Tuesdays and...other days.

Randy drives into Houston to teach on Tuesdays, so its just me and the monsters.

Really, its not bad. I just treat the entire day like a continual state of emergency. Do I want help? Yes. Would I like Cathy to bring me chicken salad and macaroni and cheese? I think that would be best . Does Grammy need to take us out for ice cream? Probably.

So today was great. Wyatt came over and hung out.

The boys get increasingly wound up until the volume level is so intense that Max starts making a noise that sounds almost exactly like a test for the emergency broadcast system. I'm sure he just wants to fit in but I'm like, Max, if all your friends jumped off a cliff would you jump off a cliff too?

Didn't think so!

Snacks and Dora calm the hoards for a while.

Peace on earth.

Cathy brought us the chicken salad, which is awesome because Wolfgang has a thing for it. We had it one day and the next morning when I opened his bedroom door, the first thing he said was, "Mommy! Chitin Lalad!" (still can't say those S's)

A mommy would have to be made of stone to not get a kick out of that. And of course the Wolf loved that even more. He repeated that phrase for months, just to see me crack up.

Only it got weirder and louder.

MOMMY CHI-TIN LAAAALAAAAD!!!!

And it accompanied this face.

Its been WAY over a hundred degrees here. I'm sure you're tired of hearing me whine but I'm tired of breaking a massive sweat every time I sneeze.

Our AC doesn't cut it.

Notice the time.

Notice the thermostat setting.

Notice the big fat actual temperature.

The last 2 hours of the boys' day is the hardest. It is so hot. But the boys are good....sports.

Why does that not sound right?

We do a lot of lounging.....

....or more accurately, we do a lot of housework avoidance.

It looks like we've robbed the place and then stuck around to play some video games.

I blacked out Randy because he doesn't want his picture on the internet. Use your imaginations.

I give the boys cool baths right before bed. Max is being a grump and refusing all my attempts at encouragement.

He was so not buying it.

As of tomorrow night the Parade of Homes house will be done. Thursday is the judging and then 47 million people will filter through the neighborhood checking things out.

47 million=a few thousand. Not bad, right?

I do a lot of precipitous teetering in my job.

That also sounds weird but I know I've read it in a book........precipitous.......should I Google it?

Na.

Here I am displaying built-ins above a bed.

We took a break after Caleb, Cathy's middle son, dropped some stuff off for us. He was beyond enthused.

Here is a soon-to-be-fabulous heap. I'll save final shots for later. After we've wowed the world with our handy-work.

This is my life

There are 2 sides to my coin.

You'll be seeing more of this in weeks to come as I slave with Cathy at the Parade of Homes in San Antonio.

My superhero alter-ego moves beds and armoires and sofas. I scoot 'em all together and hang things around 'em and make it all look pretty.

I squished this section together the other night. I pulled from the 4 opposite corners of the store.

I'd designed these linens and had big grand plans for a huge section. A light and dark "look" both based on the same color scheme. Aqua and brown and orange and FUN!

But things are too crazy to complete a fabulous thought.

So one night I went in and said to myself, "oooh! That Ginormous armoire way over there would look fabulous way over here! And the iron beds definitely need to change clothes and sit in the window! And bla bla bla bla."

I run and run until I hit the big brick wall of floor display.

Then I come home at 11:30 dragging my feet with both of my eyes glazed over.

My other life looks more like this.

Or rather, this.

A little of this....

And a lot of that.

I love this AND that!

I wish I could blog

MORE!

I'm really missing it. You have no idea how many ideas I'm dying to splatter all over the internet universe. But, alas, there is no room in my life for such things.

>:)

For now.....

I'm occupied with this one. Suddenly he is all over the place in ways that Wolfgang never was.

But the good news is, he's a happy boy now. We are over our Cry-Every-Waking-Moment-&-Watch-Mommy-Pull-Her-Hair-Out phase.

Behold my dumpling!

He *loves* the Pig-Dog-Bear.

We're also getting a lot of this.

But as soon as I can find the hanging lamp of my dreams, that table is gone. Its a Wolf-head magnate.

We've had visitors.

Kayla and Emily came and entertained us while they were here.

I love those girls.

Cathy and Wyatt spend a lot of time with us which I love. Its good for the Gooster.

Here, they dabble in brushwork.

And then run around in their dresses.

Wolfgang is learning to share things. When he doesn't get one thing (say, his car) then he immediately demands something else. Here he is saying, "Juice!" in his most pathetic voice. Notice the forlorn eyes.

Another Max habit is sleeping with his blankie in his mouth. It doesn't matter how many times I pull it out, it goes right back in. And if I take it away, some other piece of cloth gets shoved in there. Clothing, diapers, etc.

But when Max is sleeping, its Mama and the Wolf.

Behold my little weirdo.

Gooster Glasses

Grammy bought Wolfgang a pair of glasses at Claire's.

She gave them to him at church so he could strut his stuff for the church ladies.

He thinks he's all that.

They brought out the Fred Astaire in him.

Or the Napoleon Dynamite.....

He's a weird little guy but I'll hang onto him.

I've grown fairly attached to the guy.

Why does 107 degrees in San Antonio feel like 147 million?

We have our AC blasting on 65 degrees and its still over 80 in the apartment.

We go to Target to chill out.

Wolfgang likes it more than the zoo.

I went into Fredricksburg on Saturday and got to see Cathy's mom. She was sitting out on her cute porch reading her mail. Its nice to know that people like this still exist in the world.

Max is a starer.

And a great car-sleeper!

One night it was so hot we couldn't bare to turn on the stove. So we went to McDonalds.

I know. Gross. But it was cool and there were things to play with and/or press one's forehead against.

Wolfgang was more interested in locking the emergency exit with Randy's keys. I'm sure all the watching parents wondered if either of our kids had ever actually seen a playground.

But we had some fine dinin'.

Max ate a whole french fry. His first.

Major Excitement

Many days I just need to get out of the house but I don't really have anywhere to go.

Where do you take two little boys who both need one-on-one attending?

The other day we drove over to Cathy's and sat in the foyer and chilled.

Wolfgang is learning some basic social skills from Wyatt, Mr. Skilled.

But there was all this commotion on the block. Firetrucks, policemen, news stations and the FBI!! Yikes.

Turned out some guy had 3 pounds of mercury in his garage and it spilled.

Oops.

The news people came over to ask Cathy what she thought about it. She used to spotlight to do a long-distance audition for American Idol and she sang her answer.

"I feeeel safe! From the Merrrrrrcury! The police are handling it! Way to gooooooooo, police!"

Wyatt and Wolfgang stood in the doorway looking confused.