I can explain my seven-week hiatus. It wasn't just the obvious (three kids under three, need I say more?).
Things came up. Lots of things.
See those specks in the glowing display of our six-month-old coffeemaker? Those are ants. The tiny, nasty, Florida Sweet Ants that have been swarming my kitchen and making me scream this past year.
It started when they colonized the Jesse Tree. When Thanksgiving came around and it was time to start our Advent devotional of the year, we brought our three foot tall, live Norfolk pine out of the spare room where it enjoys a sunny window most of the year. This year we're covering major Bible stories from creation to the manger, one every night with a corresponding visual. Our plan was to use it to put our devotional ornaments on the live tree. When hundreds of ants swarmed out of the tree and onto my counters, we discovered that Sweet Ants are aggressive colony builders and figured our potted plant was a promising place.
Craig fogged the tree to kill the ants, but before they died a few escaped and colonized the two festive poinsettias I had brought home from Target. I discovered those nests a few days later when Craig was at work, so I fogged them myself and enjoyed hundreds of dead ants falling out of our poinsettia plants and landing on the counter like a festive winter snow. At that point, we thought they were eradicated, but they moved on to the next warm, dark place in our kitchen.
One night Craig decided to clean our coffeemaker to get rid of some white deposits that he thought were hard water stains. They were the mashed remains of ant larvae that were getting scalded by the brewing cycle.
Why, yes, he DID throw it in the garbage right after taking this picture.
And, for once, I'm speechless.
Craig was sure to capture proof that ants really had turned the inner workings of one of our kitchen appliances into a nursery. I received this texted picture in North Dakota, where the girls and I traveled to attend my Grandpa's funeral last week. It was my first time flying with the girls. We were putting off their first flight until they were a bit older and easier to travel with, but the trip ended up going well.
The girls adjusted to snowsuits and ten-degree weather, enjoying a five-minute first romp in the snow.
Craig and Devon enjoyed a staycation while we were gone, going to the beach and spending lots of time with trains.
It was a rough transition home. Carrie picked up a tummy bug on the way home and shared it with the rest of us as soon as we were together again.
There are some advantages to procrastinating on our Christmas decorations because everyone is sick. Our Christmas tree cost five dollars this year!
Happily, we are all well now, the tree is up, and Grammy and Grandpa are here to help the kids burn off some energy. I was able to download my pictures, take a deep breath, and realize that I really missed posting.
Part of my problem lately is that I had been trying to do too much. I really wanted the kids' Christmas stockings to be done by Christmas this year. In early December I thought I was going to finish them on time.
The handmade part of Melina's stocking is done.
Devon's is coming along, especially the Christmas train pattern that I adapted from a similar pattern with a different medium, changing the colors so it will look a little like a Christmas Thomas train, his favorite right now.
This is Carrie's. Yep, I know.
Today in Bible study we talked about how easy it is to take on unrealistic projects and make unwise choices about things that are really worth spending time on. Right now, for me that would be handmade Christmas stockings that need to be finished in seven more days.
Not going to happen.
I was also wondering if my blog would end up on the large pile of things in my life that are "good things, but not for right now". The girls are sixteen months old, exactly how old Devon was when they were born. Everybody wants to play "I'm going to get you!". All three kids can look me in the eye and say "No!", even if two of them do it more because they like to practice their new words.
I'm struggling to balance it all, and get some exercise and more than four hours sleep a night. Speaking of which, I really should be in bed right now, so I'll end this. Before I go, I'll say that I've decided that my blog stays on the list because it's important to me.
I want to remember details about this time with my kids, and it's all going to dissolve into sleep-deprived oblivion if I don't write a few things down.
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