3 Things

1- a baby that sleeps through hubby's snoring
2- a genuine, down-to-earth, small town mail carrier who goes out of her way
3- work bonuses

giggled

My mom commented on one of my posts. She claims that she is computer illiterate, but she put this sign after her comment :0 That looks pretty "with it" to me, mom. Thanks for all you do. And for making me smile today. :-)

3 Things

1- the party is over
2- helium-filled balloons to play with
3- children that respect other peoples' property (most of the time)

3 things

1- Chinese take out
2- fresh-cut fruit
3- the energy you get right after you exercise

3 Things

1- measuring tape
2- MP3 players
3- french fries

Bought French Fries

I had to go to the Social Security offices to fix a mix-up with BBB's social security number, so we can claim him for taxes.

After sitting there for 40 minutes (while we waited the girls played so quietly with a measuring tape from my purse -for measuring Easter dresses- and listening to my MP3 player), I was told that the Department of Health had processed his Birth Certificate wrong and I would need to go there first and have it amended, then drive back and they would issue a number. Lovely.

On the way to the Dept. of Health I promised the girls that if they waited at the next place and were patient when we went back to the Social Security office, I would buy them french fries.

Well, we didn't make it back to the Social Security office. Not because the girls weren't astonishingly good, but because the Department of Health is retarded. Since we didn't decide on BBB's name in the first week, his birth certificate only says our last name. I was told that I was supposed to send it back with the proper documentation, notarized signatures, a pint of blood, and a urine sample. Well, I missed that note when they sent me the first birth certificate (read with sarcasm.)

The woman said that there was no note, it was all my fault, blah, blah, blah. No birth certificate today. I get to take a form and have it notarized AND get busy DH to find a notary and sign it. Why do they need two parents' signatures? Anyone? Anyone? I could have signed it and finished today- but they need both parents. Retarded I say.

So to sum up; I got nothing done, the girls sat quietly during the nothingness, and I rewarded them with the well-deserved fries. I ordered a root canal and a Brazilian wax to go.

3 Things

1- a phone call from a friend to check on me
2- that my son had a good day at school
3- that my daughter misses seeing my sister (her former piano teacher). I miss her too!!!!

Gave the Deer a Throw-up bucket

The two younger girls were playing outside. As BBG came in the house, she was carrying the ornamental deer that usually lives in the flower bed. I told her that she had to leave it outside. Surprisingly, she marched right back out, but not before announcing that the deer needed a throw-up bucket.

I let her get a container to catch the deer "throw-up". The poor sickly deer is still sitting on the driveway waiting to vomit.

3 Things that I'm Grateful for

1- my children surprising me and actually liking the tomato soup I made for dinner
2- the knowledge that it is really okay to let my well-fed, clean-diapered baby cry himself to sleep once in a while
3- the ease of computers

Bargain shopped

I love girls in matching dresses. I just don't love sewing them. and I definitely don't love spending $40 for each of them.

With Easter quickly arriving, I am running out of time to design and sew three dresses that match but don't match. They have to go together, but not embarrass BG, who thinks it's dumb to match her little sisters and won't wear her matching dress that I gave them last year.

In desperation I looked at thrift stores. I figured that if I could find one of the girls' dresses for around $10, I could justify making the other two. I looked on KSL.com, classifieds. If you haven't been there, go there. I love it.

I found a woman who was selling her daughter's flower girl dresses, and they were the color I wanted: yellow. So I drove over to see them.

You would not believe it! There was a yellow dress BG's size, a yellow and pink dress BEG's size, and another yellow one BBG's size. They are all different, but will match.






I'm done and it only cost me $5, YES FIVE DOLLARS, a dress. Now to find me a blouse that matches. Oh, and yellow shirts for the fellas, ooooh and......

Now I'm getting spring fever. Watch, now it'll snow tomorrow.

3 Things

1- A husband who knows how to thoroughly vacuum
2- children who know how to fold laundry
3- the fact that they'll do it and more with a smile

Didn't ask: "What did YOU do all day?"

I ran a few errands taking the baby with me. There was a list of things that needed to get done for Saturday. The older 4 kids were left with Dear Hubby for the 2 1/2 hours I was gone. Each child knew which jobs to do, and they were almost done by the time I Ieft.

When I arrived home, I at least expected the kitchen to be cleaned up because that is one of DH's specialties. Nothing looked different. I am ashamed to admit that I wondered, "What have they been doing?" But I didn't ask.

Apparently, I had forgotten about a conversation a few days ago about the greasy dust on the top of the cabinets. The conversation went something like this;

DH- "Ew! Have you seen how gross it is up here?"
Me- "Yes, I tried wiping it 9 Saturdays ago when I had all the laundry caught up, no one was hungry and I felt well-rested. I think it needs a vacuum, because using a rag was useless."

Now I did actually try the vacuum, and found that I am too short AND weak to stand on the counter tops, while reaching with the vacuum hose over my head with one hand and hold the vacuum in mid-air with the other. Yes, I could have rested the vacuum on the side, but the hose is not long enough, so it would require someone to hoist it halfway between where they are standing and the top of the cabinets where they are vacuuming.

This is where DH comes in. He apparently took pity on my pathetic story of lifting and stretching and decided to vacuum up there himself. It's not so easy you say? When I got home, I was told how it took a scraper and muscle AND the whole two hours I was gone to clean the greasy dust that had accumulated.

Now it all made sense. That was a job that needed to be done. No one will ever see it. Even when it was done, no one but the doer knew it had been done. There are no blisters, cuts, EKG records to document your hard work. No, just the quiet satisfaction that you've done it. Plus the explanation to the spouse to answer the question they dare not ask, but you know they are thinking.

I just hope that Dear Hubby remembers all of his hard work today. Because he will have to restrain himself from asking the dreaded question, when I'm the one standing in the messy kitchen looking like I've scraped greasy goo all day, with nothing to show for it.

3 Things

1- That my kids love the baby, and fight over who gets to feed him, hold him, and catch his sneezes
2- holding a sleeping baby and not having to get up
3- crisp, spring-like air

3 Things

1- funerals, because we need a reminder that even a 72-year old life is short
2- tears
3- a light at the end of the sickness tunnel

Found out what a Jew is

BBG was walking around pointing to people saying, "Jew! Jew!", laughing, and then running away. I could not figure out why she was doing this. Had she been around my anti-Semite relatives? Was she recalling the Jesus of Nazareth movie that we watched?

After careful observation, I figured out what triggered this new-found expression. It WAS a movie! But not one with any Jews (well, that I know of). It was Star Wars. BBG was pointing her finger to resemble a blaster and "shooting" people. "Jew! Jew!" is the blaster sound effect (say it out loud while pretending to shoot someone.)

Now that you know, you too can point to people and yell "Jew!", then laugh and run away.

Huh?

I have been sick and delirious for two weeks now. Once I get my head together, I will write something coherent. Until then, here's food for thought:

I slowly car and book the calendar. But you know up of the falling herd. Bring me living breezes for us all to light.

(Now you know how messed up my brain is right now. Enjoy.)

3 Things

1- a reliable vehicle
2- sleeping babies
3- sick kids who put THEMSELVES down for a nap!

Supported my Son

My son is in 4th grade. His class trades with the other 4th grade teacher for science and social studies. This other teacher gave an assignment. There is a poster in the school that reads, "In God We Trust". He told the class to make a new poster. They would display the new posters so that those in the school that don't believe in God could see that they at least have something in common with their peers; In FAMILY I trust, or In NATURE I trust. The problem is, my son doesn't want to put anything but God. He's a very sober kid and tries to do what's right almost to a fault of breaking down at the slightest mistake. It turned into a family discussion about what we trust. In the end, my son says that anything else that we suggest to put isn't as trustworthy as God. My husband wanted him to just put God then. I was trying to come up with words like, "truth" or "Jesus", but my son says that that's only playing into the teacher's trap to remove God. After calling the teacher to feel out whether he would accept my son choosing to leave the word "God" as what he trusts, he wouldn't bend. He insisted that the kids should know that there are others things to trust in other than God. I told him that it sounds like a good lesson in bringing awareness to the fact that not all others believe like you, but that if my son should respect their choice not to trust God, they should respect his choice to put God as the One he trusts. I told him that it's like he's saying, "If you could have grass be any color than green, what would you pick?" If my son considers the options and researches other alternatives and STILL says, "I think green is the best choice after all," isn't that still a choice? A choice to leave it as it is? The teacher would not accept that argument. The thing is, this teacher always sends home notes about how much he admires my son and his respect for others. My son gets awards for being respectful and helpful to teachers and peers. I told my son that I'd support him in whatever he chose to put, but that his teacher might not accept the assignment if he didn't change the word. He is willing to take a failing grade ON THIS ASSIGNMENT to show the other kids that also wanted to leave it as "In GOD we trust" that they could choose that, to show the teacher and the Lord that he isn't ashamed of his trust and thinks that there's nothing to apologize for.

My son came home and said, "I have to fight this battle. The teacher kept saying that we have an 'In God We Trust' poster and that I needed to change the word. I changed the words. My poster said, "In GOD I trust." He felt that the "I" meant "You can trust whomever you'd like, but I trust the Lord."

I am proud of his choice to put what he believes in. After all- What is right isn't always popular, and what is popular isn't always right.

Chatised Creepy Lurkers

You know who you are. So just drop a note and say, "Hey- I read your blog like you asked. It's lame, it's boring, it sucks." I don't care what you comment, just let me know who is stopping by. And IF you have something else to say, I'd love to hear it.

Not stop loitering or I'll call the cops.

3 Things

1- Gilmore Girls quotes website- ahhh memories
2- Children's Motrin
3- the luxury of having a lazy Saturday if I need one

Had Empathy

It was good that I've been sick since Monday. Today, was the first day that I felt like a real person again. Just in time for the little ones to get fevers. BBG just moved from one spot of the house to another and rocked back and forth in the fetal position. I was grateful that I felt well enough to get her some toast and tea, and keep her stocked with chewable vitamin C.

But when she started moaning and screaming, and didn't want anyone to touch her, talk to her or turn on a light, I started losing my patience. After all, I DO have four other kids to take care of. Then I quickly remembered how miserable I felt just 24 hours ago. The other day, after 2 days with a soaring fever, body aches, and swollen throat, I went in my bedroom to change into pajamas. The girls had pulled out all of my shoes and left them on the floor. The folded- but not put away- laundry had now fallen onto the floor had been trampled by the aforementioned girls. All I wanted were my comfy pj's and I couldn't find them in this mess. I had no energy to keep looking and no brain power to think of where to start looking. So I did what any 34-year old mother of 5 would do when she is tired and feels like crap. I stomped on the ground, waved my fists and started crying, "Where are my pajamas, someone help me!?" I found them and felt like a complete baby, but knew that I had lost it, and desperately needed rest.

So when a REAL 3-year old acts her age and does it while she's sick. I think she deserves A LOT of my patience and all the empathy that my lap can hold.

3 Things

1- my immune system
2- a husband that took time off work over 5 days to nurse me back to health.
3- a mommy that sent me love-filled, homemade, sure-to-get-you-better soup.

Went to the Spa and Got a Massage

Okay, so it wasn't so much a full-body massage as a gum massage. And it wasn't a spa - more like a dentist. But, it was time by myself, having someone take care of me and I had a reason not to answer stupid questions. Which, by the way, why DO dentists ask you questions as they stick the drill into your mouth. My dentist has finally learned not to do that because I feel compelled to answer and I am his only patient that CAN answer with the drill in my mouth. But since he doesn't know sign language and I prefer that he look at my teeth rather than my hands, we agreed to keep my visits conversation-free.

After a nice cleaning, I proudly announced, to a less-than-impressed dentist, that I have actually flossed and brushed several times a week in the last 6 months. EWWWW! you may say. If you say that, you are either not a mother, or you are not tired enough to complain about my lack of dental hygiene when I am too tired after putting 5 kids to bed, 5 kids BACK to bed, and doing everything that can be done while all is quiet and I have a moments peace.

So I enjoyed my massage by Hugh Jackman in the wonderful spa in Barbados. I don't need more than an hour to regenerate. Just some good flouride and an active imagination. Why should that slow down? Nothing else does.