My plan was to stay in today. There was an obscene amount of dirty dishes and meal-debris on the floor... and general house-ly chaos. We made it to 12:30 before anarchy broke out. They just can't be cooped up... they start trying to destroy each other. You might think I mean Toby... I do.

But not just Toby. The other day, I found a round mark on Toby's arm... I was tripping about it maybe being a ringworm, which we've never had, but it is one of those things you figure you'll get eventually. So I was kinda watching it and it went away in a day. The next day there were TWO of these marks... on closer inspection, they were tiny toothmarks. From someone with 6 tiny teeth. The good news is, she's starting to defend herself from the continual sibling abuse.

Anyways... we ended up going to lunch with Daddy, and then we dropped him back off at the school and we went to the park. Fun was had by all, even though R2 fell headfirst off the steps and Toby hit himself in the head with a ball. Tough guys...

So tomorrow, I'm planning on SWIMMING at the Y. I can't remember the last time I swam. The problem is, the pool is all divided up for lap-swimming... and I'm not that great at swimming. Still, it sounds refreshing. They keep the pool at 83 degrees. Nice.

Last night, I was attending a worship service during American Idol. But I taped it, and tonight a new pal from the TS staff is coming over to watch the tape with me, and then the results show. And we shall feast on brownies!

Anytime you'd like to peek in on the school here, you can check out the webstream. To watch the archives (Richy leading worship and speaking... go here)

I am not aging gracefully. What?! half of you are saying... what aging? you're a CHILD! Uh, no. I will be 30 in October and I am starting to pick up some warnings that I am getting older. And I'm just not doing well with it.
I always wondered about women in their 40's and 50's... if it bothered them to not be 20. If they wanted to still be a size 4 and not have to fight gray hair and gravity. But they all seemed pretty content and beautiful in their age and so I figured it was a gradual process and it would be okay.
So why now, at the beginning of wrinkles and changing shape... am I freaking out a little? I've never been one to obsess over looks. Sometimes I'll be out for hours before I realize I never looked in a mirror today and my hair is channeling Einstein. But now... I don't like it. I want to be easy cute. Not work-cute.
It's not so much that I care about a few extra pounds. It's just the overall realization that it will take work in the next couple of decades to maintain what has been effortless.
< /Narcissism>

We went to the Y in downtown Nashville today. I ran on the treadmill and the youngsters did great in the nursery. I had the following conversation with my sister personal trainer via text.
me: if i want to lose tummy and tone arms what machines do i use at the y?
Leah: walking, crunches, bicep curl, tricep extension, and less Bluebell.

Nervy, that's what.

Today, I took on Nashville and went to get the boys haircuts. First, I made a plan using Google Maps... then off we went. And for once, I got there. Exactly where I was going without driving the wrong direction, or finding the place I mapped to closed down in 1998. Well, there was ONE U-turn. But basically, I rocked the map. We went to a Great Clips. Which is, for you Texans, kinda Supercuts. But the one we went to in KC was super friendly and did a good job... they got it when I said "My kids are rockstars... they can't have geeky hair." Here, not so much.

I refer to that scourge of motherhood... the hostile stylist. She looks skeptically at the picture I have chosen. Yeah, lady. I don't want a buzz cut or a bowl cut with straight bangs. I want my sons to look like PEOPLE. She accepts, and then once Toby is in the chair with the FISH FISH FISH cape on, she asks... "Now, what did you want?"... and I show the picture again. She scoffs... "That haircut is longer than what he has now!"

I spit me of rude customer service. But we forged on. He ended up getting a semi-geeky normal cut. Hopefully, with a little gel and a side part he will be back to rocker. R2 got spikes. By this point I was so intimidated by the woman controlling my son's hair, I just backed down. Sheesh. We might be going back tomorrow to get some corrections done. Or not. Sheesh. Sheesh sheesh sheesh.

One thing I didn't realize I missed... community. When we lived out at Radiantville, we saw each other every day, sometimes multiple times a day. 

Here in this complex with the rest of the Thunder School staff, I'm getting some of that again. And I forgot how much I like it. 

Yesterday was their weekly "Meal of Hope". 100+ homeless people came to get a meal and hear the gospel... most of them walked. I didn't have any official function, besides watching my kids. It was pretty amazing. Did you know homeless people look just like us?

I sit here in a sleepy haze. Up too late, up too early. Just took a nap. Nothing to say. Ho-hum.

You may or may not have noticed I didn't blog yesterday. I wish there was more outrage, but hey... whatever.
So Monday and Tuesday Richy went to the GMA. He saw a lot of Christian musicians, or artists... he had a good time, but we're not really into the Christian music "industry". Not going to really elaborate on that, since I didn't go and he has his own blog.

Yesterday I went through my new city routine, in which I choose a random direction on the freeway and go for it. Why is it, if I choose what logically was the direction (east) we drove last time to get to Walmart, it is DEFINITELY going to be the wrong way? So off I went 10 miles wrong, 10 miles back and eventually arrived at my destination...
I hit Salvation Army and Goodwill with a vengeance. Anyways.

So we're supposed to be providing some sort of leadership/pastoring to the students at the school here. The students arrive Sunday, so far we've just met the interns. Yesterday I had a conversation with one of the interns.
"Which one of you guys is all into healing?"
me: point at R1.
him "He said you were..."
me "I.... was. I am. I just...."
him "Because I have such a heart for that, I just really want to do it. And I don't know anybody else who is interested in healing."
me "Uh, well. I was seeing a lot of healings, before... did you know about our babies?"
him "Yeah, that's understandable."
me "Not that I don't believe God can do it. I'm just a little burnt on asking..."
him "You need the fire.. I have the fire, but I don't know anything about it."
me "Yeah."
and so I went upstairs with my groceries, bothered by being the leader with the lack of faith. I feel like the old drunken boxer, and the upstart kid wants to be trained by him. "Get outta here, kid! I got nothin left!"
It's not a great feeling, but it might be motivation.

We are safely (well, relatively safely) ensconced in our apartment in Nashville... we arrived last night - took us 9 or 10 hours, and that was even stopping a couple of times to eat and play on the McDonald's playlands... the speed limit may or may not have been exceeded.

We have a cute little apartment here in a dangerous looking neighborhood. I don't think it is. It just looks a little dicey. This little complex is owned by the ministry we're working with. It's furnished in late 80's-early 90's American. With a new stove... nice. The apartment has wood floors and it's definitely old. Toby can roll a truck and it rolls down to the corner. But most of it has been remodeled and it's good. Richy is gone, left this morning to go work a booth at the Gospel Music Awards. HA! We're working with the Thunder School.

So today I am getting settled in the apartment here and determining what we need to move in... looks like they will be providing all of our food from their food pantry... I'm supposed to go down there later and "shop". That's your update for today, folks.

The MOG graduated from his class today. While they were having their celebratory potluck, I was at the DMV.
The amount of violent hatred that I hold for the DMV is .... well, violent. WHY does it have to take so long? WHY does it have to be so frustrating? And WHY for the sake of all that is holy is it so complicated??? I can feel my blood pressure rising. Or something.

So anyways. This morning we set off for the DMV at the break of day, 9 am. I got there the first time and realized pre-child removal that I was missing a document. So I drive back home. I then go back and remove children 1,2 and 3. Assign to stroller locations, front seat, back in infant carrier seat, and holding on to the handle and jumping position. Go in, grab desperately for a number... 04. 94 being served. Retreat into hallway with massive stroller and barely-pantsed R2. Sit down, wait. Repeat for infinity. Oh, hey the potluck just started! Early! Who'da thunk? Continue waiting.

Toby: wants out, in, up, down. Eat raisins. Read a book. Sing on toy microphone. Turn mike into guitar, do some wailing solos which include falling on knees and screaming. Eat gummy bears. Color on grocery list. Climb on stroller, poke baby in head. Discuss. Climb on bench, stare in fire extinguisher window. Play guitar some more, pretend to fall down. Fake cry. Talk to creepy people. Discuss.
R2: Stare at people and breathe loud. Eat gummy bears. Make "eat" sign every 36 seconds. Repeat.
Bean: Eat seat belt. Get poked in head. Squeal. Switch from Ah-da to ma ma ma ma. Mildly protest being in car seat. Repeat.
FOR ONE HOUR. Oh my holy freaking government bureaucracy. Finally get called. Go to desk, driving over rows of people with massive stroller. Sit down for 1.5 seconds, to be informed that my name is not on the lien and I cannot do the paperwork to get a license plate.
Arrive at potluck when it is over. The end.

In other news, I need to pack for 4 weeks. How does one do this? It seems like I would need all my stuff.

The big news... Bean now has pierced ears! How barbaric, you say. You should just get a Barbie. Ah, whatever. It is just goofy how excited I got after the girl finished piercing and there we were with our Just Got My Ears Pierced bag. It's like a rite of womanhood or something. VERY happy. Bean cried during the sticks, and then stopped immediately afterwards. That was a relief, as I feared the Apocalypse of Emotions.

Also yesterday, checkups for Toby and Bean. Toby is in the 20th percentile, which means he is bigger than 20% of kids his age. So he's little. But the pedi said he's smart for his age. I knew that. But I like to hear it, anyway. And Bean is 15 pounds and nowhere near any kind of chart. Which I knew, too. BUT she can pick up cheerios and give kisses and say mama and point, which makes her not that far behind.... Hooray!

Idol last night, it is as it should be. By the way, this is a good season. I'm lovin it.

The other night, I went out with my new pals to the Melting Pot. It was quite fun. I'm going to miss these friends when I'm in Nashville and Texas. So that makes a total of TWO nights this week I went out of the house, sans children. It was like being a man or something! I greatly enjoyed it but the MOG, he is weary. Not so easy, eh? MUAHAHAHA