Thursday, June 25, 2009

Back to the Insane lifestyle....

what a morning.... okay, it started out great kids slept in until 8 am. Then we started the day running. Lauryn of course is finishing her last week of swimming lessons (she is moving much faster than last week) and we had to get everyone breakfast. No milk, no coffee, no poptarts, granola bars, froz. waffles etc.... nothing speedy. So I made toast and Eng. Muffins with the last of the bread and Eng. Muff.'s (note to self, need to get groceries!) We got things going and everyone was on a roll, literally. Lauryn and Liyah went outside. Liyah was walking to Grandma L's house to stay during lessons, Lauryn was just hanging out. She said Liyah told her to walk backwards and she fell into the firepit. So now she has scrapes on her shoulder, wrist, knee, calf, ankle. She was worried about going swimming, but Miss Julie assured her the chlorine in the pool would clean it right up!!
We ran to the grocery store after lessons and Lauryn wanted to "drive" the cart (buggy for those of you down south). She was doing well and going her own way (probably the first mistake). I was on the lookout for Grandma Patty (who got lost in the candy aisle--go figure) and told her to meet me by the milk. I was coming back from the search and rescue and Lauryn was standing next to the ice cream freezer crying (really loud) and covering her mouth. Oh, great!! Not another trauma, I like to keep it to one trauma a day.
Turns out she ran the cart into the side of the freezer and then ran her mouth into the handle of the cart!! Results: one loose tooth knocked out and a bloody lip. Got some paper towel from the cashier and staunched the blood. By the time we got back to the milk, blood was done and all was well.
Whew. The family made it through another day of ups and downs. Mom stayed sane through all of it and no life was lost in the making of this story!!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Top 10 Things I Hate

10. Flip flop tan lines on the top of my feet, it really ruins summer for the rest of my shoes.

9. When my air conditioners don't keep my bedroom cooler than 75 degrees.

8. When I'm reading a really "romantic" book and Greg isn't around to enjoy it.

7. When doves eat the really expensive thistle feed I put out for the goldfinch. $30 worth gone in one day!!

6. Continued coverage of a really, really, really boring news stories, especially ones that preempt good shows.

5. Playing a video game from the library and finding out it is just a preview copy and I can't get to the final 2 worlds, WHAT'S UP WITH THAT CHERYL

4. When my kids go out after getting brand spanking new clothes on and get jiggy with it in the mud puddles. OOOOH that just curdles me.

3. When I clean the kitchen/dining room and bathroom floors and it doesn't look like it, why waste the energy then, right moms!!

2. When I ask for someone's opinion and they say "I don't know" or "I don't care", well I do so tell me something anyway!!

THE NUMBER ONE THING I HATE

1. When a person is 40 years old and has more acne than they did in high school, yeah I'm talking about ME!!

WOW...with out words


this has been the BEST weekend in a long time!!! I turned 40 on Friday. THAT isn't what made it such a good weekend, it was all the wonderful surprises Greg had for me. The girls woke me up nice and early on Friday to wish me a happy birthday...see previous blog. Then Greg tells me he is taking Lauryn to swimming lessons (yea) and that he is going to be taking Grandma Patty and Liyah with them (triple yea) and he will be taking them to the library for summer reading club story hour and then he takes them out to lunch at McD's. So I got to spend the morning alone, quiet, thinking about what to do that day (not much). Greg told me to be ready to go out for dinner by 4:45pm and that was all that I had on my agenda.....ahhh this is the life.
He'd hired the babysitter, planned the dinner and had a few other secrets too.
On the way to Big Rapids the cell phone rings and he starts talking to someone with a really deep voice about meeting and going to the Mexican place we like. Here's where you will see the real me. I can't wait to see who is going to be meeting us and Greg won't tell me so I grab the phone to see who had called. IT WAS PAUL and KIM BAHR!!!! (Long story short, Kim and I met in college in the early 90's and have been best friends ever since. Paul fit right in with us and Greg came later and we've all enjoyed hanging out and having a good time since) They live in Wisconsin, in the Madison area and we don't get to see each other often enough. They were here, for my 40th birthday. WHOO-HOOO!! Sangria's and Margarita's here I come.

We had such a great evening. That wasn't the end of my really great weekend tho'. Greg had planned a wonderful cookout on Saturday evening with family and friends. I knew about the cookout but didn't know he had invited some very good friends over (some friends going all the way back to high school days and before). We had a wonderful evening and enjoyed some of the company until late! The Bahr's were still here and came over Sunday morning to go to church with us. Spent the day with us and spoiled my kids with beads for making necklaces and bracelets, and beautiful summer outfits (they've worn a new outfit everyday since). I love that my friends love my kids, besides they have two boys so Kim says she doesn't get to shop for girly things that much!! They also served me crack for the first time, I'm now officially addicted!! It is like the BEST caramel corn EVER, thanks Kim (and my butt, belly and thighs thank you!).

Monday was our 7th anniversary!! Yeah, those years seem to have gone by super fast. If I didn't have two kids, a mother-in-law and 5 animals I would feel like Greg and I were still dating....wait, we did go out on another date!! Kim and Paul stayed down in GR on Sunday and Monday nights and we shipped the girls off to my mom's (thanks mom) and set Patty up with snacks, drinks and a really long movie. Then they had dinner together at my parents house....everyone was fine and enjoyed their time so no worries anyone!! Greg and I went down to GR and went to the hotel pool with the Bahr's and then the 4 of us went out to eat dinner at Carrabba's (one of THE best places for fine Italian food and wine). We had a great time and got home a little later than planned. Late enough that mom had the girls bathed and in bed!!! See we aren't totally insane.

It has been the best weekend in a long time...wait that is so deja vu! Thanks Greg, thanks mom and Paul and Kim YOU ARE THE BEST BESTEST FRIENDS A 40ish WOMAN COULD WANT. AND YOU TWO AND GREG WILL CATCH UP SOON, NO WORRIES

Friday, June 19, 2009

The Big 4-0

Today is the day, I don't feel any different. Except Greg took the day off and took Lauryn to swimming lessons with grandma and Liyah. Something I've been doing all week, but got time off for good behavior.
Lauryn made me breakfast this morning. Cereal and a lot of milk! Thanks Lauryn, mommy needed that! It hasn't been an easy week, but I'm so relaxed and happy right now I can't even think of anything to blog about. There's always the laundry, the accidents, the dishes (note to self don't think that just because you have incentives (read Bendaroos (see previous blog) that your children will continue to WANT to do dishes and clean)!! I don't think Lauryn has done dishes all week. She has kept her room clean and helped with the table setting and cleaning at meal times!
Next week she has 5 more days of swimming lessons. It's funny to watch a kid who doesn't like to get her face wet, learning how to blow bubbles and "bob" in the pool! I've also found out how uncoordinated she is, she has a very hard time keeping her legs and her arms going at the same time. No wonder she can't dance! She tries hard tho' and I've got to give her that. Even tho' she is the last kid to get from one end of the pool to the other she doesn't stop until she gets there. She's found herself a little "boyfriend" who helps her by grabbing her hand and pulling her when she gets too far behind.
Liyah is her usual self. We got to get some new clothes for the girls summer wardrobes this past week. Everyday since she has been coming out with Lauryn's new sundress on, playing dress up. She has worn her new church sandals to bed for her naps and puts them on first thing in the morning. She carries them with her to show grandma Lucas and Chevy (her cousin) since she isn't allowed to wear them outside, unless it's Sunday and we are going to church.
The only thing about Grandma Patty this week has been her wearing her sweatshirt in the house until the thermostat says like 78 degrees!! I was sweating getting her dressed this morning, and she wanted me to help her get her sweatshirt on!!!! She has enjoyed watching Lauryn and the other kids swim this week. Just a chance to get out of the house makes it fun for her.
Greg and I went for a walk the other night (about 20 minutes out in the back woods) and went back to the river. I went down to the river to see how warm it was. It was nice. Maddie went with us (she never misses an opportunity to go out in the woods exploring) and she ended up swimming all the way across the river! She couldn't get up on the other side since it was too steep, so had to come back and splash around with me. If she could fetch it would be a lot of fun out there with her!!
Greg's taking me out tonight, which means a babysitter for the kids (and grandma too we just don't tell her that) and pizza for them. I don't know what I'm having for dinner, but I'm sure it will be good. He kept the whole taking the day off etc. from me so who knows what he has up his sleeve. The one drawback is you can stay out and let the babysitter tuck the kids in, but you have to be home to tuck your mother-in-law in. I think the babysitter would feel a little weird doing that!! (right Lydia!?) But that's okay, Greg told me today he's got the whole weekend and Monday off (since our anniversary is Monday) and that just means more surprises. Whoo-hooo!
No sarcasm today. Feeling too good and not letting my sanity be compromised on such a glorious day!! Hope that the rest of the weekend goes so well. We'll see how well next week goes, when I'm feeling more like "40".

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Odds and Ends from an overly tired Mom

I know tomorrow morning at 7 I will wish I had gone to bed earlier. I just don't feel like it. So there!! Maybe it's my inner self being stubborn, and selfish. After doing things all day for others and letting them do what they'd like to do (if it is legal and moral) ie, watch whatever square and yellow cartoon character they want. I like to do things once in a while that I don't usually get to do. Like stay up after midnight and watch crime t.v. I even sneak into the pantry and snitch a snack (okay, it was cashews and they were salted so sue me, atleast I left the choc. chip cookies alone).
Greg and I decided it would be a good thing to make a menu up for family meals. It would help with grocery bills, buying only the things we need for the week (or 2 weeks) meals that I have planned out. Then sticking to the menu, eating what is on it and not ordering out when we don't know what to fix at home.
It was a relief the last two days. I've posted the menu (on my new pantry door chalkboard) everyday ([read] Lauryn gets to read it and start her complaining first thing in the morning instead of right before meals) and the family (ie Lauryn knows what we are going to be eating that day, and gear up for it appropriately ([read] Lauryn gets to start begging for "something else" first thing in the morning instead of right before meals)) (Okay, so sue me for being a parentheses freak).
Actually, it's been fine. She knows the rule is this is what's on the table, this is what you try and this is what you can POLITELY say No thank you to. She actually tried a bite of tomato soup today! A BITE, not just a lick. Liyah tried it today too, she was happier with her grilled cheese sandwich (Lauryn doesn't like those either).
I was happy that I got to grill all four of our sandwiches at once on my new cast iron grill/griddle for the stove top. $15.00 at Aldi's!! I'm not too proud to say, I'm an Aldi's whore. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOVE it if they put a store in Big Rapids or Mt. Pleasant so I didn't have to go all the way to GR to get a good price on good food!!! C'mon I shopped at Aldi's when I was a poor college kid, they are both college towns.....
Anyhow, Lauryn tried new foods today. She didn't ask for more than a bite (okay, she didn't technically ask for that either) but it wasn't a battle to see who would win!! To top it all off we have a new currency in our house, and it's better than money!!
Lauryn and Liyah being the TV freaks that they are, see waaay too many commercials for things. Thus, the begging "Oh, can we get that?" "I want that!" you know how it is ( and you need therapy if you are denying that cold hard truth of that (or else your kid hasn't started talking yet)). Well, the mommy and daddy in this house got very tired of toys and books and kids stuff not being taken care of ([read]Mommy got tired) and got rid of a lot and said no more. You buy what you want, or wait for gifts. So getting back to the story.... commercial, begging, no, you buy..... Lauryn and Liyah have been begging for Bendaroos (these crazy little pieces of colored string covered in moldable wax) for almost a year now. Daddy finally caved in and bought some, mommy wasn't happy but that is a whole different blog. So now we have leverage. Each chore around the house is equal to a certain amount of Bendaroos (mostly 3). The girls (especially Lauryn) have been quite amenable to working around the house today. I think she earned over 28 Bendaroos today (and mommy didn't have to do the dishes once!!)
So don't let people poo-poo you when you finally give in and start bribing your children to get them to do things!!! It's a wonderful thing. I'd nearly call it BLISS!

NOTE: 10 days and counting to the big 4-0! Hooray

Thursday, June 4, 2009

WHO in their right mind

Decided that the rule, "Children should be seen and not heard" should fall by the wayside. I mean, I think that it would be an awesome rule to have. Especially after a 3.5 hour ride in the backseat of our Ford Contour with Liyah on one side and Lauryn on the other! It was a trip of INCESSANT (adj. Occurring without interruption; continuous) talking, poking and other loud noises and bodily functions. When I say INCESSANT I mean it.... very literally! I thought that I would lose my sanity, it's good to know I have more than a 3 hour supply still, before we made it home.
Don't get me wrong, I think that I've had a few years to get used to the talking that the girls do, it is a LOT, but I've never been trapped (yes, trapped with wide butt stuck between the two car seats) between the two mouths in motion like I was yesterday.
We went to Dundee, MI yesterday to pick up grandma Patty. She had a wonderful time with family for the past 3 weeks. We ate lunch with Aunt Sally, Aunt Linda and Grandma Patty at Bob Evans and we had a nice visit. Then came the trip home.... whew! I can't imagine what it would have been like with grandma in the back seat with the girls (she doesn't have any sanity to spare).
The thing is, how would you go about making the children these days follow a rule such as "Children should be seen and not heard." I believe that if I had started young with the rule "Don't speak unless spoken to" that would have been the start of a beautiful relationship. I wouldn't have whining, hollering, temper tantrum throwing children. I would have demure, complacent, obedient and manageable children (of course just like I was as a child). But now it's too late. It is true when they say the first year of a baby's life the parents try to get it to say it's first word and then the rest of it's life they are trying to keep them quiet!
I'm glad to be home, out of the confines of the backseat. I'm glad that I can hear Lauryn and Liyah from the other room and not right in my ears. I'm happy that I can get out in the open and work in the flower beds and hang laundry on the line. Lauryn and Liyah can run around outside and holler and scream as much as they want. I am glad that I can keep a few grams of my sanity for today. We'll see how it goes now that I've got Lauryn home from school, Grandma Patty home from Ohio, and of course Liyah getting into all and everything!
Wait, maybe if they take me to the funny farm it will be more like a spa retreat! I could come back home refreshed, renewed and relatively sane!