Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Thanksgiving!


Spuds McTurkey

Monday, November 24, 2008

Proud of My Boys

At church yesterday, I had two women come up to me and compliment me on Christopher, how they've "never" seen him fuss. Now I know better. But it was a very sweet comment. We usually bring Christopher up to the front of the church to sit with us in the choir at Communion, and he hangs with us the last 10 minutes of the church service. He's usually content during this time because A. he gets to watch lots of people coming and going at the communion rail, and B. He's been away from us for about an hour...refreshing for all involved. Another lady told me how amazing he is, that he never seems to be pulled down by all that has happened and continues to happen. Yeah. Failure to Thrive...my Aunt Fanny. But possibly...quite possibly... he just may be Good Kid too.
Last night, Chris was a maniac. bouncing on a booth seat while we had pizza with his BF Bryn and her family at Monical's (yum-O!) and he wiped out, I thought he got his freshly pinched fingers, but it turned out he banged his feeding tube, real good. It bled a nice bit, and he cried a bit, and Daddy walked him about for a bit, and then he was fine. My friend Amy told me he was Brave. Indeed, he is the bravest person I know. He is not hampered by his situations. Chris doesn't stop jumping or playing or smiling just because he may hurt. He plugs on. He keeps jumping and keeps playing, and most of all, keeps smiling. I am proud to be his Mother.

I suppose I could stop there, but I mentioned Both my Boys, and so I shall keep tooting horns. Eric had Lasik surgery on Friday. Now that alone is braver than me. The mere idea of zapping my eyeball, let alone being conscious while someone or some thing holds my eye open while they zap me. They don't have enough drugs for me for that.

Consequently, Eric was theoretically going to be out of commission for the weekend. We had not much planned. We have a PROJECT that we wanted to work on, and that was it. Theoretically, we'd like to get Christopher moved into the back bedroom by his birthday. We've picked up an inflatable toddler bed, and we think he may enjoy getting that for his birthday and then promptly using it. The theory being that will help transition him from crib (required for the new baby) to big boy bed. So, his birthday is the goal. Well, once we did a little planning, we realized, we better do the painting while we're off for Thanksgiving. If you back track from there...Holy Cow...we have to empty out the back bedroom...Before Thanksgiving!

I give you Exhibit A.



This would be our Before Picture. The Back Bedroom could be otherwise known as the Catch-All of Crap. There are finite paths to navigate back there. My sewing started as occupying a corner, then the corner took over an entire side of the bed. The closet took all our dressup clothes, luggage, and a great assortment of stuff. Chris's closet got full, and we kept being given more bags of clothing, which I was NOT turning way, and so they take up more and more room. As getting back there got harder and harder, the crap just overflowed. I would venture to guess that we haven't been able to get the vacuum more than 3 feet into the room in a couple years. Luckily, it's been our "Animal Free" room, so the dust doesn't seem to be as nasty as in other areas where animals (and children) roam with their own dust and hair.

So, a couple weeks ago, Eric emptied the closet...into the living room. Last week, we cleared Almost everything from said closet and the dresser, and reorganized the master closet, depositing a bin or two in the crawlspace, and made serious donations to Goodwill. Saturday morning, Eric and I recovered from breakfast, by sitting, and making a list. I come from a long line of list makers. The problem lies in that I NEVER complete said list. We did. This weekend, we wrote a list, of what we'd like to accomplish on the weekend, and Eric finished all of them but 1 by late Saturday night. Eric broke down the old Closet shelving, getting it set to remodel with moveable shelves like Chris's and the Master closet. He drilled for new stuff, and then fixed the drywall stuff (or at least round one which has to dry for 24 hours before sanding), fixed the broken phone jack, patched a couple drywall holes that had been created in the previous fixings of phone and lights. We even managed to create and run over a load to Goodwill. The final item on the list, take a load to our friend's house we did last night, and celebrated our completion of the list by going out for pizza. We have this wonderful friend (and I'm not just saying that because she occasionally reads this) who has offered us a corner of her rather spacious unfinished basement for storage of excess crap until we move. There is a lot of it. We only took 1 carload over, and we're only about halfway through the one room. That is love.

This is Exhibit B.



Now we can see an empty closet, a clear corner (we moved the dresser into the living room to patch drywall), and to take the picture I'm standing on the other side of the bedroom, where my yarn and fabric storage bins were piled, where previously we were unable to access.

And we all 3 still managed to nap on Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday.

I have a couple of great Boys. I know...You knew that.

Friday, November 21, 2008

965

So, Eric was running a race last weekend, and it started in the church, outside the nursery he saw a poster:

If your child was born today, there would only be 965 weekends until he graduated from high school.

I realize that that's not enough time to teach him about God only on Sundays, but we must act Everyday, and even still that's not a whole lot of time to Teach him in All the Ways he should go. It made me sad to realize I only have less than 1000, and I've already lost roughly 150 weekends in Christopher's life.
1. The last band I saw live was the contemporary band at church this past weekend. Or maybe the Butler Pep Band at a basketball game last winter? If you're talking real concert, Kathleen and I saw Melissa Etheridge live just...oh, my, that was like almost 2 years ago.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is only driving to Marion for lunch, and being home in the evening. This year I'm going to try to watch Holiday Inn, one of my favorite holiday movies, and for some reason I love to watch it at Thanksgiving, but it eludes me.
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is barely begun. I've picked up some goodies for Chris over the last few months, but for others...only in theory.
4. Thoughts of Baby Blankets fill my head. I went shopping for yarn, and had to stop myself from going totally nutsy, because I have some expectant friends, and I keep thinking what sorts of recipes I want to do for them or for me. I've currently got an upstairs sewing project and a downstairs sewing project. Plus, I got super motivated and started working on a quilt project that had been set aside for Chris for a year, a quilt made out of his receiving blankets. This week, during my Preschool break, I pinned and stitched the top AND bottom, it's going to be reversible. :) Now I just have to stuff, bind, quilt or tie.
5. I wish I could wear cheap bras. How lovely it would be to be able to find a little satiny number at Wal-mart that fit me.
6. Bagpipes are cool. That's a skill that I personally don't want to develop, but I admire in others. Something about hearing bagpipes and seeing them played makes me stop and pause.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed. MOPS is having a Mom's Night Out, and boy howdy could I use the escape, but Eric is having Lasik surgery this afternoon (eww!) and I have to tote his barge, and he may not be up to watching a boy alone. Plus, Chris only slept 3 consecutive hours last night, and they were all before I fell asleep. Then he was up every hour all night long, so I'm pooped. Tomorrow my plans include running my husband to a follow up Lasik surgery appointment at the eye doctor-whoopie...and I told him I'm getting the biggest fattest nap and Sunday, I want to take another nap! But I'd also like to empty out the back bedroom (or rather have Eric do the emptying), and take all our crap to hide in our friend's basement, because we're really hoping to paint the back bedroom (to make it Chris's) over Thanksgiving Weekend.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

Monday, November 17, 2008

A big gift

OK, so really this story starts a couple weeks ago, and if you don't want to read about Bras and boobs don't read on. I was taking my mother in law to a doctor's visit at St V's in Carmel. After the drive all the way up there, she was only seen for 10 minutes, not even enough time to get to the good stuff in the People magazine (snarf), and Chris was even still happy. So anyway, we made moves to leave. As we filing out of the building, I noticed a little shop open, literally a boutique. I saw one of those things, a My Brest Friend, hanging in the window, it's kind of like a Boppy, but not so binding and with a back support. I had just seen one in person days before, and was most intrigued, so I was drawn into the shop. I had to know how much it cost. Answer: a lot more than I was willing to spend on it at that particular moment. However, hanging right below it were bras...nursing bras to be specific. The nice lady came over to "help" us.
Now, for those that don't know, I'm a buxom girl. I was no small shakes before I got pregnant, but now, well these gals need their own time zone. I spent 18 months nursing Christopher in bras that didn't fit because I was too cheap to buy a fancy expensive one, I'd bought out the Motherhood Maternity in the biggest ones they had, and they weren't big enough, and I was too afraid to order random bras off the internet, and too big to buy them in any cheapy shop around here. Of course, AFTER I'd stopped nursing Kathleen told me about this fancy shop in Clarian North that caters to post-mastectomy patients, and has all manner of fabulous bra paraphanalia. Expensive, yes, but I could get fitted, try them on...find something that fit. It sounded lovely. I had not been subtle to Eric that I was not going to spend 18 months uncomfortable this time around. We were going to spend the money and buy the expensive bras and that I would be heading to that little magic shop soon! And oh, by the way, I'd also been mentioning that I'd been getting a little uncomfortable in my current bras. I'd been to Target and Walmart, and checked to see if they had nursing bras in any size bigger than the regular ones I already wore. As I expected, no. And I hadn't been to any fancy maternity place or any place that sold bras to hunt yet.
That brings us back to the little lady who was trying to be helpful. Pessimistic, and doubtful, I asked the loaded question. How big do you go? (I've learned you see, to ask how big they go, so as to not waste my time, I don't even bother going through the racks, let alone getting measured if they don't go Big). Well, they did go big, up to J! Well, she sized me, turns out I had grown about 2 cups and up almost 2 sizes, NO WONDER I'd been mentioning it was time for me to get new bras. She brought one in that was downright spacious, soft cotton, with shoulder straps that not only were they extra wide, but had super pads on them for added support. I swear I could hear a chorus sing, "Oh sweet mystery of life, at last I found you..." when I put that bra on. I usually wear my bra on the widest setting, but this one I was able to buckle on the 4th set in, with room around and cup to spare. It felt so great, I didn't care how much it cost ($40-yikes, good thing choirs were singing). It was the only one in my size they had in stock, but they could get me more, which would've been fine, eventually. I was so excited I flashed my mother in law to show it off.
I wore that bad boy home.
And wore it everyday since.
Told my husband that I was going to need more. I was not subtle. The only time I was not wearing it was when it was being washed and dried. At that rate this wonderful beastie was not going to last long.

Until today. Eric came home, Chris and I were encamped downstairs, having a mostly pajama Monday engrossed in alternating between Pooh and Veggie Tales. When he called that supper was ready, I came upstairs to not only find dinner on the table, but 2 NEW BRAS at my seat. 2! Apparently, Eric found them cheaper on the internet, and once we knew the size and brand...BAM! 2 Fabulous Bras of Joy!
He said, Merry Early Christmas! Oh happy Happy Day!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Friday Fill Ins

1. Please feel free to ask me for a favor. I'll help when I can. Don't think I'll say NO, I might, but I love you, and at least I want the opportunity to help my friends.
2. When I open fresh coffee, whether I am drinking it or not, (lately Not) I can't help sniffing it occasionally. More than occasionally. I love the smell of coffee, especially tutti frutti smelly coffees. Bummer I'm not drinking these days.
3. My favorite thing to cook is dessert. Eric makes the dinner, I bake. The last week, I've made Pumpkin Craisin Bread twice, and not only is it scrumptious, but it makes the house smell SO GOOD!
4. Christopher's Laugh is something I can't get enough of. It's better than Frozen Snicker Bars. And no matter how bad of a mood, or sad I am, when I hear him laugh, it's better than a choir, or the band, or being under a piano when it's played. Probably right up there with a chorus of Angels, I imagine they sound much like Christopher's Laugh.
5. That's the thing I love most about Veggie Tales. There's so much to love: a. Chris loves it. b. Christian values. c. Humor both for adult and child to appreciate. d. Lately I love most that they sing...badly, but they have so much fun, you can sing along whether you're in tune, or terrible, and it's still great. I love Children's Music for that.
6. Silent Cartoon Dogs make me think to myself, what the heck? Have you ever wondered why Goofy can talk, and Pluto can't? Or why Sheep, Pig, Bear, Duck, and Frog, can all talk in Word World, but Dog can't? What the heck?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the Church Choir Party (we just got home but I was looking forward to it all day) I just kind of wish I could've been drinking, (Bummer I'm not drinking these days) ;)tomorrow my plans include Eric's doing a 5K Run literally through his old neighborhood, a fundraiser for a boy in his brother's class who was paralyzed in a diving accident, I haven't been a waving fan of Eric's for a while, possibly meeting the Fam for lunch, if Chris wakes up early enough and in a good enough mood to go that early...otherwise we'll have a pajama morning (which is nice too) and Sunday, I want to talk my husband into spending money at the MOPS Bake Sale, and of course, get a big fat UN-INTERUPTED Nap!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

Computer Confessions

I have become a bit addicted to Facebook. I signed on because a friend invited me over a year ago, but I liked Blogging SO Much better. I fought the impulse for a while, but then at Grandma's funeral, all the cousins were sitting around talking about it, and I realized how it might be an interesting way to keep in touch with them. Well, I got guilted into revisiting and signing up...and got sucked right in. My thoughts throughout the day now consist of, Hmmm, what can I put for my facebook one liner about This moment? When I get that flash, So and so wants to be your friend. How can that not be thrilling, especially when I haven't heard from so and so in ages! It's almost as great as back in the day, when those 3 little words, "You've Got Mail" used to bring the same thrill. Before spam.
And you know, I've become a blog stalker. I read sites, some of people I've only met once, some of people I've never met, some I've come to love to want to meet. There for a while, I got sucked into reading blogs of people that had lost babies, and it was giving me bad dreams, so I stopped reading those. But I still visit other people's sites. The thing of I like about blogging or blog stalking is that I can easily step away, and come back and I haven't missed anything, nor have I had to blow anyone off by leaving quickly. Poor Chris, he wants to watch Veggie Tales, I pop one in, and bam, I'm on the computer. However, he can pull me away pretty easily by asking, Mommy, Need a Hud (hug). Or telling me to Sit. Then we'll sit and watch Veggie Tales together, cuddled up on the couch. I like those moments, quiet cuddles. Time to get some.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Challenge

A friend posted this a couple whiles ago, and I'm just getting around to completing the challenge. Take a picture of your oldest pair of shoes sitting with your newest pair of shoes and tell their stories.



The black pair was a pair of girly shoes I got in high school, quite possibly my junior or senior year. I remember wearing them to get my senior pictures taken. Dress up shoes is a sore point for me, my toes are so squared off that none really fit, so they are a pain in the butt to find. I find it strange that these two shoes are my oldest and newest. What you do not see is generations of Birkenstocks that I wore to falling apart in between that I didn't discover until Freshman year in college. My mother teased me mercilessly for wearing those sandals all year round, with socks in winter, sloshing through the snow like snowshoes...until she tried on a pair herself, then she understood. By then I had discovered Birkenstock Bostons, so I only sloshed for two winters. ;) These are Naturalizer pumps (read old lady shoes) and they've lasted forever. The most comfortable girly shoe I'd ever worn. Then again, anymore if I have to dress up, I wear my Danskos or my Patent Leather Birkies. I think I may have worn these twice since Chris was born, but you never know when you'll need a dainty girly shoe when a Birky just won't do. As for the sneakers....Eric has been on a running kick. He told me that your shoes should go X many miles. Well, I don't run, I walk. I had one pair of sneakers, and that was it. So, late this summer, when we bought him an obnoxiously priced pair of running shoes, he got me a pair of walking shoes too. I got professionally measured and sized up, and blah blah blah. They are terribly ugly, big clompy grandma Walkers, but SO Comfortable. So Comfy. So far, I've only worn them to do "Cause" Walks, Ovarian Cancer and Domestic Violence Walks, because they are pretty and still white. Perhaps I'll walk again by summer.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Thursday Thirteen

So, Chris and I took advantage of what may have been the last pretty day of this fall. Mommy's stomach flu had finally receeded, she had energy. It was sunny outside, and in spite of this being a preschool day, and we had a planned lunchdate with Grandma, we opted to go from lunch to the zoo. We walked in the White River Gardens, which were just oozing with beautiful fall foliage, golds and reds. If you've not been to the midwest in the fall, it really can be something to behold, and this is the tale end of it. It was a great trip, the clouds rolled in just as we left the zoo.

1. Chris in his stroller, at the entrance.


2. Petting the geese.


3. A leaf for the fish. Chris discovered fish in the pond, and was determined to give them leaves. Lots of leaves.


4. A special leaf, just for you.


5. Not content to pick leaves up off the ground, he wanted to pry the pretty ones off the trees too. This was some kind of fancy Dogwood, which Mommy just thought was BEAUTIFUL!


6. Can you see him? He's almost camoflaged sitting down in a break on the little wall, there's a small brick stepping bridge over the stream, which is currently running dry, otherwise his feet would've been wet instead of just dirty.


7. Pretty purple flowers, butterfly bush maybe, still in bloom. But they didn't seem as pretty to Chris as his leaf.


8. Chris takes off running. See him still clutching that leaf.


9. Mommy fell a bit too far behind, for when I caught up with him, he had burst into tears. Little tired?..maybe. But aren't the leaves on the pillars pretty?


10. GQ. GQ for the Choo Choo, there's a small train that runs a small loop in the gardens, and Chris spent a good 10 minutes chasing it and watching it.


11. Beya Mommy. Chris tells me Come here, "Beya" to help him down the steps. But I made him go down on his bottom (ballums) all by himself. He did.


12. All By Self. Not only could Chris go down the steps on one side of this little flower pit, but he climbed right up out the other side.


13. Mommy and her Sweetboy. An auto-portrait, leaning camera precariously on stroller. Chris would not sit still for a second take.


Indeed it was a beautiful fall day.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Wordless Wednesday



Flu Flews is feeling better.

My dog has the stomach flu

Ever hear of the excuse, "my dog ate my homework"? Yes. That only happened to me once. In my working days, I missed half a days work because I had to wait for the Benedryl to kick in on my dog. I got a lot of flack for it. But Fina is sensitive to bug bites on her muzzle, and her face swells up when she gets bit, and once it got so bad it impeeded her breathing. That day, I gave her benedryl, but I had to wait around for her to sleep, to make sure a. the swelling in her face went down, and b. she didn't start have trouble breathin. How much do I love my dog? Lots.
However, in the last week, she's gotten old. She has trouble moving around, falls asleep downstairs and sleeps through us going up, getting herself locked in downstairs. Anyway, I digress.
Last night, she puked. She didn't stop. She puked 4 times, upstairs and down, poor Eric had to clean it up, because I couldn't even look at it without heaving. I was up all night because either Chris or the dog woke me up every hour. I'd feel sorry for her if I didn't feel so like ass myself. Then this morning, while we were at Chris's preschool assessment, and Fina was safe in her crate, she lost it again. Apparently, giving her a half breakfast was a mistake. I nearly lost it letting her out, ended up meditating over the toilet. I called Eric, we worked it out that Fina would just not get locked up in her crate. Then she lost it again at the back door. But I was trying to cook brownies for my friend, and I couldn't cook. Had to back out of bringing dessert, had to call my husband, shaking and crying, to tell him I was now isolated from kitchen and bedroom. He offered to come home. How sweet is that? Even if I didn't let him, just that he would offer...
It sounds like a bullshit excuse doesn't it, I told him, I have to go home because my dog is puking, and my crazy wife can't handle it. It would be crazy, if it weren't so true. I am writing, because as I type, my husband is on his way home. How wonderful is he?