One night as we’re falling asleep, Callie says, “If I marry one of Ciara’s brothers, I’ll have to tell Ryan that I can’t marry HIM.” (Ciara is her new best buddy who has 3 brothers!)
I say, “I think he’ll be okay with that. Ryan’s probably going to marry God anyway.”
Callie: “He can’t marry God. God is a boy.”
Me: “Hmmm. I just meant he might become a priest. Then he can marry you and one of Ciara’s brothers.”
Callie: “Huh?”
Me: “Yeah, it’s confusing. Just go to sleep.”
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Kool-aid Kocktail
I’m not a drinker; never have been. But lately I’m feeling hormonal and on edge and am raising my voice too much and I WANT A DRINK.
But I can’t have drinks. Rather, I WON'T have drinks. My life is crazy enough without growing a kid born with fetal alcohol syndrome and knowing it was my own damn fault. I like to keep my fetuses nice and healthy, if I can.
To have a healthy baby, I think my stress level needs to not be too insane. So instead of alcohol or pot or cigarettes or Valium, I turn to sugar. Sugar and music.
Chocolate chip cookies are always a good bet for putting me in an excellent mood. Same for a tall mocha coffee or a Mr. Pibb. And some rock and roll. Or some oldies. Or some current naughty pop music.
Lately I make up a batch of good old-fashioned grape or cherry or strawberry or orange Kool-aid in a tall Old Spaghetti Factory (cherish it if you have one of these restaurants in your town, you lucky dog) glass with lots of small ice.
What makes you feel better when drugs are not an option?
Aron will say, “go fishing.” Paul will probably say, “meditation” … which I’ve tried and I can’t seem to sit still. Ellen will say, “organize something.” Eva will say, “pray.” My dad will say, “go for a walk” and Mom might say, “watch a TV show where their lives are much crazier than yours.”
But I can’t have drinks. Rather, I WON'T have drinks. My life is crazy enough without growing a kid born with fetal alcohol syndrome and knowing it was my own damn fault. I like to keep my fetuses nice and healthy, if I can.
To have a healthy baby, I think my stress level needs to not be too insane. So instead of alcohol or pot or cigarettes or Valium, I turn to sugar. Sugar and music.
Chocolate chip cookies are always a good bet for putting me in an excellent mood. Same for a tall mocha coffee or a Mr. Pibb. And some rock and roll. Or some oldies. Or some current naughty pop music.
Lately I make up a batch of good old-fashioned grape or cherry or strawberry or orange Kool-aid in a tall Old Spaghetti Factory (cherish it if you have one of these restaurants in your town, you lucky dog) glass with lots of small ice.
What makes you feel better when drugs are not an option?
Aron will say, “go fishing.” Paul will probably say, “meditation” … which I’ve tried and I can’t seem to sit still. Ellen will say, “organize something.” Eva will say, “pray.” My dad will say, “go for a walk” and Mom might say, “watch a TV show where their lives are much crazier than yours.”
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
I’m Gonna Be a Moving Girl …
… when my kids are all grown up. For some reason, the day I was home with my own 4 kids plus my friend’s 4 kids was the day I was able to move the couch, the big plants, the glider, the toy ottoman, and more. Thank God for nice weather so the kids were outside all day!
My friend thinks she really put me out by having me watch her kids for 2 days while she went to Chicago, so nobody tell her that I got so much done. The hardest part was playing Waitress and Dishwasher, but then when her kids left, it made my normal daily work seem like so much less! It also made me feel like a real a**hole friend for complaining about space when my friend has about half the space I do and the same number of kids. So I’ll be shutting up now.
Do you move furniture around a lot? Do you have a spouse or roomie who changes it back while you’re asleep (there’s a little of that going on in my home lately, but I am exerting my “Female Gene” for once)?
My friend thinks she really put me out by having me watch her kids for 2 days while she went to Chicago, so nobody tell her that I got so much done. The hardest part was playing Waitress and Dishwasher, but then when her kids left, it made my normal daily work seem like so much less! It also made me feel like a real a**hole friend for complaining about space when my friend has about half the space I do and the same number of kids. So I’ll be shutting up now.
Do you move furniture around a lot? Do you have a spouse or roomie who changes it back while you’re asleep (there’s a little of that going on in my home lately, but I am exerting my “Female Gene” for once)?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Watch the Preggie Move Furniture Part Two
Armed with the knowledge that Aron is NOT attached to the “breakfront” (short piece of furniture with a drawer for silverware, shelves underneath and it can open into a makeshift bar on top), I proceed to empty it and drag it out of the living room.
My friend Ellen is having a garage sale, and the breakfront is headed for it. Michael wants to know if we have to sell EVERYTHING*. I told him we’re getting rid of things that don’t work for our family anymore space-wise. Who else do you know who has to cram scrapbooking, homeschooling and a writing career into one corner of their living room?
*By “everything” he’s referring to the 500-year-old table we have by the curb with a “free” sign attached to it. Aron’s parents were getting rid of a much nicer coffee table (built by his brother [McLoughlin Stone and Tile … there, I advertised it], which means it will last forever), and we snagged it. Now we have to become the type of parents who yell at the kids all the time for spilling and jumping on the furniture. Or not. Then I’d just be a hypocrite who only WRITES about being laid-back.
My friend Ellen is having a garage sale, and the breakfront is headed for it. Michael wants to know if we have to sell EVERYTHING*. I told him we’re getting rid of things that don’t work for our family anymore space-wise. Who else do you know who has to cram scrapbooking, homeschooling and a writing career into one corner of their living room?
*By “everything” he’s referring to the 500-year-old table we have by the curb with a “free” sign attached to it. Aron’s parents were getting rid of a much nicer coffee table (built by his brother [McLoughlin Stone and Tile … there, I advertised it], which means it will last forever), and we snagged it. Now we have to become the type of parents who yell at the kids all the time for spilling and jumping on the furniture. Or not. Then I’d just be a hypocrite who only WRITES about being laid-back.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Watch the Preggie Move Furniture Part One
I got sick of my living room looking so disorganized (dang, I wish my digital camera was working so I could post before and after photos). After all, it’s used for “living” and my office and homeschooling and scrapbooking and so much more, so there’s lots of papers and craft stuff and JUNK that I needed to go through. I’m trying to downsize.
By the way, why do so many homes have a FAMILY room AND a LIVING room also? A few years ago Aron re-did our family room and we lived in the upstairs living room for months and it was AWESOME to just all be on one level and have the TV and the kitchen and the dining room all there together. Now if only we could move the fireplace upstairs and … PRESTO! … change the family room into 2 bedrooms and a bathroom for the upstairs we’d never have to move our ever-growing family!
So one night Aron was at religion class with Joel, and I just started moving junk. I dragged a bookshelf down the stairs. I dragged a smaller one up the stairs. I moved all kinds of junk and got rid of tons of stuff (thanks for having a garage sale, Ellen!).
Tresa has a good point: if you’re home all day long it’s good to be able to move furniture around for a change. We hadn’t moved our furniture in like 9 years. And Geminis like me normally like to change things up.
Don’t tell my ogre Neanderthal husband, but this “No Laptop = Clean House?” experiment may actually be working for us. And do you notice how I still post on this blog daily AND still submit to mags? Maybe everyone in my house can win, especially the kids, by having happy parents.
How’s YOUR home? Tresa is moving and dumping tons. Ellen has a garage sale when her husband can’t park in the garage anymore due to too much STUFF. Most people just stare at their junk and think, “My family can take care of it when I’m dead.” I got tired of staring at my messes and wanting to take a nap.
By the way, why do so many homes have a FAMILY room AND a LIVING room also? A few years ago Aron re-did our family room and we lived in the upstairs living room for months and it was AWESOME to just all be on one level and have the TV and the kitchen and the dining room all there together. Now if only we could move the fireplace upstairs and … PRESTO! … change the family room into 2 bedrooms and a bathroom for the upstairs we’d never have to move our ever-growing family!
So one night Aron was at religion class with Joel, and I just started moving junk. I dragged a bookshelf down the stairs. I dragged a smaller one up the stairs. I moved all kinds of junk and got rid of tons of stuff (thanks for having a garage sale, Ellen!).
Tresa has a good point: if you’re home all day long it’s good to be able to move furniture around for a change. We hadn’t moved our furniture in like 9 years. And Geminis like me normally like to change things up.
Don’t tell my ogre Neanderthal husband, but this “No Laptop = Clean House?” experiment may actually be working for us. And do you notice how I still post on this blog daily AND still submit to mags? Maybe everyone in my house can win, especially the kids, by having happy parents.
How’s YOUR home? Tresa is moving and dumping tons. Ellen has a garage sale when her husband can’t park in the garage anymore due to too much STUFF. Most people just stare at their junk and think, “My family can take care of it when I’m dead.” I got tired of staring at my messes and wanting to take a nap.
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