insomnia

3am.

it’s 3am.

yes, i realize that. thanks.

you should be asleep.

i know. it would help if you would stop talking.

ok.

… you’re still awake.

uh-huh. i’m thinking about work.

you shouldn’t do that. it stresses you out.

really?

try rolling over. a change of scenery. stare at the wall instead of the ceiling.

it’s not working. maybe if i kick off some of the blankets…

…

4am.

maybe if i think about the beach. sand. sun. waves. the kids. the kids and waves. waves have undertow. the kids and waves and undertow… and… great. now i’m thinking about how the kids are going to drown at the beach.

next! counting? maybe some multiplication tables.

12×12 = 144. 13×13=169. 14×14=196. 15×15=… 150 + 25 + 50 = 225. 16×16=160+36+60… 256. 17×17…=170+49+70… 240+49… 289

b.o.r.i.n.g. and too hard.

that’s the point.

ballet class. swimming class. work. library books are due. when’s trash day this week? did i unplug the toaster? what am i going to make for dinner? i should stop eating so much chocolate. did i switch on the alarm? i wonder what emerson’s doing? groceries. the floors need vacuuming. it’s too cold in here. this pillow is too hard. why are those ppl outside yelling? i’ve probably got skin cancer. maybe i should have become a scientist. i would have been a good biologist. i liked biology. didn’t like chemistry. but physics was fun. and calculus. my new staff person starts tomorrow. maja needs new shoes. it’s so hot outside. i wish it was cooler. if i lived in seattle it would be cooler. it rains there a lot.

pippa’scryingrichard’ssnoringmajajustfelloutofbedthere’sacaralarmgoingoffslumdogmillionaireisdisturbingandifidon’tfallasleepsooni’m goingtogocrazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

5:30am

the alarm is going off.

time to get up!

well, at least that night is over.

even Pippa was being silly

Our last morning at the beach… I’m so glad we trekked onto the sand to get this photo!

beach

I am beginning to love our annual vacation down to Cape May, NJ. Sun. Sand. Crabs. Ice cream. Salt air. Relax.

This was the early-morning scene on the day we left.

new

• back from our annual beach vacation!
• getting ready for sending Maja off to kindergarten in a few weeks
• dealing with Richard’s imminent/looming transfer to New York

Seriously.

Also, can someone please send me a house elf? Must be able to clean-up constantly. Involves much stooping over, sweeping, wiping, tidying, organizing. No sitting involved. Must be handy with a mop and vacuum cleaner. Must clean toilets.

standing baby

um, see, this is what happens when you wait a month to announce the crawling… as of yesterday she can now pull herself to a standing position.

People have been telling me that Little Pips just wants to keep up with her big sisters. I disagree. She wants to get away. Far. Far. Away.

Really

Sorry I’m not around more often. It’s just that by the time all the kids are in bed it’s going on 9pm and the idea of hauling out the laptop and blogging is just not that appealing. I do think about it practically every night, but truth be told I’m actually afraid to switch on the laptop. I haven’t switched it on in months and I’m guessing that it would take at least an hour before it would run properly. And I can’t take that kind of stress.

I’d much rather go to bed or do some sewing. But it’s not like I do those things. 9pm usually finds me sweeping and mopping the floor. I HATE grit under my bare feet – it drives me absolutely insane. Stepping on dried up cheerios or bits of construction paper, crumbs from lunch, an escaped blueberry.

I don’t like to go to bed angry.

I wish I had more energy.

I wish I could blog about all the fun and fantastic things I do every day.

I wish my house would just clean itself. I have found myself wondering lately if I had a bigger house if things would improve? The dirt would just be dispersed over a larger area. End of that idea.

I think, though, that walking through the house with a garbage bag in one hand and a box in the other tonight would be a good idea. The bag for things to toss. The box for things to give away. But, it’s Friday and I’m tired and I didn’t sweep yesterday and I would really like to do something else. Like paint the bedroom a brighter color then bluish-grey. I feel my mood would improve if I didn’t wake up in a grey cloud-coloured room every morning. And perhaps some shades that actually cover the windows properly would be nice.

Sometimes I think I ask too much.

Indulge me

Excuse me, please, while I put a few pictures up of my beautiful girls?

all my babysitters

At the end of May I had a chance to go up to my parents with Pippa for a little visit to celebrate some birthdays.

I had many loving hands to help me with Pippa!

Cousin Anna and Pippa

Omi and Pippa

Papa and Pippa

Cousin Kathryn and Pippa

Kathryn and Anna were amazing. They totally took over caring for Pippa — carrying her everywhere, changing her diaper, playing with her and entertaining her. What a fabulous duo of cousins they are!

the very young and the very old

Pippa and Papa had a chance to meet each other at the end of May. I think they will get along just fine.

a child’s hair

I kid you not, this is the same child with the photos taken 3 days apart. Surprising part was that she REQUESTED the braids with no suggestion or input from me.

Yeah, don’t even ask me about Jillian Michaels who you can see in the background of that upper photo. Yes, I got the DVD. Yes, I did the workout 2x. No my rear is not any smaller. Yes I have lost 1.5 lbs. But I have not had a chance to hang out with Jillian in several days. Don’t ask.