Buried

Ever had that buried feeling? Like there's too much to do and too many needs and not enough of you to go around? I think I need to get used to that feeling because it's become the norm! Every morning I hit the ground running and don't slow down till I collapse in bed at night--unless of course it's Saturday when my dear sweet husband makes every effort to make sure I get as much of a day off as possible! And there are some evenings when I indulge in the luxury of reading for a few hours--my favorite way to relax. And most Friday nights Evan and I watch a movie together. So there are definitely chances to take it easy.

Aside from the usual responsibilities of homeschooling Jed, taking Chloe and Tucker to preschool, caring for Jack, and trying to stay above the piles of laundry and dishes (a losing battle), I host a Moms In Touch prayer meeting for the preschool moms on Thursday mornings. You'd think that was enough to keep any woman busy, but I'm insane enough to take on editing and proofreading projects too. And for some reason I have it coming out my ears right now! Which is fabulous. I absolutely love editing; it's extremely therapeutic and my favorite thing to do when I have some downtime through the day. My political consultant buddy Chad, in Washington has been sending projects galore--which will come to a screeching halt about a week before election day. That's my gravy work. He pays generously and usually funds our entire Christmas and then some!

Then I've been compiling some 365-day perpetual calendars for Barbour Publishing that involves taking existing text and condensing it, which requires a lot of thought and prayer. I did one a few weeks ago and am about halfway through another one.

Then, to my great honor and delight, my sister-in-law Sara asked me to proofread some stories she wrote. They're sitting on the dining room table waiting their turn.

And last but not least, my good friend Steve D. recently called asking me to edit some books he wrote. Haven't made the final decision on that one, but I really want to do it and I just can't turn work down. And Barbour wants me back for proofreading soon once I get the calendar done. So the insanity continues.

When do you get all this work done, you ask? I'll tell you--I don't know. Just kidding. The highlight of my day is when the kids are ensconced in the playroom for an hour after lunch and I can sit down and put some time in. Often I'll do work in the evenings as well when the kids are in bed. Except for the times when I'm so exhausted I can't keep my eyes open--and editing would be a bad idea in that state of mind.

Anyway, there's a little window into my life right now. Life is good.

Thing 1 and Thing 2

Hmm, I guess I've used this title before, because as I started typing it in, the program pulled up the rest of it for me. Maybe the reason I've used it before is because these two rascals bear a striking resemblance to the Dr. Seuss characters. Tucker's outfit is entirely of his choosing. Though it's not as bad as the one he put on last week. One morning Chloe knocked on the bathroom door and told me she wanted me to see her and Tucker. So she opens the door and waltzes in dressed up in her yellow Belle dress. Okay, nothing unusual. But the next image was seriously disturbing. Tucker comes in wearing Chloe's fru-fru-y (no idea how that's spelled) red and white polka-dot Minnie Mouse dress, complete with wiggly star headband. Oh my.

We had a nice little chat about how boys don't wear girl's clothes. You'd think I was talking to them in a different language, though. They didn't quite get WHY, so I suggested that Tucker be the prince. That's when I realized the poor kid needs to hang out with more boys his age. He's usually glued to Chloe's side and she's always the ringleader. He's all boy, but every now and then you'll catch him with one of Chloe's ponies or, as in this picture, wearing her princess shoes. It's nothing I'm worried about, just something to watch and gently work through with him--and Chloe! Gotta get her to stop putting her clothes on him.