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Ok, just cleaned away a post that never needed seeing. I was ranting about people's stupidity, and no one really wants to read about that. We could all read that any old day.
Ok, wanna know what my new crack is? MMmmmm.. It's Chocolate Cheerios! It's like Cocoa Krispies for adults! There are no pictures of little cartoon characters, so that proves it's for adults. And it says, "With Real Cocoa", so that means it has cocoa's natural antioxidants, so I'm eating healthy. mmmmm... it even turns my milk brown. Wait till my kids see it in the cabinets. It'll be a hit! I sure hope they keep it on the shelf. Every time I find a new favorite (well, usually my picks are healthier, but you know...), they take it off the shelves (like the Honey Nut Frosted Mini Wheats)!
Do you renew your magazine subscriptions when they tell you that "Your Subscription is About to Expire!" (in May, 2011). I have had enough of them! I watch them, read the small print, and try to keep tabs on all of them. But, get this. For all my loyalty (long, long subscriptions-years), I get the bargain basement price of $36 for a year! But, imagine my surprise when a postcard fell out of the magazine offering me a new subscription for only $13 a year (or two for $26!), 60% off the retail price! Ha. Ha. I'm so valued.
So. I planned a lapse! Ha, the jokes on you, Southern Living! I am mailing in the new card tomorrow. I had to hold it until I got my February issue (so I didn't miss one..). Let's see if it works! I'll keep you posted.
We are getting ready to have the first anniversary of our absolutely horrible ice storm. I think Mother Nature is throwing a party in its honor. We are expecting low temps, ice, snow, and freezing rain: a Winter Storm. Ches is already checking out the forecast in other, more southern, cities. (We saw a great article on San Antonio, and one on a great indoor waterpark-hotel in Grapevine, Texas in Southern Living. See why I need it?) We are looking for warmer, electricity-bearing cities. Any Ideas?
Oh no! We have a birthday party this Saturday! And we already got her a present. Boo. Ok, Ice. This is not a good weekend, come again another day?
Seriously, thanks for bearing with me in my fog of run on sentences and crazyness. It didn't get any better last night. Ethan was up at 4, in my bed: suck, suck, suck, suck, suck, suck, suck on that stupid torn paci, I couldn't sleep!! I finally took him back up to his bed at 5:10 (yes, AM!), but then Ches had to go up there.. it doesn't end. And then I slept in (or slept over, what do you call it?), woke up at 7:25, and we had to hurry to get the kids to school. Funny enough, or thanks to God, they were ready to go at the same time as usual. So..why can't they get around that fast every day?
We (Ethan and I) slept for 20 minutes this afternoon, and I took him to the doctor. He did indeed have a ruptured ear drum. The doctor couldn't even see down in it, cleaned it out twice, and decided to just check the other ear since I knew one ear still had a tube. Well. The one that was not leaking had a tube, so bad news. He's back on antibiotics AgAiN, so I'm voting for more tubes a little while after this left one comes out. (So, I remember later when I look this up, it's his right ear that ruptured, and the left one has a tube. Just disregard...)
We went out and saw a movie (thinking of the name.. bear with me..) about a dad trying to save his kids-he was working with a scientist to raise money for research, and it really reminded me of our life. I like to go to movies to escape my life (you know, a two-hour vacation from my every day?), but it was so real, and I could see me in it. It was tough to watch, but good. At least it had redeeming value-Ches said it was a Made For TV movie by CBS, but they were trying to bring in some cash. I can totally see it being on TV next year. Ok, looked it up: Extraordinary Measures. : ) Google is Super Handy!
Do you have purse suggestions? Seriously? I'm looking for one a little smaller than the one I have, as it's breaking my back, and I can no longer carry a child, his blanket, AND that big suitcase around! It's SO heavy! I have a lot of coins in there (I will soon get rid of), a notebook, wallet, 2 phones (extra iPhone I tried to get service on..Not Happening. You have to have internet or no service. Can't just have phone service! Boo.), tons of paperwork (it's my mobile office, you know), all the keys and pens (I just LoVe pens! But only colored ones), a case with gums (four kinds), tic tacs, hand sanitizers (one for each family member's preference), extra underwear, just in case (for Ethan, not me, silly!), and all those other Mom things. It's just too much, and I want to start fresh. Cleaning my purse is just not enough, I've tried! I think I've had this one for a year and a half now-a personal record! I did get a new green one last spring, but I only carried it for a couple months. I love that this one holds so much, but it must weigh 6 or 7 pounds empty! Ugh. My back! (shoulder!)
Do you let your child be themselves? How do you encourage it, and not laziness? I need to work on this. I don't think Mary Claire has found her strength yet, and I want to help her. We think maybe she should take piano (she wants voice lessons, but no one will consider it until after puberty..) to learn to read music and play too, and maybe art. She is artistic, and maybe? I want her to conform, and like what I like. I think I thought she'd be like I was, but she sooo isn't. In good ways I guess too. Parenting is this fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda job! And it changes from day to day--what worked yesterday doesn't always work today. Mary Claire is loving me teaching her every day-I think it's the one on one attention. Our time together is usually diabetes-related, and we don't get that read aloud time at night like we used to-she's reading alone now. So, it's working for now, and she's stronger at some things than I thought she'd be, but weaker in areas I assumed were easy! But she came home today excited she made E's (for Excellent) on her addition and subtraction quizzes, so she was proud. We've been drilling those flash cards. This is not how I planned to spend an hour and a half every night, but if it's helping her learn and shine, then it's worth it. But, I still am looking for her special talent so she can shine on her own...
Ches asks why I watch these shows-they just make me cry. Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice just make me cry. : ( I think I like that they are so real that I can feel what they are feeling. That or I'm hormonal? I cried at Bunko too-just feelings really close to the surface.
Long day today when I was home all day and had no adult contact. : ) We played on the computer a little bit, played train, I made him macaroni (and wasted the rest!), played pretend games (his latest favorite! We play store, Wal-Mart, Chick-Fil-A, and he repairs my stuff!), and I got laundry and some cleaning done, and got a shower while Ethan was still asleep for nap. When I went up to wake him up (since I didn't want him to sleep too long!), around 3 o'clock, he wasn't in his bed! I looked all around, and was starting to get really worried. I found him on the dining room floor-covered up with his blanket. It was so sweet. Funny, when you find them, they just seem so innocent, fragile even.
We're trying to plan a trip away maybe in March. It's very hard to be gone from Mary Claire for very long. It seems that five days is the maximum limit for her pump site. We have found the cheapest airfare, but it's for seven days. It's a hard thing to plan around-but it seems to be the most important. I could whine about it sucking and not wanting to deal with it, but I really don't have a choice. One day she will be able to do it herself, but not yet. I have to let her be a little girl for a while longer.
There are so many things on my mind-and not enough time. Here's my list:
new purse?
activity across the street-a new family should be moving in soon
I have to get Mary Claire in to see the orthodontist
I need to clean my closet
Dinner for tomorrow
Hair appointment tomorrow-so glad it's finally here! But can't have a playdate and go to the library!
Ethan's ear
Why Ethan doesn't sleep all through the night any more
Mary Claire's grades
Clay's appointment Monday morning to see how his evaluation went
Why my friend didn't write me back when I wrote her after she asked about my pregnancy and why I hadn't mentioned it lately.
Laundry in the dryer
Clay's pinewood derby car that keeps breaking. In different places.
Need. More. Sleep.
I just love a fresh new opportunity (to tell you my garbage). It gets it off my chest, so there. heehee And I can SO use some stress relieving!! : ) I am LoViNg my new Bath and Body Works line of relaxing Aromatherapy stuff (I got them in Branson-two for one!!): I got the pillow mist (seriously helps me drift right off!), the lotion pump (I use every time I wash in my bathroom, and I come get some when I'm stressed-the smell, mmmm...goood), the hand cream, and the body mist. I already have the balm (something like that-it's for your wrists-I used it for our Disney trip last year, and I was hooked). It's the eucalyptus and spearmint scent. It's clean, kinda like you just brushed your teeth, doesn't make me hungry-kinda smell. And relaxing.
Although the clean smell reminds me of something...
On Monday, Clay (and Mary Claire) didn't have school. He got creative, cut up some paper and made a volcano. Upstairs was smelling really good (he uses Axe body spray we got tons of free at the JDRF walk last fall), and I just figured he sprayed after his bath. Well, long story short, Ethan was screaming before long, and he was telling us that Clay sprayed his mouth, and he was gonna "Die" (seriously his words-remember he's ThRee!). We grilled Clay, and he said Ethan breathed some in, and probably tasted it, and that's why he thought it went into his mouth..fast forward to later Monday morning. We had some friends over playing, and Clay got all bragg-y, and was showing off his volcano. He set it down, sprayed something up through the handy cut-out hole, and smokey, foggy, whitish (good-smelling) smoke was coming out of the volcano! Yep, the Axe. So now we know Ethan was tasting the "volcano". Hmm.
Which reminds me of today. After Mary Claire's bath, I was drying her hair. She was primping in front of her mirror, and began using her various products. She now uses (well, periodically) Secret Hannah Montana deodorant. She rubbed it on, oohed and aahed over the wonderful scent (probably her way of thanking me for buying it), then smiled at herself in the mirror (you know, the coy, shoulder up, model pose?). I really think you are only capable of loving yourself just the way you are (and in front of a mirror) if you are 9 and under.
Which reminds me.. in the next room, was my SLeePiNg baby! I let him stay outside ALL afternoon after Mother's Day Out! It was SO warm and sunny. I figured I'd try the No Nap again, and see if tonight went better (it did, btw!!). We played train track, and I pushed him on the swing, he played doctor, drove his tractor, rode his tricycle, we played golf, catch...sharpened pencils, you know, sunny day stuff! Anyway, he was so strung out, he went right to sleep. Precious. We needed an early night after all his antics for the past week! Let's just see when he wakes up. It's been 5:30am-ish lately. Blech.
Which reminds me... (okay, it's getting old).
I went to the teacher store today to get stuff to teach my second grader. It seems that five days a week isn't doing the trick. She got N's (Needs Improvement, as in Below Grade Level, as in Momma Goes Nuts) in Math and Writing. Well. This is totally unacceptable to me. I don't understand how a really intelligent child isn't figuring this stuff out. So, I got new flash cards (yes, addition AND subtraction 0-12 AND subtraction 13-18), a book on Writing (for the bargain basement teacher store price of 29.99, but Reproducible-handy only if I were teaching 25 kids!), a book on grammar and mechanics (which I really like, and she loves, btw!), and a kinda-fun book on addition and subtraction. Today I made her a chart with her assignments (2-3 pages of each Every day!). And get this: she loved them! She just ate it up. I don't know if it was the one-on-one time with me, or just the fun of coloring some math problems, circling subjects and predicates, and naming more specific topics to write about! She says she can't wait till tomorrow. Huh. All I can say is how long will she love it?
I was tempted to make her miss girl scouts, and maybe stop gymnastics to do more "Home Work", but it doesn't sound like much of a punishment! I heard a great re-broadcast on XM Radio today of a Dr. Oz show about Children Who Soar (a book by Drs. Eppler-Wolff and Davis) and how kids used to just come home from school and play till dark: play was fun, not a scheduled soccer game with performance pressure), and we didn't have the same expectations. It was more or less that way when I was young. I don't remember doing anything except girl scouts. Now, my kids are double-booked some nights! I don't like it, but I realize they have to get ahead (of what?) now, since everyone else is doing so much. I guess I'm already thinking college, and their need to be well-rounded, and I want them to experiment to see what they really enjoy. If they don't like it, they don't have to play it next season.
What I've discovered is it's hard to be a parent these days (not that I've parented in any other decade..). I'm sure societal pressures are different, but gosh. Standards are high, and I want my kids to make the grade, and get the scholarship! (and be clean, and have good manners, and pray every day, and look cute, and be on time, and play well with others, and get enough exercise, and get enough sleep, and keep their rooms clean, and have good blood sugar, and not text and drive, and I could go on forever..) It's so hard that we have to decide what's most important (ok, I'm thankful someone isn't telling me what to do), and gamble with it's right-ness or wrong-ness. Lord, let it be right!
