Friday, December 30, 2011

Glutton For Punishment

I realize that I'm a glutton for punishment. I enjoy having a full house of people here. I just had 5 people staying here for Christmas and as soon as they are gone I have a full house kids. And I'm loving it.

I don't like when the house is quiet. It's creepy!!

~ glutton

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

more pictures




Christmas pictures


Cousins had a great time meeting each other
and had a lot of fun. To cute!!

Christmas fun!

This year our Christmas was all about family. It was great! My sister, brother in law and nephew came and stayed as did my dad and mom. We spent 4 days of great family time.
Here Chloe is having fun with Charlie, her cousin.
We had 6 adults, 3 kids, 2 dogs, Tucker and Charlie were playing here, 2 guinea pigs and 1 tortoise. It was a full house.
Whew, I'm exhausted. It was a lot of cooking, cleaning and work but it was so worth it!!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Wowwwza!

Wowwwza! I came home from work to find that Chloe cleaned the bathrooms, vacuumed the entire house, did the windows, they both cleaned their rooms spotless, emptied the dishwasher and put the dishes away and put the dirties in. I was so impresses with their work and happy to see that attitude of pitching in and helping on their own accord, without being asked. I <3 my kids. - Posted from my iPhone, love heals all

Location:NE 109th St,Carnation,United States

Friday, March 4, 2011

where are the right words....?

I have always tried to help my kids understand how things can happen in the "real world". But sometimes I don't want to explain the "real world" stuff. I want my kids to be able to keep living in "kids world" where everything ends up ok and hurt feeling don't make them feel bad or sad.

Things aren't fair all of the time.

Things don't always turn out how we anticipate (or want).

People let us down sometimes, whether they try to or don't care or don't mean to.

People say hurtful things, whether they try to or don't care or don't mean to.

They have to learn to deal with all of these feelings and instances, I know, but it hurts me more than them, to hear them tell me about things that have happened.

I just want to wrap my arms them and keep them in the "kids world" and protect them from all of the nasty stuff that can be said and that can happen.

Where are the right words...?

I just try to instill in them to remember how they felt after whatever happened, happened and don't do that to anyone else. You don't want to be a person who makes someone else feel the way that you are feeling right now.

But I don't think that really is a help. I do believe that it is true but it doesn't help the pain to go away.

Learning to forgive and forget and to give some latitude for others to make mistakes, whether intentional or not, I think is best way to get past the pain and grow from it.

I hate that these lessons exist!

Friday, February 11, 2011

pass the tissues

You know those days when everything comes together perfectly? Days when you wake up, the sun is shining, birds are singing, you’ve slept the entire night and are perfectly refreshed?

Lucky you. I haven’t seen a day like that in, oh, months. This is because both Hudson and I are sick and we both have been off and on, mostly on, for over a month. Yes, I’m whining. But you would whine too if you were living in my house and you were the only fully non-functioning, yet fully functioning person around.

First of all, any time he gets any stuffiness in his nose, he's are dying. And once the stuffiness morphs into a full-fledged disease—oh please. According to him nobody—and by nobody, I mean me—has ever felt as awful as he does.

The truth is, though, I did sign up for this mom gig, not to mention the whole “in sickness and in health” thing. So I’m stuck being the nurse, whether I like it or not. Whether I want to be the one being nursed instead or not. Let's face it when does that ever happen for us moms?

Look, he doesn't sleep at night when he's sick. What the heck is that all about? When I’m sick, all I want to do is sleep. Not to toot my own horn, but I’m the most considerate sick person on the planet. Hudson or Chloe, for that matter, not so much. They toss. They turn. They need water. They need their Vick’s vapor stuff. They need their heads or backs rubbed. They need tissues. They need juice. They need cough syrup. I’m telling you, it does not end. At 3 AM, they still need something, while the only thing I need is sleep.

And in the morning they finally do sleep. I don’t know why. All I know is that after a long night of babysitting my sick guy, he's sleeping while I am trying desperately to get enough coffee in me to function. And let me just say here and now, there is not enough espresso on the planet to do that.

But I have to stay awake because I have to go out for supplies. After all, during the night we’ve run out of tissues, Vick’s, juice and cough syrup.

So I go to the store, where my brain mutters the same things over and over, “need tissues, Vick’s, juice and cough syrup.” And somehow I get through the store, and get home, only to find that I don’t have cough syrup. Or tissues. Or Vick’s. In fact, all I have is a tub of yogurt, a frozen package of peas and the biggest 5 shot espresso that Starbucks can make.”

Obviously, my brain had me purchase the essentials to keep me alive.

So I run back to the store, because even I don’t know why I bought a frozen package of peas. And when I come back, I hear Hudson saying, “Tucker is chewing up another pair of your underwear Mommy.”

Pass the tissues, will you?

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

God's fish & loaves of bread = my laundry

As God's grants us riches in many different ways. Sometimes it's in health, not right now though, sometimes it's in our friendships, always, sometimes it's inour family memebers love and understanding, most times, sometimes it's in a healthy wallet, hmm....,sometimes it's in my laundry basket.

How come my laundry basket is always with out a doubt overflowing and ready for work? Just like the fish and loaves of bread God gave out to the masses. The only difference God is that there aren't masses doing my laundry - it's only me!!



I would like a tiny break in the riches graced on me in this arena. Amen.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

pet peeves that I seem to run into everyday...

I do get annoyed...I will admit it. Certain things that people do really get to me and I seem to run into them everyday!

* shuffling feet across the floor. Pick your feet up when you walk!

* smoking by store entrances. 25 feet is the law but it never abide by, and why can't they smoke by the back door?

* people who can't pull out until there isn't a single car coming.

* overly loud talking on the phone. No need to yell, phones have volume controls now.

sorry, had to vent.

cold blooded

I tend to be a cold blooded girl.
~I always have have the heat on. Yes, our power bill could heat a Hudson's classroom for a month.
~Always have a scarf around my neck.
~Always have a sweater or two on.
~Always wear a coat.
~ Always have a blankie on in the evenings.
~ Today I am wearing a tank top, t-shirt, cashmere sweater, wool sweater, scarf and I have my heater on.


Am I always cold because I have low blood pressure? Who has an answer as to why some people are colder than others? Chloe on the other hand, is always hot and wears tank top or t-shirt everyday and that is all!
I don't know but I can't wait until it warms up to 80 and I don't have wear all of these layers everyday just to stay somewhat warm.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

My mom = life saver

My mom has been a life saver for us. After all my surgeries she has stayed with us and taken care of getting the kids to and from school, cleaning house, doing all of the laundry, dishes, cooking dinner, homework with the kids and just being with them. But most of all making sure that I follow the doctors instructions. That was her hardest job of all. I am not very good at that part. I know I should and why I should but I just can't leave a sink full of dishes or whatever it is that needs done. I get up and do it. I just can't stand to have things undone like that. I can't rest until the house is clean and the all of the daily chores are done, then I sit and rest.

So mom gets it ALL done and I am able to sit and rest....which drives me crazy!! Mike loves it because then he doesn't have all of my chores piled on him also and we know that mom does a good job so it doesn't need to get redone.

Recently Hudson has been having some serious bouts with his health and been staying home from school. I have to go to work and Hudson has needed to stay home. This isn't a good combo. My mom has stayed at home with him and made sure that he has done everything that he is supposed to be doing to get well. It isn't easy to force feed a kid liquids when he keeps throwing them up. But she has done a great job and been a total life saver!!

Hudson has enjoyed his one on one time with her also. That makes great memories for him even if he is sick. He has had a good time with mom lately.

You are never done being a mom even if your kids are grown they still need you!

Thank you mom!! xoxo love you

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

My boy ~ Hudson

My son Hudson is such a joy, challenge and all around great little boy. He will come and give me a great big hug and say that he really missed me while he was at school. Insert tear and sniff sniff here. He can be very thoughtful of others and take me aback with what he does.
He knows his mind and will try to get what he wants. If at first you don't succeed try, try again. This is his motto sometimes. (which drives me crazy at times) We are both strong willed people but being the mommy, I usually get things done my way but it can be battle with him.
But I blesssed to have a been given a little boy who thinks of others, likes to help out, does his chores, most of the time without incident, gets along with his sister, doesn't complain or whine and is a lot of fun to be with!
Love you Hudson!!

Holidays and all the trimmings

The holidays always have so many faucets to them that is hard to appreciate each of them. And they can mask the true meaning of Christmas and what we are really supposed to be remembering. Christ's birth and what that has given us.

A. decorating, the house on the inside, outside and the yard (for those of you who are that ambitious)

B. thinking up what gift we think each person would like

C. gift buying

D. buying all the wrapping supplies

E. wrapping them all

F. hosting parties and all of the preparation for that

G. attending parties and figuring out what to bring and what to wear

H. cleaning for the different festivities

I. writing, making, addressing, labeling, mailing cards (which mine are still in this process)

J. menu planning

K. shopping for all the supplies and ingredients

L. baking all of the yummy treats that I love to give to people

M. getting all the treats set up in the tins or gift boxes and labeling

N. giving the treats to everyone, hoping to give them a feeling of how important they are to me

O. taking time to get the tree with the family and create that special memory for that year of what we did and how we did it

P. having guest stay over and trying to make them feel comfortable, welcomed and enjoying their time...i.e. clean sheets, towels, meals, privacy, activities to do together

Q. putting together the tunes for the parties and creating the playlists

R. having kids with the flu and sinus infections - trying to comfort them and get them well

S. going in for surgery and having to get things set up for after, who is going to do what while I'm laid up for 1-2 weeks

T. squeezing in time for working to pay for all of this, just kinda important

U. scheduling places for the kids to go while on break during the day so that we can work

V. all of the running around that accomplishes that

W. trying to take care of yourself

X. doing activities as a family to make memories and time to cherish each other

Y. taking down of the decorations, lights both interior and exterior

Z. cleaing up after the whole mess is done and everything is put away. Starting with a clean slate for the New Year.

That is just a few of the things that we do over the holidays that can cloud the true meaning.