Status: Exhilarated. I scored!!!
What did I score? It was a case of there-at-the-right-time, I tell you!
I love composition notebooks. Yeah, like the ones they had in the 1950's. Black and white camo, and sturdy. I use them for all my novel notes and research notes and plotting and well...everything!
They were on sale by the truckload at Target for a measly thirteen cents. Yes, I bought twenty of them. And I only spent $2.60 for TWENTY composition notebooks! I am set for the whole year. Usually those suckers are a dollar each. Some places, they're $2.99.
SCORE!!!
Thing One is having a girlfriend over for dinner and a movie tonight--they both want to watch Bridge to Terabithia in the movie theater room and I will provide them with a complementary box of tissues. I heard it's a MAJOR tear-jerker.
So I have to rent the movie and pick up the pizzas (Papa Murphy's ROCKS!) and then dry cleaning, go the bank, then the store to buy diapers, because the huge box I bought two weeks ago is already empty. Yikes!
Thing Four's tooth is out. He's happy as a clam. And he's starting to giggle--and laugh. It's the cutest thing ever!
We have two soccer games at 9am tomorrow, then Thing One's is at 11:15. Luckily its at a park nearby. Last week her game was 35 miles away. It was a hike, but a beautiful one.
I love living in Wisconsin this time of year. The leaves are changing, and soon it will be a riot of color everywhere. Especially in the semi-rural area I live in. Long winding roads framed by trees, and every half mile or so there are farms with cows or horses. It's so peaceful and lovely. But then a major windstorm always comes through and blows all the leaves off the trees in three days, and then it's all ugly and the snow comes and we're buried until March. Woo. Turning cartwheels over that one!
But for now I'll enjoy the Fall. Have a good weekend, everyone!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Making Time for Me...
Yeah, that sounds a little selfish, now that I look at it, but you know--I need my sanity if I am to successfully rear four children. I need "me" time.
Now that school is in, and I only have the baby at home from 8am to nearly 4pm, I have decided that from 8 to Noon is "me" time. That's FOUR hours where I can write, sleep, research, do crafts, sew annoyingly difficult Halloween costumes...etc. etc. Anything I want to do, I get to do it in those four hours, as long as I have Thing Four with me in his bouncy chair and I feed him and take care of him and make sure he doesn't get so bored he wants to eat his own foot. And from 12 to 4, I have to do the stuff I HAVE to do, like run errands, clean the house, laundry, etc.
Four glorious hours, Monday through Friday! I have decreed it, and except on special days ("special" meaning I have to clean the whole house for visitors or something of that frantic nature) I will have those hours for me. Well, me and Thing Four, but he's very easy--for now.
I am pretty excited! Although I have to wonder how long it will last...
Now that school is in, and I only have the baby at home from 8am to nearly 4pm, I have decided that from 8 to Noon is "me" time. That's FOUR hours where I can write, sleep, research, do crafts, sew annoyingly difficult Halloween costumes...etc. etc. Anything I want to do, I get to do it in those four hours, as long as I have Thing Four with me in his bouncy chair and I feed him and take care of him and make sure he doesn't get so bored he wants to eat his own foot. And from 12 to 4, I have to do the stuff I HAVE to do, like run errands, clean the house, laundry, etc.
Four glorious hours, Monday through Friday! I have decreed it, and except on special days ("special" meaning I have to clean the whole house for visitors or something of that frantic nature) I will have those hours for me. Well, me and Thing Four, but he's very easy--for now.
I am pretty excited! Although I have to wonder how long it will last...
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
It Has Begun....UH OH...
So, this morning began as any normal weekday morning. (Well, except for my teething infant who had whined most of the night and gotten himself wedged in the crib bumpers numerous times resulting in me having to go "save" him...)
Hubby was up at 5:30. I was up at six, and then at six thirty I got the kids up. We had breakfast, said goodbye to Hubby and I picked out my son's clothes. Thing One (who will be Ten next month) paused on the stairs to her room and looked at me:
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Why won't you pick out clothes for me? You do it for the boys."
*stunned silence*
"Well...because you always hate what I pick out."
"If I don't whine will you pick them out?"
"Um...okay."
Perplexed, I went up to The Sanctuary and looked at her meticulously clean closet packed with clothes. I picked out a brown sweater, jeans and brown boots. She was actually thrilled.
So, she puts on the jeans and I say, "Wait, those are too light. Wear these, they are a darker wash." She obediently puts them on, walks over to her mirror and turns around, and IT ACTUALLY COMES OUT OF HER NINE-YEAR OLD MOUTH:
"Mom, do these jeans make my butt look fat?"
I looked at her and realized she was probably copying what she'd seen her other girlfriends say, because she knows her butt is tiny (but she doesn't know I would commit multiple murders to have a butt as cute) and I simply said, reassuringly:
"You look just fine in those jeans, and you don't need to worry about your butt."
But as I left The Sanctuary, I had to shake my head in sorrow a little. She's NINE, for Cripe's Sake. And it's already starting. What will she be like when she's THIRTEEN? Or Seventeen? I need to make sure she feels loved and secure with herself, because I don't need some vain, flaky clotheshorse for a daughter. I want her to be comfortable in her own skin. Even though that is mathematically impossible during the teen years, I want to at least help her as much as I can. Thank heaven she is skinny. Otherwise I would be seriously worried for her.
Then again, I was skinny my whole life, and after four babies, the Metabolism Fairy has deserted me completely. So who knows. But she is in sports, and she knows how to eat right.
I am just nervous because I have eight more years of fielding those questions...
Hubby was up at 5:30. I was up at six, and then at six thirty I got the kids up. We had breakfast, said goodbye to Hubby and I picked out my son's clothes. Thing One (who will be Ten next month) paused on the stairs to her room and looked at me:
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Why won't you pick out clothes for me? You do it for the boys."
*stunned silence*
"Well...because you always hate what I pick out."
"If I don't whine will you pick them out?"
"Um...okay."
Perplexed, I went up to The Sanctuary and looked at her meticulously clean closet packed with clothes. I picked out a brown sweater, jeans and brown boots. She was actually thrilled.
So, she puts on the jeans and I say, "Wait, those are too light. Wear these, they are a darker wash." She obediently puts them on, walks over to her mirror and turns around, and IT ACTUALLY COMES OUT OF HER NINE-YEAR OLD MOUTH:
"Mom, do these jeans make my butt look fat?"
I looked at her and realized she was probably copying what she'd seen her other girlfriends say, because she knows her butt is tiny (but she doesn't know I would commit multiple murders to have a butt as cute) and I simply said, reassuringly:
"You look just fine in those jeans, and you don't need to worry about your butt."
But as I left The Sanctuary, I had to shake my head in sorrow a little. She's NINE, for Cripe's Sake. And it's already starting. What will she be like when she's THIRTEEN? Or Seventeen? I need to make sure she feels loved and secure with herself, because I don't need some vain, flaky clotheshorse for a daughter. I want her to be comfortable in her own skin. Even though that is mathematically impossible during the teen years, I want to at least help her as much as I can. Thank heaven she is skinny. Otherwise I would be seriously worried for her.
Then again, I was skinny my whole life, and after four babies, the Metabolism Fairy has deserted me completely. So who knows. But she is in sports, and she knows how to eat right.
I am just nervous because I have eight more years of fielding those questions...
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Spiders and Drool.
...not that the two are necessarily affiliated, but I will explain.
But first of all--did anyone watch the HEROES premiere last night? Frankly, it left Hubby and me scratching our heads a little. And I'm beginning to worry because the plots/subplots/subsubplots are getting a "leetle" convoluted for my taste. I just hope HEROES doesn't end up like "Lost" if you get my drift...
On to Spiders and Drool. Drool, because Thing Four has become a Drool Factory. I mean, this kid has to wear bibs all the time because he soaks the necks of his outfits, is constantly chewing on his fingers, his blanket, my hair, my nose, etc. etc. Basically anything within reach.
We discovered the culprit last night. He's getting his first tooth. It's already broken the surface of his lower gums and is just starting to peek out. So, hopefully after it comes up the Drool Factory will close down--at least until the next tooth.
Now about the spiders...*shudder* Let me preface: I HATE, LOATHE, DETEST-- any negative verb you can conjure...that's how I feel about spiders. It's a phobia. Plain and simple. I hate how fast they are, and how they feel when they're crawling on you (*Lara pauses typing to shudder once more*) and yes they are little miracles of nature and they keep the bug population down, yadda yadda yadda, but they aren't that fantastic when they invade my house. And I mean INVADE.
Since the cold weather fronts have started moving in, so have the spiders. They seem to be in every nook and cranny in our basement. They're on the walls, jumping around on the floors, and their webs...EEEK. When I go into the unfinished part of our basement I walk with my hand at the level of my eyes (like in Phantom of the Opera) so I won't get webs in my eyes and mouth.
*SHUDDER*
I have no qualms about killing spiders if they are in my house. "Outside" is their house, but if they go in my house-- they choose Death By Vacuum Cleaner or the more preferable Death By Soccer Cleat.
So, spiders are very shudderworthy. What else makes me shudder?
1) Slugs
2) Crunchy Bugs
3) Dark Water
But at least I don't have irrational phobias--like that one chickie on the internet who is deathly afraid of pickles. Seriously. Pickles. You show her a pickle and she starts to break down, and eventually degenerates into apesh*t hysterics. But my favorite is the Clown Phobia Lady. She was put in a room with a performing clown and had a complete MELTDOWN. It's on YouTube if you want to see it...
So, what makes YOU shudder? I'm tagging Brenda, Devon, Mik, Colin and Laura!
But first of all--did anyone watch the HEROES premiere last night? Frankly, it left Hubby and me scratching our heads a little. And I'm beginning to worry because the plots/subplots/subsubplots are getting a "leetle" convoluted for my taste. I just hope HEROES doesn't end up like "Lost" if you get my drift...
On to Spiders and Drool. Drool, because Thing Four has become a Drool Factory. I mean, this kid has to wear bibs all the time because he soaks the necks of his outfits, is constantly chewing on his fingers, his blanket, my hair, my nose, etc. etc. Basically anything within reach.
We discovered the culprit last night. He's getting his first tooth. It's already broken the surface of his lower gums and is just starting to peek out. So, hopefully after it comes up the Drool Factory will close down--at least until the next tooth.
Now about the spiders...*shudder* Let me preface: I HATE, LOATHE, DETEST-- any negative verb you can conjure...that's how I feel about spiders. It's a phobia. Plain and simple. I hate how fast they are, and how they feel when they're crawling on you (*Lara pauses typing to shudder once more*) and yes they are little miracles of nature and they keep the bug population down, yadda yadda yadda, but they aren't that fantastic when they invade my house. And I mean INVADE.
Since the cold weather fronts have started moving in, so have the spiders. They seem to be in every nook and cranny in our basement. They're on the walls, jumping around on the floors, and their webs...EEEK. When I go into the unfinished part of our basement I walk with my hand at the level of my eyes (like in Phantom of the Opera) so I won't get webs in my eyes and mouth.
*SHUDDER*
I have no qualms about killing spiders if they are in my house. "Outside" is their house, but if they go in my house-- they choose Death By Vacuum Cleaner or the more preferable Death By Soccer Cleat.
So, spiders are very shudderworthy. What else makes me shudder?
1) Slugs
2) Crunchy Bugs
3) Dark Water
But at least I don't have irrational phobias--like that one chickie on the internet who is deathly afraid of pickles. Seriously. Pickles. You show her a pickle and she starts to break down, and eventually degenerates into apesh*t hysterics. But my favorite is the Clown Phobia Lady. She was put in a room with a performing clown and had a complete MELTDOWN. It's on YouTube if you want to see it...
So, what makes YOU shudder? I'm tagging Brenda, Devon, Mik, Colin and Laura!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Ahhhh...Monday.
Status: Peeved --at the fact that my house gets TRASHED every weekend because, frankly, I don't feel like cleaning it.
And yes, I contribute to the mess myself! I am not a "clean freak" mom. You would think with all the time I spend cleaning my house, I would be, but seriously, it's just to keep my head above water. I sort of have a big-a** house, and it can be overwhelming at times. Thank heaven my kids can dust and vacuum and tidy. But for some reason, we don't like to do it on weekends!
What is the deal with that? Maybe because Monday through Friday I make them clean it (and I clean it) and Saturday and Sunday we want to just...be slugs or something, I don't know.
All I can say is, come Monday, the house is a cluttered mess. And since clutter drives me nuts (especially when you can't walk in the upstairs hallway because it's a Mine Field) I have to tidy it.
So after this post I will be cleaning for the next few hours. But not their rooms. THEY are in charge of cleaning those. I won't do it. Nope nope nope.
Then I'll run to the store, cleaners, etc. etc. Mondays are usually wayyyyy too busy.
But at least they're quiet. When Thing Four sleeps, you could hear a pin drop in this house.
That evens it out for me...
And yes, I contribute to the mess myself! I am not a "clean freak" mom. You would think with all the time I spend cleaning my house, I would be, but seriously, it's just to keep my head above water. I sort of have a big-a** house, and it can be overwhelming at times. Thank heaven my kids can dust and vacuum and tidy. But for some reason, we don't like to do it on weekends!
What is the deal with that? Maybe because Monday through Friday I make them clean it (and I clean it) and Saturday and Sunday we want to just...be slugs or something, I don't know.
All I can say is, come Monday, the house is a cluttered mess. And since clutter drives me nuts (especially when you can't walk in the upstairs hallway because it's a Mine Field) I have to tidy it.
So after this post I will be cleaning for the next few hours. But not their rooms. THEY are in charge of cleaning those. I won't do it. Nope nope nope.
Then I'll run to the store, cleaners, etc. etc. Mondays are usually wayyyyy too busy.
But at least they're quiet. When Thing Four sleeps, you could hear a pin drop in this house.
That evens it out for me...
Friday, September 21, 2007
It's Friday Already?
Where did the week go? Dang it went by fast. Yesterday was a pretty lame day, so I won't bother telling about it. Thanks for the kind comments--I was feeling sort of neglected, but only by my own family. Although I felt bad for Hubby--he worked a long day, then had to RUN home and mow the lawn and bag all the grass himself (the kids usually help) because we were all at soccer practice. Then the personal trainer came. He didn't have a moment to breathe. So we're at odds. He's feeling rushed and pressed for time, I am feeling neglected and alone and bored.
And the twain never shall meet...except on weekends. Weekends are our sanctuary. They are OURS. Family time that you just don't mess with. Although I have to say this weekend is kind of taken up because we have soccer games and a birthday party and the Primary Program at church on Sunday. Lots of running around. I like naps. Naps are cool.
Gotta get my 8am workout out of the way, and then it's the "Friday Clean." Dusting, vacuuming, mopping the wood floors. Then after lunch I might get some words in on the WIP. Of course, Thing Four has to figure in on all of this--if he's good I'll get it done. If he's not...well...I won't get much done. But he's a good baby. Too good, in fact. Mellow and sweet. Hardly cries, happy and cheerful. Except for that Happy Screaming thing...
Have a good weekend, everyone! I will be my usual sarcastic self on Monday.
And the twain never shall meet...except on weekends. Weekends are our sanctuary. They are OURS. Family time that you just don't mess with. Although I have to say this weekend is kind of taken up because we have soccer games and a birthday party and the Primary Program at church on Sunday. Lots of running around. I like naps. Naps are cool.
Gotta get my 8am workout out of the way, and then it's the "Friday Clean." Dusting, vacuuming, mopping the wood floors. Then after lunch I might get some words in on the WIP. Of course, Thing Four has to figure in on all of this--if he's good I'll get it done. If he's not...well...I won't get much done. But he's a good baby. Too good, in fact. Mellow and sweet. Hardly cries, happy and cheerful. Except for that Happy Screaming thing...
Have a good weekend, everyone! I will be my usual sarcastic self on Monday.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Sorry, Folks...
Not feeling particularly splendiferous today. Feeling a tad unappreciated, actually. Hence, I'm not my usual cheerful (ranty?) self. Will be better tomorrow...
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
*SQUISH*
Status: Seeing red. I'll explain why:
*Squish.* That's the sound you make when it's four in the morning and you sit on a toilet where your FULLY CAPABLE BUT LAZY SON has decided not to lift up the toilet seat before peeing and has gotten pee all over the seat.
*Squish* makes me crazy. *Squish* turns me into the alter-ego my kids call the Screaming Mean Mommy Ogre.
My sons, who are nearly seven and eight, are fully capable of lifting up the toilet seat. Yet unless I am right there watching them pee (no thanks) they always forget.
This morning Thing Two was making his oatmeal for breakfast and suddenly announced he had to pee and ran to the bathroom. I heard all these splashing noises and decided to make an un-announced visit.
Him: "Mommm! Can't you see I'm peeing?"
Me: "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING??? DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING?? LOOK AT THAT PEE ALL OVER THE SEAT!!! GUESS WHO HAS TO SIT ON THAT SEAT?? YOUR SISTER AND ME!!! LIFT UP THE TOILET SEAT BEFORE YOU PEE YOU LITTLE..."
...okay you get the jist. Screaming Mean Mommy Ogre came out in full force this morning. I made him wipe the entire toilet down after he finished. I mean, this kid's aim is terrible!!! He was disgusted that I made him do it, but I reiterated to him WHY I don't enjoy the *Squish*. I think he gets it now.
Don't even get me started on how they can't flush.
School is only a half day today, so I am going to run my errands in the morning. Yesterday I put their chore charts in a very prominent space, under the huge calendar I have by the Mud Room. We have a new system now. Every day they fulfill their chores, they get a "Family Buck" (fake money) and they can use the bucks to buy stuff at the Family Store. I think it will be pretty motivating.
I am changing Things Two and Three's chore charts. Do you think they will be embarrassed if I put "Lift Up Toilet Seat Before Peeing And Flush Afterwards" as one of their daily chores???
Nah, me neither.
*Squish.* That's the sound you make when it's four in the morning and you sit on a toilet where your FULLY CAPABLE BUT LAZY SON has decided not to lift up the toilet seat before peeing and has gotten pee all over the seat.
*Squish* makes me crazy. *Squish* turns me into the alter-ego my kids call the Screaming Mean Mommy Ogre.
My sons, who are nearly seven and eight, are fully capable of lifting up the toilet seat. Yet unless I am right there watching them pee (no thanks) they always forget.
This morning Thing Two was making his oatmeal for breakfast and suddenly announced he had to pee and ran to the bathroom. I heard all these splashing noises and decided to make an un-announced visit.
Him: "Mommm! Can't you see I'm peeing?"
Me: "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING??? DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING?? LOOK AT THAT PEE ALL OVER THE SEAT!!! GUESS WHO HAS TO SIT ON THAT SEAT?? YOUR SISTER AND ME!!! LIFT UP THE TOILET SEAT BEFORE YOU PEE YOU LITTLE..."
...okay you get the jist. Screaming Mean Mommy Ogre came out in full force this morning. I made him wipe the entire toilet down after he finished. I mean, this kid's aim is terrible!!! He was disgusted that I made him do it, but I reiterated to him WHY I don't enjoy the *Squish*. I think he gets it now.
Don't even get me started on how they can't flush.
School is only a half day today, so I am going to run my errands in the morning. Yesterday I put their chore charts in a very prominent space, under the huge calendar I have by the Mud Room. We have a new system now. Every day they fulfill their chores, they get a "Family Buck" (fake money) and they can use the bucks to buy stuff at the Family Store. I think it will be pretty motivating.
I am changing Things Two and Three's chore charts. Do you think they will be embarrassed if I put "Lift Up Toilet Seat Before Peeing And Flush Afterwards" as one of their daily chores???
Nah, me neither.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
...And it's Warm Again...
Yes, here is the lovely spot in our grass where I accidentally tipped the fertilizer spreader over. Heh heh. Thought I could scoop it up real fast and "hide" the spill. Whoops. At least it's our BACK yard and not the front...So it's supposed to be 85 today. A major reversal from the 40 degrees it was a couple of days ago.
All I can say to Mother Nature is STOP IT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE ALL MY KIDS SICK AND THEY WON'T GET SICK AT ONCE THEY'LL GET SICK ONE AT A TIME UNTIL BY THE TIME THE LAST ONE IS SICK THE GERMS WILL HAVE MUTATED AND THEY'LL GET SICK ALL OVER AGAIN!!!
*ahem* Since this seems to always be the pattern with cold/hot weather and my kids, you'll have to forgive the outburst.
Alright, so here's my dilemma. Well, not really a dilemma, but my predicament: We have an eighth grader at our bus stop with an extremely foul mouth. He says every word in the book (Thing Two tentatively told me in shushed tones yesterday that he even said "The F Word" on the bus") and he doesn't care if the little kids hear him.
I would normally march myself right over and have a talk with his mother about his bad habits, but the last thing I need is some crazy 8th grade kid mad at me. He and his buddies will terrorize my kids, my house, etc. So I can't make waves.
SO, I have decided until he cleans up his act, my kids will wait by our house until the bus is in sight, and then they will go catch it at the stop. Luckily it stops down the road in plain sight--so they'll have plenty of time to go down and catch it. It's too bad the kid's parents clearly don't care/are unaware of his language--and I don't need my kids learning those words before they have to.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Happy Screamer
Status: Grumpy this morning. I'm back on my "healthy eating" plan. Grrrrr....
Oh, and Happy Birthday to my little Sis, whose age I won't disclose because I am wayy older than she is and I'd like to retain some mystery...a little.
Oh, and WHY IS IT that no matter where I go at 2am in the morning, I stumble into a discarded pair of soccer cleats? My poor toes. Seriously. I think the little soccer cleats think to themselves (after being placed dutifully in their spot in the Mud Room):
"Hey, Lara should pass this way on her way to the kitchen at about 2am to make a bottle for the baby, let's jump right into that spot behind the corner so she won't see us! One Two...three..WHEEEEE!"
Okay, Thing Four has found his voice. His happy voice. More like his happy SCREAMING voice. Granted, it was cute the first few days---but now...I am loathe to admit it...it's a bit...wearing on the ears. (He's currently Happy Screaming as I type this.)
Yes, yes I know it's a phase because all my kids went through it too, but right now, he's the HAPPIEST screamer. A.K.A. the Loudest. He screams (happily) at mealtimes, at bathtime, at playtime, and more inconveniently-- at Church, the Doctors office, the library and bedtime. Oops.
Hey, at least he's happy. And he's very self-confident. I'm not going to "shush" a four month old. Then again, if I shushed him, he wouldn't know what that meant anyway.
Thing Three had a high fever all day yesterday. He's a little better today, but I'm keeping him home from school because he's really weak. They run those little first-graders around, you know. I want him to be 100 percent better when he goes back to school, so today is Stay In Bed and have Mommy Wait on You day. At least until he's a year older. Then it will be Stay In Bed and Get It Yourself But Wash Your Hands First day.
;-)
Oh, and Happy Birthday to my little Sis, whose age I won't disclose because I am wayy older than she is and I'd like to retain some mystery...a little.
Oh, and WHY IS IT that no matter where I go at 2am in the morning, I stumble into a discarded pair of soccer cleats? My poor toes. Seriously. I think the little soccer cleats think to themselves (after being placed dutifully in their spot in the Mud Room):
"Hey, Lara should pass this way on her way to the kitchen at about 2am to make a bottle for the baby, let's jump right into that spot behind the corner so she won't see us! One Two...three..WHEEEEE!"
Okay, Thing Four has found his voice. His happy voice. More like his happy SCREAMING voice. Granted, it was cute the first few days---but now...I am loathe to admit it...it's a bit...wearing on the ears. (He's currently Happy Screaming as I type this.)
Yes, yes I know it's a phase because all my kids went through it too, but right now, he's the HAPPIEST screamer. A.K.A. the Loudest. He screams (happily) at mealtimes, at bathtime, at playtime, and more inconveniently-- at Church, the Doctors office, the library and bedtime. Oops.
Hey, at least he's happy. And he's very self-confident. I'm not going to "shush" a four month old. Then again, if I shushed him, he wouldn't know what that meant anyway.
Thing Three had a high fever all day yesterday. He's a little better today, but I'm keeping him home from school because he's really weak. They run those little first-graders around, you know. I want him to be 100 percent better when he goes back to school, so today is Stay In Bed and have Mommy Wait on You day. At least until he's a year older. Then it will be Stay In Bed and Get It Yourself But Wash Your Hands First day.
;-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
