...Like a Pollo With it's Head Cut Off...

...that's me (Mike will have to correct my Spanish if I used the wrong word for chicken).

You cannot believe how complicated it is to try and leave 5 kids, 3 pets, a house, church callings, job, volunteer demands at the kids' school, etc. for a week. Well, maybe you can believe it...and you're also thinking "That is why parents with young kids should NEVER leave town on their own." Still I have to say, taking 5 kids with us to the backwaters of southern Mexico would be even MORE complicated (& scary). By the way, thanks so much to all who will be helping out with it all so we can go.

Before next week I have a list about a mile long to get through, including a birthday party for a six year old boy - the obligatory Star Wars themed party that somehow we have avoided till now. I just couldn't refuse him...he has always been such a good sport about having kind of an unfortunately timed birthday (i.e. right after Christmas when I'm all partied/gifted out). He's put up with years of kind of lame, last minute birthday recognition...and I've been promising him this one for more than a year. (You're awesome, Tillman.) Today he and I took some time and transformed a basketball pinata into the Death Star (to be destroyed in a triumphant battle on Saturday by eight enthusiastic 5-6 year old boys).

I don't know how much it actually looks like the Death Star...but close enough.

My favorite part was listening to him repeatedly use the correct Spanish pronunciation of the word "pinata", emphasizing the "t".

Anyway, hopefully I can get through the next few days without forgetting anything critical. I may not be posting for a little while. Until then...(I just thought of the song they always sing at the end of the Lawrence Welk Show - you know what I mean.)Auf wiedersehen!