Update

I'm doing better--thanks for the encouraging words!

The kitchen is clean, the living room is passable, you can walk in the boys' room without tripping and impaling yourself on some random toy, you can't smell the bathroom from the other end of the house, my room is recognizable, and you can safely eat off the table without contracting salmonella. So it is apparent that I'm doing better! (The house seems to be a reflection of my mood. Clean: well-adjusted. Dirty: cranky.) This week promises to fly by with our ward's Trunk-or-Treat tonight, FRG to-do's tomorrow and Thursday, Halloween activities galore on Friday, fun stuff with friends on Saturday, and the pure exhaustion of nursery on Sunday. Busy is good. Clean house + busy = handling this well.

Savanna has started to enjoy the use of her bedroom door. Several times a day, she goes into her room, shuts the door behind her, and plays in solitary happiness for sometimes quite a while. She also loves to open the door and call, "Reee! Ree!" or come out to say to me, "Hiiii!! Hah-you?" then run back into her room and close the door. When I put her in her carseat, she says her version of "sit", which is usually "tist". When anyone in the house is sad or upset, she comes over, puts her hand on your shoulder or head, puts her head to the side sympathetically and smiles, saying with unbeatable sweetness, "Hi! Hah-you?"

Jaxon is going through a ridiculous amount of diapers -OR- hardly any at all, due to his preferred mostly-liquid diet of late. I can hardly get him to eat ANYTHING. He doesn't even want to eat his usual favorites, save for maybe two bites. Sometimes, once I get him to try a bite (by prying open his lips and putting a bite in there....it's not as barbaric as it sounds....), he'll actually eat whatever I gave him. But he's just not hungry. Because he is uninterested in eating, his...ahem...bodily functions have caused him some difficulty (straining) or shock (oh my, the diaper is full). (See why I get near to tears when he just will not eat his dinner, no matter what?) He actually informs me of what he is doing. We've asked him if he wants to use the toilet, which usually illicits panicked shrieking, so we're not pushing it. I did ask him yesterday, though, and he said, "No. I need a lid." He's scared he'll fall in. I don't blame him. His butt covers about one twentieth of the seat. I think he might eat better when Phill comes home. It seemed to start when Phill left.

Lately I'm considering homeschooling Reed. But not out of any noble feelings--rather, out of frustration over my own little failures as a mom, because I feel like I don't spend enough time teaching him. I do notice that my concentrated moments with him, doing sight words or reviewing letters' sounds and names, or reading a book together, seem to do more for him than his hours at public school. But he likes school now, I think I can conclude! He is constantly talking about a particular little girl there, which makes me smile. He is learning a lot--including the use of the term "like". "Mom, today school was, like, so short. The day went so fast." ?! It's so funny/weird to hear a 5-year-old talking like that! I know my words are littered with "like", but not nearly as much as they used to be....anyhow, it's mostly funny.

I'm still on track with my exercising, which is a miracle to be able to say! Over two months! My pants aren't fitting as tightly, and for the first time in my life, I've lost weight in a healthy way. In the past I always exercised too much or ate too little or did both, which is symptomatic of what I struggle with. But this is the first time that I have maintained a (sometimes precarious) balance with my efforts! I attribute it to making my scripture study more of a priority. Something about being in line gospel-wise is keeping me in line self-esteem-wise. Go figure. :) I've lost about eight pounds. Yay!

Lastly, of course not leastly: The reward for Best Neighbor of the Year 2008 (which went to Camilla Davies in 2005 AND 2006, Andrea Frisby in 2007) goes to Sarah Reber!! (For her incredible work in the field of Helping Rae Stay Sane While Phill Is Gone, the expert study of Being Ready to Babysit at the Drop of a Hat, and great accomplishment in the art of Friendship.)

This just in: Jaxon spotted holding Savanna's hands and pulling her belly-down through the tile hallway. She is smiling.

Also just in: Reed is telling me that at school today they practiced what to do in case "a angry person" were in the school and they needed to hide. Feeling a tad sick and thinking how rosy-glowing home-schooling sounds right now.

Anyway, I should go change the diapers on Jaxon and Savanna's cute booties. You'd think the two coordinate their stink-schedules.