I'm still standin'

Good gravy!  Yes we're still here - I thought that after Will's bout with the spring bug we were in the clear, but alas, that was not to be.  Ella-Kathryn came down with it on Sat.  Again we missed church, and a sweet celebration for Jack's dear sunday school teachers, but I got a butt ton of stuff done around the house:)  After being here for going 3+ years, we finally put up some blinds in EK's room!!!  I hemmed and hawed for all this time, just not sure if I wanted curtains etc, but am really digging the ease of darkening the room and the continuity it gives from the outside looking in. 

The kids always have to be part of the project:)

Ella-Kathryn got herself a new fishing pole.  The kids love to go fishing with their daddy, and when in FL, their Poppy.  She had an itty bitty Barbie one that was just too small for such a big girl.  She is thrilled to have this one and can't wait to catch a big one!  I am always so surprised by her - in that second pic she just looks so big! I can still see that baby girl in there, but she is changing so much!

As I continue to deal with allergies, I have forgone the Zyrtec in favor of downing 2 Benadryl at night.  Not the best course, but I can't spend that kind of dough every 14 days (yes even on generic).  The down side is that beyond the normal "I'm a mom of 4 and NEVER get enough sleep because someone always has some kind of issue and/or I can only read uninterrupted at night and find myself reading on towards midnight b/c I just can" issue of having a hard time being a morning person with many cups of coffee, I now have to add an extra cup to couteract the Benadryl hangover.  That my friends was a dang long sentence:)  So, yesterday after 3 cups of cafe, I had done morning chores, and was attemtping to get ready to pick up EK for her dentist appt.  Look people, I have a minimal "beauty" routine.  Concealer and a ton of it because one of the things I inherited from my dear Grandmom Shuster was her dark underye circles, the other being a penchant for stubborn men, however there is not a product that can conceal a willful man:) Anyhoo, I've got to spackle that crap on, then eyeliner, mascara, maybe some eyeshadow and blush.  That's it.  Nothing too challenging right?  Except that yesterday, I looked like either an addict in the throes of withdrawal, or a severely parkinson-ridden person.  My hands were shaking so bad from the coffee that I put the mascara wand squarely in my eye!  I did have my contact lens in, which probably spared my from a future as an asymetrical cyclops, but still. I mean, come on!  I just wanted to NOT look like death warmed over and that's what I get????  I removed the lens washed it off and then proceeded to unspackle that eye, only to have to recoat the concealer.  UGH.  I'm thinking those Amish/Mennonites have it right.  No makeup, comfy jumpers, and buns.  Does anyone have a buggy I can borrow?