Pneumonia : (

Ethan does in fact have pneumonia.  We went back for x-rays on Tuesday, then for two rocephin shots and a new oral antibiotic.  The shots were about as fun as wrestling an octopus with two heads.  An angry one.  Took three of us..same as the flu test on Monday.  I tell you, that kids got some fight in him. ; )  It's a good thing we sat in the parking lot and prayed before we went in.  (He said he needed a few minutes to *get ready*  So..it could have been WORSE than a two-headed angry octopus, eek!!)

He's still coughing, but getting better.  Still no school.  He's just tired (and cough-y).  I know I already said that, but he's been really good about keeping a water bottle in his hand all the time.  He's a precious.  It's been good to have the time with him.

Momma's too lazy to go see if he cleaned his room..so she sends him up to take pictures.  I personally think I'm a GENiUS!

We've 'homeschooled' this week.  We did some writing, counted coins (more than he'd like), subtracted and added coins, and did some spelling.  He missed last week's spelling test, and it looks like he might miss this week's. : (  But he's ready just in case.
 

Gigi brought him some cappuccino..he's happy.  Except about the coin counting.

I love him and that cutie I'm potty-training, but I'm pooped.  (no pun intended, haha!)  My pre (religious education) class is more than I can handle with 32 kids in a moldy, tiny, noisy room.  I'm overwhelmed, and I don't feel like they are getting the best out of the class either.  It speaks volumes about how our church feels about these kids too.  I'm not happy, and something has to change.  Obviously I have loads of self-confidence since I'm venting here about it rather than doing something about it. (ha!)  I actually have typed a letter to our director..I'm just sleeping on it, and I'll read it again tomorrow to make sure it wasn't written too hastily/with too much emotion.  I kinda know how I can be. ; )  Emotional?  Nah..

..still potty training.  More pee in the potty than out, woohoo!  In this picture, he was still pant-less.  He's sooo modest, he wraps his lovely blankie around his body.  But he doesn't dare pee on it!!  ..And he's now up to wearing undies.  SO cute.  Love those little tushies in teensy undies.

Tonight Clay played (with the marching band) at the junior high game!  We went to watch and to serve snacks after the halftime show.  He's a sweetie.  I'm glad he made it, there are some great kids in his group!

See the young lady on the 40 yard line in the dress?  He's behind her between the 40 and 45 yard line..if that makes any sense!

Yes, I have a nice camera.  No, I don't use it.  I don't even know where the battery charger might be.  I might learn to use it again.  In the next year.  I'm busy right now, ha!  
One more picture for you.  I have seriously cried today.  I don't know if it's stress or high emotion (the potty training, maybe?), hormones (have you ever tried to take a shower while your adorable child is sitting on the potty chair watching tv?), (and the potty hasn't come yet?) (and you've already waited two hours?), nervousness at sending a distress email, the need to go to the store for some groceries with two little boys who are both having bathroom troubles (one on STRoNG antibiotics, hint, hint! ..and did I mention the other was potty training?), or maybe I was just feeling sorry for myself.  But this ministered to me:

Ann Voskamp often ministers to me.  She is gentle, loving, and understands.  And she's an artist, bonus.

We all get to those places where we have given a-l-l we have..and there is nothing left.  It's painful, and we have to lean into God.  I've been here before, and it won't be the last time.  If you are there, I understand.  (If not, pray for me to get out!)  (Just kidding..kinda.)  It's not the worst ever, I just have to cry out to God.  To direct me.  To show me the path.  To keep my family covered in prayer.  Ches wants to let Clay go on a retreat with another church this weekend.  I think it is a Good Thing..but I'm crazy nervous.  Think Diabetes.  Meds.  Alone.  Without Guidance.  I guess I'm growing my faith one gigantic step at a time.  This is something he very much wants to do..and I'm trying to let go (of control, I think).

Praying for you right now.  That you can let go, and let God.  Whatever is weighing on your heart.  The Bible never tells us to worry.  Not once.  I'm going to turn this day over to Him.  Hope you can too! : )  Hugs!

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  Philippians 4:6 

PiNK & Nice to meet you

If being achy means I worked really hard yesterday, then I have proof. Kendra came back (long-suffering, isn't she?) and we repainted the room (after a trip back to Benjamin Moore for the CoRRecT color! He admitted he'd used the wrong base!). It was a long afternoon, and then I painted till about 10pm. I just really wanted to finish!! After my feet were killing me (I think you are supposed to wear shoes up on the ladder...), and my hand was achey, and my back was in pain (bending over backward to paint the ceiling), it was time to quit.

The color (kind of a dark pink) looks great in the dark, very elegant, and very cheerful in the day. I plan to dress it only in neutrals, so it looks more adult. This color could get out of hand really quickly! I can just tell. I think I'll use the same drapes I have in my bedroom, but maybe a shade darker. Kind of a linen-color. Then when we make pictures on the beach in Ocean City, I'll print them in sepia tones, mat them in white, and frame them in square chocolate frames. Not too much more in there. I'd planned to polka dot the chandelier shades, and add color, but I think sometimes less is really more (especially with a loud color). I want it to just be background. I'll still have to blend in the rooms around it, and I'll do it with the linen color. Unless I order new slipcovers for the couches...which I was kinda planning anyway...

Ethan came to get me this morning after running off mad at me. (Mean old me put milk in his cereal after he'd declared no milk) He came running saying, "Peepee!" So I tried to take him, and he said, "Show You!" So I went with him. Pee. On My Carpet. How not to punish? I made him freeze (in the yucky underwear) on the bathroom floor while I ran to get cleaner and a rag to clean. I came back to him dancing around (on the carpet!). It's like he was a dog, and he was showing me. Ugh. He's cleaned up, and he made a pee on the potty chair again. So, hopefully all's well. I have another Independent Child. I'm just meeting this child I've known for two and half years.

I feel selfish taking ten minutes to blog with the house on Pause (or Play behind my back), but I need a few minutes to myself. I've been so busy with Ches gone, and it'll stay busy till he's back. I need a shower, more paint, more painting time, and I'm planning to make church today. Somehow. Say a prayer for us! If we are supposed to be there, God will make a way.

**I feel like when I don't post, there is so much missed. Yesterday, we were out getting paint, mailing packages to two soldiers (one in Afghanistan, one in Japan), and I found out how difficult it is (and expensive!). I had to fill out forms for them to go through customs (yes, they were JUST girl scout cookies), and we were at the post office way too long. We got to the car, and Ethan had to go peepee. I didn't think peeing on public (government) property was allowed, so I tried to get him to go in my van trashcan. Nope. We headed home, and he just yelled peepee, so I pulled over, and tried again. He went, and went, and went! He must've held it a long time, because there was so much! And then. What on Earth do you do with the pee that's standing in your vehicle in a trash can? Creepy. We drove home (it didn't spill), and got rid of it!! What if we hadn't been pretty close to home? Not gonna go there. But he held it! and made it in underwear again! and went again in Benjamin Moore's bathroom! (BM's bathroom just did NoT look right!)

Potty Train(ED)! Woo-Hoo!

Seriously, not much time, but. He is potty trained. I think. He got out of the pool three times last night, stripped down his massive body suit, and peed in the potty chair!! : ) We took it outside, since Ches couldn't convince him to pee in the grass (thank goodness). It was awesome!! My last small victory was on Saturday. We took the kids to a wedding! (Their first!) and he didn't have an accident (pull up, just in case!). He even went to pee in the bathroom! and when we ate afterward, he didn't have an accident either! When we got home, his pull up was dry, and he still had his little cars. Oh, the excitement! I think it's the potty chair in front of the tv, the week of rain (so we were inside), and the m&m's. I take very little credit-seriously-I think he was ready.

Ches is leaving EARLY Wednesday to go to LA...without cute little me. So sad. He'll be so lonely, and I so won't be. Crazy at our house. I'll get back in the game (Mommy Game) and go socialize. I have bible study on Wed, Thurs. is story time at the library, and Friday is Park Day. Saturday is church (we'll get to that when it comes), and Sunday stay home? I'll fit in CFA and some play time, maybe call Dad for a date on Father's Day? With my three kiddos? Haha. Only he won't see humor. Ches doesn't come back till almost 10pm on Sunday, so we'll celebrate late, he says. : ) I'll send some fun stuff for his suitcase. : )

Ok, babysitters (watchers? since I've no babies) will be here shortly. I'm headed out to register the kids for swimming lessons-more advanced this year!, soccer, get more groceries, thread for a friend's monogram, Target, hmm..if time, Dillard's for new sandals!! : )

Have a great day, and I'll catch ya later! : )

Inside, Outside, Upside-Down!

Watched Stuart Little, made banana bread with the kids, played outside, started our 2009 JDRF Walk Team shirt design. I think we'll use Hercules, Zero to Hero! Not sure about the picture on the front, but it'll come. Any ideas? Know any girl heroes? Besides Wonder Woman?

Clay has had another rough day. He is so touchy, for lack of a better word. He did a lot, but spanked Ethan right after lunch. I heard the slap (on his bare bottom) from my bedroom! Ethan just cried, and Clay thought he wouldn't get in trouble? We don't even spank Ethan (it simply doesn't work for him, or we might). Ches had him write sentences, and he stopped at number 12 to read. I don't know what I'm going to do with him. I can't leave him alone with Ethan for a minute (and Ches was with them!), and they are brothers. So. Frustrating.

I missed a baby shower today. I feel bad, I totally forgot, but it was all the way in Rogers, and I'd have had to leave early for church...excuses. There's just so much to do anymore! We are going to take turns at church to keep Ethan home. Ches will take Clay at 4pm, then I'll take Mary Claire at 6-we have a wedding! It's just tough to get us all in one place (quietly) for an hour. Even church. The last few times have not been fun, so we'll tough it out a little longer. Besides the potty-training and everything (and the multiple loads of laundry that includes).

I'm sure it'll get better (it can't get worse?). I think moms have to put on this armor of Reserve and Perseverance, and just Make It. You really don't have a choice, so you suck it up and keep going. There are those tiny moments of joy (excitement over working on a recipe together) and excitement (pooping in the potty chair!), and contentment (sitting outside in the shade working together on rhyming words for a shirt), and you just have to make that fuel fill you up and sustain you. Until tomorrow.

*Potty-training update: Ethan ran around in undies all morning, and no accidents. But. Later in the morning, he went outside, and long story short: accident. Down his legs, socks, shoes. Ick. 'Nother bath. But after he came back inside, all good. He even had a great poop before nap! : )

ps-I've learned that potty training is a process. It is achieved in tiny, baby steps. It happens sometimes when you least expect it. And each time you add a variable, it knocks you back a step or two. Underwear, shorts, outside, upstairs (in a box, with a fox, I do not like green eggs and ham, I will not eat them Sam-I-am!) Oh, sorry-maybe consequence of the rhyming dictionary?

Halfway There

Skipped a nap-just for you! I can't do it all by any means, so I have to pick and choose. I finished the book I just started, Remember Me? by Sophia Kinsella, so good! Ches got it for me about a year (or two?) ago, and it was so much like that goofy Samatha Who show, I wouldn't read the book. I mean, how long can a show go on-she's making memories, so what's left to explore? Anyway, it was a good book, not as good as her others, but entertaining poolside reading. When I'm in a book, I have to finish it-two or three days tops. Gotta find out what happens, then I'll take a few days off. And write for YOu! Soup for YOU! : )

Ethan is progressing...No poops in the potty today, but lots of pees! Like 10 or 12! Still naked (from the waist down). I tried underwear again this morning (so MaYBe we could go out tomorrow!), but nope. He sat on the potty chair, and peed right through them. There was some pee in the little pot, but mostly it'd soaked the 15 layer undies! : O So, small bath, and back to naked. It's working, so who am I to rock the boat?

This morning we cleaned upstairs bathrooms, washed the kids' sheets/remade their beds, gave baths, played I Spy Go Fish, did four pages each of their math workbooks (MC loved it, and said this is why she wants to homeschool-yeah, she didn't get the memo). We used unifix cubes, and then had to look forever to find them all to put them back! I made tuna salad for the kids, but had no pickles. They were nice, and didn't say much. Yesterday, they balked at lunch, and I told them lots of kids have no lunch! There are kids in our town who walk to the local elementary school to get a lunch-they started to get it. So, today they said no pickles were better than no tuna salad. Way to come around! : ) heehee

Thanks, Mom for bringing MC more Propel! : ) Ethan is drinking it now (he calls it "'Pel!"). Alrighty, kids are on the loose, Ches is home, so I gotta get busy again. Mom, have a great trip, and I'll see you in 16 days? Love you! : )

Try underwear again next week?

Ok, sorry.. It should have just been time for a note. (Yesterday) (Or was it day before?)

Suffice it to say that it's been busy, yet again. I've learned about myself. I can handle day-to-day craziness, general business. But when it's over the top, like lots of extra events thrown in, it gets to be too much. I don't know how exactly it happens, but it always does.

Saturday was an awards ceremony for the daisy girl scouts (and those that got to move up to Brownies!!), and I could say more, but not all good, so I'll stop there. (My momma used to tell me if I couldn't say something nice, then I shouldn't say anything at all.) Then I gave a bridal shower with one of my friends yesterday, so I got the groceries and prizes on Saturday right after the awards ceremony, came home, and crashed into bed.

My plan had been for us to go to 4pm Mass on Saturday afternoon, or at least Mary Claire and I would go. Welll, Ches tried to wake me around 3:30 to no avail. He decided to let me sleep since everyone else in the house is sick (except me!) and he thought me getting rest would better help me resist, so No Church Saturday. : ( We had a late dinner, and I made dips and washed fruit, and made game cards, answer sheets, and generally got ready for the party till about 11:30 (early for me!), and went to bed.

I was up by 6:30a (as it's summer now, so why should my kids waste a precious minute in bed?) and began the breakfast/laundry/cleaning frenzy that begins with wet sheets...ick. Then ready for church (kids in bath, me in shower, etc.), off to church, then home to get ready for the shower, then partied with lots of sweet women, then what on Earth for dinner?? I had to run to Harp's for some hot dogs, buns, chips, and strawberries, then home to grill. I'd been so wrapped up in the events I hadn't gotten any food for my family. I immediately fell asleep again on the couch with the kids (absolutely SO unlike me!) yet again.

Monday-chaos. Two babysitters for the kids-one to watch the boys, one to take MC to a Brownie picnic, and me to get proper groceries! And I can say, we've been eating well this week!

I got a grill basket-so cool. You cut up your veggies (I've now done potatoes, onions, and bell peppers/onions for fajitas), put them in the large, flat basket, and grill them! There's a handy handle (heehee) that you attach to turn it over. My grill is getting older and much less dependable, so I have to adjust the temp to get what I want, but it should work better. I also got the Weber How To Grill It cookbook-very comprehensive, except it doesn't tell how exactly how to grill potatoes (and that's one reason I bought it!) But my husband is increasingly tired/busy, and no longer really wants to grill (unless he can get a brand new expensive grill), so I've taken over. It's not that hard, and I love to grill in the summer to keep the kitchen cool. I'll get better at it. : )

Potty Training. Is not for busy, weak souls. We've been at it for a week, and it's going pretty well. Ethan totally will run to the potty chair if he needs to go. He even yelled at me from upstairs, so I'd run get him and run him back down to his 'chair! He is doing well. We had one accident this morning (pee, thank goodness), but that was the first on the carpet. He is still running around naked. We tried to progress to underwear too soon (last Thursday), and he peed in them. It was apparently too much insurance like a diaper/pullup (I hate these!), so we are back to naked. He must have 12 or 13 pees a day and like 5 little poops! I had no idea! : P I'm sure he's taking advantage, as we are rewarding almost all progress with an M&M. If he doesn't remember, I don't give him one. I don't want to encourage anal retentiveness or adult problems! heehee It's hard to know the right thing to do. He's progressing, and very happy with himself, so it's working. Maybe we'll be up to underwear in another week?

Our next big issue is the bed. He wants a big boy bed (and my mom must be ready too, cause she keeps sending me beds on Craig's list!), and has attempted to sleep in Clay's lower bunk, but won't stay. We have a bed, all the bedding (sheets, quilt, bedskirt, pillow sham, etc.) since we thought we were moving him to a big bed back before Christmas! He quit climbing out, so we decided to lay low! I'm all about making my life one ounce easier (and that totally means leaving him in the crib as long as possible!!).

Ok, the sky at this very moment (8:33pm Central Time) has the absolute weirdest glow! It was DARK, rainy, and now it's glowing orange! I mean, creepy! Like the Earth is on fire! Or the western part of the US...
I took pictures, but until I learn to upload the new camera (still working on that...), they'll be stored in a tiny memory device. It's still raining outside, so I couldn't go outside. I took some pix from the window, but in the time it took me to go get my camera, the sun had dropped more, and the glow was less intense! It was already down, but just a lighter orange now.

I promise to at least try to hook up the camera. Oooo...and I have my baby with one of his first poops in the potty, and he looks so proud! : )

Poopy. Progress!

Disclaimer: Don't read if you have no kids.
Potty-Training Tally: 15 poops, 3 pees. Seriously. I think it's either all the fruit/juice that he eats, or he is in the midst of antibiotic poop. Kinda runny. I know. I told you to not read-if you have kids, you've either already experienced (and blocked it out) or you are headed to this moment in your life-it's unavoidable (unless you plan to change diapers at 5...)!! : )
Anyway, he was having the best day! : ) Every time he'd squeeze out some poopy, he'd yell, "Poopoo, peepee!!!" and we'd all run, jump up and down (sometimes with pictures), sing, bounce, and generally party! We'd wipey his bottom, flush, party down some more, then do it again (sometimes 3 minutes later..). I had a towel under the potty chair, and it got dirty twice, so it's been constant laundry. We also did undie washing... I tell you, F-U-N! : ) I'm just looking forward to the end product: fewer diapers, WooHOo! : )

Yes, I did more than that today, are you kidding? We did Room Cleaning today. The kids did REal cleaning (as opposed to Shove-It-Under-the-Bed tactics), and then Clay vacuumed all upstairs as per his agreement (to pay for his Diary of a Wimpy Kid Journal at Sam's yesterday).

While we were cleaning...Ethan made a book mess in the hearth room, pulled out games *twice* and messed all cards/toys up, dumped his Lucky Charms all over the floor, then ate the "Luckies" (the colored sugar shapes) off the floor like a dog, then I found him in the office, playing with my Fiskars cutter-ahhhhh!!!!! So, I planted him in the highchair with some snacks and a drink, and got a tiny bit done. Then I opened up Ethan's blinds/drapes, pulled out his toy tubs, and let him mess (in HIS room!) to his heart's desire. I always figure that it's an investment. If it only takes me 5-10 minutes to clean up, and it bought me 30-45 minutes of work time, I've profited! : )

So, during his nap time, me and the kids went out to enjoy our amazing 79 degree weather! The kids swam, I cleaned up, layed out, got splashed, deadheaded flowers, and killed three bees (I actually have a *technique* now!) that seemed to be chasing me! Did I mention that it's 8 hours later, and I'm a pretty shade of PiNk? Yes, I know you can get burned on cloudy days, and sunny, hot days, but somehow I just blanked out on a cool day. Hehe. It's really not that bad, and I have some color to show for all my big 3 days of summer break, so I shall call it even. I even got treated to a great House Special pizza at Mellow Mushroom, so my day wasn't half bad! We got to eat outside (and see geese) (and other people's kids run loose over to a retaining wall that's not done, almost fall down, and around the building, by a StReeT, and my kids wanted to know why their parents didn't love them), and it was perfect weather.

Back home, calm, more poop in the potty, so good day. Progress. My baby growing up. Am I feeling happy or sad?

Broken Glass. Again.

yeah, So I thought the broken glass era was over. Not yet. I was emptying my huge pretzel jar of crumbs (since they were always out on the counter, I thought I'd make them look pretty) to put in new pretzels -I went to WM again- and slam! the jar hit the counter and busted the bottom. Since no one likes to eat glass crumbs, I threw it out. I don't do it on purpose, and I don't even know how it happens. I remember having a horrible headache (sinus congestion? afternoon shopping with my littlest shopping protege? or should I say talking protege?) and then it happened. I even spent lots of time at Pier One, a little flea market, and Hobby Lobby looking for another glass urn/vase (to replace the one I broke on Saturday), and a pair of new candleholders/fat candle sticks for the dining room. I have a plan. I'll show you later if it works. It's just a candle ring try out of paper (that's why I went to the flea market-to get an old book to rip the pages out of). Sacrilegeous, I know (well, MC told me so!)
Anyway, we found lots of Christmas leftover bargains-now 75% off at Pier One and 80% off at Hobby Lobby! (Absolutely no sales at flea market-books were near original value, and some were higher!) If you need gift bags, ornaments, garland, cards for next year, more crap to store somewhere-they have it! : )
Well, my sweet, darling boy decided to impress me since I'm making over Lexi every time she makes on the paper. He started telling me "peepee", so I took down his pants, he pulled out his potty chair, and he made a poop-just like that. (I've heard the third child potty trains themselves, but wow.) Then we partied, showed daddy (asleep, and surely annoyed-but cheered), flushed, and went back to watching tv. Same thing again! Only this time, bigger poop-he was just testing me the first time! So, we got out the pull-ups I've got ready for days when he's ready, and about 30 minutes later, he peed in it, pulled it off, and we got another one, same thing. Then he ran around naked, we had lunch, and he peed in his booster seat. Yep, three strikes, you're out. He was back in a diaper, pants, and off to nap.
Some days he seems ready, some he's not. I'm not pushing him-I don't need another anal retentive person around me! : )
Tomorrow, we have our first scrapbook event! at our church! It's taken a true act of God to help us get to use a room at the church (granted, in the old church), but still. We will party like it's 1999, and get as much talking and some work done in the meantime! I've got to get my stuff ready to take. I think I'm only going to take my Disney pix from May since I'm still not done with them. I only have about 150 more pictures developed and waiting on me... I'll slap some pages together, and get back to scrapping the kids' births. Yeah, I'm working on that. I have random holidays done thru the years. It is mostly when I found cool paper and stickers or an idea-and I used both immediately. I have some Halloweens and Easters, and some baby pictures, a first day of school (Clay's first day to Mother's Day Out), and maybe some fall pictures. I just haven't had time. That's why the scrapbooking get together! I'll try to catch up. I've got to do less detailed pages so I can complete them faster. If I get a layout done (in 3 hours!), I'll post them! : )
I've found that drinking the stress reducing peppermint tea is helping my breathing. Sleep seems to help too. Imagine that! I should not let it get to this point. I just have too much I want to do, and not enough hours in the day! I went on to Daisy Girl Scouts last night (we had cookie training! and ironed on the girls' earned petals!) but I could ***Ches has just announced his new top Wii bowling score-lefthanded-is 235, and I am to let all know-especially my mom whose top score is 212!*** tell maybe I shouldn't have gone. I was blowing my nose -gross- and looking for tissues, and sounding all nasal-ly. But I went and had fun. We got to try the new Dulce de Leche cookie for this year, it was good! It tasted like caramel and coconut. We found out that we have a new baker this year, and they won't be as healthy (but they'll taste better, which makes for more repeat buyers-my words!). So, starting Saturday, January 10th, we'll be knocking on YOUR door!!! Or, you can email me to avoid the awful rude people out on your porch peeking in the window to see if you are really in there! heeheehee : ) They've dropped the price to $3.50, and I think the troop gets about 45 cents for every box. Which we've already spent on the aforementioned patches we already ironed on. Yeah, we gotta get busy selling! So, what kind do you want, and how many??