SIX in the A.M

Well it is ALMOST 6 in the morning. And WHY am I blogging instead of using this precious dark, silent time to sleep?? JUST SIT BACK bc you're about to get an ear full.

OKAY it all started yesterday when I looked out my window to see this...

In case you can't tell by the pic, Starling is driving his beloved Bronco with two of our missionaries holding onto a giant swing set. I HAD to take a picture because that has to be the nuttiest thing I've ever seen. Starling took four missionaries to "take apart" and load the swing set. Obviously, they had a genius alternate idea once they got there. I'm sure they got quite a few looks while driving down the road... luckily none by COPS.
After Starling and I happily and joyfully debated where to PUT the giant jewel, and the missionaries and Starling moved it to and fro until I got my ultimate say... I took a try on the swing. SPLENDID! I swung as high as I could go and was reliving every childhood joy of the rush a person gets when he or she is WAY up in the air looking down at the ground far below knowing if the rusty swing were to BREAK, there would some serious OUCH going on.

Then I connected my two baby swings so Brooklyn could have a turn. (I'm not a complete punk mom). Because the elders had done such a MASSIVE service for us, and do all the time, we took them ALL out to eat. (At Chic Filet.. with our free coupons. Don't judge. We're poor folk). We all rode in the Purple Panther with no air conditioning. And it smelled SO good in there at 116 degrees with six and a half sweaty bodies piled in.

Erin Grover took such great care of us at Chic Filet. (So much so that I'm almost CERTAIN one of the four missionaries will rush back home to marry her). Then we came back home and madly rushed to get in all of Starling's tools in out of the rain.

NOW. RAIN means inside. And INSIDE needs a LOT of HELP. I had already cleaned everything out of Brighton's room except for the furniture and other heavy things I didn't think I could lift. Well- Starling had to go show houses and again... I was STUCK inside... SOOO I found a way to move EVERYTHING out. BY MYSELF. (and no. unfortunately it did NOT put me in labor). When Starling finally got home to "help me" I was pretty much DONE so we went outside and pressure washed the swingset. Well- I did for awhile until I was soaked like a drowned rat and Brooklyn was climbing up my leg. And then Brooklyn power washed until Starling finally took over.

That's when I decided I was starving and wanted pasta. That was at seven. So at nine thirty when the frozen pasta was done COOKING we ate it and it was really yummy!! (And we probably ate twice as much as we would usually because we were starv-a-tional!) Starling asked Brooklyn if she wanted some Mac-n-Cheese (since Brooklyn calls anything that is cheesy or yellow or edible Mac-n-cheese). She exclaimed, "Ye-ah, Daddy!" And then examined the plate. "Es not mac-um-cheese, Daddy! Es PAS-TA!" then she named off all the other foods on his plate. "And dis is du-rink!" She told him as she chugged her juice. Thank goodness she could set him straight.

And so it was getting late. And we should have all went to bed. BUT... STARLING went to his office to work, Brooklyn wanted to drink CHOC-LIT Mi-yilk, and I wanted to decorate Brighton's room! I rearranged the furniture about fifteen different ways, finally decided there was TOO much furniture and that most of it HAD TO GO. So I stuck it all in our hallway. (where is remains). I then pulled out all of the decorations I got from my shower along with the ones of collected over time ALWAYS waiting for the time when I'd get to create a Sailor room. Unfortunately most of my collection was BLA or didn't match right. So it had TO GO. I put things around the room trying to imagine some sort of finished product with very little luck. Starling came back home and gave me some of his opinions. By then it was like eleven and Brooklyn was still wide awake playing with my nails and hammer.

"BROOKLYN! Are you ready to go night-night in your BIG GIRL BED?!" She squealed with delight and JUMPED into the bunk bed. (Yes.. you may be confused. Brighton's bedroom of sailor decor will actually be where BROOKLYN sleeps and Brooklyn's adorable little room with the white crib laced out, and with pink bedding will be where BRIGHTON sleeps). I know its strange but I really like how Brooklyn's room is set up and I didn't want to repaint. Plus big bulky brown bunk beds? Screams little sailor, not little princess...
ANYWAY- Brooklyn was thrilled to be in her bed. (Even though she HATES/DETEST the toddler bed). I think its because the bunk beds are cooler. She helped Daddy build it and she thinks its made out of monkey bars. So Starling and I knelt down in front of the bed and said, "Do you want to kneel like us to say prayers?" She furrowed her brows and stuck out her chin. "No. Don't want it say prayers...n-more..Brooklyn es go sleeping." But she FINALLY relented and said prayers with us. Then she got cozy on her bed and fell asleep watching my wheels turn as I tried to make up my mind where to put things.

I attempted measuring out things but NOTHING is an even number and fractions make my brain shrink away in agony. SOO, after several tries of trying to figure out what was the middle of 32 and 4/16 or 2/8 or 1/4, I eyeballed it and started hammering.

I banged away, hot glued, and taped things on the wall until Starling finally peaked in at the wee hours of the morning and asked if I was EVER planning on coming to bed. I shrugged, but figured I'd hung almost everything, so I headed to the bed. But won't you look at all that empty WALL space!! I am SOOO excited to deck those walls out! (I've crammed every wall in my house with something and I've been very saddened that I've nothing left to decorate. So YAY for a new project!)

AMAZING what sleep without someone tossing, turning, kicking, smacking, and mumbling something about cheese and pizza all the time can do for a girl! For the first time since I can remember I fell asleep and did NOT have to move because my spot was overrun by little kicky legs. I fell into a DEEP, dark hole of total relaxation and rest. Until 4:30 a.m.

I woke up as my body was literally LEAPING from my bed and my bedroom door was open when I finally registered that Brooklyn was SCREAMING like wild bears were mauling her. I barely saw her STANDING in my doorway with her trusty Charkley by her side before I completely ran her over. Charkley had the good sense to scadaddle when he saw the freight train leaving the station. Brooklyn did NOT. I pulled her out from under me. She immediately stopped crying when I turned on my bedside lamp and examined her. No giant bear bites. No claw marks. No signs of a struggle. Just droopy little eyes.

"Okay Brooklyn... you want Mommy to go lay down with you in your BIG GIRL BED?!"
You would have thought I'd asked her if she wanted a terd on top of her ice cream.
Her eyes shot open. "NOOOO!!! WANT to go SLEEP ri-i-ight HEEEE-ERR!!" YES ma'am... GEEEEZE...
So I didn't press the issue... I don't want to traumatize her. As soon as I sat her in my bed she melted back into sweet malasses, "Mommy," she said in her falsetto voice, "lay down by Bwook-lyn. Es time go night-night." So I laid back down and two little arms wrapped around my head and her feet went to kickin me right in the gut, SO in TURN- Brighton starts kickin BACK. I glare at the ceiling. A few minutes later Brooklyn starts her talking, "No.. NO! Es mine blank-let!" and Starling starts HIS talking, "Don't tell Mommy no..." So I JOIN in, "She's asleep. She's just sleep talking."
Brooklyn: "Mommy.. Bwook-lyn es asleep."
Starling: "Yes SIR, Brooklyn?"
Brookln: "Yes si-ir, Daddy"
Then heavy breathing resumes between the two coma communicators.
I look at my clock. 5 a.m. I close my eyes and start PLEADING with my adrenaline, which is still coarsing through my body making my mind race and my heart pump at an unheard of rate, to go back to my reserve tank so I can SLEEP. It screams back at me, "NOT HAPPENING!!"
So I lay there for a while more. Finally, I just decided to get up. And so here I am!! I'm sure sleep will hit me RIGHT about the time Brooklyn jumps up and exlaims, "DOOO-ed MORN-ING, DADDY!!"