Flexible as a steel rod

Yes, I am aware that steel rods are not flexible. Point made.

I am always telling myself and others that in order to be a mom of 4, you have got to be flexible.

And I'd like to think I am, I really would. But in truth, not so much.

I am a person who would like to plan her life daily for the next 30 years. "To do" lists are my friends. Schedules, calendars, all keep my life orderly. Maybe it is a need to "control" my environment. Actually, there is no maybe about it.

I'm not one much for surprises. This becomes all the more a realization when last minute events "pop up".

Don't give me 2 days notice for soccer practice (especially when it is a year to buy cleats!)
What are they going to do anyway, we've had so much rain/snow, everything is a swamp and it will be dark 20 minutes after they start!! Oops - off track again.

Exceptions to the surprise rule - coffee/playdates and of course, any good surprises from hubby - for example jewelry, flowers, chocolate.

Espionage

I think the boy has a future as a spy. I sent him to his room to take a nap today (more because I wanted one, than he needed one - I didn't get one, but that's off subject). Anyhoo, I went to check on him 15 minutes later and saw blankets shaped in the bed in a boy shape and thought he was buried underneath ( because he usually is). 10 minutes later I hear legos, unusual..... I open the door again and peek in, boy shape is still in bed. I open the door further and stick my head in. Boy shape may be in bed, but boy is in far corner of room huddled playing with legos.

I confront boy. "Did you make your blankets to look like you were in bed?"

With a sly smile "Yep".

Ugh!!! The little sneak.... But of course than I had to reprimand him for deception and then go into the other room and giggle at his inventiveness.....

If only it could be used for good instead of evil....

The century mark

My son asked me yesterday if I was going to be 100 on my next birthday. I chuckled and explained to him that not even his great-grandma is that old (she still has 18 years to go!). But I have to admit that I secretly thought "I just feel like I am sometimes."

Last Night Alone

Yipee! Last night was the final night of my solitude in my big king-sized bed. Hubby comes home from his business trip to Houston tonight.

I know I'll sleep much better tonight. I just don't sleep well when he's gone.

Of course, I also have to get back to cooking some semblence of meals besides frozen stuff and pasta......

Gigi's first tooth has finally made an appearance. Lots of milestones this week. First crawling and pulling up and now the tooth. She will be walking before we know it....

Microfiber towels

My opinion - Don't waste your money. I bought some on the claim that they are so absorbent. What I didn't know is that they never come clean. The "sticky" fibers hang onto lint and debris like no tomorrow. Give me my flour sack tea towels (even if they are stained with iced tea!)

milestone achieved

Okay - after all I said about mommy competition - I'm going to post about a baby milestone, call it ironic!

I have probably left my baby all of 3 times in her 8 months (not counting nursery at church).

The first time - she rolled over the first time.

The second - she cried the whole time,

The third (last night) - she crawled for the first time and then proceeded to cry the rest of the night.

Today

I'm in a bad place right now. Believing a lot of lies....

Lying to myself....

I need to do some serious praying and seeking God, SOON!

so I'm not going to do much blogging today,

Hopefully it will free up some time to be with HIM!!

God Bless You!

Ferber update

Yeah - not working. I held her for 30 minutes tonight and even though she was sleepy, she just stared at me and giggled around the paci...

When I was finally fed up and stood up to take her to the crib, she immediately started crying at her bedroom door. It didn't last too long, though (Although I'm probably not in the clear yet...)

Even when she is asleep, she knows the number of steps to her crib from the recliner in the living room (so do I, 28), she knows the number of steps from the rocking chair in her room to the crib (5), and inevitably the crying starts at steps 26 and 3 respectively.

I know it doesn't help that I'm tired, since hubby is out of town this week and I don't sleep well when he's gone.....

Overheard at library

Librarian - "Our adult movies are over here."

Man (with too much excitement) - "ADULT MOVIES! You have those here!"

Wife (I assume...) whacks man a good one.... (I chuckle because I would do the same, and wife blushes...)

Librarian blushes and stammers...."By adult, I mean not children's movies....."

Later as man and woman leave,

man winks to poor librarian.

Mommy competition

Why is it that if your baby is close in age to another (like a month), that you compare notes on milestones? Does it really matter if your baby crawls first? Is a baby that crawls at 9 mos any less likely to go to an Ivy league college than a baby that crawls at 8 mos?

Yes the milestones are exciting, but I guess that as a mom of now 4, I realize that although exciting, everyone around me is not nearly as excited as I am about them (except maybe my other 3 kids....).

Ferber, schmerber....

Okay, with the first three children I was all about ferberizing them and they went to sleep pretty well. The second did have a short period where we had to lay down next to the bed until she went to sleep.

This fourth one will do well one night and the next send me for a loop with how long she can cry and I've got other kids who need their sleep.......

Or maybe I have a soft touch, because I know she's the baby,

or maybe I'm just getting old and tired and it's just easier to sit in the recliner with the baby until she falls asleep.....

Courtship

Nini thinks she has it all figured out. She climbed into the van after school one day last week and groaned. I asked what was wrong.

"I found this new heart pencil on my desk today and noone claimed it..."

"Maybe someone left it for you."

"That's what I'm afraid of. I think one of the boys left it for me, and I know what that means...."

"What does that mean?"

"He wants to marry me...." Groan.

Me - Giggle.

I hope that her future husband has to do more than give her a pencil when it comes time for courtship.....

reality is...

I was watching this movie tonight and the guy was singing to the girl while she was sleeping. I know it's supposed to be romantic, but at this stage in my life, if I were her, I would be annoyed for being woken up.....

I'm just sayin'....

work out remorse

I decided I needed to do more toning of my stomach flab. 4 kids will do that to you (not to mention a Starbucks and chocolate fetish).

I did work out yesterday and in the midst of it, casually thought "This isn't too bad. He isn't working it too hard".

Tonight, I can't sit and stand up again or climb my stairs without excruciating pain....

Now I know where the phrase, "No pain, no gain" comes from, I also know I have to push thru it and continue to get to the gain part. (Insert groan here!)

He did good!

Considering my attitude stinks lately.....

He did really well today! I probably didn't deserve how good he was to me.

First, a card with a LONG verse (not in character for him) and then he wrote the sweetest words of encouragement, filling the inside cover (which was not huge print, either) - Both out of character for hubby.

Roses at lunchtime and he took in my mother's bracelet to have baby #4 added.

Strawberry cheesecake came home with him after work. Yummy!

I finally got out of him what he wanted, which WAS some electronic device that I have no idea how or where to get it.....So I asked if he wanted to pick it out for himself.....He agreed. That was toooooo easy!

Now, for the ultimate romantic evening, we get to listen to Gigi scream herself to sleep, hopefully it will be less than 30 min tonight and we'll get to fall into bed before midnight.....

Ahhhhhh, the joy of shared experiences....

The Momma....

This momma walked into her bedroom tonight and saw three beautiful handmade cards on Daddy's pillow tonight and one lonely one on hers.

She was a little wounded.....(especially considering daddy doesn't care for cards as much as momma does....)

The one mommy received touts her as "the most wonderful and fun mom in the world." Daddy quickly points out that his (made by the same child) touts him as "the most wonderful dad in the UNIVERSE."

Top billing again, rats!!!

The dreaded "V" holiday

My hubby really doesn't care for the big "V" day coming up....
In his mind it's all a conspiracy created by the card companies and florists to artificially increase prices and scam him out of his hard earned cash....

All that being said...

I DO EXPECT A GIFT! In doesn't have to be expensive.....As a matter of fact, I'd rather have a small gift that is well thought out and shows that he listens (Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't turn down diamond earrings - but I live in budget reality with 4 kids and know that's not going to happen!)

I want to get him something too - every year it's the same. "I don't need anything! I can buy whatever I want." Everything he wants is something technology related that I don't understand and I'd probably mess up and buy the wrong thing.....

Or I'd have to venture into my archnemisis "BEST BUY"!!! (Shudder and cringe....) I DO love him that much......

Not to mention all that stuff is expensive and will be obsolete in a few months......

What to do? What to do?

Laundry

Never ends.

Pinkeye two weeks ago. Wash anything remotely textile.
Kids play in snow and get muddy yesterday. Wash all coats last night.
Kids go outside today to retrieve components of now melted snowman. Re-wash coats again.
Too bad that the "Moon vest" coats of the 80s aren't popular anymore. I could just wipe 'em down and be done. Even better, how about vinyl???? Maybe next time I'll wrap them in a shower curtain.....

Gigi also started to consume the Hyvee ad in her clean white coat today (much to the chagrin of the blue-haired ladies in the store). Needless to say her coat needs to be washed too - to get off the newsprint...or else a "blue hair" might mistake her for the $1.99/lb chuck roast!!

untitled - purposely

Can't think of a title now, listening to baby scream in crib is distracting.

Gigi has only slept 35 minutes since 7 am!!! That was almost 10 hours ago!!!

Need to vent....Need chocolate.....Need shower....Need out of house (without children)!!!

Hubby comes home in T minus 1:10 and counting (hope he's not late for my sake). Hope he doesn't read this before he comes home......

Better go get GiGi - screaming has intensified....