Christmas and News

I'm sitting here at nearly 7:30 pm Tuesday. It's Christmas day. The sun has faded, and the air is cooling down. We had an unnussually warm day, at least for Christmas. I woke up when my dad arrived at the house to watch the kids open presents. Stumbled through the house- Made some coffee with my eyes half open - drank some coffee, let the kids get up and open their stockings, and just enjoyed the sheer delight on their faces. Opening presents was enjoyable, and I think they mostly got everything they wanted. Ofcourse there was a moment of pause for me, when my youngest Jalynn opened a set of duet myscene dolls, looked at them and exclaimed in her best prissy voice. "I did NOT ask for THESE on my list!" 'Well then,' I thought. ' We can just give them to someone who will appreciate them.' Ofcourse I didn't say that but rather choked on my coffee and looked from person to person in astonishment.

After presents were unwrapped the kids fought with packages to get the little toys out, and I cooked eggs, bacon and toast. Then it was clean up from that, lie down for a bit, and get up and get their clothes packed for their stayovers, (I'll explain in aminute) and get out the door to celebrate with Maria and Christina at the hotel.

At the hotel the kids opened even more gifts. I got a gift certificate to tan lines which is nice because I fully intend to get my tan back. I am looking deathly pale these days. The kids got gifts, and then we all ate. Paulmade a ham that was very tasty and we had mashed taters, mixed veggies and potatoe casserole.

Then it was time to chill and play boardgames. Now we're watching Eragon while the kids watch Transformers and play. Well they're watching Eragon and I'm taking the opportunity tojump online and update.

So........ for the news. IT'S TIME! In less than 12 hours I'll be headed to the hospital to be induced. After visiting the doctor yesteday he decided that the baby needs to come out, and has me going in at 6am tomorrow morning. There's a lot more to it, and he is a little concerned about my health as I have lost 5 pounds since last Thursday and Obviously I should be gaining. But baby is fine. The bio-physical profile (which is basically an ultrasound that tests the baby for lots of things lol) was fine, baby scored well. BUT my iron is still low which could mean a transfusion during delivery. Also there is my hernia to consider which means there's a possibility I might have to have an emergency c-section if there is too much stress on the hernia, but I'm hoping to accomplish doing the entire thing vaginally. I also have the whole extra amniotic fluid thing to consider, and well, lol I'm just plain feeling old.

So,....I'll be headed to the hospital tomorrow and have no idea how long the whole thing will take but I'm hoping it won't take long once labor starts. Not really enjoying the thoughts of pain right now.

I'll be sure to post pics, and any new info as it happens, or as I feel up to it. Still don't have the net at home, so it will really be whenever I can get around to either getting the net or having access to a computer.

Can't wait to see her pretty little face, smell her baby fresh skin, and hold her against my heart!!

Lessons In Motherhood

This morning was one of those mornings. I really thought/ hoped the kids would have a delay. I stayed up too late last night and just did NOT want to get my butt up. owever I drug myself out of bed around 7am after spending 40 minutes hoping the radio would say eastbrok comunity schools, 2 hr delay. No such luck.

So I'm getting kids ready for school and they are all stinking up my room with hellacious gas. And two of them have to go 2 2 times. Lesson 1- DO NOT FEED THE CHILDREN SPICY JAMBALAYA FOR DINNER

So we are about to leave and little Jalynn sas she has to poop again. Everyone has their backpacks on, their coats on - we are headed to the elevator.so I tell her as soon s we et off the elevator I'll take her . She's standing in the hall trying to talk and swallowing every 2nd word trying not to hurl. So we get downstairs and I send the kids on to the van with Kirstan. LESSON 2. NEVER ASSUME THAT BECAUSE ANOTHER CHILD IS SICK THE OTHER CHILDREN WILL BE GOOD. The boys were arguing/ fighting/ ad racing all the way to the van and so loud that I could hear them in the bathroom.

So Jalynn gets in the bahroom and suddenly doesn't have to puke. Ok. I tell her to try to 2 again. SO she does . In the meantime I grabher some crackers and tell her to hustle we're going to be late which means I will have to drive Kirstan all the way to the highschool.

I get in the van and Kirstan asks if the boys had their meds because they are being hellions. See Lesson 2.

Jalynn is fine on the way to school talking , nibbling her crackers etc.

The roads are insane though,..well the country ones at least so I am rying to focus with kids talking and singing until I finally tel them to be quiet so I can concentrate.

LESSON 3. rEALIZE THAT CHILDREN HAVE NO CONCEPT OF WHAT BE QUIET MEANS. APPARENTLY I THEIR LITTLE MINDS THEY BELIEVE THAT IT MEANS TO TALK LOUDER AND FASTER TO GET IN WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY BEFORE YOU TELLTHEM AGAIN TO BE QUIET.

So we are pulling up to the stop sign by the school and two of the busses have just pulled out of the parking lot. Thes are the buses that take the highschooler and jr. highers to school. Kirsans bus is still sitting there but on the verge of pulling out, so I pull in front of it so he can't leave. LOL He smiles and waves then opens the doors. Kirstan informs me that she is mortified and I have embarrassed her,...even sends me a text from the bus telling me how much at this very moment she doesn't like me. Ocourse I txt her back and tell her how much her mommy wuvs her wittle pookie bear! LOL

LESSON 4 SOMETIMES IT JUST TAKES ONE SPUR OF THE MOMENT DECISION TO MAKE YOU SMILE ALL DAY LONG.

And believe me I will be smiling. LOL I canjust picture her rosy cheeks as she got on the bus. YES!! 2 points for me!!!
So then I have to stop and get gas, and I get back home and no sooner do I then I get a call from the elementary scool. Jalynn has puked in class and can I come get her. Do I have a choice?? LOL

LESSON 5 FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS. IF IT LOOKS LIKE A SICK DUCK, AND ACTS LIKE A SICK DUCK DON'T LET IT TELL YOU ANY DIFFERENT,..KEEP THAT DUCKIE HOME.

So after turning around, getting her , and bringing her back to the hotel..... Well she now thinks she can play,...LESSON 1 FOR THE KIDDOS- YOU COME HOME SICK OR STAY HOME SICK, YOUR BUTT IS STAYING IN BED. lol

Ahhh what a day so far, and it's onl 8:51!!!

A day in the life- kid funnies

My kids are a handful,...to say the least,..but they also crack me up on a daily basis. Yesterday ofcourse was no different. They've been out of school and I think they are getting stir crazy so I've been keeping them busy with cleaning and packing and playing. It's been a little crazy around here but they don't seem to be too bothered.

Some of the stuff my kids said to me in just ONE day LOL (thought I'd share)

Alex to me after I told him he had to clean up the dog poop as a chore. "You are NOT my friend today"

Gabi to me when we were cleaning her room together..." Why do you have to work at home and at work, and dad just has to work at work?"

While looking at a book on animals Jalynn asked me what a specific animal was,... I looked at the picture she was pointing to and told her "that's a llama." She got the ugliest look on her face and said, "We eat llamas?" i replied, "no, most people don't eat llamas, they are used for their fur." her reply. "But we eat llamas all the time when you make chicken pot pie." my reply "No, that's chicken." her reply "hu uh, we eat llamas." my reply "why do you think that?" Her reply, "Those little green things I hate,...the Llama beans"

I had left over gift boxes from my baby shower, inside was m&m.s I've been giving the kids some as rewards when they do something especially nice etc. Well yesterday I realized the M&M's were gone just as I was going to give some to Alex. His response to his siblings. ...."Ok, which one of you chocoholics ate all the freakin candy?"

I laid down for a bit yesterday because I needed to rest. I told the kids the baby was restless and i needed to try to get her to sleep so that i could have a break. I proceeded to rub my tummy and close my eyes. Jalynn crawled up on the bed beside me and I could feel her staring at me. I opened my eyes and asked her what she needed. She tilted her head to one side and asked,... "When the baby's born, how will you get her to sleep then? Will you have a pocket like a kangaroo?"

The kids were playing uno together and ofcourse bickering and fighting. Everytime Alex would play a draw card he would ofcourse shout out "BooYA!!" Pretty soon Jeremy came running in his hands over his chest and a huge frown on his face. "MOM!! Why do I have to have brothers and sisters? I wanna be the lonely child!"

While packing up the girls summer clothes Jalynn sat down on a little yellow chair we've had since Kirstan was a baby. When Jalynn first came to live with us she was three and couldn't even touch the floor when she sat in it. I looked at her and smiled . "Good grief girl, I think you've grown a foot." She looked down at her feet and laughed at me. "No mom, I still only have two."
I was going through some old stuff in a box and came across a postcard from a friend with a picture of Jesus. i walked away to do something and Gabi came up tome all excited. "Mommy, do you know Jesus?" I answered, "Yes, I do." Then she held up the postcard. "And he let you take his picture? Cool!!!"

6 Things NOT to Say To Me When I'm Pregnant

SIX Things NOT to do or say to me when I’m pregnant

1. NEVER "beep" as I am backing up to pull a chair out at a restaurant.

2. NEVER hand me one of your XL shirts and say "Maybe THIS will fit" as I am dressing to go out.

3. Never draw me a bubble bath with only two inches of water and then state "well, I didn't want it to overflow when you got in".

4. Tell me that there is an "extension" for my seatbelt that you can purchase for just 19.99 on some infomercial he saw on late night TV.

5. NEVER say, "do we need to sit at a table, you won't fit into that booth" at my favorite hamburger place.

6. And the final one is....... "I think my MOM might have some dresses that will fit you"!!

I Promise (a letter to my unborn child)

I Promise: An Open Letter to my precious GreenleeDear Greenlee~You're resting quietly inside my tummy, just an hour ago you were tossing and turning and karate chopping me. I've been thinking about you a lot and reading through old journal pages I wrote when your biggest sister was living in the very same small apartment that you are in now. You should thank Kirstan, because she's already taught me so much about how to mother better than any book has.Here's some lessons I learned, and promises I make to you now.

~I promise to hold you and cuddle you and shower you with kisses.

~I promise my best to give you everything you need.

~I promise to hold you close and sing to you sweet lullabyes.

~I promise to remember that babies are only toddlers for a little while, and to say "no" less and simply distract you more.

~I promise whenever you are cranky and in a funk I will try to imagine what it's like in your little world at that moment. I will remember that you've only been here a few hundred days, and it's perfectly reasonable to be awfully, awfully upset that wonderful tasting pennies, crayons, or dirt are continually snatched away.

~I promise to remember that I have no right to treat you any worse than I would a stranger on the street. I will be sympathetic and use manners with you, because you deserve that more than anyone I know.

~I promise at least once a day to get down on the floor and be a total idiot with you.

~I promise to celebrate your voice and let you hoot like a monkey, shriek like a banshee and be a happy goofball like the rest of us. I'll make sure to happily distract you with quiet fun if we're not someplace that would appreciate the wounded coyote song, but I'll make sure to do it in such a fun way that you really won't mind.

~I promise to talk to you a lot, to point out everything in our world and remember how new and exciting it all is. I promise we won't just read Victoria's books, but ones just for you too.

~I promise to teach you how to be the kind of child and person who people will love to be around. I will have high standards for you, but never too high to attain.

~I promise to teach you how to find your own happiness so you never need more men, money, or friends to find joy in life.

~I promise to always give you time where it's just the two of us.~I promise to be honest with you. I won't sugar-coat the world but I will also always let you know that you have a lot of people who treasure you and they will always help keep you safe. I promise not to forget, when you're old enough, to teach you how to stay safe -- even though I don't want to admit you could ever need it.

~I promise to always put a little magic in your life.

~I promise that sometimes I'll love you so much it makes me cry, and that no matter how old you are I will still sneak looks at you while you're sleeping, playing and living life. I promise that there will always be people who love you so much it's amazing, and we will be there for you no matter what.

~I promise that even if you don't want it, I'm going to hound you and your siblings and make you value each other. They are the greatest gift I've given you outside of life and love.

~I promise to never stop reading parenting magazines and books, talking to mothers, and listening to my heart so that I grow as a mother.

~I promise to realize that you have to make your own mistakes sometimes and it's not my job to protect you so much that you never experience life. I'll do my best to give you room to fall off the jungle gym, date a guy with blue hair or take a year off college. If your daddy has to superglue my lips together, I swear I'll hush and be supportive!

And now, Sweet Pea, you're stretching and pushing around inside your warm home. I can't wait to meet you- feel your tiny fingers wrap around mine, see your little eyes light up and hear you cooing. Then I will make all these promises to you in person.

I love you, Greenlee.

Always and Forever,

Mama

Random Thoughts of The Day

~ Nothing says Autumn like pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, and cream cheese pumpkin muffins!!!!

~ Autumn rain stinks, it means I have to mow more BLECK!

~ Friends are awesome

~ Paying bills is really a major let-down. I hate seeing my bank account shrink!!

~ My daughter is the most amazing server ever!! Yeah Kirstan for getting your first non-babysitting job and rocking it out!!!

~ Housework is for the birds,...or my kids LOL

~ Girls rule at poker!!!!

~ Mean people suck!

~ Beef jerky nuggets are amazing.

~ Short hair is nice, but I want a messy bun!

~ Marion officially needs a store that sells cute maternity clothes, not the stuff my grandma would wear.

~ umm if the milk has an exp. date of a month ago, throw it our or pay the consequences

School Daze

Well another school year has begun. I think I was more nervouse for my youngest 4 than they were. They started a new school this year. And it's probably 5x larger than their old school.

They went from 144 students k- 6th, to 420-is K- 5th. there eyes were huge when we toured the building last week.

They got up this morning all bundles of energy and excitement. I was just praying to have them all ready to get going and not miss the bus LOL

As they waited for the bus my youngest son was giving my oldest son (7 months between them) advice on how to make new friends. It was really sweet.

When they got home at 11:30 they were bubbling with information on their day. I think I had to tell them a few hundred times not to all talk at the same time LOL

My youngest son, the one with the advice on making friends was devastated because a little girl onthe bus told him he was weird. He actually teared up as he told me. I ofcourse assured him that the kids in his class would discover that he wasn't weird and was very cool. Just had to give it time.


My other son informed me that he sits near 4 very "hot" girls LOL

The girls love their new teachers and are excited about school. Thank goodness!!!

I remember being in elementary school. I loved it. In fact I preferred it to the summer because I got to see all my friends at Lakeview!

I have 4 folders FULL of paperwork to fill out. Yeah Mommy!! NOT! LOL

But I am glad they had a good day! I was a nervous wreck watching them board the bus.

As fo rmy oldest. She is a sophomore today!!!! She is returning to her old school, thanks to her daddy volunteering to stay in our old house until we get rid of it. That keeps her in Eastbrook district, which is a good thing because the idea of Marion High terrified her.

She nearly puked on the way to school from nerves. WHY? I have no idea LOL She has a ton of friends, but she was so nervous. However she does get the joy of not being a freshman this year!! LOL And only 7 months until she gets her drivers license!!! Should that make me feel old??

Anyway, the first day of schoolis over for the younger ones and in a couple hours I'll pick up my oldest and find out how her day was. In the meantime perhaps I'll start filling out the piles of paperwork!!! Fun fun!!!!!

Baby Names

Ok so this is one of the fun parts of having babies!!! The names!!

I'm not into names that EVERY kid has, I like my kids to have unique names - I don't want their name to be called in class and have 5 kids look toward the teacher or say "huh".

So anyway I have been mulling over some names and wanted input on favs / least favs. Don't worry you won't hurt my feelings!! But the mor einput the better.

OH! and if you have names that aren't everyday run of the mill and want to share ,please do!!!

For girls - I don't really have any combination names put together for first and middle, just several I like....they are

ADDISON BRENNLYN
AVA COLBY
KENNEDY PAYTON
MILEY MEADOW
GREENLEE ISABELLE
KENDALL CASSIDY
LORELEI

For boys i have a couple that I have middle names with and others I don't. They are:

CAIDEN LEE
PHINNEUS LEE (PHINN OR PHINN LEE for short)
MADDOX JACKSON (jack)
BRODY BROCK
THORNE HOLDEN