at least they get along

Me today at the grocery store....my kids were the ones yelling and playing and imagining and hanging out of their little car on the front of my cart. Most of the other patrons there were NOT with children, especially not with children as wild as mine.

But they were having a great time together. It was their first taste of freedom after the "big kids" all went to school. And even though they were CRAZY, it really didn't bother me a whole lot. I mean, after all, they were having a good time and not fighting or anything.

Maybe I'm just immune to the ruckus of them.

another trip to trauma

Last night I was waiting for Clay at his drum lesson when my cell phone rang. Aleena told me that Jack E had fallen off the trampoline. I told her to apply pressure. Everyone was really calm, especially Jack who wasn't even crying. I got Clay and headed home. A neighbor came by to check on it. She thought it looked pretty deep so I decided I would pick him up and head straight to after hours care.

I got to see my favorite trauma PA (it's a little alarming that I have one, don't you think?) and he was able to just glue Jack E's little cut. It's below the eyebrow right on his brow bone of his left eye. The cut is about a half inch long, horizontally. Jack was a total trouper during the whole thing. He literally said, "ow" twice I think while the PA cleaned the wound, assessed it and glued it back together.

This morning, he's pretty swollen, but doing just fine. I just had to scold him for trying to do cannon balls from the coffee table to the couch. The boy isn't even 3 and he's already had stitches once before! I think I see a lot of trips to the trauma PA in our future!

school supplies

Yesterday I got most of the kids' school supplies. I wimped out and went without them. It's just a lot easier that way. Plus, it's not like we get the cute folders or notebooks or anything. I'm all about the big plain multi-packs and 10¢ plain folders.

The kids were so excited to put their names on everything and get it all ready. They still have one more week before school. I'm realizing that this back to school time is causing me a lot of anxiety. Summer isn't even really done, but I haven't canned a single thing. We have really relied on that in the past, Will I get enough put up for winter? Tomatoes aren't even on at the farm yet so I know I still have time for that.

Then it seems like once school starts, it will be Halloween soon. Money for costumes. Then Christmas with it's excess and need for extra cash.

I am really trying to just enjoy the day at hand and not stress about the future too much. That's part of being present for me, I guess.

lots of thoughts

It's not that I don't have anything to blog about, it's just that I can't put enough thoughts together about one subject for it to make sense.

Things I'm thinking about?

lack of vision and abundance of pettiness...how when we forget that our lives are supposed to be part of a bigger picture, we get absolutely consumed with the false sense of self importance.

being present...can I really be in an experience wholeheartedly? without knitting or crocheting or jumping up to do laundry or playing a game on my phone or browsing a magazine? Last night I did it...my mind only wandered a little. But there was something really distracting me. I just really forced myself to put it out of my mind. Who am I kidding? It was someone I wanted to avoid, so I did just that.

computers and the life of a lonely mama...this one is really a big one right now. I can't even get my head around it all. I read a post here about how computers open up our lives. then I read another post here about how a mama who is NEVER alone can feel lonely and disconnected. This is obviously right where I am these days. And where I've been for quite a long time.

But like always, life is calling me to do something else right now. I want to be alone in my thoughts, but it's not to be today.

will it ever be clean?

Now that my little guy is creeping up on being 3, I am finding that I have a little more time to get some things done. It's really easy to just hang out online, but I am really trying to do more than that.

Last Saturday I spent a good chunk of the day cleaning up one neglected side of our family room. Yesterday I went into Jack and Kelli's room and moved nearly everything (but beds, the dresser and the desk) and reorganized all the toys. It looked great...for about an hour. *sigh* They did pick it back up before bed last night. I know I just need to spend that kind of time in all of the kids rooms and the basement, too.

I also spent time yesterday cleaning up the living room. That went from the room that barely ever saw any traffic to the room where the littles love to play little people and art and house and....It's never picked up anymore I swear. I know I will have a tidy house again someday. I am trying to find the happy medium between letting the kids live in their house and keeping it company ready all the time. I don't know how well I am doing.

the problem with baking...

...is eating. YUM! I'm loving baking more. Maybe too much. Then again, maybe if I just got more exercise then I wouldn't have to worry about it. Then again I like my sleep too much to give it up for movement.

hmmmmmm

without vision, pettiness prevails

I don't want to be petty...

more later

so ADD

I started the day by cleaning out my "stash"' I was thinking last night before bed about how I could fit it all on this shelf thing we have that is basically empty. So this morning I set out to organize my yarn by weights and project. That's when I realized how ADD I am. I have at least 6 things started and in process. And I have ideas for 3 or 4 more things I want to do that I have yarn and patterns for. I'm not sure why I get started and then move on. Maybe it's because my craft time is limited and I totally get bored with a project before I finish.

Anyway. I totally want to try my hand at knitting socks. But before I will let myself go there, I HAVE to finish at least 2 of my crochet projects. One of my knitting projects is different colored 6x6 inch blocks in different stitches. I've decided that will be Jack E's big blanket, so I really don't need to work on it. But it's so easy to work on that I WANT to do more squares. I HAVE to finish Trey's afghan. I started it when I was pregnant with Jack E...over 3 years ago. It's about 2/3 finished, but I get so tired of working on it. It really is my goal to get that one done this summer. And I have another baby blanket that I started for a little girl who will be 2 in the fall. Maybe I can find another little girl to give that one to now? LOL

Speaking of works in progress...the dryer just summoned me!

not a good way to start the day!

This morning I went out bright and early (like 5:20) to put stuff in the Suburban for our trek to the farm. It wasn't until I opened the passenger door to look for my book that I realized the driver's window had been busted out and the GPS was stolen. Totally a bummer. We called the sheriff and he came out and did a report. Then D cleaned it all up and headed out to the farm with 3 of the kids in his car. Now I am home waiting for the mobile glass replacement people to come out...between 8 and 12.

I guess I have NO excuse for not getting some laundry done this morning now, huh?

I never would have found it!

This summer, I have been passing around the chore of unloading the dishwasher. It's usually a chore that I ask to be done by the time I get home from work. Different kids have been doing it lately. I'm not sure who put it there, but today I opened a random cupboard and there was my 9x13 baking dish! I use that thing all the time and I NEVER would have looked for it there.

On a totally different topic, this is a great article about my Grandma Joy, the one who's husband, my second grandpa, just passed away last month. I think she is just adorable!

I needed that!

My weight has been an issue for me lately. Don't get me wrong, I'm not gaining, but I haven't lost my couple of pounds from vacation either. I'm just not motivated. And I think it's because I still see myself as that size 18, nearly 200 pound mama. Just a few minutes ago I was looking for a new profile picture for my beloved facebook profile. I found this one


I decided on this one instead

weekend wrap up

What I've done since Saturday morning:

shredded and frozen 30 cups of zucchini and 10 cups of yellow squash

baked whole wheat zucchini bread (4 loaves), whole wheat sandwich bread (2 loaves), summer squash bread (1 1/2 loaves), zucchini oatmeal cookies (double batch)

dinner for the family on Saturday night of chicken in BBQ sauce sandwiches, turnip puff, broccoli salad and wilted lettuce

washed, dried and folded 4 loads of laundry (all Sunday morning so it IS impressive)...still have clothes in the washer and dryer and 3 loads of darks to do. Plus towels and sheets *sigh*

baked zucchini brownies

got chips and dip and salsa and brownies to a party then drove an hour to pick up a dozen free range chickens all dressed and frozen...then back to the party till after 9

what I didn't do since Saturday morning:

haul my butt out of bed this morning to get me and the family to church (which was a gathering at the park anyway)

clean my house...that kitchen floor needs to be SCRUBBED

guess I know what I can do tomorrow...laundry! and the floors...after work of course!

what did you do this weekend?

a new creation!

Yesterday at the farm (our CSA) the talk was about what to do with the multitude of zucchini we were all getting. I love zucchini, it's like native tofu to me. I can throw it into anything and the family will eat it. And I bake A LOT with it. A couple of my friends were asking for my zucchini recipes. I said I'd email them later, but then I decided last night that I would just put them all on a blog so they are easier to get to. I didn't put them here because I didn't think you all wanted to learn 5 things to bake with zucchini this afternoon. But if you do, go visit my new blog!!!

facebook

I'm addicted. It's a bad thing.

milestone

This is one I can't believe is really here. Jack E just pooped in the potty. He has been doing great at wearing underwear and keeping it dry day and most nights. The poo thing has been hard. He stands to pee and he's been so afraid of sitting on the potty. Or the potty seat. Or the potty chair. So I've washed it out of the undies. Or put him in a diaper for a little while. Neither of those is terribly fun for any of us.

But today he was running around with no underwear on and he had the urge. We were headed upstairs to get a diaper but I put him on my potty backwards. He was yelling he wanted off then got strangely quiet. I looked down to see the little guy was doing it right into the potty. WHOO-HOO!!!!!!

He just watched the process himself. I think we were both in shock a little that it just happened. I'm really hoping he remembers how easy that was next time he gets the urge. Of course we had to call Daddy at work. Thankfully he was very complimentary.

The really big deal in all of this? We have had at least 1 child in diapers (and sometimes 2) since January 28, 1996. I bought my last jumbo pack of diapers in April 2008. That is a freaking LONG time to be buying diapers. Like 12 years and 2 months.

And it seems to be over!!!

April showers?

I thought April meant rain not snow! Then again I should know better since April is Colorado's third snowiest month. First is March and second is November. So even though we have had some beautiful sunny and warm days this spring already, today is WINTER again. I am cold and unmotivated to do much of anything.

I have been a busy little crafter this week. I made this the other night and started on this one. I love just hanging out and "yarning" like Emma used to call it.

I took the 2 littles to the grocery store the other day for their big re-grand opening party. That was our excitement for the day. Free food in the form of little tiny samples. Kelli enjoyed everything. Jack was in a 2 year old mood and didn't want anything until after Kelli had eaten his sample. She even got her picture taken by the artichoke guy. He was serving chili with artichoke leaves for dipping. She was really enjoying hers so the man asked to take her picture for his promo department. It will probably be on their website soon. I'll let you know about it then.

Kelli also had cake and sushi and bread and meringue cookies and oatmeal and waffles and cut up fruit and brie and crackers. I think that's it. Pretty funny since the girl could eat mac and cheese every single day of her life for lunch. Who'd a thought she liked anything else?!

Tonight we are going to an open house for our friends that have just finished a house to flip. They were hoping to do kind of an outdoor thing, but the snow is really coming down now. We'll have to see how that turns out.

And the snow has really put a damper on Jack E's potty training! LOL I guess once it warms up he'll be back to peeing in the grass. But for today, he's just using those pull ups!

peep show for the neighbors once again!

Kelli used to be known in our neighborhood as 'naked Kelli' since she would disrobe way too often in the backyard. D was quite concerned about her love of jumping on the trampoline in the nude.

Well today was Jack E's turn. When I had my friend's kids here yesterday, one of the little boys had to go so just stopped his outside play and peed in the grass. I know they do this all the time at home or hiking or whatever so I didn't say anything. But Jack E saw him. He thought it was so funny that his friend would pee outside. He's been wanting to do it ever since.

Today after lunch he had his chance! The top half of him was still in superman jammies complete with a little red cape. He pulled his pull-up down to his ankles and let it go right there. The part of me that just wants to be finished with diapers was really proud of him. Got that pull-up back up and ran off to play.

Then he thought he might have to go a little more. So he wandered around the back yard with the pull-up around his ankles till he finally kicked it off. True to his Y chromosome, he never took his hand off his "handle". He didn't have to go anymore so we finally got him to put his pull-up back on.

But it was quite a site seeing our little superman peeing in the grass with his cape waving in the breeze. Trey got a picture but I don't think it's G rated so we'll skip it for now! LOL

what do you eat?

I was listening to the radio this morning and they were discussing a study done in the UK where families say they really only eat the same 6 dishes at home. I don't mean that a cut of meat or type of dish made up the list of the 6 dishes, but actually the exact same 6 recipes. Their reasons were things like fast and family likes it, don't want to look up new recipes, don't know how to cook anything else and always have the same ingredients on hand.

I admit that I tend to have many of the same ingredients on hand all the time. But give me a pound of ground beef and I could make a dozen different things with it. Maybe it's because we buy our meat as a quarter of beef or a huge batch of mixed pieces of pork. I grew up like that, too. My mom had to get creative with some of that stuff. And in the summer since we get our veggies from the farm and don't pick what's in the basket at all, we have learned to try new veggies. And find yet another thing to do with zucchini.

I am really blessed that my kids like a lot of different foods, too. And they don't always expect their food to look the same. If they know there is stuff on the table they like, they are happy. And my big boys are the kind that think their mom is THE best cook ever.

I must say that we do have some old standby's here, though. We do have eggs about once a week. They are fast and cheap. And I don't have to do any preplanning. I serve waffles or muffins with them and whatever fruit is in season. And for a while we were having homemade pizza every Friday night. But now it's a little complicated with Trey's guitar lesson when I need to be shaping pizza dough. I think there is some comfort in having the old standby's. I know that meatloaf will always be a winner. And my tangy porkchops in the crock pot is a great way to deal with bone in random cuts of pork. But I can't imagine having them all the time.

she did so great!

I was so proud of Emma at the dentist the other day. She has had such a hard time even getting in the chair and opening her mouth before, but this time she did awesome! She had her valium beforehand that worked great. Then they gave her the "goofy air". She did well with all of it. And our dentist was awesome at hiding that big ol' needle full of novacaine! He got the bad tooth out and we'll go back in a few weeks to get a couple more out.

I also made an appointment for the older kids to get their teeth cleaned in June once they are out of school. And Jack E and Kelli have a cleaning appointment in May. This will be Jack E first time. I'm hoping he'll just let them look. Then he can back in the fall for more of a look.

Trey and Clay were both home sick yesterday. And Aleena came home in the morning saying she felt dizzy. Thankfully D was still home to go pick her up since I was up the mountain at work. Both the big boys are back today. Trey's been out of school for almost 2 weeks after spring break and his virus. But Aleena is still home today. She did throw up last night so I don't blame her for being pretty cautious this morning.

Now it's time to get Kelli ready for preschool. It's raining and snowing here today. I'd really like to just get back into bed and read. Do you think anyone would notice?

just a bruise

That's what the ENT had to say yesterday about Kelli's ear. He was great. He looked at it and said, "that's what I was hoping it would look like". Only the skin is bruised but the cartilage underneath is still healthy. It will take a while to heal but it will all be fine.

The drama for today is taking Emma to the dentist to see about her cracked/broken premolar. Not sure what she did to it on Sunday. I think it probably had a cavity that left it weak. We'll see. Her appointment isn't until after lunch so I am sending her to school this morning to keep her mind off of it. She seriously HATES going to the dentist. I will be picking up a prescription for valium for her before we go. And even then I'm hoping that she will let the dentist look in there. My friend is coming over after lunch to watch Jack E and Kelli so I can give Emma my undivided attention.

Wish me luck!