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.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
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.
Monday, November 28, 2005
I've been tagged by Military Wife...so here it goes!
I should start by saying I love being tagged. It's like PE in grade school all over again but without the shame if nobody tagged me or getting picked last.
What I was doing10 years ago: 10 years ago I was living proof that a person can walk away from a pulmonary embolism unscathed (but scared), working at a radio station that just did not appreciate me at all and watching my mother fight a battle with breast cancer which, I am happy to say, she is still winning.
5 years ago: Five years ago I just found out I was pregant when I was told that would never happen. The happiest day of my life to be exact. I told that little baby growing there that he was the most wanted baby in the world and FIGHT...he has never stopped.
1 year ago: Working a job I hated but needed and working too hard for too little pay. I was also loving being a work-from-home mom, well, at least a mom. LOL.
Yesterday: Trying to figure out what I was going to wear today for the first day of my new job and wondering if I would EVER fall asleep. I did with the help of a Benadryl at 2 am and had to get up at 5:15.
5 snacks I enjoy: I enjoy popcorn, dark chocolate, coffee, ice cream and hot buttered bread, all of which I very seldomly get because I just shouldn't except the coffee. I also like sour patch kids. LOL.
5 Song I know all the words too:
Hmm... Any song by Charlie Peacock or Margaret Becker, Any Pink Floyd song, Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin and for some reason, going through my head as I try to answer this is Jenny (8675309)......why....why... oh the humanity!
5 Things I would do with $100 million:
1) Pay off the bills including house and car.
2) Buy houses for my family and a sprawling ranch for us (with a basement)
3) Give each family member 1 million
4) Tithe...oh would my paster LIKE that one!!
5) Start a charitible organization, philanthropy baby, while living off the interest.
5 locations I would like to run away to:
1) Sicily.
2) Lithuania.
3) Ireland
4) Hawaii
5) Chicago. LOL...I know, I'm pathetic, but I love Chicago.
5 bad habits I have:
1) Eating things I shouldn't
2) Not exercising like I should.
3) Not sleeping enough ever
4) Thinking too much.
5) Assuming the worst case scenerio will happen
5 things I like doing:
1) Teaching the 1 year old Sunday School Class.
2) Playing with kids.
3) Sleeping.
4) Cooking, not baking, cooking.
5) snuggling with DH.
TV shows I like: CSI, the original, Robot Chicken though they really need to put it on earlier, Biggest Loser, Survivor, and I'm again ashamed to admit, Family Guy.
Biggest joys of the moment:
1) That MB is still with us and doing great afteralmost 3-1/2 years post transplant.
2) I have a good job with a great company.
3) I found good in-home daycare for MB with a friend.
4) That I have friends here finally after 7 years.
5) That DH and I have survived and managed not to kill one another and we will be married 7 years this July. I love this guy more and more.
Now, I get to tag 5 people....so here we go.
Tamwill...where are ya? I believe you are still here somewhere
Little dreamer....yeah, you ....blog already would ya.
Karmon....please.
Hunzer you out here? Missing your cranky pants
and
Shannon. I'd love to learn more about you.
Thanks people.
What I was doing10 years ago: 10 years ago I was living proof that a person can walk away from a pulmonary embolism unscathed (but scared), working at a radio station that just did not appreciate me at all and watching my mother fight a battle with breast cancer which, I am happy to say, she is still winning.
5 years ago: Five years ago I just found out I was pregant when I was told that would never happen. The happiest day of my life to be exact. I told that little baby growing there that he was the most wanted baby in the world and FIGHT...he has never stopped.
1 year ago: Working a job I hated but needed and working too hard for too little pay. I was also loving being a work-from-home mom, well, at least a mom. LOL.
Yesterday: Trying to figure out what I was going to wear today for the first day of my new job and wondering if I would EVER fall asleep. I did with the help of a Benadryl at 2 am and had to get up at 5:15.
5 snacks I enjoy: I enjoy popcorn, dark chocolate, coffee, ice cream and hot buttered bread, all of which I very seldomly get because I just shouldn't except the coffee. I also like sour patch kids. LOL.
5 Song I know all the words too:
Hmm... Any song by Charlie Peacock or Margaret Becker, Any Pink Floyd song, Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin and for some reason, going through my head as I try to answer this is Jenny (8675309)......why....why... oh the humanity!
5 Things I would do with $100 million:
1) Pay off the bills including house and car.
2) Buy houses for my family and a sprawling ranch for us (with a basement)
3) Give each family member 1 million
4) Tithe...oh would my paster LIKE that one!!
5) Start a charitible organization, philanthropy baby, while living off the interest.
5 locations I would like to run away to:
1) Sicily.
2) Lithuania.
3) Ireland
4) Hawaii
5) Chicago. LOL...I know, I'm pathetic, but I love Chicago.
5 bad habits I have:
1) Eating things I shouldn't
2) Not exercising like I should.
3) Not sleeping enough ever
4) Thinking too much.
5) Assuming the worst case scenerio will happen
5 things I like doing:
1) Teaching the 1 year old Sunday School Class.
2) Playing with kids.
3) Sleeping.
4) Cooking, not baking, cooking.
5) snuggling with DH.
TV shows I like: CSI, the original, Robot Chicken though they really need to put it on earlier, Biggest Loser, Survivor, and I'm again ashamed to admit, Family Guy.
Biggest joys of the moment:
1) That MB is still with us and doing great afteralmost 3-1/2 years post transplant.
2) I have a good job with a great company.
3) I found good in-home daycare for MB with a friend.
4) That I have friends here finally after 7 years.
5) That DH and I have survived and managed not to kill one another and we will be married 7 years this July. I love this guy more and more.
Now, I get to tag 5 people....so here we go.
Tamwill...where are ya? I believe you are still here somewhere
Little dreamer....yeah, you ....blog already would ya.
Karmon....please.
Hunzer you out here? Missing your cranky pants
and
Shannon. I'd love to learn more about you.
Thanks people.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Simple question today
If people are crazy enough to freeze their bottoms off standing in line for a few discounts (and other mark ups) at 4 am the day after thanksgiving at a retail store why don't grocery stores follow the retailers lead and have giant mark downs on food the day after thanksgiving when we have spent our food bugets for 2 weeks on one meal? Now THAT I'd stand in line for. Sorry retail, I've done your lines once and that was enough.
*grumbling to self* people getting trampled for the latest toys...people, what have we become???
*grumbling to self* people getting trampled for the latest toys...people, what have we become???
Thursday, November 24, 2005
My Thankful Post
This is going to seem like a total update post, but they are all things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving day, and I am only scratching the surface here:
1) Soldier J is home, safe, has a new job and his family is all together again. V and baby K are back in the same home with Soldier J and God brought him back to us whole. In a war where there are so many who are not so lucky, I am thankful Soldier J is back. I am also immensely grateful for his sacrifice as well as the sacrifices of everybody involved in this war to give another country something to be thankful for.
2) Our little friend Andrew had his adnoid/tonsil surgery and now is sleeping well without apnea. He also had a G tube placed so the yellow, ugly NG tube is out of his face for good. I can't wait for his momma to send me some pictures of that little guy without the tube. He's such a sweetie. I am thankful Andrew is healthier than he has ever been and his mom can now enjoy being and OUTPATIENT mom instead of the usual "freak-me-out-cause-my-kid-stopped-breathing-and-turned-blue" inpatient mom. A whole new life girl. Get ready for some freedom you didn't think you had coming. I am also thankful our guys are still with us and still fighting.
3) I am thankful I have a new job that starts Monday. I'm a bit nervous, but excited. Lots of changes rolling down the line, but God is faithful and we will make it work. I am thankful for my job.
I am thankful for food, water, a place to live, friends, neighbors, good health, the ability to walk, see and that I can take things for granted.
I am thankful for my church body, my pastors, the kids in my Sunday school class.
I am thankful for cashiers that get up at 4 am so people can shop tomorrow at 5. I am thankful I don't have to be one of them.
I am thankful you are reading this now because it means you are still among the people I call friend.
I am thankful for my husband who DOES work hard even though I take him for granted too and assume he enjoys his life. I am thankful for my step sons that they are growing up and discovering who THEY are. I am thankful for Monkey Boy that he is independent yet still needs his momma. I am thankful for my in-laws because they are just plain awesome. I am thankful for my parents that they are there when I need to talk.
I could really prattle on all day, but I promised DH I would bring him some of the apple coffee cake I made this morning and MB needs a new strap for his glasses (we lost it at the doctors office yesterday). SO
HAPPY THANKSGIVING. What are you thankful for?
1) Soldier J is home, safe, has a new job and his family is all together again. V and baby K are back in the same home with Soldier J and God brought him back to us whole. In a war where there are so many who are not so lucky, I am thankful Soldier J is back. I am also immensely grateful for his sacrifice as well as the sacrifices of everybody involved in this war to give another country something to be thankful for.
2) Our little friend Andrew had his adnoid/tonsil surgery and now is sleeping well without apnea. He also had a G tube placed so the yellow, ugly NG tube is out of his face for good. I can't wait for his momma to send me some pictures of that little guy without the tube. He's such a sweetie. I am thankful Andrew is healthier than he has ever been and his mom can now enjoy being and OUTPATIENT mom instead of the usual "freak-me-out-cause-my-kid-stopped-breathing-and-turned-blue" inpatient mom. A whole new life girl. Get ready for some freedom you didn't think you had coming. I am also thankful our guys are still with us and still fighting.
3) I am thankful I have a new job that starts Monday. I'm a bit nervous, but excited. Lots of changes rolling down the line, but God is faithful and we will make it work. I am thankful for my job.
I am thankful for food, water, a place to live, friends, neighbors, good health, the ability to walk, see and that I can take things for granted.
I am thankful for my church body, my pastors, the kids in my Sunday school class.
I am thankful for cashiers that get up at 4 am so people can shop tomorrow at 5. I am thankful I don't have to be one of them.
I am thankful you are reading this now because it means you are still among the people I call friend.
I am thankful for my husband who DOES work hard even though I take him for granted too and assume he enjoys his life. I am thankful for my step sons that they are growing up and discovering who THEY are. I am thankful for Monkey Boy that he is independent yet still needs his momma. I am thankful for my in-laws because they are just plain awesome. I am thankful for my parents that they are there when I need to talk.
I could really prattle on all day, but I promised DH I would bring him some of the apple coffee cake I made this morning and MB needs a new strap for his glasses (we lost it at the doctors office yesterday). SO
HAPPY THANKSGIVING. What are you thankful for?
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
A Thanksgiving feast for kings
My husband and I have decided that we have to introduce MB to traditions. I have to admit I have been lazy. Lazy...you heard me. If the step kids are not coming to dinner I don't bother with the whole lets-cook-more-food-than-an-entire-platoon-could-eat-and-eat-till-we-puke dinner for Thanksgiving, or Christmas for that matter. I figured why...but you know what, MB is why. He needs to know I would do the same for him that I would do for his half-brothers. I want him to know he is special enough for a Thanksgiving dinner complete with all of the fixings. So, I'm off to shop for a feast while the turkey is thawing in the fridge. I do have a problem with the fact that DH wants a traditional feast. In my family, there are 4 of us kids and both parents, not to mention grandparents, aunts and uncles. I'm used to cooking for a proverbial army. How on earth do I pare down the feast for 3? I have invited people to come to dinner, but they are not coming. I don't like to think anybody should be alone for the holidays, but they don't care...darn it.
So I'm preparing a feast....I have about 8 extra servings...anybody want to come to dinner?????
So I'm preparing a feast....I have about 8 extra servings...anybody want to come to dinner?????
Monday, November 21, 2005
Bye Bye Byetta
Well, I did it. I had to really. I stopped smootching the lizard. WHAT? It was working. Yes, it was working well. I have lost about 20 pounds now since I started taking the Byetta, but it also had a nasty little side effect for me that did not ever go away or even become manageable, feeling like I had the flu all the time complete with body aches and extreme nausea (and the "other" end problem, if you get my drift). I could not risk it anymore.
"Risk it. What ARE you talking about?" I hear you asking. I did it. I got a new job. I start next week. I will have 3 weeks of training and then get my new shift. The job is apparently highly technical and there is a lot to learn in 3 short weeks, and I can not be missing work literally or figuratively because I zoned out until the nausea passed. Do you know what I mean? I just could not see myself sitting in a training class praying "Please don't puke" or suffering chills etc.
So I emailed my doc and she agreed that I should stop. SO now I can eat more and have to put an effort into NOT eating. I still get full REALLY fast and feel queasy if I eat too much or the 'wrong' things, so I am hopeful. I am also hopeful because I will be working outside of the home and that means set lunch periods in which I can walk around the generous parking lot at the new job, or next door to the Target shopping center or, if it's cold, around the buildings in the work complex. I am even contemplating joining the Y which is just down the street from the new office.
Yes, you heard me right. The job is out of the house. I have had to find daycare for MB. That totally sucks, but I needed a job and I REALLY don't ever want to do medical transcription again. Too unpredictable and, to me, boring. I have a friend with 2 kiddos who will be taking on MB as one of her own during the day too. She's a lot like me, so I am comfortable, sort of, letting MB go...it's hard to let them go. We are also looking into getting him into a Christian school for kindergarten. I think this will help him. He LOVES other kids. He NEEDS other kids. School will be good...I pray anyway. It is hard when they grow up.
I start one week from today. If you are a pray-er, pray for me. This is going to be hard. This will be my first out of the house, 40 hour per week job since MB was born. I'm gonna go through some difficult stuff.
"Risk it. What ARE you talking about?" I hear you asking. I did it. I got a new job. I start next week. I will have 3 weeks of training and then get my new shift. The job is apparently highly technical and there is a lot to learn in 3 short weeks, and I can not be missing work literally or figuratively because I zoned out until the nausea passed. Do you know what I mean? I just could not see myself sitting in a training class praying "Please don't puke" or suffering chills etc.
So I emailed my doc and she agreed that I should stop. SO now I can eat more and have to put an effort into NOT eating. I still get full REALLY fast and feel queasy if I eat too much or the 'wrong' things, so I am hopeful. I am also hopeful because I will be working outside of the home and that means set lunch periods in which I can walk around the generous parking lot at the new job, or next door to the Target shopping center or, if it's cold, around the buildings in the work complex. I am even contemplating joining the Y which is just down the street from the new office.
Yes, you heard me right. The job is out of the house. I have had to find daycare for MB. That totally sucks, but I needed a job and I REALLY don't ever want to do medical transcription again. Too unpredictable and, to me, boring. I have a friend with 2 kiddos who will be taking on MB as one of her own during the day too. She's a lot like me, so I am comfortable, sort of, letting MB go...it's hard to let them go. We are also looking into getting him into a Christian school for kindergarten. I think this will help him. He LOVES other kids. He NEEDS other kids. School will be good...I pray anyway. It is hard when they grow up.
I start one week from today. If you are a pray-er, pray for me. This is going to be hard. This will be my first out of the house, 40 hour per week job since MB was born. I'm gonna go through some difficult stuff.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Don't hate me because I'm beautiful....
Hate me because I am done Christmas shopping! LOL...yes, with the exception of needing 1 Bible for a teenager (he asked for a new one) I am done. I got the rest of DH's gift last night at good old Wally World (Wal Mart for the moniker impaired) and I am D O N E. (except the gift certificates I need for DH's father and sister)...but NOOOOOO I do not have to step foot in a store on Black Friday unless I really want to....and I may. Who can resist a great deal, but it would really have to be a GREAT deal to drag me out of bed at 6 on a Friday after Thanksgiving and get myself and MB to a mall. You see, DH has to work that day and I don't start the new job till the Monday after Thanksgiving.
I may be trimming a tree, napping or trying to finish organizing my house (ROFLOL) before I start an out of the house job. Yep, it's out of the house. But, as usual, I digress.
I sure hope you all get your shopping done (if not and you want a cool educational toy, call me or message me and I can set you up till the 12th of December with guaranteed delivery of a Discovery Toy or 10). I will be wrapping into the wee hours so MB is actually surprised this year. I got to go shopping without him and "santa" got the goods. LOL
Oh yeah, and if you see MB, yes Santa is real. Not the jolly red suited fellow, but the REAL St. Nicholas. (He loves the red suited fellow, but knows that St. Nicholas was a real man who gave dowerys to poor women so they could get married).
We will bake cookies and plan meals later. For now...I am relaxing in the fact that I am DONE Shopping. Join me for coffee won't you?
I may be trimming a tree, napping or trying to finish organizing my house (ROFLOL) before I start an out of the house job. Yep, it's out of the house. But, as usual, I digress.
I sure hope you all get your shopping done (if not and you want a cool educational toy, call me or message me and I can set you up till the 12th of December with guaranteed delivery of a Discovery Toy or 10). I will be wrapping into the wee hours so MB is actually surprised this year. I got to go shopping without him and "santa" got the goods. LOL
Oh yeah, and if you see MB, yes Santa is real. Not the jolly red suited fellow, but the REAL St. Nicholas. (He loves the red suited fellow, but knows that St. Nicholas was a real man who gave dowerys to poor women so they could get married).
We will bake cookies and plan meals later. For now...I am relaxing in the fact that I am DONE Shopping. Join me for coffee won't you?
Monday, November 14, 2005
My 4 year old piano protege
LOL...well, maybe he is no Mozart, but we started MB taking piano lessons this month. He's 4-1/2 and is DYING to play a musical instrument. His older brother plays saxophone (and is quite good I am happy to report, he's only had a couple of lessons and they are talking about putting him in the school band). His oldest brother is learning to play guitar. MB is wicked excited to be taking piano lessons. I have to admit I'm pretty excited that he is taking piano too because "I" want to learn how to play piano. Since I practice with him 30 minutes each day I am learning as much as he is. His piano teacher LOVES him and he made a Christmas present for her already. She has 2 children too, and MB, I think, would rather play with her son than play piano. LOL...typical social critter he is. But he muddles through the lesson and is actually doing quite well. The teacher told me that "he's so smart". My reply..."scary huh!". So I have a musician on my hands and I couldn't be a prouder momma about it. On the way home from piano lesson last night he actually said : Warning: Proud momma moment alert!!!
"mommy, I want to pray."
"Okay. What do you want us to pray about?"
"NO mommy...I want to pray and thank God for my singing." (he only recently started singing even if he does not know all the words...before I had to sing and he played air guitar. He also recently told me he wanted to be in the Children's Choir for the Christmas program at church).
So, for the first time ever, without me nagging or leading, my son WILLFULLY prayed to God and prayed:
"God, I thank you for my singing."
Never a better prayer has been uttered.
Oh, and I have to give a shout out to Handsomeeddiefamous. Sorry I did not see your Monical's pizza reply back in September...I'd have known it was you! LOL...Love and miss Monicals and Papa Del's. Tennessee has no real pizza....I miss real pizza.
"mommy, I want to pray."
"Okay. What do you want us to pray about?"
"NO mommy...I want to pray and thank God for my singing." (he only recently started singing even if he does not know all the words...before I had to sing and he played air guitar. He also recently told me he wanted to be in the Children's Choir for the Christmas program at church).
So, for the first time ever, without me nagging or leading, my son WILLFULLY prayed to God and prayed:
"God, I thank you for my singing."
Never a better prayer has been uttered.
Oh, and I have to give a shout out to Handsomeeddiefamous. Sorry I did not see your Monical's pizza reply back in September...I'd have known it was you! LOL...Love and miss Monicals and Papa Del's. Tennessee has no real pizza....I miss real pizza.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
I thought this "mom" thing was supposed to get easier....
Nope. I don't think it does.
I went to visit the principal at the school MB will go to if we end up going that route (and with the potential new job situation it will have to go that way). The kindergarten classes are 18 to 22 kids. That is 18 to 22 potential germ carriers in contact with immunosuppressed MB 5 days per week. Yes we take him to church and put him in Sunday School and nursery during service, but that is once per week and 10 kids at most. Yes I take him to MOPs which is 22 kids in his class, but only once every other week. Calculated risks really. We want him to be social because he IS very very social and LOVES people. But 18 to 20 kids in a class every day is a high risk situation. really. I think.
I have till next school year to figure this all out (unless you count that we have to register him in April). That just seems like such a huge risk.
The school, btw, is just as awesome as I had heard. The secretary has a bible picture dictionary sitting on her desk in plain view. Awesome! The K-2 program is designed to keep them busy so MB will not be bored. He already can read and knows all his letters and sounds, is working on math, knows that a dime, 2 nickels and 10 pennies are all the same thing......he's smart....he works at it what can I say. The 3rd grade on program has honors classes....so he will be advanced as necessary.
I wish this were easier.
Then there is the fact that he NEVER sleeps anymore. He keeps coming into our room at random wee hours of the morning and climbing in our bed. Not a problem except I can not sleep when he is in there because I'm afraid of hurting him or pushing him off the bed.
Anybody have any tips on keeping him in his bed???
Thanks in advance....but really, I thought I'd be out of the "midnight feeding" end of this by 4-1/2.
I went to visit the principal at the school MB will go to if we end up going that route (and with the potential new job situation it will have to go that way). The kindergarten classes are 18 to 22 kids. That is 18 to 22 potential germ carriers in contact with immunosuppressed MB 5 days per week. Yes we take him to church and put him in Sunday School and nursery during service, but that is once per week and 10 kids at most. Yes I take him to MOPs which is 22 kids in his class, but only once every other week. Calculated risks really. We want him to be social because he IS very very social and LOVES people. But 18 to 20 kids in a class every day is a high risk situation. really. I think.
I have till next school year to figure this all out (unless you count that we have to register him in April). That just seems like such a huge risk.
The school, btw, is just as awesome as I had heard. The secretary has a bible picture dictionary sitting on her desk in plain view. Awesome! The K-2 program is designed to keep them busy so MB will not be bored. He already can read and knows all his letters and sounds, is working on math, knows that a dime, 2 nickels and 10 pennies are all the same thing......he's smart....he works at it what can I say. The 3rd grade on program has honors classes....so he will be advanced as necessary.
I wish this were easier.
Then there is the fact that he NEVER sleeps anymore. He keeps coming into our room at random wee hours of the morning and climbing in our bed. Not a problem except I can not sleep when he is in there because I'm afraid of hurting him or pushing him off the bed.
Anybody have any tips on keeping him in his bed???
Thanks in advance....but really, I thought I'd be out of the "midnight feeding" end of this by 4-1/2.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Harry Potter and the biggest let down ever.
Okay, I have finished the Harry Potter series (thus far) recommended to me by people who write as excellent, must read books. I would one day fancy myself a writer for children, though I prefer the 4 year old and below age range myself. Anyway, the books came highly recommended. I SWORE I would never read the Harry Potter books. Just didn't want to read them. I had seen the movies and enjoyed them and am looking forward to the newest one, but just was NOT going to read the books.
I LOVED the first one. Wow. The Sorcerer's Stone was fantastic. I read it in about 4 hours (longer if you count I had to put it down to cook dinner, do laundry, all the normal wifey things.
The 2nd, The Chamber of Secrets, took me a bit longer to read, but I really enjoyed it as well. Fascinating use of characters and plot twists and turns.
The 3rd. Good book, The Prisoner of Azkaban had the ultimate twist...again a page turner. I looked forward to getting back into it when I had to put it down, but life prohibited me from getting into it very quickly and my interested waxed and waned, but I wanted more.
the 4th book, The Goblet of Fire.....ummmm *yawn*. There were a few good parts but this is no where NEAR as interesting as the other 3. The end was the best part, not because it was over, smarty pants, but it was exciting. The rest was hard to get through.
5th book, Order of the Phoenix.......BORi*snore snore snore*...oh wait. Oh yeah, boring. Again, the END of the book was the best part, the parts leading up had little to none of the adventure I had long come to expect.
and last night I finished the Half-Blood Prince. The thing I enjoyed about it was trying to figure out WHO could be the half-blood prince. I won't spoil it for you, I would have been mad if somebody spoiled it for me, but again, the ONLY good, exciting part was the end. Rowlings threatened many times with events that COULD have been exciting. They started out titillating, but then just fizzled out, not building suspense, but just fizzling out. The end was unexpected and I kept waiting for a "different" outcome (those who have read it know what I mean).
I hear there is one more in the series. I will read it too, but this time, Ms. J.K. Rowling, please....keep the action, keep the suspense, LOVE the character building skills you have, skills that have allowed you to not only keep the players true to their roles over 6 books, but also develop and grow them (or in some cases help them seethe in their anger). I have highest hopes that the supposed final in this series will not disappoint me. I have come to expect so much more.
Book 5.
I LOVED the first one. Wow. The Sorcerer's Stone was fantastic. I read it in about 4 hours (longer if you count I had to put it down to cook dinner, do laundry, all the normal wifey things.
The 2nd, The Chamber of Secrets, took me a bit longer to read, but I really enjoyed it as well. Fascinating use of characters and plot twists and turns.
The 3rd. Good book, The Prisoner of Azkaban had the ultimate twist...again a page turner. I looked forward to getting back into it when I had to put it down, but life prohibited me from getting into it very quickly and my interested waxed and waned, but I wanted more.
the 4th book, The Goblet of Fire.....ummmm *yawn*. There were a few good parts but this is no where NEAR as interesting as the other 3. The end was the best part, not because it was over, smarty pants, but it was exciting. The rest was hard to get through.
5th book, Order of the Phoenix.......BORi*snore snore snore*...oh wait. Oh yeah, boring. Again, the END of the book was the best part, the parts leading up had little to none of the adventure I had long come to expect.
and last night I finished the Half-Blood Prince. The thing I enjoyed about it was trying to figure out WHO could be the half-blood prince. I won't spoil it for you, I would have been mad if somebody spoiled it for me, but again, the ONLY good, exciting part was the end. Rowlings threatened many times with events that COULD have been exciting. They started out titillating, but then just fizzled out, not building suspense, but just fizzling out. The end was unexpected and I kept waiting for a "different" outcome (those who have read it know what I mean).
I hear there is one more in the series. I will read it too, but this time, Ms. J.K. Rowling, please....keep the action, keep the suspense, LOVE the character building skills you have, skills that have allowed you to not only keep the players true to their roles over 6 books, but also develop and grow them (or in some cases help them seethe in their anger). I have highest hopes that the supposed final in this series will not disappoint me. I have come to expect so much more.
Book 5.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Parenting full circle
Odd title, yes, I am aware thank you. I have had a theory for a long time now and said if I ever did a masters or PhD paper I would research this phenom. I call it full circle parenting. It works essentially that you start out as a child with a parent, you grow up and your relationship changes from parent/child to peer and then is destine to become child/parent where the child parents the parent. Does that make any sense?
I see it actually happening more and more in my relationship with my parents and I have to say, parenting my 4 year old is an awful lot like parenting my parents. They are in their 60's and early 70's (I think...isn't that terrible, I don't really know how old my own parents are. I think my mom will forever be 45, but since I'm heading to that age soon, she must be older by now). I live a considerable distance from my mom and dad, but talk to them often. Mom has been sick a lot lately and it worries me for several reasons: 1) she has never taken decent care of herself. 2). She had breast cancer in 1996. 3) Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus for a number of years (though I have been told her numbers are normal now) and 4) a recent history of kidney problems.
So when she tells me she has been sick for a while and now the docs want an MRI or CT scan I get nervous. Maybe 4 years of typing medical reports for oncologists makes bells ring for me or maybe I know she is given to bouts of misinforming me of circumstances. She tells me they think she has a brain tumor. Ok, mom is so not high drama, so I wonder, since I have not seen her in about 9 months, if she has some strange growth on her noggin the size and shape of a pineapple that would make them wonder this. She says she is having headaches. (she has ALWAYS had headaches).
So I tried my best nag to get her to go get the MRI or CT, whatever it was they wanted to do, to no avail. She says she does not want to know. Isn't that special.
So the parent turned child is nagged by the child now turned mother (and many many years of this, I remember many a times as an 11 year old comforting my mom about stuff. I was the first one she told about the cancer and we prayed together for the first time ever at her request...on and on really). So do I let it go and know she is an adult, I believe still fully capable of making her own decisions or do I nag (like a mother would nag) until she does something.
Parenting a 4 year old is eaiser, his butt I can spank....my mom's....well, she is too far away.
I see it actually happening more and more in my relationship with my parents and I have to say, parenting my 4 year old is an awful lot like parenting my parents. They are in their 60's and early 70's (I think...isn't that terrible, I don't really know how old my own parents are. I think my mom will forever be 45, but since I'm heading to that age soon, she must be older by now). I live a considerable distance from my mom and dad, but talk to them often. Mom has been sick a lot lately and it worries me for several reasons: 1) she has never taken decent care of herself. 2). She had breast cancer in 1996. 3) Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus for a number of years (though I have been told her numbers are normal now) and 4) a recent history of kidney problems.
So when she tells me she has been sick for a while and now the docs want an MRI or CT scan I get nervous. Maybe 4 years of typing medical reports for oncologists makes bells ring for me or maybe I know she is given to bouts of misinforming me of circumstances. She tells me they think she has a brain tumor. Ok, mom is so not high drama, so I wonder, since I have not seen her in about 9 months, if she has some strange growth on her noggin the size and shape of a pineapple that would make them wonder this. She says she is having headaches. (she has ALWAYS had headaches).
So I tried my best nag to get her to go get the MRI or CT, whatever it was they wanted to do, to no avail. She says she does not want to know. Isn't that special.
So the parent turned child is nagged by the child now turned mother (and many many years of this, I remember many a times as an 11 year old comforting my mom about stuff. I was the first one she told about the cancer and we prayed together for the first time ever at her request...on and on really). So do I let it go and know she is an adult, I believe still fully capable of making her own decisions or do I nag (like a mother would nag) until she does something.
Parenting a 4 year old is eaiser, his butt I can spank....my mom's....well, she is too far away.
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