My life on repeat

After sitting down to blog last night, a small rodent ran out from under our new addition door towards my computer hutch. I moved instantly ("slight jump" might better describe it), and it quickly turned tail and ran back under the door, leaving me to shudder and wonder why my mouse traps never work. 

Then it came back out and ran UNDER my computer hutch before I could stop it and I spent the rest of my time on the computer sitting with my feet up in my chair and wondering why things like this always happen while Russell is away. 

I felt pretty sure I even blogged about that exact thought around the same time last year so I set out to see if I could find the post I was thinking of. 

(After investigating tiny rodents online that is. I'm pretty sure it was not a mouse but a vole. Gross and disturbing either way.)

Anywho, after reading through last September's posts (in which I didn't find the post I was thinking of but got seriously sucked into reading them all nonetheless), I've decided that my month is playing out almost exactly like last year, in a very uncanny way, and it's weird. 

Example#1: right before Russ left for hunting last year we went out on a date night, were seriously delayed leaving and had to change our plans, met up with another couple and went to a movie, and came home at 2 am. 

This year, (last Friday to be exact) we went out on a date night, were seriously delayed leaving, changed our plans, met up with another couple for a movie, and then shopped at Winco at midnight and came home at 2 am. 

Interesting.

Example #2: Last year my sister and I took our Mum out to a movie and the Olive Garden for her birthday, where we stuffed ourselves on breadsticks and alfredo dipping sauce, and then I got their seasonal pumpkin cheesecake to go, snuck it into the movies to nibble on, and then ate the rest for breakfast. And blogged about it.

While out on our date last Friday, Russ and I went to the Olive Garden, stuffed ourselves on breadsticks and alfredo dipping sauce, and I again ordered a pumpkin cheesecake to go, eating some in the theater, and finishing the rest for breakfast the next day - as I just blogged about on Saturday. 

I sure love my desserts don't I?

Example #3: Remember how I just blogged about scheduling Blake's 6 months overdue well-child Dr. visit and finding out that I was 6 months overdue last year as well? And then I forgot his birthdate, became flustered, and put off scheduling his 3 year pictures for a bit longer?

Apparently I was still procrastinating his 2 year pictures last September as well...

Very interesting.

Example #4: Last week we came home from family camp after getting a flat tire on the way home. Not 2 miles out of camp in fact. 

I forgot all about this, but last year the exact same thing happened coming home from camp, not 2 miles from home! 

What on earth? Is this eerie or what?

Okay, not really eerie, just comically similar!

Final example: I blogged about keeping busy and having fun while Russ was on his hunting trip last year, and getting surprised on day 2 with a phone call from him here. 

Last night, after a very busy day in which I was not home for more than a total of 2 hours during the day time, Russ called me out of the blue, surprising and delighting me. 

I say bring on the repeat September :)

Monday Confessional

Russ left yesterday for an 8-day hunting trip, and for the first time in over 12 years of marriage I was not sad and pouty and miserable about the coming week of singleness. It feels weird, but I think I'm actually going to enjoy myself!

I have plans. 

FUN plans.

Plans that do not include cooking anything besides frozen pizza, taquitos, and the likes for my kids.

And I have girly shows to catch up on.

And some really good books to read. 

And a puppy!

(The puppy really helps - this would have been helpful information to know 12 years ago, as I spent the first 5 or 6 years of my married life crashing my parents house anytime Russ went away.)

I'm not saying I didn't take a Tylanol PM to go to sleep last night. Baby steps here, people...

I'm just saying I'm feeling pretty good about this week, and it makes me feel proud of myself. 

That or it makes me feel middle-aged. Hmmmm... I'll go with proud.

Weekend happiness...

- a fun date night out last night that was completely financed by birthday gifts (we scored in the movie tickets and restaurant gift card department)

- a lazy sleeping-in morning with my hubby and then relaxing around the house with the family watching Netflix in our pjs.

- leftover pumpkin cheesecake for breakfast. It's the right thing to do.

- new bath towels from Costco. After the great towel crisis of Sept 1st I went out toot-sweet to buy some new ones and they are so luxurious I've commandeered them for my own personal use ;)

(You didn't hear about the great towel crisis? For the first time ever after taking a shower, not ONE clean towel could be found - bath, beach, or camping, and I was reduced to drying off with a hand towel. The HORROR!)

- tile going down in our new master bath... pretty exciting!

- Heading off to not one, but two weddings today... I LOVE weddings! 

- I also love not having to cook dinner - wedding buffet? Bring it on!

And it's not even Monday!

I have a terrible confession. 

Okay, maybe not terrible. 

Just terribly embarrassing.

Yesterday I called my Obgyn office to make an appointment for the lovely little required visit that is always so much fun, because I received a letter in the mail requesting me to do so. BACK IN MAY. I figured I'd dragged in out long enough and that the time to take the plunge of discomfort had come. 

Appointment made, I was on a roll so I called our family pediatrician's office next to schedule Blake's annual well child visit. The one he was supposed to have when he turned three. BACK IN MARCH. Turns out my call was quite timely as I just happened to have his two year appointment last September as well so I was right on course. 

(I'm such an awesome mom.)

The nurse on the phone asked me to verify my address and phone number and then asked me to verify Blake's birth date. And I don't know what happened, but I completely blanked.

Me: "March.... ummm... oh shoot, what was it... the 19th? No wait, that doesn't sound right... the 13th?... nooo...(fumbles around in purse for Blake's insurance card hoping the birth date is on it. No luck.)

Nurse: waits patiently for me to give it another go...

Me: "March.... March... OH MY GOSH, WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER???"

Nurse: "Does the TENTH ring a bell?"

Me: "YES, that's it! Oh my WORD. I have never been so embarrassed, I swear I know my children's birth dates!"

Nurse: "Mmm hmm."

Ok just kidding on the last part. The nurse laughed and tried to console me about my sad forgetfulness. But seriously, I was ashamed.

So ashamed that I lost all momentum and didn't call to schedule Blake's three year pictures, which was next on the agenda. 

Maybe next month ;) Until then, I'll have to look at adorable shots like this one taken by my friend Diana while camping last weekend.

Blake Carter, born March TENTH, 2008.

And repeat the caption underneath it over and over in my head...

We camped

How to recap our weekend of camping with our church at Foster Lake?

FUN.

Gorgeous weather. 

Swimming, games, relaxing, good food, great friends... it was awesome. 

My picture taking was not so awesome. I was too busy playing.

Also not awesome: coming home with a stomach bug. From about 3 pm yesterday afternoon until 5 am this morning I was as miserable as one would expect a person that had to spend half the night in the bathroom to be, and it was a struggle to get up and ready to take the kids to their first day of school today. 

We made it though!

entering the 3rd and 5th grade

And with the older two gone the house was crazy quiet. Just me, Blake, the dog, and the camping laundry. 

Lots, and lots of laundry...