Weekly Recap?

Has it really been a week since I have last posted? I don't know where I've been, the days just seem to run together lately, and at the end of a day I can barely tell you what I've done all day. Hopefully I will get things back on track over the holiday season.

Which, hello? I'm so glad is here. I love, love, love this time of year, and I have a new goal of keeping my kids focused off of "all the gifts they want", and focused more on giving to others who have far less than they, and being thankful for their blessings. And Brandon seems to have more time to spend at home with us this time of year. So YAY for November and December.

Anyway, for the week that seemingly disappeared from the calender...

Sunday morning my mom came down for a few days to gift me with a few hours of sanity on Sunday evening and Monday. I don't think I've had more "grown up" time in a while than I did last weekend. It was marvelous. We also took the opportunity to make the first, but not last, batch of Pumpkin Spice Muffins/Cupcakes of the year. Call them muffins, and they're breakfast, throw some cream cheese icing on top, and they become cupcakes for dessert. Or cupcakes for breakfast. I won't judge you.

Sunday evening Brandon and I enjoyed a lovely evening with some of our youth leaders, sitting and snacking, and solving the world's problems. Then we came home and opened the window in our bedroom just a smidge and slept under the down comforter while the glorious fall air provided nature's air conditioning. LOVE this weather.

Monday I escaped for a few hours to get some errands done all by myself, while my mom was home with the kids. I tried to purposefully find things to do that are especially hard with children in tow. Go to the DMV and get a new registration sticker for the van since mine expired in September 2009. A little Christmas shopping. A haircut. Speaking of haircut, I usually get a haircut at a certain salon, and the girls that cut my hair keep leaving the salon. The past three visits, I have ended up with a new hair-cutter because the previous one has left the company. I am the kiss of death there. Even the guy that used to do my highlights back when I was a blonde is currently pursuing other career options. Argh! (I apologize if I offended anyone that works at a salon. I am sure there is a "technical term" for the girl that cuts hair, I just can't for the life of me remember what it is right now.)

Anyway, back to the haircut with the new girl. I never know exactly how to tell someone to cut my hair, I just tell them to put lots of layers in and just keep choppin' away, but no layers above my chin because I still have to be able to sport a ponytail in a pinch. WHICH I TOLD THIS NEW GIRL. Long story short, I ended up with "mock bangs", which, when she had finished styling my hair, were about cheekbone-length and completely obscured my right eye. Apparently "it's very trendy now".

Excuse me, miss? I am a 32 year old mother of four children age 6 and under. I actually drive a mini-van and watch 5 year olds play soccer on Saturdays. When I'm not doing that, I work at a hospital and clean up poop sometimes. Off of adults. All of which I shared with you over the last 20 minutes because you INSISTED on chatting instead of letting me read my Good Housekeeping magazine from July 2009. What part of this picture suggests that I am interested in a "trendy" haircut? A haircut that completely obscures my field of vision in my right eye? A haircut that is DEFINITELY shorter than my chin? Am I really getting mistaken for being trendy? Do I need to pull out my tapered-leg jeans from 1997 and prove you otherwise?

On to Tuesday. Tuesday I went to work and cleaned poop off of adults while my mom stayed home with the kids. I probably had the easier day.

I have no idea what happened to Wednesday. It appears to have vanished into the abyss. Oh! Wait! I remember now...Wednesday will forever be known as The Day I Discovered The Gingerbread Latte. And today I am thankful for the gift cards that will pay for my new weekly coffee-type drink indulgence. I mentioned the Gingerbread Latte to my dad, and he promptly declared it to be "the grossest thing he has ever heard of."

Um, dad? When cleaning poop is part of your job description, a Gingerbread Latte is definitely not the grossest thing you have ever heard of.

I will have to save Thursday and Friday for another day, because, frankly, it involves kids and pictures and cuteness, and those things would clearly be out of place in this little post.

And it would mean editing pictures, which I am entirely too tired to do right now.