Monday, June 08, 2009
I guess its time to teach her about stairs
Elsa likes to hang out by the back steps, watching us come in and out. She's never tried to crawl out the door or come close to being pushed out. I really did know it was only a matter of time before she was knocked over, but when it happened we all felt dreadful. At first I didn't even see the bruise because it was hidden under her mop of hair, but when I was washing her face I found it :( Poor little thing.
One day I'll get it right
This morning the kids and I yanked up all the radishes. I planted them around the beginning of April and while the greens looked great, the radishes themselves were tiny and so woody I could barely cut them. See?
Its very frustrating! I feel like gardening is so hard. I wonder how people ever did it to feed themselves. I guess there were generations upon generations of knowledge that was passed down that helped.
So now I have three empty squares and no idea what to plant, or what I could even plant at this point.
Yesterday I made a outline for our days during the summer. I'm finding it hard to focus and keep on task. Just a lot on my mind with J's job situation and feeling overwhelmed in general. I thought that maybe this would help give me some structure (which I try to avoid in general!).
Part of what I want to get into daily is some sort of lessons. Reading for both the kids, and when Ethan's handwriting book arrives, he'll do that too. Right now I have both the kids doing tracing pages of their names. Ethan's hands are weak and he needs lots of practice. Gwen had been reluctant to start reading, though she was so obviously ready. She kept saying she was afraid. Yet she had an annoying tendency to hang over our shoulders when Ethan was doing his reading and point out where he was making mistakes and sound out words with us. So today I took her on my lap and asked her to try one lesson and see how it went. She agreed, and before we were done with the first 5 minute lesson she was all smiles and thrilled with herself. She LOVED it! I think she was intimidated, and she has this fear of failure. If she thinks she cannot do it, she won't even try. Once I pushed her to try, she saw that she could do it and now she's very excited.
The baby started saying two new words over the weekend. There is a picture of a baby on her bag of diapers, which she sees every time we change her. She kept asking "What's that" and we kept saying baby. This weekend she pointed to it and said, "babee" (sounds like bobby). I was impressed! Then she brought me a book and asked me what it was and I told her and she says back to me, "book". Clear as day! Her language seems more developed to me than the other kids at this age, but its hard to remember that far back too :)
Ethan's allergies are a mess right now. He's very stuffed up and his face is puffy. We're trying out Zyrtec and doing Nasonex daily. Tomorrow, him and Gwen have their yearly checkups and I'm going to get a prescription for more nose spray. Poor little guy :(
Jason continues to look for a job and we continue to ask for your prayers that the right job is brought his way. At the end of this month, we are going to be flying to Cincinnati to check out the area and make our final decision about moving. We are 90% sure we will not be moving, but by then we should have a better idea of Jason's chances of getting a job here. So far its been slow. Last year he put his resume up out of curiosity and the phone rang so much he had to take it down. This year, not so much. Please pray for us. Its very stressful...we have to account for worst case scenario, which is terrifying, but still keep our spirits up and hope for best case. I go through times of panic and peace, often within minutes of each other! I know its a large burden for J as well.
Its very frustrating! I feel like gardening is so hard. I wonder how people ever did it to feed themselves. I guess there were generations upon generations of knowledge that was passed down that helped.
So now I have three empty squares and no idea what to plant, or what I could even plant at this point.
Yesterday I made a outline for our days during the summer. I'm finding it hard to focus and keep on task. Just a lot on my mind with J's job situation and feeling overwhelmed in general. I thought that maybe this would help give me some structure (which I try to avoid in general!).
Part of what I want to get into daily is some sort of lessons. Reading for both the kids, and when Ethan's handwriting book arrives, he'll do that too. Right now I have both the kids doing tracing pages of their names. Ethan's hands are weak and he needs lots of practice. Gwen had been reluctant to start reading, though she was so obviously ready. She kept saying she was afraid. Yet she had an annoying tendency to hang over our shoulders when Ethan was doing his reading and point out where he was making mistakes and sound out words with us. So today I took her on my lap and asked her to try one lesson and see how it went. She agreed, and before we were done with the first 5 minute lesson she was all smiles and thrilled with herself. She LOVED it! I think she was intimidated, and she has this fear of failure. If she thinks she cannot do it, she won't even try. Once I pushed her to try, she saw that she could do it and now she's very excited.
The baby started saying two new words over the weekend. There is a picture of a baby on her bag of diapers, which she sees every time we change her. She kept asking "What's that" and we kept saying baby. This weekend she pointed to it and said, "babee" (sounds like bobby). I was impressed! Then she brought me a book and asked me what it was and I told her and she says back to me, "book". Clear as day! Her language seems more developed to me than the other kids at this age, but its hard to remember that far back too :)
Ethan's allergies are a mess right now. He's very stuffed up and his face is puffy. We're trying out Zyrtec and doing Nasonex daily. Tomorrow, him and Gwen have their yearly checkups and I'm going to get a prescription for more nose spray. Poor little guy :(
Jason continues to look for a job and we continue to ask for your prayers that the right job is brought his way. At the end of this month, we are going to be flying to Cincinnati to check out the area and make our final decision about moving. We are 90% sure we will not be moving, but by then we should have a better idea of Jason's chances of getting a job here. So far its been slow. Last year he put his resume up out of curiosity and the phone rang so much he had to take it down. This year, not so much. Please pray for us. Its very stressful...we have to account for worst case scenario, which is terrifying, but still keep our spirits up and hope for best case. I go through times of panic and peace, often within minutes of each other! I know its a large burden for J as well.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
....continued
My garden is doing great, though I had to bid adieu to my carrots and beets. They never grew. I left a few carrots in that seem to be growing, albeit slowly, but dug up the rest and planted cilantro in their spot. I also replanted my lettuce which never grew at all. I replaced my basil plants that had been stunned by the cold snap we had. Aunt Margaret gave me some artichoke starts and I planted those. I don't know if I'll eat them or just let them flower. They make gorgeous flowers! My parsley continues its quest for world domination, and my tomatoes are flowering like crazy. Woo!
Artichokes
Mon jardin
On Tuesday we visited my friend April and new baby Garrison! Oh he's a cutie. I do not believe that my kids were ever that small, but they were. He has big hands and feet... they are almost the same size as Elly's. I think its possible that he could outpace Elly in size in a years time :)
Elsa loved him. She just wanted to pat and pinch him and sit on him.
The face just yells trouble
After we left Aprils, we stopped at home and picked up Jason, then headed out to Mom's house to try and stay cool. Its been HOT the last few days. Much too hot for June. Mom and Dad got a pool for the kids to play in and they love it.
Elsa in her bathing attire. I think its terrifically cute.
Wednesday, we headed to Willis D. Tucker park to play on the spray pad. My friend Heather and her kids Max (Gwen attended pre-school with him) and Gracie came, and we also ran into one of April's friends Beth. It was a very hot day, but the kids had a blast.
Ethan is in the orange shorts
We had April's son Gibson with us and that was fun too, though I perhaps underestimated the amount of effort required to keep tabs on 3 kids as they run from the spray pad to the playground and to the sandbox, while still tending to a 1 year old AND try to talk to your friend a little. Whew! But it was all good.
Gibson is in the red
Gibson is a great sharer and him and Elly get along so well. They find each other entertaining. Here they were sharing a snack of popcorn and having a little conversation. Well, he talked and she listened and smiled :)
Elly knows how to live the high life. Kickin' back in a stroller, sipping bottle of milk, checking out the view. Life is sweet.
Today is another hot day and we escaped during the early part to have our long overdue weekly Thursday visit at my Mom's house. Grammy, Aunt Margaret and Aunt Deanne were all there and the kids played in the pool some more in the hot hot sun. They were utterly exhausted. Know how I could tell? This is what they looked like when I got home.
So, remember how I mentioned in my previous post regarding the rumors about Jason being laid off? Well, he was given notice today that it was impending. However, he was offered a relocation package to Cincinnati. We have until July 2nd to decide. Regardless of our decision, his last day is August 28th. This is a huge answer to prayer... we had been very concerned that the layoff might be immediate or within a week or two, giving him no time at all to find another job. He'd been looking since the rumors started flying, but the job market is sluggish and often the interview process can take 3-4 weeks! If he stays through the 28th, he would get a 6 week severance package, his remaining vacation time cashed out, and a bonus for staying until the end. Another answer to prayer... if he cannot find a job by the end of August, the severance and bonus, plus what we have saved up, would last us another 3-4 months. Maybe longer if we really cracked down. While we are really sad that he is losing a very good job and has to go through the stressful and difficult task of finding a job, we feel so fortunate to have these options. I know J is still stressed, but I feel as if some of the stress has been lifted off my shoulders and my jittery jangly nerves are settling a little.
Artichokes
Mon jardin
On Tuesday we visited my friend April and new baby Garrison! Oh he's a cutie. I do not believe that my kids were ever that small, but they were. He has big hands and feet... they are almost the same size as Elly's. I think its possible that he could outpace Elly in size in a years time :)
Elsa loved him. She just wanted to pat and pinch him and sit on him.
The face just yells trouble
After we left Aprils, we stopped at home and picked up Jason, then headed out to Mom's house to try and stay cool. Its been HOT the last few days. Much too hot for June. Mom and Dad got a pool for the kids to play in and they love it.
Elsa in her bathing attire. I think its terrifically cute.
Wednesday, we headed to Willis D. Tucker park to play on the spray pad. My friend Heather and her kids Max (Gwen attended pre-school with him) and Gracie came, and we also ran into one of April's friends Beth. It was a very hot day, but the kids had a blast.
Ethan is in the orange shorts
We had April's son Gibson with us and that was fun too, though I perhaps underestimated the amount of effort required to keep tabs on 3 kids as they run from the spray pad to the playground and to the sandbox, while still tending to a 1 year old AND try to talk to your friend a little. Whew! But it was all good.
Gibson is in the red
Gibson is a great sharer and him and Elly get along so well. They find each other entertaining. Here they were sharing a snack of popcorn and having a little conversation. Well, he talked and she listened and smiled :)
Elly knows how to live the high life. Kickin' back in a stroller, sipping bottle of milk, checking out the view. Life is sweet.
Today is another hot day and we escaped during the early part to have our long overdue weekly Thursday visit at my Mom's house. Grammy, Aunt Margaret and Aunt Deanne were all there and the kids played in the pool some more in the hot hot sun. They were utterly exhausted. Know how I could tell? This is what they looked like when I got home.
So, remember how I mentioned in my previous post regarding the rumors about Jason being laid off? Well, he was given notice today that it was impending. However, he was offered a relocation package to Cincinnati. We have until July 2nd to decide. Regardless of our decision, his last day is August 28th. This is a huge answer to prayer... we had been very concerned that the layoff might be immediate or within a week or two, giving him no time at all to find another job. He'd been looking since the rumors started flying, but the job market is sluggish and often the interview process can take 3-4 weeks! If he stays through the 28th, he would get a 6 week severance package, his remaining vacation time cashed out, and a bonus for staying until the end. Another answer to prayer... if he cannot find a job by the end of August, the severance and bonus, plus what we have saved up, would last us another 3-4 months. Maybe longer if we really cracked down. While we are really sad that he is losing a very good job and has to go through the stressful and difficult task of finding a job, we feel so fortunate to have these options. I know J is still stressed, but I feel as if some of the stress has been lifted off my shoulders and my jittery jangly nerves are settling a little.
Well hello there
Hi.
Remember me? Kristi, stay-at-home Mom to three kids? I used to blog. Well good news, I'm blogging again!
Because I'm so far behind I'm going to break these into a couple different posts so you don't have to read a novel to catch up with us :)
So. Two weeks ago we headed out to Spokane to visit with the eastern WA relatives. The trip went fairly well. Surprisingly the baby was the best behaved both there and back! I have no pictures because I had no camera. Boo :( Speaking of cameras, we finally got some professional pictures taken of Elsa while we were there getting a whole family portrait. Good times. I have a copy of it here, but no actual picture. Those are coming in a few weeks. This is the first professional picture she's had, ever.
After we returned home, we had a crazy whirlwind week. Where to begin with it... well, first Jason heard rumors that they were going to close the data center at his work. He doesn't work in the data center but his job was at risk too. You can imagine what dread this put in our hearts. I'll get to that in a later blog post, but that was on our mind all last week.
Then both kids had their graduation picnics at a local park. ON different days. I feel so bummed about Ethan's because I still had no camera and I brought the video camera but the battery was dead! I only caught about 1 minute of their little program and have NO pictures. So sad. But he did great and it brought a little tear to my eye because we love the women who have been his teachers and the care and consideration they showed him, even when he was being a little pain in the tush, and he loved them and his class.
Gwen's was two days later and this time I checked the video camera battery before leaving! I got her program on video and will try to download and compress that soon. Hers was not as emotional for me as she will be attending next year, but for her it was a bit harder because she loves her teacher and girlfriends so much. I'm going to try and keep up those friendships over the summer.
Then on Friday I took Elsa to the doctor for her 1 year checkup. She's indeed a wee peanut. Her stats:
Height: 27 3/4 inches - 5%
Weight: 17 lbs, 8oz - 5%
Head: don't recall exactly, but it was 90%!
She's doing fine all around, which is good to hear even when you already know it :)
Check out my next post for more....
Remember me? Kristi, stay-at-home Mom to three kids? I used to blog. Well good news, I'm blogging again!
Because I'm so far behind I'm going to break these into a couple different posts so you don't have to read a novel to catch up with us :)
So. Two weeks ago we headed out to Spokane to visit with the eastern WA relatives. The trip went fairly well. Surprisingly the baby was the best behaved both there and back! I have no pictures because I had no camera. Boo :( Speaking of cameras, we finally got some professional pictures taken of Elsa while we were there getting a whole family portrait. Good times. I have a copy of it here, but no actual picture. Those are coming in a few weeks. This is the first professional picture she's had, ever.
After we returned home, we had a crazy whirlwind week. Where to begin with it... well, first Jason heard rumors that they were going to close the data center at his work. He doesn't work in the data center but his job was at risk too. You can imagine what dread this put in our hearts. I'll get to that in a later blog post, but that was on our mind all last week.
Then both kids had their graduation picnics at a local park. ON different days. I feel so bummed about Ethan's because I still had no camera and I brought the video camera but the battery was dead! I only caught about 1 minute of their little program and have NO pictures. So sad. But he did great and it brought a little tear to my eye because we love the women who have been his teachers and the care and consideration they showed him, even when he was being a little pain in the tush, and he loved them and his class.
Gwen's was two days later and this time I checked the video camera battery before leaving! I got her program on video and will try to download and compress that soon. Hers was not as emotional for me as she will be attending next year, but for her it was a bit harder because she loves her teacher and girlfriends so much. I'm going to try and keep up those friendships over the summer.
Then on Friday I took Elsa to the doctor for her 1 year checkup. She's indeed a wee peanut. Her stats:
Height: 27 3/4 inches - 5%
Weight: 17 lbs, 8oz - 5%
Head: don't recall exactly, but it was 90%!
She's doing fine all around, which is good to hear even when you already know it :)
Check out my next post for more....
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
In other news
Today I emailed the lady who adopted our dog Tilli over two years ago. The kids had been wanting to see pictures of her. She replied that Tilli had passed away early this year. The description of events sounded like bloat was the culprit. My heart crumpled a little bit. No, she hadn't been our dog for some time now, but I loved her a lot and so did the kids and she and her hi-jinks are part of our family folklore. Rest in peace Tilli. I hope you find heaven full of warm laps, dog friendly couches, unfenced spaces and unlimited snacks.
So I've decided to start weaning Elsa. This was a hard decision for me since I nursed Gwen till 2.5 years and it was a good experience for both of us. However, I need a break. I need a break from being pregnant and/or nursing. If we are going to have another child, then I need a good chunk of time where I'm not pregnant or nursing. Partly because I want to lose some weight (I'll talk about that later in this post) and I can't seem to go below a certain level while nursing and partly because, well, have you ever been so touched out that you just can't take another pinch, bump, bite or nudge? Where you feel like backing up, arms outstretched, and saying, "Hey, some space please!". That's kinda where I am. I'm a person who needs a little personal space to retain mental peace. That's why I could never sling my babies round the clock like some people do. After awhile, the slightest touch would make me incredibly cranky. So I'm still nursing her in the wee hours of the morning when we arise (5am seems like the hot hour these days), and if she wakes at night (which she's not doing anymore). Otherwise, she gets a bottle of milk. She does not seem bothered in the slightest by the change, and I'm ok with it too. I need to remind myself that what I did with one child is not required to do with another. Each child, each time frame, each situation, is different.
I'm on my 3rd day of doing Slim-Fast. I don't know why I chose to do Slim-Fast. Probably because its easy and convenient mostly. And I think it works well for my eating habits. So far its been ok. I had to change around the basic plan a little. They say a shake for breakfast, snack, shake and "side" for lunch, snack, then a regular meal for dinner, then a snack. Well I'm ravenous in the mornings and almost never eat lunch so I switched it to having a shake and toast or yogurt in the mornings and just a shake for lunch and this works better for me (and my blood sugar). I'm seeing if a straight calorie reduction gets me on the way. Right now its hard for me to find time to exercise. If I can, I will, but I'm hoping that cutting back calories to a much smaller amount and weaning should allow my body to release the weight. Last year I was walking almost three miles every other day for a month and cutting back calories and didn't lose any weight or inches. And my milk supply suffered. My body protects its milk supply! I don't have that much to lose so if I can keep on this without too much cheating, I should be done by August.
On Friday we leave for Spokane to visit the family peeps over yonder. Because my camera is busted, I won't have any pictures to share. Maybe I'll pick up one of those digital disposables. I've been wanting to try them. The kids are, of course, super excited because its HOTEL! And SWIMMING POOL! And best of all, FREE BREAKFAST! Heh, for these kids going to a hotel is just about all the excitement they can handle :)
So I've decided to start weaning Elsa. This was a hard decision for me since I nursed Gwen till 2.5 years and it was a good experience for both of us. However, I need a break. I need a break from being pregnant and/or nursing. If we are going to have another child, then I need a good chunk of time where I'm not pregnant or nursing. Partly because I want to lose some weight (I'll talk about that later in this post) and I can't seem to go below a certain level while nursing and partly because, well, have you ever been so touched out that you just can't take another pinch, bump, bite or nudge? Where you feel like backing up, arms outstretched, and saying, "Hey, some space please!". That's kinda where I am. I'm a person who needs a little personal space to retain mental peace. That's why I could never sling my babies round the clock like some people do. After awhile, the slightest touch would make me incredibly cranky. So I'm still nursing her in the wee hours of the morning when we arise (5am seems like the hot hour these days), and if she wakes at night (which she's not doing anymore). Otherwise, she gets a bottle of milk. She does not seem bothered in the slightest by the change, and I'm ok with it too. I need to remind myself that what I did with one child is not required to do with another. Each child, each time frame, each situation, is different.
I'm on my 3rd day of doing Slim-Fast. I don't know why I chose to do Slim-Fast. Probably because its easy and convenient mostly. And I think it works well for my eating habits. So far its been ok. I had to change around the basic plan a little. They say a shake for breakfast, snack, shake and "side" for lunch, snack, then a regular meal for dinner, then a snack. Well I'm ravenous in the mornings and almost never eat lunch so I switched it to having a shake and toast or yogurt in the mornings and just a shake for lunch and this works better for me (and my blood sugar). I'm seeing if a straight calorie reduction gets me on the way. Right now its hard for me to find time to exercise. If I can, I will, but I'm hoping that cutting back calories to a much smaller amount and weaning should allow my body to release the weight. Last year I was walking almost three miles every other day for a month and cutting back calories and didn't lose any weight or inches. And my milk supply suffered. My body protects its milk supply! I don't have that much to lose so if I can keep on this without too much cheating, I should be done by August.
On Friday we leave for Spokane to visit the family peeps over yonder. Because my camera is busted, I won't have any pictures to share. Maybe I'll pick up one of those digital disposables. I've been wanting to try them. The kids are, of course, super excited because its HOTEL! And SWIMMING POOL! And best of all, FREE BREAKFAST! Heh, for these kids going to a hotel is just about all the excitement they can handle :)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Happy Birthday to Elsa
Wow.
1 year old... I can't believe its been that long. Every day has felt long, but the weeks and months go fast. She seems too small to be that old.
We held a party for her on Sunday. She fit the dress that Gwen wore for her first birthday perfectly, though she didn't appreciate the skirt sticking under her knees and making it hard to crawl. The weather was perfect... warm and gentle.
Right before the party I tried to take a few "beauty" shots. Elsa was NOT cooperative, but we got a few good ones. I'm putting them all up though because I think she looks darling in her dress!
Unfortunately, after these photo set was taken, Ethan dropped my camera on the pavement and its now bollixed. I've gone through two of those cameras now... I guess we're tough on them. The rest of the pictures were taken with our video camera and are therefore very poor in quality.
Her personal cake. It looks huge here, but the plate is a very small lunch plate. Though, we did find that it was still far too much cake for Elsa!
Doesn't she look excited? Heh.
Yummy
Frosting in the eye... the sign that the fun is over!
We gave her a sink bath after she was done and she zonked out pretty fast in Grandma Karen's arms soon after. I will tell you though, that girl ate a LOT of cake. I was impressed.
After everyone had left the kids were watching TV. It becomes quiet. The show has ended, and the children aren't talking. We peek over the couch to find...
It was a busy day for everyone!
Today Gwen was supposed to have her field trip the Kangaroo Farm. Unfortunately, its been raining (as in downpour) since last night and it was canceled due to excessive mud. You can imagine that she was very very disappointed... poor thing. Her teachers still held school today though and it was a day of fun with pizza, popsicles and games.
Ethan has his class field trip this Thursday. We're going to tour my favorite grocery store, Central Market. I'm very excited about this. More so than Ethan!
1 year old... I can't believe its been that long. Every day has felt long, but the weeks and months go fast. She seems too small to be that old.
We held a party for her on Sunday. She fit the dress that Gwen wore for her first birthday perfectly, though she didn't appreciate the skirt sticking under her knees and making it hard to crawl. The weather was perfect... warm and gentle.
Right before the party I tried to take a few "beauty" shots. Elsa was NOT cooperative, but we got a few good ones. I'm putting them all up though because I think she looks darling in her dress!
Unfortunately, after these photo set was taken, Ethan dropped my camera on the pavement and its now bollixed. I've gone through two of those cameras now... I guess we're tough on them. The rest of the pictures were taken with our video camera and are therefore very poor in quality.
Her personal cake. It looks huge here, but the plate is a very small lunch plate. Though, we did find that it was still far too much cake for Elsa!
Doesn't she look excited? Heh.
Yummy
Frosting in the eye... the sign that the fun is over!
We gave her a sink bath after she was done and she zonked out pretty fast in Grandma Karen's arms soon after. I will tell you though, that girl ate a LOT of cake. I was impressed.
After everyone had left the kids were watching TV. It becomes quiet. The show has ended, and the children aren't talking. We peek over the couch to find...
It was a busy day for everyone!
Today Gwen was supposed to have her field trip the Kangaroo Farm. Unfortunately, its been raining (as in downpour) since last night and it was canceled due to excessive mud. You can imagine that she was very very disappointed... poor thing. Her teachers still held school today though and it was a day of fun with pizza, popsicles and games.
Ethan has his class field trip this Thursday. We're going to tour my favorite grocery store, Central Market. I'm very excited about this. More so than Ethan!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
We are going to homeschool
So I think we've officially decided to home-school Ethan next year. We have really agonized over the decision. Gwen will still attend pre-k at the church pre-school next year. We love the school and the teachers and the kids seem to really enjoy the experience. That will also give me a "warm up" year to get used to home-schooling. Its strange, although I grew up home-schooled and almost everyone I knew was home-schooled, it still frightens me. Perhaps because I know my own weaknesses and organization, planning and follow-through are not at the top of my character qualities. Perhaps its knowing that we are solely responsible for every aspect of our children's education.
I will tell you there is a large part, a VERY large part, of me that just wants to get over my uneasiness and send the kids to a public or private school. I have enjoyed the hours during the week when its just me and Elsa, running errands and doing little task are much easier with 1 child instead of 3. I worry about feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, like I often do now... without having the added responsibility of schooling.
Perhaps the biggest reason I've reluctantly agreed with home-schooling is that Jason has done a complete 180 on it. When we first married and had children, he wasn't interested at all in home-schooling. We had agreed that a private school would be the path we'd take. Yet over the years his position started to change and now he feels very differently than before. Jason doesn't change his mind very often. When he does, its worth paying attention to.
In other news, speaking of Jason, he just went to bed after working a 24 hour shift. Yep. He started yesterday at 6am and stopped this morning at around 7:30am. He had some upgrades to do at work, but everything went to heck in a handbasket right before the upgrade and he, and a few co-workers in Cincinnati, worked all evening, through the wee hours and into the morning to resolve the problem. He came home around midnight (thank goodness, I could finally fall asleep), had dinner, and settled in. I awoke this morning and found the bed still empty. I couldn't believe he was still working! Around 3am he had to make coffee and had most the pot drunk by the time I got up at 5:30am (yes, 5:30. My children punish me with their early waking!). He's not a good day sleeper, so I don't know how rested he's going to be today, poor guy. I'm proud of him though. This is why his superiors give him such glowing reports. He works his butt off and does it with good nature and skill, even when he's running on empty.
I washed all the downstairs windows yesterday. Its amazing how much brighter and clearer the light is in the house! I also scrubbed most the mildew off the shady parts of the patio. Still will need to rent my parents pressure washer though.
My garden is very very slowly growing. The only thing really growing with vigor is parsley, which is kinda funny because I've had no luck growing it in the past! Carrots haven't grown at all in about 3 weeks. Beets are still tiny. Lettuce pretty much the same. Radishes took off the last few days, but even the biggest ones are the size of a pencil eraser. Tomato's got weather burned a little by the unexpected freezing temps we've had off and on at night. Basil is weak weak... just barely holding on. It even looks sad.
Go parsley!
Sad basil
Happy, mop-headed, dirt-eating, child
I will tell you there is a large part, a VERY large part, of me that just wants to get over my uneasiness and send the kids to a public or private school. I have enjoyed the hours during the week when its just me and Elsa, running errands and doing little task are much easier with 1 child instead of 3. I worry about feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, like I often do now... without having the added responsibility of schooling.
Perhaps the biggest reason I've reluctantly agreed with home-schooling is that Jason has done a complete 180 on it. When we first married and had children, he wasn't interested at all in home-schooling. We had agreed that a private school would be the path we'd take. Yet over the years his position started to change and now he feels very differently than before. Jason doesn't change his mind very often. When he does, its worth paying attention to.
In other news, speaking of Jason, he just went to bed after working a 24 hour shift. Yep. He started yesterday at 6am and stopped this morning at around 7:30am. He had some upgrades to do at work, but everything went to heck in a handbasket right before the upgrade and he, and a few co-workers in Cincinnati, worked all evening, through the wee hours and into the morning to resolve the problem. He came home around midnight (thank goodness, I could finally fall asleep), had dinner, and settled in. I awoke this morning and found the bed still empty. I couldn't believe he was still working! Around 3am he had to make coffee and had most the pot drunk by the time I got up at 5:30am (yes, 5:30. My children punish me with their early waking!). He's not a good day sleeper, so I don't know how rested he's going to be today, poor guy. I'm proud of him though. This is why his superiors give him such glowing reports. He works his butt off and does it with good nature and skill, even when he's running on empty.
I washed all the downstairs windows yesterday. Its amazing how much brighter and clearer the light is in the house! I also scrubbed most the mildew off the shady parts of the patio. Still will need to rent my parents pressure washer though.
My garden is very very slowly growing. The only thing really growing with vigor is parsley, which is kinda funny because I've had no luck growing it in the past! Carrots haven't grown at all in about 3 weeks. Beets are still tiny. Lettuce pretty much the same. Radishes took off the last few days, but even the biggest ones are the size of a pencil eraser. Tomato's got weather burned a little by the unexpected freezing temps we've had off and on at night. Basil is weak weak... just barely holding on. It even looks sad.
Go parsley!
Sad basil
Happy, mop-headed, dirt-eating, child
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Even a mother can be mothered
Today I woke up feeling really bad. At first I thought it was because all three children were raring to go at 5am. But it wasn't... I had (have) a very stiff neck and shoulders, an aching head and nausea.
I managed to get Ethan to school, but was feeling sick enough that I was carrying a ziploc bag in my pocket because I felt like I was going to hurl at any moment. I called my Mom, broke down crying, and asked if I could come over because I could not bear to care for the children feeling this bad.
Bless her heart, she said to come over right away and after we picked E up from school we did just that. I came in, said hello, and went right to bed. 20 minutes later my Mom comes up with a bowl of chicken and rice soup and saltines, which, even though my stomach was churning, went down easy and more importantly, stayed down :)
I stayed in bed for 3 hours. They, Jenni and Mom, tended to the kids that time and kept me undisturbed. It was so nice. It was so so nice.
When I did roll out of bed, I felt better, though not quite healed. If this is the same bug my sister Michelle had, it'll be another day before I feel better.
There is nothing like being at your parent's house, tucked into a bed, fed and tended to, with not a care in the world because your Mom is taking care of it all.
Thanks for being there for me Mom.
I managed to get Ethan to school, but was feeling sick enough that I was carrying a ziploc bag in my pocket because I felt like I was going to hurl at any moment. I called my Mom, broke down crying, and asked if I could come over because I could not bear to care for the children feeling this bad.
Bless her heart, she said to come over right away and after we picked E up from school we did just that. I came in, said hello, and went right to bed. 20 minutes later my Mom comes up with a bowl of chicken and rice soup and saltines, which, even though my stomach was churning, went down easy and more importantly, stayed down :)
I stayed in bed for 3 hours. They, Jenni and Mom, tended to the kids that time and kept me undisturbed. It was so nice. It was so so nice.
When I did roll out of bed, I felt better, though not quite healed. If this is the same bug my sister Michelle had, it'll be another day before I feel better.
There is nothing like being at your parent's house, tucked into a bed, fed and tended to, with not a care in the world because your Mom is taking care of it all.
Thanks for being there for me Mom.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Clever
All the kids have a bit of a cough, so we dosed them with a spoonful of honey right before bed.
Me: and Jesus, we ask that you heal Ethan of his cough so he...
Ethan: Momma? Can you tell God that I don't want my cough to go away? I want to have some more honey tomorrow.
Me: Um.
Ethan: Well, let just ask him if I can be sick for one more day, then after my honey tomorrow night, he can make me better.
Me: Ok, buddy, whatever you want to ask of God you can. But he may make you better anyway.
Ethan: Awwww... *said with frustration*
Me: and Jesus, we ask that you heal Ethan of his cough so he...
Ethan: Momma? Can you tell God that I don't want my cough to go away? I want to have some more honey tomorrow.
Me: Um.
Ethan: Well, let just ask him if I can be sick for one more day, then after my honey tomorrow night, he can make me better.
Me: Ok, buddy, whatever you want to ask of God you can. But he may make you better anyway.
Ethan: Awwww... *said with frustration*
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Bedtime routines
There was a time when our bedtime routines with the kids were simple and quick. Nowadays they are a complicated dance!
Gwen's are the most elaborate. We thought we had it bad with the numerous "beeps" we had to give each night (a beep is when we touch her nose with our finger). We thought it had gone too far when she wanted to give us foot beeps (touching our nose with her feet, ew!). Lately the nighttime ritual has grown more elaborate and despite it being somewhat frustrating at times, its pretty darn cute.
First we must pray. And it must be a "good pray", not one of those, "Thank you Lord for this day. Amen" prayers. Then she reminds me of the 5 steps. The prayer, then the Eskimo kiss, then the regular kiss, then the hug, then the beep. But that is not all folks. Recently she added another procedure all on her own. She tousles your hair. Then she pinches your ear. Her fingers are run over your eyebrows and you are told, "They feel different". Then she compares the temperature of your forehead to hers. "Hot" "hot" "They match!". (Note: both our heads are always hot). She runs a finger down my ski-jump nose ("whee!"), then touches each nostril. Then she asks that I open my mouth very wide and not bite her finger. But she really does want me to bite her finger, so I do when she tries to put it in my mouth.
So after that 20 minute routine is done, the baby is easy in comparison. I hate to say anything and risk jinxing it, but Elsa has been going down really easy. I lay her down, pat her back, and leave. Almost too good to be true there.
Ethan doesn't like a lot of fuss in the evenings. Usually he wants me to sing, hug, kiss, and pray. A lot of the time we talk about what happened during our day, especially if he got in trouble or I lost my temper with him. We ask forgiveness, if needed, and all the bad air is cleared before we go to bed. Ethan and I butt heads the most, so its nice to end on a good note.
Many nights these little routines seem like a big hassle, but really they are sweet and show the personalities of each of our children.
In other news, Gwen had her first dance class on Thursday. She loved it and looked so cute in her outfit.
I don't know that we'll be returning to the dance studio though. It was extremely professional, which is not a bad thing. However, I think its perhaps a little too intense for what we want for Gwen at this stage. There are also some things, like parents not being allowed to view the class and having to pay to see the kids perform, that don't sit well with me. In a few years, if Gwen really wants to do dance intensely, this would be the place. For now, I think we'll seek out more gentle pastures for her to frolic.
Grammy invited me to go to a brunch at her church today and I had a wonderful time. I got to meet many of her friends and hear an entertaining speaker/comedian/writer by the name of Jenn Doucette. I could relate to so much of what she was saying! Anyway, it was fun morning out with a lady I sure love a lot :)
Gwen's are the most elaborate. We thought we had it bad with the numerous "beeps" we had to give each night (a beep is when we touch her nose with our finger). We thought it had gone too far when she wanted to give us foot beeps (touching our nose with her feet, ew!). Lately the nighttime ritual has grown more elaborate and despite it being somewhat frustrating at times, its pretty darn cute.
First we must pray. And it must be a "good pray", not one of those, "Thank you Lord for this day. Amen" prayers. Then she reminds me of the 5 steps. The prayer, then the Eskimo kiss, then the regular kiss, then the hug, then the beep. But that is not all folks. Recently she added another procedure all on her own. She tousles your hair. Then she pinches your ear. Her fingers are run over your eyebrows and you are told, "They feel different". Then she compares the temperature of your forehead to hers. "Hot" "hot" "They match!". (Note: both our heads are always hot). She runs a finger down my ski-jump nose ("whee!"), then touches each nostril. Then she asks that I open my mouth very wide and not bite her finger. But she really does want me to bite her finger, so I do when she tries to put it in my mouth.
So after that 20 minute routine is done, the baby is easy in comparison. I hate to say anything and risk jinxing it, but Elsa has been going down really easy. I lay her down, pat her back, and leave. Almost too good to be true there.
Ethan doesn't like a lot of fuss in the evenings. Usually he wants me to sing, hug, kiss, and pray. A lot of the time we talk about what happened during our day, especially if he got in trouble or I lost my temper with him. We ask forgiveness, if needed, and all the bad air is cleared before we go to bed. Ethan and I butt heads the most, so its nice to end on a good note.
Many nights these little routines seem like a big hassle, but really they are sweet and show the personalities of each of our children.
In other news, Gwen had her first dance class on Thursday. She loved it and looked so cute in her outfit.
I don't know that we'll be returning to the dance studio though. It was extremely professional, which is not a bad thing. However, I think its perhaps a little too intense for what we want for Gwen at this stage. There are also some things, like parents not being allowed to view the class and having to pay to see the kids perform, that don't sit well with me. In a few years, if Gwen really wants to do dance intensely, this would be the place. For now, I think we'll seek out more gentle pastures for her to frolic.
Grammy invited me to go to a brunch at her church today and I had a wonderful time. I got to meet many of her friends and hear an entertaining speaker/comedian/writer by the name of Jenn Doucette. I could relate to so much of what she was saying! Anyway, it was fun morning out with a lady I sure love a lot :)
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