Monday, April 26, 2010

From the Mouth of Zeke

Today we were driving around and Zeke said to me, "Mommy my bunny ears are broken!"  I had no idea what he was talking about.  I got to a stop light and looked back at him to see if he could show me what he was talking about and he holds up his shoe laces... he had pulled the laces apart and there were no more "bunny ears". 
Last week I went into the gas station to get a hot chocolate and as I was going into the store a man held the door open for me and apparently smiled at me and I smiled back.  When I got back in the car Zeke was very incensed and said, "That man smiled at our mom."  He had furrowed brows and was very upset that the man smiled at his mom.  I tried explaining to him that the man was being polite, but that was not flying with him... so be ware, men... don't smile at Zeke and Ki's mom!  LOL!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

A Little Scare

Our little man Zeke gave us a scare last night.  Zeke woke up yesterday morning at 4:30 saying that his tummy was hurting him so I told him to come and snuggle with me in my bed.  Had I known what would wake me up I probably would have had him go sleep in the bathroom.  Our morning was filled with a few showers, lots of laundry and a few bathroom scrub downs.  The afternoon was pretty much uneventful but come 4pm the fun began again!  Not only was a shower in order, but laundry and carpet cleaning.  The rest of the evening was much of the same.  By 10 pm the throwing up was happening every thirty minutes and both Michael and I decided that our night was going to be rough... little did we know it would involve the emergency room.  After a shower and laundry loads put in Zeke and I were snuggling on the couch watching a movie with Michael, when Zeke got up and was acting very restless.  I asked him to go into the bathroom and he ran to the upstairs living room and was acting really strange.  I come up to him and he laid down on the floor and started throwing up, requiring him and I to strip our shirts.  Upon taking off his shirt I realized that his whole trunk was full of rashes... between his shower a half an hour earlier and then his tummy was covered.  I called the after hours line and they suggested taking him to the ER.  Michael got Zeke showered once again and then loaded him in the car with a bag.  Michael and I were unsure if taking him to the closest ER or Children's ER was the best (difference between a five minute drive and a forty-five minute drive).  Michael took Zeke to the closest hospital and was taken care of immediately.  Zeke was given some fluids and some antibiotics.  Zeke has the flu and his body was under such stress from throwing up that he developed a body rash.  A quick two hour ER visit was all that was needed.  Zeke came home and told me that he got to have a Popsicle, I guess that was all that he took away from his little hospital visit!  Needless to say he fell asleep pretty fast and slept through the night with no problems.  This morning we all woke up to realize that Zeke is going to have to put his modeling career on hold for a while... he is covered in rashes.  Today will be a day of more laying around the house, he has already had an Aveeno bath and I am sure will have another before the day is over.  Michael is going to run out this morning and fill his prescription for the vomiting and get some benadryl.  
Thank you for your prayers! 

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The need to belong

Today I have had a very contemplative day.  So with that said... today will be a Thoughtful Tuesday! 

We as women feel the constant need to belong, men might feel that need; however since I have never been a man I cant speak for them!  As young girls we thrive when we have friends, we blossom when we around others that are like us... on the school yard there are the double dutch girls, the hopscotch girls, the horse girls, the tag girls and the girly girls.  For some of us girls, we were visited by "Aunt Flow" at an early age and then comes the desire to be around others that understand that whole stage in life - the bras, the pads and such.  Then junior and senior high school is all about belonging, you are either in the "in" crowd or not. 
After high school, especially in the church world that I grew up in, there is the married young girls and then what feels like the "ole spinster" girls.  There is also the girls that go to college and the girls that go straight to working.  For those that don't really fit into any of those categories there is the lonely realization that you are all by yourself.  Once you "join" one of those groups your friends from the other groups are no longer in your circle and you find it hard to relate and continue a friendship. 
After passing the awkward post high school years of trying to figure out who you are as a woman, no longer a girl there continues to be groups and the in or not.  For those that are married there is the married but no children, yet group.  The seriously dating the same guy but no ring, yet group.  There is the married and one child, thinking or more group.  The frustrated single, wishing they were dating/married group.  You get the point... right?
I am feeling like I don't quite belong to any group right now... somewhat in limbo!  I am married, younger, and have young children.
I feel like there are a few people that I can be on the same page with, or same group, if you will.  Being that I have a husband that works a lot and two young boys that are a bit of a handful, my friends or groups have to be understanding of that.  Which means that I have to always do things with my children, thus cutting down on the actual one on one time that I might get to talk with someone that is in the same boat as me. 
A lot of these contemplative thoughts have come from my needing to find out where and what I am going to put my energy into to try and fulfill my need to belong.  I have spent the last few days working on Mothers & More stuff and have left the days feeling more spent than fulfilled.  Does that mean that, that group is not where I belong?  I am tending to think so as most of the woman have older children and too are older themselves. 
Why do things have to be so complicated?  I know that if Michael were to read this or listen to me talk this out, he would simply say, "It doesn't have to be complicated... you think through things too much."  There is a part of me that would agree with that, however being the woman that I am and desiring to belong keeps me plugging along at a variety of things, trying to find the place that fits me the best.  Notice I did not say, fits me like a glove... that being because I know that the sense of belonging and the need to be fulfilled will change and not always be the same for the rest of my life.  I just need to find a place that fits me for the season that I am in. 
So I guess the basics of this is as a woman I know that I need to feel like I belong with another group of women, I need to be fulfilled within that group... whatever that might be, there are days I am not sure what will fulfill me as a woman, but I think feeling like I can give and receive freely and feel like the amount that I give (time, talents, gifts) is then also received by me.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Ear Infections

Ki has had one ear infection after another and I am just about done with them.  I took him in last Tuesday after trying to wait it out for over a week and he indeed had an ear infection in his left ear.  After almost a week I look him back in today... ear infection in his right ear.  So after being on antibiotics he still got an ear infection and his left ear still has not cleared up.  So we are on our second kind of antibiotics and I am hoping that within a day or two I have my sweet, non-fussy baby back!  Sakes, I am so done with these ear infections, they take my snugly good baby and turn his into a fussy, clingy mess. 

Saturday, April 17, 2010

If Only

If only every day could be as nice as it was today.  Woke up early and spent some time with my husband, no screaming children or boys in our bed!  Michael made a nice breakfast and we all sat down together and ate breakfast.  Then we all headed out to the front yard to get some yard work done.  Michael worked on the partition wall, I weeded and the boys played.  Yesterday Michael bought me some rose bushes so he planted those as well.  He mowed the grass and hung some flower baskets (what kind of flowers should I plant in them???  Any ideas?) while I ran to the grocery store.   Got back from the grocery store and made strawberry short cake, applesauce and watermelon sorbet.  Then the boys and I all took a shower.  We just had some friends over that we have not seen in a while and we sat around and chatted!  They just left, I got the house cleaned up and now Zeke is sleeping, Michael is watching television and Ki is playing.  Life truly is good!  Today was definitely a day I wouldn't mind repeating!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Stuck

I think we might have to have it surgically removed from his hinney....

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Spring Time

My love for the fall is great but after a winter, spring time is such a sweet thing.  The sun shinning, the birds singing and all the flowers and trees are in bloom.  This afternoon on my walk I was in awe at the little buds on all the trees and all the tulips and daffodils that have brightened everyone's still somewhat brown yards. 
Another of my favorite things about spring is the beginning of long afternoons in the backyard.  Within the last few weeks I have been able to send the boys in the backyard and they play out there for a good hour (this time usually is treasured by me, allowing myself some quiet time or cleaning time!).  This weekend in fact we had so much fun playing outside that the bath ring was not even a bother to me.  I have started measuring the fun my boys have by the size of the bath ring... one Sunday the bath ring must have been about two inches wide! 
Spring time is fun as well because I feel like I can walk around barefoot and in sun dresses all day long.  There are some days that I feel like when I put on my sundress I am putting on my mom uniform.  There is something "motherly" I feel about sun dresses... the long to the ankle kind - maybe that is because it is hiding my mom tummy pouch, not sure.
Spring time also means that the neighbors start to come out of the dens formally known as a home.  The smell of bbq wafts through the evening air.  The sounds of little kids playing in the backyards until dusk becomes a familiar echo.  The parks are filled with parents trying to steal an evening swing with their little ones.  Ohhhhh - the sounds, smells and warmth that spring brings!
Another thing about spring time is I cannot justify being in the house, I feel like if there is day light that I needs to be out, in the backyard, at a park, something that gets me and the boys some vitamin D.
Life is good... there are times that I get down but during the spring time I can't seem to be down for very long, all the pretty flowers just make me smile and remember that even when times are rough or I am in a funk that there is always spring - in the literal and in the day to day of everyday life! 

Friday, April 9, 2010

Crazy Busy!

This week has been crazy busy.  I have been running from one place to the other, and when I am not running outside of the house getting errands run than I am in the house running around trying to make sure my house is picked up, the kids are taken care of and the chores are done.  I am sure that I have funny stories to share, I am sure that there are some Kulow family updates... but honestly I am so darn tired that I cannot even think of what I should be sharing.  So basically I wanted to let you know that we are here, we are all healthy, we are enjoying the spring weather, and things are good!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

"Do All Me Self"

I cannot even begin to count the amount of times I hear that a day.  Zeke is in this stage where he wants to do everything by himself and gets rather upset if I even try and suggest that something be done another way.  Ki in his own way is doing the same thing.  Now that Ki is officially walking every where he wants to do everything by himself as well.  If I try and offer a hand to him he starts fussing, if I Zeke comes over to help him he yells too.  I guess the "do it me self" phase is something that they come by honestly!  Both Michael and I are very much that way and so I guess our boys were destined to be independent little people!    I will say though that it makes me laugh when Zeke tries to help Ki and then Zeke gets bummed out that his brother does not want the help, inside I am thinking, Yeah - Zeke you do the same thing to mommy every day!  Well off to tend to my independent boys... snow day here so not sure what will be on the agenda today.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Dedicated or Crazy?

Maybe a little of both...
Today was a crazy day but good.  On Friday I got a call from the speech pathologist saying that she had an opening in her schedule and she remembered talking with me and I was a little overwhelmed and so she wanted to let me get in on the early appointment if I wanted.  As I am sure you can imagine I jumped at the chance.  So this morning was our appointment.  There was a side of me that was really nervous of the unknown but also another side of me that was relieved that I would have some tools and answers earlier than I thought.  Zeke and I left the house this morning and went to the appointment.  I was immediately at ease when I met Miss Linda and she said that  we would go into a room and play... and that was what we did, we played with cars, looked at pictures, and books and then played kitchen.  After an hour and a half I felt like a burden had been lifted, yes, Zeke has trouble with stuttering, with articulation and fluency, but there is hope, there are tools and we will take one step at a time!
After leaving Zeke's appointment I got home just in time for Lucianna to get here.  Four hours of three little ones and two of them slightly fussy... makes for a long four hours!
After Lucianna left, poor Zeke had a meltdown which only lent to Ki having a meltdown as well.  Got my boys fed dinner and then made myself a chicken Caesar salad and let them have a blast throwing legos... big mess but I needed some quiet time! 
At 7:30 I packed my boys in the stroller and pouch and went for a two mile walk... a little windy and cold but I needed to get out.  
Now I am home, Michael is home and my boys are still awake and I want to go to bed.  I want to take a shower and I am ready for the day to end!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Resurrection Day

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Little Brother

Ki has realized that he is a little brother and thinks that everything that big brother does he has to do too.  Today we went to happy hour at Sonic and Zeke asked for food that he can eat in the car... whenever I drive by a Sonic he asks for food to eat in the car - silly boy.  So Michael got himself a Cherry Limeade, me a Cranberry Chiller (not helping in my efforts to loose weight, but it was soooo good!) and got Zeke cheese sticks.  I handed one back to Zeke and Ki started in with the paci throwing and open mouth bit, and when that didn't work he started yelling.  So I handed him a piece and he grinned a big ole grin at big brother.  Then this afternoon we got home from our errands and Zeke went in the backyard to play and closed the backdoor, like a good boy... Oh Ki was not having that!  Ki stood at the back door crying and screaming and trying to work the door open just enough to sneak out.  Just as he got it open enough I smelled something foul from his pants so I swooped him up and he was pissed!  He had worked so hard to get that darn sliding door open and then I come along and take him away.  The entire time I was changing his diaper he was screaming.  As soon as I was done changing him I took him back down stairs and put him in the backyard and he was all grins!  As I was walking away I told Michael that I am afraid that this is only the beginning of the, "Big brother gets to do it why not me"... or the "Big brother won't let me play with him.." phase that I fear might haunt us for the rest of our lives.  Michael only chuckled and said, "Good luck with that!"  What was that supposed to mean?  Probably thinking, "I sure am glad that I go to work and you have to deal with the boys!"  Oh well - It is all fun and I enjoy just about every minute of it... Wink... !

Friday, April 2, 2010

How Much is Too Much?

How many craisens are too many?  
I have been eating them almost every day multiple times a day, they are healthy snacks, right?
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 How much water is too much?  
I have been drinking like 96 ounces a day... drinking water is healthy, right?
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How many loads of laundry is too many?
For our family of four I do laundry every other day and I usually do two to three loads each time!
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How many pairs of socks are too many?
I swear my husband has a gazillion pairs of socks!
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How many toys are too many?
I swear that I put the toys away at night and they multiply in the toy bins!
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How many clothes are too many?
I think being that I don't feel comfortable in my own skin to buy clothes for myself I buy clothes for my boys, they both have full closets and drawers.
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Is it possible to wash your counters down with Lysol wipes too many times?
I go through the Costco four pack in about four months... one container a month.
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How much chap stick is too much?
I love Burt's Bee and I apply it liberally all throughout the day, I have one stick that I keep in the car, one in the diaper bag, and another in the kitchen.
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Basically I think I might just be OCD, not that that is a huge surprise to anyone!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Egocentrical?

Yes, Maybe!  LOL  
I have been blogging for almost a year now and I started because a friend of mine suggested I try it rather than stressing about not getting out my monthly informational email to family about the Kulow Klan.
So here I am a a half a year after starting the new world of blogging and I am still considering myself a "blogging virgin".  I guess every day I write I just think that my grandmas are the only ones that read this.  When I get notes from others saying that they read my blog I almost feel giddy, thinking geesh I thought I was writing maybe for my own fulfillment and the daily digest for my grandmas.  So today after I finished writing my morning entry I realized that I could scroll through and see the blogs next to me.  In the beginning when I did it the blogs that I came across were usually in a foreign language and were not something that I would take the time to even look at - today was another story!
As I scrolled through the blogs that were around mine I found other moms, stay at home moms, Christian moms, ladies that I could probably sit down and share a cup of tea with (not just saying that as a passing phrase... I am a tea lover!).  So how ever this whole blogging world works I am not sure, but I feel a new inspiration.  I feel like there are just a bunch of other moms "around" me sharing the same Never Dull life that I lead.  I sat a while and read a few of the blogs around me and some made me laugh, one made my heart ache, one had some awesome pictures of her children... but the running theme seemed to be, we are all women trying to figure this thing called "Life" out!
So to my fellow bloggers, that just might decide one day to scroll on past my blog, welcome - sit and enjoy, know that I am in the same boat as you... a mom trying to make the best of life and enjoy the sweet special moments I get to share with my two boys as they grow up!  
If I have never officially met you please take a second and let me know you are out there... see the comment down below, you can do it, I know you can!  Let me know who you are, I am eager to "meet" you!

Early Thoughtful Thursday

I usually spend afternoon naps or even right before dinner time writing but today I already had a lot on my mind and I thought I would take these few quiet minutes in my house to get some of my thoughts down, since I know you are all dying to know how my crazy mind works!  LOL
So in two weeks my baby Zeke will be three years old, which also means that in four weeks my baby Ki will be one year old.  All the way up until last weekend I was planning on doing a "party" for my boys on their birthday weekends.  The more and more I started thinking about it I realized that the parties are more for me than anyone - silly I know!  Both of my boys really could care less, it is just another day.  I know that in a year or two that Zeke will have the realization that something is going on and will probably want to do something, but I started thinking that until that time comes I would rather not make a huge deal about it.  So one thing that I thought about doing instead is take the time and money and not to mention the effort in doing a big "shin-dig" and rather get the boys pictures taken.  When I was at the Momporium I got a coupon for $100 off a photo shoot with a professional.  I looked up her prices and it is basically for the actual shoot and then I can buy pictures off of her for what I thought to be rather inexpensive... so that is what I am thinking about birthdays and such!
While at the Momporium last weekend in my goodie bag I got a catalog for J.Jill and I have officially decided that if there was some way I could be a clothes rep for them I would jump at the opportunity!  There was not one thing in that catalog that I didn't want.  Everything looks so crisp and nice and yet everyday living comfortable. 
After having my two little blessings I feel that my body has been through a tornado... It is all stretched out and sagging and bagging.  My goal is to loose twenty to thirty pounds in the next few months... ambitions yes, possible - I sure hope so!  On Tuesday I walked for three and a half miles and every other day I have been doing sit ups and tummy things.  I have been trying to be a little more aware of what I am putting in my mouth and trying to stay away from some of the known no-no's.  I think the red flag for me was that my "fat pants" tore in the hinney... so I am down a "fat pants" and feeling very uncomfortable in my clothes. 
Stuttering... some days we have a great day and others I feel like we are back at the worst again.  The last two days have been not that great.  I wish I knew what sets off the speech issues!  Why can one day to the next be so different?  So the count down in my mind is still there 12 days until we have our appointment with the speech pathologist.  I am not sure what I am hoping will come from that appointment.  I think mentally it will be nice to speak to someone who has seen many different cases and will be able to assure me that things aren't that bad and that there is light at the end of the tunnel of not understanding my little boy!
Ki is getting around pretty darn well now.  His little arms fly high in the air and his big ol' belly sticks out, but he gets a good five or six steps in and then falls.  For some reason in the evening right before bed he thinks is time to practice his walking, so be begins at the chair in the living room and gathers the courage to brave the distance between the chair and the couch and back again. 
Starting on Monday I will begin watching Lucianna again.  Should be a fun time... Zeke, Ki and Lucianna I am sure will keep me busy.  Thankfully at this point Lucianna is not even sitting up on her own so I don't have to worry about her running off.  My hope is that her parents will be okay with my taking her to the parks and getting out of the house once in a while.  With the weather getting warm I am sure that I will need to get my boys out and about!
A house that Michael and I have seen on the MLS for the last few months is back on there again after the short sale fell through.  The price of the house dropped $5k and it is in a nice area with a big backyard and four bedrooms and four baths.  It is in Douglas county and our realtors told us a month ago that Douglas is doing a 20% down for new home buyers due to the fact that there are so many foreclosures.  I wish that even with those incentives that we could jump at this house.  I feel like there are so many homes out there and they are all just out of reach!  Either the perfect house for us is just not out there, yet or we are just going to be renters for the rest of our lives... kind of frustrating either way as I see it!  Come on lottery! :-)
In the almost two years that we have lived in this home we have started noticing things that are just falling apart.  Michael took a weekend and went through and took pictures and wrote out an email to our property managers about the house and the things that we have been noticing that are just falling apart.  For example all the north facing doors do not close properly.  All the east and west facing doors and windows are not closing as tightly as they once did.  Our kitchen counter is pulling away from the wall and in some areas is almost an inch away.  Michael got out his level and measured from one side of the house to the other and the house has dropped almost a full inch.  After sending off the email we heard back from the property manager requesting that we set three days and times aside to have them and the home owner come over with a contractor to asses the damages and evaluate what needs to be done or what could be done to repair some of the issues. 
Well I think that just about covers all my thoughts for the time being!  Hope that all is well with everyone too.  Have a great day...