My little girl

This has been a rough school year for JC. Of all of my kids, she is the one with the temper. I've learned so many things being her mother. I believe, with all of my being, that God gave her to me to learn patience. She requires, and always has, more patience than the boys put together. Her teacher tends to react to JC's behaviors with anger. I've learned that reacting that way only leads to a bigger reaction from JC, and often to a terrible downward spiral on both ends. I'm not blaming her teacher. She is who she is. And because of the "personality conflict" that has formed between student and teacher, it's been a long school year.

Many, many times, JC is a wonderfully sweet little girl. In fact most people, until they have the misfortune of witnessing a meltdown, don't believe some of the stories we tell about her behaviors. It is her sweetness that we try to cultivate and nurture. In a month, JC will be having her First Communion. She understands what a big development this is in her life and is very much looking forward to it. Last evening, I finally bought her shoes to go with the beautiful dress that she has for the Mass. We had her try everything on, and my little girl looked like a beautiful princess. I wanted to just cry. She is my little girl, but sadly, she isn't so little anymore.

Half way through

Hard to believe that the week is half over. I know that my wonderful husband can't believe how quickly it's going and that he'll have to go back to work soon. On the upside, the kids are off next week and that will be wonderful as well. We are hoping to work in the garage today. It's become basically a giant storage closet and we really need to get in there and get rid of some things and organize others.

Our youngest was watching Dora this morning. Unfortunately, he mentioned to my husband how much he loves gorillas, and my husband took that opportunity to pop in an educational video. Good grief!

Spring break part I

My wonderful husband is on spring break this week. Unfortunately, the kids are not so we aren't able to take any trips. We will, though, be going to the in-laws this weekend for a long weekend and celebrating Easter with them. JR has a stressful week. He has a science test today, and a report due tomorrow. He also has his first baseball practice Thursday. My wonderful husband and another friend agreed to coach the kids this year and I'm so excited about the boys on his team. They are all a really nice group of boys. The other two don't begin until next week. I'll be coaching JC, and a friend is coaching HT. Although I know it's going to be insanely crazy, I'm looking forward, at least a little, to it all.

The sun is out today...it's nice to see it again. We are supposed to be in the 70's by Thursday. I'm very excited!

New counter tops

Our beautiful new granite counter tops were installed today. I LOVE THEM! It was a little scary, because of course while I loved the color in the store, the 4"x4" square is difficult to visualize all over my kitchen. I'm happy to report though, that they look absolutely wonderful. My wonderful husband has just finished hooking up the plumbing in the sink, and we almost have a real kitchen again. We still need to repaint the walls, but there isn't that much to do. I really almost feel like I have a brand new kitchen!

Emotions

I'm an emotional person. I always have been. I've always been one that showed my emotions quickly and easily and I always feel them so strongly. This has been a rough morning, and we aren't even at noon yet. I had a feeling it would be rough because a month ago this morning I learned about the death of our friends' six-month-old. I also learned this week that an older cousin is dying from cancer. We aren't terribly close, but I adore his mother and I hurt for her. And this morning, my mother called, fighting tears, to tell me about the death of a long time friend of hers. The migraine I had been fighting when I woke up won over in church, and I left after the readings. My prayers go out to all of my wonderful friends and families who have been touched by death and illness, and as we head into this Holy Week, I pray that everyone can find strength and comfort, and maybe even a feeling of renewal.

Mom, it's warm now!

Yesterday a spring storm came through. The wind was really howling last night, and the rain was coming down in buckets. JC even commented at one point that we were having a tornado. I assured her that we were not, but I did check the weather channel just to be certain there was no severe weather coming. There were some really strange noises outside. This morning, we awoke to a covering of snow. More than a dusting, not quite an inch. The school was on a two hour delay because of the icy roads. HT and I had to go to the grocery today. This was not an option...it was a necessity. As he gets into the van this morning he informs me that he is "freezing". We drive the 10 miles to the grocery, and it takes us about 75 minutes to accomplish all of our shopping and to check out. When we walk outside, HT is astonished at the weather and informs me that's it warm out now. He wanted to know how it can go from winter to spring in just a couple of hours. Trust me HT, many adults (and my sinuses) would like to know the same thing! Gotta love March in the midwest!

Children's laughter

I love the sound of my children's laughter. To me, it is one of the best sounds in the world. My oldest is in a phase, though, where when he laughs he cackles like a hyena. We've explained that he sounds pretty goofy when he does that and needs to work on it. All three of them still have the laughter sound though, of pure childhood joy. The youngest has the most contagious laugh I've ever heard. Even babysitters and others have commented on it throughout his life. This morning, he has a friend over to play. Because of a commitment of the friend's mother, it's a four hour play date. I was a little concerned, because usually about 2 hours is all kids that age can handle. Fortunately, the weather has held off and they were outside playing on scooters, throwing basketballs, tennis balls, and whatever else they could find, and generally running around and being little boys. There was so much laughter and giggling and it just made me smile. They are back inside right now, and I've allowed them to turn on the TV. Apparently, even watching cartoons with a friend is funnier than normal. I love that sound!

The power of writing

I've got to be honest, I had an entirely different post written yesterday. I've been having a really tough time with some emotions lately, and everything kind of hit bottom (at least I hope it was bottom!) Tuesday evening. I wrote a really long (and rather depressing) post yesterday morning. But when I was done writing it, I felt an amazing burden lifted off of me. I felt so much better writing it all down, that I decided I didn't even need to post it. I was really amazed by the power of writing it all out!

Wacky day

Today is wacky day at the school as a fundraiser. I love seeing how excited the kids are for such a day! And it makes getting ready for school very easy. It really doesn't matter what they choose to wear...it's a day where you really can't go wrong!

Lots going on

There seems to be an awful lot going on around here. I sure am busy, but I'm not exactly sure what it is that is making me so busy.

The weekend was really nice. We loved the NCAA tournament. There were so many great upsets. It was really nice to be able to take a couple of days and watch that much basketball. I still managed to fold laundry and work on some other organizational things, as well as do some data projects, but I almost always was able to have the TV on at the same time. And the kids really enjoyed watching the games and rooting for the teams they picked...even if they seldom won! We are also enjoying UD's victory over UC in the NIT that happened last night. Go Flyers!

The kids still have two more weeks of school before spring break begins. It's going to be crazy, I can already tell. There has been a definite increase in homework coming home, probably in an effort to get certain things covered before break. We also have a baseball meeting this week. I'll be coaching JC, and my wonderful husband will be coaching JR. I'm nervous about this, but we had a really, really awful experience with JR's coach last year. I'm a firm believer that if you are going to complain, you better be willing to do something about it, so we are coaching our own kids this year. By no means do I believe we are the best coaches out there, but at least I can guarantee that the coach won't be swearing in front of my children, or some of the other inappropriate behavior we witnessed last year. We also have various children coming and going from our house this week as I am helping out several friends. We have an extra guest for a little while tomorrow morning, different guests after school for a couple of hours, then different guests yet Thursday morning. Yikes! I hope I can keep track of who is supposed to be here when! And Friday it is our turn to teach a segment at scouts. Eventually we are going to have to start preparing for that, but it should be fairly easy. And to add to the mix, the project I'd been doing for my dad's office, which had been on hiatus since mid-December, is back on. Crazy timing, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to make some extra money.

Okay, so maybe I do understand why I'm feeling a little frazzled right now!

Lovin' it!

Well, while I wasn't thrilled about the beginning of March Madness, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the day! We always have pizza on the Thursday that the tourney begins so that we can eat in front of the TV. There were some really good upsets yesterday (including the one I wasn't so thrilled about) and almost all of the games were really close competitive games. I didn't stay up until the last ones ended last night, but I really, really enjoyed watching basketball yesterday. I always have my kids fill out brackets just for the fun of it, and it's really been fun watching them root for the teams they picked. I just love this weekend of sports!

Madness!

March Madness has begun. It's my favorite sports weekend of the year, but I am already really mad! Notre Dame lost in the first round today. I know, they do that almost every year they make an appearance, but c'mon...you've got to be kidding me!

You just never know

Over a decade ago, I had a friend. We'll call him Joe for this story. Joe and I had been friends since high school, all through college and into early adulthood. We were friends during his parents' divorce, the death of another friend, and sat with each other supporting yet another friend who was fighting leukemia (and won!). However, he often had problems treating people with respect, and that included me. Many, many instances occurred over the years, and finally I'd just had enough. There was no big blow up or argument or instance, I just stopped contact. It wasn't that difficult since his fiance' (now wife) didn't like me anyway. Being from a small town I still heard updates about him occasionally, and it was painfully awkward when I ran into him and his wife about a year after contact had ended. Five years later, his grandfather passed away. I knew that Joe had been very close to his grandfather and sent a sympathy card to both him and his parents because it seemed like the right thing to do. I'd often wondered though, if it had been the right thing to do...I certainly wasn't trying to cause any additional pain. Recently, he contacted me. I've never been a person to hold a grudge, and I'd long ago been done being angry. I'm not saying I'm a saint, I just don't believe in staying angry...it isn't worth the energy and I move on. This past Sunday was his birthday, and I just sent a quick email wishing him happy birthday. He wrote back thanking me for the birthday wishes, and then the next part stunned me. He said that for a long time he had been wanting to thank me for the sympathy card I'd sent and that it had always meant a lot to him. I just sat there looking at the screen...this was somewhat out of character for the Joe that I knew...opening up and putting words to his feelings. As I told my wonderful husband last evening, I sent that card six years ago, and it was still important enough for him to mention now. I don't think there is going to be any grand reconciliation between Joe and I after all of these years, but I'm grateful we've had this contact. It's nice to know that if we happen to run into each other, it will be less awkward. It really made me think. You just never know how much a simple gesture, something like sending a card, will mean to people. You just never know.

Morning routine

One of the many challenges we have faced with JC this year has been our morning routine. I recognize that this might, in part, be due to the fact that I am NOT a morning person, so perhaps I have a little less patience than required in the morning. JC however, is most certainly a morning person. She is almost always the first person up, and is often awake before I even go to wake her. Sadly, this does not translate to her moving well in the morning. I'm still trying to figure out what could possibly take so long for her upstairs in the mornings. And yes, I have tried getting up earlier to make things go more smoothly. On those mornings she manages to succeed in moving even slower. Another challenge to our morning routine is that, as a favor to a friend, we have extra guests here for about 45 minutes in the morning twice a week. As you might suspect, those extra guests are much more fun than any morning chores that might need to be accomplished. I'm not talking about major chores here. It's pretty much the standard, make the bed, get dressed, brush your teeth, feed the cats, and eat breakfast. This morning I was reminding JC for the umpteenth time that the clock was still moving even if she wasn't and she mentioned that at the hotel over the weekend she didn't have to make her bed. I decided there was not point engaging this conversation. However, about five minutes later when I again reminded her that things needed to be done and she wasn't accomplishing anything, she again mentioned that over the weekend she didn't have to make her bed. I explained that was true. Her aunt had paid for them to sleep at the hotel, and the hotel had paid a maid to make her bed. We do not, however, have a maid, but if she would like to pay me each morning to do her job I would be happy to do it. She suddenly saw the value in doing it herself!

Off by an hour

My body is none too pleased by the adjustment required thanks to Daylight Savings time. Neither are my children, who now go to bed when there is still a little bit of light outside.

This morning some of us (no sign of HT) drug ourselves up and off to school. Thanks to the NyQuil I had taken last night I wasn't in the mood for getting up either. I went back to sleep on the couch, and was astonished when I awoke at 10:30 and there was STILL no sign of HT. He ambled down the stairs about 15 minutes later, and thought it was very funny that I told him he had slept until almost lunch time. The rest of our day has gone along as a standard Monday does.

JC had a wonderful and memorable weekend with my sister. She loved the American Girl doll store, and we had sent along money so that she may choose and purchase a new doll. It's so sweet to see her with her new doll. She also got to hang out at Notre Dame, and loved being able to swim in the hotel pool. There were so many highlights to her weekend she really couldn't pick just one!

Ah, sweet Friday

Today is Friday. I'm glad it's here. I had a 24 hour bug Tuesday evening into Wednesday evening. Yesterday, I felt pretty good, until last evening. Then I just knew that a dreaded cold was coming on. I decided to sleep on the couch so that I could sleep somewhat sitting up, and also so that any coughing and sneezing didn't wake my husband. I actually felt pretty decent during the night, but unfortunately, JR had a horrible, horrible cough that kept me awake most of the night. I guess I just have a mom's ears when it comes to things like that. I'm pretty sure it's just sinus drainage because he feels fine and never coughs when he's up and moving around. The kids had a fog delay this morning, but because of the phone ringing at 6AM, I didn't really get any extra sleep. We had a rough morning around here as well. Since I haven't been feeling well, instead of the kids chipping in to get things done, they've actually been lazy and haven't even been doing their regular chores. Makes me grumpy! So I'm really looking forward to a weekend where we can sleep in a little bit. My sister is taking JC to Chicago for a visit to the American Girl doll store, and they won't be back until Sunday evening. There is also no Sunday School this weekend so our family is headed to the lake to spend the day with my dad and grandmother. I think we are all going to have wonderful, wonderful memories from our weekend!

Dinner conversation

I do not understand why some families do not have dinner together more often. The comedic material that becomes available at dinner is just astonishing! The following conversation occurred at dinner this evening:

JC: Today we watched a movie about Thomas Jefferson. At the end he passed away.

me: Yes, Thomas Jefferson is dead.

JC: Thomas Jefferson invented the light bulb.

me: No, Thomas Jefferson did not invent the light bulb. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.

JC: Oh.

me: So did you watch a movie about Thomas Jefferson or about Thomas Edison?

JC: Thomas Edison. At the end he passed away.

HT: That means he died.

me: Yes, thank you H. I am aware of what that means.

JC: Is Thomas Jefferson dead?

me: Yes, Thomas Jefferson is also dead.

JR: Thomas Edison is blind.

me: No, Thomas Edison is not blind. Helen Keller is blind.

JR: Last year we read a book about Thomas Edison being blind.

Husband: (who apparently remembers this) No, last year you read a book about Helen Keller.

JC: Is Helen Keller dead?

me: Yes, Helen Keller is also dead. What was the name of the woman who worked with Helen Keller? It wasn't Anne Frank...she was the one with the diary.

Husband: It wasn't Annie Oakley. She was the sharpshooter.

me: And yes, JC, these people are all dead.

JC: Why do I care?

AGH! I have no idea how our conversation took this turn! I have to laugh at it though! Maybe the reason more people don't have family dinners together is because they have long ago lost their sanity with it. And yes, I did look it up on the internet and realized Anne Sullivan used to work with Helen Keller.

Might have to admit...

...I've been sick for the last 24 hours. I hate it when I really feel lousy, but can't quite put my finger on what I'm feeling. My wonderful husband offered to stay home today, but I didn't feel like that was necessary. What I did think was necessary though, was sleeping all day. Fortunately, HT stayed right with so I didn't have to worry about him, and I pretty much dozed only enough to wake up every 10 minutes to look at him. It is one nice thing about the kids being older...I don't have to worry about them quite as much. I feel better this evening, and I'm looking forward to another good night sleep. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be back at it!

Longaberger

Some people might say that I have an obsessive personality...and some who read this blog might agree. My latest obsession is Longaberger baskets. I absolutely, absolutely love them! They are really expensive, but they are heavy duty baskets that hold up through just about anything. The one rule I've always pretty much had is that if I buy a basket, I must be able to have a practical use for it. About once a year I break that rule to buy a basket that only pertains to a particular holiday. Lately, I've been buying on ebay. And I mean buying! I've been able to get some really, really good deals on some good sized baskets, which are the best kind for our house! I love decorative storage options! And when I buy them new, I can always tell myself that I'm helping the Ohio economy since they are made a few hours from here. I'm hoping this summer to be able to take a trip and visit the headquarters...but maybe I should leave the credit cards at home!

Out and about

The sun is shining again...it's like the fifth day in a row! I know that probably doesn't seem noteworthy, but that's how crazy we were all beginning to feel about February! Our weekend has been really nice. The Pinewood Derby was yesterday. No trophies were brought home by our family, but the kids had fun and, most importantly, were good sports. Last night was dinner and drinks with some very good friends. It was exactly the relaxing evening I needed after such an emotionally draining week. Even a week later, I can be going along and suddenly get teary and choked up thinking about our friends. But last night it was so wonderful to just sit and visit and watch a couple of funny movies. Today we had church and lunch out, and since it is such a gorgeous day out (sunny AND warm) my wonderful husband is taking the kids to the woods for a hike. I'm so grateful because I haven't slept well in the last week, and I could use a few moments of quiet and maybe even a nap! We have a busy week coming up, but nothing terribly exciting. Looking forward to a pleasant week.

Sunshine and baseball

If I wasn't careful, I might think Spring was just around the corner. Hard to believe, but it might really be! It's our second day of beautiful sunshine. Even last night at dinner, JC made the comment that it was still sunny out and she was very excited about that. This afternoon at 2:30, the Reds play their first preseason game, and it's even on TV! So excited!

Amazing strength

Today was the memorial service for beautiful little six month old Tommy. It was an amazing service. Both of his parents spoke, two aunts, and his great-grandfather after whom he is named. I am just in awe of the strength his parents are showing. Their faith is inspiring. I know that there is still so much pain ahead of them, and I pray for their continued strength and comfort. I can't imagine how they are doing it...I'm so completely drained and I'm removed from the immediate situation. May God have mercy on their family.

Dare to Dream

Today is sunny...the sun is actually out, at least for a little bit. It's not supposed to last, and it isn't supposed to get warm enough for much snow to melt today. Saturday though. Now Saturday, the high is supposed to be 46 degrees, and very sunny. The meteorologist even said last night that if the conditions are right, we could even see 50. I'm almost giddy! Dare to dream for such beautiful weather!

The next day

Today is the day after I learned about the tragedy my friends are enduring, and there is a calmer and more peaceful feeling in my heart today. I've been hugging my kids tighter, and I'm remembering to be more grateful, even when they are yelling/crying/complaining. They are a beautiful blessing in our lives.

On a happier note, March has begun and we are actually able to see the grass outside. It's quite an accomplishment around here! It's not going to warm up significantly, but knowing that there is no major snow in the forecast is a good feeling. We are looking forward to Spring!