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USA Weekend! (or whatever the name of the magazine inserted into the newspaper on Sundays) had an "article" last week on having better self esteem. Since there's nothing quite so degrading as moving back into your in-laws house for the fourth time, I read with interest.

Here's my favorite tip:"At the end of the day, write down three things you accomplished and focus on what you did instead of what you have to do the next day."
(Random sidenote: I'm not sure why I put it in quotes because I totally paraphrased, but hey, quotes are good, too. And I'm not teaching freshman english anymore, so I don't even have to capitalize english. Freedom rocks)

Anyway, I'm all about following random advice from newspaper inserts, so here's a list of things we've done since my last epistle. (forgive me for having more than three)

1. Replaced the 30 year old curtains in the bedroom where we're staying. These things were UGLY and faded from 30 years of VERY early morning sun.

Before:

After:
I'd say that's an improvement of about 8 billion percent.

2. Missed an opportunity to snap a picture of Moira eating/demolishing a freshly picked tomato while Ellie and I played tag in the back yard.

I did capture her doing her chores:And holding hands with Ellie in the car:

3. Made some pretty amazing gluten free cookies. My mother-in-law has a gluten intolerance and I love experimenting with her combinations of rice, bean, and nut flours. Today we whipped up some flourless almond butter cookies. Yum-o!


4. Made a mental list of all the ways I'm like a toddler/baby:


Moira reflexively shoves everything from bugs, carpet lint, and paper in her mouth
I can't control the urge to put cookies in my mouth


Ellie fights bedtime with the need for one more story even though she's exhausted the next day I stay up late reading Harry Potter and keep falling asleep on the couch


Moira is so distractable that I hand her my keys and she forgets about wanting Ellie's toys, I got so distracted that I put an entire carton of ice cream "away" in the cupboard instead of the freezer and forgot about it for three days. I have NO recollection of doing it, too, which is sooooo scary.

Ellie and I both try, unsuccessfully, to fit into clothes we wore before Moira was born. (Wish I had a picture of Ellie in 12 month shorts. Suprisingly, they fit ok.)

Oh yeah, and all three of us are know to throw fits when we don't get what we want. Although I'm trying to work on that.

And all of us, whatever we say, REALLY do need naps.


5. Fixed Ramen noodles again for the girls for lunch. Ellie goes on food jags where she eats the same thing for every meal of the day, excluding dinner (which she eschews). I'm pretty sure our family is singlehandedly keeping a Ramen noodle factory in production.

6. Cleaned the car before it went in for maintenance. Current estimate for work: 761.30

7. Paid bills, including the first tuition charge for Ellie's preschool next year.

8. And (my favorite) Martina McBride in CONCERT. Chris knows I love Martina, so he took me on a real live date to her concert here in the Dry Cities. It was so fun. And my ears are ringing. And I love this song.

Plus the usual nursing a baby and playing tea party and sandboxing and personal hygeine that is an accomplishment when you have a 3 year old and an infant. My self esteem is soaring.