All is Not Lost

I should update: the world did not end when my door broke and we had to reach through the window to open it.

It just so happens that we have another RV on our property right now. Why? Because we have a friend who has some property up in the mountains behind our house, and a bear attacked his trailer, totally destroying most of it. It's still got good bones, but doors are smashed, cupboards torn apart, and generally just unusable. He towed it down the mountain and was going to scrap it, but I think we have another use for it. (Rumor has it that Ryan's dad is taking it...) Anyhow, the kids got into it, we had to go lecture them about not playing in it, and we saw that the door handles were similar. Ryan rigged it up, and it works good enough for now, but we will be ordering a proper door soon.

In other news: I have found a drawback to picking the kids up from school everyday: I have to look presentable. I have no problems wearing the same clothes for several days in a row (I am camping, you know.) but I started wondering if the teachers and other parents are wondering why I always show up in the same clothes. Now, in my defense, I only own navy blue sweatshirts and two kinds of jeans. Which I don't wear because I prefer my cargo pants in this state of "unfitness" that I'm in. It's like my uniform. Which brings me to this story:

I have struggled with fashion all my life. Part of me loves it. Maybe not loves it, but is rather fascinated by it. I found that the few times I was fashionable, I got lots of compliments, and that makes me uncomfortable. I strive to blend in. So, I don't do fashion. Last week at the Walmart, we saw a girl wearing 6 inch stilettos with skinny jeans and a fancy purse, hair all colored nicely, getting into a sporty car. I looked down at myself, in my "uniform" of cargo pants, running shoes, and long sleeved tee, while I was stuffing my phone and ATM card in my pocket (so I didn't have to carry a purse) and asked Ryan, "Hey, you think I should dress like that?"
He just rolled his eyes a little and said "No."
I said, "Doesn't she look like the total package? Hair, nails, shoes, clothes, car? I'm not like that. Am I too practical?" In my head I was analyzing even worse: Maybe I'm not girlie enough. I can't wear heels in the dirt. I don't like heels anyway. But her hair is combed. Wait, I can't comb curly hair. But she looks all clean and put together, like she did not spray her shirt with Febreeze after picking it up off the ground. I should try harder.
I can't remember what he said exactly, but something to the effect that if girls were cars, I'm an SUV: practical, not overdressed, and ready to go just about anywhere. I think I'm okay with that. It gets me off the hook from feeling like I have to own lipstick.

If anyone has seen my Mazda lately, you will know it was DIRTY. So dirty that strangers were asking me why my car was so dirty. Couldn't read the license plate, mud that looked like stucco on the side of my car, and a head light that barely shined through the caked on goodness. At first I was embarrassed, and got it washed in Bakersfield. That same day, on the way home, I had to drive through the creek to get home. After that, I refused to wash it until the creek dried up. Today was the day... my car is now white-ish again!

I need a truck.

I also need a laundry room. I know, big ol' whiner baby here again complaining about using the laundromat with all the tweakers after driving for 30 minutes... or use the really nice one in my favorite desert town that's 50 minutes away... boo hoo, cry me a river. On the positive side, the one in my favorite desert town has attendants, and I can run to Walmart or wash my car while the clothes wash, without fear of people taking my clothes. (There was a streak of that at the tweaker wash.) And, I'm whining about it again because I was there again today. Lots of miles, lots of money... for fun I look at washers and dryers anytime we are at Home Depot or Lowe's. So, at least weekly. Don't be surprised if you come over to our "big house" that in the hallway you see pics of my kids... and my washer and dryer. They will be like family, and I'll love them.

Got a phone call from a homeschooling mom today, after she saw my blog and my state of mind concerning education. I'm excited because she had some excellent curriculum suggestions, and she uses/has used a few of the things I was leaning towards, and gave me some names for new stuff, too. My kids have "mom homework" right now, and they are okay with that. I told them they were going to summer school, and Kacy got all excited. Our school doesn't offer summer school (which I don't mind), but I have plans, summer plans. They are not going to brain-drain this summer.

Last two things: I have realized my writing, grammar, and punctuation, has significantly declined on my blog. Part of it is my blog style of writing: random thoughts and anecdotes from my life (but mostly random thoughts).The other part is sheer "I"ve got to get this done RIGHT NOW or it will never get done and I don't have time to edit!" Yes, I taught Language Arts once upon a time, and yes, I used to be able to proofread like a son-of-a-gun. I also used to be smart, but I've had children.

And finally, it is AMAZING how much better I feel without soda. I had some this last weekend, and again on Monday (a habit of ordering when at a restaurant), and it just made me feel crappy.

Also AMAZING, is how much better I feel after I have my eyebrows waxed. I look like a girl again!