did appreciate words of support and kindness. I know there is plenty more that could, and someday probably will, be worse than a family full of sick and cranky kids. But, I sufficiently vented, logged it away for future generations to read of and was able to see humor in our plight by sharing. So...thanks for listening, everybody. :)

Second of all, update on the Ballard household . . . ready for this . . . everybody is (just about) back to normal!!! Let the celebratory trumpets sound their call! Bethany's throwing up episode last Sunday night was a singular incident and after that, everyone has steadily improved. Ben and JC are both holding onto their coughs a bit (JC would probably be annoyed that I say "a bit" since, when he does cough, it is rather miserable for him) but even those are improving. Due to what I like to think of as a combination of all my obsessive "get us better NOW" efforts (including but not limited to the following: sanitizing bed linens, stuffed animals and pillows; air detoxification (this stuff is fantastic, I highly recommend it...you can check it out along with a lot of other amazing products here); vigilent humidifier use; highly enforced early bedtimes and good naps; an air duct cleaning (much needed); deep cleaning and disinfecting of entire house; eating as organic as possible/cutting back on meat consumption; major vitamin and herb intake; fresh air; an intense Cold/Flu Detox for JC (he is SUCH a trooper...had to drink nasty herbal tea and REALLY nasty herbal formulas...my hero!) and, of course, a mom's most prized weapon - - lots of praying) I can confidently say we are all just about better!

For now at least!

But anyway, I think the whole experience has been good for me, having to really examine what could be making us sick. (Though, my mom reminds me that when my brother and sisters and I were all little, we would get sick like this all the time...sometimes you just get sick!) But, I had to take a close look at what we consume, the environment we live in, what we use our bodies for, what we breathe in...I had to become very deliberate about it all and it woke me up a little bit. I've been thinking about all of this for a while now anyway, but the thought process was very concentrated in these last couple of weeks. Our health really is in our own hands. We can be complacent and let come what comes or we can be proactive and aware of our bodies and our environment.

These thoughts were taken further as I examined L. Tom Perry's talk from this last conference "Let Him Do It With Simplicity". He talks about the four basic needs we all have...those for food, clothing, shelter and spiritual fuel. I greatly enjoyed the concepts touched on and have spent a lot of time thinking about them.

There are so many destractions in our lives...or at least in mine! If everyone else manages to function well and stay focused in spite of them, I suppose someday I could learn to. But right now, it feels like there are too many things going on...and only a few of them that are really, truly important.

I feel the need to simplify. Physically, spiritually, mentally, etc. The word "detox" keeps coming to mind. I feel my family could benefit from a whole-life detox. I feel like my house went through one this past week! And how fantastically fresh the air seems and the floors feel and everything looks . . . I could use some of that spread out all over all areas of our lives.

SO, my goal this week - - make a detox plan. The remaining months of 2008 will be all about DETOX for the Ballard Bunch.

This should be interesting . . .

P.S. Pretty sure I'm going to detox my internet out. It's being REEdiculous and will not let me load any pictures on here to show as proof that the kids are feeling better. Lots of playing going on. But anyway, perhaps tomorrow. So, as of now, this will stand as one of the few picture-less posts. :)

The Examined Life...

Okay: When, on Monday, Ben is finally back to his old self (beside a nagging cough) and Bethany comes down with a fever that worsens by the end of the day and leaves her miserable, I cry for her.
Questionable: I cry for me.

Not okay: In my irritation, I nag JC. (Which, he calmly takes and sweetly lets roll of his back.)

Okay: On Tuesday, I give Bethany a good healthy breakfast.

Questionable: After she eats and is feeling better, with a much lower temperature, I let her run around and play with her brothers.

Not okay: I become complacent and when James refuses his vitamins in the morning, I set them aside to try again later and forget.

Okay: When JC calls to say he is off for the rest of the day, the kids and I are so excited we decide to celebrate and spend the morning doing a fun family outing to Hobby Lobby (for me), Sportsmans (for JC and the kids...they LOVE it there.) and Target (for everybody).

Questionable: We spend too much time and money at all of the above.

Not okay: After realizing it's about lunch time, we grab chicken nuggets on the way home for the kids.

Okay: We spend that afternoon doing some decorating in the playroom/family room using the stuff we bought at Hobby Lobby, completing projects I've had on the brain for quite a while.

befores:

Questionable: When Bethany's fever comes back, with a vengeance, and she begins throwing up (you guessed it) chicken nuggets and everything else she had eaten that day, we give her lots of love, make sure she's completely happy and comfortable in front of a movie, with plenty of water...and resume decorating to keep a little sanity.

afters

Not okay: Anticipating more very dirty towels (read: vomit towels), we put some in the wash machine figuring we'll run it later after we add more to the load...then, she just happens to not get sick anymore and we happen to forget about it...until the next morning.


Okay: Feeling quite gross at the end of the day, I take a nice shower.
Questionable: I neglect cleaning up after the day in order to do so.
Not okay: Even after serious scrubbing, my feet remain a very stubborn black from being barefoot nearly all day on my neglected floors. Mason used to call this "housewife feet."


Okay: Wednesday, even though Bethany's fever has broken and we are all feeling somewhat decently, we lay around all morning reading books and watching movies. I cancel plans with Alissa to keep from passing anything on to her. (Thanks for being understanding!)
Questionable: I still force them to take naps against their wishes, planning to clean up the house while they are down and have a fresh start after they wake up. James throws the biggest fit about this and I let him stay upstairs to watch a Barney episode to avoid a huge tantrum. (weak, I know.)
Not okay: When plan backfires and he STILL throws a big fit when I try to take him downstairs for a nap, waking up Ben, I put him in his crib and tell him that if he doesn't stop crying so I can put Ben back to sleep, he will not be able to go to preschool when he's three. (Can you see the panic/desperation setting in at this point? Haha...it's so sad...)


Okay: I finally get Ben back to sleep...then James to sleep...the Ben back to sleep again...and realize that I am beginning to feel a bit loopy, so I decide that I should take at least a few minutes while all is quiet to lay down and breathe deeply.
Questionable: I lay down right there on the floor in the hallway, outside their doors.
Not okay: I fall completely asleep for over an hour and when I wake up to Ben crying, I find that both my arms also fell completely asleep due to being used as my pillow. I cannot pick him up for several minutes.


Okay: I make homemade spaghetti sauce for our dinner that night.
Questionable: I eat more than I should.
Not okay: This is only the beginning of what will become a pattern of stress-eating throughout the rest of the week.

Okay: Thursday, my mom is over to play with and take care of the kids, so I attack the house to get it as clean as possible, hoping I can clean the sick out of our house...by the end of the morning, everything is picked up, sheets, blankets and stuffed animals are sanitized, etc. A guy is scheduled to come blow out our vents, a company is on call to come deep clean and disinfect our house (with environmentally friendly products, of course...I love that I found someone to do this!) after the vent guy and I've got an air detox working its magic in the meantime.
Questionable: I put JC to work on his day off, assigning him to the back porch and patio just in case germs are lurking and finding their way in.
Not okay: James comes down with a low fever that afternoon. (I know that's not something I did, but it's still not okay with me!)

James tried to play outside.

Ended up inside.

Okay: Friday morning, I decide to keep plans to go out to Queen Creek to see Ali and her kids since James seems to be doing okay and Ali promises she doesn't mind...we needed out of this house!!!
Questionable: When he gets worse, after a conversation with and an offer from my mom, he goes to have lunch and naptime with Grandma Trudie while the rest of us head out for our play date. (This is probably not that questionable, he was actually really excited to hang with Grandma...he had just been so excited about seeing Ali - - who he seems to have a bit of a crush on - - that I felt bad going without him!)
Not okay: Later that night, I think I catch a glimpse of a red spot on his leg while getting him dressed in pajamas but figure it was just the lighting.


Okay: Work on a meal plan that night to help me get one step closer to having our three-month supply on hand.
Questionable: Become discouraged when, after an hour, I realize I am not going about it the most efficient way and decide to start over. Become discouraged when I realize that I am being a perfectionist and I am tired of fighting that trait. Become discouraged when I realize that I don't really want to fight that trait, I kind of like it sometimes . . .
Not okay: In my frustration, I walk away from it for the night, go in the other room where JC is waiting patiently for me to come hang out with him (Friday IS supposed to be our date night, whether in or out) and I take my frustration out on him by being irritable. (Luckily, he doesn't let me get away with it, makes me talk about what's bothering me - - even though it ends up going much deeper than a meal plan - - then rubs my back while I fall asleep. Yeah, I know, where did I get this guy?)


Okay: When we wake up Saturday morning to an even more miserable James, I decide not to clean out closets like I planned.
Questionable: When we discover that James has an ankle the size of a baseball due to a mosquito bite (which he has severe reactions to), I blame myself for not paying better attention to that red spot the night before. Could have treated it then and kept it from getting so bad.
Not okay: At one point or another, feel frustrated with him when he won't stop crying and nothing I can do will help.


Okay: Decide to have leftover spaghetti for lunch and get breadsticks from Fazoli's to go with it. Also decide to take a walk with the kids in strollers to get us out of the house and into the gorgeous October weather, figuring it will be good for James to move around since his ankle was so swollen he couldn't even walk.
Even better: Yeah, new category. Decide that we should combine our two ideas, save on some fuel, get some extra exercise and fresh air and walk to Fazoli's to buy breadsticks. (There is one remotely close to our house, just a bit further than we would normally walk) Immensely enjoy the whole concept.
Questionable: Allow Ben to fall asleep for his nap as we're walking. (though I sure wouldn't object to sleeping outdoors with the warm sun blanketing me and the gentle breeze swirling around my toes...being pushed along in a semi-comfy stroller...)
Not okay: Cursing, in my head, when we finally get to Fazoli's and find it has been closed down.


Okay: Try to be patient when James is impossible to please and extremely weepy when we get home.
Questionable: When he randomly stops crying and says "I want Monkey Munch" I run to the kitchen to make it for him. (Monkey Munch is our name for the rice chex snack with the melted peanut butter and chocolate, tossed in powdered sugar...I've also heard it called Muddy Buddies and Puppy Chow.)
Not okay: After giving him and Bethany a small amount, I proceed to snack on it for..the...rest...of...the...day... (NEVER have stuff like this around when you're in a emotional eating cycle!)



Okay: Even though James did enjoy the walk and took a good nap, his fever is so high, throat is so swollen-sounding and ankle-mosquito-bite is so strange looking and HUGE, I send him to Urgent Care with JC and try to give Bethany and Ben some quality time. Then, while they eat dinner, re-read Pres. Uchtdorf's talk from Relief Society Conference and L. Tom Perry's from Saturday morning session.
Questionable: Multi-grain cheerios, baked potato and fruit for dinner for Bethany and Ben. A popsicle for James. (This was after he got back from Urgent Care with a diagnoses of mild strep and freakish reactions to mosquito bites. Receive instructions to ride it out and try to avoid letting him get bitten. This part I knew but I was glad to have a diagnoses for his fever/throat problems.)

When Ben felt done with his potato, he started throwing it...some of it landed very nicely on top of his head and stayed there for quite some time.

Not okay: Stress-ate Totino's Pizza Rolls for dinner with JC after the kids went to bed. Enjoyed it very much.


Okay: Skipped church today since James was still contagious (though his ankle had gone down considerably and he could limp around). Dressed the kids in warm clothes and kept the doors to the back patio/balcony open to let in fresh air and help the general morale of the family!

This is after it had gone down quite a bit...I had a hard time getting a good picture of it.

What Bethany and Ben did...

What James did...

Questionable: Forced James' medicine down his throat somewhat violently. (Well, it was really him being violent, not us, but it still feels awful when you have to do that...)

Not okay: Locked myself in the bathroom again later that afternoon when, again, the poor kid was feeling so crummy he just wanted to scream and cry and not be helped by anybody. No matter what I did, even if it was what he asked for, he would throw a giant screaming fit. Understandable. But still taxing on the mom-psyche.

Okay: Have Kleenex on hand to wipe runny noses.

Questionable: Discover Ben pulling them out of the box one by one and excitedly scattering them all over the playroom. Let him continue because it is keeping him happy.

Not okay: Leave them there for over 24 hours.

Okay: Try to keep everyone as happy as possible this evening.

Questionable: Notice Ben's diaper is getting soggy but figure it's almost bedtime and I'll change it then.

Not okay: Upon him starting to scream right before bed, change his diaper and find he was not JUST soggy, but quite poopy as well (non-smelling kind apparently)...and with a red, irritated bottom to show for it. In the last post, JC talked about being heartbroken for neglected children...probably didn't realize our own could soon be considered as such.

Okay: Decide to blog about our week to unwind and keep me from snacking.

Questionable: Snacked anyway.

Not okay: When JC (keeper of the baby monitor while I blog) walks in here a few minutes ago and says "You ready for this? Bethany is crying and saying she threw up" I feel a sudden urge to laugh hysterically.

I am . . . JC.

I am . . . me.

I think . . . therefore I am.

I know . . . how to play an Egyptian Drum.

I want . . . I want, I want, I want, me, me, me, me, mine, mine, mine, mine, now, now, now!

I have . . . a dirty thumb.

I wish . . . I could get drawn for Elk.

I hate . . . vinegar.

I miss . . . my Charger.

I fear . . . no one!

I feel . . . heartbroken for neglected children.

I love . . . my wife and kids. (You too, Scout.)

I hear . . . screaming, laughing, playing...Mandy talking...

I smell . . . pizza bites.

I search . . . for nothing. Lola does it for me. (We named our GPS.)

I wonder . . . if the pearly gates are really made of pearl.

I regret . . . nothing. It's a waste of time. You gotta put your behind in your past.

I care . . . nothing for what others think of me. (Unless it's good!)

I always . . . cough.

I am not . . . a serious person. Unless I need to be.

I believe . . . everything happens for a reason.

I dance . . . at my wedding. ONLY at my wedding.

I sing . . . when I drive to work.

I don't always . . . brush my teeth. I'm not afraid to admit it.

I write . . . in capital letters.

I win . . . whenever I play "Friends Scene-It."

I lose . . . sight of the big picture sometimes.

I never . . . cease to amaze myself.

I listen . . . to the song "Simple Man" by Shinedown an awful lot.

I can usually be found . . . if you look hard enough.

I read . . . at work, during my lunch break. (currently, the first book in the "Bourne" Series.)

I am happy about . . . where I'm at.

Fever, art work, night lights and near-death experiences...

Whew! Another week has passed and all members of The Ballard Household are accounted for! Truth be told, I'm just glad for that simple fact! Here's a bit of a recap of how we spent the last days of September and the first few of - - my favorite month of the whole year! - - October.





For the last month, we have all been passing around some sort of horrible cold/flu. As soon as it seems it's dying down, someone gets it again and the cycle continues. Luckily, for the most part, it does seem to be a lesser version of the same sickness every time it cycles around. So, we are headed for complete recovery soon! (knock on wood)


The exception would be poor Ben...this last week he was SO sick for a few days. What started as a mild fever and sluggishness Sunday afternoon turned into a very miserable high fever by Sunday evening. Over the next couple of days, he battled it out while I held him and did everything I could think of to keep him comfortable and help his little body fight it off. (I spent most of this time sweating myself, he was so very hot) I told my sister I felt like Anne when she nurses Diana's baby sister back to health . . . but anyway . . .

He got to feeling better, finally started eating again and, after a couple of days, let me put him down for a minute or two to rest my arms!! The older two were troopers, just like they were when I was so sick, being content with weeding through the day old piles of toys on the playroom floor, eating things that could be prepared with only one hand (other arm holding a curled-up, whimpering version of Ben)...by the way, those meals were also eaten on the playroom floor...and watching LOTS and LOTS of Blue's Clues, Jack's Big Music Show, Barney, Signing Time and Sesame Street. I used to stress a lot about not letting them watch too much TV, and perhaps I still do somewhat...but after this last month of everyone being sick on and off, it has become quite the tool in keeping everyone happy and entertained.

Here are Bethany and James, enjoying some time together, watching Sesame Street, while Mom is busy keeping Ben happy. They were so cute; Bethany kept saying, "Mommy, how's Ben doing now?" and James would just stare at Ben draped across my chest, whining and sniffling and say, "Ben not feel good, Mommy?"

After a couple of days, when he was back on his feet, but still quite sensitive and fussy, we tried to cheer him up with some dress up and dancing (um...we only have girl dress up clothes as of yet). He wasn't having it.
One night, after everyone was finally asleep and I was cleaning up in the playroom, I found something James had done to amuse himself...another animal on the time-out spot. This time, not the cat but a small plastic ostrich. I'm not sure what he did to deserve to be there, but I'm sure James was fair in his choice of discipline.

In the midst of all the sickness, and also because of just where I'm at in my general progress as a Mom, I'm focusing a lot lately on how we eat. I am happy to say that I have had the presence of mind to think and plan more for our meals and snacks and, as a result of that and much research, a lot less junk is going into our bodies these days! It's a good feeling...no, a GREAT feeling to know that I am trying to give my family the very best in order to take care of our bodies and set ourselves up for a healthy journey through this crazy world! Far from perfect, but we had a pretty good week in that regard. Makes me happy.

Here's James, enjoying a snack.

Bubbles makes everyone feel better. Especially half-naked.

...who said that?...
More restful time for everyone.
Once Ben had his appetite back, he REALLY had it back. Here he is, devouring part of a muffin. Just plopped down and went at it.
Then, with newfound energy, he decides to take the rest of it to go.And apparently expected me to clean up the mess he left behind . . .


...which he blamed on the cat.

At some point during the week, JC and I found ourselves both working on something or other in the office and after a few minutes, I decided I better check on the kids in the playroom.

Fantastic. Aren't they creative?

(Sometimes I think they color on things they know they're not supposed to on purpose because they actually enjoy the clean-up process. They each get their own little Magic Eraser and sing the clean-up song...hmm...sounds a bit more like a party than a punishment...well, for a two and three-year-old.)

One afternoon, in an attempt to reward the older kids for being so patient with Ben and I, I let them play with the coveted chalkboard/whiteboard easel. Bethany called me over and asked me what I thought she had drawn.

Hmm...it's very nice. I think it looks a bit heart-shaped.

No, Mom, look closely at the bottom where there is a little bit of a round thing.

Hmmm...give me a hint?

It's a hen laying an egg!

Wow...it sure is.

Later that evening, JC stepped out for a bit to help his mom out with one of the many exciting household projects she has going on right now. When the kids and I were downstairs getting pajamas on, Bethany came up to me and informed me that while I was dressing Ben, she and James had agreed to trade nightlights.

Since when do they...agree?

But, sure enough, upon entering her room, there was James' nightlight, shining away against her pink wall.
And hers was looking quite at home, lighting up her brother's room with the soft glow of flowers and buterflies.

Since when do they make arrangements like this without grownups involved? (Though, of course, this did warrant a stern talking-to about plugging or unplugging things. This actually would require a grownup's participation, but aside from that...I was quite amused.)

That evening, Bethany also came across a baby doll she had lost quite some time ago. I asked her if, now that she had found her, she would like to give her a name. (She has recently started naming her animals and dolls...most of them are named after my cousin, Emily.)

She thought for just a short minute...then her face lit up and, with a big smile, looked at me and said

"Donald!"

Donald it is.

James, sharing the excitement in the return of the baby now known as Donald.

Ben, making his presense very known. He was tired of me taking pictures of a baby doll.

Then, he was just...tired.

Now, for a REALLY fun story.

Friday morning I promised the kids we could play outside in the water after naptime. JC has a half-day at work on Fridays and it had been quite some time since we had all spent some outdoor time together. I thought it sounded nice and the kids were very excited since we had been especially dormant this week.

After naptime, we got everyone into some waterplay-worthy clothes and headed out front. The weather was decent, the grass was nice and long and soft...it was due to be cut the next morning...Saturday morning yardwork, JC's favorite thing. :) Anyway, we had noticed a wasp or two around our house during the summer and JC had always tried to get rid of them, and I tried to not accidentally let one into the house (failed). Well, this time, JC had had quite enough and went to investigate/kill when he saw one buzzing around the HUGE bush in our front yard. Exciting news! He notices a nest.

GREAT.

I herd the kids back inside, trying to explain to them why I am going back on my promise of playing outside right now. But, maybe we still can later.

Upon further investigation/killing, JC discovers there are TWO nests. And, as he's spraying them, counts over thirty wasps falling to our grass. Sorry kids, no front yard play time. Maybe later we can play in the backyard.

More wasps emerge. Fly away into the back yard.

NO water play today.

Crying kids.

More wasps.

Crying Mandy.

More wasps.

Calling pest control guy.

I still get shivers thinking about it all.

Here is our hero, the pest control guy, attacking our big bush in a bee suit, less than an hour later.

Here is a nest full of eggs that he pulled out. Apparently, the white is eggs and the non-white is...no longer eggs but live wasps living in our bush.

And, here is what was existing in our big bush. All summer.

I hate looking at these pictures. I can't stop itching. DEEsgusting.

So, after we got over the initial shock of "Oh my gosh, this was in our front yard, I can no longer live in this house" (Okay, that was just me), we moved on to "Oh my gosh, we are so lucky none of us stumbled into that bush and got stung" and then on to "Holy cow, we're lucky none of us got stung hundreds of times in succession and sent into cardiac arrest." Which THEN got us thinking about how JC had every intention of trimming back that bush the next morning. Which would have...not ended well. That realization went from being funny to downright anxiety-attack inducing within a few seconds and we spent the rest of the evening feeling very grateful that we are watched over.

P.S. The bush is coming out.

The next morning, JC went about yardwork, touching NO bushes in the process. After he mowed the lawn, I wandered onto the back balcony to take a picture of my garden. Well, so far it's just an empty corner and a compost tumbler. But, hey, baby steps, right? Someday my vision will come to life. For now...

My Compost Tumbler, finally getting used. We are just starting our composting in hopes of building up some rich soil by the time I am ready to start keeping up a garden. JC made fun of me for taking this picture.

"Are you seriously taking a picture to remember the first day we put something in the tumbler?"

"No."

Pause.

Stare.

Try to think of any other reason for taking a picture of the most desolate corner of our property...

JC's eyebrows go up, waiting.

"Yes."

(Come on, hon, are you really surprised? Don't we have like, half a roll of film from when I used my KitchenAid for the first time?)

Bethany being silly with a box of 101 cookie cutters I bought for fifteen dollars at Hobby Lobby. Notice there is no longer cookie cutters in the box. ALL over the kitchen floor. How else are the kids supposed to choose one to shape their sandwiches at lunchtime?

Saturday, we attempted some outside time at a greenbelt across the street from our house. Darby, Bethany's faithful canine friend joined us, as did James' Cat...you can see it down in the corner.

When some real live canine friends from the neighborhood stopped to say hello, Bethany got a little nervous about their excited barking and stood off in the distance, letting James take in all the yappy, slobbery attention.

Ben sure enjoyed himself...he was obviously not walking last time we had cool walk-to-the-greenbelt-and-play weather, so he has a lot of catching up to do this fall!

So...there's our week in a nutshell. And then, of course, there was conference this weekend. AND, for the first time in a long time, we actually got to hear some of it! Woohoo! I can't wait to read up on the parts we missed while changing diapers, settling disputes and all the many other things that don't allow for a completely peaceful conference weekend. But, that's what this phase of life is all about, right?
I'll take it.
Bugs and all.