Ski Week...

The kids were out of school for a week--as a result our downstairs neighbors hate us.

We tried to get out of the house every day but I just don't think it was enough. Turns out four kids are noisy no matter how much time they've had running around in the fresh air and sunshine.

It stinks to be our downstairs neighbors...we, however, had an excellent week.

See?

We spent one afternoon at the empty school yard. It was pretty nice having the whole playground to ourselves. We went to the library one day and surprised Daddy with a quick visit at work. We walked around our neighborhood and took our scooters to a near by park. The kids built forts under the kitchen table and we threw some sweet dance parties when our downstairs neighbors blasted their music.

It was a great week...

Vacation on Mars...

Ooooooooo she's hot.

I'm nobody's fool.

Ooooooooo she's hot.

I'm so hot, I'm cool!

Hubba-hubba, right? That's my baby girl playing the part of Planet Venus in her third grade play. Much to the annoyance of her little brother, Lorien rehearsed her little heart and lungs out for weeks. She was adorable, funny and confident. She nailed it.

The whole play, Vacation on Mars, was awesome. The kids in her class put in as much time and effort into each of their parts as Lorien did--and it showed. I love school plays.

Swamped...

Pretty--huh?

So what has been happening around our house lately? Let me tell you. I've been loosing my mind little by little trying to keep up. Adell has stopped taking two naps a day and has almost stopped taking one. You can imagine what kind of disposition this puts her in every day. You can also imagine the condition of our home and the quality of meals I've been serving...poor on both accounts.

In an attempt to capture the crazy here are a few pictures from the last two weeks or so. The picture at the top of this post was the view from my apartment door a couple of weeks ago. It was also the view from apartment door the evening after I stumbled across my dream home in a perfectly dreamy neighborhood. My dream home at a jaw-droppingly-unreasonable price.

Too bad for me.

......................

It has been raining cats and dogs lately and so we've had to get creative with all the time we have to spend inside. Wyatt and Clare spent one afternoon co-constructing a spaceship out of old cardboard boxes. It was so awesome.

I made a fabric-baby-beach-ball for a friend's baby. Adell loves hats and got to wear the beach ball as a hat for a little while while I searched my sewing supplies for pillow stuffing. She looks very "Rosie the Riveter" don't you think?

..............................

Adell has also discovered my jewelry box and learned how to climb up on little things. She is always very proud of her personal accomplishments.

Last week I got an email from the mother of one of Lorien's friends at school (lets call this mom "Julia" for now). We have never met in person but our daughters are great friends. Julia and I have been keeping up a steady email correspondence, planning play dates etc. Julia works and has a nanny take care of her kids after school. Well, last week, Julia sent me an email offering to have her nanny pick my kids up from school three days a week.

Life has been so crazy with Adell's lack-of-nap schedule I almost burst into tears when I read the offer.

What do I do?

Can I (in good conscience) take Julia up on this offer? I mean, she is offering the services of a person she pays to take care of her kids--but I am not going to pay her nanny any thing... Do I ditch the after school pick-up schedule I have with my sister-in-law to make MY life easier? Do I become one of those mothers who is never at school and so never gets to know any of the other parents?

On the other hand, I would get to be one of those moms who are at home every day to greet her children as they walk through the door. (Greeting them with hugs and kisses and cookies?!?) I wouldn't have to wake my baby from a precious nap to get the kids from school.

What would you do?

I Know Some Super Talented Ladies...

It was Miss America time again in the Anderson house. This year I found out a girl I went to high school with competed in the real Miss America Pageant in 2002 as Miss Maine--crazy!

Anyway, the evening was a success! We had plenty of competitors and every one came to win. We had contestants from every walk of life: a pregnant-sun-worshiping Miss Florida and even a set of Sister-Wives "Yearning for Zion's Ranch". (No joke)

The "Little Miss America" portion of the evening was severely under-attended. I think this will be the last year I have a "Little Miss" Pageant. My girls get to come to the "Mrs. Miss America" party and I think that is enough.

Now, on to the embarrassing pictures and lame re-cap of the evenings events!!!

The Misses Yearning For Zion's Ranch (YFZR)-Miss California--Miss Mississippi (this was the first year I was not Miss Maine)---Miss Texas

Miss Stanford--------------Miss Ohio-----------Miss Florida (Coco Butter)-----Miss Washington DC

Miss Colorado--------Miss Nebraska -----The Miss Hot-Pinks-----------------------Miss Utah

Every one loaded on the sass for their introductions. I could tell right away there were plenty of women who wanted the win and wanted it bad... By the time the Talent Portion rolled around you could tell blood would be shed in an attempt to win the crown.

Miss Florida preformed and authentic Native American "Make the baby come" dance pantomiming each phase of pregnancy. She even brought her own set of back-up Native American's to play the turtle shell rattle and buckskin drums. It was genius. I am snorting out giggles as I type--it was so great.

Miss Texas impressed with her memory by reciting a lengthy poem with such passion! I am pretty sure (spoiler alert) her passion in the Talent Portion is what clinched her the win.

The Misses Yearning For Zion's Ranch preformed a magic trick duet wherein they magically tossed a red-glowing light back and forth between each other. Then they ate the light, pulled it out of a member of the audience's ear and ate the light again. Both of my little girls were beyond amazed. It was too cool.

Miss Stanford danced (she danced all night long). And Miss Massachusetts sang a lovely song about the Earth. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! They must get their super-talent from their father because their mother (Miss Mississippi) basically bumbled through Helen Reddy's classic "I am Woman Hear Me Roar" while moving around the room not-dancing for her talent.

No pictures of that one--and aren't you thankful--I sure am.

Miss Ohio also impressed with her memory by reciting the "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" story. Well played Miss Ohio.

Miss Washington D.C. preformed meditative and physically impossible stretches while reciting restful-Chinese phrases. Miss Colorado played an ancient Chinese tune on her Mandolin called "Tu-Ning" while Miss Washington D.C. preformed.

Miss Colorado serenaded us with her fabulous voice and Mandolin playing. I love it when people with real talent display those real talents. So impressive!

Some how, I missed taking a picture of Miss California singing Amazing Grace. She also has real talent and I am also so impressed!

And some how, Miss Utah and Miss Nebraska got off with out preforming a talent. Disappointing, I know!

Miss Texas was our Miss America Winner! (pictured above center) with Miss Florida and Miss Colorado taking first and second runners up. Congratulations ladies!