Not only are the newest additions to our household the cutest things ever, but they help me win arguments.
Since Desmond likes to watch the cursor on the computer screen, I can lead my witness very easily. Just this evening we discussed who he loved more. It was decided with ample conviction that I was the most beloved in the house. We also determined that I was the most slender, the smartest, and the most attractive.
Feel free to email my kittens with questions ( preferrably ones that can easily be answered yes/no, but we are willing to delve into the deeper topics if necessary.)
Now, Desmond wholeheartedly believes that I should have that second bowl of ice cream. He agrees that calories don't exist unless you bother to pay attention. Amen, Desmond, amen.
Some of you may know that I have been seeing the doctor about some recurring UTI's and was sent for a test to determine if I may have diabetes.
Good news! My glucose levels were absolutely normal. Now that this scenario has been eliminated, we move on to more sophisticated tests (renal ultrasound and dye in my kidneys) to really figure this thing out. I am not concerned about what the root of the problem is. I'd like to think that I would know if there was something seriously wrong in my own body. But the tests have been scheduled for August 14th and I would rather not have people poking things hither and yon then. Being the realist that I am, however, I will not reschedule, since the chances of getting the tests on the same day or even in the same month are slim. Smile and wave, boys, just smile and wave.
Our old doctor moved away with his wife and new baby, so I have been rehashing my medical history with our new doctor. He is very nice and willing to give me explanations of things I don't quite grasp (frankly all medical jargon). Because of some palpitations I have been experiencing, I had to let him in on my previously diagnosed heart murmur (mitral valve prolapse) and spells of passing out (due to low blood pressure). He asked if the palpitations felt like my heart was racing. With my great and highly refined descriptive skills I explained that it feels more like a "blub" and then a little light headedness. For these symptoms, I have been scheduled to wear the ever glamorous and totally fashionable halter monitor. An echocardiogram will also give some insight to this cold heart of mine.
Looking at this post, I fear it narcissistic and I apologize. But it is my blog and I have nothing else to report :0).
I will keep you abreast of any new developments. You bunch of sillies.
I received an email today listing the things would be memorable for me as a child of the '80's. It started wheels turning in my little mind.
I started to remember the fights between my brother and I over what to watch. Would it be Dukes of Hazzard or Buck Rogers? It often resulted in fisticuffs.
One of the things that just fell out of my train of thought was Ed Grimley. Does anyone else remember Ed? He was the very odd character that Martin Short portrayed on television for a while. There was even an animated version.
Now, while I was thinking about it, it started to dawn on me that he reminded me of someone. Several hours passed before I could nail down exactly who. I am here to report that it is Daniel. My own flesh and blood.
Anyone else? Maybe? Ok, I must say.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7345112586069731677&q=ed+grimley&total=26&start=10&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=5
This is being released as an item to recognize the 30 year anniversary of Elvis's demise.
Super yum---but not.
http://candyaddict.com/blog/2007/06/11/candy-review-reeses-elvis-cup-with-peanut-butter-and-banana-creme/
I had intended to do a blog that included pictures. But here I am, trapped in my room by a screaming three year old. So I will try to convey in words what I wanted to share with photos. Then I will add them later.
Over the course of this project I am working on for my grandmother there have been many surprises. I have been able to associate faces with names I have heard all of my life but never had any meaning to me. I have been able to peer into the past of my family and get a glimpse of what things were like.
The thing that has struck me the most though is the way time sneaks up on us. I was going through pictures and came upon one of my great grandfather Charlie Holliday. My memories of this man are sweet. He always smelled good and was loveable and proud. He was always old to me, but not in that frail sort of way some older people are. This was my memory. The picture was in his last years, when he was ill and barely able to move. He was in a hospital bed in the dining room of his home and his great grandson Jacob was looking over the railing at him. There was a physical sensation looking at this picture. Mere moments before, I had held a photo of him with his twin brothers as young men. They looked vibrant and full of life.
I think the family I was born into ages rather well. Maybe that is why it surprises me when they start to look their age or even old. My father's pictures were among those that I have been looking at. Seeing him as a little kids, a soldier, a new father, are all images I can deal with. Those even make me smile. Knowing that one day, if we are lucky enough to live long full lives, we will both be shadows of our younger days makes me sad. There is no avoiding it. Would we really want to?
I cannot even imagine what my children will be like at my age. Or my grandmothers age. Or what their children's children will think of our generation.
So as I ponder all this deep stuff I will try to savor my present, not dwell on my past or my future. I will do my best not to wish for those paths left untaken. I will do my best to pass on what I know and still be aware that a century from now it may be as though I never existed.
I hope this makes sense to someone besides myself.
This morning Ted slept in. It is the first day back to work and he was dreading it after a week's vacation. Around nine o'clock, Aurelia and I went upstairs to clean up and she climbed on the bed with Daddy.
She had a thin plastic stick (like a pick up stick) and was poking him as he slept. He started to get up. She held out her hand, pushed him back down, struck a pose and said, " It's ok. I am a doctor. You need to go hospital and get operations. We put stitches in your hand." Then she resumed poking him. He didn't seem to appreciate my contribution---that the surgery may just be lyposuction.
After he left for work I made dinner. We are trying to get back into our habit of eating at home. So after the kids and I ate, I packed up his dinner and we drove over to his office. Daniel insisted he be able to roll down the rear van window so he could talk to his Daddy. This consisted of some rather rude noises and nonsense. Finally, he reached out to hug Ted. I said, " Kiss him. Kiss him." Daniel gave me the stare and said quite bluntly, " That is SO unnecessary."
Ok then.
An additional comment about our trip.
We were in Coney Mall and I saw one of the barkers who will guess your age, weight, or birth month within two years, pounds, or months. I thought why not, the worst that could happen is my ego could be crushed.
I walked up and handed my $5 to the guy. He wrote his guess (my age) down and then asked for the correct answer. I told him 32-------------
HE GUESSED 17!!!!
Now realistically, I know he is probably around that age and inexperienced in the world of guesses. It probably helped my cause that I asked my own mother for the money right before his guess. But nevertheless, his guess was FIFTEEN years lower than my actual age!!!
That is a personal memory I will tuck right here and take out every so often and giggle about.
AND YOU CAN"T TAKE THAT AWAY, SO DON"T EVEN TRY!!
:0)
This past weekend was a semi-vacation to King's Island in OH with my mother, cousin, myself, and my two older children. These are some of the pros and cons that came with the trip.
Pro....
Aurelia was left with her daddy.
Con...
Aurelia was left with her daddy.
Pro...
She advanced her potty training exponentially while we were gone. There were multiple incidents of self initiated trips to the potty!! Yippee.
Con...
Our oldest was a snot bucket. What do you have to do to get a thank you or a semi kind word from a teenager these days?
Pro...
My highly strung younger son was discovered to be a thrill seeker. He exclaimed how AWESOME many of the adult rides were and wasn't even a little scared.
Con..
He wanted me to ride them too. UGH
Pro..
Got to spend some time with my mom.
Con...
Mom hates parental/child conflict (and there was no shortage.)
Overall, decent trip. A repeat next year? Not so much.
I love having my plate piled high. One project simply isn't enough for this stellar underachiever.
In the midst of the BIG photo book project, I have taken on a video CD for my Dad of his most recent 517 photos of his cross country trip with my mom and his cousins. That is fast becoming the slowest project in history (due to the file size of the pics).
Since school starts soon, it is also necessary to get cracking on the potty training. The first diaper free day went well. NO ACCIDENTS!! Yesterday was a little less successful after the deposit of urine in a couple of corners. But we are staying positive and focused.... sort of.
As a reward/incentive (Mommy indulgence), we welcomed two beautiful kittens into our family this week. They are brother/sister buff colored sweeties. Much debate was had over their naming, but this morning it was made permanent. They are now Desmond and Molly Kitty. (Other names in the running were Sugar and Spice, Bread & Butter, Benny & Joon, and Cornbread & Tatertots.)
I will be wrapping up my first case with CASA soon. I must say it was challenging and rewarding. I was glad to have met all of the people involved. Now I must prepare myself to let these children out of my mind and focus on the next case. I believe that will be the hardest thing in the future. Transition.
In the meantime, I ask all who enter my home to alert me to any odors I may not be noticing. New kittens and a potty training 3 year old distract a person. Thanks in advance.
Have a great day and happy blogging!
Over the years I have tackled big projects. I have learned to crochet the basics from a book over a weekend. I have organized my dad's first ever birthday party. One year all of our Christmas cards (over 300) were addressed and stamped in JULY. I try to finish my seasonal shopping before the first frost. But this is the BIGGEST project I have ever tackled.
You can't tell by my current house status, but I used to reorganize my mothers kitchen. I used to clean my granma's house every weekend. Now I organize in my head and leave it there. But my grandmother and her new husband are moving. That gives me the prime opportunity to lay my hands on all of her pictures under the premise of compiling a book of memories.
Initially, I just sorted everything into black and white and color photos. Now a more complete thought is forming about sections of the book: portraits, weddings, babies, family photos, candids. But my grandmother has thousands of pictures. Not to mention the duplicates. So if you don't see me for awhile or if I look a little ragged, it is because I am undertaking the task of my life. Thank you for your patience.
I am the queen of camp. My oldest has been signed up for five camps this summer. The middle one had a week of camp. I wanna know when they will sign Aurelia up for camp.
The great thing about camps for the older one is that some are free. Others are not, but still relatively cheap. There was only one fairly expensive one. But on average, we are getting five weeks of him being fed, bathed, and entertained for a fraction of what we could do it for here.
I mean have you seen the kid eat?
My recent volunteer work has been a mixed bag of blessings.
I have had the opportunity to get out and take action about things that gnaw at my soul. I have been able to see firsthand how important my being able to stay home and take care of my own three kids is. Feeling like I am making any difference while being able to balance it with them is wonderful.
The different thoughts come out when I realize that I don't enjoy playing. When I say that out loud, it sounds like I don't enjoy my children. What I don't enjoy is the actual playing part (watching cartoons, dress up, park playing, pretend games). I didn't enjoy group play as a child. I don't like the outdoors unless I am alone or with sedate group on a mild day. What I do enjoy is the joy my children have when I do those things with them. As much as I personally dislike the activities, knowing that when they grow up they can hold on to memories of us together doing things they liked to do makes me happy.
Then I begin to think of the time that I will be released from this obligation. When cartoons and tea parties and endless conversations about non existent people will be a thing of the past. The part where my life becomes mostly my own again. I long for it and I dread it simultaneously. It will mean my babies don't need that part of me anymore. I will miss them. We will have different relationships and they will grow away from me in ways that will break me. But they will grow. And I will remember how I smelled their hair, marveled at the chunk and smooth of their baby cheek, kissed away boo-boo's, fixed broken toys, mended wounded feelings, explained new things. Maybe they will remember some of it too.
When they fly the nest, I will be beyond ready to pursue a career. I worked before the kids, but never enjoyed my jobs. I had moments in most all of the jobs I held that were enjoyable, but I wasn't making a difference or doing anything I felt important about. I let my mind wander to saying things like "I have to go to a conference." "I'll be away on a business trip that week." "I'll check my calendar, but my secretary will know for sure." Adultish, career-like sentences that don't include references to bowel movements, boogers, imaginary friends. I will enjoy the wide variety of positions that are available with my chosen path. I will savor every moment. But I will know in my heart that this job I have now, the one that tires me out, that really sticks it to me, is the one that defines me. I won't have a retirement party, no goodbye cake, it will just fade into a new part of our life. I'll be free as I weep with joy/sadness.
Am I the only one?
