Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Just Tuesday
Much family drama going on - not on my part, thank God. But my brother, sister, neieces and nephews and mother seem to be hell bent on self destructing. And I'm used to the drama, the emotions, the trauma of it all - I grew up with it. But I'm so grateful that I don't have it now. I'm enormously proud of the fact that my family, Marc, Jess, Sam and I have this peaceful existence. Sure, Marc and I bicker sometimes, we have a couple of on-going conflicts, but overall, he's my best friend, my partner in the truest sense of the word. And I know that I'm that for him. And my kids are happy, loved, secure.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Happy Birthday Girls Day
Mom, Jessie, Becky and I all went out for the day yesterday. Becky's not technically a birthday girl, but we like her so we brought her along with us :-). It was lovely - I really enjoyed spending the day out and about with my girl. I'm so very proud of her, she's so exactly what I'd always wanted in a daughter, and it was so nice to be able to really focus on her.
I love having two kids, and definitely want to have at least one more, but there's something magical about having one on one time with them. Every time we walked, her hand was automatically in mine, and I was very aware of being with my daughter.
It was also lovely to come home and have my Sammy come running for me. I missed him - he's with me so consistently that not having him feels strange and weird, like I accidentally left my arm at home.
Marc and I bickered all night, not an overly pleasant happy marriage night. He was just bugging me and from his response, I wasn't making him smile either. We have little in common when it comes to television - which I've accepted. Marc still hasn't come to terms with it, and periodically attempts to force me to appreciate television that he finds so valuable and meaningful. It's for my own good, I suppose he thinks, I think he's being stubborn and mean. I don't insist on him watching E True Hollywood Story or Grey's Anatomy, although I find them fascinating... I fail to understand why he thinks it's a personality flaw that he can correct - the fact that I don't like, nor do I intend to subject myself to, Major Payne.
I love having two kids, and definitely want to have at least one more, but there's something magical about having one on one time with them. Every time we walked, her hand was automatically in mine, and I was very aware of being with my daughter.
It was also lovely to come home and have my Sammy come running for me. I missed him - he's with me so consistently that not having him feels strange and weird, like I accidentally left my arm at home.
Marc and I bickered all night, not an overly pleasant happy marriage night. He was just bugging me and from his response, I wasn't making him smile either. We have little in common when it comes to television - which I've accepted. Marc still hasn't come to terms with it, and periodically attempts to force me to appreciate television that he finds so valuable and meaningful. It's for my own good, I suppose he thinks, I think he's being stubborn and mean. I don't insist on him watching E True Hollywood Story or Grey's Anatomy, although I find them fascinating... I fail to understand why he thinks it's a personality flaw that he can correct - the fact that I don't like, nor do I intend to subject myself to, Major Payne.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Who loves a snow day??
I do, I do! Especially when I've got food in the house and just my kids and my husband at home. The snow has been falling since early this morning and it's so cozy and comfortable in here, I'm making challah from a new recipe, four strands this time, and am very excited about it. Both my kids are vacationed-out, I think. Jess has been doing so much better, in terms of the tantrums, she's really started to phase them out, but today she's morphed into Scary Jessie at least four different times. Sam is okay - he was cranky yesterday.
Which actually, now that I think about it, is so surprising. I used to think of him as so moody and emotional, but I think it's because I'm still holding onto that image of him as an infant, colicy and with reflux, nursing 24/7, sleeping for no more than 20 minutes at a time, and crying, just crying forever. But now that he's a big boy, he's the most even tempered, sunshiny, happy kid. He's very earnest and solemn at times, and he has the greatest belly laugh (and nobody can make him laugh harder than Jess). But the occasions when he's legitimately cranky or miserable are few and far between.
Marc took him outside shoveling earlier, there's nothing this boy likes more than doing man things with Daddy. Using tools, putting stuff together, shoveling snow, etc. Jess and Glennys got all bundled up and went outside too.
Tomorrow, Jess, Mom and I are all going out for our special birthday celebration. Poor Jess, she doesn't get much one on one time with me, I can count on one hand the number of times that we've done something solo since Sam has been born. Sammy gets a lot more quality Mommy time now that she's at school, but Jess has been neglected shamefully. I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow with my girl :-)
Which actually, now that I think about it, is so surprising. I used to think of him as so moody and emotional, but I think it's because I'm still holding onto that image of him as an infant, colicy and with reflux, nursing 24/7, sleeping for no more than 20 minutes at a time, and crying, just crying forever. But now that he's a big boy, he's the most even tempered, sunshiny, happy kid. He's very earnest and solemn at times, and he has the greatest belly laugh (and nobody can make him laugh harder than Jess). But the occasions when he's legitimately cranky or miserable are few and far between.
Marc took him outside shoveling earlier, there's nothing this boy likes more than doing man things with Daddy. Using tools, putting stuff together, shoveling snow, etc. Jess and Glennys got all bundled up and went outside too.
Tomorrow, Jess, Mom and I are all going out for our special birthday celebration. Poor Jess, she doesn't get much one on one time with me, I can count on one hand the number of times that we've done something solo since Sam has been born. Sammy gets a lot more quality Mommy time now that she's at school, but Jess has been neglected shamefully. I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow with my girl :-)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thursday is like my Friday
Because I have no extra kids on Fridays, and one of mine is usually gone all day at preschool, Fridays are my weekends. It's like Saturday and Sunday combined into one glorious day where the only one I have to take care of takes a three hour nap and doesn't talk. I have my two today, plus Lilli, Sarah, Glennys, Harrison and Julia. Which is about five kids more than I'm really up for - but so far, so good. I'm behaving much like a drill sargeant, quelling uprisings and running and yelling with an evil glare and admonishments to sit down on the couch.
I've got two boys asleep in their respective sleeping spots and the door shut. Sarah and Jessica are playing quietly in Jessie's bedroom and Lilli, Glennys and Julia are in the living room with Dr. Suess on television. Marc's going to the gym tonight, so I'm all by my lonesome - which sounds FABULOUS to me right now. Lisa should pick up the girls and Joy will pick up the other two between five and six, which will leave me with just Glennys for dinner. Annie thinks she'll be here around six thirty, which means that if I try really hard, I can probably get my cherubs asleep by 7:30 or so.
Last night was wonderful - Marc played "fight on the bed" with the two kids, and for the first time, Sammy actually participated. And then when they were done, Jessie curled into her Daddy's arms and Sam came and got me to come and lay down with them. I nursed my boy down to sleep, Marc told Jess a story and then I sang a lullaby (my version of 'hush little jessie') and they were sound asleep and so sweet together that I left them in my bed. This was a decision that I bitterly regretted all night long, because it just ended up with me sleeping on a tiny little sliver of bed :-)
I've got two boys asleep in their respective sleeping spots and the door shut. Sarah and Jessica are playing quietly in Jessie's bedroom and Lilli, Glennys and Julia are in the living room with Dr. Suess on television. Marc's going to the gym tonight, so I'm all by my lonesome - which sounds FABULOUS to me right now. Lisa should pick up the girls and Joy will pick up the other two between five and six, which will leave me with just Glennys for dinner. Annie thinks she'll be here around six thirty, which means that if I try really hard, I can probably get my cherubs asleep by 7:30 or so.
Last night was wonderful - Marc played "fight on the bed" with the two kids, and for the first time, Sammy actually participated. And then when they were done, Jessie curled into her Daddy's arms and Sam came and got me to come and lay down with them. I nursed my boy down to sleep, Marc told Jess a story and then I sang a lullaby (my version of 'hush little jessie') and they were sound asleep and so sweet together that I left them in my bed. This was a decision that I bitterly regretted all night long, because it just ended up with me sleeping on a tiny little sliver of bed :-)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
some days are better than others
Not that there's anything wrong, exactly, I'm just low on patience and the kids are driving me nuts. Everyone is whiny and fussy and bored and more than happy to complain and moan and groan. Including me.
On the upside, there's only another five hours or so until I can start putting everyone down to bed. And with any luck, Annie will pick up Glennys, and maybe even Jessica, and Sam can take a nice long nap. Wednesdays are harder because Jordyn needs to nap in my bedroom, which is also where Sam naps. But I can't put Sam in there with Jordyn because she's such a light sleeper. And with Jess in the mood she's in, asking her to stay quiet and not bug me while I'm trying to get Sam to sleep was like asking the ocean to stay put. Simply impossible - and kind of silly to even comtemplate it. So Sam napped for about forty five minutes and is going to be a fussy pain in the neck until about four or so, when he'll finally go back down, thus ensuring that he'll be up until 9:30 or 10:00 tonight.
God, I need more coffee. It's afternoons like this that make me realize that were it not for the afternoon caffeine fix, I'd kill one of them.
There was a really cute moment earlier, Glennys and Jess actually allowed Sam to play with them, and they gave him a little pink purse, and were playing baby. Jess was the baby and Glennys was the Mommy, Sam was the Daddy trailing behind them carrying the purse. And he was so confused about what he was doing, but so damn proud of being a big boy, able to play with the big girls. It was so sweet...
On the upside, there's only another five hours or so until I can start putting everyone down to bed. And with any luck, Annie will pick up Glennys, and maybe even Jessica, and Sam can take a nice long nap. Wednesdays are harder because Jordyn needs to nap in my bedroom, which is also where Sam naps. But I can't put Sam in there with Jordyn because she's such a light sleeper. And with Jess in the mood she's in, asking her to stay quiet and not bug me while I'm trying to get Sam to sleep was like asking the ocean to stay put. Simply impossible - and kind of silly to even comtemplate it. So Sam napped for about forty five minutes and is going to be a fussy pain in the neck until about four or so, when he'll finally go back down, thus ensuring that he'll be up until 9:30 or 10:00 tonight.
God, I need more coffee. It's afternoons like this that make me realize that were it not for the afternoon caffeine fix, I'd kill one of them.
There was a really cute moment earlier, Glennys and Jess actually allowed Sam to play with them, and they gave him a little pink purse, and were playing baby. Jess was the baby and Glennys was the Mommy, Sam was the Daddy trailing behind them carrying the purse. And he was so confused about what he was doing, but so damn proud of being a big boy, able to play with the big girls. It was so sweet...
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
best chocolate chip cookies ever
I know I already posted today - but I had to brag about this wicked pretty cookies I just made. For me, baking is always sort of hit or miss, I can do everything exactly right and still have them turn out weird. But this time - they are everything you'd ever want in a cookies. Mostly round, golden brown, perfectly plumped up. I'm so proud :-)
February vacation
I can see now why my mother always used to dread vacations... because kids get bored really easily. Things are going well here though - I've got hordes of children here. Glennys is here all week, Lilli and Sarah are here on Tuesdays and Thursdays and if Mandi is still talking to me, then I'll have Bella on Wednesday and Friday. I've got Sammy's check-up on Friday as well. Marc has been home sick for the past two days - he's got a wicked head cold. Fortunately, I don't get sick very often at all, and neither do my kids. Jess and Sam have gone basically all winter without catching anything. Sam tends towards a yucky nose, and Jessie's eye has been a little drippy, but nothing that would have warranted a trip to the doctor's, or even staying home from school.
Everything is good at home these days - Mandi and I had a ginormous fight on Sunday, but it was one of those situations where I felt as though I came out victorious, in my own little head. She wanted me to meet her with her camera, and felt the best way to achieve said goal was to bully me into it. I refused to go, just because I wasn't going to reward her sucky behavior by doing what she wanted me to do. In the end, Marc ended up doing it, but that was okay with me. As long as she understood that I wasn't doing it. I don't know that she got the point at all, but my mother, who had called to tell me that she was siding with her, understood me and I felt so much better after yelling at her. It's hard to express without sounding like a self-congratulating bore, but I really do feel as though I've reached a point in my life where I value my own happiness and that of my husband and children more than anyone else's. And while it may seem to be sort of obvious - it's also incredibly liberating.
Four girls here today - and that's about three too many for my girl at the moment. She just got her little head stuck in a folding chair, and I had to go and ease her head out. She's holding Lilli entirely responsible, and doesn't want to play with any of them. Ever again. I know this will last about twenty more minutes, or about as long as Hi-5 is on. I settled her down with a bowl of salad, a sippie cup of water and the remotes :-). Marc and Sam are asleep - again.
Everything is good at home these days - Mandi and I had a ginormous fight on Sunday, but it was one of those situations where I felt as though I came out victorious, in my own little head. She wanted me to meet her with her camera, and felt the best way to achieve said goal was to bully me into it. I refused to go, just because I wasn't going to reward her sucky behavior by doing what she wanted me to do. In the end, Marc ended up doing it, but that was okay with me. As long as she understood that I wasn't doing it. I don't know that she got the point at all, but my mother, who had called to tell me that she was siding with her, understood me and I felt so much better after yelling at her. It's hard to express without sounding like a self-congratulating bore, but I really do feel as though I've reached a point in my life where I value my own happiness and that of my husband and children more than anyone else's. And while it may seem to be sort of obvious - it's also incredibly liberating.
Four girls here today - and that's about three too many for my girl at the moment. She just got her little head stuck in a folding chair, and I had to go and ease her head out. She's holding Lilli entirely responsible, and doesn't want to play with any of them. Ever again. I know this will last about twenty more minutes, or about as long as Hi-5 is on. I settled her down with a bowl of salad, a sippie cup of water and the remotes :-). Marc and Sam are asleep - again.
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