There needs to be a universal rule against mom's getting sick. Sniffles and a minor sore throat - we can do that. But seriously?? How are we supposed to be the mommy when we can't get off the couch without turning white, nearly passing out, or vomitting on our slippers? I spent four days cleaning up after three children with the erping eepies. I took all the precautions. I washed every blanket, pillow, sheet, and towel in the house in hot water, bleached the bathrooms, religiously sprayed every doorknob, handrail, and light switch in the house and every non-fluffy toy in the house. I used "hanitizer" endlessly.
Do you know what I got? I got the slow-cooker version of the creepy erping eepies! Sidenote: My husband got the microwave version and was only sick for a mere 3 hours, then awoke to eat cake for breakfast. A fourth child in the house also got the microwave version and threw up once and uttered just enough complaint to earn an extra day home from school. It's been three days for me and I'm still surviving on jello and 7-Up.
It is so sad to lie face-down in the bathroom floor and realize that your little boys are very poor aims, the area around the toilet doesn't look like the bleach ever touched it, and somehow at that moment you don't even care. That is a sad, sad state of affairs, let me tell you.
I hereby declare that mommies everywhere shall hereunto be immune to all creepy erping eepies from now unto eternity.
You're welcome.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Shaybe - BRING IT ON!!!
I listened to a song on the way home from work tonight and the words moved me. It is by Bebo Norman and goes something like this:
I will raise my eyes
to the maker
of the mountains I can't climb.
I will raise my eyes
to the calmer
of the ocean raging wild.
I will lift my eyes
to the healer
of the hurt I hold inside.
God is awesome and I love how he uses words like these to speak to us, and meets each of us where we are.
I listened to a song on the way home from work tonight and the words moved me. It is by Bebo Norman and goes something like this:
I will raise my eyes
to the maker
of the mountains I can't climb.
I will raise my eyes
to the calmer
of the ocean raging wild.
I will lift my eyes
to the healer
of the hurt I hold inside.
God is awesome and I love how he uses words like these to speak to us, and meets each of us where we are.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Twins!
I always wanted twins. I guess this it what it might have looked like!
So I got a call at work last night. It was the hubby explaining that Riley had, let's say, deposited her spaghetti dinner all over her bed and floor (off-white carpet that is now off-white and red). How many of you have husbands who are experienced in vomit clean-up? Mine is not. Now, don't get me wrong - I am NOT minimizing his amazing parenting ability or his efforts. However, this is not his strong area. I was an hour and a half from being home and this was going to be all him.
So, he scooped the comforter off the bed and deposited it in front of the washing machine - still fully loaded (the comforter, not the washer). He then cleaned her up and put her back to bed. She's two. She doesn't get to the bathroom to throw up. She doesn't even get it in a bucket put next to her. So, twenty minutes later he was summoned to the room again and promptly stripped off more bedding. In the middle of this he noticed there was also a "deposit" on Isabelle's bed - which is odd unless Riley got up, went to throw up on her sister, and went back to bed. Perhaps she was evening the score from something Isabelle may or may not have done to her earlier in the day.
So, when I arrive home I find Riley sitting in the bed with her daddy trying to talk her out of crying. It wasn't going well. The short end to this not-too-yummy story is that Riley and I watched Letterman and she slept on the ottoman while I dozed on the couch at a not-quite-fully-stretched-arm length away. I spent the night on erp patrol and made many trips to rinse the bucket and bring it back into position. It was a successful night in that we didn't have to change any more pajamas or bedding. Until....Nicholas apparently felt left out and began playing our little game about 5 a.m.
If posed the question laugh or cry on this one - I'm going with laugh because at least it wasn't twins playing this game!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Coffee or Teef?
I cleaned the playroom today. Isn't it odd how a clean room attracts children like a bee to honey? Sadly, you couldn't see the carpet in this room when I got up this morning. I decided at some point to make it my project for today and I think it turned out quite well! There is a kitchen corner, all of the toys were dumped out of their buckets/baskets/tubs and completely sorted. That is like therapy to me, for some reason! I feel great because I completely cleaned one room in the house, and somehow haven't managed to get out of my pajamas yet. Did I mention that it is almost dinner time?
So, Riley came to try out the "new" room and her first question to me? "Mommy, do you wan coffee or teef?" I chose Teef because it made me laugh.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Yup. Cute is what saves her most days.
If you've seen very many of my pictures - I love close ups. I want to be able to count their freckles when they are grown. This is just another one of Riley the inventory specialist. Isn't she pinchable?
Love
All of you know that our family has recently moved from Ohio back to Indiana. I have struggled with the move as much, if not more, than the kids. I LOVED our community, church, and the incredible friends that God blessed us with there. However, Chris and I really felt sure that we were meant to move back to Indiana after the loss of his dad. Sometimes doing the right thing doesn't FEEL like the right thing.
I still long to walk down the hall at church and hear someone say, "Here come the Grandstaffs!" There is something to be said for that sort of familiarity. (This is a picture of our MOPS Steering team - it includes some of the cool ladies I'm talking about here.) The friendships I developed there with core group of ladies was like something I've only been blessed with a few times in my life. It wasn't that superficial stuff - you know, the hi, how are you? oh fine. good sort of thing. I mean if you felt like, crying, there was someone to cry with you and grap the kleenex. If you were so happy you would burst - there was definitely more than one person who would celebrate until it was old with you. There was even that period when I was suffering from post partum depression and I stopped answering my phone. I let my kids fend for themselves because I could get up off the floor. I felt like I had tapped out my friends with all of my needs near the end of my pregnancy with Riley and I couldn't ask for more help. Do you know what they did? They banged on my door. Yep. They showed up because they knew there was something wrong and when I answered the door in my four-day old outfit, funky hair, and tear streaked face - they picked up the pieces and showed me that there was no such thing as "tapped out" when it came to love.
There were a few times when one of our children was either critically ill, in need of stitches, or various other emergencies, and there were multiple people I could and did call. All I needed to say was I need you...and they would be on their way to pick up the rest of the kids. Not only did they take them, but they fed, played with, and truly loved them while they had them! And then at least one of the "circle" of friends (usually many more than one) would show up at the hospital to sit with us or bring us chocolate and caffiene. Do you know how good it was to have someone sit with my sick newborn long enough for me to take a shower, and not have to rush? Or what it was like to have the pastor of our large church come and take charge with the desk nurse so that we could get seen quicker in the ER? Or how about the lady from our church who worked at the Children's Hospital and checked on us twice each shift to make sure that we didn't need anything. And that friend who would frequently stop by the house just to grab a hug, or would leave a bag of food on the porch, or a treat for the kids. That is what a servant looks like. Friendship with workboots on.
I'm so thankful for those people. We are blessed beyond measure to be sure. I hope I can do more than think back kindly on that sort of love, but also begin to give that to the new people I meet here in my new home.
I still long to walk down the hall at church and hear someone say, "Here come the Grandstaffs!" There is something to be said for that sort of familiarity. (This is a picture of our MOPS Steering team - it includes some of the cool ladies I'm talking about here.) The friendships I developed there with core group of ladies was like something I've only been blessed with a few times in my life. It wasn't that superficial stuff - you know, the hi, how are you? oh fine. good sort of thing. I mean if you felt like, crying, there was someone to cry with you and grap the kleenex. If you were so happy you would burst - there was definitely more than one person who would celebrate until it was old with you. There was even that period when I was suffering from post partum depression and I stopped answering my phone. I let my kids fend for themselves because I could get up off the floor. I felt like I had tapped out my friends with all of my needs near the end of my pregnancy with Riley and I couldn't ask for more help. Do you know what they did? They banged on my door. Yep. They showed up because they knew there was something wrong and when I answered the door in my four-day old outfit, funky hair, and tear streaked face - they picked up the pieces and showed me that there was no such thing as "tapped out" when it came to love.
There were a few times when one of our children was either critically ill, in need of stitches, or various other emergencies, and there were multiple people I could and did call. All I needed to say was I need you...and they would be on their way to pick up the rest of the kids. Not only did they take them, but they fed, played with, and truly loved them while they had them! And then at least one of the "circle" of friends (usually many more than one) would show up at the hospital to sit with us or bring us chocolate and caffiene. Do you know how good it was to have someone sit with my sick newborn long enough for me to take a shower, and not have to rush? Or what it was like to have the pastor of our large church come and take charge with the desk nurse so that we could get seen quicker in the ER? Or how about the lady from our church who worked at the Children's Hospital and checked on us twice each shift to make sure that we didn't need anything. And that friend who would frequently stop by the house just to grab a hug, or would leave a bag of food on the porch, or a treat for the kids. That is what a servant looks like. Friendship with workboots on.
I'm so thankful for those people. We are blessed beyond measure to be sure. I hope I can do more than think back kindly on that sort of love, but also begin to give that to the new people I meet here in my new home.
Friday, January 19, 2007
How many user names and passwords do you have? It took me at least ten minutes to sign on and edit my new blog this morning because, apparently, I have too many. I have tried to use the same user name and password on all of my online accounts - but some services don't accept the same user name for various reasons. Some require your password to have letters AND numbers - but I can never remember which ones do that. Needless to say, I have been "locked out" of my online banking account and others various times because I have used up my alotted number of logon attempts. That leads to the next problem. If you get locked out, you have to reset your password anyway, which leads to even more variations of the things I'm trying to keep consistent. I need a master list.
Today is Friday and I took the kids to get donuts at this fantastic little bakery-cakery around the corner. These two sisters run the place and it is cute as all get out - which counts with me for some reason. I have developed a friendly rapor with them and they have even allowed us to sit and eat our treats in their little cafe', and then run to the ATM to get the money to pay them. How cool is that? And, no, they don't take debit cards - yet! Anyway...if you walk in and smell the wonderful donuts, oatmeal cake (which I can personally vouch for), cakes, muffins, cookies.....I'm sure at least 2 pounds leap directly onto your thighs. No kidding. If you ever come visit me - I will take you there. Oh, except for you, Amy, you came and we didn't go. Next time!
We have lived in our new home for six months now. My question is this: Before we moved, I cleaned out every cabinet, closet, and toy box. Why is it that we have lived here this short time and I already have closets, cabinets, and toyboxes that need to be hauled out? I'm not kidding - I have three large piles on my stairs/landing right now that are designed for donation, ebay, and trash. It's crazy and I don't have the time for this! While I spend the morning rearranging stacks of no-longer-needed items - the rest of the house gets a makeover from the (Gcrew)3.
This too shall pass and one day I will have clean closets, tidy shelves, and no Little People dollhouse items to step on in the dark. I know I'll miss them.
Oh - and CONGRATULATIONS MEGAN KUCZORA!! She's heading to IU Med School! (That makes me feel very old. She was six when I first met her and her beautiful, kind, and completely awesome family. Good job, Pam & Paul! You have GREAT kids!)
Today is Friday and I took the kids to get donuts at this fantastic little bakery-cakery around the corner. These two sisters run the place and it is cute as all get out - which counts with me for some reason. I have developed a friendly rapor with them and they have even allowed us to sit and eat our treats in their little cafe', and then run to the ATM to get the money to pay them. How cool is that? And, no, they don't take debit cards - yet! Anyway...if you walk in and smell the wonderful donuts, oatmeal cake (which I can personally vouch for), cakes, muffins, cookies.....I'm sure at least 2 pounds leap directly onto your thighs. No kidding. If you ever come visit me - I will take you there. Oh, except for you, Amy, you came and we didn't go. Next time!
We have lived in our new home for six months now. My question is this: Before we moved, I cleaned out every cabinet, closet, and toy box. Why is it that we have lived here this short time and I already have closets, cabinets, and toyboxes that need to be hauled out? I'm not kidding - I have three large piles on my stairs/landing right now that are designed for donation, ebay, and trash. It's crazy and I don't have the time for this! While I spend the morning rearranging stacks of no-longer-needed items - the rest of the house gets a makeover from the (Gcrew)3.
This too shall pass and one day I will have clean closets, tidy shelves, and no Little People dollhouse items to step on in the dark. I know I'll miss them.
Oh - and CONGRATULATIONS MEGAN KUCZORA!! She's heading to IU Med School! (That makes me feel very old. She was six when I first met her and her beautiful, kind, and completely awesome family. Good job, Pam & Paul! You have GREAT kids!)
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Baby Steps
My nine year-old could probably do this better than me. Okay, that's not really true, since she's not even allowed to log onto the computer without supervision yet, but soon she'll pass me in the area of technical savvy-ness. I know that's not a word, by the way.
So, you can thank my good friend, Shaybe, for turning me on to this "blog" thing. She's an official blog stalker and has turned me into one as well. She actually encouraged me to create my own so that she could stalk mine, too. Thanks, S. By the way, do you remember the lady with white hair driving a mint green cadillac?
I'll do my best to be witty, entertaining, and honest on this thing. Seems like it could turn into quite an outlet for some of those moments I encounter when I don't know if I should laugh, cry, or both. Those of you with kids can relate, I'm sure!
Speaking of kids...I'm sure one of mine has done something funny today. Oh yeah, we decided to decopauge (not sure on that one) boxes today. Truly it was a selfish endevour desquised as a "quality time" activity with the kids. You see, we got these great boxes when our beef was delivered the other day - and I thought they would be perfect for putting junk (I mean treasures) in and sliding under the beds. Anyway. About twenty mintues into the project Nicholas decided to grab Riley's paintbrush, which caused her to poke him in the forehead, which caused her to almost fall off the chair, which caused me to jump to save her/stop her from jamming a paintbrush into his eye, which caused a large portion of the very large container with glue/water in it to spill on the table, run down the chair, and all over the floor. Oh, and I had about ten mintues to feed the kids and get Isabelle to Kindergarten on time. So you decide: laugh or cry?
So, you can thank my good friend, Shaybe, for turning me on to this "blog" thing. She's an official blog stalker and has turned me into one as well. She actually encouraged me to create my own so that she could stalk mine, too. Thanks, S. By the way, do you remember the lady with white hair driving a mint green cadillac?
I'll do my best to be witty, entertaining, and honest on this thing. Seems like it could turn into quite an outlet for some of those moments I encounter when I don't know if I should laugh, cry, or both. Those of you with kids can relate, I'm sure!
Speaking of kids...I'm sure one of mine has done something funny today. Oh yeah, we decided to decopauge (not sure on that one) boxes today. Truly it was a selfish endevour desquised as a "quality time" activity with the kids. You see, we got these great boxes when our beef was delivered the other day - and I thought they would be perfect for putting junk (I mean treasures) in and sliding under the beds. Anyway. About twenty mintues into the project Nicholas decided to grab Riley's paintbrush, which caused her to poke him in the forehead, which caused her to almost fall off the chair, which caused me to jump to save her/stop her from jamming a paintbrush into his eye, which caused a large portion of the very large container with glue/water in it to spill on the table, run down the chair, and all over the floor. Oh, and I had about ten mintues to feed the kids and get Isabelle to Kindergarten on time. So you decide: laugh or cry?
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