Thank Goodness It Was Hump Day!

This week has been a blur. For many reasons, all of which are valid. It seems that at work, I don't even get a chance to catch my breath. I look up and it's 5:10PM!!! That's pretty much everyday! Then, at home, ... well, lets start with by the time I fight traffic and pick up the kids - we don't get home until 6:30. Then dinner must be made and kids entertained (thank goodness for the Disney channel and Toon Disney!). By the time the kids eat - usually 7:45 - 8:00PM, I'm too tired to eat. Put the kids to bed at 9:00 PM ... do whatever I have to do (only those things that are a necessity) and get in the sack around 11:00 PM.

I know that I'm not singing a new song. I'm fairly confident that most mom's feel like this, especially if they work outside of the home. And, I am OVERLY blessed with an extremely helpful husband .... but, it's marching band season so he's gone until November.

Literally.

Monday night - Don at random school #1 - home at 8:45pm

Tuesday night - Don at random school #2, then random school #3 - home at 10:00pm

Wednesday night - Don at random school #4 - home at 11:00pm

Thursday night - Don at random school #1 on "A" weeks, or random school #5 on "B" weeks - home at 8:45

Friday - Sunday - we get to have him at home while he prepares for these 5 school for the upcoming week :)

Don leaves for work at 5:45ish every morning. It is so far beyond me - who needs 10 hours of sleep a night - to know how he is making it! Truly by the grace of God is all I say.

I certainly appreciate his sacrifice. Sacrificing his sleep, sacrificing the time with his kids, or heck, just time to do little things like watch TV or lounge on the couch.

But, we get to go on our first family vacation in December. We usually vacation wherever some various marching band or drumline contest happens to be held and then we stay a day or two on the flip side! We've been to exotic destinations like Dayton, OH and New Albany, IN to name a few :)

I have a wonderful husband. I don't tell him enough ... he's very appreciated (and loved)!

Another Monday!

Well, we made it through the weekend. Piper is feeling much better. She had a wonderful time at the doctor's office! She said that Dr. McDavitt looked into her ears and didn't see any butterflies ... so she assumes that she is cured. However, she has a bacterial sinus infection that could take 2 weeks to run it's course. So, she has some sort of medicine we've never seen before and it seems to be doing the trick. She's not as snotty and that horrible manly cough is nearly gone :)

Piper loves to swim. She asks us about it every day - "is the pool open?" "can we go the boat-slide swimming pool?" "it's not raining - can we go swimming?" Nemo should be her name! Piper fell asleep in the car the other night and Avery said, "All Piper talks about is going to the swimming pool!"

Well, yesterday was the day! We went to church, then had lunch with friends, naptime ... then pool time! I don't know where it came from, but all of a sudden Piper started pronouncing her swimsuit as her "swim soup". Something about the "t" didn't sound right to her so she changed it to a "p". We asked her all kinds of questions that would involve her saying "swimsoup" because it was so cute!

Avery was his regular good self all weekend. He is really enjoying the new church (Piper too for that matter)! He really loved the Children's worship time yesterday, so that makes me happy! The talked about sharing ... and this morning, he shared the big steps line leader privilege with his sister! That, my friends, is big time at our house. (We have two sets of steps - a big set and a little set. Avery is ALWAYS line leader for the big steps; Piper is ALWAYS line leader for the little steps!)

Here's to a quick week!

This AMs Prayer

We always pray in the car on our way to school. This morning, after I said my prayer, Avery informed me that he only wanted to pray for one thing. No problem.

Avery - "Dear God, thank you for this day and thank you for my teachers."

Piper, because of Avery, also just prayed for one thing ...

Piper - "Dear God, thank you for this day and thank you for my friends."

How appropriate that they pray in their true personality styles. Avery - always the smartest tree in the field - prays for his teachers. Piper - the future Homecoming Queen - prays for her friends. I'm sure that God was NOT surprised.

Cruddy Thursday

Piper has had the crud since Sunday. She's all snotty and has a cough that sounds like a grown man! Well, now I can feel it coming on too. I think it's just allergies, but I hate being sick.

I've been busy making curtains for the house. Don hung the first set last night, so that was fun. Avery had his Home Depot (plastic) tool kit and was working right along with him. I took lots of pictures that I'll post soon.

I'm ready for the weekend. We have no big plans which is why I think I'm ready! I'm looking forward to doing things at our own pace.

Funny Little Kiddos

Last night, they seemed to have a lot on their mind!

Car conversation:
Piper: "I think they are building another swimming pool right there."
Avery: "I just don't know what they are doing in this world."
(ditto to that, by the way, was my first thought ... )

At home ... Piper was looking through the files where we keep all of our bank statements, receipts, etc.
Me: "Piper, what are you looking for?"
Piper (very promptly): "I'm looking for 60-dollars."
Me: "Why do you need 60-dollars?"
Piper: "Because I'm gonna go to Mickey Mouse's house!"

I don't know what I thought was funny before these kids. Their little outlooks and out-takes can make me smile on the saddest day. I love to hear them talk to each other about "who knows what" in the car. It's hysterical ... they are so funny communicating with each other. Piper is definitely the dominant personality and Avery just tries to reason with her as best he can. Sometimes, he just shakes his head. Actually, sometimes we just shake our heads too ...

Monday

Why am I always so tired on Monday? Could it be that we never stop to rest on the weekend? Could it be that God just automatically makes every mom of preschoolers overly tired on purpose? Is it for some reason that I'll find out years from now? Well, I have a good attitude today and at least, I have that.

We received word today at work that Pat's daughter Allyson has been found FREE from cancer. I seriously wanted to run into the street and shout "PRAISE GOD!" It was purely, purely, purely a first-class, God-only miracle for their family.

I've never met Allyson, by the way. But, she has a blog and from her first post which is a description of herself, I could tell that if I HAD ever met her - we would have been FAST friends. I ended up reading every post that she's uploaded, not because I'm nosey (which is my usual reason), but because I could completely relate to all that she was writing ... that is up until the cancer part. But, I could put myself in her place to imagine how I would deal with telling my children, not wanting to be succumbed by it all, etc.

Well, it's a HALLELUJAH day! Praise the Lord ... he is good :)

My Birthday

Today's my 34th birthday ... I really don't know where the time has gone. It certainly does fly by, and it's seeming to get faster each year :)

Today, the first words I heard were a whisper of "Happy birthday, Mom" from little Avery. What a sweet little child, and sweet little words to wake up too!

I don't think I've ever been really materialistic. I'm a pretty low-maintenance type of girl, but I've always loved getting a birthday present. Who doesn't, I guess? But, I can honestly say, that since the birth of my kids. Anything from them is more present than money could ever buy. Avery's words this morning were worth gold to me! "I love you" words from them are diamonds. Their sweet smiles and the sound of their laughter is more precious than rubies.

I am rich ... the richest 34 year old you'll ever see.

Britney

Seriously ... why do I get so worked up about these things? I'm so disappointed in her VMA performance. I'm so upset. At one point, I thought I might cry.

I still have hope for her. I still think she can do it - performer, wife, mother - the whole package. Maybe I feel sorry for her because she's so young. Perhaps she's the younger sister I never had.

Realize, too, that I know that this is weird. I'm not obsessed (well, maybe slightly). I just want her to live the life that I know she can.

Why do I always feel compelled to root for the underdog?