Fevers, Cameras, and Projects - Oh My!

Weekend has come and gone.  A quiet one, as we had two little girls who were under the weather.  A recap:

• Both girls had fevers and colds beginning Saturday morning.  This was the case throughout the weekend.
• Lightening and  I did get out very briefly to Michael's craft store to check out the new American Girl line of craft supplies.  Really, really fun.  Will be checking this out for Christmas gift ideas.
• The weather was gorgeous - unseasonably warm and an unexpected treat.  Too bad we couldn't get out to do fun things together.  We did go out in the back yard a few times to get some fresh air, but the kids took it easy.
• Hubby got some work done outside - some projects that we were thinking were not going to happen anymore this year.  So, we were very grateful for a nice weekend.  He did touch up paint on the trim of the house and garage, which was greatly needed.  And he was able to repair the concrete step that leads into our back door.  It was warm enough to do paint outdoors, and also not too cold to do the concrete.  Truly thought these things were going to sit till the spring, but happy we got them done. 
• I was able to get some work done in the house that I'd been putting off.  Very glad to have had the time to do that.  Cleaned Thunder's arts and crafts storage cart which was in complete disarray.  Was so happy to have it done - finally!   And Thunder was so happy to have it cleaned.  There were so many items in there that she didn't even remember having.  It was like discovering a new toy.
• I broke my camera after dropping it on the concrete.  Was very sad about that and cried.  I use this camera practically every day and use it to document our daily lives.  It was the camera that fit into my purse and I took it everywhere.  So, now I am in search of a new camera with similar features, as it's something I don't want to be without for any length of time.  It's too much a part of what I do to be without one.
• Spent some time on various web sites looking for Christmas gift ideas and trying to find the best deals.
• We were disappointed in the weekend in that we were not able to get out and have fun together, especially because the weather was so nice.  However, we were glad to have accomplished so much at home.  And we were glad that the kids had a chance to get some rest while staying around the house.
• Husband and I worked resolving on my mom's computer problems.  Think we've it worked out.

So, this brings us to today: Monday.  Kids are home from school - still sick.  My plans for the day have been pretty much halted.  Making it up as I go along, now.

 

Monday's Observations & On the Docket:

• Both kids woke this morning still having a fever and the sniffles.  Keeping them home from school today to, hopefully, get well and be able to go back to school tomorrow.
• Noticing all of the bare trees outdoors.  And all of the birds' nests that we can now see, as the branches are exposed.
• Balmy air.
• It's a two-coffee day.
• Need to put our winter gear into their respective bins today.  Getting ready for winter weather.
• Have two Michael's coupons to use this week.  Going to buy some American Girl crafts for the kids for Christmas.
• Have a few journaling projects to finish for my scrapbooking class.  Need to catch up.
• Just set up a "restaurant" in our living room for the kids to play.   They have their easel and store/cash register at the front of the store, where they will do carryout and have patrons pay.  The restaurant specials are written on the easel.  There are two TV trays set up:  one has the coffee shop/barista station on it; the other has the ice cream/baked goods shop station on it.  Their kitchen (stove/sink/microwave) is the restaurant kitchen where they are prepping food.  One child is taking orders, the other is serving.  Both are doing cleanup.  One child is handling the menu; one is handling the cash register.  (Do you sense some cooperation???  hehe.)  Wishing I had a working camera right now.  It's fun.   Hoping this keeps them occupied and happy today.  So far so good.
• Have lots of laundry to do, but not much room to fold it, as the kids have taken over the living room.  Will figure it out.
• Writing Christmas lists today.  Gotta get one to my MIL, before she goes and buys strange gifts for the kids.  Heard through the grapevine of one she's looking at - one that is ridiculous.  So, I need to get my act together and try to fend off the weird gifts.  It's an annual occurrence.

Today's Giggle:

• Thunder's declaration that "We are Non-Fiction." 

Week Ends - The Weekend Begins

It's been a fairly productive week here in our home.  Feeling proud of myself at all that I've accomplished and the spring that's been in my step this week.

• Tested a theory this week and it turns out that...  When I wear shoes in the house, I get much more accomplished than the times I am barefoot.  Who knew?!?!
• Sorted and laundered all of our winter gear - hats, mittens, gloves, scarves.   Getting them in place for the long winter ahead.
• Kiddos tried on boots - had to buy new ones for Lightening this year.  So grateful to be able to pass her old ones on to Thunder.
• Living in flu shot frenzy lately, as we try to find vaccinations locally for our family (both seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines).   Very frustrated to not be able to get them and having the various clinics and health departments tell you they have no idea when or if the supply will be replenished.   Thunder was able to get her first of two H1N1 vaccines on Thursday; however, the rest of us are still unprotected.  And thankfully, our girls did get their seasonal flu vaccines last week.  But that's it.  I do wonder if they will have the supply here for Thunder's 2nd H1N1 vaccination (she needs two).  Both Thunder and I would fall in a high risk category, too, which makes me more nervous.  I have spent so much time trying to track down options for us - phone calls, internet, clinic visits.  Feeling frustrated.  I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling this way.
• Starting to think about Christmas gift lists and shopping.  Gotta get a plan together.  Been perusing web sites for toy ideas for my girls.  Don't have too many good ideas yet and grandparents will need a few. 
• I've been working on my scrapbook class and assignments this past week.  Learning a few new things about Photoshop Elements, which has helped with the digital portion of the work.  Enjoying taking this class with my sister and getting a chance to talk about childhood and family memories.
• Made an updated version of chicken cordon bleu Friday night.  Added asparagus spears inside before I wrapped them up.  Oooooh, was that good!    I will definitely do that again!   The whole family loved it, even Thunder, who is generally anti-vegetable!
• Spent our Friday night at home watching Christmas movies as a family.  We're enjoying this.  I know it may seem early, but this way, we'll have a good chance to be able to watch all of our favorites before Christmas.
• Both girls woke this morning with a fever and cough.  Every time they come down with something, my mind wonders if we're in for something bigger, like an infection, or H1N1.  Hate that we have to deal with this.  Hate that my kids are sick again.
• It's a gorgeous day here today - and we will be stuck in the house.  I'm really sad about that.  Our fall season has been so cold and rainy and I was so excited to have a beautiful day to get out and play - to maybe go to the zoo or do something outdoors.  Not going to happen., though.  Disappointing.
• Trying to get some projects around the house lately.  You know, the projects that have been hanging out on the list for a long time. Feeling great about the progress we're making. 
• Reviewing new insurance plans for open enrollment term.  So thankful that we have insurance options, but man, insurance is expensive.  Eats away at the paycheck, I must say.

Family Heritage & Lots of Feelings

These past weeks at school, Lightening's class has been working on a unit about ancestors, heritage, and family history.  While she's completely interested in the topics of discussion, they're bringing about LOTS of interesting discussions, to say the least.

Tonight, Lightening crawled up on the couch next to me and said, "Mommy, I wish I came from your tummy."   When I asked her why, she told me that she didn't know, but that it bothered her sometimes that she didn't come from my tummy.  I told her that I couldn't love her more, even if she had come from my tummy.  That I could never love her more than I do right now, because I love her with all the love there is to love.   She said that she knows that, but it still bothers her sometimes.

All this school stuff - especially the stuff about family trees, family heritage, ancestors - the things that scream louder than life that Lightening and I are not biologically connected - are really difficult.  And this is one part that makes me terribly sad for my girl.   I can only imagine that it's just the beginning of things to come.

My Mulan

My beautiful girls as Mulan for halloween.  They were thrilled beyond words to finally be able to dress up as their favorite Disney princess. 

Welcome November!

Welcome November.  Nice to meet you.

Missing in action on my blog pretty much lately.  Guess we're living life, instead of me just talking about it.  That is a Very good thing.  Indeed.

Today's Observations:

• Huge leaf piles line the road.  Leaf pickup tomorrow. 
• Most of the trees that line our street are pretty much bare.  Yay for that.  Means we won't have to rake too many times more.
• Lightening and Thunder playing really well together today.  Love watching them play.  Saw them walking together outside - talking and laughing - they looked like friends.  Truly warmed my heart.
• That extra hour of sleep last night did me wonders.
• Kids are on a sugar high.
• House smells so good this afternoon.  Italian beef roasting in the oven; orzo pasta salad as a side dish.  Mmmmm.  Can't wait for dinner.
• Not a good first half for the football game I'm watching.  Ugh.
• Lightening doing LOTS of reading today (and this weekend).   Good for her!
• Our girls got along really well today.  No fighting or arguing.  They had fun and were kind to one another.  That, in itself, makes for a good day.

Some happenings from today:

• Folded and put away five - yes five - loads of laundry already today.  I'm sure there's more.   Might as well accept my fate.
• Gearing up to watch the Packers/Vikings game in just a few minutes.  Go Packers!
• Kiddos are playing outside right now.  Trying to sneak in the last of the outdoor play, as the cold weather season is looming.
• Husband cleared the leaves which were covering our lawn. 
• Enjoying a day spent at home.

Tidbits from the past few days:

• Kids were off of school on Thursday and Friday for a Fall break.  Hubby took off of work, too, and we spent the extended weekend together.  
• We went to an indoor waterpark hotel on Thursday and Friday and had a blast.  So much fun!  Thinking we should make this an annual event.
• Niece in hospital due to H1N1.  Was very worried for her.  She was finally released last night.  So glad she is recovering.
• Our girls got their seasonal flu shots yesterday morning.  Lightening was very brave and did well.  Thunder - well, not so much. She cried even before we left the house and then again before she was to receive her vaccination.  Afterwards, she said to me, "Mommy, I cried over nothing.  It was just a cloud burst!"   Hysterical.
• Kiddos both dressed as Mulan for halloween.  We did a little trick-or-treating in the neighborhood.  Then, it was off to a pizza parlor for dinner with my family - our annual tradition, which has been going on for some time now.  Girls both wore their costumes.  It was a fun night.
• Let the girls stay up late last night, as we set the clocks back today.

Where Did October Go?

Wow.   October has just about come and gone.  Must have been a busy month, as I didn't get back here to post much.   So, what's been going on?   Honestly, it's a blur.  I reallly think it was just life happening.

So, let's see if I can recall anything after where my last post left off:

• Went to the pumpkin farm earlier this month, after our children were finally well again.   It was SO cold - only 42 degrees.   Thankfully, we had some sun that day.   Winter coats; could see our breath in the air.  We could hardly believe it was only mid October.  Much different than past years, when we could wear a sweater or light jacket.  Kids picked out medium-sized pumpkins this year.
• Welcomed a new niece to the family this month.  We have, unfortunately, been unable to meet her yet, as we've had illnesses here and didn't want to infect her.  So, we are waiting to travel to see her after everyone gets well.
• Worrying much about H1N1.   It's hard not to.  Seems that's all we hear about on the news.  It's everywhere.  Trying hard to keep us healthy, but with two children in school, it's very difficult.  Managing my fears about this as best as I can.  Still waiting for vaccines to arrive in the area.  (Yes, we have made the decision to have us all vaccinated as soon as we can be.)  Taking as many other precautions as we can, in the meantime.  Scary stuff.
• Spent a Sunday afternoon at the Zoo when we finally had a weekend with pleasant weather.  Definitely not warm - only in the 50's - but sunny and nice.   We had a great time.  Animals were very active and alert.   We saw two baby tiger cubs, which were adorable.  Lots of "awwwwww" comments and my kids wanted to stay watching them play for a long time.  
• Attempted to go to Costco this past weekend.  Got to the door and Thunder had a funny look on her face.  I pulled her aside as best I could, just as she vomited everywhere.   We told a worker about the mess, then proceeded to head back to the car, where we cleaned ourselves off as best as we could (she got me and herself) and drove back home.  She had a little fever when we got home, but it left fairly quick.  Not sure what that was all about.  I had fears that the flu had arrived.
• Been taking an online scrapbook class, but really uninspired.  I am about 4 weeks' behind in my work and trying to catch up.  Not feeling terribly motivated.
• We began watching some of our Christmas movies already.  We have such a large collection that if we don't begin to watch them early, we cannot get them all in before Christmas.   So far, we have enjoyed "Miracle on 34th Street", "The Santa Clause", "The Santa Clause 2", "Frosty the Snowman", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and "Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus".  LOVE Christmas movies!
• We've been working to prep the yard and garage for the winter season.   There's always so much to do.   Thinking how nice it would be to live in a warmer climate, where we wouldn't have to put patio furniture away for the winter.   I could get used to decorated palm trees for the holidays, rather than trees with lights under a foot of snow!   Really, I could!
• Finished Thunder's First Day of Kindergarten mini scrapbook.  Glad to have that finally done.
• Created a home "command center" in my kitchen.  It's visible.  Working nicely for us.  Glad it's out from behind the door where I was forgetting everything.  This makes it much more easy to manage what is going on in our household.
• My intense weight-loss efforts seem to have fallen by the wayside a bit.  I'm still conscious of it, but not making each meal count the way I had been.  And this is frustrating me.  I worked so hard to get where I am, but am having some trouble moving forward again.   Won't give up.  Can't give up.
• Been watching the leaves go from green to changing colors to falling quickly these last few weeks.  Surprised at how quickly it's happening.  Or maybe, time is just moving by so quickly.   Either way, seems fall is in full swing here.
• Tried to get the seasonal flu shots for my kids.  However, on the day their appointment was scheduled, I received a call from the clinic saying they ran out of flu vaccines.  Now, we are waiting for vaccines to arrive in our city again.  Very frustrating, indeed.  None of the four of us are protected with our regular or H1N1 vaccines at this time.  It's making me nuts.
• Kids have a couple of days off of school coming up.  And husband is taking those days off, too.  We're excited to have a long weekend ahead to spend together.
• Girls are all excited about trick-or-treating on Saturday.  I have to iron their costumes today.   Both are planning to be Mulan.
• It is definitely quiet in the house, now that both girls are in school all day.  I miss them terribly.  Surprised at how the silence bothers me sometimes.   It can be deafening.
• Spending way too much time on Facebook these days.  And playing the FarmTown game.   Needing to get a grip.
• My PC has been so slow lately and that is completely annoying.   Husband just purchased a large external disk drive for me to store all my photos on.  Hopefully, this will help relieve some of the space issues and maybe some of the performance issues.   Waiting for it to arrive any day now.
• Feeling a cold coming on today.  Hate that.
• Kids have both been coughing and sneezing again this week.  Thankfully, that hasn't gotten any worse.  It's going to be a rough year, I think.
• Struggling with my printer today.  Hate that when I am in a hurry to get something done.

A Long Week

Been in the house most of the week with sick children.  Our big outing?  The doctor's office, where he said Thunder has a virus that includes croup; Lightening has the same plus a mild case of laryngitis.   Thunder's fever started Monday after school and it's still here, although it's not too high, thankfully.  Lightening started to not feel well Tuesday night and woke up Wednesday morning with her fever.  It seems to be subsiding a bit.  The doctor thinks were over the worst of it and are recovering well.  I sure hope they are better soon and that Monday they can go back to school.  Can't believe they've been out of school 3 and 4 days already - and we're only in the 2nd month of school.  Yikes!   Scared at what could come the rest of the school year.  Mostly, I just want them to feel better.  Hate it when my babes are sick.

So, since we've been in the house this week, life hasn't been quite "normal".  Here's what I've been up to:

• Been working hard at scanning lots of old non-digital pics into my computer to have a digital copy of them.  There's so many pics I want to scrapbook and I didn't want to use the originals.  And in most cases I don't have the negatives, therefore, this was the route I chose to take.  So, I'm getting this done to have a digital copy for posterity.  And I know both my kids will want a copy of each of the pics when they get big - this way, they can each have digital copies of all of them.  It's been a lot of work to get this done.  I've spent hours and hours over the last months to get this done.  I'm just now finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  The pics I'm currently scanning are my wedding and honeymoon photos.  Fun walk through memory lane.  Man, we looked so young.  
• Lots of caring for sick little ones.  Lots of hugs, stories, special treats, snuggle time, to keep everyone happy.
• Made some homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner last night.  And I also made Italian beef for sandwiches for dinner tonight.  Just need to roast some fingerling potatoes as a side dish and dinner will be ready.  Mmmmmmm good.
• The weather has been dreary and rainy most of the week.  Guess I should be grateful we didn't have to go out in it.  But it has made me crave a nap most days.
• Watched numerous children's movies and TV shows with the girls to pass some time.  Quite astonishingly enough, we did not watch High School Musical this week - yet.
• Cleaned my house.  That felt good.
• Did attack of the germs around the house and disinfected everything.
• Husband was out of town (DisneyWorld) at a conference all week.  (Just got home last night.)   Of course, this would be when the kids are sick.  That happened last time he traveled for work, too.   Anyhow, the girls were missing him terribly this week.  Thankfully, he is such a good husband and Daddy that he called 6 times a day to talk to them.  That helped.
• Took the girls for a doctor visit yesterday afternoon.  It was time.
• After the doctor appt., we made a quick run to the grocery store.  I hadn't been out all week and we were running low on a lot of items.  Got what we needed and came home.  Kids got a few treats like ice cream and Snapple.  Treats always make you feel better when you're sick.
• Chatted with my sis one day when she brought us a few treats for dinner, as she knew we couldn't get out. Was a nice visit.  And she brought us some of our favorites:  corn sausage chowder from a favorite restaurant, crusty Italian bread from the bakery, and gourmet olives.  So yummy.  Felt very loved and cared for.   And the food was fantastic.  What a treat.
• My mom brought over Happy meals for the girls one day.  Was nice that we didn't have to run out and get them.  She also picked up Children's Tylenol for me.  Yay for Moms.  They always know what you need.
• Today, my Mom picked up the girls' homework at school for me, so I didnt' have to take them out to get it.   I truly have the best family - always helpful and caring.  I love my family.
• I became an auntie to a beautiful little girl again this week (my husband's youngest sister had her first child).   Her name is Emma and she's tiny with dainty features.  A pretty baby.  Happy for my SIL and her husband.
• Found a great sale at Children's Place online for yoga pants for my kids.  These pants are awesome and I wanted to get a few more pair for each child and the next size up.  Plus I had a 20% off coupon.  Got 12 pair of pants in different colors and sizes for $70 with shipping.  Go me.
• The girls' school pictures arrived today and they are adorable.  Love that classic school picture look.  Just scanned my own school pics last night, so it is fun to do a comparison.
• My sweet husband bought me a box of my favorite chocolate-covered coconut patties from Disney World.  I am eating one as I type this - and I just bit Mickey's ear off.  :)   Mmmmmmm.  Makes me happy.
• Anxious to do my online scrapbook class for this week.  Haven't done it yet - need to get a move on it.

Just Another Day In Paradise

No, you won't find beautiful pics of sandy beaches, palm trees, and blue ocean waters here today.  Just a simple synopsis of my day in My Paradise.  My everyday life.  Real life.   Why can't that be considered paradise, too, right? 

Our Wonderful Wednesday (yes, some things not so wonderful, but that's real life):

• Starting our day with taking my girls' temperatures.  Both kids are now running fevers and will be home from school today.   I am hoping and praying that this is nothing serious.   I absolutely hate it when they are sick.  It makes me sad.
• Posted on my refrig, I now have index cards with times, temps, and medicine administered written down for each child.  Also tracking when symptoms started. Too hard to keep track of when meds are given, especially when we're doing this for more than one child.  Important not to mess up.
• When I called the school office to let them know the kids will not be there today, the secretary just laughed because she wasn't surprised.  She said she sent three kids home on the very first day of school and its been nonstop since.  And so it begins...
• Feeling the need to take stock in Motrin and Children's Tylenol.
• It's jammie day around here - kids changed into fresh PJ's for a day in the house.
• My girls are settled in and watching an episode of Lilo & Stitch on The Disney Channel.
• Kids are eating cookies and mandarin oranges for breakfast.  Yes, real healthy combination.  We'll do better tomorrow.
• Attempting to rethink my day.  It didn't originally include being stuck at home in the house with kids.  I'm sure I have a zillion projects I could work on. 
• Awaiting news of the arrival of our new niece or nephew that is scheduled to be born today.  Praying that all goes well with the delivery.  This will make it eight nieces and nephews, two great-nephews, and one more great-nephew on the way for us.  Some grown up with families of their own; some just little babies.  I have always loved being an Auntie.
• Lightening and Thunder have decided to play baby dolls together. 

Other simple observations:

• Sun is shining today, after a day of rain and wind.  The sun is so bright coming in the windows that it's creating an interesting glare on the laptop screen.
• Breezy, but winds aren't gusting like yesterday.
• Leaves on the trees are really starting to change colors now.  Lots of yellow and gold across the street.
• Haven't been outside at all today, so don't know the exact temp.  But kids are walking down the street to school with heavy coats and winter hats on.  Must be quite chilly.
• Thunder is snuggling in a chair in the living room with a Snoopy and Charlie Brown blanket that was my baby brother's blanket when he was little.  I think it was made by my grandma years and years ago.  She loves this blanket.   And I love having a memory of it from 34 years ago and making a memory with it even now.

A Touch of Fall

A little touch of Fall.  One of my favorite times of the year.

I'll Get The Broom

As a little activity, Thunder and I worked together this afternoon to make shakers out of plastic cups connected together and filled with uncooked popcorn.  We taped one set together, all was good.  While I was doing the taping, she must have forgotten that the other set wasn't connected yet - and she shook it.  All over the kitchen floor.  Oh my gosh, you should've seen the surprised look on her face as the popcorn kernels danced around on the lenolium.  Even more surprise on her face when I burst out laughing.  And then she calmly said, "I'll get the broom."

Monday's Madness

Where did the weekend go?   Can't believe it's Monday already.  Didn't really have an eventful weekend - nothing too exciting.  But it zoomed on by us once again.  So, here we are at Monday.  Beginning of a new week.  A few things happening.

About the day:

• Cleaned my oven this afternoon.  What a disgusting job.   Glad it's done.
• Went on a field trip to an apple orchard with Thunder and her class at school today.  Fun.
• It was Thunder's first day of All-Day Kindergarten.   It was time.  She was ready.  She was very excited today, albeit a little nervous about the details she didn't know like the ins and outs of the lunch time, recess, rest time, and other things like that.   I was with her at school this morning because of the field trip.  When it was time for me to leave, she leaned her head on my shoulder a few times.  I think she was a little nervous.  This is what she wanted - but yet she had some reservations.  Then she said, "I think I'll be OK, Mommy."  I know you will, baby girl.  I know you will.
• Thunder came home from school very sleepy.  She's now sitting in a chair looking like she's about to fall asleep.  This should be fun.
• Trying to get our seasonal clothes changed in all our dressers and closets.  Such a big job.
• Working hard at getting the laundry done.  The never-ending cycle.  The gift that keeps on giving.
• Picked up an ice cream treat from McDonalds for the kiddos after school.  A much-needed pick-me-up.   They smiled and indulged.
• Scheduled doctor appointments for my girls to receive their flu shots.   They're going to be very unhappy with me when they find out.
• Baking cookies with my girls in a short while.  Good Mommy/Daughter time.   And very tasty.
• Planning to watch Monday Night Football tonight after the kids got to sleep.  Go Packers!
• OK - just took Thunder's temperature and of course, she has a fever.  I could tell even before I took her temp.  Figures.  Poor buddy. 
• Leftovers for dinner.  Glad to have them.  Spaghetti and garlic bread, salad and fruit cocktail.  Yum.
• Having Cozy Club with the kids.  That's what we call jammie time.  Eating our dinner tonight in our PJ's.  Love it.

Positive Scale Progress

Thankful so much that the scale finally moved in my favor after 4 weeks of staying put.  This road to weight loss has been tough this last month or so.   I know I can do it.  But it's simply tough sometimes, especially when progress is not so visible.

And this is SO different trying to lose weight in my 40's.  Was much easier in my 20's and 30's.  My Mom told me it'd be this way.  She was definitely right.

OK - down another 2 lbs.  Now, I can continue on again.   Positive steps in the right direction.   Will focus.  Will proceed.

Family Command Center

Wanting to create a central area for the family calendar and other important info and am not sure how quite to go about it.   Currently, I have one wall area in my kitchen that would work, but it's behind a door.  Not quite conducive for seeing it all the time.  (I did think about removing the door, but remembered how cold winter can be, so that's out.)

I would love a tall, framed-in cork board.   Maybe with an area that has a white board attached.  A place to house our family calendar, school lunch calendar, notes, schedules, etc.  Sometimes, it's hard to keep track of everything the four of us have going on.  Right now, my planner is sitting on our kitchen counter and its ticking me off.  Our family calendar is behind a door in our den.  Again, I miss things because it's behind the door and I don't automatically see it.

Being organized used to be my forte.  And somehow, it's gone by the wayside.  Ooooh, I hate that about myself.  Something needs to give.

Saw an article in a recent Southern Living magazine for A Family Command Center.   I saw it and said - This is what I need.   Now, where to put it.

We may need to move.

Sentimental Moments

Having a few moments of nostalgia today that came as a surprise to me:

• Remembering pushing my babies in the cart at the grocery store. Those times when we were eye-to-eye were so special. I'd talk with them and we'd sing or play games together, as we walked through the store. Seemed like it was just us in those special, simple moments. And I do remember feeling sad when the time came that they couldn't ride in the cart any longer. Like an era had passed.
• Recalling the way I would rock Lightening to sleep next to her crib each night at bedtime. We didn't have a rocking chair or glider, so I would just stand and hold her. I'd turn the light down low, we'd turn on her Disney lullaby CD, and she'd immediately lay her head back for me to begin to rock her. It was almost instinctive - she knew the routine. And I would sing to her and hold her until she was almost asleep. Then, I'd gently place her in her crib, and rub her back, say good night and slowly back out the door. We never closed the door - she slept with it open.
• Thinking about how I used to sleep soundly and through the night - until I became a mother. At first, I would check on them just to be sure they were breathing. Almost 7 years later, I still check on them numerous times during sleep, just because. Some days, I am still amazed that they are here - that they are ours. What a journey.
• Picturing the little blanket I would put on the floor that my girls would sit on and play with their toys, especially when they were very young.
• Remembering the laundry basket of toys that was a mainstay in our living room for the first years with our children. At the time, how I wished that laundry basket was out of the room, as it looked so messy. And now, years later, I remember it fondly.
• Recalling how I loved pushing my girls in their stroller. There was something so special about that to me. The getting them in/out of the stroller process didn't bother me so much. I loved being right there with them. They'd push their hand up through the peek-a-boo window on the top of the stroller hood to touch my hand. It became our little game. I always had some sort of snack for them to have in their little snack tray - Goldfish crackers or Cheerios. And they'd put their sippy cup in the cup holder. Both of my girls were great at falling sleep in their stroller. Oh, and our double side-by-side stroller was fantastic. By this time, Lightening was 3 years old and Thunder was 13 months. They did really well together in the stroller. And when I pushed them in this stroller, I was often reminded how lucky I was to be the Mom of two beautiful little girls. When the time came that they no longer rode in a stroller, I remember being kind of sad - disappointed that this phase/stage of life with young children was over. In fact, I still haven't parted with the strollers - and they haven't ridden in them in a long time.
• Thinking about how Lightening always needed to have her "gully" (sleeve of some kind that she would chew/suck on for comfort or when tired) with her at all times. How I'd have to be sure to have one with us, or else. And now, she's such a grown up girl - a long time away from needing that gully.

Yes, this time in life is in the past. Just surprising how things creep up on you sometimes. And can put that little feeling of nostalgia in your heart.

Feeling sentimental. Remembering.

Monday's Adventures

No, this hasn't been a terribly exciting day. But every day is an adventure. And I choose to look at it that way.

• So windy today. It's quite something to watch the trees bend the way they are. So many leaves are already falling from the trees.
• Raining now.
• Gray morning. Gave us all the desire to sleep in. Of course, being a Monday morning, that wasn't a possibility.
• Finished Thunder's First Day of Kindergarten mini scrapbook. It's adorable.
• After much angst, discussions, and soul searching, we made the decision for Thunder to attend full-day Kindergarten, instead of the half-day program. She will start on Monday. It was time. She is ready. And she's very excited. As for me, I will miss having her around during the afternoon. As for me, it is going to take some getting used to.
• Finalizing my list of 12 topics for the "Yesterday & Today" online scrapbook class I'm starting on Thursday.
• Usual housework and Mom responsibilities.
• Leftovers for dinner. A good thing.

Simple day. Simple times. It's all good.

Weekends Go By Too Fast

Here it is Sunday night. The weekend just about over once again. Weekends sure do go by so quickly - too fast for my taste. I love Friday nights when the whole weekend is ahead of us. Sunday nights leave me feeling a tad blah, because I know there are five days in between when we (my family) spend so little time together due to school, work, and life.

This weekend, we had no plans set in stone. It was a nice change of pace, I must say. But, I'd have to admit, if I were telling the truth, that we got little accomplished. Oh well. We enjoyed ourselves.

Here's the Weekend Recap:

• Friday night family night. Dinner and a movie at home. Watched Beethoven with the kiddos. Then after their bedtime, husband and I watched You've Got Mail. Stayed up too late for our own good.
• Saturday morning was lazy. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't even shower and get dressed until after Noon.
• Went out to lunch and to Target and Walmart on Saturday afternoon.
• Visited my parents.
• Made a turkey dinner with all the trimmings and brought meals for my folks.
• Husband cut the lawn and did some outside work.
• Saturday night, we had dinner and watched Yours, Mine and Ours with the kids. Husband and I stayed up late again and watched The American President.
• Lightening lost another tooth and the Tooth fairy visited again last night. Her new tooth is already visible, which she's excited about.
• Today, we watched some football and visited my folks again.
• Went to an open house. Not for us - had an in-ground pool that wouldn't be something we'd like. Not a good house for us.
• Put out a few Fall decorations in the home. Nothing much - just a few touches to bring the Fall colors indoors.
• Did some house cleaning.
• Kiddos played Barbies and later with their pretend food and kitchen set. Kept busy.
• It rained this afternoon, which was welcomed.
• Cleaned up a little bit in the basement.
• Did some laundry.
• Went to Home Depot and husband purchased a new outdoor trimmer. Ours died on us and the grass along the fence is getting long.
• Read the newspaper and went through sale ads. We don't really need anything, but it's fun to look.
• Oh - we went out for coffee at Starbucks late this afternoon. Was a nice treat. Some people laughed when we walked in and Thunder said, "Mom, can I have a latte?" Guess we go there too often!
• Kids took showers and we got all their stuff ready for school again tomorrow.
• Having a lazy evening again tonight, too.

Guess lazy weekends are OK, too. Can't be so busy all the time where we don't settle down and take it easy. Time to connect with each other is a good thing.

Adoption Lifebook - Time To Begin Again

It's time. Thunder needs her lifebook completed. She's been talking about her China family a lot lately and asking tons of questions. She needs her book - her story - written for her. Yes, we've been VERY open about all of it from the very beginning and it is common talk in our home. But I think her Lifebook will help her - something to go to, to use as a tool, to help her see, realize, and process the pieces of her past a little at a time.

I am beginning Thunder's lifebook today. Better late than never. I have had great intentions to get this done before now, to have done it over the years. But it never materialized. Life got in the way. It is beyond time to get this done. It's necessary.

I have all of the paperwork compiled and ready to go. I have already purchased an album, papers, and embellishments to use (may need to get a few more, but I have what I need to start). A lot of the research is already done - I did some of it when I worked on Lightening's book, and I just put Thunder's information aside for when I would work on her book. I even have organization folders with tabs by topic already prepared and waiting to be filled with the appropriate pieces that will go on each page. I still need to do a little planning, but that shouldn't take long and then I can be on my way.

I think I will follow a similar process as I did with Lightening's lifebook in that I will create a 2-page layout for each topic, with a few topics taking extra space. I then will begin to write her story by topic and choose photos per topic. Then I'll create pages (traditional scrapbook style) when I have a few topics ready to go. I did find that doing some writing and then doing a few pages worked better for me than to write it all first and then waiting till that was done before doing the layouts. The writing was sometimes very emotional and intense that I needed a break from that to be creative. Creating the layouts broke the monotony of the writing process and broke the intensity of it all. That helped me a great deal.

I finished Lightening's book about a year ago and it was quite the process. It was hard for me to complete and it took me a long time - like about 3 years. I'm not sure why, but it shouldn't have taken that long. I elongated the process way more than it needed to be; I made things more difficult than they should have been. Not going to do that again this time.

So, I'm making a commitment "out loud" here: I am going to complete Thunder's lifebook in 2010. You heard it here.

Things Happening on Thursday

Today's Simple Observations:

• We've lived in our home for about 12 years and I noticed for the first time today that our neighbor has an apple tree in his yard. How's that for not paying attention? Yikes!
• An ambulance and fire truck were at my daughters' school this morning and had their lights on. Made me terribly uneasy at the sight, wondering what had happened and if one of my children were affected.
• Neighborhood girl is really dominant and bossy with my youngest daughter. Today, she told Thunder to go and ask me if we could bring out plates of snacks so they could have a party in our yard. Ummm...No.
• Very gray skies. Looked like rain was coming most of the day and never did.Yellowing leaves on the trees in our front yard.
• Kitchen counters were looking unkept. Cleaned them off to take care of it and that made me feel accomplished.
• Thunder acting very feisty lately. She can hardly sit still and it's driving me a little nutso. Hyperpants. Oh, and she's Very opinionated. And she is testing me 'round every corner. I truly hope this is just a phase. A short one.

Thursday's Happenings:

• Visited my folks twice today. Dad still recovering. Mom going bonkers trying to make everything OK. Me wishing things were back to normal and they were well.
• Girlfriend officially became engaged this evening. Got a call from her and she was beyond excited. Congratulations, T.
• Worked on Thunder's first day of kindergarten mini scrapbook. Almost done.
• Got lots of laundry done today. The never-ending chore. The gift that keeps on giving.
• Prepped a little for a scrapbook class I'm taking. Starts next week.
• Made tasty BLT's for dinner. Yum-O.
• Baked an all egg white quiche for breakfast tomorrow. Should last a few days and hoping the kids like it. Breakfasts are difficult.
• Focused on my weight loss plan a bit again today. Focus. Focus. Focus. Don't want to lose sight of my goal. Became a little cloudy these past weeks and I want to be back on track and moving forward positively again. On we go.
• Supposed to be a rainy weekend. Thinking of ways to have indoor fun as a family.
• Working on updating my to-do list. So much to do. Need to motivate myself.

Unexpected Excitement

Wow. Lots of excitement here late last night.

Husband and I were sitting in our living room watching television when our lights began to flicker. A few seconds later, our entire house went into darkness. Hmmmm...What was going on?
Not a minute later (we hadn't even gotten up from our chairs yet), we heard and saw emergency vehicles lining our street. What in the world was happening? Of course, we opened the door to check it out. Nosey me.

Neighbors began to gather outside, as the fire department arrived. Our neighbor said he was heading to bed when he saw flames dancing atop of the transformer on the electric pole at the corner of our back yard. He quickly called 911 for assistance.

By the time they arrived, the fire had put itself out (not sure how), but the power in the neighborhood was out. The emergency workers checked everything thoroughly in the area to be sure there wasn't any pending danger. We had a bunch of fire men walking around in the yard for quite awhile.

We finally went to bed awhile later after checking the sump pump to be sure it was empty and set alarms on our cell phones to get up on time in the morning. Thunder slept through it all; Lightening woke up wondering what the flashing lights were outside her bedroom window. She went back to sleep quickly. Not long thereafter, the power came back on. Yay for that!

So thankful that the fire didn't spread to any of the homes connected to the transformer or the trees that were only a few feet away. Thankful the power was restored before we lost everything in our freezer and refrigerator. So thankful it wasn't worse than it was.

And a reminder to self: Always know where your flashlights, extra batteries, candles and matches are. They are hard to find in the dark.

Lightening's Honeymoon Destination Plans

Tonight, Lightening informed me that when she goes on her honeymoon, she is going to go to DisneyWorld and Aligator Land, wherever that is.

So there you go.

Good plan for a 7 year old.

Mondays are Marvy

Marvelous, marvelous Monday. Here's the recap of my simple day:

• My newest great nephew was born this morning. He's healthy, and quite simply gorgeous. It's a very special thing to add another person to our family. Special for all of us. Congratulations to my niece and her husband. And to my sister and brother-in-law, who are now the grandparents of two.
• Gorgeous afternoon - sunny and bright. Gentle breezes. This, after a gray and dreary morning on this, the last official day of summer.
• Loved the Oprah show today - a show about the 60's. The audience was dressed in 60's attire. And you should have seen some of the hair do's. Beehives!!! Cool.
• Dinner of baked chicken breasts and fingerling potatoes are in the oven. Smells so good. I'm hungry.
• Spent a little time at Target choosing a baby gift for the new baby boy. Target has awesome kids' clothes.
• I picked up some new eye shadow, eye liner, and mascara. Been awhile since I have worn any makeup and want to try it again. I'm a simple girl. No frills. But my face could use a little pick-me-up.
• Did my typical household chores: laundry, dishes, dusting, made meals.
• Did my typical Mommy jobs: school drop off, school pick up, refereeing, a little discipline, made lunches, kept kids on task with our morning routine, helped soothe hurt feelings, helped with and checked homework, read with my kiddos. You know, the usual.
• Read the Sunday newspaper. A day late, but better late than never.

Never a dull moment in the W. home. Give me the Simple Life.

What A Headcase!

Yesterday, we had a family event at my husband's parents' house. All-in-all, a good afternoon. Until...

My husband's "aunt" (long time live-in girlfriend of husband's uncle) is basically a nutcase. She pulled me into an empty room at the house and proceeded to tell me that last time she saw me, she had a strong feeling that something bad was about to happen to me. And that she was so worried about me. She said since that time (about a month ago), she's been so fearful for me and even called my MIL to see if I was OK. She just wanted to tell me this.

So, what do you say to someone who unloads something like this to you? "Thank you" didn't quite seem appropriate. "What the heck?" seemed more appropo. I think my mouth dropped. And I kind of shook my head in disbelief. Then I proceeded to tell her that I'm just fine, thank you, anyhow, and left her standing alone in the room.

Why in the world would a person ever tell anyone something like this? Really? What a headcase. Seems she likes some shock value. And I was the victim this time.

Oh, and she felt the need to tell me this again later on, only this time "not to mind her, but please go get a physical from my doctor". I walked away. Stunned.

Quite the experience. I prayed on the way home, so that I could shake her off of me. I'm not going to live in a spirit of fear over something like this. And so thankful I don't need to see this woman very often. She's a piece of work.

Grocery Store Thrill

So excited at my grocery store purchases tonight. So many non-perishable items that I usually buy were greatly on sale and I saved a boatload of money buying the things I use. And the dates on the items are a few years out, so we have plenty of time to use them.

Canned vegetables - potatoes, green beans, wax beans, corn, peas
Soups
Canned mandarin oranges
Dry pasta
Pasta sauce
Canned tomatoes and tomato sauce

I was thrilled to be able to stock my pantry with items I use at a huge savings. I've been trying to stock up for emergencies, anyhow. This was a great way to do so.

Think I'm going back to the store at least once more while the sale is on to purchase more.

Something Cute

Thunder and Lightening are outdoors in front of the house playing together. I'm indoors with the doors and windows open and can hear them.

Thunder heard an airplane overhead and yells, "Hey Airplane! Come down here! I want to go to Disney!"

{insert my giggles}

Me too, little one. Me too!

All About It

All about it - All about today in my simple life.

It's a gorgeous day here. First signs of Fall colors are arriving. Some leaves already falling. Nights are cooler. Daytime weather has been so pleasant. Sunny and bright. Refreshing. I do love this time of year (other than the wasps that come out).

Glad to have had an hour or two to myself this morning to get things done, notice what's going on around me, and to take a little time to sit down and relax. It's been a crazy few weeks. Regrouping at home is a good thing,

• Garbage pickup day. And they came HOURS earlier than they normally did. Was quickly trying to get the last things tossed in the trash and out to the curb before they came. Had mere seconds to spare. Whew. Who wants stinky garbage sitting around for another week? Not me!
• Getting some work done around the house: house cleaning, organizing, menu planning, grocery list, laundry (as usual). Another Getting-It-Done day. Oops - just saw a big dust bunny that needs to be removed!
• Had a quick visit with my Dad this morning when I took him breakfast at the nursing home. Hopefully, he'll only be there a day or two yet, as he continues to recover from surgery.
• Need to pick up groceries later.
• Have an online scrapbooking class starting October 1. Need to order a few supplies and get my thought process going for 12 different topics (one each week). Must prep pics and make decisions on what I'll use. Oh, and I really need to clean up and organize my scrap space, so that I will have a usable place to work. Right now it's disastrous, with bills and everyday life paperwork piled all over the place. Yes, need to get this done right away.
• Getting Hubby's honey-do list ready for tomorrow. He has a day off and it will be a work day. (Yes, he is aware of this. It was his idea.)
• Need to pay bills (ugh!), fill out some forms, and file some paperwork.
• A 2-Coffee morning.
• Need to wrap a birthday gift for my nephew, who just turned 1 year old yesterday. Sweet little guy. His party is Saturday.
• Making tacos for dinner. A family favorite.
• It's Picture Day at school tomorrow. Need to find something appropriate for the girls to wear for school pictures.

Observations:

• Been thinking a lot about Fall and our Autumn traditions. Am looking forward to doing them again. Great photo ops this time of year, too.
• Hearing so many crickets at night. Common this time of year. It's kind of a neat sound.
• There's a gentle breeze flowing through my house right now, as my front and back doors are open. Love that feeling.
• Lately, I'm enjoying some loving and caring actions going on between my daughters.
• Interesting spanking discussion on The View.
• Thunder is Miss Independent when we go into school each day. She walks ahead of me to her locker, almost as though she doesn't need me. Yes, it hurt a little bit when she first started to do this; yet I know this is what we raise them to do. A little bit of independence is a good thing.
• So many birds chirping outside today. Love that sound.

Sleep In

This morning, Lightening said to me, "Mommy, I want to sleep in on school days and get up early on weekends." I replied, "Yes, I know that about you."

And then she literally rolled out of bed to get up.

She is her Mama's girl, I must admit. Definitely, just like her Mama.

Busy Weekend Comes To An End

Busy weekend. Good weekend. Friday and Saturday were pretty much about the baby shower for my niece. It turned out so nice and she received so many great gifts. The food was yummy, if I do say so myself. We had fun and I think she really enjoyed it. I do know that I was completely wiped out last night and didn't do much of anything. Was good just to sit and be.

Today:

• Kiddos were up very early this morning. They have little internal clocks and calendars that KNOW when it's a weekend and KNOW to get up at the crack of dawn. Why is that?!?
• Worked outside in the yard this afternoon as a family. Cut low branches on our trees. Trimmed the grass by the fence. Hubby dug out two bushes that were dying. Feels good to have made some progress on the homefront.
• Beautiful weather day. Probably felt the most like a summer day than we actually had all summer long. Think tomorrow is supposed to be similar in temps. Liking that.
• Visited my Dad at the rehab center for awhile today. So good to see his spirits lifted a bit. Now, if we can only get his therapy going well so he can come home soon. We want him home and healthy again.
• Took my Mom back and forth from home to rehab center for visits. Helped her out when I was able to with whatever she needed today.
• Anxious for my Mom to get her test results this week. Hoping and praying that it is nothing serious and can be treated quickly, so that she is feeling well again.
• A couple of baskets of laundry and I are having a staredown. Who will win? They always do - I eventually have to give in and fold them.
• My feet hurt tonight. Got a nice foot rub from husband.
• Hubby grilled brat patties for lunch. Hadn't had one in awhile and it hit the spot.
• Made Italian stuffed shells for dinner. Easy and tasty.
• Did a brief grocery run today. Forgot a bunch of items - need to go back tomorrow.
• A 2-Coffee day. I love coffee.
• A 2-Dishwasher Run day. Lots of dishes today, for some odd reason.
• Watching Packer Football tonight - alone, for the most part. Wishing my husband was a football fan. He's trying.
• Packer/Bear Games: Always an exciting match. Go Packers!
• Anxious for my fall lineup of TV shows to begin.
• Wanted to get my dusting done today. Didn't happen.
• Noticed that my 13 lb. weight loss has made a change for the better. Was not winded walking up and down flights of stairs today while doing laundry. THAT was an awesome feeling.
• Feeling good that the 2 lbs. I gained in the last two weeks were gone this week at weigh in.
• Back on track with eating again and following my program. Liking that.

Weekend went by way too quickly. They always do.

First Words

Was thinking today about the moment I met my children and trying to recall what my first words to them were.

With Lightening, I remember her being carried into the room we were waiting in. I instantly knew it was her and while at 12 months old, she looked like a much younger child. I quickly walked toward her, put out my arms to reach for her, and whispered in her ear, "I love you Lightening. I am your Mommy. I love you." And I hugged her so tightly and cried.

When I met Thunder 2 years later, I remember seeing her being carried into the room. She looked so much more grown up than a 13 month old child - much taller than I anticipated (probably because Lightening had been so small). They called our names and I very quickly walked over to take her in my arms. She took one look at me and started to scream. I remember laughing a little bit as I reached out to hold her. I don't remember whispering, because the crying of my child (and many other children) was so loud. I remember trying to hug her as she was attempting to pull away from me, while screaming loudly in my ear. I do clearly recall saying, "I love you so much, Thunder. I love you. It's OK." Trying hard to reassure this little one who was undoubtedly frightened. Of course, being the emotional person I am, I cried many happy tears.

Don't know what brought on this thought today. Just was on my mind and I wanted to document it. Want my kiddos to read this one day and know what I said to them on the very day we met one another.

9/11

Remembering.

Simply remembering.

And praying for family & friends of all who were lost on that day 8 years ago.

...remembering.

Another Day

It has been a really long week. I can't believe it's only Thursday. I have a list of things I would love to just wish away and to get on with life. Some things holding life back right now. Feeling slightly overwhelmed and exhausted. Wanting a nap. Out of the blue this afternoon, Lightening said to me, "Mommy, I think we are doing way more than we really can do this week. I can't wait till the week is over and we can get back to normal."

But, nonetheless, we continue on...doing the things that we need to do. Continue on with what is rather than what we wish was.


Here's Today. Hasn't been the best day. But it is what it is:

• Dad still in the hospital. They're talking about moving him to a rehabilitation center (in a nursing home) for the remainder of his recovery. He seems frustrated with that thought. He wants to be able to go directly home. We want him to, also. But, it doesn't look like that is what is to be.
• My Mom had more tests today at the clinic. Praying they can find out what's wrong with her very quickly, so that they can treat her and she will recover fully - and soon.
• My Mom seems very stressed. Makes me sad.
• Both my girls are not feeling well - they have colds. :( Lots of sniffling going on. And some crankiness.
• Thunder took a nap in a chair in the living room this afternoon. She said she was sniffly and tired and wanted to sleep. Then when I woke her, she cried. And she cried all the way to school for Lightening's pickup time.
• Did some prep for the baby shower I'm giving on Saturday: grocery shopping for food I'm preparing, finishing a wreath laden with baby items as one of the decorations, wrapped gifts, finalizing plans.
• Saw a few butterflies flying around our front yard this afternoon. A happy sight.
• Kids are arguing now. Playtime would only be for a short while, I guess. The arguing really gets on my nerves.
• Kind of humid outside today. Warm & sunny. Smelled like a Florida morning when I woke. Must have been the humidity.
• Thunder looking at an American Girl catalog and dreaming.
• I'm tired.
• Going up to the hospital to see my Dad again tonight and to take my Mom home. Kiddos are going to spend some time with Hubby while I'm gone. Thankful he's been helping me out.
• Lightening is deciding to have a little tantrum right now because she's not getting her way while playing with her sister. Here we go again.
• Turning on Arthur on TV. Needing a diversion. Right now.
• Need to make dinner. Good thing I have a plan.

9.9.09

All about my day on 9/9/09:

• Alarm set incorrectly this morning. Good thing I woke up when the sun did, or Hubby would have been late for work. He did miss his morning run, though. I'm sure he wasn't happy about that.
• Dad in hospital recovering from back surgery he had yesterday. Had a quick visit with him when I took my Mom there this morning. Hate that recovery is difficult.
• Concerned about my Dad and all the potential harmful things about being in the hospital.
• Been doing lots of running back and forth to the hospital.
• My Mom seems overwhelmed by this experience with my Dad. Hate that.
• My Mom finally seeing her doctor about some medical issues plaguing her.
• It's early release day at my girls' school. Pickup one hour early. That's a hard habit to get into - every Wednesday.
• Slightly panicking because I am not prepared like I hoped to be for my niece's baby shower on Saturday.
• A 2-coffee day. Thoroughly enjoyed them, I might add.
• Lightening awoke at 6:15am. Wide awake. She needs to sleep longer in the morning!
• Thunder bored this afternoon. Kind of driving me nuts. Right now, she is lying next to me on the floor singing HSM songs.
• 2 baskets of laundry staring at me, waiting patiently to be folded.
• My kitchen, living room, and den are currently cluttered with baby shower stuff for the weekend.
• Made an early morning run to Target and Michael's for necessary items.
• Dropped off items for school raffle.
• Got a few groceries.
• Going to make a meal for my Mom, so I know she's eating properly. She's too busy right now to cook or to take time for herself. Needing to keep an eye on her.
• Sis alerted me to a great deal on Restaurant.com. Took advantage of that.
• Needing to overhaul my house. A good cleaning is in order. Next week...
• Thought I was organized and ready for school to start - feeling a tad out of sorts with all that's going on.
• Feeling a little stressed about things going on - Dad being in the hospital, Mom not well, worry for both (I share this worry with my siblings, I'm sure), pending baby shower and all that goes with it, trying to keep up with everything, keeping my kiddos in a good routine for school amidst all this craziness, everyday life stuff.
• Feeling like I've fallen off the bandwagon this week with my weight loss program. Haven't been recording the things I've eaten, not cared about some of the things I've eaten - a far cry from the last 8 weeks. With all that has been going on, I think it's just not been my focus. I need - I WANT - to hop back on the cart with my next meal, measuring my portions again, eating the right things. I will. I definitely will. I don't want all the work I've put into this to be for nought.

Surgery Tomorrow

My Dad is having back surgery tomorrow at 8:30am Central time to fix a slipped disc problem and remove scar tissue. Please pray:

• That my Dad would have peace before the surgery.
• That my family would all have a peacful spirit and without anxiousness while we wait for him to come out of surgery.
• That he will come through the surgery without any problems.
• That the surgeons would have skilled hands and a clear mind while doing what they need to do to fix his back issues.
• That his recovery would be quick and with minimal or no pain.
• That his back pain would be alleviated.

We know God hears us and answers prayer. We are Believing for a miracle for my Dad.

Thank you All.

Me

Holiday Weekend Not What It Should Have Been

Really wishing I could say that we are having an awesome holiday weekend, but it's not so. We always try to have a fun Labor Day weekend - a last hurrah of the summer. It's not meant to be this year.

My Dad is in the hospital (and has been for the past 5 days) with major back problems. He slipped a disc and couldn't walk. They've been doing some tests, trying to help him manage the pain with meds and rest, and help him overcome the issue. But he's in awful pain that isn't going away. They are talking about him having back surgery on Tuesday. I'd imagine we'll find out more tomorrow.

Unfortunately, surgery is no small deal for my Dad, with all of his other health issues, especially his weakened heart. The thought of it is frightening, but there's no way he can continue to live with the pain he has. This isn't living as it should be. Please pray for my Dad that he would be healed of this problem. And if he would need surgery, please pray that it would be successful, and that he'd be brought through the surgery without any problems.

And with all of this going on, my Mom has developed some concerning health problems. She is waiting until Tuesday before she calls her doctor, because she does not want to see the doctor at the walk-in clinic (very bad experience there about a week ago and she doesn't have any faith that they will help her). She won't be convinced by any of us to give it a try again. We are doing what we can to help her while she waits for Tuesday and are keeping a very close eye on her. But this, too, is scary and difficult to watch.

We've spent lots of time on what should have been a nice holiday weekend running back and forth to the hospital. Caring for our parents and their needs. Doing whatever we can to help in any way we can help. Trying to be sure they are OK. And I am not complaining in the least. It's just very hard. I'd do anything for them. I wish I could do more.

Feeling bad that my folks are in pain and not well. Feeling bad that they've missed a beautiful weekend outdoors. Feeling bad that they are facing these challenges. Feeling bad that they aren't enjoying this holiday weekend together doing something fun, taking a drive together, grabbing an ice cream cone, sitting with their windows open and enjoying the last-of-summer breezes. Just feeling bad about it all.

And here I sit on one hand, feeling guilty that I am not spending enough quality time with my kids and leaving much of that to my husband. Then on the other hand, when I am with my husband and kids doing whatever we are doing (or anything Remotely fun), I feel guilty that I am not with my folks. Or when we ARE having a fun moment, I feel guilty because I am having a good time, and my other family members are hurting. And having Real fun is just not even possible when someone you love is in pain. It's not fair. Guilt is a nasty thing.

Wishing with all my heart that my parents were OK. Please say a prayer for them, if you are one that prays.

Soul Searching

Been doing a little soul searching this week about one thing in particular. Here's the thing:

Thunder is practically begging to go to Kindergarten for Full day, rather than half day. We currently have her enrolled in the half-day program and she just completed her first week, which was super.

Thunder LOVES school - LOVES it. And every time I pick her up, she seems almost down about the fact that she needs to go home. She is feeling that she is missing out on things that all her friends are doing in the afternoon. And she's unhappy that she "just" gets to go home with me. {insert hurt feelings - mine...}

OK, here's the thing. We have ALWAYS thought that we'd be sending our kids to a half-day Kindergarten program - for numerous reasons. Lightening went to half-day K. That was our plan for Thunder, too.

So, here I sit, stunned to be even considering sending Thunder full time. She has let me know in no uncertain terms that she is completely disappointed to not be attending the afternoon session. She feels like she is missing out. She is missing free-choice play time (time to play with her friends). She is missing out on recess, which she had been looking forward to. Perhaps this is just because it's new - only the first week. However, she is very strong in her opinion of all of this right now.

While we have never considered the full-time option before, we find that we are needing to at least consider the option. Some thoughts I have:

• Am I being selfish to keep her home with me?
• Is it selfish to want this time with her - time that we will never get back? We missed her first year when she was in China. And I missed another 1 1/2 years while I worked at my job. I just wanted this time with her.
• Am I holding her back if I don't let her go full time this year? Academically and socially, she is doing well. Her teacher said she can already tell that Thunder will do just fine doing part time.
• Is she missing out on something I can't give her at home?
• Is it detrimental to her to keep her home when she wants to be somewhere else (because, how could a 5-year old really know what it is that she needs)?
• Is a decision to have her go half day only really more about me than it is about her?
• Am I really looking at this from her perspective?
• Do the benefits of this time with me outweigh what she could get at school an extra 3 hours a day?

Once we send her full time, that's it. We cannot go back. We are considering all of this very carefully before we make a final decision. I just want us to do the right thing for her. And I am working very hard at putting my personal feelings aside and putting her needs above my desires.

Wish I knew what the right thing is.

Learning From Our Children

My kids were amazed when I told them yesterday that their Dad and I were still learning every single day. And their eyes got REALLY wide when I told them that we even learn from THEM! I think that took them by surprise!


Some things we learn from our kids:

• Simplicity is actually the best. Give me the simple life.
• A little bit of love and attention goes a long, long way.
• The gift of your time is more meaningful than something purchased.
• You definitely CANNOT buy someone's love.
• Laughter really IS the best medicine. And it certainly tastes better than cough syrup.
• Crying over spilled milk is silly. Just wipe it up and move on.
• Sleep is so underrated. A short nap does a body good.
• Rolling in a pile of leaves is especially fun.
• You don't need a zillion toys to have a good time. A simple cardboard box will do.
• You can explore a new place every single time you open a book.
• Music makes your heart dance and that makes your feet dance.
• There is NO silly question; just silly people who don't want to answer them.
• Sometimes, eating dessert first is the ONLY thing to do.
• EVERYBODY needs a hug sometimes.
• Fresh air is a good thing.

Seriously, we learn so much from our kids. They make us better parents. They make us better people.

Hey, Did You Happen To See...

The most beautiful girls in the world?

New Routine Again

Wednesday. We're back to school now - 2nd day. Today is a little different, wherein Hubby is back to work (was off for a few days) and the kids are now in their school year routine. Different for me. It'll be OK - just takes some time to get used to.

Some things about today:

• Smooth-running morning.
• Kids happy when they woke up.
• Thunder keeps saying, "I LOVE Kindergarten!!!" She keeps saying she wants to go ALL day, instead of just half days. Glad she likes it, but she needs to relax a bit.
• Drop off at school went really well.
• Smiled when I opened my girls' lockers at school. I had taped up some family photos there, and a special note to them. Both kids commented about how they loved the pictures of their family.
• Sunny day - pleasant temps. Feels like Fall.
• Saw a tree outside the school that had mostly yellow & orange leaves. Surprised me.
• Quiet in the home right now. Not used to silence here.
• Enjoying my coffee.
• Getting my morning dose of the Today Show.
• Printed 1st day of School pics. Going to put together Thunder's 1st Day of K mini book.
• Some cleanup to do around the house this morning.
• Need to work out my to-do list for the next week or two - projects, things I've been putting off, daily stuff. It's time.
• Lots to do in my mind - trying to muster up the energy to begin.
• I think Lightening's lunch box is just too sweet. Makes me smile to make her lunch in the morning.
• Reading all the classroom information from the teachers. Want to be sure I have everything in order and know the rules.
• Really need to figure out a way to have a family bulletin board/calendar station that is more visible. Right now, ours is behind a door in our den. Not the most conducive for keeping track of all I need to.
• Some baby shower planning & prep to do today or tomorrow. Gotta get it done.