Trifles

Life has been busy around here.

Karate Kid and JayP have jobs. They are both working as coaches at the gym they were once competitive gymnasts for. We know the owner fairly well and for us it is a well known and safe environment for their first real paying jobs. The owner was thrilled to get them both, but especially thrilled to have Karate Kid as his girls' team has really grown recently and he has been fairly short staffed. She knows what to look for in a gymnast and she also knows all the competitive routines. JayP's job is will begin this summer. He'll be working the summer sports camp. I think it's a perfect first job for him. He won't have to get up early in the morning, he'll still be able to play tennis, and he'll be able to spend his time playing sports with a bunch of kids that will worship him.

Karate Kid completed a much needed project for me. The kitchen was once covered in a floral wallpaper that was really not my style. Years ago we peeled the wallpaper from the walls and painted the entire kitchen, but somehow the wallpapered pantry was missed. I've let that go for all these years, but as it looks as though we may move in the near future, this project was a glaringly obvious one that needed to be done. She pulled all the food stuffs from the shelves, removed and cleaned the shelving, pulled the wallpaper, patched the holes in the walls, sanded the walls, wiped down the walls, and then painted the pantry. Hopefully today I'll be able to replace the shelves and restock the pantry. One project down, countless others to go.

Lil' Wingnut has four cavities, and the dentists really don't know why. He has a very clean mouth with little or no plaque. His cavities are between his teeth, just like Special K. The hygienist explained that he and Special K have acidic bacteria in their mouths that attacks the enamel on their teeth. Brushing protects the surface of their teeth, but it just doesn't reach the tight in between spaces of their molars. Thankfully they have discovered a fix for that problem. The two of them need to ingest 5 to 6 grams of xylitol a day. Xylitol is a natural sugar that is found in berries, corn, and other plant fibers. Apparently it has some great anti-bacterial properties applicable to dentistry and so the dental industry is making toothpaste, gum and mints sweetened exclusively with xylitol. Xylitol intake must be spaced throughout the day and so my two cavity prone kids brush twice a day with a xylitol toothpaste, and then either chew a piece of gum or eat a mint between each meal. Ben is actually excited about having cavities. Now he has an excuse to ask me for gum none stop.

Lil' Lamb hates riding in the van. All of our children have hated riding in vehicles, some more than others. Seriously though, you'd think out of seven I'd have one that enjoyed it or was lulled to sleep during car trips. He could be completely comatose, and the moment I begin buckling him into his seat he begins to cry. He gets so worked up I often will stop to check and make sure I didn't accidentally pinch him with the buckles. He'll even cry until he spits up. It's miserable and I wish I didn't have to go places most every day.

We can see the light at the end of a long school year. We are counting down math lessons and most everyone is completely on track to finish by the end of May. I am so looking forward to a nice long summer break.

My kids have been exploring in the woods in back of our house. They are constantly bringing back skeletal remains. It's rather disgusting and I wish they would stop it. The other day they brought home the dismembered remains of a very large baby doll. They thought it was absolutely hysterical. They keep leaving it in different spots in an attempt to scare their family and friends. It's completely creepy.

This has been the easiest recovery from pregnancy that I've ever had. I only need to lose 5 more pounds, but I think I've lost quite a bit in my face and hands especially. I'm having to wear my wedding rings on my middle finger because I've lost so much in my hands that my rings are falling off. I'll need to get them resized. 10 years ago I needed to get them enlarged a tad. I think my ring finger is now the size it was when Wingnut and I got married. Pretty weird and wonderful, too.

Lil' Lamb is not a good sleeper. He cat naps a lot and although he's sleeping at night, it is not a restful sleep. He really struggles and grunts and groans quite a bit. He's been getting up pretty early in the morning, too. He and I usually end up asleep on the couch right around the time we usually begin school each day. My clock is completely messed up, but it's not affecting my mood or my mental capabilities too much, at least I don't think it is. I wonder if we'll have deep, peaceful, undisturbed slumber in heaven?