Hello Friends,
So things here are good. Z is finding words and being 2 all at the same time...He argues and cries about everything and holy cow is he loud about it! I may have lost my temper with him a few times lately and yelled. OK I have lost my temper several times as of late....he has definitely spent a decent amount of time in the corner pulling him self together. He only has to stay there until he is done crying and carrying on. It seems to help a little. Oh Two!
J is going well, trying to be a good big brother and enjoying his summer. He got to try archery with my dad the other day, he loved it! We are going to have to go back to the facility, its only a mile or so from our house. That's actually OK with me, I loved the archery units in HS.
One of my besties, A (she's almost like a sister as she lived with my family for 3 years just out of HS) lives in FL and I don't get to see her much. She and her new husband, a brilliant photographer, are traveling the art show circuit this summer and home based out of her moms here in WI for about 6 weeks while they did Midwest shows. My family got to have a lovely dinner with them both on July 3, they spent the night at my parents and then we all had breakfast on the 4th before they headed to another show. Her husband was out of town this week and she squeaked out a little more time to spend with us. I bit the bullet and took a last minute half day of vacation and spent it with her! It was sooo nice. We met my dad for lunch at BRA.VO (yum!) then we just hung out for a few hours before it was time to get Husband and the boys. We spent the time chatting and visiting like we have never been apart. I miss that sooo much! My mom, dad and sister joined us for dinner at our house and it was wonderful. They head out of town this weekend for some fairs out in UT and then they will go back home. I can't wait for next summer when I think they will be here longer. I may also get to see her, and help with a show in IL, in Sept....still working out the logistics on that one! Trying hard!
Husband is also doing well. He has been helping his brother with some stuff and ended up with some extra spending money. He bought a 90 gallon fish tank! OH BOY! We had a 55 gallon salt water tank for 5 years before we moved into our house. Then he just decided that with a new house, yard, and new baby (Z) on the way, his time and $ could be better spent. I have sensed the itch to get back into it coming for about 6 months now. He is building his own stand for it, so it will probably be a month or so before it gets set up. He seems quite pleased with himself and is happy puttering around in the garage.
Not sure if I have stated this here or not, but Husband is not a licensed driver. Some stuff happened before we met and he lost the privilege. Then he moved to WI with me and getting it back became complicated over state lines. He almost got it back twice, but misinformation has prevented it one way or another. Its also "easy" in that we work together so we can drive together and we live on a bus line so if he has to he can get around that way too. He is worried about increased insurance and another car payment when he does get it back, so just never has. I cannot fight with him about it. If I push him, he shuts down and I will NOT fix this for him. Its his mess to straighten out.
So, yesterday, Husband came to me and stated that maybe its time to get his license back. He said all the right things. Things I have said to him over the years. It would be easier to divide and conquer the errands, the kids activities, I wouldn't have to do all the driving etc.... And, well, when I should have been grateful, I got kinda irritated. I'm still kinda irritated. This, this one thing (I cant mention it here yet) is going to prompt you after all this time to get it back? Not the times when I was so tired and had no driver to back me up on a trip, or when getting it all done with one car and one driver is hard and often times complicated. Not when I was at the end of my rope about it all? Nope. Just this one thing. UGH! and yet, I should be feeling grateful. I should be jumping for joy.....still processing. No answers yet, no action yet. Just these muddled up feelings.
We are headed into our craziest part of summer next week. Husband and I took off on Wednesday and are going to take J to Gre.at Amer.ica for the day. He earned a free ticket for a reading challenge at school. He worked really hard at it and I think its what prompted his reading taking off. If it wasn't for that, I would have said HELL NO!. I ordered tix online in advance (saved $44!) and just for Husband and myself it was still $97! We still have to do parking when we get there and figure out food. I'm thinking we will be packing a lunch! Highway robbery....here's the best part. I hate those rides. A lot. I'm only going cause, well, I'm the driver and I want to experience it with him. From the ground! Maybe I can just work on my tan and read my Kin.dle.
Thursday, we will head to our friends cabin 6 hours away for the weekend. An annual thing for about 5 or 6 years now. We will return home on Sunday and crawl to work exhausted on Monday!
Have a good day everyone!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
A Slightly Smaller Catch Up (June - July to date)
Well hello friends! Look, look its only been a little while since my last post! hahaha actually that last post was getting crazy long so I decided to stop and start new.
I forgot at the end of May, our air conditioning in our van went out. $1500 minimum to fix it they tell me. Forget it, I tell them. Off to C.arM.ax we go. So a few months earlier than we hoped, we have a new van. Not as fancy of a model as our last one, but still nice, lower milage and it gets COLD!
June found us at the end of second grade for J. His teachers had nothing but great things to say about him. Nice to hear from others. I never know how he is away from us. You can only hope right? He finally conquored reading around Christmas and is devouring books. He is almost through the "Di.ary of a Wim.py K.id" Series and has finished several other chapter books in the meantime. He adores school and I cant wait for this next year. His school just got accepted to be a Charter school for Arts. That means art of all forms will be a part of everyday learning! This should only enhance his love of school as he is very artistic with drawing, painting and dancing!
In the summer, we have a crazy daily schedule. I allow J to go to his Daycare about 2 times a week for big fun field trips (museums, ball games, tours, play zones, etc....) and the rest of the days are spent at his beloved Babysitters where Z goes. Unfortunately, as she is self employed, she also takes many Fridays off in the summer. In past summers, I have struggled to fill these with a college age person at the house and then only when I needed to, fell back on the daycare for both boys. This year, we just decided to bite the financial bullet and if she was off they both went to Daycare. This does mean that to drop Z in for just one day a week is $94! (ouch!) But it has resulted in a much easier life. Sort of. I still have to check my calendar before bed every night to see who goes where in the am! :) Thank goodness for Google Calendar! I can type it in on my computer and check it on my phone. It also sinks to Husbands phone so he can see too. Very helpful!
The Friday school ended, we started our summer adventures. We drove 3 hours to Door County, WI, and spent the night. All day, Saturday we were with family at a reunion of sorts while seeing that beautiful part of the state, we left after dinner and drove 3 hours back home. Sunday morning we woke up and I packed J for a week and we drove to 3 hours to St Charles, IL to my sister-in-laws home. She had agreed to take him for a weekn in addition to her 4! And she babysits during the day! Husband, Z and I turned around and drove 3 more hours home. Thank goodness for the new individual DVD players my mom got for the boys in the van. This was Z on the way to IL.
J did great, except for the 2 times he called home at night. He was just so exhausted that he cried and wanted to come home. But he didnt really. But he did. So we just decided not to talk and I texted my SIL for updates. He was exhausted because they have a trampoline and a zipline in thier backyard, they went swimming at least twice, they went bowling, and to Se.venEl.even for slushies! Whew! Husband, Z and I went back Friday night, spent the night and stayed through lunch the next day and then headed home. That was just the first week of summer vacay!
The second week, we were blessed to have my dad home and on vacation from work so every morning he came to our house as we were leaving for work with Z and stayed with J until it was time to go to Vacation Bible School at our church. He then picked him up after and they had adventures. They went to the library, to the Dinosaur Museum in Kenosha and got to ride the trolley. On Thursday, as they were leaving my parents house to go to the barn to ride horses, J noticed a large fire at the neighbors backyard and told my dad. They ran over to see if anyone was home, nope, and my dad put out the fire with the hose that was filling the pool. J saved thier house! They were so grateful they wrote a letter to him saying he was thier hero and gave him $25 to Cul.vers! He was very proud. I am very proud! Here is a pic my dad took after the fire was out of J putting wather on the smoldering fence. Thats my parents house on the other side of the bigger fence so he may have saved thier house too!
I forgot at the end of May, our air conditioning in our van went out. $1500 minimum to fix it they tell me. Forget it, I tell them. Off to C.arM.ax we go. So a few months earlier than we hoped, we have a new van. Not as fancy of a model as our last one, but still nice, lower milage and it gets COLD!
June found us at the end of second grade for J. His teachers had nothing but great things to say about him. Nice to hear from others. I never know how he is away from us. You can only hope right? He finally conquored reading around Christmas and is devouring books. He is almost through the "Di.ary of a Wim.py K.id" Series and has finished several other chapter books in the meantime. He adores school and I cant wait for this next year. His school just got accepted to be a Charter school for Arts. That means art of all forms will be a part of everyday learning! This should only enhance his love of school as he is very artistic with drawing, painting and dancing!
In the summer, we have a crazy daily schedule. I allow J to go to his Daycare about 2 times a week for big fun field trips (museums, ball games, tours, play zones, etc....) and the rest of the days are spent at his beloved Babysitters where Z goes. Unfortunately, as she is self employed, she also takes many Fridays off in the summer. In past summers, I have struggled to fill these with a college age person at the house and then only when I needed to, fell back on the daycare for both boys. This year, we just decided to bite the financial bullet and if she was off they both went to Daycare. This does mean that to drop Z in for just one day a week is $94! (ouch!) But it has resulted in a much easier life. Sort of. I still have to check my calendar before bed every night to see who goes where in the am! :) Thank goodness for Google Calendar! I can type it in on my computer and check it on my phone. It also sinks to Husbands phone so he can see too. Very helpful!
The Friday school ended, we started our summer adventures. We drove 3 hours to Door County, WI, and spent the night. All day, Saturday we were with family at a reunion of sorts while seeing that beautiful part of the state, we left after dinner and drove 3 hours back home. Sunday morning we woke up and I packed J for a week and we drove to 3 hours to St Charles, IL to my sister-in-laws home. She had agreed to take him for a weekn in addition to her 4! And she babysits during the day! Husband, Z and I turned around and drove 3 more hours home. Thank goodness for the new individual DVD players my mom got for the boys in the van. This was Z on the way to IL.
The second week, we were blessed to have my dad home and on vacation from work so every morning he came to our house as we were leaving for work with Z and stayed with J until it was time to go to Vacation Bible School at our church. He then picked him up after and they had adventures. They went to the library, to the Dinosaur Museum in Kenosha and got to ride the trolley. On Thursday, as they were leaving my parents house to go to the barn to ride horses, J noticed a large fire at the neighbors backyard and told my dad. They ran over to see if anyone was home, nope, and my dad put out the fire with the hose that was filling the pool. J saved thier house! They were so grateful they wrote a letter to him saying he was thier hero and gave him $25 to Cul.vers! He was very proud. I am very proud! Here is a pic my dad took after the fire was out of J putting wather on the smoldering fence. Thats my parents house on the other side of the bigger fence so he may have saved thier house too!
July arrived and Husband and I took off on the Friday after the 4th for a 4 day weekend. It was sooo nice.
We bit the bullet and had our first rummage sale. The baby stuff must go! We need to regain space and I dont think there are any babies in our future! Apparently 4th of July weekends are not great but it helped us get prepared. We learned some and I think will have another in Sept...when its cooler.
We invested again in a splash pool for our backyard. (They dont seem to winter well but the price is less than $100 and we use it A LOT) I also found a new Coast Guard approved life jacket for Z. He loves it and is learning how to puppy paddle. (I promise I was only out of the water for the pic).
I think you are up to date on our home life and our cutie kids. August is set with adventure already so I will do my best to keep you updated.
Have a great day!
A HUGE Catch Up (Feb - May)
Oh my goodness friends, it has been since February when I posted last! What the heck!?! Im so lame!
I faithfully follow blogs, sometimes its every few days but I am caught up on all the blogs I read. I'm inspired by so many moms out there. I am moved by so many stories I read, sometimes even moved to action. Then I go to write my own stuff about my own little life and kinda feel like what do I have to put out in this world? My stories are not inspriring, my stories are far from moving. But I keep coming back to this blank page. So, boring and uninspiring as it may be, here we go again.
Life since February.... well, the last post showed me getting organized with photos on my walls. To be honest, I'm not much further. I did get a watercolor that we bought in Puerto Rico on our honeymoon framed. Its gorgeous, just not on the wall yet. Its so dumb, sticking nails in the wall is so easy and quick and yet, I'm sort of terrified to do it. Like I might mess it up. I love when its done. Cant stop staring at what we accomplished back in February and just cant get it done. Someday soon I hope. The paper pile in the bedroom, well that needs to get tackled again....as does J's room which is just a dumping ground for his crap. I'm to the point that I need to take everything out of his room and then only put back the stuff thats good and in a "home" spot. Never gonna happen with Z around. Maybe a magic wand?
In late March, I took Z for a hearing test to see if that is the cause of his delayed speech. Nope. He hears just fine. Of course that fell into Easter and it took awhile to get the Birth to Three program to call me back and set up a visit/evaluation. First visit was end of April and the evaluation wasnt until mid-May! A little frustrating. Especially for a little boy who has so much to say he just cant make us understand him. Well, we are on the right track now and have had 3 visits now. He is making leaps and bounds progress. He can usually make himself understood now, sometimes even with 3 and 4 word phrases! There is still work to be done on his word formaiton and some other things but it is so nice. His latest little word is "yep" and its sooo cute! I love to hear him say it.
In April, J had his tap dance recital. It was the 25th Annual Recital for the studio where I used to teach. I danced in the show as an alumni and as part of a crazy parents dance. Sooo fun! J did great too. A friend of mine is a photographer and was taking shots backstage. She took this one of J and I. Love it!
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She also took this one of J, his teacher Mr B and his classmates waiting to go on. Im there too waiting to watch my tapper! Love behind the scenes stuff!
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His tap teacher has retired and moved away so I have agreed to go back and teach the boys tap class and a boys dance class one night a week. J is excited and so am I!
Also in April, J & Husband participated in the science fair at the elementary school. This was supposed to be a father son thing....that got procrastinated on until it became a family (almost a huge fight) thing the day before it was due. It turned out pretty well and J did a great job speaking in front of the crowd and doing the demonstration of his Volcano.
May started off with me missing the step from our family room into the kitchen and gettting into a fight with our garbage can......Garbage can won. This pic was 2 days later, it got even prettier (not) and then it took almost 3 weeks for all the color to go away! Poor Husband had to endure lots of looks!
May was full of normal everyday stuff. End tap class, Kentucky Derby party (with hats and bets) at a friends house, Grandparents day at school, start of baseball practice for J (first foray into organized sports) AND J finally learned to ride this little bike.
May was also full of more grown up events: For my birthday in December, my sister had bought me a ticket to see Kenny Chesney at Miller Park and one of my besties came along too. Great sister/girlfriend outing, beautiful, fun, night.
Husband and I got to go to dinner and see a show with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert- very cool. AND....we had our 11th Wedding Anniversary. My sister watched the boys and we used a gift certificate from two years ago to go out to a fancy resturaunt in Milwaukee and enjoy great food. A good, busy, fun month.
June brought us the end of second grade and the jump into our crazy summer. This is getting very long. I think I will start a new post. Thanks for sticking with me friends!
I faithfully follow blogs, sometimes its every few days but I am caught up on all the blogs I read. I'm inspired by so many moms out there. I am moved by so many stories I read, sometimes even moved to action. Then I go to write my own stuff about my own little life and kinda feel like what do I have to put out in this world? My stories are not inspriring, my stories are far from moving. But I keep coming back to this blank page. So, boring and uninspiring as it may be, here we go again.
Life since February.... well, the last post showed me getting organized with photos on my walls. To be honest, I'm not much further. I did get a watercolor that we bought in Puerto Rico on our honeymoon framed. Its gorgeous, just not on the wall yet. Its so dumb, sticking nails in the wall is so easy and quick and yet, I'm sort of terrified to do it. Like I might mess it up. I love when its done. Cant stop staring at what we accomplished back in February and just cant get it done. Someday soon I hope. The paper pile in the bedroom, well that needs to get tackled again....as does J's room which is just a dumping ground for his crap. I'm to the point that I need to take everything out of his room and then only put back the stuff thats good and in a "home" spot. Never gonna happen with Z around. Maybe a magic wand?
In late March, I took Z for a hearing test to see if that is the cause of his delayed speech. Nope. He hears just fine. Of course that fell into Easter and it took awhile to get the Birth to Three program to call me back and set up a visit/evaluation. First visit was end of April and the evaluation wasnt until mid-May! A little frustrating. Especially for a little boy who has so much to say he just cant make us understand him. Well, we are on the right track now and have had 3 visits now. He is making leaps and bounds progress. He can usually make himself understood now, sometimes even with 3 and 4 word phrases! There is still work to be done on his word formaiton and some other things but it is so nice. His latest little word is "yep" and its sooo cute! I love to hear him say it.
In April, J had his tap dance recital. It was the 25th Annual Recital for the studio where I used to teach. I danced in the show as an alumni and as part of a crazy parents dance. Sooo fun! J did great too. A friend of mine is a photographer and was taking shots backstage. She took this one of J and I. Love it!
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Also in April, J & Husband participated in the science fair at the elementary school. This was supposed to be a father son thing....that got procrastinated on until it became a family (almost a huge fight) thing the day before it was due. It turned out pretty well and J did a great job speaking in front of the crowd and doing the demonstration of his Volcano.
May was full of normal everyday stuff. End tap class, Kentucky Derby party (with hats and bets) at a friends house, Grandparents day at school, start of baseball practice for J (first foray into organized sports) AND J finally learned to ride this little bike.
Here is Z trying hard to catch up!
So J was finally able to call up my mom and say "guess who gets to buy me a new bike?" (Last summer, my parents had promised him a new bigger one if he learned to ride the one he had. ) So a week later, as promised, he came home with......
and can ride it pretty well. Corners arent so great but he's getting there.
Thats my sis!
Husband and I got to go to dinner and see a show with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert- very cool. AND....we had our 11th Wedding Anniversary. My sister watched the boys and we used a gift certificate from two years ago to go out to a fancy resturaunt in Milwaukee and enjoy great food. A good, busy, fun month.
June brought us the end of second grade and the jump into our crazy summer. This is getting very long. I think I will start a new post. Thanks for sticking with me friends!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
A start .....
Hello Friends,
A strange phenomenon has started to take place at my house.... organization....its weird and great and I kinda want to take a week off of work and keep doing it...but lets not go crazy!
So, the weekend before Husband went on his week away, I dug into our pantry. Like I pulled everything out, got rid of the expired stuff, stuff we weren't going to eat, wiped down all the shelves and put it all back in, in an orderly manner. It was NICE! It has managed to stay that way for 3 WEEKS!
The weekend he was gone, I hunted down all the frames I have bought over the last 2+ years, opened them all up, dusted them off, cleaned the glass and reassembled so they could dry before pics get inserted. Those sat against the wall in the living room for a week waiting.
This past weekend, my mom came over on Saturday to help me finally get some pictures on the wall. You all know this is a stresser for me, I have written about it often. The fact that I have 6 yr old pics of J in the envelope and I just picked up his 8 yr old pics......ugh!!!! So Husband asks if I want the boxes of pictures from when we moved brought up from the basement. Mom and I said sure......7 boxes (yes 7 she admitted sheepishly) came up. Leaving a rather nice gap in the basement! One was pretty vases etc that I am not ready to deal with so went back down stairs. One was 1/2 pictures and half pretty breakables that went back down after we pulled out some pics and put some that needed saving but not going on my walls back in. One was wedding (yes from 10 years ago) knick knacks that I went through and finally made decisions on, we actually emptied out a box! In one of them I found my jewelry I had been halfheartedly looking for since we moved. Nothing special, but some pretty costume stuff that would add some color to my wardrobe! The other 4 were all lovingly wrapped photos in frames. The result, when unwrapped, looked like this:
The taller pile in the middle, those are all of J....you would think he was an only child for a long time...... :)
We spent some time picking some pictures to go into 2 collage frames (why is that so hard for me?) I will share those later. We then decided to put up the things we KNEW where they were going. So we started in Z's room. The end result:
The rainbow fish pics have always been up. We put up the "Z" and somehow that corner looks complete now.
On the wall opposite the stripes, we put up a white shelf that contains a "brothers" picture and a baptism pic with his godparents along with a personalized Noah's ark bank from my sister from the same baptism. Under that is a newborn pic of he and I. Next to the closet door (the decals have been there all along) We added a cross from one of his god-mommies and added a hook for his bath towel. That's it. Thats all we did in that room and now when I go in there it is perfect!
Next up. The bathroom. We have the tiniest bathroom on the planet. It is only as wide as the tub you see below and as long as a sink and a toilet on the opposite wall. The gray frame you see on the left has always been there and hides behind the door, until you close the door and sit down to do your business, then you see a pic of an old outhouse... We added 1 wet baby pic of each boy at about the same age and again, its done. Two nails in the wall and a sigh of contentment.
A strange phenomenon has started to take place at my house.... organization....its weird and great and I kinda want to take a week off of work and keep doing it...but lets not go crazy!
So, the weekend before Husband went on his week away, I dug into our pantry. Like I pulled everything out, got rid of the expired stuff, stuff we weren't going to eat, wiped down all the shelves and put it all back in, in an orderly manner. It was NICE! It has managed to stay that way for 3 WEEKS!
The weekend he was gone, I hunted down all the frames I have bought over the last 2+ years, opened them all up, dusted them off, cleaned the glass and reassembled so they could dry before pics get inserted. Those sat against the wall in the living room for a week waiting.
This past weekend, my mom came over on Saturday to help me finally get some pictures on the wall. You all know this is a stresser for me, I have written about it often. The fact that I have 6 yr old pics of J in the envelope and I just picked up his 8 yr old pics......ugh!!!! So Husband asks if I want the boxes of pictures from when we moved brought up from the basement. Mom and I said sure......7 boxes (yes 7 she admitted sheepishly) came up. Leaving a rather nice gap in the basement! One was pretty vases etc that I am not ready to deal with so went back down stairs. One was 1/2 pictures and half pretty breakables that went back down after we pulled out some pics and put some that needed saving but not going on my walls back in. One was wedding (yes from 10 years ago) knick knacks that I went through and finally made decisions on, we actually emptied out a box! In one of them I found my jewelry I had been halfheartedly looking for since we moved. Nothing special, but some pretty costume stuff that would add some color to my wardrobe! The other 4 were all lovingly wrapped photos in frames. The result, when unwrapped, looked like this:
We spent some time picking some pictures to go into 2 collage frames (why is that so hard for me?) I will share those later. We then decided to put up the things we KNEW where they were going. So we started in Z's room. The end result:
Next up. The bathroom. We have the tiniest bathroom on the planet. It is only as wide as the tub you see below and as long as a sink and a toilet on the opposite wall. The gray frame you see on the left has always been there and hides behind the door, until you close the door and sit down to do your business, then you see a pic of an old outhouse... We added 1 wet baby pic of each boy at about the same age and again, its done. Two nails in the wall and a sigh of contentment.
We did get a few more up but those walls are not complete. so Im not ready to share. The pile on the bed....got depleted a bit. We have a plan for some. I have to go through some...some will not be put up as it would just be the J show!
Lastly, Husband and I tend to dump paper in our room to "deal with later." Especially when guests come over. So on Saturday night, he sorted through and organized his side of the bed. Sunday night, it was my turn. I can see my dresser top again. (Refer to bedroom pic above) I can walk along the bed and not have to follow a path. I have to find homes for the few small piles of stuff I kept, but I reduced the piles by A LOT. I'm also working on not letting the paper accumulate in the first place. Deal with it as it comes in and be done with it....Hard stuff for a busy household like ours.
Baby steps are feeling so good. We have a busy weekend ahead, hopefully we can squeeze in some more picture organizing/hanging. Husband wants to finish a shelf in the basement which will allow us to better organize down there - potentially clearing off the train table again......the holes left down there by the boxes coming up....more potential! And my first rummage sale this spring........its almost too much to think about! :)
Have a great day everyone!
Friday, February 15, 2013
My Valentines....
Hello Friends,
A quick peek at a photo from our birthday shoot. Its probably the only time it will ever work or be totally appropriate. J adores Z, Z adores J and looooves giving kisses (look at those fishey lips!). The photographer, worked some serious magic in that session, probably deserves a raise and a vacation. But what a moment she caught!
Here you go!
I hope you all had a great day yesterday! (sorry the quality isn't great. its a phone camera shot of an actual picure...on my kitchen counter)
A quick peek at a photo from our birthday shoot. Its probably the only time it will ever work or be totally appropriate. J adores Z, Z adores J and looooves giving kisses (look at those fishey lips!). The photographer, worked some serious magic in that session, probably deserves a raise and a vacation. But what a moment she caught!
Here you go!
I hope you all had a great day yesterday! (sorry the quality isn't great. its a phone camera shot of an actual picure...on my kitchen counter)
Have a great day!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Single mom for a week
Hello Friends,
I did it! I was a single, full-time, working mom for a whole week! The house is still standing, the kids are healthy, well rested, clean and fed. I am healthy, sort of rested, clean, fed and SANE. The driveway got shoveled twice (thanks dad) we had people over for dinner twice and went to dinner once. We had a small crisis and I figured it out.
I thought it would be harder. I am sort of shocked....and sort of not. Husband and I do have a partnership, but lets be honest, I carry the lions share at home, especially with the boys. Some by choice, some by stubbornness on my part, some cause no one else will do it in a timely manner.
The mornings were the hardest. We do work well as a team there (we had a cometojesus conversation a year or so ago). So doing the get everyone ready including lunches and milk for Z, get everyone and everything in the car, double daycare drop off, and get self to work in a timely manner was tough. J helped as much as he could and did great.
Weekday evenings were relatively normal. Double day care pick up and then the following:
Monday we braved the grocery store for a few necessities, had dinner, bedtime etc...
Tuesday drive-thru dinner (20% benefited J's school), my dad came over to help blow snow, we played outside for awhile, came in for baths and bedtime.
Wednesday was J's dance class night, came home made dinner, bedtime.
Thursday...well Thursday showed me that it does take a village to raise a child. A friend of mine said, nope, it takes a FAMILY, she was right. We had a pretty good snowstorm all day Thursday so I let my staff leave at 4:15 pm to get a jump on rush hour and get home safely. I had to pick up J from daycare and go straight to school for his student led conference. In the meantime,my mom picked up Z and went to our house for dinner. Due to the snow, my dad also met them there (good thing as mom got stuck in my driveway and he had to push her out). By the time I got home with J, dad had most of the driveway done, Mom had dinner cooking, and Z was happily playing. J got suited up and went to "help" shovel. They found our snow brick makers and started a fort. (Z was super unhappy to not be included). We all had dinner and all three "boys" went back out to play some more - they were all very happy and had a nice time. Mom and dad left to go shovel themselves out and I bribed Z to come inside with a bath. It was such a beautiful snowy night that if we didn't have school work etc the next day we could have stayed out for awhile!
Friday we ate dinner at my parents and came home to bed (it was a long work week and I was beat!)
On to the weekend. Again, we did pretty well.
Saturday we were all lazy. I snuggled with Z, then while the boys ate breakfast I cleaned out and organized my dresser drawers. (you know you can fit more into your underwear drawer when you take out all the nursing bras..... ;) ) I folded some cloths, cleaned up the kitchen and then some friends came and took J for a fun day as his Xmas gift. While they were gone, I fed Z and put him down for a nap. I then hunted down all the frames I have bought over the last 2+ years, opened them all up, dusted them off, cleaned the glass and reassembled so they could dry before pics get inserted. Then our friends came home with J and we had a lovely dinner, 2 bottles of wine, and great conversation. J slept with me and life was good.
Sunday despite freezing rain and slippery roads, we were off to church, the congregational annual meeting, and then home for lunch and naps. I tried to shovel some of the now icey slush off the driveway...no dice. I started to put pics in frames....didn't get far. (but am started and feel good about that. I think mom is coming over on Sat this week to help me!) Again braved Sa.m's Club and the grocery store with they boys - it wasn't too bad. Came home and was ready to chill and be done. But first, had a small crisis with the sump pump....due to some warm weather we have had, Husband had disconnected it to ensure it wasn't trying to run through a frozen hose so that it wouldn't back up into the basement. WELLLLLL Sunday rained all day, and while it rained it got up to 40 degrees and melted the 7 inches of snow we had gotten on Thursday. As I was unloading the car, I heard water discharge from the house and 30 seconds later I heard it again and then again. I went and looked and it was discharging right next to the house.....down the foundation, and it was a big wet muddy mess. I tried to reconnect the hose and (as he had thought) it was frozen so water couldn't go through it just sprayed everywhere. I ran downstairs and looked in the sump area and there was some water trickling down the wall. That is NOT something you want to see. I grabbed a plastic cutter (I have it for the kids toys) and cut the hose, pushed it back in and the water immediately started running down the driveway and not down the foundation. I called my dad to stop by to just check my handiwork so that I could sleep with out worrying about water in the basement and he did and said it was fine. Gave the kids baths, put them to bed, tidied up the house and crashed.
Husband got home yesterday morning after taking the red eye. He said hi to some very excited boys and I (it was very nice to greet him NOT at the office), I dropped the boys at daycare, went back home to pick up a now showered but sleepy Husband and we arrived at work only 30 min late. And the cycle of real life started again.
I slept great last night! ;)
I did it! I was a single, full-time, working mom for a whole week! The house is still standing, the kids are healthy, well rested, clean and fed. I am healthy, sort of rested, clean, fed and SANE. The driveway got shoveled twice (thanks dad) we had people over for dinner twice and went to dinner once. We had a small crisis and I figured it out.
I thought it would be harder. I am sort of shocked....and sort of not. Husband and I do have a partnership, but lets be honest, I carry the lions share at home, especially with the boys. Some by choice, some by stubbornness on my part, some cause no one else will do it in a timely manner.
The mornings were the hardest. We do work well as a team there (we had a cometojesus conversation a year or so ago). So doing the get everyone ready including lunches and milk for Z, get everyone and everything in the car, double daycare drop off, and get self to work in a timely manner was tough. J helped as much as he could and did great.
Weekday evenings were relatively normal. Double day care pick up and then the following:
Monday we braved the grocery store for a few necessities, had dinner, bedtime etc...
Tuesday drive-thru dinner (20% benefited J's school), my dad came over to help blow snow, we played outside for awhile, came in for baths and bedtime.
Wednesday was J's dance class night, came home made dinner, bedtime.
Thursday...well Thursday showed me that it does take a village to raise a child. A friend of mine said, nope, it takes a FAMILY, she was right. We had a pretty good snowstorm all day Thursday so I let my staff leave at 4:15 pm to get a jump on rush hour and get home safely. I had to pick up J from daycare and go straight to school for his student led conference. In the meantime,my mom picked up Z and went to our house for dinner. Due to the snow, my dad also met them there (good thing as mom got stuck in my driveway and he had to push her out). By the time I got home with J, dad had most of the driveway done, Mom had dinner cooking, and Z was happily playing. J got suited up and went to "help" shovel. They found our snow brick makers and started a fort. (Z was super unhappy to not be included). We all had dinner and all three "boys" went back out to play some more - they were all very happy and had a nice time. Mom and dad left to go shovel themselves out and I bribed Z to come inside with a bath. It was such a beautiful snowy night that if we didn't have school work etc the next day we could have stayed out for awhile!
Friday we ate dinner at my parents and came home to bed (it was a long work week and I was beat!)
On to the weekend. Again, we did pretty well.
Saturday we were all lazy. I snuggled with Z, then while the boys ate breakfast I cleaned out and organized my dresser drawers. (you know you can fit more into your underwear drawer when you take out all the nursing bras..... ;) ) I folded some cloths, cleaned up the kitchen and then some friends came and took J for a fun day as his Xmas gift. While they were gone, I fed Z and put him down for a nap. I then hunted down all the frames I have bought over the last 2+ years, opened them all up, dusted them off, cleaned the glass and reassembled so they could dry before pics get inserted. Then our friends came home with J and we had a lovely dinner, 2 bottles of wine, and great conversation. J slept with me and life was good.
Sunday despite freezing rain and slippery roads, we were off to church, the congregational annual meeting, and then home for lunch and naps. I tried to shovel some of the now icey slush off the driveway...no dice. I started to put pics in frames....didn't get far. (but am started and feel good about that. I think mom is coming over on Sat this week to help me!) Again braved Sa.m's Club and the grocery store with they boys - it wasn't too bad. Came home and was ready to chill and be done. But first, had a small crisis with the sump pump....due to some warm weather we have had, Husband had disconnected it to ensure it wasn't trying to run through a frozen hose so that it wouldn't back up into the basement. WELLLLLL Sunday rained all day, and while it rained it got up to 40 degrees and melted the 7 inches of snow we had gotten on Thursday. As I was unloading the car, I heard water discharge from the house and 30 seconds later I heard it again and then again. I went and looked and it was discharging right next to the house.....down the foundation, and it was a big wet muddy mess. I tried to reconnect the hose and (as he had thought) it was frozen so water couldn't go through it just sprayed everywhere. I ran downstairs and looked in the sump area and there was some water trickling down the wall. That is NOT something you want to see. I grabbed a plastic cutter (I have it for the kids toys) and cut the hose, pushed it back in and the water immediately started running down the driveway and not down the foundation. I called my dad to stop by to just check my handiwork so that I could sleep with out worrying about water in the basement and he did and said it was fine. Gave the kids baths, put them to bed, tidied up the house and crashed.
Husband got home yesterday morning after taking the red eye. He said hi to some very excited boys and I (it was very nice to greet him NOT at the office), I dropped the boys at daycare, went back home to pick up a now showered but sleepy Husband and we arrived at work only 30 min late. And the cycle of real life started again.
I slept great last night! ;)
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Weird feelings.....
Hello Friends.
I have been struggling with some weird feelings.
I need to blog about it, I need to get it out and this is my safe place.
I need friends (esp real life friends) who read this not to have feelings hurt or to feel the need to protect me.
I just have these feelings and that is that.
So.
Here goes.
I think.
Arrrgh! Why is this so hard to say?
Its hard to say because, its stupid. Its selfish. Its childish. It is base and shouldn't be discussed out loud or in writing or anywhere and yet I think its strangling me.
Ok. I get jealous and feel bad about myself when others announce pregnancies. (And purchasing of huge houses. That's the same right?)
There I said it.
What about it? I'm sitting here, in my office, with tears in my eyes as I write this stupid, stupid thing. I just wrote Monday that I was content with my life. And I am in those moments. Z is mobile and (frustratingly) independent We have our lives back after being back in baby mode. I don't think I could handle another baby. I'm old. I'm fat. I work a full time job. I already have two kids. We have a tiny house with an even tinier bathroom. We do not have funds for daycare for a 3rd child. We certainly don't have funds for college for any of them. Who knows if we should even mess with Gods plan? What if another baby is His plan? What if I could be pregnant one more time and bring home one more baby? Don't get me wrong, I don't adore being pregnant, its kind of a means to an end. But a new baby, a new life.....
....and the struggle to get pregnant, to stay pregnant, to not freak out the whole time in fear of losing what I so desperately wanted. To await each cycle with fear and hope and tears and .......ugh. It took so long to get Z, we tried so many things. Then it just happened. Would it take long? If I started on the path, I couldn't just walk away....could we, should we? Husband says hes too old and doesnt want more. He also says that if that is really what would make my heart complete then we can talk....do I? Should we?
Then, I look at my mom friends who seem to do it so effortlessly. They get pregnant on a dime, have babies that are perfectly spaced, perfectly groomed, perfectly behaved. They bring them home to perfectly decorated, pictures on the wall, everyone has their own bedroom and possibly even own bathroom houses. Moms get 12 weeks of maternity leave. Then they go to work, and come home to a huge house. They go to the gym! There are not dirty cloths waiting to be washed in a pile in the basement or toys scattered EVERYWHERE. The bathrooms (plural) are actually clean. They do all sorts of activities with and without children, are super engaged with their children and yet no one seems to be at their wits end. They don't lose their tempers with their children. The bank account is never low and the grocery shopping is always done and dinner is rarely cooked in the microwave from a box.
OK maybe this is more about my feelings of inadequacy in all aspects of my life. See I told you I needed to blog. OH PLEASE DO NOT THINK LESS OF ME FOR THESE FEELINGS! I know they are senseless. But I feel them.
My bestie, says we are just in different places. I want to smack her. She is 5 years younger than me and her life is F-ing perfect. Seriously. Nothing hard ever happens at that house.
Another friend told me that the "hard" things that happen in my life just build character. Well, friends, I have LOTS of character! Lots and lots and lots.
I have to go. I really have a few things to do before I leave today. But this was bubbling inside me and just needed to get out.
If you have thoughts or feelings like this or if you hate me now.....let me know. Thanks for listening.
I have been struggling with some weird feelings.
I need to blog about it, I need to get it out and this is my safe place.
I need friends (esp real life friends) who read this not to have feelings hurt or to feel the need to protect me.
I just have these feelings and that is that.
So.
Here goes.
I think.
Arrrgh! Why is this so hard to say?
Its hard to say because, its stupid. Its selfish. Its childish. It is base and shouldn't be discussed out loud or in writing or anywhere and yet I think its strangling me.
Ok. I get jealous and feel bad about myself when others announce pregnancies. (And purchasing of huge houses. That's the same right?)
There I said it.
What about it? I'm sitting here, in my office, with tears in my eyes as I write this stupid, stupid thing. I just wrote Monday that I was content with my life. And I am in those moments. Z is mobile and (frustratingly) independent We have our lives back after being back in baby mode. I don't think I could handle another baby. I'm old. I'm fat. I work a full time job. I already have two kids. We have a tiny house with an even tinier bathroom. We do not have funds for daycare for a 3rd child. We certainly don't have funds for college for any of them. Who knows if we should even mess with Gods plan? What if another baby is His plan? What if I could be pregnant one more time and bring home one more baby? Don't get me wrong, I don't adore being pregnant, its kind of a means to an end. But a new baby, a new life.....
....and the struggle to get pregnant, to stay pregnant, to not freak out the whole time in fear of losing what I so desperately wanted. To await each cycle with fear and hope and tears and .......ugh. It took so long to get Z, we tried so many things. Then it just happened. Would it take long? If I started on the path, I couldn't just walk away....could we, should we? Husband says hes too old and doesnt want more. He also says that if that is really what would make my heart complete then we can talk....do I? Should we?
Then, I look at my mom friends who seem to do it so effortlessly. They get pregnant on a dime, have babies that are perfectly spaced, perfectly groomed, perfectly behaved. They bring them home to perfectly decorated, pictures on the wall, everyone has their own bedroom and possibly even own bathroom houses. Moms get 12 weeks of maternity leave. Then they go to work, and come home to a huge house. They go to the gym! There are not dirty cloths waiting to be washed in a pile in the basement or toys scattered EVERYWHERE. The bathrooms (plural) are actually clean. They do all sorts of activities with and without children, are super engaged with their children and yet no one seems to be at their wits end. They don't lose their tempers with their children. The bank account is never low and the grocery shopping is always done and dinner is rarely cooked in the microwave from a box.
OK maybe this is more about my feelings of inadequacy in all aspects of my life. See I told you I needed to blog. OH PLEASE DO NOT THINK LESS OF ME FOR THESE FEELINGS! I know they are senseless. But I feel them.
My bestie, says we are just in different places. I want to smack her. She is 5 years younger than me and her life is F-ing perfect. Seriously. Nothing hard ever happens at that house.
Another friend told me that the "hard" things that happen in my life just build character. Well, friends, I have LOTS of character! Lots and lots and lots.
I have to go. I really have a few things to do before I leave today. But this was bubbling inside me and just needed to get out.
If you have thoughts or feelings like this or if you hate me now.....let me know. Thanks for listening.
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