I know I should be blogging right now

But I'm seriously at a loss for what to say and I don't have any good pictures. So how about a little stream-of-conscience exercise (remember those from english class?)

I'm bored and lonely. Scott's working a lot of late nights this week, which is dumb, but at least I've managed to get the kids to bed early every night, which is heaven. Last night I caught up on our finances and paid bills. Tonight I've been working on laundry and chatting with [brother-in-law] Brett.

Brenden's birthday is on Friday. My goal is to have all the birthday celebrating wrapped up by the end of the weekend. On Friday we'll take treats and do his spotlight at school. Then Friday afternoon Scott's taking the boys to the Dew Tour in Salt Lake and then we'll meet them for dinner at a restaurant of Brenden's choice (lucky for me Pei Wei is one of his favorites). Then Saturday he's having a friends party. We're taking about 7 boys to the movies to see "Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs" in 3D on opening weekend, then renting the party room (better call about that tomorrow) at the theater for pizza & cake afterwards. Sunday we'll have a family party with Grandma & Grandpa Z and Rachel & Christine & friends. Brenden has requested s'mores in the back yard. Maybe we'll make it a BBQ.

We'll have to eat on paper plates because we're back to NO DISHWASHER. As per my prior post, RC Willey took our dishwasher back, and we are currently awaiting the arrival of our new free dishwasher which should hopefully come soon and hopefully not leak.

I want to send out birth announcements for Huck. Is it too late? I hope not. Emily has kindly designed an awesome card, which we will have letter pressed. But now I need to get a picture taken, which is proving to be harder than it should be. I need to choose a background and find a time when there is good light and he's happy and cooperative and there is a decent photographer around -- basically when the stars align. I need to really focus on that and get it done this week.

I really want to go to the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey circus. It's in town next week. I've been wanting to go for years and here it is coming again and there are all sorts of reasons why it's probably not going to work again. I have a happy memory of going to the circus as a kid (Mom - did that really happen? did we get cotton candy and was dad there too?) I took the kids to a cheapo fake circus a couple years ago which was lame and creepy but still the kids thought it was cool. I think they would really be impressed by the real thing.

It's really fun having my parents living so close by now. The other day my mom took June & Huck while I went to the doctor. Then she basically insisted that I go get a pedicure while she went and got my car washed and bought June some treats. Later that same day she walked into my house carrying my dry cleaning that needed to be picked up (she found the ticket in the car when she was at the carwash), and then entertained a tired & hungry & grumpy June while I made dinner. Maybe she's trying to make up for lost time for all the years she's been so far away, but whatever the motivation, I'll take it. Today she called and invited June & Huck and I to go to the movies with her and Rachel. We picked a matinee time when the only other people in the theater also had a 2 month old baby with them, and we saw Julie & Julia. I thought it was cute, but unfortunately for Oliver who had to wait a little extra at school, a little longer than I expected.

June started going to a pre-pre-school class that my friend Jodi teaches at her home. She loves it! She tells everyone about her class at her school and she sings the songs and shows everyone her crafts. It's very cute. I've been feeling bad that June is rather under-stimulated at home these days when the big brothers are gone to school. I need to come up with some new good activities to do with her, but in the mean time, I'm happy for her to at least have these two hours a week to do fun stuff that we wouldn't do at home.

Huck is a little chub-o now. He's really chunking up complete with rolls on his neck, arms, legs, cheeks, and tummy. He doesn't like his carseat, which on top of the fact that he won't take a pacifier makes for really uncomfortable car rides. In general he's figured out he prefers to be held to being put down, so I've been making more use of my beloved Moby Wrap to free up my hands around the house.

The boys have been doing a really good job of getting their homework and reading and practicing done right after school. I am so proud of what good kids they are. Every day Oliver tells me more words he's learned in Chinese (today it was whiteboard and triangle). I try to repeat them and he gets frustrated that my pronunciation is so bad. Brenden's been learning about the state of Utah and yesterday brought home a giant Utah-shaped sugar cookie which he decorated with frosting and toothpicks to depict the geography. I am grateful for their great teachers.

That's all I can think of for now. I'm tired and should probably head up to bed. Huck will be waking up soon.

This is so boring. Should I even publish it?!

Here - I found a picture.