This morning I had to turn on the radio to see (hear?) if Rebecca's school would be closed due to extreme cold. It wasn't. Of course not! Why would it be? It's only -14 with windchills making it feel like -34. The poor girl had to wait for the bus while she turned into an icee pop.
Even the dog doesn't want to go out. He's content just to laze around near the furnace.
And just two days ago it was 43 degrees. I went out a couple times, to let the dog out and get the mail, and honestly...it was like a blast furnace stepping out of the garage into the sunshine. I could feel the heat immediately and my bone marrow didn't freeze. I thought we were on an upward climb, digging our way out of winter, but unfortunately those weathermen did know what they were talking about when they warned of colder times to come.
Oh, the weather. Isn't it a boring subject to read about? But when you're actually IN it, it's a totally different story. It's been the top news story in these parts. Thank goodness nothing worse is making headlines.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Under the sink
This is a bit embarassing. I actually knew where everything was under here, but it was a huge mess.
I took that blue bin from the first cupboard, emptied it out and filled it with the bottles I had under the sink. Plus I found two almost-empty bottles of Windex and a few things I never use anymore since I'm trying to use natural cleaning solutions. (I don't use Windex anymore either, but John does and somehow he feels like it's not really clean unless he uses a harsh chemical.)
By the way, the paper bag is my recycling. In case you couldn't guess that. I don't have empty milk jugs and water bottles for fun.
And eventually I'd like to get rid of the garbage disposal. We never use it anyway...I put all our food scraps (except dairy products and meat) in the two ice cream buckets to use as compost.
I took that blue bin from the first cupboard, emptied it out and filled it with the bottles I had under the sink. Plus I found two almost-empty bottles of Windex and a few things I never use anymore since I'm trying to use natural cleaning solutions. (I don't use Windex anymore either, but John does and somehow he feels like it's not really clean unless he uses a harsh chemical.)
By the way, the paper bag is my recycling. In case you couldn't guess that. I don't have empty milk jugs and water bottles for fun.And eventually I'd like to get rid of the garbage disposal. We never use it anyway...I put all our food scraps (except dairy products and meat) in the two ice cream buckets to use as compost.
I feel lighter
I hated opening this cupboard because it was becoming so awful. I'd clean off the counters quick before company came and it would all end up in here, and that's where it would stay.
This is after. I also reorganized my pantry cupboard underneath. Now all the pastas are on the same shelf. All the teas and hot chocolates are together. The white rice and wild rice are getting aquainted. What a concept!
So the one cupboard I was going to organize turned into an entire kitchen reorganization because one thing led to another. It's wonderful.
Oh, and the reason I got so much done? I didn't check my e-mail all morning.
This is after. I also reorganized my pantry cupboard underneath. Now all the pastas are on the same shelf. All the teas and hot chocolates are together. The white rice and wild rice are getting aquainted. What a concept!
So the one cupboard I was going to organize turned into an entire kitchen reorganization because one thing led to another. It's wonderful.Oh, and the reason I got so much done? I didn't check my e-mail all morning.
As requested: newly revealed countertops
My sister reminded me that I didn't post a picture of the cleared counter. Oops! I had meant to but got distracted by something or other...maybe it was when Joel wet his pants for the third time today. Anyway, here it is.
Someday we'll replace the countertops and get a new sink. The new faucet is in the cupboard, waiting for it's turn to be installed.
Early Childhood Screening
Clayton and I went to his Early Childhood Screening last Thursday night. I guess they like to test kids even before they're four. Why, I'm not really sure. We know when our kids are growing and developing properly and if we detected a problem I'm sure we'd already be taking care of it...but anyway we went because they claim it's required.
Clayton was SO not excited about it. I almost had to drag him out of the house even after I told him how fun it would be, and he got to have a "date" with Mommy, just him and me. He wanted to stay home and play Monster Trucks with Dad. Shows you how I rate around here.
We finally got out the door and things were looking up. He was having a conversation with me, which he hardly ever does because his older sister and brother are always talking. We got to the Family Center and signed in, and he immediately became engrossed in the toys set out. I filled out the necessary paperwork, we took a quick potty break (Clayton was jumping--that's a sure sign), and then finally his name was called. I took his hand and led him to the door, but then I decided to hang up our coats instead of dragging them along with us. Ten seconds later I was ready to go, but Clayton had disappeared. He was playing with the toys again.
We followed the lady to a room and we sat...Clayton in the cute kid-sized chair and me in the parent chair set off to the side a bit. Then the testing started. Clayton was supposed to copy the shapes and lines in boxes. The lady started off by drawing a horizontal line through the first box and asked Clayton to copy it in the box below. He did fine. The next one was a circle, already drawn. He did a pretty good circle, if not a bit lopsided. In the third box there was a large "plus" sign. He just sat and looked at it. Finally he said, "I can't do it." The lady was encouraging and told him just to try. Silence. "I can't know how." Silence. He passed the pencil to her and very politely asked, "Can you do it?"
The next test was with blocks. Clayton had six and the lady had six. He was supposed to copy what she did with them, but all he wanted to do was make a tower. He kept trying to take hers too because he didn't have enough for a decent tower. I was trying sooo hard not to laugh out loud. I'm afraid a few snorts escaped me, but Clayton didn't seem to notice. The lady promised that when they were all done he could make his tower.
Third test...he was supposed to name the color of each block she held out. Of the green, yellow, orange, and white blocks, the only one he could name was white. Each time she asked him the color of a block he'd say, "I don't know that color." He saw some black and white blocks off to the side that they were going to use for another test. He proudly told her, "But I know those colors!" She'd hold out another color. "I don't know that color. But I know those colors!" That should count, right? Wrong...he got zeros for the color test. "Can I make a tower now?"
The lady gave him two black blocks and two white blocks and made a pattern: black white black white. She gave him his own set and asked him to do exactly what she'd done. He did white black white black. She said, "Is it exactly like mine?" He looked confused because she kept asking him that, and he was obviously done. I was thinking he'd done pretty well, but they're more picky than I am. He failed. "Can I build a tower now?"
The lady passed him a small box, along with one block. Then she'd say, "Put the block under the box." He grabbed the rest of the blocks and started building a tower, totally uninterested in following her directions. What was frustrating for me was that I knew he knew all the questions. He just didn't feel like doing it. And I was not allowed to help in any way.
Next: hop on one foot. The lady got up to demonstrate and he just looked at her like she was crazy.
He said, "No thanks. I want to make a tower."
She said, "Just try. Hop like this!"
"I'll fall."
"No you won't. Practice. Hold my hand first."
He was getting really upset.
"I'll FALL."
He failed that portion of the test.
Next: sit back down at the table and she'd knock. Knock knock. Then it was his turn to copy what he'd heard. Then another one. Knock knock. Knock. He looked really disgusted with the whole thing, but copied the first two. For the third one he dramtically laid his head in his arms and declared that he wasn't going to do that anymore. And could he just please make a tower now?
He got 29 points out of 45. He had to get 14 or more to pass. Whew. For all the things he wasn't doing, I was sure we'd have to come some other time to try again.
The very next day he called to me excitedly. "Mom, watch!" He was hopping all over, from room to room, on one foot. I told him what a great trick that was, but inside I just shook my head. Why couldn't he have done that for the lady?
Clayton was SO not excited about it. I almost had to drag him out of the house even after I told him how fun it would be, and he got to have a "date" with Mommy, just him and me. He wanted to stay home and play Monster Trucks with Dad. Shows you how I rate around here.
We finally got out the door and things were looking up. He was having a conversation with me, which he hardly ever does because his older sister and brother are always talking. We got to the Family Center and signed in, and he immediately became engrossed in the toys set out. I filled out the necessary paperwork, we took a quick potty break (Clayton was jumping--that's a sure sign), and then finally his name was called. I took his hand and led him to the door, but then I decided to hang up our coats instead of dragging them along with us. Ten seconds later I was ready to go, but Clayton had disappeared. He was playing with the toys again.
We followed the lady to a room and we sat...Clayton in the cute kid-sized chair and me in the parent chair set off to the side a bit. Then the testing started. Clayton was supposed to copy the shapes and lines in boxes. The lady started off by drawing a horizontal line through the first box and asked Clayton to copy it in the box below. He did fine. The next one was a circle, already drawn. He did a pretty good circle, if not a bit lopsided. In the third box there was a large "plus" sign. He just sat and looked at it. Finally he said, "I can't do it." The lady was encouraging and told him just to try. Silence. "I can't know how." Silence. He passed the pencil to her and very politely asked, "Can you do it?"
The next test was with blocks. Clayton had six and the lady had six. He was supposed to copy what she did with them, but all he wanted to do was make a tower. He kept trying to take hers too because he didn't have enough for a decent tower. I was trying sooo hard not to laugh out loud. I'm afraid a few snorts escaped me, but Clayton didn't seem to notice. The lady promised that when they were all done he could make his tower.
Third test...he was supposed to name the color of each block she held out. Of the green, yellow, orange, and white blocks, the only one he could name was white. Each time she asked him the color of a block he'd say, "I don't know that color." He saw some black and white blocks off to the side that they were going to use for another test. He proudly told her, "But I know those colors!" She'd hold out another color. "I don't know that color. But I know those colors!" That should count, right? Wrong...he got zeros for the color test. "Can I make a tower now?"
The lady gave him two black blocks and two white blocks and made a pattern: black white black white. She gave him his own set and asked him to do exactly what she'd done. He did white black white black. She said, "Is it exactly like mine?" He looked confused because she kept asking him that, and he was obviously done. I was thinking he'd done pretty well, but they're more picky than I am. He failed. "Can I build a tower now?"
The lady passed him a small box, along with one block. Then she'd say, "Put the block under the box." He grabbed the rest of the blocks and started building a tower, totally uninterested in following her directions. What was frustrating for me was that I knew he knew all the questions. He just didn't feel like doing it. And I was not allowed to help in any way.
Next: hop on one foot. The lady got up to demonstrate and he just looked at her like she was crazy.
He said, "No thanks. I want to make a tower."
She said, "Just try. Hop like this!"
"I'll fall."
"No you won't. Practice. Hold my hand first."
He was getting really upset.
"I'll FALL."
He failed that portion of the test.
Next: sit back down at the table and she'd knock. Knock knock. Then it was his turn to copy what he'd heard. Then another one. Knock knock. Knock. He looked really disgusted with the whole thing, but copied the first two. For the third one he dramtically laid his head in his arms and declared that he wasn't going to do that anymore. And could he just please make a tower now?
He got 29 points out of 45. He had to get 14 or more to pass. Whew. For all the things he wasn't doing, I was sure we'd have to come some other time to try again.
The very next day he called to me excitedly. "Mom, watch!" He was hopping all over, from room to room, on one foot. I told him what a great trick that was, but inside I just shook my head. Why couldn't he have done that for the lady?
Miss Organization
I was inspired to clean out my cabinets after talking to my sister. She told me about an article she'd in a recent Better Homes and Gardens magazine--one of it's points was that nothing should be on top of the counter unless you use it every single day. I got to wondering where I'd put all the extra stuff if I took it off my counter, and settled on this cupboard. I had to take a picture of everything I dragged out of it. I had paint cans, fake flowers (those went in the give-away bag), a cake taker I never use, a blue tub filled with trash bags I didn't know we had and ishy cleaning solutions I never use, two huge pots, carpet cleaner, gift bags, a crystal tray (hardly ever used), a watering can, camping coffee pot, coffee filters, napkins, and three water/juice pitchers in there. 
Brina laughed at me and said she knew I had too much cupboard space when she had been here once and saw that I was storing paint cans in the kitchen.
In my defense, when we moved here we ended up with a lot less closet space and no basement that we could just toss things into. So I really didn't know what to do with a lot of odds and ends. I resigned myself to using this cupboard for a catch-all. It surely lived up to its name.
Ignore the dingy-ness. The house was built in 1973 and the insides of the cupboards have seen better days.
Brina laughed at me and said she knew I had too much cupboard space when she had been here once and saw that I was storing paint cans in the kitchen.
In my defense, when we moved here we ended up with a lot less closet space and no basement that we could just toss things into. So I really didn't know what to do with a lot of odds and ends. I resigned myself to using this cupboard for a catch-all. It surely lived up to its name.
Ignore the dingy-ness. The house was built in 1973 and the insides of the cupboards have seen better days.
Our boys
Clayton is playing with the world's smallest bowling set, lent to them by Cousin Luke. Luke (almost 5 years old) offered it to them, under the condition that they keep all the pieces together so when they give it back it's still complete. I'm pretty stressed out about that. My kids have no problem keeping track of junkie Happy Meal toys and the like--if it weren't for me going through and getting rid of them every few months I'm sure we'd still have every one. But the toys most special to them are the ones that make themselves scarce, sometimes as soon as the next day.
We found this Crayola thingie at a thrift shop in town for $1.00. It was originally intended for all the kids, but then Rebecca wrapped it up and gave it to Joel for his birthday. Joel has been having fun with it...it's sort of like a projector and you trace the picture that it, um...projects.
Yesterday morning I couldn't find him, so I called his name loudly. I heard a little "What?" but couldn't tell where it was coming from. I said, "Where are you?" Our house isn't that big. He answered "In the closet." Like, duh.
We found this Crayola thingie at a thrift shop in town for $1.00. It was originally intended for all the kids, but then Rebecca wrapped it up and gave it to Joel for his birthday. Joel has been having fun with it...it's sort of like a projector and you trace the picture that it, um...projects. 
Yesterday morning I couldn't find him, so I called his name loudly. I heard a little "What?" but couldn't tell where it was coming from. I said, "Where are you?" Our house isn't that big. He answered "In the closet." Like, duh.
Weekend with Grandpa and Grandma
We finally got out to see Grandma and Grandpa after nearly a year and a half...terrible terrible of us.
Clayton had fun making Grandpa do fish lips
Elaine and Grandma Myrtle. Bet you couldn't tell they're sisters.
Storytime on Sunday afternoon. All the kids were intently listening to Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It's such a familiar story to me, but my kids hardly know it. I grew up on fairytales like that. My kids are growing up with Franklin the Turtle.
Clayton had fun making Grandpa do fish lips
Elaine and Grandma Myrtle. Bet you couldn't tell they're sisters.
Storytime on Sunday afternoon. All the kids were intently listening to Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It's such a familiar story to me, but my kids hardly know it. I grew up on fairytales like that. My kids are growing up with Franklin the Turtle.
Hawaiian Luau
Rebecca at her cousin Heather's birthday party. They had a Hawaiian theme. Rebecca was so impressed. Maybe I need to put more thought into their birthday parties??!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Goodbye for now
Todd and Ina are starting a new chapter in their lives, moving far far away. We'll miss them! But Ina promised they'd be starting a blog so we could keep up with what's going on. I'll be watching for it. All the best to you both!
Monster trucks!!
One of Joel's birthday presents from us was the monster truck show. We met a few other families there (but I was the only lady. The other moms let the daddies go alone, but I wasn't about to miss out on the fun!) Earplugs were a requirement, although they proved difficult to shove into a child's ear canal. Everytime I looked at them, the earplugs had popped out and were just perching on their ears. Mostly the kids covered their ears with their hands.
Little Benjamin gave each of the kids a monster truck to take home. Clayton played with his almost more than he watched the real trucks.
On our way out Clayton wore this ski mask. Doesn't he look menacing? It was such a bitterly cold night they (the weather guys) recommended covering as much skin as possible. The actual temperature never got above -2 on Saturday, with windchills closer to -30. And we parked 2 blocks away.
Little Benjamin gave each of the kids a monster truck to take home. Clayton played with his almost more than he watched the real trucks.
On our way out Clayton wore this ski mask. Doesn't he look menacing? It was such a bitterly cold night they (the weather guys) recommended covering as much skin as possible. The actual temperature never got above -2 on Saturday, with windchills closer to -30. And we parked 2 blocks away.
Some Hillbilly entertainment
We took the kids to a Monster Jam monster truck show this weekend. It was quite exciting...I may have had more fun than the kids.
This is Captain's Curse and Gravedigger...big names in monster truck racing. As if I'm so into it...ha! I only know this because they got special treatment and extra cheers.
Jurassic Attack did a spectacular jump over several cars and a small school bus...it's the clump of bright yellow vehicles on the right. Anyway, she came down on her back wheels and had a hard time keeping the truck from rolling. The back axle completely snapped. The crowd loved it. (By the way, the driver was a woman which is why I referred to her as "she." I was not giving the truck itself a gender. I hate it when guys do that! "...and then she spun around on me but I managed to keep 'er steady...")
A high point of the evening was the "trailer races." Absolutely histerical. The point of the race was not to knock out the cars like in a demolition derby, but run over their trailers. I got a video of almost the entire race. Unfortunately it's way to long to post.
The end of the trailer race, and the resulting mess. It was all cleaned up in 15 minutes though, and the next round of monster truck racing started again.
This is Captain's Curse and Gravedigger...big names in monster truck racing. As if I'm so into it...ha! I only know this because they got special treatment and extra cheers.
Jurassic Attack did a spectacular jump over several cars and a small school bus...it's the clump of bright yellow vehicles on the right. Anyway, she came down on her back wheels and had a hard time keeping the truck from rolling. The back axle completely snapped. The crowd loved it. (By the way, the driver was a woman which is why I referred to her as "she." I was not giving the truck itself a gender. I hate it when guys do that! "...and then she spun around on me but I managed to keep 'er steady...")
A high point of the evening was the "trailer races." Absolutely histerical. The point of the race was not to knock out the cars like in a demolition derby, but run over their trailers. I got a video of almost the entire race. Unfortunately it's way to long to post. 
The end of the trailer race, and the resulting mess. It was all cleaned up in 15 minutes though, and the next round of monster truck racing started again.
It's a birthday!
In the morning, Joel opened a couple little things from us: a Lego set and the Cars book for the LeapPad.
That evening we had a family party. Joel got to frost his cupcakes. (Side note: isn't it funny that Joel can't have something as natural as milk or eggs or nuts, but he can have all the artificial ingredients in Pillsbury's Fudge frosting...)
Grandma and Grandpa K. got Joel a fire truck and a Cars pillowcase (in Grandma's lap).
Tucker provided the evening's entertainment. John taught him to "stay" and not eat the treat (in this case, a tortilla chip) until John says "okay." Tucker did very well, even in the middle of several distractions. Note the sucker that Joel was trying to feed him, and Rebecca with the remote-controlled Jeep.
I think Tucker will be ready for the big-time soon. He's a natural. Look for us at a local dog show near you.
That evening we had a family party. Joel got to frost his cupcakes. (Side note: isn't it funny that Joel can't have something as natural as milk or eggs or nuts, but he can have all the artificial ingredients in Pillsbury's Fudge frosting...)
Grandma and Grandpa K. got Joel a fire truck and a Cars pillowcase (in Grandma's lap).
Tucker provided the evening's entertainment. John taught him to "stay" and not eat the treat (in this case, a tortilla chip) until John says "okay." Tucker did very well, even in the middle of several distractions. Note the sucker that Joel was trying to feed him, and Rebecca with the remote-controlled Jeep. I think Tucker will be ready for the big-time soon. He's a natural. Look for us at a local dog show near you.
Cowboys and booster horses
The boys were playing cowboys one day. Joel had the stick horse with a black head, and for some reason Clayton decided he'd use his booster for a horse. (We have another stick horse he could have used.) It was hilarious to watch him "ride" his booster through the house.
He'd straddle it and hang on to it with one hand while he jumped and propelled his body forward. Pretty tricky when you're also carrying firearms. Thankfully no one got shot by a stray bullet.
He'd straddle it and hang on to it with one hand while he jumped and propelled his body forward. Pretty tricky when you're also carrying firearms. Thankfully no one got shot by a stray bullet.
Imagination is the best toy
Don't throw away those empty Kleenix boxes or garbage bag boxes! They make great ice-fishing houses.
You have to have an imagination to see these for what they really are. The roof fell off the pink house, or maybe the boys took it off to allow for easier access to the inside. Oh, and the light blue item in Clayton's hand is his "bras." A bit embarrassing when we have company and he's dragging them around. Especially that time Lyle S. and Dennis H. were here for a night, and in the morning Clayton came to the table and sat patiently in his booster, "scratching" his bras. Some children have a favorite blankie, or suck their thumb, or carry around a well-worn stuffed animal. Clayton has a bra.
One day we were on our way out the door when Clayton saw his "bras," stopped to pick it up and told me he just needed to "scratch it for a minute, 'kay?" He often shoves it into our faces demanding that we h'mell it. Because it smells so good.
You have to have an imagination to see these for what they really are. The roof fell off the pink house, or maybe the boys took it off to allow for easier access to the inside. Oh, and the light blue item in Clayton's hand is his "bras." A bit embarrassing when we have company and he's dragging them around. Especially that time Lyle S. and Dennis H. were here for a night, and in the morning Clayton came to the table and sat patiently in his booster, "scratching" his bras. Some children have a favorite blankie, or suck their thumb, or carry around a well-worn stuffed animal. Clayton has a bra.
One day we were on our way out the door when Clayton saw his "bras," stopped to pick it up and told me he just needed to "scratch it for a minute, 'kay?" He often shoves it into our faces demanding that we h'mell it. Because it smells so good. 
Miscellanious food stuff
I made this banana bread last week due to the high demand from my family. John thinks it's the best ever and the kids ate an entire loaf by themselves in one sitting. I modified it slightly to make it dairy/egg/nut free. Unfortunately, I'm not adventurous enough to attempt wheat-free yet. I'll post the recipe sometime. Not right now though because I don't feel like it. I have to search for it in someone else's blog.
I made English Muffin Toasting bread the same day. Wonderful toasted (duh), spread with butter and honey.
I have been making these for lunch/supper/snack (for me) every chance I get. John likes them too, which sort of surprises me because even though he doesn't ever complain about what I serve, he's more of a basic meat-and-potato guy. I saute thinly sliced apples and onions and then put them on the herb and garlic wrap. Sprinkle parmesan, feta, and whatever kind of cheese you want on top. Heat until the cheese is melted and the wrap is nice and crisp. Ooooh, yummy. Or, I've also made them with sauted carrots and yellow or red bell peppers. Either way is wonderful. I like them so much I make them on the sly without the kids knowing, because I don't want to share. They can have peanut butter and jelly!
I finally got to the liquor store to buy some brandy. I felt so odd walking into the local MGM and made it a point to tell the cashier lady that I've never bought alcohol before, as if she cared. I just felt so conspicuous and kept hoping I didn't run into anyone I know. Ironically, the workers were with me when I bought it. They did not go into the store though. I don't blame them. Anyway, I have not turned into a drinker. I bought it to make vanilla. I put two whole vanilla beans in the bottle of brandy, and I'm letting it sit for six weeks before I use it. Much cheaper than buying pure vanilla extract already made. (See the vanilla beans in the picture?)
I made English Muffin Toasting bread the same day. Wonderful toasted (duh), spread with butter and honey.
I have been making these for lunch/supper/snack (for me) every chance I get. John likes them too, which sort of surprises me because even though he doesn't ever complain about what I serve, he's more of a basic meat-and-potato guy. I saute thinly sliced apples and onions and then put them on the herb and garlic wrap. Sprinkle parmesan, feta, and whatever kind of cheese you want on top. Heat until the cheese is melted and the wrap is nice and crisp. Ooooh, yummy. Or, I've also made them with sauted carrots and yellow or red bell peppers. Either way is wonderful. I like them so much I make them on the sly without the kids knowing, because I don't want to share. They can have peanut butter and jelly!
I finally got to the liquor store to buy some brandy. I felt so odd walking into the local MGM and made it a point to tell the cashier lady that I've never bought alcohol before, as if she cared. I just felt so conspicuous and kept hoping I didn't run into anyone I know. Ironically, the workers were with me when I bought it. They did not go into the store though. I don't blame them. Anyway, I have not turned into a drinker. I bought it to make vanilla. I put two whole vanilla beans in the bottle of brandy, and I'm letting it sit for six weeks before I use it. Much cheaper than buying pure vanilla extract already made. (See the vanilla beans in the picture?)
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
5 years ago today...
I was 9 months pregnant, hoping to have the baby "naturally" instead of by c-section, which is how I had Rebecca. I was going to attempt a VBAC.
I went into the hospital for a full day of pitocin to get my body ready for labor. I left our house at 7:00 on a bitterly cold morning to be to the hospital for my 7:30 start. Grandma Judy stayed with 2 1/2 year-old Rebecca, and John went to work.
The nurse got me all set up in a room, I put on a gown, and the IV was inserted into my left wrist.
I spent the morning walking the halls, dragging my IV stand behind me until that got too boring. Then I napped in bed off and on, enduring periodic checks throughout the day to see how things were progressing. (They weren't progressing...)
I called a few friends (remember, Mindy?) to pass the time. Watched TV for a bit since it's a novelty. I laughed so hard while watching Will and Grace and I still remember what the show was about. I've seen episodes of it since that I was NOT impressed with, but I really enjoyed the one I saw on Jan. 16, 2003. Grace had to get a shot for some reason and she was deathly afraid of needles. Her nurse ended up being a 12-yr-old girl who'd never given shots to people, only practiced on oranges to that point. Grace ran around the room terrified, and finally came out with her entire arm wrapped in gauze and some of it was flapping around behind her when she walked. Maybe this was funny to me because I was also in the hospital getting poked with needles.
At 5:00 p.m. a nurse "unhooked" my IV but left the needle in my wrist because the same procedure was to be repeated the next day. I signed papers to be discharged and the nurse asked if I had anyone to drive me home. I said no and she looked worried. I didn't see a problem. But once I got in my car and came to the first stoplight, I saw the wisdom of having someone with me...I was "tripping out" a bit from all the drugs. It was a hairy 20-mile ride home.
I walked into our house and scared poor Rebecca because of the needles still in my arm. John and Rebecca and I had a quiet evening at home and I went to bed early.
Friday, January 17 John had taken the morning off so he could be with me. Judy came again to be with Rebecca, and we headed for the hospital. Same routine...I changed into a gown and got into the bed. John and I visited for awhile, talked about what the baby's middle name would be but didn't decided on one, and took walks down the halls and talked to my nurse...she turned up my dose of pitocin to speed things along. She recommended getting an epidural which I didn't really want, but after I went through about 2 hours of painful contractions, I agreed. Still no progress.
I felt a lot better having the epidural, and napped for awhile. When I woke up John told me he was going to go across the street to look into getting a cell phone (we didn't have one at the time). Just then, my water broke. The nurse came in and told John he wouldn't be going anywhere, we were going to have a baby that day. That was exciting and I kept giggling at everything.
At around 2:15 I felt a huge squeeze of pressure, but no pain thanks to the epidural. Also felt fluid gushing out. Thought nothing of it.
I kept my eye on the monitor right beside my bed and watched the baby's heart rate. I started to get worried when I saw the heart rate go from 110 down to 55, to 83, down again to 60...and on and on. I asked the nurse why it was doing that and she brushed off my concerns by saying it was normal...she basically told me not to ask questions. Later I found out that she'd been in a hurry to finish her shift and didn't want complications. She had a 5-day break coming and was looking forward to it.
At 3:30 there was a shift change. My new nurse, named Mary, checked me first thing to see for herself what was happening, and was shocked to see the bed covered with blood. She was taking it by the handfuls, tossing it into the garbage. She suspected a uterine rupture. Things started happening very quickly after that. She paged a doctor and started prepping me for an emergency c-section. As they wheeled me into the operating room I passed several doctors and nurses and anesthesiologists who'd come to help. I asked them all if my baby would be retarded from lack of oxygen, and I was remembering the wild heartrate. No one could answer that question.
When I got into the operating room at 4:10 p.m. I remember being transferred to a table from my bed. I looked up at the lights above my head and then a nurse covered my mouth and nose with a mask and told me to breathe deep and count backwards from 10. I never got past 8.
I later learned that Joel was born within 6 minutes, at 4:16 p.m. They wasted no time. My uterus had ruptured and the first thing the doctor saw when she cut me open was Joel's little fist sticking out.
I woke up a couple hours later in the recovery room. John had just walked out to go check on Joel but came back when the nurse told him I was waking up. I was extremely groggy and didn't know where I was at first. My throat hurt so bad, and I couldn't talk. John told me it was because they'd had to put a tube down my throat. He held my hands and told me we had a baby boy, which I already knew because we found out before he was born. I asked if he was alive. John said yes, but told me we had both almost died. He asked me if I'd thought of a middle name. I said it would be Timothy, because while I was in labor that name popped into my mind. John agreed on it. He said he was going to be with the baby for awhile and he'd bring a picture back for me.
He brought a Polaroid picture of our baby, a little tiny baby who looked so alone, naked save a diaper, covered in wires with a ventilator tube taped to his nose. I laid there and cried.
I was wheeled back to my hospital room. John had called family to let them know, and Rich and Judy came with Rebecca soon after. Judy looked distraught when she came to hug me. At that point I was feeling okay, not even very worried. John took them to see baby Joel in the NICU. I didn't see him until he was five hours old. I sat there in my wheelchair next to John, and looked at Joel and cried. Joel tried to cry, his mouth was open and his face was red, but no sound came out.
Jim and Nichole came to visit us that evening and I really appreciated their visit.
Saturday, my mom and dad came and brought Jared. Brina and Jerry and the kids came that day too. Last year I was looking at photo albums of Brina's and noticed the lack of pictures from when Joel was born. I asked her where those pictures were, assuming she'd taken some. She said she didn't take any pictures because she was so afraid that Joel would die. She didn't want any reminders. She found it hard to even look at him, and wondered how I could be so calm.
I was amazingly calm, because even though we were worried about the consequences that could have been due to his birth, deep in my heart I knew he'd be just fine. I can only say that God gave me strength through it.
Anyway, John and I finally got to hold Joel on Saturday morning. It was strange to work around all the wires. Thankfully Joel didn't have the ventilator anymore.
I didn't get to nurse Joel until Sunday. That was very hard on me because I was sure that in those two days he'd have gotten used to a bottle. He didn't though.
My mom and Judy took turns babysitting Rebecca so John could be with me. One time when my mom was visiting, I sat in the rocking chair and felt so empty because I didn't have my baby in the room with me. I could only visit him for a little while. But after we saw the other families in the NICU, we felt very lucky. The nurses called Joel the little giant, because he was bigger than most babies there. He was 8 pounds 5 ounces.
I was allowed four days of care with insurance coverage. Joel had to be there an extra day and the nurses told me that I could go home and they'd call me when he needed to be fed. I was so upset by that. I cried so hard. How is that practical, I wondered? To drive 20 miles every time he needed to be fed? They finally said I could stay another night, no charge, but had to be out by 8:00 the next morning.
That day, our 5th in the hospital, I spent sitting in a chair next to Joel's bassinet in the NICU. My ankles were horribly swollen. The nurses were so nice and let me use an empty room to take a much needed nap. I took pictures of them all, and a couple of them cried when John came to pick us up. I did too.
And tomorrow, Joel will be five years old and is perfectly fine. We're so thankful.
I went into the hospital for a full day of pitocin to get my body ready for labor. I left our house at 7:00 on a bitterly cold morning to be to the hospital for my 7:30 start. Grandma Judy stayed with 2 1/2 year-old Rebecca, and John went to work.
The nurse got me all set up in a room, I put on a gown, and the IV was inserted into my left wrist.
I spent the morning walking the halls, dragging my IV stand behind me until that got too boring. Then I napped in bed off and on, enduring periodic checks throughout the day to see how things were progressing. (They weren't progressing...)
I called a few friends (remember, Mindy?) to pass the time. Watched TV for a bit since it's a novelty. I laughed so hard while watching Will and Grace and I still remember what the show was about. I've seen episodes of it since that I was NOT impressed with, but I really enjoyed the one I saw on Jan. 16, 2003. Grace had to get a shot for some reason and she was deathly afraid of needles. Her nurse ended up being a 12-yr-old girl who'd never given shots to people, only practiced on oranges to that point. Grace ran around the room terrified, and finally came out with her entire arm wrapped in gauze and some of it was flapping around behind her when she walked. Maybe this was funny to me because I was also in the hospital getting poked with needles.
At 5:00 p.m. a nurse "unhooked" my IV but left the needle in my wrist because the same procedure was to be repeated the next day. I signed papers to be discharged and the nurse asked if I had anyone to drive me home. I said no and she looked worried. I didn't see a problem. But once I got in my car and came to the first stoplight, I saw the wisdom of having someone with me...I was "tripping out" a bit from all the drugs. It was a hairy 20-mile ride home.
I walked into our house and scared poor Rebecca because of the needles still in my arm. John and Rebecca and I had a quiet evening at home and I went to bed early.
Friday, January 17 John had taken the morning off so he could be with me. Judy came again to be with Rebecca, and we headed for the hospital. Same routine...I changed into a gown and got into the bed. John and I visited for awhile, talked about what the baby's middle name would be but didn't decided on one, and took walks down the halls and talked to my nurse...she turned up my dose of pitocin to speed things along. She recommended getting an epidural which I didn't really want, but after I went through about 2 hours of painful contractions, I agreed. Still no progress.
I felt a lot better having the epidural, and napped for awhile. When I woke up John told me he was going to go across the street to look into getting a cell phone (we didn't have one at the time). Just then, my water broke. The nurse came in and told John he wouldn't be going anywhere, we were going to have a baby that day. That was exciting and I kept giggling at everything.
At around 2:15 I felt a huge squeeze of pressure, but no pain thanks to the epidural. Also felt fluid gushing out. Thought nothing of it.
I kept my eye on the monitor right beside my bed and watched the baby's heart rate. I started to get worried when I saw the heart rate go from 110 down to 55, to 83, down again to 60...and on and on. I asked the nurse why it was doing that and she brushed off my concerns by saying it was normal...she basically told me not to ask questions. Later I found out that she'd been in a hurry to finish her shift and didn't want complications. She had a 5-day break coming and was looking forward to it.
At 3:30 there was a shift change. My new nurse, named Mary, checked me first thing to see for herself what was happening, and was shocked to see the bed covered with blood. She was taking it by the handfuls, tossing it into the garbage. She suspected a uterine rupture. Things started happening very quickly after that. She paged a doctor and started prepping me for an emergency c-section. As they wheeled me into the operating room I passed several doctors and nurses and anesthesiologists who'd come to help. I asked them all if my baby would be retarded from lack of oxygen, and I was remembering the wild heartrate. No one could answer that question.
When I got into the operating room at 4:10 p.m. I remember being transferred to a table from my bed. I looked up at the lights above my head and then a nurse covered my mouth and nose with a mask and told me to breathe deep and count backwards from 10. I never got past 8.
I later learned that Joel was born within 6 minutes, at 4:16 p.m. They wasted no time. My uterus had ruptured and the first thing the doctor saw when she cut me open was Joel's little fist sticking out.
I woke up a couple hours later in the recovery room. John had just walked out to go check on Joel but came back when the nurse told him I was waking up. I was extremely groggy and didn't know where I was at first. My throat hurt so bad, and I couldn't talk. John told me it was because they'd had to put a tube down my throat. He held my hands and told me we had a baby boy, which I already knew because we found out before he was born. I asked if he was alive. John said yes, but told me we had both almost died. He asked me if I'd thought of a middle name. I said it would be Timothy, because while I was in labor that name popped into my mind. John agreed on it. He said he was going to be with the baby for awhile and he'd bring a picture back for me.
He brought a Polaroid picture of our baby, a little tiny baby who looked so alone, naked save a diaper, covered in wires with a ventilator tube taped to his nose. I laid there and cried.
I was wheeled back to my hospital room. John had called family to let them know, and Rich and Judy came with Rebecca soon after. Judy looked distraught when she came to hug me. At that point I was feeling okay, not even very worried. John took them to see baby Joel in the NICU. I didn't see him until he was five hours old. I sat there in my wheelchair next to John, and looked at Joel and cried. Joel tried to cry, his mouth was open and his face was red, but no sound came out.
Jim and Nichole came to visit us that evening and I really appreciated their visit.
Saturday, my mom and dad came and brought Jared. Brina and Jerry and the kids came that day too. Last year I was looking at photo albums of Brina's and noticed the lack of pictures from when Joel was born. I asked her where those pictures were, assuming she'd taken some. She said she didn't take any pictures because she was so afraid that Joel would die. She didn't want any reminders. She found it hard to even look at him, and wondered how I could be so calm.
I was amazingly calm, because even though we were worried about the consequences that could have been due to his birth, deep in my heart I knew he'd be just fine. I can only say that God gave me strength through it.
Anyway, John and I finally got to hold Joel on Saturday morning. It was strange to work around all the wires. Thankfully Joel didn't have the ventilator anymore.
I didn't get to nurse Joel until Sunday. That was very hard on me because I was sure that in those two days he'd have gotten used to a bottle. He didn't though.
My mom and Judy took turns babysitting Rebecca so John could be with me. One time when my mom was visiting, I sat in the rocking chair and felt so empty because I didn't have my baby in the room with me. I could only visit him for a little while. But after we saw the other families in the NICU, we felt very lucky. The nurses called Joel the little giant, because he was bigger than most babies there. He was 8 pounds 5 ounces.
I was allowed four days of care with insurance coverage. Joel had to be there an extra day and the nurses told me that I could go home and they'd call me when he needed to be fed. I was so upset by that. I cried so hard. How is that practical, I wondered? To drive 20 miles every time he needed to be fed? They finally said I could stay another night, no charge, but had to be out by 8:00 the next morning.
That day, our 5th in the hospital, I spent sitting in a chair next to Joel's bassinet in the NICU. My ankles were horribly swollen. The nurses were so nice and let me use an empty room to take a much needed nap. I took pictures of them all, and a couple of them cried when John came to pick us up. I did too.
And tomorrow, Joel will be five years old and is perfectly fine. We're so thankful.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Good news, bad news
The good news is, my dad got a good report today at Mayo. The bad news is, they hit a deer on the way to the clinic early this morning. Thank goodness that was the worst news. Neither of them was hurt, but the deer won't be bothering anyone else. The car was damaged, both airbags deployed.
100 More Random Thoughts
My last 100 thoughts just didn't cut it. I have so many more to share. So here you go:
1. When we discovered that Joel has allergies he was 1 year old. I was distraught, and called every place in town that I thought might be able to "cure" him. When I found out there's not really a cure for food allergies, I cried.
2. I still get frustrated when I think about other families who can cook/bake however they want and don't have to worry about substituting eggs with applesauce or milk with water or rice milk, or not adding almonds to anything...and worrying that the substitutions will ruin the final product.
3. He's also allergic to peanuts. I worry about how Kindergarten will be...he won't be able to eat a lot of the snacks kids bring in, and I'll have to make his lunch everyday, and I'll have to really drill it into him that he can't have anything without checking with the teacher first, and I'll have to trust that the teacher won't make a mistake.
4. He's mildly allergic to wheat. I try to cut back on how much he eats, but I'm not as good about it as I should be.
5. I've moved 16 times, in two states.
6. My dad was not in the military. He worked for the telephone company.
7. I'm glad we moved so much. I know people in every corner of two states.
8. When we go to my "home" convention, I'm either related to or went to meeting at some point with over half the people there.
9. Meetings we went to over the years: Richard and Veda's, Irv and Elaine's, John and Doris', Curt and Cindy's, Arlan and June's, Roger and Diane's, Orville and Alma's, our house, George and Marilyn's, Rose and Harold's, Irv and Elaine's again after we got married, Murl's, Rich and Judy's, Al and Muriel's.
10. I love dairy products. Especially cheese lately. Feta and parmesan are my favorites.
11. We drink four gallons of milk a week. Not counting what Joel drinks--he has rice milk.
12. My house feels like a disaster right now. The boys love to take a toy box and dump the entire thing to look for one little toy. Then they leave it and move on to the next activity.
13. My boys love all things cowboy.
14. I often find myself referring to our kids as "my" kids. As if John had nothing to do with it.
15. I've had several miscarriages. Most of them were quite early.
16. I miscarried one at 10 weeks. I was devastated and was sure that ever after I wouldn't be able to carry full-term.
17. Rebecca was 10 days overdue. At that point I was sure I'd be the only woman to ever be pregnant forever. I was ready to donate myself to the Science Museum for studies.
18. When we got married, I weighed 131. The day I delivered Rebecca I was 174 (yikes!). Four months later, I was 111. Now I'm holding steady at 117.
19. People who lie about their age really really irritate me. You are what you are, and nothing will change that, except to make you even older. I'm proud to say I'm 30 (maybe you've noticed?!) and I hope that when I'm even older I'll not be ashamed to say it.
20. When I had my 10th birthday, I actually felt older. By the time I was 11, birthdays weren't quite as much of a big deal because I was more grown-up...*sigh* Just another year older.
21. After I turned 10, I'd write "Jenny-age 10" on all my school papers.
22. Whenever we played 7-up in 5th grade, I'd cheat and peak out from under my crossed arms to see who's shoes passed me by.
23. I wanted to be friends with a stuck-up girl named Lena in 5th grade. I even wrote her letters and asked if I could sit next to her and her group at lunchtime. Pathetic. They were the popular group.
24. I was ashamed to be seen with people who weren't considered to be popular in high school because I didn't want anyone to think less of me than they already did. Now I'm ashamed that I was ever ashamed of what people thought.
25. When I graduated from High School I thought the next step would be to immediately move out. My dad knew what would await me in the big unfriendly world though, and convinced me to stay at home. He told me I wouldn't have to pay utilites or food or rent, and I could come and go as I pleased. I didn't abuse that.
26. When Erin and Julie and Andrea came to town looking for an apartment, I went along to help. Somehow, they started out looking for a 3-bedroom and ended up getting a 4-bedroom so I could live with them too.
27. I was afraid my mom and dad would be mad at me for signing a lease without their permission. They weren't, but why would they be? I was 19.
28. I was a terrible money-manager. I worked at a bank as a teller in the drive-up. I never balanced my checkbook because I had a line-of-credit for $1200. I was constantly getting notices that my LOC kicked another $300 into my account. All at only 18% interest. What a great deal.
29. When John and I got engaged I'd used my entire LOC. I was determined not to bring that debt into our marriage, so I wrote up a budget for myself. By the time we got married, I had $900 in savings.
30. One time I had to borrow $300 from my roommate. That was extremely humbling. I was so glad to pay her back.
31. John is an excellent money-manager. I keep my hands off, or who knows where we'd be?
32. Sometimes I get an idea in my head about something I have to have or have to do, and I'm not going to be satisfied until I do it or have it. Afterwards I always think, "Now why was that so important?"
33. When Rebecca was born I always rocked her to sleep. Many people warned me about it...that I shouldn't continue in that because she needed to learn to fall asleep on her own. I ignored them, even scoffed at them inwardly. I thought, "For goodness' sakes, it's not as if I'll be rocking her when she's three." By the time she was 2 1/2, I was frantic because I was 7 months pregnant and I was still rocking her. I realized that some people had more experience and I didn't know it all.
34. I finally read the book "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems" by Dr. Richard Ferber. It's excellent. I'd recommend it to anyone.
35. John was skeptical...he didn't think we could "cure" her of wanting to rock just because I'd read a book about it. I told him to be quiet and sleep somewhere else and leave it to me. The first night, she screamed until 5:00 a.m. I'm not kidding. I was screaming too. John had ear-plugs in and was sleeping upstairs, and still he could hear us.
36. The second night, she screamed for about 2 hours.
37. The third night, she fell asleep after 10 minutes. And ever after, she's been a great sleeper.
38. When Joel was born and we brought him home, he was such an easy-going baby. We'd always thought Rebecca was a pretty good baby. Joel made her look like an extremely hard baby.
39. Even when he was really really itchy, he smiled. He hardly ever cried. If he did, we knew something was really wrong.
40. Sometimes Joel would wake up and just need his head scratched. That was all it took to make him fall asleep again.
41. We went through countless tubes of hydrocortisone. I try not to use that anymore.
42. One time John and I had a beta fish that I was constantly forgetting to feed. I came home from work one day at lunchtime and noticed that the poor fish was swimming sideways and looked like he had an awful time breathing. That day, I was glad to go back to work so I wouldn't have to watch the fish suffer. When I got home that evening, he'd died.
43. When I was a roommate I had a small tank with several little fish in it. I must have forgotten to put the cover on the top one night. In the morning I stepped on one of my fish. I screamed and screamed.
44. Before that, we were in our first appartment, packing up to move to our next place. Same fish tank, different fish. I had some store-bought fish and one that I'd gotten from the river behind Rose and Harold's house. He was maybe a dogfish? Anyway, in the middle of packing boxes I looked over at my fishies and noticed that the horrible dogfish was eating one of the smaller ones. Little fishy was sideways in dogfish's mouth. I banged on the glass and screamed at it to let it go. He finally spit Little fishy out, but Little fishy was never the same. He swam in a circle forever after.
45. I don't really want anymore fish.
46. My little brother Jared used to call me "Ferfer" because he couldn't say Jennifer.
47. I was about three years old and I'd gotten in trouble for something. Mom sent me to my room and I stewed and fumed on my bed. I got so mad I wanted to call my mom a bad name. I finally came up with "You, you CHICKEN!"
48. When I was 12 years old I drove the tractor when we baled hay on the farm. Uncle Lorin was always beside me to guide me.
49. I must have been so good at it, he let me rake the hay across the road, all by myself. Remember, I was 12. Driving a huge old tractor. With no one watching. I shudder to think of what could've happened.
50. I was pretty immature until I was about 15.
51. My older brother and sister didn't want me to be included in local get-togethers and gatherings. I always had hurt feelings about that, but now I don't blame them. I was a brat.
52. Pink-eye was going around school. Lee and Brina both got it and I felt left out. Those eye drops looked really cool. So I put my finger near Lee's eye and rubbed it on my own. What d'ya know, I had pink-eye within a day.
53. I always secretly wanted to break my leg so I could have a cast that people would autograph. I don't dream about that anymore.
54. I always wanted glasses and braces. I ended up getting both and realized what a pain they both are.
55. Before I got braces I had to have a retainer to spread my teeth apart. I had a little key to make the appliance bigger and bigger every five days. I couldn't talk very well and I was supposed to brush it after lunch everyday. I quit doing that after a popular girl walked into the bathroom while I was brushing it.
56. A great big girl in French class always made fun of the way I talked when I had the retainer in.
57. Funny thing about that: she was so strange looking that the first day I started at that school I had to ask someone if she was a girl or a boy. Honestly. And I never teased her. Probably because she'd have beaten me up.
58. In the crowded hallways, one boy thought it was hilarious to shout "Hey Ogre!" At me. So humiliating.
59. This was in 10th grade. Amazing how cruel kids can be.
60. I still get nervous when I go into a high school.
61. In 12th grade I had foreign exchange student friends. Their names were Petra from Austria, Anyeshka from Poland, and Lisa from Germany.
62. My dad was wonderful for making me feel better about myself. One day he told me that he watched me with a group of girls at convention. He said I was the prettiest girl there. I think he was biased, but I appreciated it anyway.
63. I often have a hard time expressing myself in conversation. Writing is much easier for me. Just like Shannon said.
64. I've always been pretty good at writing and grammer and spelling, but I can't get the hang of when to use lay as opposed to lie. And why does it matter?
65. In 8th grade I won a spelling contest. I spelled 7 out of 10 words right. In the school-wide contest that I had to do in front of everyone I was so nervous that I spelled 3 out of 10 words right.
66. I hate public speaking.
67. It's really irritating to me when people have "secret family recipes" that they won't share. How absolutely stupid. I love sharing recipes. It's rewarding. I'm flattered when someone likes something I've made so much that they want the recipe.
68. I've always had a sensitive head and screamed everytime my mom brushed my hair. I'm sure she breathed a sigh of relief when I started doing it myself everyday. Now I have a daughter with a sensitive head. I tell her I hope she has a girl just like her someday so she will find out how frustrating it is. I think my mom giggles a bit.
69. I do not like "over the hill" parties or gifts. What a waste of money.
70. We get the Sunday newspaper and sometimes I don't get to read it until Thursday.
71. I spend too much time on the computer. I need to cut back.
72. None of our kids looks like me. I think I must have recessive genes. They're all more like their dad. So much so that even when they're not right next to us at convention, people know who they belong to. This is not always a good thing, as sometimes I really don't want to admit that the child having a tantrum is, indeed, ours.
73. I used to keep a journal. When I read it now I'm embarrased for myself.
74. In 5th grade I had terrible handwriting because I was lazy. My mom insisted I redo my homework one night and try harder at writing. It's been greatly improved since.
75. Also in 5th grade, one time I didn't brush my teeth for over a week.
76. We took a trip to Texas and Dad gave us each $20 spending money. I spent all mine on a turquoise sundress that I wore every day of the trip and for the rest of the summer.
77. I didn't have a bath or shower the entire time we were gone to Texas--10 days. We swam a lot in chlorinated pools and once in the salty Gulf of Mexico. Does that count?
78. It was cloudy when we were at the Gulf. I thought that meant I didn't need sunscreen. My mom tried to get me to put some on but I refused. I got the worst sunburn of my life.
79. My Grandpa used to sing a song to me: "She's got freckles on her BUT(T) she is pretty..."
80. Someday I'd like to live in the country and have 5 or more acres.
81. Right now we have 1/2 acre, which seemed like a lot compared to the little city lot we came from, but it's not enough for a 95-pound dog who needs lots of room to run.
82. In our first house we painted all the walls off-white. In every room. John likes it, but I got sick of it in an awful hurry. I finally convinced him that I wanted to paint our bathroom midnight blue. He wasn't so sure about it but he did it for me. After that he didn't question my paint-color choices.
83. Almost every room in our current house is a different color and I love it. I just have to paint our guest room someday, and the downstairs bathroom needs some work.
84. John used to paint for a living when he and his brothers were in college. So he doesn't get real excited to do anymore painting just to decorate. I finally realized after 6 years of waiting that if I wanted it painted I'd have to do it myself. I'm not quite as much as a perfectionist as John is though, so some places look a bit boogery.
85. My first car was a Mercury Lynx. I came home from school and saw it in the driveway. My mom and dad had bought it for me.
86. My second car was a baby-blue Dodge Omni from Uncle Delmar. It served me well, until I'd try to brake and the car would quit.
87. Then I bought a 1994 Pontiac Sunbird in 1995. I thought I was really something.
88. I've had several jobs. My first was at McDonald's. Then I went to Electric Avenue and More, and then had some temporary positions through Kelly Services. I got fired from Century Telephone because I had a bad attitude. My dad picked me up from work that day (we carpooled) and I was so nervous to tell him. When I did though he was so gentle, and comforted me all the way home while I cried.
89. I think people will never see me the same after reading this and I don't know if that's a good thing.
90. Only 10 left...
91. I have a slight headache right now. I get them often, and not much makes them go away.
92. It's not debilitating, just annoying.
93. Someday I'd like to travel to a foreign country. Like France or England or Ireland.
94. I think we'll stay away from Iraq and other unfriendly places.
95. I don't really care for character clothing unless it's understated and tasteful for kids. But I can't stand it when adults, namely women, wear Winnie-the-Pooh sweatshirts and such. I think it's tacky.
96. Some days my patience impresses even me. Other days little things set me off right away.
97. John and I are going to Chicago in March. Alone.
98. It'll be my first time away from the kids for more than one night. We'll be gone three nights.
99. My poor sister gets to babysit.
100. I'm done. I'm sure no one wanted to know quite this much.
1. When we discovered that Joel has allergies he was 1 year old. I was distraught, and called every place in town that I thought might be able to "cure" him. When I found out there's not really a cure for food allergies, I cried.
2. I still get frustrated when I think about other families who can cook/bake however they want and don't have to worry about substituting eggs with applesauce or milk with water or rice milk, or not adding almonds to anything...and worrying that the substitutions will ruin the final product.
3. He's also allergic to peanuts. I worry about how Kindergarten will be...he won't be able to eat a lot of the snacks kids bring in, and I'll have to make his lunch everyday, and I'll have to really drill it into him that he can't have anything without checking with the teacher first, and I'll have to trust that the teacher won't make a mistake.
4. He's mildly allergic to wheat. I try to cut back on how much he eats, but I'm not as good about it as I should be.
5. I've moved 16 times, in two states.
6. My dad was not in the military. He worked for the telephone company.
7. I'm glad we moved so much. I know people in every corner of two states.
8. When we go to my "home" convention, I'm either related to or went to meeting at some point with over half the people there.
9. Meetings we went to over the years: Richard and Veda's, Irv and Elaine's, John and Doris', Curt and Cindy's, Arlan and June's, Roger and Diane's, Orville and Alma's, our house, George and Marilyn's, Rose and Harold's, Irv and Elaine's again after we got married, Murl's, Rich and Judy's, Al and Muriel's.
10. I love dairy products. Especially cheese lately. Feta and parmesan are my favorites.
11. We drink four gallons of milk a week. Not counting what Joel drinks--he has rice milk.
12. My house feels like a disaster right now. The boys love to take a toy box and dump the entire thing to look for one little toy. Then they leave it and move on to the next activity.
13. My boys love all things cowboy.
14. I often find myself referring to our kids as "my" kids. As if John had nothing to do with it.
15. I've had several miscarriages. Most of them were quite early.
16. I miscarried one at 10 weeks. I was devastated and was sure that ever after I wouldn't be able to carry full-term.
17. Rebecca was 10 days overdue. At that point I was sure I'd be the only woman to ever be pregnant forever. I was ready to donate myself to the Science Museum for studies.
18. When we got married, I weighed 131. The day I delivered Rebecca I was 174 (yikes!). Four months later, I was 111. Now I'm holding steady at 117.
19. People who lie about their age really really irritate me. You are what you are, and nothing will change that, except to make you even older. I'm proud to say I'm 30 (maybe you've noticed?!) and I hope that when I'm even older I'll not be ashamed to say it.
20. When I had my 10th birthday, I actually felt older. By the time I was 11, birthdays weren't quite as much of a big deal because I was more grown-up...*sigh* Just another year older.
21. After I turned 10, I'd write "Jenny-age 10" on all my school papers.
22. Whenever we played 7-up in 5th grade, I'd cheat and peak out from under my crossed arms to see who's shoes passed me by.
23. I wanted to be friends with a stuck-up girl named Lena in 5th grade. I even wrote her letters and asked if I could sit next to her and her group at lunchtime. Pathetic. They were the popular group.
24. I was ashamed to be seen with people who weren't considered to be popular in high school because I didn't want anyone to think less of me than they already did. Now I'm ashamed that I was ever ashamed of what people thought.
25. When I graduated from High School I thought the next step would be to immediately move out. My dad knew what would await me in the big unfriendly world though, and convinced me to stay at home. He told me I wouldn't have to pay utilites or food or rent, and I could come and go as I pleased. I didn't abuse that.
26. When Erin and Julie and Andrea came to town looking for an apartment, I went along to help. Somehow, they started out looking for a 3-bedroom and ended up getting a 4-bedroom so I could live with them too.
27. I was afraid my mom and dad would be mad at me for signing a lease without their permission. They weren't, but why would they be? I was 19.
28. I was a terrible money-manager. I worked at a bank as a teller in the drive-up. I never balanced my checkbook because I had a line-of-credit for $1200. I was constantly getting notices that my LOC kicked another $300 into my account. All at only 18% interest. What a great deal.
29. When John and I got engaged I'd used my entire LOC. I was determined not to bring that debt into our marriage, so I wrote up a budget for myself. By the time we got married, I had $900 in savings.
30. One time I had to borrow $300 from my roommate. That was extremely humbling. I was so glad to pay her back.
31. John is an excellent money-manager. I keep my hands off, or who knows where we'd be?
32. Sometimes I get an idea in my head about something I have to have or have to do, and I'm not going to be satisfied until I do it or have it. Afterwards I always think, "Now why was that so important?"
33. When Rebecca was born I always rocked her to sleep. Many people warned me about it...that I shouldn't continue in that because she needed to learn to fall asleep on her own. I ignored them, even scoffed at them inwardly. I thought, "For goodness' sakes, it's not as if I'll be rocking her when she's three." By the time she was 2 1/2, I was frantic because I was 7 months pregnant and I was still rocking her. I realized that some people had more experience and I didn't know it all.
34. I finally read the book "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems" by Dr. Richard Ferber. It's excellent. I'd recommend it to anyone.
35. John was skeptical...he didn't think we could "cure" her of wanting to rock just because I'd read a book about it. I told him to be quiet and sleep somewhere else and leave it to me. The first night, she screamed until 5:00 a.m. I'm not kidding. I was screaming too. John had ear-plugs in and was sleeping upstairs, and still he could hear us.
36. The second night, she screamed for about 2 hours.
37. The third night, she fell asleep after 10 minutes. And ever after, she's been a great sleeper.
38. When Joel was born and we brought him home, he was such an easy-going baby. We'd always thought Rebecca was a pretty good baby. Joel made her look like an extremely hard baby.
39. Even when he was really really itchy, he smiled. He hardly ever cried. If he did, we knew something was really wrong.
40. Sometimes Joel would wake up and just need his head scratched. That was all it took to make him fall asleep again.
41. We went through countless tubes of hydrocortisone. I try not to use that anymore.
42. One time John and I had a beta fish that I was constantly forgetting to feed. I came home from work one day at lunchtime and noticed that the poor fish was swimming sideways and looked like he had an awful time breathing. That day, I was glad to go back to work so I wouldn't have to watch the fish suffer. When I got home that evening, he'd died.
43. When I was a roommate I had a small tank with several little fish in it. I must have forgotten to put the cover on the top one night. In the morning I stepped on one of my fish. I screamed and screamed.
44. Before that, we were in our first appartment, packing up to move to our next place. Same fish tank, different fish. I had some store-bought fish and one that I'd gotten from the river behind Rose and Harold's house. He was maybe a dogfish? Anyway, in the middle of packing boxes I looked over at my fishies and noticed that the horrible dogfish was eating one of the smaller ones. Little fishy was sideways in dogfish's mouth. I banged on the glass and screamed at it to let it go. He finally spit Little fishy out, but Little fishy was never the same. He swam in a circle forever after.
45. I don't really want anymore fish.
46. My little brother Jared used to call me "Ferfer" because he couldn't say Jennifer.
47. I was about three years old and I'd gotten in trouble for something. Mom sent me to my room and I stewed and fumed on my bed. I got so mad I wanted to call my mom a bad name. I finally came up with "You, you CHICKEN!"
48. When I was 12 years old I drove the tractor when we baled hay on the farm. Uncle Lorin was always beside me to guide me.
49. I must have been so good at it, he let me rake the hay across the road, all by myself. Remember, I was 12. Driving a huge old tractor. With no one watching. I shudder to think of what could've happened.
50. I was pretty immature until I was about 15.
51. My older brother and sister didn't want me to be included in local get-togethers and gatherings. I always had hurt feelings about that, but now I don't blame them. I was a brat.
52. Pink-eye was going around school. Lee and Brina both got it and I felt left out. Those eye drops looked really cool. So I put my finger near Lee's eye and rubbed it on my own. What d'ya know, I had pink-eye within a day.
53. I always secretly wanted to break my leg so I could have a cast that people would autograph. I don't dream about that anymore.
54. I always wanted glasses and braces. I ended up getting both and realized what a pain they both are.
55. Before I got braces I had to have a retainer to spread my teeth apart. I had a little key to make the appliance bigger and bigger every five days. I couldn't talk very well and I was supposed to brush it after lunch everyday. I quit doing that after a popular girl walked into the bathroom while I was brushing it.
56. A great big girl in French class always made fun of the way I talked when I had the retainer in.
57. Funny thing about that: she was so strange looking that the first day I started at that school I had to ask someone if she was a girl or a boy. Honestly. And I never teased her. Probably because she'd have beaten me up.
58. In the crowded hallways, one boy thought it was hilarious to shout "Hey Ogre!" At me. So humiliating.
59. This was in 10th grade. Amazing how cruel kids can be.
60. I still get nervous when I go into a high school.
61. In 12th grade I had foreign exchange student friends. Their names were Petra from Austria, Anyeshka from Poland, and Lisa from Germany.
62. My dad was wonderful for making me feel better about myself. One day he told me that he watched me with a group of girls at convention. He said I was the prettiest girl there. I think he was biased, but I appreciated it anyway.
63. I often have a hard time expressing myself in conversation. Writing is much easier for me. Just like Shannon said.
64. I've always been pretty good at writing and grammer and spelling, but I can't get the hang of when to use lay as opposed to lie. And why does it matter?
65. In 8th grade I won a spelling contest. I spelled 7 out of 10 words right. In the school-wide contest that I had to do in front of everyone I was so nervous that I spelled 3 out of 10 words right.
66. I hate public speaking.
67. It's really irritating to me when people have "secret family recipes" that they won't share. How absolutely stupid. I love sharing recipes. It's rewarding. I'm flattered when someone likes something I've made so much that they want the recipe.
68. I've always had a sensitive head and screamed everytime my mom brushed my hair. I'm sure she breathed a sigh of relief when I started doing it myself everyday. Now I have a daughter with a sensitive head. I tell her I hope she has a girl just like her someday so she will find out how frustrating it is. I think my mom giggles a bit.
69. I do not like "over the hill" parties or gifts. What a waste of money.
70. We get the Sunday newspaper and sometimes I don't get to read it until Thursday.
71. I spend too much time on the computer. I need to cut back.
72. None of our kids looks like me. I think I must have recessive genes. They're all more like their dad. So much so that even when they're not right next to us at convention, people know who they belong to. This is not always a good thing, as sometimes I really don't want to admit that the child having a tantrum is, indeed, ours.
73. I used to keep a journal. When I read it now I'm embarrased for myself.
74. In 5th grade I had terrible handwriting because I was lazy. My mom insisted I redo my homework one night and try harder at writing. It's been greatly improved since.
75. Also in 5th grade, one time I didn't brush my teeth for over a week.
76. We took a trip to Texas and Dad gave us each $20 spending money. I spent all mine on a turquoise sundress that I wore every day of the trip and for the rest of the summer.
77. I didn't have a bath or shower the entire time we were gone to Texas--10 days. We swam a lot in chlorinated pools and once in the salty Gulf of Mexico. Does that count?
78. It was cloudy when we were at the Gulf. I thought that meant I didn't need sunscreen. My mom tried to get me to put some on but I refused. I got the worst sunburn of my life.
79. My Grandpa used to sing a song to me: "She's got freckles on her BUT(T) she is pretty..."
80. Someday I'd like to live in the country and have 5 or more acres.
81. Right now we have 1/2 acre, which seemed like a lot compared to the little city lot we came from, but it's not enough for a 95-pound dog who needs lots of room to run.
82. In our first house we painted all the walls off-white. In every room. John likes it, but I got sick of it in an awful hurry. I finally convinced him that I wanted to paint our bathroom midnight blue. He wasn't so sure about it but he did it for me. After that he didn't question my paint-color choices.
83. Almost every room in our current house is a different color and I love it. I just have to paint our guest room someday, and the downstairs bathroom needs some work.
84. John used to paint for a living when he and his brothers were in college. So he doesn't get real excited to do anymore painting just to decorate. I finally realized after 6 years of waiting that if I wanted it painted I'd have to do it myself. I'm not quite as much as a perfectionist as John is though, so some places look a bit boogery.
85. My first car was a Mercury Lynx. I came home from school and saw it in the driveway. My mom and dad had bought it for me.
86. My second car was a baby-blue Dodge Omni from Uncle Delmar. It served me well, until I'd try to brake and the car would quit.
87. Then I bought a 1994 Pontiac Sunbird in 1995. I thought I was really something.
88. I've had several jobs. My first was at McDonald's. Then I went to Electric Avenue and More, and then had some temporary positions through Kelly Services. I got fired from Century Telephone because I had a bad attitude. My dad picked me up from work that day (we carpooled) and I was so nervous to tell him. When I did though he was so gentle, and comforted me all the way home while I cried.
89. I think people will never see me the same after reading this and I don't know if that's a good thing.
90. Only 10 left...
91. I have a slight headache right now. I get them often, and not much makes them go away.
92. It's not debilitating, just annoying.
93. Someday I'd like to travel to a foreign country. Like France or England or Ireland.
94. I think we'll stay away from Iraq and other unfriendly places.
95. I don't really care for character clothing unless it's understated and tasteful for kids. But I can't stand it when adults, namely women, wear Winnie-the-Pooh sweatshirts and such. I think it's tacky.
96. Some days my patience impresses even me. Other days little things set me off right away.
97. John and I are going to Chicago in March. Alone.
98. It'll be my first time away from the kids for more than one night. We'll be gone three nights.
99. My poor sister gets to babysit.
100. I'm done. I'm sure no one wanted to know quite this much.
Fine, then
Sunday morning on the way to meeting Clayton was being a little stinker. He was whining and whining and driving us NUTS. John told him loudly that we'd heard enough, and be quiet now. Clayton was quiet for a second, and then he sulkily said, "Fine then. When I get big? I'm gonna get a toy and you can't play with it. It's gonna be a motorcycle. I'm gonna race and I'm gonna be the winner. Not you." So there.
Monday, January 14, 2008
100 Random Thoughts
I decided to join the small bandwagon and see if I could come up with 100 things about me, or about us. It may bore you to tears, in which case maybe you shouldn't read it. Or maybe you'll find me extremely interesting. I doubt that...but some things might be slightly revealing.
1. I hate mealtimes. I say this first because it happens to be lunchtime here. I fed all the kids and they ate like horses, and now Joel says he wants more. Where does he put it all?
2. I like to cook for people who appreciate it. My kids don't count. They don't appreciate it.
3. My mind is blanking out and I'm only on #3. Oh dear.
4. I was smart once. I got 104% in Chemistry in 11th grade.
5. I could do more than just change diapers and wipe noses, once.
6. I'm 30 years old and inside I feel like I'm 22.
7. I don't feel smart enough to raise 3 kids.
8. Some days, I'm sure they're smarter than I am.
9. My husband is a triplet, and I think that's neat.
10. My sister is married to one of the other triplets. I think that's extra neat.
11. After years of bickering with her, now my sister is one of my best friends. I love to call her and talk about nothing.
12. I hate to dust. Hate it.
13. If you notice when you come here, be polite and don't say anything about it.
14. I'm trying to lean more towards the natural side of health and healing, instead of relying on a traditional painkiller or antibiotics.
15. My skills were put to the test last night: Joel woke up screaming and said he had an ear ache. I used oils on it and this morning he's fine.
16. Rebecca has another bug of some kind today. Not sure yet what it is, which makes it hard to treat.
17. Joel will be 5 years old on Thursday. I can't believe it.
18. The day he was born, he and I both almost died. I'm sure most have heard the horrible story.
19. I'm glad we didn't.
20. I hate math. It makes my head feel thick.
21. Someday I'd like to be a nurse.
22. Then again, maybe I wouldn't. I don't want to be too busy after my kids are all in school. I want to be here for them.
23. I get hurt feelings easily.
24. I'm a very sensitive person.
25. I take a lot of things personally.
26. I can't even call the insurance company to dispute a medical bill without dissolving into tears. It's embarrasing.
27. I like to think that means I have a soft heart.
28. I rarely buy things at full price, and yet I try not to be "cheap."
29. Sometimes that's hard though.
30. I have a terrible time trying not to be jealous of someone that I perceive as having more than I do.
31. I'm working on that.
32. When we first got married, I decorated our house with miscellanious wedding gifts, whether or not they actually coordinated.
33. It was awful.
34. I was proud of it.
35. One day we had Craig and Mindy over for the first time and I was so pleased with the new toaster cover and matching curtains I'd made. I'm extremely embarrased about that now. Every time I think about it, I can feel myself turning red. Come on, a toaster cover??
36. I'm developing my own style after almost 10 years of marriage.
37. I'm happy with it.
38. Every once in awhile I like to throw out or get rid of "junk."
39. I love that light feeling.
40. I have a tendency to want to keep things for a day that I might need them again.
41. John has helped me get over that, slowly.
42. I love our fellowship meetings.
43. Sometimes life seems too big, with too many things happening all at once and I feel like I can't handle it. That's when I'm especially grateful for prayer.
44. My kids are not picky eaters, for the most part.
45. I can't stand it when I come across kids who won't eat anything except macaroni and cheese and marshmallows.
46. There's no excuse for having picky kids. That means the parents are picky too.
47. Thank goodness John will eat anything I set before him and say how good it is, even if it's not that good.
48. All I ever wanted to be was a mom. Now I am one, and no one told me how hard it would be.
49. In 6th grade, I wanted 10 kids.
50. In 8th grade, I was down to wanting 6.
51. When we got married, I was sure I'd have 4.
52. I have three. That's plenty.
53. Whenever I hold a newborn, I have an overwhelming longing to have another baby. Good thing it's not possible.
54. I love the baby stage.
55. I'm not so good at the stage where they start getting their own ideas about how things should be.
56. I hope our kids turn out in spite of all the mistakes we're making.
57. Laundry at my house magically reproduces like rabbits. It's not as cute though.
58. Sometimes when I'm alone in the car, I like to turn on the radio so loud that it rattles the windows. Just for a minute.
59. When am I ever alone in the car?
60. I'm thankful that I had the wonderful opportunity to grow up in Truth.
61. Sometimes I am so overcome with love, I get tears.
62. My kids are especially cute when they're sleeping.
63. Clayton still sucks his bottom lip when he's sleeping. I love that.
64. I check my e-mail at least once every weekday. It's my way of being connected, since I spend my days largely in the confines of our home.
65. I like to talk on the phone. I have a feeling I could out-talk most people, that most people have better things to do.
66. It takes a real effort for me to be the first one to say hi to someone I don't know well.
67. I went to California to visit my brother Lee back in 1994 and we went to Mountain Ranch. Except Lee couldn't be there until Friday night. Thursday and Friday were torture for me, because I knew NO one. I laid on my bunk between meetings and felt sorry for myself. One time I decided to overcome my shyness and go out and say hi to people. I stepped out the door of the bunks, saw the massive crowd on the lawn, and immediately turned back around and laid down on my bunk.
68. That same trip, Lee taught me that when someone compliments me, even if I think differently, all I need to say is Thank you. I'm still grateful for that little lesson.
69. Reading is one of my favorite pastimes. I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. It was splendid. One of the best books I've ever read, and I've read thousands of books.
70. I also read his first book, The Kite Runner. It was wonderful.
71. I was on the waiting list for months, maybe even almost a year, before I finally got A Thousand Splendid Suns. Now I know why.
72. Last year I had a garden for the first time at this house.
73. I was nervous about it because I didn't know if I could keep it up.
74. I discovered that I do have some of my mom's green thumb...it was just hiding.
75. Last summer I went out several times a day just to pull more weeds. It was wonderful.
76. I doubled the size of the garden for next year.
77. Our garden is in our front yard. Sort of strange...but that's the only place we have sunlight for more than 4 hours straight.
78. Our yard has lots of tall old trees.
79. They're nice for shade, but a curse in the fall.
80. My husband is a skeptic. I am gullible.
81. I wish we were both more in the middle.
82. I blog hop a lot.
83. I keep up with people I met way back when, but don't know now.
84. Someday I'd like to get into photography.
85. All I need to do is save up $1000 to buy a better camera.
86. I have $4 now.
87. I wish stay-at-home moms got paid for staying home.
88. I don't like to snowmobile, really. I only go because John loves it, and I get to be with him.
89. When I was born, the creative gene passed me by.
90. I'll admit it, I have always wanted to be like my sister.
91. I used to lock myself in our bedroom and read her private letters.
92. I used to copy her in everything: from clothes she wore to drawings she'd do.
93. When I married John, it was not because I wanted to copy her in yet another thing.
94. When Jerry and Brina were dating, my dad made a comment one night at supper about how pleased he was with it and said she couldn't find a nicer guy. I was 14 at the time and thought, "Hey. If she got the nicest guy, what does that leave for me?" Funny that I ended up marrying Jerry's triplet.
95. I'm glad we didn't have triplets.
96. If we had I might be in the nut house. I still marvel at how Rich and Judy did it.
97. I used to be boy-crazy. (Read: desperate) By the time John came along, I was tired of dating. I didn't want another boyfriend.
98. We were engaged a month later.
99. In March we'll celebrate 10 years of marriage.
100. And I love him more everyday.
1. I hate mealtimes. I say this first because it happens to be lunchtime here. I fed all the kids and they ate like horses, and now Joel says he wants more. Where does he put it all?
2. I like to cook for people who appreciate it. My kids don't count. They don't appreciate it.
3. My mind is blanking out and I'm only on #3. Oh dear.
4. I was smart once. I got 104% in Chemistry in 11th grade.
5. I could do more than just change diapers and wipe noses, once.
6. I'm 30 years old and inside I feel like I'm 22.
7. I don't feel smart enough to raise 3 kids.
8. Some days, I'm sure they're smarter than I am.
9. My husband is a triplet, and I think that's neat.
10. My sister is married to one of the other triplets. I think that's extra neat.
11. After years of bickering with her, now my sister is one of my best friends. I love to call her and talk about nothing.
12. I hate to dust. Hate it.
13. If you notice when you come here, be polite and don't say anything about it.
14. I'm trying to lean more towards the natural side of health and healing, instead of relying on a traditional painkiller or antibiotics.
15. My skills were put to the test last night: Joel woke up screaming and said he had an ear ache. I used oils on it and this morning he's fine.
16. Rebecca has another bug of some kind today. Not sure yet what it is, which makes it hard to treat.
17. Joel will be 5 years old on Thursday. I can't believe it.
18. The day he was born, he and I both almost died. I'm sure most have heard the horrible story.
19. I'm glad we didn't.
20. I hate math. It makes my head feel thick.
21. Someday I'd like to be a nurse.
22. Then again, maybe I wouldn't. I don't want to be too busy after my kids are all in school. I want to be here for them.
23. I get hurt feelings easily.
24. I'm a very sensitive person.
25. I take a lot of things personally.
26. I can't even call the insurance company to dispute a medical bill without dissolving into tears. It's embarrasing.
27. I like to think that means I have a soft heart.
28. I rarely buy things at full price, and yet I try not to be "cheap."
29. Sometimes that's hard though.
30. I have a terrible time trying not to be jealous of someone that I perceive as having more than I do.
31. I'm working on that.
32. When we first got married, I decorated our house with miscellanious wedding gifts, whether or not they actually coordinated.
33. It was awful.
34. I was proud of it.
35. One day we had Craig and Mindy over for the first time and I was so pleased with the new toaster cover and matching curtains I'd made. I'm extremely embarrased about that now. Every time I think about it, I can feel myself turning red. Come on, a toaster cover??
36. I'm developing my own style after almost 10 years of marriage.
37. I'm happy with it.
38. Every once in awhile I like to throw out or get rid of "junk."
39. I love that light feeling.
40. I have a tendency to want to keep things for a day that I might need them again.
41. John has helped me get over that, slowly.
42. I love our fellowship meetings.
43. Sometimes life seems too big, with too many things happening all at once and I feel like I can't handle it. That's when I'm especially grateful for prayer.
44. My kids are not picky eaters, for the most part.
45. I can't stand it when I come across kids who won't eat anything except macaroni and cheese and marshmallows.
46. There's no excuse for having picky kids. That means the parents are picky too.
47. Thank goodness John will eat anything I set before him and say how good it is, even if it's not that good.
48. All I ever wanted to be was a mom. Now I am one, and no one told me how hard it would be.
49. In 6th grade, I wanted 10 kids.
50. In 8th grade, I was down to wanting 6.
51. When we got married, I was sure I'd have 4.
52. I have three. That's plenty.
53. Whenever I hold a newborn, I have an overwhelming longing to have another baby. Good thing it's not possible.
54. I love the baby stage.
55. I'm not so good at the stage where they start getting their own ideas about how things should be.
56. I hope our kids turn out in spite of all the mistakes we're making.
57. Laundry at my house magically reproduces like rabbits. It's not as cute though.
58. Sometimes when I'm alone in the car, I like to turn on the radio so loud that it rattles the windows. Just for a minute.
59. When am I ever alone in the car?
60. I'm thankful that I had the wonderful opportunity to grow up in Truth.
61. Sometimes I am so overcome with love, I get tears.
62. My kids are especially cute when they're sleeping.
63. Clayton still sucks his bottom lip when he's sleeping. I love that.
64. I check my e-mail at least once every weekday. It's my way of being connected, since I spend my days largely in the confines of our home.
65. I like to talk on the phone. I have a feeling I could out-talk most people, that most people have better things to do.
66. It takes a real effort for me to be the first one to say hi to someone I don't know well.
67. I went to California to visit my brother Lee back in 1994 and we went to Mountain Ranch. Except Lee couldn't be there until Friday night. Thursday and Friday were torture for me, because I knew NO one. I laid on my bunk between meetings and felt sorry for myself. One time I decided to overcome my shyness and go out and say hi to people. I stepped out the door of the bunks, saw the massive crowd on the lawn, and immediately turned back around and laid down on my bunk.
68. That same trip, Lee taught me that when someone compliments me, even if I think differently, all I need to say is Thank you. I'm still grateful for that little lesson.
69. Reading is one of my favorite pastimes. I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. It was splendid. One of the best books I've ever read, and I've read thousands of books.
70. I also read his first book, The Kite Runner. It was wonderful.
71. I was on the waiting list for months, maybe even almost a year, before I finally got A Thousand Splendid Suns. Now I know why.
72. Last year I had a garden for the first time at this house.
73. I was nervous about it because I didn't know if I could keep it up.
74. I discovered that I do have some of my mom's green thumb...it was just hiding.
75. Last summer I went out several times a day just to pull more weeds. It was wonderful.
76. I doubled the size of the garden for next year.
77. Our garden is in our front yard. Sort of strange...but that's the only place we have sunlight for more than 4 hours straight.
78. Our yard has lots of tall old trees.
79. They're nice for shade, but a curse in the fall.
80. My husband is a skeptic. I am gullible.
81. I wish we were both more in the middle.
82. I blog hop a lot.
83. I keep up with people I met way back when, but don't know now.
84. Someday I'd like to get into photography.
85. All I need to do is save up $1000 to buy a better camera.
86. I have $4 now.
87. I wish stay-at-home moms got paid for staying home.
88. I don't like to snowmobile, really. I only go because John loves it, and I get to be with him.
89. When I was born, the creative gene passed me by.
90. I'll admit it, I have always wanted to be like my sister.
91. I used to lock myself in our bedroom and read her private letters.
92. I used to copy her in everything: from clothes she wore to drawings she'd do.
93. When I married John, it was not because I wanted to copy her in yet another thing.
94. When Jerry and Brina were dating, my dad made a comment one night at supper about how pleased he was with it and said she couldn't find a nicer guy. I was 14 at the time and thought, "Hey. If she got the nicest guy, what does that leave for me?" Funny that I ended up marrying Jerry's triplet.
95. I'm glad we didn't have triplets.
96. If we had I might be in the nut house. I still marvel at how Rich and Judy did it.
97. I used to be boy-crazy. (Read: desperate) By the time John came along, I was tired of dating. I didn't want another boyfriend.
98. We were engaged a month later.
99. In March we'll celebrate 10 years of marriage.
100. And I love him more everyday.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Special Visitors
We had the privelege of having Ruth and Twyla stay with us for a couple nights. Ruth helped Rebecca with her homework on Sunday night.
Oh, and it's amazing what a shower will do for a person's sagging energy levels. I decided it wasn't too hard to post pictures, after all.
Oh, and it's amazing what a shower will do for a person's sagging energy levels. I decided it wasn't too hard to post pictures, after all.So you can disregard the first couple sentences of my earlier post, titled Preschool and Mommy-blues.
Sledding
On Saturday we went to Rich and Judy's so John could change the oil in the truck and grease the "jerks." Okay, really they're zerks or something, but when he'd say it fast I always thought he was saying jerks. Reminds me of when we were first dating and he'd bought a Monte Carlo that turned out to have some sort of engine trouble. John is proud of his Polish heritage, so I didn't think it was so unusual when he told me he took his car to Polish Chev to get it fixed. Turns out, it was Polar Chev. Maybe he talks to fast. Anyway, what's THAT got to do with these pictures?
This is Clayton, in his new coat we got for $0.99 at Saver's. Brina found it but decided it wouldn't fit Chet, so we were the lucky recipients. Clayton is very pleased.
We decided to go sledding at the high school 2 blocks from Rich and Judy after John got done with those jerks. Clayton was so tired, he fell asleep before we got there. 
I sat in the truck like this for awhile with him. After about 20 minutes I tried to wake him up by asking him if he wanted to go sledding now. He'd open his eyes a crack and groggily nod yes, and then fall asleep again. Poor kid. But I knew that if he missed it he'd be upset later. He had a great time too. It was really the first time he was brave enough to go down a hill. But, like me, he didn't like to go too fast so he'd hold the sled's rope and say he was going to rescue people, and he'd slide on his rear.
This is Clayton, in his new coat we got for $0.99 at Saver's. Brina found it but decided it wouldn't fit Chet, so we were the lucky recipients. Clayton is very pleased.
We decided to go sledding at the high school 2 blocks from Rich and Judy after John got done with those jerks. Clayton was so tired, he fell asleep before we got there. 
I sat in the truck like this for awhile with him. After about 20 minutes I tried to wake him up by asking him if he wanted to go sledding now. He'd open his eyes a crack and groggily nod yes, and then fall asleep again. Poor kid. But I knew that if he missed it he'd be upset later. He had a great time too. It was really the first time he was brave enough to go down a hill. But, like me, he didn't like to go too fast so he'd hold the sled's rope and say he was going to rescue people, and he'd slide on his rear. 
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