Chillin' to the MAX.

Our weekend plans were somewhat killed by Harris who woke up at 11 p.m. Friday night to throw up. Of course, being 2, he doesn't know how to get the job done. He tries to swallow it back down. It is disgusting.

And he also doesn't realize he's sick and runs around like a maniac and then loses his lunch again. Dan woke up with him at 11 and then I took over at 1 a.m. Which means I was in a different dimension. I don't do nights well. 

We had shown the kids the movie Homeward Bound the night before. And may I say--I'm highly critical of movies. I'm no fun to see movies with. I don't like much.

But I was touched by Homeward Bound. It almost made me want to adopt a pet. Almost. I even cried at the end. What is WRONG WITH ME.

So naturally, Harris wanted to watch Homeward Bound II late Friday night between ralphs. I complied.

It was awful. Sequels usually are.

Yes, that's an upchuck bowl. Harris didn't want to use it. He threw it at me sometimes. Having an unwanted barf bowl thrown at me made me stop to think and reflect on my life choices. 

I mean, why do I clean up so much poop, puke and general mess? 

Because I am Middle-Aged Mom. Here me roar. Here me snore. Hear me ignore . . . my kids' complaints. Hear me bore . . . my husband with the details of my phone call to the health insurance company. Hear me eat more . . . chocolate chips in the closet.

I hope that all fits on my tombstone.

Anyway, since neither Dan nor I slept much Friday night and Harris was still throwing up Saturday, we stayed home.

BUT. We got so much done around the house, and you know how that excites me. We organized the office. That sounds simple. It took hours. Dan took a load to the recycling center and a load to Goodwill. 

And then the icing on the fruitcake . . .we BUDGETED. 

For a long time. Two hours. I've always been the manager of the household finances, and it's a wonder we don't live in debtors' prison.  I'm terrible at it. And part of the problem is that I'm super old school and use the good ol' pen and paper and then mess up and cross things out and get frustrated and bust out all of the credit cards and buy 3,000 pounds of gummy worms.

So that's why it doesn't work.

So Dan took over. He made several excel spreadsheets (Dan LOVES excel. He waxes poetic about it more often than he writes me a love note. If only I came with gridlines. If only I could add large sums!!), and it was so beautiful. He helped me see what I was doing wrong (aka all of it) and how I could do better.

And then the best thing happened. We received a package from Aunt Heidi with some cute clothes Blythe has outgrown. And the girls were so happy.

And then we watched Cool Runnings. Another great movie. I cried again.

And later I found Gwen in bed like this.

And then Dan was a good sport and watched the new Jane Eyre with me. By new I mean the one made in 2011 and which I am just getting around to watching.

I love watching stuff like that with Dan because he is very open about his annoyances with the plot and characters. He asks questions like: Why is everyone crazy? Why does she like him when he's so stupid? Why is everything so dark? Why does no one laugh? Is anyone even happy? Why are we watching this?

And then we went to bed, at which point I almost bought a Jane Eyre shirt and a North and South shirt on my phone but then I remembered the new budget Dan set up. Only 3 hours later and I was already back in my debtors' prison mentality.

I'll wait until they go on sale.

It was a girls day at church today because Dan stayed home to take care of Harris, and Beck stayed home with them because he's not a very spiritual baby.

After church, I took the girls to an assisted living facility so that we could play the piano for some residents. I'm still teaching the girls every day and want them to get real comfortable with performing for people.

June jumped right up on that piano and played away. If she messed up, she would shout "RATS" and start after. It was hilarious. She sat down to color while I took my turn playing, but I knew it wouldn't last for long. I heard her get up and start talking up the crowd. The residents loved her. And she wanted to make notes for them. And then she would come to the piano and ask me how to spell things while I was playing. It was the most my brain has exercised since I used to watch Jeopardy and keep score with my sister. I love Jeopardy.

Here's June with her new friend, also named June.

And Gwen did NOT want to play. She told me all day she wasn't going to play anything. And I told her yes she would and they would love it. And then we got to the facility, and she sat on the couch and wouldn't budge. I had this small voice in me think: maybe I should tell her she doesn't have to play until she's comfortable. We plan to keep going back every month, so she can do it another month.

But another part of me told me that she needed to get over this now. And so I told her we couldn't leave until she played. And she didn't move. And then I told the residents she was scared and asked them to help her. And then a nurse offered a lollipop if she did it. So she did it, and then I couldn't get her OFF the piano. And then she told me she doesn't want to go every month--she wants to go every week.

Gwen showed June how to play a scale.

And June loved this lady and asked her why her hands look so different. The nice lady responded it's because she's old. And then June was silent, looked at her own hands and said, "I'm really young."

Yes, you are. 

Then June tried to tell the residents about her box top competition at school and how her class is in third class (no thanks to me--I buy generic). And the ladies thought she said Boscov's, which is a department store here. Which started the most confusing conversation that has ever happened. I had to intervene.

It was a great experience, and we can't wait to go back.

The End.