Well, welcome Year 2006.  May this year bring more joy than anything to you and yours!

We spent a peaceful night at home.  We played Mario Party 7 with the kids.  I am really enjoying the game.  It varies itself and the board is interactive.  It's not the same thing over and over.  Of course, I have played it all of twice now, LOL.  It takes a while.  Jacob beat dh and I, then dh beat me after the kids were tucked away for the night.  The kids and I did a countdown to New Years at 9 P.M.  They enjoyed it.  Robby has already woken up once this year for a snack.  Nothing new there.  He is starting his year out right in his eyes, I am sure. 

I'm still working on writing my New Years contract.  Once I get it done, I will type it here.  I really want to be more organzied and become more healthy, so the contract will revolve around those things. 

Happy New Year to all, and to all a good night.

Just something I got in an e-mail

 I am Thankful :

FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA
BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME,
NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM EMPLOYED.

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,
AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH..

FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.


FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH
WHO SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

SEND THIS TO SOMEONE YOU CARE ABOUT I JUST DID.

Live well, Laugh often, & Love with all of your heart!

New Year's Resolutions

Resolutions are usually lost on me.  I never stick to them.  Frankly, I think they are a waste of time.  Usually, when you get older, you are set in your ways and you aren't going to change them.  However, this year, I realize that is a pretty lousy attitude.  I would love to change some things about myself.  So...instead of resolutions, I am going to write a contract with myself.  I must adhere to the contract for the entire year.  If I don't, I am in breach of the contract.  It might work...I don't think anyone is going to bang down my door if I breach a contract that I wrote with myself for myself, though. Well....maybe one of my other personalities might object and help me stick to it.

Winding down

I hope everyone had a very, very Happy Holiday!  We are home from the In-Laws and resting and just kind of hanging around home.  Alexia has an appointment in a couple hours, but other than that, we are staying home.  It appears that a couple storms are rolling in.  Oh joy. 

The Holidays overall were fairly nice.  It still doesn't feel like Christmas time to me, which makes me sad.  The usual joy I feel has just been absent.  I miss my Mom something terrible.  My dad said something when we celebrated Christmas with him that is still haunting me.  I applaud myself for not falling apart, however.  He said "I hope you Mumma can see her Grandchildren.  That is all she ever wanted, was to be Oma."  As if this knowledge doesn't haunt me every day when I look at my children.  He had to go and remind me.  My children have this beautiful person as their Oma, and all they know of her is what she looks like (Pictures) and that she is in Heaven watching over them. 

I'm sorry...I went off on a tangent and started crying.  I guess I just figured out why Christmas really isn't Christmas for me.  It's missing Oma.  Oma had been in heaven for 8 years before her first Grandchild was born.  Nearly eight years to the day, in fact.  It was off by two days. 

On a more cheerful note, I am finally feeling better.  I wasn't 100% until Christmas Day.  Then that evening, Gampa came down with something, so I started feeling a little queezy again last night.  I'm better today again, though.  I sure hope this is over. 

Happy Holidays, all.  I'm sorry for the depressing entry, but I guess I just needed to say these things.

PS  The above picture is Robby helping me wrap presents.  Sorry it's so big, LoL.

 

Just not feeling it

I am just not feeling Christmas this year.  I was so excited at first...and now I have kind of petered out.  That virus the kids had went through the first three, and is still with Alan, and hit me upside the stomach Sunday night.  Just like that.  Wham!  This is where a hubby brag comes in though.  He took care of me, and took care of the kids.  And he doesn't feel well either.  He convinced me to go to the ER because he knew I was dehydrated.  He was right...three hours on an IV to get me feeling better.  The next day, he stayed home from work and did laundry, organized my cabinets, hung pictures and stockings, and took care of the kids for me.  What a wonderful Tigger.  We are hoping the virus clears out so we can see his Mom and the rest of the family.   And I really hope we didn't give it to any of my family on Sunday.  That would be a bad thing.  :-(  My Grandma could not take that kind of virus. 

Anywhos, Alan just called and he is bringing home movies and we are going to snuggle.  He says he is feeling better.  I am glad to hear that.  Good thoughts that Robby doesn't get it!  

I hope everyone is about ready for Christmas.  Happy Holidays.

Finding Humor

That's what I am doing as I go through my daily routines.  Otherwise, I think I would go a little nuts.  That would be a bad thing, since I am already completely nuts.  ::big grins:: 

Last night Robby actually stayed asleep.  Dh and I went to bed at 11 P.M.  Unheard of.  I, however, had a difficult time falling asleep.  Come around 1 A.M, I was just dozing off when Robby woke for a snack.  He was asleep again by 1:20, so no big deal.  I had trouble falling asleep again.  I was just dozing off when I heard it...that high pitched "something is wrong and I want my Mommy!" cry.  I made it to Aidan's room where I found him standing next to his bed in tears.  I asked him what was wrong and he pointed to his bed and said "My dinner in my bed!"  I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or hug him.  I got him all cleaned up and he repeatedly giggled and told me "That my dinner!"  It helped keep my mind off the completely gross task I was accomplishing.    I got him all snuggled back into bed and went to clean myself up and get back into bed.  I was just dozing off....when....yup...the dinner strikes again.  And again.  And again.  I just thank Robby for sleeping really well last night.  He got up for two short snacks and that was about it.  Aidan is 100% this morning.  This bug strikes hard and fast, then it is gone.  I'm waiting for Jacob and Robby to get hit with it.  I still have to chuckle, however, because Aidan came in this morning and I asked him how he was feeling.  "My dinner was in my bed!"  Yup, so you told me, sweetheart.  What a cute kid. 

Ho-ho-humbug

The Holidays are rushing forward at record speeds.  They are crunching down on me.  I don't act particularly stressed.  I don't feel particularly stressed, either.  I love shopping for gifts for my family, and I love wrapping them and arranging the stockings.  So, I'm having fun with it all, I'm just running out of time.  Don't tell my kids, but Santa is coming here on the night of the 21st.  One of his elves told me.  We are going to see Alan's family, so Santa is making an early stop.  Last year, I took all the kids out to the car to leave, and "Santa" put everything out before we left.  So when we came back...wow...Santa had come!  That would have worked great if we hadn't arrived home at 1 A.M.  So....not trying that again.  Haha.

The germs didn't miss Alexia.  Well, the Bronchitis and Strep did...but something else got her.  In six years of parenting, that was the nastiest thing I have had to clean up so far.  So, after four infants, you know it was pretty nasty, lol.  She is chipper and bright today, but still not eating.  So I kept her home today to rest.  It worked out, because Jacob had a field trip and the pickup time for him happened to be the exact same time Alexia needed to taken to school.   I would have been at the school, but I can't be in the cafeteria and outside the pre-school door at the same time, kwim? 

Tonight I need to get my Christmas cards ready to be stamped and mailed out tomorrow.  I need to clean my house.  I don't like it this way, but yet getting the gumption to do something about it just makes me yawn.  I know not sleeping at night has a lot to do with it.  Robby is back to his usual  tricks of not sleeping very well.  Ho-ho-ho and humbug...I need some zzz's.

And we sit

Robby is six months now.  He is sitting for short periods of time.  Excuse his lack of excitement.  Seems he has a case of Bronchitis and Pink Eye. 

Jacob has Bronchitis, and Aidan has Strep.  Alexia, so far, is kicking the germs away.

Hope everyone is staying warm and safe.

Mystery solved

So, I settle down to watch SuperNanny and rock Robby to sleep.  Guess what?  No SuperNanny.  "Santa Claus is coming to Town" was on.  So I snuck first into Aidan's room.  Asleep.  Then into Alexia's room.  Asleep.  Then into Jacob's room.  He was awake, so I quieted him and turned on the TV and let him watch it.  Which turns out to be mistake, because now he won't go to sleep.  Figures.  Anyway. 

I went down to bake cookies right after Robby fell asleep.  I was going through my cabinet looking for the chips and guess what literally fell onto my face?  You guessed it.  My measuring spoons.  I just don't get it.  I have been in and out of the cabinet at least 20 times because that is where the bowls and plates are.  I can't figure it out.  I guess the borrowers were done with them, so they placed them just right so that they would fall onto me when I opened the cabinet.  It looks like they even washed them....but I washed them just in case.

So anway...I managed to bake two dozen cookies so far.  Robby woke up screaming like someone was pinching him and Jacob will not stay in bed.  So the cookie baking is on pause.  I think Robby has a little gas so I will comfort him and rock him back to sleep.  Not that anyone wanted to know that.  ::grin::

Almost home free...

I'm almost there.  I made it to Seven P.M.  We watched movies, we mailed some bills.  We played very little today.  I'm kind of sad about that, but there are some days where the kids and I just need to be a little less attached at the hip.  They played with each other.  I did some housework.  I'm getting ready to do baths and story, then I am going to bake cookies.  All by myself.  SHHHH.  Tomorrow we will do a Christmas Project together.  Tonight I bake alone.

This Mommy's Good Hopes for the day

Now I wake up for the day

give me strength to laugh and play.

They whine and cry,

fight and hit,

they shout and argue,

and I know why.

My oldest thought it would be funny

 to wake the others up before it was sunny.

Five? Six? I am not sure. 

My husband was the one to

send them back to their beds.

I do know one thing,

my grumpiness is pure.

Give me strength to laugh and play.

Give me strength to get through the day.

And do not worry, I won't quit my day job to become a poet,

because I am not one and I know it.  <g>