???

I’ve had a bit of a bothersome belly ache lately.

Sciatica?

Dislocation due to an overly-motivated workout?

Regardless… I’m not feeling right. Off and on. For a few days.

Just a nudge of discomfort… enough for me to feel complainery… but not enough for one to feel the need to enlist the help of medical professionals or anything draaaaaastic.

In one of my complaining moments I said to my 9 year old daughter, “I wonder if it’s my appendix?”

Olivia: What?

Me: My appendix.

Olivia: *confused look*

Me: I wonder if the appendix is on the right or the left. This hurts here *presses on right side* Owie.

Olivia: *still looking confused*

Me: OH! I’m not talking about the appendix of a book, honey!

Olivia: OooooooooooKhay! I didn’t know an appendix was a body part!

*insert laughing We here*

She has the best sense of humor and the MOST infectious laugh. And she works on math for fun.

Speaking of kids… the kids really, really, really want some snow. We had a moment of it… and the youngest was all over it like, like… like a kid on/after an ice cream truck.

So cute. Yet so sad.

C’mon snow.

Do it for Lucy…

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The Appendix: Not to be confused with the appendix is a post from: Jenny On the Spot * This is what I do...

So. I found this new song.

Well, new to us.

Great Big World by Kari Kimmel

I was in the car, taking my girls to school when I played it for them for the first time. Almost before a word was sung, Lucy squealed, “THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE SONG!”

The next day we were driving… listening to Great Big World for the 100upteenthbillioneth time when Lucy interrupted our little sing-along session,

THIS SONG REMINDS ME ABOUT MARTIN! IT’S JUST LIKE THE SONG ABOUT MARTIN!!!

An aside: in case you didn’t know… Lucy eats, sleeps, drinks and talks in ALL CAPS.

To be clear.

I probed, “Martin?” Knowing the answer, since MLK day was only days away.

YEAH! MARTIN!

I turned off Great Big World so she could sing the song about Martin to me.

And then I took video… because, folks… this is the dream if ever there was a dream…

I do love her. I really do love that girl…

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday… and take care of your Loves…

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A Song About Martin Luther King Jr. and A Big Bright Sun is a post from: Jenny On the Spot * This is what I do...

It is quite possible you could.

I don’t know.

Maybe.

I seriously doubt you’d be able to pick my 6 year old out of a line-up.

Unrelated, I think it’s stupid they only sell floofy, sparkly purple skirts and pink, fuzzy slipper boots in girl sizes.

Yeah… totally unrelated.

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Could you pick my kid out of a line-up? is a post from: Jenny On the Spot * This is what I do...

I don’t remember being 6.

I don’t so much need to because I can just watch my girl… Flying…

And bouncing…

And just plain being toothlessly happy. Bloody nose and all…

What makes you happy right now? I am pretty happy I have all my teeth. And to have that happy bug for a daughter…

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Being 6 (and three-quarters) is a post from: Jenny On the Spot * This is what I do...

Oh man. It’s been busy.

You been busy?

I bet you have you busy, busy bee, you! You have probably been busy hiking or finishing holiday snacks or napping or stalking old high school nemesiissses on Facebook. Or maybe you’ve been busy doing taxes or something fun like that.

Crap. Taxes.

Aaaanywho… In an effort to break the relative silence from here the last several days… I bring to you an offering of my last born.

Well, a picture.

Because, OF COURSE of all the things you have been doing, “Look at another picture of Jenny’s kids” was on your list. Right?

I thought so.

Lucy has had QUITE the impressive snaggle tooth for a great many weeks. She would ask almost daily for her dad to pull it. I tried once and almost threw up. Furthermore and thushence… each time my husband would try, I’d have to walk away and hide my gagging.

I am a terrible mother.

But Lucy.

And that snaggle tooth.

It’s gone! It was ready. It needed to be ready because heven help me it was a ghastly, dangly mess.

But then I was really sad because I am emotional wreck of a woman and… my baby! Her baby teeth days are numbered! I love her tiny Lucy teeth. I will miss all those tiny Lucy teeth…

She is so cute she makes me ache.

On the other hand she also makes me gag. She thought it felt really cool to shove her tongue through the gap AND NOT STOP. And that made me get gaggy…

I know.

I have a problem. My poor kids.

Actually, poor me. My kids are learning how to use this weakness in their favor.

They think it’s funny.

Niiiice.

So.

Happy New Year?

Oh, OK…. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Peace and strong gag reflexes to all!

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Losing teeth and doing taxes is a post from: Jenny On the Spot * This is what I do...

Literally.

Ish.

Actually… Two left SHOES.

Before I became a mom I assumed I’d hit lows.

I just had no idea that a day would come where my husband would call up the stairs and say,

Hey Jenny? These shoes you want Lucy to wear… they’re both left feet.

In which case I find myself weighing my options… Lucy in a pretty holiday dress… wearing navy blue tennies with peace signs OR a pair of shiny(ish) black Mary Janes… that are both left shoes. I yell down…

Oh. Yeeeeeaaaaah. Uh…. Just have her wear the black ones. No one will notice.

Lest you forget, we’ve been known to wear one flip flop and one boot.

And when I write WE, I mean LUCY.

Oh, by the way… the 2 left shoes in question I discovered are not same size. One is a size 1 and the other  is a 13.5.

I was going to take a picture of my sweet girl in her different-sized, 2 left shoes… But I was ashamed. Somehow a written story is less pathetic-seeming when unaccompanied by a picture of a cute little girl oblivious to the 2 left shoes on her feet.

I don’t know why. I’m talking about my little girl who wears the cut-off legs of sweat pants on her feet and head…

And then begs me to take a picture.

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MY CURRENT GIVEAWAYS! $250 gift card here, 10% code to Shabby Apple here, a fun game for the family here, and a $200 Walmart gift card here!

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Her two left feet… I mean SHOES. is a post from: Jenny On the Spot * This is what I do...

So.

My kids are pretty awesome.

Cute.

Talented.

Charming.

Over the last number of years our family has found ourselves cozily tucked into a wonderful community called: CHILDREN’S THEATRE.

In fact, when my middle daughter first entered the local children’s theatre group… I made a video.

It’s terrible. It is one of my first vlogs – bad lighting, the scarf made me look like floating head, shooting from the chin up (BAD JENNY!), I’m not looking into the camera… and my braces. Oh have mercy.

So. Our family is quickly approaching the next production with this group – Wizard of Oz. If I am hard to find the first couple of weeks in December – it will be because I will be playing the role of  THEATAH MOTHAH… applying mascara and eyeliner to my children… silently cursing myself all the while.

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED PUTTING EYELINER ON A 4 or 5 or 6 YEAR OLD???

OR A 12 YEAR OLD BOY?

Let’s just say… only a mother’s love… only  mother’s love…

Where was I going with this?

OH.

Cast bios.

The kids’ cast bios are due, so I finally sat down with the kids to get them written. One of the questions was, “There’s no place like home…” What is home to you.?

Joel, the 12 y.o. - happiness. *swoon*

Olivia, the 9 y.o. – warmness. *awww*

Lucy, the 6 y.o. – a house. *blinkblink*

A house.

Thespians.

*Jenny steps away to tuck the girls in*

*Jenny returns*

Just got back from praying with Lucy. She wouldn’t get off her back because she felt like a doll was behind her.

Poor thing.

In the middle of the night last night she said bears came out of floating red eyes… I found her in the bathroom, screaming… standing in a puddle of pee.

My poor little girl…

So tonight we prayed for sweet dreams… For Jesus to fill her mind with happy things… like flowers and unicorns and chips-n-salsa and the softest blankets…

She added, “And sausage.”

And sausage.

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“There’s no place like home…” is a post from: Jenny On the Spot * This is what I do...

My Lucy.

She’s my little buddy.

And sometimes my little nemesis.

And a mini-me. If I could find that one picture of me when I was her age, I would totally show you how twin-like we are. If you talk to my mom, she would testify that I drove her just as crazy as Lucy drives me.

Mom. I appreciate you. And I apologize.

So.

Not too long ago I needed a picture of my teeth. I tried to do it myself, but… not so much. No one was home but Lucy. She’s 6. I figured she couldn’t do any worse than short-armed me.

“Hey Lucy! Can you take a picture of Mama?”

“YEAH!!!”

Her tiny hands coupled with determination held that beast of a camera like a pro. I may need to hire her:

Then I she asked if I would take a picture of her.

OF COURSE!

We have the same smile. I love that.

And those freckles… She knows she keeps those angels busy… always kissin’ on her nose.

But she’d really love to lose a tooth. She’s ready for a visit from that tooth fairy!

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Maybe she’ll be a photographer! is a post from: Jenny On the Spot * This is what I do...

Lucy has mastered the art of warding-off the Boogey Man:

A stuffed animal and dolly forcefieldshrine next to mom’s side of the bed.

Lucy, the big-o-first grader that she is… is having some issues with getting to sleep.

FOR ALL HER LIFE.

Energizer should do a energy study on this girl.

She is always stretching bed time. Lately, she claims she is scared.

A few days ago she yelled down to me from her bed, “I’m SCARED!”

I yelled back, “Stop being scared and start being awesome!”

She was so awesome she ended up camping at the side of my bed that night.

The next night she was she came downstairs to me and said, “I’m scared.” I was thouht I’d give “awesome” one more shot: “Stop being scared and start being awesome!” Then she was all, “OK.” And went to bed.

Marched upstairs. Went to sleep.

I am not even kidding.

Enter the weekend… and more of the being scared and sleeping on the floor beside my bed.

Why doesn’t she sleep in bed WITH me?

BECAUSE MAMA REFUSES TO SLEEP WITH A TORNADO THAT HAS LONG TOENAILS AND THROWS PUNCHES.

Saturday night I got home late. Read: I was absent for all her manipulations declarations of being afraid. Instead I walked into my room and found her securely in her “safe room” beside my bed.

In the morning I asked about her set-up.

“It’s so the Boogey Man couldn’t get me. He’s a skeleton and he would break if he tried to walk over my dollies.”

I feel bad.

But I still feel like she really knows how to work her mama.

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Speaking of bedtime… today is the last day to enter to win a TEMPUR Pedic – details here!

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How a six-year-old wards off the Boogey Man. is a post from: Jenny On the Spot * This is what I do...

Did I tell you that Lucy learned how to tie her shoes this summer?

Have I ever told you that Lucy marches to the beat of her very own especially sparkly drum?

She does.

Recently she bounced my way and emoted, “MOM!!! I tied my shoes so no one can see my laces!”

I wish you could see her knees. She will never, not ever be a leg model. She has the knees and shins of a 14 year-old professional skateboarder. Tough as nails, that girl.

And clearly, has an eye for sock rolling.

It has really been only a week since she mastered shoe tying. And now it seems that she can do it behind her back feet.

One more note – my picture quality… You try photographing a tornado marching to the beat of it’s own sparkly drum and see how well you do.

*****

Do you like chocolate, ice cream and free? I got the hook-up from Dove Ice Cream, but you need to go HERE and read about the hot guys passing out pashminas on a yacht.

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So that no one can see the laces. is a post from: Jenny On the Spot * This is what I do...