I became a mother almost 5 years ago. In 10 short days MB will be 5 years old. I would not trade the mothering experience for anything in the world. I actually became a mom almost 7 years ago when I married my husband. He has 2 boys from his previous marriage and they are my stepsons, and though I love them dearly, they are not mine. I don't see them on Mother's day because they belong with their mother on Mother's day and I will not ever steal that from her.
Anyway, as we were in church this morning I thought about all of the women who desperately want to be mother's but can not for physical reasons. To you today, I want to wish you the love and joy friend's children and family's children can bring to you. To somebody, you are full of the love of a mother. They know it. How do I know and say this? Before I got married, my best friend's children were like my own. They knew I loved them as a mother loves her children and would do anyting... ANYTHING for them. Though they are not my children I would throw myself in front of a train and die for them if necessary. Stand in front of a loaded gun so they would be safe. The same things I would do for my son.
My heart does ache for the women who can not have children of her own. It was supposed to be my story. That is why MB name is Samuel. Samuel's mother, in the Bible of course, prayed that God would give her a son. That she would be worthy of the name mother. Her husband's other wife had children and she lorded it over her and made her feel horrible about not having children. In that day it was a shameful thing for a woman not to have a child. She prayed and prayed so hard that the priest though she was drunk and tried to make her leave the temple. She told him what she had prayed for. God gave her a son and she named him Samuel because he was "asked of God". That is why my son is Samuel. I asked God for him. Begged. Pled. Cried for a child of my own knowing I was told my body was broken and would not accept a child.
The day I discovered I was pregnant was the most exciting and frightening day of my life. I remember looking at the pregnancy test and having a friend check it just to be sure I saw what I saw (the 2nd blue line). I rember sitting in the bathroom saying to my unborn child...."Fight, you are the most wanted baby in the world!". He still fights. His life has been a hard road so far. He was born 2 months early in renal failure but too small and weak to start on dialysis, spent 6 weeks in the NICU before coming home for the first time, went back in the hospital for another 6 weeks and was started on dialysis which we did at home every night for a year, got a kidney from daddy, had several surgeries in between for hernias and recathetrizations. This boy tried to die too many times for me to count. So many opportunities for the gift to be stripped from me. I am thankful he continues to fight and do so well. My pregnancy was frought with problems as well. I had to shoot insulin from the 3rd month on. I had to take shots of Heparin every day (a blood thinner) because of a history of blood clots. I ended up in the hospital on strict bedrest (only allowed to sit up to eat and stand up to go to the bathroom) for 6 weeks (could you imagine how insane I would be if he held out all 8 weeks he was early!). I was on a high dose of blood thinners when I had an emergency c-section to deliver Sam. It was a hard road....and one I would love to take again. But it will not happen. This is a fact that it can not and really should not.
God has blessed me. The best thing that has ever happened to me is to be a mom. I have learned more about God and grace and forgiveness and discipline from being a mom than I ever would have understood if I were not a mother. God, thank you for the lessons. I know and pray that I have many many many more years of these valuable lessons as I watch my son become a man of God.
On Mother's day I have to tell you that being a mom also makes me appreciate all my mom did for us. The sacrifices she made and the hardships she withstood for us. I now understand how much it hurt her when we said we hated her ask kids. How much she apprecaited a hug for no reason at all.
Mom...I wish you were closer so I could hug you today and let you know I'm glad you are my mom. I love you.
To all the mom's out there. Hug your babies today. Put aside your anger and frustrations and make ammends. Let yourself FEEL really FEEL the love that is inside you for your child. Children are a gift from God and we moms are honestly the lucky ones.
MB, thanks for making me a mom. ... you deserve the gifts and love today. (I have to brag on a baby's love here. At his baby sitter's house he and the sitter's husband made a card for me and picked a rose from her garden. When he presented me with this rose, it was wilting and dying, but it smelled wonderful and MB and I played with it...hard. Sniffing it, kissing it, brushing it on our faces. I put it in a bottle of water I happened to have in the van but did not expect it to survive the night. The next morning when I got up that rose is alive, strong and well......it's baby's love that brought that thing back. Magic I tell you, love is Magic!).
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Nothing quite like cleaning your kids room to make you realize
Makes you realize just how much JUNK you have in your house and when you house is only 1200 sq feet, there is not much room to begin with. I have spent 5 hours..yes, I did say 5 hours, now cleaining the boys room. MB shares a room with his bigger brother (1/2 brother) and they have WAY too much stuff in that tiny room. Actually, they have the big bedroom since they have to share it, but there is sooooo little storage room and Sooooo many toys it's disgusting.
I have had to lay down the law since I go through this every couple of months...the new rule...if you dump it you clean it. If you don't clean it and I have to do it again, I'm giving it away.
In fact, I'm trying to give some of it away today. I have a Big Big loader up for grabs as well as a couple of puzzles and an alphabet apple (cute game really, if you don't know your letters, which MB does).
So I'm cleaning and organizing again thinking...nay, knowing full well that I will have to do this again in a few months. Am I strong enough to get rid of toys.
I think I need the Supernanny to come kick my butt on this. He really does not have that many toys, the toys he does have have a lot of little parts. The scary thing, the parts only get smaller as they get older as evidenced by the bigger brothers' toys in the room.
did I mention how much I HATE leggos?
I guess I tackle my room and my Discovery Toys next. May have a sale on those soon to get them out of here. I think I may stop selling them....but I'm not sure yet.
I have had to lay down the law since I go through this every couple of months...the new rule...if you dump it you clean it. If you don't clean it and I have to do it again, I'm giving it away.
In fact, I'm trying to give some of it away today. I have a Big Big loader up for grabs as well as a couple of puzzles and an alphabet apple (cute game really, if you don't know your letters, which MB does).
So I'm cleaning and organizing again thinking...nay, knowing full well that I will have to do this again in a few months. Am I strong enough to get rid of toys.
I think I need the Supernanny to come kick my butt on this. He really does not have that many toys, the toys he does have have a lot of little parts. The scary thing, the parts only get smaller as they get older as evidenced by the bigger brothers' toys in the room.
did I mention how much I HATE leggos?
I guess I tackle my room and my Discovery Toys next. May have a sale on those soon to get them out of here. I think I may stop selling them....but I'm not sure yet.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Recent discussion at our house
Me: Hey baby, you gotta get dressed or we are going to be late for work.
MB: Moooooommmmmmmmeeeeeeeee.....you gotta stop calling me baby. I'm almost 5!
Me: Well, what do you want me to call you then?
MB: You can call me Sam or you can call me boy, but you can not call me baby anymore. I am not a baby...I'm a big boy...so you call me by my name or you call me boy. Okay?
Me: Well, give momma some time to adjust and correct me if I call you baby, but okay. I will call you Sam or I will call you boy. How about little man?
MB: Mmmmm. I'm not sure yet. I will tell you later (with a click click of the toungue and a wink and thumbs up thrown in here...I swear he does that all the time).
Me: Okay boy. I love you.
MB: I love you too mommy.
**Sigh**. Growing up too fast.
He talks about playing games with N, N's mom babysits MB....he told me the other day he and N were playing house....yeah house...."and our 'girls' are out shopping and we are cooking dinner so when they and the babies come back they can eat".
Still taking applications for his future wife. I need references including a pastor. *wink*
MB: Moooooommmmmmmmeeeeeeeee.....you gotta stop calling me baby. I'm almost 5!
Me: Well, what do you want me to call you then?
MB: You can call me Sam or you can call me boy, but you can not call me baby anymore. I am not a baby...I'm a big boy...so you call me by my name or you call me boy. Okay?
Me: Well, give momma some time to adjust and correct me if I call you baby, but okay. I will call you Sam or I will call you boy. How about little man?
MB: Mmmmm. I'm not sure yet. I will tell you later (with a click click of the toungue and a wink and thumbs up thrown in here...I swear he does that all the time).
Me: Okay boy. I love you.
MB: I love you too mommy.
**Sigh**. Growing up too fast.
He talks about playing games with N, N's mom babysits MB....he told me the other day he and N were playing house....yeah house...."and our 'girls' are out shopping and we are cooking dinner so when they and the babies come back they can eat".
Still taking applications for his future wife. I need references including a pastor. *wink*
Saturday, April 08, 2006
There are storms and then there are STORMS in life...
Yesterday was a scary day to live and work near/in Nashville, Tennessee. Morning started out with a warning from our friendly local weather man saying there was a possibility of some strong storms as a cold front and warm front were expected to meet around mid-day here in Middle Tennessee. They met, with catastrophic results. 11 people lost their lives and many many more lost their homes and businesses as a series of tornados ripped through an area well known to your gentle blogger friend. My step-sons old church was destroyed. Thank goodness nobody there was hurt. My step-sons were at school when the tornado hit Hendersonville. They were out in the hall at school in duck and cover mode. My husband's work had them huddled in the halls...my job had us answering calls as hail pounded the roof and windows. Nice huh. My sister who recently moved here decided it would be "fun" to chase this tornado. She's fine and she didn't even get to see it. The ex-wife saw the funnel across the lake from her house. Thankfully it was headed in the opposite direction. The sad thing about storms like this is that though we KNEW it was coming, there was little we could do to prevent the damage or loss of life because a tornado hits hard and fast and is non-discerning who it hurts. My prayers go out to the familes of the lost loved-ones and the newly homeless. The gas station where we usually exchange the kids is wiped clean off the map....gone...nuttin' but rubble left.
Then there are storms in life that you can see the signs of but again your attempts to thwart them are fruitless.
My mom was admitted to the hospital recently because her lung collapsed. This is a problem that has been going on since December (aided and abetted by an idiot doctor who told her she only had a bad cold). She has had to have her lung tapped ( they got 2 liters of fluid from it) and then had to have a drain tube put in because it would not stop developing fluid. So she is in the hospital and they test the fluid. My mom is an amazing fighter and has been free of breast cancer for almost 10 years....it would have been 10 years in September... and they say if you go 10 years w/o recurrance you are considered cancer free. You can read the signs now too can't you. The cytogenetics came back and they are positive for recurrent breast cancer, but this time in her bones and lungs. Since I don't think my mom has access to this blog (to my knowledge that is) I will tell you, gentle reader, that this is a POOR prognosis. Recurrent breast cancer is rarely if ever curable and if it's in the lungs and bones (metastisized) it's incurable and it is just a matter of time. I will NEVER tell this to my mother, but I live in a storm of reality that my mom is dying. I don't know when, but I do know how. It's a bitter pill. She will tell you that everybody has to die. She is right. We start dying the moment we are born. I wanted longer. I wanted my mom to see my son graduate high school and get married and start a family for himself. This is something we pray for MB every day. We know his days are numbered too. We don't know the number. You don't know the number. Only our Creator, as gracious and wonderful as He is knows our numbers...and when they are up, they are up. Nothing we can do will lengthen them. Bibically there was only 1 who had is number of days extended and they were not lived happily ever after.
The winds are blowing, the signs are there, the storm is coming. There is no amount of preparation a woman can do to prepare for the loss of her mother. I love my mom and believe I will see her again once she goes to heaven and my Heavenly Father takes me home too when my number is up, but really....I want my mom here. I can sit in the hall and duck and cover or I can continue to take calls. Either way the storm comes. I hope after the inevitable touch down that I can pick up my pieces and continue on though there will be a huge void in my small universe, while the rest of the world barely notices it lost a good woman.
Then there are storms in life that you can see the signs of but again your attempts to thwart them are fruitless.
My mom was admitted to the hospital recently because her lung collapsed. This is a problem that has been going on since December (aided and abetted by an idiot doctor who told her she only had a bad cold). She has had to have her lung tapped ( they got 2 liters of fluid from it) and then had to have a drain tube put in because it would not stop developing fluid. So she is in the hospital and they test the fluid. My mom is an amazing fighter and has been free of breast cancer for almost 10 years....it would have been 10 years in September... and they say if you go 10 years w/o recurrance you are considered cancer free. You can read the signs now too can't you. The cytogenetics came back and they are positive for recurrent breast cancer, but this time in her bones and lungs. Since I don't think my mom has access to this blog (to my knowledge that is) I will tell you, gentle reader, that this is a POOR prognosis. Recurrent breast cancer is rarely if ever curable and if it's in the lungs and bones (metastisized) it's incurable and it is just a matter of time. I will NEVER tell this to my mother, but I live in a storm of reality that my mom is dying. I don't know when, but I do know how. It's a bitter pill. She will tell you that everybody has to die. She is right. We start dying the moment we are born. I wanted longer. I wanted my mom to see my son graduate high school and get married and start a family for himself. This is something we pray for MB every day. We know his days are numbered too. We don't know the number. You don't know the number. Only our Creator, as gracious and wonderful as He is knows our numbers...and when they are up, they are up. Nothing we can do will lengthen them. Bibically there was only 1 who had is number of days extended and they were not lived happily ever after.
The winds are blowing, the signs are there, the storm is coming. There is no amount of preparation a woman can do to prepare for the loss of her mother. I love my mom and believe I will see her again once she goes to heaven and my Heavenly Father takes me home too when my number is up, but really....I want my mom here. I can sit in the hall and duck and cover or I can continue to take calls. Either way the storm comes. I hope after the inevitable touch down that I can pick up my pieces and continue on though there will be a huge void in my small universe, while the rest of the world barely notices it lost a good woman.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
No Smoking.....PLEASE.
If you think this is a blog about some thoughtless person smoking in public and blowing smoke at a non-smoker you are not correct. . .
This is about a van that, after $200 in repairs on the brake system, started smoking, stuttering and got nasty fast....on a major road in a town where EVERYBODY is in a hurry and thinks they are more imporant than anybody else.
The van, mine. The smoke...real and acrid and filling the van. I pulled into the turning lane that goes nowhere and stopped the van I thought was on fire and hopped out. Thankfully, I was coming HOME from work and MB was not with me (I drop him off, daddy picks him up) so I did not have to worry about him. So here I am, in the middle of the street, hood up, me wearing a skirt (gasp for those of you who really know me) and I am trying to figure out where the problem is. I pretty much know, because I added transmission fluid the other day when I checked the transmission fluid and it was bone dry....BONE DRY...but apparently I added it to the brake fluid because, though I would like to THINK I am car savvy, I am not. So the brakes were going out and I found out that I need another $800 to fix the damage I did (working on it), but this was not the brakes....nooooooooope. New pads and rotors after the shimmy stop I did on the way to work after dropping MB off that scared me half to death. No...This was transmission, which is REALLY bone dry now because though I though I fed it juice, I surely did not. I had 3/4 bottle of transmission fluid left so I put it in where the brake guy told me it should go (where was he when I needed him ??). Does anybody stop????
please....will somebody stop.....
please.
p l e a s e?????
Sure. A friend of mine from MOPs stops and offers to help, but she's about as mechanically inclinded as I am. She stops as I am trying to find a funnel small enough to put the transmission fluid into the CORRECT resevoir. She is a total blessing....she goes and gets her mechanically inclined husband to come help me.
While she pulls away, a police officer decides to stop (I think he thought we crashed) and asks if he can call me a tow truck or did I think I could get the van off the street...Um...thanks officer, wanna help push?
TOTALLY on the brink of tears, I tell him he needs to give me a quick second b/c I'm trying NOT to burst out crying at this point...wisely, he backed off, told me he would get behind the van and when I thought I could try to move it he would escort me into the parking lot beyond the light I'm broken down at. Gee...thanks.
So I look for a funnel, and necessity being the mother of invention, I improvise and use old Sunday School leader guide to fashion a small tipped funnel and pour in the transmission fluid and hobble my minivan into the parking lot.
Jr. comes and escorts me to the Dollar General across the street so I can get some more transmisison fluid and then recommends I take it to a mechanic in the morning. I get home....tired, stressed and weary in time to make dinner.
So I take the van to the mechanic today (2 days later...too much trauma, now I can talk about it) and he specializes in transmissions...and he tells me THERE IS NOTHING NOTHING wrong with my transmission. what what what??? So we take it out for a spin and all the odd stuff it was doing is gone. ZIP....nada...behaves almost like a van with only 100,000 miles on it, not it's 110,500 miles.
So, my theory, God fixed my van. Thanks! I needed the break. Thanks to Jr. and Tina and all who kept me cool...to officer not-so-helpful for not making me cry or pay for a tow truck...
and to my van, may you ever be a non-smoking vehicle!
This is about a van that, after $200 in repairs on the brake system, started smoking, stuttering and got nasty fast....on a major road in a town where EVERYBODY is in a hurry and thinks they are more imporant than anybody else.
The van, mine. The smoke...real and acrid and filling the van. I pulled into the turning lane that goes nowhere and stopped the van I thought was on fire and hopped out. Thankfully, I was coming HOME from work and MB was not with me (I drop him off, daddy picks him up) so I did not have to worry about him. So here I am, in the middle of the street, hood up, me wearing a skirt (gasp for those of you who really know me) and I am trying to figure out where the problem is. I pretty much know, because I added transmission fluid the other day when I checked the transmission fluid and it was bone dry....BONE DRY...but apparently I added it to the brake fluid because, though I would like to THINK I am car savvy, I am not. So the brakes were going out and I found out that I need another $800 to fix the damage I did (working on it), but this was not the brakes....nooooooooope. New pads and rotors after the shimmy stop I did on the way to work after dropping MB off that scared me half to death. No...This was transmission, which is REALLY bone dry now because though I though I fed it juice, I surely did not. I had 3/4 bottle of transmission fluid left so I put it in where the brake guy told me it should go (where was he when I needed him ??). Does anybody stop????
please....will somebody stop.....
please.
p l e a s e?????
Sure. A friend of mine from MOPs stops and offers to help, but she's about as mechanically inclinded as I am. She stops as I am trying to find a funnel small enough to put the transmission fluid into the CORRECT resevoir. She is a total blessing....she goes and gets her mechanically inclined husband to come help me.
While she pulls away, a police officer decides to stop (I think he thought we crashed) and asks if he can call me a tow truck or did I think I could get the van off the street...Um...thanks officer, wanna help push?
TOTALLY on the brink of tears, I tell him he needs to give me a quick second b/c I'm trying NOT to burst out crying at this point...wisely, he backed off, told me he would get behind the van and when I thought I could try to move it he would escort me into the parking lot beyond the light I'm broken down at. Gee...thanks.
So I look for a funnel, and necessity being the mother of invention, I improvise and use old Sunday School leader guide to fashion a small tipped funnel and pour in the transmission fluid and hobble my minivan into the parking lot.
Jr. comes and escorts me to the Dollar General across the street so I can get some more transmisison fluid and then recommends I take it to a mechanic in the morning. I get home....tired, stressed and weary in time to make dinner.
So I take the van to the mechanic today (2 days later...too much trauma, now I can talk about it) and he specializes in transmissions...and he tells me THERE IS NOTHING NOTHING wrong with my transmission. what what what??? So we take it out for a spin and all the odd stuff it was doing is gone. ZIP....nada...behaves almost like a van with only 100,000 miles on it, not it's 110,500 miles.
So, my theory, God fixed my van. Thanks! I needed the break. Thanks to Jr. and Tina and all who kept me cool...to officer not-so-helpful for not making me cry or pay for a tow truck...
and to my van, may you ever be a non-smoking vehicle!
Saturday, March 04, 2006
MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY....MOOOOONAY!!
Sing it with me kids......
Ok, maybe you don't know the song.
I like money. Do you like money? I don't LOVE it, but it sure is nice to get some extra sometimes. I really like to spend money too...spoil people, celebrate, eat out, buy clothes for MB...give it away to organizations I believe in including our church. Like everybody else, I need more.
I recently got an "incentive" reward from work and I have to say, it felt goooooooooooddddddd. I really like being told "you are doing a good job" and I really really like it when they say that AND hand you money at the same time. Oh the sunshine that followed my day yesterday when I discovered in our monthly incentive meeting that I got some extra moola.
DH asked what were were going to do to celebrate.... I'm such a romantic, can you guess what I said....go ahead, guess.
If you really really know me you know I told him we were paying off a bill. That is just what I did too. LOL.... I really want to be out of debt so nobody has control over me...nobody.
so sing with me....Money , money, money, money......MOOHHHHHHNNNNAAAAYY.
Now all I have to do is figure out how to get this kind of incnetive every month and we should be out of debt in ....oh...4 years or so. LOL
SO thanks work, I am glad you are happy with me...I'm pretty happy with you too.
Ok, maybe you don't know the song.
I like money. Do you like money? I don't LOVE it, but it sure is nice to get some extra sometimes. I really like to spend money too...spoil people, celebrate, eat out, buy clothes for MB...give it away to organizations I believe in including our church. Like everybody else, I need more.
I recently got an "incentive" reward from work and I have to say, it felt goooooooooooddddddd. I really like being told "you are doing a good job" and I really really like it when they say that AND hand you money at the same time. Oh the sunshine that followed my day yesterday when I discovered in our monthly incentive meeting that I got some extra moola.
DH asked what were were going to do to celebrate.... I'm such a romantic, can you guess what I said....go ahead, guess.
If you really really know me you know I told him we were paying off a bill. That is just what I did too. LOL.... I really want to be out of debt so nobody has control over me...nobody.
so sing with me....Money , money, money, money......MOOHHHHHHNNNNAAAAYY.
Now all I have to do is figure out how to get this kind of incnetive every month and we should be out of debt in ....oh...4 years or so. LOL
SO thanks work, I am glad you are happy with me...I'm pretty happy with you too.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
CRAZY dreams
Have you ever been so exhausted that you don't even remember falling asleep. You vaguely remember laying down, but not the moment you fell asleep. Maybe I am just weird, but I usually remember falling asleep. Lately, however, I think I am so drained from my daily grind that I just hit the bed and have no recollection of falling asleep. And then there are the dreams.
I have work dreams all the time that are fairly predictable and are obviously me trying to work out what I do at work in my sleep, especially if I was unable to figure something out at work. Ah the human mind. (I really need an off switch.) One reason I took this job was that I did not think I would be taking it home with me like I had other jobs in the past. Apparently I'm a work slave and carry any and all jobs home with me.
But I have some ODD dreams, lately more than usual. Extra tired I suppose. Take last night for example. MB is sick again (threw up till he had the dry heaves at 1:30 in the morning and then the diarrhea started....fun fun stuff). So my dream had my doctor in it. I know she was in it because we are trying to shuffle appointments next month, but her schedule is so tight that this may not be possible, but it needs to be done, so I dreamed about it. But....in the dream I was in the hospital (probably from little man being sick and when he gets dehydrated that is where we all end up...him inpatient and me or daddy with him). But in my dream it was me...and my doc took me to a MALL which was all outdoors with LOTS and LOTS of LADDERS to climb to get from one place to another, and we were looking for a dog.
Any dream weavers out there, feel free to explain this.
In the meantime, it's a new day, MB seems to be feeling better, we had to miss chuch again because we never share the "joy" if you know what I mean, and I desperately want sleep...DESPERATELY. For a kid that yacked until the wee hours of the morning, he still got up by 7:30.
Props to DH, by the way, who got up at 5:30 to give MB medicine that he missed because he threw it up after we gave it to him last night, and then still took the step-sons to church and is running the compters at the church right now while I stay home with MB...Thanks babe.
I have work dreams all the time that are fairly predictable and are obviously me trying to work out what I do at work in my sleep, especially if I was unable to figure something out at work. Ah the human mind. (I really need an off switch.) One reason I took this job was that I did not think I would be taking it home with me like I had other jobs in the past. Apparently I'm a work slave and carry any and all jobs home with me.
But I have some ODD dreams, lately more than usual. Extra tired I suppose. Take last night for example. MB is sick again (threw up till he had the dry heaves at 1:30 in the morning and then the diarrhea started....fun fun stuff). So my dream had my doctor in it. I know she was in it because we are trying to shuffle appointments next month, but her schedule is so tight that this may not be possible, but it needs to be done, so I dreamed about it. But....in the dream I was in the hospital (probably from little man being sick and when he gets dehydrated that is where we all end up...him inpatient and me or daddy with him). But in my dream it was me...and my doc took me to a MALL which was all outdoors with LOTS and LOTS of LADDERS to climb to get from one place to another, and we were looking for a dog.
Any dream weavers out there, feel free to explain this.
In the meantime, it's a new day, MB seems to be feeling better, we had to miss chuch again because we never share the "joy" if you know what I mean, and I desperately want sleep...DESPERATELY. For a kid that yacked until the wee hours of the morning, he still got up by 7:30.
Props to DH, by the way, who got up at 5:30 to give MB medicine that he missed because he threw it up after we gave it to him last night, and then still took the step-sons to church and is running the compters at the church right now while I stay home with MB...Thanks babe.
Monday, February 20, 2006
I'm such a nerd...
I have taken vacation in June to go to my best friend's daughter's high school graduation. That does not make me a nerd, that makes me a good friend (besides, I'm so proud of S....my best friend has home schooled her from day 1 and she is ONE SMART cookie!).
I am a nerd because we will be finishing off our vacation in downtown Chicago. AAAAAAHHHHH I miss Chi town so much. I can't wait to go take a train down there, go to the museums and spend the night in a hotel. My In-Laws are coming too, which will only make it more fun, and they will watch the kids so hubby bubby and I can go out on the BIG CITY I MISS SO much....
So, I'm pinching pennies and planning our museum rounds. Even the kids think this is going to be great! Whooo Hoooo....education and fun in one small trip north.
I can't wait!!!
I am a nerd because we will be finishing off our vacation in downtown Chicago. AAAAAAHHHHH I miss Chi town so much. I can't wait to go take a train down there, go to the museums and spend the night in a hotel. My In-Laws are coming too, which will only make it more fun, and they will watch the kids so hubby bubby and I can go out on the BIG CITY I MISS SO much....
So, I'm pinching pennies and planning our museum rounds. Even the kids think this is going to be great! Whooo Hoooo....education and fun in one small trip north.
I can't wait!!!
Saturday, February 11, 2006
The "Rents" are moving to Texas.
Yes, you heard me right, Texas. My parents, in their 60's (and late at that) decided it would be a good idea to sell their house and move to Middle-o-nowhere, Texas. In fact, so set are they in this goal that they are prepared to just LEAVE their current home in Indiana to just GO to Texas. When I first heard this I was kind of freaked out. We have tried to talk them into moving to Tennessee to be closer to us for a couple of years now and even had a trial of mom coming to live with us for a month or so to look for a job and find a place to live. The problem there lay in the fact that my father hates HATES hates rednecks, so Tennessee was out for him (little does he realize that MOST people in this part of Tennessee are imported from the west and east coast, but I digress).
Then I realize my parents have not told anybody but ME that they are moving. Their reasoning, nobody else has called them, so they were not going to tell them. Nice huh. (I think to date now my siblings all know...they all live a few miles from my parents in Indiana too, sad).
So they are sold on this and paying my oldest sister's boyfriend to help them get the house ready (whole other conversation) to sell, hopefully. They tell me they are moving next month. I'm still a bit shocked, but when I really sat down and think about it, the shock resolves.
When I was a wee child (probably 6 or 7, meaning siblings were between 9 and 4) we lived in a cute little house with 1-1/2 acres behind our house in a quite little suburb of Chicago called Miller Woods in Chicago Heights. LOVED IT!! It was not without its problems (my bike got stolen and thrown in the creek, I got picked on at the bus stop and the neighbor kids used to harass us regularly) but there were quiet streets, long bike rides, skateboard tag and friends. Our neighbor had a weeping willow that I loved to look at. We blew up snakes with M80s and my mom's buckets with the same. We started the neighbor's yard on fire one 4th of July with fireworks (who knew it was that dry that year) and had a tornado in our back yard that my mom let us kids sleep through but was silly enough to tell us about the next night. I remember the layout of the house and the smell of the barn and the eternal clawfoot bathtub, the only thing that lived in said barn other than a million stray cats. It was a great place to live. My father, one day, broke that serenity and announced that we were moving to Texas. He then sold our house and away we went. . . to Dalton, Illinois, to live in my grandparents basement for 2 years because we didn't move to Texas.
It's been my father's dream, as long as I can remember, to move to Texas, so in his golden years, he is picking up and moving to a town called Robert Lee, Texas. From the map I looked at, it looks like it is about 2 hours west of Dallas (and maybe a little south).
So, off they go, on a golden years adventure. I wish them the best and trust maybe after all this time my dad will FINALLY be happier. I would love to see my dad happy, it's been a long time.
I wish them the best and warned them we will not be visiting in the summer, that is just TOOOO hot, but maybe we could go to Texas for Christmas, after all, there is a much less likelyhood that we would be stuck on an interstate for 13 hours like the last time we went north for Christmas (brrrrr.).
Then I realize my parents have not told anybody but ME that they are moving. Their reasoning, nobody else has called them, so they were not going to tell them. Nice huh. (I think to date now my siblings all know...they all live a few miles from my parents in Indiana too, sad).
So they are sold on this and paying my oldest sister's boyfriend to help them get the house ready (whole other conversation) to sell, hopefully. They tell me they are moving next month. I'm still a bit shocked, but when I really sat down and think about it, the shock resolves.
When I was a wee child (probably 6 or 7, meaning siblings were between 9 and 4) we lived in a cute little house with 1-1/2 acres behind our house in a quite little suburb of Chicago called Miller Woods in Chicago Heights. LOVED IT!! It was not without its problems (my bike got stolen and thrown in the creek, I got picked on at the bus stop and the neighbor kids used to harass us regularly) but there were quiet streets, long bike rides, skateboard tag and friends. Our neighbor had a weeping willow that I loved to look at. We blew up snakes with M80s and my mom's buckets with the same. We started the neighbor's yard on fire one 4th of July with fireworks (who knew it was that dry that year) and had a tornado in our back yard that my mom let us kids sleep through but was silly enough to tell us about the next night. I remember the layout of the house and the smell of the barn and the eternal clawfoot bathtub, the only thing that lived in said barn other than a million stray cats. It was a great place to live. My father, one day, broke that serenity and announced that we were moving to Texas. He then sold our house and away we went. . . to Dalton, Illinois, to live in my grandparents basement for 2 years because we didn't move to Texas.
It's been my father's dream, as long as I can remember, to move to Texas, so in his golden years, he is picking up and moving to a town called Robert Lee, Texas. From the map I looked at, it looks like it is about 2 hours west of Dallas (and maybe a little south).
So, off they go, on a golden years adventure. I wish them the best and trust maybe after all this time my dad will FINALLY be happier. I would love to see my dad happy, it's been a long time.
I wish them the best and warned them we will not be visiting in the summer, that is just TOOOO hot, but maybe we could go to Texas for Christmas, after all, there is a much less likelyhood that we would be stuck on an interstate for 13 hours like the last time we went north for Christmas (brrrrr.).
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Recently Overheard at our house....
Me: MB, go get your toothbrush and toothpaste so we can brush your teeth.
(MB runs and gets his toothbrush and toothpaste, brings them to me and then runs to turn off the bathroom light)
MB: (as he hands me the toothpaste)...Now mommy, don't start without me!
Ah kids.
(MB runs and gets his toothbrush and toothpaste, brings them to me and then runs to turn off the bathroom light)
MB: (as he hands me the toothpaste)...Now mommy, don't start without me!
Ah kids.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Casting lots for chores
Yeah Yeah....i'm that odd.
I had the kids cast lots to do chores and earn x-box time today. I was trying to think of a creative way to get them to help with chores without the ususal problems of nobody wanting to do the "hard stuff". We do not do allowance, frankly, we can not afford to pay them for work, but believe that if they live here, have beds, clothes and food, that they should be productive members of the household. We also do not feel they should play x-box all day. So, here, you have to do chores to earn x-box time.
Now that I have explained that, let me tell you what I did today. I offered the children the chance to roll the dice and get a chore and then roll the dice again and see how much time they could earn. Just to make it fun, one of the things they could earn was -30 mintues of x-box time. ...in other words, do the chore and LOSE x-box time. But on the cool end of things, they could also roll and get UNLIMITED x-box time this visit to the house and the next (they are my step-sons, we get them every other weekend).
The chores, assorted stuff like take down the Christmas lights from outside, clean out the van, put away the clean dishes....nothing HORRIBLE, just stuff that needs to be done.
SO, next time you are trying to find a fun way to get the kids to do something around the house, grab the dice from your games and cast a lot or two.
I had the kids cast lots to do chores and earn x-box time today. I was trying to think of a creative way to get them to help with chores without the ususal problems of nobody wanting to do the "hard stuff". We do not do allowance, frankly, we can not afford to pay them for work, but believe that if they live here, have beds, clothes and food, that they should be productive members of the household. We also do not feel they should play x-box all day. So, here, you have to do chores to earn x-box time.
Now that I have explained that, let me tell you what I did today. I offered the children the chance to roll the dice and get a chore and then roll the dice again and see how much time they could earn. Just to make it fun, one of the things they could earn was -30 mintues of x-box time. ...in other words, do the chore and LOSE x-box time. But on the cool end of things, they could also roll and get UNLIMITED x-box time this visit to the house and the next (they are my step-sons, we get them every other weekend).
The chores, assorted stuff like take down the Christmas lights from outside, clean out the van, put away the clean dishes....nothing HORRIBLE, just stuff that needs to be done.
SO, next time you are trying to find a fun way to get the kids to do something around the house, grab the dice from your games and cast a lot or two.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Will my future daughter-in-law please stand up.
MB came into our room last night crying....nay, sobbing.....after being in bed about 10 minutes.
Me "honey what's wrong?"
MB "I....don't....know...who...I...am...going...to.....marry" (instert giant sob here).
Me (holding back laughter)....come here baby (insert climb onto our bed and sobbing as I hug him.
You see, I forgot to pray with him abut his wife last night because, as always, he interrupts when we pray and my back was killing be bending down between the 2 bunk beds. LOL. We pray everynight, mostly for the ususal...family, friends, ppl we know who are sick, his puppy, and lately I have been praying with him for his future wife. Yeah, I know it's a long way off. The kid is only 4-1/2 years old, but I want him to have God's best for him. He's a "needy" boy and I am working on that. I always pray that his wife will love God more than she loves MB because, honestly, she will need God more than my son, but prayerfully be committed to my son. Isn't that horrible to say. There has been enough "ugly" in our family histories and I don't want my boy or my future DIL to have to go through some of the crap DH and I or MIL and FIL have gone through...the chain breaks here as far as I am concerned. Back to our conversation.....
"MB, how old are you?"
"4"
"Okay. The youngest person I know who ever thought about getting married was 18. You have 14 years to pray for a wife still....hopefully longer. Can you not worry about that tonight?"
"but mommy, we forgot to pray for her."
"Okay, lets pray for her".
and we did.
Then we snuggled. (I LOVE that he still likes to snuggle).
"okay MB, time for bed. I love you."
"Love you too mommy"
once his bedroom door closed...I laughed my butt off! It was, after all, pretty darn funny. You without sin cast the first stone....you know you laugh at your kids too.
Me "honey what's wrong?"
MB "I....don't....know...who...I...am...going...to.....marry" (instert giant sob here).
Me (holding back laughter)....come here baby (insert climb onto our bed and sobbing as I hug him.
You see, I forgot to pray with him abut his wife last night because, as always, he interrupts when we pray and my back was killing be bending down between the 2 bunk beds. LOL. We pray everynight, mostly for the ususal...family, friends, ppl we know who are sick, his puppy, and lately I have been praying with him for his future wife. Yeah, I know it's a long way off. The kid is only 4-1/2 years old, but I want him to have God's best for him. He's a "needy" boy and I am working on that. I always pray that his wife will love God more than she loves MB because, honestly, she will need God more than my son, but prayerfully be committed to my son. Isn't that horrible to say. There has been enough "ugly" in our family histories and I don't want my boy or my future DIL to have to go through some of the crap DH and I or MIL and FIL have gone through...the chain breaks here as far as I am concerned. Back to our conversation.....
"MB, how old are you?"
"4"
"Okay. The youngest person I know who ever thought about getting married was 18. You have 14 years to pray for a wife still....hopefully longer. Can you not worry about that tonight?"
"but mommy, we forgot to pray for her."
"Okay, lets pray for her".
and we did.
Then we snuggled. (I LOVE that he still likes to snuggle).
"okay MB, time for bed. I love you."
"Love you too mommy"
once his bedroom door closed...I laughed my butt off! It was, after all, pretty darn funny. You without sin cast the first stone....you know you laugh at your kids too.
Friday, January 20, 2006
School daze, school daze, wonderful Golden Rule days....
If you haven't figured it out yet, in August of this year (gulp) MB will start kindergarten along with thousands of other kiddos across the country. Like most parents, we are in the struggle to figure out where in the world to send our child to school. Should it be this hard? Private school, public school, home school, magnet school, montisori school, Christian school.....really, the options are endless...and the nausea begins.
Plop plop, fizz fizz oh what a relief it is.......(gulp). Ahhhh. Shake it off now. There, the Alka Seltzer is down and the headache is subsiding along with the tummy ache. Lets continue.
Did our parents have such a hard time figuring out what to do with us when it was time to turn 5 and begin the "formal" educational process? I don't think so. I think I remember my mother and every other mother dancing in the streets as we little tykes in our dresses or blue jeans boarded the big yellow bus for the first time, off to experience milk in tiny cartons and hot lunches that were anything but hot, fresh or tasty. Off to experiment with the taste of paste and how LONG we could play with the kitchen set before the teacher made us move to a different station and fight our battles when a boy named John H. who kissed girls when we played near the ditch in the playground. No...my mom was HAPPY SLAPPY to send me to public school through all my education. I even chose (financially) a state (gasp!) school for my college education. Honestly, I think I turned out okay.
But I don't know if I am just super duper paranoid or if things really are scarier sooner now, but I'm all fits and fidgets about sending MB to a public school, but we really can not afford the cost of a private or Christian school and after-care since school gets out before work gets out. So we are left with the conundrum of public school or bankruptcy if I stay home and home school (which was the original plan foiled a few months ago when I lost my work-from-home job).
Now, before you get all hot and bothered and start flaming me about public school, I will confess the one we are zoned for is okay. The teachers are kind, the principal is guarded but nice. I hear it is one of the best elementary schools in the district. All very good things...but again, I'm paranoid and worry about MB and dehydration and medications....and exposure to 22 kids in a classroom every day. That is my biggest fear.
The whole "Christian education" sounds great, but I know that bad stuff goes on there too.
I have to believe that God will watch my son. I know that I am responsible for supplementing my son's public school education with the truths of the Bible and the love of God. I know that it is my job to bathe my son in prayer, to pray for his teachers, principal, board of education and even the janitor....and believe me, I do. Right now he goes to a Christian woman's home every day I work and I know she takes care of him, but you know what...every day I drop him off I lay my hands on him and pray that God will watch over him and protect him and that GOD will guard my heart and let me trust HIM with my very precious monkey boy.
They are going to be exposed to LOTS of stuff, but with God all things are possible and I know, after all, that HE has a plan for my monkey boy and it is perfect, and nothing I do can thwart Him from His will.
Behold, the comfort of God.
Plop plop, fizz fizz oh what a relief it is.......(gulp). Ahhhh. Shake it off now. There, the Alka Seltzer is down and the headache is subsiding along with the tummy ache. Lets continue.
Did our parents have such a hard time figuring out what to do with us when it was time to turn 5 and begin the "formal" educational process? I don't think so. I think I remember my mother and every other mother dancing in the streets as we little tykes in our dresses or blue jeans boarded the big yellow bus for the first time, off to experience milk in tiny cartons and hot lunches that were anything but hot, fresh or tasty. Off to experiment with the taste of paste and how LONG we could play with the kitchen set before the teacher made us move to a different station and fight our battles when a boy named John H. who kissed girls when we played near the ditch in the playground. No...my mom was HAPPY SLAPPY to send me to public school through all my education. I even chose (financially) a state (gasp!) school for my college education. Honestly, I think I turned out okay.
But I don't know if I am just super duper paranoid or if things really are scarier sooner now, but I'm all fits and fidgets about sending MB to a public school, but we really can not afford the cost of a private or Christian school and after-care since school gets out before work gets out. So we are left with the conundrum of public school or bankruptcy if I stay home and home school (which was the original plan foiled a few months ago when I lost my work-from-home job).
Now, before you get all hot and bothered and start flaming me about public school, I will confess the one we are zoned for is okay. The teachers are kind, the principal is guarded but nice. I hear it is one of the best elementary schools in the district. All very good things...but again, I'm paranoid and worry about MB and dehydration and medications....and exposure to 22 kids in a classroom every day. That is my biggest fear.
The whole "Christian education" sounds great, but I know that bad stuff goes on there too.
I have to believe that God will watch my son. I know that I am responsible for supplementing my son's public school education with the truths of the Bible and the love of God. I know that it is my job to bathe my son in prayer, to pray for his teachers, principal, board of education and even the janitor....and believe me, I do. Right now he goes to a Christian woman's home every day I work and I know she takes care of him, but you know what...every day I drop him off I lay my hands on him and pray that God will watch over him and protect him and that GOD will guard my heart and let me trust HIM with my very precious monkey boy.
They are going to be exposed to LOTS of stuff, but with God all things are possible and I know, after all, that HE has a plan for my monkey boy and it is perfect, and nothing I do can thwart Him from His will.
Behold, the comfort of God.
Friday, January 13, 2006
The ugliest word ever.
Cancer. That is it. You thought it was a cuss word. It may as well be. I am so SICK to death of hearing the word cancer because it is so vile to me.
My mom had breast cancer in 1996. She had a radical mastectomy and reconstruction and is doing well so far. (I watched the surgery on the Discovery Channel, it's amazing anybody survives that thing!!! Horrible. I learned 2 valuable lessons that day...1) don't ever watch a surgery you know somebody had on television and 2) you can use a crowbar for more than just pulling houses apart.) My mom's stock went up big time after I saw that on television (cable). Not only did she survive a hideous surgery, but she survived having her pain meds stolen by a random evening/overnight nurse at a Chicagoland hospital. How did she know what they gave her was a Tylenol with a 3 scratched into it.....the woman worked in a pharmacy for over 13 years. I think she knows the real thing. And yes, she did turn her in after she left the hospital. See, mom is smart!.
My dad is a cancer survivor. He had tongue cancer diagnosed in the 1990's (not sure exactly when). He had 1/3 of his tongue cut out and still has problems with swelling, but is cancer free.
I just found out my grandmother has breast cancer. She's over 80, so they are not doing anything for her, her health is too fragile already.
My great-aunt has advanced liver/kidney cancer.
I am part of a prayer group and everyday I get emails of people and tragic stories of kids and moms and young dads and grandmas and grandpas with cancer.
I have a sweet friend who is still struggling with skin cancer.
I found out yesterday that a very respected National MOPs leader has stage 4 ovarian cancer.
That word. I hate it. I am no longer standing still about it either. I am diligently praying against it in my own life. The chain stops here...it will not affect my family. I pray that your family is not affected by it or that it goes no further if you have already been beaten up by it.
I also have begun changing the way I eat and exercise to prevent that potential stronghold. I have never smoked, but was exposed to 2nd hand smoke all my childhood, but I refuse to let that win. I will ask my doctor for a mammogram next time I see her in April. I will schedule that darn Pap even though I don't want to do it. I will get rid of what I know will/can hurt me.
I declare war on cancer in my own life. I am not afraid of you, cancer, you have no place here!
Join me in the battle. Look at your life and see what you can change to prevent cancer and then pray with me that that word will fade from our vocabulary.
My mom had breast cancer in 1996. She had a radical mastectomy and reconstruction and is doing well so far. (I watched the surgery on the Discovery Channel, it's amazing anybody survives that thing!!! Horrible. I learned 2 valuable lessons that day...1) don't ever watch a surgery you know somebody had on television and 2) you can use a crowbar for more than just pulling houses apart.) My mom's stock went up big time after I saw that on television (cable). Not only did she survive a hideous surgery, but she survived having her pain meds stolen by a random evening/overnight nurse at a Chicagoland hospital. How did she know what they gave her was a Tylenol with a 3 scratched into it.....the woman worked in a pharmacy for over 13 years. I think she knows the real thing. And yes, she did turn her in after she left the hospital. See, mom is smart!.
My dad is a cancer survivor. He had tongue cancer diagnosed in the 1990's (not sure exactly when). He had 1/3 of his tongue cut out and still has problems with swelling, but is cancer free.
I just found out my grandmother has breast cancer. She's over 80, so they are not doing anything for her, her health is too fragile already.
My great-aunt has advanced liver/kidney cancer.
I am part of a prayer group and everyday I get emails of people and tragic stories of kids and moms and young dads and grandmas and grandpas with cancer.
I have a sweet friend who is still struggling with skin cancer.
I found out yesterday that a very respected National MOPs leader has stage 4 ovarian cancer.
That word. I hate it. I am no longer standing still about it either. I am diligently praying against it in my own life. The chain stops here...it will not affect my family. I pray that your family is not affected by it or that it goes no further if you have already been beaten up by it.
I also have begun changing the way I eat and exercise to prevent that potential stronghold. I have never smoked, but was exposed to 2nd hand smoke all my childhood, but I refuse to let that win. I will ask my doctor for a mammogram next time I see her in April. I will schedule that darn Pap even though I don't want to do it. I will get rid of what I know will/can hurt me.
I declare war on cancer in my own life. I am not afraid of you, cancer, you have no place here!
Join me in the battle. Look at your life and see what you can change to prevent cancer and then pray with me that that word will fade from our vocabulary.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
The newborn is gonna kill me
The puppy that is. I really need puppy training advice or something. This dog (and the boy who owns it). Why is it that having a puppy in the house is worse than having a newborn and why is my husband so aggressively angry at this dog all the time like she should KNOW not to whine at 1:30, 2, 3:30, and 5am when we are trying to sleep?
Yes, that is her schedule. We have to keep her in a kennel during the day so she is very ready to play at night. She's a puppy, so I get it. I don't like it, but I understand. Now that we have this dog this is a sample day at my house, starting at bedtime so you really understand....
10:30p I go into the bedroom to unwind watching the grown up cartoons on Adult Swim (my guilty pleasure)
11:15p nothing else good on, lights out and sleep (the dog kennel is in our room so she does not think we are not here)
12:35a dog starts whining....somebody has to run her outside. I try to wait until DH does this.
1:30...more dog whining....more freezziinng cold taking the dog out.
2:30....dog starts whining again....DH throws a pillow at the dogs kennel and yells "Zelda, shut up.
2:32....pillow not affective in exploding the dog kennel like the bomb it was thrown to be...dog starts whining again. DH storms out of bed, shaking house, death grips dog from the cage and throws her outside.
3:30....yup, more dog whining....we both ignore her.
5 am....dog is whining again. Now I have had enough and I know how to shut her up. I take her out of the cage and outside. Then when she comes in I sit in the recliner, reset the alarm clock for 7:15 a after I give MB medicine and Zelda and I snuggle down on the recliner for a nap before I go to work.
7 am....DH gets up and runs across the room late for work.
7:15....alarm goes off and I have to get up, get MB ready for his 'job' at daycare and get myself ready for work.
7:35 a MB is up and should be eating, but instead he is whining loudly because Zelda is trying to eat his pullup while it is still on him.
7:36. Feed and water dog.
8 am...jump in shower for very fast shower before work.....ahhh silence...nope, that is MB standing outside the bathroom screaming bloody murder b/c the dog is trying to eat him again (she is playing, he's convinced he's dying....bad combination for angry mommy)
8:30 I'm now yelling at MB to get ready that we leave in 15 mintues. He is insisting that he is getting dressed. Tyring to prep dinner or start dinner if it is a crockpot dish.
8:40. I'm still trying to get ready, hair dripping wet, putting medicine and toys for the day into the daycare bag, yelling at MB regarding eating his oatmeal and where did he put his socks.
8:47...ok, we are late...where is the dog.....gotta put her in the kennel so I can go to work and come home to SOME house left.....where is the dog....come back here......I said come here (me lunging for the dog again)......Zelda......(insert whining from Sam because he STILL Does not have his socks or shoes on...he claims he does not know how).
8:48: mommy has a total meltdown and starts yelling. Suddenly shoes are on and dog willingly goes into kennel.
8:50 we are in the car and heading to the babysitter...oh man, where is my cell phone....lunch and/or cup of coffee.....
9am...drop MB at the sitter and hop back in car.
9:45....arrive at work, log in, breath.....
10a till 7 p.......work.
7:20, get home (or stop for whatever we need).
7:20:30 Hug boy, smootch dad and take dog outside for a walk so she will 1)not pee in the house and 2) be outside with somebody for a change, she likes that.
7:40 feed and eat dinner (make sure dog has eaten) and try to watch a little tv.
8:30, get boy in bed, movie started, do dishes, clean up a little, start a load of laundry and plan for tomorrow (heck, pray tomorrow gets better!)
10pm try to head toward the bedroom....
10:30...we are back at the beginning of the loop.
SO.......can anybody assess why I am so tired lately?
Yes, that is her schedule. We have to keep her in a kennel during the day so she is very ready to play at night. She's a puppy, so I get it. I don't like it, but I understand. Now that we have this dog this is a sample day at my house, starting at bedtime so you really understand....
10:30p I go into the bedroom to unwind watching the grown up cartoons on Adult Swim (my guilty pleasure)
11:15p nothing else good on, lights out and sleep (the dog kennel is in our room so she does not think we are not here)
12:35a dog starts whining....somebody has to run her outside. I try to wait until DH does this.
1:30...more dog whining....more freezziinng cold taking the dog out.
2:30....dog starts whining again....DH throws a pillow at the dogs kennel and yells "Zelda, shut up.
2:32....pillow not affective in exploding the dog kennel like the bomb it was thrown to be...dog starts whining again. DH storms out of bed, shaking house, death grips dog from the cage and throws her outside.
3:30....yup, more dog whining....we both ignore her.
5 am....dog is whining again. Now I have had enough and I know how to shut her up. I take her out of the cage and outside. Then when she comes in I sit in the recliner, reset the alarm clock for 7:15 a after I give MB medicine and Zelda and I snuggle down on the recliner for a nap before I go to work.
7 am....DH gets up and runs across the room late for work.
7:15....alarm goes off and I have to get up, get MB ready for his 'job' at daycare and get myself ready for work.
7:35 a MB is up and should be eating, but instead he is whining loudly because Zelda is trying to eat his pullup while it is still on him.
7:36. Feed and water dog.
8 am...jump in shower for very fast shower before work.....ahhh silence...nope, that is MB standing outside the bathroom screaming bloody murder b/c the dog is trying to eat him again (she is playing, he's convinced he's dying....bad combination for angry mommy)
8:30 I'm now yelling at MB to get ready that we leave in 15 mintues. He is insisting that he is getting dressed. Tyring to prep dinner or start dinner if it is a crockpot dish.
8:40. I'm still trying to get ready, hair dripping wet, putting medicine and toys for the day into the daycare bag, yelling at MB regarding eating his oatmeal and where did he put his socks.
8:47...ok, we are late...where is the dog.....gotta put her in the kennel so I can go to work and come home to SOME house left.....where is the dog....come back here......I said come here (me lunging for the dog again)......Zelda......(insert whining from Sam because he STILL Does not have his socks or shoes on...he claims he does not know how).
8:48: mommy has a total meltdown and starts yelling. Suddenly shoes are on and dog willingly goes into kennel.
8:50 we are in the car and heading to the babysitter...oh man, where is my cell phone....lunch and/or cup of coffee.....
9am...drop MB at the sitter and hop back in car.
9:45....arrive at work, log in, breath.....
10a till 7 p.......work.
7:20, get home (or stop for whatever we need).
7:20:30 Hug boy, smootch dad and take dog outside for a walk so she will 1)not pee in the house and 2) be outside with somebody for a change, she likes that.
7:40 feed and eat dinner (make sure dog has eaten) and try to watch a little tv.
8:30, get boy in bed, movie started, do dishes, clean up a little, start a load of laundry and plan for tomorrow (heck, pray tomorrow gets better!)
10pm try to head toward the bedroom....
10:30...we are back at the beginning of the loop.
SO.......can anybody assess why I am so tired lately?
Monday, December 26, 2005
The tree is lonely and the dog has nothing to chew on
Well, It has come and gone. Christmas day. I will start off the bat by hoping you had a great one and remembered the true meaning of Christmas....Presents. No, I kid... the birth of our Lord Jesus in a barn in the hay with stinking animals around him and the awe of his mother Mary and the man assigned to be his father on earth, Joseph and the true protection of God the Father as God the Son came to earth to teach us how to live.
In our house, I am always striving for ways to make sure that in the hustle and bustle of Christmastime the children in my care do not miss the above truth. This year I may have overdone it, but I know MB "got it" if you will. It started with a frantic search for an Advent calendar. You remember the kind we grew up with. A paper calendar with 25 windows on it, one for each day beginning December 1st through Christmas day when you opened the window to find the Baby Jesus "asleep on the hay". Have you tried looking for one lately? Not a lot of the "religious" Bible story of Jesus coming to earth, but I did find a few with Santa and presents behind all 25 doors, but that, my dear friends, was NOT what I wanted or needed. I needed spiritual truth and depth not a teddy bear and a jack in the box. I DID find a beautiful Italian-made wood advent calendar with all of the appropriate pieces that you put onto the teenie tiny nails in the stable scene..and I'm thankful to say Jesus, Mary and Joseph were not blonde haired blue eyed people. THAT is a huge relief and a discussion (rant) for a different time. But it did not provide enough "edutainment" value for a 4-1/2 year old. Maybe I underestimate his attention span...but part of me yearns to share truth with the step kids who are only here 1 week before (or sometimes after) Christmas too, so no, though I will keep my beautiful Italian Advent calendar, I had to find something different.
I found it just in time for the week before Christmas (I held out on you to see how it went over). It was WONDERFUL. It's called "What God wants for Christmas". You can get it from Focus on the Family (go to www.focusonthefamily.com) but I got mine at WalMart. I just happened up on it and knew about it and thought "what the heck....I gotta get this on a 4 year old level". In this box you will get a harder than heck to keep open manger scene (pop up), 7 boxes and a story book. You can do this any way you like, but for us, we started a few days later than I wanted and since MB is OOH so impatient, we read 2 characters per day.
Day 1 is the angel Gabriel (don't get on me about the angel looking like a woman, yes, I had a HUGE issue with that) and Day 2 is Mary. MB got to put them both in the stable wherever he wanted while Mamaw read the stories of Gabriel coming to tell us the story and Mary about the baby Jesus. Day 2 Mary finds out about the baby. The 3rd day is Gabriel telling Joseph his role in this saga. (biggest brother opened that box) Day 4 (Big brother opened that box) we meet the baby Jesus (at least, again, he is not blue eyed and blonde haired). Day 5 (opened by Uncle J) is the shepard coming to worship Jesus and day 6 (opened by MB) is the wise men (though they only have 1 they do talk about the 3).
Day 7 was the hardest day. Day 7 (which MB had a screaming hissy fit about when I told him he had to wait till the day we opened the presents to open) contains what God wants for Christmas. I'll tell you...it's a mirror in box 7. Yes, what God wants for Christmas is YOUR HEART.
Now I hear you saying "mommaria, that is too simple". Sure, but isn't the gift of God simple to receive. You betcha! Did Monkey boy get it. Yes he did. Did he give God his heart? Not yet. I don't think he totally understands it all yet (age of accountability and all that good stuff we can debate for hours if you don't agree). However, today, 4 days after we opened presents, (yes, we did that earlier than most. We only had the step sons till Christmas day and how horrible to open presents and then not get to play with them before you have to go home to your momma's house) I asked MB what God wanted for Christmas...know what he said? ME and YOU and Mamaw and EVERYBODY (added with arms flowing in big circles and dramatic flair!). You see, he GOT it. I GOT what I wanted so desperately. I know that my son knows that Christmas is so much more than the stuff he got and the food that he ate and the family that was here. That may be important, but you know what...that is not IT. MB got IT. In fact, while we were in church 45 minutes before services started (I had the wrong time again in my head...LOL) he said "mommy, lets sing Happy Birthday to Jesus!".
SO Jesus, Happy Birthday and may we be able to celebrate many more with understanding that it's not about us...it's about what YOU want for Christmas, which happens to be US.
In our house, I am always striving for ways to make sure that in the hustle and bustle of Christmastime the children in my care do not miss the above truth. This year I may have overdone it, but I know MB "got it" if you will. It started with a frantic search for an Advent calendar. You remember the kind we grew up with. A paper calendar with 25 windows on it, one for each day beginning December 1st through Christmas day when you opened the window to find the Baby Jesus "asleep on the hay". Have you tried looking for one lately? Not a lot of the "religious" Bible story of Jesus coming to earth, but I did find a few with Santa and presents behind all 25 doors, but that, my dear friends, was NOT what I wanted or needed. I needed spiritual truth and depth not a teddy bear and a jack in the box. I DID find a beautiful Italian-made wood advent calendar with all of the appropriate pieces that you put onto the teenie tiny nails in the stable scene..and I'm thankful to say Jesus, Mary and Joseph were not blonde haired blue eyed people. THAT is a huge relief and a discussion (rant) for a different time. But it did not provide enough "edutainment" value for a 4-1/2 year old. Maybe I underestimate his attention span...but part of me yearns to share truth with the step kids who are only here 1 week before (or sometimes after) Christmas too, so no, though I will keep my beautiful Italian Advent calendar, I had to find something different.
I found it just in time for the week before Christmas (I held out on you to see how it went over). It was WONDERFUL. It's called "What God wants for Christmas". You can get it from Focus on the Family (go to www.focusonthefamily.com) but I got mine at WalMart. I just happened up on it and knew about it and thought "what the heck....I gotta get this on a 4 year old level". In this box you will get a harder than heck to keep open manger scene (pop up), 7 boxes and a story book. You can do this any way you like, but for us, we started a few days later than I wanted and since MB is OOH so impatient, we read 2 characters per day.
Day 1 is the angel Gabriel (don't get on me about the angel looking like a woman, yes, I had a HUGE issue with that) and Day 2 is Mary. MB got to put them both in the stable wherever he wanted while Mamaw read the stories of Gabriel coming to tell us the story and Mary about the baby Jesus. Day 2 Mary finds out about the baby. The 3rd day is Gabriel telling Joseph his role in this saga. (biggest brother opened that box) Day 4 (Big brother opened that box) we meet the baby Jesus (at least, again, he is not blue eyed and blonde haired). Day 5 (opened by Uncle J) is the shepard coming to worship Jesus and day 6 (opened by MB) is the wise men (though they only have 1 they do talk about the 3).
Day 7 was the hardest day. Day 7 (which MB had a screaming hissy fit about when I told him he had to wait till the day we opened the presents to open) contains what God wants for Christmas. I'll tell you...it's a mirror in box 7. Yes, what God wants for Christmas is YOUR HEART.
Now I hear you saying "mommaria, that is too simple". Sure, but isn't the gift of God simple to receive. You betcha! Did Monkey boy get it. Yes he did. Did he give God his heart? Not yet. I don't think he totally understands it all yet (age of accountability and all that good stuff we can debate for hours if you don't agree). However, today, 4 days after we opened presents, (yes, we did that earlier than most. We only had the step sons till Christmas day and how horrible to open presents and then not get to play with them before you have to go home to your momma's house) I asked MB what God wanted for Christmas...know what he said? ME and YOU and Mamaw and EVERYBODY (added with arms flowing in big circles and dramatic flair!). You see, he GOT it. I GOT what I wanted so desperately. I know that my son knows that Christmas is so much more than the stuff he got and the food that he ate and the family that was here. That may be important, but you know what...that is not IT. MB got IT. In fact, while we were in church 45 minutes before services started (I had the wrong time again in my head...LOL) he said "mommy, lets sing Happy Birthday to Jesus!".
SO Jesus, Happy Birthday and may we be able to celebrate many more with understanding that it's not about us...it's about what YOU want for Christmas, which happens to be US.
Monday, December 19, 2005
FAMILY CHRISTMAS LETTERS YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE
Every year you get them. Letters about all the fun stuff your friends and family have been doing all year while your year was ho-hum at best. Here is the Family Christmas letter I really want to see...you know, honest and ugly.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Well, Mary asked me to do this letter this year and we had a great big fight about it. I told her that she would be lucky if I remembered what we had for dinner last night, but she said she would never let me touch her again if I did not write the family letter, so here I go. She has given me some event ideas, but I'm doing this my own way.
Lets start with the kids. Stuart started school this year. He was so far behind that the teachers recommended we wait till he was 7 to start him in kindergarten. I don't think this will affect him negatively. He is now the biggest kid in the class and I dare anybody to laugh at him. He finally knows his colors and can write his own name. He is still trying to read Dick and Jane. I try not to laugh. Sometimes I can't make it.
Stuart's big brother Jake just got into the 5th grade chior. Darn kid can't carry a tune with a bucket but the teacher wanted to be nice. It's a shame...he sang Jingle Bells so loudly in the school's Holiday Celebration I was proud! I did, however, teach him the alternative phrasing. I bet next year she will let him play the triangle.
And Sissy, well, Sissy is 16 now. Hard to believe. She is not getting a car, ever. I will make sure of that. She took driver's education but flunked when she ran into the teachers lounge while taking the range portion of the test. I bet they don't build the new teacher's lounge so close to the driving range again. Don't worry about Sissy, she will be out of the body cast and back in the passenger's seat by January.
The wife is just as she always is. I sure wish she'd stay out of the Christmas Pudding if you know what I mean. Santa may have to leave his suit behind for her if she bakes any more of those cookies. She wants to take a trip to the ocean this year. I told her we could do it in January to save money. We can just dress warmly. She refuses to shower before noon or clean the house. I am not sure when the last time the toliet was clean is. But don't mention the mess. That's all I gotta say.
And me...well, I imagine after she reads this letter I will be in traction for a while, which will be a good thing. Maybe I'll be in a coma so I can finally have some peace and quiet around here. What's a guy gotta do to be left alone. Honey.....what are you doing.....put the cast iron skil......
This is Mary. As usual, no help from the "big man of the house". I want to invite you all to come visit us this holiday season and as for John, ignore him if he does not recognize you. The goose egg should be gone in a week or 2 and the doctor says the memory loss should be temporary. Can't wait to see you all. Watch out for the Christmas lights outside. John got lazy and they are all heaped in a pile in the middle of the yard, but the dog dragged some into the driveway.
Merry Christmas.
The Family.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Well, Mary asked me to do this letter this year and we had a great big fight about it. I told her that she would be lucky if I remembered what we had for dinner last night, but she said she would never let me touch her again if I did not write the family letter, so here I go. She has given me some event ideas, but I'm doing this my own way.
Lets start with the kids. Stuart started school this year. He was so far behind that the teachers recommended we wait till he was 7 to start him in kindergarten. I don't think this will affect him negatively. He is now the biggest kid in the class and I dare anybody to laugh at him. He finally knows his colors and can write his own name. He is still trying to read Dick and Jane. I try not to laugh. Sometimes I can't make it.
Stuart's big brother Jake just got into the 5th grade chior. Darn kid can't carry a tune with a bucket but the teacher wanted to be nice. It's a shame...he sang Jingle Bells so loudly in the school's Holiday Celebration I was proud! I did, however, teach him the alternative phrasing. I bet next year she will let him play the triangle.
And Sissy, well, Sissy is 16 now. Hard to believe. She is not getting a car, ever. I will make sure of that. She took driver's education but flunked when she ran into the teachers lounge while taking the range portion of the test. I bet they don't build the new teacher's lounge so close to the driving range again. Don't worry about Sissy, she will be out of the body cast and back in the passenger's seat by January.
The wife is just as she always is. I sure wish she'd stay out of the Christmas Pudding if you know what I mean. Santa may have to leave his suit behind for her if she bakes any more of those cookies. She wants to take a trip to the ocean this year. I told her we could do it in January to save money. We can just dress warmly. She refuses to shower before noon or clean the house. I am not sure when the last time the toliet was clean is. But don't mention the mess. That's all I gotta say.
And me...well, I imagine after she reads this letter I will be in traction for a while, which will be a good thing. Maybe I'll be in a coma so I can finally have some peace and quiet around here. What's a guy gotta do to be left alone. Honey.....what are you doing.....put the cast iron skil......
This is Mary. As usual, no help from the "big man of the house". I want to invite you all to come visit us this holiday season and as for John, ignore him if he does not recognize you. The goose egg should be gone in a week or 2 and the doctor says the memory loss should be temporary. Can't wait to see you all. Watch out for the Christmas lights outside. John got lazy and they are all heaped in a pile in the middle of the yard, but the dog dragged some into the driveway.
Merry Christmas.
The Family.
I have come to the conclusion that I am a terrible mommy.
No, really, no protestings my dear blog readers....I shall have to confess many things in my life, and this one is true.
I have recently become a digital camera printer owner (thanks K, you know who you are) and I FINALLY got a print cartridge. So I dug through pics of MB and printed a few out to hang in my cubicle at work, you know, to remind me why I am here and how much I miss hanging out with him. But as usual, I digress.
I realized today that my MB is almost 5 (okay, so I have till May) but I am YET to get a professional (or even semi-professional) 4 year old picture of him. Yeah yeah, I hear ya. Lady you have over 5 months to get this done, but you don't understand dear friend. I usually do this right before he turns his new year. It's a progressive picture sort of thing. He has gone from cute baby to almost school boy and I missed the transition because I just never got around to it. *sigh*. I'm a terrible mommy.
There I confessed it but don't feel any better. I thought about combining Christmas and 4 year old shots, but that would just immortalize my laziness and slackerhood. If I do them separately now that is too much money at once. What is a mom on a budget to do?
I need to bite the bullet and find the time to get his 4 year old shots done.
Then maybe I can start on my Family Christmas letter, from last year, after all Christmas is not here yet.
How do you spell SLACKER...>MOMMARIA~!!!! (and don't you forget it!)
I have recently become a digital camera printer owner (thanks K, you know who you are) and I FINALLY got a print cartridge. So I dug through pics of MB and printed a few out to hang in my cubicle at work, you know, to remind me why I am here and how much I miss hanging out with him. But as usual, I digress.
I realized today that my MB is almost 5 (okay, so I have till May) but I am YET to get a professional (or even semi-professional) 4 year old picture of him. Yeah yeah, I hear ya. Lady you have over 5 months to get this done, but you don't understand dear friend. I usually do this right before he turns his new year. It's a progressive picture sort of thing. He has gone from cute baby to almost school boy and I missed the transition because I just never got around to it. *sigh*. I'm a terrible mommy.
There I confessed it but don't feel any better. I thought about combining Christmas and 4 year old shots, but that would just immortalize my laziness and slackerhood. If I do them separately now that is too much money at once. What is a mom on a budget to do?
I need to bite the bullet and find the time to get his 4 year old shots done.
Then maybe I can start on my Family Christmas letter, from last year, after all Christmas is not here yet.
How do you spell SLACKER...>MOMMARIA~!!!! (and don't you forget it!)
Friday, December 16, 2005
when you find something awesome, it's nice to share
SO I have a secret I have kept for 1 month and i'm busting with it because I know it can help so many more people.
We are having steak for Christmas. Now before you sigh, roll your eyes and 'walk' away to another blog, stick with me a minute. We are having steak for Christmas because my Mother-in-law (whom I adore) turned me on to a WONDERFUL ministry called Angel Food Ministires. Go ahead, type that into your browser when we are done here www.angelfoodministries.com and see what happens. This is what will happen. You will open a web page to a wonderful food ministry. If you are struggling to feed your family or a friend or family member is struggling to feed their family this is the site for you (I hope). What is it, you ask before you look. It is a church ministry that buys food in bulk based on "units" sold and provides the units to you at a low cost of $25. What do you get for $25. Go look. It changes every month, but I guarantee you would probably be spending $100 or more on it at the grocery store. Oh, and there are specials every month, that is where the steak for Christmas comes in. December's specials were Strip steaks (6 -10 oz) for $18. We are having steak baby!!!
You see my excitement here, right?! So go check it out, spread the word and feed your family. There are no income guidelines and this is not a government hand out....you do have to pay for it when you order it (though you could use food stamps to pay for it) I will pick up our food this Saturday and let you know how that goes since this is our first month doing this. The new menu is available now and is this :
(1) 5 lbs. Chicken Leg Quarters(1) 1.5 lbs. Boneless Pork Tenderloin(1) 3 lbs. Chicken Breast Filets(2) 1 lb. Ground Turkey(1) 1 lb. Ground Beef(1) 2 lb. Chicken Tenders(1) 14 oz. Philly Steaks(1) 12 oz. All Meat Hot Dogs(1) 17 oz. Birds Eye Simply Grillin'
(1) 2 lb. Shredded Hash Browns(1) 1 lb. Cut Broccoli(1) 1 lb. Carrots(1) 16 oz. 16-Bean Soup Mix(1) 7.5 oz. Mac & Cheese(1) 7 oz. Pancake Mix(1) Dozen Eggs(1) Dessert ...
all of that for $25 and you can buy as many units as you would like, 1, 2, 10, whatever you need. To find out if there is a distribution church near you go to the host sites tab and look for your state and then a place near you.
If this helps one person (and I know it will) it was worth it.
Merry Christmas!
We are having steak for Christmas. Now before you sigh, roll your eyes and 'walk' away to another blog, stick with me a minute. We are having steak for Christmas because my Mother-in-law (whom I adore) turned me on to a WONDERFUL ministry called Angel Food Ministires. Go ahead, type that into your browser when we are done here www.angelfoodministries.com and see what happens. This is what will happen. You will open a web page to a wonderful food ministry. If you are struggling to feed your family or a friend or family member is struggling to feed their family this is the site for you (I hope). What is it, you ask before you look. It is a church ministry that buys food in bulk based on "units" sold and provides the units to you at a low cost of $25. What do you get for $25. Go look. It changes every month, but I guarantee you would probably be spending $100 or more on it at the grocery store. Oh, and there are specials every month, that is where the steak for Christmas comes in. December's specials were Strip steaks (6 -10 oz) for $18. We are having steak baby!!!
You see my excitement here, right?! So go check it out, spread the word and feed your family. There are no income guidelines and this is not a government hand out....you do have to pay for it when you order it (though you could use food stamps to pay for it) I will pick up our food this Saturday and let you know how that goes since this is our first month doing this. The new menu is available now and is this :
(1) 5 lbs. Chicken Leg Quarters(1) 1.5 lbs. Boneless Pork Tenderloin(1) 3 lbs. Chicken Breast Filets(2) 1 lb. Ground Turkey(1) 1 lb. Ground Beef(1) 2 lb. Chicken Tenders(1) 14 oz. Philly Steaks(1) 12 oz. All Meat Hot Dogs(1) 17 oz. Birds Eye Simply Grillin'
(1) 2 lb. Shredded Hash Browns(1) 1 lb. Cut Broccoli(1) 1 lb. Carrots(1) 16 oz. 16-Bean Soup Mix(1) 7.5 oz. Mac & Cheese(1) 7 oz. Pancake Mix(1) Dozen Eggs(1) Dessert ...
all of that for $25 and you can buy as many units as you would like, 1, 2, 10, whatever you need. To find out if there is a distribution church near you go to the host sites tab and look for your state and then a place near you.
If this helps one person (and I know it will) it was worth it.
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 09, 2005
Wow, it's been a while hasn't it.
Sorry for the disappearing act, but wow has life been slipping by quickly. It has nothing to do with the holiday season because I have not really done much. Yes the house is decorated and the tree is up. I even managed to bake cookies (but they are gone already, but really there were not many to begin with).
I started the new job and it sucked the brain right out of me. INTENSE training in 2 weeks and then thrown into the deep end of the pool with no water wings is how I describe my last 2 weeks. I got my desk assignment today (I control the thermostat in our corner of the world...be ready for snow babies around me LOL). I am surrounded by guys...loud guys except my cubicle neighbor..he's very quiet.
Not much else really going on but a lot of adjusting to change. I got my new schedule and it is full of change again. Did I ever mention I am not a big fan of change?
We had the working holiday dinner....and I say holiday because it incorporated EVERYBODY not just Christmas. I hate the whole politically correct holiday misnomer, but in the case where it truly is inclusive, fine...but people, it is a Christmas tree no matter what Governor Goober in Tennessee wants to call. If it's got Jesus in a stable, it's not a holiday display, its a Christmas Nativity scene.
enough of that rant. I am tired, sore and full of holiday fried chicken. I need to get into the attic to get and wrap the presents and figure out what to wear to the company Christmas party tomorrow night. Yep, Christmas party. It's been 5 years since I have been to one...I'm nervous excited...what will I wear???
I'll let you know how it goes whether or not you care. I just missed you and wanted to let you know I was still around.
I started the new job and it sucked the brain right out of me. INTENSE training in 2 weeks and then thrown into the deep end of the pool with no water wings is how I describe my last 2 weeks. I got my desk assignment today (I control the thermostat in our corner of the world...be ready for snow babies around me LOL). I am surrounded by guys...loud guys except my cubicle neighbor..he's very quiet.
Not much else really going on but a lot of adjusting to change. I got my new schedule and it is full of change again. Did I ever mention I am not a big fan of change?
We had the working holiday dinner....and I say holiday because it incorporated EVERYBODY not just Christmas. I hate the whole politically correct holiday misnomer, but in the case where it truly is inclusive, fine...but people, it is a Christmas tree no matter what Governor Goober in Tennessee wants to call. If it's got Jesus in a stable, it's not a holiday display, its a Christmas Nativity scene.
enough of that rant. I am tired, sore and full of holiday fried chicken. I need to get into the attic to get and wrap the presents and figure out what to wear to the company Christmas party tomorrow night. Yep, Christmas party. It's been 5 years since I have been to one...I'm nervous excited...what will I wear???
I'll let you know how it goes whether or not you care. I just missed you and wanted to let you know I was still around.
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