For Today

FOR TODAY November 28, 2011

Outside my window…Unseasonably warm and sunny.

I am thinking…about scheduling Laura’s MRI

I am thankful… that I haven’t caught the virus. Yet.

In the kitchen…tonight is a rotisserie chicken per my husband’s request. Also a LOT of leftover turkey. TOO MUCH.

I am wearing… black shirt with Braille on it, great jeans and black clogs.

I am creating… a menu for the week and a grocery list.

I am going… to the grocery store and then Ethan’s dentist appointment.

I am wondering… when Intuit is going to fix the bugs in their system when it talks to my bank. It’s been almost 2 months and I’m getting annoyed.

I am reading… At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon. Re-reading, actually, for about the dozenth time.

I am hoping… that my husband gets over this virus soon. And that the MRI finds out what’s wrong with Laura.

I am looking forward to… the Christmas season and all the fun it has.

I am hearing…the Mickey Mouse club in the Playroom. Ethan’s home today and listening to it. Otherwise it’s been all Christmas music all the time.

Around the house… my desk is, yet again, a complete disaster zone!

I am pondering… what time I’ll actually sit down and work on my bible study that we’re doing tomorrow.

One of my favorite things… the sunshine streaming through the front door.

A few plans for the rest of the week… women’s Bible study tomorrow, hopefully an MRI for Laura (although it might be next week instead), putting up the tree and decorating the house, Christmas shopping online.

 

Thanks, Jen, for this idea!

Anniversary Weekend

Jim and I just celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. Because Jim’s mom ROCKS and was willing to watch the kids for the WHOLE WEEKEND, we went away to the Poconos for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Our house was in Albrightsville (a tiny dot on a map in the middle of nothing), but we spent most of Saturday in Jim Thorpe, PA. It was originally called Mauch Chunk (Mock Chunk), but renamed Jim Thorpe after a famous athlete (that I admittedly had never heard of).

We had a FABULOUS time. It was terrific being just the two of us. I love my kids–really and for true–but 48 hours without them and only talking to my husband was amazing. In less than 10 years that will be us full time.

That will be very weird. I’m going to have the whole “empty nest” thing happen to all four children within two years of each other. Very, Very weird.

Anyway, it was great to recharge our marital batteries and just be Jim Husband and Wife instead of Mom and Dad. If you have kids and have a hard time getting away (which believe me, I understand!), I urge you to find ways. Your marriage with thank you.

RSVP

Can I tell you how annoying it is that we are on Wednesday, with the kids’ birthday party on Saturday and NOT ONE PARENT has called??

It’s IEP Season again

I just had Laura’s IEP (individualized education plan) this morning–40 minutes–and will have Ethan’s IEP next week (about 2 hours). If Bennett or Laura make it into the gifted program, they will have GIEP’s (gifted individual ed plan), which I will also attend. With all the paperwork going back and forth, it makes for a busy March each year. I like the IEP’s, it’s a great time to spend with the teachers and therapists and get a real feel for how the kids are doing. Sometimes it’s harder for me with the other two who don’t have IEP’s because I just go on report cards, which are only every trimester.

At the meeting I talked to the principal about putting Laura and Bennett together next year. We’ve done it “their way” for three years and now I want to try it “our way”. I’m sick and tired of the different homework, different expectations, different everything and just want some “same” for them. He wasn’t happy about the request, but we’re not budging. And this time around we finally have the law on our side–Pennsylvania passed a law that the parents get to decide placement of their multiples instead of the individual school districts. Thank goodness!

Kids Say the Funniest Things!

This morning, for whatever reason, we got talking about how girls sit down to go potty and boys can stand up. I talked about how the urethra came out of the penis for boys, but it just stopped at the end of our body’s for girls b/c we don’t have penises. Catie pipes in “but we have have bags though.”

Ok, I guess we’re “going in”!

Um, no, we just have folds of skin. Boys (Bennett already knew this) have something in there. He said “tests”.

I said “No, testes.” And then he said in the testes were sperm. I confirmed that, and said that was half of what made a baby. He said and girls have the other half. I said yes, they were called eggs.

You see it coming, right?

So Bennett gets this deep thinking look on his face. “So how do you make a baby?”

It’s 7:45 and they are getting ready for school. They are ready for the conversation, but there just isn’t the time. So I said “let’s talk about this when you come home from school. if you remember, ask me and we’ll talk then.”

Catie says, “that’s because she lost her mind when she had me.” (as in, I didn’t remember how they were made and would have to look it up on Google while they were at school, which happens sometimes!).

Ch-ch-ch-changes

So I thought I would be taking a break to take care of my MIL. Well, it seems that the medical community has finally woken up and she is in a nursing facility. She’s not happy about it, but the rest of her family and friends feel it is appropriate until she gains some more strength.

So, um, HELLO everyone!

We’ve been chugging along merrily over here. Bennett and Laura both signed up to try violin through school. I have to acquire two music stands, two music books (scored one free through Freecycle!) and two violins.

Oookey. That’s a little bit of money, there, doncha think?

The instrument rental places, in their wisdom, allow you to rent at an introductory rate of x amount of dollars for 3 or 4 months, and thereafter charge that rate per month. It allows the parents of the kids who drop out of the lessons to not be too angry about the cost when said child decides it’s just too much work. Which, I predict, one of my children will do. The girl half of the above mentioned duo is very internally motivated. She’s fairly good about homework and I think will enjoy practicing. The boy child….well, um, is not. I will encourage him to practice, but I’m not going to beat him over the head about it or even take away his DS if he doesn’t want to. This is his decision and his responsibility.

Oh, that word keeps cropping up more and more this year! ::evil laugh:: They get more freedom as they get older, but they also have more responsibility. And I get to slough off the blame when something goes wrong because, hey, it’s THEIR responsibility, not mine. You left your shoes outside? So sorry. Guess you’ll have wet feet this morning. You forgot your homework today? Oops, sorry. No TV or DS until homework is finished, so go read a book.

Cue another evil laugh. Mother is such fun, isn’t it?!

The Last Week Before School Starts or How I Lost My Sanity

I think most of you, my faithful readers, are moms. At least, that’s what my comments indicate. Some of you homeschool. I bow down before you, unworthy. Some of you have little ones too tiny for school. My arms go around your shoulders in remembered difficulties and joys.

Myself, I have three third graders and a first grader. And school for three of them starts in 7 days. Seven unscheduled days.

I don’t know what I was thinking. Other than the typical grocery store, library and doctor appointment kind of things there’s NOTHING on the calendar.

Which means seven full days of driving each other crazy.

Halfway Through

It’s Saturday night and we are halfway through the craziness. We just finished the triplet’s 8th birthday party (27 including us). Started at 3, the last people left at 8:45. Had a great time, but MAN! T.I.R.E.D.!!! Tomorrow is our annual church picnic. Half of me is really looking forward to it and half of me just wants to have a day of rest.

And cleaning up of the living room, which looks like the aftermath of Christmas morning. Seriously.

Big Week

Sorry my posts have been the “fly by” kind. We’ve been cleaning and getting ready for the Annual Big Birthday this weekend. 31 people, including us, on Saturday. That’s a big party! And we’re going to Dutch Wonderland tomorrow. My niece is sleeping over tonight so she can go and help us.

I’ve already been playing the “Eight years ago I was…”. Today is: resting in the hospital, finally allowed to eat since I’m off the mag sulfate. This is my 5th day there, and I have six more before the kids come.

And yes, around this time every year I DO think about Connor and miss him more. I’m thinking of taking the kids next week and putting flowers on his grave. Their birthday is on Tuesday and he died the next day.

Definitely looking forward to seeing him again in Heaven.

Quick Judgemental Observation

I’m not overly fond of Bennett’s teacher. She’s a nice enough person, but she’s a little nazi-ish about education. Next week is a trip to the zoo on Monday and then Tuesday is a 1/2 day–the last day. So this is, essentially, their last week of school. Laura’s teacher realized this and is being cool. Bennett’s teacher gave her class homework for the whole week.

For Pete’s sake, they’re in SECOND GRADE!