I had a terrible dream. We were all at this HUGE Discovery Center on multiple levels and Adalyn got seperated from us. As we were frantically trying to find her, the others got seperated from us. We went up to a desk and reported our missing, and they made an announcement over the intercom and walky-talkies, but it was so loud and full of kiddos and parents, that no one seemed to hear the news. We looked in nooks, crannies, under staircases, in little play houses, down twisty slides, and tunnels. Feeling hopeful that they couldn't get outside and we were bound to find them eventually, we then discovered water slide tunnels on every level that went out from the building down to the very bottom. There were so many water slides and ladders, it reminded me of the game Chutes and Ladders. We kept looking, and searching. We started shouting their names. Parents started helping us. After being inside started making me panic in fear that they had gotten out by way of the water slide, a new fear came. What if Adalyn got out and went down the slide and drowned? So, out we both went down water slides. As I rode down the twisty slide, I looked out at the stairs leading back to the top.
I woke up hearing Alivia squirming. But I had to find my girls. I fell back asleep and the search was on again.
I was imagining them not even realizing they were lost. Just bouncing around from one slide to another, from one playhouse to another. They would be having the time of their lives and have no clue that they were being sought after. There were all these dangers going through my head as we searched. They could fall, get taken, they could drown. Maybe they were aware that we weren't with them, and they were walking around crying, "Mama. Daddy."
I went down a slide and passed Louis walking up a set of steps. I didn't want to lose him. At least I had my cell phone. I'm on the water slide- it won't work now. I need to find my girls.
I woke. They're here.
I fell fast asleep. I need to find them.
I can't find them.
Then Alivia.
They're here.
They're here.
It's just a dream. A bad dream.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Shop til it drops
I spent 30 minutes at Aldi today...grocery shopping with me, myself, and Alivia. I dropped Louis and the older girls off to eat while I hit the store. We were kind of killing 2 birds with one stone (hungry kids, kitchen needing restocking) in a limited amount of time.
I love Aldi. It's clean. It's inexpensive- where else can you get a fresh pineapple for $0.99? It's quirky (pay for your cart, bring your own shopping bags). It's the ONLY store I can get in and out of in 30-45 minutes...even with kiddos!!!
I buzzed around the store checking off my grocery list. Since our home has been infested with sickness for a month and I have not been to the store, our staples have become depleted.
Then I went to pay. I pulled out my debit card to use and since I didn't know pin number, I asked him to run it as credit.
Forgetful moment #8,452: Aldi doesn't take credit. Or checks.
Embarrassing moment #15,623: My cart sits there and I walk out without my grub.
Frustrating moment #7,201: I'm completely out of time to even run to get some cash from the bank.
Pretty bummed out, we return home to get everyone to play practice on time.
The girls came home. "What's for dinner?"
If there's anything more frustrating than going for groceries and returning with none, it's hearing that question when there's jelly but no bread. And cereal but no milk. Or you could make a can of soup for one person, scrambled eggs for two, and oatmeal for two. But then that's too much work, haha.
So we loaded up the van and headed up to Albany and hit the Save-A-Lot 45 minutes before closing time. We got everything on my list (and then some) because you all know when Daddy goes, more food hops in.
Everyone tries to help so much, it's so sweet. One wants to help push the carts (well, they all do, really). One reads the list. One fetches the food from the shelves. One picks up things to make suggestions. One is in the seat part of the cart trying to reach out for things on the shelves as we pass by. I'm scanning the shelves for any good deals that aren't on my list. The cart inches forward down the aisle. All of a sudden, "Crash, crash, crash". A million A1 Steak Sauce bottles crash onto the floor because the cart ran into one of those cardboard display 'cases' that was sitting in the aisle!!!
Embarassing moment # 15,624: Steak sauce covers the floor, and even splashed up onto boxes on shelves. It even goes under the shelves into the next aisle. There's broken glass everywhere and you can't even tell exactly how many bottles were busted because of the thickness of steak sauce and the aroma that causes you to need to blink your eyes over and over.
I love Aldi. It's clean. It's inexpensive- where else can you get a fresh pineapple for $0.99? It's quirky (pay for your cart, bring your own shopping bags). It's the ONLY store I can get in and out of in 30-45 minutes...even with kiddos!!!
I buzzed around the store checking off my grocery list. Since our home has been infested with sickness for a month and I have not been to the store, our staples have become depleted.
Then I went to pay. I pulled out my debit card to use and since I didn't know pin number, I asked him to run it as credit.
Forgetful moment #8,452: Aldi doesn't take credit. Or checks.
Embarrassing moment #15,623: My cart sits there and I walk out without my grub.
Frustrating moment #7,201: I'm completely out of time to even run to get some cash from the bank.
Pretty bummed out, we return home to get everyone to play practice on time.
The girls came home. "What's for dinner?"
If there's anything more frustrating than going for groceries and returning with none, it's hearing that question when there's jelly but no bread. And cereal but no milk. Or you could make a can of soup for one person, scrambled eggs for two, and oatmeal for two. But then that's too much work, haha.
So we loaded up the van and headed up to Albany and hit the Save-A-Lot 45 minutes before closing time. We got everything on my list (and then some) because you all know when Daddy goes, more food hops in.
Everyone tries to help so much, it's so sweet. One wants to help push the carts (well, they all do, really). One reads the list. One fetches the food from the shelves. One picks up things to make suggestions. One is in the seat part of the cart trying to reach out for things on the shelves as we pass by. I'm scanning the shelves for any good deals that aren't on my list. The cart inches forward down the aisle. All of a sudden, "Crash, crash, crash". A million A1 Steak Sauce bottles crash onto the floor because the cart ran into one of those cardboard display 'cases' that was sitting in the aisle!!!
Embarassing moment # 15,624: Steak sauce covers the floor, and even splashed up onto boxes on shelves. It even goes under the shelves into the next aisle. There's broken glass everywhere and you can't even tell exactly how many bottles were busted because of the thickness of steak sauce and the aroma that causes you to need to blink your eyes over and over.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Miscommunication with a 2-year-old
Adalyn was standing in the kitchen this morning and asked me, "What's this?" I looked at her and she was holding a metal hanger that was holding a life jacket (that had fallen to the floor). I told her it was a hanger.
"I wanna wear the hanger". She picked up the life jacket and brought it towards me.
"No, that's a life jacket".
A little while later, we asked the girls to get their jackets on so we could leave.
I buzz around getting some things together and notice Adalyn waiting at the front door all ready to go...wearing her life jacket.
"I wanna wear the hanger". She picked up the life jacket and brought it towards me.
"No, that's a life jacket".
A little while later, we asked the girls to get their jackets on so we could leave.
I buzz around getting some things together and notice Adalyn waiting at the front door all ready to go...wearing her life jacket.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The unknown
After reading a story in her reader, Anna gets to the Comprehension Check. She asks me, " Mama, why was the kitten in the woods?"
Me: "I don't know"
Anna: "Me neither".
She MAY need to read that story again.
Me: "I don't know"
Anna: "Me neither".
She MAY need to read that story again.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Of Mice and Moles
Last year sometime, our girls were REALLY wanting a dog. Okay, let me rephrase that. For a few years now, our girls have REALLY been wanting a dog. My biggest counter to that, has been they shed and they chew. Our girls leave toys, shoes, and small things around the house daily. 'Nuff said.
Well, about a month before Alivia was due, Louis came to me in a whisper and told me to "Come here". We live in a house that's surrounded by woods on two sides, and a horse pasture on the other side. He's said those exact words when showing me creatures that have made their way to our yard (or deck). Ya know: opossums, deer, turkeys, raccoons, foxes, and snakes. So my heart always starts racing a bit when I wonder what it could be. I followed him out the back door to our deck and he brings me this black kitten.
You can imagine my response. Well, maybe you can't if you're an avid animal lover. We are very busy between church and homeschooling activities/field trips. There's not a lot of time or energy I have to care for a pet right now. Maybe in the future, I will be convinced, but not at that moment. (8 months pregnant, slap worn out, and could hardly bend, let alone to clean a litter box- which I shouldn't be doing anyway.) Why would Louis be approaching me with such a daunting proposal? Plus- I thought he was a dog lover!
His confession:
A man met Louis at the end of our driveway with this little black kitten. His case was legitimate, it really was. The ole' tail (yes, that's a pun) of "We have a litter of kittens and need to get rid of them because we can't feed them anymore" got Louis' emotions stirred up a little.
My confession:
Don't ever get a bowl of milk for a starving kitty. It thinks it belongs.
We spent the next two days under the impression it was a he. Then I looked at his belly and saw little nipples, so thought our "he" was a "she". SO, the girls changed his name. (I can't remember to what). Then we had friends come over, and the girls introduced them to _____, and said it was a "she". After affectionate observation on their part, our friends told us, it's a HE....so then her name reverted back to his name of "Rascal". It's still Rascal to this day, thankfully. I had a hard enough time remembering to do simple things like unload the van of groceries and remember what I went in a room to do, let alone trying to keep up with the current name change of the new outdoor kitten.
The poor cat should have left the moment he arrived but I guess he didn't know what was good for him. When Adalyn met Rascal, there became a relentless attachment that couldn't be reckoned with. Afterall, she is two. And terrible is an understatement. I do love her though!
She has choked him, dragged him out from under the van by his tail, and has thrown him from higher places. I wish I could have kept count of the times we said "Easy, Adalyn". That month with that kitten before Alivia arrived, kept me more stressed out than you could imagine. Everytime we went outside to load up in the van, the girls went looking for Rascal. And a holler from the driveway can't be heard if you're in the backyard. Or at least that's their defense. So pregnant Momma Hen would have to traipse all over the yard collecting little chicks. And you KNOW how clumsy you become when you're THAT pregnant. Twigs, leaves, hillside. 'Nuff said.
Of course, when we were indoors, you'd think there'd be no problems. But Adalyn loved sneaking out of the house to play with Rascal. Well, they all did at first. I'd be downstairs doing laundry or schooling one of them, then return upstairs to find a missing child. The adrenaline rush of having a missing child is pretty intense and you would think it was enough to send me into labor at any moment. But it didn't; I went a week overdue.
The good that came from Rascal's arrival:
Adalyn got a crash course in learning how to handle something delicate. By the time Alivia was born, she knew what "Easy, Adalyn" meant. Knock on wood- she has not choked Alivia, carried her upside down, pulled her off of something by a leg, or pulled her ear. Now, if we can just keep her from trying to put food in Alivia's mouth, we'll be doing good.
It's also been fun watching Rascal earn his keep. He catches critters!!!! Hallelujah!! We are surrounded by woods on two sides, and a horse pasture on one side. 'Nuff said. It's been fun watching Rascal play with a mole he's caught, or throw a mouse up in the air by its tail. Even lizards are eliminated!
Yesterday, we needed to be at CBS (Community Bible Study) earlier than normal, because I was helping in the Children's Department. We NEEDED to be there NO LATER than 9:15. Getting 5 girls ready to go someplace is no easy task, but it might go smoother because one was staying home. While our older girls help out a ton, which I am very thankful for, there's still the occasional drama between them. Anyway, we were doing super well with time yesterday. Everyone rose on time, got dressed on time. No catastrophe with outfit selections. No spilled milk at breakfast. No poopy blowouts with Alivia. Backpacks were ready. The girls were politely quizzing each other on their bible verses. Smooth sailing.
Our older girls will often go ahead and open the front door to take things out to the van for me while I finish getting ready.
The discovery:
A dead bird on our front step.
The sound:
Shrilling squeals.
I run quietly from our bathroom (Louis is laying in bed with Aliza, who we don't want to wake because she's sick and won't be gong to CBS) to find out what's going on.
The prediction:
"He must have flown into the door and died".
It's never enough to discover something on your own. You MUST go tell ALL your sisters in a beaming voice. Even the sick and sleeping one has to know. It's also never enough to just observe something from behind a window. You MUST step over the thing, freak yourself out because it moves, then repeatedly scream, "It's STILL ALIVE" and wake up the neighbors while you're at it. Then the toddler sister HAS to be out there too, because she feels left out.
So I'm yelling through the storm door window, "Don't touch it, come inside", while keeping a screaming toddler at bay and from escaping. So, the older two finally burst in and run to tell their daddy...who already is well aware of the situation because he can hear the chaos. And guess who is woken up also? And guess who wants to go to CBS? And guess what she does when she finds out she can't go? And guess who was doing good on time, but now is not?
It wasn't a huge setback, yet. With everyone back inside again and Abigail guarding the front door, I ran back to the bathroom to finish getting ready. Aliza is crying heavily at this point and Louis is trying to calm her down. Tick-tock, tick-tock...I hear the clock in my head because I know that minutes count. After I bust up my gums from the fastest teethbrushing ever, I stop by our bed to calm down Aliza and love on her for a quick sec.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh nooooooooooooooo", I hear. It's Anna now who's screaming and crying uncontrollably. I run back out to the foyer to investigate. Alivia is now crying because she got scared. Adalyn is crying because Abigail is holding her away from the front door because she keeps trying to run out.
Anna is crying because the cat ran off with the half-dead bird.
Trying to stay calm, rather unsuccessfully I might add, I'm scooping up Alivia who's thankfully already in her carseat, grabbing my keys and suggesting we leave. Abigail never wants to be late (and neither do I) so she's getting upset because she senses we are running late AND SHE'S RIGHT! I get Alivia loaded and the pressure builds. I realize I left my phone in the house!!! So, I dart passed Anna and Adalyn on the porch to go track down my phone. I shouldn't look at the clock, but I do.
Fretting more, I find my phone. I run through the house slamming down light switches on my way to the door. I jump up into my seat in the van, and do a roll call, "Everyone buckled?" Abigail says no. "Get buckled". She says she is. "Okay?" I turn around to discover two kiddos are missing in action. "WHERE ARE YOUR SISTERS?" Abigail, just as frustrated as I am, replies that they are out in the yard looking for Rascal. Seriously?
It's 9 a.m. It takes me 25-30 minutes to get from our driveway to the perfect spot at Community Bible Study. The spot I always choose is just a little wider than the rest of the parking spots. It accommodates our big van very nicely without having to do a million reparks. Then it takes me a couple minutes for us to unload and get everyone to their classes. I'm not forgetting that I have to be in the library at 9:15 to be assigned to a children's class in which to help.
It's 9 a.m.
And two kiddos are in the yard.
Somewhere.
Looking for a cat.
Who got the bird.
That nearly killed himself while flying into our storm door glass.
Who caused so much commotion at our house.
Which caused us to be late.
All because of a cat named Rascal. WHO IS INDEED A RASCAL.
Who was delivered to us 2 months ago.
Who was kept because Of Mice and Moles.
Well, about a month before Alivia was due, Louis came to me in a whisper and told me to "Come here". We live in a house that's surrounded by woods on two sides, and a horse pasture on the other side. He's said those exact words when showing me creatures that have made their way to our yard (or deck). Ya know: opossums, deer, turkeys, raccoons, foxes, and snakes. So my heart always starts racing a bit when I wonder what it could be. I followed him out the back door to our deck and he brings me this black kitten.
You can imagine my response. Well, maybe you can't if you're an avid animal lover. We are very busy between church and homeschooling activities/field trips. There's not a lot of time or energy I have to care for a pet right now. Maybe in the future, I will be convinced, but not at that moment. (8 months pregnant, slap worn out, and could hardly bend, let alone to clean a litter box- which I shouldn't be doing anyway.) Why would Louis be approaching me with such a daunting proposal? Plus- I thought he was a dog lover!
His confession:
A man met Louis at the end of our driveway with this little black kitten. His case was legitimate, it really was. The ole' tail (yes, that's a pun) of "We have a litter of kittens and need to get rid of them because we can't feed them anymore" got Louis' emotions stirred up a little.
My confession:
Don't ever get a bowl of milk for a starving kitty. It thinks it belongs.
We spent the next two days under the impression it was a he. Then I looked at his belly and saw little nipples, so thought our "he" was a "she". SO, the girls changed his name. (I can't remember to what). Then we had friends come over, and the girls introduced them to _____, and said it was a "she". After affectionate observation on their part, our friends told us, it's a HE....so then her name reverted back to his name of "Rascal". It's still Rascal to this day, thankfully. I had a hard enough time remembering to do simple things like unload the van of groceries and remember what I went in a room to do, let alone trying to keep up with the current name change of the new outdoor kitten.
The poor cat should have left the moment he arrived but I guess he didn't know what was good for him. When Adalyn met Rascal, there became a relentless attachment that couldn't be reckoned with. Afterall, she is two. And terrible is an understatement. I do love her though!
She has choked him, dragged him out from under the van by his tail, and has thrown him from higher places. I wish I could have kept count of the times we said "Easy, Adalyn". That month with that kitten before Alivia arrived, kept me more stressed out than you could imagine. Everytime we went outside to load up in the van, the girls went looking for Rascal. And a holler from the driveway can't be heard if you're in the backyard. Or at least that's their defense. So pregnant Momma Hen would have to traipse all over the yard collecting little chicks. And you KNOW how clumsy you become when you're THAT pregnant. Twigs, leaves, hillside. 'Nuff said.
Of course, when we were indoors, you'd think there'd be no problems. But Adalyn loved sneaking out of the house to play with Rascal. Well, they all did at first. I'd be downstairs doing laundry or schooling one of them, then return upstairs to find a missing child. The adrenaline rush of having a missing child is pretty intense and you would think it was enough to send me into labor at any moment. But it didn't; I went a week overdue.
The good that came from Rascal's arrival:
Adalyn got a crash course in learning how to handle something delicate. By the time Alivia was born, she knew what "Easy, Adalyn" meant. Knock on wood- she has not choked Alivia, carried her upside down, pulled her off of something by a leg, or pulled her ear. Now, if we can just keep her from trying to put food in Alivia's mouth, we'll be doing good.
It's also been fun watching Rascal earn his keep. He catches critters!!!! Hallelujah!! We are surrounded by woods on two sides, and a horse pasture on one side. 'Nuff said. It's been fun watching Rascal play with a mole he's caught, or throw a mouse up in the air by its tail. Even lizards are eliminated!
Yesterday, we needed to be at CBS (Community Bible Study) earlier than normal, because I was helping in the Children's Department. We NEEDED to be there NO LATER than 9:15. Getting 5 girls ready to go someplace is no easy task, but it might go smoother because one was staying home. While our older girls help out a ton, which I am very thankful for, there's still the occasional drama between them. Anyway, we were doing super well with time yesterday. Everyone rose on time, got dressed on time. No catastrophe with outfit selections. No spilled milk at breakfast. No poopy blowouts with Alivia. Backpacks were ready. The girls were politely quizzing each other on their bible verses. Smooth sailing.
Our older girls will often go ahead and open the front door to take things out to the van for me while I finish getting ready.
The discovery:
A dead bird on our front step.
The sound:
Shrilling squeals.
I run quietly from our bathroom (Louis is laying in bed with Aliza, who we don't want to wake because she's sick and won't be gong to CBS) to find out what's going on.
The prediction:
"He must have flown into the door and died".
It's never enough to discover something on your own. You MUST go tell ALL your sisters in a beaming voice. Even the sick and sleeping one has to know. It's also never enough to just observe something from behind a window. You MUST step over the thing, freak yourself out because it moves, then repeatedly scream, "It's STILL ALIVE" and wake up the neighbors while you're at it. Then the toddler sister HAS to be out there too, because she feels left out.
So I'm yelling through the storm door window, "Don't touch it, come inside", while keeping a screaming toddler at bay and from escaping. So, the older two finally burst in and run to tell their daddy...who already is well aware of the situation because he can hear the chaos. And guess who is woken up also? And guess who wants to go to CBS? And guess what she does when she finds out she can't go? And guess who was doing good on time, but now is not?
It wasn't a huge setback, yet. With everyone back inside again and Abigail guarding the front door, I ran back to the bathroom to finish getting ready. Aliza is crying heavily at this point and Louis is trying to calm her down. Tick-tock, tick-tock...I hear the clock in my head because I know that minutes count. After I bust up my gums from the fastest teethbrushing ever, I stop by our bed to calm down Aliza and love on her for a quick sec.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh nooooooooooooooo", I hear. It's Anna now who's screaming and crying uncontrollably. I run back out to the foyer to investigate. Alivia is now crying because she got scared. Adalyn is crying because Abigail is holding her away from the front door because she keeps trying to run out.
Anna is crying because the cat ran off with the half-dead bird.
Trying to stay calm, rather unsuccessfully I might add, I'm scooping up Alivia who's thankfully already in her carseat, grabbing my keys and suggesting we leave. Abigail never wants to be late (and neither do I) so she's getting upset because she senses we are running late AND SHE'S RIGHT! I get Alivia loaded and the pressure builds. I realize I left my phone in the house!!! So, I dart passed Anna and Adalyn on the porch to go track down my phone. I shouldn't look at the clock, but I do.
Fretting more, I find my phone. I run through the house slamming down light switches on my way to the door. I jump up into my seat in the van, and do a roll call, "Everyone buckled?" Abigail says no. "Get buckled". She says she is. "Okay?" I turn around to discover two kiddos are missing in action. "WHERE ARE YOUR SISTERS?" Abigail, just as frustrated as I am, replies that they are out in the yard looking for Rascal. Seriously?
It's 9 a.m. It takes me 25-30 minutes to get from our driveway to the perfect spot at Community Bible Study. The spot I always choose is just a little wider than the rest of the parking spots. It accommodates our big van very nicely without having to do a million reparks. Then it takes me a couple minutes for us to unload and get everyone to their classes. I'm not forgetting that I have to be in the library at 9:15 to be assigned to a children's class in which to help.
It's 9 a.m.
And two kiddos are in the yard.
Somewhere.
Looking for a cat.
Who got the bird.
That nearly killed himself while flying into our storm door glass.
Who caused so much commotion at our house.
Which caused us to be late.
All because of a cat named Rascal. WHO IS INDEED A RASCAL.
Who was delivered to us 2 months ago.
Who was kept because Of Mice and Moles.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Toddler Talk with Adalyn
"wee wee"- movie
"Pee pets"- Wonder Pets
"A-we-wu"- Alivia
"No jokin' guys"
"You trouble?"- Do you want to be in trouble?
"A off, Mom?"-Turn it on, Mom.
"Peace?"- Please
"Gank You"- Thank you
"Wuv you"- Love you.
"A more"- Love you more.
"I baked it"- I broke it
"Oh, Sigh. Sigh"- Oh sorry. Sorry.
"Pee pets"- Wonder Pets
"A-we-wu"- Alivia
"No jokin' guys"
"You trouble?"- Do you want to be in trouble?
"A off, Mom?"-Turn it on, Mom.
"Peace?"- Please
"Gank You"- Thank you
"Wuv you"- Love you.
"A more"- Love you more.
"I baked it"- I broke it
"Oh, Sigh. Sigh"- Oh sorry. Sorry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)