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I can only say Busy. We've had play dates, emails, dinners, practices, boy scouts, baseball games (including a dads vs. kids game!), the Husky Hoedown, and we've split up today also. Ches is with Clay at his morning baseball game, and I'm home with Mary Claire who's high (250's, but too high to eat), and Ethan who seems to have developed a runny nose since last night. We are going to meet at Sam's to shop and pick up our Christmas cards after Clay's first game!
I have to say, I was beginning to wonder if we were invincible, but of course, we aren't. I thought maybe it was because I was keeping the bathrooms so clean, remembering their vitamins, alcohol-gelling their hands so often, making their dinners with lots of fruits and vegetables, etc. It seemed everyone I talked to had sick kids-or they were sick! We took a few days of rest after our flu shots, hoping we wouldn't catch all the h1n1 going around. But, we've now been infiltrated with our first runny nose of the season. Boo! I'll probably keep him home this week just so he doesn't catch something else while his immune system is busy fighting this off!
The Husky Hoedown (our school's fall carnival-western style!) was really fun-we went a little late since Clay had a game right before it. He didn't even get to change clothes, but Mary Claire and I got dressed up! We had our boots on, and bandanas, and our miniskirts on-what fun! My hair was in pigtails (low, I promise), but she wanted hers down (under her cowboy hat of course). Ethan went with us, and the plan had been for Ches to drop Clay and take Ethan, but they all stayed, and it went well! Ethan played all the games with the kids, and it was fun-he's finally old enough to learn to stand in line, wait his turn, and then give his ticket to play. I've always had to help with the games, so it was nice to just play with the kids this year!
Alrighty, just a teensy update. I have to go change Mary Claire's site as she's not coming down and she's hungry!!
The Christmas planning has begun. We have bought the kids some Christmas presents (and we aren't buying very many things this year as they complain about cleaning their rooms, Mary Claire wants a smaller room and she wants me to throw her stuff away-yes, really). We got them each a Nintendo DSi game (did I already tell you that?) or system thingie, and one game. Last night Ches and I went out and we got them laser tag things (4 of them), so we could all play. These will probably be from Santa, unless we have The Discussion before then! We are still working on Ethan's gifts. What to get an almost three year old?? That he doesn't already have?
I have a letter I wrote to myself after Christmas of 2005 (it went poorly), and I put it in my calendar and reread and edit it every year. It was a letter to the me of the future, to not make the same mistakes again. Don't you want to write to yourself and remind yourself of the important things? And don't you love to get a letter from someone who truly cares about you (and your sanity)? I do! So, I'm taking notes and getting ready.
I have to remember to start my Christmas notebook early.
Tabs/sections for. . .
Church: MUST go to Children's Mass, or Ches is really unhappy, so plan pizza if you have to on Christmas Eve
Clothes: party outfits and matching outfits for the kids for pictures, parties, Christmas Eve Mass
Food: Christmas Eve and Christmas day dinner menus and plan, cookies, desserts, gifts of food for neighbors, buy wine early
Decorations: plan for decorating and list of dates to have stuff done by (outside lights or not-we blew a light outlet last year!, Christmas trees, stuff to buy, list of stuff to use that we already have, what to not do this year
Christmas Card List/Address List: I've never done a picture card before, but I am this year!! And get this. I've already ordered them, they'll be in next Saturday!!! I'm going to have it so easy this year!! (I hope!)
Picture Schedule: We usually do this for our cards, but hahahaha, don't have to this year! Well, we'll probably take one to keep, but not to mail out. So, much less stress. We usually get our pictures made the day after Halloween, no joke. It's not busy at all, and the kids don't change that much. : )
Gifts: get the lists and shopping done by Thanksgiving, buy extra gift cards for surprises or game prizes on Christmas, get stocking stuffers early too!
Sanity: schedule a day out alone after everyone is home for break: last minute things, grocery shopping, nails done, etc. Plan babysitter for this day by December first!
and finally, Kids: stop every day in December to play with the kids: read/write/game/cocoa/cookies-it's great for de-stressing, and keeps kids from feeling my stress and acting up!
Ps: who do you know that was alone on Christmas last year? They should come hang out this year! : ) If they'll come...
So, I've already told you, but I really did order my Christmas cards. It took me most of the day (yeah, little obsessive), but it's done. I did a collage picture card with five pictures (two family pix and three individual close-ups of the kids), and it's just adorable. I edited each one: sepia (fade out, so little color), and did a vignette around all the edges so they fade to black around the outsides, then ordered them online. It was easy, just time consuming. I'm now looking for some cute stamps to add to the envelopes so they are colorful. I found a "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas", and it's awful cute! There used to be one with "Sandy Claws" and "Jingle Shells" (since I put in our beach picture), but I haven't found it yet. Maybe I'll check online.
Useless Info #1: I think that the big, huge, new cheaper by the pounds (8.3 to be exact) bag of M&M's is gaining on me. I've eaten almost half the bag (or maybe more? only judging by how it feels when I stick my hand down into it..), and I gained a pound already in the last week. I think it's stress. But, what kind of husband comes home with 8 pounds of M&M's?? Apparently the same one who bought 4 pound of fish sticks (115 sticks!), you know, just in case we have thirty kids over for dinner. And they like fish sticks. And we already had two bags in the freezer. We did have a conversation, and he thinks maybe it's from childhood. He always wants plenty of food in the house! I'm okay with his explanation, we just need ANOTHER refrigerator for more backups.
Useless Info #2: Oh, and I'm almost done decorating for the fall. : ) Leaves, pumpkins, etc. are almost all done. I only lack my wreath and my dining room table. I'll get it done this week while the kids are at school. This weekend was just too busy!
Useless Info #3: (seemed silly to only have two!) I got my hair done Friday-Yay!! It's better, still growing out, but good. I got lowlights and highlights, but I'm going to have to only do highlights next time as it's darker or something. Just different. Can't quite put my finger on it. . .
He had no nap again today. : ( Tonight we meant to get him to bed earlier, but it's just almost impossible! (with dinner late after girl scouts, bath/showers, spelling words, cupcakes for dessert, books..) We set up gates at both of his doors, so maybe that will help the little bed-hopper stay in his own room! He went into both kids rooms early this morning, and never went back to sleep. It annoys Mary Claire, but Clay just lets him climb in! I think it's sweet. They just aren't getting their rest, and it all comes down to Ethan sleeping. I'm not get to rest or nap either, so it's affecting me too! : P Of course he pretty much went right to sleep tonight after not having a nap! That's the good news.
When it was time to go up and read his bedtime stories, I wasn't sure if I should sit on his bed: he'd used the back of my jeans (my pockets) to wipe his cupcake remainders on! He'd walked right up and wiped his face on me! Silly boy.
What do you dream of? Lately I'm dreaming of two dishwashers. More and more frequently (not EvErY night yet), I have to wash dishes while the dishwasher is running. There just isn't room in the dishwasher. We run it every night, but it seems to fill up as I finish making dinner (measuring cups, cutting boards, mixing bowls, etc. added to breakfast/lunch/snack dishes and cups/glasses). I just can't imagine running it right after lunch, since it's not quite full yet (and that seems wasteful I think). Oh, what to do since another dishwasher just isn't fitting on my To-Do list? : )
I'm having ambivalent feelings about a baby again. It's still hard. I still want one more baby, that last time to be pregnant, one more chance to buy baby clothes, smell a new baby, watch them sleep, learn to crawl, and watch the kids adore them. But. Sometimes I wonder if we got another chance to not have a baby. Ethan is almost in preschool, and there is a day coming soon that he'll be in school, and I'll be busy with projects and time will fly while the kids are in school. I just wonder both ways a lot lately. I might be preparing myself for the chance it won't happen, who knows. I just can't get my hopes up again. What if it was a chance to want one even more than last time? I just have to lay it at God's feet, and not worry about it.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11
Top 10 Things to be Thankful for on Tuesday:
1. People to dirty laundry in my house
2. Sticky soap to clean off the bathroom counter (at least they are
washing!) (with soap!)
3. New groceries to put away and to plan meals with
4. A baby to put back in bed 4 times today
5. That he pottied in the toilet before nap
6. That I'm connected to my friends : )
7. For my kids' precious friends and their pleasure at play
8. Ches, and his patient way of listening to all my irrational concerns
over flu shots vs. flumist and h1n1 vaccines.
9. an insulin pump that keeps Mary Claire with us
10. God's gifts: creativity, excitement, organization
What are you thankful for today?
