I know that this has turned into a sort of negative vibe--a lot of complaining coming from me--but you don't have to read it and it's a great way for me to let go of some of this stuff so that when the husband comes home I don't vent it all on him.
So, today I'm more than a little perturbed with my mother-in-law. She spent the summer going to thrift sales and the outlet malls and I know that she picked some stuff up for Omega. She has decided that she's going to keep it all at her house until he is the right size. And while I understand that is her right, tonight Omega is wearing 3T pjs (and he's not even 8 months old) because he's outgrown all but a few pairs and they're all in the wash. And I can't help but think that she has some 18 month pjs sitting in her closet. I know that she's trying to help us keep the clutter out of the house--but I could really use the jammies.
Perhaps the most frustrating part is that when TO was little, she had no problem giving us her thrift sale purchases right away--even though we had 2 complete wardrobes that had been handed down for TO. I guess I should just be happy that this time around she's being a bit more picky about what she picks up at the sales. The stuff she got us for TO was always full of stains and it was all about getting it cheap.
We are getting ready for the Make-a-Wish trip coming up soon. I'm stressing out about the lists of things that have to be packed and done. I just want to scream. Or at least get a little help from my husband. But he's got it in his head that he's just going to get in the car when it's time to head to the airport. I'm guessing no help will be coming from him.
We are also dealing with TO's anxiety issues. Currently, she's excited for the trip but very scared about the metal scanners at the airport. We've watched some videos of the kids going through them on the internet, and I think it's helping. We'll probably try watching them again tomorrow. But right now, I know she's trying to work it all out in her head. So frustrating. I thought our troubles were done when she finished up treatments--turns out we're just dealing with a different set of troubles.
Sigh.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
a churchin' we will go
Not being a terribly religious person--I've gone through first communion, but not confirmed. I kind of always planned on letting the kids decide, once they got older, if they wanted to be religious or not. I figured that the baptisms would get them started in the right direction, but not being confirmed myself, I hoped that the religious education could fall on my husband's shoulders. And, I guess to some extent it did. He said sign them up and I did. Now, because he milks on Sunday mornings, it suddenly falls onto my shoulders to take them.
Now it's official. I've been to church more this year than I have in the last 3 years. And by the end of the year I'll have been to church more times this year than since I graduated from high school. Perhaps, I'm realizing the error in this when CD thought Omega should wear his gown to church again, as the last time we were there was his baptism.
I was honestly kind of dreading this morning. I'm not typically a children-should-be-seen-and-not-heard kind of mom--I don't think my kids would let me if I wanted to. But, I've always been terrified of having the benchful of unruly children. Today was our first test.
Well, five of us went to church and five of us came back--success! Actually, the kids did really well, considering their ages. We made a 7:45 run to WalMart to get some small notebooks and pens for them to have in church. Of course, they don't carry the cheap 97 cent pocket notebooks, and we ended up with some small $2.50 5-star ones. And I grabbed a pack of pens really quick, because they were all different colors. I assumed that they all wrote in the same blue/black color, but surprise, they wrote in the color of their barrel. Gotta love a surprise like that.
They called the 4 and 5 year olds (not age, 4K and kindergarten would be more appropriate) up to the front and they got a blessing from the father and then sent on their way. They stayed out until the offering--which meant that LE had to sit through communion. In all he did okay, but when he came back he wanted to loudly point out everyone who was in his class with him--there were about 20 or so of them. By the end he was crying because I kept telling him to turn around and be quiet. At one point in time, he was looking at the lady sitting behind him as she was praying and said to me "hey, I think she's sleeping." Sigh. Well, maybe next time he'll get it.
CD did really well, and was willing to fill page after page in her notebook with "A." Toward the end, she was busy looking at the hymnal and somehow managed to drop it--3 times!
TO kept busy with the hymnal and her notebook. She showed me her first page a few minutes into the mass "Dear Diary. I am at church." I'm guessing her entries each week will read about the same.
Omega fell asleep shortly after LE left. I had kind of planned for this--and saved his bottle for church. He slept until after communion, and couldn't ask for anything better--now I just hope that he keeps his same nap schedule for the next 4 years :)
TO had Sunday School (well they call it Faith Formation down here but that will take some getting used to). Came home with a canvas bag that she needs to bring back and forth each weekend, a huge workbook and flashcards. Somehow I'm thinking she might get a bit more out of this than I ever got out of CCD.
Next weekend there's no class and the weekend after that we'll be in Florida. But I'm giving myself permission to only go on the Sundays that the kids have class. At least for now that will be enough. I'm hoping that each weekend will get better in church for the kids. I may need to try to find some word finds to tape into LE's book to keep him a bit more entertained. I guess I will settle for behavior like today. No one seemed to be giving us weird looks on the way out the door.
All I really want to get out of church at this point in time is that relaxed feeling that I used to get. But I'll probably have to settle on just making it through without a scene. At least until the kids are older.
Now it's official. I've been to church more this year than I have in the last 3 years. And by the end of the year I'll have been to church more times this year than since I graduated from high school. Perhaps, I'm realizing the error in this when CD thought Omega should wear his gown to church again, as the last time we were there was his baptism.
I was honestly kind of dreading this morning. I'm not typically a children-should-be-seen-and-not-heard kind of mom--I don't think my kids would let me if I wanted to. But, I've always been terrified of having the benchful of unruly children. Today was our first test.
Well, five of us went to church and five of us came back--success! Actually, the kids did really well, considering their ages. We made a 7:45 run to WalMart to get some small notebooks and pens for them to have in church. Of course, they don't carry the cheap 97 cent pocket notebooks, and we ended up with some small $2.50 5-star ones. And I grabbed a pack of pens really quick, because they were all different colors. I assumed that they all wrote in the same blue/black color, but surprise, they wrote in the color of their barrel. Gotta love a surprise like that.
They called the 4 and 5 year olds (not age, 4K and kindergarten would be more appropriate) up to the front and they got a blessing from the father and then sent on their way. They stayed out until the offering--which meant that LE had to sit through communion. In all he did okay, but when he came back he wanted to loudly point out everyone who was in his class with him--there were about 20 or so of them. By the end he was crying because I kept telling him to turn around and be quiet. At one point in time, he was looking at the lady sitting behind him as she was praying and said to me "hey, I think she's sleeping." Sigh. Well, maybe next time he'll get it.
CD did really well, and was willing to fill page after page in her notebook with "A." Toward the end, she was busy looking at the hymnal and somehow managed to drop it--3 times!
TO kept busy with the hymnal and her notebook. She showed me her first page a few minutes into the mass "Dear Diary. I am at church." I'm guessing her entries each week will read about the same.
Omega fell asleep shortly after LE left. I had kind of planned for this--and saved his bottle for church. He slept until after communion, and couldn't ask for anything better--now I just hope that he keeps his same nap schedule for the next 4 years :)
TO had Sunday School (well they call it Faith Formation down here but that will take some getting used to). Came home with a canvas bag that she needs to bring back and forth each weekend, a huge workbook and flashcards. Somehow I'm thinking she might get a bit more out of this than I ever got out of CCD.
Next weekend there's no class and the weekend after that we'll be in Florida. But I'm giving myself permission to only go on the Sundays that the kids have class. At least for now that will be enough. I'm hoping that each weekend will get better in church for the kids. I may need to try to find some word finds to tape into LE's book to keep him a bit more entertained. I guess I will settle for behavior like today. No one seemed to be giving us weird looks on the way out the door.
All I really want to get out of church at this point in time is that relaxed feeling that I used to get. But I'll probably have to settle on just making it through without a scene. At least until the kids are older.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
falling off the ww wagon
So today has been a terrible day weight watchers wise. I really just want to give up all together, but feel guilty for wanting to--after all, I've actually had some success--25 pounds of success. Today, I took a day off, and I'm sure I'll pay for it tomorrow on the scale.
Patience-wise, today has been terrible. I actually told TO to "bite me" this morning. I'm pretty sure the Carol Bradys and June Cleavers of the world would not recommend this course of action. I'm sure that TO was pretty confused and had no clue what the meaning really was, but did finally do her chores after I asked her one more time.
LE is feeling tons better today--and is showing it by antagonizing the girls. And while I'm glad that he's feeling better, I sure wish that he wasn't quite so naughty about it. There has to be a happy medium, doesn't there?
CD is back to her old habit of pooping in her pants again. She actually went on the toilet once today and I tried really hard to be enthusiastic about it, but it gets hard to pretend--knowing that it's probably going to happen again tomorrow.
Omega has started really moving around the house now--he's able to move his walker on the carpet and he can be right where he wants to be pretty quickly now. His favorite is electrical cords--like the computer cords, the tv cords and the telephone cords. He disappeared when I was making supper and I found him behind my recliner pushing buttons on the telephone (he had pulled on the cord until the phone fell off the end table). I sure hope I don't end up with some international charges...
I'm trying to knit a hat for Omega. I thought that I had done a good job picking out a substitute yarn for the project, but evidently not. So far, it's looking like it could easily fit CD. Not that she needs another winter hat. Now, I need to decide how to approach the project. I want the hat to look the same, but I can't shrink the pattern down enough. The earflaps would turn into blinders. I may need to rework the earflaps, but until I get the hat knit, I'm not sure how best to do that. I guess it will be a trial and error kind of deal. I'll work on it tonight while I'm watching a movie we dvr'd during our free HBO weekend. Gotta love free HBO.
Patience-wise, today has been terrible. I actually told TO to "bite me" this morning. I'm pretty sure the Carol Bradys and June Cleavers of the world would not recommend this course of action. I'm sure that TO was pretty confused and had no clue what the meaning really was, but did finally do her chores after I asked her one more time.
LE is feeling tons better today--and is showing it by antagonizing the girls. And while I'm glad that he's feeling better, I sure wish that he wasn't quite so naughty about it. There has to be a happy medium, doesn't there?
CD is back to her old habit of pooping in her pants again. She actually went on the toilet once today and I tried really hard to be enthusiastic about it, but it gets hard to pretend--knowing that it's probably going to happen again tomorrow.
Omega has started really moving around the house now--he's able to move his walker on the carpet and he can be right where he wants to be pretty quickly now. His favorite is electrical cords--like the computer cords, the tv cords and the telephone cords. He disappeared when I was making supper and I found him behind my recliner pushing buttons on the telephone (he had pulled on the cord until the phone fell off the end table). I sure hope I don't end up with some international charges...
I'm trying to knit a hat for Omega. I thought that I had done a good job picking out a substitute yarn for the project, but evidently not. So far, it's looking like it could easily fit CD. Not that she needs another winter hat. Now, I need to decide how to approach the project. I want the hat to look the same, but I can't shrink the pattern down enough. The earflaps would turn into blinders. I may need to rework the earflaps, but until I get the hat knit, I'm not sure how best to do that. I guess it will be a trial and error kind of deal. I'll work on it tonight while I'm watching a movie we dvr'd during our free HBO weekend. Gotta love free HBO.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)