I spent yesterday burning through my To-Do list- although a last minute cancellation by the cleaner/babysitter sort of threw a spanner in the works. When will I learn- life with small children means that nothing, not even cleaning out a closet, goes smoothly. I really am baffled as to how someone who works full-time is able to keep on top of things. I'm here all day and school holidays are always sorted out about a week in advance, all my tickets are last minute, my closets are stuffed with clothes that fit no one, I have boxes of stuff for Emmaus stacked up next to the door for weeks at time, there are currently 452 unread messages in my Inbox (most of which seem to from JCrew offering me free shipping...) and I haven't filed away my Important Papers (instead they are stuffed unopened in a drawer) in over a year. Granted, I waste a lot of time over the course of the day, but not enough to fit in a job. I know, I know. The busier you are, the more you get done. One of life's great mysteries.

Georgia continues to tormet us with sleep issues. We had a great week of quiet nights when she would lay down at 8 pm and wake at 6 am for a bottle, giving us another hour and a half of calm before waking with Ella at 7:30. I would LOVE to be able to sleep til 8 in the morning but I have come to grips with the idea that it will never happen. Besides, don't they always say that you can accomplish so much more when you get up early in the morning? I am stll waiting for that miracle to happen. In the meantime, I'm sort of like the commercial for the chicory cafe that is running on TV right now where the bear gets out of bed and only turns human once he has had his steaming cup of coffee. I'm getting to the point where I can deal. But THEN we went to the country and Georgia couldn't sleep in the cot that she had and woke us up hourly. Thank god for my dear husband who sent me into the other bedroom to sleep, knowing that there was no way that I would survive the weekend with his family if I had a sleep deficit as well. Things seem sorted out once we got home and then the night Sunday to Monday was just like old times. A shout out at midnight, a squeak at 1 am and then hourly wake-up calls at 4, 5, and 6 with a final hysterical meltdown at 6:50 (the meltdown was me and B, just to be clear...) But when Ella came home from school crying about a sore ear, it all sort of made sense. Georgia must have been suffering from the same thing. With everyone doped up on Doliprane and decongestants, we had a full night's sleep last night. Lets hope thats the end of it. Earaches are the worst.

One of the things I managed to cross off my list yesterday was 'Buy tickets to the US for summer vacay.' I hadn't really decided what to do for the summer. B and I tossed around the idea of me coming back to France the beginning of August so that we could fly together which would have been convenient. BUT, he will be working non-stop in August and no one else will be around and I just dreaded the amount of organization it would take to keep the girls occupied. Finally, I just typed in two dates, randomly, and there were seats available on the direct flight so the decision was made. We'll be coming back on the 15th of August, which gives us a week or so to go to the country to see B's family and plenty of time to get sorted for school, but it cuts our summer in WI down to 7 weeks, from 10 weeks last year. The time goes so fast that I hope I don't regret this.

As I was filling in the info to book the tickets I realized with a horrible panic that Ella's passport has expired. Thank god that they make you put the info with the purchase or I might not have remembered until we were literally checking in at the airport. I immediately went to the US Embassy website and sorted out a rdv for renewing it. Now I have to try and remember to get proper photos done. I don't know where or how B did the photos for her French passport, but Ella looks like the Littlest Prisoner on Death Row, complete with hopeless, lifeless stare, knotted hair sticking up on oneside, dirty sweater buttoned wrong, I think she might also have food on her face. Honestly, I have to scan it for you it is just so horribly bad (I pasted the extra copies in her photo album. This is something that will definitely come in handy some point down the road). I don't need a glamour shot (although suddenly, I'm thinking that it would be a little awesome to have her wearing mascara, lipstick and a bouffant in her passport photo!!), I do want something a little less mug shot. By the way, when did passports go up in price to 83 USD?! It seems like between me and the girls, I am ordering new passports every couple years and its always a new, and higher, price. When your passport costs more than any ticket on the Ryanair website, it seems like it might be too expensive.

And I probably lost 30 minutes yesterday searching for her social security card, since I never noted down the number ANYWHERE. Smart, Nicole. My dad is always telling me to destroy my card! before it gets stolen! and used for evil!! But I feel like that is a bit, I don't know, tempting Fate? I KNOW that I will suffer permenant brain damage the day after I burn it and will never ever again know what my number is. Further evidence that I have been living out of the US for too long, I don't ever remember my number and I don't what to do if I loose it. I don't actually know what I am supposed to be using it for, although I am always reading about when you should refuse to give out your number. Oh, my head hurts.

Despite lacking my sitter, I decided that I would make a cake with Ella and Georgia. I mean, the house couldn't possibly get any dirtier so why not just roll with it. I put Georgia up in her high chair right next to us and Ella and I made a Strawberry Rhubarb Cake that turned out fantastic! Rhubarb tastes like spring, to me. And its pink! I don't know what is going on- I let Ella talk me into buying three bouquets of pink roses this weekend and then cooing over the compote. Maybe there is to much estrogen in this house?