This isn't one of those 'look how much fun we had today' posts.  It's one of those 'I might go crazy any day now posts'.  Just so you know.

 This week teachers sent out the bi-weekly progress reports.  One of my kids had 16 missing math assignments and a few missing history assignments.  Another kid had 11 missing reading assignments, assorted science assignments, and 4 or 5 other missing assignments from assorted subjects.  I've been working with Anni- she had about 30 pages of homework from the days she missed for her surgeries.  We're probably down to about 10- but I had to take her for a check up this morning, so she's missed another day.  I haven't seen an email for the 4th kid yet, but I was told yesterday by this child that there was 1 missing assignment but it's done now.  Every day after school we come home and sit at the table for homework.  I sit at the table with the kids for at least an hour, some days more.  I was completely shocked when I found out about all the missing assignments!  What more can I do?   All the kids are grounded- except Anni- it's not her fault she's behind- but the other kids, yeah,  I'm a little mad and disappointed with them.

Did I mention that I hate being cold and I've been cold for about 6 months straight now?  Enough of winter.  Enough.

The last 2 weeks have been really busy with 2 surgeries for Annika and 3 follow-up appointments-with another scheduled in about 10 days,  all at Primary Childrens- an hour drive each way.  With gas at a million bucks a gallon- it's taking a toll.  Oh- and have you tried putting eye drops in your kid's eyes?  It's hard.  I've been doing it at least 4 times a day for a few weeks now.  Yes, there have been a few instances where I've lost my patience, laid Annika on the floor and sat on her so I could get the drops in.  Nathan has also had 3 visits to the dentist.  He had 4 cavities.  With is oral sensory issues, we had to split up the visits and get him a prescription for a sedative both times.  Good thing about this:  the dentist is only in Stansbury Park.  He did okay, and I'm really thankful we didn't have to pay to have him go to the hospital and have the dental work done under general anesthesia. 

I never get sick.  It's been years.  Well- of course, I got sick the week before Annika's first surgery.  It took me a good 2 weeks to feel almost normal.  I still have the dumb cough. 

My calling.  2nd counselor in Relief Society.  The weekly presidency meetings,the weekly visits, the v.t. interviews,  the monthly committee meetings for the monthly activity, the monthly activity-which includes planning-(remember my planning phobia) , working with a pushy, opinionated person that has to have everything her way-right down to telling me what color of balloons I have to buy, and lots of time away from the family.  Don't forget the complaining of husband that I'm always gone and I might as well still be working.  Oh yeah, and I have to teach this Sunday in R.S.  I hate teaching.  Especially when I don't have a topic or lesson plan to guide me.  I still don't have a topic chosen, and the R.S. President said no Living Scriptures DVDs.  Rude.

If that stuff's not enough, I've got more,  but I don't want to be too Debbie Downer.   Also, I know all this stuff is trivial, and I am thankful it is, but sometimes all the little stuff adds up and I trip over it and fall.

I went to the gym yesterday and today (yep- 2 days in a row!), so maybe I'll start losing the 16 pounds I've gained since last summer, and running always lifts me up a little.  I love my kids and Ryan- they are a blessing.   There's lots of things and people that are wonderful in my life.  The last few days I've felt like I'm peeking over the rim of the big pit I've been in for a while.  Hopefully the edge I'm climbing up onto won't crumble and send be back down. 

Sorry.  I had to vent.

I didn't bake a batch of failed cookies today



Here they are.  No, they're not flat OR tall.




Here's a close up.

 I have a love/hate relationship with choco chip cookies.  I love the dough, I hate that every time I make them, they end up flat or mountainous.  Usually flat.  It makes me so stinking MAD!  Well, today I mad cookies and they turned out just the way I dream of cookies turning out.  It was glorious.  I'll share the recipe, just in case any of you chums want to try it out for yourselves. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies that Didn't Fail
1/2 c. butter- softened in my micro for 18 seconds
1/2 c. butter flavor crisco
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
Cream all that crap together.
Now add:
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla- real live vanilla not the crappy fake stuff
Mix all the first crap with the eggs and vanilla
Now add:
3 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Mix all this crap together- it'll be a little crumbly, just mix it good.
Finally add:
1/2 bag of guittard milk chocolate chips and 1/2 bag guittard semi sweet chocolate chips
Stir it up with a big strong spoon.
Place on baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes in a pre-heated 375 oven.
Put the dough in the fridge while each batch is cooling and cool off the cookie sheets with cold water before you put more dough on it.  I've never done this before today- maybe it's why they turned out better.

Now Eat Them

President's Day 2011



I mostly put this picture on so I could label it as'Babe'raham Lincoln



So  today is President's Day.  I spent a tiny bit of time thinking about our presidents.  It's a job I'd never want, but I'm thankful that there were some honest, noble men in the past that were willing to do their best to help create and uphold America.  If Ryan were posting this, you'd get a much more passionate post about presidents and America, etc., but it's just me, so....God Bless America.

This is not actually BuckBeak.  I couldn't find a picture of him.  He looked like this though.

Today was also the end of our Idahoan Barred Rock Rooster.  Madison caught a chick that we thought would grow up to be a rooster at Melba Days 2 summers ago.  We traded for a different chick that was supposed to be a hen.  He grew up to be a boy.  Nobody had the heart to chop his head off, because Maddie is so sensitive and tender hearted toward the chickens.  Imagine my relief, when we went out to water and feed them today, there was old BuckBeak, laying dead in the coop!  This rooster was a mean one.  He chased everybody and almost cut Ryan up with his deadly spurs!  I'm not sure why he's dead.  All I know is that he is. 

Right Eye Secondary Lens Surgery- February 17th



Ryan and Anni.  They passed the time waiting by playing Angry Birds on the phone. 



We've been planning for this surgery since Anni was 2 days old! Dr. Hoffman and Dr. Zabriskie put a secondary lens in Annika's right eye last night. It was a long day, Anni wasn't supposed to eat anything after 10:00 AM. She accidentally ate 3 or 4 mini marshmallows at 1:00, and we thought we were going to have to reschedule, but it turned out okay. After I caught her eating a marshmellow, Lindsey said- "Now you're going to die! Oh, just kidding, just kidding." Duh. She was scared enough already. She was in surgery for about 90 minutes- everything went well. She really, really didn't want to wake up. I think we tried for 2 hours to get her to wake up enough to drink some slushee so we could go home. We finally made it home around 12:30 AM.

Anni in her hospital jammies.



Anni sleeping off the anesthesia.









It's been funny today. She has always hated eye drops, and today has been no exception. She's also refused to open her eyes, because it hurts more when it's open. She actually ate her cereal with her eyes closed. It was only a little bit messy. :) She has been feeling her way around the house all day long. When I took her to her post-op check this afternoon, she kept her eyes shut until Dr. Hoffman made her open it to make sure it was looking good. He had to pry it open a little. ;) I offered to take her to lunch, and she finally agreed, but we had to stay in the car to eat because she didn't want to eat in the restaraunt with her eyes closed. She told me she'd open her eyes when she felt like it. I've loved that she's had a little grin on her face the entire day- I think she really enjoys living with her eyes closed!



Here she is, eating her cheeseburger with her eyes closed! 

Every time I mop the floor (not super often) Nathan likes to wash the walls. He really is a pretty good helper- and he NEVER gets his clothes dirty when he cleans. :)