I'm anxious to post a story I've wanted to write since Christmas. In the writing workshop I started 3 weeks ago I finally got the chance to scratch some itches I've had for a while.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to finish anything now that I'm on "vacation".

Well I did finish a book, The Lovely Bones. We had to read a chapter of it in the workshop. It was written from the p.o.v. of a murder victim, and once I'd read chapter two, I wanted to read the rest. Lauren is reading it now.


I'm applying for a new position at work and have been working on my resume for several days.

I've been maintaining another blog-type of thing on myspace to keep up with my yearbook kids.


I'm working on banning smoking in public in our area.

I'm in charge of a social for our Sunday school class to go to a Ranger game on July 8th.

I want to get the house into a manageable condition, but I keep getting sidetracked with the everyday stuff: meals, laundry, the yard, bills, trips to the library or pool and other social things. Just the clothes going in and out of the house and attic is more of a time-sucker than you'd imagine. ("This isn't a family, it's a swap meet," quipped one of my brothers-in-law.) And I still have to keep the kids busy, for their mental health and mine. Last week we spent a lot of time with Mason, Maya, Nesha & sometimes Lala (will post pics eventually). So the big projects are just wishful thinking.

And this week is Vacation Bible School. I'm the photographer, so I've started another blog for that. Last year I was one of the music directors and took pictures during my downtime, so this year the director asked me to take pictures full time. Yesterday I was running too far behind to take Paloma to the nursey at first, then when I was ready, she was asleep, so I ended up wearing her for all but the last half hour!

Can you tell the difference?

Same outfit, same age. I asked Gabe about the scan of the picture with the wood-colored bench: "Who is this?"

"Carmen," he answered.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"It doesn't look like Paloma."

It's a good thing I had almost caught up with this blog last week--pictures, anyway, which is what takes me the longest. I had to quit reading all of my favorite blogs to get that accomplished.

The reason it's good is there is so much new to say!

On Friday, what I considered my first day of summer, Carmen's wiggly tooth caused her gums to start bleeding when she bit down on a BANANA at lunch. She was scared of all the blood but did NOT want me to pull the tooth. Truth be told I didn't really want to pull it anyway! We decided to go to the library and get some books to read on the subject.

While we were at the library looking for the books we'd found listed in the catalog, her tooth came out!

Also on Friday, Gabriel decided to write "MOMMY" for the first time and he did it without any help. Should I be concerned he's more interested in writing my name than his? He can read a lot of words and is approaching reading in an almost completely different way than Carmen (considering they've been exposed in basically identical ways to reading and environmental print).

This weekend he also was able to keep David's fathers' day gifts a secret (he's not been able to keep a secret before).

In my writing class over the last couple of weeks, I wrote a great deal, including a piece I've wanted to write since December.

Need to get a picture of Paloma headbanging--intentionally ramming her head into vertical surfaces like our headboard.

Her newest words: Mamama ball car

Also need a picture of Carmen carrying Paloma, although it scares me... she's getting better. Usually don't feel confident enough/ want it to last long enough to take a picture!

It's been a hard week of teething--the ones on top are ALL new this week!

We went to the Herrons' to see Stacy and the kids on Saturday and we got her a blog set up so we can keep in touch better even if they do insist on staying in Alaska (but their return is now on my prayer list!).

Abby was awesome with Paloma and Lance and Carmen were pretty cute buddies, too. Steven is just too grown up to believe! Paloma shrieked with delight at a baby doll that used to belong to Stacy & Wendy!

We saw the new Pixar movie Cars on the day of its premiere. It was our first trip to Rave Motion Picture Theatre. We loved it!

Zoe walks across the room!