"It's so hard to be a child!!!"

Today just after Taylor came home from school, she had some 5 year old stress. Her purple balloon (that she got from a birthday party on Sat.) was not acting the way she thought it should. The result? To throw herself down on the floor (cause that ALWAYS helps) and begin to cry..."It's so hard to be a child!!!"

I don't know that I remember feeling that way when I was younger. In fact as I've gotten older, I've often wished that I could go back to simpler times.....Times when I wasn't the one in charge of three meals a day or having something close to clean for all to wear everyday...... wishing that the dishes would do themselves or that the kids would wash themselves as well. Was I thankful for all the times my mom would cradle me in her arms and kiss the 'owies' better, or have dad come reassure me that there were in fact no monsters in my bedroom? I could always trust that my parents would have me practice the piano no matter how much I tried not to, and that 'someday you'll thank me for this...' I'll never forget how my dad tried to teach me that contrary to the then current belief, 'clubs' were not really that popular, and that my mom was right... I did need to learn how to clean the bathroom to a satisfactory level.

Wouldn't that be great, if the greatest distress in life were over the purple balloon!?! Oh to be like a child.

Random Blither Blather.....

Please understand that I worked last night, am going on little sleep and that this post may make no sense whatsoever.

I learned from Taylor, about a week ago, a very important lesson. And is it any wonder that our kids get so confused!?! She picked up an old MP3 player that didn't really work so much any more and asked me if it were my iPod. I told her, no, that it wasn't an official iPod, just an MP3 player. She asked me how it worked. I explained that you plug in your earphone or ear buds and listen to music or books or whatever you put on it. She looked at me with a very complex look on her face and after a moment, asked why you didn't put the ear buds on your eyes. I again stated that it was listening to and that that you use your ears for that. So then she asked me why they called it an iPod. It took me a moment before I realized she meant EYE Pod. My "AuHah" moment came and left with a laugh in my heart. We really should write to Apple and ask them to do a better job with naming their products. I'm still not sure she 'gets' it yet, but I think its coming.

As the snow has melted, I have noticed a lot of activity in our back field of the mice that have been hanging out back there. Having two cats and knowing that they can catch mice, I've not been too worried about it. But the other morning, just after the kids got on the school bus...I noticed some neighborhood dogs out roaming our back field. The big chocolate lab, Chief, was pawing at the ground. It took me just a moment to realize that he was 'playing' with a mouse. Swatting it back and forth, stopping it...then letting it go, it was interesting to watch. But then Chief's pal, a small terrier that lives at the same house as Chief (I don't know the terrier's name) came along to see what Chief was doing. When the terrier saw this, he quickly stopped the mouse, put it in his mouth, and swallowed him whole. Jeff and I just looked at each other with a sense of "Did you just see what I think I saw!?!" I've NEVER seen a dog eat a mouse, and would never imagine a terrier doing so. Chief was so perplexed, his toy was gone and he had nothing to play with. He seemed quite bummed.

On March 17th, the 3rd anniversary of Dylan's second brain surgery came and left. Why is it that we remember certain dates long after they seem to have any significance in our lives!?! Before 2006, March 17th was St. Patrick's Day. After 2006, it became the remembrance of nerve-wracking time in life. Three weeks (exactly) after that surgery, Jared was born.

Jeff is still job hunting and looking and searching and we haven't had any phone calls or e-mails of inquiry yet.

Jared pretends to be interested in potty-training. I think he really is just leading us on, having us get our hopes up, just to have them devastated. (Its been 7 years since we've not had diapers.)

If your still reading...you are a trooper!!! Til next time.......

A little TOO much

As I wrap up today, I look back at the crazy day that it was. As I do, I can't help but wonder:

A) Was I like that as a kid?

B) Are my kids really that hungry for attention?

C) If I will ever be less paranoid...

D) What awful thing did I ever do to have a two year old like Jared!?!

Don't get me wrong...I love my kids to pieces. But today was a little much. A little toomuch Parmesan cheese Jared DUMPED on his spaghetti, a little too much red crayon Jared put up and down the hallway wall, (note to self: I need more magic erasers!!) a little too much mascara that Jared smeared all over his face, and neck, and arms, and each finger, a little too much popcorn that Jared threw all over the living room (that Taylor then picked up and decided it would be better with water in it).......But hey, today is over. Does that mean I get to do it all again tomorrow!?!

Dylan has had a headache off and on since Sunday. But yesterday he also gained a fever (around 102.6). He is eating alright, and only complains that his 'head, tummy, and tongue are sick.' It really is so much fun to try to interpret that!!! Dylan can be a riddle.

The last week in February

We were in community care Thursday. Jared had pink eye and we needed to get him some eye drops. We had dropped Dylan off at speech, so it was just Jared, Taylor and I. We went and saw the PA. On our way out the door, he handed us the prescription we needed and gave both Jared and Taylor suckers and tokens to get a prize. I thanked Taylor for being so patient while we were there.

Taylor: I wasn't the patient, Jared was.

Me: But you were patiently waiting while we had Jared checked out.

Taylor: Yeah, Jared was the patient.

Me: Never mind.

Yesterday at school for the kids, was Dr. Seuss day. Taylor was trying to tell me about green eggs and ham. I couldn't help but interrupt her and help her tell the story. "I will not eat them here or there, I will not eat them anywhere. I do not like green eggs and ham, I will not eat them Sam I am." (Funny what things stay with you from days gone by!!) Dylan's aide from last year gave him a 'Cat in the Hat' hat. That was so nice of her (THANK YOU DEICY!!!) and we have all had fun with it.

Jeff looking for work with his thinking cap on...

In a stretch of seven nights, I've worked five of them. It was fairly nuts but it has all worked out well. I was named in a complaint at work (the only one specifically named) and I was e-mailing my nurse manager to explain my side of the story. She is good to work for although her strong, outspoken, high-strung nature precedes as her reputation. I was pleasantly surprised when she uncharacteristically was nice and sympathetic to me about the situation. I really try so hard to be a PLEASER at work. If you have to ask me to do anything for you, I almost feel like I've let you down. I prefer to have it done before you need it done. To be named in a complaint is a little crushing. I just need to remember to learn from this.

Scary things happen when mom's asleep

YIKES !!!

I guess we can thank Taylor for watching Jared so well.....

THINK SPRING ! ! ! !

So I'm proving to be less than consistent when it has come to my blogging lately. I often think about what to write about or hoping that I'll remember or something else the kids have said, in hopes of having something good to let you in on. Jeff's birthday was February 5th and he did get his table saw. I've gotten a hair cut and have heard no more comments from Dylan about my 'bad hair'. Jeff's job search continues with nothing promising as of yet.

I am so sick and tired of the wind, cold, the snow and not getting over 32 degrees. Today was nice and sunny, but it was too cold to do anything. It has made for a extra long case of cabin fever at our house. We are very thankful to have a home in a great neighborhood, the best ward possible, and still feel gratitude to pay on the mortgage than on rent. That being said, 1000 sq. ft. is just not very much for three energetic kids to run and play in warmth AND for the parents to keep any sanity. Thus, I CANNOT wait till the snow melts, and the bikes can come out, when the swing set will be used again and we can go on the walks we so enjoy with temps over the freezing point. I'm really looking forward to spring. Too bad the forecast is for snow this week.