The last few weeks have been a blur. I'll give you the shortened and condensed version.
We moved, Yay!
My sister was in a bad car accident, Boo!
She's okay, Yay!(Still neurotic though...xoHannah)
I think I might be coming down with some Seasonal Affective Disorder, Waa!
Things are going to start to clear up though, I can tell. Yay!

This morning I was able to get my butt out of bed and work-out. I skipped a week and could totally feel it in my psyche. I don't love working out, but I love the girls that do it with me, and I love flexing in the mirror. If I pull my extra skin tight, I see some serious guns.

When I got home, Dawson was already to talk me into letting him go to school today. I was all for it since he has progressed past the Exorcist-like, projectile vomiting stage, and into the super whiny and pestery stage. I interpret this to mean, he is not 100%, but probably not contagious either..... That's probably what the mother of the kid who got him sick, thought too. Oh, well.

Since it was 'Shopping with Grandma Day', I told Dawson I would just take him to school, so that I could continue on to Heber. Instantly he starts in on how I never get him to school on time and how he won't get 100% attendance. The kid is a nut about school, and I personally don't get it. It must be a Broadbent thing. Dylan on the other hand has pretended to be sick for the last couple of days, so as not to go to school, which I totally understand. I feel peaceful knowing that the same drive to do well in school for Dawson, will hopefully compel him to take care of me when I am old.

Dawson was completely ready for school, including coat on and zipped, and backpack at the proper ergonomic position, about 45 minutes before we had to leave. He sat right outside the shower and gave me time updates at 1 minute increments. I should have put him on the bus. At some point during the morning we switched roles and I felt like the slacker kid I used to be.

The drive to school felt like an eternity.
"Mom, the speed limit is 55."

"Thanks Daws."

"You're going 60."

"Well, you are straining your seat belt, trying to monitor my speed, and if we get in an accident, you don't want a strained seat belt."

"We wouldn't get in an accident if you didn't speed all the time. Do all cops have lights on there cars, because I think there is one behind us."

Dylan chimes in, "I hope you get caught by the cops mom, that would be sweet."

"I hope the Chevron is out of Ring Pops, that would be even sweeter, and that isn't a cop behind us, I can smell a cop from a mile away." (Just like Kid Rock)

Finally after 8 miles of this, we reach my sanctuary, the Chevron. Dylan and Emma usually get Ring Pops when I get my liquid courage, but Dawson is usually at school, so I asked him if he would like a treat for after school. He said, "No, I would just like to get to school on time please." Whatever.

We did make it to school on time to every one's surprise, even after getting caught up in a heated debate over American Idol, with the gas station regulars. Dawson jumped out of the truck, happy as a clam and ran off. He got about half-way there and turned around to flash me the I Love You sign. I rolled down the window and hollered it back to him. I got an eye roll and a, "Jeez, Mom." for my lack of discretion, but I couldn't help it. I love each of my kids more than anything, and appreciate their unique, individual, personalities, and I don't care who hears it.

We continued on to Heber and did my Gram's hair before heading out on our errands. We gossiped and she updated me on all the people who I don't know, that have died. Long ago I learned to not admit to, not knowing who she was talking about. She would persistently try to convince me that I knew this person who died at 90 years old. I would say I don't, and then she would throw in land marks from 50 years ago that I would not know, like, "You know she was so-and-so's step daughter, they lived up by the old meat packing plant on 5th west and yadda yadda..." Now I just say, "Oh, that's too bad."

On the way to "Wal-Mart" which is actually Walgreens she grills me with the coupons. She has me repeat the brands, ounces and limit on each coupon until she is satisfied that I won't screw up the savings. I meticulously followed her list, including a half-hearted attempt to use a coupon that expired in 2007, but by the time I got around to my own shopping, I had become completely unmotivated. Despite a list a mile long, I arrived home with a four-pack of Cadbury Eggs, The Office Trivia Game and a vat of generic KY Jelly. My family doesn't have anything to eat for the week, but at least I covered the essentials.

We watched The Great Outdoors tonight with the chitlins. I remembered very little of the movie other than it being a John Candy, slap-stick comedy. It was a little more colorful than I remembered, especially since my little boys instantly remember anything colorful. They especially were pumped when they found out that hot dogs were made of, "Lips and assholes." They looked at Dave and I with huge little eyes and asked if they had heard right. I told them that hot dogs were made out of lips and OWL Holes. You know, the holes in Owls. That seemed to suffice, except for Emma continuously repeating, OOWWLL Hole, OOWWLL Hole..... Dave and I probably need to screen our childhood favorites better in the future.