Good days and bad

Around here I ususally measure the ratio of good days to bad. This way one bad day doesn't necessarily mean my whole life is a mess. So, if we average more good days then bad I know we are doing ok. If you use this method I would suggest a calender, sometimes I have to go pretty far back to get a good average.

So, lately, the last couple of weeks have been a bad cycle. Given my propesity for blogging about the bad days, it might seem as though we are averaging more bad days than good right now. However, rest assured, I'm really just whiny and I want everyone to know about the bad days. I decided I had better share a good one so my blogging average matches the reality average.

Early in the week last week I decided that I needed to have some family time. When you are deeply immersed in research and writing it is easy to get sidetracked from "what is most important" (today that would be underwear. there were a few family members not pleased). I knew I missed them. I knew I was being ugly....A lot. So, my plan was for us to spend a relaxing day at a lake about an hour and a half from here. Well, Dave was helping someone move in the morning, then I was taking Wesley to a birthday party and had to stop at Costco on the way home, then naptime and my vision of lake day was dashed. Plan B was to head to the local rec center pool for swimming. I told Ayla if it wasn't raining by 4 then we would go. It was sunshiny beautiful at 4 so we headed out. By the time we got there clouds were building in the northwest and I thought our $17 admission was going to be wasted. Thankfully, we spent almost 2 hours enjoying the indoor pool and slide and freezing our butts off. Everyone was tired when we got home but I couldn't stand the thought of having to grocery shop this week (its really busy) so I made everyone head out in the rain to Kroger. It was quiet in the store and ended up being a pretty relaxing trip (even with the four kiddos). It was dark and stormy outside and the lightning was right next to us but we made it home safe to a...dark house. No power, car load of groceries, very tired little people, not good. We lit our few measly candles and then I made the kids clean their rooms. What a tyrant I am...hahahah *evil laugh* I couldn't hardly walk in their rooms. I did have a logical reason for trying to shine flashlights in every little corner to put things away. We got the baby down for bed and Dave says "I'm starving, we didn't even eat dinner." Oops, little detail I forgot in my grand plan. So, my new idea was to lay a blanket out on the kitchen floor and eat sandwiches. It was the most fun picnic I think I've ever had. It was so quiet in the house. I think that's what I love about power outages. No humming of machines. Just humans (and dog of course). The sounds of a family doing nothing but enjoying each other, no distractions, is such a heavenly sound to me. I made myself a bologna and cheese sandwich, my favorite comfort food. I won't eat pimento but I love bologna, Go figure. We ate our sandwiches and talked and then started a game of truth or dare. Ever played this with your kids? Its fantastic! Wesley was the best entertainment ever. He would ask truth or dare and then start in with his question like "Is there a cabinet over there?" That's his big truth in the grand scheme of three year old-hood. He thought it was so funny. Then Jared asks Dave if he "smooches" me. Accompanied with wild hoots of laughter that mom and dad smooch. Another interesting question (my big truth I wanted from Dave)-"Is it true that you LOVE oranges?" Answer-No! Who would have thought? I was shocked, unbelieveably taken aback that my husband does not in fact love oranges. My favorite dare of the night was my own, of course. Jared is always up for a dare and likes to put restrictions on truths. I myself hate the dare part of the game and always choose truth. What's easier than telling the truth? So, I ask Jared, "truth or dare," He says, "Dare" I say, "Stick a grape up your nose and hold it there until your next turn." He does it. While laughing hysterically at my 8 year old trying to stick a big grape up his nose, he squishes it. Leading to an almost peed my pants experience. Needless to say, despite our penchant for being, shall we say, unrefined, we have such a great time together. At one point, I looked at each of my kids and I was overcome with gratitude that THIS, THIS is my family. Mine, given to me to be a part of my life and bring my joy. Now, doesn't that beat bad days, hands down?