My Not-A-Post

I haven't written a post in almost a month. I haven't really read any other blogs in that same time period. I apologize to my dear blog readers (assuming I have any left...). I have lots to say but am having a hard time translating that into blog posts. The daily realities of life with four kids are combining with the perpetual debate of how much of my daily grind I want to write for the whole world (meaning my mom and five of my friends :] ) to create a lack of creativity. The solution is to stop analyzing and just write.

I'm sitting on a beautiful Saturday morning, er, afternoon at my computer with a list of useful productive things I could do as Addy plays in the bathtub (strike one against my parenting-- even if I can hear her making happy noises so I know any damage being done is to the bathroom and not her) as a result of her earlier mega-poop. Jackson is back inside after I heard him screeching at other kids in the front yard (mother of the year award for me, yes). Yes, I could finish weeding the yard, folding the 6 baskets of clean laundry in my upstairs hallway, make lunch for my kids, plan our summer trip or make a dish to take to the potluck tonight. I could spend time pondering a momentous decision, entertaining myself or doing something useful. I could even write a real blog post. But instead, I'm sitting here writing not much of anything-- which I suppose is a slight upgrade from wasting time on facebook.

Luckily, Dave just finished working so now I can end this lame post. But now the ice is broken and I can start writing again. Even if it's lame. :)

Riding into Battle

Once Dave and I were together with my sisters and Dave's sister Jen (who is a full-fledged honorary sister to my whole family) and we were playing a game of "True Colors", where you read a statement and then vote on what you think people think about you (You get points by predicting accurately whether you will get the most votes, some of the votes or none of the votes). The question was "You are riding into battle for a hopeless cause. Who leads the charge?" I thought this one was obvious: everyone would vote for Dave. I voted for Dave and then guessed that I would get none, so I was floored when I got the most votes. "But what about Dave?" I asked.

My youngest sister, Megan, who has a knack for observing and analyzing people commented on it:

"If we ever had to work together to go into battle for some hopeless cause or something like that, Dave would be the one who came up with a plan, organizing everyone and telling them what to do. Jen would be the one who finally said, 'Let's not just stand around planning forever,' and made everyone actually get into action. And Karen, she is the one who would ride at the front of the army into battle on a charging horse, waving a flag in the air."

The imagery of it just made me laugh out loud. I had never really thought of it like that before, but I could totally picture it- me Don-Quixote-like on my horse, riding into certain death. I wonder if I would have my diaper bag with me?

Four Things

I know this is REALLY old and has been going around for a while, but I wanted to do it anyway. (Have I done this before? Who knows. Oh well.)

Four Things:

Four Jobs I've Had in My Life:
1. Setting up a stamp booth at a convention center
2. Business Process Analyst/Technical Writer
3. Receptionist
4. Vocal Master Class Accompanist (you show up, music is put in front of you for the first time, you perform it with the singer on the spot)

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:
1. A&E Pride and Prejudice (or Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson or the BBC version of Persuasion... pretty much anything Jane Austen!)
2. How to Marry a Millionaire (always makes me laugh out loud)
3. Thoroughly Modern Millie (off-the-wall humor that gets me laughing every time-- "I never read Tom Sawyer....")
4. Hitch (the opening monologue is such so classic: Is there any woman who wakes up and says, "I really don't want to get swept off my feet today?")
(Can I add: Roman Holiday, The Bourne series, Singing in the Rain, Calamity Jane. It's only funny to have so many because I don't think I've watched any of these movies in the last year.)

Four TV Shows I Watch: (I don't usually watch TV much except for the first two...)
1. American Idol (original, huh?)
2. 24 (I know it's violent, but I'm addicted)
3. The Office
4. 30 Rock

Four Places I've Been on Vacation:
1. Kauai, Hawaii
2. Boston/Virginia/East Coast American History Sites
3. NYC
4. Stone Mountain, Georgia

Four Places I've Lived:
1. Detroit, Michigan
2. Provo, Utah
3. Palo Alto, California
4. Current location (in Pacific Northwest)

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:
1. Asleep (then why don't I just go to sleep instead of doing this quiz?)
2. With Dave
3. Relaxing at the beach or spa
4. On a trip to Europe

Four of My Favorite Foods:
1. Cheese (brie, havarti, muenster, feta, blue, gruyere)
2. Avocados
3. Creme Brulee
4. Grilled Vegetables

Four Websites I Visit Daily:
1. Gmail
2. Facebook
3. Blogger
4. um.... I'm really not that creative, am I?

Four People I Am Tagging:
1. Dorothea
2. Kathy
3. LCM
4. Rebecca

AWOL

It's been a while since I've posted. We went on a 9-day trip to Utah for my sisters' and sister-in-law's graduation (yes, 3 at one time) and for a little family reunion. This was followed by the usual post-trip-recovery issues. I think I finally have everything unpacked.... I've been trying to find time to post some pictures and write something about our trip. I've also been trying to find some time to post other funny experiences, such as my copies-at-the-library adventure or some of the latest Jared and Camryn quotes. Alas, other projects and duties have been absorbing my time and energy and to get a real post you'll just have to wait for another day (You'll be waiting with bated breath, I'm sure...) =]