State of the Family #5

Oh dear I almost don't want to post this week, but would hate to disappoint. . . :)
It has been a rough one this week. Most likely due to the fact that mommy got absolutely no rest over the weekend and even less this week. And when mommy is tired, mommy is crabby, and when mommy is crabby, sadly, everyone suffers. I am trying, really, I am. I start every day praying that God will help me through, that I wouldn't yell at my kids too much and I would pull on His strength to not lose my cool when they are driving me crazy. Sadly, it hasn't worked too well mostly due to the fact that I pray this in the morning and go on through out my day without a look back. Sadly, only 2 times this week have I opened my Bible to grab strength from His Word. . . just a minute. . . make that 3.

Miss Thumb Sucker has thankfully improved her sleeping again this week. I can't imagine what it would be like getting even less sleep. She turns 6 months on Sunday, the day I run my 1/2 marathon, and seems to be my "slow" one. She has only rolled over a handful of times, thinking it too much work. She is just content to be where she is most of the time so rolling over isn't necessary. She isn't quite sitting up on her own either. This is always a milestone I look forward to. They aren't mobile and into everything yet, but you can sit them down on on blanket and give them a few toys and it is so much easier. You don't have to worry about siblings stepping on them or anything like that, and they can sit in a grocery cart without having to haul in the carrier. She also doesn't have any teeth. Noisy Man and Miss Firecracker had 4 by this point and were also rolling and sitting. But I shouldn't compare. . . each child is different and Miss Thumb Sucker is just content to be where she is. Why waste the effort?

Miss Firecracker seems to have taken a step back in her potty training. She has done wonderful since January, but the last week she seems to have forgotten how to get in the bathroom and go on time. She isn't having full accidents, but just enough that we have to get dry underwear. She went through 4 pairs yesterday. I was at my wits end. I can't figure it out. Just picture Miss Firecracker stopping mid-whatever-she-is-doing, starting to jump up and down (which can't help the situation), curls flying, and screaming "I have to go POTTY!" Then, she just stands there. . . Come on!! Go to the bathroom for goodness sake don't just stand there!! I jump up from wherever I am grab her and push her into the bathroom, only to find she waited too long once again. Really? What is up with this?

Noisy Man reported the other day that a little girl in his preschool class had to sit in time out. "She was being naughty, mommy," he tells me. I was surprised that they had time out at preschool. His teacher is so sweet I wouldn't think she would get upset with anyone. But they are preschoolers and they do cause trouble, so I guess it makes sense. So, I asked him if he had ever had to sit in time out at preschool. "No, mommy, I am a good boy at preschool." Which I of course had to ask, "Have you ever had to sit in time out at home?" Of course his reply was yes. Then he proceeds to apologize for being naughty and not listening at home in this sweet and sad little voice to the point of breaking my heart and never wanting to sit him in time out again. . . he was in the time out spot approximately 2 hours later. At least it lasted that long.

Daddy was working in the garden the other night when a neighbor came over to chat. She cleans houses for a living so he evidently decided to ask her what she charged for her services and what it all entailed. I was shocked to hear that it was just $15 per hour to really do whatever cleaning duty was asked. I think he was too cuz he actually seemed interested in hiring someone to help out. (Probably not our neighbor since it would be hard to fire her and keep a neighborly relationship if you didn't care for her quality of work). This inquiry got me thinking, "Did an entire weekend at home by himself with the kids (in which he did no cleaning except 1 load of laundry and NO cooking) make him realize how much work it really is, or is he just tired of our house being filthy all the time." He went with a safe reply and said, "I was just curious, so I asked." Sure. At least we are still looking into it and I might have someone come clean my bathrooms, dust and scrub my floors a couple times a month!! I'll take it whatever the reason behind it might be.

I have way too much going on. Foremost on my mind of course is the fact that I have less than 48 hours to go until the start of the 1/2 marathon! I am very excited, yet at the same time, very nervous. 8,000 people is A LOT! I am worried I won't get to the right places or get lined up in the right place. I'm not so much worried about the running part. I am pretty certain that if I can run 10 miles, I can do 13 and the new course will be fun. It will also be fun to see how many cheerleaders are there and how many I will know since I know a lot of people who are also running the race. Another worry is that I will lose all motivation to run after the race is done since it is what I have been working for the last 4 months. I might have to find another one to sign up for just to keep myself going. Most of all I am excited to get to run across Tom Osborne Field and the 50 yard line. That will be cool, but I am also worried how I will look magnified on the ginormous (I can't believe my spell checker did not flag that word) Husker Vision screen after having just run 13 miles. :) Petty things I know, but this is how my brain works.

State of the Family Address #4

Oh dear, where to start?

Miss Thumb Sucker evidently decided that sleeping through the night was overrated and has digressed. I am sad (and tired). Hopefully she'll return to her sleepy state soon. As much as I love her, I really don't feel the need to see her at 2 am. I can wait until 6 or 7 at least. Anyone want to relay this message to her? She has also decided that rice cereal is very tasty, thankfully. She devours every spoonful and usually wants to help shove the spoon in her mouth, thus making a huge mess. She is usually pretty mad when it is all gone too. Its cute.

Miss Firecracker has been funny this last week. She has determined that she is the deciding factor around the house and will tell me things like, "yeah, you can have that mommy" or "you can sit there mommy". Like I would stop if she told me I couldn't! :) It is pretty cute. Well, at least it is when she says it to me or daddy. If she does it to her big brother, he just takes it as a challenge and does the exact opposite to make her mad. I think he likes to see her throw her fits. It is just mean. Another thing I am loving lately about Miss Firecracker is the way she comes out of her room in the morning or after nap. She sneaks around the corner until she sees you, then comes barrelling over for a hug with her frizzed out, red curls flying. Here is an example of the beautiful morning hair she has from Easter.

Noisy Man is totally hyped about planting the garden this week. We still have some seeds to put in, but we planted our tomatoes and peppers and such. He is a vegetable freak, so he gets really excited about growing all of it in our back yard. Seriously, do many of you know of any 4-year-olds that would ask for more carrots and broccoli and pass up the chocolate chip cookie? And don't get me started on cucumbers and tomatoes. . . I am blessed when it comes to this guy. I asked him what he wanted for lunch the other day and he said, "tuna sandwiches and cold peas (aka frozen peas)." And yesterday he passed up his PB&J for more carrots and cucumbers. Now if only he could teach his sister to eat them 1/2 as well as he does we would be set!

Daddy has been quite the help with the garden, although he gets a little overzealous. He planted 3 Roma tomato and 3 cherry tomato plants. I think he is nuts - we are going to have tomatoes coming out of our ears! He says "just in case one doesn't make it, we can just dig one up if they all survive." I am guessing he won't let me dig it up if they do and I won't know what to do with all of them. So, if you are needing tomatoes this summer, you know who to call.

I find that I often write this on Thursdays when I am putting off folding my laundry - I have 3 baskets staring at me currently, one load in the dryer and one in the washer. . . so enough about me. I gotta go fold! I will go fold and not keep downloading digital scrap booking stuff (thank you Jen Elliott!), I will, I will, I will. I gotta fold and get ready for our whirlwind weekend: Funeral in IA on Friday, 10 am Pampered Chef show in David City on Sat. 7 pm Bachelorette party for my sis in Omaha Sat night and 2 pm Pampered Chef Bridal shower in Beatrice on Sunday. . . is it nap time yet?

Craziness

So, I was so excited to finish my first 10K with a 10:19 average mile pace. . . until I looked online at the line up places for the 1/2 marathon and discovered that my 11 min mile pace is the LAST category on the line up map. Way to burst my bubble. I just need to keep reminding myself that it is OK to be slow, at least I am doing it! I am just so darn competitive that I feel like a loser going so slow. I need to get over that. There are plenty of people at my same pace and I don't view them as losers, just me. Why is that? Craziness.

A really bad picture posted online of me running the Novartis 10K. . . are my thighs really that big? Wow! I have some work to do! At least the Cadburys are gone now.

I also just cleaned out my fridge yesterday. . . YUCK! All the containers of leftovers that never got eaten could feed a starving nation. I feel terrible when I throw out so much food. Thankfully, none of it was to the "just sacrifice the container so you don't have to open it and smell it" stage yet. I always feel like a super mom when I find containers like that in the back of my fridge. Check all these out - is this not pathetic?

The just emptied milk jug made the picture too. . . look it has a lid!! ;)

Lastly, I cleaned my carpets (well the main section that gets filthy in my living room) yesterday as well. Wow, I had a productive day! I have my own cleaner thingy, which is a must with small children, an in home day care and ivory carpets (yes, I now realize how STUPID I was to pick out this carpet color). I just did this about 5 weeks ago before Miss Firecracker's Birthday party. This is how dirty the water is just after 5 weeks!! Craziness. .

Now, can I have a maid please?

Don't worry, these got taken care of as well. My sink is now sparkling clean. . . well it was before lunch today anyway.

State of the Family Address

That time of week again. . . What have we been up to?
Well, little Miss Thumb Sucker continues to do well with sleeping in her own bed. If I didn't have to get up so early to go to the Y, I would almost get a full night's sleep. I have to wake her up at 445 am to feed her before I go run. Now I just hope she will sleep later than that on days that I don't go! She is also really into her toes right now. She discovered them a while back, but lately they seem to be made of chocolate. It is stinkin' cute! She even grabs the outside one and plays with her toes while she nurses. And every once in a while we could replace her Thumb Sucker nickname with Toe Sucker! Like I said, she thinks they are made of chocolate or some other yummy stuff lately!
Miss Firecracker has been full of TNT the last couple days. I ran into a friend at Walmart who told me to "spank it out of her" now and she would turn out great. Yes, I think this is great advice! Time outs don't phase the girl, spankings do (for the most part anyway). Earlier this week I caught her hiding in the hallway closet with a piece of candy that had been left in an Easter Egg basket. As soon as I opened the door she knew she was had. She looked up at me with blue robin egg smeared across her face and said, "I not want a spankin', mommy!" and started crying. I took the chocolate away, cleaned her up and tried not to laugh. She is going to be the end of me. She has also taken to blaming things on others this week as well. Either her brother or the daycare kids. . . it is a tough one for me. She doesn't seem to quite understand the concept of lying and telling the truth when I sit her down and talk to her about it. But hopefully it will sink in before I pull out all my hair.
Noisy Man is freaking out about me throwing stuff away lately. It is rather amusing! He has had quite a bit of trouble lately cleaning up after himself and his toys. Even if everyone else in the house is cleaning, he finds something else to do to try and get out of it. So, I stooped to the level of saying one of those things your mom always said to you, but you swore you'd never say. I told him I was going to throw away all of his toys if he couldn't learn to clean them up when he was done. I have never seen the kid move so fast in my life. It was funny for a split second then I realized he was almost in tears, so I felt a little bad. "No, mommy, please don't throw away my toys!" "Well, then clean them up like you are told and I won't have to!" (One of those lovely conversations.) It was classic. He also "caught" me throwing away some of his preschool papers (I take pictures of them and then chuck them, cuz I can't stand the clutter. Some of the really nice memorable ones I keep tucked away). So, he dug them out of the trash and I told them he better keep them put away and off my floor or they would go right back in the trash. So, now he is always asking me if I am going to throw things away, but he is doing better at keeping his stuff cleaned up! (oh yeah, the papers still ended up in the trash and he hasn't missed them. One was just his weekly schedule - come on!!)
The hubby has decided he would like to take up a little running as well. . . he has run 2 miles (one mile at a time) in the last 3 weeks. We'll see if he keeps it up. He did have a pretty good idea on how to pull it off though. If I go run my first miles (however far I am going that day) then come back to the house when I have a mile left and pick up him and the kids in the strollers, we can run the last mile together. We haven't done it yet, but hopefully later this week. I figure I probably won't be going too fast for him by mile 6 and his legs are a foot longer than mine so he'll be able to easily keep up. I hope he sticks with it - Family Run Time would be fun!! (and maybe I could stop getting up at 445 am!!)
My new mission in life (OK maybe not in life, but for the time being and until they are all gone) is to unwrap a Cadbury egg without tearing the wrapper. Yes, I need something better to entertain me (like 3 kids of my own and daycare kids 3 days a week isn't enough), and yes, I shouldn't be eating that many Cadbury eggs, but I love them and this is the only time of the year you can get them. I don't think they freeze too well. Have you ever tried to unwrap one without tearing the wrapper? It is darn near impossible, especially if some of the filling has seeped out and the wrapper is stuck to it. I think I only have two left and have only accomplished unwrapping 1 so far (I will NOT confess to how many I have eaten this year, mostly cuz I lost track, but also cuz it would be down right embarrassing and tell you exactly why I the last 10 lbs from Miss Thumb Sucker aren't gone yet). I will probably cry after eating the last one, thus having to wait a full year before getting another one. But my butt will be thankful. I just have to keep telling myself that.
Oh yeah, I did 4 loads of laundry this week and only have 1 left to fold and put away(I won't mention the 3 that still need to be done)!! Just thought you might like to know since all my other updates have given reference to my laundry issues. But most likely you don't really care! :)

Woooo Hoooo!!!!!!!!!!!

This is me cheering for 2 big steps in our household this weekend and praying for no returns! The hubby thought I was nuts and dooming myself to a very sleepless night when I decided to take 2 drastic steps after a long day at G'ma and G'pa's playing with cousins. But I dove in any way and took the risk. I put Miss Firecracker to bed in big girl undies and Miss Thumb Sucker to bed in her own room.
Miss Firecracker has been potty trained since mid-January, but still had the occasional wet diaper in the mornings so we played it safe and left diapers on her at night. She had woken up dry for 2 straight weeks so I took the plunge, hoping not to have to plunge into soaked sheets at 2 a.m. Thankfully, it was a success and we have survived 2 dry nights!!!
Miss Thumb Sucker has been in the Pack n Play in our room (OK so we might have spoiled her a tad and let her sleep in the swing for the first 3 months, but you do what you gotta do to get any semblance of sleep) since we brought her home. It is just easier this way on a sleepless nursing mama. But at a little over 5 months old I figured I better move her out and my sleeping habits while nursing her in bed were no longer helping the sleep amounts. She would wake up and I would bring her to bed to feed her, settle into my upright pillow and boppy holding her and fall back asleep while she ate, Then, an hour or more later one of us would wake up and I would switch sides for nursing her and promptly fall back asleep. Again, an hour or so later wake up to lay her back down only to have to wake up in an hour or two to start the whole process over or go to the Y. Not very sleep conducive. So, I decided to move her out of the room so that I would have to get up and feed her in the rocking chair in her room (all in one shot) then go back to bed. Well, it was a swell idea cuz the first night she slept from 9:45 to 5:40 and the next from 9:50 to 7 am!!! And the hallelujah chorus rang through our home instantaneously (OK maybe just in my head)! Of course the first night I woke up at 4 am and had to go check and make she was still breathing and did the same thing last night at 5.
Both accomplishments have been glorious!!

State of the Family Address

Noisy Man is growing up, "sniff, sniff". He has made it all week without his mines. (For those of you who have no clue what a "mine" is, they are his little yellow security blankets he has had since he was 2 months old. He calls them his mines because they are, well, his! His sisters both have security blankets as well and respectively call them mines.) We forgot the mines at Grandpa Gary's Saturday after staying there for Easter festivities. Saturday night he was so tired he didn't even realize he didn't have them. Then Sunday at nap time it was the ever so frequent "mine search" (he leaves them all over the house and we can never find them when we need them) before he could lay down for nap, which he never ended up taking. (Another growing up issue I am having with him. He seems to think he is too old for naps some days now. Again, sniff, sniff.) But, we finally realized they were no where to be found and called Grandpa. With a confirmed "uh,oh" from the other end of the phone I knew they were still on the bed where he slept the night before. Thankfully, we have survived, and he is doing quite well without them. I don't think he will remain without them as he still asks when we are going to Grandpa's to get them. When I told him it was too far to drive just to go get a blanket, he said "TWO blankets, mommy!". Because that is so much more worth an hour trip both ways.
Miss Firecracker is going through a lovely little phase in which she decides to wake up at an insanely early hour and think she needs to come to bed with mommy and daddy. This is a major no, no at our house as we see mommy and daddy's bed as one place we can have to ourselves (with the exception of very ill or infant nursing children). So just to come sleep with mommy and daddy because you woke up in the middle of the night and feel like it doesn't fly. She has done this 3 times since almost 2 weeks ago when she woke up at 4 am with an almost 104 fever (thus qualifying her for admittance into mommy and daddy's bed). And, oh boy, does she ever qualify for her "firecracker" nickname when she discovers she has to stay in her bed. She kicks and screams and flails and usually ends up getting a spanking. It isn't pretty. Yes, I realize this stems from the fact that it is hard for a 2-yr-old to understand that there are times when it is OK to sleep with mommy and daddy and there are times that it is not. . .but that is the way it works and she'll get it eventually. I just hope she figures it out sooner than later cuz I usually end up getting so mad myself, having to go back to bed and listen to her scream that it takes me forever to calm myself down enough to be able to go back to sleep.
Miss Thumb Sucker is currently smiling at me from her exersaucer, a toy we just recently started putting her in. She seems to really enjoy being upright and able to watch what is going on around her. She isn't enjoying her antibiotic though (diagnosed with an ear infection by Aunt Dr Sara, P.A.C, at our family Easter). She gags and pukes it up if you try and give it to her out of the syringe, so we have to mix it in a bottle to give to her. This is just a wonderful use of my time. I have to pump then mix in the meds and sit and try and get her to choke down funny tasting milk. She does OK with it, but it usually takes her a while to get it all down. She just knows it isn't quite right. Only 5 more days left of this thankfully.
Daddy has been Mr. Handy the last couple weeks. I have gotten new cupboards above my washer and dryer put up, stained, and filled all by Mr. Handy himself. I have a new storm door on my front door courtesy of Mr. Handy. My garden is tilled and my potatoes are planted (he had to dig the holes, cuz I couldn't get deep enough myself). My lawn is mowed and he is almost done sanding down a hutch that I acquired last year and have been wanting to refinish. Hmm, I seem to notice that all of these things are "mine" or "my projects" but he seems to be doing all the work. . . isn't he grand!! I love this man!! Now if only he would do laundry! LOL just kidding!
As for me, not too much is new here as usual. Sleep deprived, behind on the laundry and trying to sort through spring and winter stuff, which I hate doing. It is that time of year where you still need the winter stuff out, but need the spring stuff too, and it just won't all fit in the dressers and closets so I have it strewn out across the floor and in totes and bags. It is a disaster in every one's rooms. I did get through Miss Thumb Sucker's room yesterday though. Sorting out all of her newborn and 0-3 month clothes she doesn't fit in anymore and putting all of her 3-6 mo stuff in the drawers and closet (now that she is 5 months old and will probably out grow that size in 6 weeks!). Now I just need to mark all of the 0-3 mo stuff for my garage sale. . . which will happen as soon as I get through all of my junk, I mean stuff I don't need anymore but you do!! :) So, my garage sale will probably be sometime next century but hopefully by the end of this June.
There you have it the excitedness that is our house! Have a good one!

Can I Catch a Break Please?

Its been one of those days, again. A poop-on-the-floor, walking-around-nursing-my-baby, milk's-in-the-fridge-without-the-lid day! I am so glad that I can laugh at my life! Cuz if I couldn't, I'd probably be crying. . . OK so its not quite that bad, but I like to be melodramatic. And yes, all the above did happen today!
So the only real serious one involves the poop on the floor. . . another motherly first for me and an all time high on the "so gross it had me gagging scale". All the others stem from that and the process of cleaning it up. Miss Firecracker is on an antibiotic for an ear infection (yes, both she and Miss Thumb Sucker have them). Our Dr. warned me diarrhea was a side affect, but she can always use a little "loosening" in that area. This time got a little too loose. We didn't quite make it and it all, yes I said ALL, ended up on the floor. Thankfully 99% on the bathroom tile floor and only a slight amount on the bathroom rug and my carpet outside the bathroom. The rug (and her other clothes) are in the washing machine as we speak and Praise the Lord that my ivory carpet is bleachable!
Anyway, this incident occurred at the beginning of snack time just after I got all kids (including the extras I have here for daycare) sat down at the table with their rice krispie treats. I was pouring milk when Miss Firecracker hops down from the table and runs to the bathroom with an "I have to go poopy!" statement. I finish pouring my current and the last glass of milk, set the milk down and head back to the bathroom where I hear her starting one of her fabulous fits and see her coming out of the bathroom. She proceeds to sit down on my carpet trying to take off her jeans and undies. . . then I turn the corner and look in the bathroom and see the wonderful display before me. . . needless to say her cute little tooshie left a lovely mark on my carpet. I immediately picked her up and set her on the potty then proceeded to clean up. She got a mid-afternoon bath. All the while I am cleaning up the mess and gagging in my bathroom the other children are whooping and hollering it up at the table and Miss Thumb Sucker is screaming on the floor cuz she needs to eat.
Thus, the rest of the cleaning up was done one-handed as I nursed her and walked around getting dirty stuff where it needed to go, cleaning up sticky hands from rice krispies so they could go play and stop screaming at my table, and calling the wonderful hubby to find out where he hid the bleach cleaner after he used it last (the wonderful guy cleaned out the shower!).
And the lidless milk? Must have had it in my hand while pouring and didn't set it down with the milk, thus it is MIA and I just haven't had the drive to go look for it yet. . . I am guessing it is in the crime scene, I mean bathroom, somewhere. If so, I think I might find another milk lid to use.
So sorry for another graphic and gross story from my children, but that is one of the main reasons I started the blog. . . to document our lives and things that go on. I would say this one is pretty note worthy for us, however gross to read for you!

Oh yea, Miss Thumb Sucker ate rice cereal for the first time last night. She wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but at least didn't seem like she abhorred it! Noisy Man was most helpful and wanted to make her laugh the whole time which isn't quite so helpful when trying to get a 5 month old to keep runny cereal in her mouth. He is such a good big brother though, he watches after those 2 girls like a hawk. He even came in the bathroom after Miss Firecracker got out of the tub to check on her and make sure she wasn't sick.

Survival

My computer was attacked by a virus Thursday afternoon (a first for me) so I had to send it to a friend to get rid of it. So thankful for wonderful friends who actually know all this computer stuff and will fix my computer over Easter weekend. Thus I had to survive for 48 hours without my computer. I did get small "fixes" at my in law's and my dad's to check for Miss Firecracker's 2 yr pictures (posted here )and some Pampered Chef business.
We also survived our first Easter Sunday all to ourselves! Don't get me wrong, we did my family's Easter Friday night and Saturday (it was great fun), and have the hubby's side next weekend (will be a blast as well), but on actual Easter Sunday we were at home all day (with exception of going to church of course) by ourselves! I made a great meal, we did Easter baskets and played with eggs, and we read the Easter story and tried to help our 2 and almost 4 yr old's understand to the best of their ability the meaning of the cross and resurrection. I love their innocent hearts and questions and truly enjoyed that they really understood that Easter isn't about eggs and bunnies and candy. It was a glorious day, I even snuck in a nap and a 6 mile run and my hubby put up our new storm door (have I mentioned how handy he is!?).
And today I survived my first "in-public-child-puking" incident. Sorry, it is another puking story, so skip if you are of the weak stomach type. Eating lunch at Wendy's after picking up my kid's from my friends (where they stayed while I had the rest of my "seriously displastic" mole removed, and survived my first non-child-birth-related stitches:), Miss Firecracker wasn't too thrilled about eating her burger. She wanted to go straight for the frosty. So, I had to do the typical "3 more bites and then you can have your frosty". She was less than thrilled, but peacefully complied. An older couple was just commenting on my kids and asking me their ages (and telling me I had my hands full) when Miss Firecracker's last required bite was swallowed then came right back up. The older lady was wonderful and offered help so I asked if she would ask the Wendy's people for a towel or something of the sort. The gal that took our order and carried our food to our table came over and actually cleaned the mess up for me and brought Noisy Man a new bag with his favorite I spy games on it. Long story now not so short, we survived and I highly recommend the Wendy's by the south Walmart, great employees!!
I also just survived typing this whole thing one-handed, as Miss Thumb Sucker is trying to survive her first ear infection and doesn't want to be put down. :)