GET OUTTA HERE

This is what I want to tell all the germs that have somehow invaded our household.

Since the school year started, I don't think we've all been well at one time. I'm thinking it's mostly Bean, who's never been in any sort of daycare/school/closed-in-spaces-with-other-kids before, so her immune system isn't used to all these ickies floating around. She's had a cold for awhile, then a tummy bug, then she seemed well enough for about a week, maybe.

Then one morning last week I woke up early with a pain on the right side of my throat. It was so sharp I thought maybe a canker sore way down there or something. After getting the kids up, ready, and dropped off at school, I came home and flopped onto the couch...something wasn't right. I hurt ALL OVER and had the chills. It literally hit me in just a couple hours. So I went off to urgent care and was diagnosed with strep.

So a couple days ago Bean started getting snotty again, and a fever appeared. Another trip to urgent care confirmed strep for her as well!! Now, Papa Tango isn't feeling well either, so I'm really hoping the bugs don't get to him also. I'm about ready to Lysol this entire house.

So we are home for the day, just sort of chillin'. My errands and jobs for the day have been put off until tomorrow (minus laundry, of course). I've got dinner in the crock pot for tonight, although one child has an away football game tonight and will have to eat later. I'm hoping it turns out tasty (most of the reviews are good, but there are a few that said it was bland, so I added some additional spices). Here's what I got cookin:

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Tater Tot Crock Pot Bake

What's on your table tonight? And moms & dads, how do you keep the start-of-the-school-year germs from taking over?

Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up

And yes, I meant to not finish the chorus of that song. Why is there not an on/off switch for growth?? Seriously. My babies just aren't babies anymore.

Again, I say, "Seriously". I just don't have a clue where time has gone. Here at home we now have (from left to right) a 7th grader, a kindergartener, and (gasp) a freshman in high school. Yikes. A Bullet, a Bee, and an Oiler. Double yikes.

Today was the second day...tears still welled when dropping the youngest off, but they didn't fall this time. And when I say tears, I mean mine, not hers. She went right off and sat down on her line to wait to go into class. She did eventually wave to me and blow me a kiss, but otherwise she was good to go.

So...until I get hours at my current job that work with the kids' school (or get a different job that offers the same), I'm left with a lot of free time during the day that I'm just not used to! Yesterday I did some general picking up and cleaned a couple stains off the carpet. Today, I tackled the top of the refrigerator.

Yes. Yes, I did.

Sadly, I didn't take before pictures. But let me tell you, it was scary. How on earth the top of a fridge can become a catch-all is beyond me...maybe because it's the first thing there when we walk into the back door? But how about this:

Better, no? I've got too many spices to fit in the spice shelf of my pantry, so I keep the most used ones in that storage box. Next is my recipe box. My Opa made it, and my Oma put the picture onto the top (can't see that in the picture, sorry). Clearly, the purple buckety thing atop the recipe box is a candy bucket...we hide treats there out of reach of the youngest treat-snatcher. Next is the pancake mix, along with syrup (again, lack of space for that many boxes/bottles, but we eat a lot of pancakes!). Lastly, the blue and white dish stores dry erase markers for our wipey board we keep on the fridge.

So, my lucky friends, I've decided to be completely transparent from here on out. I'm going to try to work one big thing each day (along with the normal cleaning) and I will take before and after pictures to share my progress. I KNOW.

Tomorrow I really, *really* want to do the dining room table. You won't believe it. I promise.

I'm There

My stomach is so bummin' today. I'm not sure why. It all hurts.

School supplies are all purchased, backpacks are full, and first day outfits are all picked out (T-Bird has to wear a certain uniform in high school...school color polos/button downs/sweatshirts and khakis, so at least he was easy).

I discovered not just my first, but my first and second gray hairs yesterday. Do I blame JuJu-B for needing a car, and money, and college? T-Bird for starting high school? Redskin for being wishy washy about joining the football team? Bean for starting kindergarten? I'm sure I can place blame on one of the youngins. Either way, they're there. I've never colored or chemically treated my hair at all (okay, maybe some lemon juice when I was young), and I'm not going to start now. I hope The Daddy likes gray! I know I love his!

Short and sweet today, friends.