My kids missed most of last week due to strep. Michael picked Eshiva up today because they think she has the pox. I am hoping she does, and we’ll verify it at the doc this afternoon. I hope it is, and I hope the boys get it too. Still sucks.

I wrapped up my dental till at least the end of March this morning. Last week I had a gum transplant (yah, ouch) and this week I had a filling and a spackling. The tooth I’ve been looking at for 20 some years is now smooth. Weird. It had a little indentation at the top – not a cavity, just an imperfection. The dentist wanted to “fill it” to prevent gum problems as it was right at the gum line. I go back to the perdiodontist in a month for a last check up, then a cleaning, then braces! I think I’ll be sticking to a cleaning every 3 months from now on. It’s deductible, right?

Michael goes in next Monday for some basic dental stuff as well. I think we can drive our teeth now I know some of you know how that is.

We had a lovely dinner out last night. We got all dolled up and had a fabulous dinner at Melting Pot.

Dorian made honor roll this quarter. He started guitar lessons yesterday. He gets his braces in about a month. Oh, and he’s all of 6 or 7 inches shorter than me. The boys eats like a horse and is growing like a weed.

Malachai lost another tooth yesterday morning (his third) and it’s been hanging on by a thread for a week. I’m surprised it took so long. The tooth fairy forgot to come last night, but she made a surprise appearance (delayed due to snow in the North East) and left two golden dollar coins. He was thrilled. The boy loves coins. You have no idea how much the boy loves coins lol He got a citizenship award this quarter in school and is not currently trying to outgrow me as much as his brother is

Eshiva is being retested in school so we can have a parent-teacher conference so they can tell me my child is a genius. She is super cute in her recital dress, but is otherwise an annoying five year old little girl. Those of you with girls know exactly what I am talking about. Those of you with boys, be happy! Seriously, the boys at five did absolutely nothing to prepare me for a girl at five. Nothing. I want to sell her to the gypsies at a discount price at least once a day. Too bad they don’t want five year old little girls either.

I have been obsessed with RuPaul’s Drag Race (http://rupaulsdragrace.com) and missing my old friends. I think Michael is tired of it, but hey, it’s entertaining at least. Last seasons queen’s were bien mieux than this seasons I miss Nina lol She was my kind of queen. You should check it out if you haven’t. It’s on Logo, last season they aired on Lifetime (? no, but it aired on a reg. cable channel last season but I can’t remember which one, sorry! Maybe VH1?) but I think they are showing them on the website after they air on Logo.

So, that wraps me up. I’ve been nursing sick children all week, and I suspect I’ll be doing the same in the coming week.

Before the end of January, I completed my first tattoo. It was smaller than a quarter, but it fulfilled my own requirement of doing this before the end of January. I know it was stupid, but this has been going on for two years, and I told myself if I wasn’t ahead of where I was last year, or the year before, that was it. So Michael let me do a cute piece Malachai drew a bit ago and I don’t feel so much pressure from myself now. Phew!

We went to Orlando (Disney) in January as well, both to celebrate with Michael and Sara who turned 18 and to celebrate Eshiva turning 5. It was a super quick overnight trip, so we didn’t make plans to visit with anyone. She had a blast. She got her birthday pin and heaven forbid anyone not say Happy Birthday to her – she made damn sure they saw her pin lol

Dorian went to the orthodontist and he goes back the end of March to get his braces. Malachai hasn’t started his yet, but we’re getting there! He goes back I think the end of this month.

I went to the periodontist and had a gum therapy transplant thingie done yesterday. I am slightly better than miserable but not entirely well. It was a stupid nothing and I am surprised it took so much out of me. I put the details behind a spoiler tag for those who don’t want to hear. It’s not so bad, but it’s not so good either.

Next Tuesday I have a filling to be done and a spackle job (I have a tooth with an imperfection she wants to smooth over, it’s always been there though *shrugs*) and sometime near the end of March, when I am fully healed, I get to start braces. Yay! What stinks is I wouldn’t have had to do the surgery if I didn’t want braces. Yep.

I reapplied for FlaKidCare last night (I have to do this every year) and I am hoping our payment doesn’t go up.

Dorian made the A/B honor roll. Malachai got a citizenship award. Eshiva has strep. I think the boys made out better

We had a little birthday party for her on Sunday and all but one family called and said they couldn’t make it for one reason or another. I kind of felt like I did in jr high when I’d have a party and maybe 3 people would show up. It sucks. I’m buying cupcakes to take in tomorrow or thursday, depending on when she goes back.

Taxes came in, and went out just as quickly. The boys got their DSis, Eshiva got two new games for her Leapster (and will get a couple of hand-me-down Didj’s when the time comes). Michael got a new TV and is having some dental done and I replaced my laptop with a desktop. Camp for the kids is paid for (that was actually first before any purchases).

Dor starts music lessons on Monday! So I get this random ass phone call a couple weeks ago on a number I never give out. Whatever, I figure we wound up on a list from the school system (pretty much the onlyplace that has that number). So today Dor gets “interviewed” and I forked over a 45$ enrollment fee (good for all three kids) and Dor starts music lessons next week.

He chose guitar. He gets 6 weeks of basic lessons on a student guitar and I think we have to buy a better one after that. We’ve got a cheap Target one, but the guy said it looked like the student one. Whatever.

We pay 20.85 a week for 1/2 hour of private and he 3 hours of group lesson. Monday from 6 – 6:30 he’ll get private, and from 6:30 – 7 he’ll get group (the group is from 6 – 7 on Monday, 6 – 7 on Wednesday and 9 – 10 on Saturday). I think I’ll have Michael take him on Saturday.

I think he’s excited! They’ll teach him how to read and write music as well as how to play.

My gram isn’t doing so well, so I am kind of worried about that. They came out for E’s party, but left a little earlier than usual and she looked real bad.

I hate to end on a bad note, but I can’t remember what else is going on right now that is taking my attention away from here and landing it elsewhere. I’m tweeting, so that gets pumped to FaceBook. I haven’t found a way to pump it to here You’re probably happy about that lol It’s just easier b/c I can do it on the go from my phone. I’m not even really blogging – this will probably get copy/pasted over to my blog just so I have a record of it there too.

Ah, to end on a good note, 5 things I am happy about right now:

• We’re going to Melting Pot on Monday
• Other than some achiness I am healthy
• the kids are doing well in school
• My husband loves me more every day and always lets me know
• I’ve got some work coming in – always nice to have a little extra money!

Oh, we all have strep this week (boo), Eshiva turned 5 yesterday, I bet there is more, but I’m drawing a blank.

Suffice to say, it’s a mitzvah to be wrapped in these strips of leather and say a few prayers. It takes like 3 minutes and SuperJews do it every day. Oh, only the boys.

The first time the Rabbi got Michael to do it, he took a picture and we joked it would never make it onto the wall. (We always cover up when we go there). Lo and behold, his photo, tattoos and all, is on the wall.

Here are the ones we took on Sunday.

Second, and for my own records, I am still stumped on this whip shading thing. Lining = check. Solid = check. Watered down black to make greywash = check. Whipshading = fail. However, we have an entire huge collection of tattooing dvd’s and whatnot, so maybe one of them explains it in a way that I get? I kind of got it down, but I had to turn the power way down. While Michael said some artists do that for shading, I’d like to figure out how most of them do it without doing so.

Third, I must have these shoes. Someone should get them for me. Yes, I want them in yellow. My Olssons recently broke, and needed re-soling anyway. Was it a hint? A shove to buy these beauties? I don’t know. I have a check coming that will cover them though…

and forth, my new system is working! The kids are keeping up on their daily personal hygeine and daily chores and so am I! I haven’t stuck to it 100%, but my floor is swept, my counter is cleared, and my laundry is (still getting) done. I’ve done four loads in the past two days and it’s pretty much all put away. I cleared out five baskets of clean clothes. (Don’t think me a clothes horse, it was five different people worth of clothes) The compost is out (Michael took it out this morning), the trash goes out tonight, the children and bathed and dressed and fed and we’re getting it done quicker and earlier in the day! They even earned homework points today for starting the Hebrew summer work (and if they finish the book, they get a prize when Hebrew school starts up again, so they win all around on that one).

I made rice today, which turned out over starchy and mushy. I thought a rice maker = idiot proof rice? Apparently not. I made Stitch & Mickey shaped unigari (with fake crab inside and furikake outside), and a terrible krab roll for Fish to take to work. The rice was just wrong Also sent him a handful of fake crab, and some fruit and some soy and furikake on the side. I’ll figure out this bento thing. I just need some practice. I’ll also figure out the rice lol

Dorian slept out last night at his friends house. We wound up there from 7:30 to 12:30. J picked Michael up from work around 10, and we hung out for a bit. I kind of reached the end of my “Jenn out of the house” limit, so we came home. M & E crashed as soon as we got here. I dropped Michael off at work today and I’ll head back over there later to pick D up.

Went to the food store this morning. I spend about five times as much in food over the summer as the rest of the year. It’s insane. I bought four loaves of bread, another gallon of milk, tons of lunch meat & cheese, ribs & corn for Father’s Day, pot roast makings, cabbage, peppers, OJ, rice, and whatever else makes up the obscene amount of money I spent on “in between” shopping today. Yep, this wasn’t even my *big* trip. I do that next Friday. Eight people consume *a lot* of food.

Michael has to work on Sunday, which sucks, but he’s booked at least. Dad requested ribs & corn on the grill, so I’ll make that and (hopefully) have it ready by 5 or 6. I got three racks of ribs and 12 ears of corn. I forgot potato salad… I might just make some more.

Michael brought home his “spare” rotary machine for me. I want to set it up as a shader and see how it does. Monday, I think. Always Monday, huh? He brought it home last Monday. I don’t know where the time goes, but it sure goes somewhere.

practiced whip shading (um, I need more practice )

And now Michael is playing D&D with Dor, Mal & Michael and I am watching Harry Potter (#1) with Eshiva. We went to see Night at the Museum last night, and it rocked. It’s definitely on the “to get” list. I think we’ll do some sand art tomorrow before Michael goes to work. I can’t believe it’s almost Tuesday already. Time flies.

I have some actual drawing to do for work – I want to get down to Pearls and replace my pencil though… I wonder if MIchael’s has one. It’s much closer. I wont spend as much too – Pearl’s is like an artists porn store lol Thank god we don’t have a brick & mortar Blicks near by!

Eshiva & Malachai had 9 AM appointments at the dentist. Eshiva was getting a crown, and Mal was getting a quick look-see.

Malachai was finally seen at 10:10AM and was done by 10:30ish. Remember, our appointments were for 9? Yah. Anyway, he more or less cooperated with getting a quick check out, nothing else. He has an appointment for March 5 at 8AM and he will be given a liberal dose of Benadryl (by the dentist) and wrapped up in a papoose and will have his front two teeth removed. I need to talk to our ST about this today.

At 11AM I demanded a new appointment and told them we were leaving. The receptionist assured me we were next, but she had been assuring me of that since 9AM. There was another lady who had been there since 8. My kids hadn’t eaten yet and Michael had to get to work – we left. Eshiva has a new appointment for next week. If she isn’t seen within fifteen minutes we’ll be getting yet another new appointment.

The dentist was awesome today with Malachai, and usually we only have a 15 – 20 minute wait. Two hours, and they still had no clue of when we’d be seen? Why bother making an appointment at all?

Mal got a tee for being so awesome at the dentist (seriously, I can’t even get him through the door to the back area, let alone in the chair) and I don’t know what I’m going to do on the fifth. Well, I do know. Michael is taking him. Don’t judge – I take the other two back. I just have a soft spot for Mal.

The dog pulled down our new (used) PS2. Thank goodness it still works – I refuse to buy another one. We just bought that one to replace the one he broke.

I realized last night that the reason my “TANSTAAFL” didn’t look right when we tried to do it last is that I wanted to put “GROK” in that spot. “TANSTAAFL” will have to find a home on the other wrist. Which kicks “Be Remarkable. Do The Impossible.” out, but that can go elsewhere too. I am a Heinlein whore. Absolutely.

Today has not been a great day, and I was yell-y this morning. I am feeling better now.

Cut for tons of photos.

Scariest wolfman ever

ok, not really

and Dorian, the Clone

um, of me lol

This is one of the few shots I got of Eshiva… not that it’s that big a deal, she wears princess dresses every chance she gets

Michael can’t seem to get on the board lately (but I can from upstairs… I need to inspect the computer) so I am posting his photos

He was all set to be Lemmy

and then he thought he’d be a 70′s porn star

but he wound up being Bubba (ah, Vampire Elvis for those you not in the bound Sookie-verse)

Yes, Bubba has kittens and not bottles of blood, but he felt the bottle would clue people in more than a kitten.

My husband was also Venkman this year… dork.

My world is entirely Jenn-centric. Isn’t yours?

I realize that the universe didn’t give us Erin just to prepare me for Malachai. That would be a little too Jenn-centric, even for me, but…. Well, you just never know, right?

So I texted my husband, whom I adore, and told him I was missing mom and I wanted to go out when he got home, even if it was just to StarFuckers or someplace like that, to sit. Well, Eshiva wouldn’t go to sleep, and finally did around 9.30, so we went out. Can I shoehorn in here, that my sister had her friend go home so she could keep an eye on Esh? She is such a love. I had him print out the free drink coupon for B&N, so that’s where we wound up.

Normally B&N is a bad, bad, bad idea for me. I can drop a hundo easy there, and usually do. Well, we get there, and I’m not even in the door yet and I realize I don’t want a cup of coffee (or whatever frou-frou drink the coupon is for) and we just shmy around for a half hour or so. I see a ton of books and magazines I want, but don’t get any. This is bad people, I am beyond pick-me-up shopping and into save the money, I don’t need it anyway territory. Everything I looked at was photography, graphic or cooking related. It all reminds me that I let everything fall by the wayside, that I can’t stick to doing anything. Which of course, puts my somewhat funky mood into piss-off territory.

So we come home, my husband feels like crap because he can’t fix it (and he isn’t expected to, but I appreciate the thought) and I get in bed and turn the lights out and listen to an audiobook. Fin.

This morning I was woken up at 6.30 because dad is still at work and will not be home to wake and take the twins to school. So I wake up Sara and Michael wakes up Michael and agian, being the love that he is, takes them to school because I just can’t drive at this hour safely.

Malachai was impressed with himself that he woke up before the alarm clock went off. We had a nice chat. He told me his teeth feel like there are little people in there playing them like xylaphones. He asked when his birthday was going to be. Tomorrow? No Mal. After tomorrow? After lots of tomorrows, yes. I have no idea if he understands time outside of yesterday, today and tomorrow, because any real length of time is just “after tomorrow.” I know he gets that it’s eight days to Halloween and ten days till we go back to the beach, but I think he still thinks of it in terms of “after tomorrow.” It’s kind of endearing.

Today is a half day, so I need to figure out what this afternoon will bring. Tomorrow is off, which will be interesting as we have Edinea at 9.15, so we’ll have to figure that out. Maybe we’ll take them all and go to breakfast after. We’ll see.