Stress Stress Stress

Most days have some element of stress in them. Then I have days of overwhelming stress. Today is one of those days. And while I am musing about the source of my stress, I thought writing would be helpful. So here we go... Why am I feeling such huge stress today?

Could it be….

The capes I have to get done from start to finish and get mailed today, not only the busiest day of the year at the post office, but on a Monday which I am advised to avoid year round by my friends at the post office. (they are my friends now because I see them all the time.)

The last minute project for Brandon that he can’t procrastinate another day? This would be to make an Egyptian food and bring it for the class. It was actually due 1 ½ weeks ago... but like I said about the procrastination. Now we chose a recipe that shouldn’t be too stressful – If I didn’t have about an inch of milk left in our last milk carton. (I didn’t realize I was out of milk until this morning). So, we are going to have to head to the store to get the milk and little cups, THEN get the stuff made and taken to the school before 12:00.

Our house smells like the fish we ate last night for dinner. Normally this would be unusual, but we didn’t get around to doing the dishes last night. Waking up to a fish smell when you are pregnant… wow. Nothing to make you feel better!

I forgot to take my pills last night before going to bed. The effects are pretty immediate.

Before I take a shower I need to go digging for my laundry. I have had to do this for about a week now, as well as the rest of my family. My kids need help finding socks, Ryan and I don’t have garments. I am out of pants. My laundry has been in the process of getting done but I haven’t had the time to finish and then sort it. And in the process, it looks like I haven't done anything because the laundry multiplies while we all sleep.

My bathroom that I will shower in that hasn’t been cleaned for about a month… (I can’t believe I am admitting this.)

My boys’ sideburns that desperately need to be trimmed. I had to help Brandon try to tuck his behind his ears now for two mornings in a row. Ryan had 2 job interviews last week with “wings” as I call them (side of hair long and flowing).

While I am at the store – should I get the milk, butter and bread that we are totally out of? How about the shampoo Brandon said he is completely out of? (Of course he doesn’t tell me until the moment he is all the way out. Typical male.) Can I allow myself to buy this a Maceys or do I HAVE to make a trip to Walmart?

Rachael’s first dance recital is tonight. She will want everything perfect. :)

All the little things… the girls activity day pictures I was supposed to have turned in yesterday, that I stayed up too late last night, that Jacob took 20 minutes in the bathroom “brushing his teeth” to tell me he can’t put the toothpaste on the toothbrush. You know, kid things.

By the way… Jacob’s constant question he keeps asking me (besides what day is it, is it a Nintendo and TV day, and is what he is eating healthy or not healthy) is what does Lode in Lode Runner mean? Does anyone know? I keep trying to put him off and tell him I don’t know because I don’t play that game. But he keeps asking.

Crazy Crazy Crazy

Just wish me luck! And then come clean my bathroom and do my laundry! :)

The truth about bovines

Well, blame my schedule I guess... I haven't written for some time. Life is busy and only going to get busier! Ryan and I and the fam went on a trip to Washington State to visit his family, many of which live in a little city called Cheney. While there, I learned how I have been lied to my entire life about a very important subject. Not only have these tales of falsehood come from books, movies, family and even TEACHERS, but they are ingrained in even the youngest of children. Hang on to your buttons... what I am about to reveal may be shocking to many of you.

Did you know a cow cannot be male? Yes, that is true. A cow is only female. I know I know... sounds fishy, but it is true. You may wonder how this is possibly correct when obviously more cows are produced all the time. (biology... 7th grade) However, I learned that in the species of bovines, female bovines are called cows. You milk them, they have babies. If you want a male bovine, you want a bull or steer. The difference between a bull and steer is that a steer is a fixed bull. (Meaning he can't reproduce) When ranchers (very different from farmers, but another story) have their fields of bovines, they have many cows so those cows can produce milk and make more cows, and only ONE bull. That is because at a ranch, bulls are very um... territorial and well - polygamy is practiced in those fields in abundance. The rest of the bovines that are born, kept, and male, are fixed so as to not encroach on the "king bull's" territory. Those are the source of meat we eat. (raised and then sold for hamburgers and steak and roasts - YUM!)

Another interesting fact - You can tell the type of cow and the milk it will give by the coloring of the cows. Now my in-laws explained this complicated system to me and the only thing I can remember is that holstein cows are black and white and they produce milk with higher cream content - used to make ice cream and stuff. But there are actually 3 kinds of cows that produce 3 different kinds of milk and are used for 3 different types of food - from the milk we drink to the ice cream we eat. And I asked what happens if there is a mixed breed (like only half holstein cow half another kind). That question obviously had never been asked before and after getting odd looks they told me that doesn't happen. Hey - why not? If you can have mutts and mixed breeds of all other animals, why not cows and steer? But I guess that doesn't happen in the world of bovines.

So I thought about this subject for a long time. Why do they call all bovines cows when we are little? Did I only learn about female bovines my entire life? Now that the knowledge has settled in, I was teaching nursery today and we were singing Old Mac Donald had a farm. I picked a 'bovine' (aka cow) to sing about next and had to stop myself. Will those nursery kids understand if I give them a lesson that Old Mac Donald actually had a bovine and we sing it that way? How do we know that he only had cows and not steer too? Do steer not moo? It's a sexist world if you ask me. And now I have to contribute to it! But when opportunity arises, I will be sure to explain the difference and do my part in correcting this wrong that those of us average intelligence have been told. Think about that next time you pass a field of ... bovines!