Excuse me. There's been a mistake. I ordered "order" and you gave me "chaos".

Halloween parties at school, last minute touches on costumes, The Natives are literally bouncing off the walls.



This morning as I got six of the seven Natives all into their costumes it was a flurry of chaos and bedlam. Each one wanted me to help them with their costume right now and at one point The SM asked me how in the world a few of them were going to use the bathroom through out the day.......I told him that was their problem. My job was to get them into their costumes and out the door. I'd done my part and more than my fair share. Seven kids.....seven costumes......I used to like Halloween.

All of The Natives (except for the baby) were finally all put together and off to school. I collapsed onto the couch ready to put up my feet and enjoy a cup of steaming hot cocoa when the doorbell rings.......it is my neighbor across the street. She'd passed my baby girl on the way to school. My baby girl who with big round eyes and a look of horror on her face told my neighbor she'd forgotten her homework at home........could I bring it?



I looked down. Me.....in my flannel jammies......hair flying this way and that......morning breath.........nothing new. I've graced the school halls looking thus. I ran around the house searching. Searching for my baby girls home work which I'd seen her working so hard on all week. Is it in her cubby where it should be? Nope. Is it in the kitchen on one of the counters? Nope. Is it up in her room? Heaven forbid if it is.......can't even get her door open to see. I enter her room finally only I can't see the carpet let alone her home work. I start to move piles of clothes, toys, garbage, unmentionables around looking for her homework. Under the bed......on dressers......on her bed.....between the bed and the wall.......in the toy box......under the toy box (which doesn't hold any toys by the way because they are all over the floor) and all I can think is, "If this girl would just learn to be orderly! Everything has its place! Why in the world can't she put things away!" I just want ORDER!!!!!



Guess I should have thought of that before I had so many punks. Speaking of punks....my oldest went as a punk cowboy..... how's that for an oxymoron?





I love duct tape. It's great for making pointy steel toed cowboy boots, sticking a big ol' belt buckle made out of cardboard and tinfoil to your belt.....sticking home work to my daughters forehead........