Ahstumpedem.

I’m 30 weeks and two days pregnant. It’s 100.1 degrees outside, 89.2 degrees in my house and it’s supposed to continue getting hotter to the end of the week. I’ll just state my misery and leave it at that. We’re making several gallons of sun tea a day around here and it’s dark brown within minutes of being set outside. Can we call that a science experiment or some such thing?

We’re back to school full-time. It’s been interesting, throwing a preschooler into the midst. Sterling loves his schoolwork, but having three students gets interesting. The only thing that makes me think we really can do this is my older kids are getting more and more independent in their work. Five years from now, provided everyone follows the path they are on, I’ll have a kindergartner, a first grader, a third grader, a fourth grader, a seventh grader and an eighth grader. You’ll find me in the nuthouse.

Charlotte has decided to go to one nap a day. All of my kids have done this around a year old. She’s a little young at 9.75 months old, but she’s making up for it: she’s sleeping 10 am – 4 pm. So very strange. So long as she continues to sleep all night, I guess it doesn’t matter. She’s not likely to learn to crawl or walk very fast when she’s missing out on so much of our day this way though. Thinking we’re headed back to the days of carrying two babies again. Sterling walked at 19 months and he and Ruby are 15 months apart. Fun times.

And, to prove I’m coping the heat oh so well and not completely crabby right about now… Blaine was quizzing the kids on states and capitals at the dinner table last night. He’d name a state and one of the girls would (hopefully) pipe up with the capital. “New Hampshire.” Quiet. Nothing. Wracking my brain for the answer, all was quiet. “I’ve stumped them,” he said. “Ahstumpedem?” Eden questioned, puzzled. “I don’t remember that one.”

I laughed so hard that I cried. And then I came up with the correct answer. Concord. But ‘Ahstumpedem’ works in a pinch, I suppose.