We just finished a three night family vacation at a cabin just an hour and a half away and luckily no one got the stomach flu or some other icky virus like at my nieces wedding, our nineteen hour drive to Branson, or even my short trip to my mother's house. I'll fill you in on these later or perhaps I'll spare you.
This little get away was just my husband, our five kids, and, of course, me. It was the type of vacation I want to somehow bottle up and pour over my pancakes when I'm old when the house is too quiet, and nothing feels right because someones always missing.
Of course, I would let the whining, complaining, and little bickering settle to the bottom of the syrup jar and just pour over the sweetness like the questions my nine year old likes to ask like, "If I could grow a beard would I?" I'd pour over the silly math game my six year old makes up which no one can understand except her and somehow she always wins, or how my three and a half year old spontaneously busts out, "I like you Mom," especially when there is ice cream around or she's done something naughty, or how my twenty month old puckers his lips into a flower whenever anyone says kiss, or how my eleven year old tells me her biggest secret is that she still likes to play dolls.
There is no way to carry these moments in a bottle and somehow I have to soak them in as they disappear for I see them slipping away as my eleven year old now looks around to see if anyone notice she is playing with little kid toys, and no longer steals my shoes because they are too small for her feet. Time moves on at the same pace no matter how we would like to speed things up or slow the clock down.
When we drove back after spending a day canoeing and playing in a beautiful forest surrounded lake, I realized I didn't take any pictures and my heart swelled at the thought that I might forget how our four girls climbed into the canoe with their dad and rowed all around the lake singing made up silly songs and splashing each other. I could see them float around as I sat with our baby in the shade. The happy picture I wished I could keep forever. For now, I'll just have to spill these words out sticky and sweet and cover a page.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Disgusting
Being a mom is a really dirty job. I could go into all the details of every accident or sick child, but I'll spare you. Some things are better left to the observer, except a few that I will be relating today. I'm not sure why I am sharing this with you after all it is a very gross story. Perhaps I feel the world needs more sharing on every subject even gross ones. Occasionally I think of Ghandi's wife who was outraged at having to clean the outhouses, and of course, she did it anyway, but would she have been more apt to cleaning if she knew women around the world were having disgusting experiences all the time?
Here's just one of mine.
Amelia rushed into the house on a warm afternoon. She's my third daughter by the way. I have four daughters and one son.
"Mom, there's something hanging out of the dog's bum."
Me, "Ohh, something?" I like to ask things in a question when I am sure I'd rather avoid this subject. This tactic works great when you're trying avoid something even if it is only for a few seconds.
"Yes, something long and stringy, and red."
This was only getting worse.
"Oh,"
"Do you want to come see it?"
Do I want to, I thought to myself. Do I really want to answer that question? Trying to sound as positive as possible I said, "I guess so," with a cringed smile.
She grabbed me by the hand and pulled me toward the door. Apparently, she felt like we needed to rush for this. I pushed my feet as slow as possible, but she kept pulling until we were outside, and there was our white lab husky smiling at us with yes a long red and a bit translucent string hanging below her wagging tail about a foot long.
I couldn't tell what it was. Pieces of intestines or fallopian tubes spun through my mind.
I could take her to the vet although she seems happy, I could call someone else a neighbor or friend to get a better understanding, but being home with kids I surmised there was really only one thing to do. Pull it.
I grabbed a paper towel. You didn't think I was going to touch that slimy thing with my hands did you?
I tried to place the paper towel around the pink thing, but it flopped around with the dogs movement.
"Hold her head, would you?" I asked Amelia who had called her little sister down to view the excitement,
The stringy thing felt squishy as I squeezed it between the paper towel and ever so gently I pulled on it.
The dog didn't seem to feel anything so I pulled on it again. The string kept coming out. It was about a foot and half long. I looked at Sadie, that's our dog's name and she smiled so I pulled some more in front of my kids who were in some kind translike state. I pulled and I pulled some more till it was about two and feet long. "What is this thing?" I thought. It didn't stop until I got about four feet from the dog's end. I felt a small tug and then a plop and out popped. . . a sticky hand?
The kind the kids get at birthday parties or quarter machines.
"Gross." Millie cried as it sprung out and on to the cement. Isabel who wasn't the least bothered tried to grab the toy which then I quickly grabbed it with the towel and stuffed the specimen into the garbage. Ah just another day home with the kids.
Here's just one of mine.
Amelia rushed into the house on a warm afternoon. She's my third daughter by the way. I have four daughters and one son.
"Mom, there's something hanging out of the dog's bum."
Me, "Ohh, something?" I like to ask things in a question when I am sure I'd rather avoid this subject. This tactic works great when you're trying avoid something even if it is only for a few seconds.
"Yes, something long and stringy, and red."
This was only getting worse.
"Oh,"
"Do you want to come see it?"
Do I want to, I thought to myself. Do I really want to answer that question? Trying to sound as positive as possible I said, "I guess so," with a cringed smile.
She grabbed me by the hand and pulled me toward the door. Apparently, she felt like we needed to rush for this. I pushed my feet as slow as possible, but she kept pulling until we were outside, and there was our white lab husky smiling at us with yes a long red and a bit translucent string hanging below her wagging tail about a foot long.
I couldn't tell what it was. Pieces of intestines or fallopian tubes spun through my mind.
I could take her to the vet although she seems happy, I could call someone else a neighbor or friend to get a better understanding, but being home with kids I surmised there was really only one thing to do. Pull it.
I grabbed a paper towel. You didn't think I was going to touch that slimy thing with my hands did you?
I tried to place the paper towel around the pink thing, but it flopped around with the dogs movement.
"Hold her head, would you?" I asked Amelia who had called her little sister down to view the excitement,
The stringy thing felt squishy as I squeezed it between the paper towel and ever so gently I pulled on it.
The dog didn't seem to feel anything so I pulled on it again. The string kept coming out. It was about a foot and half long. I looked at Sadie, that's our dog's name and she smiled so I pulled some more in front of my kids who were in some kind translike state. I pulled and I pulled some more till it was about two and feet long. "What is this thing?" I thought. It didn't stop until I got about four feet from the dog's end. I felt a small tug and then a plop and out popped. . . a sticky hand?
The kind the kids get at birthday parties or quarter machines.
"Gross." Millie cried as it sprung out and on to the cement. Isabel who wasn't the least bothered tried to grab the toy which then I quickly grabbed it with the towel and stuffed the specimen into the garbage. Ah just another day home with the kids.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Confessions
Confessions: I haven't been sick for five years. At least not in bed with a cold sick. Yes, I've had a sniffy nose and cough, but nothing to really keep me down, and I am not counting having three babies in the last five years or any complications to those deliveries, I'm meaning the flu or something that would keep me in bed and my husband home taking care of us all. My real confession isn't that I've been extremely healthy, it's that I've been trying to get sick. I've been congregating near people with colds in crowds, not washing my hands occasionally, and a few weeks ago, I ate an M&M off the floor of Smith's grocery store just to see if it would do anything, plus I really like M&Ms. It's sort of my weakness when the kids are screaming.
I know, it sounds crazy trying to get sick, but the idea, of just laying in bed for a whole day sounded so appealing. It's not like I couldn't take a day off if I wanted, my husband would take a day off for me, he's the best husband in the world by the way, it's more of the need. It is the thought that if I was sick I would need my husband to take a day off not just plan a day for me, or take a vacation day, so I was telling my husband this and he said, "Great! I would love it if you were sick too." Not that me being deathly ill sounded good but actually taking care of me and the kids sounded like a refreshing break for him. So last week I was sick really sick and now I regret it every second. This is how it went.
"I have a scratchy throat, hon." I said one night before bed.
"May be I need to stay home tomorrow." my buff husband replied.(that was for you honey)
"May be, I'll see in the morning." I went right to sleep.
Next morning.
"I have a sore throat." I said.
"I'll take the day off."
I took some nyquil and slept for the next three hours. Around 11am I woke up feeling a bit groggy but much better. Justin had to take a conference call so I watched the kids and helped them get lunch. Kaela had a friend over to help her with her catapult project. I picked them up from school. We ordered pizza for dinner but by the time the evening wore on and Justin was at the church helping the young men with an activity, I had a full blown fever and chills I went to bed early thinking, what have I done? I am sick all the way sick and now I don't want Justin to use his vacation days. I really want a long summer vacation with him.The next day I was sick all day regretting the few months I ran around looking for a virus while Justin Had to work. Moral of the story, if you're really ever thinking about getting sick at least plan for two days and the M&M's off of Smith's floor didn't do a thing to me. You can eat those freely.
I know, it sounds crazy trying to get sick, but the idea, of just laying in bed for a whole day sounded so appealing. It's not like I couldn't take a day off if I wanted, my husband would take a day off for me, he's the best husband in the world by the way, it's more of the need. It is the thought that if I was sick I would need my husband to take a day off not just plan a day for me, or take a vacation day, so I was telling my husband this and he said, "Great! I would love it if you were sick too." Not that me being deathly ill sounded good but actually taking care of me and the kids sounded like a refreshing break for him. So last week I was sick really sick and now I regret it every second. This is how it went.
"I have a scratchy throat, hon." I said one night before bed.
"May be I need to stay home tomorrow." my buff husband replied.(that was for you honey)
"May be, I'll see in the morning." I went right to sleep.
Next morning.
"I have a sore throat." I said.
"I'll take the day off."
I took some nyquil and slept for the next three hours. Around 11am I woke up feeling a bit groggy but much better. Justin had to take a conference call so I watched the kids and helped them get lunch. Kaela had a friend over to help her with her catapult project. I picked them up from school. We ordered pizza for dinner but by the time the evening wore on and Justin was at the church helping the young men with an activity, I had a full blown fever and chills I went to bed early thinking, what have I done? I am sick all the way sick and now I don't want Justin to use his vacation days. I really want a long summer vacation with him.The next day I was sick all day regretting the few months I ran around looking for a virus while Justin Had to work. Moral of the story, if you're really ever thinking about getting sick at least plan for two days and the M&M's off of Smith's floor didn't do a thing to me. You can eat those freely.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Time
I'm a bit of a time freak. May be it's from timing my workout runs or just trying to push as much as possible into one day, or telling my kids it will only take thirty seconds to unload the garbage and then timing it to see if I was right, but where ever it comes from, I've learned a lot about time just by timing things. Did you know, it only takes five to ten minutes to fold a batch of clothes even though it feels like an eternity? I unloaded the dishwasher in less than two minutes record time. Time can really move quickly if you're not paying attention or you're not folding laundry. So when my daughter turned eleven, I thought, where did all the time go? Wasn't she just my sweet baby with curly flowing hair? And why does she want to go to the mall for her birthday instead of having a pinata at home like we have for the past birthdays?
I've really turned into a sappy mother. Soon I'll be the one stopping people in the park and at the grocery store saying enjoy your time with your kids because they'll be grown up before you know it. Of course it might be at least ten years from now since I do have fourteen month old.
What I really want to be able to tell people is how to stop time. No one has really told me the secret and there isn't really one, but I have learned that in order for it to slow down you have to reach out to your children ever day and not just make sure they have their coat or their socks or are wearing underwear. (we have that problem with one child in our house she likes to go commando and will sneakily take her underwear off when no one is looking and put her pants back on- the only way I know is she leaves underwear as a sign-oh Izzie) but really help them feel special at least in one moment in the day. I'm not a big note person or gift person, so my time helping them feel special is sometimes just hug and "I really like begin around you," or, "I am so glad you are in my life," or "do you know I love you more than anything?" (I said this one time to my oldest daughter and she said, "yes, except when your cranky .true, true but at least they know). I just started it this year and the time sadly has not slown down but its been more sweet, at least for me.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Resolutions
So much for being a head. I wrote this post in December and forgot to publish it until now. HA Ha
Okay readers all of you, I mean Amy. Here's the funny thing which is not really funny but that was the only way I could think to bring this interesting thought about. I am always behind. Behind on my blog, behind on my laundry, behind on my writing, and behind on trimming my kids nail. Yes, I know gross. So this post I thought I'll start ahead of the game, instead of writing about Thanksgiving like I would usually do in the first part of December. I'm going to write about January. See the whole world magically changing in front of you. I know! For 2013 the most unluckiest year in the world (knock on wood) this years goal is to be ahead of the game.
I am not kidding skipping a month is totally going to help me catch up and provide my children with cleaner fingers. What prompted this was last night at dinner. Have you ever just slowly let a few things slip like teaching your children manners. Last night was a disaster. Here is how it went.
"If you don't scoot over. I can't sit there and there's no room by this table." Averie demands Millie to move. We really need a bench instead of two stools and a metal chair tucked against a bay window next to our table.
"Go round." Izzie my two year old screams in an ear deafening pitch.
"Izzie you are not allowed to scream."
"Millie do not eat off your sister's plate. You have plenty of food on yours" She stands up reaches over Isabel knocking a cup over to reach the gallon of milk."
Kade climbs out of his highchair onto the table with pieces of rice falling out of his mouth. I grab him.
"Please just ask if you would like anyone to pass anything. Don't reach around."
"I want milk" Izzie screeches.
"That's not the way you ask," my husband replies.He tosses a rag to Millie. She wipes it unthouroughly. Kade climbs out again. I place him on the floor. He wails. I put him back in within a second he's back on the table.
"Millie reaches over grabs some rice off Izzie's plate. "Millie" I profess. "Sorry I forgot." She says placingthe strewn rice halfway on the table and Izzie's plate.
"You have to ask kindly and say please."Averie yells. Meanwhile our ten year old is trying to talk with us about her day getting totally rejected.
This process continues until everyone is thoroughly disgusted with rice in anyway.
So today I thought how did they slip into that? Wasn't I on the ball enough. I guess I have just been busy and not knowing certain manners have come into play. Its almost like when my daughter wiped her bloody nose on my towel and I didn't notice until I was drying off after a shower. Slowly and surely I have let my kids scream and throw tantrums. Running around, Basketball games, piano, and soccer I have just ignored a few things and they have showed up at my dinner table. So this year I'm resolving to be ahead. I hope this will help. Is this just the way learning works, a constant rhythm of tightening your discipline in every action stopping to teach. I'm not sure if I will get to this rhythm but I hope skipping this month will help.
Okay readers all of you, I mean Amy. Here's the funny thing which is not really funny but that was the only way I could think to bring this interesting thought about. I am always behind. Behind on my blog, behind on my laundry, behind on my writing, and behind on trimming my kids nail. Yes, I know gross. So this post I thought I'll start ahead of the game, instead of writing about Thanksgiving like I would usually do in the first part of December. I'm going to write about January. See the whole world magically changing in front of you. I know! For 2013 the most unluckiest year in the world (knock on wood) this years goal is to be ahead of the game.
I am not kidding skipping a month is totally going to help me catch up and provide my children with cleaner fingers. What prompted this was last night at dinner. Have you ever just slowly let a few things slip like teaching your children manners. Last night was a disaster. Here is how it went.
"If you don't scoot over. I can't sit there and there's no room by this table." Averie demands Millie to move. We really need a bench instead of two stools and a metal chair tucked against a bay window next to our table.
"Go round." Izzie my two year old screams in an ear deafening pitch.
"Izzie you are not allowed to scream."
"Millie do not eat off your sister's plate. You have plenty of food on yours" She stands up reaches over Isabel knocking a cup over to reach the gallon of milk."
Kade climbs out of his highchair onto the table with pieces of rice falling out of his mouth. I grab him.
"Please just ask if you would like anyone to pass anything. Don't reach around."
"I want milk" Izzie screeches.
"That's not the way you ask," my husband replies.He tosses a rag to Millie. She wipes it unthouroughly. Kade climbs out again. I place him on the floor. He wails. I put him back in within a second he's back on the table.
"Millie reaches over grabs some rice off Izzie's plate. "Millie" I profess. "Sorry I forgot." She says placingthe strewn rice halfway on the table and Izzie's plate.
"You have to ask kindly and say please."Averie yells. Meanwhile our ten year old is trying to talk with us about her day getting totally rejected.
This process continues until everyone is thoroughly disgusted with rice in anyway.
So today I thought how did they slip into that? Wasn't I on the ball enough. I guess I have just been busy and not knowing certain manners have come into play. Its almost like when my daughter wiped her bloody nose on my towel and I didn't notice until I was drying off after a shower. Slowly and surely I have let my kids scream and throw tantrums. Running around, Basketball games, piano, and soccer I have just ignored a few things and they have showed up at my dinner table. So this year I'm resolving to be ahead. I hope this will help. Is this just the way learning works, a constant rhythm of tightening your discipline in every action stopping to teach. I'm not sure if I will get to this rhythm but I hope skipping this month will help.
Monday, November 19, 2012
It's a little late for Halloween posts but since I have such a huge fan base, I guess you won't mind seeing how I think only Amy reads this blog. Thanks Amy! Okay see if you can guess what Averie was for Halloween, if you don't know which one Averie is she's on the far right of the picture. You'll never guess!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)