Drip Drip Drip

Ok, so last night, I am getting ready for bed and I see a huge wet spot in the middle of my bed... now we are beyond the years of little munchkins jumping on my bed, and of diapers springing a leak.
So what do I do?
I look up.
and see the problem. Our roof is leaking :P again. but this time its in my room! urgh.
So I get Mouth and Blue Eyes to help me move my monster of a bed and then of course you have to vacuum the whole room, and move everything around so that we can move around said bed freely. And I try to get all that done b4 HH comes in and sees the problem. I know he will see there is a problem (duh!), but to save him the stress of something he can do nothing about was my goal.
Poor guy. He hates this house more and more every year I think. Dumb ice dams this year have not won this house any points with HH.
I will be painting ceilings and patching holes this spring :) and I am ok with that ~ I have been wanting to scrape this awful popcorn texture off this ceiling for forever! Now I have my perfect reason to get it done.

See, I am trying to keep a good attitude about this. I. am. trying.
But I just have to say it. You know Chinese water torture?
You've experienced the dripping faucet that can keep you from having a good nights sleep, right?
Well, let me tell you, a dripping roof. the drips getting caught in a pan. that sound can drive you CRAZY!! especially when its at the foot of your bed.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip....

A 2 day break...

Ok, Handsome Hubby is gone for the next few days. It used to be an every week occurrence, in fact it used to be a huge treat to have him home for 4 days out of the month... but that hasn't been the norm around here for almost 2 years now (oh, how sad it still makes me. I miss those days of travelling!). So he caught a plane this morning, and will be back tomorrow night. And the kids are running around the house, getting their chores done. And are super excited for a popcorn and ice cream and movie night. And I am looking forward to reading all night :) I am NOT looking forward to a cold bed to myself.

I feel guilty for feeling this way! yikes! Why is it that HH leaves for 2 days and I feel like it is a mini vacation for the Pack and I? It really isn't that way. HH is a wonderful husband and dad! And we love seeing him come thru the door every night after work.
And I love cooking wholesome, filling, hot meals for him to come home to.
Ok, I don't always love that part.
I love making sure his jeans are clean and mended and his socks are matched and lovingly put in his dresser.
Ok, I don't really love that part either.
I always make sure the Pack is clean, and presentable and respectful and quiet so HH can come home and relax after a hard day of working out in the cold. Put his feet up on the ottoman (cedar chest), the tv remote is next to his favorite spot on the couch and a cold can of diet Mt Dew is waiting for him....
Ok, that doesn't really happen. I am a horrible wife. Really. Really. Horrible.
And now I feel very very guilty for all those things that I should be doing for this man who works out in the cold. Sometimes 7 days a week. So I can be home with our Pack. And now he is gone for 2 days and I am feeling like its a mini vacation. And feeling even more guilty for that too.

Oh good grief.

I better go clean our bedroom.
And iron his dress shirts.
And mend that stack of clothes.
And throw his clothes in the wash machine so he will have only clean clothes to come home to.
And plan tomorrow nights supper so he has a nice wholesome, filling, hot meal to come home to.

I think I just made a ton more work for myself.
Maybe I should hit "DELETE" and forget that these thoughts ever crossed my mind...

So much for a 2 day break ;)

Sympathetic ?

I was informed last weekend that I do not have a sympathetic bone in my body.
You know what?
I think you may be right.

Handsome Hubby messed up his back Saturday morning.
Was I overly helpful the rest of the weekend?
Not especially so.
Sorry.

Thursday
Midnight
Blue Eyes sneaks into my room quietly
stops by MY side of the bed and whispers
MOM!? *notice how whispers are the louder than normal talking voices when whispers
are said by children?*
"MOM!? Baby Sister just threw up all over our bedroom"
my response?
"Get a bucket of water and a rag and clean it up"
She *whispers* "I can't. I'll throw up too if I do"
She has her daddy's stomach of steel I tell ya.
So I drag my tired body out of bed (did I mention that I hadn't slept well
for the 3 nights previous? Darn stress :P),
up the stairs, get on my knees and scrub the carpet.
Baby Sister is lying on her bed, pale, moaning, clutching her stomach.
"Get yourself a bucket. Clean up around your bed. And go rinse out your mouth"
I tell her.

Yep, you heard me right.
No, "Ohhhh Baby Girl, are you alright?" "Do you want to cuddle on the couch with me?"
No, " What can I do for you sweetheart?"
Nope. Not me.
I'm a 'black and white' type of girl.
A 'see a problem and fix it' type of girl.

I guess what I'm trying to say is,
If you have a problem that needs fixing?
I'm the girl for you!
If you are looking for a shoulder to cry on?
Ummm, call someone else ;)

Crazy Energy

Hey Mom Hey Mom Hey Mom Hey Mom Hey Mom
WHAT?!?!?!?
I forgot..... giggle giggle giggle giggle

five kids and a dog running around the house
five kids chasing a big dog around the house in one direction
one big dog chasing five kids back around the house the other direction
AAAAHHHHAAAAHHHHAAAHHHHAAAAHHHHHAAAHHHHHAAHHHH!

picture in your head the screaming and yelling and giggling done by the five kids

ENOUGH!!! You are driving me crazy!!!

Laugh laugh laugh laugh giggle giggle giggle giggle
answer the five kids
WOOF!
answers the big dog


Later in the day....

Hey Mom, would you let me dye a streak in my hair?

Nope, I answered her

Ok, mom. You have to pick ONE... another hole in my ear? OR a streak in my hair?

Neither
MOM!
Nope I don't have to pick one. I will not allow EITHER of them. And ya know what?
What? she asks (pouting)
I'm the mom! SO THERE!!! *cue the evil laughter ~bwhahahahhaha! ~ sometimes being the mom is such a power trip ;)

If you ever happen to spend a week with us this is what you will probably hear in the mornings...

'What's for breakfast?'
the BP ask me
'Pancakes!'
I answer them
grumble grumble grumble
grrrrrrr

next morning...

'What's for breakfast Mom?'
'scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and juice!'
I answer them
pout pout pout pout whine whine whine whine

*seriously?!?!?! *
grrrrrrrrr!

this morning....

'Mom? Whats for breakfast?'

'CEREAL. COLD. MUSHY. CEREAL'
I answer them

YYYYAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!

smiling happy kids running around the house telling each other,
"WE GET CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST!!!!"

Seriously??? Why do I even try?

Furnace Working?

Ok, our furnace went on the blink last year. We heat mainly with wood, so I really didn't think much of it. Wellll, HH has decided today that he wants to find out whats wrong with the furnace, so he goes down to the basement, takes the panel off the furnace, and starts monkeying around with things. Pretty soon I hear this rumble and feel a breeze. Yep, he got the fan working on it, but it won't ignite. Probably a simple fix (I think this has happened b4 and it ended up being like a $30 part).

But you know what?

Yep. I. HATE. THE. NOISE!!
This is the girl who cannot sleep with the surface light on above the stove. The girl that, if she had her way, would not have a lighted alarm clock in the bedroom. The girl who cannot fall asleep with the dryer running. Good grief, she even has to have the printer off in the schoolroom so that annoying blue light doesn't keep her up all night.

Trying to figure out a way for the furnace to "break" again so I don't have to hear that awful rumble... hmmmmm.

REMINGTON

"Remington! We should name him Remington!!!" I told the girls
"NO! His name is Goober" Beans told me.

"Remington! Remmmiington!! Come here Remington" I say. trying to show them that he will respond to a nicer name, thinking that maybe that is the reason he ignores us when we call his name, "Gooober. Goooobeerrrr!! GOOBER!!!" I mean seriously, who would want to have people yelling "Goober!" at them all the time? I wouldn't respond either!

"Reemmmiinngtoooon!"
"REMINGTON!"

*no response*

"POOP!!" yells Baby Sister
and he turns immediately and runs to her.
hhhhhhmmmmmmm......

A Mommy's Wish List pt 2

Ok, sometimes those things on a mommy's wish list? Yeah, sometimes
those things do come true :) Guess what I got for Christmas? SOCKS!!!! Yep, lots of socks!
Colored socks, striped socks, white socks, black socks :) Socks! And I know which ones are MINE! Those girls better keep their hands off! I've actually seen them in the piles bound for the girls' dressers and had to grab them out b4 they can make it ;) Better watch out girls, I'm on to you!

I got another thing that was on my list. In a way that I would never have dreamt. In a way I was not expecting. And I am truelly thankful :) I received a FB post. RDS&W asked me to call them. Gave me a cell #. I called (really I was expectng an invite for coffee ;). RDS is a really wonderful guy, a 2nd cousin, once removed. I think. W is his wife ;) He asked me what size HH is. Jeans and shirt. I told him. ( I had previously posted on FB about how HH was freezing cold when he got home from work one day). He told me NOT to tell HH. Chatted about the BP for a few minutes, then said goodbye.

They called me Saturday. Asked if we were going to be around? Well, we are on our way to town to get groceries. I told him. But we can meet in town for supper? ( We had a gift card ;) Met for supper, had so much fun chatting with them!!! We sat and chatted for over 2 hrs!

Sorry Applebees waitress. for hogging a table for over 2hrs. on a Saturday night. during peak tip time.

Ok, so we were done eating, paid the check. yes I tipped her well. Anyone who has ever waited tables should know to tip well.

On our way out the door RDS&W asked us to swing by their truck. Well, HH went and got our truck, I walked with RDS&W to their truck. When HH picked me up, RDS&W took a very large box out of their truck and said, "Merry Christmas!!" Well, I was smiling ear to ear! They had told me what they were looking to get for HH. Insulated bib overalls and an insulated work coat! ( after HH lost all that weight during the last year, well, we hadn't replaced his winter work clothes. He really was freezing when he was working out in the cold ) I opened that big box and looked at HH to see his reaction... then glanced down at the box and saw that there was a gift for me in there too... A stand mixer!!! " When God gives us blessings, we just pass them along as He speaks to our hearts. " They told us.

Well, I know they read my blog (thats how they found out about "A mommy's wish list"). SO I just want to tell them, "THANK YOU!" HH is wearing his insulated clothes as he and Little Brother are working outside this week. And Mouth is breaking in the mixer by making mint chocolate chip cookies today :)

*sidenote - its very very entertaining to watch 2 teenage girls and an 8 yr old girl use a mixer for the first time in their lives :D

Do Over

Ok, I have been working on Beans' shawl for over a month, it was taking forever, was also trying to get tons of Christmas gifts done, baking, craftng, sewing, ect. Her bday is right before Christmas, poor girl usually ends up with an "anything homemade IOU" :P She still had a present to open, don't start hating! ANYWAY.... so, I have been working on her shawl for over a month now, really I hve been forcing myself to work on it, I really was not lovng the shape that it was taking, I was using homespun yarn, LOVE LOVE LOVE this yarn, but it takes some getting used to. So guess what I did? Yep, I ripped it all out... all 5 skeins. Starting all over. But I do have to say, haveing almost used a whole skein last night I am now LOVING how it is shaping this time around :D

Feelin good :)

OK, supper is bubbling away on the stove, tomorrow's supper is in the crockpot.
On the menu for tonight.... taco soup.
Tomorrow night supper... venison roast, potatoes and salads
:) I love this feeling.
Got up this morning (not as early as I wanted to, and no I didn't get my time alone for devotions), and I made HH's lunch. Banana muffins, with a struesel topping, yogurt, fruit, and a cheese stick. Hey, give me a break, trying to think outside the box here... :)
I WILL do better tomorrow with getting up earlier. and getting my time for devotions.
I guess you can't do it all at once. Right?
I am working on things. Designed the quilt for UmpaLumpa this morning! So excited to organize my fabric and start cutting out pieces! Working on the designs for my brothers Mini Me (we'll see how that one works out) and his oldest son (that one will be the easiest)'s quilts :D

And I have ideas for my Packs gifts for Christmas 2011! Very excited to get started on them!
And the Pack came up with an idea for Bestest Uncle's gift :) I love the idea, and they will all be helping cutting and stitching that one together!

School has been going good. Its always hard to get back to it after a long break but this time the Pack has immersed themselves right back into it without a hitch :)

Mouth and Beans took a video today with Beans' phone... they were crazy silly and even got me on it. But when listening to the silliness I totally realized why people cannot tell the difference between me and my girls when answering the phone! Goodness we all sound exactly alike!! Crazy crazy crazy!

Off to stir the soup and fold a load of laundry and stoke the woodstove and check on the craziness going on upstairs and and and :D and loving this crazy chaotic thing that I call my life!!

Welcome to the Family

We have a new addition to our already busting at the seams family. His name is Goober.

He is 11 months old, and the most mellow lab I have ever seen.

The Pack is already so in love with him. And ya know what? I rather enjoy him too. Which is a big deal for me. I don't really like dogs. Or cats. Or pets.

*ok, let me clarify that. I don't like animals that are in my face, that are treated like little humans. I can't stand it when cats are allowed on the counter, or the table.

But I do like this bug guy. He lays on the floor by my feet. He has big sad brown eyes that melt my heart. He follows me around. He is a good addition to our family.

Update on Baby Sister!

I thought I should maybe update on Baby Sister since I blogged about her pretty little stone in her stomach. She had an xray last week, and much to the amazement of everyone.... there was NOTHING on the xray!! No shining little disk of bad news! She somehow passed it, she thinks she knows exactly when too. At church. Dr Wonderful took one look at the xray, looked at Baby Sister, and said "Merry Christmas to you!!! NO SURGERY!" She was so relieved. We were all so happy that she won't have to go thru surgery :) And after all that digging for treasure, do you suppose she will learn not to put anything in her mouth that doesn't belong there? Man I hope so. She is eating again, although I must say her eating habits have gotten pickier. Pizza night with Bestest Uncle? She won't eat it, she asks for an apple or a yogurt or even a salad instead. Make pancakes for breakfast? She'll have a glass of juice and call'er good. I have come to the conclusion that she knows when she's hungry, and what feels good in her tummy and what doesn't. So I won't push it. As long as she's eating something. And as long as that something is good nutritious food. I will leave her to make her own decisions with her food. And I will make sure she has good options to choose from.
Oh, when Dr Wonderful looked at the xray and saw NOTHING? He said, "I can't believe that went thru her system!" "Oh, we had alot of people praying about it" I answered him :)
Praise God for answered prayer! and thank you to everyone that has been praying for Baby Sister the last 2 months. Those prayers are very much appreciated. I just thought you should know that those prayers were answered. And that our amazing Heavenly Father still answers prayers, even when it seems like an impossibility in our minds. He specializes in the impossible :)

Re-evaluate for 2011

I have been looking back at 2010 and thinking about the things I would like to do different in 2011... the following are a few of the things I have come up with.

Personal Changes for 2011:

set a time to start my day in prayer and Bible reading. be consistant
make reasonable goals with my weight loss and eating plan
walk Goober 3 times a week
have coffee with a friend once a month to rejuvenate and be a blessing to another struggling mother
start a journal. write in it every evening.
excercise... oh how I hate that word :P
save a special note or drawing from each of my Pack ( I tend to THROW everything away :( So sad when I think about all those special little notes)

** Handsome Hubby has kept a letter written to him from Beans when she was 11, turning 12. It is such a sweet little note, he keeps it in his wallet, it is getting worn out, he asked me last week to do something with it so he can perserve it, yet he doesn't want it put away somewhere. He wants to be able to pull it out and read it whenever he needs a sweet little pick-me-up. why haven't I kept the sweet little notes from my Pack??**



Household Changes:

deep clean one room every week
make a meal plan and grocery list every Sunday (and FOLLOW THRU!)
be diligent in making Handsome Hubby's lunch every morning, and find more interesting options for him
do family devotions every morning b4 HH heads to work
organize the schoolroom and all paperwork in this house!
cut electronic stimulation for my Pack... focus more on good books and games to play as a family
2 video rentals a month... family friendly and one must be a classic
invite one family over once a month for a meal and family fun
paint my bedroom, fix the hole in the ceiling


Financial changes:

have a solid budget for all gifts for 2011 and stick with it (bdays, Christmas, ect)
make my gift list for Christmas 2011 (homemade or thrifted) complete 3 gifts a month
one date night a month that costs $ (like dinner and a movie)
one night a week is date night (going for a walk, completing a project together, playing a game together, ect)
pay for any home-improvements with cash



I am sure I will come up with a few more things to add to my lists of things to change as I reflect on this past year, on my challenges, my struggles, my joys. Areas in my life I want to be stronger in, areas I need to purge in my life. I will try to remember to keep things updated on my blog, if I forget, send me a little note and ask me how I am doing on these things, I am a big fan of accountability!