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....

Can I have a normal one, please?

Child that is. A normal child. I've been checking Zay's blood sugars for almost a week and was perplexed by the fact that she started having low blood sugar symptoms when her level was in the 90s (totally NORMAL blood sugar level). The only reason I could think of for this was that her sugars were running high at other times during the day, but I hadn't caught any, so I started testing her as if she were diabetic. Um, yeah. Two days in a row I caught elevated sugar levels in the afternoon. Not BAD high, but higher than they should be (140-150 1 hour after eating).

This I did not expect AT ALL! I'm calling the ped today to get an rx for more test strips. I want to check her regularly for at least 2 weeks and see what we see. VERY glad I have the endo appt in May. Something is up with her...definitely.

So, if she does end up having endocrine issues that would be only Dominic left without significant health issues. But...nothing is life threatening. There is that.

Nearly 15 years, but I think he's got it...

Chris has been itching to take me out for dinner since Valentine's Day. This is unusual all by itself. I don't care for surprises...especially with regard to food, but he was insisting on not telling me where he was planning to take me. I was trying to be a good sport, but it really does take some of the fun out of the whole thing for me...especially since this will be Killian's first nighttime babysitting assignment. I'm a planner, so shoot me.

Anyway, last night I just told him that he needed to tell me where we were going cause I really wanted to know how far from home we'd be. So, he told me we were going to Granite City. This is my favorite restaurant...well, my favorite AFFORDABLE restaurant. It's close to home and it provides alcohol. It's the trifecta!

I really feel like we've hit our marriage groove in the past couple of months. It's a really great feeling and I'm actually excited about our date tonight. Things are good in my world today!!!

Finger pricks galore...

Well, Miss Z has been having some pretty striking symptoms of hypoglycemia for the past few months. They've gotten worse in the past couple of weeks, so off we went to the ped (because the endocrinologist's first appt was May 9). He agreed with me and so we are the proud new owners of our very own glucometer. I have to do blood sugar tests on her 1st thing in the am (fasting) and right after school before she has snack and any other time that she exhibits symptoms.

If her blood sugar dips below 60, she needs to be seen right away. So, we shall see what the morning brings.

Tomorrow we get to go see Dr M again for Dominic's 3 year check up (2 months late). Yee-haw!

I believe that's about it for an update. My trip to CA was disappointing. Great to see W, but sad to miss out on all that glorious sun!!

Good evening, all. It's Lost night and I still have work to do....

Yawn...

Thursdays are the hardest day for me to get moving. I'm just exhausted in the morning. UGH...I feel like I'm trudging through wet sand. Today is prepare-for-departure day. I need to make Chris' list, pack (probably will include laundry), wrap up household tasks, and make appts. This is the point in my travel plans that I wish I were staying home.

I know that I'll have fun and I'm glad I'm going, but it's SO MUCH WORK to leave. I just keep thinking...warmth and sun...warmth and sun....

Well, off to eat and pick up the living room in prep for the Nielson people to show up with a trainee. Yes, we are a Nielson family. According to my husband, this is our big moment to change the world. I just wish that changing the world didn't involve flashing red lights over my TV and pushing a button every 42 minutes of viewing time, but that's the price I pay to represent 38,000 families that look just like mine in the ratings/advertising world. See what I will do for my fellow man?

Hooray for me!!! Done and in record time...

Mission accomplished! Now I can get to more orders tonight and maybe even be able to watch Lost tomorrow night :o). I'm so glad to be done sooner than I thought!!

In other news...my son, you know the really smart one who couldn't seem to turn in his assignments on time or done properly? That son. He received a score of 148% on his science test (massive extra credit completed) and 100% on his social studies test. I think he surprised even himself because he just "knew" that all that info was supposed to just sink in by osmosis. Amazing what taking good notes and a few minutes (literally) of studying can do, huh?

Ash Wednesday to-do list...

I'm usually not one to publicize my to-do lists, but today is one of those "do or die" days here since I'm leaving on Friday. So, I'm posting my "absolutely must get done today before I can go to bed" items to keep me accountable:

1- Finish packing and posting the 17 orders I have left that are ready to ship

2- Change Carina's sheets

3- vacuum and mop the hall and living room hardwood

4- make rice for Zay's onigiri

5- clean bathroom

I have more that needs to be done, but these are the absolute musts.

OK...off to begin. If I knew how to do strikeouts, then I'd update, but since I don't I shall update tonight or tomorrow when all is complete. Have a happy first day of Lent, everyone!

Glimpses of my mother....

You know how you just catch a glance of your reflection as you pull open the door to the store or post office or gym? You're not even looking and there your face is staring back at you? Well, lately it's been my mom's face staring back at me.

I'm lucky to have a beautiful mom. Really...she doesn't even know I have a blog, so I'm not just saying that, but still...it's jarring to see your MOM staring back at you where your own face should be.

I don't worry much about "aging." Hey, it happens. But between this new "mom face" and my crooked nose I'm having some sort of crisis. I don't even like to look at myself in the mirror for more than a second or two. I'm going to get my hair done tonight. LONG, LONG overdue. This is striking terror in my heart. No matter how good I look, I don't look good getting my hair done and you have to look in the mirror...you're sitting right in front of it...for about 3 hours.

But...I'll feel better once it's done, right? Please someone tell me that getting my hair done will lift me from this gray, old hag mood I'm in lately!! Anyone???

Time....it's relative, I guess???

If you want to make sure I am in a horrible mood, make me late. Seriously, being late stresses me to the max. My husband, on the other hand, takes event starting times as a suggestion...some amorpheous roundabout perhaps maybe. Me? Nope. 1:00 means be there by 12:55.

To make matters worse, my husband has poor vision and isn't able to read street signs until he's on top of them, so he is very literally THE KING OF U-TURNS. So, he should leave extra early to account for getting lost, which is an inevitability. He will not.

Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum! So, poor Zay was picked up today almost 30 minutes late for a party. Embarrassing??? You bet. I love him. I love that he went to pick her up from strangers (to him) so that I didn't have to turn right around from dropping her off to go pick her up, but why, oh why, does he insist on not only not giving himself extra time, but leaving LATE!? I'm praying Zélie wasn't freaked out. She's very sensitive and I worry about her getting traumatized. It's scary to be left after everyone else is long, long gone.

I'm typing this out, not to dis my beloved, but so that I don't rant and rave like a lunatic when he gets home. What's done is done. He's a grown up and hopefully he's learned a lesson here...or I will have to do all the picking up and dropping off from now on!!

Oh, how I love taking my kids to the zoo....

When it's just me and my kids, the zoo is a magical place. I love nothing (OK, ALMOST nothing) more than listening to my kids' comments on the animals and the whole experience. Today was no exception. While walking briskly through the Minnesota Trail this morning, we came upon the bald eagle. He's quite impressive because of the way the enclosure is built he's only about 3 feet from you. Gorgeous!! Dominic paused and the eagle turned his beady little eye right on my Doodle. Dominic turned to me and said, quite shocked, "Mom, he's not speaking Spanish."

Now, I'm sure this came from some episode of Dora or Diego, or maybe he confused the eagle with another bird from one of those episodes, but it was just another in a long line of CLASSIC kid moments at the zoo. I never leave there in a bad mood.

Also of note, Carina has decided that her favorite animal at the zoo is the flamingo. Yes, that's right. The pink birds that don't even get their own enclosure, but have to share with ducks and gibbons beat out the mountain lions, the dolphins, the monkeys, etc. Flamingos! That's my girl!!