Exremely Useless Trivia, because I cannot remember what I planned on saying... but it was really good... I promise

This week M has:

1. Drawn all over the chair and couch with a ball-point pen.
2. Kicked her brother repeatedly while I was two floors away.
3. Stolen her sister's doll and run circles around the house while she was chased.
4. Played so hard with GQ that he threw up from the exertion. (Yes, threw up. This is apparently something he does when he's upset. I can't wait to find out more about this particular talent of his.)
5. Been kicked out of her second ballet class because she refused to dance.
6. Gone successfully without an "accident" for one day. (I say "accident" because deciding you don't want to go on the potty is not really an "accident." Says Mom: M, why did you go potty in your underwear. Says M: Because I didn't go on the potty. Of course. Now I see.)
7. Lost books in bed privileges - yet again - for tearing pages out of the books - yet again.

Of course, she's done all this with her distinctinly Meggish flavor. The flavor that makes you go: "Sigh, she's still cute."

The little stinker.

*****

Dance is going well. I am back to teaching, which makes our week a little more interesting, and means that E gets to watch "Angelina Ballerina" while I'm busy. She is sooooo glad. She told the mother watching her all about each episode they watched and implored "please stop watching your baby, this is a really important part."

I am also taking a ballet class at the University. The first week I realized how much I missed teaching older girls. I wanted to walk around and turn their knees out, and pull their heels forward, and tell them to lift their chins. This week I realized that when you tell your body to jump repeatedly with pointed toes and tight knees, and to beat those jumps, when you haven't danced for six years... you almost die.

And when you're asked to do sit ups, when you always stunk at those anyway, and you've had three kids, and you now have the "elephant skin" on your stomach that you once made fun of the Modern teacher for having, it doesn't go so hot.

And when you need to remember an exercise after giving up half your brain in pregnancies, you very easily make a fool of yourself.

But it's all worth it for the high at the end, and for the fact that the afore-mentioned 3 children are snug in their beds when you get home...

...without you having to put them there.

*****

Time is different here. Justin stays longer at school, which means I must productively get to 7:00 without having made my children accuse me of being a meanie-head.

I've decided that if I just go slower, and take deep breaths, and realize that the morning is just a beginning, I do just fine.

Until 6:30, when I do not do just fine.

And I quote:

"Get out of the kitchen. Play anywhere but the kitchen. Please leave the kitchen."

"Scream. Scream. Scream."

That last quote can be attributed to either the children or myself. Take your pick.

*****

I have to speak on Sunday.
Unfortunately my in-laws are also in town.

I am fine making a fool of myself in front of a bunch of people whose names I can't remember, and who don't come to Primary anyway (my regular hang-out for the past six years).

People I do know?
Not so much.

*****

I am babbling in an attempt to make up for my silence lately. That might be overrated.

*****

The other night I had a dream that ocean animals came to live in a pond in my backyard. There were large whales splashing about energetically. They flew out of the sky to get to my pond.

I think this is evidence of insanity.

*****

Outside the sky is no color. It is Fall. I usually love Fall, but there are no mountains to breath Fall at me. So, it does not quite seem like Fall.

*****

This year we are remembering M's birthday. She has had a hard week with E's birthday, because she does not ever remember having a birthday of her own.

*****

I am now going to sleep for the remaining 15 minutes of nap-time.

Goodbye.