Taking "two of these" is supposed to stop the coughing, but does it stop the chaos too?

Life has been crazy busy lately and last week passed by in a blur. My older sister is moving back to Portland and taking my only nephew with her (sniff, sniff), so we held a moving sale. I'm not the one moving so it should have been a stress free day for me, right? Well, apparently I have a lot more sellable junk than I thought, so it took me until 3am to organize and price everything. It was a long day, but the yard sale was successful. So that was event #1. Then we had an Easter Egg hunt at Cora's preschool, an Easter egg hunt with some friends, an Easter dinner/birthday party for my little brother and then finally the Easter bunny came to our house (he was soo exhausted from visiting so many other children on Saturday night, that he decided to wait to visit our house until Monday!). Next up we had some friends come in from Portland and stay with us enroute to Utah (it was great to see you Amber, Tyson and Eliza!!). And finally, in the middle of it all, I got sick. YUCK! Of all the weeks to get sick. So needless to say I have been cranky and mean and completely unmotivated to do much of anything (Amber, sorry for the disaster of a house!), which is why I have not posted a new blog, and also why this one will be completely matter-of-fact. No creative juices have been flowing (although if snot can be labeled a juice, there has been an abundant amount of "other" juices flowing!). I have to apologize for the never ending paragraph, but that is how my week has felt, so I thought it appropriate. I have also included a few pictures from this past week as well. Enjoy!

Cora growling at Claire while sitting in her "cage."

Claire's reaction to Cora growling.

This is what Claire did to pass the time during Easter egg hunt #1.

Cora holding her hand-made "bunny" Easter basket by the ears. Her favorite part was the cotton tail, which she is proudly displaying.

Easter egg hunt #2.

And finally, Claire and I looking at her loot. As far as she is concerned, those little plastic eggs do not contain candy. I made sure to eat it all before she discovered otherwise (for the sake of her teeth, of course!). Oh and for the record, I am NEVER too sick to eat candy.

Can someone tell me where to find the gravy train?

I am fairly certain I was preordained to be rich, and something got jumbled along the way. I love nice things, expensive things; things beyond my means. I can't come to terms with the fact that I was destined to be a coupon clipper. And occasionally I feel I am living in the skin of some poor person (wearing a pathetic clearanced wardrobe that, I might add, is so last season) who can only afford Marshmallow Matey's, when rich me is trapped inside screaming for Lucky Charms. I know it sounds trite, pathetic and snotty, but Oprah says to throw it out there into the Universe if you want results, so there you have it. Now about how long should I wait before the Porsche pulls into my driveway??

Curious about the cause of the above rant? Well, I went to a craft store the other day (stop gasping, it's not like I got a frequent shopper punch card or put my name on their mailing list or anything, geesh!), and fell in love with this beautiful wooden picture frame with a perfect quote. I wanted it so badly (I was actually pretty tempted to offer up one of my unruly children in exchange, but due to my husband's profession, thought twice about it), but the $150 price tag made me cringe and sulk out of the store empty handed. So I was a little on the bitter side, still am. I want that picture frame! But I am not sure now if it is because I actually love it, or because I can't have it.

Seriously though, those who know me best know that I am truly happy, and although flying first class would make my day, I wouldn't trade it for what I have now. Because as cliché as it sounds, money can't buy this. I wake up happy, in a noisy, far-from-mansionesque house that will always be messy. And I go to sleep just as happy. Although, after surviving whatever adventures the day offered up, I am often more tired than grateful. And it is in that exhausted state that I dream of a personal masseuse and a full-time house-keeper; of exotic romantic get-a-ways and New York shopping sprees. So go ahead and judge me, remind me of why I should label myself as a "have" instead of a "have-not." But then go have yourself a nice big bowl of Marshmallow Matey's and try telling me you wouldn't prefer Lucky Charms instead! That's what I thought. You are a closet Prada lover too!

The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!

Okay so it hasn't been that bad, I just loved that book growing up and it seemed to sum up what I was feeling (if you haven't read it, do! The official title is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst). I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had a day like today. You know the ones. Too much laundry and not enough time. Too many bills and not enough money. Too many tantrums and not enough patience. I mean it is typical, but for some reason today it was just overwhelming.

I was short with my girls when they had done nothing wrong. I couldn't shut the tears off, but I couldn't tell you why I was crying. The 4 boxes of Girl Scout cookies I've consumed in the last week began to show up on my thighs (blasted Girl Scouts!). Well maybe that is the root of the problem. The Samoas are gone and I am having withdrawals! Regardless, I was tired and cranky and mean.

Trying to keep myself from wallowing in unjustifiable self-pity, I had just started washing the breakfast dishes when Cora came sprinting through the kitchen screeching, with Claire close on her heels. My initial instinct was to order up a set of time-outs and go back to my dishes. That was until, during their second lap through the kitchen, I saw what was making Cora run for her life. Little Claire, in all of her 18-month-old wisdom, had figured out a way to make her sister play chase with her, when she typically refused. She had produced the slimiest booger in recent memory and, with it perched safely on her finger tip, began pointing it at Cora and tauntingly chanting, "boogie, boogie, boogie." The more Cora freaked out, the faster Claire pumped her chubby legs.

I should have rescued Cora. That is what a good mom would have done. But since I have never been loyal to that title, I sat back and enjoyed a good and much needed laugh at Cora's expense. And for some reason, the piles of laundry don't seem so overwhelming anymore!

Out of the Mouth of Cora

A few months ago I read an article in a magazine about fun ways to document your child's progression over the years. One idea was to create a set of questions and ask your child the same questions every year until they graduate from high school. Sounded fun to me, so I gave it a try. Of course I forgot that with Cora nothing goes according to plan, so below is what became of my well organized interview (I have also included 3 of my all-time favorite photos of Cora too. Not sure why I love these particular pictures so much, I just do).

Me: Can I interview you?

Cora: Yes, but what is that?

Me: I'll ask you some fun questions and then I will write down your answers.

Cora: I don't like questions.

Me: Okay, so you don't like questions. What do you like?

Cora: Strawberries and bananas and playing princesses and talking on the phone. Oh and I like to eat fruit too. Wait, did I say that already. Can you check your paper?

Me: Well you already said you liked some fruits, but not all fruits, so it was a good answer. Now what do you want to be when you grow up?

Cora: A Police Officer like my daddy (I was getting so excited to share her response w/ Mark when she continued), or a tree. But a really tall tree.

Me: Okay. What is your favorite TV show?

Cora: I love two of them: Super Why and Spongebob.

Me: Why do you like those shows?

Cora: Because I learn letters and that is why.

Me: What is your favorite song?

Cora: All American Girl by Carrie Underwood because it has pretty words. (Begins singing part of the chorus, and then abruptly stops). I'm going to go to Disneyland and she is going to come and sing that song to me. She will get up on the stage and she will wear a fancy dress and she will have a microphone, but maybe she won't have a microphone, but someone should tell her to have one because it will sound better and then I will ask her to sing that song for me. And she will. And I will clap. You sure are writing a lot of words on that one. Oh and one has a "C" like Cora.

Me: It sure does. So, when are you going to Disneyland and who are you going with?

Cora: I'm taking Claire because we just got married.

Me: Do you have enough money?

Cora: I have sooo many pennies in my frog bank. Do you want to come too?

Me: Sure. Can we get back to the interview?

Cora: I sure wish you would stop being a teacher and go back to being my mommy. Can we be done now?

Me: Do you want to be done now?

Cora: What I want is a puppy!

Me: Okay. This interview is officially over.