Walk a mile in my shoes......

Apparently, if you do, you might just find that life is passing you by, but hey, who am I to say that it's a bad thing?  Oh, it only sucks when I can't believe my children are growing up SO fast, with plenty of potholes in the road.  Let me tell you what, the amount of whining and nonsense that has occurred in this house lately, might be enough to drive a sane woman crazy.  I don't have to worry about that because I'm already certifiable  :-)

Since I last wrote, I've become an aunt for the fifth time in total, but the first time on my side of the family.  My youngest brother and his wife welcomed their first child this week.  What a cutie-patootie he is!  Aside from my own biases, he is that darn cute.  Thus, since his arrival, it has saved me from being the focus of my parent's attention.  YIPPEE!  However, being that they never miss an opportunity to take a situation that is about someone else and redirect the focus to them, I KNEW things were going to smoothly in the first 24 hours of the baby's arrival.  Sure enough, my youngest brother texted/called/texted...you get the pattern....When we finally connected I had the pleasure of removing the responsibility of the issues that my parents were attempting to give to him, for being "slighted" b/c my sister-in-law's parents were still here.  REALLY?! I mean, if I had an angry crotch question, c-section scar healing issue, or just any kind of question about being a new mom, I'd for sure call my mother in law first.....yup, that's what I thought...as much as I'd hate to admit it, I  might consider calling my mom if no one else was left on the planet. I believe she has the right to ask HER mother to stay, w/o having our parents inform a sleep-deprived new father that he sucks at including them.....Of course, that meant I also had to tell my brother the deepest, darkest, worstest news ever....I had actually started this argument with them 4 years ago.  WHOOPS!  Did I forget to mention that I'm like a pioneer, following a new trail through the f'ing wilderness, attempting to get a little closer to the middle of normal?  Now that you know that, I'll continue with my story....4 years ago I informed our mother, that for the sake of my marriage and sanity (not quite that bluntly, but I'm sure she'd tell you different), I didn't want her to move in with me for 2 weeks after the birth of my first child.  As expected, my boundary drawing when over like, someone running into a jersey wall...I held my ground and said that Dear and I needed to figure this out on our own.  Never in a million years did I expect either of our parents to hold that grudge, then try and give my youngest brother and his wife all this left over anger.  Super  healthy and very normal, right?  I know, I know, I'm hilarious at presenting the thought that our parents would be normal....BAWHAHAHAHA!

Aside from revealing the secret to my youngest brother, life continues on down the road of lunacy.  I've had to try and convince Blue Eyes that although an illustrator can't make the picture match the proper sequence of the story, doesn't mean I can't read it to you....without starting over 3 times!  Meanwhile, Peanut has been showing her spirited side, throwing things, growling at Dear and me....when I asked her today what was wrong, did she not feel the love today, she replied, "NOPE!"  It's a darn good thing they're both cute.

Until next time....

Cheers!

Nuclear Meltdown.......

In my house, so as much as I'd like to say that I'm aware of what's occurring in Japan, it's not really on the forefront of my brain.  However, if you are Big Blue Eyes and Peanut, the amount of "nuclear meltdowns" being had, might eclipse the damage done by the tsunami in Japan.  I'm NOT making light of the damage or amount of lives lost, just relating to my own life  ;-)

After visiting the apothecary today, it was decided that I would add something to the daily regimen to hopefully even me back out.  So, being the anxiety ridden woman that I am, I drove straight to pick up the children and didn't drop it off as I began to consider mixing it up.  It's always so calming when I think about adding to the dosing.  Keep your fingers crossed that I've got it in me to make it through everything, and that I slow down enough to quite losing my temper.....

On the flip side, I've become obsessed with The Pioneer Woman and her website.  She has a photo montage of "Beauty" put together into 3 different groups thus far.  May you look through them and see the variety of beautiful pictures.....http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/

Cheers!

DLST

In the land ruled by man, there has been a theory of moving the clocks forward in the spring, to make the evenings longer, and back in the fall, for an earlier rise.  I'd like to pose this: how about the clocks just keep ticking, without manipulation from men who think they know everything?  We can just maintain EST, making life ALLLLLL that much easier.  I write this as I listen to my son plucking his support bar on his bunk bed like a ukulele and it's 9:32.  He should have already fallen asleep, but OOOOHHHH NOOOOOO, the clocks just had to move forward, and we lost that hour, so in his mind, he's going to bed SOOOO much earlier....leaving me to use toothpicks to hold open my eyelids, waiting for him to give into his exhaustion.  Can you just feel the patience exuding from my soul?

On the flip side, before the damn clocks were moved, I celebrated my sister's birthday and mine last week.  Dear did an amazing job surprising me with flowers at work, a dinner with ZERO clean up required, and all the gifts on my wish list.  The piece de resistance.....the children sang to me, with a surprise birthday cake...my heart truly melted at that moment.  I liked my children a lot on that day.....they were kind, generous and their whining was kept to a miraculous minimum, like God knew he needed to help them help me  ;-) 

I'm just about thisclose to surrenduring to the call of my bed.  I've come to realize it misses me quite a lot when I'm not there. 

Cheers!

Whew!

I finally took a little me time today, just for about an hour , but it was so worth it!  I came home, whipped up a pan seared pork loin, cranberry red wine reduction, mashed potatoes, and fresh salad!  Neither of my children wanted to eat it, other than the warmed up canned green beans.  Deelish, right? 

I asked Dear to stay home with Blue Eyes today to make sure he was 100% healed.  They had a blast hanging out together, while Peanut was at school, causing troubles there  :-)  I'm done with going to work.  Tomorrow is the writing SOL, part I. 

Cheers!

Makin' Whoopie.....

Pies  :-)  I decided to try and make them today, since Cooper was STILL sick and i was wanting to try something different....So, I did it.  I made them!  I feel so accomplished.  I mean, I'm sure that there are harder things to bake, but I'm trying to please Dear, who is not as in LOOOOOOVE with chocolate like I am.  These seem to strike the balance.  Deeelish.

The rest of the weekend has not been quite so balanced.  The Blue Eyed Boy, my oldest, is still sick!  Today I focused on following the infamous BRAT diet, and until Dear came home with McDonald's, he'd done an excellent job eating the rice and applesauce.  Somehow, though, the wafting scent of those crispy, salty, greasy french fries walked through the door and that was it!  The bribery of 3 bites of applesauce or rice for 5 french fries....Keep your fingers crossed we make it through the night.......

Undercover Boss is on and I seem to be watching it more than I'm typing.  Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite, and pray for no puking!

Treading Water

I think that is what I've done best this week.  2 children who have chosen to puke just days apart, but not together is damn annoying.  I believe the best part was when I had figured it all out so I could go to work, so could Dear, and -BOOM-the oldest puked after he'd left with the youngest, and when I thought I could run to work right quick with the oldest, my car battery was done, cooked, kablooey.  I took the hint and stayed home with him.  I maybe dense at times, but when the signs are this obvious, I can pay attention.

Mind you, this all started on Sunday morning of last weekend.  The youngest woke up puking, then asking for milk.  Okay, not so much, but her older brother was insistent that I give her what she wanted.  So, he clarified that she wanted milk, and relayed to me that I was to get it pronto.  I'm the boss, I calmly reminded him, and said she would be having ginger ale, NOT milk.  He wanted to continue to argue...um, I declared myself dictator, showed him who was boss, and moved on with my day.  Of course, since at 4 and a half he thinks he's dictator, the day was filled with challenges to the system, but I did prevail!  :-) 

As I type, I'm observing them eat their breakfast, after the oldest puked up his spaghetti dinner at 3 am.  Do you know what a pain in the ass it is to try and get tomato sauce out of carpet?  Not to mention that it was 3 am, and he kept bossing us, Dear and I, around to turn off the bathroom light.  I tried, in my nicest voice possible, to tell him to clamp it and we couldn't clean up if we couldn't SEE!  It was visions of sleeping in that rocked me back to sleep....Unfortunately this was not to be, and at 6:45, it was party central in my bed! 

The shower calls, the washing machine is bored and I must proceed to start something before Dear gets bossier  ;-) 

Cheers!