Taking Care of Momma

When you join the ranks of Mommyhood, often times we start to put ourselves last.  At least, that's what I do for my kids and hubby.  But perhaps, we should all remember that we are humans too and sometimes we do come first.  Especially when your body is telling you to!!  If we aren't healthy and up to par, they will suffer.  Right??  So, best to be healthy and take care of you:)

When my kids are sick or don't feel well, I am the first one to see what happens and call the doctor.  I don't call for every little thing, but when they are sick and not getting better I call right away.  I am also the biggest nagger towards my hubby when he starts to complain about his aches/pains and troubles.  Call the doctor, I say.  And now, I think I need to follow my own advice.

I don't know what's wrong and there are several things that it could be...from a simple infection to things of greater significance.  I always say I don't have time to go to the doc.  And I really don't.  But, I need to make the time.  I haven't had a true physical since I started having babies (10 years ago).  I haven't been to a skin doctor in over 10 years to have my moles checked.  I haven't been to the Ob since Franny was born.  Hey, at least I keep my dental appts twice a year...  ok, not funny.  I know, I have a tendency to make jokes about pretty much everything b/c I like to keep it light.

So, I'm off to call the doctor and hopefully there will be an appointment that won't disrupt my kids after school schedule (ha ha ha ha ha) or my multitude of job schedules (again, ha ha ha ha).  Perhaps I should just go to Urgent Care...they're open late, right??  Do they have a Drive-Thru care??  Wouldn't that be convenient- drive to the window, yell out your symptoms and get your diagnosis without getting out of the car...

I will keep you posted...well, at least I will try and keep you posted... I know these posts are sometimes few and far between:)

Have a fabulous day!!

Franny takes a header...

Check out that nose...fell, head first, down our front steps.  Now, I should tell you these steps are concrete and have no railing.  I should also tell you Kyra was standing right next to her off in her own little world.

Usually, Kyra will hold her hand going down the steps so I can finish getting everything we need and get out the door.  Trying to get 4 kids out the door and onto an activity is somewhat of a challenge so I rely on the help from the big kids to get the little kids into the car.  Usually, not a problem.  Well, unless you get annoyed that the boys trudge through the muddy grass, step in every puddle and run around the car instead of getting in it a problem???

Ah well...accidents happen, right??  I think every kid has face planted themselves down these steps...and probably a few adults:)

Only bled for a little bit and now she just looks like Rudolph as the nose has gotten redder and more swollen.  She will live and perhaps Kyra will pay more attention to her??  ha ha...

This is not her first fall...nor will it be her last.  Of all my children, Franny will most likely cause me to run to the emergency room.  I have been pretty lucky with the other three on that department... twice with DJ (and one of them was b/c of a tick bite and not an accident) and once with Max.  None for Kyra at this point.  Uh oh, did I just jinx them???

Let me tell you about the last scary fall of Franny's.  I have been meaning to write this for awhile but just can't seem to fit everything into 24 hours a day..  We took a trip over to Pirate's Park...a park near here that has a big Pirate Ship for the kids to play on.  I walk Franny up the plank and further up to the top...little did I know there was a hole for sliding down a pole just on the other side of where the steps were... yup... she went through it and landed about 6 feet below.  Of course, that one put my heart into my throat like no other Franny fall has ever done.  Fortunately, she was fine.  Scared (me) and unscathed.  And Luckily, she didn't land on the nail that was sticking up just a few inches away...that would not have been good.

This is the pirate ship

This is where she fell

This was 5 minutes later..

In other news...here is how my weekend was (you can hum the Flight of the Bumblebee while you read it..lol)

Friday friday friday
Finish cookies Finish cake
Deliver cookies
Pick up kids
Snack time, change your clothes, let's go
Deliver DJ at his dance
Deliver sample cake for tasting
Grab a bite to eat
Religious retreat
Saturday Saturday Saturday
Gotta get to work
Drive down to Jerz
Please please fix my lens
Fill the tank Stop get milk
Clean Clean Clean the sink
Make dinner clean it up
Play with fondant Play with kids
Whew one kid in bed finally sitting down
Oh crap the TV's black... oh geez there goes the sound
Franny's passed out put them all to bed
Pitter patter of feet..really, it's just a little rain
Up again, Church is early and that beeping machine woke me up:(
CCD, make breakfast, pick up at CCD, make more breakfast
Carry a heavy TV and make hubby carry other one back (yup, I'm a weakling)
Go to work, grocery shopping in a downpour
Unload groceries, unload dishes, eat some grub
Make hubby clean the kitchen...fell asleep on the couch snuggled up with Franny
Went to bed at 2AM...who's that in my bed?? DJ afraid of the rain again... ear plugs ear plugs ear plugs!!!
Franny's awake and won't stay put..wanna sleep..brought her in with us:(
Monday Monday here we come, let's start all over again!!

Franny's Day... and evidently mine too:)

My kids always know when I have things to do, you know??  And today was no exception.  Franny is one smart cookie and she let herself shine today!!  Here is a brief overview of what she did today:

-crumbles her cupcake and throws it all over the floor

-dumps her eggs on the floor

-opens the container of wipes and evenly distributes them all over the house

-pulls the books off the shelves and throws them on the ground

-Pulls apart her cheese stick and throws all the pieces on the floor

-empties the block bin and runs right through them kicking them all over the place and when Max actually helps by cleaning them up, she does it all over again

-climbs into the block bin for Max to pull her around

-plays the empty and run through with the other blocks in a bag...yes, she can open zippered bags now

-plays in the toilet, thus getting her completely soaked along with the floor, toilet, toilet paper, rug, etc

-pulls my camera off the bed and drops it on some lifting weights breaking the lens protector thingy and perhaps more to the  lens itself  (ok, she did this the other day, but if feels like it was only today)

-manages to sneak upstairs when the gate is off only to play in that toilet with the toilet brush and carry it all
over upstairs dripping stuff every where (did I mention that nobody knows how to flush a toilet in this house??)
 -passes out in the car while on delivery run

-sits on Max while he is 'playing' in Baby C's carseat b/c she wants to be in there too

-upended my purse all over the floor

Hey- I had stuff to get done...and she is brutal!!  I only have a few pics b/c I just happened to have the camera around as I'm practicing with a diff. lens.  So, here they are..

Here's what I did today... well, I got it all done (my baking stuff, that is) on time except my kitchen looks like a bomb went off in it still...lol

 Finished, packaged and delivered 100 voleyball cookies:)

Filled, stacked, frosted, re-frosted, packaged and delivered.

See, Momma works!!  ha ha ha

Testing the boundaries..

You know, those things parents set up as a protective measure for our children as well as a means to control them...lol.

We are currently in the throes of the 3 yr old constantly testing his boundaries and what he can/can't get away with.  I knew to expect his behavior...but I foolishly thought Max was a superior child and would not be led astray.  Go on...laugh.  Perhaps it's b/c he is a genius that he feels the need to push even harder than the 2 older kids??  Or not... and let's just say that I am soooooooo not looking forward to when Franny is 3 b/c she is already testing the limits on an every day basis!!

Kids are constantly testing you... perhaps they have an ulterior motive to make sure us 'parents' are really paying attention??  Or maybe they think that as we age our ability to notice what they are doing diminishes??  Who knows... but it's probably one of the hardest things to do as a parent, right??

So, not only is he testing his boundaries, (this is going back to Max) but he is going through this awful 'I missed you' stage.  Taking the garbage out to the curb will cause the same reaction as going to work all day and not seeing him at all.  I can go to the bathroom and he will tell me he missed me sooooo much.  He requires 3 hugs and 3 kisses every time I leave him.  Yes, cute and all... but it can really get on your nerves sometimes.  But, Max wouldn't be Max without it, you know??

Now, Max always knows the answer even when he is constantly asking you why.  And when his answer is totally wrong, guess what??  In his mind, he is 100% always RIGHT!!  Hmmmmmm.....wonder where he got this trait from??  ha ha    I also feel sorry for his future wife...perhaps we should sign him up for debate..  He would win hands down.

Max also has a lot of little 'quirks' about him that the older 2 definitely do not have.  I think he might be a little border OCD some days.  He can't stand to be wet (even though he loves to swim) and must change his clothes the second a drop of water hits them.  He has his little routines that he follows...like, he has to open the door to the building of his pre-school, run down the hall while I pretend to lose, and slides right in front of the door, followed by 3 hugs and 3 kisses.  Yup...every time.  AND, if someone opens the door for him, well we have to wait for it to close (and those doors close kinda slow) so that HE can open it himself.  When playing with his cars, he lines them up just so and gets so upset if Franny messes them up or even if one falls on the ground.  He goes through a ton of napkins during meals (just so you know, I have stock in the Bounty napkins) and none of his food can touch (he also can't use the same spoon for 2 different foods even though I make him).

But, there you have a 3 year old in his prime!!  And I know somedays he is frustrating, I really wouldn't change it for the world.  Now, if only I knew how to video tape his version of  I'm Sexy and I know it, and put it up here for you all to see (trust me, a good laugh would be had by all), I would. I am a some what of a technology idiot..

Here's hoping your day is better as you, too, trudge through this thing called parenthood!!

My Son...and first-born

So, many of you know that I have some issues with my son, DJ.  And as a Mom of four, I don't expect my days to be calm, cool and relaxed.  I often feel odd if there is a quiet moment in my house and no one is yelling at someone or terrorizing someone,  you know??

And DJ, well, he's my toughest nut to crack and always has been for me.  I don't know what makes him tick and/or how to help him in the ways that he needs it.  I am often left wondering if my decisions towards his actions make it worse and I often feel as though I am failing as a mother by not being able to figure him out.

I had so many other things I could have written about tonight, but I just received an e-mail from someone who runs an activity he does.  Yes, they are having problems with him in practice and we need to talk about it and can I stay during the practice.  Ooooof... how in the hell can I stay at the practice, make sure he does what he's supposed to do, watch Max, make sure Franny doesn't tear the place apart and/or slide down/climb up stairs, poles, chairs, tables, etc.  Oh, and make sure the little ones aren't a distraction to the other kids...  ok, you all can laugh now b/c I would be that mom who would look like her head was going to explode while sweating profusely but whispering vehemently to stay back, don't move, play over there, NO FRANNY COME BACK, etc.  You get my point here??  Perhaps it would be better for him not to be a part of it???

Now, DJ tells me that he really wants to do it.  He gets really upset when I tell him he won't be able to do it if he doesn't pay attention.  And he really gets upset when I tell him that he may not be able to do it anymore.

Geez...I just feel blah about it.  And sometimes I feel embarrassed by his behavior...like it's a reflection of me and what I'm teaching him.  It's not a good feeling, you know??  Some people (actually, most people) tell me he's just a boy and boys will be boys.  But, there is something different about it...I know it in my gut.  There's more to him and his behavior than him just being a boy.  And I am constantly wondering "how do I fix it"  and "can I fix it" ??

Am I making any sense??

I love my son with all my heart and I just want to be able to figure out what to do with him.  I know I joke about the duct tape and stuff...but really, we need that for Franny these days:)  I would like to be able to let him do things with other people and friends without having to worry about how he's going to behave while there.  Every playdate he actually goes on, I worry the entire time.

Now, to make him more confusing to me, he also has the BIGGEST heart.  He is the first to make sure his little brother gets a bag of candy from church, or his sister also gets a lollipop even when she's not there, or he will take out the Whoppers from his goody bag and give them to me b/c he knows they're my favorite, or he will want to run into the $ store to by his dad a plastic football helmet from the machine b/c he knows Daddy will like it, etc.  He always gives me a hug and kiss before bed...always gives Franny a kiss too and not just b/c she's on my lap at the time.

And so, I need to suck it up, keep at it and hope that one day we will look back on this time of his life and laugh...right??  Please say we will laugh at it one day!!

Since this post is all about DJ, here are some pics to remember:

A few funny things I forgot to mention about Easter..

Yes, we all went to church together this past Sunday.  Usually, one of us adults stays home with the two littles b/c they are not equipped with sitting still and listening yet...and our church does not have a nursery.

So, I chased Franny up and down the aisle (don't worry, we were off to the side...not the middle one).  She would stop all the way at the front and look up at Jesus and say 'Mama'.  She calls all the 'women' characters in her books the Mama and all the 'men' characters Dada...so, she thought Jesus, with his long hair, looked like a Mama.

Franny also thought that it was okay to climb onto a bench, while people were at a standing up part, and crawl all the way to the middle so that she could enjoy someone else's juice and snack...yes, I was too slow to catch her.  Thankfully, I knew the mom and kids in that row...so, thanks for your patience!!

Max, as we are sitting in the pew waiting for the service to start, asks 'Mom, when is God going to show up??'..'When will we see God...is he almost here Mom??'.  Ah, gotta love the innocence!!

Oh, and yes, here is one last 'funny' that happened later in the day while all the kids were outside.  Max comes storming into the house b/c DJ tried to PEE on him.  Yes, you read correctly.  Max was trying to 'mark' his territory by peeing on a toy or something, so DJ thought he's pee on Max.  Seriously??  Is this normal for boys??  Hey, let's go have a pissing match outside..ok, let's go!!

Hope you are all having a great day:)

Do you Believe??

Easter was here...and so was the Easter Bunny.  Gosh, where did that old bunny come from anyway??

I don't know, but here are a few links in case you're interested (this isn't what this blog post is really about):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Bunny
http://voices.yahoo.com/easter-bunny-beginnings-where-did-he-come-from-1302871.html?cat=22

What I really want to ponder about is the belief system of the kids.  WOW... they really do believe that a Bunny Rabbit is capable of hiding all these eggs just so they can find them and enjoy a bit of candy.  They also believe that the eggs are magically hidden and the Easter Bunny will know when we are ready to hunt for them by making them appear suddenly in our back yard.  Hmmm...wouldn't it be nice to have that innocence again??  The same goes for Santa around here too.  It baffles me, intrigues me, and makes me happy that ALL of my children are still believers.  Yes, even the 9 year old still believes.  And I wonder, every time, if this is going to be the year that one of them stops believing.  They even believe that the Easter Bunny stopped down in North Carolina b/c he wasn't sure where we were going to be this year...lol

I, obviously, don't believe in the Easter bunny or Santa anymore.  But, I do believe in small miracles.  And I believe in keeping the illusion going for them as long as possible.  And I dread the day when DJ realizes that it's just his parents and/or grandparents who are preparing for the BIG day.  And so, I keep believing that they will keep believing:)

Our Easter was great...very laid back and relaxed.  We hosted my MIL along with my brother, his fiancee and my niece.  We had a ham that actually looked like a pig's head:

We had excellent side dishes...shrimp (my favorite) beforehand, and yummy desserts to follow.  And yes, we hid plastic eggs filled with candy for the kiddies to find:)

Some randomness before I give you more pics of our day:
- My boobs are sore...they are finally realizing that Franny has been cut off.  So, 10 days after initial cut-off day, I am sore...yuck:(
- Speaking of boobs and Franny- she finally realized she was cut off about a week after initial cut-off day and had a major meltdown in which I think the entire neighborhood heard her screaming b/c I wouldn't give in.  (that was the worst of it)
- Hubby has gotten so much better these past couple weeks (perhaps I should have written or at least told him about all the things he does sooner...).  Our communication has gotten better and we are working as a team these days...
- Ah, spring break...a glimpse into the future of summer break... got some thinking to do..
- Going to Chuckee Cheeses on a Monday morning at 10AM is the ideal time to go... you have the place to yourselves for at least 45 minutes and you will find random tickets in all the machines they just tested out...and someone will stop by to see how you're doing and give you more free tickets..

Here are some Easter pics...hope you had a blessed day!!

You're CUT off!!

Franny, that is...no ME... ha ha.  Yes, I finally did it.  I made the conscious effort to cut her off.  And, she is not a happy camper about it either.  I mean, I'm not either when the bartender cuts me off, so I can feel her pain, you know??

I think Franny would have kept it up as long as she could.  And, quite honestly, I kinda enjoyed the time we spent together and was glad I could give her that comfort, you know??  And, she is the last one I'll ever have so I guess I was just milking it too...No pun intended.  I've been working a lot of weekends and this past weekend, I did not really see her at all.  So, after 2 days of no booby milk (sorry, Max, we do not need to buy booby milk from ShopRite anymore), I guess it was the best time to not go back.  I know it was just for comfort...yes, for both of us.  I knew I could 'boob' her to sleep for naps and I would have my quiet time and she knew that when she needed comfort they were there for her.  But, alas, we can't go on forever.  And so, we bid farewell to each other and will have to come up with another means of comforting each other.  And, I will have to figure out how to get her to nap in her crib and not just pass out randomly around the house:)

And, so, I leave you with a few pics of the lovely Franny in her many sleeping 'areas' and I hope you all have a good night!!

And, yes, she really did sleep through her entire Christening...water on her head and everything!!