It's been 10 days

since I last blogged.  And the last one was really just a picture upload.  I have a number of excuses ranging from the moderately interesting to the exceedingly lame.  If you have the patience to wade through a litany of self indulgent rationalizations then be my guest. If not, I won't hold it against you.  The blogesphere is not a pretty place to host a pity party.

Justification #1) We were on a mini vacation. A mini vacation to a place where internet, wireless capabilities and 3G networks don't exist. It was great! We all had fun. Not being plugged for several days can be great but falling off the blogging bandwagon is definitely an unintended consequence.  

Justification #2)And this one is a real shocker... we were/are sick. No, not an upper respiratory infection this time. Even better. An harrowing stomach flu ravaged through our home. So okay, that's a little dramatic. Let me be more precise.  An harrowing stomach flu ravaged through me.  The rest of them just puked a few times. I on the other hand was so sick that at one point I was on the floor, curled into fetal position wishing for the sweet, sweet mercy that being hit by a sudden bolt of electricity would bring.  I haven't felt that miserable since October 2005 and that time I came home with a baby.

Justification #3) The boys are 18 months.  So what you say? Just ten days ago you were bragging to a friend about how "easy" they were.  Just ten days ago you were trying to decide when to time the arrival of numero four. HA! How stupid of me! I hadn't even thought through the logical conclusion.  Right in front of my eyes these sweet natured, cheerful, content little babies where slowly morphing into defiant, exhausting, exasperating toddlers. They are more needy, clingy, whiny and demanding then when they were newborns. Except now they have the energy and physical prowess of Pygmy chimps. Add to that a three year old who has recently dubbed herself "the little boss" and my aspirations to do more than lay in a vegetative state post 7pm is severely limited.

Justification #4) Have I mentioned how stressed I am? Have I mentioned that stress makes me eat.... eat and lay in a vegetative state? Did I tell you about the picture I recently took in which I refer to myself as a "cupcake".  Nicknaming oneself after a delightful little pastry is definitely the low point and the last sad step before a four to five day treadmill regimen is imposed. While this hopefully will be a positive step towards earning a new,more flattering, nickname it definitely limits the "extra curricular" activities I can pursue during that much anticipated "afternoon nap/quiet time". 

I wish I could end this with a resolute statement on "making time",  "setting priorities" " blah, blah and blah" but my willpower is currently being siphoned away by three greedy children, 15 pounds of lard and my desire to spend any spare moment left with my very wonderful and loving husband who gives the best shoulder and foot rubs I've ever had. 

H-I-N-T. H-I-N-T.