Like anyone could make this stuff up!

I cannot begin to express how crazy things have been around here lately. Really, I can't.

To sum it up a bit: We bought a travel trailer, went camping once, softball season started for 4YO and 13YO, 13YO became 14YO, my computer got some sort of virus and was rendered nothing more than a giant paperweight for about a week, school is still happening in full-force, and...I really can't think of anything else!

Wow...that doesn't really sound like a lot! I mean, it certianly FEELS like a lot, but maybe that's just because it's on top of our already chaotic thing we have going on around here.

Let me just tell you about Tuesday.

Tuesday, both 14YO and 4YO had softball games at the same time and place. 7YO had guitar lessons, which are given by a friend of ours who comes to our house. I seriously needed a shower, but it would have to wait until after I picked up 14YO and our neighbor from the bus stop. (It's over a mile away) I'm getting ready to get 4YO and 7YO in the car to go pick up the others when my friend shows up for the guitar lesson a little early. That totally worked, since it then meant I had one less child to wrangle into the car for my quick trip to the bus stop. The girls get excited that our friend is here and, in all that excitement, they let Aly out. Aly is the boxer version of Forrest Gump once she gets out of the confines of the house and yard. She knows not her name, nor any other commands for that matter! She only knows to run. And FAST.

After realizing that she is not going to stop running and that I need to leave soon, I get the car running and 4YO in her seat. My friend, 7YO and I are all standing outside and I decided to grab Aly's leash and attempt to lure her into the car on my way to pick up the other two. Aly is surprisingly good in the car and loves a good road trip. (But who doesn't, right?) As I'm about to get into the car myself (and after 4YO has gotten in and out of the car about 12 times and I'm on the verge of threatening her little life to get her to stay there!) a giant geyser appears where 7YO was standing. Evidently, she had been standing on a water spigot and it snapped. Now, wasting water like that is never a good thing. Blah blah blah, carbon footprint, yadda yadda yadda. I get it. It's a big deal. It's even more of a big deal when the water is coming from one's WELL. (Everyone who has ever lived in the sticks is nodding their heads in agreement as they read this.)

We do have a holding tank, which is basically a 2,800 gallon margin for error. But, putting unnecessary work on the pump could shorten its life make me unable to EVER get a new car...so it's an especially big deal to me! That being said, I know little to nothing about the valves that turn the water on and off. I quickly call David. NO ANSWER. I immediately dial again (and I hate it when people do that to me, but I figured this was an exception!) and he begins to call through at the same moment. He tells me how to turn off the main water valve until I can find the other valve that just turns off the water to the outside of the house. Apparently, that one is usually BURIED and he couldn't tell me exactly where it was off the top of his head over the phone.

So, within a matter of two minutes, I have a loose dog, a geyser in my front yard, a car running with 4YO inside, and then no water at all.

AND I STILL NEED TO PICK UP 14YO FROM THE BUS STOP AND TAKE A SHOWER!

Admittedly, the only thing that kept me calm was the recurring thought that this would make a great blog.

Hmmm....I can't decide whether that sounds healthy or not.

Just then, Aly came wandering back up the driveway, happy and tired...*&$#@& DOG!!!

Upon returning from the bus stop, I called David back and dug the other valve out from hiding. I was able to turn the water back on at the main valve and turn the water off for the entire outside. And then I got my shower. HOORAY!

That's just ONE DAY around here. Granted, it's a bit crazier than normal...but not by much! I'd like to say I hit the ground running, but it's more like I stumble down the hall toward my coffee pot and make three lunches before any actual running can occur.

Do you like my picture? I found this really cool setting my camera that does this. No editing required! I took this on our camping trip. It wasn't far from home and we only stayed for a night. It was more like test running the trailer, as well as the dog. We took Aly with us and, surprisingly, that crazy dog makes a really good camper! The next two months will tie up most of our weekends, but we plan to get away again as soon as possible. The kids are old enough now so that camping in a trailer doesn't feel like much work. I might even go so far as to say that it's a nice getaway.

Wow. I like to camp. Who knew?