Adventures in La La Land

1. I've been on a dystopian kick lately. I read the sequel to the book I wrote about last week. And I started the series Jamie recommended ( Life as We Knew It ). I suddenly feel the need to stockpile canned goods and bottled water. I was worried that we don't have a water source very close to our house, until I went for a walk today and remembered there's a creek right across the street! Although, truth be told, we'd probably leave our house in town. I'd either go live with my brother on the lake, or Krindi and her cows, chickens, and woodstove. She's in the woods so we'd have lots of firewood, but I'm not sure about a water source. Better do some more research. 😂  2. Thinking about a future without Internet or electricity made me wonder about the longevity of my blog. I've been writing this thing for 10 years! I'd be so sad to lose it all. Thinking about that had me going back to the beginning to re-read it from the start, and it reminded me w...

1. I just finished a book called Last Light  by Terri Blackstock. It's a fictional account of a solar pulse that kills anything with a chip - so all electricity, running water, cars made after the 1970s, radios, digital watches, etc. It follows a well-to-do family in a posh suburb and how they learn to survive by boiling lake water, learning how to garden, eating fresh-caught fish, and cooking over a fire. There are looters who try to steal their food and bikes. One of the neighbors gets ahold of 4 horses, and creates a covered wagon out of an old car. The banking system completely collapses. Phones don't work. The postal service doesn't run. There are so  many things you don't even think about. It was very interesting, and I'm already starting on the sequel. The whole thing reminded me of an article I read this week, though. I can't even remember how I found it, but the title was something like, "Yeah, We Should Go Back to Being Moms Like the Good Ol' ...

 1. Well we survived the first week of summer break. I have feelings. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed with gratitude that Justin works in the unbearable heat all day so I can sleep in and sit at the pool with my kids. Sometimes I want to crawl out of my skin from Levi and Lena touching me nonstop. Sometimes I want to lay on the kitchen floor and cry when Lucy loses her mind over food options and screen time limits and chores and treating her siblings and me with kindness and respect. At points during the week, I felt good about our tentative summer "routine." Sleep in. Let the kids watch too much TV. Spend the afternoon at the pool. Dinner that no one but Justin and I eat. Lucy stomps to her room while I read aloud to Lena and Levi. More screen time. Bed. At other points during the week, I have that pit in my stomach and lump in my throat that no one's kids watch as much TV as mine do. That no one lets their 11 year old have a (non-activated) cell phone. That no one lets th...

 1. Another week of weather extremes. On Sunday, the kids wanted to have a bonfire, and we were all huddled up in blankets. 2. It was a little warmer on Monday. The forecast called for clouds most of the day, but the sun came out right at noon as we headed over to Niki's for Memorial Day. It was a great day of swimming, playing cards, and stuffing our faces.  Levi got this remote controlled car that also works on water for Christmas. I finally remembered to charge it so he could try it out. It was a hit!! Bubbles! Hot tub time! 💗 3. On Tuesday I watched Nash and Saylor for a little while. Saylor thinks I'm hilarious: And Nash is just the sweetest kid ever. I drove them over to Niki's after a while because I had to get to work on my schoolwork. As I was getting Nash out of the carseat he said out of the blue, "I love you, Sadie." I said, "I love you too, buddy. I'm so glad you could come to my house today." He responded, "You're welcome!...