Ashes, ashes, and I feel like falling down.

This week was an interesting one for many reasons.

First of all, Michaela saw on a calendar that Tuesday was called "Fat Tuesday" and thought that was quite possibly the funniest thing she's ever heard. FAT TUESDAY! HAHAHA!

Second of all, Jenna was pretty preoccupied by the whole getting ashes thing at yesterday's Ash Wednesday church service. "What are they? What are they made of? What do they look like? Do I have to get them? How do they come off?"... I must have answered these questions (the best I could) about 5 or 6 times. Michaela helpfully volunteered that she was getting ashes so it couldn't be that bad.
In the end, Jenna came up with this answer: "I'lll get the ashes if they are pinkt."
"They don't come in pink," I tried to explain.
Then in the beginning of the service last night, an anxious Jenna is listening to our pastor, who announces that the colors of Lent are purple, black, and white. Jenna turns excitedly towards me and whispers: "Oooooohhh... I'll get the PURPLE ashes!"
In the end, she decided not to get ashes at all, but we put in a request with the pastor at the end of the service for pink OR purple ones next year. Either one will work.

Third of all, it is vacation week, so everyone (well, 4 of the 5 of us) is home and spending LOTS of time together. The time is actually going pretty quickly and the break from the structure and routine is a welcome one. It's nice to not have to rush around in the morning and let the girls stay up a little later at night, as well as not have activities or homework. We've had several very nice playdates with more to come.

Fourth of all, we put in yet another offer in on a house that we ADORED and didn't get it because we have to sell our house. (The owners have been relocated and the relo dept. of their company won't even negociate without a signed contract on our end.) After being stymied twice because of our current house, we have decided to place our house on the market, probably next week. So you can imagine what I've been up to the last few days: packing, decluttering, de-picturing, and organizing our stuff and cabinets and closets. We've packed away multiple boxes of toys and the girls have been pretty good about this. We are painting the girls' room a pretty light yellow (the likelihood that the new owners would like a pink room with MICHAELA painted on the wall is slim), doing some touch up painting, and cleaning this weekend. We are hoping to sell quickly so we can try again to get the second house we bid on. If not, we are waiting for something good to come on the market. I am terribly conflicted about leaving this house: we brought our babies home here and have been here for 10 years. I know every nook and cranny of this house and have painted it all. It's a great, sturdy, well built, welcoming house. But we are out of room and need to spread out. We are just so ready for an upgrade, a new space and a new adventure.