Want to know what I do all day? Yesterday I decided to document it in pictures. Lots of pictures. So, hang on tight 'cause here we go!
It's summer! That means I can sleep in until the first kid wakes up. Lately that is Curly. Her hair looks all crazy, like a lion's mane, when she wakes up.

Baby O wakes me up pretty early, too, but once he's fed he'll either go back to sleep or chill out in the baby swing for a bit.

Hubba was next. He just gets out his trains and entertains himself after I get him a glass of milk. He must have one (or two) first thing every morning. But hey, milk - it does a body good. (does that make anyone else want to say, "Pass it on"?)

Thumbelina is usually the
last to awake and arise. Sometimes I go in and steamroller her just to hear her say, "Mom, STOP IT!"

As I began to prepare breakfast our bird Buddy decided to take a little flight around the kitchen and land on the rug. He's a funny little bird.

Then we assemble the masses for breakfast. Today I made oatmeal with diced apples and cinnamon in it. Allen told the kids it was like eating Apple Pie for breakfast, which I took as a good thing.

Princess was the last to wake up on this particular day.

And then, after breakfast, the inevitable: dirty dishes. This is a perpetual problem in our kitchen but I can usually ask (make) some of the kids take care of it.

At this point, Baby O needed a little TLC which Coolister was happy to provide. Coolister is, by far, Baby O's favorite sibling. It's really sweet to see my 15-year-old boy playing with his 2-month-old brother and loving it.

I must check my calendar daily. If it's on the calendar I will remember it. If it's not, I won't. Nothing today, but 2 appointments tomorrow. I try to make a mental note of that.

I try to read my little thought on my calendar corkboard daily as a reminder of what one daily priority should be:

Then it's time for the job jar! Every kid age 5 and up pulls out 2 jobs. 4 of them are fun, like "Play on the computer for 20 minutes" or "Have a snack", so sometimes they want to pull out more than 2 if there's still a chance they'll pull a fun one.

Cowgirl got "Vacuum Upstairs".

Coolister got "Wash Dishes".

Curly decides to watch a "Signing Time" movie while everyone else is doing their jobs.

I tell her, "Not until you are dressed and your hair is brushed!"

Movie in, and I start on the laundry. Well, I think about it. But then, Baby O is feeling hunger pains again.

This is repeated throughout the day, and followed by this:

I change his diaper and go to throw it in the garage when I see the accumulated pile of stuff that needs to go to Deseret Industries, better known as "D.I." So I load all that in the back of the car.

While outside, I notice that our trash was not picked up yesterday. So I went inside and called the sanitation department. An hour later the trash truck came by. Next, I notice this: what a messy workspace our computer desk has become. I mentally add it to the "To Do" list for the day.

Oh, yes, laundry. Times 3. Better get on it.

While downstairs starting the washer I peek into Coolister's room and see this:

DISASTER AREA!! I tell him to take care of that and I go shower. When I return...

Much better.

So, while the kids are watching a movie, I'll sneak into the kitchen for a snack. Here's what I should be eating:

But somewhere, where is it? Oh, yes, there they are...

And then it's time to make lunch.

And eat lunch.

ElemenoB reminds me that she has an English essay to turn in and it's due today. (It's summer! Why do kids have homework in the summer?) So, I check the laundry and then off we go to take care of that and run a few errands while Baby O is asleep again. She's asking me if she should put it in an envelope.

Here she comes, and she's still got the essay in hand...

The school was open, but no one was in the front office. I told her she could go back in and say, "HELLO!? ANYBODY HERE?!" but she's not very forward and said "Can't we just mail it? As long as it is postmarked today it is considered on time." So, off to the post office.

Then we get a few groceries at Sam's. ElemenoB is pretending she doesn't love having her picture taken.

Last stop, the library.

When we get home everyone is hungry again, so we eat some of the bananas I just purchased.

Coolister reminds me he has a birthday party today and needs a gift.
We are making him a T-shirt, I declare, knowing we have all we need at home to do so. We go online for ideas and decide on this one. It's pretty funny! In fact, I remember writing answers like that on occasion in hopes of getting extra points for creativity. (FYI - it never worked.)

I iron it on, and
voila! - instant birthday present. (Click on the picture to get a closer look)

I almost made myself a shirt that said, "I Make Milk - What's Your Superpower?" (another idea we saw online) but decided I would never wear it, despite the humor. Anyway, I realize that Tuesdays are usually the night our teenagers have youth activities at the church, but Coolister says the boys' activity was canceled due to the Fourth of July being this weekend. (I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, but that's OK.) So I ask ElemenoB if she still has an activity. She informs me that they are making "Camp Bucket Seats" and, oh yeah, she needs to bring some fabric. How much fabric? She doesn't know. I tell her and Thumbelina to go search my "stash" and find something. Luckily, they find a variety of fabrics they like.

Then it's time to eat dinner. On the menu for today is pizza, so I get the dough started, check the laundry, check my email, then put the pizzas together.

Dinner time. We make a plate for Dad who is putting in long hours at work...

Then chow down.

Curly takes her customary dinner-time nap, which we don't like so much. It's a power-nap, which means she wakes up in an hour or two, ready to be up all hours of the night. But, once she's out, she's out.

I fold the last of the laundry for today,

Straighten the mess on the computer desk,

And check my email. And check the blogs I read. And read the news. Then I start uploading all the pictures I've taken today for this post. Allen comes home from work while I am doing this and bathes the little kids. Then it is time for some scripture reading...

And off to bed with everyone. Putting some dirty clothes in the laundry basket in my closet, I see my poor, neglected skates which have only seen action in my driveway since arriving last week. And I remember that they were on my mental "To Do" list for today.

See how they have given up hope, laying there all sad and hopeless? Don't look so forlorn, my new friends. Your time will come.
Goodnight.