Some one get me some eucalyptus

I am nearer my goal of becoming a koala bear.  Yes, I know they aren't really bears.  I like the way it sounds, "koala bear," okay?  You can just get your own blog and use only proper Latin names.  So back off.  See?  I'm already grumpy, just like our marsupial friend.  And I carried my young in a pouch and nursed them until they could digest gum leaves.  Or could chew gum.  I hardly remember anymore.  I enjoy eating, so I've got that part of koala life covered.  But only now that my children are in school, can I near that most wondrous characteristic of our little Aussie friend--16-20 hours of sleep a day.  That first day of school?  I napped for FOUR HOURS.  The next day, a bit under three.  Then two.  Then, today, only one (you get the bends if you go back to a human schedule too quickly).  It rocks, being a koala bear.  I think I'll skip the chlamydia, though.

So yeah.  Kids are in school, full day.  Even wee Lily, who has proclaimed it "long and tiring" even though she STILL seldom drops off to sleep before 10 pm.  Clearly no koala blood in THAT one.  I've volunteered to be a car line helper, opening doors and chirping "good morning" at the fresh-faced little mites.  I'm extra chipper with the sullen ones, of course.  But this means that even on the first day, I was racing around screaming, "Let's GO!  Shoes ON, people!" and only had time for one on-the-porch first day photo.  And it turns out it looks like a suspect line-up:



"The one in the skirt stole my bag, officer!"  (aren't you glad this isn't the sort of blog where I would have said "stole my heart"?  me too).

Steve told me to take the whole week off, to nap, do nothing.  I needed no further prodding.  I've done no more than is necessary to keep everyone fed and clothed.  I haven't even been sewing.  Nuthin.  Felt gooood, let me tell you.  It gave me a chance to play with my birthday present!  I'm coming at you from a schweet little Macbook!  Don't I look cooler now?  I know, hardly seemed possible, but there you go.

And yes, it IS my birthday tomorrow.  So I hope you have my presents ready.  I'll be 40.  So that makes my mom pretty damned old.  Just so you know.  Hi mom!  the fact that I very clearly remember her 40th birthday is...unsettling.  And even more, I remember being out for a walk with her down our road remarking that that year she was 44 and I was 22 and how cool.  It was YESTERDAY.  How did time speed up so?    You wait, whippersnappers.  You'll see.

What am I doing for said birthday?  Well, that fabulous trip to Europe is out, so I'm going to camp out with my friends and then go rollerskating.  Because apparently I'm 8.

too much pressure

And while I have you...My 40th birthday is the 31st of this month.  I have no plans.  The pressure...it's like New Year's Eve x40.  Tell me, oh wise ones.

the countdown starts...

Did that subject line get you singing "Major Tom (Coming Home)" by Peter Schilling?  Four, three, two, one, Earth below-ow-ow us, drifting, falling, floating wei ei eightless... Now are you singing?  Or cursing?

But this has nothing to do with astronauts.  Or David Bowie.  Or the 80s.  One week from today, school starts.  And Lily starts full day kindergarten.  Let me hear an "AMEN!"  School supplies are bought and bagged.  First day outfits are purchased.  And I am giddy, giddy with anticipation.  Is that wrong?  Judge me when you've been trapped with these urchins pick pick picking at each other b/c they're just DONE with summer. 

I'm sure the fact that I spent 16+ hours in the car with them last week doesn't help my need to escape.  We drove to Dayton to see Aunt Carolyn.  It wasn't as torturous a trip as I'd feared, mom came along and the kids weren't horrid, just there.  Always.  As soon as the picking got to bad or the cranky started up (in any of us), I'd just take the next exit or rest stop and declare a bathroom break.   We peed a LOT.  It was like traveling through Israel with Steve's Aunt Lila.  I think we stopped at every hole in the ground in the whole country.  Bring your own TP.  Incidentally, does anyone else have parents who accuse them of looking "like an aunt (ant?) going to Jerusalem" when wearing baggy things?  Mine did.  Neither can explain where this came from, but having SEEN an aunt going to Jerusalem, I can tell you that they favor baggy shorts and Tshirts, cinched with a fanny pack.  A fanny pack containing a pistol.  This is a  look I have never sported.  Ah, right, Ohio...so we drove a lot and saw a cool museum and visited and it was lovely.

We went to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery which was a very fun excursion.  The kids had a blast.  I fought the urge to nap.  I have no idea why, but children's museums are like a sleeping potion for me.  I get through the door and start yawning.  It's all I can do to drag my weary limbs from exhibit to exhibit.  No matter how new and exciting, I'm looking for a soft bench.  Julianna and Lily enjoyed dressing up as animals and climbing under a diorama that had little pop-up bubbles--Lily's a "chickmunk" and Julianna's a bunny:



Ben spent ages polishing this truck in an area set up to look like a garage.  I really hoped that he and the other kids would suddenly break into song and dance about "she's a real pussy wagon," but they never did.  Aunt Carolyn climbs behind the wheel:


My favorite thing was this really trippy room where you dance in front of screen and the camera projects you onto it, only...well, trippy.  I could have stayed there all day. here's all three kids:


And if you care to toke up, here's a bit o' video:



(first time I've tried this video insertion...we'll see if it works).

So.  I'm back.  I'll try to update more.  Thank god it's no longer 152 degrees outside, although I'm sure it'll be back.