I hate car shopping.

There.  I said it.

With a 4 year old soaking up everything I say (Seriously!  Last month I overheard her repeatedly tell another customer at a restaurant, "My mommy likes milkshakes, but they make her sick." because I had mentioned it to someone a few days prior), I try to avoid using the word "hate", and instead usually say, "can't stand".

But I am using "hate" now.

Maybe because my daughter can't read my blog.

Or maybe because I'm full of passion regarding how I feel about car shopping right now.

We drove 55 miles one way for an appointment to test drive a Prius.  We had been in communication with the dealership for days, and it finally worked out with our schedule for this afternoon.  We arranged child care because I knew there was no way we were taking a 4 year old with us to sit through the car buying process.  And off we went on our journey.

Are you familiar with the term "bait and switch"?

Let's just say it's strange that a car would be sold and yet the dealership would still confirm with us that we were still coming.  Rather than tell us with common courtesy that the car sold.

I don't know if the car actually existed even.

Regardless, I had no interest in dealing with a company like that.  And I had no problem letting them know that.

I thanked them for the complimentary water, and we were on our way.


What a waste.

I'm just ready for this day to be over.

And for us to magically just have a vehicle dropped in our laps.

Ok, not literally.

I just can't even.

Tonight I told Josh, "It feels like I'm drowning."

I don't know what it is.

Tonight's post will just be a jumpled up mess.

Oops, is that supposed to be jumbled?

Overwhelmed.

Sinking.

I say, "My plate is full."

Ha, it's overflowing.  Things are falling off my plate and making a big mess.

Decluttering isn't just about material objects in my home.  It's more than knick-knacks collecting dust, or toys and clothes that have been outgrown.  It's just as much as it is about decluttering my schedule.  Decluttering my commitments.  Decluttering my mind.

You probably saw this meltdown coming.  Way back in September, right?

I have way too many commitments.  Too many areas of involvement.  Too many things on my To Do list.  It's not possible for me to get them done.  So then they're constantly on my mind and nagging at me and hovering over me and weighing me down!

And then new ideas and new pursuits and new passions are growing inside of me.  But how on earth can I try to seek them out when my life is so stinking full already?!?

I quit.

I just have to figure out what exactly I'm quitting.  What I'm letting go of.  What I'll be releasing.

And how.  And when.

I can't do two events in five days.

Especially when I'm sick.

Saturday's bridal shower was awesome.  I'm so grateful for so much help from others.  I can't even imagine getting through it without their help.

Saturday night Catherine started getting sick.

Now I have it.

And my first Women's Ministry event is in two days.

Of course I'm no where near ready.

Because all my focus has been on Saturday's event. And Catherine's health.  And now my own.

And because I don't do well with church politics.  And bureaucracy.  And trying to navigate my way down the proper channels of communication and permission.

Sometimes it's just easiest for me to do my own thing instead of trying to follow somebody else's arbitrary preferences.

I have a voice.  Let it be heard.

I have gifts.  Let them be shared.

I have passion.  Let it be used.

If this is offensive to you, blame my fever.  Or the strong odor of my perfume that Catherine got into while I was resting.  But you're probably not one of my regular readers anyways.

Now I'm gonna curl back up in my blankets.

I'm just gonna say it:

I HATE WINTER.

I swear every year is worse than the last.  I hate it, hate it, hate it.

We have had uber cold temps - especially for December!  The other morning I called the "time & temp", and it said "-5".  Did you hear that, people?!?  NEGATIVE FIVE!!!!!  And we had to go out in it!

Then today we got dumped on by snow ALL day.  I mean, we woke up to it, and it just kept coming and coming.  Again, the perfect sort of day to just stay home, right?

But we had places to go and people to see.  It was a full day for our schedule.

I had to venture out first for a neighborhood board meeting (oh yes, I'm now on our neighborhood board).

We later attended a "Gotcha Party" to celebrate our friends adopting a daughter.

Our third event of the day - a Christmas Open House - got postponed because of the awful roads/weather.  So instead we made a Target run and then treated ourselves to Hacienda.  Yum!

Catherine, our lovely now two year old, cut our dinner short by behaving like a two year old, and on the way home, I said to Josh, "I don't know if it's even worth it to go out anymore."

I wasn't saying this because of the weather.  I was saying this because we end up so exhausted from dealing with her antics that it's making me ponder just staying home.

I really don't have anything important to say.  I just realized it had been a long time since I'd posted, and the last post was such a downer that I thought I'd post something random and lighthearted.

Oh, poor Catherine every so often has problems pooping.  We have yet to pinpoint the cause, but sometimes she gets pretty constipated and then when she tries pooping (still in a diaper, BTW) she just cries, poor girl.  I talk to her all the time, so recently I started trying to explain to her that it hurts because she's constipated.  I thought it might help her understand part of it if I named/defined the problem.

So now when she's trying to poop - which isn't just in the comfort of a bathroom, mind you, but out in public - she cries and yells "I'M CONSTIPATED!!"

Poor girl, but funny.  I can't help but chuckle.  It's just funny to hear that shouted from a two year old.

So, going back to the Christmas Open House I mentioned...  I am SO excited for this party!!  Fortunately, instead of just canceling it, it was postponed to tomorrow evening.  I should really lower my expectations so that I don't set the bar too high and then feel letdown.  But, seriously, I am pumped!  The hosts are new friends from our church, and it sounds like they love to entertain as much as I do.  Anticipating this event is making me remember how much I used to frequent parties, and realize how much I miss attending and hosting parties!!

I've done a football themed birthday party for Josh the last two years, so I think I'm going to make that an annual thing - maybe move it up a bit to hopefully get nicer weather so the party can expand outside if desired or needed.  We don't have a TON of space indoors, so I like the thought of being able to expand onto the back deck, the front porch, and the back yard.

Football shaped brownies (not as easy as I expected them to be) on a football field platter

Veggies, dip, and hummus in my football shaped bowl

I think this diamond partyware is the first set of fun partyware that I got.

I loved getting to use that condiment holder - 1st time!

This was definitely one of the smallest spreads I've done at a party; I was trying to scale back so I wouldn't get too stressed and overwhelmed.

Catherine in her Notre Dame jersey helping Daddy blow out the birthday cake candles

This shows a perfect example of someone practicing our family tradition of cutting your own piece of cake - however you like it!

My nephew in his ND jersey

My niece and daughter have often worn matching ND dresses this year - how fun!

 I didn't intend to turn this into a party post, but oh well.  Hopefully I'll be able to post sometime soon about Catherine's 2nd birthday party.