Long night and back on the wagon

Last night was a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong night. Long. Long. LONG. LOOOOOONG. Night. I think I may have received about 2 hours of sleep. Poor little Ben. He's still sick.






Insert binkie... stuffy nose... unable to breathe... and then it starts all over again. Seriously, I was almost AFRAID to go to sleep for fear he'd die or something. He didn't even get any relief on an incline which has worked the last 2-3 days. Poor wittle guy! It's sure to be a LONGER day for me today. He finally was just so restless this morning around 4:45 a.m. so I just got him up, nursed him, held him close and then went into the kitchen, plopped him in the Bumbo and got breakfast ready to make. Today we're (meaning they're) having homemade waffles (half whole-wheat) with a touch of cinnamon, bacon and fruit salad (grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, and pineapple) with glasses of milk.

Why does this kind of thing ALWAYS HAPPEN before I start an exercise routine so that I'm better suited just for my BODY to actually just take a nap and be rested or exercise, leaving myself even MORE tired? UGH!

But that brings me to my second topic...ladies and gents, I'm back on the wagon.

Regardless of the ginormous status of my bosom due to nursing which also leads to my inability to actually RUN, I'm still going to attempt to lose weight. I'm back on Weight Watchers. I was just digging around on their site and saw that they had measurement trackers. While I hate this... I love it, too. I don't tend to see pounds just fall off (especially while I'm nursing) but I'll love to see inches melt away.

So, back on the grind of eating healthy, lots and LOTS of salads (gotta have the roughage) and drinking all my water, taking my vitamin which -- when you think about it -- means I'm taking care of ME and making ME a priority.

And, so for MY breakfast today, I had 2 cups of 1% milk with a sugar free Carnation Instant Breakfast (love those!) and a Smart Ones breakfast quesadilia topped with picaunte sauce. It was good. It's a start. My goal - allbeit - a small one for now is to lose 5 pounds a month. Hopefully more, but that will put me at losing 30 pounds by February. Our cruise is in March and that will be just perfect for me. Wish me luck.

Carpooling -- all the COOL people do it!

Since the first week of school was over and the boys were in their groove, we started the carpool with some friends that live on our street that have 2 daughters that attend school with the boys. It just makes sense. One we we'll do mornings and they'll pick up. The next week they'll do mornings and we'll pick up. OK, well, on Tuesdays and Thursdays they both work late so their kids go to an after school program but, for the most part, that's how it works.

I like doing the carpool because you get to hear the conversations of the kids. Like, when I told the boys on Thursday that I would be picking them up that afternoon.

"But you're taking us? Why are you picking us up too? Aren't we carpooling anymore?" asks Drew.

"Yes, but Meg and Emma go to Kid's Club today," I reply.

"What's Kid's Club?" asks Drew.

"It's a before and after school program for kiddos who have parents that maybe have to work a little later than when you guys get out of school."

"I won't go to Kid's Club," retorts Drew.

"Why not?" asks Meg.

"Because my Dad works and Mom stays home and doesn't work at all because she takes care of us," answers Drew.

My head spins around and I choke down the pea soup I'm ready to spew, "Oh, honey, I DO work. All. Day. Every. Day. I work. I never get to LEAVE my job. Just because mommy's job is taking care of the family doesn't mean it's not work."

It's never too early to set these kids straight about stay-at-home-moms not working. Pflbt!

What's that? The "pflbt?" That's how you spell out a raspberry! You know... a raspberry... stick out your tongue and blow! Yeah, that's what it's spelled out as. Now you know. Don't you feel special knowing that?

Anyway, it fell awfully silent in the car after that. I guess stating your case to a bunch of kids can really be a conversational buzz kill. Duly noted. I do nothing and don't work.

But, back to the whole carpooling thing. In the mornings, I don't take the carpool even when it's our turn. ANDY DOES! It's a beautiful thing. And, honestly, I think it's very cool that Andy does it! Besides, it's on his way to work anyway so he drops the kiddos off. It saves me a trip out and if Ben's still sleeping -- he gets to stay asleep! It's awesome!

After all, I've generally been up since 5 am, have made breakfast, set the table, made sure they got up on time, ate, cleared the table, washed the pots/pans, wiped the counters down, got the boys ready, made sure their morning chores were completed, helped Drew get dressed and ensure the backpacks were packed.

And, generally, after all that -- even with being up since 5am, I'm still in my jammies and haven't eaten. I take care of myself after they all leave. I do this because (to me) my "job" in the morning (wow, it's a JOB but yet, I don't work. How is that possible?) is to make sure they're fed, dressed, rid of bed head, ready to face the day, with brushed teeth and happy dispositions.

I wake them at 6:45 with breakfast ON the table ready to be consumed. That gives them 45 minutes to eat, get dressed and face the day. I'm honestly thinking, however, that they need to get up at 6:30 because--man alive--Drew drags his feet with EVERYTHING in the morning. He is his father's son and is NOT a morning person. He's a s-l-o-w eater. When he goes upstairs to get dressed, if there's a Lego to be found, he's playing with it. If there is a Star Wars droid, he's waging a battle in the bedroom in his underwear with maybe one sock on. It's just so silly. Maybe when he realizes that he has to get up at 6:30 becuase of this, he will rethink the whole, I'm not getting ready on time. I want them to feel like they're not rushed at all.

But, like I said, it's kinda cool that my man is a carpoolin' dad. I bet he never thought he'd be driving in a carpool. Well, he may take them to school in his Expedition, but I'm still rollin' in the swaggar wagon when I go pick them up!

Five Question Friday

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link up to My Little Life (below)!:

Questions for Friday, September 3rd: (Special thanks to Colleen, Crissy, Bethany, Sandy, and Nel for their question suggestions! If YOU would like to be linked in a future 5QF, c'mon over to my community and offer up your best question suggestions!)


1. What do you do when you have time to yourself? Do moms of infants have time to themselves? Ha! Surely you jest! Seriously, do they? I guess if you're some housewife of NYC or where ever those reality shows are circulating now -- they have nannies and go running off to the spa and to shop and leave their nannies to deal but as for the rest of us "normal" people, we don't have that now do we? Next question!


2. When you look out your kitchen window, what do you see? I see my wooden fence followed by a tree my neighbor planted apparently because he didn't want to look at me in my kitchen. Maybe I need to have a word with him. Hmmm.


3. Who/What would you want to be reincarnated as? I don't know if I'd ever want to be reincarnated. To think of having to go through life AGAIN. All the mean girls in middle school - AGAIN. High school punishment and pop tests -- AGAIN. That'd be pure hell. I think I want to stay dead. DRT. Yep, that'll be me in the grave -- Dead Right There.


4. What is your biggest pet peeve about other people's kids? ...I don't really have any pet peeves about the kids -- it's generally about the PARENTS. If children were DISCIPLINED, they wouldn't ACT the way they do when they know they have no CONSEQUENCES for their actions. So, while the children are the ones carrying OUT said annoyance, it's really the PARENTS that bug me for failing to do anything ABOUT it!


5. Regular or Diet soda? Diet. For sure! I love Diet Big Red, Diet A&W Cream Soda, Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi. I hear bad things about the artificial sweeteners, however. Maybe I should just stick to water. :( But then what will I do with my fizzy bubble addiction?


Come join the fun each Friday at My Little Life

Friday Fill Ins

And...here we go!

Happy Labor Day weekend to all who celebrate it. And...here we go!

1. Family reunions are something everyone seems to kind of dread but after the fact, everyone appreciates the photos, memories and time spent together. I wish my family would have one.

2. My little Boston Terrier, Lola, does not have a tail that goes back and forth.

3. I love a good fitting pair of jeans. Why they seem to be impossible to find is really beyond me.

4. I'm NOT going to say Hamburger Helper makes a good meal because EWWWW! April Driggers makes a good meal!

5. I've got the nesting bug still. I so want my house purged of extraneous crap!

6. Eric texted me about his neighbor who smokes POT and NURSES HER BABY: wth!!!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to resting and getting rid of my sore throat/tonsilitis, tomorrow my plans include football practice for Josh and baseball practice for Drew and Sunday, I want to enjoy a cook-out with our neighbors!


You can play along with Friday Fill Ins, too. Click HERE.

Swallowing....

... it seems like such a natural thing, doesn't it? It is kind of like breathing. You don't think about it. You just breathe.

You don't think about swallowing, you just swallow... until you have a tonsil that feels like it's either about to explode or that is at such a place that... well, it honestly feels like -- you know when you're taking medication (a pill) and you don't take a drink BEFORE you try to swallow it and it sticks to the back of your throat and you have to take a couple of drinks to get it to go down? Imagine having that feeling like. ALL.DAY.LONG! It sucks.

This started a day or so ago... started with the fact that the AC unit in my bedroom died. Luckily (for me) there has been a cold front move in so that it's only about 80 in my bedroom -- 77 at night. Which, if you know me and how much I luuuuurve to have it about 40 in there and snuggle up under the covers, realize that it still sucks but at least it sucks a little less without all the direct sun and some great cloud coverage to minimize that western direct sun right into my bathroom just heating up my room. Because of this, and having had not one, not two but three services on the unit -- it's just dead I'm afraid. It still cools off AT NIGHT but it's not until about 1-2 in the morning until it reaches the 77 degree mark. So, I've just been sleeping with a sheet over me and we brought in two fans to help out.

Well, the night before last I had a sore throat in the morning. I thought this was because of having a fan blowing on me all night. You know, the whole dry air kind of thing. It seemed to get a little better or I just didn't think about it much. But, I was really feeling kind of run down and tired (not like me). Then about midnight I woke up and could barely swallow. First though? Strep! UGH!

If you'll remember, Josh had strep throat the first day of school. But, the incubation period is too long for me to have gotten it from him. I immediately logged into Care Now's website to see how late they were open. They closed at 10. Dang the luck. I went ahead and did a "web check-in" in hopes that a) I could make it for the morning and b) I would be the first on their call list. I went up to ask Andy if he thought I should go to the ER. He always is the voice of reason. I just know that I, as a mom, can't afford to get sick. The house will cease to exist as we know it! I'm up surfing Facebook for hours at a time last night. I was afraid to go to bed.

Ben, he's still under the weather too. I start to fear that I've gotten him sick too. I remember night before last I did take a bite off his spoon just to show him what "bite" was. He'd never had applesauce and rice cereal before so I was giving him a new taste. He did okay. So, I start second guessing all my things I've done.. did I pick my nose and touch him... did I rub his eyes without washing my fingers.... how could I have gotten him sick? It's driving me nuts.

Ben was a little fussy but I got him back to sleep and then I start to drift back to sleep when I realize that I needed to get my phone from the car because that is where my alarm is (whoops.) So, wake up Ben or try to do it without an alarm. I chose the latter.

I woke up again at 5 something when my brain told me "you forgot something!" It was those stupid postcard sets for the fundraiser I bit Josh's head off. I was able to extricate myself from the bed while keeping Ben asleep (he's having to sleep with his head elevated or his nose stuffs up so much he can't breathe out of it). I came into the living room and filled out the 22 addresses (11 for each kid) and then sent out an e-mail telling everyone when they got it, don't worry about it. We want them to buy their magazines and renewals from the boys direct so that they got credit for it.

Speaking of... if anyone wants to renew or subscribe to a magazine - let me know! :) Both of my boys are wanting one of those dumb little prizes and since they both go to the same school and are selling the SAME thing, it's hard to buy a lot... so, if you want to help out two cuties -- :) I'll give you a web address where you can order and they get credit! :) Thanks. (sorry, shameless plug!)

I wake up at 7:00 a.m. I realize I've overslept by 15 minutes! DANG! Andy, Josh AND Drew are actually in the kitchen getting some cereal. I'm relieved. So relieved. Josh (the grown up) got everyone up in time. Andy's alarm goes off at 6:30 I think...maybe 6:45 but Josh saved the day and got Drew up for me. So, as a thank you, I picked him up something today.

I decide to get dressed and hope that Care Now will call me ASAP. 7:40 a.m. my cell rings. It's them. THANK YOU JESUS. I head that way. While I'm in the waiting room, I call to schedule an appointment for Ben since he's been kind of sickly, too. I get called back almost immediately (God bless web check in!) They do a rapid strep test which comes back negative. The doctor comes in within minutes and said that it could be a false negative and that I could still be in the early stages of it. He could tell that my tonsil was really huge and said he would prescribe me a steroid for the pain and inflammation but since I'm nursing ... I just said not to worry about it. I just got an Rx for an antibiotic. I'd love the inflammation and pain to go away pronto BUT not at the risk of any weird/unknown side effects because I'm nursing. He did say if it's not better in 3-4 days to come back. THREE TO FOUR DAYS? DANG GINA! I was in and out of there in less than 40 minutes. WOW!

I left there... went to Wal-Greens (or Wall-Grun's, as my dad likes to call it), got my Rx filled, hit Whataburger for a taquito and a Diet Coke (gotta stay hydrated--ha!) and then headed home. I played with Ben in the jumparoo, nursed him, and got a phone call from my good friend Landy and talked to her for about an hour... then it was time to pack up Ben and head to the pediatrician for his 11:30 appointment. We were in and out of there quickly. He checked his ears and throat... his symptoms are just a little cold. I told him how I kiss all over him and he grabs my face and mouth and nose and that I fear he may get what I get. Dr. Knapp said that I'd rather see a family a little more for being warm and close than to never see them because they're cold and distant. That's a nice thought, isn't it? He said, "No mommy guilt. You did nothing wrong. Kids get sick. It's their way to build up their immune system. It's okay." If he does develop anything it'll be a secondary infection to what he has now (little cold) and so that's when he'd need to see him again. Otherwise, he'll just have a little cold until it runs its course.

I stopped off and got me a big sweet tea from McDonald's and now Ben's swinging, the dogs are outside, I'm draggin butt BUT... big picture:

the sky is blue

the weather is beautiful

we got much needed rain

my family is intact

we are (relatively speaking) healthy

my boys love school

we do not have to go without

i have a beautiful home

i have an adorable pair of pooches

and, while I don't like my present bodily "state"... it's just a temporary part of my walk in motherhood.

I may be a little under the weather but in general,

life.is.good.

Adult stuff

We were about to walk out the door this morning.

"But Mooooom, wait." Josh headed back to the kitchen to grab the fundraiser flyer for their magazine sales. The school has a big rally, of course, to tell all the kids about the fundraiser (the only one the school has) which is magazine renewals and new subscriptions. I will just renew the subscriptions that I have and be done with it. I like easy stuff like that. I"m not buying cookie dough, candy, or any junk I don't need (not that I need magazines, but I want them and NOW it's for my childrens' benefit that I do buy them! I love reasoning things out. Don't you?)

So, I explain to him that it doesn't have to be turned in until tomorrow. It's okay not to turn it in today. He tried to reason with me.

Did you read it?

No.

I did. It's not due until tomorrow. And, with that, I start walking back out the door.

Again, "...but, MOOoOOOOOoOOoOoOoOoOm"

I walk in the kitchen, pull the blasted sheet out that I READ YESTERDAY which clearly said that the one portion he's referring to is NOT due until tomorrow. Then, I jump his butt about trying to reason and negotiate with me. I'm reading the material. He didn't. He needs to just shut up. Right?

Then we get in the car and I stop two doors down to pick up the girls we carpool with.

"We're not taking them today," he says.

"Yes, we are."

"No, we're not taking them today."

We don't say "shut up" in this house but let me tell you, I was [ ] close TO telling him to just shut up. It's annoying to have someone continually sit there and contradict everything you say and do because they are completely uninformed. HE doesn't know the schedule. HE isn't conversing with the mom. HE IS CLUELESS. So why is he bugging the crap out of ME for stuff HE OBVIOUSLY doesn't know anything about? Seriously, it's annoying.

So, after picking them up -- much to his surprise. I proceeded to tell him that the girls will ride with us this morning because this is our week to TAKE them to school. However, their mom will not be picking up MY TWO this afternoon because generally, on Tuesdays and Thursdays her daughters to go "Kids Club" (after school care at the school) which means that MY TWO won't have a ride home UNLESS I go pick them up.

And, I thought that would be the end of it.

"But, Mom, you can't pick us up!"

??? Now, I'm really interested in this logic.

"I can't? Why?"

"Because you don't have a sign. You gave your sign to Mrs. Zachmeyer."

The school went to signs in the dash of the last names of children so they know which cars they go to. They're all in a certain font, so the school knows what child belongs to what vehicle. I take a deep breath and say to my oldest child, "Well, Josh, I can pick you up because I have a sign too. We were provided with two signs."

Then, it hit me to quit being such a butt hole to my kid with my tone. Although, the ridiculousness of the entire conversation was annoying and trying on my patience (because I can't STAND to be second guessed by a KID when I know what's going on and he doesn't) I realized that he just wanted to be "in the know" on what was going on concerning HIM.

I took a minute to give myself an attitude adjustment and grabbed him on the shoulder and rubbed it a little (I mean, I AM driving while this is taking place) and said, "You really don't need to worry about all this "adult" stuff, you know? I told you I'd pick you up. I'll pick you up. Whatever I needed to do to make that happen, I would. That's something you don't even need to be concerned about for a second. So, chill out. You're too young to stress about these trivial things. If I tell you something, you know my word is as good as gold. If I say it's not due, there's a reason that I know that it's not due. If I say that we're taking the girls, we're taking the girls. If I say that I'm picking you up. I'm picking you up. Don't argue with me and just leave it at that. I know that you, don't like to have what you say second guessed and I'm no different. Especially three or four times in a row...

He realized what he'd done. We both let it go.

I'm glad that I had a few seconds to give myself an attitude adjustment so that I didn't send him off on his way to school in a bad mood.

BUT NOW -- a shameless plug -- If anyone wants to renew or subscribe to any magazines, let me know! Since I have TWO kids selling the same fundraiser, our resources are cut in half since we'll only hit the grand parentals up by one kid. I'd be appreciative if you'd buy/renew through my boys if you're in the market to do so.

Brownie Points

Yup, I'm going to earn some major ones today. See, since Josh got in the 5th grade band at FWC, he needed a guitar to leave up at the school. I certainly wasn't comfortable with him leaving his $500 Ibenez up there so I started doing some research on a "good" but cheap guitar. And, today, I went to pick it up from Mr. E's music in Bedford. He has a red/white Peavy! It's cool (just sayin).

He'll be way excited.