Snow, Snow and more Snow

Even though my hubby is probably going to disagree with everything I am about to write, I will do it anyway! I happen to love this weather, at least for the moment, as any type of weather for too long can become dreary. The first big snow storm of the season is fun, especially if you get to stay home, and I happen to be that fortunate! Grandma is generously picking up the oldest two from school, and since they have a half day I have a lot of fun plans ready for their arrival! Baking cookies and carving pumpkins and drinking apple cider, these are just some of the reasons I love snowy days. I love to climb under the covers with my kiddos and cuddle up to watch movies and eat popcorn. I enjoy how things seem to slow down for a bit as if the snow is a barrier to the rest of the world. I love how neat the trees and houses look with the coating of fresh snow. I also love the feeling of the holidays approaching. It is fun to watch the boys and Addy explore the outdoors as if the snow has transported them to another world. Then we have the pleasure of watching Apryl throw snowballs at Lexys head (because that is always the funniest spot to hit someone with a snowball) and then Alexys attack and body slam Apryl in a snow drift! I like to watch Matt shovel the wet, heavy snow while I am in the warm house! I make sure to write words of encouragement on the foggy window! I am so thoughtful! I really love the drivers who have probably lived here all their lives act as if they have never encountered snow before! That is always a mystery to me, I understand the car with the California license plates in the ditch, but the natives?? Drive carefully, and quit thinking four wheel drive works on ice! Can you feel the love?

Back in Business

Now that the narcotic haze has worn off, and I can focus once again, my boys are in for it! Okay, they can probably out run me still, so they will be in for it once I catch them! I had never experienced being so lightheaded and just out of it before. It was hard for me to gather my thoughts, and with all the noise at our home I am a professional at tuning out noise in order in think. So, I knew it was something else. Even despite the fact that I hadn't taken any medication for a few days I was still dizzy. But, now, I am thinking clearly again! Also, I can help around the house more, but I am keeping that one to myself for a while longer in order to have my girls continue sweeping, swiffering and help me clean my room! I have caught our boys just about to do something sneaky a couple of times, and they are genuinely surprised to see me standing there looking at them. They got used to the mommy who couldn't walk very well or too fast. I am throwing them a curve ball by still having a cast but being able to walk on it. Now, their game plans have to change. I'm sure they are calling audibles already in order to shake things up a little. That is what I have come to expect from our two most adaptable children. There is no doubt that they won't have a revised plan of attack by this evening! I am up for the challenge, at least until about 6 or 7 o'clock! So, bring it little dudes!

My Tormentors

I have officially been on my own with our little people for three days now, and in typical fashion my boys have adapted rather quickly. Both of them have analyzed their new mommy and have prepared themselves to take full advantage of my immobility. Just this morning as I was attempting to put laundry away, one of the boys was pulling my pants down from behind me! Of course it took me a minute to turn around to see who it was and when I did, he was already long gone! They are strategically placing things of mine as far away as possible, then when I need to retrieve said item, they make a break for the snacks! They are throwing small things at my head all the while knowing I am probably not going to pursue them. Both boys run away laughing it up! I have become a joke to them. They found a weakness and have no qualms exposing it for all it is worth. Garhett even asked me today if I wanted to jump on the trampoline with them and I swear he was being sarcastic! They don't know it, but I see the sideways glances they give each other when they are being devilish! I am not out of tricks in my bag either, these little guys had better beware!! Now that I can not keep up with them physically, I have to resort to mind games, and bribery works really well too!

On the Mend

Now that I am almost a week out of surgery I am ready to be doing my normal routine again! I do not like being on so many medications, I feel like there are a few days I just can't remember. People will say, "you sound better than you did yesterday." and I am thinking, "I talked to you yesterday??". I was in a fair amount of pain so the meds were necessary, it's just hard missing out on everyday life. On top of my regular medication I was really sick to my stomach, so my doctor prescribed an anti-nausea med which only made the drowsiness worse. I swear I can only remember about ten minutes of Sunday! I guess the anti-nausea medication works because it puts you to sleep and I am less likely to feel sick while I am sleeping! Knowing myself like I do, I will probably over-do things before I am ready to be doing them. I am simply done with being banished to my bedroom! There really aren't that many great shows on tv. It was fun to listen to Matt play kick ball with the little people in the kitchen of all places this morning! What is surprising is how easily the rest of the family is okay to live with dirt on the walls and cupboards, not sweeping each day, and baskets of laundry waiting to be folded. Had I known this a long time ago, I would have only done half of what I used to do! As long as they are having fun, oh, and their little tummies are full! Those are the most important things.

Taking It Easy...

I always remember as a kid life slowing down a bit when fall arrived. It seemed like school kept me from being really busy and playing all day long. I wonder if my kiddos think the same thing? However, as the parent, life seems to be busier than ever during the fall season. With the older kiddos in school, our days are filled with activities. I keep waiting for a weekend when we can stay home and just relax. I don't know how so many families, including ours, get to a point where we have to schedule time to be at home! I keep trying to get ready for Halloween and my plans always change, and of course what I need to get done winds up get pushed to another day. As of now we only have two kiddos in school, I can only imagine what it is going to be like with all five going to school. Apryl has Outdoor Lab in a couple of weeks, and the prep to get her ready to leave is incredible. I do not remember going to all this trouble when I went--maybe because I was the kiddo then! She came home with a list of things she needs to pack, and I swear, she will be taking enough stuff for four people! At least the 6th graders have ample time to gather everything needed. I did have to convince Apryl that her boots with the pom-poms on them were not what was meant when they said she would need hiking boots! Also, she was upset when I let her know that her stylish messenger bag was not going to be a sufficient backpack and she would have to borrow the one we use for family hikes and such. Coordinating field trips and permission slips and signing folders and planners, arranging sleepovers and times for the kiddos to hang out with their friends is tiring at best. I can not understand why more parents do not look forward to vacations and half days. I feel like those days are a break for me also. At least October is a birthday-less month for us. September takes it out of me as far as birthdays and anniversary's are concerned. There are only a few weeks left before we start shopping for Christmas! After Halloween everything turns into Holiday fever and it's on! Thankfully for now, if we must be busy at least the weather is pleasant enough to make being outside worth it! No cabin fever...yet! If anyone wants to find us this weekend we will be AT HOME!!!

Obsess Much?

Just this morning I was talking with Matt and giving him the run down on how my mornings work. In a few days I am going to have to hand over the reigns to my hubby, completely, and I can only think about all the little things I feel he needs to know. I think of running this house and our family as my job, a job I am blessed to have, but still my job. So, since Matt is not home as much, he should be in training as he would be with any job. It was only 8:15 and I had already made our bed and our boys' beds. I had also started folding laundry. I was pointing out to Matt that I don't have the luxury of staying in bed until 9 or 9:30 just because I don't work outside of the home. It's not that Matt doesn't think I work hard, that is not the issue. I know my husband feels I work just as hard as he does, I am only trying to prepare him for what it is like to stay at home full time, and also have a patient to take care of. I guess I think he forgets about all the little intricacies that go on at home aside from dishes and laundry. Yes, he can clearly see when the floor needs to be swept and when the laundry basket is full. But there is SO much more! Planning dinner menus for one, that can take me an entire afternoon just thinking of what to cook. Not to mention my grocery lists. Picking up children from school is not that complicated, but when they get home there is more to do than have a snack. Homework, cleaning bedrooms, signing folders, listening to them talk about their day--which for Alexys can take a while. When I was talking to my mom about my concerns, she basically told me I was being irrational and do have more faith in my husband. "He is a big boy." she said. I agree with her 100% my inability to let go of the control is the biggest part of this issue. I like things done in a particular manner and having someone do my jobs differently is hard to watch. I guess I will take advice from my boys, "daddy can do it!", and try to relax a little!

Caught in the Act

Our boys are certainly setting new standards for how patient I have to be. These little stinkers manage to figure out ways to overcome the obstacles I have purposely set for them!! For a long time now I have put the kiddos snacks in the "snack cupboard". Very clever name, I know. This was a low cupboard accessible for the girls to make their lunches and have an after school snack. Recently it became the boys' dream come true. They silently watched as I would put groceries away, or their sisters would make lunches, and the two of them stored that information in their brains for a time when it would be more useful! As soon as one of the boys noticed I was busy, usually when I had to go downstairs to do the laundry or check the mail, they would run to the cupboard and grab whatever they could carry. Next, they run to their bedroom and hide in the corner, I have found them cuddled up in a closet trying to hide the granola bars...the entire box mind you! After trying to explain to a couple of two year old little boys why they can not help themselves to snacks, I quickly realized I was not getting through to them! Okay, that realization came after they ate about 30 fruit snack packets, enjoyed parade candy from last years parade and squished all of the Twinkies! In my defense, my nanny was off that day! :) Thinking I could figure out a way to keep them from acting like they won the jackpot every time I left the room, I brilliantly put the snack foods in a cupboard they simply would not be able to reach! I tried to make sure they did not see me moving the snacks, but their sisters were not as good at keeping the treasure hidden. It only took a day or two for the boys to devise a plan. As I again headed downstairs to do laundry, I heard chairs starting to move in the kitchen. I thought to myself that maybe they are just playing at the table or even using the chairs to sit...not quite! When I came upstairs I found them both standing on my counter with their little hands full of goodies! The picture above is their mugshot. They must think it takes me hours to put laundry in a basket and bring it upstairs, because I stood and watched them for a few minutes and they were not afraid of being caught in the least. They were showing each other what they were finding, and both boys were laughing and having a great time. All I did was clear my throat and the party was OVER! They both turned and sat down real fast, then I took their picture!