Dragging it out

I am amazed at how much my family can drag out bedtime. What is by far the most astonishing is that they worst offender of this is my HUSBAND. One would think that as one of the adults in the house he would be as excited about the kids' bedtimes as I seem to be every evening. Strangely, that is not the case. Perhaps it is because he is rarely, if ever, the one who has spent the entire day at home with them.

And to be honest, one of the reasons I so enjoy the kids' bedtime is the routine...the opportunity to all be together. It's just that tonight I had asked for him to take care of a few things with the kids and of course he decides to wait until bedtime. And in doing the things that I had asked it leads to other things that he realizes need to be done and it just keeps dragging on. I think it might just be his way to squeeze in a few more minutes with them each day, and I really can't blame him for that.

Goodwill

With the arrival of spring (so says the calendar, but mother nature hasn't received the memo yet...snow is in the forecast for tomorrow!) we've been cleaning out closets and other storage areas. With my wonderful husband home this week, he has already made the first of what I'm sure will be many trips to Goodwill. Today's batch was mostly clothes. I often give away to friends as hand-me-downs, but when things start to pile up I also like to send to Goodwill. The thing is, I literally dread this experience. Not because it's time consuming (which it is) and not because the kids groan and complain (which they do) but because I always feel like I am giving away my children's childhood. Isn't that ridiculous? I guess I have some inkling as to how hoarders live as they do...everything they keep has a special meaning to them. Fortunately I have the ability to recognize that things have to go, but I don't have to like it. I've even kept a few really special outfits, just because I want to. It seems a little too sentimental, but I just can't help myself. I find that I enjoy each phase of their lives because there is something awesome about each phase. At the same time, I also recognize how QUICKLY it all goes by, and I enjoy holding on to a little piece of the past.

Quiet Saturday afternoon

We are having a wonderfully quiet Saturday afternoon. The kids have really been awesome at finding their own ways to entertain themselves, and are doing so nicely and without arguing...this is amazing! My wonderful husband has developed a barking cough and he was at the doctor first thing this morning. the doctor thinks it is an upper respiratory infection instead of just a cold and he's on an antibiotic and heavy duty cough medicine. He's pretty much slept the entire time since he took it, which is exactly what he needs. We've also been watching the NCAA women's basketball tourney, and our Irish are in good shape this game!

We've been enjoying lots of basketball recently. Not so pleased that OSU lost last night, but very happy that VCU knocked off Florida State. I always enjoy seeing the power conferences lose, but it seems it is a power conference that wins the championship every year.

No trophies in the derby last night. HT was disappointed but had a blast just being able to participate. I love the fact that it worked out that his first year in scouts was the first year he was able to participate. He had a great time. JR was very disappointed as well. I think for him part of it was that it was his last chance.

Time to watch more basketball!

Derby time

Tomorrow evening is the annual cub scout pine wood derby. HT is participating for the very first time, and since JR just crossed over a month ago, his group was invited back to participate for one last year. This is the first (and probably only) time that all three have been involved. Since the derby is on a Friday evening this year, they decided to start the weigh ins this evening. Everyone is eagerly anticipating the big race tomorrow evening!

I knew I jinxed myself

Today I had some errands to run and then was going to be spending the afternoon at home. I've been really, really wanting to scrapbook, especially since I am now five years behind. I always tell myself that I'll do it as a reward when the house is picked up, laundry is put away, etc. Of course the work is never all done, and therefore scrapbooking never happens. I decided however, that tomorrow I was just going to go ahead and do it. Starting next week we have two weeks of spring break in this house (one for husband and one for the kids) and I can clean while they are home, but scrapbooking probably won't happen. I started printing out pictures and getting things all ready to spend the day on it tomorrow. At one point I thought to myself, half jokingly, "Well, I've probably pretty much guaranteed myself to be called into work tomorrow." Sure enough, I'll be in kindergarten tomorrow. At least it's in for my favorite group of kids. I do have to laugh at the irony though!

Almost back to normal

JC is getting back to normal and so is our life. I was scheduled to work today, so my wonderful husband stayed home with her. She's finally started eating again, although not a lot, and she's much more chipper even this evening than this morning. She still gets tired so very quickly though, and we've decided that at most she'll go to school half day tomorrow. It does feel nice to be "normal" again though. The last three evenings have been such chaos. Friday evening we were in the hospital of course, and Saturday evening we were just completely out of whack the entire day and most of us didn't even eat dinner until 9 at night. Last night we put JC to bed early, and between attempts to plan for my husband missing work and people calling to check on JC, things became incredibly chaotic. Tonight though, we actually had a normal bed time routine. We've been reading the Little House books, and tonight we were even able to take time to read a chapter. It's so nice to know that we are on the road to normal again, and I say prayers for those families whose children are so much sicker and there is no vision of normal for them.

Through the worst of it

I'm happy to report that JC seems to be over the worst of it. There has been no pain in 18 hours, which is a huge accomplishment. We had to give her a second dose yesterday around 6:00 and she pretty much slept from then until 9 this morning. The good news is that although she is still absolutely exhausted, she is fairly chipper today and has been drinking Gatorade with no problems. I think we are going to keep her home again tomorrow to give her an opportunity to just relax, but we are so glad that she seems to be on the upswing!

Longest. Day. Ever.

Yesterday was pretty much the longest day I've experienced. After being up at 3AM with JC, I had hoped for a nap. Unfortunately, because of her frequent vomiting incidents yesterday, there was no nap for either of us. She was able to start to doze between incidents, but I was pretty much on full alert listening for her. About 7:30 last night, her severe abdominal pain started again and my wonderful husband was off to urgent care. Once she was finally seen there they decided that she needed to go to the e/r. It was about 9:00 when I finally reached my mom, and my sister agreed to meet me and get the boys. I finally made it to the e/r around 10 and it was more crowded than I had ever seen. She finally made it into an exam room around 11, and we still didn't get seen by a doctor until after Midnight. The routine was pretty much the same as last time...as soon as she received anti-nausea meds she was a chipper little girl again, although obviously exhausted. We didn't make it home again until almost 5AM this morning. My mom had agreed to keep the boys overnight and I was awake at 9:30 so I could go get them. None of us got a very good night sleep last night, so today is our recovery day. JC had a rough morning again, but they tried sending home different meds than they ever had before and I'm happy to report that they have been tremendous. I expect her to sleep most of the day. As draining and stressful as the day was, I was still feeling so blessed. I hated seeing my little girl suffer and was so proud of her for how brave she was, but I knew that she was basically healthy, I knew that my boys were safe and cared for while I was with their sister, and I recognized that life could be so much worse. Right now we are all home and fed, and I think it's time for a nap.

She's sick again

Poor JC, she's had a rough winter of the stomach flu. This is her third incident in three months, and as with the first two, it's pretty nasty. Not that the stomach flu is ever a good thing, but this year when she's had it instead of just a few "episodes" she is running to the bathroom several times for several hours. Right now we are going on six hours and she has just finally fallen asleep. I'm hoping that means that the worst of it is over for this round. We've been blessed in that we haven't had a lot of respiratory issues this year, and even when JC gets a bug it hasn't spread through the rest of the family, but it's so hard to see her have to feel this lousy again!

Okay, well you didn't know I was gone, but I'm back now. Unfortunately she's still having a rough time of it...hoping she feels better very quickly!

St. Patrick's Day

I'll be honest, for most of my life, St. Patrick's Day has meant very little to me. I have never in my life attended a St. Patrick's party, nor have I ever partaken of any green beer...or any other green beverage for that matter. I am amazed however, that it is such a big deal in the kids' classes. Their teachers make a big deal about the leprechaun who will visit overnight, and of course it is an "opportunity" to give out gold wrapped candy. I am by no means a health freak, not even close, but I am astonished at the amount of candy the kids bring home from school. It's given as a reward for everything. Anyway, the kids are all excited about making sure that we are wearing our green, and are quick to pinch us if we aren't!

The first four

Last night it was my turn to attend the First Four as far as the NCAA games that are being played in Dayton. Tuesday night my husband took a good friend while I stayed home to man the fort. I didn't feel we could justify the expense of a sitter two nights in a row, plus there was way too much school work and other commitments to be gone two nights. I was a little jealous because the Tuesday games were awesome...I loved watching them on TV. I loved the Wednesday night games though...I thought they were great games to get to watch. I think the NCAA has made a great move by adding a few extra teams, and Dayton has done a tremendous job of being the host. More than anything though, I enjoyed the time spent at date night with my wonderful husband. We both had a great time!

That time of year

It's time for my favorite weekend of the entire year...NCAA tournament time! My husband and I have tickets for the "first four" that is being held at UD Arena tonight and tomorrow. I didn't want to pay for babysitting twice this week so I'm going along tomorrow night, and my husband took a friend along with him this evening. I strategically planned some appointments for Thursday so that if the school calls I can honestly say that I can't go in because I have appointments scheduled...but I should be able to watch most of the action in the afternoon. We'll be picking up pizza for dinner on Thursday, and it will be all basketball, all day. Dayton is in the NIT, but is currently getting destroyed by College of Charleston. In fact, it's getting so painful I almost can't watch. I had the kids fill out brackets today, and I was pretty impressed with their choices. Of course it helps that we are Ohio State (the overall #1 seed) and Notre Dame fans (a #2 seed). For the first year, the kids wanted to really look at the brackets and check out the records and seeding. I think it also helped that we watched so many conference tourneys over the last couple of weeks so they've been hearing about some of the teams. I'm so looking forward to this weekend!

They did it again!

UD won again today! Very exciting game, and they get to play tomorrow for the Atlantic 10 championship. Because of the station on which it was shown we weren't able to watch the game, but we kept tabs on it between the radio and the computer. Tomorrow they will play Richmond, and if they win they will actually be in the NCAA. I've really enjoyed watching a bunch of basketball tournaments this weekend, and next weekend is even more fun!

GO UD!

UD just knocked off Xavier in the Atlantic 10 tournament! Dayton was up by 18 on a couple of occasions, but was down by one with less than 30 seconds to go. They had the ball, got fouled and were able to make their foul shots with about six seconds left. They will play the winner of the Duquesne/St. Joe's game that happens next. This is only the quarterfinals, but it's a huge win for Dayton! I love college basketball this time of year!

Made it to Friday

There is just something about this time of year. The weeks seem so long. My wonderful husband has only two more full weeks until his spring break, and then the kids have the week after that off. I don't necessarily find either week relaxing. I really feel more like we are out of our routine for two weeks instead of actually having time off. We got more snow last night, although not enough to make any school issues. Enough though, that it makes spring feel far, far away. I know the fact that I'm fighting some severe sinus issues isn't helping the week move along any better. Fortunately, the kids have stayed relatively healthy (knock on wood), and I don't really feel lousy, I just have absolutely no energy. We have a fairly unscheduled weekend ahead. Tonight is a fish fry at our church, and although I've been invited to hang out with some girl friends afterward, I think I'm going to come home and go to bed. Tomorrow JR has a scout function bright and early, then JC has one in the afternoon, but both are "drop and go" activities. Sunday will be church, and while JR is at his baseball clinic, I'll take the others to go visit my cousin and her kids. I just wish we didn't lose that hour on Sunday...this time of year I feel like there aren't enough hours as it is!

Absolutely too much

A year ago tomorrow, I wrote about a humorous dinner conversation that had taken place. It is utterly uncanny that tonight's dinner conversation was so similar, and yet so much funnier. SO MANY times I had flashbacks to the conversation last year...

HT: Today at school we learned about Benjamin Franklin.

me: What did you learn?

HT: We learned that Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity.

JR: (flashbacks begin) Benjamin Franklin invented the light bulb.

me: No, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.

JC: (flashing back again!) Benjamin Franklin is dead.

me: What is it with you and famous dead people? (JC just shrugs)

JR: Dad, did you know that there was a president who was elected twice but not in a row?

Husband (from the next room): Garfield.

me: No, it was Grover Cleveland who was elected twice but not consecutively.

HT: Abraham Lincoln was elected twice.

me: Yes, but that was twice in a row.

JC: Abraham Lincoln died when someone shot him.

me: Oh good grief.

JC: How did George Washington die?

me: Again, what is your fascination with famous people dying?

Husband: I think George Washington died from the flu.

JR (deciding to change the subject AGAIN and move on to his new hairstyle, which, by the way, I think looks ridiculous): A lot of people at school think I look like Elvis with my hair.

me: I think you look like Eddie Munster.

husband: I think you look like Pat Riley.

HT: He looks like Elvis.

JR: You don't even know who Elvis is.

HT: Yes I do. (dramatic pause) Elvis is one of the chipmunks. (Needless to say, my husband and I burst out laughing at this point).

me: No, the chipmunk is Alvin.

husband: Elvis is a rock star from the 50's & 60's.

JC: Elvis is dead.

Ah, and so the conversation basically comes full circle. I'm telling you, you can't pay for entertainment like this!

So much for that

My plans for the day didn't quite work out. Shortly after Noon, I received a call from the school that the teacher I always sub for had a sick child and I was needed. I was happy to help, except I had been cleaning toilets and hadn't showered, and (I remembered after getting to school) that I hadn't eaten lunch either. However, this is my favorite class, so I made myself as presentable as possible as quickly as possible and was out the door. I enjoyed the opportunity, and while I was there I was also scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and another day next week. All of this work is especially appreciated as it appears there is a new washing machine in our future!

Truly a day off

I'm off today. I was off Monday, but had to get to the grocery, and also I didn't feel well. Anytime I've been off in the last six weeks, it's either been a weekend, a snow day, I've been babysitting, or I've been working on the project for Dad's office. I officially finished that on Sunday, so today I'm officially not working and there are no children here. Why is this important? I might actually get something done (if I'd get off the computer). I can't wait to really get into cleaning this house. I'm also gearing up my "to do maintenance/improvement" list as we head into spring, and I'm a little concerned by how long (and expensive) it appears to be. But really, I'm looking forward to making our house a place where we can all relax and enjoy life!

Signs of Spring

There are a few signs of spring around here...not the least of which is the fact that my flower bulbs are starting to spring to life out front. They look absolutely beautiful each April, but I can't take credit for it. The former owners (who now live two doors down) planted the front flower bed and for my part I've just managed not to kill them in the eight years we've lived here. The days are certainly much warmer than February, and of course much sunnier. There is exhibition baseball on the radio, and our kids are all signed up to begin their seasons next month. Having a little trouble getting excited about that craziness, but the kids are looking forward to it. Hard to believe we've already had a full week of March!

Really nothing new

There has truly been nothing new going on. The last two weeks have been some of the craziest ever. Just yesterday afternoon, I finally finished the project I had been working on for my dad's office. I loved having the opportunity to work on it, and I actually enjoyed it. It was just a little crazy the last couple of weeks as I was working on both that and subbing. The kids have learned about life in a "double income" home, and I'm not sure they've enjoyed the additional responsibilities that have come along with it. Otherwise, all is well all around!

Blue and Gold

Our boys' cub scout troop held their annual blue & gold banquet this past weekend. This particular year it was supposed to be a big deal for our family. First, my youngest is in scouts this year, but his den has gotten off to a very, very slow start. Before they can earn their tiger badge and advance, they must first earn their bobcat badge. Out of all of the boys in the den, HT is the only one to earn that so far. He also earned a belt loop and a patch for his red vest, and he was very proud to show it off to anyone and everyone! And at the other end of the cub scout spectrum, JR had completed all of his cub scout requirements and was crossing over to boy scouts. The pack made a really big deal about it, and JR had been so excited about it for weeks. He was one of six (out of nine) boys who completed all 20 areas at the Webelo level, and all nine boys completed the requirements for Arrow of Light. The pack made these wonderful plaques where the boys can display their achievements from cub scouts. It was truly a wonderful evening, and I'm proud of all the boys!