Let me tell ya something: there are days when I believe this whole SAHM wife and mother thing is for the birds! Don't get me wrong, I love spending the extra time with my kids, wouldn't give it up for the world. But there is the one issue of .......when exactly does my workday end???
See, when Grover gets home he considers his workday to be done. In other words, he really doesn't feel that he should be doing anything in the house because that's "my" job. Okay, let's break it down then. You work 8-12 hours a day, from 7 a.m. to anywhere from 5 to 7 p.m. Then you come home and that's it. I, on the other hand work from about 6 a.m. until, oh let's see, about midnight, when I normally go to bed. What? You thought I just went over the house once and then chilled for the majority of the day? Oh, no baby puppy...no, no, no.
I get up at 6 when the kids get up, then I wake you up, then I prepare breakfast for the kids since you just eat coffee in the morning. Then, once you are gone to work, I clean up breakfast dishes and clean up your mess in the bathroom.
Then I begin the process of housecleaning. The reason I call it a process is because I have to break it up into sections because between those sections, I am picking up after children, wiping marker off of the walls, taking care of whines and bumps and bruises and hurt feelings and singing their favorite song just one more time. And in between all of that I am doing laundry and then in between THAT I am on the phone drumming up painting business.
Not to mention preparing lunch, taking something out for dinner, helping Joshua with his homework, looking marvelous, cleaning up the kitchen for the 3rd time, making sure the kids get in the tub, making sure they have clothes ready for the next day, checking to make sure there are no appointments I'm going to miss and putting the kids in bed. Then, once the kids are in bed, there is still laundry to be finished, floors to be mopped, etc, etc., and so on and so on. And if I say something about being tired, you have the audacity to look at me and say "tired from what?"
Silly, silly man........
cluck, cluck ......
I'm so glad I love these guys;) Because next year, everybody does their own laundry!
Peace alllllll.............
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Monday, February 20, 2006
Croup? We Don't Need No Stinking Croup!
Okay, so this is what happened. We were in the middle of moving but enough so into the new place that we could spend the night. So this is our first night in the new house, right? Well, I am an extraordinarily light sleeper. Let's face it, a mouse farting next door will wake me up. I am also a premature waker. I wake up several times during the night for no reason, so I make good use of these moments to check the doors and windows and such and to check on the kids. (If you can't sleep, may as well do something.)
So, I'm dozing about 4 a.m. and a strange noise wakes me up. It's a raspy, throaty sound....and it's coming from Jakob. I swear it sounded like he had something stuck in his throat and he was struggling to breathe. Scared the everliving daylights out of me. I got him up, checked his throat, woke Grover up and got him to call an ambulance all within 5 seconds. Grover went with him to the hospital (I couldn't go because Lukas and Joshua were still asleep.) So I am stuck at the house, not knowing what is going on and bawling my eyes out, terrified.
Turns out that Jakob has/had croup.....also known as an inflammation of the windpipe right below the vocal cords. It appears as a bad cold in grown people and is normally not a problem at that time but with little ones it can be dangerous. So after TWO breathing treatments and steroids, the swelling went down and they let him come home. The doctor did say that it was a good thing that I heard him because with the swelling that was going on, he could have been in serious trouble if it had waited any longer. So I guess I'll be joining the insomnia club of mothers now;). It's been a couple of days and I'm sleeping lighter than ever. The doc said that most kids outgrow the probelm by age 5. Just 3 more years...whoo hoo! But he seems to be fine now. Hopefully it will never happen again...hopefully.
Other than that, and the exercise bike breaking and the phone company giving me grief about transferring my number and the 20000 boxes that I have stacked up, everything is going well though.
Okay, I'm putting on the Ben-Gay now. ( I am really tooooo old for all of this moving stuff). And as soon as I can find a clear path from the bedroom to the kitchen to the bathroom I'll be happy. Because I'm really hungry. And I reallllly need to pee:)
Peace alllll..........
So, I'm dozing about 4 a.m. and a strange noise wakes me up. It's a raspy, throaty sound....and it's coming from Jakob. I swear it sounded like he had something stuck in his throat and he was struggling to breathe. Scared the everliving daylights out of me. I got him up, checked his throat, woke Grover up and got him to call an ambulance all within 5 seconds. Grover went with him to the hospital (I couldn't go because Lukas and Joshua were still asleep.) So I am stuck at the house, not knowing what is going on and bawling my eyes out, terrified.
Turns out that Jakob has/had croup.....also known as an inflammation of the windpipe right below the vocal cords. It appears as a bad cold in grown people and is normally not a problem at that time but with little ones it can be dangerous. So after TWO breathing treatments and steroids, the swelling went down and they let him come home. The doctor did say that it was a good thing that I heard him because with the swelling that was going on, he could have been in serious trouble if it had waited any longer. So I guess I'll be joining the insomnia club of mothers now;). It's been a couple of days and I'm sleeping lighter than ever. The doc said that most kids outgrow the probelm by age 5. Just 3 more years...whoo hoo! But he seems to be fine now. Hopefully it will never happen again...hopefully.
Other than that, and the exercise bike breaking and the phone company giving me grief about transferring my number and the 20000 boxes that I have stacked up, everything is going well though.
Okay, I'm putting on the Ben-Gay now. ( I am really tooooo old for all of this moving stuff). And as soon as I can find a clear path from the bedroom to the kitchen to the bathroom I'll be happy. Because I'm really hungry. And I reallllly need to pee:)
Peace alllll..........
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Volunteers Welcome
Good news: we finally, finally, finally got the house we have been wanting so we are finally out of this crackerbox apartment!
Bad news: we have to pack all of our stuff and actually move it. Who knew that we could have accumulated sooooo much stuff over just 3 years? And since neither one of us really trust moving companies (and since it is only across town), we're doing it all ourselves. Whoo hoo!! What fun.
But it is a small price to pay for actually having a house with a yard so that the kids can actually just go outside to play versus having to pack up a whole bunch of stuff and schlepp them to the playground.
Everything is being transferred tomorrow so we are doing the actual physical moving between tonight and tomorrow evening. All packing and moving volunteers are welcome.:)
So, now let me get back to totin' that barge and liftin' that bale.
Peace alllllll.............
Bad news: we have to pack all of our stuff and actually move it. Who knew that we could have accumulated sooooo much stuff over just 3 years? And since neither one of us really trust moving companies (and since it is only across town), we're doing it all ourselves. Whoo hoo!! What fun.
But it is a small price to pay for actually having a house with a yard so that the kids can actually just go outside to play versus having to pack up a whole bunch of stuff and schlepp them to the playground.
Everything is being transferred tomorrow so we are doing the actual physical moving between tonight and tomorrow evening. All packing and moving volunteers are welcome.:)
So, now let me get back to totin' that barge and liftin' that bale.
Peace alllllll.............
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Monday, February 13, 2006
Because This Is What I Call A Normal Day
I had a long day yesterday. Had to go to another city with Grover to pick up some cylinders for his job. A hundred mile drive for literally 30 seconds of work. But hey, he's getting paid for it.
After that, we had to go to Wal-Mart. Now, I normally hate going to Wal-Mart and so I wait until the absolute last minute. (Yeah, I know how to pile on the stress;)) Madding crowds, crazy people, men trying to find that last minute Valentine's day something. So I'm trying to buy my little groceries and find some stuff for Joshua to take to his Valentine's Day party at school. Oh, and did I mention it was snowing at the time? And did I mention that people in Huntsville lose their everloving minds every time they see a snowflake? Come on people, this ain't Minnesota.....we're not Ma and Pa Ingalls. A blizzard AIN'T a comin'! So, here I am in the middle of bedlam, trying to remain calm and peaceful and centered and trying not to hit this redneck man who just will NOT get out of the middle of the aisle while he's on his cell phone.
Okay then......one hour and $260 worth of groceries later, we are finally on the way home. I'm relaxing because thank goodness THAT'S over with and I'm enjoying the snowfall and all is good. The day can only get better, right? Maybe in your world.
So we get home and I recruit Grover and Joshua for unloading duty. They unload and bring alllllll those groceries up the stairs and I will unpack and put everything away. Well, they are a little slower unloading than I am unpacking and so while they are outside I decide to sit on the couch and check out the weather. So I sit.
And immediately jump back up hollering. It feels like I have just sat on a lit cigarette, a branding iron, a popped spring. I reach behind me to see what is going on and I have a meat thermometer, yes that's right a meat thermometer, sticking out of my left buttock. (And I have been looking for said meat thermometer for 3 days now....well, I found it.) Because I couldn't reach around and pull the thing out myself without causing further damage, I stuck my head out of the door and ever-so-sweetly called Grover and told him I had "a little problem" and could he hurry upstairs. He did and that's when the freak out began. "What the h***? What happened?" What, you mean you can't tell what happened just by looking? Anyway, to make a long story short, he pulled it out and was nice enough to put some antibiotic ointment on it. The thermometer was about half way in by the way. And as he is reaching into the medicine cabinet while I am bent over the sink, he proceeds to pop me in the head with the door to the medicine cabinet. And my Lukas, with his way with words comes around, looks at my butt and says "Ow, mommy." (Must have gotten the talent for being pithy from me;))
So today, I am sitting, albeit tilted slightly to the right and with a whole lotta soreness. I would complain about it but, see......it's really not so unusual for me to hurt myself. I don't consider it strange at all that I am the only person I know who has ever impaled themselves with a meat thermometer. At least I found it. And at least I found it before the kids did (even though they're the ones that probably put it there;))
Anyway, I'm going to go put some ice on my back cheek now. I'll just be checking for sharp objects when I do.
Peace allllll..............
P.S. My temperature you might ask? A perfect 98.6:)
After that, we had to go to Wal-Mart. Now, I normally hate going to Wal-Mart and so I wait until the absolute last minute. (Yeah, I know how to pile on the stress;)) Madding crowds, crazy people, men trying to find that last minute Valentine's day something. So I'm trying to buy my little groceries and find some stuff for Joshua to take to his Valentine's Day party at school. Oh, and did I mention it was snowing at the time? And did I mention that people in Huntsville lose their everloving minds every time they see a snowflake? Come on people, this ain't Minnesota.....we're not Ma and Pa Ingalls. A blizzard AIN'T a comin'! So, here I am in the middle of bedlam, trying to remain calm and peaceful and centered and trying not to hit this redneck man who just will NOT get out of the middle of the aisle while he's on his cell phone.
Okay then......one hour and $260 worth of groceries later, we are finally on the way home. I'm relaxing because thank goodness THAT'S over with and I'm enjoying the snowfall and all is good. The day can only get better, right? Maybe in your world.
So we get home and I recruit Grover and Joshua for unloading duty. They unload and bring alllllll those groceries up the stairs and I will unpack and put everything away. Well, they are a little slower unloading than I am unpacking and so while they are outside I decide to sit on the couch and check out the weather. So I sit.
And immediately jump back up hollering. It feels like I have just sat on a lit cigarette, a branding iron, a popped spring. I reach behind me to see what is going on and I have a meat thermometer, yes that's right a meat thermometer, sticking out of my left buttock. (And I have been looking for said meat thermometer for 3 days now....well, I found it.) Because I couldn't reach around and pull the thing out myself without causing further damage, I stuck my head out of the door and ever-so-sweetly called Grover and told him I had "a little problem" and could he hurry upstairs. He did and that's when the freak out began. "What the h***? What happened?" What, you mean you can't tell what happened just by looking? Anyway, to make a long story short, he pulled it out and was nice enough to put some antibiotic ointment on it. The thermometer was about half way in by the way. And as he is reaching into the medicine cabinet while I am bent over the sink, he proceeds to pop me in the head with the door to the medicine cabinet. And my Lukas, with his way with words comes around, looks at my butt and says "Ow, mommy." (Must have gotten the talent for being pithy from me;))
So today, I am sitting, albeit tilted slightly to the right and with a whole lotta soreness. I would complain about it but, see......it's really not so unusual for me to hurt myself. I don't consider it strange at all that I am the only person I know who has ever impaled themselves with a meat thermometer. At least I found it. And at least I found it before the kids did (even though they're the ones that probably put it there;))
Anyway, I'm going to go put some ice on my back cheek now. I'll just be checking for sharp objects when I do.
Peace allllll..............
P.S. My temperature you might ask? A perfect 98.6:)
Friday, February 10, 2006
Piercings, Puberty and Picking Your Battles
My baby, my oldest baby that is, will be 13 in September. So, he is almost 12 and a half, trying to go on 18. I don't know if this happened overnight, or if it happened so gradually that I just didn't see it coming, but here it is......puberty in all of its glorious angst and obstinancy. He considers a lot of our conversations these days as "negotiations". I consider them as more proof that children going through puberty are certifiably insane. He used to want to go outside and play with his friends or stay up past his bedtime. Simple enough. Now his wants (or his "needs" as he calls them) are becoming a little more difficult to give a quick yes or no to.
Need number 1: he must, just must, have his ears pierced. Now, I am a big believer in self-expression and I really don't have a problem with piercing per se, especially since it's just his ears, not his nose or his lip or anything. However, he is just 12. I think I'll eventually give him the green light on this one but I don't know. He is just 12......still young enough to be my baby ya know. But it's not a tattoo at least. (We'll have that fight in a few years I think;))
Need number 2: he must, just must have a cell phone. After all, ALL of his friends have one (yeah, right). When he's old enough to get a job and buy a cell phone then he can have one. Until then, just do what I used to when I was a kid. Get two tin cans and a piece of string.
Need number 3: could we please, please, PLEASE let him watch some of the more mature movies on televison? Translate that into a whole lot more violence and a couple of naked (or half naked) ladies. All of his friends are watching them! (yeah, right) Ummmmmm.........NO. You have the rest of your life after you are 18 to see women in various stages of undress. And believe me, see one....yeah, you've pretty much seen them all. Sorry guy, the block stays put....no blood, no booty.....not in my house.
I think it's going to be a realllllly long 5 and a half years around here.
Peace allll...........
Need number 1: he must, just must, have his ears pierced. Now, I am a big believer in self-expression and I really don't have a problem with piercing per se, especially since it's just his ears, not his nose or his lip or anything. However, he is just 12. I think I'll eventually give him the green light on this one but I don't know. He is just 12......still young enough to be my baby ya know. But it's not a tattoo at least. (We'll have that fight in a few years I think;))
Need number 2: he must, just must have a cell phone. After all, ALL of his friends have one (yeah, right). When he's old enough to get a job and buy a cell phone then he can have one. Until then, just do what I used to when I was a kid. Get two tin cans and a piece of string.
Need number 3: could we please, please, PLEASE let him watch some of the more mature movies on televison? Translate that into a whole lot more violence and a couple of naked (or half naked) ladies. All of his friends are watching them! (yeah, right) Ummmmmm.........NO. You have the rest of your life after you are 18 to see women in various stages of undress. And believe me, see one....yeah, you've pretty much seen them all. Sorry guy, the block stays put....no blood, no booty.....not in my house.
I think it's going to be a realllllly long 5 and a half years around here.
Peace allll...........
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Weight A Minute
You know, one of my New Year's resolutions was to lose a few pounds. Not many, just a few of the curves that I have are becoming, shall we say, a little toooo curvy for my taste. So, with that in mind I have been following (albeit verrrrry loosely) a random exercise program. Random, as in .....if I remember to do it, it gets done. If not, okay...so I'm not the most dedicated exercise type person there is. Housecleaning counts as exercise;). Sure it does.
Anyhow, I have one of those "get in great shape in 30 days" videos. This is called "8 Minute Abs". The hook is that you only have to do these exercises for 8 minutes a day, every day. Today is the first day that I did them. It started off okay. The kids were in their room playing and I thought "Surely I can steal 8 minutes to do this." Wrrrrroooooonnnngggggg!!!!!! The minute I started with the exercises, here comes Lukas, standing over me laughing like "Mommy fell down and she can't get up". Then Jakob runs over and decides that mommy's stomach would make a nice trampoline (thanks Fishy!). Then Foxy the dog decides that this is the perfect time to show her boundless affection for me by licking me in my face. (I haaaate it when a dog licks me in my face). Now, due to all of the "help" I was receiving, I could only make it through about 5 minutes of the 8 minute workout but I think, considering the extra weight I was carrying, I should get credit for the last 3 minutes.
Speaking of weight, took the boys for checkups yesterday. Lukas is 48 pounds and stands a whopping 3 feet and 9 inches tall. Jakob is 40 pounds and he is 3 feet and 4 inches tall. They are 3 and 2 years old. They are as big as most 5 and 6 year olds. I will hereby start saving my grocery receipts so that when they are drafted into the NFL or the NBA, they can pay me back for all of that food.....after they buy me the house of course;).
We will not talk about how much I weigh. Needless to say, the scale started screaming when I stepped on it. But, with me and the boys combined, poor Grover......he doesn't stand a chance;)
And now I'm off for my 8 hour workout. It's called "cleaning the house". Hmmmmm....funny, no one ever wants to help out with that one:)
Peace allllll............
Anyhow, I have one of those "get in great shape in 30 days" videos. This is called "8 Minute Abs". The hook is that you only have to do these exercises for 8 minutes a day, every day. Today is the first day that I did them. It started off okay. The kids were in their room playing and I thought "Surely I can steal 8 minutes to do this." Wrrrrroooooonnnngggggg!!!!!! The minute I started with the exercises, here comes Lukas, standing over me laughing like "Mommy fell down and she can't get up". Then Jakob runs over and decides that mommy's stomach would make a nice trampoline (thanks Fishy!). Then Foxy the dog decides that this is the perfect time to show her boundless affection for me by licking me in my face. (I haaaate it when a dog licks me in my face). Now, due to all of the "help" I was receiving, I could only make it through about 5 minutes of the 8 minute workout but I think, considering the extra weight I was carrying, I should get credit for the last 3 minutes.
Speaking of weight, took the boys for checkups yesterday. Lukas is 48 pounds and stands a whopping 3 feet and 9 inches tall. Jakob is 40 pounds and he is 3 feet and 4 inches tall. They are 3 and 2 years old. They are as big as most 5 and 6 year olds. I will hereby start saving my grocery receipts so that when they are drafted into the NFL or the NBA, they can pay me back for all of that food.....after they buy me the house of course;).
We will not talk about how much I weigh. Needless to say, the scale started screaming when I stepped on it. But, with me and the boys combined, poor Grover......he doesn't stand a chance;)
And now I'm off for my 8 hour workout. It's called "cleaning the house". Hmmmmm....funny, no one ever wants to help out with that one:)
Peace allllll............
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