The Monkey Test

Somewhere out there in the world, probably even right here in my neighborhood there is an adorable couple just trying their hearts out to have a baby. They'll spend thousands of dollars (all worth it, btw) to get pregnant. All over the U.S. there are teenage girls desperately wanting to have babies of their own just so they'll have someone to love them unconditionally. Scott and I were of the former people. We wanted so much to have a baby as soon as we could and welcomed our second one four years later with happy, open arms. Then we welcomed a third surprise baby two years after that. We have lots to be thankful for when there are so many people out there wanting to have ONE baby and simply cannot.

Well, I'm here today to challenge those people out there who think they want a whole house full of kids. Yesterday was one of those rough days here at the house. At many points in the day all three kids were screaming at one time and we parents were about to flip our lids. We even tried to coax a grandparent to come take them off our hands, but to our dismay came up empty. I just stood in the middle of the kitchen mentally separating myself from the chaos that surrounded me, and it dawned on me that yes, living in this house with three small children is EXACTLY like living with three small chimpanzees.

I'm not kidding one bit here, Friends. They're SO cute to look at. Oh, you just want to hold them and run your fingers through their cute chimpy hair, and then just as soon as they take their mental focus off of the lovey, cuddley moment they are off climbing all over the furniture, breaking stuff, pooping on the floor, screeching at ear piercing decibels, eating you out of house and home, picking at each other, etc. It's just like Wild Kingdom!!

I think that people who want to have children should be required to take the Monkey Test and be licensed by the city zoo to do so. Jack Hannah can drop off three little chimps for you to chimp-sit for a week and if you come out of the experience unscathed in your intentions to have one baby, THEN and ONLY THEN are you allowed to be a parent. I think if someone had given Scott and I the Monkey Test back before we started having babies, we'd have been sterilized. *wink*

And I hear that having a teenager in the house is quite like owning a Silverback Gorilla. Very touchy, almost ominous, likes to lounge and eat a lot, but if provoked can move swiftly and shred you into pieces. So maybe there should be a Part B to the Monkey Test to see if you could possibly be ready to parent a teenager. Unfortunately, I don't think that anything can ready you for that stage of parenthood except surviving the Chimp stage. If this is true, then the atmosphere at our house a few years from now should be enough to make Scott and I qualify for President and V.P of the Looney Bin.

The Turkey Is Looking At Me

Well friends, it's here. I can't believe that it's already Thanksgiving! Actually, I can't believe that every single month of this year, and the year before, I say "I can't believe it's already (insert whatever month or holiday it is)!" and add on "Time sure does fly by when you get older!"

I remember when the holidays were there and expected, but they held no real responsibility for me. In grade school and high school it was when I looked forward to not having to wake up so early and not having to go to school. In college it just meant that I got to go home for awhile and be away from my sweetheart for too long. My mom always did all the work: the cleaning, stuffing the bird, making the sweet potatoes, at least until I was old enough to manhandle cleaning the damned slippery turkey. THAT lovely job always landed on me...oh, and peeling potatoes. *shiver* I still to this day HATE cleaning the turkey. And if it were up to me, and probably when my mom (God forbid) passes away...I will stop the tradition of stuffing the turkey. I don't even like stuffing and I definitely hate putting my hand up inside of a dead fowl's cavity to scrape any extraneous veins and bloodclots out. Can't have those in the stuffing, ya know! Anyway, I'd inevitably whine about having to be a girl and do this awful job, and my mom would inevitably tell me to get use to it b/c being a woman means doing a lot of nasty jobs. Truer words were never uttered! Right, ladies?

One year I did whine enough to get the job handed over to my little brother Adam. For a little while anyway. All he had to do was cry real hard with those crocodile tears and my mom let him off the hook, leaving it to me again. *sigh* Yuck! I can hear the squatty little wobbler mocking me from the fridge even at I type this. Keep it up, Bird! No matter how squeamish your pimply skin makes me...I always get the last laugh. Mwa-ha-ha-ha!!!

This year I will not get caught up in the perfectionism that usually swallows me whole and leaves me limp by the evening of Thanksgiving day. I'm gonna clean off the chunks of whatever the kids have thrown around, kill as many dustbunnies as I can find and put my efforts into welcoming my family into a Thanksgiving meal that will be made with gratitude for every morsel and definitely the people who will be eating it.

Off to start my list! If you aren't feeling grateful for much at all yet this season...may this help get you started in that direction.

Rollercoaster of Life

Do you ever feel like your life is a roller coaster? Well I sure as heck do! I go up, I go down, I go through one of those twists in life that makes my head wanna pop off and my stomach lurch. I whiz past all the onlookers with my mouth open in a silent, desperate scream and they just smile unknowingly, or maybe they know full well what horror I'm in but they still can't stop the machine. It's that one spot though that tricks me, that one where the car feels like it's slowed down enough for my hair to come back to place and I can breathe again. It's that spot in the ride where I feel like I did it, I got through the rough stuff and, surely the exit is right up ahead. Then the car takes a dive again and up and down and up and down. *sigh* I want OFF this roller coaster.

I was looking back through old posts here the other day and was surprised by how uneven my daily life is. One day it's heartbreak, the next it's chaotic with kids, the next I'm praising God with everything I have and yet the next I'm complaining about something else. And my prayer journal is the same way! I looked back through it this morning, mostly b/c I didn't feel like writing, and one day I was praising for all that I had in my children, home and husband, the next I was asking for forgiveness for how I treated them. The one thing that remains solid through it all though, in belief and in written word, is that I trust God whole-heartedly with it all. I don't give it to him daily, like I should, but I DO trust Him that He is working for the good of me and my family, and that He loves me more than I know.

So if I believe that and write it - then why don't I live it? How hard it is to walk so closely to Him that I do not waiver like a tall blade of grass in the wind. I want to be there, in that Strongtower, safe and secure with Him and be so strong that I do not live by emotions (that change hourly, sometimes by the minutes here) or be moved by every situation I encounter.

I am weary from this roller coaster ride and want to get off. I want the Holy Spirit to change me and change the perspective of my life. All I can see right now is endless screaming and tension in my house (the kids, the illnesses) and my mind easily runs away with me, thinking I have control and MUST change things for the better. "I" have to get the kid under control. "I" have to get a job to pad the saving account. "I" have to organize the cabinets and clutter around here so my husband feels more comfortable. "I" have to stop spending money and clip coupons and make sacrifices so that we can save the pennies and dollars. "I" have to make sure the holiday go off without a hitch and everyone feels loved. "I" have make things right. And why is it always so much easier to see the speck in someone else's eye and not the plank in your own? I can stand here and spout off to Scott that he needs to "calm down, stop worrying so much and giving us all an ulcer with his Doom and Gloom thoughts." Yet here I sit in the quiet and mutter about how it's all going to hell in a handbasket and I can't change a thing, but I must try harder.

So...is this what life is? A series of highs and lows and infrequent breaks in the excitement. If so, how do we as Christians stay even keeled while on this ride?

And then I went to church a few hours after starting this post.

I was so saddened by the fact that I stood there through all the P&W songs, the beginning prayers and such and NOT ONE WORD got through my steely heart and skin. I was SO stressed out and tense that I couldn't even unwind for a moment to enjoy the service. I silently prayed that the holy spirit would move in me because the way I was feeling at that moment was almost scary to me. It was like I was on the outside looking in at the churchgoers and Pastor Steve, and not a part of the body. Now I've been bored before, distracted and just not interested in the message. This was different. I was glaring at these adorable, young, beautiful couples in front of us and trying so desperately hard not to be jealous of them. I kept telling myself to stop and to pay attention to the message, and that they are no different from me on the inside...we're all believers, I'm just one that's more stressed out than normal this weekend.

Then Pastor Steve started to talk about control and how we think we have control over our lives, but we really don't. And then my heart stirred and I started paying attention. I also realized then that I'd been very hard trying to hold back tears of anger and frustration, and when he said the words "we, as Christians, need to let go of the steering wheel and say 'Lord, you take the wheel. I'm not doing a great job here keeping on track. You take the wheel and lead my life.'" The dam broke and my frustrations started leaking out and I knew all too well that I need to do that. I have GOT to stop trying to keep all the pieces together and trying to make everything "okay." It's not okay. It's really crappy right now. Scott's job is not at all secure (though also not lost), our savings is meager (but also there for us), my husband is allowed to freak out and feel out of control too (I don't need to make him feel better, that's the HS's job) and my life is not and cannot be perfect. Life may very well get very difficult for us over the next year, we may even need to be humbled a lot more...but I have that trust in a God who loves and protects and cherishes His children. I have seen God work miracles in lives that were in complete shambles before and He built it back up to better than what it was. So ALL is NOT lost.

And thank you to all of my close girlfriends who are being of great support during this emotional and crazy physical illness time. Neither Scott nor I are ones to ask for help from anyone and I think that is a great lesson of humility for us at this time. Whether it is via Instant Messages, e-mail, a phone call, offering to watch our nutty children or being a prayer partner. I appreciate you!!

A Welcome Sound

We were on the way back from somewhere this morning and Zach was cracking up! All Lilly had to do was look and smile at him and it sent him into rib tickling laughter that even had me cracking up. I quickly thanked Jesus for the Mommy Moment I was having and then grabbed the Blackberry to video it.

It's been nothing but 24 hours, days in and day out of diarrhea, seriously annoying whining, moaning and crying for far too long in this house. We're finally rounding the corner toward better health and I gotta tell you...hearing these two laughing instead of piercing my head with their wailing was like angels singing right there in my van. So I thought I'd share my little piece of happiness that followed SO much crap and maybe you'll forgive me for all the whining I'VE been doing. ;)

And yes, I was being that distracted driver and videoing my kids while driving. You can thank me for the laughs later.

A Girl Can Only Take So Much

For the remainder of this post, as I refer to myself please note that I am also including my dear husband. He has been a good help to me during the night shift.

So let's see...how long have I been dealing with someone being sick? Um, Lilly began her battle with the evil intestinal virus two weeks before Halloween and we're now finishing the third week of November. That's FIVE weeks of her or someone else being ill. Let's not forget that Zach started the quick and dirty flu virus with his 24 hour vomit/diarrhea mess, and then Abby got it and then I got it. Scott sprained his ankle and barely got a sideways glance around here due to the kids being SO overwhelming. Now Zach's been sick a-gain for a week or so with only God knows what kind of virus. He's been insufferable to be around during the day and does nothing but whine and moan all night long. It certainly seems like this stuff will never end.

Like cleaning up feces and vomit aren't bad enough, I also have had to deal with the sick attitude that consistently prevails in this house during the past five weeks. If one isn't whining, the other one is and more often than not...two of the three at any given time are whining, crying, moaning, etc. And like dealing with cleaning up the mess AND dealing with the nasty attitudes aren't enough for me, OH, let's add on a truckload of "don't let Mom sleep for more than a two hour span so that's she's really at our mercy during the daylight hours."

Oh yea, I'm quite sure that the two little ones are holding secret Union meetings behind the couch during the day, discussing who takes which shift in the night and when to lay down the ultimate attack of both grabbing at my pant legs and bawling their eyes out.

Do you know what Zach's secret weapon is? He likes to hold his poo now. Yep, so not only do I get the pleasure of plucking the nasty turd out of his pants when he finally can't hold it anymore and washing his dirty undies, I also get the hair raising task of trying to coax the little shister to either actually poo in his undies or go on the potty. He doesn't want to do either. So he stands around holding both his arse AND his front area while standing on toe and doing the loud whiney ballet around me. It's absolutely one of THE most frustrating scenes to endure, esp while trying to be the good, patient and understanding mommy.

Honestly people, I don't know how much more I can take. Nevermind that I'm dealing with my own sickness, trying to keep the house in fair order, clean regularly and keep the finances in check. I can't even get a full, deep prayer in anymore. I tried to sit down and write in my prayer journal this morning. I figured since they both HAD to be up at 5:30 am, despite them both being awake all night long, I might try to connect with Him and get some sustanance. Nope, I didn't get a few lines into my praise and Lilly just had to get under the table, stand at my knees, bang her head on the table over and over and SCREAM until I picked her up. She didn't need anything at all, except picked up, and as soon as I quit what I was doing and did what she wanted, she was fine. *sigh* I'm a hostage.

Someone call for help! Send word to the government that I need some disaster relief...er, uh, nevermind. I really don't need any more whiney, useless turds to clean up after. *wink*

A Bible Passage

I know this is a little lengthy, but may it bless your outlook today. I have been getting Scriptures from friends lately regarding not worrying or fearing. Let's face it, I'm seriously struggling with those two things at this point in life b/c I'm watching every penny come and go with the paycheck and bills, and I know just exactly how much "cushion" we have in the savings. It's not a comfortable cushion for me.

So, I can choose to listen to Doomsday CNN every day, get caught up in the penny pinching, worry myself into an ulcer, feed into my husband's fears, grasp and claw at our bank account trying to hold on to every dollar possible. OR...I can do what was it humanly possible to be a good steward of the money we've been given, follow Him and trust Him to provide. I never, ever thought about being poor financially as a blessing and that certainly goes against everything the U.S. culture tells us day in and day out. But reading this story in the Bible today, even though I've read it before, has made me see our "cultural plight" in a new light. I'm also reminded of Scott's grandpa who wore an old worn out belt even though the leather was split and peeling back, and despite the fact that he had a perfectly new one that was given to him as a present, because it was still good and did it's job.

May I be more like that from this day on...thankful for what I have, able to see the good use in things despite their appearance and also wise. I will choose to not fret and worry over things I have no control, but trust Him to purify me, to strip away all that is undesirable and carry my family and I through this storm.

Passage Mark 10:17-31: (emphasis mine)

The Rich Man

¹⁷ As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. ¹⁹ But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.'”

²⁰ “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

²¹ Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” ²⁴ This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard^[b] to enter the Kingdom of God. ²⁵ In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

²⁶ The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

²⁷ Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

²⁸ Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.

²⁹ “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, ³⁰ will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. ³¹ But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”

Proof That You Can Be In Karate AND Be A Diva Too

So Abby's been in Karate now for five weeks. A few weeks ago, when it was warm enough to be outside lounging out on the deck without mittens, scarves and coats, I took video of Abby showing off her moves. She's showing you all the basic moves she's suppose to know in order to move on to the next level. But if you ask me...it all looks exactly the same. Punch right, punch left, punch right, Keeyaw!

What you should take note of is the kick awesome sparkly gown she's sporting while being the karate kid. Who needs a gee when you have a yard or two of purple sequins?! You should also note her amazing patience with Zach the tornado who also has the basics of karate down...punch and be loud. What you see there of Zach is basically how he is 24-7, bar his being sick when he actually slows down to a normal person's pace.

Our kids amaze me.

This and That

Sorry to have left you all hanging since Thursday!

So let's see...what has been up in Christy's world since I left you with horrid images and emotional scars?

I realized that Lilly's diarrhea has gone on much longer than is normal for a child who is just suffering from teething. So I took her to the pediatrician and he agreed. He felt her up, weighed her and all that checked out okay, so he handed me three small vials of liquid, two pair of latex gloves and about eight tongue depressors. This didn't look good.

So I pony up, figuring that sampling diarrhea into three small vials honestly cannot be any worse than scraping it off of her toosh, legs, sheets, clothes, mattress, my bathrobe and anywhere else her violent spray decided to land. Well...I'm here to tell you...it is worse. I removed the foul diaper, cleaned up the baby and then went to work at the kitchen island. I gagged the entire time, even while holding my breathe. I was sure I wasn't going to be able to finish and was begging Scott to say ANYTHING to make my mind wander away from the foul task at hand. He was no match for the shredded wheat like poo that I had to handle. *gag* So, suffice it to say, I did the deed and transported poo to the Children's Hospital lab for testing. They want to make sure it's not a parasite that we're dealing with, and at this point I'd take a parasite so long as it was a diagnosis that we could remedy! I'm tired of being knee deep in poop.

Then Friday was Abby and my "Girl Night Out" with my Aunt Penny and cousin Sara. Then we had a sleepover at their house and came back the next afternoon. It was super fun! Abby and Sara went to the movies and saw Madagascar 2, which we hear was quite funny. I like my women chunkay! Hee hee! Pen and I had a great time catching up and being all deep and stuff. Ahh...coffee with Pen is awesome! She's ma girl!

So then we got back yesterday afternoon and Gramma Hartman came over to spend the night. She brought donuts! Woohoo. About 20 minutes after Zach ate part of a donut he broke out in a rash. We all assumed it was an allergic reaction, so I dosed him with some Benadryl. Half an hour to an hour later he spiked a fever and was out of it. Dang it! Can't we get a break?! So all night long Scott and I were up with one or both of them. At about 2:30am they both decided they were wide awake and wanted to get up. So I got up and we stayed awake for about an hour or so, and then after that it was Scott's turn to get up and down with Zach. I heard thirteen times within an hour. Most of that was just reassurance that him just whining and wanting reassurance. Not that it makes it any easier to be woken up for every two to five minutes.

Today has been a slow day. We didn't go to church because we aren't sure what we're dealing with in Lilly and Zach still was fevering and rashy. So we've just been milling around, eating, taking care of our babes and talking economy.

Anyone else thoroughly sick and tired of Obama-mania and Doomsday CNN news? I'm tired already of worrying and hearing about our sour economy and how we're all going to be deduced to scavangers within a few years. I know it's a reality and every now and again it smacks me in the face and I can't help but worry. I know we're doing everything possible right now though to prepare for the worst. I'll expand more on that later. But seriously. What is with the Obama commemorative coins already?! It's like he's bigger than life and I gotta tell you...it's creeping me out. It's starting to feel really end times-ish to me.

So, for now we're hanging out as a family, pulling inward and trying to make sense of it all. Oh, and try to make sense of this! I found this sprouting out of Abby's bathroom sink this morning. She was washing pumpkin seeds in her sink a few weeks ago and apparently one found a home. :)

The Minute That Changed Me

Today I have done all the normal things I usually do. I had the morning coffee, I dressed and fed the kids, I picked up carpool and dropped the older kids off at school with a wave, a smile and an "I love you." Then I zoomed over to the preschool to drop Zach off. As I pulled into the parking lot I saw that part of the lot was marked off for a funeral. How sad, right? Funerals always make me sad and cry, even if I don't know the person from Adam's cat. Someone died and that leaves an empty space in this world, and it's always sad for someone.

So I get the kidlets out and start toward the door when another mom shuffles past and murmurs "prepare yourself." I thought she meant prepare yourself for the usual coffin and flowers and such. It must be too early to actually be having the funeral, what with all the preschoolers coming in. They certainly wouldn't be having a funeral until after the kids classes started.

I walk in the doors with the kids and am greeted by two big poster boards filled with pictures of a baby girl. Kaylee, I think was her name. Oh my heavens, someone lost their baby. How awful! My heart sank a little more than usual and I tightened the squeeze on Lilly in my arm.

And then I looked over to my right where something else caught my peripheral sight. It was a little casket...with a little baby girl in it...with a little pink hat on. Goosebumps ran all over my body and my blood ran colder.

She was so pretty and chubby lying there. I didn't look for long but it was long enough to see that. You really couldn't see much difference between her and the baby doll someone had placed in a sitting position just to the end of the casket.

I quickly ushered Zach by the hood of his jacket down the hallway and away from it all, but I felt so numb all over. My mind was moving and telling me to do all the things that we had to do, but my body felt sluggish. Turn left, go to the bathroom to wash hands, hang up the coat, get him to the door. All the while I knew my life had been changed. I just saw a dead baby...and even as I stand here now I don't know how to process it.

I see my perfectly healthy, chubby baby here with Pop Tart goo all over her face and hands, chattering away in nonsense...and know there is another Mom just minutes away from me preparing to put her beloved child into the ground. As far as I am concerned, Lilly can scream her head off and wake me up every twenty minutes for the next year, and I won't be happy about, but I'll be grateful. I'll be grateful for her life and for God putting her in my arms to care for and love. And when I hear someone complaining about how awful their kids are and I want to chime in to say, "yea, but at least they are healthy and alive" or "their lucky they're cute or we'd kill 'em"... I'll remember this minute of my life when I saw a baby who died at nine months old. A baby who did not have a chance to flush a wash cloth down the toilet, or smear jelly on the walls or sing a Christmas song in a holiday program at school or any of the beautiful and chaotic things that kids do.

I realize that this post is polar opposite of the last post where I likened by cherubic faced baby to a werewolf. I absolutely do not recant my feelings from that post. Life with a teething toddler and two older children is sometimes just that awful. But I do think that today I have been changed a little in the parent department. Made more grateful for life, especially the life of Scott and my babies.

Someone Put Me Out Of My Misery

The past 24 hours or so have been complete misery. The kids are absolutely climbing the walls and Scott and I are too. It's like being caged up with four other snarling animals. In fact, I'm pretty sure Lilly is about to sprout fangs, a snout and gnaw on our bones like teething toys. She's wicked mean right now. Srsly. She's lucky I nursed her and created a maternal bond with her b/c if I hadn't I may be too tempted to take her to the fire station and drop her butt off.

Scott and I are stressed to the ceiling too. Scott's walking around bored to tears b/c he can't run or play tennis and I'm dying to get out of the house and do ANYTHING that doesn't involve groceries or kids. Neither one of us can seem to make the children happy for any good length of time, so we both end up lying on the couch or floor with two or more of them bouncing on us while we stare numbly into space. We had a plan to get out together last night, but our sitter fell through and instead we threw emotionally poisoned darts at each other until bedtime and went to bed mad. I love those nights. NOT.

Today has been a smidge better but only by a hair.

Thank God tomorrow is coming soon. School, work, routine...thank you, Jesus!

I do have a personal shopping/errand day planned for Wednesday. The in-laws (hi Mom!) are coming to play with the kids from Noonish til dinnertime and I hope to get some fully needed alone time and Christmas shopping done. I've got a short list going in my head of the places I want to go, but I'd better write it all down and plan. I've done this before...had a few hours to go do things and ended up walking circles in Walmart like an old lady who lost her car in a parking lot, wondering what in the H I was suppose to be getting. Before I knew it, it was time to go home and I'd done MAYBE one thing on my list. I will not do that this time. :)

If I had a glass of something good to drink I'd hold it up and propose a toast to better days, but I don't. So I'll just go crawl back into my corner and wait for tomorrow. Hurrrrry.

You're Probably Spending Too Much Time Online When...

You open your panty drawer and there are none. Of course Zach walked in just as I was in nude mode and searching the basket at the end of the bed.

Zach: Mommy! What. Are. You. Doing?

Me: I'm looking for underwear to wear!

Zach: (circling to look at my rear) Mom, can I smell your butt?

Me: Uh, NOOO! We don't smell butts in our house.

Zach: (turning circles trying to smell his own butt)

You know it's going to be an interesting day when you're forced to go Commando due to your own laziness.

Well, it's Obama...I guess.

Now, I'm not saying that I didn't partially want Obama to win. I kinda, way back in the cobwebbed part of my mind want him to win, despite his being Democrat, just so I could watch what the hell he's actually going to do. He's a slick one on T.V. Greasy and waaay too slippery, if you ask me. Every time I watched him speak, ever single time, all I could feel was "this is smoke and mirrors." And don't you get that feeling when you're around ANY politician? Yea, somewhat. But this dude just felt a little more quick and slick. Anyone else feel that?

On the other hand, I'm proud that we'll have our first black president. I do hope he inspires the young black men he's been appointed to govern and be a role model for. I hope that he continues to take up T.V. time to relay heart moving speeches to America about making changes in their lives and the lives of others. I REALLY hope he follows through on encouraging young people to give back to the Veterans and give service to America in order to pay for their college tuition. I hope he is a man of his well written for him words and follows through. Although, jerking the U.S. out of this war kinda scares me. I agree we need to get out and soon, but when he said "when I become President, I will end this war" I felt a bit scared. Please, Obama, no knee jerk movements!

And just for the record: I didn't feel 100% comfortable voting for McCain either. I watched his speeches as well and he didn't sway me at all. I didn't feel any passion coming from him only statistics and bashing. So when I voted yesterday, I just voted down my party line. Not because I was mindlessly using my right to vote, but b/c I didn't feel comfortable with EITHER candidate so I just stayed within my conservative rails.

So, he wasn't MY pick for president, but I am a little excited to see what will happen. I will submissively fall in line with the new Commander in Chief and pray for him and not speak ill of him. BUT, if this country goes to the dogs...I didn't vote for him! *wink*

There has been A LOT going on around here lately. At least it seems so anyway!

Scott's recovering well from his ankle sprain. He was walking on it gingerly yesterday, but is still wearing the aircast and using the crutches for today.

Lilly's butt is in great working order again, but now her new chompers are causing major grief and a fever. Last night she was at 102.1, but today she's had a reprieve.

Still no progress on the potty training with Zach. This dude just doesn't want to poo on the toilet. I've done everything in my motherly power, right down to begging and bribing WHILE he's dumping in his pants. But his will is really strong. And at the risk of scarring him emotionally I've even tried forcing him to sit on the toilet for extended periods and bending him in half to do so. At this point it's a defeat for mom and I have to resign myself every day from the war. Some people say it's just a matter of him being emotionally ready to stop crapping in his underwear and some say it's a view of things to come (like maybe he'll be 12 and still not pooping on the potty?) Either way, I'm just trying my best to reassure him that it's okay to sit on the toilet every day and trying my darnedest NOT to have a complete psychotic meltdown when I have to wipe big boy poop off of his toosh. Poor Scott had a major offense the other day while on poop duty and couldn't scrub his thumb hard enough to get the stench off. GAH!

I voted today, although not eagerly. It just is what it is at this point. *sigh* Watch and see, I guess.

On the emotional front, for some reason I'm all sappy about missing my Dad lately. Over the years of not seeing him, it's just because life to be numb to not having a relationship with him. A protective measure, I'm sure. But for, oh, I'd say the past six months, off and on I've had this heavy feeling of just wanting to be near him. I got the green light from hubby today to look at airfare prices for tickets out to my Dad's place, but even with a sweet deal of $300 per ticket (plus friggin taxes, baggage and breathing prices) I'm having a hard time pressing CONFIRM. It's just a lot of money for us right now, esp in light of our recent moves to economize our living/spending. So...I wait. Maybe I'll regret it, but maybe I won't. I'm not saying I won't go ahead with going, I'm just gonna wait and pray a little bit.




Trick or Treat was super fun! Scott's parents surprised the kids by coming dressed as clowns. Gramma Sandie was totally unrecognizable with make-up and no glasses and a big red nose, but Papaw...no so much. Abby handed him the candy, took another glance and then said "HEY! WAIT A MINUTE!" and ran after him. Hee hee.








And then my mom dressed up as a witch
and handed out candy at our house.
She loves this holiday. She's already planning for next year. :)








Now it's time to start focusing on Thanksgiving meals and the Christmas Season. I just adore these holidays! It's definitely a focus on the family and friends time.
Here are a few photos of the kids and our beautiful tree in the back yard. It's leaves look GORGEOUS this time of year!

Can I Get a Medic?

I just want some silence, please. Okay, so I did get an hour nap today and it WAS lovely and refreshing and all that. But then I woke up again to the ear piercing shriek of my daughter Lilly and her sidekick brother, whiney-butt Zach. Honestly, if it's not one crying, it's the other. Last night the two of them took turns crying and waking up. So much so that I didn't get to sleep until almost 11pm and then was ready to get up at 5:30am. Wouldn't it be great if I got to sleep a whole hour in that stretch, but Lilly just wouldn't hear of it. I feel terrible that she's most likely in pain, really I do, but dang...a woman needs her sleep! And let's just face it people, at this point, I'm ready to beat somebody up.

And I'm not kicking a guy while he's down, but my dear husband sprained his ankle this weekend. Thanks Wilson shoes! He thinks it was because of the new shoes he just bought, the sole is already peeling away and caused him to roll his ankle while making a hard stop on the tennis court. So he is not in full, butt-kicking order anymore. And God bless him, I know he would MUCH rather be wrangling the kids than have a sprained ankle, so I'm not blaming the guy...just pointing out the handicap.

So. Let's recap. We've had two weeks of rancid, butt mangling diarrhea running through Lilly's diapers, then Zach's quick run with puke/diarrhea, Abby's and my 24 hour vomit sessions and now we get three big molars coming in at one time and a sprained ankle.

We are SO ready for quick vacation from our sick life.