It’s crazy how amazingly easy it is to move a blog.  So here I am in my new home.  I’m still trying to decide if I like this theme (design) or if I want to change it, but changing the theme is also very easy so if you hate it, just say so.  I’m not sure I like the giant black letters in the title, but I can’t seem to change that without changing to a different theme so maybe that font will grow on me.

One of the reasons I’ve been wanting to move the blog is because a lot of people had a hard time leaving a comment when my blog was on Blogger.  Only a few people commented so there were lots of times that I felt like I was talking to myself (which is fine since I use this as sort of a family chronicle) but then I’d have people tell me that they woke their kids up by laughing at something I wrote, or that they read the blog with their husband every morning, or that reading my blog makes them feel less like they’re the only crazy person out there.  I actually love hearing that because one of my goals in writing this blog is to bust the myths that everyone’s house is spotless, everyone’s kids are well-behaved, and everyone is living the life of June Cleaver.

Anyway, I know people are reading it because often when I try to tell a friend about something that happened in my life, they stop me and say, “Oh yeah, I read about that on your blog.”  And sometimes I get unsolicited assistance, like the link to sign up for Supernanny that Lana sent me a while back after watching a video of Naughty Norah.

So I know you’re out there, and I want you to be able to comment easily and often.  If I write about how my kid told her teacher that, “Mommy said the f-word at breakfast,” you could leave a comment about your kid ratting you out on something.  Or if I sound like I’m getting too close to the edge (again), you could leave a comment saying, “Meet me at the Met Bar Friday night at 7 for a Blood Orange Cosmo.”  Get my drift?  If you’re reading this, click that little “Leave a Comment” link down below, and tell me that you’re here!

I don’t think most people consider me lazy but yesterday I did feel a little like a slug when I couldn’t work up the energy to take all three kids into Starbucks.  I REALLY wanted a coffee to enjoy at soccer practice while the other kids played on the playground and I vegetated in the car.  Why the hell don’t we have drive-thru Starbucks around here anyway?!  They’re all over the south!

So I did what tired-out moms have been doing since the good old days, when they’d send their kid down to the corner store for a pack of butts (my mom didn’t smoke but a lot of my friends’ moms did), I sent Aliya into Starbucks with my “grande non-fat mocha” written out on a scrap of food wrapper I found on the floor of my car.

I swear, the first woman who came out (wearing a modified snuggie and smoking a butt) after Aliya went in gave me a look like “you lazy slug, sending your kid into Starbucks.”  I hoped that the two kids fighting over a paper clip in the back seat would illustrate my immediate need for coffee and my reluctance to unbuckle their restraints and take them within proximity of breakables.

The coffee took a really long time, so I started to have those negative thoughts, like maybe someone kidnapped Aliya out the front door while I waited at the back, or Starbucks employees were holding her in the storage room until DSS arrived.  She finally came out, with another woman who gave me a look like “I’m feelin you with those three kids and a jones for coffee,” and I enjoyed every sip.

And a personal assistant was born.
.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0]

I really can’t remember a week as busy as last week.  I had so much going on at work, at home, and at school, that every moment was double-booked and I had to put all of my blogging activities on hold.  It was a really hectic week and I’m glad it’s over.  On the bright side, all of the hard work paid off and we had a lovely teacher appreciation lunch, a successful school fundraiser, and a relaxing Mothers’ Day, which I will post about shortly.

So as I was saying, when I look at other peoples’ kids it feels like time is flying by.  Case in point, we just went to our friend Victoria’s first holy communion.  Aliya and Victoria have known each other since they met at day care when they were 6 and 7 months old.  It’s amazing – that was 8 years ago!

Adlani and Shane were born just over a week apart, so they’ve known each other since birth.  I will never forget driving Aliya and Vic to see Elmo or Barney in Worcester and telling Karen that I thought I was pregnant and finding out that she was too!!

Poor Sydney plays the part of the older sibling in the motley crew, and then there’s Miss Norah, who tags along with whoever’s nearby.  I think it will be so cool to see everyone grow up together and remember all the little moments of their childhoods intertwined.

Here are pics of Aliya and Vic, and Shane and Adlani in the early days:

And some from the first holy communion celebration:

Adlani’s obviously plotting an accidental frosting interaction.

Norah loves salad.

This is what happened when I said, “Act like you like each other.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIvrS00qlbM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0]