What IS that?

Wow, I'm tired. Not enough sleep.

There is a mystery smell in my house and it's upsetting me. After checking and re-checking BOTH kids, I've tried the garbage disposal and trash cans. For a while I suspected someone had spilled Chinese on one of Josh's couch pillows. I even thought it was me for a while. I'm funny about smells. This is driving me insane. Guess I'll have to clean the whole house tomorrow. I'm crossing my fingers, toes and eyes that there's not a dead bird in my attic or something.

We did have swimming lessons today. Grant was a little cranky in the pool, but the girl handled it pretty well, I thought. The usual chairs were all wet from the rain storms this morning, so I couldn't sit down and read to Abbie. We walked the whole time between things that amused her for a few seconds at a time: fountain, wading pool with babies in it, picture on the wall, buttons to push on the vending machine, "Hi, Grant!", looking for the birds that nest under the water slide, watching bubbles come from the end of said water slide. Not bad, unless you're tired. Which I was. The park was wet, so we didn't stay long, and no library today. Also, I'm starting to worry that the Explorer is going to die at any moment.

So, naturally, I've made plans to take the kids and Jake to my mom's house at the beginning of next week. We're going to get there on Monday and stay until Wednesday, since I am off the set for the performance Tuesday night. (No practice to miss.) I'm hoping to tempt my grandmother to visit us there, too. She called me yesterday. She wants to know if Josh would consider taking some of my grandfather's old golf shirts, or would it creep him out. She's been going through his things. She sounded like she was tired. And all the corduroy is already gone. He liked corduroy pants. Caps, too, I think.

Do you think the belongings of the deceased are creepy? I don't. I don't have a problem with cemeteries, either. I had some cousins who nearly passed out when we were at the funeral and they spotted markers for my grave plot. Of all the things to worry about.....obviously I'm not in it. I've been thinking, though. I'm not sure I'll use it. Maybe I want to be buried in Concord Hill instead of Brumely. Or maybe I want to be cremated. Although I can't see anyone being pleased about that. Catholic parents. Well, kind of. And Josh isn't in the least sentimental. He'd never, say, carry me around with him or sprinkle my ashes under my favorite tree at the Botanical Gardens.

Why am I talking about this, again? Oh, yeah. I'm going to Rolla next week. And I wish I had something corduroy that was my grandfather's.

Saturday is Josh's work picnic at six flags, and all I can think about is sore feet and sunburns. The food wasn't great last year. I don't imagine it will be any better this year.

You know...I'm feeling kinda lonely this evening.

My daughter is so cute and snugly. And sprightly. She's a joy. And Grant read some words today! He read "hot" and "off" and "six". I don't know what to do. If I weren't worried about him causing trouble in kindergarten because he's bored, I'd just keep going with the reading. Instead, I tell him he's wonderful and then go do something else. Is that wrong? It feels wrong.
Anyway, I have neat kids.

...I just have a stinky house.

I'm wearing one of Josh's t-shirts. It's funny. Abbie wanted to wear one of my old dresses today, so she's done up to the nines, and I'm in sweats and Josh's shirt. Hee hee hee.

Do you realize that I have mere weeks before Grant's 5th birthday and NO CLUE what to do about it? Ack!

Well, Abbie is requesting bed time, so that's my subtle hint. Have a good evening...