Million dollar question....is it possible to keep a house clean with 5 people, and 3 of those 5 being youngsters and the other 2 being college students along with being parents and workers?
Given that I do not have a million dollars and I hate to keep people in suspense, NO, it is NOT possible to keep one's house neat and tidy all the time! GRRRR.
Keeping up with the weekend for the most part, very very busy one. Had brunch with the kids and one of my best friends today, that was nice and it gave D some time to finish up his sermon for Sunday evening. Then, I had to scurry to the grocery store - it was very busy. Which is good, people are celebrating Easter, hopefully remembering what it truly means.
Then we went over to the church and hosted D's family for Easter lupper (lunch/supper) and hid some eggs and had a jolly good time. LOTS of kids, there are 14 kids under the age of 18, but everyone had a good time with few fights and meltdowns.
Came home, chilled out for 1/2 hour (should have been accompanied by some wine...darn) and then started doing my homework that was due tonight. It is now done, dishwasher is ready to run, washer and dryer are going, more eggs are boiling, and I am cleaning in preparation for my family that will be coming to our house tomorrow (much fewer kids). D has sunrise, then 3 services in the morning, then he preaches in the evening. It has been a very busy weekend!
Kids are fabulous though and it was a nice day.
Hope all is well with my blog friends,
CC
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Surviving
Well folks, I knew last quarter was too good to be true, I am working my tail off to keep up with my classes this quarter. I am talking government, policy and politics with people how have been working for the government for 20+ years. Yea, um, I want to be savvy in those areas, but the truth is, I am a 34-year-old biology undergrad, clinical psychology master's chick who knows didly about the Federal Letters and comparing and contrasting different aspects among the various levels of government! YIKES, what have I gotten myself into!
I have yet to fill you all in on the experience at the BIG RAT. Well, despite myself, everyone had a great time! We spent a fortune, but really it was nice to feed everyone pizza and the fruit pizza that we had made, and their pizza was actually good! (I ate the veggie in an effort to stick as closely to my WW Core Plan as possible). I am glad we did it and the kids were very appreciative, so that was nice. I might have to get my hair colored sooner though after the day, but for the smiles and joy of my babies, it is a small sacrifice!
I think I mentioned that they wanted donations toward a well as their gifts. Well, they received funds (so far) to fund 5 wells in their birth country. How awesome is that! They were so excited and kept asking, "Mom, how many people can we help now?" It did my heart so good:)
My work has picked up lately so that is keeping me hopping and I have been doing paperwork for Tabitha as well as for our own personal taxes. So surviving is truly my mantra right now. But, it could always be worse, so just venting, not complaining!
I leave for a long weekend next Thursday with one of my aunts (the one whose husband died last year) and 2 of my friends from work for a trip to New York (one of our cheap tickets!). I am looking forward to it as I have always wanted to go there, but am stressed about leaving D and the kids, but I know that time away is good for us all, makes us appreciate each other that much more.
Speaking of going away, D is going to be gone for 2 months this summer. TWO MONTHS! I am dreading it more than I can express and get all teary whenever I let myself think about it. Then I get a grip and remind myself that I have tons of support here, he could be going to Iraq or Afghanistan and that this will be a good test for me of when he goes off on a ship for 6 months in a couple of years. Still, I am dreading it and will be a slobbering mess all over this blog. I will warn you when it is time to turn away...
All for now.
Happy Easter to you all. We have had a very nice Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services so far. Tomorrow we host D's family and Sunday afternoon my family (then D preaches Sunday evening). Yes, things are never boring around here!
I have yet to fill you all in on the experience at the BIG RAT. Well, despite myself, everyone had a great time! We spent a fortune, but really it was nice to feed everyone pizza and the fruit pizza that we had made, and their pizza was actually good! (I ate the veggie in an effort to stick as closely to my WW Core Plan as possible). I am glad we did it and the kids were very appreciative, so that was nice. I might have to get my hair colored sooner though after the day, but for the smiles and joy of my babies, it is a small sacrifice!
I think I mentioned that they wanted donations toward a well as their gifts. Well, they received funds (so far) to fund 5 wells in their birth country. How awesome is that! They were so excited and kept asking, "Mom, how many people can we help now?" It did my heart so good:)
My work has picked up lately so that is keeping me hopping and I have been doing paperwork for Tabitha as well as for our own personal taxes. So surviving is truly my mantra right now. But, it could always be worse, so just venting, not complaining!
I leave for a long weekend next Thursday with one of my aunts (the one whose husband died last year) and 2 of my friends from work for a trip to New York (one of our cheap tickets!). I am looking forward to it as I have always wanted to go there, but am stressed about leaving D and the kids, but I know that time away is good for us all, makes us appreciate each other that much more.
Speaking of going away, D is going to be gone for 2 months this summer. TWO MONTHS! I am dreading it more than I can express and get all teary whenever I let myself think about it. Then I get a grip and remind myself that I have tons of support here, he could be going to Iraq or Afghanistan and that this will be a good test for me of when he goes off on a ship for 6 months in a couple of years. Still, I am dreading it and will be a slobbering mess all over this blog. I will warn you when it is time to turn away...
All for now.
Happy Easter to you all. We have had a very nice Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services so far. Tomorrow we host D's family and Sunday afternoon my family (then D preaches Sunday evening). Yes, things are never boring around here!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Girls
Girls, myself included, definitely tend for a flair of the dramatic. I don't say this without proof - including my own behavior at times - and to prove my point I shall share my morning.
It actually peeked into warmish weather yesterday and so the kiddos played outside after supper before Doodle had dance class, getting all dirty and kid-like. We did not get home from dance until 8:30ish and I made the executive decision that we would have showers in the morning (read: mommy was exhausted and thought I would feel more equipped in the morning AND it was past bedtime). To add to this, the kids are having their SECOND school pictures of 1st grade. They already had pics, the ones where the put your picture in the yearbook, we complied, we purchased, we were model parents. Well, this second round is just money-grubbing as far as I am concerned. We are going to get family pics before D leaves for military training so my cherubs looks will be captured on my terms in the near future anyway.
Okay, I am digressing. First, Shenzy decides that she wants breakfast BEFORE her shower. If these activities don't occur in this order, I shall make you all miserable. Well, we did not let her have her way and I heard crying and moaning for at least 10 minutes. I mean seriously? Shenzy, you have been up since 6:02 and have watched your shows while I have tried to catch another 10 minutes of sleep. A period of time during which you maul me like a bored bear cub. Did I not provide you with a fantastic morning so far? I let you watch grown-ups singing ridiculous songs because they have reached cult status and are making more money than I will ever see. Must you then CRY FOR 10 MINUTES over NOTHING!
Then, post shower and in her dress that she requested, Doodle comes to the table with crocodile tears in her eyes, trying so hard to hold her **IT together. I took one look at her and asked what was wrong, at which point the floodgates opened. She went from a 2 to 200 in about 1 second flat. Fearing a seizure, I picked her up and took her to her room in an effort to both diffuse a seizure by calming her down and by trying to dispel the mystery that is a cute little girl crying for no apparent reason. Crying like someone had just beaten her up out back, but nothing had happened. After a good 5 minutes of doing breathing exercises with her and having her blow her nose and count to 3, and me playing guessing games like I was going to win a quiz show once I got the right answer, I came to the realization that her tights were too tight. You get that? The tights (which by name should not be loose) were too tight. Okay, I was proud of my calm. I told her then by all means, please remove the offending tights, go have breakfast, and I will solve this critical sob-inducing problem. Five minutes later, all was right with the world and she was singing and skipping.
All of this in the midst of my trying to get ready for work. And Meesta, where was my handsome lad you ask? He, the boy who got a "free pass" from doing his homework yesterday evening because of his good behavior at school (still not sure about the logic behind this from his normally hard-driving teacher, but that is for another day - perhaps it was because she knew the weather was going to be fabulous?), he compliantly took his shower, ate his breakfast, asked for more fruit, then decided he WANTED to do his homework anyway. So he did, without incident. WHILE his sisters were possessed by someone power of the perhaps full moon??!
The important point, I actually kept my cool. I have been praying that I exercise more patience during times like these and I am happy to report that I did. And, I know that sometimes a girl just needs to cry, without reason. Maybe Doodle is upset about something else that she will share when she is ready, I did ask her, but she said no, really it was just the tights. Hopefully my little ladies proceed to have a great day, letting their negative behaviors out at mom and dad, knowing we will always love them anyway.
CC
It actually peeked into warmish weather yesterday and so the kiddos played outside after supper before Doodle had dance class, getting all dirty and kid-like. We did not get home from dance until 8:30ish and I made the executive decision that we would have showers in the morning (read: mommy was exhausted and thought I would feel more equipped in the morning AND it was past bedtime). To add to this, the kids are having their SECOND school pictures of 1st grade. They already had pics, the ones where the put your picture in the yearbook, we complied, we purchased, we were model parents. Well, this second round is just money-grubbing as far as I am concerned. We are going to get family pics before D leaves for military training so my cherubs looks will be captured on my terms in the near future anyway.
Okay, I am digressing. First, Shenzy decides that she wants breakfast BEFORE her shower. If these activities don't occur in this order, I shall make you all miserable. Well, we did not let her have her way and I heard crying and moaning for at least 10 minutes. I mean seriously? Shenzy, you have been up since 6:02 and have watched your shows while I have tried to catch another 10 minutes of sleep. A period of time during which you maul me like a bored bear cub. Did I not provide you with a fantastic morning so far? I let you watch grown-ups singing ridiculous songs because they have reached cult status and are making more money than I will ever see. Must you then CRY FOR 10 MINUTES over NOTHING!
Then, post shower and in her dress that she requested, Doodle comes to the table with crocodile tears in her eyes, trying so hard to hold her **IT together. I took one look at her and asked what was wrong, at which point the floodgates opened. She went from a 2 to 200 in about 1 second flat. Fearing a seizure, I picked her up and took her to her room in an effort to both diffuse a seizure by calming her down and by trying to dispel the mystery that is a cute little girl crying for no apparent reason. Crying like someone had just beaten her up out back, but nothing had happened. After a good 5 minutes of doing breathing exercises with her and having her blow her nose and count to 3, and me playing guessing games like I was going to win a quiz show once I got the right answer, I came to the realization that her tights were too tight. You get that? The tights (which by name should not be loose) were too tight. Okay, I was proud of my calm. I told her then by all means, please remove the offending tights, go have breakfast, and I will solve this critical sob-inducing problem. Five minutes later, all was right with the world and she was singing and skipping.
All of this in the midst of my trying to get ready for work. And Meesta, where was my handsome lad you ask? He, the boy who got a "free pass" from doing his homework yesterday evening because of his good behavior at school (still not sure about the logic behind this from his normally hard-driving teacher, but that is for another day - perhaps it was because she knew the weather was going to be fabulous?), he compliantly took his shower, ate his breakfast, asked for more fruit, then decided he WANTED to do his homework anyway. So he did, without incident. WHILE his sisters were possessed by someone power of the perhaps full moon??!
The important point, I actually kept my cool. I have been praying that I exercise more patience during times like these and I am happy to report that I did. And, I know that sometimes a girl just needs to cry, without reason. Maybe Doodle is upset about something else that she will share when she is ready, I did ask her, but she said no, really it was just the tights. Hopefully my little ladies proceed to have a great day, letting their negative behaviors out at mom and dad, knowing we will always love them anyway.
CC
Monday, March 10, 2008
5 Sleeps Until the Big Rat
The twins will be turning 7 very soon and despite my own sensibilities, we are throwing their birthday party at the place with the Big Rat (ChuckECheese). A new Big Rat was built in our area about a year ago I guess and I have never taken them there. In fact, they have only been to the Big Rat on 2 (maybe 3) occasions ever. I don't know that I am thinking, but it was the allure of not at my now-small house, the kids LOVE it, their friends will LOVE it, and it is 90 minutes of time total. They will get a performance, some pizza, soft drinks and I will provide the fruit pizza birthday "cake". We are having the party on the weekend although their big day really occurs next week.
The fruit pizza birthday "cake" has been a tradition since the kids came home. They have never been huge cake lovers, but they could eat fruit all day long for every meal, with the exception of some pasta thrown in for good measure. So each year for their birthday, we make a big fruit pizza. It is their thing and I like that they have their own take on the whole cake thing.
The fact that they are turning 7 is so wild to me. They were just turning 1, in Cambodia, and we were in a room in a hotel in Cambodia with lots of new found friends and their new children. It was chaos, but a very unique and beautiful scene, one I will never forget. We have celebrated every birthday with them so far and for that I am so grateful.
I hope those who loved them first in Cambodia can feel the energy through the winds of how much they are loved and cared for. They are our life, our reason, our true joy. Thank you for the opportunity to love them. In fact, that makes me think of one of my favorite books that the kids own, it is called "Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox. It is a beautiful book with a powerful message to everyone. If everyone took it to heart, there just might be peace on earth.
Okay, I am off for now to work...and remember, it is only 5 Sleeps Until the Big Rat...
The fruit pizza birthday "cake" has been a tradition since the kids came home. They have never been huge cake lovers, but they could eat fruit all day long for every meal, with the exception of some pasta thrown in for good measure. So each year for their birthday, we make a big fruit pizza. It is their thing and I like that they have their own take on the whole cake thing.
The fact that they are turning 7 is so wild to me. They were just turning 1, in Cambodia, and we were in a room in a hotel in Cambodia with lots of new found friends and their new children. It was chaos, but a very unique and beautiful scene, one I will never forget. We have celebrated every birthday with them so far and for that I am so grateful.
I hope those who loved them first in Cambodia can feel the energy through the winds of how much they are loved and cared for. They are our life, our reason, our true joy. Thank you for the opportunity to love them. In fact, that makes me think of one of my favorite books that the kids own, it is called "Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox. It is a beautiful book with a powerful message to everyone. If everyone took it to heart, there just might be peace on earth.
Okay, I am off for now to work...and remember, it is only 5 Sleeps Until the Big Rat...
Friday, March 07, 2008
A Little Bit Political
Okay, I generally steer clear of controversial topics, but I just read a piece on the internet that spoke to me and watched something the other day that really spoke to me. I am inspired by Obama, I have been a political junkie since his hat became entrenched in the ring.
On one hand, I really want him to win, I think he will do some of the really hard leg work to make the political machine in Washington more effective. On the other hand, I am concerned that the events that are already here, including the economy and the current state of politics (and the drastic changes that he would have to make occur) would not be easy and could leave him with a splotchy legacy. But, I would rather he get in there and give it a shot. I respect his wife, I respect how far he has come and his obvious intellect. And while Hillary complains about his speeches, I could listen to them over and over.
One example is this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0L2GEBhd2w
Another interesting take is provided by Andrew Sullivan who is a democratic political blogger:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/03/the-clinton-rul.html. He posts frequently so go to the one from today entitled the Clinton Rules.
Now, I realize everyone is entitled to their opinion, but mine right now is full-force ahead for Obama. I am inspired...
BTW, we are definitely a house divided with the hubster being a McCain supporter.
Shenzy knows him by name and comes running whenever she hears him speaking...my little protege.
CC
On one hand, I really want him to win, I think he will do some of the really hard leg work to make the political machine in Washington more effective. On the other hand, I am concerned that the events that are already here, including the economy and the current state of politics (and the drastic changes that he would have to make occur) would not be easy and could leave him with a splotchy legacy. But, I would rather he get in there and give it a shot. I respect his wife, I respect how far he has come and his obvious intellect. And while Hillary complains about his speeches, I could listen to them over and over.
One example is this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0L2GEBhd2w
Another interesting take is provided by Andrew Sullivan who is a democratic political blogger:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/03/the-clinton-rul.html. He posts frequently so go to the one from today entitled the Clinton Rules.
Now, I realize everyone is entitled to their opinion, but mine right now is full-force ahead for Obama. I am inspired...
BTW, we are definitely a house divided with the hubster being a McCain supporter.
Shenzy knows him by name and comes running whenever she hears him speaking...my little protege.
CC
Thursday, March 06, 2008
A Sad Tail X 2
Yes, I know that I spelled tail wrong, it was on purpose.
My first sad news is that our dearest Monte had to go find another family. She had an aggressive streak that was getting worse instead of better. She would growl occasionally when an adult would just calmly pick her up, staring right at you. Kind of eery. Also, her play had become rather aggressive with the kids and they were getting scared of her. We tried to redirect and correct these behaviors, but knew that it was going to be an uphill battle. I think her breeding was just such that she was not going to be the best family dog. I did not want the kids to become scared of dogs, so she is no longer in our family. She could be the sweetest thing, but that was becoming less and the aggressive more (and yes, this was beyond normal puppy play or aggression). We fondly wish her the best, on a farm in the country... We have since become the proud pet parents to 3 Betta fish, one for each child - no aggression so far;)...
My second is that one of my big fears came true, Doodle had a seizure at school on Tuesday, in the cafeteria, with all the other 1st graders during lunchtime. She has grand mal seizures and typically lets out a rather loud and animalistic noise when this happens and she did that again, which seems to be what scared everyone. She had an aura and had raised her hand to tell one of the lunch monitors that she did not feel well, but the lady did not reach her in time before she fell off her seat and cracked her head very hard on the floor while seizing. It is hard for me to even write that, it makes my heart ache for her and want to prevent this from ever happening again. She did not vomit afterward, which is fortunate, and the only positive. This is the first seizure that we are aware of that I have not been there to hold her through. It has been a big struggle for me to cope with, the fact that I simply cannot be there with her all the time, and that all I can do is prepare her to deal with this with grace and humor if at all possible.
I worked from home yesterday and went to the school for some classroom games and the first group of kids I had (4 of them) for a riveting game of Word-O, a little boy asked me if I was Doodle's mom. When I said, yes, he said that it was really scary yesterday at lunch when she screamed and had the seizure. I reassured him that I was sure it was scary and to let him know that it was scary for Doodle as well and then further asked if they had any questions (their teacher had talked to the whole class after it happened - Doodle had left school), they didn't. I asked them what they should do if they are in a different classroom without their normal teacher and she should have a seizure, they all said, go get an adult. I then also asked them that someone should stay with her too to keep her from being scared. They all said, yes they would. I think my visit was a good one and I am glad that I went in, it seemed to help her as well.
The nurse, who knew she had epilepsy, sent a note to all the teachers via email and explained how her seizures looked and what they should do specifically. I was relieved that she did this.
I get really bummed and then try to regain perspective. This could be so much worse. She could still be in an orphanage in Cambodia where she would have no access to medical care and she would likely be mistreated for being "crazy" and "possessed". I can't fathom she would be nurtured and loved much. I cringe at the thought.
All in all, I am still thankful that life is this good...
CC
My first sad news is that our dearest Monte had to go find another family. She had an aggressive streak that was getting worse instead of better. She would growl occasionally when an adult would just calmly pick her up, staring right at you. Kind of eery. Also, her play had become rather aggressive with the kids and they were getting scared of her. We tried to redirect and correct these behaviors, but knew that it was going to be an uphill battle. I think her breeding was just such that she was not going to be the best family dog. I did not want the kids to become scared of dogs, so she is no longer in our family. She could be the sweetest thing, but that was becoming less and the aggressive more (and yes, this was beyond normal puppy play or aggression). We fondly wish her the best, on a farm in the country... We have since become the proud pet parents to 3 Betta fish, one for each child - no aggression so far;)...
My second is that one of my big fears came true, Doodle had a seizure at school on Tuesday, in the cafeteria, with all the other 1st graders during lunchtime. She has grand mal seizures and typically lets out a rather loud and animalistic noise when this happens and she did that again, which seems to be what scared everyone. She had an aura and had raised her hand to tell one of the lunch monitors that she did not feel well, but the lady did not reach her in time before she fell off her seat and cracked her head very hard on the floor while seizing. It is hard for me to even write that, it makes my heart ache for her and want to prevent this from ever happening again. She did not vomit afterward, which is fortunate, and the only positive. This is the first seizure that we are aware of that I have not been there to hold her through. It has been a big struggle for me to cope with, the fact that I simply cannot be there with her all the time, and that all I can do is prepare her to deal with this with grace and humor if at all possible.
I worked from home yesterday and went to the school for some classroom games and the first group of kids I had (4 of them) for a riveting game of Word-O, a little boy asked me if I was Doodle's mom. When I said, yes, he said that it was really scary yesterday at lunch when she screamed and had the seizure. I reassured him that I was sure it was scary and to let him know that it was scary for Doodle as well and then further asked if they had any questions (their teacher had talked to the whole class after it happened - Doodle had left school), they didn't. I asked them what they should do if they are in a different classroom without their normal teacher and she should have a seizure, they all said, go get an adult. I then also asked them that someone should stay with her too to keep her from being scared. They all said, yes they would. I think my visit was a good one and I am glad that I went in, it seemed to help her as well.
The nurse, who knew she had epilepsy, sent a note to all the teachers via email and explained how her seizures looked and what they should do specifically. I was relieved that she did this.
I get really bummed and then try to regain perspective. This could be so much worse. She could still be in an orphanage in Cambodia where she would have no access to medical care and she would likely be mistreated for being "crazy" and "possessed". I can't fathom she would be nurtured and loved much. I cringe at the thought.
All in all, I am still thankful that life is this good...
CC
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