This last weekend was a mini family reunion of sorts. My uncle turned 60 and his son, daughter and wife put on a surprise 60th birthday party. I had an aunt fly in from Virgina, an aunt and uncle from Colorado, an aunt from Arizona and a cousin from Virginia as well as misc. family from around here. My aunt from Virginia stayed with my mom and it was especially great to see her and hear how my cousins are doing. I know my mother had a wonderful time with her sister. It was great to see the two of them together.
However, here we are a few days later and I am sure that I have worn myself out. As we were getting the girls in their pjs and ready to leave the party I realized that there was something on my nose that we really hurting. I thought perhaps a zit but it didn't look like a zit. I figured that hopefully with some rest and relaxation it would go away. I don't know why it is I thought I was going to get any rest or relaxation. Our Sunday started with my mom and aunt coming over to see our garpartment, then a mad trip to Costco, Walmart, and Central for groceries and the like. Then home to unload the semi-truck load of supplies I had purchsed and make an orzo salad to take to my mom's house for a bbq that we were going to with my mom's family. Then at about 1:30 my mom calls wondering when we were coming over telling us that it looked like we were going to be eating a little earlier than planned. So our gradual get everyone in the car turned into a mad rush to grab everything we needed and run out the door.
The time at my parents' house was great and the food was awesome. Then 5pm rolls around and it is back to the house where we got the girls in the tub and spent the next 3 hours putting in our book shelf in our bedroom. It looks magnificent I might add. I love it love it love it. Don't think we left the girls in the tub for 3 hours. Although I am sure they would not have thought that a bad idea, we did take them out, get them in their jammies and let them watch a movie. We were very happy when Ellie picked Sandlot instead of Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins has been the movie of the month and I think if I hear the song "Let's Go Fly A Kite" one more time I might get sick.
After the movie we got the girls to bed and you would think that it being late we ourselves would go to bed but no. I was way too excited about my bookshelves and proceeded to go through all the books on my desk as well as the three boxes of books in the storage space in our living room. Then at 11:30 strolled in to bed to finish reading the last few pages in the Oprah magazine my mom let me have. Midnight came and I finally turned the light off for the night.
Last night was another of the same - three boxes of books that I got from the Fechters when they moved. After going through them all I decided on keeping only one box worth and am going to donate the other boxes. Got to bed last night though around 10:15 and read for some time in the newest book I am reading.
I wake up this morning and my jaw feels like I ran into a wall with the side of my face and did I mention that my nose is still sore and red. I am a mess. I am making a pact with myself that I am going to be early tonight and getting the rest I need so that the rest of me doesn't fall apart.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Broken Finger?
Friday afternoon I got a call from Sam politely asking if there was anyway I could get off a little earlier than normal. I asked her how much earlier, and if she had a specific time in mind. She politely adn very calmly explained that she had broken her finger and needed to go to the doctor, but that she could wait until I could get home. I, of course, told her that she didn't need to wait she could bring the girls to me and go to the hospital to get her finger taken care of. I asked her how it happened and she just calmly replied that she shut it in the car door while putting the girls into the car. Hmm?
Going through my mind were numerous scenarios and none were as calm and innocent as she claimed this to be. There was the vision of her trying to get Olyvia in and the door shut and Ellie slamming the door before her hands could get free; or the vision of Ellie all buckled and Olyvia slamming the door; or either of them pulling the door closed before Sam could get free of the door. All of these situations seemed like a test in patience and pain tollerance to me. I see the door slamming shut and blood spraying out. The visions just are not pretty and no way are they as clam as Sam is expressing them.
Sam dropped the girls off at the office and headed to the hospital. Later that evening I get a phone call from her saying they had to burn off her fingernail and then splinted her two fingers together. A splint that she has to keep on for two weeks. I still have not got my questions answered as to why it is that her finger was in way of the door yet and so I try to probe Olyvia for some of these answers. Although most of what Olyvia said was rather confusing what I did gather is that Sam must have thrown her hand between the door and the jam to stop it from hitting Ellie's hand. If that is the case, then I definitely made the right choice in a nanny; Way to throw yourself in harms way.
Going through my mind were numerous scenarios and none were as calm and innocent as she claimed this to be. There was the vision of her trying to get Olyvia in and the door shut and Ellie slamming the door before her hands could get free; or the vision of Ellie all buckled and Olyvia slamming the door; or either of them pulling the door closed before Sam could get free of the door. All of these situations seemed like a test in patience and pain tollerance to me. I see the door slamming shut and blood spraying out. The visions just are not pretty and no way are they as clam as Sam is expressing them.
Sam dropped the girls off at the office and headed to the hospital. Later that evening I get a phone call from her saying they had to burn off her fingernail and then splinted her two fingers together. A splint that she has to keep on for two weeks. I still have not got my questions answered as to why it is that her finger was in way of the door yet and so I try to probe Olyvia for some of these answers. Although most of what Olyvia said was rather confusing what I did gather is that Sam must have thrown her hand between the door and the jam to stop it from hitting Ellie's hand. If that is the case, then I definitely made the right choice in a nanny; Way to throw yourself in harms way.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Need to be Naked
I don't know what it is about clothing that our daughters are so opposed to that no matter how light weight it is, they must strip it off prior to falling completely asleep. Tonight I came home from a meeting and Ellie had crawled out of the bedroom in just her panties and was laying on one of our kitchen rugs with her blanket all wrapped around her. I lifted her up to carry her to her bed, following Robb into their room where he cleaned the animals out of the way and went to tuck in Olyvia who was also only in her panties. Their nightgowns were thrown to the side along with the covers.
Now the nightgowns they were wearing were not flanel long sleeve numbers. They were tank sleve cotton light weight little things, yet still they somehow manage to get too hot in them that they must fling them off their bodies when they are somewhere between wake and sleep.
I have often muddled over this fact and always wrote it off that they took after Robb. He too despises covers. Not only that but loves to have the window open and the cool air circulating keeping the room nice and crisp. He likes it when the room is so cold that your breath feezes, your eyelashes stick together and you skin has a pale blue tent to it. Our girls too seem to sleep too hot and this is always expressed at bedtime when they strip down to their panties no matter what the temperature or what they are wearing.
Another hypothesis that I have about this is that while they are laying in bed, not really wanting to be there to begin with, trying to think up yet another reason for us to come in there or for them to come out here they realize that they are just too hot. Kind of like realizing that they need a drink of water. I wonder if they are actually hot at all?
Now the nightgowns they were wearing were not flanel long sleeve numbers. They were tank sleve cotton light weight little things, yet still they somehow manage to get too hot in them that they must fling them off their bodies when they are somewhere between wake and sleep.
I have often muddled over this fact and always wrote it off that they took after Robb. He too despises covers. Not only that but loves to have the window open and the cool air circulating keeping the room nice and crisp. He likes it when the room is so cold that your breath feezes, your eyelashes stick together and you skin has a pale blue tent to it. Our girls too seem to sleep too hot and this is always expressed at bedtime when they strip down to their panties no matter what the temperature or what they are wearing.
Another hypothesis that I have about this is that while they are laying in bed, not really wanting to be there to begin with, trying to think up yet another reason for us to come in there or for them to come out here they realize that they are just too hot. Kind of like realizing that they need a drink of water. I wonder if they are actually hot at all?
Monday, September 22, 2008
The ballancing act of being a mother.
Between work, girls, self, husband and home I find that a body can be pulled in multiple directions without actually getting pulled in half (or quarters). I have been so tired lately and I can't figure out why. I have been getting enough sleep at night. Like last night I got 8 hours of sleep but today I am exhausted. I have found that lately I just fell like I need more sleep. What I have decided is that it isn't that I am not getting enough physical sleep, I just have too much going through my mind at night that my sleep isn't productive. Trying to ballance all the places to be and take the girls and work and husband it is exhausting.
I know there are days when Robb and I don't actually talk about life to each other. If he is working in Seattle, I don't even see him in the morning and then after work it is dinner, getting the girls to bed, collapsing on the couch realizing that it is 8pm and then he heads to bed while I take some time to myself to read or pay bills or just do nothing. Although I have found that the do nothing option rarely ever happens. I have tried a few times to just sit and watch tv and I can't do it. I always have to be doing something else while I am watching tv. Like I might be paying bills, preparing a bible study, working on my Puerto Rico book (which by the way I have finished and am waiting for it to arrive. YAY!) or just organizing, putting away dishes, folding laundry, etc.
It is all part of being a mother, sacrificing self for family, giving up little pieces of my person so that my children are taken care of. What I am finding out though is that I have to be carefull not to give up my whole being otherwise I am not setting a good example of who I want them to be. I need to be strong in who I am and the example I set. I need to take care of myself. I need to remember to eat and not just make them food. :) I need to care for my appearance and take care of my physical body as much as I do my spiritual body. God has given us our bodies. We glorify him by taking care of them.
Odd to me why I write this all down. The comfort I find in taking hand to keyboard, As many in the past have done by taking pen to paper. Speaking of paper, I am oficially starting on my great grandmother's cookbook. I am very excited about it. Especially know that I have the software to put it together. I am waiting until I get the PR book in the mail and see how it turned out and if I like the quality. If so, then begin I will on putting all my great grandmother's recipies into a book that I can share with friends and family. What an amazing piece of art it will be. A little piece of the woman she was in a book that can be shared with those she loved and who loved her.
I know there are days when Robb and I don't actually talk about life to each other. If he is working in Seattle, I don't even see him in the morning and then after work it is dinner, getting the girls to bed, collapsing on the couch realizing that it is 8pm and then he heads to bed while I take some time to myself to read or pay bills or just do nothing. Although I have found that the do nothing option rarely ever happens. I have tried a few times to just sit and watch tv and I can't do it. I always have to be doing something else while I am watching tv. Like I might be paying bills, preparing a bible study, working on my Puerto Rico book (which by the way I have finished and am waiting for it to arrive. YAY!) or just organizing, putting away dishes, folding laundry, etc.
It is all part of being a mother, sacrificing self for family, giving up little pieces of my person so that my children are taken care of. What I am finding out though is that I have to be carefull not to give up my whole being otherwise I am not setting a good example of who I want them to be. I need to be strong in who I am and the example I set. I need to take care of myself. I need to remember to eat and not just make them food. :) I need to care for my appearance and take care of my physical body as much as I do my spiritual body. God has given us our bodies. We glorify him by taking care of them.
Odd to me why I write this all down. The comfort I find in taking hand to keyboard, As many in the past have done by taking pen to paper. Speaking of paper, I am oficially starting on my great grandmother's cookbook. I am very excited about it. Especially know that I have the software to put it together. I am waiting until I get the PR book in the mail and see how it turned out and if I like the quality. If so, then begin I will on putting all my great grandmother's recipies into a book that I can share with friends and family. What an amazing piece of art it will be. A little piece of the woman she was in a book that can be shared with those she loved and who loved her.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Coyote
Sitting here at my computer checking e-mail, entering dates into my calendar and paying bills. Unsuspecting at the least. I glance up to look out the window and there in our driveway is a coyote. Just trotting up the driveway towards our garden with no care in the world. Wilde for sure. We watched it for a few moments adn then ran into the girls' room so that they could see the coyote out their window. They were quite astonished as they hadn't ever seen anything like that before.
It is amazing. We work out in our yard all day knowing there are animals out there, but until I actually see one trotting up the driveway, I don't really think about it. We had to explain to the girls that they are really neat to look at, but that if they see one while they are out there they are to come directly into the house and not try to go up to it at all. One more thing I am going to be worrying about during the days while i am at work and they are here at the house. A small reminder of how hard it is to leave them, not knowing how well they are really being watched during the day.
It is amazing. We work out in our yard all day knowing there are animals out there, but until I actually see one trotting up the driveway, I don't really think about it. We had to explain to the girls that they are really neat to look at, but that if they see one while they are out there they are to come directly into the house and not try to go up to it at all. One more thing I am going to be worrying about during the days while i am at work and they are here at the house. A small reminder of how hard it is to leave them, not knowing how well they are really being watched during the day.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Spice Muffins
Wanted to share a little tip with all of you who try to watch your intake of fats but still love to enjoy homemade breads and cakes. Today my daughters and I made some spice cake muffins from a recipe I have had for a long time. In the recipe I always use applesauce instead of oil. I didn't have any applesauce at home but still wanted to make the muffins. I did have some pears. So I placed the pealed pears in the blender and blended until smooth. I then used this pear sauce in the muffins. It was great. It added a wonderful sweetness to the muffins and didn't require me to cook apples up to make sauce.
Anyway . . . next time you are making banana bread, zucchini bread, spice cake or the like and want to change things up a bit try using pear sauce instead of applesauce in place of the oil (or part of the oil).
Enjoy!
Anyway . . . next time you are making banana bread, zucchini bread, spice cake or the like and want to change things up a bit try using pear sauce instead of applesauce in place of the oil (or part of the oil).
Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
My morning shower.
As I have previously mentioned, my morning shower is my wake up. It is my solitude in the morning before having to combat another day of motherhood. It is how I wake up and face the day.
This morning as I was soaking, the hot steaming water falling over my head and down my body, I heard something in the bathroom. I figured Olyvia was probably up and was grateful she wasn't bothering me, letting me finish my shower. I was mistaken. As I turned around in the shower, there she was all naked and in the shower with me. Olyvia decided she needed a shower also, took her pjs off and joined me. So my morning ritual in the shower turned into a joint venture.
I finished up with my shower, and told Olyvia I was getting out. She informed me that she still needed to shower and would get out soon. I stepped out of the shower and onto the rug to dry off only to realize that I was standing on Olyvia's blanket. I looked down and not only was I stepping on her blanket, but I seemed to be standing on her bed. She had put together a makeshift bed right there in the bathroom complete with blanket, pillow and stuffed animals. I decided to finish drying off in my room.
This morning as I was soaking, the hot steaming water falling over my head and down my body, I heard something in the bathroom. I figured Olyvia was probably up and was grateful she wasn't bothering me, letting me finish my shower. I was mistaken. As I turned around in the shower, there she was all naked and in the shower with me. Olyvia decided she needed a shower also, took her pjs off and joined me. So my morning ritual in the shower turned into a joint venture.
I finished up with my shower, and told Olyvia I was getting out. She informed me that she still needed to shower and would get out soon. I stepped out of the shower and onto the rug to dry off only to realize that I was standing on Olyvia's blanket. I looked down and not only was I stepping on her blanket, but I seemed to be standing on her bed. She had put together a makeshift bed right there in the bathroom complete with blanket, pillow and stuffed animals. I decided to finish drying off in my room.
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