Here’s what the math facts are saying around here lately:
15: the number of people who said they want to come to the Girls’ Night Out! Actually, there were a lot more that said they wanted to come, but they had silly excuses like 28-hour drives or previous commitments and stuff. (We’ll miss you. *Sniff*) If you said “yes,” go check your email RIGHT NOW. I need a confirmation before I buy your ticket. It’s not too late to join the fun. Here’s all the info, so just leave a comment on that post to let me know you’re interested, and I’ll forward you the email about it. I’m going to purchase tickets Thursday night or Friday morning.
The rest of the ugly numbers . . .
7: the number of days left before my husband has to take the Bar exam.
3000: the number of dollars it cost to buy the prep materials for the Bar exam.
0: the number of times I smiled when I told him that if he doesn’t pass this test, he’s a dead man.
90,000: the number of dollars we owe the government for allowing us to have 4, now going on 5, years of school-related stress and husband-related absence.
30+: the number of times I’ve put the kids to bed by myself while he has been studying (because he has to, not because he’s lazy) since Christmas.
0: the number of trophies I will win as “most supportive wife ever.”
6: the number of months we have lived here because all of that work really did help him get a wonderful job, even though we had to move across the country.
changing subject, but still counting . . .
6: the number of “breakfast” purchases I just saw on Clark’s school lunch purchase history. He eats breakfast at home every day before he leaves, mind you.
3: the number of the hour in the morning that I stayed up until last week watching “The Locator” on TV? Have you ever seen it? They help reconnect lost or estranged family members.
4 and half: the number of gallons of tears I shed while watching multiple episodes of aforementioned show.
2 1/2: the number of books I’ve read in the past week. Yay me.
1: the number of really decent meals I’ve cooked in the past week. I’ve cooked a few others, but they don’t really fall into the decent category.
57: the number of degrees that our house was when I woke up the other morning. I about died. I think I might have felt the same if I had spent the night inside our refrigerator. I awoke to Grant standing in our doorway wrapped in a quilt.
5: The number of books Natalie read this week. Natalie learned how to read this week!!
12: The number of phone calls I had to make to get Natalie an appointment with a pediatric endocrinologist that could see her before April. (I’ll say more about this a little later when hopefully I have more answers.)
10: The number of children that were baptized at the same time as Grant the weekend before last. It was not easy for me to make the transition to what seemed like a conveyer-belt approach to baptism, but I’ll bite my tongue and try not to complain about it (publicly). Despite my frustrations, it was a lovely day, mostly because a lot of family was here to share the day with us. And, of course, because Grant was happy.
4 or 5: the number of times I have wanted to put Grant in solitary confinement this week. Incidentally this number is down about 235% from last week.
-4.61: the number under the column “available balance” in my checking account right now. (Sorry, honey)
623: the number of words in this post. Egads, I’m wordy.
2: the number of times I thought about chocolate while I was writing this.
Diapers and Divinity 
The numbers don’t lie, my friend.
About my baptism thing. My sister flipped out because her daughter had to share her special day with two other kids. Being in central PA, I’d say…be HAPPY that your kids have other people to share this moment with. It’s a nice bond if you can see it that way.
Wow, my brain is spinning with all of those numbers! Love the way you used them to make your post!
We’ve done baptisms both ways, and I don’t mind the sharing if it’s with one other,kind of fun for the kids to not be the only one on the hot seat (or the font, as it may bay) but more than one would be…blech. But blech in a spiritual way, of course.
All those numbers and not one mention of laundry… Here. I’ll add mine.
7: The number of loads of laundry still waiting to be washed.
4: the number of loads of laundry that are clean but not yet folded.
3: The number of loads of laundry that are folded but not yet put away.
Sigh… I love laundry.
(The conveyor belt approach would be hard for me too. When my oldest was baptized, he was the only one baptized in the branch for the entire year.)
Oh boy. 5 loads of laundry in my room to be put away. 3 loads in my family room. And 1 still left to wash. I was in denial.
I’m not certain on the sharing the baptism day, either… but I guess that’s because it’s just not an issue over in Australia. Who knows, by the time Isabel’s baptism day comes around we’ll probably live in China where we will struggle to find a font. Not that China is in the plans, but look where my planning has gotten me so far… married to an American and living in a desert (kind of what I vowed never to do).
ps. so glad I’m not the only one with the decent meals falling by the wayside. I am pretty certain I’ll get my game back in another couple of months or so… but for now I’m happy with Ramen noodles… and so is Isabel.
You’re awesome! And so creative!!!
love the numbers…. I think of chocolate way more than that…
Good Luck to Matt with the Bar Exam.
I hope I can come to the GNO…
I was baptized with 9 other kids. I was just glad I got to go first because I was worried that I would be tainted by other kid’s sins in the water. I’m not even kidding.
Sending Matt all my unused grad-school karma so he can pass his bar exam.
And as for “most supportive wife trophy”–my gift to Dave this year for Christmas was that I would give him the stare of death every time he leaves to go to a meeting and leaves me in the middle of the wreck of our lives.
Love ya!
Ha! That was supposed to read *wouldn’t* give him the stare of death. Freudian slip?? 😉
I am SO DISAPPOINTED!! 2? You only thought of chocolate two times? tsk, tsk, tsk, I think I need to come over and teach you how to up your numbers. 😀
Great post! Hope you’re working on that book…love your writing. More, love your honesty!
Ha. That was funny. And you have my sympathies about the Utah baptism thing… yeah. Good luck on the bar to your whole fam!
Funny, I was totally thinking of brownies while I read your post. (really I was-even before getting to the chocolate part.) I will cross my fingers and toes and say a prayer for passing the bar! Loved this post. I knew that you would see a change after the Baptism. Heavenly Father really knows what he is talking about. 🙂 Not a fan of conveyor belt anything (school is what I am speaking of personally…), except at the grocery store. I would be murmuring too…only mine probably would be a little publicly, so see what a good person you are!
Bahaha, I love this post. Hope all goes well with the bar exam.
I hear ya on the numbers.
15: number of days my husband has been out of town in 2011.
4: the number of days he will be out of town this week.
0: number of nights he has been or will be home for dinner this week.
I’m not winning the supportive wife trophy either. Thanks for letting me complain about it.
Oh, and a friend if mine has a little boy with diabetes, and she’s seeing a pediatric endocrinologist near you that she loves. She did not have good experiences at PCMc. Let me know if you want his name.
Love it!! Your post made me giggle. 🙂 And I may just steal your idea about using numbers – very creative! 🙂
4 or 5: the number of times I wanted to my Grant in solitary confinement just today.
I confess I thought about chocolate a few more times than that, too. Mostly because of the German chocolate cake sitting on the counter upstairs all alone. I’ll address that soon.
And I wish your hubby luck on the Bar exam!
46: Number of days since I saw my husband
40: Number of days we’ve been able to talk or even Skype!
These days, when I count my blessings, I have to start in the 40’s to account for those. I have such great appreciation for all the law-school widows, and the tax-season widows, all the church calling and business starting and every other married-but-feel-single women out there- and of course, my fellow military widows! In truth, it’s probably harder to have Daddy at work or in the the study than it is to just have him gone altogether. At least I don’t secretly hope he’ll put everything down and come to my rescue when the bathtime wars ensue! 🙂
I love this blog! Now I’m going to go love me some chocolate!
Hahahahahaha!
I love you.
That is all.
Carry on.
Oh my. When one of my kids is baptized it’s THE baptism in our branch for about a six month period. And the ONLY kid baptisms ever.
I’m so glad your husband is so close! I’ll be sending my best vibes. I totally (don’t) believe in vibes. Exciting time for you guys!! School-related stress and husband-related absence? Love that. Or, not that, but the way you put it. And everything else you said.
I hear ya on the multiple baptisms. My daughter was baptized with five other kids (including a set of twins). It was still a lovely day and she felt special. And you only thought about chocolate twice? Really? You must type really fast, then. 🙂
Funny post. My brother did his family’s Christmas letter in this “by the numbers” format one year. It was both funny and interesting–# of diapers changed, # of days until new baby is due, # of babies his wife (an OB/GYN) delivered that year, etc.
Hope the numbers start to turn in your favor…
Thanks for the chuckle–I needed that!
I don’t even know what to respond to first…
I prefer my house to be at 50 overnight. Anything else is just way too hot for sleeping. Unfortunately, in the winter weather it is not the best idea, because it takes all day to get heated back up. So I have to settle for 56. And sweat it out. I guess your family wouldn’t want to visit us in the winter.
Chloe used to eat breakfast at school all the time. Stinker. I finally broke her of that, although I’m not sure how. I’m sure you can totally blame Grant for the negative number in your checking account, on account of the school breakfasts.
I loved this post. I might shamelessly steal the idea, though there’s no way I could be nearly as witty as you are.
Wish I could join you for the Girls’ Night. It sounds like so much fun. I’ll be waiting for a full report.
5 = the number of times I thought, “This post is awesome. I kind of wish I had written it myself.”
🙂
I usually love numbers, but I think you may change my mind. If it makes you feel better, my husband’s four years of education cost us double that amount.
Also, I almost mistyped “husband’s” as “husbands'”. That would be embarrassing, but only to punctuation geeks.
LOVE this post!