Sunday in the Simons' Home

Every Sunday Brian leaves early for meetings because he serves as Executive Secretary to the bishop (he makes all the appointments for people to meet with the bishop). For those of you who aren't LDS, just so this makes sense, there are no paid clergy or paid postitions in the LDS church, it is all volunteer. I am so proud of my husband for being willing to wake up every Sunday morning at 6 am in order to go to help the bishop. So, of course, to support him and his service, I do my best to handle getting all seven children and myself fed, bathed, dressed, and out the door in time for 9 am church. This morning I accidentally slept in until 8:20. I jumped up in a frenzy, calling for everyone to wake up and barking out directions. I had had a horrible allergy attack in the night and when I woke up my eyes were itchy and swollen. So as I am trying to pick out clothing for all the little girls, I grab for my eye drops. After putting them in the left eye, I noticed that it burned substantially more than the last time I used them. I decided to shake it up a little better before putting it in the other eye, when I noticed written on the bottle, "For Ears ONLY." Dangit! No wonder! I should be able to hear very clearly now. . .out of my eyeballs! I tried my best to rinse my eyes out, but I had to go to church with one very bloodshot eye, looking like I had a hangover--not a good thing.

Gwynyth and Chloe told me they were too sick to go to church, which I, in my ignorance, believed. I told them that after Sacrament Meeting I would drive home and check on them. When I came home, I found pasty remnants of pink fingernail polish coating all of the dishes in the sink. Of course, I immediately inquired what the girls knew about this. Chloe matter-of-factly replies, "Oh, Gwynyth was trying to make an explosion. She mixed fingernail polish, soy sauce, and lemon juice in a bowl." "What?!!" I rhetorically exclaimed. "Oh, don't worry, Mom, nothing exploded," pipes in Gwynyth. "Well, duh, I know enough chemistry to figure that out! Did you think soy sauce was the key ingredient for Chinese fireworks? And fingernail polish provided the color?"

Seriously? What goes through their otherwise seemingly empty heads? It was so ridiculous that I could only laugh. Lemon juice? Soy sauce? Fingernail polish? Seriously? But then the thought occurred to me, "Why did Gwynyth want to cause an explosion while we were at church?" So now I am not sure if I am more disturbed with the fact that my eight-year-old daughter wanted to blow something up, or with the thought that the child I am supposed to educating actually thought soy sauce would explode. Either way, counseling may be our only option!

We did end the day on a good note when we took the kids to the new park down the road and Brian got the teeter totter with all the kids. It made for some interesting weight distribution dynamics which apparently is all the more fun! Tomorrow we are spending the day on the beach. I love the beach.

We still have not received orders, which is killing me, but really not a surprise. This is the Army afterall. I am just going to slowly start packing things though. I know I'm outta here soon, I may not know where, but all the stuff has to be packed nonetheless. But on a brighter note, my little sister found out she is having a little girl, which is a welcome delight after two boys. So instead of packing all my baby girl stuff because I feel badly throwing it away, I am passing it on to her, which is helps in cleaning out my garage. Yay, me! Oh, yeah, and Yay Tiffy!

My little brother is loving chaplain boot camp. He gets to army crawl in goose poop under the obstacle course things (don't know the official name). I told him, it could be worse, he could be in Georgia crawling through fire ant hills, like the soldiers here. I am so proud of him and of my husband all the soldiers in my church and all the other ones too, for that matter! Happy Memorial Day to all those like my brother, my husband and my friends who lay their lives on the line, give up the comforts of home and family, and keep our nation safe! I love you all, and no matter what the media portrays and no matter how crazy our politics can be, after having been to Africa, I know that I am blessed to live in America. Thank you! God Bless our Troops, God bless the loved ones who stay behind, and God bless America :)!