Feeling overwhelmed lately. Our life sure looks carefree from the outside, but sometimes it feels like we just heap a ton of crap onto our “schedule.” Before we know what happened we’re cruising along on three or four hours of sleep a night, and not because the kids aren’t sleeping, but because after they go to sleep is the only time to get any real work done. But enough of my whining.

Lowe is on a teething rampage the past two weeks. He’s now got eight across both the top and bottom. And as soon as it seems there is light at the end of that tunnel he catches a cold. Yeah, I’m blaming Minnesota. But still, sweetest little thing in the state right now. Lately he’s been waking up around 6:30. So we get up and play in the bedroom for a while and listen to the monitor for Ouest to wake up in the other room. She always wakes up by yelling, “Papa. Papa. Papa!” The instant she gets the first P out Lowe stands, turns for the door, says “Papa” and starts running for Ouest’s room. He can’t wait to see her. As for Ouest? Mmmm, let’s call it indifference.

We drove out to the Social Security office in Minneapolis today. Got lost along the way because we are still such Luddites that we do our road navigation by actually writing down directions off of Google. Not even printing out, just scratching them down on paper. No phone, no GPS. Post-It baby.

So no big deal, a little out of the way, a nice tour of some of the slummier areas of the city, and then into the office where we were greeted by four armed security guards and a hundred glum looking faces. We joined the herd for about a half an hour watching our number seem to get further and further away. Then we heard one of the guards mention it would be another hour and a half at least. We left. Hell, the only reason Lowe needs a Social Security number right now anyway is so I can write him off on our taxes. The same stupid tax credit that used to make my blood boil over before we had kids.