So here I am, innocently minding my own business and updating my journal. All of a sudden, my oldest goes "Mom! You are not hot!" Being the smarty I am, I said "No, I am not. I am comfortable." He goes "Moo-oom! That means you aren't pretty. Geez."
...Thanks for the confidence boost, son.
Happy Halloween everyone!
Every year we take the kids to the Mall to Trick-or-Treat. I took the little ones to the bottom floor only, and Alan took the oldest on both floors. He had quite a bit of goodies, while the littles had just a little too much. I have a good time watching my kids take it all in. The candy is just a bonus as far as the kids are concerned, lol. Then, Halloween day rolls around and the three oldest had parties at school. So now I have so much candy in my cabinet right now I am getting cavities just thinking about it. I still have candy in there from last year that I need to toss.
I hope everyone has a Spooktacular Evening! Be safe!
A while ago, DH asked me to warm some leftover pizza for him. I knew he threw it in the oven box and all a lot, so I asked him "350 degrees, right?" I didn't get a response, so I figured if I were wrong he would have said something. I set the oven at 350 and tossed the pizza on the bottom rack because for whatever reason, the top rack was crooked and I didn't want the pizza box to slide into the side of the oven. I set the timer for 5 minutes.
Well, about 3 minutes later I walked into the kitchen and my oven was smoking. I mean, literally smoking. Smoke was pouring out the cracks and the vent and smoke filled the kitchen. I started flipping out because I was positive that I was going to open the oven and flames were going to lick out and claim my eyebrows. (Yes, I had been reading too many books and watching too many movies!) So I was screaming for Alan to come now! He came in and told me to calm down and take the (@#$%) pizza out of the oven. To say the least, flames didn't dance out and burn my eyebrows off my face. The box was just smoldering. There was a big 'ol hole in the bottom of the box. So I put the box on a cookie sheet and put the entire thing on the front stoop. Then I went for a bucket of water and dumped it onto the box.
Wet, soggy, smoky pizza anyone?
...I guess next time I will take it out of the box.
The kicker is a few days later I burned something else in the oven and my daughter sat calmly at the kitchen table and said "Well, Mommy caught lunch on fire agian!"
I picked up a tip while browsing around online. If you like well developed characters, (like, so well developed you can totally see them in your mind and think of them as your friends, LoL), and some good laughs, try Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Series. It starts with "One for the Money". You can get the list from there. They are in numerical order. I have read One through Five plus I read the 12th book first. Hey....it was the first one I got from the library. The hold list for the Plum books is atrocious. I'm really enjoying the books, though. They kind of keep me from my housework...oops...
So, as I eluded to in yesterday's entry, Durke's "St. Louis Smoky Mesquite" steak seasoning is excellent on steaks.
Not so good on Hot Chocolate.
All summer I just wanted it to be cooler. Now it is freezing. On Tuesday I was wearing shorts, (which is frightening in itself), and mowing the grass. Now here on Thursday we all have winter coats on...
...inside the house. Time to get the furnace cranked.
Aidan isn't doing so hot with his cast off. He keeps falling on his arm. I'm going to have to line the floor and the outside walkway with feather pillows. Or attach a bungy chord to his overalls so I can catch him before he falls. He is also afraid to use it. He keeps saying "It's broken."
I had a meeting yesterday with the children's Speech Pathologist. I found out she is not working on just motor like I thought she was. She is actually doing a great job. She came in and asked Alexia how she was doing and Alexia looked at her and said "Dood." The Pathologist touched a finger to her (own) throat and Alexia immediately said "I mean Good!" Apparently she uses touch cues with them and they work wonders. Now I am armed with some of those cues. Aidan's Speech IEP looks just like Alexia's. They have problems with the same exact sounds. I'm going to have to develop some sort of incentive here at home...any ideas?
Winter sports sign-ups are here. Jacob wants to try basketball and Alexia wants to try cheer leading. It's going to be a busy winter.
I don't think I have mentioned that Alan will be starting sea duty again soon. Time to be a Sailor's wife again. I was really enjoying shore duty.
Tuesday came, bright and sunny. I had a little cold over the weekend. Apparently, it was just a seedling because I woke up Tuesday not even 1/3 as bright as the sun. I managed to trudge through the day. I got up and made myself hot chocolate...I reached for my favorite stuff to sprinkle on top...nutmeg and cinnamon. Yummy. I took a nice big gulp and nearly gagged as I looked to see what was in my other hand. "Smoky Mesquite Steak Seasoning." Hmm. I wouldn't recommend that one for a hot chocolate topping.
I proceeded through the day. Managed to mow the grass and cook dinner. Fell into bed quite happy to be there. Woke up today feeling just as gray as the sky outside. It was a beautiful fall day...off and on cold rain showers, yellow/orange/brown leaves blowing around in the gusty winds. When I was switching kids out on the bus, I had a great idea. "Let's go wait in the van, kids, so I can leave right after the bus comes to take back these library books!" So we have three library books and we dash outside and it starts down pouring right after I shut and locked the front door. I reached into my pocket for my keys to unlock the van for the kids. Insert cartoon of frazzled mommy with a balloon over her head with @#$%#@ symbols. No keys. Crappola.
Luckily, I hadn't neglected to tuck my cell phone into my pocket. I called Alan who proceeded to laugh for a full three minutes before telling me to walk somewhere where there was cover and he would be there as soon as he could. Being the belligerent type that I am, I tried to find a way in only to be attacked by puppies and acquire muddy paw prints on my derriere. Aidan was knocked over in the mud. Robby's shoes were taken and I had to chase them. I managed to un tangle ourselves from the excited quivering fur balls and walk to the nearest canopy. Many people stared at the three wet people with paw prints all over us, doing our best to keep three library books dry.
Alan made it within the hour and let us in, snickering the entire time. The boys and I returned the library books then came back and curled up on the couch under blankets. Mommy was pretty grouchy by then. I continued to be pretty grouchy until after dinner.
Hopefully this cold will lift and I can function normally tomorrow.
Aidan's cast is off. The doctor told me to try my best to keep him from running, climbing, jumping, and generally being a boy and I kind of smiled and nodded and told him I would do my very best.
Not two hours later, despite me screaming and yelling and waving my arms to "Stop!" like a lunatic, Aidan jumped off of a little ledge and fell directly onto his arm. It's just not possible to keep a boy from being a boy...but I am being very diligent.
Fall has blown in with a lot to do. The days pass by quickly with my to-do lists still long. I usually add things as I get to check things off. It seems more than a little redundant to me, but I am the ever faithful Piggy and keep on plugging along.
We went to visit DH's mom and family and attended Granddad's Memorial Service. The service was very nice. The Chaplain who spoke didn't leave many dry eyes in the church. It was nice to learn a little more about Granddad. Despite the reason for a visit, it is always nice to see the family. On the way there the kids kept chanting their favorite cousin's name. They just couldn't wait to see her. She's around 15 a wonderful help to me. The kids love her and she loves them...it's nice for them to be able to play with other people for a while. Some of their other cousins were there and they tuckered the kids out. The cousins are all older...in their teens or older than that.
On the home front, my dad seems to be doing OK. I haven't heard otherwise, so I will go with "No news is good news." My brother and SIL are due to have their first baby any day! A little girl. I am very excited for them. My family seems to go in spurts. Back in my generation, there were three boys born and then little 'ol me. Then the next generation had three girls and then a boy. Then in the same generation, (years later, lol), I had three boys and a girl! See a theme here? Of course, I had a boy, a girl, then two boys, but let's leave that part out. Now one of my second cousins had a boy, and my brother and SIL are having a girl. So they messed it all up. Phooey on them, anyway! Hmm, wait a minute...*I messed it up! I was due for three boys and a girl, instead I had a boy, a girl...then three boys were born...now the next girl. I think it's because I had two extra children, hehe. My Grandma had three children, each of her children had two children, each of my Aunt's children had two children...then there was me. Yeah...I through the monkey wrench in there. I'll take credit where credit is due! ::grins::
Well, now that you had an utterly confusing and boring crash course on my family, let's see what else is going on around here. The big, big news is Aidan is getting his cast off tomorrow, hopefully! He goes for an X-ray. Positive thoughts that he is all healed! My big boy also is completely day potty trained, and he got a hair cut. I need to update my pictures. It was so funny, Jacob came home from school and I asked him to look at Aidan. Jacob turned around and instantly turned back to me and said, "Awwe, Mom! He looks just like me! You'll never get our names right, now!" Yes, yes, I admit...I am forever calling Aidan Jacob and Jacob Aidan. It has gotten worse since they look identical from the back, and pretty darn close from the front...maybe I will just change both of their names to Jaiden. Wah-la! Problem solved!
It was a clear, cold night and we were visiting DH's mom. She volunteered to keep the kids so that DH and I could go catch a movie. I wanted to drive because I knew the deer would be crazy this time of year. DH ended up driving anyway.
On the way home, I saw it first. A deer just standing in the other lane of the road. DH thought he would move and kept going...the deer did move...directly into our lane. So DH hit the brakes and we hit him going about 25 mph. I can see the poor deer in my mind so clearly, even a week later. He was good sized, and had about a five point rack going. I saw him start to run...trying to get out from in front of us, but he started running too late. I knew he wasn't going to make it. We hit him with a loud slamming sound and I saw that poor deer fly up over the hood and bounce off....then he got up and ran away. I was so relieved to see him up and running. I hope he wasn't hurt. It was very scary for me. My worst fear when driving at night is that I would hit a deer. When you usually see the results of those kind of collisions, they aren't pretty; on either end.
Our vehicle didn't see too much damage...we lost the little plaque thing marking the model of our car, and there are a few cracks around where the little plaque used to be.
So if you are out that way...and see a deer running by with a five point rack and a vehicle's plaque thingy on his butt...you know who hit him.
Alan has lost his Granddad. He began resting in peace on September 12. Granddad had fought a long fight, and I hope he is finally resting.
THE LETTER
by: Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836-1906)
HELD his letter in my hand,
Granddad, you will be missed. We bless you and may you rest in peace. We know you are watching over your children.
My six year old was dangling from the banister shouting "Get me my coat!" while I ignored him and told him to get down and get it.
My five year old usually goes to school in the afternoon, but today she has a field trip. She needed to ride the bus with my six year old. Instead, she was following me around with her bottom lip out saying she wanted to stay home with Mommy. I kept a running dialouge of all the fun things she will do today while trying to pack her lunch.
My three year old was following me around screaming at the top of his lungs and stomping his feet demanding I help him get dressed.
My one year old was following me around screaming and demanding I pick him up and cuddle him. I tried to give him yogurt, he didn't want it, so I took him out of his highchair...and he wanted it. So I put him back in his chair...and he hit it so the entire thing splattered down the front of me. I gave up.
And don't forget the reason for my disorganization...I had everything laid out on the counter so I could find it...and the cat jumped up and Jacob startled him...and the cat knocked everything down into a great big heap at my feet.
I have only been up for an hour. It's quiet now....
....thankfully....
....and I somehow managed not to trip over any of the children that were following me around on my heels. And somehow, all of their needs were met. They always are...even if I have to do a little banging of my head against the wall.