why I am behind on program, housework and life!

Oh, last week was a week! My last post was early Wed. morning. After I finished posting, I got off and it was three am. At four o'clock, I still wasn't asleep, so I ate cereal and watched the Princess Diaries. I eventually fell asleep and got about two hours. WednesDAY (not early morning) I spent the entire day cleaning the house and preparing for Tuan's birthday surprise: baby-sitters and a date! It was marvelous and wonderful--being out in Jackson without small children. Granted, we adore our children, but sometimes a break is nice!

Thursday morning, we got up and I was dragging, but providentially, Johnny and Aubrey and I all went down for three+ hour naps! I woke up disoriented and confused because I was supposed to be in Mt. Olive at the very time I woke up--oops. After a quick lunch, I loaded up my kids and went to Granny's house to help my mom, sister and Aunt continue to clean it out. Mom, Melissa and I worked until 1:30 in the morning. We got so much done! Tuan wanted me to stay at Melissa's instead of driving home. Bad mistake. Johnny woke up in the transitions between Granny's and Melissa's and refused to go to sleep. I think we were up for two hours. He fussed in the pack and play and I was lying in bed groaning and wondering why we didn't just drive on home. We finally fell asleep only to have Aubrey and Johnny wake up at seven. Talk about tired! There's a saying I dispute: "No rest for the wicked and the righteous don't need any." Hmm . . .

Once we got home, I had to finish decorating Johnny's cake and clean the house, then we had the party the next and a wonderful sabbath rest on Sunday. I love Sundays. Tuan lets me take a long nap (until we have to leave for Mt. Olive, but we didn't have to yesterday!). We picnicked and napped and it was altogether wonderful. I actually feel refreshed today which is very good because I have two weeks until staff training starts!

This is a very selfish and self-absorbed post, I know. I'm not sure what I meant by it all only to say that I have to really get cranking on camp in the next two weeks. It's not too bad, although I am usually way ahead of my current state by this time. One more drama must be written and the adventure planned, lots of lists made, props gathered, supplies ordered and hand-outs made. Next week, Scott and Myles are coming out to work which will be so fun as we are going to be able to work on our program videos! I'm finally getting excited--truly excited about camp. I don't have baby-sitters nailed down, yet, but am going to trust that it all works out.

Lastly, I wanted to say how excited I am about my garden. We work on a budget--it's not our yard really--but I'm having some good successes. With very little cost in the three years I've lived in this house, I've gotten the soil in our beds much healthier and richer. Ruth K. and Marion G. have inspired me and given me some plants and this year things are really picking up. We started spring with lots of perennials: Irises, Daffodils, Spider lilies and the like. Now, my chrysanthemums are just going, some miniature roses that we just stuck in the ground are blooming beautifully and our mint and the mystery asian herb that smells like fish have returned. We've also got ginger lilies, cannas, vinca, verbena, gomphrena and aspidistra hanging in there. It's come a long way from when we first moved in and the only thing in our yard was a gardenia and a row of tiny pittosporum. This is by no means Southern Living, but I'm excited that my thumb is beginning to develop a hint of green. If I have time I'll post pictures, but program and housekeeping and children are calling right now.

Hope you all have a great day!