Until next time...

I'm back.  Merry Christmas one and all.  (And a belated Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Halloween.)  I know I know.  2 1/2 months is a tad long to keep everyone wondering just what kind of utter mayhem is happening at the Ashleys that would so overcome me, I just could not bring myself to capture it in words.  Actually, life has been so calm and peaceful that I've been left without material.


Ok, not really.  There's been plenty of chaos to be sure, however I really am just hoping that eventually it'll all be forgotten, as the driving forces behind it haven't been...exactly pleasant to live through.  The culprit?  Bronchitis.  Serious bronchitis.  3 months now.  And no signs of letting up.  Oh, and little Ashley #3.  Coming this June.

So, when Mommy has had the strength and energy and desire to arise from her bed (or wherever she's plopped her ailing body last), upon then beholding what little Ashley #1 and little Ashley #2 have found to entertain themselves with, she typically has found her way back to bed or just closes her eyes and mutters not-so-sweet nothings as she shuffles through the rubble to make some hot cider or tea before collapsing once more.  In fact, at one point I was "cooking" whatever could be made with boiling water in an electric tea pot on the bathroom counter.  I'm talking DINNER - Top Ramen, fed to my children for the first time in their lives, in the bathtub!  Pathetic, eh?  Oh yes. We've descended to the depths.  In fact, when we asked the girls what they want for Christmas, Abby's response was: "(some toy), a clean house, and a wonderful mommy and daddy and sister..." Ellie told me "I hate our house.  It's so messy." Ugghhh.  And no matter my feeble efforts to at least keep clean clothes on our bodies and wash enough dishes to eat off of, I am just no match for the force that is my daughters' need to disrupt any sense of order and "create" - with any and every possible thing in this house.

Anyway... there's the update on the household chaos front.  As far as the whirlwind of life (that has sort of been like a windmill in a windstorm, but with a couple missing sails swirling erratically around - buh bump buh bump) we've been just holding on as best we can.  Pretty much the only consistency around here has been found in the girls' ballet and tap class each Saturday morning - which we're regularly late for, since there are 8 shoes and wandering leotards and tights involved.  Twice I've been the one who, in spite of getting out the door to be very close to on time, has forgotten the shoe bag entirely.  Once we had to make a stop at Target on the way, since I figured the time it would take to buy a new leotard would be less than to look for it.  But at least the girls really seem to enjoy their new-found artistic outlet and I enjoy watching them "practice" at home.

I can't mention the erratic windmill without mentioning that our elation (disillusion?) at the prospect of Adam working semi-decent hours at his new job lasted for, oh, about two weeks.  M&T just had to up and buy a couple banks which has turned this new job (in my opinion as the sick pregnant wife) into a worse (meaning time-consuming) situation than the last.  And so, some nights we eat Top Ramen in the bath. (Ok. It was just one night. I promise.)

Turns out that when one feels gross, one tends not to focus on spreading joy.  Or maybe that's just me - and now you might understand why I've held off writing for as long as I have.  I'll do my best to pep up and recall happier events from the last near-quarter of the year in more posts, but felt it was high time to at least make some record of our life.  We're alive.  Barely at times, but alive.  And hoping you (whoever might read this anymore) are well and enjoying this Christmas season.  Until next time...

QFTD


Ellie, after we dropped Abby off at school: "Mom, I don't want to stay home with you today. I want to go to school."

Ellie, looking out the car window one evening: "I see piles of sky. Pink, blue and purple."

Ellie: "I don't want a princess ice pack. I want a fruit snack ice pack."

Abby, while coloring at the local library: "Mom, my head is telling me a story while I work." Me: "Oh yeah? Which one?" A: "The heffalump story. Shh! I can't hear it!"

Ellie, holding up a mesh dirty clothes hamper: "Mom, what is this?" "I's a dirty clothes hamper." E: "What does hamp mean? When do we get to go hamping?"

Abby, singing to Follow the Prophet while in the bath: "Enoch was a prophet, sixth one that we know. He lived in South America and helped the things to grow.  Ammon was a prophet, he lived in...Egypt.  He was very special, he taught the Holy Ghost. This is Samurai, tenth one that we know, he lived in..." Ellie: "Egypt?" Abby: "Mexico."

Abby: "Let's play 'whom the crazy do you think you are?'"

Abby: "It was very important for Nephi to go back to Jerusalem so he could get the Plates of Grass.  He had thaif in the Lord."

Abby, holding up a "10-minute workout" page in a Parenting magazine: "Look Mom! Here's something you could use!"  

Ellie: "Do you know what 'darn it' means?" Me: "No, what?"  Ellie: "It means our car is in the water."

Ellie:  "Mommy, I am so assumptive with you."  Me: "You're so what?"  E: "I am SO assumptive with you.  Assump means disappointed.  And I am assumptive with you."

Ellie, gasping with delight at the first word she read on her own: "N-O! That spells No!  I spelled it!"

Ellie, feeding me her pretend soup: "I made it with smashed potatoes, and with watermelon, and it has beef and candy!  And... spunch!"

Abby: "Mom, on Saturday night, Lisa and I are going to have a Release Siety Ball.  And Ellie has to stay in the toy room because we'll have very dangerous equipment."  Ellie: "No! I don't like your recision!"

Abby: "Mom, I'm making this necklace for you for you to wear when you get married again." Me: "Oh? When am I going to get married again?" Abby: "When you're old.  Sometimes old people get married again.  And Mom? Can you not make your head hang down when you're old?"