can't fail to mention

I'm the mother of a 7 year old. I'm as proud as can be. Look at this Adelaidy! I sure do love her.

happy birthday to me

happy birthday to me...happy birthday to me....happy birthday dear me. happy birthday to me. oh and danny. Plus steph and Aaron. oh yeah and Nathan. And Natalie. did I forget anyone??? And unlike most years where we are bundled up in sweaters for our birthday we were hanging out on the beach. So now I'm 30. .....oh yeah.

tired

Having an under 1 year old child makes for some awesome sleep. Actually I think having an under 100 year old child probably makes for awesome sleep. But I'm sure that first year is the orientation to bad sleep every parent has to have...so when their child is 16 and missing at 2 :00 a.m. you are primed and ready to jump out of bed and call everyone on the planet to find out where they are. So with nothing else to do but make eyes at Harv at 6:00 a.m. I decided to come on here and check on the blogging world. Which is a small world since most everyone I know that used to blog quit when facebook started up.
So I've been tired for at least 2 days....I think I'm grinding my teeth at night. I keep waking up with a weird pain in my jaw and it's on both sides so I don't think I have a toothache.
Yesterday once about 4:00 hit I was SOOOOOO tired. Danny has been gone from pretty much sun up till 11 at night. So I'm flying solo on all the chores around the house and manning the 3 youngsters. Mom has been coming over and saving me. Yesterday she bought me dog food which was a whole trip to the store I didn't want to do. Also she brought all her apple tree apples and made me an apple crisp in my kitchen while I laid on the couch with Eva and zoned out/slept. It turned out really good and got me through the evening. So now another day begins and the two girls are up and out of bed.

happy birthday dane!!!


We're heading to your chuckee cheese celebration in a few short hours.

What's up right now: Harvey's in the laundry room sleeping.
The girls are on the couch reading books.
Danny's at the rental house getting it fixed up.
I finished teaching piano and now I'm going to make my children some food.
I could possibly be the worst piano teacher in the world.
Today during piano lessons Eva decided to turn on the keyboard on full volume and not turn it off..I had to crawl under the piano and drag her out. That didn't stop her and she headed right back and started it up again....I threatened to lock her outside. That stopped her mostly. Then the phone was ringing non stop. I kept thinking...why don't I turn my phone off? All the while my little 6 year old student is waiting patiently. She finally starts playing and the cell phone rings AGAIN and I have to answer it because it's my next student and they'd been trying to call for two days and they for some reason weren't able to hear my messages. So I answer the phone and FINALLY have peace to listen to my student play. By then Harvey wakes up and starts crying and I think she was burned out and she just quit. Poor thing. I need a piano studio SOOOO BAD!!! Or I need a door with a lock on it so my children can't come in. Or I just need to send them off with someone during lessons.
that's all!

my boy

my boy is rolling over!!!

and he's scooting on his belly!
(harvey age 4 months)

No back to school for us Dotson's. Addie's doing 2nd grade at home again and I am feeling peaceful and happy about it. It was her choice truly and I'm up to the task. I have to give myself alot of pep talks about this since having 3 kids does seem like I am drowning in little people sometimes. The funny thing about 3 kids is that I cannot imagine only having three permanently. With 2 one more seemed really scary. Now that I have Harvey I feel like I will definately have one more and it doesn't scare me. Although it would seriously scare me if I was having number 4 like right now. Then I would freak out! But nope...not yet. anyways, since we are homeschooling we aren't starting school until the day after labor day...the day EVERYONE on the earth should start school. But since I can't change the world I can change my corner of the world. I've been reading The Well Trained Mind to inspire my organization with homeschooling. Naturally I would be a total unschooler but I'm fighting that urge because after reading this book I truly believe there is alot of good things that take discipline to learn and it is worth it in the end to teach my children in a way that they can maximize their potential and ability to learn. But all that will happen NEXT week because as of right now they are fighting over the cell phone and tackling eachother like crazed cats. So the vision and reality once again diverge....

day in the life

woke up
watched Eva sleep. She looked kinda dead. I put my hand over her mouth to try to feel the air coming in and out. She was alive.
Harvey woke up doing his normal leg lifts. I don't know why right when he wakes up his legs go straight in the air but that's what he does and it's pretty cute. Danny and I watched him bench press a toothbrush.
Addie woke up and made us raspberry muffins from a mix. House appraisor knocks on the door just as Eva pours half the gallon of milk on the counter.
Soak it up with a towel as I tell him to show himself around.
pick up toys.
Wait for my piano student.
Keep waiting.
Teach piano and realize she doesn't know any of the note names. whoops.
Drive to the farm (carriage hill). question my choice of ponytails...I feel like a 3rd grader.
Walk around the farm. Meet a very sweet lady and daughter working at the farm. She shows us how to make a quilt on one of those old foot action sewing machines.
Play a quilt game. Basically you take a quilt and make up a story about where each little piece came from..like "this is a piece from the dress you wore when you were a brand new baby..and when I smell it it still reminds me of you when you were born"
Chase the chickens.
Buy candy and commisserate with the candy store lady about the sorry state we're all in with how undisciplined children are and how you can't even yell at neighbor kids in your own yard or their parents will sue you.
Sit outside and realize Harvey has just blown out a weeks stash worth of poo. I had no wipes. Went into the public bathroom and realized the mess extended to under his armpits and even up to his hair. it was intense. Clean him up in the sink and dry him under the hair dryer.
Throw his clothes in the stroller and carry him naked in the sling. I luckily did have a diaper.
uhoh.
BABY

its funny it takes two days for me to post about a day in my life
CONTINUING
left the farm with cleaned baby.
drove to goodwill outlet and met mom. Saw a man that looked like crocodile dundee dude...
was given a small flashlight lovingly from a homeless looking man rooting through the bins.
FOUND SOME SWEEEEET DEAAAALS!!!
Drove home
found Danny playing frisbee golf in the park.
we all ate leftover noodles and chili.
ate my sister Steph's homemade apple pie.
boxed up ebay stuff to mail.
3 in bed.
goodnight.

went to the circus when it was like 100 degrees out. the kids had a good time and we got to sit in the very front row.
harvey was only a little amused. I kept pouring water on his head too
mom was about to die of a heatstroke or shoot someone...I don't know which one first but she still let her little graddaughters crowd her and sit on her lap. good grandma.
and so we are whiling away our summer..... loosing front teeth, watching scary clowns, swimming, and stealing vegetables from neighbors gardens. I didn't do any such thing (gardening) this year.....but I miss having big tomatoes and zucchini and squash. And corn. It's all I want to eat. Rachel I need some of yours!
Addie's lost her first front tooth and she looks extra special without. I think I'm just going to secretely knock out her adult tooth when it grows in so she eternally has a gap in her mouth. But then she'd probably just look all billy bob without a front tooth. It would quit being cute when she's 20 something.
BYE