Sometime there is just too much material

for my blog. Like yesterday.... it started out as any ordinary Thursday. Breakfast, couple cartoons for the girls, Regis and Kelly for G.P., dishes and laundry for me, cleaning sisters apt., getting things set for Lauryn's little party she's having with some cousins (Wii and pizza). Then came the horrible, dreaded, "I'm awake" naptime!!

Lauryn was being rotten all morning to everyone in the house, so I sent her to bed. She got at least an hour and 1/2 nap (unusual for her, but very much needed). Then Liyah was sent to mommy's bed because I can't put both of them down for naps in the same room. This is when it all started.....

12:30 pm. "Mom! I spilled on the bed" Spilled WHAT on the bed?!? Turns out she had gotten a dixie cup from the bathroom and filled it with water and taken it to bed. Of course she had gotten up and put the cup back on the bathroom counter! Okay, cleanup the mess as best as I can. Scoot her to my side of the bed for her nap.

1:30 pm. "Mom, I gotta go poop!" Okay, go! she got up and went and then hollered for me to wipe. I walk into the bedroom and see the box of scrapbooking stamps and colors and papers (which the babysitter left, Lydia) all over the floor and the bed. What are you doing in here, you are supposed to be sleeping!!! I get her cleaned up and back in the bed.... "I need a napkin, I got chocolate on my leg." What!!! How did you get chocolate on your legs, and why do you have it on your mouth? Not only had she been playing with the scrapbooking box, she had eaten all four of the Reeses Peanut Butter cups out of my purse!! The ones G.P. and I had bought at the grocery store to share (and stopped and got sundae and shake at Mc D's instead). Okay, this time spanking and tucked back in.

2:30 pm. Lauryn's awake and comes out to snuggle with me. When Liyah hears her talking she opens the bedroom door and says, "I'm awake". Clue #1 she hasn't taken a nap: she's too chipper to be just waking up. I tell her come on out, she might as well forget the nap (probably too much chocolate in her to settle down anyways). She comes out and starts snuggling too. Clue #2 she hasn't taken a nap: she smells like nail polish. Why do you smell like nail polish Liyah?!?! Did you get into the polish? No. Of course no, she wouldn't admit to that because I'm sure now she can see my eyes turning red and steam coming out of my ears..... we marched to the bedroom where I found "THE EVIDENCE" dum, da da dum!

Liyah had opened my clear nail polish, and closed it back up, and set it back on the dresser where it was. But, while it was opened she proceeded to take my eyeshadow brush and use it to polish her toenails on up to her ankles. Let's not forget the fingernails, all the way up to her wrists. And oh, let's just paint our lips as well. If that wasn't enough she had taken my eyeliner and drawn scribbles (not even very artistic scribbles at that) all over the dresser. She had laid the eyeshadow brush on the dresser and it was stuck there, as well as bristles from the brush were stuck all over her hands and feet. NOW what's a mother to do! I'll tell you what I did, I spanked her again and made her clean up what she could. Then I took cottonballs and polish remover to her feet, hands, lips and the dresser.

And all that before I had 5 kids over for pizza and Wii games!!!

I'm so thankful that isn't my usual day. I think that I would have lost my mind a long time ago if that were the case.

Greg came home from work last night and said he had taken Friday off. He asked me last night as we were getting ready for bed what my plans were for tomorrow. I said, "I think I'm taking the day off too!"

Ding Ding Ding...

the beginning of round 20... man even professional boxers don't have to go this many rounds!!
It really shouldn't bother me so much, it's not like it's a new fight, just the same old fisticuffs. G.P. doesn't want to take her pills and she gets quite feisty about it. Then Greg and I have to get feisty right back, it makes for some tears and a LOT of sighing (huffing and puffing as my mom would call it). I just say sigh as much as you want, but pick a pill!!

I know that G.P. misses her family, her sisters. She would like to have someone to do something with besides me and her grandchildren. A ladies only day! But for now this is what we've got. I'm thinking once Liyah and Lauryn are in school in the fall that she and I will have more time to do things she likes that the girls don't like so much (like shopping/ browsing through stores and grown up movies).

Lauryn and Liyah have been the usual crazy makers. They are doing there best impressions of sisters. "She looked at me", "I did NOT", "She touched me", "I did NOT", "She took my toy/book/crayon/paper/computer game/bracelet", "I did NOT". They are doing whatever they can to keep me on my toes. Making sure that I take a trip to Insanesville at least once a week (sometimes once a day). I've been happy for the sunny days this week. We've had really nice rain come through this week, it's been great for our flowers and veggie garden, not so much for growing sanity in the house!!!

Last night Greg came home around 7:30 pm, which is his regular time, and he said it really made him feel good to see the girls outside, running down the side of the driveway yelling "daddy's home". I told him I'm glad, I had chased them out of the house after they ate dinner because they wouldn't stop yelling and fighting with each other!! He said it kinda put a damper on his "high" to know they didn't do that all on their own. Oh, well. You learn to take love from the girls when and where you can get it and you don't ask how!!

I've been going slowly in circles this week. It seems that just as I get one thing done another pops up. You know how it is... laundry caught up... until someone (we name no names in this house) wets their pants and you have another load of clothes, bedding, towels, rugs whatever happened to be there, to wash. The same goes for dishes, cleaning up toys, and always the bathroom sinks and toilets! I never knew children could make such a mess while brushing teeth or washing hands. You'd think the Ark was passing through!

That isn't what makes this mommy go insane though. I could probably clean up after the messes without too much of a problem. I have trouble hanging on to it when no one made the mess, and doesn't want to help clean it up. I'm going to find No One and tell him he either pays rent or he learns to clean up his own messes!!

Of course if I found No One and fed him I Don't Know for dinner, he would probably make a mess of it and say He Didn't do it.... yeah, he's probably related!

Another foot in the mouth episode...

Mine. I guess the little things that go on throughout the week do finally come to a head, and I lose mine. G.P. has been much more verbal this week and most of her verbiage has been directed at the girls. If I were totally honest about it she's been quite bossy to them and telling them what not to do and do. It's a little irritant, but I try not to get too involved with it, sometimes they really do need to be told. Sometimes it's just too much and I just tell her not to worry about them too much, I'll take care of them.

Well, it came time to get Liyah to bed last night and she had gone without a nap. Liyah is not like Lauryn when it comes to bedtime, she is the up and out kid. She needs this, that and something else... anyway last night it was getting out of hand because she was so tired. She was screaming and crying and kept getting up. I'd tucked her in for the 2nd time and she was up again. Greg grabbed the wooden spoon (he doesn't use it much, it's just a reinforcement) and went in and got her to bed again. What happened that made me open my mouth was as he was going past G.P. she said, "No. No, don't do that." I was in the kitchen and heard her and Greg was down the hall and didn't hear her. Hence I found it hard to ignore and I said, "Don't worry about it. You raised your boys, now let us raise our girls. It's okay."

So now G.P. is mad at me and pouting today. Greg was mad at me for saying that to his mother, even after I gave him the context of the situation. I'm in the doghouse and no one cares that I'm stressed with events that have nothing to do with raising children and caring for a husband and mother-in-law. ON TOP OF THAT STRESS!!!!

It's the worst thing about this whole living situation. Having your mother-in-law with you 24/7 seeing how you are raising and disciplining your children. Sighing or making little comments when she disapproves of something you've done, and not being able to get away from that. It's not her fault any more than it is mine, but it sure isn't comfortable for either of us.

I know that she misses her family, and I can empathize with that feeling. I have been away from my whole family too. I know she doesn't like to be housebound on days when we have no car to get out and do things she really enjoys. I feel for her, having dementia and knowing that you can't do or say the things that you want to, it's got to be extremely frustrating. LIFE IS NOT ALL ABOUT G.P. THOUGH AND I CAN'T LIVE MY LIFE AS IF IT WERE!!

Everyone says, I'm such a wonderful, giving, patient and loving person. They don't know everything that goes on in my head and heart. I can't live up to others standards and I can't please everyone all the time. I will say things and do things that irritate and hurt people. It's not because I WANT to, it's just me. Me going insane, slowly and steadily. Running on empty sometimes. Sometimes just not knowing how to respond to someone that is showing their disagreement with what you are doing as a parent...... well, it's a new day today. G.P. will eventually forget that she is mad at me and life will probably get back to "normal"... I hope I do!

I don't remember....

The past week. I think I did things, maybe even important things. It seems to have gone by fast, and pretty smoothly. There were trips into town for a few groceries, a library visit (for "Wiggles and Giggles") and many other things. I know we had friends over for dinner Tuesday evening, so I probably spent all day Tues. cleaning the house. It's a blur in my brain. Not the visit, that was wonderful and fun.

Then there was Thursday. Another trip to Dundee, MI to meet with Linda.... and Sally, Betty, Joan, niece Barbara and great niece Terri Ann and her son Jeremiah. That day was GREAT, but quite a blur. It was a long day of driving and visiting... and then driving home again. I think I'm still tired from it!!

I'm pretty sure I had crazy moments, I know I called Greg at work one day (I think it was Friday) to let him know that I wasn't having the best day... G.P. had wandered away 2 times and scared me because I didn't know where she went. Once was at the library.... Liyah had to go potty, Lauryn was wandering around between computer games and books and my nephew Josh was on the computer. I was coming out from the bathroom with Liyah and couldn't find G.P. in the library. I had Josh help me look for her, he found her out in the car. She said she had to get out of there.... I don't have a clue why.

Then while I was making lunch she disappeared again, oh yeah, she was looking for the dog that Greg brought home from work with him on Thursday. Did I forget to mention a new dog?! I can't imagine why my brain is fried. She seems to be attached to her, a small terrier of some sort. She's a nice little dog, found in the front yard of Greg's employer all wet and cold. So I got the girls eating lunch and went out looking for G.P. and the dog. Found the dog at my mom's with Maddie (our dog) and G.P. in the path (between our houses).

I think amongst all of this this week I can honestly say I did about 12 loads of laundry (I think there's still a load in the dryer) and washed about 14 sinks of dishes.

"I see", said the blind man as he peed in the wind....."it's all coming back to me now!"

You SEE what Happens....

When you have 2 children, a husband, a mother-in-law (w/ dementia) and you run a Yard Sale for 3 days!! You end up not having the time, energy or mental fortitude to write in a blog!! Whew, everything is done and we did well in the sale. The other people in my family are probably wondering what tree I fell out of. My children had to get their piggy banks and buy back any of their toys they wanted out of the yard sale. They were only allowed to buy 8 or less too. Let me tell you the back story.....

About 4 months ago, you know when the weather here in MI is really cold, my children had SCADS of toys, books etc. lying on their bedroom floor. Normal you say, but oh, let me finish. This is the bedroom that houses TWO children and their toys, books etc. This is also the room mommy has to walk into at night, without a light, without her glasses on to tuck her youngest into bed because she fell out, or lost her blanket, or just woke up and thought it was morning (hint Liyah, no sun/ no morning). Mommy (ie ME) got very tired of stepping on toys both soft and hard (you can turn an ankle on a stuffed animal wether you think you can or not). So I gave them a week to clean it all up. A WEEK!! I would remind them every morning that they were responsible to have toys cleaned up and put away before our weekly sleepover on Friday night, OR mommy (ie, ME) would do the cleaning with a large garbage bag and send them to the basement for the yardsale!!!! You know the end of the story, they blatantly looked me in the eye and said, "I don't care, I don't want them. You can clean them up." I kid you not!! They did pick out a few toys they deemed necessary to throw into the toy box and save.

I don't know how well Liyah has learned this lesson, but Lauryn is understanding more the concept of money and doesn't want any of her "new" toys to get taken away again (Goodwill this time) and "lose her money".

I guess some people find this a little hard to grasp, doing such things to your kids. Here's my theory.... my kids get things for birthdays, Christmas, Easter, any day G.P. gets to the store with money and when mom and dad can afford something. They aren't spoiled per say... but this throughout the year adds up to quite a few books, toys and games. If they aren't appreciative enough to take care of these wonderful things (and I mean there were some really nice things in that sale) then they don't really have to have them!! I'm a much saner mom when I don't have clutter from one end of my house to another!!!

A Saner mom is a Happier mom!!!!! Let's just leave it at that.