Neighbors Rock!

Thank God for good neighbors. This morning I slept in actually, which really didn't mean I got extra sleep, only that I recaptured a few hours that I missed this week. When I got up and ready, I looked in William's ear, which was draining some funky gunk. It was completely infected to the point that I could see it, so I called the Doctor. They said, they didn't have any more appointments for the day, but the nurse would call me back. I said, okay and left with Quinn to make her picture appointment. On the way, I called home to give Carl some info on William's ears. He was frantic and on his way to the doctor who had just called and said they could squeeze William in. Okay....breathe. Normally, this is not a problem except when you have three kids to put in a two door vehicle and no stroller. I had the van with me and he had the two door Honda at home.

To his credit, he wasn't chewing me out on the phone or panicked, really. I would have been a basket case because he had less than 10 minutes to dress two of the three kids and get them to the doctor in tact. I took the van because they had said there were no appointments, so why would he need it? Anyways!

I called my neighbors and asked if they could keep Lydia and Hayden for a little while until Carl got home or I got home. They agreed and were happy to help. I was so relieved. I don't know what I would have done without them. I could just see Carl dragging three kids into the doctor without the van or the stroller - it's just not a good picture and he would have had a hard time, I would have too!

After all of the hassle and freak show that we put on - the doctor said his ears looked normal and were draining through his tubes appropriately. They are infected, but the tubes are working. UGH! Never fails. You rush around to get absolutely NO WHERE!

Picked up my cat today.

Today I woke up and said, "I think I'll go get the cat today." Doesn't everyone think that when they wake up? The Humane Society actually called a month ago for us to come get him, but we just haven't had time, or made the effort, to do it yet. So, this morning after doing some chores, I decided to pack up the three little ones and head out to retrieve him. Lydia didn't quite understand what I meant when I told her we were going to go get "BJ". When we got to the Humane Society, she asked if Daddy had left him there?

After waiting in line behind two dogs and their owners, we finally were able to ask for our cat. I'm sure the other patrons were wondering what we were doing since we were the only family in the waiting room without an animal. The lady behind the counter requested his name and we told her. Then she went to get a step ladder, opened a cabinet, read through some names, and pulled down a box from the very top shelf.

I signed a piece of paper releasing "BJ" to us and collected his box to take home.

I thought I would be okay doing all of this. It's been nearly two months since we put him to rest. I got home and fed everyone lunch and cleaned everything up, all the while, eyeing the box in the corner of the room. Finally, I just opened it and inside was a ton of bubble wrap (which I thought, "Oh!, the kids will love this!") and tucked inside was a velvet pouch with "Until we meet again over the rainbow bridge" inscribed on it. Instantly tears welled up and threatened to spill over when William decided to get into the dog food and water so I had no time to dwell on the moment.

Damn. I miss that cat.

I'm Starving

It's Ash Wednesday which means I make unrealistic goals for the next 40 days and try to attain any of them. I'm trying to do Weight Watchers which should include exercise, drinking more water, eating less junk and all around better nutrition. Today, though, I realized how much I have been nibbling off my kids' plates. I could not have their left over morsels or else jeopardize losing coveted points for the day and it took its toll. I'm starving! I didn't think I was over indulging, over eating, or eating poorly. Actually, I thought I hardly ate anything at all and I couldn't figure out why the accumulated baby weight of four kids was not melting away. Well, now I know.

Tomorrow I'm having company over and planning to indulge a little since it's a treat, but then it's back on the wagon. Swimsuit season is coming and this is my first and last ditch effort to peel some of the layers off of me before I even contemplate shopping for a suit.

Wish me luck! No, wish me will power!

Unpacking

I've become a Facebook addict. I have reconnected with soooo many of my friends from elementary, high school and college that my brain is on overload. I keep having all these old memories dredged up and most are good, (which is nice to know!). The problem is that I've put all of these people and their memories in their boxes packed away in my brain for 10, 15, 20, 25 years and digging them all out is shorting out my synapses. I can't keep up.

One one hand, I recall grade school slumber parties, musicals, bell choir, and then the last day of 6th grade when we were heading out for a Girl Scout camping trip and my parents told me I was going to be moving to Pakistan in the fall. Back in 1985, a sixth grader didn't know where that was, so I had to ask. Nowadays, I bet most know. I cried and cried on that camping trip and I remember there was drama over a mouse in the cabin we stayed in.

Then I flash to living in Lahore, Pakistan and my first day of school there. I wore blue Jordache Jeans with multicolored pin stripes on tapered legs with zippers at the ankles and my hair was in a braided ponytail. I went from a chain link fence in my back yard to an 8 foot tall brick wall surrounding my entire house with barbed wire on top. I remember during Eid, the Canal would be full of floating goats heads from sacrifices. It was normal to me, which is strange now, because that is definitely not a normal sighting. I loved spring because of the kites in the market. They would hand make millions of kites and use glass covered string to have "kite wars" in the sky. You would try to cut each others string and bring down their kite. There were so many flying usually, you had your pick of targets.

Further ahead, I am a mess after a frat party my Freshman year in college, puking, falling down - live and learn! Well, I heard it happened again a few years later, no recollect of that one, though! oops. Just say "No" to Gold Schlagger! (or however you spell that). College was an epiphany, an adventure, and a chore. I should have had more Fun looking back. Nobody cares that you got an A in French when you're applying for a job in the real world.

Then I think of grad school, meeting my husband and everything speeds up to now, me, four kids, a mortgage, a mini van and Facebook.

I honestly never thought I would hear from people from Elementary again, and now I am. I can't believe how many people I know around the globe from Lahore. It's engaging, exciting, and a lot of work keeping up with it all.

My little boxes in my brain are getting dusted off faster than I can process them and it's completely insane!

Slippers for Molly

Quinn got Molly for her birthday from Grandma and she said she needed slippers to go with her PJs, so she got slippers! Made them from scrap.

Resume Builder

I am kind of obsessed with something and it all started about 7 years and 7 days ago (when Quinn was born). I don't have a "job". I am a stay at home Mom. It took me a really long time to get over the fact that I don't work outside the home and to realize that what I do is valuable even without a paycheck. I would introduce myself to people and say, "I stay at home, now, but I used to be a Federal Officer." I pretty much belittled what I do now because I thought what I used to do was more impressive.

Why am I obsessed? I am constantly thinking of what I can do to make going back to work in a few years easier, better, and more lucrative. I am forever coming up with plans to start a business of my own, work for myself, and of course - make a fortune! I have a gazillion plans to learn a new trade, take classes in all kinds of subjects and earn this, or that degree. I have a tangible fear of the hole in my resume that spans, well, 7 years and 7 days to count. I have nightmares about the interview gone bad for a job I really want. The interviewer looks at me up and down, probably in my Wal-mart business suit, and says...

Him/Her - "What did you do between 2002 and now?"

Me - "I raised my family"

Him/Her - "That's all?"

Me - "Yes, isn't that enough?"

Him/Her- "Hurumph.." (they think to themselves - round file this one)

The problem with being a Mom, whether you work, or stay at home, or both - is that we beat ourselves up every chance we get. If we work, we feel guilty we're not at home and are envious of our friends who are. If we stay at home, we feel guilty because we aren't using our hard earned education and are envious of our friends who are. If we work from home and seem to have the best of both worlds - we'll maybe those people do. I don't know. We just can't win, can we?

We all make sacrifices. I can tell you that. To the working mom, it may seem like I am at home eating bon bons all day. On occassion, I wear my PJs till noon, (I'm sure that would appeal to...okay...everyone). Truthfully, it hardly happens and I don't get any sick days or personal days - PJs till noon? That's my perk!. To me, watching a working mom cart her kids off to daycare and head into a civilized, humane, adult environment for eight hours of productive mental activity leaves me drooling on the window pane. Why? Because they get to have phone conversations that don't involve "hold on...Lydia quit that...sorry, you were saying? Hold on....Will, get off of there....sorry, what did you say? Hayden, oh, darn, she's playing in the toilet - let me call you back.."

They also get a lunch hour. I get a lunch shift.

They wear cute shoes. I wear crusty Reeboks.

They get raises. I get raisins.

Working Moms seem to have it all together. Me, I function by the seat of my pants.

Working Moms have super powers. My superpower is bathing all four kids at once in the same tub - saves water and soap! (Just kidding....but it does save water!)

They have benefits. I have benefiber for my kids.

They get to go to the bathroom - privately. I get an audience.

No matter what side of the fence we sit on - the other side is always greener. My final thought is that I still need to build my resume, fill in the blanks for 7 years. Here's what I have.

Feb 2002 - Present

Stay at Home Mom - doesn't that say it all?

Happy Birthday Dad!

Just wanted to say "Happy Birthday Dad!" I love you!

Tweet Tweet

Finished this little cardinal the other day. Has crystal beads in the snow fall which give it some sparkle. It's rather small, probably less than 3 x 3 inches. The pattern was free at:

http://www.crossedwing.com/free/03free.html

Not the best picture, it's much cuter in person. I am going to eventually add batting and some some Christmas fabric to make an ornament.

Warm Tootsies

I made these realllly cute baby shoes tonight out of some scrap fleece. I am going to try again in some scrap micro fleece I bought today. The pink fleece had a pretty high pile and was difficult to work with. Hoping the micro fleece will be easier. The pattern is at:

http://www.poopockets.com/free/footies/footies.htm

Really easy to do and I plan to make bigger sizes for my kids in other materials! I am thinking of adding a crochet flower/rose motif to top of it for some design.

12 Steps

I just realized I only gave 10 steps to my 12 step program for curing my Project Addiction. I am so addicted, it's even abscessed my brain and now I can't count to 12. What can I say? If that's all the damage I've done in my 36 years, I can count myself one of the lucky ones.

Project Addict

Just today, I started three new projects - all of which will probably never get finished. Why? Because I just don't have enough hours in the day to get to them all. I am always very motivated when I buy the materials and all the stuff to do a project and then I have no follow through. That, and whenever I try to do something, like set my sewing machine up to use, I have wicked visions of little people pulling it off the table and trips to the emergency room.

I have tried to get into a project and it invariably happens that the dog water and dog food become a target or the recycling bin becomes a cry for attention. It's like their (and I'm talking about the twins primarily) minds say, "I know, let's dump the recycling over and she'll come running!" No matter how I try to batten down the hatches so that I can concentrate, they find a loop hole - some small chink in my defenses to completely upset the apple cart and cause me to give up and put it all away. I go through the list - kitchen cabinets (check), bathroom door (check), toilet lid (check), toilet paper (check), fireplace doors (check, check), treadmill unplugged (check), pantry closed (check), laundry room blocked (check), small unidentifiable crumbs or toys put up (check) - still they prevail.

SO, I have a closet full of projects - (and they're good ones too, darn it! ) that I'll probably get to, later. For now, I'll just say...."Hi, I'm Adrienne and I'm a Project Addict". I could use 12 steps to help me with my condition. Here's some I made up.

Step 1 - Admit to your addiction.
Step 2 - Never go to Michael's no matter how good the coupon is.
Step 3 - Never go to Hobby Lobby.
Step 4 - Never go to Hancock Fabrics.
Step 5 - Never go to JoAnn's Fabrics.
Step 6 - When desperate, even avoid the craft aisle and Walmart.
Step 7 - Do not discuss crafts with friends who are crafters. They always motivate me.
Step 8 - Avoid free patterns on the internet - but they're FREE!
Step 9 - Avoid the ads on the weekends.
Step 10 - Do not, under any circumstances, buy another spool of yarn - (but it's so soft and pretty!) - No never!

It's Just Popcorn!

Why is it that every little thing becomes a huge, gigantic thing when you're tired? Just now, my kids came barreling into the computer room demanding popcorn that I had promised them earlier. I told them to ask their Dad to put some in for them and so they went downstairs and did just that. He said he couldn't help them because he was washing dishes and to get me! So. I got up, ran downstairs and threw the darn popcorn in the microwave - while ranting and raving....mind you. I believe I said, "Can't I have 20 minutes of peace and quiet to myself? I didn't ask you to do the dishes! Can't you just put the darn popcorn in the microwave?" To which he tried to get out of it with "I would have done it." and I said, "No, you told the kids to come get me because I was goofing off!" Like I said, little thing - big thing. It is only flippin' popcorn people!

Ribbit times 7 = Hoppy Birthday Quinn!

We'll it's Quinn's 7th birthday today! She has asked for a Frog inspired Birthday party this weekend with her relatives, so I've been busy putting that theme together. She couldn't pick Hannah Montana like every other 7 year old, could she? (Just kidding, I love that she went off the board with this one!) Anyways, I made the kids t-shirts for the party with frogs on them and we have streamers with tree frogs hanging on them all over the house in anticipation of the big day! I decided this year to try and make more of my gifts, so I started with Quinn. Since Frogs were her theme, I counted cross stitched this little guy as a momento of her 7th birthday. She loves him and asked if I'd make another one for next year! (not a frog, but whatever the new theme is) - I said, We'll see!

Fun Cute Project

A good friend, and fellow blogger, Sara, told me how to make these adorable leg warmers for the girls. I have trouble keeping socks on Hayden's feet and she has so many dresses that don't get worn because tights are hard to walk in without slipping and who wants to wear shoes all the time!? She certainly doesn't. I used two pairs of knee hi women's socks and cut just the toes off of Hayden's pair, hemmed the raw end, and cinched them across the top. Lydia didn't want the heel, so I cut hers at the ankle. Took all of five minutes a pair. Very cute and I feel like I accomplished something. One thing I will say is that the stripes made it very easy to cut the socks straight across. I sure wish I had made these when Hayden was crawling everywhere - would have saved her knees some wear and tear!

Piggies Hangin' Out!

Cute detail on back of sock!

It's My Birthday and I'll Blog If I Want To

Another year has come and gone in a blur. All of a sudden it has dawned on me that I'm in my thirties. I guess I was in denial the first five years and now I'm REALLLLY into my 30's and I think, "Oh! hey! You're aging! Those fine lines around your eyes and creases in your cheeks - they aren't going away sister! The age spots on your hands and face, only getting darker as you mature to perfection. The muffin top around your waistline - ain't movin' on its own. The two grey straggles that keep coming back are probably just recruiting under my scalp for a whole army to spring forth any day now. The "girls" are heading south (and not just for the winter) along with my rear end. " I could go on. I am also thinking, It doesn't bode well for aging gracefully.

I did hear on Oprah, though, that sometimes having a little chub on ya, makes you look younger, especially as we age. The wrinkles are filled in by our plumpness. I thought, when I heard that, "Alleluia! I should look like a teenager then". Unfortunately, it doesn't mean we're all that prone to longevity.

Truth be told, I'm not that worried about all this. I am looking forward to the coming year and what it will encompass. I am on the verge of becoming more MOBILE with my kids and that whisp of freedom is enough to make me get the shakes. I realize I could set monstrous goals for the next year as I definitely have areas that need improvement in my life, but instead, I think the wisdom that comes of my 36 years tells me to throw the "bar" away that I was using to measure myself up with against the world and just live, breathe, laugh a lot and be happy with me. If I can do that, it's going to be a great year.

My Water Bug

Well, Hayden continues to amuse us. Tonight after she was already dressed and ready for bed, I was putting William in his crib and she was going to be next, when Lydia is yelling from the bathtub down the hall. She's screaming, "Mom! Haydie is getting in the tub! Mom! Mom!". Of course, I rush down the hall only to see my 19 month old in the tub smiling at me, fully clothed! I asked Lydia how she got in and she said, she just climbed in! So, I wrung her out and redressed her and plopped her in bed too. That will teach me to put her in bed first in the future! She just loves the water, always has and I hope always will! I'm going to have to watch her like a hawk this summer around all the pools! She scares me to death and she's so little! AHHHH!

Little Ms. Smartie Pants

Hayden didn't take long to figure out how to progress from climbing up into the chairs to sitting on the table today. Her final move was to stand on the table and she scaled that thing like Mount Everest in no time flat! I had just told her "no" and set her on the floor when the next thing I know she's on top of the table doing a little dance! (Yes, scary! I had a vision of her at 21 dancing on a bar somewhere!) This kid has no fear. She's going to be the one I wait up for when she goes out at night. My little dare devil! Carl asked me what we did to deter the other girls from climbing and I told him "nothing! They didn't do this!" She's smart enough to manage to pull the chairs away from the table because I tuck them under over and over all day long. Stinker! Any ideas? I'd love to hear them!

Cookies!

Hayden said "Cookies" loud and clear today! She also learned to climb up into the kitchen chairs and climb down. She thought she was such hot stuff sitting there like a big girl. I had visions of her falling and smacking her head on the vinyl floor, but hey - she didn't! I did have to move everything off the table after she was digging though my embroidery stuff - scissors, needles, pins - you know, nothing dangerous...

When did these kids get tall enough to reach on top of the table? William was grabbing things off it today. I really don't know when it happened that "high ground" became the kitchen countertop whereas, it's always been, the kitchen table. The twins are getting way too big, too fast. It makes me sad.

Soap Suds

I love my shower time. It's the only time of day that my brain is all MINE. I can hear my thoughts and they are not of any significant caliber. No one is bugging me. No one is calling my name, or if they are, I can't hear them. It's my own nirvana. I could stay there all night truthfully except for the prune factor.

Oftentimes, I set unrealistic goals for myself in the shower, only to have them forgotten in the light of day....such goals have been.

I'm going to go on a diet right now.
I'm going to exercise tomorrow.
I'm going to work on my scrapbooks tomorrow.

I make lists for the next day of things to do, people to call, things to file, shopping etc.

The shower could be called my office.

Anyways, whenever I have some random thought from the shower, I'm going to try and blog it - tonight's was....

Why do people ask if you're going to college if most schools are universities now?

Tuesday is Putting Away the Laundry Day

I was thinking yesterday afternoon as I folded my fifth basket of laundry (my Monday chore) that it's really amazing that more housewives aren't depressed crazy lunatics. My life runs like a rodent on an exercise wheel, over and over, faster and faster, never really getting anywhere. Sunday is clean the main floor day. Monday is laundry day and "catch up from what I didn't get done on Sunday" day. Tuesday is putting away the laundry day. Wednesday is dusting and vacuuming the upstairs day. Thursday is cleaning the bathrooms and washing the towels day. Friday is change the sheets day. Saturday is nothing but usually fills up with something day. In my spare time I do stuff like wipe the baseboards (that was for Karen!). Just kidding. In my "spare time", I am constantly picking up toys, putting things back, cleaning up dirty clothes, finding shoes, making meals, wiping be-hinds, drying tears, snotty noses and spilt milk. On a tangible scale I accomplish very little and make very little progress on a daily basis and that is very frustrating. I could go on and on and on. Who couldn't? I know I'm not alone out there.

Now, I know that my routine isn't how everyone functions and maybe it's my Dis-function. Finding the time to do it all so the whole house is clean at one time - just doesn't happen for me and I've been told that it's illegal to drug your children in order to do housework (dunno, maybe I heard wrong?). Anywho! I thought to myself as I folded somebody's undies with Cinderella on them that the mundane will surely kill you quick. It's a good thing that I mix it up every once in a while! Yep, sometimes, I live on the wild side and don't put my laundry away till late in the week and I do Wednesday's chores on Thursday with the bathrooms and the towels. I know, I know - you're saying, "Stop it! Don't go all crazy on us!"


The disease of the mundane is a housewife's greatest fear and possibly one of her future regrets. I do not want to be back at work down the road - full time, and look back on this period at home with my kids and regret not having made better use of this opportunity. Although it seems like I'm standing still in a continuum of time, I'm really not. And though, I don't really make a lot of progress in solving the world's problems; my hope is the mundane tasks I do every day are helping to grow some little people into big people who might someday do just that. I can only hope.

I'm sure it's a Twin thing and I don't understand.

I am sure that I am not the only mother in the world to look at her children and be continually awed and amazed, but the twins are something entirely new for me and they really do bogle the mind. Tonight, for instance....they got out of the bathtub and for some reason, Hayden had a complete melt down - we're talking hysterics. I laid her down to diaper her and she was just uncontrollably sobbing. William, also naked at that point, took off crawling like a mad man to our bedroom and I was saying, "Will, come back...buddy, come bacccck." Next thing you know, he's rushing back with Hayden's blankie and sets it on her chest. Then, he's off again. She instantly calmed down by the way and was almost waiting for him to return. I say again, "Buddy, come back!" but he keeps going back to the bedroom. Then, here he comes again, but this time, with Hayden's binky in his hand. He crawls right up to her again and pops it into her mouth. Then he waits and she smiles at him - as if to say, "Thanks bro, you took care of me!" The piece de la resistance is he just laid down next to her to get his diaper on and laughed. Talk about amazing.

They do that stuff all the time. William knows that she likes her binky and it makes her happy and I think he would crawl to the ends of the earth to get it for her. Or...maybe he's just trying to hush her up and it's not a twin thing at all - instead it's a man thing (which again, I don't understand) or a big brother thing. Six minutes ahead of her makes him her big brother after all. Whatever it is, they understand each other at this point and it's interesting to watch and be a part of.