FUN!

OK, am I the only one who finds AFTER Christmas almost more fun than before? I'm loving watching the kids enjoy their gifts. I'm loving finding accessories to go with what they got (I "pad" the Xmas budget to allow for this). I'm relaxed. I don't care about the house being a little (OK, so it's more like a lot) messy throughout the day. Monday, we'll find permanent homes for the new stuff, until then, it gets organized and moved out of the way each late afternoon.

We're all having fun watching each other have fun and I love it. Some of the kids are still working their way through the new stuff. It's an extended Christmas and...to top it off...MY Christmas comes in January. Chris and I usually wait til January to exchange for budgetary reasons. This year, he got his gift early cause it was an Ebay only item and it became available just before the holiday. But...I am still waiting. So, I have that anticipation going on and I'll admit it...I'm a big kid!

So, the 12 Days of Christmas are in full operation 'round here! I'm loving it. Every minute of it.

I love December!

I adore Christmas. I love both the religious and spiritual meaning of the day and I even love a lot of the commercialism that comes tied to it, too. But, I think that I love the whole month of December (though I would love it more without the freezing temps and the snow).

I love having my little boy's birthday this month. I love picking out gifts for kids whose parents' can't afford to get them their hearts' desire. I love scrimping to send money to my beloved priest in India who cares for a leper colony and a huge orphanage full of beautiful children. I love finding gifts for my babies that will make them squeal on Christmas morning.

But, I think more than all of these things, I love that almost everyone is happy and smiling and more relaxed this month. Sure, we're all freaked out about money and family and finding that perfect gift, but we're all in it together. There's something so bonding about the fact that the stranger next to you in line at Kohls is in pretty much the same place that you are. We can all smile at each other and wink even in the longest of lines cause we're all doing the same thing. Finding something to make someone we love happy on Christmas morning.

This all came to my mind on this St Nicholas Day evening. I am a firm believer in Santa. He's a real person and I think that, from Heaven, he inspires these feelings of good cheer and charity. Today is his day and I want to thank him for all of his prayers. Without them, I really have my doubts as to what Christmas would be in our world today.

So, Happy Feast Day, St. Nicholas! Thank you for everything!!!

Thanksgiving confession...(food related)

I love turkey. I mean that. I can and do eat is several times a week. So, Thanksgiving isn't particularly special because of the turkey. It's totally the homemade with cream and butter mashed potatoes.

Honestly, my true dream Thanksgiving meal is a giant plate of mashed potatoes with a little bit of turkey and gravy and a big salad. YUM! All this "extra" stuff like yummy, rich veggie dishes, pies, delish breads, etc. Yeah, you can keep it. Just pass me those taters!

OK, I feel cleansed now. I can go back to baking my FOUR loaves of (admittedly yummy) cranberry bread in good conscience.

Stolen from Janet...

Things I've done are bolded.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Open letter to my Democrat friends....

You know who you are. I am inviting you, any and all, to email me and share with me your vision for America's future. I don't want to debate or argue or anything like that. It's just that, when I hear what your party wants to do, I can't wrap my brain around that being what any American would want. That sounds like an accusation. I don't mean it that way, I mean it in the way that-- I must be misunderstanding something. I have zero doubt that all of you love our country just as much as I do and want what's best for everyone in it.

I think, and tell me if I'm wrong, that maybe the general vision is something along the lines of what they have in Sweden. So, when you guys read about Sweden and how their government works and how the social classes are fairly even and nobody (well, probaby not nobody, but nowhere near as many as here) is desperately poor or hungry or without healthcare. Is that what you're seeing for America?

I really appreciate any of you weighing in here. I'm really just trying to understand. Pretty sure you won't change my mind, but that's fine. Thanks, you guys!

KNOWING your mechanic

Killian's best friend's dad is a mechanic by training and trade. He's only 34, but his body is just wrecked from all those years of working on cars, so he made a career switch. Unfortunately, he was laid off and had to go back to mechanic work...which he really seems to enjoy, but it's painful for him physically.

So...our power steering has been leaking for ages. We knew that eventually it would need to be fixed, but were just making do with checking it every other day and refilling. Well, the whole thing just "blew" on Sunday. We called Erick, who was already willing to fix it for us and he just was able to come out today.

He not only fixed the problem we knew about, but one we didn't. Notified me of a problem with our new tire so that we didn't get screwed out of our warranty, told me which shop in town is actually honest (ONLY ONE!!!) and told me things to watch out for when I go to get the car serviced and things to look for and ask when buying a new car. He's a GREAT guy. It feels AWESOME to KNOW that my vehicle has been fixed properly, I wasn't screwed and I have a wonderful resource for any questions that might come up in the future, even if Erick doesn't want to work on cars once he find another non-mechanic job.

It's depressing to know that the entire car repair industry is frought with crooks and is set up to encourage short-cutting in favor of honest, complete repairs. I had no idea that many/most after-market parts are crap. Erick won't even use a lot of them because they're of such poor quality. Erick told me that a big part of why he gave up his chosen career was that he had such a difficult time finding an employer that wasn't screwing either him or his customers. That's BAD.

So, I guess I'm saying that, if you have a kid who is mechanically inclined and you've raised him or her right, car repair wouldn't be a bad idea. There is a huge shortage of truly good mechanics out there!!

Reunions...

I got my first piece of 20 year reunion info yesterday. I haven't been interested in attending any of my other reunions, but I actually went upstairs to tell Christopher that I'd really like to go. His response was funny, in a peculiar way, not so much ha-ha funny. He said, "Really? You knew that many people?"

I forget that even though we grew up in the same town, we went to different high schools and his experience was so much different than mine. I knew TONS of people. I wasn't a "popular kid" but I was one of those people who had friends from almost every "group." I would love to go see how everyone turned out- LOL! I know Wendy wouldn't DREAM of going, but I could visit her while I was there and all the other friends and loved ones that have been "left behind."

I'm surprised that I really do want to go. I didn't think I would.

So...I come out of my bedroom last night and....

who is sitting in my school/computer/play room?? MY DAD! WTF!? He forgot my birthday and Killian's. He emailed me a week later apologizing for forgetting and saying he'd recognize Killian's in some way (oh, gee, thanks!). So, two weeks after the fact he shows up unannounced at my house while my in-laws are here.

Now, even though I have no intention of maintaining a father-daughter relationship with him, I would probably have let him in if I'd answered the door. I don't want to cause scene in front of the in-laws nor the children, but it would have been nice if my husband had warned me that my dad was here!

I love my dad. I really do. I hate his behavior. I was forced to deal with it most of my life and hide it and defend it and placate him. I WILL NOT continue to do that. I just have to figure out the most loving, but still honest, way to handle this stuff. I'd love to be able to sit down and talk to him and come to some resolution. Unfortunately, that's just not possible. I don't trust him with my kids...especially my girls (absolutely NOTHING sexual implied here) because he has such a volatile temper and seems much more likely to lash out at girls than boys...at least that's been my experience.

I was verbally and emotionally abused by my grandfather (dad's dad) and I refuse to subject my kids to that. I must be there...or Chris must be there...at all times. That makes for some very awkward gatherings. This sucks.

Plugging right along...

So, the in law visit is going well. It usually does. It's just the build up to them getting here that has me stressing out every.single.time. Thing is-- I'm EXHAUSTED. I have no clue why, but I could seriously sleep for an entire day if anyone would let me.

Sundays have turned into crazy days for me. I usually have kid laundry to do and planners to prepare (a 2 hour job...minimum) and Mass and dinner and I try to make sure I do something fun with the kids on Sundays, too. Sundays are supposed to be about rest, but somehow I'm just not feeling it.

Chris officially starts at Medtronic tomorrow. Whew! I think we'll make it through the next 8 hours without major injury or illness. We have weathered the 6 day lapse in insurance. What I want to know is where is Chris' final check? I mean, they screw us over by dropping us as of the 30th and no pay for those few days or all the vacation pay we're owed. Nice! Jerks!

Back to the school grind tomorrow. I think the homeschooling is what is wearing me out. I just feel like I'm running ALL the time, not in the same way as before with all the driving, but just as "bad." Someone needs me every second of the day. It's like having 4 newborns in some ways- LOL! Melanee & Chris plus 4 :-p.

Dontcha just hate it when...

You are in the MIDDLE of half a dozen projects that need to get done, but you can't finish them til someone else comes through or something else arrives? That's where I am. I have kaboodles of orders to fill, but the second wave of product won't arrive til Tuesday or so. I have an entire desk and computer to organize, but my husband needs to assemble the desk first. I have to get a bunch of house cleaning done, but the guests don't arrive til Wednesday night and if I clean bathrooms and floors and stuff now, they'll need cleaning again by then. Grrrr....

I feel totally buried and without a shovel. Well, I guess I can get the kids' planners done this afternoon since I'll probably need to work on the desk tonight. That's good. Planners are a pain to prepare, but a Godsend for the week ahead.

Off to half finish something else...I'm sure of it!

TJ Maxx...what a load of expensive crap...

WHY do people shop at this place? I wandered into, what I thought was their home store and it had bed, bath, bedding, kitchen, etc, but also clothes. The clothes are mostly hideous and all overpriced....way overpriced. I thought that I might be able to find the color combo I'm looking for in our new bedding. I wasn't able to, but their bedding was pricier than what I find at Kohls or Penneys and it was 90% hideous. The place was PACKED with people. I just don't get it. If I want to spend $48 on a skirt, I'll go and get it at Penneys or Kohls or The Limited or any number of other stores with current styles.

Do people just not shop around much? It's a total head-scratcher for me.

Great...just great...

My MRI shows nothing but inflammation. I KNEW that would happen. I just knew it. Now what? I know the doc doesn't have any ideas or he would have tried them already. What am I supposed to do now? I'm so frustrated. I can't do ANYTHING with my left arm, but there's nothing wrong with it?

UGH! So, so frustrated.

Vampires and Werewolves...oh my...

I'm still laughing at myself for being so addicted to these books. I can't help it...they are so, so good. I think Edward may possibly be my most favorite fictional character since Mr Rochester. That's saying something.

I can't really talk about anything since I know some of you are planning to dive into Twilight. Suffice it to say that I just finished New Moon (the book that everyone says is the least good of them all) and LOVED it. So, when I start on Eclipse later today I have a feeling I will be useless for the duration of the day. LOL!

...and no, I haven't forgotten that today is the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. All those who died and all those families effected have been in my prayers all morning. I am also remembering, in a special way, all those servicemen and women who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families. Thank you to every single of one of you. My gratitude is beyond words.

Separate semi-political post

It's a SAYING people! Good grief! At least three well-known politicians have used in in the last 4 years in very public venues. Nobody called anybody a "pig." I mean, really, how dumb do you think we are???

Musings on my first visit to Ren Fest

Well, we finally ventured out to the Renaissance Festival today. It was expensive, crowded and not overly large family friendly. I'm glad we went. I think it was a cool new thing for the kids to see and experience. I'm not sure we'll go again for a long time, but it was kinda fun.

A couple of things struck me. There are an awful lot of grown ups who like to play dress-up. Many of these grown ups, especially the ladies, feel that dress up requires you to have 5/8 of each of your boobs popping out the top of your dress/bodice. Many, many more of these grown up ladies enjoy wearing jingly gypsy scarf belts. Admittedly, they are very cool. I couldn't help but wonder, however, if these ladies have ever happened upon a mirror and and used it. If you are blessed with a rather wide bottom, it's probably not the most attractive look to adorn said bottom with horizontal stripes of silver or gold festooned with jingling discs. That is all.

Three days down...

Well, we've completed three days of homeschooling. It's been awesome for Killian, hellish for Zélie and exciting and fun for Carina. Pretty much what I expected. Zay and I have ironed out a few things and today went much, much better. I'm so relieved.

Also discovered today that poor Killian has done WAY more work in science than he really needed to do. I didn't catch a crucial part of the lesson plan...namely the assigned questions, so he's just been doing all the section review questions. I felt like an idiot today when he came down to check an answer with me and I discovered that he didn't even need to answer it! DOH!

So, not a flawless first week, but not too bad either. Tomorrow...oops...I guess it's today now will be much less hectic as we have no appointments or errands or anything. We can just get the few things left on our agenda done and then I can catch up on my work and we can all tidy up the house. Should be good.

Shhh...don't tell, but I still hate homeschooling.

Even though this weekend will suck...

I think the kids and I did a pretty good job of filling our last week of summer vacation with fun stuff! I felt like I won a Mommy Gold Medal yesterday night. The kids said that they'd had a really great week, so that made all the hard work and boring hours (for me) well worth it!

We hit the Fun Zone finally. The Fun Zone is a skating rink/arcade/indoor play area. I even allowed two friends to join us. Aren't I cool? LOL!

We also did baking and supervised arts and crafts and playing in the hose (rare treat!) We ended our week with Barbie Island Princess (hadn't seen it yet) and Nim's Island. Whew!

I think, as far as I can tell, that I'm probably totally ready for school on Tuesday. The planners are filled in, the books are all here, Dominic's workbooks (so he can "do school" with us) are purchased, grabbed a mini MagnaDoodle for writing practice, have oodles of paper and notebooks, and folders and writing utensils. I think we're good. I'm feeling more confident now that I have everything in place and activities lined up.

Oh, and the new people moved in across the street and it looks like they have kids. YAY! Maybe they'll be normal??

Well, off to get dressed in grubbies and wait for Chris' call that the truck is at Mom's and I can head over to start loading it. I'm kinda worried that my arm might fall off, but I guess I'll just cross that bridge when I come to it as Sister Mary Frances used to always say in 7th grade. Gosh, I loved Sister Mary Frances. She totally rocked! Happy Labor Day weekend all!

Sign-up and spruce ups...

I'm so thrilled. I got Killian all signed up for an 8 week course in beginning guitar! He starts on September 10 and he's very excited! Under $100 to boot! The girls are signed up for homeschool gymnastics lessons at the local gym that I adore! They have the most awesome coachs!

All this and pretty hair, too! Got my hair highlighted and cut this afternoon. WOW! I feel so much better! I have lots and lots of long layers and when they grow out it's just ugly. I'm all light and bouncy again.

As for Mr Dominic, for those of you wondering, I'm waiting to see how he does with the big kids doing school. I'm not sure whether I'll sign him up for something or just make it a habit to take him to the preschool open gym in town or if the Y and swimming lessons will keep him happy/busy enough. Oh, I forgot, he and Carina will both be doing swimming lessons in the fall, too.

I feel like plans are falling into place and I feel as ready I can to start school and get that craziness underway. I will confess, I'm really kinda sick of other people's kids at the moment, so having them start back to school is a positive at the moment, too :-p!

The kids and I are moving...

No, we're not getting a new house or leaving our state. We're switching parishes...again. This is such a hard decision for me. The kids are both on board, in a half-hearted way, same way I feel. I've spent the last 15 years driving 30 minutes to the best, most orthodox with out being uber-traditional parish I could find. It's been 3 different parishes, but they've each been quite a hike.

Well, that hike has really interfered with our being able to take part in other parts of parish life. Volunteering for events involved 40 miles of driving and an extra hour for travel. Having the kids attend events that only last a couple of hours mandated finding *something* to do with the younger kids because coming home wasn't an option. It just got to be a major pain in the butt and it really shouldn't be.

So, on September 9 we will officially register with the parish here in Rosemount. I do not like the pastor of this parish, I do not like a few of the liturgical "problems" there and I like the disobedience on Communion distribution least of all, but I'm sure the people at the parish are just great...and LOCAL. We have a new archbishop, so I'm hoping he will take care of some of the "irregularities" that irk me so. If that happens, we're all good. So, though I won't be voting for him, I'll jump on the hope bandwagon with Obama *LOL*.

Wish us luck! I know it probably seems silly to some, but this is a really big deal for the kids and me!!

Baby brother???

Well, today is my baby brother's going away party. He leaves for college (Dallas) on Tuesday. It's all so weird. Just 2 months into MY freshman year of college, he was born and now he's about to embarque on his own college experience (which I pray will be infinitely better than mine).

I'm freaking out about him driving all that way by himself, but I know that he'll be safe once he gets there. Truly, he is attending the college of MY dreams. I really think he's going to love it and grow so much as a person. Next year he gets to spend a semester in Greece and Rome! How cool is that?

So, it's official. All of my brothers have grown up. It's crazy! I watched The Savages last night and found the sibling relationship so real and touching. Reminded me of how much I love my brothers and how absolutely unique that relationship is in life. It's a treasure for sure.

So, wish my brother, Thomas, good luck! He's off to the "real world" (tongue firmly in cheek here). He's an awesome young man :o).

On a happier note-- a rare Mommy Brag

I am SO very proud of Carina Claire. All this summer she's been the most amazing big sister to Dominic. She happily lets him tag along with her to her little girlfriends' houses (outside only-- I don't assume parents are up for babysitting my 3 year old) and plays beautifully with him. She is so awesome about waiting for him and including him and not letting him (usually) be pushed around by the bigger girls.

He worships the ground she walks on! Today, she went to an impromptu "party" two houses down and Dominic wasn't invited. He came up to me about an hour later and sighed, "I miss Carina, Mama." So sweet!

Don't get me wrong. They can annoy and pester and even bully each other to the point of insanity, but I'm so proud of her for how loving she's been with him this entire summer! Just wanted to brag for a minute...

My poor little girl...

Back at the beginning of July a neighbor/friend and the mom of Zay's best friend here in the neighborhood had, what I will politely refer to as, a mental health crisis. This crisis in combination with some other things changed our friendship. I wasn't angry, just couldn't have the same level of involvement with her for both her sake and my own.

I emailed briefly with her husband (also a friend of Chris' and mine) and expressed my hope that her anger with me wouldn't effect the girls' friendship. Things had been going OK over the last three weeks, til today.

The neighbor was screaming out the window how her daughter could never play here again and never play with Zelie again. None of us have any idea what happened to cause this shift, but Zay's very sad and confused and upset. I don't blame her, but there's nothing I can do to fix this. I'm just so sad and upset for her. Please keep her in your thoughts :o(.

Stomach flu...ugh!

Zay and I had the worst stomach bug that has passed through this house in YEARS! It was one of those throw up every 20 minutes, no break from the nausea for 8 hours type things. BAD! We were both totally out of it all day today, too! So glad it's over. Now, just praying that nobody else comes down with it.

Now I've got all the stuff I was planning to do over the weekend to tack on to my weekly plans. I'll be shipping and stocking my butt off tomorrow. I hate falling behind on Queen stuff. Luckily, the goal was to get everything shipped tomorrow, so I will still be able to do that. It'll be messy since I haven't had a chance to stock my new product, but I'll get it done.

I feel like I lost an entire weekend...cause I kinda did :o(.

Omnivore's Hundred

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.


The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (I'm guessing alligator counts)
6. Black pudding- disgusting, by the way
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi- ewww! curry!
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras- have some from France in my pantry now
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea- not my cup of tea
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal- again with the curry???
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin- NASTY
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV- allergic
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst- I suspect this contains curry
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings- YUCK!, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
100. Snake

Poll-- to see just how weird I am...

OK, so I'm sitting here reading The Bloggess at 1am (who happens to be guest posting on Her Bad Mother today) and I skim through the comments. Got me thinking.

If you see a trash bag or a large grocery sack in the road do you make every effort to NOT run over it because you fear there might be a baby or puppies or kittens in it?

Now, I realize that if I REALLY thought there might be a baby or puppies or kittens in the bag, I should probably pull over and check, but I guess I'm just not that much of a nutjob. Or maybe that makes me more of a nutjob??? Please tell me that other people have this...errr...fear?

Streeettttchhhhh.....

Physical therapy. It's a wonderful thing! I had my first appointment for my frozen shoulder/shoulder impingment syndrome. I was scared! My shoulder has already started hurting and keeping me awake at night again, even after the cortisone injections. Well, it was wonderful! I got ultrasound, massage and manual stretching. If the therapist holds the ball of my shoulder back and then moves my arm, it doesn't even hurt! Do you know how exciting that is??

So, I have 4 or 5 stretches to work on at home and will go back Thurs or Fri for more stretching. She doesn't think it's a rotator cuff injury because I still have quite a bit of strength, so that's awesome news! Hopefully, in a month, I'll be able to resume P90X!!

I'm so relieved!

OMGosh!! Did you SEE that men's 4x100????

Did you SEE that!!! Holy buckets was that awesome or what! *hanging head* I admit it. I'm a swimming junkie. I was the high school swim team stat keeper, so I'm ALL about the relays and the splits. THAT WAS AMAZING!!! Dang it-- I love the Olympics!

...the answer, my friends, is blowing in the wind

FANS! We have FANS!! I've been hunting for fans for weeks now. We had one break and figured out that, now that we're in the basement, we need more anyway. Of course, August in Minnesota means fall and winter gear and apparel, so I've been having trouble finding your basic box fan.

On a whim, I swung through the fan section at Target while there to purchase an innertube for Carina's bike and *angel choirs singing* FANS! I bought three handy dandy box fans...complete with the extra bonus of stating that each one costs less than 2 cents an hour to run. Christopher refused to believe me when I told him over and over that running 6 box fans STILL doesn't come close to the cost of running the a/c. I now have proof that to run six box fans 24/7 costs about $2.50/day! Our a/c costs about $10/day. YAY! I hate running the a/c except in the most dire of circumstances. I can't hear the kids outside with all the windows shut and I get all heebie jeebie without fresh air...feels too much like winter and you all know how I feel about MN winters!

So, we now have a nicely ventilated house and all my windows are open! I'm so very happy!

Just peachy

How much more midwest mom can I get? No offense to any other midwest moms :o). I made two peach pies this morning. They're in the oven. This is extremely weird for me since I love to cook, but hate to bake. But, a neighbor (who I've been doing a lot of last minute babysitting for) asked me if I needed anything from the store. I kept telling her that I was fine, thanks for asking, blah blah. It was quite clear that she REALLY wanted to get me something, so when she asked if I liked peaches, I said, sure. You can get me some peaches. FTR, I hate peaches, but Chris loves them and today is his birthday, so I thought-- hey, why not?

She brought in a huge produce crate of peaches!!! WTH?? ROFL! Very sweet of her, but what am I gonna do with 50 peaches? So, I made a pie for Chris' birthday (instead of cake) and I made one for her, too. I think I only have about 20 peaches left now. Good grief!

I hope the pies are good. Like I said, I'm SO not a baker!!

Things are shaping up...

'round here. I still have some stuff to get to in my room, but I'll be honest and say that I'm just so over the sorting and figuring that I'm giving myself today off. I fear that I will just chuck stuff cause I'm burned out on the whole thought process.

You know there's something up when I'm excited about returning to my normal housecleaning routine. Tomorrow we resume our regularly scheduled programming ;o).

We did get rid of the hideous, ripped up, hand me down, faux black leather loveseat!!! HOORAY! We now have two super comfie, clean, moveable Poang chairs from Ikea with one ottoman to match. It's working great and the room seems more open and larger. I'm loving that. I may have to run back to Ikea next week for a single row Expedit to hang on the girls' wall. We'll see if the shelves I picked up do the trick or if we need a little something else for storage. I also found an adorable small scale armchair for the little reading corner I want to put in our new room. It's only $150, so totally affordable and would fit perfect in the corner. So, maybe that'll be my birthday present.

It's been a very productive week! I'll be glad to have some more free time this week though. It *is* summer!

I can move my arm!!!

Cause for celebration! A parade even!! I got my cortisone shots in my shoulder yesterday and was in agony from about 6 til I finally fell asleep. I woke up this morning and it's definitely still twingy, but I can move it. It's better!

Last round of shots the day after was bad. I'm so relieved that's it's working faster this time and I'll be able help my mom pack and get our house moved around. I love Christopher and we make a good team when he decides to get on board, but no one would ever call him decisive or quick. I think being able to lift and move things today and tomorrow with ease any frustration I would have had to struggle with (my own!)

OK, off to shower and get ready for that parade! We really do have one today :o).

Moving...without getting a new house...

So, we've decided to move our bedroom downstairs to what is now our office/computer room. The girls will move to the master, Dominic will move to the what is now the girls' room and Killian will stay in his own room. I think this is going to make my house much more efficient and organized and give the kids much needed space, but...

I have to sort through ALL our storage in order to find a place for everything currently being stored in the office/computer room. I am resorting toys, baby clothes, cloth diapers, dress up clothes, books. It's NUTS! I know it's going to be fabulous to have it done and it'll make moving (eventually) so much easier and faster, but in the meantime it's way hard.

You see, I have an itty bitty house and when I drag stuff out to sort, there's really no room to move and there's no moving van to put the sorted stuff on while I finish the rest. So, our basement is very truly an obstacle course.

The plan is to have us downstairs this weekend, then I can work on the kids' rooms over next week. Once everyone's where they belong again, I can prepare for school. I'm trying to just take it easy and stay calm about it all, but my summer has been non-existent and I'm really trying to get some rest and relaxation in before I have to start homeschooling.

It's going to be August soon! WTH happened to my summer??

Oh, what a difference...

My shorts are loose, my tank top is fitted and looks cute. I feel like a new woman! Whew! This will really help me with my energy level as we rearrange the house this week/weekend! Amazing what 2 days can do :o).

Somersizing....

OK, so I've taken the plunge back into Somersizing. It's been 6 years since my first, very successful, foray into low carb eating, so I think I'm ready to commit again. Thing is, the first time around I lost 30lbs pretty quickly, then promptly got pregnant, thanks to Jen. Wait...that didn't come out right. Thanks to Jen's John...ok, no better. Thanks to the baby lust inspired by Jen's John. There. Better.

I ate according to plan yesterday and I've started off my morning right. I weighed SS against what I know of Atkins and decided that, since I'm familiar with SS and it works for me AND I can have whole grains/fiber on SS that I'd go with it. I need to have the carbs/fiber. I refuse to live on Miralax and I refuse to go a week to ten days between...ahem. So, wish me luck!

I felt GREAT last night and woke up this morning feeling hungover. Weirdest thing. I feel better now after coffee and clementines and bulgar with lemon and salt. Since I have less than 30 to drop this time...well, 30 wouldn't be BAD, but I don't "need" to lose 30. I'm hoping that by fall I'll be able to get me some cute clothes again :o). Hey, if I have to homeschool, at least I can look cute doing it, right?

WARNING: Catholic rant...

For those of you non-Catholics that are still reading :-p, it's important to know, for purposes of this rant, that the normative (read: usual) way to receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church is on the tongue. In the US, and some other Western countries, Rome has given a dispensation so that we are perfectly allowed to receive Communion in the hand. In fact, militant Catholic that I am, I receive in the hand.

Zélie decided before her First Holy Communion that she preferred to receive on the tongue. Our parish is very traditional and I would say that most people there receive on the tongue, so this was no big deal at all. Well, we've been going to some more local parishes this summer in an effort to save gas (and time) and the Eucharistic Ministers at these parishes need a refresher in proper distribution of the Sacrament.

My poor girl has had the Host literally balanced on her folded hands!! How the heck is an eight year old supposed to consume the Host with it balancing on her hands? How does she even move without dropping Him on the floor? I am so SICK of this happening to her! She made a very reverent, thoughtful, prayerful decision about how she would receive Our Lord in Holy Communion and she's almost being forced to change her perfectly NORMAL and VALID preference.

I told her today, after her very deft handling of the amazing balancing Host, that we'll just make sure we get into the priest's line from now on. One would hope that a priest would not be averse to distributing Communion in the normative way! Grrrr...

My apologies to any of my non-Catholic friends for whom this post probably makes zero sense, but I had to get it off my chest!

Thoughts on sympathy cards from the vet....

They are a horrible idea. While I appreciate the motivation behind sending them and it's very sweet, they just make me cry every.single.time. We had to euthanize Nimbus last week. He was just ancient and wasn't able to get to his water bottle anymore or climb in his cage, etc. It was very hard. I had been taking care of him for a long time and there's big void in my days now where Nimbus used to be.

I was finally over the weepy stage and could walk into Killian's room without glancing over to the spot where Nimby's cage used to be. So, getting the very kind, personal note from our vet today just sent me back into the weepy stage. UGH! I think when/if we have to euthanize another pet, I'll specifically ask that we NOT receive a card. They just don't work for me.

An epiphany...

I think our family has well and truly reached the stage where fun outings are NOT super stressful and a ridiculous amount of work. We've done several big outings this summer and they were all really very painless and easy and, dare I say, FUN for ME!?

Dominic has about a 2 hour limit for good behavior. That's doable. That'll get us through the zoo (almost, but we have passes, so we don't need to do the WHOLE zoo everytime) and is my limit for time at the water park or lake or playground, etc. It's actually relaxing to take them places now!

We're not quite to the place where I can sit and read a book while they play...at least not around water, but I can sit and watch without having to be chasing after 3 different kids at one time. Two more years and I can be one of those moms relaxing on the grass or sand or in a chair reading a book or magazine or whatever while the kids play. I must be getting really old. I'll take it though. This is a perk I've been looking forward to for 13 years!!!

And so it begins...

I ordered the first of the school texts last night...well, really it was early this morning. I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately, mostly cause of my shoulder, but also I do believe that I'm reaching the breaking point of how much stress I can handle. Or, maybe this is just stretching exercises from God so that I can handle more later-- gosh, I hope not.

Anyway, I found almost all the really expensive stuff that I need for much, much cheaper. I was very relieved! I got the priciest of the teacher manuels and I got Killian's math book and the TM for that. Huge load off my mind. Everything else, I'm just going to order new from the homeschool that we're enrolled in, Kolbe.

I'm trying very hard to pump myself up for this adventure. My summer is flying by and I'm feeling more overworked than I did in the school year! I really need a couple of weeks to just BE. Maybe in August??

On today's agenda is a massive water balloon war. The kids have over 500!! Between the actual battle and the cleanup that should keep them pretty busy. Have to finally go get Carina's glasses today and order Killian's lens, too. So, not TOO busy a day, thankfully.

Happy sunshine and summertime!

Mom's coming home today...

My mom is coming home after lunch today. I got a detailed message from her physical therapist that was very reassuring. She was able to walk 70 feet yesterday and do 4 stairs and several other activities unassisted...with just walk beside help.

I'm a little nervous about the coming week, but feel MUCH better than I did yesterday. I was in a near panic since the last time anyone was with her she could hardly move on her own.

Please pray that her recovery is quick and her pain minimal. She really does have more than enough to deal with (and so do I). Any complication or protracted recovery (behind the expected 3 months) would be very trying.

A few things I learned on Water Park Tuesday...

Middle school girls can be full on preditors. I sat down in the zero depth pool for about 20 minutes and watched Dominic play. I happened to be next to a group of girls going into 7th grade. I like when this happens cause you really can learn a lot about teen/preteen culture by listening to unsupervised kids. HOLY CRAP! These girls were oggling several of the boys and calling the girls with them the "b" word and the "w" word. The oggling wasn't akin to what I did as a girl. No "Oh, he's so cute!" This was Sex in the City type commentary. I was shocked and very sad. But...good to know since I have a going into 7th grade boy.

Also, made a mental list of things my daughters will never have on their bodies as long as they're under my roof. These things include-- a string bikini with "Love Pink" written on the front of the bottoms and a string bikini with "Billabong" plastered across the ass. (Yes, I know that's the brand name.) Also, if your daughter has a little tummy, probably not in her best interest to buy her a belly baring swimsuit. Other girls are very mean. 'Nuff said.

So, the water park can be very educational. Who knew?

It's Surgery Wednesday....

No?? Too much? I thought so, but there was a theme and I ran with it. Today, my mom is having both knees replaced. She should be out of surgery at this point. She doesn't recover from anesthesia all that well, so I'm not sure how soon to expect my brother's call. He's on hospital duty for today.

Once we get her through this surgery and recovery, we can go about the business of getting her a life, since my dad has seen fit to steal hers (along with all her money). By the time she's up and around again, I'm hoping and praying that the court will have ordered my dad to pay her enough money to get out of the house and get her own place. Oh, that will be so fabulous!! I can taste that moment!

This morning is going amazingly well. I announced yesterday at bedtime, that there would be no playing outside and no friends over until the entire house was cleaned up. We have become the summer hangout for the entire neighborhood, which is great, but not conducive to a neat and tidy home. So, everyone has been pitching in for the last hour. My system of having them do the straightening (since they do the messing) and me do the cleaning (or most of it) is working really well for us. I feel like the house actually gets clean, but the kids have to be responsible for their part in the housework, too. Win-win!

I feel a little bit bad that I have to do some pretty major grocery shopping, so there will be no friends for most of the day since no one can come in or go out while I'm gone, but then I think my kids would prefer food...in the long run.

It's Water Park Tuesday!!!

What?? You've never heard of the holiday? *gasp* My children have been awaiting it with something akin to the anticipation normally reserved only for Christmas. You really need to get yourselves new calendars, people!

And...for those of you with actual real calendars...yes, I know I'm fudging on Carina's 2 week ban from the pool. I'm fudging it by less than 24 hours. Call it an executive decision.

We will leave after lunch. I would like you all to appreciate (since my kids don't/can't) that I'm NOT particularly looking forward to wearing a bathing suit. It was so great last year! I wasn't even self conscious. But, I've been doing really well over the past week as far as getting my butt back in gear, so maybe it won't be too terribly frightening...for anyone.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Score one for the mama!

Today we had a surprise follow up with Zay's endocrinologist. I had assumed, from her blood sugars during her 4 hour GTT, that everything was normal and we needed to pursue other avenues in our quest to rid her of her headaches. Surprise, surprise!

It turns out that, although she doesn't qualify for the dx of hypoglycemic from a numbers POV, her body thinks otherwise. Her lowest blood sugar reading during the test was 59, which is really not all that low...certainly not low enough for a hypoglycemia diagnosis. What was interesting is that her body compenstated for that number in a big way...the exact same big way that it would if it had been a "true" low blood sugar. When the body compensates for low blood sugar, it's an emergency response and so it's like a burst of adrenaline and all sorts of other hormones raging through you. THIS is triggering her headaches!

So, we just need to treat her as if she were a "true" hypoglycemic and she'll be fine. So, I never caught the lows when we were doing blood sugar checks because by the time the headache hits, her body's already bringing that sugar up again! So, the doctor congratulated me. She admitted that, if I hadn't thought of it and brought it up and pushed her on the weird readings and symptoms we got, she would never have believed it was endocrine related! Yay MOM!!

So, the doctor told my Princess Z that she was a real life "Princess and the Pea." She thought that was really cool...after I told her the story of the Princess and the Pea- LOL!

Training...

Today's big event is my caretaker training. My mom is having both her knees replaced next week, so we have a class to attend telling us what to expect, etc. My brother, SIL and I will all be attending. It's a two hour class! That's a bit scary, no?

Allergies are still raging. Man, oh man. I could certainly do without this. I think they've also caused my carotidynia to flare (think migraine in your neck/throat). I'm doing just peachy...but the sun is out and it's over 70 during the day. I'll take it.

Also, for the first time ever...my mortgage payment is late! I completely forgot to write a check to myself and get the money into the right account, so I have to walk it into the bank today (it was too late yesterday when I realized what had happened). I hate when I do seriously stupid crap like that!

I'm getting excited about driving my brother to TX at the end of August. Texas was my initial destination when I decided I had to get out of MN. I went to Seattle and adore it, but the more I think about the cost of living there, the more I think Texas might be the better option. I suppose it will depend on Medtronic and Chris' job, too. At the least, I'll get to see a new part of Texas and the kids will get to go to Sea World!

Alright, off to get ready for Training Day....

Successful surgery...crabby little girl

Well, Miss Bean is officially hardware free. She got to keep her plate and screws and was very excited about that (weird kid!). It's shocking to see what was in her little leg for 18 months! Surgery was fine, but they didn't give her enough anti nausea meds before she woke up, so poor little miss spent four hours puking her guts out...and once more for good measure all over mommy right before bed. ICK!

She's doing remarkably well and walking and playing and she's only on Tylenol. I stopped the codeine yesterday morning cause it was upsetting her tummy and we had enough of that on Wednesday.

In what is, to her, much bigger news-- she has her first *very* loose tooth! Holy smacks-- she's not even in kinder yet! Waaaahhhh!!! She's SO, SO excited about it. It's pretty adorable.

I think I'm recovered from my lack of sleep, but I'm either sick or having a really bad time with allergies...really bad. I woke up last night from a dream that I was drowning and a whole group of friends and family were just watching...I couldn't breathe when I woke up either. I was having a pretty bad asthma attack. That's happened a few times before and always scares me a little bit. But, I'm still here...for now :op.

Oh and I'm much more cheerful because the sun is actually shining for the second day in a row this summer! It's beautiful outside!!!

Day 3 of summer vacation...

It's so nice to have the kids home. We're really working on teamwork. Yesterday all of us worked on getting the upstairs (not the bedrooms)picked up, vacuumed, and clean. It worked really well with very little fuss and wailing and gnashing of teeth.

My plan is to get everyone working together so that we can keep the house nice and relatively tidy and get school done and mommy won't have to lose her mind. I think the kids are finally old enough for this to work. Hey, I'm not expecting a house out of BH&G, just decently neat.

Tomorrow is Carina's big hardware removal surgery. I'm not so looking forward to that, but it will mark the end of her Perthes treatment, so that part is good. Poor peanut. I think she's like me and is way nervous under the surface. She woke up with nightmares all last night, so I feel like a zombie and I'm expecting some serious crabbiness later in the day.

Hope everyone is either enjoying or gearing up for summer vacation :o).

You know you've been blessed...

with a wonderful teacher for your child when your child absolutely dissolves into shaking sobs the night before the last day of school because she's afraid she'll never see her teacher again. I'm still tearing up over how upset my little Zélie is over Ms Schmid leaving Holy Trinity. And now she's upset that she's leaving, too because what if Ms. Schmid comes back to visit Holy Trinity and Zay's not there to see her?

I know that the sorrow will fade, but I also know that she really does love Ms. Schmid and will miss her for a long, long time. So, I'm thanking God tonight for the gift of Ms. Schmid. I'm a little nervous about tomorrow afternoon...

Wisdom...

A very favorite quote of mine is from Maya Angelou (I think). I heard it on Oprah years and years ago and it rang so true then and has only become more and more useful to me through the years.

"When people show you who they are believe them...the first time."

When you see the heart of someone through their behavior, their actions, it is easy to know who they are. Sure good people sometimes do bad or hurtful things, but these things are out of character, usually regretted and so, easily forgiven. Bad, deceitful, spiteful people sometimes do good things and they are almost always self-serving or inauthentic.

It seems that so many people make life and relationships infinitly more complicated than they need to be. Sometimes we can't know the truth about a situation because we weren't there, but if someone we know and trust was there, it's not hard to believe what they tell you, even if it is at odds with what someone else has told you about the same situation. Especially if the someone else has lied to you over and over in the past. In such situations it's ridiculous to throw up your hands and say that the truth is unknowable. Yet, so many people do this in their daily life.

I find the quote cautionary, too. It reminds me that I am known by my actions. It's no good to only WANT in my heart to do good, I have to actually DO it. That is how other people know who I am and what I stand for. If I get lazy and my actions do not match the Truth I know in my heart, that speaks to the kind of person I am and others will judge me accordingly.

I am so tired of so many people in my life behaving as if we are all neutral and sometimes we hop to the right side and are good and sometimes we hop to the left side and are bad (making NO allusion to political leanings here, at all!). That's just so untrue. People show us who they are all the time. Life and love and friendship and family are much, much easier when we believe them...the first time.

I know that it's only been a week, but...

I think I can say that P90X ROCKS! We started our second week. The way the program works is that you do the same rotation of workouts for the first 3 weeks and then you have a "rest" week that is just core work and cardio to give your muscles time to rest and repair and grow. So, we did our chest and back workout for the second time last night.

This workout is HARD. It's just under an hour of solid push ups and pull ups/chin ups. But, now that we have the form down on the exercises we were able to fast forward through most of the DVD and it took us about 45 minutes, which isn't bad when you have to share the resistance bands for all the bar work. I can already feel a difference in the way clothes fit and I can feel muscles I've never felt before (in a good way). Also, I was able to do more of every exercise. I did poop out on the last two push up variations, but that's more because my shoulder is acting up and I didn't want to push it too hard. So, you make progress very quickly.

So, if anyone is interested in a fabulous workout that you can do with your husband, this would be it! *end product endorsement*

A note of caution...

If you're using resitance bands with an over the door adapter to do "pull ups" and "chin ups" DO make sure the door is bolted shut before you grab the handles and sit down. If you make the mistake of merely closing the door, you too can have the giant rubber bands come flying at your face at the approximate speed of 2000 miles per hour and give you a lovely swollen cheek with a very colorful stripe across it.

Consider yourself warned! UGH!

Well, it's officially official...

We're a homeschooling family *gulp*. I've enrolled the kids in Kolbe Academy. Everyone keeps telling me that I will love it and I'll be great at it and not to worry. I am chosing to believe them. LOL! Now, I'm hunting up used textbooks, so I can order what I don't find by July 31 so I can get free shipping from Kolbe. Fun, fun!

As requested, here's a P90X update. I really like it! It's hard. Really hard. But...according to my coach/internet friend I'm completely normal. We had to skip legs and back yesterday since we were sitting for 2 extra kids, but we'll hit it today. It's probably good cause I'm just now able to go down stairs in a somewhat normal looking way after Wednesday's Plyometric workout. I really enjoyed the Yoga X workout, too!! Ab Ripper X is aka Hip Flexor X-- good to know. I'm finding that my hip flexors are really limiting me in that workout more than lack of ab/core strength. I have to do a lot of pausing to finish the reps and I don't finish the reps for two of the moves. I'll get there eventually.

So, there's my boring old update for all of you! Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Today's the day...

Chris and I are embarking on our P90X journey. Today is watching the overview DVD and doing the fit test. I'm so excited. My mini-goal is to be able to wear a halter top and feel good in it by the end of summer. I think that's pretty reasonable.

Killian is pretty excited about starting too, which makes ME excited. Since his best buddy moved to the next town over he hasn't really had anyone to ride bikes with or roller blade with or anything, so it's cool that he's gonna try this with us. He's not necessarily going to work the program like a grown up, but he said he wants to do it several times a week with us. Neat, huh?

So, there you have it. I'm getting seriously serious. I won't be doing a ticker or anything cause with P90X the scale is NOT what you're supposed to use as your gauge. I'll be using my clothes and inches lost as my guide.

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Thanks to all the soldiers, Air Force, Navy and Marines who gave their lives so that I can be free. God bless you all and your families!

I am a loser...

Seriously. I obviously need to be on some sort of structured eating plan and exercise schedule for the rest.of.my.life. Why? Why can't I just absorb the things I learn and know are good and work and continue them without such a concerted effort? It sucks.

So, I'm dragging my out of shape husband (who has done a great job of dropping some serious lbs over the last 6 months) into a new intense exercise program. We are going to get strong and fit and STAY that way...dammit.

I shall not post pictures. It's not my thing, but if I like the way I look in two months or so, maybe I will. I'm hoping to finally LIKE how I look in a tank top. Since giving up my dream of bikini ready tummy, I'm going to focus on my arms and back. That's almost as good as hot abs...ok, not really, but it's a solid second.

Death...good for your diet

Death. That's what I feel like. You know that feeling where even your hair hurts? Yep. I got that. My face is on fire, my throat feels like sandpaper and I can feel the tickle starting in my chest...all this in addition to the horrific body aches. Nice. But...the thought of food makes my mucus filled tummy turn, so at least I'm doing well jumping back on the eating less and better train. Mucus would be a protein, right?

I must go to the store...with the Littles. UGH! We have no bread, no toilet paper, no kleenex, no band aids...you get the idea. I have to go. There's no getting out of it. My coffee is making things slightly better. I have to go eat some solid food and take an ibuprofin and then maybe I'll feel like something close to human...maybe a chimp?

Please God, let the kids be good in the store and not ask for every other thing they see. Also, please place something quick and delicious in my path so I don't have to cook dinner or feed my children fast food. Amen.

Happy Mother's Day to me and you and...

you and you and you! This is MY big day. My birthday takes a backseat to Mother's Day for me. I mean, really, I didn't really do much to earn my name or to get myself here, but I do bust my butt in the motherhood category.

I was awakened with breakfast in bed (a first since my honeymoon) and the kids are chomping at the bit to give me their homemade gifts. We're going out to dinner at Outback tonight (really craving those yummy veggies!!) with my mom and little brother. I'm also hitting the MOA this afternoon with a friend to purchase a spring scent Yankee Candle. The sun is shining...though it's a tad chilly for May 11. It is a good day.

I hope all of you have a great family celebration day with your munchkins!

Strange things that I like...a lot

As I was washing my kitchen floor with Windex I got to thinking that there are some things that I really, really like that are kinda strange for someone to really, really like. Thought I'd post about them for your enjoyment:

1- the smell of Windex-- for some reason it just screams clean to me

2- the back of a man's neck-- sexiest body part beside eyes and smile, IMO

3- a brand new, unbent or creased spiral bound notebook-- must be college ruled and the thicker the better

4- brand new paperback books, but not the pocket sized ones, the wider ones-- especially if they have that matte finish cover

5- Big faced clocks with pendulums and chimes-- not grandfather clocks or anything...just those really big round wall clocks

So much to do....

UGH! I have so much to do and just no energy to do it. I'll be gone all day tomorrow with my mom. She's having a D&C to determine whether or not she has endometrial cancer. I have to drive her to and from the hospital and keep an eye on her until my brother gets home from school. So, that means I won't get much done tomorrow at all.

I can't shake this hideous headache that started last night and nothing is helping. It's better than it was last night, but still making me dizzy and slightly nauseaus which does not help me move around with ease.

Well, I suppose I should stop complaining, grab an extra cup of coffee and get moving. *sigh* Hope the days is perkier for everyone else!

Well, you are all failures at motivation...

I *still* haven't done that stupid DVD. UGH! It's a gorgeous day today, though! WOW! Of course, I'm down in the basement shipping orders, but the kids are having a ball...dogs, too.

Went and saw my brother in his last high school musical. He did a fabulous job. He was a minor lead and his girlfriend was the lead actress. It was great, as always. St Agnes really does a fine job on their musicals every year. Poor Thomas is depressed now though. The spring musical is the highlight of his year and this was his last. Oh, I remember how hard and at the same time how exciting those last weeks of high school were! Poor guy. He's got a lot going on at home and all the uproar of the final days of senior year mixed in with college finals...YIKES!

Well, off to ship and obsessively check the board for news of a new little bundle coming into the world!

You MUST make me do this...

I MUST do my Core Max DVD today. I know that once I do it once, I'll be able to start doing 3 times/week, like I used to. But, I just can't seem to make myself do it. So, I'm posting here cause if I say to all of you that I'm doing it...I just *might* feel like I should actually do it :p.

Rainy days and teacher workshop days...

DO NOT mix...especially on May 2. We've been so looking forward to this bonus day off school and it's a yucky, wet, dank, chilly day. It's barely 10:30 and the kids are already stir crazy. I don't blame them one bit. They're watching Water Horse, but I'm not sure how much they're actually WATCHING based on all the noise I'm hearing from up there!

Well, they'll be assigned their cleaning tasks soon (more tidying than cleaning, but I'm really working on having THEM pick up after THEMSELVES) and that should bring a whole new level of angst and frustration. Fun times!

Perkins...BLECH!

I haven't set foot in a Perkins in YEARS. I've never been a big fan. Today, the kids were starved after our appointment and I just couldn't hack McD's and Applebee's was too crowded, so we settled on Perkins. As some few that I know and love say, *HORK*. That was the nastiest food I've paid for in quite some time. I had a turkey melt. The cheese tasted like Velveeta, the turkey tasted like pork...and dry pork at that and the soudough was unrecognizable due to the slight rancid taste of whatever they grilled it in...and it was NOT butter. The fries were tolerable.

Thankfully, the kids did enjoy their chicken, so all was not lost.

On the endocrinology front-- the dr doesn't think it's blood sugar related, but agreed that there was enough ambiguity to schedule a FOUR HOUR GTT for Miss Z. That's scheduled for May 21. That should be pure torture, but what are you going to do? If that all comes up normal, she thinks that we should head to a neuro. She did check for increased pressure in Zay's head via her eye and said everything looks just perfect, so not to freak out too much. I did feel good that the dr agreed that it is definitely troublesome enough that the, "Some kids just suffer from chronic headaches" diagnosis is no longer sufficient.

She doesn't really think allergy related either cause, luckily, Zélie started to get a headache while we were there and she was able to describe it and show where it hurt. Didn't seem at all sinus related, but you never know, so I'm still gonna try the Claritin.

So, there's the update... Enjoy your Thursday, everybody.

Ouch! Her aching head...

Today's our long awaited appointment with the endocrinologist for Zay. I'm hoping it's a good doctor. I hate having to "fight" for good medical care. We just really need to get to the bottom her pain, so if it's not blood sugar/hormone related, I think we'll give Claritin a good trial and see if it's all just been sinuses.

I kinda doubt it's allergies just based on the timing of her pain, but Claritin won't hurt, so we'll see.

So, off to get everyone ready for the big appointment. I'll post later if we find out anything. Please keep your fingers crossed for us!

Our new old swing set...

I just read Jen's quote of the day on her blog and laughed outloud because it pretty much describes the saga of our swing set. We bought a really big, nice metal set a few weeks ago at TRU. I hate TRU and hated the idea of buying it there...and I really wanted a wooden set, so I was happy to have a something, but I wasn't overly excited about our purchase.

A couple of days later Chris' co-worker offered us his wooden set for free. I was so, so excited! So, we rented a truck and borrowed a neighbor and off they went to bring it home. Well, it was a nightmare and they were only able to get the swing part of the set home. The climbing tower and slide were too heavy to move and too bolted and nailed together to diassemble. At first, I was disappointed and kinda mad.

But, now that it's up and I'm watching the kids swing way high and even the older girls can have so much fun on it, I'm thrilled. Even not having the tower is good cause it is an old set and pretty slivery, so I think I would have been twitchy over the kids running their hands along the wood and getting punctured.

We may build a tower this summer, depending on how finances look and how long it looks like we'll be stuck in our house. So, not getting what I wanted did, indeed turn out to be a stroke of luck!

First Holy Communion

Well, it's finally done. She was gorgeous and it was a very special Mass. I was shocked at myself for tearing up when she came down the aisle! Other than being bothered by her veil for the entire Mass, everything went great.

Her party was great fun for everyone...even if it was only 39 degrees (on April 26th, thankyouverymuch). I was able to schedule and plan everything out, so it really wasn't too stressful for me at all. I have to scrub her dress today, though. She squirted clementine juice down the front and then managed to get a few other spots and splashes here and there, too. I'm hoping cold water and fels nafta will get the spots out. She supposed to wear her dress and veil again on May 25 for Corpus Christi, so I'd like it to be clean without having to dry clean it yet!

Cresting the hill...almost...

Today is the final prep day for the party on Saturday. Now, of course, because this is Minnesota it's now supposed to stay under 50 degrees and be all wet and muddy with possibly more rain. So glad we busted our butts to get the swings and trampoline up in time. Grrr....

The house is just about done. Today is the day for cleaning and decluttering the kitchen and for making the food that can be made in advance. Then, it's all down hill from there. We'll have to get up early tomorrow to get Zay ready for her big day and I am stressed a bit about my littles sitting through a long Mass, but it is what it is.

I hope she has a great day. I still remember my First Holy Communion day...I hope her day is memorable, too. She's pretty darned excited! OK, off to get ready for our morning grocery run. I meant to go last night, but I was just wiped and needed a little down time. It's fun shopping, so I think Carina and Dominic will do fine with it. Big shopping with them is a no-no, but party shopping...should be OK. Wish me luck!

Phrasing...sometimes I think it's all in the phrasing....

So, Zélie's FHC is on Saturday. We had the practice last night and we were told/shown that only 2 adults can sit with the First Communicant. Well, of course Zay wants Daddy and Mommy and that's what she should have, right? So, I emailed my mom and SIL to let them know that between my two brothers and my mom and my SIL they were all to have charge of Dominic (Carina is fine and won't be any trouble). It could well take that many adults to keep him in check.

So, SIL emails back and says that she'll have her hands full with my nephew, who's one, so she'll do her best. Huh? Now, she knows that I email her with info for both her and my brother...do I need to clarify that I wasn't speaking to her alone? Just as I wasn't speaking to my mom alone? And...what precisely am I supposed to do? Leave my daughter on one of the biggest days of her childhood cause 4 adults couldn't work it out with a 3 year old? I'm confused.

I'm sure she didn't mean anything more than "We'll work it out between us, but I'm usually pretty busy with Luke." Right?

I'm sure the fact that I'm annoyed that only parents get to sit with Zay is contributing to my general annoyance at the comment, but could you try and make it EASIER on me for a change maybe? Anyone?

My 5 things...

I'm not totally sure that I can come up with 5 things that would be remotely interesting, but I will try:

1- I can touch my nose with the tip of my tongue

2- I was not allowed to get my ears pierced until I was 17 1/2.

3- My baby brother knocked out one of my front teeth with a hairbrush when he was about 1. This injury resulted in me losing 1 1/2 permanent teeth.

4- A montage of photos of me ran behind the credits of the local news in San Diego one evening. I was about 4 and our neighbor was a reporter of the station who was also an amateur photographer.

5- I am very, very worm-phobic. I've gotten better over the last 10 years, but an earthworm poking it's head up (or its butt) when I'm gardening can still send me shivering into the house.

HAH! I did it. Not sure how interesting it is, but I don't think many of you know this stuff.

Joining the peeve-fest...

OK, my turn to list some pet peeves. These are current things that are bugging me more than I think they would bug someone else (read as: a normal person).

1- The listing of XXX rated shows on my on-screen satellite guide. If I don't subscribe to that garbage, I sure as heck don't want my kids reading it as they scroll around trying to find Cartoon Network.

2- Those who feel it necessary to correct others behavior, especially in public, when the behavior is not wrong, or dangerous, or hurtful, but just different than what the corrector is used to. Don't tell someone to "settle down" when they're excited about something and making their excitement known, don't look askance at a large family of a different culture boisterously enjoying their dinner at the local family Mexican restaurant. It's rude, it's ignorant and I won't put up with it.

3- Being dismissed or having my thoughts or feelings on a subject dismissed when I mention that I'm Catholic. I'm not some drooling idiot blindly following rules that I don't understand. Don't treat me like one.

4- Those stoplights on the on-ramps in Minnesota. Stupid. I find they only contribute to the general inability of drivers to merge into oncoming traffic or allow others to merge.

5- People who tell me that they "don't have time" to spend on the 'net or email as if I must have so much more free time than they do. WHATEVER!

I think those are the current items that will send me over the edge. I haven't included the standard cell phone beefs, etc. What I wonder about those is: Who are these people? Everyone I know is irked beyond measure by bad cell phone etiquette, so who are these cretins walking around chatting away on their Bluetooth??

It's all about the sunshine...

I'm finding myself at one with the mud being tracked all over my house. (Remind me I said this in another few days when I'm finding myself at WAR with the mud being tracked all over my house.) It's a small price to pay for the warmth of the sun and dancing shadows of skeletal trees on the not-yet-green lawn and the laughter (ok, the screaming shrieks) of the kids playing outside.

The last three days have been full of bike riding and driveway chalking and playhouse climbing and the summer-like shouts of "CAR!" all up and down the street. I love it. I need it.

In a few short days the new swing set will be up and probably even the new trampoline. AAAHHHH! Busy, tired, sweaty kids. What could be better?

Well, I'm off to a late morning shower so we can get our chores done and hit one of the local parks. For anyone reading this and cursing me for my beautiful weather, I was where you are a week ago. It's coming...if you're in the northern hemisphere (sorry, Shel!), it's coming.

He's got wheels...

Dominic got training wheels on his big boy bike today and he spent over an hour pedaling up and down the street. Killian did the honors and installed the wheels for his baby brother...how cool is that?...and also walked along side him encouraging him and giving him pointers. At one point he told Dominic that his legs would get stronger and stronger, so Dominic would mutter to himself as he pedaled, "I'm really getting stronger." It was so freakin' cute!

I can't believe my last baby is riding his bike already! It's just crazy!!

Watched Primetime last night...

I'd heard of Randy Pausch and what was happening to him and to his family, I'd even seen snips from his "Last Lecture," but I was so moved last night by him and by his wife. What AMAZING parents!! I have to go and listen to his lecture when I have the time. I want to try and listen all in one sitting. Hmmm...wonder if I could find an MP3 of it?? THAT would be perfect.

Even the bits and pieces of his lecture and the sound bites of his way of living, his way of BEING were inspiring to me. His wife...more so. From what I could see, from what she said, from how she behaved, she really is a wife and mom to emulate and not cause she's such a great housekeeper or so soft spoken or efficient or even kind and patient. It's because she is or is truly striving, and succeeding wonderfully from what I could tell, in putting her husband's needs and her children's needs before her own, but not in martyr-like fashion. She is doing it because to do that actually meets her needs so much more perfectly. I really felt that she wasn't trying to set an example or convey a message to other wives and mothers, but she was just living her life the best she can...on purpose.

I really admire that. It takes such a strong will and so much energy, but it's really what we're ALL supposed to be doing. What she is doing, how she is living is really not remarkable and because of that it's all the more inspiring.

Oooo...look at my pretty new blog!

Thanks, Shel! Maybe this will give me hope for spring. It's a long way off right now 'round here.

OK, for real this time...

TODAY I'm going to hit the gym. Really, I am. I'm all dressed and everything. Watching Biggest Loser last night was really motivating. I think I needed an extra push. This eternal winter we're suffering through really has messed with my mojo. My eating is pretty much on track, but I MUST get back into the cardio/weights regime I was in. I know I can do it, so I need to just do it. Now, if I could just move Jillian into my house for a few weeks, I'd be rockin' in no time.

I also must brag on my oldest child. He had been expressing great interest in creating computer graphics, so Chris installed Photoshop on my PC for him. He's been drawing and animating like a mad man since this weekend. He's really good! I'm impressed with his ability to find and follow tutorials and his sticktoitivness. Maybe he'll follow in his uncle's footsteps and be sought after web designer type dude?

I'm going to try and get the Littles to the zoo this week. It's been since before Valentine's Day since we've been and they just NEED to get out and about. Hmmm...perhaps we WILL actually crack 40 degrees today and I can take them to a playground for a bit. They have six months worth of energy to burn and I'd prefer they burn it far from our home and yard!!

ETA: Wow! That workout went way better than I thought it would. My heart rate stayed right in the middle of the cardio zone except for when I maxed out on purpose. I was nervous about having lost a lot of fitness. My legs are a bit rubbery, but not too bad considering! Totally set the right tone for the day, I think! YAY!

Getting back in the exercise groove...

First, an update on Carina's appt. It went as expected, so we should be getting a call in the next few days to schedule her surgery. It's a same day surgery, so that will be nice for a change. Doctor said that recovery time is about a week, so not too bad considering the ginormous plate and huge screws they're taking out of her bone!!

Now, for me. I was all set to FINALLY hit the gym this morning and then I remembered my appt for an estimate for an egress window. CRAP! So, I will MAKE myself go this afternoon. I know once I go, it'll get the ball rolling and I have co-op duty in the childcare on Friday, so I have to go then anyway. I really have to get back in the swing of exercising almost everyday. It's just better all around for my mood, my appearance, my schedule in general. It seems that if I start the day getting that done, it's easier to stay on task through the lunch hour and I feel so much more on top of stuff and free to do the fun things I like to do with the kids later in the day.

Happy Tuesday!!!

Pins, plates and hips...

We're off to Gillette this morning for Carina's orthopedic check-up. I'm expecting to be given the go ahead to schedule her surgery to remove all the hardware from her little leg. Our orthopod is back from his Australian sabbatical...we missed him! He's chief of staff of the children's specialty hospital and he's just completely awesome.

I'm hoping to be able to schedule her for June, after the kids are out of school. That will make it easier on Chris since he'll stay home with the other three kids that day. I really hope that this surgery will be the last in the family for a very, very long time. We're SO over the surgery thing around here.

You're very nice, but I never want to see you again...

Think I could get away with saying this to the very lovely, sweet, earnest young Jehovah's Witness that I've met with for 3 (or is it 4) weeks? I truly admire the commitment and courage of the various missionaries that go door to door. I also am always interested in learning about others' beliefs straight from the people that hold them, so I have invited missionaries of several faiths inside when they stop by my home.

But...I'm done now. I made it quite clear before I agreed to meet with this young woman that I was Catholic and was going to stay Catholic, so any hope of converting me was for nought. I also expressed my understanding that I would not be converting her either, but I'd love to hear more about her church and share my own beliefs. Well, we've done that. The conversation hasn't been all that interesting since it usually goes something like this:

Her: Let's read *insert some scripture passage here*.

Me: Reading said passage aloud.

Her: So, what do you think of that?

Me: I think it's great. It's scripture.

Her: So, you see how we won't be going to heaven when we die, but rather, earth will return to the state it was in before The Fall and those that are left will live here in harmony and peace.

Me: No, I don't see how that follows from this passage. I believe...

Her: Oh, OK. *onto next passage*

No discussion, no explanation. Kinda boring actually. I have learned some things about her beliefs, so I feel like I'm leaving richer than I came, but I'm done now. I just can't figure out a way to say so.

I'm sure it'll be fine and really, anything is better than having to be stuck at home waiting to read scripture to her!

Friendship...

I am so blessed. I have A TON of truly wonderful friends. A lot of days it just doesn't seem that way because almost all of my friends live far away from me. I get to "talk" to them several times a day, but we don't get to go out and hang out be together the way I wish we could. Some of these friends I've never even laid eyes on, but they are still the epitome of what a friend should be.

I don't think very many people have real life experts to turn to at the drop of a hat. I'm serious. If you've got a problem, I have a friend who will drop everything (almost) and be able to help you with their own wisdom or knowledge of the issue. I wouldn't be the person I am today without these friends. You all know who you are and I want you to know that I love you and appreciate you everyday!

PS Happy Birthday, Michelle Marie Martin!

As promised...

I know you've all been on the edge of your seat waiting to hear more about my trip to the library. Come on...admit it. Well, I will end the suspense. I rented my first book! I've never done it before, but I so desperately wanted to read A Thousand Splendid Suns after enjoying The Kite Runner so much and I just refuse to pay $25+ for a hardback when I don't even LIKE hardbacks.

So, brought my borrowed treasure home on Saturday afternoon and I'm about half done. It's just as great as The Kite Runner...maybe better. It's hard to tell yet. It's a different time period than Kite Runner which makes it so very interesting. In case you don't know, these books take place, at least in large part, in Afghanistan. They tell stories of normal people in extraordinary times. Best kind of book, IMO.

I love, love, love having a great book to get lost in...even when I'm crazy busy. So, I'm content. Now, I'm off to fill orders and stock new product...

Fun with my "baby" girl

Saturday Carina and I spent the afternoon together running errands. It was one of those great mommy/daughter normal-nothing-special special days. We hit the library and she played on the computer while I grabbed some books to go along with her school title that we are finishing this week. I grabbed a few other fun things...more on that later.

Then we hit WalMart to get her glasses fixed (lost a screw, so she was half blind for a day) and I decided we needed more fun family games so we picked up Cootie and Chutes and Ladders for the Littles and Scrabble, Connect 4 and Skip Bo for the Bigs...plus bubbles and sidewalk chalk!

Then, our big adventure to Byerlys. We had to go find and purchase mussels as part of our school theme. Our book, The Very Last First Time, is about an Inuit girl who walks on the bottom of the sea to collect mussels, so we agreed to give them a try. Carina found them successfully and we ordered up 10. We gave them a try after dinner. Definitely NOT a hit, but everyone (except Killian...big shock) tried them. I was so proud of them!!

That night we played all the games, except Skip Bo, and it was a really great family day :o). Today we are getting about a foot of snow *boo hiss*, so we'll study Inuit culture since it's fitting for today and get some chores done before shoveling the driveway. Have a great Monday!!

Emotional whirlwind...

My parents have had a rocky marriage since just about Day 1. My dad can be a mean SOB in both word and deed and I've long thought, begged, prayed that my mom would leave. Well, it's come to that finally. My poor mom is so freaked out. She has degenerative disc disease, severe arthritis, two artificial hips, MS and diabetes. She's only 60. Her whole life has been dedicated to making a home for my dad and us kids and she sees it all slipping away with nothing but uncertainty ahead.

I feel bad for my dad, too. He absolutely does not understand what's going on. I have no idea if this is because of some syndrome he has or just because he's that much of an oblivious jerk...I don't really care. I still feel sorry for him.

On the other hand, I am fighting some resentment because as the oldest and only daughter all the emotional support for my mom falls on me. I've wanted this for so long. When he was making my life a living hell everyday I had no control over the decisions and still had to play best friend to my mom and deal with his insane crap. Now, when it's all gonna fall on me when I have four kids of my own and not a lot of extra time or money, she makes the decision that should have been made 30 years ago. At the same time, I'm grateful that she didn't leave 30 years ago cause I'd be short two brothers, who I adore, if she had.

Oddly enough, I'm not at all torn about her decision. It is absolutely positively necessary and I thank God for my "anvil" in the form of my uncle calling last night to direct my mom. She does have a bit of the abused spouse pathology, so he really helped her make the final decision to not wait any longer and to move on filing NOW.

It's so hard standing on the edge of another really difficult, yucky thing. Seems hardly a year goes by that I don't find myself having to take a deep breath and dive into a "sewer." Keep my parents, especially my mom, in your thoughts and prayers please. She'll need every one of them!

Lookie what Janet made for me!!!

Isn't it so pretty? I love it!!

When Carina isn't so sick she can hardly move, I will be so much more inspired to blog...maybe even with pictures...if I can figure out how to replace the batteries in my new camera- LOL!

Easter vacation...not going so well...

Carina- temp of 99.4 (high for her, but not too bad)
Zay- temp of 101.4 (SICK)
Dominic- temp of 102 (REALLY SICK)

Terrific. I'm very glad we didn't have any big plans for the week. My poor Zélie has such horrid luck. She always seems to be sick for the worst times. I'm just hoping that they're well enough for Luke's birthday party on Saturday and for Easter. I would hate for the entire holiday to be a bust. I really hope Killian stays well, too.

In other news, for the first time in 35 years there was a murder in my town. This murder just happened to take place less than a 1/4 mile from my front door. Freaks me out. It was a high school senior killed by a high school junior (stabbed multiple times) and then the murderer's brother cleaned and tossed the knife for him. These are the kinds of kids that run around my neighborhood. NOW do you all understand why I'm so desperate to move my kids away? Homeschooling looms large. I could really get a lot done on the house with that money.

You will all quickly become bored with my musings over my childrens' educational future, but it helps me to write it out. Well, I need to get my living room tidied and cleaned. Maybe the kids will keep it that way for a change. (Hey, a mom can dream!)

Every Thursday...

I have to literally drag my behind out of bed and I spend the whole day chanting the mantra, "Man, I'm so tired." My theory is that Thursday comes after 3 days of madcap weekday adventures, but it is not Friday. Friday gives you that extra, "it's almost the weekend" oomph you need to get through the day, but Thursday...Thursday just sits there taunting you with the reality that you still have to get through Friday. Damn Thursday!

Thursday does, however, have ONE and only ONE saving grace. It's Lost night. Especially in this tv season that wasn't, Lost night is a big, big deal. Carry on, Thursday. I suppose it could be worse, you could be Monday!

My sweet girl is EIGHT!

It hardly seems possible that my first little princess is eight years old. Seems like only a year or two ago that I was begging God to let you take a pacifier so that I didn't have to nurse you for the full 24 hours that you seemed to be awake and hungry!!

You have grown into such a sweet and sensitive little soul. Sweet and sensitive. Yes, you are both of those things, but you're also full of fire and courage. I admire you for the selflessness you show so often. You're an awfully little girl to make such grown up decisions. It's so rarely "all about you." Even your birthday cake was chosen with your big brother in mind. You wanted chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, but remembered that Killian hates chocolate cake, so you changed your request to accomodate him. THAT is impressive!

I hope that you have a very special day today. You deserve that and so much more. I love you, Princess Zoo!

Blogging with a full brain...

Being relatively new to blogging, I've assumed that the hardest part about blogging is coming up with stuff to blog about. I've found this to be true, but in a completely different way than I imagined. I have too much stuff going on in my head. I have about 10 fully formed lines of "discussion" going on in my head and none of them are related to the other, but every time I start to blog about one of them, I end up finding a common thread and delving into another and in the end sounding like a crazy person.

Hmmm...maybe that's the problem?? Maybe I'm crazy and I haven't figured it out yet?

I feel like I shook up my whole head and all my thoughts last summer and everything is JUST starting to settle. So, even though I know where one set of plans is, I have to wait for another to fall into place before I really know what to do with any of them. Is this making sense to anyone but me?

Thank God Lost was relatively uneventful last night or I'd be in serious trouble. A nitty gritty episode of that show can send me reeling right on through the weekend.

So, I'm left (or rather you're left) with another completely disjointed and uninformative blog post because there's only so much crazy I'm willing to share with all of you. I'm off to have the my second cup of coffee for the morning and try and drag myself and my two ton stuffed up head through this Friday.

Happy

Now, I don't want to leave the impression that I'm normally an unhappy person. That isn't the case. But, I do struggle...frequently...to remember that I have a lot of reasons to be happy. You know, life can sometimes sap all your ability to see the good things...like your house, your family, your car, your (or your husband's) job, your friends, etc.

I realized this afternoon that I am happy. Really happy. Things are good. They are not perfect, but they're good. I feel capable. I can see good things ahead. What a blessing, huh? I just had to share this realization. I'm praying that I'm able to maintain this satisfaction, this contentment, this gratitude through any upcoming trials or downturns. I pray that all of you are happy, too. It's a really good place to be :o).

The Lion, The Witch and the....no, that's not right....

For years and years in both my professional and personal lives I have used and loved and quoted CS Lewis' non-fiction works. I've listened to people tell me how life changing Mere Christianity was for them or how moved they have been by reading Lewis' thoughts. So, this Lent, I thought it was more than time for me to actually READ one (or more) of his works.

Engaging, thoughtful, deep, charitable, heartwarming-- these are just the first of the many words that come to mind as I try to describe Surprised By Joy. Truly so much more than I expected. I figured I'd learn a lot and be moved to pray about things, etc but I didn't expect to want to read my "spiritual" book over the novel I'm currently enjoying. It's just that good. So, if you've ever considered reading Lewis, but hesitated...stop. Don't hesitate. He's wonderful!

It's potty time!!!!

Well, the Baby Man is currently wearing "big boy pants" and doing a remarkable job in his effort to attain the knight in shining armor and dragon at Michael's that he fell in love with last week. So far, since yesterday noon, we've had one accident (he even stayed dry overnight) and that was a poop accident, so it doesn't even count since we're working on pee.

The potty chart is filling up with Pooh stickers. I predict that by next week the entire chart will be full and I'll be taking him on his victory trip to Michael's. It's always so exciting to watch them conquer a new skill. I've learned by now to wait til they're ready for the potty and I think he's finally ready!! Woo-hoo, Dominic!!! I'm so proud of you!!!

Schooling, money, marriage, sanity....

It seems only fair that one could have ALL of those things simultaneously, but I am beginning to wonder. With the override of Gov. Pawlenty's veto of this insane new transportation bill in Minnesota, I am seriously reconsidering homeschooling. Yes, I realize that the price of gas itself will only amount to about $1.50 more per tank, at 2 tanks/week average that's only $12/month, but this is one frog that intends to leap from the pot BEFORE she boils.

If I homeschool the kids, I will have a great curriculum for free and the help of a licensed teacher whenever I need/want it. I've used the school before and was very pleased with it. I did not love homeschooling, though to be fair, I was both homeschooling and commuting 40 miles/day to pick up Zay from kinder and working at Cub at night, so maybe my experience wasn't really a fair basis. Homeschooling will save us just under $1000/month between tuition and gas...not to mention wear and tear on the van.

Last time I homeschooled though, I didn't really get the kind of support I needed from Chris. So, I will have to think long and hard about this and talk to him. Thing is...he's gonna get all geeked up at the thought of all the money we'll save and I fear I'll lose his attention to the topic at hand. I need to know how HE will contribute to the household if I take all this on. I don't even know for sure what I need or want, but I'll need and want things...that's for damn sure.

I'm feeling more comfortable with the prospect because we will be able to afford some fun activities for the kids and there are other homeschoolers at our parish and it's just really homeschooler friendly in general, so we'll be able to stay involved there without seeming odd. That's a huge deal.

But, it would still be SO MUCH WORK!! It's very hard for me because I know I can do it and do it well...I just don't wanna. Whine, whine, whine. And then there are my dreams of Seattle...this would really help us get there a lot faster. UGH! Such a hard decision for me....