Is It Dirty Laundry?

Point # 1

Laundry is my least favorite chore.  Not true, doing dishes, is but somehow, the dished get done where as the laundry grows in leaps and bounds.

Point #2

My husband is a neat nut.

One day a few months ago, I went to wake Samuel  up because he had gone to sleep super late and 'needed help' to get his day started.  His room is pretty neat for the most part.  Don't get me wrong, there are days that it could use a bit of spiffing up, but it would probably take about 10 minutes to get it in tip-top shape.  Not bad for a 12 year old.  *With some help.*

Hence this story.

ANYWAY, on this morning, I noticed that his laundry was still in his basket, so, being the mom that I am, I woke him up with.."Samuel, you better put your laundry away so your dirty clothes don't get mixed in with your clean clothes."

To which he responded in a sleepy, irritated voice " MOM it's ALL dirty laundry, someone keeps coming into my room and folding my dirty laundry while I sleep.  It's so ANNOYING."

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Because it was obvious that neither Elly or I did it.  And who folds dirty laundry anyway?

My husband.

I just happen to pop my head in his room 5 minutes ago, and guess what?  His dirty laundry was folded.   LOL.   I think he finally surrendered after complaining for so many months.

I was going to say pray for me.  But maybe you should pray for him. Or maybe pray for Samuel.  Hmmm...

Pray for all of us.

Oh the things we do...

Catching up again.  Elena went to Jacob's Star Wars party.  Nobody here watches Star Wars, so it was a foreign thing to Elly, and she liked the balloon better then the light saber. lol.

And this week, we went to the mall...yes I know, we even went on a Saturday night.  Ew.  I think the last time I went on a Saturday night I was, maybe, in high school and then it was maybe once.  But when you hang out at home because of snow & cold, you just get desperate and go to the mall on a Saturday night.  

And we had a gift card for this store where you pick out an unstuffed animal and then they stuff it for you.  I'll let you guess what store that is...  

Elly got a Hello Kitty.  Big surprise there.

A picture from our forced field trip.  When John saw this picture, he was slightly shocked that this building was from our state.  It looks old European-ish.

Friday night the girls from my missions class went to feed those less fortunate then they are.  It was great.   And since Samuel is my son, he goes wherever I go. :)

My parents FINALLY got home from El Salvador.  They were gone for 7 weeks.  That is a long time.  LONG.  They live 7 minutes away and not having them around was not something I feel comfortable with.  At all.

Well guess what they bought back for my nephew, Stephen?   

Go ahead and guess.

Or bette yet, check out the pictures:

She goes to Elena, maybe thinking she is a puppy person.  lol.

Meet Mindy.  

She is so cute.  We are having a hard time letting her sleep.  You would, too, if she was in your possession.  And the paper work to get this dog here...she is a naturalized citizen.  :D

On a different note for a minute, our Borders that is 5 minutes away is closing.  Can we say...wHaT?!!??!!?  How can that be?

But as we went to their closing sale, I felt slightly guilty, thinking I am partially responsible for this.

  After all, I sure do love my nook.

Valentine's Day A forced Field Trip.

Today is Valentine's Day.

But before I could enjoy it, I had to go to Trenton, our state capitol, and pick up more documents for the adoption.

( Don't let this picture fool you, though it is pretty in a FEW parts, it is not this pretty all over.)

No biggie.  Run to Samuel's ortho appointment, and then make the drive.  It was a 10 minute thing once we got down there, so after we got back, the day was a great day in the making!!

Not so much.

As it turned out, the 10 minute thing turned into waiting almost 5 hours.   And I refused to make that hour and 20 minute drive one way for NOTHING.  So we waited.

But then it hit me, since we are stuck here, lets make the most of it.  Hence, the forced field trip.

We went over to Princeton, and I enjoyed a Valentine's Day lunch with my children at Panera's, across the street from Princeton University.

And then we went to see Drumthwacket, though we didn't go in, and went to see some Revolutionary War monuments.

And to top it off, it wasn't FREEZING!!!!   :D

So despite the fact that the paper work wasn't done when they said it would be done, it was a good day anyway.

And now off to get ready for another date.

It is a month away!!!

Well, we were talking the other day, my husband and I, and he once again mentioned how St. Paddy's Day is his favorite holiday.   ( Is it a real holiday??!!??)

In case I have forgotten the other million times he has mentioned it on the past 26 years.

And please bear with me as I am not trying to blow my husband off, and really, you should come to our house on St. Paddy's.  We decorate and I make the proper meal and we hear the history as to why real irish people from Ireland don't eat corned beef and why american irish do.  And how he sits at the head of the table and feels like a king on this day( why not other days I don't know) and it is my pleasure to do it.


But...I guess you have to be irish...or part irish to get it.

Today, I got yet another post card on the mail, encouraging me to get yet another ANYTHING with our last name in time for St Paddy's.

But today, I seriously considered it.

I am considering getting something for our children.  At least the 4 that still have out last name.  lol.  The 25 year old, the 12 year old and the 2 girls.

Why am I considering it?

Because then, maybe, just maybe, our Chinese daughter and our African daughter can start realizing that yes indeed, my child, you are 1/2 irish.  You won't be able to help it having your daddy around.  You will grow up with U2 in your veins.  With Black 47 in the back of your mind.  You will irish step dance just like you older sister, and you too, will love St. Paddy's Day.

( As I write this the Dropkick Murphys are on iTunes because music helps my 12 year old concentrate in school, and he likes them.   Thankfully he also likes classical and country. ) ( Pray for me)

So, with our family, faulty math works.  You are 1/2 irish, 1/2 hispanic, all Chinese/African, and 100% american.

And as far as March 17...it is a month away.  But I just dusted off the box of decorations...ready to be put up on March 1.

Life is good.

The Past Few Days

The past few days have been...in a word...cold.

This is our house.  This is typical.  But then we got another 17 inches a few days later.

And we can't get the kids to stop going outside.  Even at night.  Elly is on top of almost 3' of snow, which is why she sits and crawls.  If she stood, she would fall in.

On Friday was Samuel's piano recital.  He literally came in the door from skiing all day, took a 3 minute shower like only 12 year olds can do, and we ran out the door.

He was not pleased with his performance.  Maybe because he was TIRED??!!??!

Elly was slightly bummed.  Why, you ask?  Because it was her birthday, and she had to wait until the weekend for her party because today...today she had to go to her brother's piano recital.  But she did get to go home and open her present. Which was a Bitty Baby, and it looked like her little sister that is on her way...

She loves her.  <3

And then one Sunday, we had her family party and she was dressed in her native outfit.  People at church love seeing her like that.  I do too.  :D

She got LOADS of books.

Her brothers.  And her pink & purple cake.   Life is good.  Except life would be really good if her older sister was here, too.  But alas, she is where HE has her.

My baby girl.  And I should wear make up.  Oh well.

Poor Rufus.  My son loves to dress him up.  And my 4 year old cheers on the activity.

Today it is sleeting and raining.  It is starting to melt some of this snow.  Making room for the next storm.

Today would have been my father in law's 84 birthday.  I loved that man.  He was such a joy and the children couldn't get enough of him.  He has been gone for 5 years now.  He is missed. 

But he is forever in our presence as I watch my husband.  He is his father's son.