Confessions of a real, desperate housewife

> My blog abandonment is a direct result of some funk I've been living in. Totally uninspired and completely lazy. I suspect I'll snap out of it about the time spring rolls around.

> This photo taken during Alivia's preschool Valentine's Day party last Thursday was the first picture I had taken of the kids in three weeks. Had I picked up the camera in those weeks any photos taken would have involved snot or fighting. I did the world a favor by not documenting either.

> Some days I get tired of wiping behinds. It's true ... I do a lot of wiping.

> The girls love these pumpkin spice scones. I hate making them. It's the whole grating frozen butter thing that gets me. I make them anyway.

> I recently finished reading Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin and enjoyed it (Mandy and Gina pick yourselves up now). And to answer my mom's question, "no, I still wouldn't vote for her."

> I spend much more time reading story books than memoirs; as such, The Lion & the Mouse, There and All the World are my new favorites.

> We're approaching birthday number three for Trace and Alysse. I really struggle with their celebration each year. There's something bittersweet about it: the joy that we've made it through another year and the sadness that another year is gone. It's the happiest/saddest day of the year for me.

> Alena renews my faith in the public school system. Her talk of book spines and speech bubbles makes me giddy.

> All three bathrooms in our house are spotlessy clean. This is akin to the planets aligning.

> I consumed so much coffee today that I most likely won't sleep until Friday; thus explaining the clean bathrooms and return to blogging.

> My heart is heavy for a sister who is dealing with about all she can handle. I know, though, she'll muddle through ... afterall, you never let an asshole get the best of you.

> I haven't missed an episode of The Bachelor. It truly is television at its worst, but I'm religiously sucked into the drama and smut every Monday.

> Right now, there's nothing much I like more than listening to the kids sing along with Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" on the radio.

> Alivia and I could forget the rest of the world if put in a bookstore and given the chance. This makes my heart happy.

> I'm selfishly wishing away the next six weeks or so. We desperately need warmer weather, a thawing out and open windows.