A collective scream of "WHHHYYYY?" went up all over Dexter this morning when the news came that we were having a snow day. Mothers everywhere fell to their knees praying that it just wasn't so. After a 4 day week-end due to President's day it was just too much to bear.
I really have nothing left to give. There are no more craft projects, no more cookies to bake, no more patience left in me at all. Not one bit. At this point I'm actually begging my children to let me lay down with a cool cloth on my forehead. Like that's going to happen.
The kids are bored to tears too. We've pretty much done all there is to do and we're just kind of staring warily at each other. I was doing really well right up to today's announcement. We had gone to a movie, we went sledding, we had play dates and sleepovers. But today? Nothing. I dragged them out to get haircuts just to get us out of the house for a bit.
Never really thought I'd say this but I'm SOOO reading for spring!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
What will he think of next?
Last night I was feeling pretty tired. This week I've just been really exhausted which the MD said is to be expected. Still, it's horrible to be tired when you've got kids climbing all over you wanting to show you school papers and needing snacks.
It is safe to say that I was not at my parenting best last night. I was in the recliner in the living room resting (with my eyes open - sort of) when I noticed Max going in and out the front door. I wasn't sure what he was doing but I thought he might be playing with the cats. Until I saw him go out the front door with a bucket full of water. THAT woke me up.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Icing the driveway" he said, as if I had just asked how his day was.
"Why?" I asked.
"I don't know. It's fun, I guess."
By the time I was able to get up and survey the driveway I was shocked. An area about 5 feet wide and 10 feet long was a complete sheet of ice. It was actually kind of impressive though I didn't let on about that.
I kept trying to get to the bottom of why he did it. He mentioned that he could "skate" on it but that it would also be funny to watch our cars slip on it. OMG. Is he trying to kill me? Decidedly not. He's not that kind of kid, but wow, icing the driveway. Huh.
He never ceases to amaze me. The things he comes up with - riding my garden cart while holding onto a makeshift sail. Or the things he says - What do all of these things have in common? Banana, apple, peach and pear. The rest of us might answer that they're all fruit. Max's answer was that they all have skin. Which is true, but, wait what?
Sometimes I feel a kinship to Mrs. Edison - "Thomas, you're going to do WHAT with a kite and a key? In this weather?" I suppose though that the worst thing I can do is stifle his creativity and his slightly skewed view of the world.
He constantly keeps me guessing and I'm never quite sure what he'll come up with next. When he was really little I used to say things like, "Don't ride your bike without a helmet". Now I have to be a little more thorough.
"Don't jump off the roof, don't make the dog pull you in a wagon (she's only a mini schnauzer after all), don't bring that chicken in the house, don't eat chili with your fingers (Joe's favorite), don't try to ride the llama." I really should just record something and just roll the playback. It would save me a lot of time.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Jail Break
Had a little "situation" in the barn yesterday. Manny (the llama) and Phineas (the not-so-much-a-potbelly pig) broke into the barn. They have a stall inside the barn that leads to the outside so they can all get shelter and warmth. From there, there's a gate that keeps them from getting into the rest of the barn. Except in this case, it didn't.
We had just gotten a big load of hay (54 bales) so the barn was nice and full of fresh, green food for them. We aren't sure exactly how long the rampage had lasted but the toppled and destroyed bales left no doubt that it was long enough. As per usual, when I tried to get to the bottom of it I was met with stony silence. I think the pig may have grunted but you can bet he was just trying to implicate the llama. Either way, we're going to have some serious discussions about this in the days to come.
There will be consequences. Like maybe I won't love on them quite as much when I go out to feed. So that's 20 llama kisses instead of the usual 25. That should teach him a little something about who he's messing with. I expect this kind of thing from Phineas because, you know, he's a pig. But the llama? I am so disappointed.
We had just gotten a big load of hay (54 bales) so the barn was nice and full of fresh, green food for them. We aren't sure exactly how long the rampage had lasted but the toppled and destroyed bales left no doubt that it was long enough. As per usual, when I tried to get to the bottom of it I was met with stony silence. I think the pig may have grunted but you can bet he was just trying to implicate the llama. Either way, we're going to have some serious discussions about this in the days to come.
There will be consequences. Like maybe I won't love on them quite as much when I go out to feed. So that's 20 llama kisses instead of the usual 25. That should teach him a little something about who he's messing with. I expect this kind of thing from Phineas because, you know, he's a pig. But the llama? I am so disappointed.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
I am officially beginning to feel somewhat human again. Barely. It seems that I drastically underestimated exactly what was involved in this whole abdominal hysterectomy thing. I was prepared for a few days of tenderness and pain. Perhaps even a few days in bed. But alas, it's far worse than I imagined.
I'm not totally complaining.There is something to be said for "laying low" and not doing much of anything. I've been reading, watching TV and chatting with friends on the phone - between naps. It's not all bad. My skin actually looks fantastic - lack of putting makeup on for two weeks I suppose and I'm drinking more water than I ever have before.
Still. It's tough not to be able to do what I want/need to do. It's tough to just have to sit there and wait for someone to help me do what needs to be done. It's not like I'm a real go-getter, can't keep me down kind of girl but I am getting frustrated as the days wear on.
It has been nice for the pace to slow down some. It's nice to actually have time to sit and think or sit and not think. Just to have time to myself is a nice thing. It would be better if my tummy didn't hurt though.
So I'm slowly coming out of my fog and starting to get a look around. I walked out to see the animals the other day which I haven't been able to do thus far. It was really nice to see them again and to say hello. The walk exhausted me but it was well worth the effort.
I'm not totally complaining.There is something to be said for "laying low" and not doing much of anything. I've been reading, watching TV and chatting with friends on the phone - between naps. It's not all bad. My skin actually looks fantastic - lack of putting makeup on for two weeks I suppose and I'm drinking more water than I ever have before.
Still. It's tough not to be able to do what I want/need to do. It's tough to just have to sit there and wait for someone to help me do what needs to be done. It's not like I'm a real go-getter, can't keep me down kind of girl but I am getting frustrated as the days wear on.
It has been nice for the pace to slow down some. It's nice to actually have time to sit and think or sit and not think. Just to have time to myself is a nice thing. It would be better if my tummy didn't hurt though.
So I'm slowly coming out of my fog and starting to get a look around. I walked out to see the animals the other day which I haven't been able to do thus far. It was really nice to see them again and to say hello. The walk exhausted me but it was well worth the effort.
Friday, January 14, 2011
OW
Ok, OW. Had the surgery on Tuesday and I'm still kind of reeling from it. Every part of me hurts and I'm walking around like a drunk senior citizen. Pain meds are fun and all but those send me for a loop as well. I think the MD got a discount on surgical staples that day because I must have about 25 of them in my abdomen. Ow. I'm going back to bed....
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
All or Nothing
We (finally) got a Wii. I was actually against it from the start but Joe was really pushing for it. I saw the whole thing as a giant money pit – extra controller, more games, bonus controllers, paddles, guns, DJ tables… but Joe swore that we could “keep it simple” and “just get the basics”. The reason that I doubted him on this was because of the “Christmas Village Incident” of 2006.
It went a little something like this. We decided to take a family trip up to Frankenmuth in November of that year. While we were in Frankenmuth we had a really nice time together and we bought a ceramic light up house that could be displayed for Christmas. We decided, as a family, that it would be nice if we made this trip every year and bought a house to remind us of the fun we’d had.
When we arrived home Joe went on, what can only be described, as a Christmas village bender. He got on Ebay and bought nearly every house, store and accessory that he could find. He bought the creamery, the music studio (complete with monogram), the store, the town square – everything. As the packages began to arrive I said, “What is all this?” He sheepishly looked at me and confessed. Do you want to know the really crazy part? We have so many houses that we don’t have anywhere to display them!
So you can understand my concern with the purchase of the Wii. He actually went to the game store yesterday to “pick up a few things” and I was nervous all day long. At one point he called and asked me for my money that his parents gave me so he could buy me my own Wii controller. No sir. That money has “pedicure” written all over it.
Joe tends to be an “all or nothing” kind of guy and he is not easily reined in, which is why we’ve never gone to Vegas. I’d have to pat him down to make sure he didn’t bring the deed to the house!
Alright, back to the Wii. We got it and it’s a lot of fun. Here’s the weird part – I’m really good at it. Really, really good. Which is strange because, as you’ll recall, I’m not the least bit sporty. Still, I was beating everyone at tennis, bowling and fencing. Joe and I almost came to blows over the fencing game because he COULD NOT beat me and it was driving him crazy. We must have played that game 30 times and he didn’t beat me once! Finally I had to beg him to stop because I was tired.
We tried to do the boxing game but that was a little out of control. I had (really clear and vivid) visions of actually beating him with the Wii controller. When the game paused and the message said, “Wouldn’t you like to take a break now?” I figured it was a sign from God.
It went a little something like this. We decided to take a family trip up to Frankenmuth in November of that year. While we were in Frankenmuth we had a really nice time together and we bought a ceramic light up house that could be displayed for Christmas. We decided, as a family, that it would be nice if we made this trip every year and bought a house to remind us of the fun we’d had.
When we arrived home Joe went on, what can only be described, as a Christmas village bender. He got on Ebay and bought nearly every house, store and accessory that he could find. He bought the creamery, the music studio (complete with monogram), the store, the town square – everything. As the packages began to arrive I said, “What is all this?” He sheepishly looked at me and confessed. Do you want to know the really crazy part? We have so many houses that we don’t have anywhere to display them!
So you can understand my concern with the purchase of the Wii. He actually went to the game store yesterday to “pick up a few things” and I was nervous all day long. At one point he called and asked me for my money that his parents gave me so he could buy me my own Wii controller. No sir. That money has “pedicure” written all over it.
Joe tends to be an “all or nothing” kind of guy and he is not easily reined in, which is why we’ve never gone to Vegas. I’d have to pat him down to make sure he didn’t bring the deed to the house!
Alright, back to the Wii. We got it and it’s a lot of fun. Here’s the weird part – I’m really good at it. Really, really good. Which is strange because, as you’ll recall, I’m not the least bit sporty. Still, I was beating everyone at tennis, bowling and fencing. Joe and I almost came to blows over the fencing game because he COULD NOT beat me and it was driving him crazy. We must have played that game 30 times and he didn’t beat me once! Finally I had to beg him to stop because I was tired.
We tried to do the boxing game but that was a little out of control. I had (really clear and vivid) visions of actually beating him with the Wii controller. When the game paused and the message said, “Wouldn’t you like to take a break now?” I figured it was a sign from God.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Snowmobile Fun
You’re probably expecting a Christmas blog out of me today, but it’s not gonna happen. I think I’m suffering from some sort of Christmas shock or something or maybe I’m just done with it all, but nothing Christmasy is coming to mind right now so I’ve chosen another topic.
Snowmobiling. We went last night with some friends who have snowmobiles. I wasn’t going to go at first because I wasn’t properly dressed – slacks, satin shirt, cute pumps. But then I realized that I didn’t care how I was dressed and that I wanted to ride a snowmobile! So I put on my MIL's boots (she's a good six inches shorter than me so you can only imagine the discrepancy in boot size), a crazy hat and some fuzzy gloves and went on out. It should also be noted that in the frenzy to find appropriate outdoor gear Joe ended up wearing a ski glove on his right hand and a garden glove on his left.
Growing up, we had snowmobiles that we spent a lot of time on. We would run them all through the horse field and even down the road. We pulled sleds with them, jumped hills and even crashed them sometimes (Susan). It was fantastic! I’m really not sure how my Dad kept those crazy old machines running. They were NOT top of the line machines and were probably pretty old. Still, he maintained them and they ran like crazy for us.
One of them was all orange and the brand name was Johnson. This thing was a BEAST. It could carry three of us on the seat while pulling at least two more on saucers behind it. We’d play a game where we would have equal lengths of rope going to each saucer so that you were side by side. Then we would try to knock each other off. Now that I say it, it sounds like a bad YouTube video, but it was actually a lot of fun at the time…
It all came back to me last night. The feel of the wind, the sound of the engines, the smell of the gasoline. But it’s not all the same as it was back in the day. For one thing, the snowmobiles go a LOT faster than they ever did back then. Plus, I was riding with my brother-in-law and, while he’s a very safe driver, I was still pretty scared to be riding one of those things going that fast.
The other part that is not at all the same is my body. Every part of me hurts today. Muscles I didn’t even know I had are screaming out in agony with every move. My back is completely wrecked too. I keep forgetting that I’m supposed to act my age.
I was thinking a lot yesterday about childlike trust. I remember riding snowmobiles with my Dad and it never occurred to me that anything could go wrong – that we could flip it or crash. That could never happen with my Dad at the wheel. I had complete faith and trust in him. Of course now, being a wife and a mother, there’s a lot more at stake if something goes wrong. If I get hurt or killed things won’t go well. Joe couldn’t tell you Max’s underwear size if you put a gun to his head.
I kind of wish that I could return to that state of childlike innocence, just for a little while. It would be nice to feel the magic again if only briefly before going back to being an adult again, wouldn’t it?
Snowmobiling. We went last night with some friends who have snowmobiles. I wasn’t going to go at first because I wasn’t properly dressed – slacks, satin shirt, cute pumps. But then I realized that I didn’t care how I was dressed and that I wanted to ride a snowmobile! So I put on my MIL's boots (she's a good six inches shorter than me so you can only imagine the discrepancy in boot size), a crazy hat and some fuzzy gloves and went on out. It should also be noted that in the frenzy to find appropriate outdoor gear Joe ended up wearing a ski glove on his right hand and a garden glove on his left.
Growing up, we had snowmobiles that we spent a lot of time on. We would run them all through the horse field and even down the road. We pulled sleds with them, jumped hills and even crashed them sometimes (Susan). It was fantastic! I’m really not sure how my Dad kept those crazy old machines running. They were NOT top of the line machines and were probably pretty old. Still, he maintained them and they ran like crazy for us.
One of them was all orange and the brand name was Johnson. This thing was a BEAST. It could carry three of us on the seat while pulling at least two more on saucers behind it. We’d play a game where we would have equal lengths of rope going to each saucer so that you were side by side. Then we would try to knock each other off. Now that I say it, it sounds like a bad YouTube video, but it was actually a lot of fun at the time…
It all came back to me last night. The feel of the wind, the sound of the engines, the smell of the gasoline. But it’s not all the same as it was back in the day. For one thing, the snowmobiles go a LOT faster than they ever did back then. Plus, I was riding with my brother-in-law and, while he’s a very safe driver, I was still pretty scared to be riding one of those things going that fast.
The other part that is not at all the same is my body. Every part of me hurts today. Muscles I didn’t even know I had are screaming out in agony with every move. My back is completely wrecked too. I keep forgetting that I’m supposed to act my age.
I was thinking a lot yesterday about childlike trust. I remember riding snowmobiles with my Dad and it never occurred to me that anything could go wrong – that we could flip it or crash. That could never happen with my Dad at the wheel. I had complete faith and trust in him. Of course now, being a wife and a mother, there’s a lot more at stake if something goes wrong. If I get hurt or killed things won’t go well. Joe couldn’t tell you Max’s underwear size if you put a gun to his head.
I kind of wish that I could return to that state of childlike innocence, just for a little while. It would be nice to feel the magic again if only briefly before going back to being an adult again, wouldn’t it?
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