Pretend We're Normal

Our family has been party happy with the anticipation of a week of "no more teachers, no more books" (Fred has both, but the relaxation of everyone else seems to have calmed his nerves a bit as well).   Fred, Jordan and Mikayla are having fun with their annual "March Madness" contest.  They haven't watched many of the games, but they like picking teams and "competing" against each other with a point value system that they have come up with.  They try to get me involved every year, but it is so out of my realm of interest, that I don't see the point of choosing teams if I don't care whether they win or lose.  I can understand being emotionally involved if I am part of the team, or someone I love is part of the team or even if I used to be personally linked to the team, but I can't pretent nterest in a team that I've never even heard of.  I'm glad they have fun with it, and enjoy it in balanced moderation.  Watching their little "triumphs" and "defeats" against each other is interesting.

Saturday night Fred watched about 40 minutes of March Madness and then spent the evening studying for lectures while Mikayla, Eden, Abe and I played "Settlers of Catan" for 2-1/2 hours!  The game is supposedly an hour game, but my children seem to forget that these games we play are board games, and always turn hem into something quite physical and mentally disturbing approaching uncomfortably high decibal levels.  I don't know how Fred "thinks" in the same house with the hooligans. I, of course, was completely level eaded, but it is hard not to laugh at the crazy antics even while I am trying to be a responsible mother and restore some semblance of order:)  Luckily, Jordan was working a shift at Cookies and Cream and wasn't a part of the mayhem or it would have probably escalated out of control.  The weather predictions for this week point to quite a bit of "comradery" and I am sure will include many more "bonding moments".  

The tone of Saturday evening seemed to carry over even into Sunday morning and as we pulled up in front of the church I was trying to regain some semblance of sanity among the back seats when Jordan, suddenly trying to be helpful said, "Alright, as soon as we open the car doors we will be a normal family".  Not a possibility, but shaking my head, I countered, "please, at least pretend to be normal."  And so, the Bloomquist facade climbed out of the car and "behaved" for a good part of the day.  Fast forward to Monday morning and Mikayla and Eden are thick into an "Iron Chef" contest in the kitchen.  Jordan and Abe are "competing" against each other in some sort of comedic dance competition in the playroom and the twins re waking up in different beds than they started in last night (a common occurence).  Fred is responsibly at work, providing for this insane group, and I am hiding in my bedroom contemplating my influence as a mother over the last 19 years. :)

I have pansies in my windowsill waiting for a day nice enough for me to want to spend time outside, digging holes, and mountains of clean laundry reminding me that today is not that day.  Maybe I will bribe myself with a chapter of reading, right in the middle of the day, each time I fold a basket.  That sounds like a delicious spring break indulgement and might actually motivate me to accomplish the dreaded responsibility!