The appliance repair guy said he would come at 11:30. I had to go be a bus, but I hurried everywhere and was making good time. Finally at the last place, I dropped off the boy, hurriedly told the lady in front I couldn't chat, ran to my car, buckled in the baby (without hitting his head even!), got behind the wheel and ... nothing. Car won't start. Try, try, try. Nothing. Run in to tell the daycare that my car is blocking their driveway and run home ( live a couple of blocks away), but I was a little late, so maybe I missed him. Isn't that ironic considering I was just blathering on about things not working? Don't you think it's funny? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, huh, hmm. And baby just wet on my bed. I know!!!

Remind you of anyone...?

I think Zach thinks this looks like me, but I can't decide.

"For behold the land is cursed, and all things are become slippery"

I do like to possess things, but oftentimes things are a burden. Everything in my house is breaking. There is something new every day. Charles went around the house and took some pictures of some broken things for me, but this is not even the half of it. One day recently the cat jumped off of a sill and broke a bowl of flowers that I had there. When I went into the kitchen to get the broom, I noticed that the stove clock was not working. Upon further inspection, nothing along that whole wall was working -- garbage disposal, dishwasher, lights, etc. I went and did whatever one does with the breaker switch, to no avail. The next day the electrician came and said that our hot water doohickey attached to our sink was shorting everything out. So we did what we usually do and decided we could live without it. But there are some things that you kind of have to fix. We replaced the rain gutters this summer because pieces of them were literally falling off of the roof. Every day there is a new cupboard in the kitchen hanging forlornly by its hinges and door knobs often detach themselves from the doors. The garage door has a long piece of rubber dangling down from it (that has been so long that there are now spider webs wafting in the breeze) and can only close with someone holding it down for the duration. Our back screen door won't close all the way,not just a little, but about 45º. Matthew's car has been on its last leg for a few years and don't even get me started on my phone which is dropped on a regular basis. A few days ago our beloved rice cooker gave up the ghost. RIP. But yesterday, yesterday! Oh, I don't know if I can even talk about it. My washing machine protested mightily when I put in the third load of the day and finally just refused to do one more thing. I stared at it with consternation. I am obsessed with laundry. I do it every day. I do not like having any dirty linen in the house. It is already starting to pile up and it has only been a few hours. I cloth diaper a baby! I have five kids!! Some of them require more than one outfit a day!!! I made an emergency call to our appliance guy and he is coming today. I don't know what he will say and am wondering if I need to scour Consumer Reports for the next best thing. It is kind of elderly and it may just be its time. Oh, oh, the dishwasher is running unnaturally loudly this morning...

My Meadow

I took some pictures of the baby on the lawn yesterday. The lawn is so full of plants that are not grass it probably doesn't deserve the name "lawn" anymore. Meadow might be more appropriate. And we would then use our Meadow Mower to cut it. I like it. I adore the one of him checking out the grass. You have to imagine his chubby fingers going back and forth. Where are the Harry Potter photos when you need them? And, of course, the ubiquitous hostas.

Never Forget!

This morning I had cottage cheese with tomatoes, chives, and shiso from my garden. I love running out and picking fresh food -- you can almost feel the life still coursing through. Alas, it smells like fall out there. In actuality, I adore Autumn -- the crisp air, the brilliant blue of October skies contrasting with the golds and crimsons down below. However, I know that part of it is the need to cherish every temperate moment before... WINTER. I like parts of winter -- cozying up in a blanket, wearing sweaters, ice crystals shimmering from every branch and stem, a blanket of snow. But all the coats, scarves, mittens everywhere everywhere. Not fitting in car seats, slipping on the ice, the fierce bite of wind as you race frantically to your unattached garage. I think I have post-traumatic stress from last winter. I was in a parking lot yesterday and I thought, 'It is SO nice that I am at a completely comfortable body temperature as I walk from the store to my car.' It is September 11th and I have not forgotten.

One of my students had her baby yesterday. She was 26 weeks along and the baby weighed 2 pounds. She had been in labor since Saturday, so I was relieved to hear that the baby had made it this far, but it is still so scary. Hopefully, all will be well.

I just returned from a consignment store for children called "Cute as a Button." I used to love this store, but now I am officially boycotting it. They used to make appointments for taking clothes, then they said bring it any day, then they said call before they open and they will take the first 12 callers, but then people just started lining up before it opened so they just take those people. Lining up before a store opens is distasteful to me. Even trying to be one of the first callers is not my favorite thing, but it is certainly better than scrambling to the store with a boxful of discards, vying for the owners attention, "Pick me! Pick me!" However, my basement needs to be emptied so I decided to swallow my pride and try to get there this morning. I got there right as it was opening and they said I was too late, rewarding only the really obnoxious people who somehow have the time to wait there for an hour! Consequently, I now do not like them. I think it is bad business to humiliate your customer base. I might have to resort to Ebay. I know I shouldn't be so worried about clothes, but it is part of my job, as it were, to try to save money and if I can get a little bit back from their old clothes, it can go toward their new clothes which they will inevitably be needing. (Okay, some they will need and the rest is bonus).

While I was out I swung by the chiropractor and they did not spurn me. I felt much more welcome. My back has been killing since I had the audacity to exercise last week, but after five visits since last Thursday I am now right as rain. I love my chiropractor! Maybe I can find a bumper sticker.

S(n)ide Remarks

My friend said I should be a writer -- oh, but I am! I have my very own column and it is on the INTERNET!

I love to nuzzle my warm, snuggly, roly-poly, baby boy -- There is nothing better! He still curls up his legs and tries to burrow into my neck, and when I lay him down he flips right over ('cause he's gotta practice, of course) and lifts up his little head to take in the world. Nnh, honey, it is like a drug.

A couple of comments I wanted to remember. First, while I was in Relief Society at my mom's ward in Utah I got up to take my bairn out into the hall as he was being quite disruptive. I heard one lady stage whisper to her neighbor (they are getting a little long in the tooth, as it were), "Aren't you glad we're past that stage in our life?" It made me smile because it was so perfect. I was so happy to hear that she is content with where she is in life. I worry about missing my kids being little when I am older. I had that thought while I was in labor with Ella, strangely enough. It was also nice to know that when I looked inward, I know that I am also content with where I am, this phase that will pass quickly enough. I suspect, as well, that she just doesn't remember how lovely it was to get slobbery kisses every morning and have her mirrors covered with fingerprints. God's gift for helping us move on and enjoy the present.

Now, lest I get too sentimental about being a mom, I need to remember the next comment from Ella. I read a book a few months ago that I really enjoyed, "I Capture the Castle." While I read it, I kept thinking that my daughter would really like it. It is set in England and the main character is a teenage girl. I bought the book for her, she read it, and wasn't as keen on it as I had hoped. I recommended the book to my sister-in-law so while in Utah we were all talking about it. Jill said, "I really liked it and the main character reminded me of you, Mary." Ella, "Oh, no wonder I thought she was so annoying." !!!@!!?? I laughed and laughed. So amusing.

"The Baby wakes, the peacefulness flees..."

Boxed In

There are a lot of boxes in my front hallway. We took some boxes to UPS the other day and Tom (the UPS guy) said, "I saw that you got 40 boxes of padded envelopes delivered to your house this morning." "You know where I live?" I replied flabbergastedly. "Yes," he said, "At this computer, I've got my fingers on the pulse of this town." He probably knows about my penchant for buying $.75 books on half.com. I guess it isn't too bad since I know his name and quite a bit about him. I also know most of the workers at the post office, but I don't think they know where I live.

Ibby is doing better. She started to cry on Tuesday morning, but recovered before getting to the school. Wednesday we talked a lot about her happy face and as she got out of the car she said, "Won't my teacher be glad to see my happy face this morning?" Yes, I am sure that she will.

During a Sunday lesson, someone read this quote by Anna Quindlen that I have read before:
There’s one picture of my three children sitting on the grass on a quilt in the shadow of a swing, set on a summer day ages 6, 4 and 1, and I wish I could remember what we ate and what we talked about and how they sounded and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing; dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more, and the getting it done a little less.

Fine. It is totally sweet and it even brought out some tears. However, the more I thought about it the more dismayed I became. It is hard enough for me to get dinner on the table and everyone in bed at a reasonable hour without someone trying to make me feel bad about it! You still have to get it all done! Okay, that is just a rant because I feel the bittersweet-ness of motherhood intensely lately. I miss my kids while they are at school, but then don't enjoy the post-school transition time very much. I don't remember so much of their baby time. The baby I do have changes every day and I know that he will be leaving for a mission soon. Cry, cry, cry.

Bon Anniversaire.