So for Thanksgiving I was in charge of the sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and rolls (we went to Greg's grandfather's in Ohio). Thankfully I had nothing planned for Wednesday except cooking/baking. And giving myself 2nd degree burns...
The handle on a pot broke as I was draining the sweet potatoes so I gave myself a boiling hot water bath. I was able to strip my jeans down quick enough but got hung up on my sneakers and that's where the blisters formed on the top of my left foot. Ow, ow, ow.
But I was healed enough to go Black Friday shopping with my sister and one of her co-workers. I didn't get too many insane great deals because my kids are becoming more picky with their lists and they don't match up with the sales as well as they used to. And I bought 2 things we already own (5am brain, not so awesome at remembering the 50 bazillion toys in the house). As usual I will do the rest of my Christmas shopping online, you aren't going to catch me within 2 miles of a mall.
Except...
I did buy a dress for Greg's UNC MBA party. I love the top part of it (cleavage!) and the fabric (shantung silk) although I wasn't planning on buying red (not a bright red, it's shaded toward the burgundy side). The skirt part, I'm not so sure. I'm short, I have issues with where dresses fall and this dress has a slight "bubble" style poof. (In style? Out?) I promise I will take pictures in the next few days and you all can help me. So I may or may not be going back to the mall... I do need to buy some kick ass shoes though.
Today's plans include the grocery store (on a weekend, I know... We just can't make it to Monday), the pet store for cat food (I'm noticing a trend here), folding laundry, and sewing. And no boiling pots of water.
One day til Turkey Day!
Today I am thankful for...
My parents visiting Sunday. It was so good to see them!
My mother-in-law who is watching the kids for a weekend in December so I can go to North Carolina to hang with Greg while he's attending his MBA classes. And go to a party with his classmates and a UNC basketball game. Big people stuff, woot!
My sister Sarah who kept me sane over the last 3 weeks.
Greg. For coming home. And making me laugh. And paying the bills.
Getting off my lazy ass and working out again. The scale said 151 this morning which is so much better than the last few weeks of 155 (or 156, eek!). Goal: to be 140 before the NC trip. Me in an evening dress? That's some serious motivation. I'm off to do 45 minutes on the treadmill and a zillion sit-ups and push-ups (okay, 10 push-ups). And I'm taping my mouth shut on Thanksgiving Day.
My lovely blog readers, the majority of which don't think I'm a crappy parent. (I'm still amused by the one who thinks I am though).
My best friend Steph who I can tell anything in the world to.
My kitty cats. I love my kitty cats, there is something so calming about little fuzzy creatures that follow you around and sleep and don't demand computer time and snacks or fight with each other.
And last but not least, my 5 kids. It's all craziness and fingerprints on my stupid stainless steel appliances but all and all, they are the best thing I have going. Plus without them I'd have to get a "real" job. hehe
Edit for clarity: Read comments on this post ( happy-monday), particularly 'momof4' for back story.
Because Steph really REALLY wanted to guest post. Her words in blockquote.
(My motto: Don't feed the trolls. And also I have a dentist appointment this morning to replace some fillings so I'm in a mood in the first place.)
For those of you who follow along in the comments on this blog, you know that there have been a few comments that have ruffled feathers. And while Katie has decided it doesn't justify a response, I do. You bet your bum (really stretching here to keep it clean, but I know that Katie's is a family blog...unlike my own) I'm going to stick up for her and get snarky when Katie gets harsh criticism.I guess since I really am addressing the issue even if I didn't plan to, I don't write anything here that I wouldn't say to a person's face. I do tell my kids they are driving me insane. They in turn tell me when I'm driving them insane. (Communication, fun stuff.) And then every night, as I tuck them into bed, I tell them I love them and give them a kiss on the forehead.
She's been my best friend for a quarter of a century. I will kung fu, whether verbally or physically, the butts of the people who decide to criticize her when she has her less than perfect days, but NEVER celebrate the good things that she posts about. Many people have said that they keep reading here because they find Katie refreshingly honest about the highs and lows of parenting. And you know what? She is. She's about as real as you can get. Is she perfect? Absolutely not. Neither am I, nor is anyone else who decides to throw stones, all the while never revealing the path to their own glass house.
And the criticism of those who decide to "call it like it is," would be, albeit a bitter pill to swallow, much more thought about if those same people were to pat Katie on the back when she does something awesome like sew Christmas dresses for the girls or make rice krispie treat eyeballs at Halloween. If you care enough about Katie's kids to want to shelter them from a mother's natural frustration of managing a large family of stair-step kids, then care enough about her kids to wish Kelly a happy birthday. Or tell the twins what wonderful young women they're becoming. But you know what? Life's not perfect, folks.
I say ad nauseum that being a parent makes your heart burst with love and pride for your children in one second, and in the next, you totally get why rodents eat their young. Life is just like that. And if you don't feel that it is, then surely to all that is good and holy, share your flipping secret and let us have a peek into your world! Because there wouldn't be one of us who wouldn't want a perfect little life with perfect little kids who never fight, argue, or do any of the multitude of annoying things kids do!
And another thing? Blogs only tell the part of the story that the author wants to share at that current juncture. If you read much further into a situation based on ONLY the words you read on a blog, you are simply obtuse. Because, even though you might only see Katie's verbal frustrations, you will NEVER get to see when Katie snuggles Kelly on her lap. Or teasingly chases Zach away from the raw cookie dough. I'M fortunate enough to see that side of her. Katie's one of the most caring, honest, loving, and REAL people I know. And she's an awesome mom. Doing what all of us are doing. Trying to play the best game with the cards we've been dealt. So if you can't say anything nice, just move along. You can find 50 things to do with your kids in the summer on another parenting site.
Dude, I don't care if anyone wants to disagree with me. There are very few things in life I take seriously (chocolate! sleep!). An anonymous blog comment is not one of them.
Besides it's kinda fun having someone call me out on my "crappy parenting." Now whenver Steph and I feel like complaining about our kids (daily), we ask "what would momof4 do?" And then laugh our asses off.
Greg is home, yay!
Kelly lost her first tooth this evening!
I'd post a picture but Greg has the camera. So just imagine Kelly smiling really cheesy with a small hole between her bottom teeth. :)
Check that, Greg's back in Brazil. I don't know any good musicals from there so we'll just sing something from Les Mis.
"Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!"
Back to the candy shop... I was unable to secure either a babysitter (the high school lets out after the grade school, never realized what an issue that could be) or play dates for anyone. Oh well, I guess I'll bribe the older 4 to be good with... candy. Convenient, huh?
So what's your favorite candy? Mine depends on the situation. At Halloween it's fun sized Butterfingers. At Christmas, those mint chewy Christmas tree things. At Easter, SweetTarts Chicks and Ducks. Candy dishes: plain M&M's, Tootsie Rolls. At the grocery store, Twix bars. And I'm always thrilled when Greg brings home a box of Godiva chocolates (hint, hint).
Speaking of Greg (again), he'll be home Saturday morning.
"One day more!"
"Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!"
Back to the candy shop... I was unable to secure either a babysitter (the high school lets out after the grade school, never realized what an issue that could be) or play dates for anyone. Oh well, I guess I'll bribe the older 4 to be good with... candy. Convenient, huh?
So what's your favorite candy? Mine depends on the situation. At Halloween it's fun sized Butterfingers. At Christmas, those mint chewy Christmas tree things. At Easter, SweetTarts Chicks and Ducks. Candy dishes: plain M&M's, Tootsie Rolls. At the grocery store, Twix bars. And I'm always thrilled when Greg brings home a box of Godiva chocolates (hint, hint).
Speaking of Greg (again), he'll be home Saturday morning.
"One day more!"
Happy Wednesday!
(Well what's left of it.)
I got up super duper early because I thought I had to be at the school at 8:30am (staff appreciation thing). So I showered before waking the kids up (and getting them on the bus) and then had to run an errand before going to school. Turns out I didn't need to be there until 10am. Well the original start time was 9:30 but the other lady was running late so it ended up being 10. Better to be early than late, I suppose. I helped Kelly's class bake cookies and shelved books in the library while I waited so not all was lost. Except some sleep.
Greg update: he's in Argentina. Does anyone else want to break out in song when they hear about that country? Just me? I listen to way too many musical soundtracks.
Stayed tuned to tomorrow, I take 9 kindergartners to a candy shop. (Literally.)
Happy Monday! (Alternate title: Weekend Recap)
I missed my "not so usual Saturday post" because the kids and I went to see my in-laws in Ohio for the day. A 2 hour car ride is so much better than 8.
The theme of the weekend was "Drive Mom Insane": Let's fight and complain and whine and misbehave until Mom's eyes start twitching funny! Did your kids get the memo?
Greg update: he's in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Where is it warm. And "Drive Mom Insane" kid-less.
My sister (and her husband) and I went to see the new James Bond movie. Or really to see Daniel Craig smirk and look really hot in a pair of white pants and polo shirt (or maybe it was the suit. It's a toss up). The rest of the movie was pretty good too. The cost of the babysitter was well worth it to escape "Drive Mom Insane" for a couple of hours.
I'm back to writing my novel for NaNoWriMo. I'm at a little over 10,000 words which is far short of the 25,000 I should be at since the month is half over. But considering 7000 words were written last night, I only need a few more "big word count" days to catch up. And since I kinda tossed out the outline, I might still be able to make 50,000 by the 30th. The outline was too stiff and I felt like I was writing to get from point A to B to C. I'm more of a "create the characters, throw them in some situations and let's see what happens" kind of writer. My motto is it'll all work out in the end. And NaNo is just a fun thing to do, I'm not so serious about the final product.
Alrighty since "Drive Mom Insane" weekend is over (and I think I've used up my allotted daily amount of punctuation), I may actually be able to get a few things done now. Namely laundry, errands, answering emails, sewing, and breathing. I'm really beginning to like Mondays.
Happy 6th Birthday Kelly!
How in the world has it been six years already?
After I pick Kelly up from half day kindergarten, we're going out to lunch and shopping for her gift (we let the kids pick out one of theirs). For dinner, we're making homemade pizza (someone please remind me to start the dough at 4!). Tomorrow we continue the celebration with my in-laws and then next weekend my parents (and hopefully Greg) will finish up Kelly's birthday.
((cake))
Have a great Friday!
Girl Scout Grumbles
(Hey I made it over two months before complaining, go me!)
So as I may have mentioned, I'm no longer the twin's Girl Scout troop leader but am now Kelly's. It's been easier the second time around, I've learned from my mistakes and all that jazz.
One thing I've learned is I don't have time to chase down every single parent all the time. Early in Sept, the school had a "sign up for Scouts" meeting. We signed up and I was given a list of 8 girls. Two more joined later, one decided she was over scheduled. (An over scheduled kindergartner? Lord help us.) 9 girls, fine whatever.
The first few meetings were a bit rocky with a couple of girls missing but by the third one I had a feel for who was going to stick with it. 8 girls, great number, I bought books and tunics and badges and supplies for 8.
The 9th girl, I never heard from her mom since the initial school meeting. After the first two meetings I sent the mom a "sorry we missed you" email just as a reminder that we had a meeting and hey you signed up and paid for this. She never responded.
So guess who emailed me last night? The 9th girl's mom. She'll be attending today! Um, great...
Today's meeting is our investiture ceremony. For those not familiar with Scouts, the wannabe scouts have to do a few things before officially becoming a scout. They then receive the symbols of being a scout. For my Daisies, I wanted them to learn the GS Promise and do a community service project to earn their blue tunics and pins. Over the last 4 meetings we've worked on the promise and cleaned up a local park. None of which this 9th girl has done.
I hate being put in this position. I don't feel like she should participate today but then again I feel bad because it's not her fault her mom can't respond to an email or bring her to a meeting. Plus I only have supplies for 8 and I really don't feel like running around today to buy more (the Girl Scout store is an hour round trip). And who knows if this mom will "forget" us again next month.
*grumbles* I seriously don't have time to deal with people who don't respond to emails for 10 weeks or attend any of the 4 previous meetings. Heck I'd even respond to a phone call with a phone call within that time frame...
Greg just landed in Brazil!
And that's all the update I have on that...
In a few minutes I'm heading off to the dentist to
Hope you all are having a much better Wednesday!
I left my eye glasses at my in-laws.
I'm really, really, really nearsighted. Things aren't in focus unless they are less than a foot from my face. In fact the distance of my laptop on my lap is too far away to be clear. Driving? Forget about it. I wouldn't even be able to see the speedometer, let alone anything out the windshield. And I already have the seat up as close as possible to the steering wheel (short legs).
Luckily I do have contacts so I'm not blind until I see my in-laws again this Saturday (no pun intended). But I don't usually wear them all day every day. Do you know how hard it is to jam contacts into sleepy puffy eyes first thing in the morning?
So I've been doing mornings without contacts or glasses. The world is a fuzzy blur. It's a bit like living in a Monet painting. The tricky part has been making sure the kids are presentable for school. It gives a new meaning to "up close and personal."
So now we're back to the same ole, same ole...
The kids didn't want to go to school today (including Kelly, that's a first), Ally couldn't find the shirt she wanted to wear (which ended up being exactly where she hid it *sigh*), Kyle was well, Kyle, and Em & Zach made it to school, I think. (Maybe I should go check their beds...)
Greg's doing well in Mexico. The president of Columbia (the country, not the university) is staying at his hotel. As if I didn't have enough to worry about...
NaNoWriMo is going very slowly. I wouldn't say it's a failure yet but I need to carve out some writing time some time this week.
I finally reprogrammed the thermostat. The previous owners had a very bizarre "heat" one set up. At one point the house heated to 80 and then dropped to 62. Course they were also from Florida. (And then moved back there.)
Today's To Do list includes phone calls (boo) and sewing. Guess I should get cracking...
With all due respect to Greg's grandma and those who live in the Middle of Nowhere.
If my kids expect me to visit them when they are adults, they will live 15 minutes or less from an interstate. Maybe half an hour (if it's then a 4 lane highway or in a big city). But if the directions involve driving an hour on country 2 lane roads after exiting the interstate, they are out of luck. I'll meet you at the Starbucks by the interstate. (Mom and Dad, I will still visit you, love you both!)
When I die, dump me in the absolute nearest cemetery to the church (I'll be happy in the flower bed beside the church if need be). I've said it before and I'll say it again, my version of hell on earth is being stuck behind slow moving vehicles on 2 lane country roads for miles and miles without a passing zone. (I also don't like interstates pretending to be parking lots.) So imagine my joy being in a funeral procession on country roads for over an hour and a half. In the rain. Being stopped by a train. And delayed by another funeral procession (they crossed our path and got the right away first). Maybe God is preparing me for purgatory. Or that Murphy blood is acting up again.
All that aside, it was a nice funeral and I pray Greg's grandma is in peace.
And if you're still in the praying mood, Greg's on his two week Latin/South America trip for his MBA right now. I'm not sure if I'm asking for prayers for him to be safe or for me with the five kids...
Random thoughts as I'm suppose to be doing laundry, packing, and emailing teachers about the kids' upcoming absence from school for the funeral.
Thanks for all the prayers and condolences for Greg's grandmother, I know Greg and his family appreciate it.
I had a dentist appointment this morning for the first time in 3 years. Which means my periodontal issues are back. I don't mean to be whiny but I really hate going to the dentist and having periodontal issues means another scaling and root planing and appointments every 3 months. *whine*
Oh, there was also that little thing with an election... Those that know me well know I'm a Republican and I was one of the 46% who voted McCain. Alrighty then, let's see if Obama can walk the talk.
The washer just buzzed, gotta go!
Greg's grandmother died early this morning.
I voted. Let the chips fall where they may.
It's been a long day so I'll leave it all at that.
There is one good thing about Daylight Savings Time, I didn't need a flashlight to take the kids to the bus stop this morning. Although since they could now see each other, 3 of the 5 were in tears before the bus arrived. Zach picked on Kyle, Kyle picked on Ally, it was a fun mornning...
Happy November 1st!
Today I'm eating my weight in Fun Sized Butterfingers and Twix bars and beginning to write a 50,000 novel this month. (NaNoWriMo.org) I'm currently at 1186 words, I'm trying to write 2000 words a day. This would go so much easier if people around here would quit asking for food and clean clothes and rides to scout events. Just saying...
And since I don't usually blog on weekends in the first place, I'd like to bitch about Daylight Savings Time while I'm at it. I finally, finally move back to Indiana and what the hell, we follow Daylight Savings Time here now too. Aw Indiana, I'm so disappointed in you...
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