What I Did on My Winter Blogcation

Okay, so it's only been what.....a week? It feels like longer. I actually checked out before that, really, but that last post on the first was just thrown in because of my overwhelming guilt.

I've been on some major burnout lately. Not just blog burnout (but it was the biggest one I think) but house burnout, job burnout, kid burnout, husband burnout, laundry burnout......

Doldrums. Isn't that what they call 'em, doldrums? (Or is that a sailing term for something on the water?) Maybe you could call it a little seasonal depression. I don't feel depressed really, but I just want to sleep a lot and lie on the couch and watch TV and cuddle with my kids and stuff. Wait, I know what it's called! Being a mom.

So I abandoned this here blog for awhile, gave myself some space from the computers - in fact they were just plugged in for the first time in seven days this morning. My mom gave me the lastest Stephen King book, Duma Key, for my birthday and I've been reading it. The kids and I finished the entire The Spiderwick Chronicles series. I haven't done any more laundry than was absolutely necessary to clothe my family. Heck, I haven't even cooked much. The house is a mess.

But strangely, in the middle of all of that, I feel better.

Here's a rundown to fill you in on

WHAT I DID ON MY WINTER BLOGCATION:

Saw Rick Springfield at The Big Fancy Casino with Tater. He is old, but still hot. I don't think he knows he's old and that was hilarious. And kinda sad. Tater took my cell phone up front through the crowd of screaming, sweating 30- and 40-something women to take a picture for me. When she came back she hollered, "Dude! I was close enough to count his liver spots!" He drunk-called Pizza Hut and ordered 3000 pizzas and beer with some chick out of the audience's cell phone, he sang "You Better Love Somebody" and "Affair of the Heart" and waited till the end to do "Jesse's Girl." Even though we were hot and moderately bored, Tater and I hung out until we heard "Jesse's Girl" and after that we started texting anyone we could think of because well, the best part was over. As we were walking back into the casino Paul sent me a text that asked, "Is that old fart done singing YET?"
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Saturday Sam played two back-to-back basketball games. Three team members didn't show up and we had just enough to play, which meant Sam would get some great playing time in. However, that also meant those five boys were utterly exhausted when it was all over. They didn't win, but they played HARD as usual. Bless their hearts. I wish they could win the last three games....
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Sunday the kids and I woke up at 9:45, which a few months ago would only mean we were well-rested on the weekend. However now, it meant WE WERE LATE FOR CHURCH. I jumped up, hollered for Sam to get in the shower because, even though he was sweaty after Saturday's games, he was too tired to even shower. Abby, Kady and I used the power of perfume to cover up our skankiness and I felt like I needed to yell as we walked into the church, "UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!" like the lepers of old.

We are attending a new church these days. It's the church my mom's boyfriend pastors. It's small and quaint and the people are wonderful. I figured the kids would be the ones to holler they wanted to go back to the church we've been attending since summer, but they were actually the ones to ask if we could stay at "the little church." So I guess we will. Here's how great this church is: Paul went to Sunday School - and liked it.
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Tuesday was Parent/Teacher Conferences at the kids' school. Sam has jumped from a 2.8 reading level at the beginning of the year to a 4.7. Since he's in 3rd grade I'm thinking that's not a bad thing. He's finally getting his multiplication tables and is on the 8's now. Whoo hoo!

Kady is ready for first grade and her tests put her WAY above the benchmark scores. Yes, this is the same kid that I was totally worried about not getting a reading book when everyone else got one. She's reading so well that nothing in this house is sacred or secret anymore. Her latest vocabularly word is "nefarious" which, according to her, means "it's um....it's um......sometin' howwibow.....sometin' feewce or howwibow." Yeah, translate that.

Abby, according to her teacher, is ready for Middle School. However, I am not. Therefore, I have already announced to anyone that will listen that she is simply NOT going.

Her teacher explained that the D she has in math right now and the C she has in Social Studies is due to late assignments. She is tough-loving them on late assignments, trying to prepare them for the wonderful world of Zeros in Middle School. Up until now she has let them have so many day to turn in late assignments. Now they only get half-credit. Next 9-weeks they get Zeros. Welcome to the real world, all ye eleven year olds of the stinky armpits and pimply foreheads.

She said that pretty much the entire class hit puberty at once and at any given time her room smells like a lockerroom or a hog farm. Another reason why I'm glad I don't teach.
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Wednesday was Paul's 45th birthday. He had the crud, or as he calls it "Pukemonia" even though there was no puking involved. I was completely conviced it truly was pneumonia, but I guess it was just a really nasty case of bronchitis. I had pneumonia on my birthday - twice - it sucks rocks.

I worked that day and Mom was going to pick the kids up off the bus, so he and I could leave for the gambling rounds as soon as I got home. Even though he felt like crap he still wanted to go, however when I walked in from work and saw what he looked like, I picked up the phone and told Mom that we weren't going anywhere. He slept from 1:30 until the kids got home at 3:30, fell back to sleep and slept until Mom picked the kids up for Awana at 6. By then he said he was tired of sleeping and asked if I wanted to go to the Miami casinos - a Reader's Digest version of the gambling run.

We were gone 2 hours and it wore him out. He fell asleep as soon as we got home. Not too grand of a birthday, but Mom, Tater and I went together and gave him the money to insure the Harley, so he was happy in the midst of his sore ribs and snotty nose.
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I mentioned that Mom bought me Duma Key, Stephen King's latest, for my birthday. Every year Mr. King puts out a new book in honor of my birthday, much like the state closed all state agencies on my birthday - I am just that special. Anyway, last year's book was Lisey's Story which was what I consider to be a SK classic. He went through a phase where I didn't really care much for what he was putting out. Two years ago, Cell came out and was meh, better than they had been, but not one I feel the need to re-read and certainly not up to par with Insomnia. But Duma Key is absolutely old-school Stephen King in the best way. It carries Mr. King's old style of setting up the story so well that you simply cannot quit thinking about the story and when it's over you'll be angry and disappointed that you finished it because you just want more.

I have a hundred pages to go and while I'm anxious to get there, I kind of want to drag my feet a little. I had planned to stay up last night until I finished it, but forced myself to quit because I need another day to own the story.
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We had our taxes done and now Paul's on a mission to get me a new van. I am resisting. I love my Astro Van. I don't like change. We'll see who wins.