April 4-12

This week shall be forever remembered in infamy as:

H-E-double-hockey-sticks week.

We found out a couple of weeks ago that Ben would have to fly out to Utah for a week to work on and defend the first part of his thesis.

Grrreeat.

It was going to be nice however to get that first part done all at once.

I'd never been alone with the kids for more than an overnighter though and I was feeling a little scared, so I had Ben give me a blessing (nevermind the demands on him for the week). Heavenly Father told me to let all the family I have around help me. It was a good reminder because I tend to feel like I have to prove myself by surviving alone during tough times.

So April 4th came.

Russel was acting a little weird and a lot clingy to Ben. I figured he could just sense something was goin' down.

Once my father slyly whisked Ben away, and once Russel noticed, his condition deteriorated.

To make a long story short, he was and STILL IS cutting 4 new molars at the same time, and rebelling against every moment of it.

It's been a loooooooooooooooooooong week of crying, whining, overly demanding-ness, and sleep deprivation. I haven't even known which child I was looking at most of the week.

It's like I told my mom,
"I really want to punch myself in the head"

To which she replied,
"Well just make sure you clock yourself hard enough to knock yourself out"

"Of course" I say.

And so Ben and I have both been tested this week. Ben passed with flying colors and as for me... thanks to all that family around, I'm still conscious and the kids are still alive.

So maybe I get a D+ if I'm lucky.