So it's about 3:45 in the afternoon...

     I have to specify afternoon because I could just be more than a little obsessive and already writing early early in the morning. Actually I am not sure why I am telling you that, because I am pretty sure that when I publish this post, it will automatically tell the whole world what time it is, *sigh*. I think my point is that not only is it after 3:30 in the afternoon, but I still haven't done ANY dishes, it has been raining for over half the day for the 6th day in a row which means we are in the house yet again. I also have absolutely no plans for dinner tonight as we have already eaten all the leftover sweet mashed potatoes from last nights dinner, and I am hardly into laundry load #2. (Not that big of a deal, but when there are still 2+ to go, that means laundry won't be done til sunday because it will drag all through the weekend as I will only do it as we NEED the clothes that were left in the washer 2 days prior, or the wet musty smell of old laundry will get to us, and I will finally decide to finish it.
     So what to do? Not only has the house gone to pot, but I have managed to run circles around vacation plans. I have finally gotten somewhere though, with a lucky call from my sister in Iraq to confirm her plans once she returns in the next few weeks. I just love vacation, even if it will be just for a few days in between moving from here to Texas. That's right, only about 5 weeks to go, and a new military adventure awaits us! We'll see how well we are able to keep up eating right on the road. I hardly think a "wilted salad with a mealy tomato wedge and ranch dressing" as old Clooney puts it in one of my fav movies (Intolerable Cruelty, and whether most of you like it or not, I think it was a gem) counts as a satisfactory requirement for a serving of vegetables. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it however.  Now, back to dinner.
     Apparently I should just stick with breakfast foods. The kids seem happy enough on cereal and milk when they get a chance to eat it. Besides the issue of what to make, they are honestly not that hungry by the time dinner comes along because I have to fend them off from the fridge every afternoon as snack time is turning more and more into a prolonged all you can eat hour long buffet. Case in point; They all just had a yogurt, and a naturally sweetened fruit roll-up. Still hungry. I gave them an option for fruit so they are fighting over 2 apples (no I did not give each one an apple, the youngest has always detested anything that required chewing let alone a peel) but suddenly with his interest in the food item and everyone's voracious hunger, I am considering stuffing them full now, and skipping dinner all together. It's overrated anyway, and maybe a light snack instead this evening will be a success. We actually tried that early this week when we were rained in on MLK day and decided to turn the living room into an outdoor camping experience. Now my creativity is tapped. It is Friday after all.
     Perhaps a homemade veggie pizza. We pull off a great one with homemade ranch sauce and believe it or not sliced zucchini and squash, and when we eat it regularly enough they actually will leave the veggies mostly un-picked. Or maybe a delicious eggplant bake. Yeah that one works too if we tell them the eggplant is like meat. It may or may not be thai food night, with green coconut curry, pad thai and homemade lumpia. Sounds a little too adventurous for my lack of productivity today though. Well, I just heard the buzzer on the dryer, and if I wrap this up and send them outside to jump in mud puddles and catch up on a little lost vitamin D for the week, perhaps I will be up for something extra-ordinary this Friday night. Maybe even a few finalized vacation purchases. Stay tuned!