I failed to mention…

My hubby, without any complaints I have to add, helped me start my project of cleaning the garage! 

This will make the van warmer in winter, and give me a space to give myself some dance classes.

YAY!!!!

So…its raining and pouring

Yeah, been a bad day. 

But, I found one small thing that felt huge in my heart.

As explained before, the day has been rough, in the afternoon after no one would take a nap, not even baby Sam, I decided to hold him in my arms and start dinner.  Eli was watching tv, and Josh was under my feet driving a train. 

I kept flustering around the kitchen working with no energy and one arm, as the other one was holding baby Sam.  I have a recycling grocery sack on garage door in kitchen to hold recycling things until it’s full and gets put in the big bin outside.  I kept trying to put this empty can in the sack with one arm.  It kept falling, of course.  After the third time it fell from my attempts…I took a deep sigh and decided to let it go and leave it on the floor.  Maybe…I will pick it up later, maybe.  I go back to the stove to tend to dinner.

And I saw my sweet little Josh stop what he was doing, pick up the can, and put it in the recycling.  I didn’t tell him to.  He just did it.  My precious boy.  My one moment. 

I have found at times, when I am frustrated, instead of screaming and getting angry I will sigh as if I am totally defeated and giving up.  When I do this, I get amazing results from my children.  They truly do want to help and not be the crazy little tazmanian devils that they can be.  Maybe I should give up more easily :) in the future.

Thanks Boo, mommy loves you

Put your seatbelts on, it’s going to be a bumpy ride….

Oh dear.  I know this is suppose to be one good thing for the day, but….

It’s only ten o’clock – It’s really cold outside like five degrees, I go to take my four year old to school and try to pull van door open so that I can pile the kiddos in, and it won’t budge.  Yes, I put all my weight into it, and wouldn’t you know the handle pops off and I land straight on my backside.  There goes my chiropractic work for the week that I had done on Tuesday.  Well, it did last a good day for me.

So off to school, yep, late.  They are not piling kids out of the car anymore.  I have to bring in all 3 kids in this really cold weather and a broken door that wont open, so after a deep deep sigh, holding back tears, I start with Josh out the passenger door.  Take him to the door.  Get Eli out, who just is screaming “Bye Boo have a good day at school!  Go home, mama!”  So, yep, he doesn’t want to get out….got him to the door with a small struggle and some coaxing….now the baby.  Will it ever end?   Just as I turn to get baby Sam out a lady comes to the door.  Ms. Mendy says, “you know its been a rough morning, I will take him in.”  THANK YOU!!

Now, pile Eli back in the van, yep in passenger door, do some more acrobatic tricks to get back there with him to buckle him in, and head off.  I have to admit, being totally honest, was balling my eyes out like a baby at this point. 

You see, my winter coat got ruined in the basement.  So was doing all this in a tiny little fleece jacket.  And, yep, I have this perpetual cold since this is my four year olds first year of preschool.  We are ALWAYS sick, me mostly. 

As I am typing this I spill my drink all down the front of my sweater…my husband says at this point the day has to get better…

At this point, I beg to differ

Somehow, I will promise myself that this will not be the only post I do today because there will be one good thing that will come out of today.  Just has to.  One small little thing, please Heavenly Father?

All I want for Christmas is a mommy chair

So I have had 3 babies. 

The first baby, I got a new rocker.  Loved it.  An overstuffed one with an ottoman.  It started to squeak and not quite work right.  Then, yep, someone who shouldn’t have sat in it and demolished it.

I made it last as long as I could.  Through most of baby 2.

Baby 3 comes along.  Scraping the money jar, I go to a garage sale and get a ten dollar VERY used reclining rocker for $10.  THRIFTY!!!  Then that same “someone” sits in it and breaks it!!!!   AAAAHHHHHRRRGGGGHHHH!

All I want for Christmas is a mommy chair.  Overstuffed, rocking, reclining, soft, amazing chair.

We received a Christmas money gift.  Dave says without hesitation…”I think you need to get a mommy chair.”

WHAT?!

3 days later, and a trip to Nebraska Furniture Mart…I buy a mommy chair.  It was on a closeout sale, and it’s P-E-R-F-E-C-T.  It has made my day, week, and year! 

Thanks Santa, well, Dave, and Papa and Urder!!!

Beautiful beautiful beautiful Baby Boys

Ok, I cannot or will not lie about today.  There is no sugar coating here.  Was not a good day for me.  I am not sure anything was different…I just couldn’t handle the noise or the schedule today.  It was me. 

BUT

I have 3 beautiful boys.  Each one of them gave me a tender moment.  That is what I want to hold onto for today.

ELI- we went to wal-mart today.  We HAD to get chocolate milk.  He wanted down.  It is just us, well baby Sam too, but he doesn’t move on me much.  So, I let him down to wander while I follow.  Usually, we go to toys.  But, today (I should mention here, it is a new big wal-mart for us) he went to side section where they keep plants and gardening stuff on the side.  Today, they had Christmas trees and decorations.  Eli, went right to the trees with a big smile on his face, “Look it, ma!,” and started spinning around to the Christmas music that was playing.  What a sweetheart.

SAM- sometimes we get to talk while I change his diaper.  I goo over him and he wiggles his eyebrows with a smile.  Today, i gooed and he did it right back at me with an amazing smile that said, “Yes, I am amazingly cute, ma!”

JOSH- Nine o’clock and daddy is still not home from a church meeting.  Yes, I am done.  So what do I do?  As usual, cry.  Defeated.  I have my eyes closed sitting on the edge of my bed holding Sam, crying, Josh is wiping my tears with the edge of my blanket and says, “Mommy, your eyes are too wet,” with a sweet smile that says it’s ok.

BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL baby boys I love you dearly!

My Superhero!!!

Well, I have to admit it sometimes.  The hubs is good.  I woke up this morning and every dish was done.  Washed and dried on counter.  And I absolutely don’t mind putting them away.  While in the kitchen doing that, a little bird sat on my window to say hello.  That has never happened!  And I thought today was going to be one of those yucky days.  Fooled again!

Thanks Dave, you are a gem, especially when you want to be :)  I love you.

And a little side salad to go with that bonus….finally, the batteries recharged so baby Sam can swing again today.  Yay!  Even though, I did totally enjoy sleeping with all 3 of my boys last night.  What a warm snuggly treat (especially since I forgot to turn on the heat last night).  I love you too, boys!

This is just the start of my day.  So it has to be good, right?

What?!

Ok, ok, ok.  I knew it was bound to happen, but…..

The day went off without a hitch.  So, now that I am trying to be more observant of what is going on during the day, I am always asking is this the moment today?  Is this my blessing?  But, all day today, I asked…”Is anything going wrong today?”  What?!

Yeah, I can hardly believe it.  Easy going day.  The boys were content.  Ate their meals when they needed to.  Eli took a nap.  Sam, oh, he is too easy.  Mommy, even was well-behaved.  This is crazy talk.  I cannot believe it now as I am typing. 

So the one thing today is…..today!  Wow!

Now, I might need to brace myself for tomorrow, but maybe I won’t.  Look, now my optimistic side is coming out, right with the sun.  This is good.  Very good. 

Who knows?  Maybe this has been going on for a while, and I am just now noticing.  Thanks blog. 

It’s Halloween

Come on, it’s Halloween…any day you can dress up your kiddos and get free candy is a good day.  Yeah, it was crazy and hectic at times.  But, we went to the Solars for a kid friendly party and trick or treating.  Josh ate dinner!  This is a big deal.  My fav moments were when Eli, in his very shy voice, going up to the door and saying trick or treat for candy, and Josh plowing his friends down to be first at the door.  My perfect little guys!  It was a good day. 

 

Squeeze…you’re it!

When you write out a description of my job, in the top five would be diaper changing. 

I was changing baby Sam for the millionth time, it is the end of the day, yep, when mama is EXHAUSTED!  When, hubby comes from behind and gives me a big hug.  Sometimes the hubby can know what to do without me asking, and fix it. 

Simple and sweet.  Now it’s my turn to return the favor.

Scary Guys

You guessed it….what?  Another crazy morning and I didn’t get breakfast.  I am already seeing a reoccurring theme here.  So no breakfast and it is Ooey Gooey day at preschool.  Families are invited, and I totally have to go and play with Josh at school.  I have to admit I knew it would be crazy going to a school activity at school with Eli and baby Sam too, but why be sane? 

I spent all morning playing with pumpkins, bowling for ghosts, reading stories, and drinking apple juice while nursing a baby and tending to, yet again, a cranky Eli who didn’t eat breakfast either.  It was fun to see my sweet Josh be so independent, though.  And, as a proud mommy would say, I thought he behaved really well. 

But, at the end of the activities, Josh got a special box with Halloween goodies inside.  You can imagine the jealousy of Eli.  He was beside himself to not get a box.  Why didn’t everyone get one you ask?  Me too?  Seemed a little unfair, but what can you do?  Josh wasn’t too keen on the idea of sharing his special box either.  He was eyeballing that thing in his to go home box the whole last hour of school.  So, I don’t blame him. 

I try everything to bribe Eli.  Yes, I will go to the store and get Eli a special box.  It’s only fair, he was good at school today, too.  Didn’t exactly work.  What am I going to do?  And money to get a box?  Well, it was a dilemma…

Here comes the good moment, I promise…

Not trying to dwell on bad, but for this story, you kind of need a little background to get the aaaahhhhh moment….I think.

Mee-maw sent a Halloween treat in the mail.  Thank you mee-maw.  She saves the day!  I do have to mention here, it is two o’clock in the afternoon, and I still haven’t eaten. 

In the mail, she sent scary guys (this is what Josh calls skeletons) she made for the boys.  For the moment, Josh is elated, Eli content, and Sam well…he sleeps a lot.  But, what was good about my day today was that there was $5 in a card for me.  Yes, she said to get a bag of candy for me to not be left out on Halloween.  But, I got my first dollar double stacker from McDonalds (and yeah, kinda addicted to them now) and a dollar fry for me and Josh.  Eli finally falls asleep. 

There is my moment of the day.  A double stacker from McDonalds unexpectedly with some super sweet scary guys that are fun to dance around with, and swing with, or sleep with.  Thanks mee-maw!

My Big Catholic Angel

Here I go again.  Another cra-azy day.  I woke up late.  We are literally the last car to drop off at school.  Whoo!  Then, I frantically take my other toddler and two month old baby to the doctor for the first round of immunization shots.  I DO NOT LIKE DOING THIS!  My sweet Eli, the toddler, did not eat breakfast.  You can do the math, Eli + no breakfast = cranky Eli.  My husband said we had “slightly” expired baby tylenol, yeah, um Dave, it’s almost a year expired!  The nurse said, “Yeah, better toss that out.”  No funds, and I need tylenol to feel like I am doing something to make my baby feel ok with these horrible shots I have forced on him.  Amongst all this, I forgot to ask Dave the day before how to pay for this doctors visit, and it only takes four phone calls to figure this out.  Ugh! 

So, without any money, I need to feed my Eli and find baby tylenol (the nurse tried to get me some samples, but of course, they were out). Feeding myself sounded like a good idea too, before having to pick up Josh from school at noon.  It is 10:45.  “Really? Only 10:45?  Not knowing how everything was going to fall into place is not easy for me to handle especially on an empty stomach.  After counting my cents, I am in the parking lot of Target crying, yes crying and breathing, trying to pull myself together.  Ok, I tell myself, “deep breath grab some strength and patience and your kiddos and go into the store.  You can do this.”  While I am having this dialogue with myself, I notice a larger woman getting into her car in front of me looking at me.  I think, so what, I am crying quit staring. 

And wouldn’t you know.  That lady approached me.  She was a bigger lady, and as she said, “I’m sorry to bother you, but are you ok?”  I noticed a New York accent.  I smiled and said, as most do, “yes, just a bad day.”  She then proceeded, “I am a grandma, and I am going to give you a hug.”  I did not hesitate.  I needed this hug.  She took both arms and wrapped them around me and gave a good old squeeze. 

Then we talked a bit.  She told me how her daughter had suffered some depression when she had a baby.  I told her a bit of what was going on with me for that day, and she finished by saying I should prop my feet up when I get home and drink some wine.  I chuckled, yeah….don’t drink.  She started to walk away, but turned around and said, “AND PRAY.”  This I had been doing all morning long with every little step I was taking.  Praying for Josh to have a good day at school, for Sam to be brave with his shots, for Eli to stop being cranky, for me to have endurance, for money to magically appear for medicine and a hot dog, and for just some good ol’ fashioned peace.  But….a little reminder doesn’t hurt.

Now you may ask how I knew she was Catholic???  She then said, “and if that doesn’t work, do your rosary.”  There it was….my dear big Catholic angel.  I don’t know her name, but I know who sent her.  And I didn’t cry for the rest of the day, instead, I kind of chuckled. 

Oh Sweet Fall

So, today is very hectic, well….that is how I see it.  To my boys, it’s always a busy day.  What I have noticed is even at their busiest moments they can stop at the drop of a hat and completely enjoy something sweet and beautiful like fall.  I am crazily putting my boys into the car, all three of them, to get Josh to school on time (no small feat ever for me).  As I am herding them to stop playing around, or being busy, I look over at Josh, and he is standing under our cherry willow tree watching the leaves fall down on him with the sweetest smile.  This was my tender moment for the day.  I even took a moment to watch and talk about the leaves with him, and surprisingly we still made it to school just in the nick of time.  Thanks sweet boo, for helping mommy enjoy something so simply sweet.  I did try to capture the moment later with my camera, not exactly the same, but still fun.