Friday, October 29, 2010

Dreams

This morning was the very first time that Zeke woke up and recalled his dream.  It was the funniest thing!  Zeke came running into my room this morning saying that there was a wolf (aka the kind of dog that Michael wants) in there and he was playing with him.  Zeke crawled up into bed with me and continued to ask me where that wolf went, because they were just playing together and now he can't find him.  After a while of laying in bed and snuggling the boys and I got up to start our morning.  I noticed that Zeke had lost a sock in the middle of the night and I asked him about where it was.  Zeke said that wolf took it off and was playing with it. 
I have to say that was the neatest moment for me to witness and for Zeke to now realize about the dream world.  I don't think that still to this time (now almost bedtime again) knows that it was just a dream because he has asked me a few times where that wolf is.  I am excited for Zeke as he now enters the new world of dreams!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Feeling Kinda Blue

I think the weather got to me today.  Not that it is bad but for some reason I woke up this morning feeling a little blue.  When I was thinking about how I was feeling kind of off I remembered a Veggie Tale song and thought I would share...
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

A Terrific Two-sday

This morning I got to sleep in because my TWO boys decided to sleep in until 7:30am
After fixing TWO waffles my TWO boys played around the house for a while
At 10am my TWO boys and I drove the TWO minutes to the pool
We entered the Ridge pool for TWO dollars each
My TWO little boys swam for TWO hours
After myself and my TWO boys got dressed we drove the TWO minutes back home
I made TWO peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for TWO very hungry little fishies
Then my TWO little full and tired boys crawled into my bed
I read TWO stories each for my TWO little boys
My TWO arms wrapped around my TWO boys for a relaxing TWO hour nap
Now my TWO boys are playing with their TWO Lego boxes and I am marveling at what a 
Terrific TWO-sday me and my TWO boys have had

Quick Thought Stop

One of my friends said at her bridal shower, "You are not a real wife unless you have a Kitchen Aid."  Well I am now an official wife - Michael bought me a new Kitchen Aid for our four year anniversary.  I guess it took me four years to show Michael that I am a real wife.  LOL
I think I had mentioned before that our dishwasher had died... well yesterday our landlord had called about something else and while I had her on the phone I had said something about this "death" in the house and she said that she would take care of it.  An hour later I got a call from the appliance company saying that they will be over this morning to replace my old dishwasher.  I cannot even begin to express how happy I am about that!
Fall has officially littered all over my yard.  It looks like a fall party outside - there is red, green, yellow, gold and orange confetti all over the place.  Not to mention the yard toys, chairs and tables have been strewn about as well... we have had some crazy windy days and everything is everywhere. 
Operation paci be gone has been a huge success.  I was a little worried about it but it has not been as rough as I was anticipating - thank heavens!  Ki is still waking up at night but not anymore than he was with his paci.  Nap times are down to just one nap time in the afternoon and that is fine with me, one big nap versus two small naps is A-OKAY!
Since our move into this house two years and a few months ago we have been little by little doing things to make this house our home... paint, pictures, and the yard.  Yesterday was the first time that I had ever had a group of people over that are not close friends but just acquaintances and after they left I felt like I had been pat on my back!  Almost everyone of them commented on what a nice home we have and just how homey it is.  I really needed that as a woman and a wife - it is hard sometimes when I look around at what every one else has and wish for that.  It was really nice to have "outsiders" comment on the comfy feel of my home.  I guess all the work is paid off.  I am sure that Michael will be pleased with that as well... maybe he might be "off" on some of the house projects that I have been listing out for the past few months.  Hehehehe!

Friday, October 22, 2010

A Mommy's Job Is Never Done

Oh how true that statement is!  Yesterday at MOPS we talked about the characteristic of resiliency and how it is key to motherhood.  I chimed in and said without it one might go crazy!  Yep - that is me today.  Going crazy. 
I just did all the laundry on Sunday/Monday... six loads and here I am on Friday and I have done so far four loads and I have two more to do.  How is that possible?  Granted I am doing duvets and sheets today, that is normally a Monday job but I didn't get to them so they got pushed off until today - however sakes alive!  I feel like no matter how on top of laundry I am there is always piles to be done.  The getting it from the top level to the basement and then separated feels like a huge task.  After it is separated then getting each load washed and folded is the next hurtle.  However by far the most difficult task is getting the clean clothes off the folding table, into laundry baskets, up to the top floor and put away in the closets.  UGH! 
Today as I sit in the basement while the boys play and I am feverishly getting laundry done I am looking over the boys play area realizing that I need to do something with all the toys.  For whatever reason my boys think that to play down in the basement every toy box needs to be emptied and laying strewn on the floor.  I find myself picking up toys the entire time they are down here trying to keep some sort of order.  Yes, I realize that I should just sit back and relax but that is a skill that I am still trying to learn.  So until then I am thinking that I need to make a trip to Home Depot to get a clothes rack for the dress up clothes, a full length mirror to make a dress up area in the room and then maybe one or two boxes to pack up some of the toys that are not really played with so that I can hide them. 
It has been a week and counting since my dishwasher has died a very painful loss in the house - as far as I am concerned... oh yeah and my hands are concerned too!  My dishwasher has been dying a slow and long death... the dishes have been coming out dirtier and dirtier.  Last weekend I thought I would give it one last try, so I cleaned it out entirely and gave it a bleach spin only with no dishes.  Then on Monday we had a friend over for dinner and rather than hand washing all those dishes I thought... one last try to show me what it could do.  Needless to say Tuesday when I ran the machine and got the dishes out I was sorely disappointed!  My pre-wahsed dishes were dirtier then when they went into the darn thing.  How can that be?  I have scoured the entire machine trying to find a clean out spot and have found none.  I sent an email to our property manager on Sunday night and have heard nothing from them about this tragic loss in our house!  My hands are so stinking dry and cracking from all the hand washing and dish washing and I cannot wait until I hear back from the property manager - and I am hoping when I do hear back it will be to say that they are headed over to replace my dishwasher!
Well, as I have written about the fact that my job is never done the basement has gotten pretty messy and my dryer just informed me that it needs to be emptied and the clothes folded.  Maybe after that I will get the boys down for a nap and sneak a little one myself!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Good Intentions

You know those people that just ooze friendliness/thoughtfulness... the ones that see you in the hall and stop to ask very specific questions about your life/day, or the ones that send you little notes in the mail to just say "hi", or the ones that purchase little thinking of your gifts out of the blue.  Well - I don't fit into any of those categories!  I really try to - I think about it and then the thought passes and before I know it I have moved on and forgotten my good intention with the unexpected aspects of life.  I hate that, trust me it is in there but I have very little time to actually make that a priority.  I guess coming home from a MOPS morning and being around other moms that have those characteristics and actually act on them makes me more aware of the value that they bring to life - both the giver and the receiver's.  As of late my mind has been consumed with people that have been on my mind and I am going to try to make a conscience effort to let them know that they are being thought about and prayed for!  So if you get a card, email, call or gift from me know that you have been on my mind alot!  Granted I know that it will take some time to make this a priority characteristic... so with that said, if you don't get something don't think that you have been wiped from my mind - I am a work in progress!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Paci Be Gone

Yesterday I made the executive decision that the Paci would be no more in our house.  Why?  The last week Ki has been waking up four and five times at night because he has lost his paci and can't find it.  I have been getting up with him to search for the paci and then get him back to sleep.  My thought was - I am already getting up a bunch to try and get him back to sleep, what is going to be the difference if he has a paci or not.  Yesterday was a rough day!  He only napped for forty minutes and woke up crying because he did not have his paci.  Last night he struggled around for a good hour trying to fall asleep and kept pointing to his mouth and trying to pull me to the place where the pacis were stored.  After a good fight he fell asleep... through the entire night!  Granted it might be due to the fact that he was so tired from such a short nap but he slept through the night last night.  So we have begun the what I feared would be a very long week or two... however that might not be the case!?!?!  Wish me luck... and patience!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

UGH!

No better "word" describes my day.  Let me first say that I am totally thankful that the day is just about done... Ki is asleep already and Zeke's blinks are getting longer and longer, which in trade means I can go to bed soon as well. 
It all began this morning - not first thing but around 8:38am, to be specific!  My morning was going really well actually.  I woke up around six this morning and both my boys were still sleeping so I jumped in the shower.  Michael left for a two day work trip at 6:30 and Ki woke up around then as well.  Zeke went down stairs and laid on the couch.  The boys and I enjoyed some fresh fruit and muffins for breakfast and then we got dressed and headed out for our day.  This morning was my first morning for bible study.  I got the boys loaded in the car and then got in the front seat for myself, I turned the key to start the car to no avail.  Three tries and nothing!  Ugh!
After an attempted call to my husband I tried calling two friends.  At the same time as I was making my calls of desperation my neighbor was pulling out to take her son to school.  I asked her if she could give me a jump, to which she said that she could but that she would have to get her son to school first and then she would help.  She returned from dropping off her son and pulled her car back into her garage and closed the door and she was no where to be found!  Another call of desperation to a friend who agreed to drive to my house and help me and a call to my dad to make sure I would know how to use jumper cables when my friend got here.  By this time it is already 9:15 and I am now late for bible study (being late is a huge pet peeve of mine) and still no power to my car.  As I am getting ready to call it quits and head in the house and call it a day my neighbor walks out of her house with a battery charger.  I make a call to my one friend and call her off and two minutes later my car is running and we are on our way. 
I arrived at bible study thirty minutes late - and to be honest if it weren't for knowing that I needed some down time from my boys than I would have not even gone to bible study.  I was glad that I made the trip though, it was well worth the "me" time.  After bible study we headed home for lunch and then back out because I forgot to go to the bank for Michael.  After taking the stuff to the bank the boys and I headed over to the medical clinic to get Zeke's preschool physical filled out and while we were there the boys both got their flu shots and I made Ki's year and a half appointment. 
Then began my remainder of my "UGH" day - I took my car over to O'Reily's to have my battery checked to which the guy informed me that although my battery is low there is something that is pulling and depleting my battery.  The guy suggested that I take my car into the dealership and have it checked out.  I called Michael to verify that he agreed with that of which he did.  At this point it is about 1:30 - also known as nap time!  Not wanting to deal with another rough morning of having to get jumped I figured "now" is better than later.  We arrived at the dealership around two.  The boys and I left our car in the hands of the service department and headed into the waiting area.  Forty minutes of trying to wrangle two little tired boys the service guy comes out and tells me that my battery needs to be replaced and that there was a recall on a battery draining item in the car.  I am sure he could see it in my face and he simply said, "It will all be taken care of for free, it will take a few hours but it will be free."  I guess free was the word I needed - a few hours with tired boys in a waiting area... but free! 
Two hours of waiting we were leaving the dealership at 4:30... all of us tired, hungry and a little grumpy!  Dinner out was a requirement.  We got home at 5:30 the boys were showered and Ki was asleep by 6:04 and in the time it took me to write this post Zeke has fallen asleep.  So although today was a rough one of which I do not want to repeat, no naps means early bed time which is a good thing.  Hoping that tomorrow will be a better day!  The boys and I are headed for Buena Vista to visit Michael's mom for the day so a road trip and our last visit of the year are in store for the three of us... a good night's sleep will be needed.

Monday, October 11, 2010

"Silly Costco"

Yesterday the boys and I ran to Costco to use our coupons before they expired.  As we were walking through Costco Zeke said, "Silly Costco, it's not Christmas time, it's not even snowing yet!"  I thought that was so funny.  However under that logic many people would never have Christmas! 

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Smells

If only it was possible to have a scratch and sniff post for this morning... After a really rough day yesterday and quiet honestly a somewhat rough week I woke up this morning and determined that Today was going to be different.  
Close your eyes and imagine all the glorious smells in my house right now...
Yankee Candle's Farmers Market candle burning in the kitchen window
Chocolate mint teecinno brewing in the coffee pot
Banana bread baking in the oven
A load of dishes being washed in the washer (adding to the warm feeling in my kitchen right now)
A load of laundry in the dryer with fabric softener going down stairs
Yes - I am sure your smelling senses are on overload, and so are mine but all of the smells combined are my weary attempts to make today a new and fresh day!

After what has felt like a long stint of flu bugs in my house I was very excited when Bed Bath and Beyond came out with their coupon of buy $15 worth of product and get $5 off... needless to say that coupon was spent on fall tarts and a fall candle for my house.  I was sharing with my mom this week that now my house smells like fall rather than an institution... being that Clorox wipes have been used as my main staple around the house for what felt like over a month.
 
This week has been a rough one - granted not entirely for me but more for Michael which in trade makes it hard for me.  Not to diminish any of his pain... but my routines get thrown off and my worry level goes from just the two younger boys to all three of them (Michael being number three).  Last Sunday while at church Michael started experiencing some horrible pains.  I was called out of service by Ki's number to be greeted with the nursery coordinator telling me that I need to take my husband to the hospital immediately.  As I walked downstairs to get the boys I see Michael standing in the middle of the area pale faced and sweaty.  Not sure as to what was going on with him I got the boys as quickly as possible and we headed to the car at which point Michael started explaining what was going on.  After about an hour or two of extreme pain for Michael it subsided.  Monday he stayed home hoping that whatever the pain was would go away with laying around and not working.  It seemed to work.  However Tuesday night after a long work day he said that he was hurting a little.  Wednesday night after another long work day Michael said that the pain had returned and was feeling really bad.  Thursday morning was a late start due to the pain and then Thursday night he got home early and spent the evening and through the night in extreme pain.  Friday morning he had had enough!  He went to a wellness clinic at the local Walgreens at which the nurse told him that she could not help him but she scheduled an appointment at a local doctor's office that takes cash patients.  By four o'clock we were talking out of the doctor's office with two prescriptions and $99 out of our pocket.  I filled the prescriptions for $55 and by seven last night Michael was in drug heaven.  Come to find out Michael has been experiencing kidney stones - finally doctor confirmed after five days of Google diagnosis.   The doctor said that if he is not able to pass them on his own then a CAT scan will be required mid next week to determine if it is blocking and what size it is and if laser destruction will be needed.  So please pray for a quick and now painless passage of these pesky stones that have been causing such havoc!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Randomness

Have recently rediscovered the wonderful taste of Teecinno coffee.  When I lived with my aunt and uncle in Washington they used to drink it every day and I loved it.  Being that I am pregnant and caffeine is not allowed I remembered this wonderful coffee substitution.  This morning I ran out and bought some Chocolate Mint Teecinno and some Silk Hazelnut creamer - let me just say my mouth and my tummy are thanking me. 

After much deliberating we have decided to move Zeke to two mornings a week for preschool.  I think that it will be much better for everyone involved.  I am excited about it because that means I get to have him around a little more.  Trust me there are definitely days that I want him out of my hair but I will say that within the last two weeks Zeke has been such a big helper.   I guess that whole getting older is doing some real good for him!  He has been helping me with Ki and helping me around the house.  One of the things that I have thoroughly enjoyed is being able to have conversations with him - granted not the average Joe can sit down and have a conversation with him... which in my mind makes those times even more special!

A few weeks ago Michael and I watched a television special about "Blood Diamonds".  Ever since watching that show I have been plagued by the scenes that were shown.  While watching the show I told Michael how happy I am that my wedding ring is not a diamond.  That's right my shinny ring is not a diamond but a rare mineral found in meteorites.  I will say that after watching that special I am convinced that I am sticking with my meteorite mineral for any future jewelry!

Yesterday I needed to run out and get another wet bag for the diapers.  I have found that while I am washing the dirty diapers I wind up with one or two diapers that need to be changed and was not sure what to do with them.  So I got another wet bag to keep in the house for those times... well while I was at the store getting the new wet bag I came across a fun and efficient new cloth diaper item.  Liners - yes my friend had told me about them but I had never seen them at the stores I had been at and while shopping around the sales lady told me about them - I am hooked!  I bought a package of them and have been using them since yesterday morning and I am wondering why I didn't search harder for these things before.  Diaper cleaning post bowel movements just got a lot easier! 

Brothers... really?  As I look at my two boys I find myself thinking... they sure do not look anything alike!  Which has got me thinking about what number three is going to look like!  Both Zeke and Ki are a pretty good mix of Michael and I but different features.  I don't think the average person who were to see the two would put it together that they are brothers.  Not only are their looks so different but their little personalities are different too - I guess that is what makes every day a new adventure! 

Like I said the title sums up this post - I have been thinking about all these things and thought it would be silly to post them all separate and thus this post has evolved.  Hope that you have a great day!