This morning my mother has taken all five children. All five! I have 45 minutes of utter aloneness in the house before I need to go pick up three of them. So far I have used my precious, precious time to:
1) pee with the door open
2) eat four–no, five–Reese’s peanut butter cups
Woo hoo, party at my house!
I went to The Children’s Place store yesterday and bought a few more things to supplement last week’s online order. I found the pink patterned maryjane sneakers, which was happy: I’d only been able to get them in blue on the site. I also found the pink/orange hoodie in 4T for next year: there were none in 4T on the site so I’d bought it in 3T, but 3T is this year’s size and so probably I’ll return that one when it arrives (Elizabeth already has two spring-patterned hoodies in 3T). I also bought a pink crinkle skirt and a purple shirt with a huge ice cream cone on it. I’d wanted the huggable octopus shirt but they didn’t have any left in bigger sizes. I considered the striped crinkle skirt and maybe I will still go back for it, but yesterday the twins were falling apart and I didn’t have enough time to consider shirt options.
While I was out, I also bought the big bottle of Dove 2-in-1 moisturizing shampoo conditioner. I used it this morning but my hair is still wet so it’s too soon for a report.
So! On to non-retail news! My mother-in-law is in touch with my parents from time to time, and she emailed them yesterday to say that she is driving out to visit us this October. How many days do you think it will be before she tells us? Let’s start the count: today is Day 1.
So. October. And this is July. That means I have roughly three months to clean the house. It will not be enough time. I think I am going to have to bring back “Digging Ourselves Out” projects. I did one the day before yesterday but didn’t think to take a Before picture. We have a large endtable next to the couch, and it was piled so high with clutter, items were actually sliding down as if on skis. I’d intended to remove only the things Edward was actively getting into, but I inadvertently triggered a total-endtable clear-up. Now no one is allowed to put a single thing on that Lemon Pledge-shiny surface. EVER AGAIN.
October is only 3 months away? aaaugh! when you put it that way, it’s scary. at least you might have some random stranger’s baby pictures to gawk at while she’s here ;)
I always go back over and over to tcp and old navy.. it always seems like some stuff appears that wasn’t there last time I ordered.. the people working those sites must think I’m nuts. And then I go to the store, or to target, and get a lot more stuff. and then, somehow, it’s still not enough, even though the children spend most of the day naked.
Those of us who cannot write about these issues so appreciate it when you do.
Yes, please help me dig myself out before all of our relatives descend on us for my sister’s wedding!
It is time to plan an October vacation. Then you won’t be home when she comes.
My MIL is coming in August. Luckily, Jeff’s sister lives in Seattle and MIL would rather stay there than here (woohoo!) which means we are subjected to ONE afternoon of family visits.
Oh Swistle. I feel your mother in law pain in a way that cannot be articulated here. I actually might e-mail you, to prove JUST HOW AWFUL it is for me. I pray that yours is not as bad, but it sounds…well, it sounds unpleasant, at best.
A MIL visit. Ugh…
Makes me glad mine lives in the same town, she’s too self-involved to be here very often. We see her about once a month and she can’t spend the night.
Of course mine is more annoying than evil, so I probably can’t totally feel your pain.
Thank you for the baby pics, he is so cute!
I know, plan a trip or some other Thing that has to happen on a certain date, like say, the day she’s scheduled to leave. Then it’s “Well, tomorrow we have to X, so there’s really no point in staying…”
I wish it were better. I’m so sorry!
My condolences.
Look on the bright side, though. Yours has to “drive out.” Mine lives in a neighboring town.
I’m always at Old Navy and Target getting “just one more thing” which turns in to just 6 more things and so on. My kids are definitely well dressed, and better dressed by far that I was as a child.
and as for looney mothers-in-law….I totally get you. I mane totally and that’s enough said. :)
A sign from God that its okay to kill her…HAHAHAHA! MILs are EVIL plain and simple.
I’m constantly telling husband that we should move far, far away to get away from his mom, but then he reminds me that if we did that she would come and VISIT and SLEEP AT OUR HOUSE for WEEKS AT A TIME. And then I decide its okay to see her a few times a month.
PS. Is that stripy jumper Henry has on a fleece one from Target? I think Marin had that exact same on, only girl version, as a newborn…
heehee. You made me giggle. And yes, I still stand by that statement. Maybe even more now than before. :)
I think the *same* thing when my IL’s head to the airport, especially because they fly standby, which is in no way a sure thing!! I am always praying that they won’t come back in a few hours after I’ve had my “they’re gone!” party.
I would find out from your mom what days she’s coming and plan a small vacation. What?! She should have told you.
At least it’s not that often you see her (hopefully!) My MIL was here in April, June and she’s coming back in 3 short weeks. (and she’s still trying to get in our vacation. hmph)
Oh, this post made me smile!
My inlaws are planning to come visit us and decided to invite 10 additional family members to my 1200 square foot home for a long weekend in August. That means there will be 16 people at my house (8 of them are kids). Did I mention that my house is small… only 1200 square feet?
My husband and I joke that we should just give them the keys and go stay at a nice spacious hotel for the weekend.
Does that sound insane to anybody else? Just me?
What an adorable picture!! Henry looks so suspicious……good luck with the mother-in-law visit. Could you possibly buy her a plane ticket just so she has a definite day to go home? It might be worth the financial sacrifice.
Cattiva: SO TRUE. Every time she visits us, I think about how things would be if she lived near. She’d be the “just dropping in” type. *shudder* Also, one of my friends just had her in-laws MOVE IN WITH THEM. Let’s have a moment of silence for THAT situation.
Marie Green: Well spotted! Yes, it’s the Target one. Too warm for summer, mostly, but so snuggly wuggly I put it on him anyway and crank the air conditioning lower!
Yowch. You only have three months to anticipate her arrival??? It will be interesting to hear when she finally fesses up!
Oh Swistle, I feel your MIL pain. I am fortunate that mine is a self-involved chain-smoking alcoholic who refuses to go more than 5 miles from her house. Which is fabulous for me… because we live in a different country!!! Yeah! This is of course the woman that looked at me and sighed “you can’t choose who your son falls in love with”
Lovely woman, I’m so happy we only see her twice yearly
I live in Bizzaro world here. My MIL was a SAINT–in all aspects of the word. And then she passed four years ago. We’re still not over it. :-(
Now MY mother, on the other hand….
(Well, to be fair, she has gotten better in the last couple of years. New meds!)
And we started our dig out a few weeks ago as we have friends coming THIS WEEK. And I’m not nearly done digging out at all! AUGH!
I think I channeled you last night because I had to, I mean just had to make banana muffins. :)
I had to chuckle about your mother-in-law coming. I loved your explaination of what “driving out” means…I can’t imagine not having a set departure date…when I see mine I think how many days until I/she is gone!!
Since yoy have No idea she is coming maybe you could just plan a big vacation that lasts all of October. ” Oh I’m sorry we are going to be in Fiji that month.” :)
Love your blog by the way. I came here through my sister Kelli in the Mirror.
Since yoy have No idea she is coming maybe you could just plan a big vacation that lasts all of October. ” Oh I’m sorry we are going to be in Fiji that month.” :)
Love your blog by the way. I came here through my sister Kelli in the Mirror.
Since yoy have No idea she is coming maybe you could just plan a big vacation that lasts all of October. ” Oh I’m sorry we are going to be in Fiji that month.” :)
Love your blog by the way. I came here through my sister Kelli in the Mirror.