Christened the Crockpot

N brought home a new crockpot last week. The last ones handle broke off the lid. I was using a pliers to take the cover off and on. Not the most convenient way to cook. I washed it up and made chicken for tacos in it this am. Baby Girl woke up around 5:15 and heard N. Today is his early shift. Just the sound of him was enough to get her up and curious as to where he was and what he was doing. Wasn't planning on starting my day that early, but oh well. We're working on shoe tying with Seven. Yes, seven seems too old to not know how to tie his shoes. My bad I guess. I've had so many battles with him about other things, I waited until we had to learn to get the job done. He's blown me away with things he's shared lately. For Thanksgiving they made paper plate pies. A tack in the middle held the top and let you spin the pie slice. Underneath, it was divided into fours and he wrote four things he was thankful for. He wrote family, God, Jesesu, and Life. Wow. We'll have to work on how to spell Jesus. But wow. He's come a long way. It's great to see we're doing something right. I love that boy. Parent teacher conferences were right before the holiday. Did I mention them yet? I don't think so, but can't remember. Both boys are doing really well. Five had her conferences a few weeks ago. She too has improved. I wasn't really aware of how many tears she shed the first few weeks. She's come a long way. Sometimes she tells me things that I don't completely get until later. One day, a girl in her class drew marker on her shirt. She was also pinching Five on a regular basis. I informed the teacher of the pinching right away, but didn't think too much of the marker. Most of the time, Five likes to carefully chose her outfit for school. It didn't occur to me weeks later, she would chose what to wear to art based on if Elizabeth would possibly draw on her again. Seven has improved in school. He is one point off with his reading. He did very well with counting money. He is well liked in class. The teacher taught Eight last year. She's happy to have another boy of ours and likes to see how different they are. I really like her and am so thankful both boys were able to be in her class. Eight makes good choices. His teacher said he too is a good boy and nice to have in class. She shared with us that if someone he is next to isn't doing quite the right thing, he will move or give himself space away from that person. He's doing some 4th grade level work. He did very well on his concepts and was ahead of others in his class. So proud of him! Baby Girl is sleeping better. I say this, and I'm probably doomed for a bad night. We had one not too long ago, she was wide awake at 2 am. It had something to do with a wet diaper and long fingernails. She's decided to pinch anything her little hands can grab and boy does it hurt. She's all over the house, exploring every corner. I am constantly cleaning the floor. Yesterday, I didn't think the floor was that dirty. It wasn't until I put her fleece pants on to discover just how dirty the floor was. She was like a swiffer, covered in lint and crumbs. Our Thanksgiving was nice. We went to church in the am and that set the tone for the day. Did I already write about this? I sent some emails and no I'm not sure if I'm repeating myself or not. I think I need more sleep, or at least to look back and see what I've written. Sorry readers. Today I get to go to a movie with a friend during the day without any kids. Miss D from next door is coming over to spend the afternoon with Baby Girl. I know they will have fun. I've been frustrated with my picture orders from the store this week. I thought I was on top of things, getting my Christmas cards ordered now instead of later. Nope. They cut off half of Five's face. The prints I ordered were quite crooked as well. What was supposed to be simplified by having shipped home turned out to mean a trip to the store anyway. That's on the schedule for Thursday with N. That's all for now. More to come I am certain.

To humble me

Tonight I had a humbling experience, one that put things back into perspective financially. I think it changed both N and I. We have no business fixing up old boats and wanting $600 camera, etc. I have to realize (and thought I had) that we can't keep up with those around us. I needed a reality check, back to thanksgiving for things we do have and not for the things we want. Now, honestly, I never thought I'd get a $600 camera. It was just something I realized I would like and it compared to the cost of fixing up an old boat or two. I even found a swinging deal on a Kitchen Aide mixer and thought maybe that was a realistic thing to want for the holidays, but not acting on it right away would change the price, therefore not making it the swinging deal it used to be. I've really tried hard to watch what I buy and how I spend money. Perhaps my trip to Ikea got me too wrapped up in getting new things. I had saved some money my dad gave me last month for the desks for the kids. I don't feel guilty for the other things I spent. Overall, the trip cost me less than $200. That was the first time I went on a trip like that. My point, no more extras. I will stick to my Christmas list and that is all. The groceries always throw me off, I will get creative with what I have. Why does life have to create these challenges? To humble me. Norah Jones has a song with that phrase. It was singing in my head tonight and still is. Not sure when I will stop hearing it, but hopefully not anytime soon.

The thankful week

This week was a week of thanksgiving. The kids had a short school week, only two days. Tuesday night I contracted a horrible migraine. Record breaking pain that I haven't experienced in quite some time. It left me ill and the pain meds did no good. I was even sick to my stomach this time, a new level of symptoms. It lasted all day Wednesday. With thanksgiving the next day, there were quite a few things I needed to prepare. I am not sure how I got them done, but I did. It was in between naps and taking care of kids I was able to accomplish all my tasks. With doubts in my mind about how I'd feel the next day, I was very thankful to wake up with little pain on thanksgiving morning. We made it to church by 9 am, first goal of the day met. With lots of teamwork, we were out the door slightly later than planned, but still close to schedule. Our arrival at the cousins was great. They were happy to see us. It has been awhile since we'd been there, July to be exact. The kids love going there. They run and have so much fun. After being blessed with nice warm temps, they were outside almost the entire day. Great food and good company completed our thankful day. This morning, everyone slept in. After getting a few chores done around the house, we are off to be outside and try to finish some projects while Baby Girl is napping. Hope everyone had a wonderful day. The week continues....

So much to discuss

There are many topics I've wanted to write about, but just have not had the chance. One is Christmas. I am saddened to report we will not be in MN for Christmas this year. We are not able to leave here until Christmas day. A mix up with the leave schedule and we are stuck here. The kids are sad, but we will make the most of it. My problem now is when does Santa come to our house? Would it be terrible for us to write to him and see if he can come here first? We are the toward the beginning of the alphabet. If he waits until the next am, N will be at work and the kids will have to either A. open their gifts without him or B. he may get a break to run home and watch, but he goes to work at 5:30 am. We can't open them then. C. We write to Santa and maybe he will come when we are at church on Christmas eve. Is that breaking too many rules? It's the direction I am headed. N will be home and we can all got to church together, hopefully. I have no clue what time mass is at our church on Christmas eve. I've never been. I'd love opinions on my dilemma. Please comment and share. Today they were not the best behaved during church. They were fine to the average spectator, but my standards they did not meet. Five was into my bag, fishing for whatever she could find to please herself. After telling her to stop at least 3 times, I was fed up. She kept treating the pew like it was a trapeze bar and wouldn't sit still. While I am thankful they love their little sister, constantly trying to kiss Baby Girl and hang on me too drives me insane. Seven is too old to not pay attention and sit up properly. Eight is in the same situation, but rarely doesn't listen. Today they were fooling around and chatting way too much. It was so discouraging to leave feeling frustrated. I wasn't too frustrated, but I did not take them to the pancake breakfast the Knights were putting on. That was the plan and it always makes lunch easy for me, but I just couldn't do it. I was so tired trying to balance it all during the service, I couldn't police them at a breakfast too. We did not go. They were greatly disappointed. We continue to work on our church behavior. I've almost completed half of my Christmas shopping! I still need my father, brother, and to finish the Godparent gifts. Depending on our Santa situation, I may need to pick up a few things for that as well. Yesterday we completed the Ikea desks for each kid. The desks were supposed to be an early Christmas gift for each kid. I painted a chair for Five. I will do the same for the boys, but I do not have "boy" colors. I hope it makes the homework process easier. Time will tell. They are all facing the dry erase board in the other half of the living room. They take up quite a bit of space. Baby Girl is less than thrilled with the road blocks. We'll see how it works.

Please ignore the fact that Five is in her pj's at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. She chose to put them on after taking off her church clothes.

Fridays fun

The day began slightly stressed. Trying to get everyone out the door, including myself, proved to be close to chaos. It went as well as can be, I was on my way shortly by 9. Today was Ikea day! Yes, two friends and I had a great day at Ikea. After a nice lunch at Chili's, we were able to wander around Ikea and find the treasures we wanted to bring home. Baby Girl did a great job, she was perfect company for our journey. My whole trip was based on getting new desks for the kids. They are cheap, but will work. $20 each, couldn't have done it for less than that. We have chairs, I will paint each child a chair. They've been waiting for awhile on these desks and were thrilled I was going to get them today. I found some other great things to bring to our house. Two new rugs, but I'm not crazy about the runner for the front door. Might try to find something else. I love the rug, but its tan. Everything in our house is tan and white. We can't paint the walls. Tan doesn't do much for our entry. An 8 pack of colorful hangers caught my eye. They are bigger than kid hangers, but smaller than regular hangers. I found a three pack of wooden cars/trucks for Cousin #9. He will be two in a few days. We also got him a Tigers t-shirt. We've got a new project going on for Christmas gifts. I picked up a few things to work on it. They are turning out better than I thought. Um...we stopped at Michaels after and I found some pretty purple flowers to make hair clips with. I also got some canvas prints for Christmas gifts. As a treat, I bought a new picture frame to put the kids Christmas pictures in. N wasn't feeling well tonight and stayed home from work. The kids were to be picked up from school by Zinnia and brought to her house until I got home. Instead, she brought them straight to our house. I guess this upset her group quite a bit. Not sure how mine felt at the time, but I hope they rolled with the change. Everyone was in a great mood when I got home, just before 6 pm. It turned out to be a great night. N was home. He put together one desk. Everyone was pleased.

5 AM

Wide awake at 5 AM and starving, if you've ever been a nursing mother, you know what I am talking about. It's difficult to have so many things to juggle in the middle of the night. Screaming baby, sleep deprivation and than the horrible hunger pain that becomes so strong it can make you nausea. While I had these experiences more in the beginning, today I find myself back there again, starving at 5 AM. She's been sleeping much better lately, thank the Lord! Last night was close to chaos at our house. They came home, all high spirited and happy. This continued, even though they were hungry. We've made our meal right away two days in a row to accommodate our schedule and hunger. I really wanted to take some Christmas pictures of them to get a project complete for the grandparents. After a trip to the craft store, I came home with some pretty flowers for hair accessories. They ate while I glued. I showered Five and Baby Girl, then dried and fixed Five's hair. Boys showered and were shiny and clean. Once we got started, it all backfired. No one would cooperate. Baby Girl was screaming, hungry and tired. I didn't even get her dressed. Silliness set in and I was irritated. I gave up. Sent the boys upstairs and eventually took a few of Five. She's had dry lips and has been licking her mouth too much. She's got a line of red under her bottom lip. That was no good. In the end, it just didn't work. I will try again tonight, but at a different location. My neighbors have a beautiful fireplace in their basement. After school, we will head over there. Normally, I wouldn't be in such a hurry to get this done, but alas, a coupon deadline has me motivated.

The truth, the whole truth

Today, my kids were being difficult. I have a hard time with silliness when it is not appropriate. The silliness led to more and irritated me further. During their snack, they were still silly. Once a bowl of cereal with milk was on the floor, I was done. To their rooms they went, lights out by 7:30. I couldn't help it. Before the bedtime, we had a good conversation. I told them today I heard two families in the school district will be evicted from their homes. After explaining what this meant, I also told them the principal discussed how they can tell when some kids come to school, they haven't eaten since the day before. I brought up how hungry the kids were today when they came home, how would they feel if their wasn't any food to eat until school tomorrow. I think it really made them think. They asked question and were satisfied with the answers. It put things back into perspective. They realize how fortunate we are. We talked about helping people more. A friend is going to get food ready for the two families. I hope we can help some how, too.

An entire week has gone by

Can't believe I haven't been on here since last week. Where to start? Not too much to tell. Just an average week at home. We read love letters to Seven at church this past weekend. They were homework for his reconciliation class. They were powerful to write and moving to read. N wrote his and I took it to the meeting after mass. Seven wrote sweet things in his. It was a great activity. Too many things to get done as Baby Girl sleeps, I can't concentrate to write it all down. I've been too tired at night to write. I need to get on the elipitcal right now while she is down or it won't happen. I've gotten off to a good start, have to keep going. We enjoyed a nice Veterans day dinner with our favorite vet. When I asked the kids if they wanted to go, that Dad got a free meal, they said no. After I told them they would get a meal too, they decided to go. Silly kids. Would we really go and sit to watch N eat his free meal? It was a nice treat. One we do not do very often, everyone was happy.

Tuesday's just fine

After two days of migraine, we are back on track. Poor Eight wasn't feeling well this morning. Head cold. Poor Baby Girl has her first runny nose. I feel so guilty she got sick. Praying that is all it is. She was slightly more fussy than normal, it made getting things done more of a challenge. I manged to get quite a bit accomplished even with a fussy girl in tow. I was able to sort and recycle papers, etc. Both bathrooms are done and I managed to finish the laundry from the weekend. It looks pretty good around here. It has to since we can't have anything on the floor anymore. She's like a magnet to trouble. She finds everything! The solution, a clean house I guess. She's much faster than she was last week. She's enjoying her jumperoo more too. Best time of the day is when the people come home. To her disappointment, they all fled to play and left her with N and I. She loves to see them and waits for their arrival. I am off to Zinnia's to make cards tonight. Long time coming. Looking forward to it. Hope some people want to receive cards for Christmas and baby gifts. Give me a shout out if you are interested!

Sunday togetherness

Today I have had a horrible headache again. Even with the pain, we managed to have a good day. We had a wonderful time at church with Seven's first reconciliation session. It was much better than last year. It inspired Seven too. He wanted to do his homework and one session as soon as we got home. The kids were thrilled to see N home early. My head really hurt and he made it all better. The kids are now outside having fun in the nice weather. Baby Girl is having a hard time running into things in the living room. She's bumped her head and scratched her face yesterday and today. I am not sure how to change it, she is running into her own toys, etc. They are baby safe items. Just part of her learning how to balance her head and body movements. Looking forward to a nice family night.

Thankfulness Day 2

Today I am thankful for my husband. He provides for us in many ways. We are getting used to spending more quality time together while the troops are in school. It's been great. Today was a good day. Guess I'm too tired to recap it all. Maybe more tomorrow. No plans tomorrow and very excited. Kids just want to play at home. Should be a nice day.

Thankfulness

Today is day 1 of thankfulness. I want to try to be thankful to write something I am thankful for every day. We had a great night at church, all saints day. Last year, the kids dressed up as saints. This year, we did the same. We were the only kids dressed up. Seven was St. Fransis of Assissi. Five was St. Elizabeth of Hungry. It was great. They had fun. I love what they are learning in our church community. Oh my time is up. Baby Girl is ready for cereal.