Saved by Silence

I remember moaning when Mom wanted to turn the radio off in the car when she was taxiing me from one place to another.  Now, I'm the mom.  And sometimes I turn the radio off.  Sometimes I leave the television off.  Sometimes I go in my room, shut my door and pray that my kids will give me time to rest in silence, since I can't turn them off.  It's good for all of us.  I promise you that. 

50 Followers!

YAY!!!  I have 50 followers!  How exciting! 

(You can tell I'm excited by the overuse of exclamation points!)

That's all for now.

I'll announce the giveaway I've been preparing for soon.

Stay tuned...

Now - it's nap time!

(See?  I'm excited about that too!)

Is There Anything Better?

Tyler sleeping in the back of the van while the movers loaded our home goods.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 15

Jace - books.  After all, he did tell me that reading is his job.  And, it turns out that he likes Little House on the Prairie.  That's the first book I've picked out for him that he's enjoyed!  (Can I get a little "woo hoo?")

Gracie - the computer. 

Tyler - cars.

Scott - his new memory foam mattress on his rack on the sub...he got five whole hours of sleep last night!  "And, actually," he says, "They (the people he works with who can't seem to do their jobs right) should be thankful.  If I'd woken up this morning grumpy, it would not have been pretty."

Annie - blankets.  I like feeling warm and it's getting a little cooler outside these days.  We're lucky enough to not only have heat and money to pay to use it, but blankets to cuddle in.

Back on The Juice...But Trying to Kick It!

Mt. Dew.  It's not good for you.  I'm pretty sure there's nothing in that bottle that my body likes, aside from the taste.  I really do like the way it tastes!  And lately, I've been using the caffeine boost like I did in my pre-primal days.  When I drink it my stomach churns a little.  After all, my diet is pretty sugar free.  But it keeps my eyes open when they need to be. 

(sigh)

Today I didn't drink any.  I also didn't shower, put on real clothes, or leave the house (except to take some recycling out).  But I didn't drink any Mt. Dew.  I did, however, try some tea.  About an hour after I drank it I fell asleep on the couch watching TV with the kids.  Later I noticed that the tea I drank was caffeine free...that's not helpful! 

Another problem I have with caffeine is that I'm tired so I drink it, then I come down off that high and I'm even more tired.   It's a nasty little cycle. 

(sigh)

So, I'm using my blog as a confessional to get this all off my chest and as a sounding board to work out my feelings about this drug of choice.  In the end, I'll probably still drink it from time to time.  (And maybe one or two of you will let me know that it's OK to be weak sometimes.)  But, I'm trying very hard not to get back on the juice in the same way I used to...many moons ago it ran through my veins. 

So, thanks for hearing me out and letting me publicly work through my vices. 

And now I'm going to bed...night everyone!

Wise Guys

I'm surrounded by wise guys. Gracie and I aren't dumb, but the boys in our family have such wisdom...you can see it in the gleam in their eyes!


The other day Jace was reading a Magic Tree House book in the back seat and reported to me that Jack and Annie remembered something from another book in the current book. Here's how it went:

Jace: Mama! I'm reading Magic Tree House book #39 and Jack and Annie remember something from Magic Tree House Book #4.

Me: They do? How do you know? Does it say that in there?

Jace: No, but it says something about pirates and in Magic Tree House book #4 they went on a pirate ship.

That's right...he remembered down to that detail. He always runs to get his Wildlife Explorer to show me things he's learned about animals. He reads each card when it comes in and then uses the binders as resources to convince the rest of us he knows what he's talking about...as if we doubt that!

Tyler's wise in a little bit different way. He's never had any problem understanding the spoken word, but he still chooses not to speak much himself. Instead he giggles and runs away. Or he might head butt you and laugh. Or, if you're his big sister, he's likely to climb up next to you when you're sitting quietly and say, "Ha ha!"

And then there's Scott. He's incredibly smart, first and foremost, for marrying me! But beyond that, he surprises me with little gems of wisdom as a father. One of my favorites is, "When their ears go to sleep, the rest of them is soon to follow." Kids become unable to follow directions when they're tired. And it's nothing but frustrating to try to get toys picked up or dinner finished or to get in and out of a store with a sleepy kiddo.

Trust me...I know. The kids have been plenty tired these last few weeks. But now they're sleeping peacefully, ears and all! Tomorrow there with be more astounding sparks of wisdom from Jace and more wise cracks from Tyler. And, in two days, we'll get hugs and kisses from Scott...and lean on his wisdom, his strength, and into his arms! We all miss him and can't wait to see him soon.

Life On the Run

OK, I'm not really on the run. I am, however, hiding out in a hotel. Our house is full of boxes and tomorrow they'll all be loaded on a truck and hauled to Washington. The kids and I have another week here in Georgia until we leave too. We were eating dinner tonight and I realized that next week we'll be eating dinner in South Carolina! Cool, huh?

But before we leave there's stuff to be done. Like laundry. That's what I'm doing now. We lucked out with a room near the laundry room. After last night, which I'll tell you more about in a minute, I put the kids in bed early and moved myself into the hallway to do laundry, pay bills, and listen to another session of the Schoolhouse Expo. Oh, and eat half a candy bar. Don't judge me.

So, more about last night...I intended last night to be a relaxing intro to life on the road with only one tub of toys, one room of space and all that fun stuff. We hadn't even been at the hotel for half an hour when Tyler jumped from the bed to the window seat and cut his head open on the sill. We stopped the bleeding but I wasn't sure if stitches would be required so we quick grabbed a bag of books (luckily we hadn't unpacked anything yet) and went to the ER.

(Side note: our insurance is infamous for saying that we need to be sure we call for authorization on the way to the emergency room or within 24 hours of going to ensure payment. I called and the call taker scolded me for not going straight there! I wish she'd been the one to answer when I called back today...I would have let her know that the ER didn't think they needed to rush, so the extra minute or two I spent on the phone with her didn't make a difference in Tyler's treatment. Buy, anyway...)

We spent 3 1/2 hours at the hospital. We read every book in the bag, most of them more than once. We walked. We talked. We had a vending machine snack. We walked and talked and read some more. When we finally saw the doctor all went well. He said he'd glue it up and send us on our way. Just before we walked out of the hospital Jace looked to me and admitted, "I think I should have remembered what you always tell me - that I shouldn't teach Tyler to do bad things because he'll try than and not do them right." I knew he was the first one leap from bed to window, but I hadn't seen it or said anything about it! Ah, the guilty conscious of my beautiful boy.

When all was said and done, I tucked the kids into bed just before 10:30! Jace and Gracie were all tired today, but both had a good day at school. Tyler and I had a good day at the house, while the packers finished up. They got done earlier than expected and we took a little nap together. Precious.

So, here we are...night two at the hotel. Putting the kids to bed early went decent. Tyler went right to sleep. Jace hit Gracie with a doll and Gracie kicked Jace in the face, but they are all snoring by bed time! Sigh.

With that, I've moved my clothes to the dryer and taken a seat on the infamous window seat and turned on Survivor. This is the life...maybe not the life, but a good life! I'm not saying to want to live on road permanently or anything, but for a week or two...well, that I'm looking forward to.

24 Hours

That's a long time, right? I used to think so. In fact I remember when I was younger and on summer vacation and making it through three hours in the afternoon with nothing to do seemed like forever. But lately, let's say over the last several years, a full 24 hours has not seemed like long enough to get everything done that needs to be, or at least not get it all done well.


First off, I need sleep. I know some people who get five or six hours a night and then drink pots of coffee to keep going throughout the day. I don't like coffee and I don't like to keep my body going with other caffeine sources, although I admittedly do sometimes. I need at least eight hours to feel refreshed and remain my happy self the other 16 hours.


That's right...if I get my beauty rest* then I've now only got 16 hours to get the kids, the laundry, the house, and myself clean (and it sadly usually happens in that order)! Thankfully Scott can clean himself, but there are other tasks to tend to aside from cleaning. There are groceries to buy and put away, not to mention making them into palatable concoctions. There are books to read, games to play, and kids to take to and from school. Nails need to be painted with Dora sparkly nail polish. People need their heads shaved, their buttons sewn on, and their toe nails clipped. Recycling and garbage** have to make it to the garage and once a week to the curb. And let's not forget play dates, Cub Scouts, holidays, vacations, speech therapy, social gatherings, visiting, and the possibility of simply relaxing.


In the midst of all this, that must somehow fit into 16 hours, I'm supposed to find time to exercise? Yup...that's where this whole post has been leading! I've been walking pretty regularly with Tyler for the last two weeks while we wait in the afternoon for Jace to get out of school. Jace's day ends at 2:30 but I need to be in line to pick him up around 2:00 or I won't make it to Gracie's school in time to get her and I'll have to pay for after school care. I have spent that half hour waiting doing a variety of things over the past 100 or so days. I used to regularly edit my articles and work on new ideas, but then Tyler decided to be awake and climb on me making writing a difficult task. Until the last couple of weeks I mostly read books or worked in puzzle books. Sometimes I call someone and chat the time away. But I've decided to walk for that half hour. I must say...it feels good. I love walking, but it often feels like a waste of time that could be better spent doing anything in the previous paragraph. Maybe that little step (it's actually several hundred steps) will lead to a healthier me. We shall see.

I'm still not sure how to divvy up my remaining 15 1/2 hours fairly to complete the rest of what needs to be done, but at least I'm multitasking smartly for 1/48th of my day.

Special notes:


*I know it has long been thought that the phrase "beauty rest" refers to the looks of a person. However, I believe the intended meaning is that our moods become prettier with adequate slumber. Trust me...if I don't get enough sleep I'm rather ugly.


**Please say a little prayer that we remember to take the garbage out this week. We've missed the last two weeks and pretty soon we'll be running our own dump. And I just noticed that garbage and garage are only one letter different...odd.

Nibble, Nibble...Sigh

Now, now...where have your minds wandered to? This post isn't about anything that happens behind closed bedroom doors, well not really...

Here's the bottom line. We put our house up for sale or rent or rent to own or please, please, please take it by owner. OK we haven't begged anyone...yet. We've had a few calls inquiring about the rent. We let them know what we're asking. They say, "OK, thank you," and hang up. We had someone set up a time to come see it and not show up. And we've have one couple that's actually nibbling.

Scott hasn't talked to them and he's probably the better judge of character, even over the phone. Maybe especially over the phone. But, I think they're seriously interested and I don't think they've been returning my phone calls and emails for a week now for no good reason. I think they actually want to buy our house. The thing is, they can't buy it until at least July. There have been some financial slip-ups and July is the earliest a bank will look at them for a mortgage.

I know...you have sirens and warning lights going off in your head. But I see it this way, they're being forthright and honest and working to restore their credit. That's a good thing. And if we can help them get back on track and get out from under our house...well, then, that's a really good thing.

So, they're nibbling and I guess we're negotiating, trying to find a financial balance where we're not losing more than we can handle and they're not paying more than they can handle. It's a tricky, tricky thing...that's the sigh.

So, as you can now see this has nothing to do with the bedroom, except for, perhaps, a few sleepless nights...tossing and turning waiting for the nibbling to turn into a big ol' bite!

Five Words

After college I got married and moved to Washington state, where I attended graduate school. My new group of friends from grad school came to know my bestest friend from undergrad as "My Roommate Cathy." Since they didn't know her personally I always started stories about her with "My roommate Cathy blah blah blah."

(That's how I learned I had an accent. Caaathy. It's a Western New York thing I guess.)

Anyway, I have one of those stories.

My roommate Cathy and I lived together for four years. And four pretty impressionable years. One of the things she impressed upon me was the telling of bedtime stories. We'd be quiet in the dark trying to fall asleep and I'd hear, "Annie, are you awake?"

If I didn't answer she'd wait a minute and ask again. Sometimes she'd just keep talking as though I had answered. If I did answer she'd ask me to tell her a story to help her fall asleep. She probably fed me some baloney about it helping me fall asleep too because I would tire my brain out and then be ready for slumber by the end of the story. Whatever she told me I'd most often go along with her request and tell a bedtime story.

Now these weren't just any stories. She'd give me five random words and I'd work them into a cute little tale about something that left a smile on her face. I'm good like that!

I haven't done that in a while, but every time I leave a comment on some one's blog and I have to type in the word verification to post my thoughts I think about story telling again. Tonight I think I'll weave a story using some of the verifying words I've kept track of. See if you can spot all five.

Once upon a time there was a girl, Lilah, who loved to dance. She was always a little on the plump side and felt self conscious so she danced in the shadows not under the spot light. As she grew her love of dance grew with her, but somehow, maybe because she didn't dance with the full spirit of Gedisti, the Egyptian goddess of movin' and groovin', she married a wonderful man who didn't dance.

The couple lived a very fulfilling life, but Lilah missed shaking what God gave her. Even with a house full of children and chores she wished there were more time for dancing. After birthing all those kids she found herself even more...curvy, shall we say. Her husband didn't mind at all, but she wanted to get a new hessi, the latest in fashion, and wondered how to tone and tighten while cooking and cleaning.

Then it hit her! Lilah turned up the vomns while dusting and doing dishes. She swished her hips and lunged her way from room to room while sweeping and vacuuming. After a few weeks of dingybics she started to feel a difference. Lilah was lovin' life. Her hubby didn't seem to mind either. He even took her to a work party where she tore up the dance floor!

Know what was so great about that night? No, her husband didn't dance with her, but he applauded her along with everyone else because she wasn't flugin on the edge of the dance floor. She flipped, flopped, and flailed right in the center of the floor. She had her time in the sunshine, or at least the glow of the disco ball! Lilah felt great, looked fabulous, and lived happily ever after.

All In a Day's Work

I don't get a pay check. I do, however, have a few jobs. I'm a Navy wife. I'm a mother. I'm an unpublished freelance writer. The writing suffers a bit, which is why I'm unpublished as of now, but I figure it's better to put that on the back burner than my marriage or children. Good call, don't you think?

Anyway, my two priority unpaid jobs have me whipped. Thoughts about everything from education to housing pull me from slumber early in the mornings and keep me awake long after bedtime. Scott and I keep developing plans and those plans continue to be derailed. It's Monday at the office!

Sigh.

Luckily, I do love my jobs. When I dropped Gracie off at school this morning she was asked to draw something she liked and she drew a picture of me. I'm so touched, honored to be her mother.

And when they're not leaving me speechless with heartfelt, uncluttered expressions of love, they're making me laugh, chortle, and chuckle!

Tyler's got mischief in his eyes, hidden behind that thumb he's sucking on, and he just unleashes his energy every so often...it's great to watch! He climbs on anyone who sits still long enough to become a jungle gym. He's simply fun!

Jace continues to read up a storm and funnel his knowledge to us whenever he can fit in a fact about reptiles or prehistoric creatures. I've learned a lot from him, and I'm sure that will continue to be the case. Just the other day he told me that when Tyler turns 2 years old in a few months he'll "finally be able to start living his human life and not just be a baby." All this time I didn't know babies aren't human! Too funny.

So, see, it's all in a days work, being tired and feeling worn out. But at the end of that day, I have a husband who loves, trusts, and respects me. And we have three amazing, intelligent, and amusing children. There's no job worth more.

Writing Through Hugs

I wasn't sure what to call this installment, but Tyler helped me decide. It's getting close to nap time, which normally occurs in the boys room. For the time being, though, Jace and Gracie are playing so well in there that I don't want to disrupt them. It's possible that Tyler might nap in mama's bed today, but for that he needs to be asleep before I lay him down, otherwise who knows what he'll drag out of drawers! Anyway, whilst I'm writing and he's getting sleepy he has positioned himself chest to chest on my lap, thumb in mouth, other hand on my shoulder. He's humming a lullaby and will likely drift comfortably away to dream land.

In the meantime, let me tell you about his older siblings. Jace is completely into the "I'm better than you" bit that kids seem to relish in. It's certainly not my favorite, especially since Gracie doesn't take to being called a loser very well. But we're there. Today at lunch Jace was ready to declare that he was going to done first (which is the norm...he eats insane amount and quite quickly these days) when he looked over and noticed that Gracie was actually eating her leftover pizza and not just picking at her food like normal. It went something like:

"Mama, guess what? I'm gonna be done eati...wow! Mama, look Gracie's almost done. I'm gonna eat the slowest out of all of us."

Never a loser himself...he'll just change the rules. True to his word, he was done after everyone else. Clever.

Total Relaxation

Have you ever noticed the slackness that occurs in a child's face as he or she drifts off to dream land? It's one of my favorite things about motherhood. What's better than witnessing your children let go of all the little stresses they have in their lives? I love watching their cheeks go slack and their mouths open. The calm that comes over them is contagious. I always find myself breathing more evenly, matching their lazy rhythm. I know I could never look as precious and innocent as they do, and that's fine. I would love, however, to feel the way they look more often...free of cares, secure, loved, zen...totally relaxed.