Winter to Spring Doing Our Thing

Alright,  Checking in.  Here's some stuff.

I don't know if you already know this but raising five kids and working and managing all my extra people and dealing with law schools and adulting in general is time demanding.  So the blog falls by the wayside.  

I've reapplied to law schools in Utah.  I got into both of them.  BYU (LDS school) has an honor code including parameters about hair.  When I interviewed with them I went in head to toe pink because why hide the ball but after I got in and had to go to Admitted Student's Day I needed to address the hair situation.  

This is my solution until I make some decisions.  I've not decided which school I'm going to yet. 

Got this wig in Las Vegas because errybody knows if you're buying a wig you go to where the black girls go.  And as far as the style, go big or go home, right?  

I'm not convinced I'm passing.  When people look at me I don't know if they're looking at the most amazing hair a woman has ever had OR if they're trying to assess if it's a wig and why.  I feel really conspicuous when I wear it.  Believe it or not I feel as uncomfortable looking "normal" as the people who say "You're so brave" would if they had my style.  

See?  Totally comfortable.  I yam what I yam.  And I yam a little bit nuts.

 That's my update.  Bit nuts, worrying about law school, still having fun.  

And here are the kids updates.

 Lou (2 1/2) is in the best phase.  She happily entertains herself all day and she's just charming.  Other than her ear piercing shriek cultivated by the persistent invasion of space and teasing courtesy of Silas, she is an absolute doll.  She has so many words but my favorites are when you ask her if she needs her diaper changed and she says "No, I fine." and "Yas Qween."

Mimi's update is that she is doing great in school, has moved to share a room with Lou, sold a ton of Girl Scout Cookies, and is still playing with her American Girl Dolls and it makes me so happy.  She is interested in making money so here are a couple of photos that Niya uses to send her on modeling jobs.  She's helpful and doing a lot of cooking, but she's suffering with allergies and is currently planning her post-high school culinary school life in a "less dry country like Fiji."

Jude is in a macho phase, as is evident in his pictures.  He's a tough guy.  He's really into his Scout program, baseball, reading, and spending his life in the backyard.  He prefers to be outside.  

Jude's hair color of choice is turqouise right now.  Tough guy though he is he definitely has a weak spot for the babies.

The children helped Robyn with this painting which she then submitted to her school's art show.  The kids were so surprised when their names were up on the wall!

Parenting these last few months has come with a lot of politics and horror.  The chaos of the current state of American politics added upon the chaos of having five children cooped up indoors during this rainy spring leaves me feeling overwhelmed.

Mimi, however, is a light and a joy EXCEPT WHEN SHE'S ON ALLERGY MEDS.  Note to self next year:  only give her the nose spray crap because she's a total terror if you give her claritin or others.

M is living the life though.  She loves her teacher who allows for her crazy headband collection.  Yes, she still wears the headbands.  Remember when she was little and had specific headbands just for sleeping?

This is Girl Scouts.  We went on a rad field trip to the Utah Opera where they create all the gigantic sets and hand make all of the costumes.  I wished Pam could be there the whole time.

We also obtained an animal.  I fought it for a long time but then resolved that the children needed an animal.  So we went to Kitty City (pronounced titty city if you're Silas) and this old cat was super chill when the children mauled her.  I hate the way cats feel when you pet them but this one feels soft and doesn't make me want to wash my hands.  I think she's ugly.  The kids adore her.  We named her Moonshadow.

Oh Philo.  Such a babe.  He finally learned to walk at 14 months which is a great relief because that kid weighs 25 pounds and doesn't help when you hold him.  His tricks include saying a few words (mama, bye, dada, yeah, quack, all done) and messing up my house.  With so many people here it's impossible to really baby proof the house so it's mostly chasing after him as he runs with a sharpie and helps put away the knives.  Thankfully we are all on alert and make sure he's safe.

Hush is a great not living with us father.  He takes the babies every other weekend and a few times during the week. It affords me plenty of big kids time including a road trip down to Las Vegas to support Alex through her divorce from Lil' Pat.  It was fun to show them the Chihuly at the Bellagio because they'd studied his art with me last summer.

Sometimes you want a rad jacket for Jude but it costs like $1000 and you have to settle for a picture of it instead.

More Mimi.  We had like two days of nice weather last month and Mimi gave Ty and Jude pedicures.  She told them they were superhero pedicures, hence the facemasks.

Oh,  Saint Patrick's Day.  Our traditions are the mustaches, green dye in everything, gold coins, house trashed by the leprechauns.

I feel we represented in full force this year.  Greenans commit.

Philo at the Children's Museum experiencing a tactile moment of bliss.

Grandpa Jim also came to town and helped us with a bunch of yard work.  He was helpful!  He did not ski though.  He wimped out.

We also hit Mystic Hot Springs sometime in March which was rad and so much fun.

Oh, and we went to Danville to see Pam's play.  We're a busy fam.  Self explanatory pictures.