Hubbub

For those of you who weren't reading back when I still worked in an office and wasted many, many hours on blogs - my own and others - that last post probably seemed really long and random. I have no idea what possessed me to write at length about pie. But it felt good. I used to write so much more than a weekly update on what we've been doing and how the kids have changed in appearance of late (Jake got a new haircut for school, by the way... it's a little shorter than intended, but he's dealing well enough with it and it will have grown back out all too soon).

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A couple of you mentioned in the comments that you'd try the Crash Hot Potato recipe soon. DO! Mine weren't as pretty as the ones in the photos because I don't have the same kind of potato masher she does, but they were incredibly tasty. Be sure you make plenty!

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My sister and mother came for a visit last week while Nathaniel was away for his conference. We had a nice two days to visit and the kids definitely enjoyed having people around who have more energy to entertain than I. I'll be honest, I'm pretty much a wet noodle these days. I can muster just enough energy to take them to a fun a place, but once at the park or zoo or wherever we land, I'm pretty much at a sit-and-watch phase. Having the extra adults to push them on swings in the backyard and generally mix things up a little was huge! Thanks to them for the visit! Also, my mom brought several meals worth of food and stocked our freezer so that once the baby comes Sara will have some dinners she can prep with a minimum amount of assistance from the lady nursing a baby in the rocker. I'm very grateful for that, as it'll save us from many a frozen pizza dinner, I'm sure (however, if the kids heard me say that, they'd probably unplug the freezer in the hopes of ruining all the good food and getting the pizzas).

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I had a baby check up yesterday and everything is looking good to the extent that the doctor can "see" anything. The baby is head down and, according to the doctor, the head is way down there, which explains why every time I stand up from sitting or lying it takes me a few minutes to be able to walk comfortably (or to walk at all). Too much information, I know. But there are a lot of moms reading this site, and I don't figure it phases them. The rest of you can skim. Nathaniel is predicting I won't make it to my due date this time, because our ultrasound a few months back dated me about 10 days earlier but the due date was not officially changed. With one miraculously punctual child and one nearly two weeks late, I'm not getting my hopes up for anything in particular. Or I'm trying not to. As it becomes increasingly difficult to get in and out of bed, not to mention the tremendous feat that is rolling over in the night, I'm starting to look forward more to the arrival of the bitty new baby. Not that I haven't been looking forward to it before, but I'm generally a happy pregnant lady. The kid is, in my mind, infinitely easier to care for pre-birth (I'm sure my friend Ginny would wholeheartedly disagree). Among other things she accomplished while visiting, though, my mom helped me set up the crib in my room, so I have that constant reminder of the upcoming arrival of the baby, combined with the increasing discomfort... it makes the countdown all the more sweet. I do hope to enjoy a couple weeks, at least, of the quieter house once the kids go back to school on Thursday before I add the hubbub of a new kid to the mix.

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Speaking of back to school... Hooray! I'm so excited; I can hardly wait. I just wish they didn't bother with these silly half days to kick things off, because I'm ready for the full on event of back to school! The kids are decidedly less enthusiastic, but they'll cope. Sara is moderately excited because she's looking forward to spending time with her friends every day. Jake is grumpy at the thought of going back, which I attribute mostly to the uniform requirement that he hates with a passion. The aforementioned haircut did nothing to help the mood. On the contrary, Elizabeth and Marianne are nearly bursting with excitement about school. It's fun to see! Typing this reminds me, I still need to pull out the sharpie and label all their school supplies before Friday. I'm sure I'll post a picture soon of Elizabeth in her uniform, since it's her first year to sport one, and she's the first person in the house to wear one of the jumpers (they wear them till they switch to skirts in 6th grade). She looks super cute in her new get up and she couldn't be prouder to wear it. I'll miss that enthusiasm when it goes. Marianne is still in play clothes for preschool this year, but that doesn't dampen her mood any. She is going through a bit of a sensitive phase, though ("No one likes me", "No one wants to play with me", etc), so hopefully things will go smoothly for her. She already has one good friend in her class, so I think she'll be fine. Her first day isn't till next Monday, but I'm sure there'll be more to come soon about how that goes!