Way back when my darling husband and I were dating he aspired to be a standup comic. He is a rather funny story-teller and does have a rather wicked sense of humor. Me, on the other hand, I seem to lack the ability to tell a joke. I like to imagine that I am funny but ever since I was a little girl my attempts at humor are usually answered (rather sternly) with, “That’s not funny, Laura!“

:::sigh:::

Bill tells me the key to being funny is all in the timing…and he tells me that in a way that I can’t help but laugh even if I know the punchline too well having heard it for thirty years now.

But yes, good timing seems to be something that I am not always graced with.

In other news…Zoë is here!!!!…Under the Big Top!!!!…ALL WEEK!!!!….SURPRISE!!!!

Oh my glob, everyone here is so happy to have Zoë here because we love and miss our Zoë so much. Driving home Sunday night from Davis, I imagined all the things I would do with my Zoë while she was visiting all week long. So excited over this surprise…so very, very excited!

But I have been sick. I have been barely able to get up kind of sick since Monday afternoon; which is so awesome when it is the last week of school for two of my clowns and my darling Zoë is here to visit. So I tried to power through making my sick tea and toast (as moms must do) taking my kids to school and dance and attended awards’ assemblies that are what happens the last week of school…and I would collapse in a snotty, hacking, feverish heap.

Timing…it is all about timing…

Zoë spent time hanging out with her sisters, her Dad, making lunch and dinner for her nieces and her mom, playing Candyland with her brother and riding her longboard (which one can carry on the plane I have learned). Meanwhile I might have blown my nose so hard that I blew out some brain cells. I might have had an emotional meltdown or two or more as well because I do not do sick very well and I wanted to spend time with my darling daughter who lives much too far away from me. Unfortunately the cold meds and the struggle to just breathe proved to be too much and I slept. I slept a lot. I slept too much.

But today, Thursday, was a new day. Sure I couldn’t breathe and my eyes are red and watery and I feel like a truck ran me down but my fever broke. There’s that. I didn’t get to go out and enjoy a sushi lunch with my only child who will enjoy sushi with me much less share sake with her now that she is 21, but I was determined to spend some time with my girl one way or another before I have to take her to the airport tomorrow. We went to Target to stock up on cold meds for me (and for other family members who now are starting have the same symptoms).

Whoo-hoo!!! We do know how to party!

And, because it is all in the timing, I proposed that my five children gather for a picture. I let them all know Thursday morning that Thursday afternoon, after Hollie came home from work, before Jodie had to go to dance rehearsals, before Abby had to go out with friends to see The Hangover 3, before dinner, they should all be ready for me to take their picture together. No big deal. I just wanted to get a casual picture of the five of them all together.

No big deal.

No big deal my watery eye!

Getting a picture of my circus act is always a big deal. When they were little it was a matter of keeping them all clean and neat and catching them all sitting still together and (hopefully) all smiling.But nowadays it is a matter of planning…extreme planning and making sure that everyone has ample time to be hair and wardrobe ready. Sorry parents of young ones, it doesn’t get easier or better.

But the results are worth it…

once you get them all together…

and lined up…

and get them to stay still.

I’m afraid that is something that will always be a challenge.

Thanks kids for cooperating for all of ten minutes for the mamarazzi. Love you all. Love you all so much.