Satisfied this Saturday

My day started out quite nice, perhaps a little earlier than I would have liked, but I can't complain. Everyone was thrilled with their first day of spring break. Kids watched Saturday morning cartoons and I stayed in my pj's until 9 o'clock. N slept in after his late night shift. Luckily Verbena called an hour ahead before our coffee date. I had completely forgot. It was great to catch up with her. We ran into each other at the post this past week. It's been since soccer season since we've seen each other. She's great as usual.
I came home motivated to purge. After N went to work, we headed down to the basement and started to prepare for the Walleye Festival! Boy, did we make progress! Half the basement still is a disaster. I have boxes to sort out and toys to part with. The kids did really well, but I wish we could part with more stuffed animals. I don't know why I am so weak to influence them more. I guess it's my guilt of the other things they had to part with throughout our moves.
I have quite a few garbage bags and boxes ready for pricing. Maybe I'll work on some tonight, we'll see how tired I am at the end of the day. Everyone needs a bath tonight and nails clipped. It's amazing how grooming and cleansing can be hard to keep up with times three. What will be one more? She won't be on their schedule for awhile. They stayed in their pj's all day and loved it. I guess they really needed a break. I think my coffee date helped me to have a nice day at home with them. It was great to sneak away for an hour before having them to myself. Tomorrow we have church. I hope to get more prepared for the garage sale. The more ready I am before this baby comes, the easier it will be the end of April.
I can't believe today is the last day of March. It seemed to have flown by. Some days seemed longer than others, depending on how much pressure I felt from this baby girl. I am trying to be patient with her arrival. I've never felt so impatient with a pregnancy. I was able to arrange for New Moon to come over and watch the group on Thursday for my appointment. These girls, what ever would I do without them! I won't get through this without them, I know that for sure. Last week the doc was on call and really behind. We got there at 10:30 and didn't leave until close to 1 o'clock. The lobby was full of moms, grandma's and a few toddlers. I couldn't imagine having all of our group in that small room as well. Luckily, we won't have to. That was only the second time she has ever been behind like that. I can't complain.
I'm trying to figure out plans for Seven and his birthday. With so much in the air, it's hard to plan. I'm not sure how we will work it out. N works on Sundays, his birthday is on a Sunday. Perhaps I should see if we can celebrate it this week during spring break? That is really last minute notice though. We'll see what we can work out. It's my next item to organize.

It's all the same

No change, I am in the exact same situation I was last week. All measurements are the same. I don't know why I am frustrated with that. I am 36 weeks and normally would not be so impatient. Things have changed over the years, I didn't realize how I would feel at the end. Previous pregnancies, sure I had toddlers to keep up with, but I guess more patience with how I felt. Maybe it is harder to keep up with big kids. Today, I struggled walking away from the park to the car, walking across a store to the exit, etc.
The younger two were after each other again today. They just irritate each other in small ways and it gets old, fast. I believe this is just the beginning of this behavior. I remember behavior like this with my siblings. A sign of growing kids.
Last night I slept better than I have in awhile. I had forced myself to stay awake and had made cards with Zinnia until much later than I usually stay up. The extra hour helped me sleep better. Last night, I was out before 10 and here I sit at 4am, awake. My bed became too uncomfortable. I'm in the recliner. I could use a snack, but the heart burn and idea of moving are keeping me in the chair.
I'm still only at 15 lbs for my total weight for this pregnancy. I was curious how much I'd add to it at the end, but so far not much. I am sure she will still come out as chubby as can be, following in suit with her siblings. Still not much name progress. We may have a winner, but it is not yet confirmed. I don't think N will make up his mind until we are in the hospital room.
Missed the opportunity to Skype with Baby Orchid today. I was just too tired. The kids had been arguing and I just had to get them to bed. Gma made it happen for Baby Orchid. She is the sweetest baby. I can't wait for the end of May to get here to see her. Four can't wait either. Today, she whined saying "I want my Grandma." and she really wanted to go to Frankenmuth. Is this my child or what? I love Frankenmuth. Even if we don't do anything but walk the streets, it's still my favorite MI town. We will have to take Orchid and Baby Orchid there. I don't believe we've taken Uncle Dv there either. Can't remember.
Seven is getting birthday ideas in his head. While I don't think we will be hosting a party, I do want to do something fun for him. Perhaps pizza at a restaurant and taking a couple friends to the movies will work. Is it lame that a trip like that will be a great treat for my children? We do not go out to eat very often, nor do we see movies on the big screen.
Ah, another train at 4am. N wanted to consider a house that backed up to the train tracks, right before the main crossing in town. He' hasn't noticed how frequently that whistle goes off in the wee hours. I was able to point the whistle out to him a few times this past week. We are checking online for new listings, but haven't found anything we love yet. We haven't walked through any either. That will be our next step, hopefully sooner than later. I am getting excited at the thought of it. I really do not want to move, but know it will be great in the end. We've rented for the past 3 years. Time to plant my seeds from Iris!
I think the snack desire will prevail this morning. My charging cord keeps falling out and my legs are falling asleep. Guess the chair isn't my ideal location for now.

Resurrection Eggs

Four just came home from preschool with her resurrection eggs. In the car, she told me the story and meaning behind each egg. It was the sweetest thing I've ever heard! I only wish she would have done it the same when we got home. She was embarrassed and got silly. I did tape her sharing the eggs, but it wasn't the same. I love all the great things she has learned at preschool this year. It gave me the idea to tape some of the things she has learned at church on Monday nights, too. I'd like to go to her classroom and record her explanations of the artifacts. She's come a long way this year! We are very proud of her.

Organization

N posted a calendar next to our computer desk. I didn't think much of it. Then today, I noticed Six took it upon himself to cross out the days in March that have gone by. He also wrote Seven's Brfday on the right day. He is counting the days in March because of reading month. Such a sweet guy.
Today we purchased a new blanket for the new baby. We have some blankets, but I wanted one to be just for her. It's pink with an elephant. We also got her going home outfit with an elephant. We're getting excited!

False alarm

I almost thought she was coming on Saturday night. I woke up to strong contractions at 2:30 am. They got stronger and more regular. I didn't wake N until 4:15 or so. I decided to call the doc. Wouldn't you know, once I called, they stopped. Complete stop. Not one after. So, I called back and they said I could stay home. I was surprised by the contractions and felt silly after, especially since this is my fourth time around. I followed the dr. guide lines and called when they said I should. Poor Azalea got up and came over. I didn't call her until the last minute either. It was a trial run and it all worked out.
The crib is up, clean and ready. We got a package from Rose and her family. What a wonderful surprise that was. I placed my online orders and those items should arrive this week. Bags are packed, plan is in place. We haven't taken any pictures lately, perhaps that is something we should do. Other than a name, I think we're ready!

What to do with Six

He sort of drove me crazy yesterday. He's been slacking on picking up. Poor Seven does most of the work. I finally got some sense into him last night. Seven cleaned half the room. I told Six he had ten minutes to get it picked up or he was losing money from his jar. After complaining, the timer was started and what do you know, the boy can do it! He's been taking forever to get dressed and complete any task. The tally mark situation worked for awhile. It still works with Four. She will do anything to avoid a tally mark. Six doesn't seem to mind if he gets one and has to do two good things to get it removed. Not a big deal to him.
He's such a character. His name means laughter, you wouldn't believe how many times he is the one in the group that makes us laugh. This morning, I went into the boy room. They were all playing Lego's. I said good morning and they all repeated it to me, except for Six. He sounded like a news anchor, with much enthusiasm.
I am so proud of him and reading lately. March was reading month and they kept track of how much they read. He's missed only two days the entire month. He has taken the initiative and has wanted to read every day. Yesterday, he was on Skype with Baby Orchid, reading to her. I almost questioned his book, it was about mummies and skeletons. Didn't phase her one bit, even made her giggle when he showed her the pictures.
Six is an original, we'll keep him around. He can be such a sweetie, and yet such a challenge. It's all about balance, learning and realizing when to push or let go. He's grown up so much in the last 3 years. When we moved here, you had to watch out. Those were the most challenging years with him by far. School has done wonders. He is also the one who shows the most attention to the baby belly. He always remembers to say good night and give it a kiss. This is repeated when he gets on the bus as well. What a guy. He'll make a great big brother, again. I think the age distance might work out to my advantage this time around.

Something for myself

Today I purchased some new pj's for myself. Why it takes the arrival of a baby for me to do this, I do not know. I have not purchased new pj's, only once, the rest are from before Four was born. It's amazing what doing something like that for yourself can make you feel. It's hard to balance life, schedules and the budget. We are forever challenged by this. I try to be as frugal as I can. I shop at Goodwill and Salvation Army for certain items that make perfect sense to purchase there. The budget still seems to be a challenge. Groceries are so expensive compared to when our kids were babies. Everything seems high price in MI. I am sure so is the case elsewhere in the country.
In the end, I didn't pay full price. Sure, I will be sporting some pj's with an owl and a green St. Patrick's day hat that says something about being lucky. Oh well. At least the owl is cute. On to new things!
We enjoyed a nice play date with Daisy. I love visiting with her. We haven't had time together without other kids around and distractions for quite awhile. I was able to confirm God parents today after my play date. Daisy and Zinnia will be God parents to this baby girl. We still don't have a name for her yet.
I'm also in the process of getting my "what if" plans final. I think I've got it figured out. It's like a balancing act that involves all of my flowery friends.
I am so blessed to have such support. For a girl who started out in MI feeling so alone, 3 years later things look very different.