Yummy.

I can neither bring home the bacon nor fry it up in a pan. I am unable to keep track of:

• which of the 3 boys classrooms I have contributed to the teacher gift for
• which of the 3 boys classrooms needs me to bring in a canned good for Friendship Soup day (and possibly that already has happened in which case I missed it)
• which of the 3 boys classrooms needs me to bring in a canned good for a canned good drive
• which of the 3 boys classrooms is having a holiday party, and when it is, and what potluck dish I need to bring
• CHIP'S SECOND BIRTHDAY IS SUNDAY. And OK, he's not going to care one way or another, but I really have nothing planned. And his brothers will notice. Sigh.

I think I'm just going to write off all this stuff for a while — well the school stuff at least. I can barely keep my head above water as it is! They're just lucky I remember to pick up the kids every day.

Whenever I run into a Room Parent, I just kind of tilt my head down, keep walking, and say "good morning!" over my shoulder. So much guilt! ;) But how do people do this? How do you handle this?

Go check out sweatpants mom's beautiful tribute to almost-102 year old Grandma Helen. She sounds like a really great woman and sweatpants mom's post really makes me wish I had known her.

This year for Christmas I'm getting a great present. And I know I'll like it because I chose it myself. I'm going to stop letting the same old family bullshit get me hurt and resentful.

I end up having the same argument with the same family member every year. I come away furious and frustrated, and they come away sad and confused.

I'm going to stop wishing they would remember we do this every year. I'm going to stop wishing they would just get over it.

I'm going to remember that they're grieving over our family being broken in some ways. Ways that will never be repaired. I'm going to remember that this happens because they love me.

I will do this if it kills me, because I have to move on. Even if they can't.

When I picked the boys up from school today Mike had a 'light saver.' It was a rolled-up and taped piece of butcher paper. I got a complete description of the ins and outs of light savers on the way home, and this from a child who has never seen Star Wars.

But of course Robbie wanted one, so I rolled up and taped a section of newspaper. Then Mike wanted to see whose stick was longer.

Really. I'm not kidding.

It turned out that the one I had made was larger, so of course I had to make another one from newspaper for Mike. Then they spent the next few minutes measuring their sticks. THANK GOD THEY WERE THE SAME SIZE!

Mr. Plain and I were eyeballing each other across the room and trying not to rupture something internal to keep from laughing. I almost burst a blood vessel in my eyeball.

Christ people, THEY'RE ONLY FOUR!!! This parenting boys thing is getting more interesting by the second.