on a quest to find a chandelier so i can do something like this



aren't they grand? not sure what room i'd put it in, but i'd find someplace.

the last two days have been full of school. wow, it is a lot harder than i expected, but we're hanging in. i think all together we've done close to two weeks of school work over the past month. it feels good to have some "extra" days under our belt. we'll need them once the baby comes, i'm sure.

i took the kids to Shipe park this afternoon for a swim and to play a bit. we saw a couple of Maplewood/swim team pals. we were only there an hour, but it was nice to get out even if it was 105 degrees.

my belly is so very big, it makes me wonder if there is any way there was a missed twin. i've read accounts about a twin being missed in the first and second trimester ultrasounds, only to be discovered in the third. i guess we'll see in a couple of weeks when i go back to the doctor. i'll be 27 weeks then. i don't remember my tummy ever being this big at this point. and i'm not round all over, so i don't think it's just fatness.

i have the kids doing all sorts of chores these days and it is really wonderful! they each have a  dinner clean up chore, they each oversee and particular room in the house to keep tidy, they have an outside area they are responsible for sweeping, and they each have a bathroom job. the chore assignments rotate each week. i also have one of them help me with laundry, and that rotates each day. the miraculous thing is that i haven't had any resistance from them.

Brian's parents are coming into town Friday evening to spend one night. they're on their way somewhere else, but wanted to stop in and see us. they're gonna babysit for Brian and i so we can go hear Randy Rogers Band at Nutty Brown Cafe, which should be fun.

well, 5:15 comes early, so i'd better hit the hay.