Quite often I find myself assessing our situation and REMINDING myself that things are getting better. I have to remind myself, because it doesn't feel as though anything is better. I still wake up every morning and think oh no, I have to get up and face the day. And that is not the first morning thought of a happy person.
Dealing with the twins is still so difficult, and we're all getting on each other's nerves. Today I found out that I not only didn't get chosen for a job I'd applied for (at my old workplace, doing less complex stuff than I did before), I was deemed "ineligible." That was a blow. Rocket Boy has had no leads or bites either. We're still OK financially -- and we've got a $2700 tax refund due that'll help us along for another month or two -- but at some point we've got to have jobs. Or one of us does.
But things are getting better. Really, they are. For example, we had fun with homeschool preschool this week. Here we are making cookies:
(it was Wednesday, so at least two of us are wearing yellow). They were molasses sugar cookies, not rainbow cookies, but a big hit nonetheless, and the twins enjoyed rolling the little balls of dough and dipping them in sugar.
Here's the rainbow garden we planted: red petunias, orange impatiens, yellow marigolds, blue lobelia, and purple dianthus. It will look much better once the plants take root, I'm sure.
Swimming lessons continue to go wonderfully, in fact, the twins ask us constantly when their next swimming lesson will be.
Unpacking has slowed to a crawl, which is bad, but we did do a few boxes this week, which is good. The back patio is looking better. Remember how it looked a month ago?
Well, here's how it looked tonight:
That's better, don't you think? A little? Several of these boxes (e.g., Christmas boxes) are intended for the garage or basement, but those spaces are full already, which is why the boxes are still out here. But we continue to make discoveries, such as my computer monitor yesterday -- it's so nice to have a big screen again.
The front porch was entirely cleared off at one point, but boxes have the unfortunate tendency to migrate back out there. We always have a box or two full of stuff to donate (the next time the truck comes around), and a box or two of stuff for the cabin. Still, I can sit on the porch now and enjoy the warm afternoons and the cool evenings (at least for a few minutes, until someone screams one of my names and I have to set down my book and respond). I have a rocking chair out there, and a bookcase, and an end table (for setting down my book and mug of tea). The twins have little chairs too. Rocket Boy doesn't have a special chair, but he can sit on the built-in bench if he likes.
We even had our first houseguests this week. Now, before any of you start planning trips out here, I have to tell you that our house is only about 1000 square feet and we do NOT have a guest room. We don't even have a sleeper sofa, although I think that would be a good investment. No, if you come to our house you have to sleep on the old non-sleeper sofa or the floor (though we do have inflatable camping mats that help a little). Also, we only have one bathroom, and it is in sad shape.
But our friends Chris and Michelle were game, and we had a nice couple of days with them.
They also GAVE us a game, which they found at the local Tuesday Morning store in Table Mesa Shopping Center. It's called the "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus" game, based on the children's books of Mo Willems, and it's great! Highly recommended to all parents of five-year-olds. Michelle also introduced us to another great game, called Qwirkle, which I plan to purchase at my earliest opportunity.
The best thing about having houseguests was that it forced us to clean up the living room, so now it's almost livable (except that we've opened a box or two since they left, so now stuff is piling up again in there, as you can see). But really, doesn't this look almost livable? Almost?
We're getting there. It's getting better. Really, it really is. Seriously.
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