Run for cover!

The bug we have running through the house took out Rik, Anaya and Kayden today, and Malia started complaining of a sore throat and head right before bed tonight, so we'll see how she feels tomorrow. I kind of feel like the last man standing. I'm just assuming I'll get it too, so today it felt like I was getting ready for some impending natural disaster. I made sure I was as caught up on laundry as I possibly could be, stocked the house with quick and easy "fend for yourself" food, got my church stuff all ready for Sunday, got me a whole lot of chocolate (well, you just never know, better to be prepared) and tried to get my house in order.... just in case. I also tried to de-grubie the house... no that does not mean I got rid of the kids, but they are all sicking me out, so I cleaned everything. I went to get McKay's bedding to wash and found all this under his pillow:



Ya, those are chess pieces and several DVDs. I honestly don't know how he sleeps with so many treasures under his pillow... that would drive me crazy. About a month ago Rik and I got him an under the bed rolling bin, and I told McKay he had to put all his treasures in the bin, not just shoved under the bed, because it was too hard to find things. This is what I pulled out back then:



So I told him that he could put things in the bin, and when the bin was too full, it had to be cleaned out. I guess I wasn't really specific about under his pillow.

I thought I would share with you a few of Malia's goals, and then ask for some help. Malia says she wants to go on a mission (Spanish speaking), learn to speak Spanish, sing in the Mormon Tabernacle choir, be in Junior Miss and play the piano for her talent, go to college, get married in the temple and write novels for a living. When I was 12, I think my only goals were to get married in the temple and have kids with dark hair and blue eyes, and technically, that last part shouldn't even be considered a goal.... Apparently Malia is a little more driven than I was, but it's the "writing novels" part of her goals that I need some help with. Malia loves to read and write, and her teacher asked me to find writing contests for Malia to enter, to give her lots of practice writing. I don't quite know where to look to find writing contests (I have found 3 so far). When I search online, there are so many, and I don't know how to narrow my search for contests that would work for Malia. She is in 6th grade and will be 12 in May. If you come accross anything, will you let me know? She falls asleep every night with either the book she reading, or the book she's writing in bed with her.

Yippee! Project Runway will be on in about 20 minutes! That's the only show I watch... at least I try to, it comes on so late, sometimes I really struggle keeping my eyes open. But everyone was asleep by 9:30, the house is clean, and I'm not sick yet... so that is a good night for me.... where'd I hide that chocolate?! (See, good thing I stocked up!)