Trying to explain relationships between family and friends to my 3 year old is well.....practically pointless. This is an actual conversation we had today.
M: "Mommy, you are my Mom."
Me: "Yes."
M: "And Grammy is my mom."
Me: "No, Grammy is MY mom. Your grandmas are your mom's mom and your dad's mom."
M: "You are my mom."
Me: "Yes, and you are my daughter."
M: "And you are MY daughter."
Me: "No.....(repeat previous statement several times until she seems to catch on). Who is the man I love?"
M: "Jude."
Me: "Well, I love Jude, but he is a little boy. Who is the big boy that I love?"
M: "Daddy. You are married....and Grammy and Papa are married....and Grandma and Papa Steve are married. And when you get married, you kiss like this (insert long, obnoxious kiss....remind me to ask around as to where she learned this from because I did NOT teach her this!!) LOL!
Me: "Yes, we're married, so Daddy is my husband. And I am Daddy's wife."
M: "And I'm your sister."
And that's where I left it. At this point, I think it was safe to say that none of this "lesson" was sinking in. Maybe next time around, we can grasp more of the concept.......maybe after she starts preschool in "My-reka" (ie Eureka).
Monday, August 29, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Jude's Baptismal
The following is a list of all the items that have officially been "baptized" in my whirlpool tub thanks to Jude:
Maya's Barbie (fully clothed)
A Comb
A Squirt Bottle
A Bathroom Rug
Aaron's Boxer Shorts
Aaron's Contact (in the package)
An Empty Contact Box
A Plastic Measuring Cup
A Spare Part to my Blowdryer
A Bath Towel
Blue Dog (Jude's Comfort Object)
Jude's Brush
Jude's Toothbrush
A Spoon
A Hand Towel
Attempted: The Toy Vacuum (too heavy), The Bathroom Rug AGAIN (Mom was too fast)
As I look at this list, I can only wonder what will be next. Inevitably, something is bound to get ruined around here really soon. Hopefully I can get one step ahead of him because obviously, I've failed thus far.
Maya's Barbie (fully clothed)
A Comb
A Squirt Bottle
A Bathroom Rug
Aaron's Boxer Shorts
Aaron's Contact (in the package)
An Empty Contact Box
A Plastic Measuring Cup
A Spare Part to my Blowdryer
A Bath Towel
Blue Dog (Jude's Comfort Object)
Jude's Brush
Jude's Toothbrush
A Spoon
A Hand Towel
Attempted: The Toy Vacuum (too heavy), The Bathroom Rug AGAIN (Mom was too fast)
As I look at this list, I can only wonder what will be next. Inevitably, something is bound to get ruined around here really soon. Hopefully I can get one step ahead of him because obviously, I've failed thus far.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Domestication: What I Find Absolutely Adorable in a Man
So, what did you and your spouse do together tonight? Anything? Go out on a hot date? Out to dinner? Watch a movie? Oh, me?....what did I do with my hubby tonight? We made pickles together.
Aaron started learning to garden just a few years ago and he's come a long way. It all started with a 10x10 plot of land that he cleared the sod from in hopes of planting a garden. Unknowingly, we bought and planted about 10 different things in that tiny piece of land not understanding how big these garden vegetables get (thankfully, a friend came by and set us straight :) Since then, our garden has expanded to about a 40x15 ft area filled with tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, rhubarb, strawberries and blackberries! We're quite the farmers now!
Our refrigerator drawer was officially packed to the brim with cucumbers so Aaron pronounced it "Pickling Day." He went to the store and bought all the supplies he needed, brought all the canning supplies from the basement, and set to work cutting up his spears. I offered to help, not only because I can't stand other people messing up my kitchen, but because I had nothing better to do and would feel bad simply watching him do all the work.
I cut up the cucumbers and he did the rest! I just stood in the kitchen with him as he canned. We chit-chatted the whole time, just about life, our garden, what to plant next year, etc. We had such a wonderful time! I never dreamed in a million years, when he and I began dating 12 years ago, that I would have so much fun standing in the kitchen making pickles with him. Funny how I was so attracted to his "bad boy" exterior in high school. Ha! He's a PICKLE MAKER....I married a PICKLE MAKER!! What happened to the wallet and chain? The earring? Either our lives have taken a terrible turn to the boring side, or we've just started figuring out some important things about being married. It's about the little moments, just as much as it is about the big ones. So glad I took the time to spend an evening making pickles.....and memories with the one I love.
Aaron started learning to garden just a few years ago and he's come a long way. It all started with a 10x10 plot of land that he cleared the sod from in hopes of planting a garden. Unknowingly, we bought and planted about 10 different things in that tiny piece of land not understanding how big these garden vegetables get (thankfully, a friend came by and set us straight :) Since then, our garden has expanded to about a 40x15 ft area filled with tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, rhubarb, strawberries and blackberries! We're quite the farmers now!
Our refrigerator drawer was officially packed to the brim with cucumbers so Aaron pronounced it "Pickling Day." He went to the store and bought all the supplies he needed, brought all the canning supplies from the basement, and set to work cutting up his spears. I offered to help, not only because I can't stand other people messing up my kitchen, but because I had nothing better to do and would feel bad simply watching him do all the work.
I cut up the cucumbers and he did the rest! I just stood in the kitchen with him as he canned. We chit-chatted the whole time, just about life, our garden, what to plant next year, etc. We had such a wonderful time! I never dreamed in a million years, when he and I began dating 12 years ago, that I would have so much fun standing in the kitchen making pickles with him. Funny how I was so attracted to his "bad boy" exterior in high school. Ha! He's a PICKLE MAKER....I married a PICKLE MAKER!! What happened to the wallet and chain? The earring? Either our lives have taken a terrible turn to the boring side, or we've just started figuring out some important things about being married. It's about the little moments, just as much as it is about the big ones. So glad I took the time to spend an evening making pickles.....and memories with the one I love.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
A "Gift" From Jude
WARNING: Those of you with weak stomachs need not read any further. This story may or may not tickle your gag reflex and/or make you vomit in your mouth a little bit.
Last night, we were just finishing up unloading everything from our wonderful, 4-day, camping trip. Getting the kids their dinner and baths before a much-needed early bedtime. The camper was in need of cleaning after so much use, so I offered to clean it if Aaron would agree to give the kids their baths. Deal! I actually don't mind cleaning if I don't have a small child trying to stick their hands in the toilet or hanging on to me until my pants fall down, so I saw this as my chance for some solitude.
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.....taking my time, actually. Isn't it sad that I found solace in this little ounce of peace and quiet I was receiving? I was truly enjoying myself.....while cleaning sinks and toilets. Odd.
Aaron comes outside to find me with this word-for-word question. "Soooooo, what is the protocol for poop in the bathtub?" "The protocol?" I reply. We then discussed the situation. It seems that both children were already washed up and simply playing in the tub. Aaron turns to Jude, just in time to notice "THE LOOK." If you are a parent, you know THE LOOK quite well, I'm sure. That red-faced, nasal flaring, breath-holding LOOK that says "No, I'm not ashamed to be pooping right here in front of you. I simply cannot help myself. It must be done no matter what." Aaron catches Jude giving him THE LOOK and throws Maya from the tub without warning before she had the chance to be swimming with any foreign objects. Jude comes out next, but not until after he has skillfully laid 4 landmines in the water. Aaron sends Maya to "swim" in the other tub for awhile as he washes Jude up once again. This is where the question to me about protocol comes in.
Now, you must know that my little sis called me a few weeks ago with this exact same dilemma and Aaron couldn't believe that she didn't know what to do with a tub filled with poo. How ironic. Turns out, it's not something in his repertoire either.
I come inside to handle the situation while he handles the kids. There were a few "floaters," so I decided that those should probably go in the toilet since they were most-likely too big to go down the drain. TMI?? Well, just wait. So, Aaron is pacing back and forth by the door as I clean up and I say, "Well, I'm gonna have to put some of this in the toilet." and I begin to reach into the tub to grab the few pieces of poo with my bare hands. Now.....I have changed a bazillion poopy diapers and gotten so much poop on my hands that I have learned not to freak out about poop. Your hands WILL wash. It is a proven fact....one I've proven to myself many times. Aaron sees me doing this and he nearly gags while saying, "Oh My God, I'm going to throw up! Don't....oh, honey.....no wait....let me get you.....Oh My God....I can't believe you just did that! Disgusting! (insert another gag)" The rest of the poopy just got sent down the drain, cause it all goes to the septic whether it goes down the sink or the toilet around here. Then the tub got a thorough scrubbing.......by me. I got a lot of cleaning done last night!
Glad I had gotten my few moments of solitude while cleaning the camper. God must have known I was going to need them to face the rest of my evening.
Last night, we were just finishing up unloading everything from our wonderful, 4-day, camping trip. Getting the kids their dinner and baths before a much-needed early bedtime. The camper was in need of cleaning after so much use, so I offered to clean it if Aaron would agree to give the kids their baths. Deal! I actually don't mind cleaning if I don't have a small child trying to stick their hands in the toilet or hanging on to me until my pants fall down, so I saw this as my chance for some solitude.
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.....taking my time, actually. Isn't it sad that I found solace in this little ounce of peace and quiet I was receiving? I was truly enjoying myself.....while cleaning sinks and toilets. Odd.
Aaron comes outside to find me with this word-for-word question. "Soooooo, what is the protocol for poop in the bathtub?" "The protocol?" I reply. We then discussed the situation. It seems that both children were already washed up and simply playing in the tub. Aaron turns to Jude, just in time to notice "THE LOOK." If you are a parent, you know THE LOOK quite well, I'm sure. That red-faced, nasal flaring, breath-holding LOOK that says "No, I'm not ashamed to be pooping right here in front of you. I simply cannot help myself. It must be done no matter what." Aaron catches Jude giving him THE LOOK and throws Maya from the tub without warning before she had the chance to be swimming with any foreign objects. Jude comes out next, but not until after he has skillfully laid 4 landmines in the water. Aaron sends Maya to "swim" in the other tub for awhile as he washes Jude up once again. This is where the question to me about protocol comes in.
Now, you must know that my little sis called me a few weeks ago with this exact same dilemma and Aaron couldn't believe that she didn't know what to do with a tub filled with poo. How ironic. Turns out, it's not something in his repertoire either.
I come inside to handle the situation while he handles the kids. There were a few "floaters," so I decided that those should probably go in the toilet since they were most-likely too big to go down the drain. TMI?? Well, just wait. So, Aaron is pacing back and forth by the door as I clean up and I say, "Well, I'm gonna have to put some of this in the toilet." and I begin to reach into the tub to grab the few pieces of poo with my bare hands. Now.....I have changed a bazillion poopy diapers and gotten so much poop on my hands that I have learned not to freak out about poop. Your hands WILL wash. It is a proven fact....one I've proven to myself many times. Aaron sees me doing this and he nearly gags while saying, "Oh My God, I'm going to throw up! Don't....oh, honey.....no wait....let me get you.....Oh My God....I can't believe you just did that! Disgusting! (insert another gag)" The rest of the poopy just got sent down the drain, cause it all goes to the septic whether it goes down the sink or the toilet around here. Then the tub got a thorough scrubbing.......by me. I got a lot of cleaning done last night!
Glad I had gotten my few moments of solitude while cleaning the camper. God must have known I was going to need them to face the rest of my evening.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The new thing for Maya is pretending to be a caterpillar/worm. She pulls on the biggest blanket she can find & crawls around the house with it over her head and dragging behind her. As she wriggles across the carpet, unable to see where she's going, she runs into random pieces of very-solid furniture.....I hear her whisper "ouch" to herself, and then the worm keeps on moving. Every now and then, she'll find me or Jude and "munch" on us just like The Very Hungry Caterpillar does in the book.
Jude has been known to hitch on a ride on The Caterpillar, which Maya finds funny sometimes, and really annoying at others. He also has been known to be terrified of The Caterpillar because sometimes it engulfs him like a Venus fly trap and knocks him clean to the floor.
Yes, weird things happen at our house. Come here at your own risk! The Caterpillar just may come after you next :)
Jude has been known to hitch on a ride on The Caterpillar, which Maya finds funny sometimes, and really annoying at others. He also has been known to be terrified of The Caterpillar because sometimes it engulfs him like a Venus fly trap and knocks him clean to the floor.
Yes, weird things happen at our house. Come here at your own risk! The Caterpillar just may come after you next :)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Seriously......This Will Make Me Think Twice Before I EVER Quit My Job Again!
Getting myself back into the workforce has been tough. After applying for 7 positions, and being accepted for interviews at only 2 of them, I was beginning to worry that it was just not be meant to be. When I graduated from nursing school, there were millions of nursing positions waiting there for me to pick from, mostly because I was planning to work full-time. Going back to work, wanting only part-time hours.....not so easy. But finally, it happened. I got hired back at OSF for a part-time pediatric nursing position.
Then, I thought the hard part was over. I was sorely mistaken. Now comes all of the following: 2-step TB test (4 visits to the health department), CPR certification, hunting down my nursing license, college diploma, marriage license & immunization records, going to "parking services" at St. Francis to get my parking sticker, Occupational Health Physical, visiting HR to fill out all employment paperwork and getting my badge, 6 full 8-hour days of "hospital orientation". And this is all before I start my unit-specific orientation, which will take God knows how long since I'm only planning to work 1-2 shifts per week.
Add all of this to the stress of finding similar documentation for my daughter to begin preschool next month and you've got one, crazy person on your hands! I'm sure we'll get into a rhythm with preschool and my work schedule this fall, but right now I'm a bit nervous. Praying for wisdom and a lot of grace as we dive into this new chapter.
Then, I thought the hard part was over. I was sorely mistaken. Now comes all of the following: 2-step TB test (4 visits to the health department), CPR certification, hunting down my nursing license, college diploma, marriage license & immunization records, going to "parking services" at St. Francis to get my parking sticker, Occupational Health Physical, visiting HR to fill out all employment paperwork and getting my badge, 6 full 8-hour days of "hospital orientation". And this is all before I start my unit-specific orientation, which will take God knows how long since I'm only planning to work 1-2 shifts per week.
Add all of this to the stress of finding similar documentation for my daughter to begin preschool next month and you've got one, crazy person on your hands! I'm sure we'll get into a rhythm with preschool and my work schedule this fall, but right now I'm a bit nervous. Praying for wisdom and a lot of grace as we dive into this new chapter.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Our Night in Review
Since my kids think that 6:00 is an appropriate time to wake up in the morning, I've decided on a new plan of action for bedtime. They typically are in bed anywhere from 7-7:30 on a normal night......so, probably the reason they are so ready to greet the day so early. We are pushing bedtime back to 8:00 pm for awhile. Just to see if we get any early-morning relief. I am a firm believer in the saying "Early to Bed, Late to Rise" for children, but I'm also a believer in the fact that a body can only sleep for so long. I can't put my kids to bed at 7:00 pm and expect them to sleep until 9 in the morning....I could hope, but never expect. I'm getting ready to start a new job next month for which I will not be getting to bed until after midnight a couple nights per week, so getting out of bed at 6:00 the following day could lead to a very grouchy day for all involved.
Last night was day 1 of 8:00 bedtime. The kids both went to bed beautifully. We'd had a fun-filled day with my little sister and her family including lots of outside time and lunch at The Burger Barge. They were definitely "more ready" for bed at 8:00 than they are at 7:00--bonus. Jude could seriously care less and probably go to bed at 5:30 pm if I wanted him to, but this new routine seemed great for Maya since she still naps in the afternoon.
1:15 am- Jude cries out in his bed. Only for a second and then he's quiet. I keep sleeping. 1:25 am- Jude cries out again and then quiets down. I fall back asleep thinking, oh he's working it out on his own. This happens about 4 more times, all about 10-15 minutes apart, so I decide maybe I'll go in and see what's going on. He's sitting in the corner of his crib holding his "Blue Doggy" and he bursts into tears when he spots me come in. I picked him up and he instantly snuggled up to me ready to be rocked back to sleep (which I never do), so I relished it for awhile. He laid so close to me, breathing slowly and falling back to sleep. He sneezed and then he laughed at himself. I sand him a couple songs quietly and actually enjoyed the fact that I had to get up to spend this time with him. I wasn't missing my sleep at all. Just when I think he's getting so big these days, this one night makes me realize how small and vulnerable he still is. Still such a baby. I lay him back down and he fusses, but I leave to see if he will just go back to sleep.
2:40 am- Back in Jude's room for the same reason I had been there before. Same routine....songs, rocking, etc. only this time I added in some Tylenol/Orajel for the "just in cases" and soothed him back to sleep as he laid back down in his crib. This time he made it the rest of the night and it is now 3:25 when I crawl back into bed.
6:30 am- A little 3 year old, blondie comes crawling into our bed ready to get up for the day. Aaron and I are not ready to start the day quite yet, so she laid quietly with us until Jude woke up at 7:15 and we got up.
I know this may not be an interesting story, but I think it's therapeutic to put this into text to remind me of how great my kids are at sleeping most nights. Most nights, when they sleep through the night.....and even get up at 6:00 AM.
Last night was day 1 of 8:00 bedtime. The kids both went to bed beautifully. We'd had a fun-filled day with my little sister and her family including lots of outside time and lunch at The Burger Barge. They were definitely "more ready" for bed at 8:00 than they are at 7:00--bonus. Jude could seriously care less and probably go to bed at 5:30 pm if I wanted him to, but this new routine seemed great for Maya since she still naps in the afternoon.
1:15 am- Jude cries out in his bed. Only for a second and then he's quiet. I keep sleeping. 1:25 am- Jude cries out again and then quiets down. I fall back asleep thinking, oh he's working it out on his own. This happens about 4 more times, all about 10-15 minutes apart, so I decide maybe I'll go in and see what's going on. He's sitting in the corner of his crib holding his "Blue Doggy" and he bursts into tears when he spots me come in. I picked him up and he instantly snuggled up to me ready to be rocked back to sleep (which I never do), so I relished it for awhile. He laid so close to me, breathing slowly and falling back to sleep. He sneezed and then he laughed at himself. I sand him a couple songs quietly and actually enjoyed the fact that I had to get up to spend this time with him. I wasn't missing my sleep at all. Just when I think he's getting so big these days, this one night makes me realize how small and vulnerable he still is. Still such a baby. I lay him back down and he fusses, but I leave to see if he will just go back to sleep.
2:40 am- Back in Jude's room for the same reason I had been there before. Same routine....songs, rocking, etc. only this time I added in some Tylenol/Orajel for the "just in cases" and soothed him back to sleep as he laid back down in his crib. This time he made it the rest of the night and it is now 3:25 when I crawl back into bed.
6:30 am- A little 3 year old, blondie comes crawling into our bed ready to get up for the day. Aaron and I are not ready to start the day quite yet, so she laid quietly with us until Jude woke up at 7:15 and we got up.
I know this may not be an interesting story, but I think it's therapeutic to put this into text to remind me of how great my kids are at sleeping most nights. Most nights, when they sleep through the night.....and even get up at 6:00 AM.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Fondulac Farm Park
Some high school girlfriends and I took our children to the Fondulac Farm Park today. We try to get our families together once every month or two, mostly so us mommies have some adult bonding time, but the kids seem to enjoy it too, so it's truly a win-win. In all, there were 10 kids and 5 adults....quite a crowd. When we started these playdates, there were 6 kids, most of which were not even crawling yet....so needless to say, the "dynamic" of our get-togethers has changed dramatically. For that reason, we have decided that "location playdates" are the best option so that no Mom is stuck cleaning up the tornado-like disaster left behind when this clan is done.
All the kids played at one of the playgrounds while all of us Mommies got caught up on new news. One new pregnancy and one new job in the group. How exciting! So....make that 11 kids, up and coming! We're going to have to start renting out banquet facilities for these playdates! Because believe me, I'm no martyr. I'm not gonna offer to host at my house anytime soon :)
The park at ice cream cones filled with animal feed for all of the kids to feed the animals with. We fed them all....goats, sheep, cows, horses, chickens, pigs, more goats....oh wait, let's go back to the chickens one more time, and I think that goose looks hungry.....I was wishing that I would have only purchased 1 cone of animal feed, but no, I had purchased 3. I didn't want Maya to run out, you know.
So, once the animals were begging us to leave them alone, we all headed to the "Feed Shed" for some lunch. It was truly delicious! BBQ Beef sandwiches, pretzels, hot dogs, chips, applesauce, cookies, juice. Not bad fare for the low, low prices we paid too. We all sat at a couple shaded picnic tables and devoured our lunch, following a very thorough hand washing for all. Then the kids played some hide and seek, tag, and run.....yes, I said run, because seriously, they were just running like it was their job....no reason, just running.....ahhhh to be a kid again.
After lunch, we were all saying our goodbyes and all the kids yelled a big goodbye to Maya in unison. She felt pretty special! We headed to the van to load up two very exhausted park-goers. For having so many kids and babies along, the outing went as smooth as could be and we all left with smiles on our faces......looking forward to next time.
All the kids played at one of the playgrounds while all of us Mommies got caught up on new news. One new pregnancy and one new job in the group. How exciting! So....make that 11 kids, up and coming! We're going to have to start renting out banquet facilities for these playdates! Because believe me, I'm no martyr. I'm not gonna offer to host at my house anytime soon :)
The park at ice cream cones filled with animal feed for all of the kids to feed the animals with. We fed them all....goats, sheep, cows, horses, chickens, pigs, more goats....oh wait, let's go back to the chickens one more time, and I think that goose looks hungry.....I was wishing that I would have only purchased 1 cone of animal feed, but no, I had purchased 3. I didn't want Maya to run out, you know.
So, once the animals were begging us to leave them alone, we all headed to the "Feed Shed" for some lunch. It was truly delicious! BBQ Beef sandwiches, pretzels, hot dogs, chips, applesauce, cookies, juice. Not bad fare for the low, low prices we paid too. We all sat at a couple shaded picnic tables and devoured our lunch, following a very thorough hand washing for all. Then the kids played some hide and seek, tag, and run.....yes, I said run, because seriously, they were just running like it was their job....no reason, just running.....ahhhh to be a kid again.
After lunch, we were all saying our goodbyes and all the kids yelled a big goodbye to Maya in unison. She felt pretty special! We headed to the van to load up two very exhausted park-goers. For having so many kids and babies along, the outing went as smooth as could be and we all left with smiles on our faces......looking forward to next time.
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