A week in the life...

This week literally flew by for us. Between having a sick kid Monday and Tuesday, through dentist's appointments and basketball games and everything in between, I feel like I haven't had a minute to think. But, Sunday has come, naps have commenced and CCD was accomplished, so all of us are sitting around doing a little bit of nothing. C is playing Civ, AJ is playing Football, I'm on the computer and Diva is flittering around between the three of us. Her main goal is enticing us with promise of Elmo karaoke. Little does she know, the only one that likes Elmo karaoke is her!

So a new week is on the horizon and we will bid adieu to January this week. Other than being frigid, snowy and gray, you've been good to us, January 2011. We've pretty much mad it through in one piece, which is more than I can say for many months. I feel like I can almost see the light of warmer weather (that being above 20 degrees, I mean). If I can get through February, I can start thinking about my garden and other summer goodies. I can stop worrying about snow boots and heavy coats...and how I hate heavy coats! And on a garden note, I got my seeds yesterday. We'll see how this experiment in starting seeds myself goes this year. I'm positive, but not sure how well it will go...think happy, green plants!

I'm off again...Diva lost her banana and it must be retrieved. Oh the glamorous life I lead!

Small steps...

I was roaming around the cyber world this evening, checking the blogs of various cyber friends and other interesting places around. I was particularly thankful to run across Erica's blog this evening to find some great insights. Elizabeth Foss has a great website on Catholic families and education (along with many other interesting topics) that offered a great article with insight into my life recently. I have been in a funk...I have been grumpy, grumble-y and altogether unpleasant at times. I have put that burden on my family. I read that post she offered, as well as what Erica wrote and thought to myself...these are simple, small steps I should be taking. Why am I not? I am being uncharitable to others because of my own discomfort. This definitely not the attitude I need to have, or the way I want my children or others to see me. So, I am going to take to heart the idea of small steps. I am going to very consciously make an effort to put more joy into my life by adjusting my attitude toward a larger picture.

I am going to put a smile on my face and be thankful for the small moments with my children, no matter what time of the day or night I find them.

I hope to find joy in my daily tasks. Beautifying my home is a blessing for us all.

I am going to strive to think more calmly and act more charitably toward those I have grievances against. Even if I am frustrated internally, allowing my feelings to show externally only teaches my children to be spiteful and vengeful.

Hopefully these small steps today will lighten my heart tomorrow. I want harmony and happiness to be in my home, and I need to be the catalyst for it. I definitely need to quit enspousing the "sour saint" mentality.

To a better tomorrow!

Meal Planning Monday

Monday...Roast Pork with cabbage and potatoes
Tueday...Out to dinner with associates of C
Wednesday...Italian sausage veggie soup
Thursday...Stuffing and turkey casserole with mashed potatoes
Friday...Mahi mahi steaks with roasted garlic potatoes and veggies

Invasion of the belly badness...

Poor AJ has spent the better part of the evening since we returned home puking his brains out. This is a kid who doesn't have a light stomach and isn't much of a retcher (unlike his dear mother). I've finally got him in bed in my room under the covers. I've banished Chas, who also tossed his cookies twice, upstairs to AJ's room and am waiting for Diva to wake up for now. I'm going to give in and just bring her down with AJ and I tonight, because as it is already almost 1 am and I still have laundry in the wash. I'm not going to be in the mood to do more than roll over when she starts her nightly fuss-budgeting.

I am weakly hoping this is a touch of overeating or even food poisoning from the party tonight, but I'm not holding out much hope. (Isn't it sad I'm hoping for food poisoning??) I'm more inclined to think that Chas brought home the bug that's been going around the assisted living center. He was talking all week about how sick all the residents were and we've been washing his scrubs daily to keep the funk to a minimum. I was thinking we got lucky and skipped out of the incubation period, but with this, I'm betting I was wrong. I'm hoping in vain Diva doesn't come down with it...at least AJ can make it to the bathroom...Diva will simply heave-ho anywhere. Not that you could blame her, or him, but cleaning up vomit is one of my least favorite mom jobs. Yuck. Just yuck. Ewww.

Other than that, the weekend is over and the week is beginning anew. Sadly, as happens every Monday morning, the house is a wreck from the weekend and the kids are cranky from messed up sleep from the weird schedule we have. Remember when weekends were for rest and sleep? Nope, me neither.

Really wishing caffeine wasn't the answer for all that ails...

But sadly, it is. After what has amounted to two solid days of being awake, it was time for me to throw in the towel. I have been off the caffeine bandwagon for nearly two weeks, but today I had to give in and dose up to avoid my lack-of-sleep headache from becoming a migraine headache. So, I have a glass of tea and within 20 minutes the headache clears up and danger is averted. I have successfully given up caffeine before, but I feel crummy every time I do. I really want to stay off of it and use it more medicinally rather than recreationally (is that a word?), but I truly miss the zing it gives me when dealing with unruly children :)

Snow is falling, again. What else can I say? It's January in Pittsburgh, so that's what you get. I am definitely considering looking into vacation destinations this summer in the sun. But then again, it's 90 degrees here in the summer, so what's the point? I need the vacation and warmth now...in July it will do me little good. Besides, if we went away, we would miss Idlewild, right? Because that is definitely worth braving the cold of November-March in SW PA, right? Yeah, I know, I'm not really looking for an answer to that. Or at least not an honest one.

The weekend is looming again, but we are already booked solid. We have basketball in the morning, but C is going to be gone all Saturday afternoon with family. So that leaves an evening alone with the kiddos to me. We really need to get out a little more, but with Diva still being young and not great with others, it limits us. We are going to try to get a sitter for Theology on Tap. They just started one around here, and I'm excited to go. We'll see...there will probably be a snow storm that night.

In the darkness...

I sit here in quiet repose...or rather, I sit here quietly and Diva is screaming her head off in an effort to never sleep. C usually does nighttime duties, but he has a conference call tonight, so I get the fits and screams. I've come to the conclusion that she is virtually impossible to get to sleep...she does it for C, but not for me. For me she shudders and shouts and screams bloody murder. I have tried ever sleep solution book known to man, and the attachment parent in me abhors "crying it out". But she won't do anything else. She simply screams for C at the top of her lungs. During the day at nap time we're fine, or the occasional evening C is out of town we do quite well. However, if she knows her Dad is home and not putting her to bed, all hell breaks loose.

So it is with a tired head and a cranky child that I write tonight, because cuddling has been unsuccessful and I'm to the point that bodily harm sounds intriguing. Not really, of course, but every mother knows that point when for all the love you have for your child, if they scream any longer or louder, you are certain your head will explode. Especially considering they have already had a nice warm bath, comfy jammies, a tasty bedtime snack, prayers and cuddles...at that point I want my little hour of me time. But, I guess that's what being a momma is some days...and apparently she has decided today is going to be that day.

Why do cookies taste so delicious with milk?

And why does milk only taste good when it's full fat? I'm indulging in some of Diva's milk and made cookies to treat myself this evening. I only really drink milk when I'm eating cookies, so I guess it's alright :) We're all sitting around doing our own activities this tonight, none of which are practical or useful. (And after I write this, I'm going to go do more useless activities like play Civilization with C.) Our little corner of the world is quiet today, no muss or fuss or hurts to mar what was otherwise a good day. C is insanely busy right now with all of his AOTA activities and fieldwork. He barely has time to breath. Poor guy. I'm trying to be supportive and smile for him, because there is little else I can do. Besides having dinner on the table and his clothes clean, he's kinda on his own right now. I can't help with papers or editing or the like, so I'm just trying to make him comfortable as possible in his misery. This is why medical students hate being on rotations. It's a nightmare.

Talked to Mom today about the debacle this weekend, or rather, we didn't talk about it purposefully. She's still sad and there is little else to be said to make anything any better, so I'm just hoping that when she gets company tomorrow it will make her feel better. Wish there was a way to make others feel as miserable as they make my loved ones feel. Oh well...that's actually a terrible thing to wish for...so scratch that. I should be a lot more charitable and forgiving than I am. As a Christian, that is definitely one of my weakest gifts. I always hold a grudge. Although if I had held a grudge the last time something like this happened, then this time wouldn't have happened at all. ARGH. So what's the difference between not forgiving and removing someone from you life because it's for the best? Because right now this has become my sin, and it's not one that I'm enjoying. (Not that you should enjoy any sin, but you get the idea.) Ramble, ramble.

Tomorrow is a new day. The kids and I are planning to be in all day and C won't be home from 6AM until about 9:30 PM. So it's just me and the littles carousing all day. AJ has a ton of schoolwork that we are still catching up on, plus a meeting with the lead teacher tomorrow. As much as I love the K12 curriculum, I wouldn't mind not having to answer to a teacher other than myself. But, since I can't afford the curriculum otherwise, this is what we get. Although maybe accountability isn't such a bad thing, considering it's only the third week back from break and I already feel behind again. Double ARGH.

Meal Planning Monday

Monday...Wings at Dinos
Tuesday...Beef Veggie Soup
Wednesday...Tuna Noodle Casserole with peas
Thursday...Sausage and Pasta
Friday...Chicken stirfry

Upset and exhaustion in the land...

Turmoil has peppered the last several days in our family, and I sadly think that it may be permanent. The short of it is that there was a disagreement/misunderstanding of some sort causing a huge falling out in our family. My mom is crushed and hurt and sadly, I'm just a little numb. This is a place I've been in before with this person, but it's new for my mom. Resentment is rampant and I'm pretty certain that bridges have been broken that will take years to be rebuilt. It's definitely made me think twice about letting toxic people into my life...and then letting them in again and again. I realize that my immediate family, C, AJ and Diva and my mom are what counts. And others, who may or may not have the best interests of them in mind have to be watched with a wary eye. I'm definitely going to need time to get over feeling skiddish with others.

That said, for C the weekend was sublime. He had an amazing experience at AOTA and is excited to begin his EL internship. As for his fieldwork, there is a stomach flu circling the home he's working in, so he was thrown up on twice today before lunch. Needless to say, the idea of OT is sometimes more glamorous than the everyday. But I applaud he effort and what he is achieving. We are definitely proud of him.

All this aside, I'm also feeling a little woozy and off tonight. I'm afraid the tummy badness may be making it's way back to me as well. Not what I'm looking forward to, so for the remainder of the evening I'll be sipping Pepto and swallowing hard. I hate feeling nauseous.

PSA for inconsiderate bad weather callers...

Since I know on occasion C reads this, I am making a special post just for him. When terrible weather strikes and your family loves you, a call when you reach your destination is appreciated. Otherwise, your family spends the day uncomfortably, with a little unnecessary tension that could easily been alleviated by that simple call. Seriously. You should have freaking call.

That said, the weather is blustery and cold, with about 6-8 inches of snow on the ground and more snow coming as the week continues. Not exactly making for warm, happy feelings (or warm, happy feet). I'm a home body for sure, but even I am getting a little stir crazy with all this absurdity. The snow needs to leave. It's only mid-January. I can't imagine if I have another winter like last...trapped in the house with nothing but housework. Lord have mercy! That said, even if I did go out, I'd probably wish I hadn't ventured out. That would just make me feel colder.

Other than cursing at C for not calling, we are having a lazy day of sorts around here. AJ did LA this morning and we've laid about. I'm calling for a nap since Diva didn't sleep well last night. After said nap, I'm thinking we'll jump into our Math and History assignments for the day. Tonight is C's late night, so no rush to finish school work quickly today.

Two days at calories...

Not half bad...at least not half bad considering how bad I've been and how far off the weight-loss wagon I have fallen. I'm not actually "counting"calories officially yet, but after years of obsessing over at CC, I know approximately what I'm eating and where I'm at. I don't want to start counting outright yet, simply because I don't want to obsess over calories and weight. If I can successfully drop my first ten pounds (again), then I will start counting officially again. The easiest part of watching again is not eating out, which, if I must say, is undoubtedly what brought this weight back. I get so frustrated with myself...I did so well. I accomplished so much! And then I backslid...big time. So now I have to get motivated again. But I need to do it this time without the obsession and without the fixation. Hence the calorie eyeballing rather than logging...

Finally got into the school rhythm today. I caught up on all my prep work last night and today went more smoothly. We did get a little done last week, but it was a precious little. Yesterday was okay, but disorganized. Today felt good. We finished by 2 and had time to detox this afternoon, rather than rushing to finish work before speech comes.

An epic snowstorm is headed our way...again. I was hoping that C would make it home before the snow began in earnest, but no such luck. It's snowing full force, not looking to let up before some time tomorrow night. Yuck and double yuck. It would really help the tone of the house if we could get out and do something fun, but it's far too cold to really enjoy any outdoor pursuits. I might manage to get AJ a little sledding time in this week if we stay home. I'm still up in the air about heading out to Ohio...not so much wanting to catch the tummy bug floating out there or sleep on a couch. But AJ is gun-ho about going, so we'll see. C will be gone from Th-S, so that leaves us pretty much open to decide our schedule.

I must go. Diva is throwing a tantrum for all time because I won't let her in the desk drawers.

Meal Planning Monday!

It's that time again...time for organization and time for menu planning. I always feel a little more "with-it" and calm when I have a menu plan developed. That way nothing sneaks up on me and I at least have all the ingredients on hand for meals at short notice. I've tried it before and am now on the MPM wagon again. So...here we go!

Monday...Italian sausage sauce with spaghetti squash
Tuesday...King Ranch chicken over quinoa with green beans
Wednesday...Roast pork, potatoes and cabbage
Thursday...Toasted cheese and tomato soup
Friday...Turkey and stuffing with gravy (casserole)
Saturday...Baked Greek fries and chicken bits

I'm using one of my already prepped casseroles on Friday, because with C out of town, I doubt I'll feel much like cooking. Plus, that's one of his less favorite dishes, so it's only fair that he doesn't have to "indulge". The kids and I love the Trader Joe's stuffing though, and I stocked up over the holidays. I wish they had that stuff all year...sigh. So good!

How do you know when coconut has gone bad?

Seriously. I want to know. I bought a coconut at the store and opened it and it tastes...off. I hate to throw it out, although that is undoubtedly it's destination. Crumby coconut. I love the stuff and next to never buy them because of the cost and inherent difficulty and mess they are to get open. AJ expressed interest in trying a "real" one though, so I took advantage and bought one. Sigh...I was excited to eat you, Mr. Coconut.

Today has been a humdrum day. We've got the hurricane cleaned up from Georgiageddon and almost have laundry done. C starts his field work tomorrow, much to his chagrin. He's nervous about starting, which is completely understandable. I am going to miss having him around the house all the time, although we do need to get back to our regular routine. Schoolwork has been sacrificed and the kids need to get back to normal. At least normal for here. So I'm going to get all the school stuff reorganized tonight and dive back in tomorrow with a vengeance.

The kids are out of the bath and I should go help get the bedtime routine started. Diva has had a rough evening...she's out of sorts. I think she could use a little cuddle time before the inevitable struggle that is bedtime.

Coffee and a cookie can do wonders for a girl...

Got out of the house tonight for a little grown-up girlie R and R with my friend. Starbucks and an hour free-ranging at B&N made me feel like a new woman, ready to take on the challenges of crazy children and loud noises with ease :) We stopped on the way home from basketball practice to grab some milk and such to keep the kids fed tomorrow, because we're expecting 2-4 inches overnight. So I'm stocked with bread and cheese and other such necessities of life.

AJ's basketball is a disappointment. I believe we made a mistake going with this league because we don't have a regular coach and practices are a nightmare. C thinks things are really disorganized, which is not what I expected from a small league of this sort. I guess I expected better from a church-run organization. Although I don't know if you can blame them either. I wish there was a CYO team around, but alas, none exists. And he would probably have to attend Catholic school to go to it, of course. I'm not sure how the homeschooling angle would work there. But nonetheless, AJ's going to stick it out for now. He does have friends there, but he also would have liked to learn something from the process.

I'm very turned on to looking into my spring planting. K turned me on to a great looking organic heirloom seed catalog tonight. I'm hesitant to go the seed start route, just for fear of screwing up. But, I think worst case scenario I kill some plants. We'll see :) I'm thinking about what I'd like to have come summer...good thoughts as we brace for more ice and snow. Definitely tomatoes and zucchini, of course, but I'm also thinking of adding more broccoli and kohlrabi since we had such great luck with it this year. Eggplant is on my list again this year, and I'm hoping I'll have more luck than I did this year. More luck than absolutely no luck, that is. I always end up with them having flea beetles. Maybe I'll be okay this year :) More to come on that topic!

Otherwise all is well in our little corner of the globe this evening. Other than washing diapers and watching C play Civilization (our current obsession), nothing else to comment upon. Good night!

School's in session...

We started back to work today, albeit slowly. We accomplished more than I expected with the noise and craziness of the house and the kids. We got to Math, LA and Science, which as I said, was quite impressive in the insanity of speech and the new garbage disposal installation. Children run to and fro with no place to go but crazy and all are tired and cranky by bedtime. In Diva land, we had a bit of a scare today...she sneak-creeped upstairs and then tumbled down the stairs. She didn't break anything, but she will definitely be sore and bruised for couple of days. Needless to say, I lost several hairs to gray from the experience.

Georgia-geddon...

The invasion force has descended upon...Lisa and the kids have arrived from Georgia and are here to stay and play and live up the PA sun for awhile. The kids are having a ball and wrecking the house, thoroughly enjoying themselves in the process. Other than playing, very little is on our agenda for the next couple days. AJ is supposed to start school tomorrow, but I doubt little in the way of anything constructive is going to happen. I'm off to pick up the disaster so that when Georgia-geddon begins tomorrow, we'll at least have a clean slate to start with :)

Sometimes you just need a funky llama...

Kids are in bed, a glass of mild chardonnay is in my hand and all hell is going to break loose tomorrow :) My sister and her kiddos will be descending on our humble abode to say for awhile and needless to say, with an 8 yo, 4 yo, 2 yo and 16 month old, life will be interesting. So I'm fortifying myself with a little Funky Llama in anticipation of the invasion.

Tomorrow will be a bit of a crazy day, but Tuesday begins school anew for Aidyn and the institution of our new school routine. I feel that after a semester of homeschooling under my belt, I have a better idea of what to do and what to implement to really make a difference in our classroom. I've changed a ton of things around and am really looking forward to making a smoother daily experience happen for us all. Ideally I'll have AJ on a more defined schedule for assignments and time and Caroline will be more engaged and involved in the whole experience at large. She will probably never be homeschooled herself, but I would love to have her uber-prepared when her first day of school eventually does come.

I changed the blog up a little bit today. I wish I knew more about layouts and design. I'd really like my own custom header, but I lack the programs and skills needed. Oh well...so much more than that to worry about :)

In with the new...

So much munching, so much food. I desperately need to eliminate all the holiday delicacies out of the house and get back to eating clean. Needless to say, New Year's Day was another day of eating things I shouldn't in quantities I couldn't possibly need. But, thankfully tomorrow is another day and all the excuses for eating bad stuff are eliminated. Holiday begone! Better things are ahead :)

Last night was fun...pizza was made and vast quantities of tasty treats were consumed. AJ had a ball with his sparkling grape juice and watching the ball drop. Too bad that we had no idea who most of the acts were amongst the entertainers. Apparently we're all too old to appreciate current music and style in this house. Thank God :) So real life begins again for us starting tomorrow.

In the meantime, we are enjoying the last of the holiday with the Winter Classic on television. Go Pens!