Sunday was the day to catch up on my fair share of solitude. Sundays are usually our family date days, but I really had no energy to be cheerful for dates today. Julie and I went to church because we were scheduled to help in her class. That was fun, but I was glad when it was done. My migraine decided to pop back into my head as soon as I opened my eyes this morning.
I made lunch for the kids, and we all ate together and looked through the Sunday paper. Heath was nice enough to let me take off for the rest of the day after that. I went to Panera and hunkered down to get a bunch of stuff done (writing and otherwise). Didn't come home until they closed at 8:30. At least it was quite productive!
Tonight, I've got a few more things to make sure and complete before bed, but I've really got to try to make it to a horizontal position sooner rather than later.
Showing posts with label Griping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Griping. Show all posts
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Case of the Crabbies
Wednesday was fraught with a serious case of the crabbies. Maybe it was lack of sleep or guilt about being behind on my NaNo noveling or lack of sufficient caffiene--whatever it was, I was in quite the foul mood. Legolas even invited me to meet her at Panera in the morning to work, but I really didn't think I should be around people.
After getting Everest from school, we ran a couple errands, one of which was stopping at a newly remodeled McDonalds for lunch. He ate well and played in the little play area, but a little boy pushed him a few times, even though Everest kept trying to be his friend, so we ended up leaving. (The grandma who was watching them didn't really speak English; hardly seemed worth talking to her about it.) At one point, Everest made a comment that cracked me up when these little 1-year olds were playing near him. "The babies are surrounding me!"
When we got back, I snuggled with him a bit to try to get him to take a nap. He did stay in bed for about 45 minutes or so, but then he was up again. I had him lay in our bed, and that did the trick. Meanwhile, I worked on my novel with Midget for awhile before having to go get Julie at the bus stop.
She whizzed through her homework, and we made it to the gym. (YES!) It was so nice to workout again. After 45 minutes on the elliptical, I went to soak my feet in the whirlpool and read, then shower. I took full advantage of my 2 hours of childcare! That seemed to cure my crabbiness for the night.
The kids went to bed all right, though Everest was trying to give me trouble about staying in bed. They're all finally asleep though, and now it's time for me to get noveling again.
After getting Everest from school, we ran a couple errands, one of which was stopping at a newly remodeled McDonalds for lunch. He ate well and played in the little play area, but a little boy pushed him a few times, even though Everest kept trying to be his friend, so we ended up leaving. (The grandma who was watching them didn't really speak English; hardly seemed worth talking to her about it.) At one point, Everest made a comment that cracked me up when these little 1-year olds were playing near him. "The babies are surrounding me!"
When we got back, I snuggled with him a bit to try to get him to take a nap. He did stay in bed for about 45 minutes or so, but then he was up again. I had him lay in our bed, and that did the trick. Meanwhile, I worked on my novel with Midget for awhile before having to go get Julie at the bus stop.
She whizzed through her homework, and we made it to the gym. (YES!) It was so nice to workout again. After 45 minutes on the elliptical, I went to soak my feet in the whirlpool and read, then shower. I took full advantage of my 2 hours of childcare! That seemed to cure my crabbiness for the night.
The kids went to bed all right, though Everest was trying to give me trouble about staying in bed. They're all finally asleep though, and now it's time for me to get noveling again.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Lost Day Redeemed
Friday got lost somewhere between waking up and 5:00 p.m. I may have been a little overzealous in my activity on Thursday because I woke up feeling very exhausted and sort of sick again. We had no milk for coffee, my patience was zero, and there was no school during the day due to a teacher work day.
The kids ended up spending most of the day essentially alone. I was there, but I felt like a ghost. I didn't want to be around anyone or do anything or go anywhere. I only wanted to sleep. Julie and Everest, though they started off the day getting on each others' nerves, ended up making peace and at least being somewhat amicable toward one another.
Heath came home around 4:30 and took over. I had a tutoring appointment via Skype at 5:00. He took the kids out to the park and fed them dinner. After I was done, I packed up my stuff and went to the gym. I only did a 35 minute workout, but it still counts.
Meanwhile I got a message from Legolas, inviting me to come play cards with her family. I adore her family and could not pass it up! We had fun playing Pounce (which also goes by the name of Nertz and many others). After everyone either left or went to bed, she showed me her most recent paintings. I love her room--definitely the room of an artist!
Spending time with her family was just what my spirit needed. They were truly a Godsend to me on a day that was lost in a mist of discontent. Legolas and I stopped by Wendy's to get some dinner for Heath, swung by the house to drop it off and get my laptop, then we went to Village Inn to work on our various projects.
This day has most definitely been redeemed and is ending on a positive note. :o)
The kids ended up spending most of the day essentially alone. I was there, but I felt like a ghost. I didn't want to be around anyone or do anything or go anywhere. I only wanted to sleep. Julie and Everest, though they started off the day getting on each others' nerves, ended up making peace and at least being somewhat amicable toward one another.
Heath came home around 4:30 and took over. I had a tutoring appointment via Skype at 5:00. He took the kids out to the park and fed them dinner. After I was done, I packed up my stuff and went to the gym. I only did a 35 minute workout, but it still counts.
Meanwhile I got a message from Legolas, inviting me to come play cards with her family. I adore her family and could not pass it up! We had fun playing Pounce (which also goes by the name of Nertz and many others). After everyone either left or went to bed, she showed me her most recent paintings. I love her room--definitely the room of an artist!
Spending time with her family was just what my spirit needed. They were truly a Godsend to me on a day that was lost in a mist of discontent. Legolas and I stopped by Wendy's to get some dinner for Heath, swung by the house to drop it off and get my laptop, then we went to Village Inn to work on our various projects.
This day has most definitely been redeemed and is ending on a positive note. :o)
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Busiest Day of the Month
Thursday, Heath was able to stay at home with Everest while I went to the church to finish and print the magazine. I was there all morning and afternoon. He had to bring the kids to the church around 4:00 because he needed to observe a new instructor candidate for the evening class.
Thank goodness the church is like a second home for them, and the kids were content to sit in my cubicle and color while Kipper played on my iPod. (Thank you, Netflix app!)
Patience only lasts so long however, and by the time we got home, they were hungry and tired and at each other's throats. After dinner, I sent Julie upstairs to take her shower, put on a show for Everest, then called or texted everyone I could think of to babysit so I didn't have to take the kids to the collators' meeting that night.
No one was available.
But God is merciful to a mother at the end of her rope. After Julie's shower and the time apart, they were a lot better. We gathered the cookies I'd made and headed out to the church. As it turned out, they were really helpful at the meeting. Julie ran around re-stocking for the collators and stapler people. Everest helped one of the staple guys staple the magazines.
When we got home, the kids went right to bed. They'd been worn out by helping at the meeting and the long day. I had to take a rain check from Midget for movie night because I was determined to get to bed at a decent time. That just hasn't been happening lately...
Thank goodness the church is like a second home for them, and the kids were content to sit in my cubicle and color while Kipper played on my iPod. (Thank you, Netflix app!)
Patience only lasts so long however, and by the time we got home, they were hungry and tired and at each other's throats. After dinner, I sent Julie upstairs to take her shower, put on a show for Everest, then called or texted everyone I could think of to babysit so I didn't have to take the kids to the collators' meeting that night.
No one was available.
But God is merciful to a mother at the end of her rope. After Julie's shower and the time apart, they were a lot better. We gathered the cookies I'd made and headed out to the church. As it turned out, they were really helpful at the meeting. Julie ran around re-stocking for the collators and stapler people. Everest helped one of the staple guys staple the magazines.
When we got home, the kids went right to bed. They'd been worn out by helping at the meeting and the long day. I had to take a rain check from Midget for movie night because I was determined to get to bed at a decent time. That just hasn't been happening lately...
Friday, April 22, 2011
Mid-Week Blahs, part 2
Thursday started off just bad. And by "started off bad", I mean 60% of the day was filled with frustrations. I don't want to get into a laundry list of grievances, but suffice it to say, there was far too much destruction, mayhem, and messiness for me.
We did have a little spark in the middle by visiting my mom for lunch. She made mac n' cheese for Everest, plus Thai mussaman curry for us. Everest really enjoyed playing in the backyard.
There was a bit of a miscommunication about when Julie was going to be off school, and she ended up coming home on the bus. So Everest and I had to hurry off unexpectedly. Thankfully, Julie went over to the neighbor's house (the ones we know well), and stayed with them until we got home.
After more misadventures, I fed the kids, and we went to the gym. There's no school Friday, so I figured it would be okay for them to be out a little later than usual.
Oh my, let me tell you, having that good workout made ALL the difference in my mood; it did a complete 180-degree turnaround. On the way home, we were singing songs and having a fun old time. Bedtime went great, without a hitch.
Puella stopped by to spend movie night with me and Midget and to get a midweek break from schoolwork. We ended up watching the pilot episode of a sci-fi western called Firefly. Such a fun series!
By the time Puella left, I was even cheerier. Midget and I watched a couple episodes of anime to round out movie night. Now I'm finishing up this post and am going to try to actually go to bed at a decent hour. Here's to tomorrow being better...
We did have a little spark in the middle by visiting my mom for lunch. She made mac n' cheese for Everest, plus Thai mussaman curry for us. Everest really enjoyed playing in the backyard.
There was a bit of a miscommunication about when Julie was going to be off school, and she ended up coming home on the bus. So Everest and I had to hurry off unexpectedly. Thankfully, Julie went over to the neighbor's house (the ones we know well), and stayed with them until we got home.
After more misadventures, I fed the kids, and we went to the gym. There's no school Friday, so I figured it would be okay for them to be out a little later than usual.
Oh my, let me tell you, having that good workout made ALL the difference in my mood; it did a complete 180-degree turnaround. On the way home, we were singing songs and having a fun old time. Bedtime went great, without a hitch.
Puella stopped by to spend movie night with me and Midget and to get a midweek break from schoolwork. We ended up watching the pilot episode of a sci-fi western called Firefly. Such a fun series!
By the time Puella left, I was even cheerier. Midget and I watched a couple episodes of anime to round out movie night. Now I'm finishing up this post and am going to try to actually go to bed at a decent hour. Here's to tomorrow being better...
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Mid-Week Blahs, part 1
Wednesday and Thursday had giant moments of blah in them. Hours of limbo, frustration, and general listlessness. After tonight, however, I figured it out. I have finally reached the point once again where the frequency of exercise in my life has a direct correlation to the positivity of my mood. Likewise, the infrequency of exercise correlates to my negativity and short fuse.
Wednesday, I spent some of the morning on answering emails, but then I watched a movie with Everest. He really needed some special time. After Julie got home, I helped her with her homework, then dropped off both the kids at Marla's house for a playdate with the girls.
Meanwhile, I came home and hit the productivity hard to make up for not adequately working in the morning. Around 5:00, I took a homemade lasagna over to Marla's house, and we all had dinner together. It was really nice to catch up with her a little bit. She's getting married in July, and I got to meet her fiance, Joe.
When we got back home, Heath had returned from his afternoon hike. He put the kids down for me because I was completely exhausted. I ended up whiling away the rest of the night, watching movies and folding laundry. I'd meant to go workout, but I couldn't bring myself to go out and be around people anymore.
Wednesday, I spent some of the morning on answering emails, but then I watched a movie with Everest. He really needed some special time. After Julie got home, I helped her with her homework, then dropped off both the kids at Marla's house for a playdate with the girls.
Meanwhile, I came home and hit the productivity hard to make up for not adequately working in the morning. Around 5:00, I took a homemade lasagna over to Marla's house, and we all had dinner together. It was really nice to catch up with her a little bit. She's getting married in July, and I got to meet her fiance, Joe.
When we got back home, Heath had returned from his afternoon hike. He put the kids down for me because I was completely exhausted. I ended up whiling away the rest of the night, watching movies and folding laundry. I'd meant to go workout, but I couldn't bring myself to go out and be around people anymore.
Monday, April 18, 2011
An off day
Sunday was bad. That's really all I can say without going into all the nitty gritty details. In the end, I came to the conclusion that we haven't been spending enough time together as a whole family or individually as family members. (Dates with the kids and between us parents has been nonexistent lately.)
Heath and I talked about it, and unfortunately, this is just a rough period of life right now. He's overwhelmed with work because they're losing instructors, so he's working more hours. I'm still trying to find the balance between church work, freelancing, and family (not to mention other commitments). Julie's busy with school. Everest is in limbo because he didn't get into preschool last fall.
The question is: What is more important? Work or family? School or family? The answer seems obvious, but everything still needs to be done in order to survive financially, do well in school, and attain emotional familial stability. We need to work harder on finding this balance.
Heath took the day to get caught up on work-related tasks. The kids and I got the laundry done and picked up the house a little. Julie did some reading, and the kids both watched some more of Avatar: The Last Airbender. We ran a few errands, then stopped by a park so the kids could run some energy off. It really was a beautiful day for the park--warm and windy.
We hit up the grocery store afterward. My theory was that they would be so tired from the park that they would behave at the store. Well, between Julie still teetering on the edge of illness recovery, Everest being extremely tired at that point, and both of them feeling hungry, the trip to the store was a rollercoaster. They would be good for a few minutes, then one or both of them would start complaining, whining, or throwing a random tantrum.
When we finally got out of there, I picked up dinner because I was so cranky at that point, and it was getting past bedtime. They ate, and I put them to bed quickly. Thankfully, they fell asleep without complaint.
For the rest of the evening, I did a little freelance work, then watched CSI and ate cookies. Yeah, probably not the best idea for coping with a bad day, but that's how it goes sometimes.
Heath and I talked about it, and unfortunately, this is just a rough period of life right now. He's overwhelmed with work because they're losing instructors, so he's working more hours. I'm still trying to find the balance between church work, freelancing, and family (not to mention other commitments). Julie's busy with school. Everest is in limbo because he didn't get into preschool last fall.
The question is: What is more important? Work or family? School or family? The answer seems obvious, but everything still needs to be done in order to survive financially, do well in school, and attain emotional familial stability. We need to work harder on finding this balance.
Heath took the day to get caught up on work-related tasks. The kids and I got the laundry done and picked up the house a little. Julie did some reading, and the kids both watched some more of Avatar: The Last Airbender. We ran a few errands, then stopped by a park so the kids could run some energy off. It really was a beautiful day for the park--warm and windy.
We hit up the grocery store afterward. My theory was that they would be so tired from the park that they would behave at the store. Well, between Julie still teetering on the edge of illness recovery, Everest being extremely tired at that point, and both of them feeling hungry, the trip to the store was a rollercoaster. They would be good for a few minutes, then one or both of them would start complaining, whining, or throwing a random tantrum.
When we finally got out of there, I picked up dinner because I was so cranky at that point, and it was getting past bedtime. They ate, and I put them to bed quickly. Thankfully, they fell asleep without complaint.
For the rest of the evening, I did a little freelance work, then watched CSI and ate cookies. Yeah, probably not the best idea for coping with a bad day, but that's how it goes sometimes.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Whirly Weekend, part 2
Sunday morning, around 7:15, I was woken up by the sound of banging, stomping, and crashing. But both kids were still in bed! The HOA hired a company to replace the roofs of all the buildings in the complex, and they have been working their way around, banging around, making a mess and lots of noise.
Today, they did ours. And man, do they EVER make a mess. It was like this on the front after they'd started stripping the old roofing material off and tossing it over the edge of the roof. (Yes, that's our porch.)
I have to admit, the mess frustrated me a lot. As did the noise. But there was nothing that could be done about it. I knew that they would clean it all up when they were done--as we've seen them do on every other building around us. But that doesn't make it any less intrusive on our space. There was even sheet metal falling into our main patio! I was afraid to take the kids out to the car.
We ended up missing church and having a sort of off-morning. Heath woke up late in the day, and I was grouchy from being up prematurely, being sick, and everything else. But the kids played with a wide variety of things throughout the morning, from their sets, to Play-Doh, to puzzles. I'm glad they were good, because things could have gotten really ugly otherwise.
After we had lunch, Julie and I went to Panera Bread to work on our respective responsibilities--her homework and my new chapters for the Inkaholics group. We stayed for a few hours, then came home by 4:45.
Heath had cleaned the whole house, bedsheets and all, and was out at the park with Everest. I was so exhausted by that time that I just laid down on the uncovered bed.
Heath and Everest got home, and Heath (bless that man) took over getting the kids fed and putting them to bed. Even though I was tired, I also needed a mental break from being around the house and the kids. That really is important for a mom. It doesn't mean I don't like being around my kids--I do--but we all need a sabbatical from everything in this world eventually.
Heath urged me to go to this certain Starbucks that's open until 10:00 p.m. every night of the week. Once I was finally convinced to go, I was so glad that I'd left. I still didn't feel great, but at least I was out and got some fresh night air and an Earl Grey Latte. YUM. I discovered that they have a LOT of outlets, which is more than I can say about a lot of my other favorite hang-outs. I'll have to return another time for sure. Did a lot of writing while I was there and had a blast with it.
Parting Shot
Interesting corrugated cardboard lamps above the Starbucks pick-up area.
Today, they did ours. And man, do they EVER make a mess. It was like this on the front after they'd started stripping the old roofing material off and tossing it over the edge of the roof. (Yes, that's our porch.)
I have to admit, the mess frustrated me a lot. As did the noise. But there was nothing that could be done about it. I knew that they would clean it all up when they were done--as we've seen them do on every other building around us. But that doesn't make it any less intrusive on our space. There was even sheet metal falling into our main patio! I was afraid to take the kids out to the car.
We ended up missing church and having a sort of off-morning. Heath woke up late in the day, and I was grouchy from being up prematurely, being sick, and everything else. But the kids played with a wide variety of things throughout the morning, from their sets, to Play-Doh, to puzzles. I'm glad they were good, because things could have gotten really ugly otherwise.
After we had lunch, Julie and I went to Panera Bread to work on our respective responsibilities--her homework and my new chapters for the Inkaholics group. We stayed for a few hours, then came home by 4:45.
Heath had cleaned the whole house, bedsheets and all, and was out at the park with Everest. I was so exhausted by that time that I just laid down on the uncovered bed.
Heath and Everest got home, and Heath (bless that man) took over getting the kids fed and putting them to bed. Even though I was tired, I also needed a mental break from being around the house and the kids. That really is important for a mom. It doesn't mean I don't like being around my kids--I do--but we all need a sabbatical from everything in this world eventually.
Heath urged me to go to this certain Starbucks that's open until 10:00 p.m. every night of the week. Once I was finally convinced to go, I was so glad that I'd left. I still didn't feel great, but at least I was out and got some fresh night air and an Earl Grey Latte. YUM. I discovered that they have a LOT of outlets, which is more than I can say about a lot of my other favorite hang-outs. I'll have to return another time for sure. Did a lot of writing while I was there and had a blast with it.
Parting Shot
Interesting corrugated cardboard lamps above the Starbucks pick-up area.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
You are feeling sleeeeepy
This morning I had a meeting with a new graphics volunteer for the church. She is such a sweet lady and has been through a lot. We had a wonderful conversation at Starbucks.
Heath and the kids picked me up. We went home to put Everest down for nap, then Julie did some homework and cleaned her desk. As a reward for her work, she got to play computer games at readingeggs.com, a website they use at school.
In the meantime, Everest got up and played some games with Julie while I made spaghetti for dinner. We had a pretty nice time together, but slowly I started to feel more and more tired. I laid down to let my stomach settle with the intent of going to the gym later. Didn't happen.
Put the kids to bed and got the downstairs thoroughly cleaned up. Then I made some stawberry-cranberry relish for tomorrow, cut up the bread for tomorrow's stuffing, and set the cinnamon rolls to thaw in the fridge.
Tonight, I've been IMing and watching shows with Midget. Think I'll be turning in soon after Heath gets home from work.
Heath and the kids picked me up. We went home to put Everest down for nap, then Julie did some homework and cleaned her desk. As a reward for her work, she got to play computer games at readingeggs.com, a website they use at school.
In the meantime, Everest got up and played some games with Julie while I made spaghetti for dinner. We had a pretty nice time together, but slowly I started to feel more and more tired. I laid down to let my stomach settle with the intent of going to the gym later. Didn't happen.
Put the kids to bed and got the downstairs thoroughly cleaned up. Then I made some stawberry-cranberry relish for tomorrow, cut up the bread for tomorrow's stuffing, and set the cinnamon rolls to thaw in the fridge.
Tonight, I've been IMing and watching shows with Midget. Think I'll be turning in soon after Heath gets home from work.
Friday, October 22, 2010
List of Grievances (blah blah blah)
I'm afraid I have been holding out in reporting some bad news. I wanted to make sure that everything was finished toppling before even mentioning it, and now Lord willing, it is done. So here we go.
[grievances]
Last week on Wednesday night, after I left for Idaho, Heath parked the Jeep in the parking lot by the gym while he was there with his students. The car was broken into and everything of value was stolen--his backpack (including school books, students' homework, his cell phone, etc.), the GPS device my parents gave us (which we hadn't even used yet), and who knows what else. At least they left the car seats. Heath filed a police report, but there was little chance of finding what we had lost. He then planned to get a new phone over the weekend.
The next morning, as Heath was driving Julie to school, he saw noticed something about our truck, which has been out of commission and parked on a side street. It was vandalized--the driver-side window totally smashed in. Nothing was stolen; it was merely random vandalism. But it still stunk. Heath covered the window with plastic.
The following day was Friday. Heath had arranged for someone to come and check a mysterious leak in our crawlspace that afternoon. As it turned out, the entire water heater (along with various plumbing accouterments) needed to be replaced immediately.
Yeah.
Thankfully, my parents came by on Saturday to watch the kids and our friend Joey drove down to help Heath clear out the crawlspace of all the wet carpet remnants, plastic, boxes, and other stuff. There was little damage to our personal belongings, which was definitely something to be grateful for.
Monday, the truck had a notice on it that the vehicle would be towed for being "abandoned" on the street. I'm sure it did look pretty abandoned by that point, totally cleaned out, with plastic covering one window. We actually had it towed away today for a mere pittance compared to what it was worth.
Heath handled it all really well on his own though. That man works best under pressure, and this was an incredible burden of strain on him while I was gone. I felt awful that I couldn't be there to support him, but every time we talked on the phone, he told me not to worry and that I shouldn't let any of it ruin my time with Midget. Man, I got lucky with this one!
Int he end, we still have our two Jeeps to drive. Heath was able to get a free cell phone by renewing our contract. The new water heater works great. The dirt is drying out in the crawlspace thanks to a fan Heath set up. And God is generally taking extremely good care of us.
There isn't much to complain about really. It all happened so fast, but now it's over. Thank You, Jesus, for not drawing it out and for sparing us from further craziness! Any prayers for our sanity and the continued calm of household would be most appreciated.
Today was a normal day of productivity. After Julie got home, I made hot chocolate for everyone while she finished her homework.
Meanwhile, Everest got a hold of my camera again and proceeded to shoot anything he could find in the living room.
We went out to run errands--Heath's school, library, my parents', bank, Target, and ended with Chick-fil-A for dinner. The kids did fine eating and getting ready for bed. The rest of the night was spent working, working, working.
I have an early meeting in the morning, however, and I must retire or end up staying awake all night, worrying about getting to Starbucks on time. Eep. Goodnight.
[grievances]
Last week on Wednesday night, after I left for Idaho, Heath parked the Jeep in the parking lot by the gym while he was there with his students. The car was broken into and everything of value was stolen--his backpack (including school books, students' homework, his cell phone, etc.), the GPS device my parents gave us (which we hadn't even used yet), and who knows what else. At least they left the car seats. Heath filed a police report, but there was little chance of finding what we had lost. He then planned to get a new phone over the weekend.
The next morning, as Heath was driving Julie to school, he saw noticed something about our truck, which has been out of commission and parked on a side street. It was vandalized--the driver-side window totally smashed in. Nothing was stolen; it was merely random vandalism. But it still stunk. Heath covered the window with plastic.
The following day was Friday. Heath had arranged for someone to come and check a mysterious leak in our crawlspace that afternoon. As it turned out, the entire water heater (along with various plumbing accouterments) needed to be replaced immediately.
Yeah.
Thankfully, my parents came by on Saturday to watch the kids and our friend Joey drove down to help Heath clear out the crawlspace of all the wet carpet remnants, plastic, boxes, and other stuff. There was little damage to our personal belongings, which was definitely something to be grateful for.
Monday, the truck had a notice on it that the vehicle would be towed for being "abandoned" on the street. I'm sure it did look pretty abandoned by that point, totally cleaned out, with plastic covering one window. We actually had it towed away today for a mere pittance compared to what it was worth.
Heath handled it all really well on his own though. That man works best under pressure, and this was an incredible burden of strain on him while I was gone. I felt awful that I couldn't be there to support him, but every time we talked on the phone, he told me not to worry and that I shouldn't let any of it ruin my time with Midget. Man, I got lucky with this one!
Int he end, we still have our two Jeeps to drive. Heath was able to get a free cell phone by renewing our contract. The new water heater works great. The dirt is drying out in the crawlspace thanks to a fan Heath set up. And God is generally taking extremely good care of us.
There isn't much to complain about really. It all happened so fast, but now it's over. Thank You, Jesus, for not drawing it out and for sparing us from further craziness! Any prayers for our sanity and the continued calm of household would be most appreciated.
[/end grievances]
Today was a normal day of productivity. After Julie got home, I made hot chocolate for everyone while she finished her homework.
Meanwhile, Everest got a hold of my camera again and proceeded to shoot anything he could find in the living room.
We went out to run errands--Heath's school, library, my parents', bank, Target, and ended with Chick-fil-A for dinner. The kids did fine eating and getting ready for bed. The rest of the night was spent working, working, working.
I have an early meeting in the morning, however, and I must retire or end up staying awake all night, worrying about getting to Starbucks on time. Eep. Goodnight.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, more of the same
Tuesday morning, involved work and more work. Heath and the kids dropped me off at the church so that they could take the donations to Goodwill and run a few errands together. (Yes, we're still down to one car.) I stayed there working until about 1:45, and got a lot done. Somehow I've been able to stay on task very well this week, which is definitely a good thing.
My mom had surgery on Tuesday, so I had the kids make "Feel Better Soon" cards. They worked really hard on them and can't wait to give them to their Nana on Friday when we go to visit.
The rest of the afternoon consisted of more work. Thank goodness the neighbors were out again. The kid went outside to play and run off some energy.
They played until it got really late and was starting to get dark. I think they have really been enjoying these times of playing outside in the evenings, when the yard is finally cooler and shady.
Spent the rest of the evening working, working, working. Took a little break to put dishes away and call my mom to see how she was recovering from the surgery. Then I was back to work. Such is life at this time of the month.
My mom had surgery on Tuesday, so I had the kids make "Feel Better Soon" cards. They worked really hard on them and can't wait to give them to their Nana on Friday when we go to visit.
The rest of the afternoon consisted of more work. Thank goodness the neighbors were out again. The kid went outside to play and run off some energy.
They played until it got really late and was starting to get dark. I think they have really been enjoying these times of playing outside in the evenings, when the yard is finally cooler and shady.
Spent the rest of the evening working, working, working. Took a little break to put dishes away and call my mom to see how she was recovering from the surgery. Then I was back to work. Such is life at this time of the month.
It's that time of the month
Yes, it's that time of the month when I am working on the church magazine, and I fall into negligent mother-workaholic mode. Thankfully though, I was diligent this month and did a lot of prep work ahead of time for the magazine, thereby saving me a lot of headache this week. But that doesn't change the fact that I am also working on an entirely new website for my friends Donita and Evangeline, and that needs to be done before the end of the week too.
Yeah. So...where are my kids and husband? I've been hunched over my computer for three days straight and am missing it all.
Monday, I started my busiest work week. But before I took off, the kids showed Heath their field journals. They were so proud of them! Heath was very impressed by all their hard work.
Then I went to Einstein's to work for a few hours in the relative peace and quiet of a public place. Made a lot of progress there, and really enjoyed their coffee. Theirs is best! Heath got a chance to spend some quality time with the kids.
When I got back, Heath had to leave to go evaluate another class up north. I needed the kids to be occupied somehow while I worked, but I didn't want them to watch TV without earning it first. So I had them go through the toy boxes for items that they could give to Goodwill. I was amazed at how much they found--especially all the stuffed animals they were willing to part with.
By the time we got to dinner, I had been in work mode all day. I was ready for a break, but not standing in front of the stove. We ordered pizza, and Julie got the idea that we should have a picnic outside in the truck bed. Sounded perfectly reasonable to me! When the pizza guy arrived, we had him deliver the pizza right to the truck.
Unfortunately, Everest wasn't feeling that great, hence the sad expression in one of those pictures. But after a bath and a short rest, he was ready to go again. I had the Monday night chat, so I let the kids go outside to play. I saw them sharing their field journals with the neighbor kids outside.
When they came in, it was pretty late. We did a quick bedtime story, then I tucked them in and got to work on that new website. I stayed up until almost 5:00 a.m. because websites are like that for me. I have to do the skeleton in one fell swoop. I paid for it in extreme drowsiness the next day, but at least Donita and Evangeline love the way the site is coming together.
Yeah. So...where are my kids and husband? I've been hunched over my computer for three days straight and am missing it all.
Monday, I started my busiest work week. But before I took off, the kids showed Heath their field journals. They were so proud of them! Heath was very impressed by all their hard work.
Then I went to Einstein's to work for a few hours in the relative peace and quiet of a public place. Made a lot of progress there, and really enjoyed their coffee. Theirs is best! Heath got a chance to spend some quality time with the kids.
When I got back, Heath had to leave to go evaluate another class up north. I needed the kids to be occupied somehow while I worked, but I didn't want them to watch TV without earning it first. So I had them go through the toy boxes for items that they could give to Goodwill. I was amazed at how much they found--especially all the stuffed animals they were willing to part with.
By the time we got to dinner, I had been in work mode all day. I was ready for a break, but not standing in front of the stove. We ordered pizza, and Julie got the idea that we should have a picnic outside in the truck bed. Sounded perfectly reasonable to me! When the pizza guy arrived, we had him deliver the pizza right to the truck.
Unfortunately, Everest wasn't feeling that great, hence the sad expression in one of those pictures. But after a bath and a short rest, he was ready to go again. I had the Monday night chat, so I let the kids go outside to play. I saw them sharing their field journals with the neighbor kids outside.
When they came in, it was pretty late. We did a quick bedtime story, then I tucked them in and got to work on that new website. I stayed up until almost 5:00 a.m. because websites are like that for me. I have to do the skeleton in one fell swoop. I paid for it in extreme drowsiness the next day, but at least Donita and Evangeline love the way the site is coming together.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Surprise Gift
First, a random picture of the kids from this week. Circuit City has these great little carts for kids. As I was taking their picture, Everest was reaching for what was really important to him at the moment--Julie's hamburger!
Since this was crunch week to complete the church magazine, the picture above is actually the only family one I took since Monday. Otherwise, I have barely been getting my Project 365 images captured.
Every month this happens--in the final week before the magazine comes out, I end up losing hours and hours of sleep. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, I allowed myself a 2-3 hour "nap" around 11:30 p.m., then got up WAY early to get to work. Anyway, it got done, and I'm thrilled with it, as usual. So at least that's something.
Mid-week, I received an astonishing, unannounced and wonderful gift from one of the girls on CleanPlace, MOTS (Master Of The Swing). She works at a ceramics shop and created this saucer and mug for me--completely personalized using my avatar from CleanPlace (and everywhere else I go as MangyCat) as well as my signature which is "I don't believe in signatures. Oh wait..."
I don't think I've ever received such a gift before--wherein the giver put SO much thought into personalizing something for me. I am in love with it and have it proudly on display in my kitchen.
Since this was crunch week to complete the church magazine, the picture above is actually the only family one I took since Monday. Otherwise, I have barely been getting my Project 365 images captured.
Every month this happens--in the final week before the magazine comes out, I end up losing hours and hours of sleep. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, I allowed myself a 2-3 hour "nap" around 11:30 p.m., then got up WAY early to get to work. Anyway, it got done, and I'm thrilled with it, as usual. So at least that's something.
Mid-week, I received an astonishing, unannounced and wonderful gift from one of the girls on CleanPlace, MOTS (Master Of The Swing). She works at a ceramics shop and created this saucer and mug for me--completely personalized using my avatar from CleanPlace (and everywhere else I go as MangyCat) as well as my signature which is "I don't believe in signatures. Oh wait..."
I don't think I've ever received such a gift before--wherein the giver put SO much thought into personalizing something for me. I am in love with it and have it proudly on display in my kitchen.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Pet Peeves + Summer Review
One of my pet peeves is watching people who don't have kids react with little understanding to children who are just being themselves. Why does a little peeping and cooing from a baby have to be described as "fussy"? And why should a child who is upset about something be accused of having a "tantrum"? Neither one of these words are positives in my mind, and I despise someone telling me that my children are doing one or the other when they are being completely normal.
After all, it's impossible to keep a baby or a child completely quiet. There is just no reason to place a label on the noise because the person doesn't like the disturbance of their happy place.
I need to place a griping label on this. LOL
In other news, so much has happened that I don't know if I can even describe it all. So in the words of Inigo Montoya, "It is too much. Let me sum up."
SUMMER STUFF
* Julie took swimming lessons at Cottonwood Rec Center. After two weeks, she decided that she loves swimming, but she doesn't want to ever get her face wet. The instructor was this barely 16 year old girl with a skinny backbone. Unfortunately, she made the mistake of putting Julie all the way under the water the first time she jumped into her arms. Agh! You never know what will scar a child's psyche for life.
We're planning on getting her swimming lessons next summer though so she can try again and take all the classes back to back.
* Everest got his immunization shots and amazed us once again with his uncanny ability to handle pain. For the second time, he cried for about 30 seconds, then was completely fine. He's demonstrated this strange ability on other occasions when he's fallen off the couch and later off the bed. Cries for half a minute, then recovers without a problem. Hallelujah!
I'll have to post more updates later on. (It's waaay too late for me to up now.) But one of the other big things that's happened is that Julie started preschool--real preschool at our neighborhood elementary school. It's four days a week in the afternoons. She's really loving it and has already made lots of friends--including a new best friend!
Oh, and also, Julie is in Awana Cubbies again this year. It just started last week. Second day is tomorrow. Eeps! I better review her verse with her. I was sick last week and totally spaced a lot of things. Well, we'll get back on track again.
Everest is 8 months old now and can sit up, roll both ways, and is showing BIG signs of a voracious appetite. I have to plan each day's nutrition so I can be sure to get enough food in his tummy to satisfy.
Have I mentioned that I started a Tuesday morning Bible study for moms as well? Fall, here we come!
After all, it's impossible to keep a baby or a child completely quiet. There is just no reason to place a label on the noise because the person doesn't like the disturbance of their happy place.
I need to place a griping label on this. LOL
In other news, so much has happened that I don't know if I can even describe it all. So in the words of Inigo Montoya, "It is too much. Let me sum up."
SUMMER STUFF
* Julie took swimming lessons at Cottonwood Rec Center. After two weeks, she decided that she loves swimming, but she doesn't want to ever get her face wet. The instructor was this barely 16 year old girl with a skinny backbone. Unfortunately, she made the mistake of putting Julie all the way under the water the first time she jumped into her arms. Agh! You never know what will scar a child's psyche for life.
We're planning on getting her swimming lessons next summer though so she can try again and take all the classes back to back.
* Everest got his immunization shots and amazed us once again with his uncanny ability to handle pain. For the second time, he cried for about 30 seconds, then was completely fine. He's demonstrated this strange ability on other occasions when he's fallen off the couch and later off the bed. Cries for half a minute, then recovers without a problem. Hallelujah!
I'll have to post more updates later on. (It's waaay too late for me to up now.) But one of the other big things that's happened is that Julie started preschool--real preschool at our neighborhood elementary school. It's four days a week in the afternoons. She's really loving it and has already made lots of friends--including a new best friend!
Oh, and also, Julie is in Awana Cubbies again this year. It just started last week. Second day is tomorrow. Eeps! I better review her verse with her. I was sick last week and totally spaced a lot of things. Well, we'll get back on track again.
Everest is 8 months old now and can sit up, roll both ways, and is showing BIG signs of a voracious appetite. I have to plan each day's nutrition so I can be sure to get enough food in his tummy to satisfy.
Have I mentioned that I started a Tuesday morning Bible study for moms as well? Fall, here we come!
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