2004

Tonight we say farewell to another year.  Is it just me, or are the years flying by?  It seems like I blink my eyes and my children are another year older.  Worse yet...I am a year older.  How does that keep happening?  Ack!  Oh well, at least when I hit 29 I also hit the hold button <g>

This year has held a lot of saddness for many.  I won't go over world events, as those are all over the Web right now.  I will, however, be a little self-centered and review our year here at home. 

January was wonderful...Aidan turned one and we were NOT pregnant yet! Hahaha.  Februrary..eh..let's skip February.  That was a rotten month all around.  The only really good thing that happened that month was that my husband and I were able to go on a Murder Mystery Train that we had been wanting to go on for two years.  Unfortunately, we weren't really happy with things at that time, but we managed to enjoy the evening.  March - wonderful march!!! We came home!! Back to the correct coast.  An hour and a half from my family and 10 hours for Alan's.  It is so wonderful to be home!  April and May kind of ran together.  Alan was away at school and I was settling into our new home.  June flew by...another year older...phhftt...I always like to skip June, lol.  July, Alexia turned three.  October flew by....Jacob turned 5 in November..and here we are in December.  Gosh.  That's our year, pretty much. 

Seems kind of sad that our entire year can be put into such a boring and short paragraph.  On the other hand, it's kind of a blessing.  There are so many that have so much more to say...so much pain.  2004 has treated us pretty well, overall.  We are all happy, healthy, and more importantly, together. 

Things I have learned this year?  I have learned that Mustard and Ketchup don't sit in your fridge for 5 years straight when you have kids.  I have learned to be forgiving.  I have learned that there is so much joy to be had just lying on a hill with your kids laughing around you.  I have learned that you should ignore grumpy men, lest they become even grumpier and deny you your chocolate ice cream.  I have learned that five year olds don't enjoy having their Mommy wash them with soap anymore...privacy is demanded.  The five year old then walks around having only cleaned with water...in 2005, I hope to learn how to get around this little obstacle.  I have learned that angels come in many forms...one of which gave the children a wonderful Christmas.  You know who you are.  And one of the most important things I have learned...if you give a child an inch, he will learn for a lifetime.  I am trying to not be overprotective anymore.  Erm, at least not as overprotective. 

I am sure I have learned much more, but I will not bore you with those little tidbits.  I wish everyone a happy, blessed, and peaceful 2005.

 

Straight from 1 to 3

My sweet little one year old boy seems to be in a hurry to grow up.  For the past 6 months he has been doing the "terrible twos" thing.  The wonderful curiosity of looking at everything, manipulating it with his hands, trying out sounds and volumes with his voice, and don't forget those lovely tantrums.  He will be two in the middle of January and he has already moved on to testing limits.  He will do something he knows he isn't supposed to, all the while looking at me with a grin on his face.  As soon as I get up to get him he runs off with a huge grin going "ha-ha."  Little stinker.  2005 is going to be a fun year.  Aidan is my most challenging child yet.

Slow and Steady

Happy Holidays to all!  I have missed telling stories of my children during this hectic but very fun season!  Their little faces have made everything worth the effort and absolute exhaustion :o)  I am sorry the picture is so fuzzy!  I am still getting used to our camera...and so it isn't the greatest picture.  This would be a wonderful excuse if we hadn't already owned the camera for almost two years, lol!

We left for home from the in-laws about noon yesterday.  The trip usually takes 10 hours exactly, even with stops to stretch and walk the dogs.  My husband drove happily for the first 4 hours.  The sun was shining, traffic was light, life was good.  Then I got behind the wheel.  Why is it that everytime I get behind the wheel Mother Nature smirks down upon me and starts playing with me like I am a piece on a Risk board?

For the first hour, all was dandy.  Then I noticed that we had driven into a light snow flurry.  Snow, schmo...a merrily I went driving on.  The snow quickly turned into a very heavy, visiblity stealing blanket around our vehicle.  Hmmm...the roads could get a little hairy.  Traffic was merrily buzzing along at about 55 to 60 mph when all of  sudden we all hit a wonderful gift from mother nature...black ice.  Four of the cars ahead of me did some wonderful acrobatic-like driving and did 180 degree turns.  Don't worry, the guard rail caught them and they were all unharmed.  The rest of us were thankful for their daring performance, as we all quickly dropped our speedometers to 25 to 40 mph. 

We puttered along like this for about an hour with the snow crazily spinning to the ground and the 8 degree weather helping to quickly form anything the cars melted to ice.  Occasionally I could feel our vehicle sliding out from under my able hands.  In an attempt to lighten the mood,  I would gleefuly call out wheeeeeeeeee and my nearly two year old (::sniff, sniff::) would joyfully join in!  Wheeeeeeeeeee, a sliding we shall go, a sliding we shall go, a hi-ho-a-merry-o, a sliding we shall go!  Well, to say the least, Alan was most unamused at our attempt at humor.  He growled and snapped from his seat behind me and dug his fingernails into his armrests shouting out like a crazy man "NO "wheeeingggggggg!"  NO sliding!"  What a spoil sport. 

So, we slipped and slid for an hour or so until the traffic suddenly stopped.  Just stopped.  We were at the bottom of an over pass.  It took us half an hour to reach the top, then another half hour to reach the bottom.  So I puttered along, my speedometer never going past 0, haha.  An hour of sitting, and waiting, and sitting and waiting.  For what?  A car that had slid off the road and by the time we got to it, it was just sitting there, vacated, with it's flashers going.  Nothing to see, nothing blocking anything, but still an hour wait while everyone rubber necked.  Oh, joy. 

Finally, we broke loose from the snow and the ice.  We were happily going along with the speed limit toward our final highway - the homestretch to home!  We were flipping radio stations when we heard a little tidbit...."Don't forget!  There is a big, huge, gigantic tie up on I-(insert interstate name) South...Don't go there!"  Hmmmm.  We were heading directly toward the lurking problem...arrival time..about fifteen minutes to half hour.  So Alan hurridly pulls out the road atlas and finds an alternate route for me.  It took us an hour out of our way, and we never heard another single announcement about the "big, huge, gigantic tie up" that we were supposedly avoiding.  With our luck, it was probably being cleaned up right as he made the announcement.  Oh well, we finally made it home.  2 hours after we had planned to.

We were puttering down our road when my brilliant husband stated "Dear, I bet the snow plows covered the end of our driveway in ice and snow."  OY!  Yup, they sure had.  I made a gallant attempt to jump the hump at the end of our driveway, only to get stuck - half in the driveway and halfway in the road.  Why were there so many darn cars going down a road that is usually deserted at midnight?  I had quite a line of people snickering at me as my once again brilliant husband stood in front of our vehicle snickering at me.  Finally he stopped laughing and pushed me out.  Yay! I was free!  I went up to a lot that I was sure would have been cleared so I blindly dived in...only to get stuck.  So a group of men came out and laughed at me while I unstuck myself.  Yeah, Merry Christmas to you, too.  Ba-humbug.  So I finally get out and drive back down to my husband who has found his Christmas Present delivered on the front porch and opened it!  Without me there to see him.  Yeah, Ba-humbug again.  I make him get in the vehicle so I can go up and turn around and switch drivers.  He gets behind the wheel, goes flying down the hill and closes his eyes and jumps our vehicle over the mound of ice and snow at the end of our driveway.  All the kids shouted the infamous Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!  I closed my eyes along with Alan.  Our front tires left the road and we landed, sideways, with a resounding crunch of ice, smack in the middle of our driveway.  We thankfully missed his car which was under a pile of snow and ice. 

I would love to say that was it...but my once again brilliant husband decided to go out later after we had opened presents (at 1 am, ha!), and back the vehicle out of the driveway just to see if he could!  Aye, yi, yi.  Another half hour to unstick him again.  Thankfully, though, when all was said and done, he was able to back out this morning to trudge to work, leaving me here with three very over-excited young children to face the day. 

Happy  Holidays to all!!   Especially to my defensive driving instructor from the class I had to take when I was younger for too many speeding tickets.  :o)  Those long, boring classes came in handy.  Thank you.  Slow and Steady gets you home...safely!

 

"Mom"

The day you were born,

I held you in awe.

Your sweet little face

Looked so forlorn...

until you looked up and met my eyes.

A special bond was formed,

it was you and me, me and you

to take on the world while Daddy

was out at sea.

 

You were so small.

I rocked you to sleep every night.

You snuggled up on my shoulder

and looked up at me with such big blue yes,

a little smile kissing your lips.

You drifted off...trusting me to take care of you.

 

The first day you said "Mama" my heart melted.

Soon you were saying "I love you, Mommy."

For 3 years I cherished the sound of "Mommy"

everytime you lifted the word into the air.

 

And this week, you called me Mom. 

"Is that ok, Mom?"  "Can I have some milk, please, Mom?"

 

You didn't see it, but a tear tracked a

bittersweet trail down my cheek.  "Mama" and "Mommy" are a thing of the past...

now I am just "Mom."

Happy belated Birthday, my big boy Jacob.

It sure is a good thing I will have three others to say "Mommy" for a while...or I am sure I would be losing it.

Names

 

We had names for the new little one due in May/June all picked out.  However, I have decided I don't like them.  Can I run some names by you?  No?  Hmmphf!  Here they are anyway :o)

Girls

Aisling (Ash-ling) Lilly  - Irish name meaning "dream, vision" and a variation of my MIL's name

Robyn Marlene

Aisling Rose

Boys

Alan Edward

Robert Alan

Robert William

Does anyone have any thoughts?  I am really big on Irish names :o)

 

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Update:

Thank you, Sarah and Terri!  Great names, Sarah.  I have thought on it and I am thinking Aisling will cause a little girl a lot of trouble because no one would be able to pronounce it, lol.  As it is, most people mispronounce Aidan and Alexia.  Most people call Aidan A-dee-ann and they call Alexia Alexis, lol.  So I guess I will do some more searching.  Thank you!

 

A typical day

This morning was a typical morning in our house.  Nothing went right!  I got up late.  I set the alarm for 7 am, but I didn't hear it.  My loving dh did, and he kept slapping the snooze button.  Finally at 7:20 he tells me "Shelley, Jake is going to miss the bus!"  Ha!  Thanks, dear.  So I had 20 minutes to gather Jake's lunch money, wrap a book for his gift exchange on Thursday (book was due in the classroom today), wake up Jake and get something to eat and drink in him and get him dressed.  Managed to get it all finished in record time.  I thought I heard the bus so I stepped out the door to look - and the door slammed behind me, the bolt sliding in place.  I heard delighted giggling from inside of the house.  I looked up and the bus was just pulling up in front of the house.  So I calmly reach into my pocket for my keys...which I never go outside without.  Welll, never say never.   No keys.  Jacob panicked.  He panicked and was upset and couldn't get the bolt turned.  He knows how, he was just panicking.  So I was laying on the doorbell and banging on the door trying to get my dh's attention.  He was in the shower.  Poor Jake was hysterical.  The bus monitor comes up to the house and asks me if she wants me to call the fire department, which just happens to be eleven houses down from us.  I told her no, to go on, my husband was in the house and I remembered that I had left the back door unlocked when I went out to get the dog dishes this morning.  So I went out back and by the time I was in the house, Jacob had slid the bolt free and had burst outside (alone now!) and saw his bus driving away.  He was even more hysterical. 

I took the poor little guy inside and chewed my lip trying to decide on how to get the message across that locking the door on Mommy was not only not funny, it was scary for Mommy, too.  I also had to do it such a way to calm him down and let him know I wasn't angry with him and that everything was alright.  I basically had to find a gentle way to get a stern message to him.  I hugged him until he was just doing that little "uh-huh, sniff sniff" cry.  Then I asked him how it felt to be locked in the house without Mommy.  Turns out he was just upset because he missed the bus!  He cried for 15 minutes while I got Alexia and Aidan ready to go just because the bus left without him.  I am not really sure if the lesson was learned the way I wanted to teach it...but I am betting he won't lock the door on Mommy anymore just so he won't miss the bus...

The day has continued on in a fun and exciting manner.  My youngest tripped twice in five minutes and split his lip twice.  My daughter, who is home sick today, took her shirt off on the way home from the school then cried all the way home because she was cold.  I turned the heat up to keep her warm, but darned if I was going to pull over to help her put on something that I specifically told her to not take off, kwim?  Maybe the rest of the day will be uneventful....

I am betting I will burn the cookies and cut the wrapping paper crooked :o)

Letters to Santa

Today my oldest touched my heart.  He just reached in and melted it with the warmth of his soul.  You see, we were writing letters to Santa.  They have a Mail Box to North Pole set up at the library, and you put your letter in the mail box.  Santa then returns the childrens' letters to their very own mail box at home. 

Jacob wrote his letter first.  He used a green crayon to write letters and shapes on the bottom of the paper while I "translated" at the top of the paper.  He told me exactly what to write.  The beginning of his letter went like this:

"Dear Santa,

I love you very much.  You are working very hard, so I want to give you a hug and a kiss to make you feel better.  Thank you for all you do for all the kids in the world."

<tear> I dutifully wrote what he dictated, all the while trying not to cry.  He didn't understand that he could ask for something.  I guided him to ask for a few things.  And do you know what my sweet little boy asked for?  "I just want to go to the zoo and see Santa with Alexia and Aidan."   Alan and I have been trying to take them for a month now, but I think we might just pull it off this weekend. 

I sure hope so.  Afterall, it's all my little boy wants for Christmas - to hug Santa at the zoo.

 

Progressing

It's Monday, and there is progress in the air.  This weekend has been a weekend of illness.  Jacob was down with Bronchitis.  Fortunately we caught it before it progressed into pneumonia.  He woke up 90% better today, but his mood has not improved much, lol.  He is throwing things around at the moment.  I am doing my best to ignore his plea for (negative) attention.  He was well enough to go to school today.  He was supposed to go shopping at the Christmas Botique, but apparently the class acted out so the teacher didn't let them go today.  Jacob is pretty upset about it, and I am sure it has much to do with his mood.  Plus, I just beat him at a game of war.  <grin>

Jacob has also progressed in school!  Today progress reports came out.  He has "I"s in almost everything.  "I" is for "Independent."  I am so proud of him!  Three cheers for Jacob!  He needs some work in his physical development and some work recognizing and forming letters and numbers.  Socially...he is completely Independent.  I am so thrilled for him.   He has not yet met his January Goals for his IEP, but he is progressing rapidly.  Way to go, my big boy! 

Alexia was also sick over the weekend.   I had no intention of letting her go to school today.  She was still sleeping when the bus came to get Jacob.  I went to call her teacher to tell her Alexia would be staying home today, but guess what?  Alexia was waiting for me at the top of the stairs with her school clothes grinning from ear to ear.  Ha!  No fever, no sore throat,  nothing.  Man, these kids are resilient.  Yesterday she was absolutely miserable.  The doctor did tell me on Friday that he suspected that both Jacob and Alexia have allergies, so things like this could happen from time to time...so I am running with it until we can do the testing. 

Alexia came home with a bag full of Christmas presents (she was so proud of them!) and a progress report that wasn't nearly as promising as Jacob's.  I have to be very careful not to compare the two of them.  I certainly don't want to start that in Pre-School,  or at anytime!  She has mostly "B"s (beginning skill, needs a lot of teacher support), and "D"s (Developing skill, still needs a little teacher support.)  She is progressing, and I am very proud of her!  Three cheers for Alexia!  Her speech therapist said that Alexia was very quiet, but worked very hard.  I'm proud of my little girl.

As if all of that wonderful progress isn't enough...I have finished the "Santa" shopping and I even have the stocking stuffers!  Go me!  I bought the stuff I need to bake cookies and give out tins of cookies, and ornaments to make and give to family members.  Later this week I will have a wrapping fest and ornament making fest.  My Christmas cards are almost done, also.

Let the progress continue!!! 

One of those days

  I got up this morning and my dear husband was gone.  My kids were running amuck down the hallway.  So I staggered out of bed, and with blurry vision I got the kids clothes for school.  I handed them to them, pulled on some clothes, and went out to check on the kids.  They were both sitting there stark naked giggling and telling me they weren't getting dressed.  Grrr, grumble, snarl.  I woke up late, bus was on its way.

I conjoled them into letting me help them get dressed.  Got them dressed all the way to their shoes.  Yay.  Or not.  I glanced at Jacob and his pants stopped at his knees! Oy!  I had given the poor kid his 22 month old brother's pants.  Now how did they get in his drawer?  Doh.  I need to pay better attention.  I went to get a different pair of pants, and it was another 7 minutes to convince Jacob to get the correct pants on.

I managed to give them some juice and a handful of Cheerios and out to the bus.  However, while I was putting them on the bus, my husband pulled back in and went in the house.  Don't know what that was all about, but ok.  I put the kids on the bus and then I see that my van is covered in frost.  So I start it up because I had to run up the road.  Alan decided to be a real joy...he saw me start the van and knew I was keyless...so what does he do?  Lock the door.  Nice man.  So I shivered off about five pounds (don't I wish), and then he let me back in.

The youngest is being the dragon today.  He was fine while we were running errands.  When we arrived at the house he started crying and kicking and screaming. 

And to just make my day...the button on my jeans doesn't reach the button hole anymore.  I was in the process of losing weight, but then I found out I was pregnant.  The fact that the pants that I had worked my way DOWN to don't fit anymore is a little disconcerting.  It makes me grumpier. 

I am going back to bed.  Don't bug me.

Don't I wish.  Have to clean and take care of the baby until the other two arrive home, then I promised them homemade playdough today. 

:::yawn:::

There is a Dragon in the House

Good morning!  I tell you, my morning was fun.  My oldest got up and was fine, but the instant I gave him his clothes to get dressed it started.  The smoke out of his ears, the fire on his breath.  Foul words!  He was fighting me every step of the way to the school bus this morning.  I know I am going to have a tug 'o war on my hands when he gets home.  I need to come up with something to do!  Quick!  I need to keep this dragon under control!  My sanity depends on it!

 

                                             

 

I am on my way out the door to get stamps for the Christmas cards, and when I get back I am going to have to prepare something for my little Dragon to do.  Whewwww-eeeeee..what a mood! 

Have I mentioned that our TV broke about two weeks ago?  Just suddenly quit.  Just like that.  It was on and doing fine, then all of a sudden it went mute, black and white, and starting flipping through channels all on its own.  The power button wouldn't work...none of the buttons work.  So I unplugged it and it has remained that way since then.  I do have to say...the behavior around here has improved ten fold now that they are limited to one show/movie every two days or so.  I take them into my room (Which is off limits!) as a reward every couple of days or so.  It seems to be working out...Down with the TV playing all the time!!! Yay!

............................................................................................................

 

Update...

Well, things went ok until about 5.  I started dinner.  They ate dinner really well, which amazed me,because I fed them something they have never had before, lol.  Then everything fell apart.  My youngest kept taking his diaper off and peeing in one spot, then running to another spot and peeing some more, then running away from me while peeing.  Guess who gets to clean carpets tomorrow.

Alexia and Jacob are so darn tired they are crying and fighting.  I just sent them to bed.  I am waiting for the tears to stop before I go tuck them in.  I know it's only 6:30, but by the time I read stories and sing songs it will be after seven.  They get up at seven, so that is about the right amount of sleep for my tired munchkins. 

I am happy to report that I do not have to wash Jacob's coat tonight.  I have had to wash it the past two nights because his brother and sister kept peeing on it, on purpose.  The joys I am experiencing this week.  =)

Falling down

from the sky

it drops and drips

but I don't know why.

 

Ok, so I am not a poet =)  The rain has begun.  It is supposed to rain the rest of today and all night and into tomorrow morning.  Oh joy.  Aidan and I were out of the house bright and early to run our errands.  We arrived home just as the drizzle was beginning.  Great timing, mom!  I even remembered to bring the umbrella in the house so I can get Jacob and Alexia from the bus to the house without getting soaked. 

I have just been sitting here thinking about old friends.  I have met thousands of people in my life time, but yet...when I really need to talk to someone, I have no one to call.  I asked myself "Why is that?"  Do you want to know the answer I came up with?  My children.  My children have taken my heart and all of them have a firm grip on it.  They have my heart, my time, my love, my dedication.  I had a friend not too long ago...but we drifted apart.  She said the only thing I ever talked about was my family. 

Sad, but true.  Or is it sad?  I don't consider it sad.  I am very lucky to have my family to love.  My family is the most beautiful thing I have ever created in my life.  Outside of my husband and children, I am lost.  I have no social skills to speak of anymore.  I once opened the door to the Fed X man and told him "Thank you, you are such a good boy, yes you are!"  In baby talk!  Oh my!  And I only had one child back then.  Alan was on a six month deployment so it was mostly just Jacob and I every day.  If it weren't for my neighbor, I think I would have regressed even more. 

Yes, yes, it's true.  I cut my husand's meat.  I lay his clothes out for him.  I even make sure he has a napkin for every meal and I wipe his face for him if he doesn't do it.  I wash his hair for him.  I call him to make sure he had a good lunch.  I asked him this morning if he had his umbrella, it will be a rainy day.  I have often found myself talking baby talk to him. 

Yup, I need to get out more.  I think it would be healthy for me to sometimes get out and have adult conversations.  You know...to be "Shel" and not always "MommynwifeGal."  You are right...there is absolutely no orginality in my screen name.

It is simply who I am.

'Tis the Season

'Tis the season to be absent!  Christmas cards, school functions, playing Santa, baking, ornament making!  When did Christmas get so crazy instead of fun?  Oh, wait...when I entered that phase of life called adulthood.  Thank goodness I have an excuse to still have fun!  Almost four of them, in fact.  =)

I promise to get pictures of Jacob's Birthday up very soon.  Hmm...I said that about Halloween, also, didn't I?  You can blame that one on the man of the household.  He hasn't taught me how to download from this camera yet.  Soon!  I will wrestle him down until he does.  (Don't get too hopeful.)  I am trying very hard to get the house cleaned up and in order before Christmas.  The past two Christmas's Alan and I got up at five in the morning to clean the house first.  We didn't want the house to be trashed in pictures! Ugh!  Not this year! 

I am off to do the many things I need to do before bed.  Goodnight!

Hey there!! Happy belated Thanksgiving! Just a quick note to wish everyone a safe and joyous Holiday.

Grief

Today I try to remember the good things, because the images of finding out my Mother had passed away and of her funeral haunt me today.

I remember nothing, and I remember everything.

I was in a fog...a trance.  I drifted through the motions, not feeling.

I had had a dream.  A dream that my mother was walking down a dark spiral staircase with my long deceased Grandma.  I kept calling her, and she would not turn back.  She just left me standing there...alone.

The day my Mother passed away, I called her.  I called her and I called her.  She would not answer the phone. She was in the hospital.  She had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease just two weeks prior.   She was so excited...she had been pronounced clear of the cancer the day before and she was coming home for Thanksgiving.  She had told my brother and I not to come home from college that weekend, we would see her Tuesday.

We buried her on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.

I still remember that night, the night I tried to call her. I was very upset, so my friends had set up a movie night in the lounge of my dorm.  They tried so hard to distract me.  But then the RA came into the lounge and told me I was needed in the dorm office.  At 1:30 in the morning. 

I knew.  Yes, I knew.  My dear friend came with me...we ran downstairs, and outside to the other building.  I never saw my Uncle and Papa sitting in the van.  When we reached the duty office I saw my Aunt and my Dad through the window.  I was right.  My mother was gone.

I can't even remember how old she was.  I think she was 45.  Or 46.  I closed the entire world off.  All I could think of were the last words my mother had said to me on the phone.  "I can't wait to see my babies."

And she never did.

She never saw my brother and I...she has never met her Grandbabies.

So much she has missed...

So much she is missed...

Now the lack of feeling must leave, and the healing must continue.

 

A day of Remembrance

Today I remember.  I remember how my Mother was always there for me.

I remember that my Mother always made me a lamb cake for every birthday out of an old iron cake mold, which I now own, but don't know how to use.

I remember that my Mother was always in the audience, or the bleachers, for every event my brother and I were in.

I still remember her laugh.

I remember how she loved to listen to me make up songs on the piano.

I remember how she was always there for everyone.  She volunteered all she could, and still worked full time and reared a family. 

I remember how at Christmas she had me completely believing in Santa Clause...until I was twelve!!! She even went as far as buying duplicate gifts.  One from Santa, one from Mommy and Daddy. 

I remember baking cookies with my mother.

I remember how she threw me a surprise birthday party when I was nine years old.  I had no clue it was coming.  She put so much work into it because I was sad that Daddy was away and was missing my birthday.

I remember that she would always point the rainbows out to me.

I remember that she was always there to hold my hand.

I remember that every time I called for help, she came.

I remember the love that she had for our family, and me.

I am remembering my Mother.

Why remember on this day?                                                              

Because on this day, my mother passed away.

13 years ago, life changed.

                                         Forever.

                                                              

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousands winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there. I did not die.

mary elizabeth frye - 1932

                                 Mom, I love you.

My morning

I got up this morning and my husband was talking to my daughter about something.  I go out there, and I hear this buzzing sound.  I look at my husband with a raised brow and he says calmly "Your daughter was frying something on the stove."  Then, indicating the timer, he crosses his arms and leans against the door frame and says "I think it is done." 

Ok, you can imagine what is going through my head.  Something like "Why in the world are you just standing there while our three year old frys up breakfast?"  So, I was seriously freaking out pulling on clothes and rushing to the kitchen expecting to find eggs still in the shells, or even the cartons, frying away in a skillet.  My darling husband was still leaning on the door frame looking like our house was not about to burn down, while I was hurridly working through my brain trying to figure out where I had left my phone.

I arrived to the kitchen expecting to worst...and what did I find?  The timer was buzzing away, all the knobs were in the off position.  WHEW!  Then I took in what was "frying" on the stove.  I instantly fell to the floor in relieved laughter while my husband stared at me like I had finally lost my last marble.  Our darling daughter had taken my largest frying pan, stuck about 6 toys in the skillet, poured our entire container of pepper all over them, and used a spatula to stir it all together.  Peppered toys anyone?  Yummy!

Just a hello

I'm sorry I have been neglecting my journal.  Just haven't been very "peppy" lately.  The kids and I are all pretty cranky and a cold has been working it's way through the family for weeks.  It finally caught up with me.  The kids find my voice amusing.  One moment it will be fine and the next I'll be squeaking like a mouse, lol.  Jacob and I were supposed to have a date tomorrow to celebrate his birthday.  (It's on Thanksgiving, so it will basically be lost in the day).   My dh wakes up this morning and pokes me on the shoulder and announces he has to work tomorrow.  He forgot.  Bummer.  Thankfully Jacob took the news well and I told him we would try to next Sunday.  Nothing big, just he and I going out and spending some time together. 

I am trying to break the sour mood around here.   I promised the kids we could go walk around the mall today and look at the decorations and people.  They love to do that.  We can play in the play area, then come home for lunch.  So I am off to clean up the house and cook breakfast so we will have all full bellies while we are at the mall.  Hungry, cranky kids don't really work in large crowds, lol.  The things I do for my kids...crowds bug me =) 

You can probably tell I am saying "Bah-humbug" a lot, lol.  Someone poke me with a happy stick.

It has been too loud in here

Lately, things have been getting out of hand.  I have been yelling in order to try to get the kids attention.  To say the least, it has not been working.   It just scares the kids and makes me feel like crud.  So my new mission these days is to keep my voice very calm.  I have been trying for two months now, and I only succeed every three days or so.  That is not a great track record. 

Today was going really well until I went to do something and came back and saw Jacob walking along the walls with a red marker....leaving a nice bright red line behind him.  This espeically infuriated me because I had spent an hour (and four Magic Erasers) just yesterday cleaning two walls.  One of those was one of the ones he drew on.  I asked him to hand me the marker in a shakey, but calm voice.  He spit in my face and ran into Alexia's room where he proceeded to draw a nice big red picture on the wall.  By then, I was seeing red...and not just on the walls. 

I managed to take deep breaths to calm myself down.  He ended up sitting on a stool facing the wall for a little while, then helped me clean the walls.  Luckily he used washable markers so a little Oxy Power cleaner and a sponge did the trick.  However, he did hit me and spit on me some more and basically ignored me, so I had to do something that didn't involve yelling.  I had promised him he could go sit on Santa's lap this year.  He has never been, and when he asked a week ago I said ok.  Nope, gone.  After the marker incident and the spitting and hitting, I wanted to take something from him that he had NOT earned, but he was still looking forward to.  Do you think I went over the top?  I mean, he still gets to celebrate Christmas in every other way that he usually does, plus a lot of new ways.  I am basically saying he will still be spoiled, lol.  Taking TV and Computer away from him doesn't work.  Sitting in time out is only used to give him (and me) a breather so he can calm down.  What do you think I should/could have done? 

I'm telling you..this kid rearing thing is harder than it looks!

Beautiful sound

 Today was a good day.  I had my OB appointment today.  I finally got to hear that beautiful little heartbeat.  First, we heard (and I felt!) the baby kick, so she moved a little to the left and we heard the little train chugging along.  It was beating 150 bpm.  Any guesses on gender? LoL.  My blood pressure is back to normal and all seems to be going well.  My next appointment is in a month. 

Another good thing that happened today is my furnace was fixed!  Yippee!  Now it's too hot in here, lmbo.  Just can't make this Mommy happy. 

On another note, I really wanted some Pillsbury Cresent Rolls and I left them in the car!!! Wah!  I also left some Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwhiches I wanted to surprise the kids with in there.  Bummer!  I guess we were meant to go without.  Hehe. 

The kids are having a really hard time getting back into a routine.  They are so spazzed out from the travels.  Tired and cranky.  I wanted to take them to the mall today to find out how much seeing Santa is, but I think I will just call.  Poor kids slept from 6:30 pm last night until 7 this morning.  They were exhausted.  I am planning on another early night tonight.  They are solving everything by screaming, crying, and fighting.  Ok, so maybe "solving" wasn't the right word to use! 

One more thing  was supposed to happen today.  My Grandma was supposed to move in with my Aunt.  I am not sure why, but she decided against the nursing home.  This will make things much easier on my Aunt.  She was running over there everytime I called and said Grandma didn't answer.  She had to go cook all of Grandma's meals and feed them to her.  She had to make sure she takes her meds.  When my Aunt wasn't at my Grandma's house, she was constantly worried about her.  My Grandma has been falling a lot.  Grandma's phone was out for a day and my Aunt camped out at Grandma's all day and night because Grandma didn't have any way to call for help if something happened.  We shall see how this all works out.  It is a veryhard thing for both my Aunt and my Grandma.  My Aunt doesn't have a lot of freedom and my Grandma is very independent.  I hope things go smoothly for both of their sakes. 

 

What a weekend!

Hello!  Long time no see!   I hope that everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Our weekend was so busy, I don't even know where to start, lol.  We left Friday evening around 6:30 pm.  It had rained all day, and it continued to steadily rain until Friday night at my In-laws homes.  Never a break.  The result of this was that we had to put two very large, wet, muddy dogs into our vehicle with three children that were just bursting with excitement to see their Grandparents.  The trip went well, considering the loaded down van. 

Upon our arrival at Grandma's where we were staying, we hung out all day until dinner time when we were expected at Grandpa's house.  We arrived just as all of their guests were arriving, all of us wet and tired and cranky.  I was finally able to meet Alan's cousin and her family.  She has two little boys, one of them two weeks younger than Jacob, so the children had a grand old time running up and down the stairs.  They had Grandpa's dogs chasing them, so it was pretty hazardous to walk around the house.  The meal went well and it was nice to be able to visit.  Back to Grandma's house to sleep.

The next day, we were to go back to Grandpa's for lunch and for dinner.  Dinner was Alan's Grandma's 90th Birthday Party.  We were told we would get a phone call when lunch was underway so we could arrive.  So basically, the kids and I were doing a puzzle, Grandma's house was trashed, we were not dressed, yada yada yada.  Alan decides to call over there and we were told they were eating because we hadn't arrived.  Ha!  So we made a mad dash out of the house, which I regret because Grandma was out of town, and I left her house trashed.  She was to arrive that evening before we came back to her house.  (This is my MIL by the way).  We arrive for lunch to find that they are having pancakes and sausage.  The kids thought that this was an incredibly cool thing...to have breakfast twice add to skip lunch.  More playing and craziness went on between lunch and dinner.  Dinner was crab cakes, which I was incredibly excited about.  We don't have good seafood where we live, lol.  The party was going along nicely until the two oldest boys decided that their conversation should go something like this:  "Penis...No! Butt!  Penis!  Butt!  Penis! Butt!  Ice cream!!! Penis!!!"  We, the adults, are still trying to figure out how exactly Ice Cream was worked into that.  You would think we would be concerned about the "Penis! Butt!" , huh?  Well...anywhos...Happy 90th Birthday to Grammy!

The excitment finally wound up and we arrived back at Grandma's after eight o'clock that evening.  Grandma and "Gandpa" were waiting there.  They were so happy to see the kids.  We put Aidan to bed immediately, as the poor little boy had fallen asleep on Daddy's shoulder during the after dinner political conversations.  Jacob and Alexia finally stopped boucing around around 9:30ish and they crashed pretty hard in the bedroom.  We we were back up in the morning to go to church with Grandma.  If you ask the kids what they did in Bible Study they will tell you they ate cup cakes and drank cherry juice.  And guess what they washed that down with?  Cookies and cake at the after church social.  Yummy breakfast, I'm telling you.  Aidan had to stay with Grandma and I, and he fell asleep on Grandma's shoulder during the Sermon.  (See a theme here?)  She had just whispered "Is he asleep?" to me when he started letting out these long, chainsaw like snores.  I was trying so hard not to burst out laughing.  I deserve a medal for keeping my poker face. 

After church, we arrived back at Grandma's and Grandma told Alan and I to leave the kids with her and go out on a date.  Wahoo!  We went to the mall and bought some cool moving pictures with sounds and lights.  Then we rushed to the movie theater where there was only one movie that interested us.  "The Incredibles!"  LOL.  Finally a date and we go see an animated Pixar film.  Go figure.  The move was, amazingly enough, Incredible!  I haven't laughed so hard in ages.  I am looking foward to seeing it again with Jacob next weekend.  His Birthday is on Thanksgiving, and since it will most likely get lost in the Holiday, Mommy and he are going on a date next Sunday.  We will go see "The Incredibles!" and then I will take him out to lunch, and then off to Build a Bear.  He only knows about the movie, so don't tell him, ok?

This entire entry is getting a little drawn out, so I will skip ahead to the drive home.  It was going pretty smoothly.  I had reached a part of the highway where I had three lanes.  I checked all my mirrors and there was one vehicle about 1/4 of a mile back, but otherwise I was in my own little pocket.  This turned out to be a very good thing!  I'm driving along thinking about this and that, it is sometime after midnight, and I was starting to zone.  Then all of a sudden, I noticed that there was something standing smack dab in the middle of my lane.  I am so glad I had just checked my mirrors..I swerved instantly to the right lane while disengaging my cruise, where I noticed that another something was creeping out into that lane.  I instantly straightened the van from its controlled swerve to dodge the other object when I noticed that the original one had panicked and was running back into the van.  I sped back up and managed to miss both very panicked deer.  Ohhhhh, goodness!  I was shaking so badly!  I like to drive at night due to less traffic and the children and dogs sleeping, but I am constantly worrying about deer running out in front of us.  I am so worried about hitting on and injuring my children.  Well, not to mention the deer.  Poor Alan had been watching a movie and he looks up when the van started swerving yelling "Michelle!!! Are you ok!!!"  Then he noticed my moving obsticale course and he kissed my cheek and thanked me.  What a man, lol.  I didn't last long driving after that, to say the least.  I was very shaken up.  November is a very active month for deer, and we were passing ones that had been  hit every couple of miles.  The sad part is that even though I missed them, I'm not sure the car behind me did nor the truck behind it.  They dissappeared from my view =(

We finally got home..and the furnace doesn't work and it is 40 degrees in the house...so now I am off to try to find the number to maintenance.  Also, my cell phone battery had died on the trip, so I missed the phone call from the bus driver saying she would be 20 minutes early for pick-up due to the opening of a new Preschool room at the local Middle School.   To say the least, my children were running outside without coats with me stuffing lunch money into their backpacks.  Now I have no clue what time they will be getting home.  Does it ever settle down?

Furniture!

Ok, something about my house.  Most of the furniture comes from my family.  When someone passes away, we get their furniture.  Or if someone buys something new, we get their old.  It has never bothered me, it has been a blessing and a wonderful help.  However, our little family is becoming not so little.  For example, we had two larger dressers and one tiny broken dresser for soon to be six people.  And our youngest is still sleeping in a pack n play, which is horrible for his back and too small now.  We have two chairs for the entire family to sit in in the living room, lol. 

We solved the chair problem..for Christmas all the kids are getting bean bags.  That should help the fights.  As for the rest...my dear, wonderful husband has decided to solve the problem!  This week I am getting furniture and more furniture delivered on my door step.  First, I was surprised to find a crib mattress.  I thought Alan was planning on fixing our hand-me-down crib.  Next were two little dressers, then a bigger dresser.  Alan came home and told me there was one more thing coming..an entertainment center.  We currently have our TV, etc. stacked up on our coffee table, lol.  I was like ok.  So later when the doorbell rang I was expecting an entertainment center.  It was a large flat brown box.  Hmm..looked a little little to be an entertainment center.  I pulled out the packing slip and it is a toddler bed!  I am SO excited.  Alan has always deemed these a waste of money, but I figured Aidan is just now getting into a bed, and then the new baby can use it.  That right there is about 5 years of use, probably more.  Depending on the size of the this last baby :o)  If the baby is petite like my daughter, no problem.  Not only is it a toddler bed, but it has drawers underneath.  I will put those little latches on them to prevent any accidents...and put Aidan's clothes in there!  I am so excited.  It doesn't take much to excite me, lol.  I finally have places to put my clothes, my baby will have a great place to sleep, and I will get my coffee table back!   Yay!

Now, if I could only solve the toy problem.  Where do I put all these toys we have accumulated over the years?

Brrrrrrrrrr!

Brrrrr...it's cold in here! It is 50 degrees in my house.  Well, never mind on this entire entry because my husband just called and solved both of my problems :P  The furnace would not turn on so my youngest and I are sitting here in shoes, socks, coats, hats, and gloves, LOL!  Alan told me to flip the switch on the front of the furnace.  I figured that is what it was, but I wanted to make sure he had prepared the furnace.  We rent this house, and while they paint the garage, doors, and shutters regularly, they do not keep up the important maintenance, like cleaning out filters, etc.  Alan cleaned out the filter and it was sooo nasty!  Talk about fire hazzards. 

I was also worried because the battery in my phone was about to die but Alan told me where he put my charger.  I need my phone because he has his lump removed tonight, and if something happens that he needs a ride, I need my phone!  Not that I can help, my van is in the shop getting ready for the trip and I can't drive his car.  If he were lying in the Doctor's office and he needed a ride, I would darn well figure out his stick shift.  Haha!  I think it would take a lot for him to call me...he's very protective of his car, lol. 

Anywhos, as you can see, my day is totally disorganized.  I have all of this stuff to do and here I sit all wrapped up and freezing, sipping hot chocolate.  Can you tell I have spent five years on the West Coast recently? I never appreciated 70 degrees and sun year round until now. 

A quick update on Jacob and the mysterious two dollars.  I sent the money back yesterday and the teacher evidently got the little girl and Jacob together and figured out that she had indeed given Jacob the money.  Only it wasn't after school, it was before school, and it was her lunch money!! Poor girl had no lunch on Thursday because Jacob was keeping her money safe.  Apparently they had gotten married on Wednesday and she thought she had to give Jacob all her money.  Ok, I am so not ready for my five year old to be married.  Both classrooms are all getting a little lesson on not giving their lunch money to anyone except the teachers today. 

On an entirely different note..what is with the Christmas Music and Christmas Decorations??? What happened to Thanksgiving???  Oh my!  I walk around going "Bah-humbug!" while my not-so-dear husband turns every radio to the station that is playing nothing but Christmas music until Christmas.  I only have two presents for my daughter, and one for each of the boys.  I am not ready!!!!!  I DO have Jacob's Birthday present.  His birthday is on Thanksgiving.  At least I am prepared for something.  Come on, world..let's be Thankful on Thanksgiving before jumping into Christmas!

 

I said this would be a restful week?

Ok, did I say this would be a restful week? What a joke! Haha!  I did manage to get my labwork done today.  I am having a hard time adjusting to civilian versus Military.  In the military facilities, you just go immediately to your clinic and hand them your military ID.  Here, I had to go to a central desk, give them my name and what I needed.  I then had to wait until someone from Registration was free, then I had to hand over my insurance card and bloodwork order so they could register me and fill out the paperwork I needed to give to the lab.  Then they took me to the lab.  It all took an hour, where the military hosptial would have been a 10 minute deal that time of day.  No big deal, just different.  The care was better here, I must admit.  The last place we were stationed, I used to always get the same lady to draw my blood, and it was usually just before lunch or right before she left for the day.  She *always messed up and had to draw my blood again, and I usually ended up with a huge bruise on my arm. 

Anywhos, we came home and I put Aidan to bed.  I just took him out of bed because he has been in there yelling the entire time.  Guess he wasn't ready for a nap.  His brother and sister are not helping...very loud today.  When I put them on the bus every morning and get them off the bus every afternoon, there is almost an accident.  We live on a blind curve and it is very nerve wracking.  Well, today their bus driver has had enough.  She was almost rear-ended by a car coming around the corner at 65 plus mph.  First the bus driver noticed me running back up my driveway toward my house.  Trust me, when I run, it is for a dang good reason.  Then the car went into a full slide trying to stop.  After swerving and turning sideways, the car came to a rest a centimeter from the bus.  The bus monitor hurried the kids across the street and told me they had had enough...tomorrow they would pass the house and turn around and drop the kids off on this side of the street.  It will still be an issue, but not as much of an issue.  Everytime it rains there is almost an accident when my kids get on the bus.  People just need to slow down on that corner.  There is even a sign that says there is a school bus stop ahead, and a slippery when wet sign.  Come on people, slow down.  We cannot wait to move off this road.  There are weekly accidents. 

Once my kids were safely in the house, I looked in their backpacks for papers.  They have homework!  In Preschool!  This is fun homework, though.  It's a family project.  We have to cut out a turkey and then disguise it for Thanksgiving so it doesn't end up on the dinner table.  We use stuff we find around the house.  It should be fun. We have some time to do them.  They are due on November 18, so we can start them this week and finish them after our trip to see Alan's family this weekend. 

Meanwhile, my patience level is at zero.  Jacob woke up with his mouth going a mile a minute about his penis.  Everything was about his penis.  I tried my best to tell him once to please not discuss his penis with me, it was private.  That didn't work, and I lost my patience and yelled.  I was glad when the bus came this morning.  Thankfully, he is not talking about that now, but now it's all about his Halloween candy.  He's about to lose it.  I told him only one piece and he keeps climbing to get more.  I told him if I catch him trying to find where I hid it he would not get any more of his Halloween candy this year.  Harsh, but he needs to learn how to listen!  No more means no more.  Am I wrong? 

I forgot that I had to get the oil changed in our van and meet to go look at more houses on Wednesday, and be ready to go by Thursday early afternoon for our trip.  Which means I have...Oh my..where was I going.  My MIL called to tell me all we needed to know when we arrive at her house on Friday.  I have to chuckle...they were trying to clean out the spare room for us and my FIL knocked over a fire extinguisher without the pin in place.  Needless to say, it went off and the ceiling fan was going, so my MIL says there was a fine white poweder everywhere.  LOL!  Poor lady.  To top it off, they turned on the exhaust fan to get rid of the fumes.  Well, the fireplace was going so they ended up sucking all the smoke out of the fireplace into the house.  I feel so badly for them, lol, but I just had to laugh for like 3 minutes while she frowned on the other end of the line.  Can you just picture all of that in your head???? Haha! 

Anywhos, I really forget what I was going to say.  I have to clean the van out, wash the dogs because they will be going with us, plus about a dozen more things.  I have no clue why I said I get to rest this week.  I think I was having a momentary brain lapse.  Have a great day, everyone!

Out to eat

(Entry for November 7th, but was having computer problems)

One thing fun that we did do tonight was to go out to eat.  We ate lunch at 1 pm and got back into town around 7.  The kids were hungry!  So we decided to stop at our favorite resturaunt.  We knew we were in trouble the instant we arrived.  The host showed up five minutes after we got there asking us where we came from.  The kids waited well.  I think they were just happy to be unstrapped from their car seats and standing on their feet.  We were showed to our table and the host pulled up five chairs and told us the one of the end was for "the little guy."  Ok, for the record, Alexia's nose barely comes to the edge of the table, and Aidan is a bit shorter than she is.  So Alan and I are looking at each other raising our eyebrows when Jacob pipes up with "Aidan doesn't sit in a chair, he sits in a highchair!  And 'Lexia needs a "booter" seat!"  Alan and I quietly smiled to ourselves and the host went off to get what Jacob had requested for us. 

Once we were finally settled in our seats, the server, who had been hovering the entire time, asked us for our drink orders.  We gave them to him and he arrived a moment later with two kid drinks...and three adult drinks?  Let's see...Alan and I...that's two adults...Jacob, Alexia, and Aidan.  Hmmmm.  Jacob was super excited to get "a kid coke (Shirley Temple) in a Daddy Glass."  We weren't quite planning on him having that much "coke," but we weren't going to take it away from him at that point.  He had earned the Shirley Temple by being so patient on our trips this weekend.  Alan and I were shaking our heads at each other by this point. 

We ordered our food..appetizers and meals.  We sat there, and we sat there..then Alan's soup came.  Hmmm..."Dear, don't appetizers come before soup?"  "Usually...."  Not five minutes after the soup, guess what came?  Meals!  The couple sitting across from us were stage whispering that they should have warned us, lol.  The manager was helping to bring out meals out and I piped up with the fact that we had not even gotten our appetizer.  We ended up with free appetizers, and a card for a free appetizer on our next visit.  The couple across from us received a free dessert and a free appetizer on their next visit.  The table behind us received free meals.  We were all figuring on a new server.  No skin off our nose..free food..oh yeah!  The kids were really good about it.  We always order an appetizer because they are usually really hungry by the time we get moving when we go out.  Sometimes we get a server who happens to be a Mommy and she takes the kids orders first and brings it to them while dh and I have our drinks and appetizers.  Our server tonight was a young kid who obviously had no children of his own.  We only had two forks, and two napkins.  I just love the servers that automatically bring us piles of napkins! 

I am not complaining..it was a good (and partially free, lol) meal and the kids enjoyed it.  Alexia even shared her "pot pies" with Mommy and her little brother.  That is a huge honor.  Alexia is very protective of her "pot pies."  Those are french fries, in case you were wondering. 

Well, that was our experience, and since I have a cats tail hanging in front of the screen and a little boy waiting for me to sing him his goodnight song, I will sign off.  I made up a little song for the kids about 5 months ago.  Jacob must have it sang to him, in his bed, or else he can't go to sleep.  It goes something like this:

Go to sleep,

Go to sleep,

Mommy loves you,

Mommy loves you,

I'll be watching over you,

I'll be watching over you,

Now Goodnight,

And sleep tight.

(To the tune of that french song..I can't begin to spell it!  Fara Jaque?? I have no clue!)

Finally the week so I can rest...

Whew!  This has been one crazy weekend!  Let us start with Friday.  Alan had a banquet for work that was almost five hours from here, so it was an overnight trip.  Families were invited, but he said he didn't want the kids to have to travel since we have a lot of traveling in our future.  Ok, fine.  Well, come about 4:30 pm, he calls saying he was lonely for us and could I possibly pack up the kids and come spend the night with him?  One, two, three..."Awwwwwe"  :o)  Of course I packed the kids up and drove to see Daddy!  They were so excited.  They have barely seen him since September with his new work schedule.  We arrived at around 9:30 pm daddy's time (we drove to CST from EST), where Alan met me with a single red rose and a big hug for each of the kiddos.  We all had some snuggle and talk time then went to bed.  For whatever reason, we had a 6 am wake up call.  Someone's bad idea of a joke, lol.  We used the time to watch "Cat in the Hat" on the TV and snuggle all together.  We finally got motivated to check out around ten am to head home.  On the drive home, we get a phone call to go look at houses.  I forgot I had set that up!  Whoops!   We are looking for a house that will fit our growing family.  We are kinda crammed into this little house.  Two adults, four kids, 4 cats, and 2 dogs would never fit here...we would be bumping noses all the time...which is ok...but the cats kind of object when they bump noses with the kids...and espeically the dogs! 

Anywhos..I got off track!  When we got back into town, we had to meet at the Realty office right away..so the kids ended up being in the car alllll day.  Oh my!  They were so good about it, I must admit.  This morning we got up and guess what we did?  Got back in the car to go see my Grandma and the rest of my family.  Four more hours in the car...two each way.  I am letting them kind of unwind a bit.  Aidan is especially happy to be free from his car seat.  He is running happily up and down the hallway chasing a cat.  I will let him run a little bit more then off to bed. 

So why does Monday mean rest for me?  Jacob and Alexia have school!  Alexia was only able to go to school once last week because school was closed Monday and Tuesday, and she had an ear infection on Thursday.  So tomorrow, I get to take the oldest two to school and Aidan and I will take Daddy to work.  Then I need to figure out where to go to get my blood taken for my OB.  I forgot all about it..and that was three weeks ago!  Double oops!  When we get home, we get to clean and rest.  I have left all week open with nothing to do but laundry and clean.  It should be a good week.  I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Oh...how could I forget!  I was surprised and taken aback to receive a letter saying my journal is being Featured on Parent Talk.  I'm just blushing!  Thank you, AOL Parenting Community! 

What happened to the lesson learned?

I am working very hard not to give Jacob attention since he is doing the obvious attention ploy.  So I will tell you about his day.  He came home with $2.00 claiming his teacher had given it to him for being a good boy.   I was skeptical of this, so I had him put it on my desk.  I got up and came back and he was on his way downstairs...backwards.  He was obviously sneaking the money downstairs.  So I told him to come back up and sat him down and he gave me eight different stories on where the money came from.  I then e-mailed his teacher, and his teacher said no, she absolutely did not give him money.  He has told lie after lie since he got home from school today.  I watched him smack his sister and he said he didn't do it.  Alexia was on my lap, and Jacob said Alexia sprayed the "poisen" (household cleaner).  How, exactly, since she was on my lap and Jacob was standing right next to it?  I am really trying hard to keep my patience today.  I am still trying to figure out in my head how to handle the stealing situation.  He swears up and down that his friend gave it to him to keep safe so he could buy himself a toy.  I know this isn't true.  It is very hard to have him give it back to the rightful owner when I don't know who it is.  He doesn't go back to school until Monday.  He has lost TV and computer.  I know I have to take him to school Monday so he can give the money back to his teacher.  Alan thinks I should put Alexia on the bus and tell him he can't go to school until he tells me the truth, but I do not agree with taking school away from him as a punishment.  We will have to work this out this weekend.  Alan and I need to have a united front when we talk to him tonight.  Alan believes that the minute I take away something that is important to him away, he will tell us the truth.  True, school is about the most important thing to him, but I don't think it should be used as a punishment.  We are going to have enough battles with school when he gets older, I am sure.  In a few years I am going to have to make him go because he doesn't like it, so while he likes it, I am not going to make it a negative place.  This is so hard.  I am really lost on this one.  Alan wants to punish, I want to guide him more into knowing that taking the money was the wrong thing.  I don't him him to be "Ok, I was punished, but oh well."  I want him to know that taking something that isn't his is wrong.  Any ideas?

I shout..for Brussel Sprouts!

Ok, I can't figure out how to get graphics in here anymore.  Bummer.  I think I was doing it wrong to begin with.  I will do some research.    Anywhos...I have had many "cravings" with my pregnancy so far.  Big Macs, mashed potatoes and grazy, Taco Bell, chocolate...but guess what the newest one is??? Brussel Sprouts!  I must be finally losing it.  I have always loathed brussel sprouts.  They were slimey and icky and just gross!  Ugh!  I couldn't stand eating them.  These days, I cook up a whole pot full and then melt a 2% cheese slice over it then I move the cheese to the side so I can dip my sprouts.  Yuck!  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack.  Poor dh opened up the freezer to find a snack and all he saw was bags of brussel sprouts.  He was sure the body snatchers had come to take his wife.  The best part?  Guess what my kids are taking a liking to?  <g>  Jacob calls them "little Jacob lettuces."  He asked my Aunt for "Jacob lettuce" and my Aunt was completely confused, lol.  She was even more confused when I explained that the adorable four year old little boy standing in front of her was actually requesting brussel sprouts.  

 

My family is convinced that my children cannot possible be blood related to them, lol.

It didn't stop there...

My day sure didn't get any less, um, "interesting."  Alan came home to get his medical records and he opened the door to the bedroom and just stood there going "Hmmm..."  Then he quietly shut the door and said he wasn't even going to ask.  He was going to get his records and go to the doctors, lol.  Right after he left, the bus arrived with Jacob and Alexia.  Usually when they come around the corner of the bus Alexia giggles and waves at Mommy.  Not today!  She was crying her little heart out.  She looked absolutely miserable and my heart immediately fell to my feet.  The bus monitor said "Something horrible happened!"  I thought I was going to faint, and I didn't even know what it was yet.  Turns out she got her sleeves wet at school!  I had to fight down a chuckle...only because I was sooo relieved that that was all that was wrong.  Needless to say, the relief didn't last long.  I get her in the house and she is still crying and carrying on even after we changed her shirt.  I was finally able to calm her down enough so she could talk and tell me what was wrong.  She pointed to her right ear and said it hurt.  Ahhh, her very first ear infection, and she had a melt down over it.  I calmed her down and called the doctor and made an appointment and promised her bubble gum flavored medicine to make her ear feel better.  The doctor didn't let me down.  One infected ear and a bag of office samples of medicine.  So nice not to have to deal with the pharmacy and insurance.  I was a little surprised to see that I have to mix the medicine myself.  I guess I thought they had a keg of the "pink stuff" in pharmacies so they could just tap out a bottle and pass it around.  Never thought that they actually mixed it when you filled your prescription.  Just one of those things I have always taken for granted!  Well, here it is nearly 5:30 at night, and I have not gotten any laundry done.  I ran into my dh when I was getting on the elevator at the doctor's.  He was just leaving.  Seems he is having his "cancer" removed on Tuesday.  It is common in his field for the guys to develop cancerous growths just under the skin and flesh above the liver.  Supposedly they don't cause a problem unless they grow or are painful.  He has had it for two years, but it has grown a lot, soout it goes.  I still worry about him, and I am glad he is having it out.  He insists it is no big deal.  I am off to do laundry, clean the house, give the cat and my daughter their medicine, and a dozen other things.  Oops! I just called Alexia "Jake" and she is informing me in no uncertain words that she is NOT Jake, she is a big girl!  Hahah!  Kids are so funny. 

Hopefully I can get through the rest of the night without anything to write about...

Are you sure it isn't Manic Monday?

Wow.  This is one of those days you just want to climb back into bed.  Alan woke me up and I was freaking out because the sun was up and I thought the kids were late for school.  I forgot all about the "falling back" we did this weekend.  So I get up and get in the shower and then I race around finding everyone clothes.  I was running so late.  I get the kids dressed and ready and the bus pulls up.  We all dash outside.  I looked like Cousin It's Grandma because my hair was soaking wet and all over my face.  I'm sure it was frightening.  Just before we started going down the front steps I noticed that none of my children had shoes on, just socks.  Real smacking the forehead moment there.  So I told the bus driver to go on and I would take the kids to school.  The bright side was I had gained myself 20 minutes.  We had to catch one of the kitties to take to the vet.  Unfortunately, he had crawled inside the box springs of my bed.  So here I am, asking my four year old son to show me his muscles because Mommy needed his help.  Plan A was to take the mattress off, lift the box springs, and send my son in to poke Franken out.  That didn't work.  So I had Jacob lean against the mattress so it wouldn't fall over on me while I completely tipped the box springs on end to slide the cat out.  Franken came out and I told Jacob to catch him.  He did that, I was so proud.  Then he let the cat go...and guess what?  The cat ran into my daughter's room and climbed into the box springs.  More forehead slapping.  So, by now, I am starting to get all wound up like a tightly wound top and I'm starting to snap at Jacob.  The poor little guy was doing the best that he could.  I was asking him to go far and beyond his four year old self.   Anywhos, we shut my bedroom door and went into Alexia's room to repeat the proccess.   I finally get him out and he runs out of the room with Jacob on his tail.  Yay!  Jacob caught him and I successfully caged the poor kitty.  I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and hugged Jacob and told him I was sorry for snapping at him, his muscles were a huge help to Mommy.  I hope I made it all better.  He started puffing up and showing off his muscles, so it looked promising.  I ushered everyone, and the cat, to the car.   I managed to get the kids to school safely, then I had exactly 15 minutes to make a 20 minute drive to the vet.  I pulled up right as they were unlocking the door...15 minutes flat.  I wasn't even speeding!  Well, that much.  <cough cough>  Half an hour at the vet, where they try to convince me to pay a huge amount for x-rays.  Franken just had x-rays on Saturday.  The doctor confirmed that he was in no pain, no blockages, and he was getting better, so I didn't see the need to put Franken through x-rays today.  We already know there is a ball in his tummy and we don't know what it is.  It is not causing him pain, he is on meds to help him pass it and to help in the inflamation in his intestines, so I convinced them I was too busy and we would drop him off in a couple weeks if he wasn't completely better.  We will take him earlier if he starts indicating that he is regressing, of course. 

This has not been my entire day.  Aidan and I ran errands after the vet, and while we were running errands my Step-Mother kept calling.  She wants to have a party for my dad's 60th Birthday party (which was in mid-October, but he lives in Georgia while she is in Indiana, long story, LoL).  Anywhos, she had the date set for the 12th without consulting anyone.  My family will be out of town for a 90th Birthday Party and my brother will be working.  So she says come Sunday at 2 pm.  Ok, fine.  Not five minutes later, she calls back and tells me to throw a party for my dad at my Grandma's house so everyone can be there.  She said "We will have it in two phases.  Your family at your Grandma's and my Family at my house."  Um, hello, so basically what you are doing is dumping this birthday party for me to plan right in my lap during the busiest two weeks that I have had in a long while.  <sigh>  Somewhere in between packing for Maryland, the kids school, my doctor's appointments, my husbands doctor's appointments, and a dozen other things, I have to get a cake and presents and try to get all my family together on a 4 day notice!  Everyone works on weekends...my family are farmers!  They can't just say "Ok, we will be there."  Hello, fall...harvest time.  Anyway, she is still waiting for me to call her back.  I have no idea where my Grandma will be living on Sunday.  I have been trying to call her and keep getting a busy signal.  The next step will be to call my Aunt.

Today I still have to clean the house, run some more errands when the kids get off the bus, make sure all the library books are returned, do boo-coo amounts of laundry for the trip...because apparently I have to go to this party Sunday, which is 2 hours away.  The party the following weekend is 10 hours away.  Yes, life will be very busy for a while...my journal might be kind of quiet..but I will try.

By the way...Alan is going to be very surprised when he gets home to find our bed disassembled.  My son knocked the frame apart and I can't get it back together again.  Guess it's a good time to clean out from under our bed...

And then there was pie

I laid around like a slug all day.  Ok, I wasn't actually lying...I was playing euchre online.  So come about seven pm I decided I needed to do something.  So in an hour and a half, I cleaned the living room (bribed the kids with Halloween Candy to help me!), fed everyone dinner, bathed all three children, fed the dogs, gave medicine to the cat, did some laundry, loaded the dishwasher, took out trash, tucked in all three kids, and made a couple phone calls.  Not necessarily in that order.  And now..there is pie.  Quiet time, my favorite time of night.  It reminds me of that old joke...where the dad says he's going to bed, and he does!  Just gets up and goes to bed.  The mom says she is going to bed, and she does this horribly long list of things and then three hours later she goes to bed.  My nightly routine reminds me of that joke.  My night is not finished yet...after my pie break I will continue to make sure the kitchen is ok and continue with laundry. 

In the meantime, this pie sure is good!

Speaking of how things have changed

My entry yesterday made me think of how different things are for my children than they were when I was young.  I can remember when I was 12 and in the sixth grade that there was a great excitment and nervousness in my classroom.  The school had gotten a computer lab!!!  We were living in Germany then, so this might have been earlier or later than the United States Schools, I am betting on later.  The program for the computers...DOS!  Oh my gosh.  Can you imagine our little ones typing away using DOS these days?  My children get on here and point and click and everything sings and dances and there are wonderful graphics and games.  Wow, things sure are different.

Remember the original cell phones?  Those big clunky things in a bag that had to be plugged into the lighter to work?  Hahaha!  Those were a hoot!  My family had no desire to pay hundereds of dollars for one of those when we could just stop at a payphone.  Now, even fifth graders are walking around with cell phones.  I remember swearing to my family and to my husband that I would never, ever own a cell phone.  Ha!  That didn't last long.  My dh had a cell phone and I didn't.  He told me to come pick him up from work at 4:30 pm.  So, at 4:25...I pulled into the lot where I was supposed to meet him.  I sat there until 7 pm waiting on him.  It wasn't that unusual for him to get out of work late.  Seven pm however?  At that point, I figured he would have been out.  So I drove to a pay phone and called him.  Guess where he was???? Sitting on our stoop at home!  He got out at 4:15, I wasn't there, so he rode his bike 10 miles home.  I was ready to strangle the man.  He told me to be there at 4:30!  He said "I didn't want to wait."  Hello?!?! You could have called me and told me not to come before I left the house.  I had sat in that parking lot with two very cranky children for three hours for nothing.  Guess who was the proud owner of a cell phone the next day? 

Well, the kids are waiting for breakfast so I must run.  Happy Election day...or is there such a thing? I will just be glad when it is all over for now.  Presidential Election Years are the worst.

Ahh, crazy Elections

Tomorrow is the big day.  The day that men and women have been fighting for.  "Vote for me, vote for me!"  State and Federal, County...you name it, they are fighting for it. 

I was thinking about elections this morning, and it came to me that I have not voted at an actual poll except for once!  The November after I turned 18, my mother dragged me to the polls and made me vote.  I had absolutely no clue what I was doing.  Back then, it was still the kind that you had to flip the little thingy...for lack of the technical term!  I have not lived in the state I was registered to vote since then, so I have no clue how it is done now.  I am assuming computers play a factor in it?  I also have no clue what stay-at-home parents do.  Do they let children into the polling booths?  I can just imagine if they did...the children will be in there flipping all the little thingies and the parent will be cringing saying "I didn't want to vote for them, Jr.!"  Ok, ok, so I know that can't happen.  I am guessing a.) They don't use the little flippy thingies anymore and b.) They don't let kids into the polling booths.

So how do parents vote?  I guess I should intercede right now and tell you...I am completely politically ignorant.  I guess it's something about voting for the least slimy character that just takes my joy out of it.  I don't know much how anything works.  I do know that in our Democracy, half the country will be happy with our new President and half of our country will be upset about our new President.  I guess it is better than the alternatives...

What I know about the most, however, is that after tomorrow,  I won't have to listen to "He said....,"  "He lied...," "But you said...," etc.  Ahhh, finally, I won't have to explain to my four year old why grown men think it is ok to call other people names and call them liars.  Well, not until the next elections, anyway.   He will be 8 then.  Maybe he will understand a little more then.

Sorry I have been lax

I am sorry for the quiet.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!  I have pictures to share, but I can't figure out how to download them from the camera so I will need to wait until Wednesday when Alan can show me. 

The plan for Halloween was to stay home and pass out candy, but alas, no one came but our neighbors, so I took the kids out for an hour or so.  They had a lot of fun, but they wished they could stay home and pass out candy!  Go figure, lol. 

Things are really picking up for me around here...I have so much to do and I need 27 hours in each day.  This week will be pretty quiet...mostly cleaning.  Remind me to take my kitty to the vet on Wednesday for a recheck, lol.  I know I am going to forget that one.  I hope I don't. 

There will be a huge sugar frenzy going on around here for some time..oh my...we have so much candy in this house!  Good thing candy keeps for a while, lol.  No way am I letting the little ones chow it all down this week.  My 21 month old is nice enough to share his chocolate with me <g>.

Not much to write about.  One last thought...Tips for mommies with just potty trained children...those flushable wipes are a wonderful thing!  They help a toddler out immensely!  Have a great day!