Things on my mind

I forgot my camera for our church's Trunk-or-Treat/Carnival/Fall Festival party.  I'm not surprised, really. 

Quin's been in a big boy bed since Friday night... more stress than I thought.  But, it has to pass, eventually, right? Right??

My diabetes glucose test is in a couple weeks.  Yum. O.  (not)

I had the best shower ever, today.  I truly felt the stress being washed away.  I hate showers.  I decided it was because I chose to enjoy it that it was so fantastic.  That got me thinking I should choose to enjoy every moment of my life... even the prickly moments no one really wants to embrace.

I love the song, "Good Life", by OneRepublic.  "When you're happy like a fool, let it take you over..."

A change is coming in my life that I can't really talk about yet... but it's a good change.  (It's right up there with not having to babysit, anymore.)

My brother was in a bad car accident.  ICU, bad.  Respirator, bad.  Surgery, bad.  Internal bleeding, bad.  Broken bones, bad.  Please pray for him.  I am.

I want to be a better mom.  I hate yelling.  I love my kids.

I'm afraid the meat in my fridge has gone bad... I'm afraid to check...

Did I mention I love my kids?

I miss my laptop.  I don't know when I'll be able to get it fixed.  Stupid money. 

A job that is highly UNDERrated...

Since I was old enough to, I've been babysitting.  Oldest of nine's usually do.  ;)

When I was 16, I worked at my first daycare center.  I figured, stick with what you're good at.

I've worked at three daycares since then, and have been babysitting in my home almost my whole married, mothering life.

Until today.

I'm sure you've figured out I'm pregnant.  I do NOT do pregnant well... though, for the most part, I've been keeping that part of my life out of the published world of the internet.  Facebook? Not so much... but I'm doing better.  hee hee

I knew babysitting was stressful for me - as in, I just wanted to hide in computer land and not pay attention to any of the kids messing up my house, not even my own, kind of stressful.  But I didn't know how stressful it was until I woke up this morning and didn't have to do it.  Ever.  Again.  I thought it was because I'm pregnant that I was so stressed - nope.  I just don't want to babysit, anymore.  I don't want other people's kids messing up my house, anymore.  I don't want to have to clean up after other people's kids, anymore.  I don't want to deal with other kids' moms, anymore.  (Most of them  - one is still my friend, and she rocks.) But, to say I had gotten a little burned out would be putting it lightly. 

Today, my little boy and I have been watching Halloween movies together, eating a picnic lunch in the living room, going for a walk, playing games... and just being us.  He's been playing with his toys, which he hasn't done for so long! And I haven't felt the need to yell at anything trivial or otherwise, haven't had my patience tested, and have actually had the desire to do things! Start projects, again! Finish projects I've already started! It's been so great! I actually don't know what to do with myself now that I have just my independent child!

And I love it!

So, here's to being just a stay-at-home-mom.  Just? Who'm I kidding? There's no "just" about it.  ;)

Frat party at my house!

Top 10 Ways That Being A Parent Is Like Being at a Frat Party...


10. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.

9. There's always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in a corner.

8. It's best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.

7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone's going to start banging on the door.

6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.

5. You've got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.

4. There's definitely going to be a fight.

3. You're not sure whether anything you're doing is right, you just hope it won't get you arrested.

2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.

1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.

I love this quote:

"Act as if: do all the things you would do if you were convinced of a positive outcome. Then watch the results."

Plethora

Do you ever feel like there's so much junk in your head that you're trying to sort through or keep track of but eventually you just have to get it out? That's what this post is all about.

My daughter's imagination runs wild at the sight of a box that has borrowed sheets in it... add a couple of chairs, a brother, and a doll, and you've got fun in the front yard.  :)

A couple people made mention when I first found out I was pregnant, that I was going to have two families since my kids were so far apart in age.  Not so.  My two older kids are always quick to include and play with their younger brother.  Yesterday, I didn't have my camera, but they were all three hunting (I'm guessing) in the front yard until it started getting dark and I made them come in.  With the addition of this new baby, our family will not separate but only grow - bigger and stronger.  :)

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I have an unruly lilac bush in my front yard that will be lopped off this fall in hopes of controlling it in the future.  For now, though, it's been a hide-out for my kids.  Quin's been introduced to this magical place and I was able to capture one of his adventures on camera:

Lilacs are my favorite.  We had a bush on the side of the house I did the majority of my growing up in.  Whenever it rained, I would relish the scent that would emanate from the petals and loved touching the flowers delicately so the collected rain drops would sprinkle onto my fingers.  I'm glad my kids have a lilac bush to grow up with, too.  :)

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Witch's brew ingredients, for those who aren't in the know, are leaves and dirt.  Mix well with rake.  Then toss into air.  Baths may be required following the "meal".

Box not necessary, but cheaper than a cauldron, or so I'm told.  ;)

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Natalie has a bench that Quin has claimed as his.  I call it the naughty chair - it increases naughtiness ten-fold:

 I actually let him do this, but he does use this bench to reach things that were not meant for him to reach.  Makes life real interesting.  Especially when I tell my daughter to hide the stupid thing and he still manages to find it.  Good times.  :)

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Andur recently acquired a highly sought-after skateboard.  He's actually getting pretty good at it.  Quin's been longing to use it, but we don't let him.  He recently discovered a way to use one of his very own, one that I'm perfectly ok with because it's seemingly heart attack-proof.  ;)

p.s.  Andur's elbow pads have saved us about $473 in doctor's bills, so far.  His wrist pads have saved probably around $1,576.  Totally guessing, but I'm sure I'm close.

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The end of an era.  I'm finally almost done babysitting! The boy I babysat full time has found an alternate form of child care and I couldn't be happier! I've noticed, today, since I'm babysitting my part timer, that my patience is thinner, I snap at my OWN kid more, and I've been more than happy to hide in computer land all morning.  When it's just been me and Quin this week, bliss is the word that keeps coming to mind.  I was motivated to get more housework done than I have in a whole month! And my sweet littlest one helped. :)  I'm grateful for the friend Quin has to play with a couple days a week and the money it brings that we sorely need at the moment, but I'll be glad when January comes, for more than one reason.  Quin never even noticed that Eli wasn't here.  And he doesn't hit, anymore! He went to hit me, this morning, but totally stopped himself! Woohoo! (He was having brutality issues with the little boy, which bled into the evenings where he took his aggression out on his family, too.)

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Prettiest zoo I've ever been to (Zoo Montana).  Since I've only been to, I don't know, three, that doesn't say much, but see for yourself:

Funniest thing - Matt gave Quin his share of duckie food, and he just popped it right into his own mouth.  Didn't like it too much. 

So he decided to chase the ducks, instead:

Natalie said the horse tried to bite her... I think she might have just caught a glimpse of his teeth and her imagination did the rest:

There weren't many animals, but this wolf was staring us down.  We heard them howling - THAT's the scariest noise I think I've ever heard:

Montana's beautiful.  We loved our little over-nighter, there.

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Something I wanted to remember that Quin said the other night - we were rocking before bed and he covered his ears.  He says, "I hear my spirit!" Where he would've gotten that is beyond me, but I loved it.  :)  Having just him, yesterday, was so sweet.  I hung up my Halloween decorations (geeze, finally!) and as I was doing so, found them to be quite pitiful.  But when he saw them, he exclaimed, "Oh! That's so cool!" and it made my living room feel that much more festive.  We turned off all the lights, last night, and lit all the little candles.  He was in Heaven.  My son, daughter and husband and I watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" and I was in Heaven, too.

Life is good.  :)  It'll be even better come January.  ;)

"Getting" it

• My son and daughter take turns unloading the dishwasher, every morning.  It was my son's day.  When he went to get spoons for dinner, he noticed how many were already dirty.  "I just put these away this morning!"  Uh-huh.  I hear ya, buddy.
• I've been so busy trying to teach my daughter to be tougher, to get over her hurts and not cry about it, that I've forgotten how important it is to teach her that it is ok to hurt, to cry, but then let it go.
• It's taken me three and a half kids to realize what it means to me to be a good mom and how to do it.
• The wind in Wyoming does have a purpose - it helps get the leaves off what few trees we do have so the branches don't break under the first, usually wet, heavy snow.  It's also a sign a change in the weather is coming.
• There isn't much of a difference in raising kids and husbands; they both need to hear good things about themselves in order to be successful.
• Meal plans and crock pots are the keys to happiness.
• "I don't feel good.  I think I ate too much candy."  Still waiting for my daughter to "get" that one.
• Two year olds are the best exercise plans a woman can have.  :)