A Chuckle for my heart

Keener has learned to genuflect before we sit down at mass. She has been doing this without prompting for several weeks now, following the good example by her older siblings. Obviously, she does not fully understand the purpose of this because as I walked up to take Communion today, she stopped at every row, knelt and then got up again. It brought a smile to my face and a chuckle to my heart. Glad to see that she has found joy in mass.

Generosity

Generosity must be an innate quality that most people somehow loose. My dear little Keener was helping me watch my 5 month old goddaughter today. Keener thought that the "baby" needed her blankie. This is Keener's most prized possession. I was proud to see that she was willing to give away something that she loves to make the baby happy. What a generous heart.

This is a picture of them playing.

The Sound of Silence

The poor librarian took pity on me today. I was the victim of all of their policy changes from this summer. I already knew that the budget cuts had changed the library hours. This has made it difficult for me to get to the library because I try to go between 8-9pm when the kids are fed and on their way to bed. The new hours have the library closing at 8, which is a more inconvenient time for me.

So what else changed?

For starters, the limit on overdue charges went from $25 to $15. I have to say that I tend to have overdue charges because I normally have a stack of books and a few are missing. The $75 I spend at the library a year pales in comparison to what I would spend on the books.

The second change was that the fines went from $0.15 to $0.30. This may not seem like a big deal, but with a 50 book limit (Thank God that didn't change!), you reach your maximum in overdue charges on the 1st day overdue.

The third policy that changed was that I can no longer give my children's library card number and have their books put on their account. I must have their physical card. Since I did not want to carry 5 library cards around in addition to the 5 insurance cards that I have to carry around (why people ever complain about a mother having a big purse is beyond me. As if I could help it with all these extra ID's I need to carry around!!), I had put a label on the back of my library card with all the kids library #'s on them. So much for that idea! Anyway since we were checking out 56 books, I was 6 over the limit. Without the kid's cards, I thought I was out of luck, but the librarian (who was explaining all these policy changes) took pity on me and "forced through" the extra books onto my account. Thank heavens! I really appreciated it.

And what was my reward for (somehow finding) patience with the new policies? --a kind librarian and a car ride home with SILENT children who were all reading their books. Ahhhh, now that was an outing worth taking!!!

Beauty takes root

I believe that no beautiful woman is beautiful by looks alone. Your personality is a large portion of your beauty. How many times have you met someone who appeared pretty at first, but had such a sour disposition that it changed your opinion of their outer beauty? How many times have you met someone who "became" beautiful in your eyes because of their inner beauty? I know my opinion has been changed quite a few times.

Saying all that, my sweet Elizabeth does not like the color of her natural hair. She was not feeling as beautiful as I know she is. After a lot of thought, I came to the conclusion that this was a simple fix and why should I hold her back? I dyed my hair all the time when I was younger (and maybe I still do....). If you hated your dress, wouldn't you change it? Wouldn't you wear high heals (or flats) to change your height? I think that we all have little parts of us that we don't like. Is it your hair color? Your hands? your feet? arms? calves? back? bum? How we react to this aspect of ourselves is important. How much do you care about your ugly toes? Enough to never wear sandals or only enough to want to paint them, so you feel like you make them pretty?

So I decided to let Elizabeth know that if she didn't like her hair color, we could change it. She could pick any color she wanted (uhh, well not purple.... mama's not ready for that yet! But honestly it wouldn't bother me... that much!) I want Elizabeth to know that she has the power to feel beautiful. Sometimes it means taking a relaxing bubble bath with your favorite scented soap, and sometimes it means dyeing your hair. The important lesson is that she take control. I wanted it to be her decision and only hers. Her initial reaction was a happy shock. She hadn't even considered coloring her hair, but she seemed delighted with the opportunity. I told her that she needed to think about it for a few weeks. So after the "waiting period", I asked again.

Elizabeth was very excited and chose to become a redhead!

I stressed to her that she has to love herself both inside and out, and that I thought she was beautiful. I don't want her to fixate on her outside appearance, but I think it is a good opportunity to teach her that small things to make us feel prettier are certainly acceptable. The happiness it brings her help bring out her natural beauty.

I also thought it was quite brave for a 10 year old.

So here are the results!

Both are great pictures in my opinion.

Out of the mouths of babes

Keener is changing so dramatically every day. Her ability to communicate is rapidly increasing, yet the slips of the tongue and opinions of a 2.5 year old are keeping the rest of us smiling.

Example #1: Elizabeth is very good at convincing Keener that certain items are "princess" items. This comes in very handy when we are having trouble getting her to wear a certain article of clothing, eat a particular food, or try something new.

In a typical conversation Elizabeth asks Keener, "Are you a princess?"

and Keener replies with an enthusiastic, "Yes!"

Today Keener replied, "NO!!!!! I'm a KEENER, Not a PRINCESS!"

Well !! I guess she feels very strongly about that! She's NOT a princess, just in case you didn't hear it in your city!

Example #2: Rolo has this very disgusting, very decrepit, blankie that is dying a long and agonizing death. It is SOOOO nasty that I hate to touch it. I do wash it often, but I think knowing it's "history" is enough to make me not want to. We will jokingly call it his "pee pee blanket" (and yes it is because of what you think).

So today while talking with Keener (whose own blankie was temporarily "missing" (childspeak for "I left it in my room and want Mommy to go fetch it") I pointed to where Rolo's blankie had been left on the floor. I said "Why don't you use brother's?"

She turned and looked at me and said in perfect English, "That's Rolo's pee pee blanket. It's disgusting!! I won't touch it!"

Well!! I guess she isn't shy about her opinions, like I need another opinionated female in the house!

Example #3: I was wearing a mud mask that was white when dried. (Very fun to scare the kids by the way.) Keener walked into the room and saw my face. She was quite shocked and said, "Your face is dirty! You need to clean it now! I go get a wipe!"

When I tried to explain that it was okay and that I would clean it off in a minute, she became very angry and said, "No! Now! Clean now! Mommy no dirty face!"

What could I do?

So, I got the washcloth.

Swine Flu

We are finally over the Swine Flu. Lucky us!!! Everyone keeps asking me what it was like. Well...... (drumroll please) it is exactly like the regular flu (You feel like someone knocked you out and you wonder how you ever learned to crawl much less walk!) except with an REALLY annoying dry cough. The flu just seems to knock me out. I literally remember going to sleep on the couch after calling Honey to come home from work, then I woke up 2 days later in my bed. Weird. That loss of time and place.

Thankfully we are all better and had the chance to go get the vaccine for the regular flu, so hopefully (knock on wood) we will last through the winter without any trips to the doctor. ~~~Dream a little dream for me~~~

Doing things in reverse order

So apparently we needed the flu to run it's course through the house prior to us getting the flu shot this year.

"Oh, bother!" said Pooh. *

"Yes, Pooh I agree! What a bother".

I got zonked with it first and then one by one we were all tagged "it". So now I am wondering, should I bother to get the flu shot since we already had the flu? I am so tired of being in my house and being sick and tired. I am looking forward to having a nice healthy family again. (A woman can wish can't she!!!)

I even found the gumption to cook today! I cooked up some lamb chops. We bought a lamb last winter and still have a few cuts left in the deep freezer. There is nothing more tasty than fresh meat from the farm. I don't know what the grocery store does to remove all the flavor from meat, but there is such a big difference. I hope that I can buy another one this year. It was a wonderful treat. If I ever followed a recipe I might share it with you, but alas I am the type of gal to open up the fridge, pantry, and spice cabinet, throw in what I feel like tasting. Then I mix, cook, and serve. Take that Martha and Julia!!!!

* Can you tell I have a 2 year old who is obsessed by Pooh at the moment?

Out & In & out

Out went the old ear tube that was stuck in the canal.

In went the new tubes, so that hopefully Rolo will be able to hear clearly again.

Out went the adenoids which were apparently already sick and infected, so a good advance call by the doctor. Surgery went well, Rolo seemed better immediately. I guess the adenoids were bothering him, but we couldn't even tell. I am glad to have my baby healthy. He is such a good patient and just like his mama. As soon as he woke up from his anesthesia stupor, he was ready to leave. He hates those hospitals as much as I do!

Ear Saga continued

Oh if only the story with Rolo was over. The fun never ends here. I can only say that I am blessed that we have two insurance plans for the moment.

A week after the rupture, Rolo looks at his Daddy and says, "I can't hear out of my ear."

Oh great! So I am on the phone to the pediatrician and his ENT trying to see who can get him in first. The ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) wins. After a hearing test, I am told that he has fluid hanging out in his ear and that he needs tubes again. He also might need his adenoids removed because they might be causing the fluid backup or harboring infections. When the doctor put in the tubes she will scope him and see if it is necessary. Am I the only one who is like "Uhh, what and where are adenoids?" (click here for a link to a simple answer with diagram)

So I schedule him for surgery a week after we get back from my mother's big Birthday celebration. Is it really necessary for me to live at doctors offices?

Take a bite and hide the evidence...

Keener has been having a runny nose, but it started to smell funny. My Mommy radar went off and I took a look up her nose. Sure enough, there was something up there. After retrieving the object, I was able to figure out that she had taken a bite out of a purple swim noodle and then hidden the evidence in a (ahem) convenient location. Since it had been at least 2 days since we had gone to the pool, it was rotting. In a word, GROSS!!!!!

I'm still wondering why a 2 year old thinks it is a good idea to stick something up her nose.......

Add another one to the list

Having Fun with Honey at the beach.

Too bad reality set in.

Rolo woke up at 4:00 am on the day we were supposed to be leaving and was screaming in pain. His ear hurt. Rolo has had multiple ear infections and tubes in his ears, so off to the ER we went, a Saturday sickness in another city leaves us with very little choice of where to go. Since he didn't have a fever and the ER docs didn't "see" that much (a slight irritation), they gave him a topical pain reliever for his ear. A few hours later he had a fever and was no longer in pain, but was certainly a sick little boy. Then a few more hours later and at our home, I see that his eardrum has obviously ruptured (no need for gory details here). Ughhh! A trip to our pediatrician confirms the rupture. Some meds for the ear and the infection and my little boy is feeling much better.

This got me thinking of how many ER's I've been to with my kids. Here's the list for the past 10 years.

1. Tripler Army Hospital Honolulu Hawaii
2. Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center Norfolk Virginia
3. Portsmouth Naval Hospital-Portsmouth Virginia
4. Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters-Norfolk Virginia
5. INOVA Fairfax Hospital-Fairfax Virginia
6. INOVA Emergency Healthplex Center-Alexandria Virginia
7. Howard County General Hospital- Columbia Maryland
8. Erlanger Hospital-Chattanooga Tennessee
9. Chatuge Regional Hospital-Hiawassee Georgia
10. Dewitt Army Hospital-Fort Belvior Virginia
11. Sentara Virginia Beach Hospital-Virginia Beach Virginia

Wow, that's a lot once I started to think about it. And that is just the ER's I've been to!

Thankfully we have been lucky that most trips have been for simple things and the two times I've had bad experiences, I've had the nerve to leave one ER and go to another. Word of advice... NEVER go to #2 DePaul Medical Center, unless you just want an autopsy. Horrible does not begin to describe their ER. I would always go to #5 INOVA Fairfax and #4 Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters. CHKD saved Elizabeth from extreme dehydration when she was having a bad Reflux & stomach flu combo. The memories of my little girl being so sick still scare me. I wish I had some words of wisdom to gleam from all this time in the ER's, but my advice is the same as you read elsewhere.

1. Make sure the staff cleans their hands. There is nothing more disgusting than an ER.
2. Go with your gut. Remember the old joke "what do they call the person that graduates last in their class from medical school" Answer: Doctor. They are human after all.
3. If a doctor is acting all high and mighty, start calling him/her by his/her first name. Nothing brings them down to your level so fast as the familiarity of a first name.

On to a simpler life for a month (I can only hope!)

Honey is Home!!!

Honey's Home! So Glad to have him back. Here are the pictures!

Honey and me

Great Big Hug.

Almost There!

Jumping into his arms!

Two Littlest ones enjoying a moment with their Daddy

Great Big Bear hug for Daddy.

Daddy and his Girls!

Three Little Pumpkins sitting on their Daddy!

Decorated the Car Just for Honey!

Gratitude

Today as I prepare for the return of Honey. I can hardly believe that the time is almost over. Hours are all I have in front of me instead of months. In light of that I want to discuss a more serious topic, Gratitude. Gratitude is defined as thankfulness or appreciation. It is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgement of a benefit that one has received or will receive. (Wikipedia)

As I mentioned months ago, I am very grateful to the Bad Backs Lax for their gift to our family. There are many other individuals and families that have been so kind and generous to our family during the time that Honey has been away to defend our great nation. The kind words and outpouring of love, assistance with the kids, help with the laundry, mowing the lawn, meals and phone calls just to say hello; have been such a huge blessing. I don't think I have ever felt so loved. I am so grateful to know so many wonderful people. I don't think I could ever repay them for the friendship, love and support that I have been given. It is a gift of love that has no price. They have been a perfect example that "Kindness is love in action" (from The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick).

So I ask you to remember that the smallest things that you do might have the biggest impact on your day, or more importantly; the day of others. Try to follow John 15:12, "This is my commandment. Love one another as I have loved you." Smile at your mailman, say hi to the check out clerk, let that person in front of you in line at the store (or parking lot!), give your child or spouse a hug, call up a friend you haven't talked to in a while. These small things may make a big difference in their day. I know that the quick phone calls or emails to see how I was feeling, made all the difference in the world to my day. The acts of friendship made me not feel so alone. I am a huge believer in "what goes around comes around". This isn't just about the bad, it's about the good things too. Friendship means being there when times are hard, not just when it's easy. So when you get up each day, ask yourself "Who do you want to be nice to today?" And get to it. Be a blessing in someone else's life!

Why NOT to travel with us!

The Car Cleaning Story got me in the mood to tell my other ... "this happened right before our vacation" story.

Four years ago we decided to take the kids to Disney-world in January. Since we live 15 minutes from the Amtrak Autotrain (About.com), we decided to take that rather than deal with flying with 3 kids (Strollers, car seats, bags, & security... what a nightmare!) The biggest advantage of the autotrain to families is that you can leave the car seats, strollers and bags in the car. You only need an overnight bag for the train. My in-laws (aka Nana and Granfer) were going with us. In order to do this, we needed to add storage to our Volvo Wagon. We had a bench seat in the back, so seating was not a problem, but since that uses all the cargo area, we needed to have a place to put our bags. The plan was to put a trailer hitch on, then put a cargo rack on the back and put the suitcases there. So the week prior, I go to UHaul and get the hitch put on. Well now we run into problem #1.

Problem #1a The hitch is not in stock (even though I ordered it and was told it was in stock waiting for me!). I now have to come in the day before the trip in order to get the hitch put on. Okay, not that big of a deal. (Problem #1b)So I go back on the day before the trip and the 1 hour install turns into 4! The kids are going nuts because of the wait and Honey leaves work and comes to pick them up. (Problem #1c ) It is of course now starting to snow with bit of sleet! Oh Great! (Problem #1d) So what is the reason for the wait... they didn't know how to install the hitch on a Volvo wagon. The UHaul "technician" actually asked me where I thought the hitch was supposed to be placed on the car. "Hmm, On the back?" How should I know? If I knew that I would have done it already and I wouldn't be paying you! Finally after who knows how long, it is done.

Problem #2. So we do our nightly routines and then put together the cargo rack for the trailer hitch. We test fit it onto the car. Uh, Oh, the cargo rack is hitting the ground. That's okay, we are parked on a slope. We'll just move the car. The problem remains, .... so the slope isn't the problem. I guess those Uhaul it guys didn't get it right after all. Hmm, I guess we'll have to go with plan B. We have a car top carrier, but we didn't have roof rails. (The carrier was a "gift" from my father because he didn't want to store it anymore). Since it was so bulky, we didn't originally want to use it since we would have to move it into the car during the train ride and it would be much more difficult to deal with. Since we were left with no choice, we went to get temporary roof rails from the auto store.

Problem #3 We have just enough time to go to the store and get the rails before the store closes. Then our problem will be solved... If only!!!! We got the rails, put them together and realized that one of the rail's rubber feet was missing from the box, so we needed to go back to the store in the morning to exchange the rails/ get the replacement, otherwise it would scratch up the car. That's okay. Everything else is packed.

Problem #4 Honey is getting ready for a half day of work (we have to be at the train station at 2:00 to load the car onto the train). I am in charge of getting the replacement foot and getting other last minute things for the trip. Not a big deal plenty of time... WRONG! I am groggy but waking and I look at Honey's pillow. Christopher is sleeping beside me, but there is something all over the pillow, it looks like chocolate. What has our little almost 3 year old Christopher been into in the middle of the night?!. I take another look and it's blood! I quickly jump out of bed and check out Christopher. Sure enough, he has a gash in his head. He needs stitches! I yell to Honey that he needs to call work and take the whole day off. One of us needs to go to the ER and one needs to get the rest of the last minute stuff done, feed the kids breakfast and lunch and clean up. We decide that he will take Christopher and I will do the last minute stuff.

Problem #5 I take Christopher into the kitchen to feed him breakfast before we leave. I put him onto the stool at the kitchen counter and make breakfast. Honey arrives as I finish putting the food in front of Christopher. As I turn to go get dressed for the day, Christopher falls off the stool and hits his chin on the floor. He now needs stitches in his chin!!!

Here is an Ikea Stool like ours. This is the second time that this stool has caused Christopher to fall and require stitches. Needless to say, we no longer have the stool!

This is from http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YQjq5-PO-Wx9-2F-mNVjwQ

We have temporary furniture out because our flooring is not yet installed. It is the last thing left to do for our house remodel. (Problem #6-House is under construction and thus the reason we NEED a vacation! Problem #7, we were having bank trouble all week, trying to get the bank to pay the contractor the proper amount of $ he was owed.)

So now Honey has to have two sets of stitches for Christopher and meanwhile I am praying that he doesn't have to deal with CPS (Child Protective Services). As I run around getting the other kids fed and dressed and the last minute stuff done. I do finally get to the store, get the cargo carrier onto the car, get the luggage into the car and effectively deal with Nana who has arrived and is warding off a panic attack over the stress of the situation (Problem #8)

Now all we need is Honey. It is 1:00 and I am starting to panic. He's still at the ER! Christopher is all stitched up, but they are waiting for some paperwork. Ugh! Gotta love bureaucracy in a time like this. (Problem #9) I am able to convince Honey that we have to leave for this trip and that if they don't come within 10 minute, he is to leave. We've dealt with stitches before so we know about the aftercare and they have our insurance info so they can bill us. I mean really, why was he waiting anyway?

Thankfully they come within the next 10 minutes and Honey is out the door and we get to leave on our trip.

Sometimes it's hard to believe my run of bad luck.

Moral of the story: Don't travel with us! We have horrible travel karma!


P.S.  This is not the end of the story, we had to go to the ER in Disneyworld to remove the stitches.  While there we all contracted the stomach flu from the family that was letting their kids play in the play area while they were sick (Some people have so little sense or kindness!).  It was NOT a fun trip home!

One last Trial before the end.

I woke up today and didn't want to move. My back was and is killing me! But I have lots to do before Honey gets home TOMORRROW!!! I need to keep the house clean, find a dog sitter, pack for the beach and the most necessary - the car must be cleaned. It's waited too long. It's been sitting & festering in the hot summer sun too many days. All the kids melted madness in the backseat was started to smell.... The most disgusting thing is not the yuck that is unidentifiable, but the chicken nuggets and french fries that look not one day older. Makes you wonder what it's really made of?!

After quickly cleaning Honey's car. I started on the Suburban. First I had the kids get all their stuff out (while I cleaned Honey's car). Then I had to pick up all the sticky change($) that they seem to accumulate in the backseats and in crevices. I also try to get things put away during this phase and strip the car seats so they can be cleaned as well. Next it was onto the vacuuming. There is a LOT of space in the Suburban and I normally have to make a few passes with the vacuum because of all the fries, crackers, candy, stickers, crayons, you name it!. Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! Just when I was almost done with the vacuuming it started to pour down raining. Why does this always happen to me? So I of throw the rest of the vacuum in the car, go unplug it so I won't get electricuted (that would be my luck!), throw all the miscellaneous junk into the house and grab the keys so I can roll up the windows. I come back to the car, put the keys in the ignition, turn on the car, but it won't start! I know it's not the battery (I already replaced that while Honey was gone!). So, I called roadside assistance to come give me a jump. Apparently, I took an exceptionally long time cleaning the car! ... and I'm still not done! I still have to scrub the gunk off the seats and reinstall the car seats.

Who knew that you could spend so much time cleaning the car that you could wear down the battery?

For some other of my bad luck before vacation stories, visit "Family Oldie," "Why to Not Travel with us!" or "The Rest of the Story."

2nd String

The past few months I have listened to Taylor Swift a LOT. Her music really reaches out to a lonely soul and makes me remember all the things I love about Honey. Probably my favorite song is "Breathe" .

Now I know that the song is about a breakup, but many of the emotions of a break up are similar to being separated.

"...I don't know what to be without you around"

"...I can't breathe without you, but I have too"

"... Your the only thing I know like the back of my hand"

After being married for 12.5 years it is quite an adjustment to not have Honey around every day. We often spent time apart during the first few years of our married life while he was out to sea. But, once he left the Navy for corporate life 7 years ago, I have gotten to enjoy having him around. It is amazing how much you can take a person for granted because they are with you every day. You just expect them to be there to help with little things like getting milk from the store or filling up the car with gas. I hate filling up the car so much. I can not tell you how many times I have pulled up to the gas pump, gotten out of the car, and then realized that the car was too far away or that I pulled up to the wrong side. I feel like a moron when it happens, but I was used to Honey taking care of these things for me. When your team is no longer together, you feel abandoned and like you have no chance of winning the game. This is where the 2nd string must come in to help. I have been lucky in life to know a great many wonderful people. Luckily, these people have come in to help me. Friends like these are worth their weight in gold.

You can watch the video and hear the song here.

Go figure?

Here's one [unexpected] thing about Honey's flight from Kabul to Kuwait that bugged me.

The Army sent the soldiers on a flight that mustered at 1:00 PM. It left Kabul at 7:00 PM. The plane landed in Kuwait 6 hours later. During the entire time the Army didn't feed them!

Honey (being the non-complainer that he is) said "Well, it wasn't a commercial flight. It's not like they have stewardesses."

Well, sure, ...but someone got paid to feed those 60 people. And seeing as how the military invented the MRE's (Meal's Ready to Eat for you non military types), It's not like there wasn't an ability to give everyone a quick (albeit bad meal). Annoying. I guess feeding the troops is not a priority.

Almost there, almost there...

Honey called to say that he is safely in Kuwait. Yeah!!! He has to clean his gun and turn it in, then endure a few days of needless drivel from the Army and then he will be home again. I am very excited to see him. The kids are very excited and anxious to have him home again. They keep saying sweet things like:

"I'm going to hug Daddy forever"

"When I hug you [Daddy], I'm never going to let go."

"I'm gonna kiss you all day!"

Looking forward to a joy-filled reunion. I'll get as many pictures as I can.

Dropping things

It's the worst feeling to drop a child. In all fairness, I was tired because Keener was up until 4 am Friday morning, but I am grateful that only minor scrapes occurred when I dropped her later that same day in the pool's shower. Her wet little body just slipped right out my arms and onto the floor. Minor cuts, but boy did I feel like the bad mother.

Then today (Saturday), The bike tipped over with her in the baby seat. Ahhh!!! No scrapes or broken bones, Thank God!

I think I won't be getting that "Mother of the Year" award. Oh well, who likes clutter anyhow!

College Friend

My good friend from college came with her two children to visit me for a few days. She is Christopher's godmother. What a blessing to have someone else around, more kids for my children to play with and someone to distract me from the last few days of the deployment. I am very grateful that she took the 9 hour drive from Boston. I am amazed at how the gift of companionship can make such a difference in my day. No "priceless" work of art could compare to the gift of friendship. I'd pick my friends every time.