The Big Crash

That's what I'm experiencing right now and I just can't seem to recover. Last week I zoomed from one project right into the next trying to get Katie's room all done and somehow I managed it--it's DONE and I love it! But I was running on pure adrenaline a lot of the time and it kept me working well into the night several days in a row. My body started giving out on my there toward the end and I determined to take a nap on Saturday. I slept for over an hour that afternoon, then finished up on the room that night. On Sunday I was EXHAUSTED and took a good, long nap between services that day. Yesterday I managed another little nap. But it's just not working! I am sooooo tired. Until night, of course. That's when I'm rarin' to go. I've always had this weird thing about getting my second wind just at the time I should be calling it a night, but last week's crazy schedule has really thrown me for a loop!

I collected all of the laundry yesterday: 9 loads. It was two weeks worth (no time for laundry last week!), along with some sheets and towels that I unearthed from boxes in the shed. Then last night I realized I had forgotten to get the clothes out of the hamper in our room! That made it 10 loads. I got most of them done yesterday and I managed to clean out the refrigerator. It really needed it. It's amazing how gross it gets!

Today we got up early and headed to Albuquerque to have family pictures taken. We had originally had an appointment on Sunday afternoon, but when we got there and saw the mobs of crabby people who were waiting for their session and how very far behind they were running and when we heard all of the crying babies and chaos coming from the back room... well, we decided it best to reschedule! So we set an appointment for 10:30 this morning. The Sears studio opens at 10:00, so surely they wouldn't be too far behind by 10:30, right??? WRONG. It was crazy. Not as chaotic as Sunday, but still nuts. We waited for the longest time before finally being showed to the room. Our photographer was really nice, but not really all that great at pictures. They were okay, but nothing grand--and every family photo had one kid who's face was partially in a shadow. After our session we waited around for a good 20 or 30 minutes before anyone even took us to the computer to look at our pictures and make our selection! We spent about 3 minutes looking through the pictures and decided that they weren't good enough to spend any extra money on, so we'd use our coupon for the package deal and just pick the best family shot. It took another 10 minutes or so before an employee could help us check out--which process was at least another 10 or 15 minutes! Can you imagine?! We've always done family pictures at Sears and 95% of the time have been THRILLED with the service, the photographer, and the pictures. Of course, this is our first time in Albuquerque. Needless to say, we won't be going back! But with our coupon we only spent $4.99 + tax for 36 pictures of all sizes. Even for pictures that are so-so, that's a great price. It's just the hassle of it all that makes you wonder if it's worth it! Ha!

We finally got out of there sometime after 12:00 and James took us to a nice lunch. After that we headed out to the mountains to go to the library. It had been a few weeks since the kids had gotten new books, so they were really excited. I think we walked out with 32, total.

From there we headed to the Wal-Mart in Edgewood to do our Thanksgiving shopping, along with all of the other shopping we'd been needing to do. Sam was nearly asleep by the time we got there, so we let the sleepy kid ride in the cart. He was sorry by the time we were done! Ha!

Sam wasn't the only one who was sleepy. I was soooooo ready for a nap--by the time we left the picture studio! Ha! I just can't seem to pull myself together and get back into the groove of things. We came home and I immediately put my pj's on. At 4:30! I laid down for just a couple of minutes, then got up and put all the groceries away. I sat down for just a minute, but it was a bad idea! The sleepiness overtook me again and before I knew it I was sprawled out on the couch, sleeping away! James was WONDERFUL and warmed up some left-overs with the kids, then did some school stuff with them. In my state of semi-consciousness I could hear him doing Thanksgiving worksheets with them, then teaching them how to fold a sheet of paper into a cup. He then filled their cups with popcorn and let them watch a creation video from Answers in Genesis. (He ordered several DVDs from them last week and thought the kids would enjoy them, too. GREAT organization with GREAT materials!) I was feeling much better after my evening nap (weird!) and was able to finish up on all of the laundry and even get all of the ironing done. Wa-Hoo! Boy, does THAT feel good! Just in time to start working on Thanksgiving stuff tomorrow. I'm hoping to have a chance to relax and enjoy the holiday a little bit. I got the last two books of the O'Malley series from Sister Galaviz on Sunday, but I have no business opening them until I get a few more things under control. Still, having the laundry and ironing taken care of gets me one big step closer! Maybe by this weekend... :-)

Okay, some pictures before I go! Nothing in particular this time, just kids. :-) Looks like Katie was checking out Grace's blog.

Usually the kids sit at the chuckwagon table to do school, but I let Joe sit on the couch to work on his book report yesterday. He was supposed to choose a bird to write about and he picked the cassawary. It's one CRAZY bird, I tell ya'!

And this is how Sam came to school yesterday!

These are some pictures Katie drew after watching the new Pirates Who Don't Do Anything movie. I like Pa Grape, Mr. Lunt and Robert the Terrible the best.

And here's Katie, always the lady, enjoying a new library book tonight.

And here's how I found Sam sleeping when I went to check on the kids a little while ago. New red sweatshirt, pirate pants, and Santa hat. And he insists on sleeping on the rug instead of in the queen bed with Joe. They fight over the blankets up there, so he just hits the floor!

And that's all the news from here. Oh, wait--Katie lost another tooth last week and Joe's lot a loose one. And Katie and Sam both acquired bikes this last week! They've been working hard and saving money. Sam used most of his birthday money to buy a bike for himself and has been LOVING it. Kate didn't have very much money, so James took what she had and paid for the rest himself. He showed up with a bike for her yesterday. I guess he got tired of hearing that she'd rented Joe's bike for a dollar an hour over and over again! Ha! Okay, I think THAT'S all the news. :-)