Sleep at last.

We have had three straight nights where everyone has slept through the night--Steel, Reilly, Cole, Mom, Matt and Connor. Although I can't vouch for what time the older boys are actually going to sleep, they are in bed anyway. It has been a nice break and much needed rest for me. It would be even better if I could sleep in 'til 7, but it's my turn to drive the kids to Seminary this week so I'm up at 5:45. You all in Utah and southern Idaho that have "realease-time" Seminary are so lucky. But hey, Matt will be driving by the time my turn comes around again so I can't complain too much. Yeah!

I got Steel registered this morning for basketball. He is so excited to start. If you know Steel at all, basketball is what he talks about, prays about, and dreams about. He is an unstoppable force when he gets an idea in his head. I truly have never seen anything like it. He is on the waiting list for pre-school and he insists that school is not open until he gets to go. He doesn't quite grasp that there are other kids that go even though he is not. It drives everyone crazy--he'll ask a question and I'll say no and he will continue to ask over and over and over until I actually yell "Shut up!" And that is a bad word in our house! And the bad thing is that he is influencing Reilly who is beginning to do the same thing. Once at Mom's house this summer I actually counted. I was done with goodnights and he wanted something else and, I kid you not, he said "Mom" over 80 times before he finally fell asleep--otherwise I am sure it would have been 200 or so. I am hoping that tenacity can translate into something good--maybe he'll practice and practice until he is perfect at something. Who knows. But for the next eight weeks, he gets to ask someone else the questions. . .I don't envy his coach. Hee hee.

I've been talking with Pete. We thought he had lost his bag with his computer in it. Well he didn't lose it, someone stole it. They couldn't carry all of their stuff on the plane so they had to put their bigger bags on a pallet in the cargo. A while ago they handed everyone their stuff back. Eleven guys, including Pete, were without their bags. Four or five of them had computers in them. I guess someone had cut the webbing and just pulled off random bags. The bag itself is worth about a $150. So anyway, I was really ticked. Pete was trying to be calm about it. I was all ready to go to JAG and find out how the Army was going to replace his computer. A couple days ago his bag was "found" and luckily his computer was still in it. It is such a relief. But his sunglasses are gone. What kind of absolute jerk steals a soldier's sunglasses when he is going to fight in the desert? Who does that? Who steals 11 bags off a pallet and not think that they are harming the safety of soldiers in some vital way? I just can't understand it. Okay, I'm getting all worked up again and he has his bag back. Maybe because it's gonna cost a couple hundred dollars to replace his sunglasses. Ouch. But like I said--vital.

So the kids are behind me in the front room. It is only 9:45 and I am already sick of them not listening so I am letting them beat on each other and ignoring them when they tattle on each other. I'm so bad. I figure no blood, no foul and I won't have a headache at the end of the day--or not too bad anyway. Happily, Mary has Friday and Monday off so we have a long weekend coming up. Gotta go to the store tonight and get some real groceries for dinners. My poor kids haven't had a decent meal for quite a while. I just stink at meals unless I make my menu for the month. If it's not right there before me to tell me what's for dinner tonight, they more than likely end up with cereal or mac & cheese.

And here we go with Steel. He just asked for icecream. I said no. He asked again. I said no. And now all the other kids are asking for icecream and I have to say no to all of them. Thanks Steel. Love you baby.