Narrow Path

Sorry so long since a new post...but my hands have been covered in poop and throw-up for awhile now. We survived the 11 day pandemic that hit mi casa, and it wasn't all that bad because I had a lot of cuddly couch time w/ the younglings and more importantly lost 1 whole pound! That's right folks, it takes a pandemic for my body to drop a pound...or exercise, but I'd rather throw-up!
So back to the fresh smell of pencil lead...the other thing the sickies provided me with is a chance to sit down, sharpen the pencil and do some serious school planning. If you hate planning go to http://thepioneerwoman.com/ and you will find a dear friend. A friend of mine lead me to her blog and it is worth a glance...she also loves to give things away, worth 2 or 3 glances!
So, back to planning. I have about 3, 3ft high piles of books and such that I have been thumbing through like a mad woman, jotting down this and that, why, when, and how for days now. The entire time resembling some kind of mad scientist on the virge of a gigantic, world saving breakthrough, but no, just little ol' me planning out the days of my 5 kiddos for the next 9 weeks.
Pencil lead breaks and then you have to get up, out of the comfortable (right leg under the buttocks) position and sharpen it. After the 3rd step or so you realize that comfortable position #1 has left you with a lame right leg and you are going to hit the ground hard or grab on to something really quick. I chose the high road and grabbed the chair, didn't let out a peep but must have looked rather awkward. I heard, "You ok mama?" from my 4 yr old, hormonal mess of a daughter. Yes, my four yr old acts as though she were 13, gets angry at toothbrushes, Santa Clause, McDonald's and cries more than I do... for the love of God, just make her stop! That's been said a few times, but not by her loving mom, of course. I gently lead her into the path of righteousness, which happens to be my bathroom. Ok, I say it under my breath while leading her down the path.
But the pencil issue...so I went out and bought the mechanical pencils and thought, problem solved. I used it, it worked. Something was missing and I couldn't put my finger on it right away. Then it hit me, (Oprah calls these "ah ha moments" I think they are just normal everyday occurrences for women whose children have kept her up all night for 9 yrs straight and her brain is in a constant fog of floating thoughts and misplaced to do, to buy, to call lists) it's the smell of pencil lead. You know the smell...your entire elementary school smelled like that combined with nasty lunchroom aromas every morning. I loved that smell, disliked school, but loved that smell. They should make a candle and name it Schoolroom...I would faithfully burn it every morning.
So, I had no other options...it was back to the good ol' NO. 2 and comfortable position #1. I wised up and added a cup of Starbucks w/ coconut white chocolate creamer to the mix. It was lovely.