A Mommy's Wish List

Ok, a mom's wish list is so much different than a child's or a single woman's wish list.
I don't have "a new Barbie doll", or a "DS Game" or some new fangled electronic device on my wish list. I don't have high end designer jeans I wouldn't know which ones are in style anyway, actually, I don't even know the high end designer jean's brand names... or a fancy shmancy purse, do they call them "bags" now?, on my wish list. No posh jewelry or glossy boots on a mommy's wish list, (secretly I would LOVE a pair of glossy high heeled black knee high boots! But I don't know where I would wear them or what I would wear them with. I would need a whole new wardrobe! hmmm... sign me up for the boots! ;)
Nope a Mommy's Wish List goes kinda like this...

* socks, size 9. something so different that my girls will not want to steal them
* a stand mixer. I am tired of handmixing all these Christmas cookies!!
* a bag of assorted zippers, bias tape, ect. for sewing projects
* TIME!!! to get everything done in a day that I need to
* a master bathroom!! or at least another bathroom in this house! 1 bathroom is just not enough anymore :P
* a maid for a day
* an anniversary getaway (3 months later)

ok, the master bathroom would be for ME!! but really, everything else on that list has something to do with the rest of the family. Remember when you were a child? Or single (I wouldn't know what that feels like, but I've heard about it!)? It seems everything on their lists are all about "ME MYSELF and I". Somewhere along the line it becomes something for the kitchen (to make food prep easier for when I make meals for them), something for the house, something for the whole family to enjoy.
I guess that's what being a mom is all about. I love my life and wouldn't want to change it for anything.

But I still dream of those glossy-black-high-heeled-knee-high boots with that fancy wardrobe and sparkly jewelry and that designer bag that has a some sort of new fangled electronic device tucked inside it :) A girl can dream right?!!!!

Pretty Little Stones

Don't look at the dirty hands please! Baby Sister is a dirt magnet.

November 15th, 2010

See the pretty little stone in Baby Sister's tummy? It was a very scary event that brought that not so little object to be in there....

We were doing school one day, right around the lunch hour, so some of the Pack were already done with school, Mouth was making lunch for everyone. Beans and I were in the schoolroom when Baby Sister came rushing down the stairs. She was very red in the face and turning blue around her lips and her eyes were screaming at me for help but not a sound was coming out of her wide open mouth. I thought maybe she had fallen and gotten the wind knocked out of her so I told her to settle down and put her head between her legs. Beans was watching all of this and told me," Mom, I think she's choking on something." (always my calm level-headed girl). So I turned Baby Sister and did the heimlich on her. it pushed enough air up to turn whatever was in her throat so she could get breath again! Then she started hyperventilating and acted like she was going to throw up. I didn't know what she had choked on. I didn't know if it was still lodged in her throat. She was sobbing and saying it felt like it was stuck "right here" and pointing to her throat. So I grabbed my keys, threw her in the van and drove the few blocks to the clinic (not the clinic we usually go to but I didn't feel comfortable driving the 15 miles to that clinic with a little girl who could stop breathing at any moment).

~ Note to all you moms out there, there is a very good reason to get up and get dressed for the day when you wake up in the morning. and um maybe put a bra on?!?! gotta love those baggy winter sweatshirts! needless to say I did not look pretty :P ~

We got there and they got her right in to see Dr. Wonderful. He sent her right to xray so we could see what she swallowed (she kept telling us it was a marble and showing us how big she thought it was, but we don't HAVE marbles that big!?! SO I really wasn't sure what we were going to find). Thankfully it had moved down into her stomach, not her lungs.

The first two xrays were the ones taken the day she swallowed it. They were deceiving. Dr. Wonderful thought she could pass it just fine and sent us home. After he gave her instructions that she had the job of "digging for treasure". SHE got that fun job, NOT her mommy dearest that she had just scared 5 yrs of life out of . If no treasures were found in 4 days he wanted to see her again and take another picture to see what was going on.

Well, no treasure. Lots of digging, but nothing to show for it. I was thinking this will cure her of ever putting anything in her mouth again. I was right, she barely eats anything now :P

So back into the clinic we went. Another picture was taken. She brought along a "twin" to the marble that she swallowed which ended up not being a marble but a decorative glass stone that I bought for making super cute magnets for my kitchen boards. She had been playing with the extras that I never used. That picture showed a better picture of the size of the object that we were dealing with. Scary!

Well, as of right now, no treasure has been found. Dr Wonderful has gotten in touch with a couple specialists. They both said to give it till after Christmas. If she still has it in her tummy then it looks like it will be surgery to get it out. The surgeons have a difference of opinion on how to get it out. One says to go back down thru the throat and get it out that way. The other says that could cause damage to her throat muscles, vocal chords, ect. and that they should go in and surgically remove it. Right now I am leaning more towards the surgery. I would not want to take the chance of damaging her throat in any way.

She is feeling good right now. She has had a few episodes when she gets stomach cramps and feels like she has to throw up but it passes quickly and she goes on with her day. Her appetite is pretty much nothing right now but she hasn't been losing any weight that I can tell. She still loves her sweets so we bribe her. :)

Never a dull moment with my Brat Pack. Keeps life interesting. right?

"It Was An Accident! ?"

So, Thanksgiving morning is on us, we are getting the pies finished up, the smashed potatoes smashed and seasoned, the salad made,

*didn't turn out, make ANOTHER ONE!!*

pack up the truck, glance at the Pack to make sure they are half way presentable

NOPE!!

* Baby Sister go change your shirt! *whine whine stomp stomp*

* no, not that one * "MooooooMMMMMM" whine whine stomp stomp stomp*

* NO not that one... something NICE * more whining and stomping*

* let Beans or Mouth help pick something out for you * stomp stomp and arguing can be heard by all three coming from their closet*

* QUIT WHINING! OR I WILL PICK OUT YOUR CLOTHES AND MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A 3 YR OLD!!! *silence from the closet*

~Sidenote~ whining was from Baby Sister. NOT me

Have Beans, Blue Eyes and Mouth bring out the baskets of food.

Find out that the stupid trucks "cargo area" actually has no "area" to speak of. Can't even fit a laundry basket of food in the "cargo area".

The "I told you we should take the van" conversation (argument) takes place between Handsome Hubby and me (the always submissive, perfect wife ;).

* that stupid cargo area causes many arguments between us, but it is always when we are in the middle of something important, like making that super duper grocery run once a month or on our way to a family function with a truck full of food or we bought a large item at the store. It usually goes something like this...
"are you sure it will fit in the truck?" I ask.
he rolls his eyes and gives me a dirty look, "OF COURSE IT WILL FIT IN THE TRUCK" he answers me. just a tad annoyed with me because he thinks (knows) another "I told you we should take the van" conversation is about to take place.
we get out to the truck. open the back door of the truck, see all five heads of The Pack in their seats and the little bitty bit of space between the backseat and the back door.
"which kids do we leave here or sell?" I smugly ask him
(because I know when to keep my mouth shut and bask in the glory of being right... NOT)
so we take said big item out of the box and all its packaging and distribute all pieces from the box onto the laps of The Pack to hold all the way home. Or grocery bags get set on laps for the Pack to hold all the way home.
Its a silent drive home usually.*

Sorry! Rabbit trail!! Back to Thanksgiving morning... the basket won't fit in the truck cargo area.....

Someone will have to hold the basket on their lap I tell them.

*Leave them to argue about who gets that loverly privilege.

I send the 2 youngest of the Pack out to their seats while I am throwing on a sweater and trying to find my purse.

Oops, forgot to look in the mirror this morning.

run a brush thru my hair and over my teeth.

Handsome Hubby is waiting by the door for me, tells me the deck is icy, be careful ( I fell on the ice the week before, it hurt ). He helps me down the icy steps, then walks to the truck to check out the nonexistent cargo area. Opens the back door of the truck and sees the 2 youngest hanging over the seat in front of them (all he sees is their rears in the air), and overhears Baby Sister say, " we are gonna be in TROOUUUBLE."

"What are you doing!?!" he growls

Little Brother turns around and says very quickly, "It was an accident!" but the evidence is on his face.

Whip cream.

smeared.

all. around. his. mouth.

my banana cream pies
were smashed.

Handsome Hubby gets upset (banana cream is his favorite)

I
LAUGH

till I cry. (I can be the cool parent sometimes too ya know!)

*rewind*

Mouth had brought the pies out and set them on the middle seat while she went in to get her bag. Little Brother didn't realize said pies were on the seat that collapses when he hits the button for the seat to collapse so he can get out of the truck (kinda wordy. I know :P ) he forgot his hat and gloves and decides to run into the house quick to get them.

* Hits Button*

Pies disappear

Beans and Blue Eyes gasp

Mouth comes upon the scene. Eyes are huge

They snap the seat back into upright position and find toothpicks sticking out of the seat back (I put toothpicks in the pies to keep the plastic wrap from destroying my pretty whip cream decorating).

There is whip cream on the seat, oozing out of the plastic wrap on all sides. Little Brother decides to get rid of all evidence.


Eat. The. Whip Cream.

Handsome Hubby enters the scene.

"It was an accident!" is heard

Laugh till I cry.

Its these moments that make life fun :)

We salvaged the pies (its not like someone sat on them or anything ;)

Drove to my parents and had a great day with family :)

The End

Closet Chaos

No, not my closet, you see I don't even have a closet, I have a pile of sweatshirts on the floor of my room, a rod in the storage room to hang a few skirts and Handsome Hubby's plether of button down shirts. Nope, its not my closet chaos I speak of (blog of?), its my daughter's closet, and I really should not complain, all 4 girls share one closet, its not a huge closet, its not a tiny closet, (they shouldn't complain, at least they HAVE a closet!) but this closet is jam packed! Who needs 15 jackets? Or how about 30 skirts?? And the number of puffy vests, in all different colors to match that one shirt that goes with "my favorite jeans!" And boots, oh my for the boots these girls own... brown ~ at least 8 pairs, black (but these I call "hooker heels" and they aren't allowed to wear them anywhere, which begs the question, "why do we still have them in the house??" they only add to the closet chaos. sorry, rambling!), pirate boots, jammie boots (? cuz they look really really cute with jammie pants, why would you need boots that look really cute with jammies?? Do you wear these boots to bed?!? rambling again) dress shoes, a zillion flip flops, btw, I HATE flip flops! They encourage dirty feet in my house, in my car, everywhere. all under the guise of "shoes". Flip flops are not shoes. they don't cover your feet, they don't protect your feet, they don't support your skeletal system ( I don't think that's the clinical phrase, but you know what I mean). Not to mention the tennis shoes, all colors under the rainbow to go with different outfits. And the actual snow boots, not to be confused with the fashionable boots, of course they have them too. Jeans, pants, shorts, sweatshirts, blouses (sorry, I call them blouses, my girls have no clue what blouses are, they call them "dress shirts" informal dress shirts?) Of course they all have dresses too... lots and lots of dresses and cute little sweaters that go with that certain little dress, and matching heels finish up the look. And the scarves, pretty scarves in all different colors. And bags and purses and backpacks (plural. "Mom, the white with orange flowers messenger bag does NOT go with my pink puffy vest! *rolling of the eyes*).
**Now, for the sake of full disclosure, we (they) buy these clothes at GW, or they are given them, usually for babysitting 3 adorable little boys that have a mom with amazing clothes ;) and when they shop at GW its on Tuesdays, Tag Sale Tuesdays, when they buy items for $1.50... so don't think I encourage mindless spending of hard earned money on a $50 pair of boots or a $40 pair of jeans. We don't do that kind of thing.
I think it may be time to take control of the closet chaos... but its so much easier to shut the door and leave it for another day, say.... when they move out???

This is just me, dreaming again ;)

I am falling in love with old farmhouses... the wide planked floors, the beat up baseboards, every nick and ding must have a story behind it. I dream of living in one someday. On an actual farm where I can have an acre garden and barns and a chicken coop and barn cats and a stream that Little Brother can go fishing in. I think we have become a people that don't appreciate the history of the places around us. We want new everything, new cars, new houses, new EVERYTHING!! I have fallen in love with old everything... old cars, old houses, old clothes, old linens, old buttons, old appliances, old furniture ( I have to tell you, it is built so much better than this newer junk they sell! ) The details in older homes is amazing. The woodwork is beautiful, and its real wood! The plaster walls have such character, the doors are solid wood, the wood floors are real wood and every dent and scrape gives it even more character. Leaded glass windows, farm sinks, basement root cellars, drafty windows (no mold problems there!!), and the creaks and groans that these beautiful stately old farmhouses make let you know that it has been around for allot longer than I have been! I grew up in an old stately Victorian style home, the woodwork is amazing, the rooms enormous, the floors beautiful ( even if my dad doesn't agree ;), the high ceilings were meant to keep it cooler in the summer (and it is), the old windows (only a few left) are drafty. The wide open grand staircase is beautiful in detail and craftsmanship, (even tho no one sees it anymore cuz the main entrance that we use would have been considered the kitchen or servants entrance). It has been slowly modernized over the years, some new windows, a full basement put under it, some sheetrock in places, but it still has good bones! I love the doors, and the floors, and the plaster walls and the woodwork, ah, the woodwork...
someday... someday I will have my dream house, not a Victorian for me, but an old farmhouse, that still has good bones.
I guess I will always be a dreamer, but such good dreams I have

Manic Mondays....

Some days I find myself just rambling about nothing, dreaming of something big happening in my life... win the lottery (problem with that one is I would first have to PLAY the lottery in order to WIN the lottery ;), lose weight, have an amazing body, get my hair done, have money to buy clothes that actually fit me, a closet full of shoes, ( I really do love shoes, you would never know it to see my humble collection of 4 pairs of shoes ) get a mani and pedi on a REGULAR basis! ( I have had it done ONCE in my life, a bday present from my favorite auntie :), space and time to work on my sewing and crafts, the money to travel and take a vacation with Handsome Hubby and the Pack... just dreaming again. You know me, I love to dream :)

I dream of being witty and charming and having friends to call up and get together with "just because". I think I may actually be a pretty boring person. I don't have amazing things happen in my life. I have never had any life altering moment occur. You know, one of those "ah ha" moments that you hear about? Yeah, um never had anything like that happen to me.

Just another manic Monday! But you've had those kind of days too! Right?

I want to be like her...

Saying "Good Bye" is such a difficult thing to do. When we know our loved one is going to be in Jesus' arms soon, we know that it is not a time to be sad but to be joyful that they are without pain, that they will once again be totally lucid and not confused, but I can be selfish and not want him to go. Right? I can still grieve and my heart can be breaking for the strong woman he is leaving behind. Seeing her sitting by his bed, with her head lying on the pillow next to his head, seeing her lips moving and tears flowing down her cheeks, knowing she is praying for a swift and painless passing for her beloved husband, thinking that THAT is the woman I want to be like. Trying to imagine the feeling of going home alone, thinking of the preperations that she will be making in the days ahead, not being able to imagine being able to do any of that, yet knowing she will, she doesn't have a choice. So I can be selfish and not want it to happen, not now, not ever. But I know it will, thats part of life. God's plan for all of us. For everything there is a season. That's just the way it is. So I will carry that picture in my heart forever. Of this amazingly strong godly woman sitting by her beloved husband, tears flowing down her cheeks, and seeing her lips moving in prayer. She is my Grandmother. I love her. I want to be like her.