Cats

DREAM:
S was crying suddenly. Her brothers weren't even around to blame. She was standing at the entrance to her room, looking in.
And crying.
"Mom, why didn't you save me!?" she sobbed.
"From what?"
"From the cat that was peering (she really did say peering) in my window! He was mean!"
Apparantely, if I understand the whole picture, S opened her eyes last night, and at first she "just saw the door with the light by it." But on second glance, she noticed a cat peering into her window. She quickly shut her eyes tight only to have the cat snatch her up and carry her out of her bedroom. Although the cat didn't DO anything to her, it was decidedly "very mean". She knew of its evil intentions because of its "tiny knees and tiny eyes!" Also, the cat was clear. It had no color at all.
Thankfully, the cat did eventually place her safely back in bed, but she is terrified now that he will return.

REAL LIFE:
S couldn't pee last night before she went to bed, so I tried to have her go at around 1030pm. She opened her eyes while I was walking to the bathroom with her, but then never opened them again the whole time I was with her. She sat, eyes closed, sleeping (what looked like peacefully) on the toilet. I gave up and returned her to her bed.

I guess, instead of waking completely or being totally asleep, S just mistook me for a kidnapping cat with tiny knees and tiny eyes. A clear, mean cat, no less.

Geez.

And They Named the FISH Skinny!

Here is a run down of what Mr. Beeks ate for lunch:
1 1/2 egg and cheese sandwiches
1/2 sloppy joe
1/2 muskmelon (minus three small spoonfuls for the rest of us)
2 cookies
and a glass of milk

So then....why does he look like this? (Just in case you can't distinguish the chubby from the skinny, Z is far left).

S is still awake right now. It is 1230 am. Because I told her she could read until I returned to switch off her light.

I forgot.

Do I Sound Crabby?

We arrived at the campground just in time to put up our tent....before it started to rain. And rain. And rain. And rain. It rained the whole time we camped. From Saturday afternoon until Monday noonish when we finally gave up hope. We threw all of our muddy belongings into the van and went home.
Two of our kids spent most of the weekend crying about being cold. If not that, then their bodies hurt. And while I did not sympathize at first, I soon found out that they were sick. Both S and B had fevers, and when we finally sought out shelter in a restaurant, S puked on their wooden floor. S spent most of both nights wheezing and coughing, and saying she couldn't "breathe good". And I spent most of both nights administering her inhaler.
On the morning of the 2nd night, Keith and I and S and B were all crammed on the slowly-flattening air mattress we brought for the TWO of us. It has a hole in it now.
Mr. Beeks, or Z, was quite oblivious to the cold and rain, and was happy to play with his Frisbee, to listen to our friend Juanito's highly-creative stories, run around kicking mud, or just kick back by the fire. (This obliviousness to negative surroundings is what makes it almost impossible to discipline the kid! I still have not found a consequence that effects him in the slightest. And I just have to be thankful that he is mostly a happy, although mischievous, kid.)
Our kids each took five hour naps yesterday and today, and don't really seem to be recovering yet at all. I am actually awake right now, after going to bed at TEN, because B spent most of an hour crying because his "feet, mouth, back, peeny" hurts. This crying of his woke up Z, who then had to be comforted back to sleep. Now B is asleep. I am not.
After eating two cookies, I decided the next best thing to more cookies would be to blog.
The pics I added here are borrowed from Karen, because my camera is well past being taped shut (because I dropped it too many times) and turned on and off after every picture (because the battery no longer charges right). A new one was supposed to arrive a week ago. It will not arrive unti the 3rd of September. I tried to get a discount for the inconvenience, because I am cheap like that. The "limited warranty" states that no discounts will be given for delays in shipping. Geez. They covered everything.
I am supposed to be studying for an exam. I haven't started yet. I think I need about 20 hours just to find the answers, let alone study, and I keep putting it off. Procrastination makes me nervous AND crabby.
Let's end on a happy note, shall we?
Despite the rain and cold, I was happy to spend time with friends. I love a good chat beneath a big ol' plastic blue tarp. I love a good soul-bearing around a campfire. I am happy to have friends that I can be honest with....that I can be myself with (which was mostly crabby this weekend). I would camp again, just to get that "friend time". I like people. Even in the rain and wind.

Differences

The differences between
and Mama activities (aerobics)
































and Papa activities (knife throwing)

Body Image

Did I mention the conversation I had with S in the shower, not that long ago?
S: "Mom, you have boobs."
Me: "Yup, so do you."
S: "You have LONG boobs."
Me, in thought only, "Stupid breast pump anyway!"

and then today, it was...
S, standing all contorted-like, with her stomach puffed out in front of her...
Me: "Whatcha doin'?"
S: "I'm sticking out my tummy, like you!"

Thanks, babe.