Monday, December 28, 2009

Auh, it is so peaceful here this morning...no alarms, no rush to get dressed no buses no stress....

Yesterday was a good day. my parents came down from Ruskin to have a celebration meal with us. They live in Florida most of the year now. Their lives are full of retirement events and their adoptive family of neighbors in their retirement community. Being a latter in life adopting parent my current family life is a bit to fast for their enjoyment for any length of time. Of course I am not in denial to understand delivering a passenger van of children to any one's home is a bit overwhelming.

We were ready for their usual arrival after their Sunday mass lets out, add two hours and it should be about noon...Well by 12:30 I was ready for a cat nap...I put the oven on to heat the lasagna and laid down..I was awoke about 45 minutes later they have arrived. Fruit bearing they entered our home with smiles. Tressa is our loudest greeter and they just love her affection. The others are right behind them. It was all good, we were able to have Michelle and Ayden join via skype/webcam. My parents will be upgrading to web cam ability very soon. My Dad was inquisitive and lit up with the technology. After some visiting lunch was served. The table dressed as nice as one can get with plastic wear. (dishwasher broke) now I am concerned with the lights in the house...we have a Palm tree that lend to rats getting in the attic and it appears maybe they are chewing on the electric because one at a time I am looking lighting.... very concerning. I thought it odd that an overhead light with three long fluorescent bulbs went out all at once.. I am use to one bulb at a time and some flickering first but no, this was a month ago just out it went. now the ceiling fan in the next room is acting funny and so I am growing with concern. Sure wish I knew something on the EHM so I knew if I should scape up funds to start many repairs...I am in prayer that it will all be water under the bridge soon... Gods will.

SO we had a nice visit. Mandie and Carmelo left after lunch and some visiting but Carmelo was so tired it was preventing her to enjoy their time. He was so tired he let them know he is too shy to hug goodbye...which made everyone laugh and they got their hugs regardless. My kids do not do well with me 1:1 in conversation not completely circled around them. Such as yesterday spending time with my parents in an adult topic conversation. They kids started acting out..Kaitlyn screamed as if it were life threatening over a marker taken when she wasn't finished and a bucket of 10,000 more markers in front of her....then Jordan is passing gas, burping, actually a couple times telling them good bye and to leave (they didn't understand him) and other behaviors clearly expressing as far as he was concerned they are over staying his welcome.. He is the one who will step it up a notch...My diversions of having Keirsten make him hot chocolate, getting hi engaged in a game etc.. were very limited... then he needs to go potty and I must help. OK, that was a short 1:1 time for him...no not enough.... he goes from potty to shower and struts himself out to the middle of the house butt naked holding his rather large pull up in one hand and a pair of pajama pants in the other.... arms extended saying for me to help him..Nope not a cover any where....100 lbs of pure 9 year old boy in the buff.... My Mom gasps " Oh, My" my dad looks mortified! I pretty much knew their exit was going to be soon...LOL My parents had not know about our family piece in the newspaper as she informed me her computer is not working back in Florida from being connected to the internet in Illinois...so much of the information I thought she knew she was in the dark. They took an extra copy of the paper to read at home, gave hugs all around and I actually got a full fledged squeeze hug fro the first time from my Father in YEARS. Most of the time it was a lean to... Mom is always good for a good bye hug but this felt great...maybe it was the conversation we were able to get out.. I am pretty open about life and my feelings as I near 50. Life is what it is and today I live for me..I live my life just as I choose and I answer to no one but my God. I follow my lead and live copilot for what I believe in...and acceptance from my parents is welcome but no longer yearned for.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Oh what a day.......

I am sitting here with a broken baby toe on my right foot which is throbbing under my make shift tapped casting job by Dr. Pringle..AKA Mom...me, myself and I. OUCH!

Well let me back up. The day before Christmas for some unknown reason my dishwasher which is not old nor cheep decided to flood the house... so I geared up with paper and plastic... I knew getting a repair man was #1 costly and #2 not what I would put upon someone for Christmas. WE DO NOT SHOP ON CHRISTMAS.... a day for family.... well we bonded around the kitchen sink...using as little as possible with a family our size dishes come from no where.

I went straight into denial....and tonight as I prepared our meal for tomorrow (family gathering- my parents are coming) I thought I would make something that I would be able to stick in and have time to visit...not like grilling where I am out at the grill while everyone else visits... so in the midst of my making Lasagna, crab/shrimp dip, veggie dip, chopping dicing and slicing veggies to be on top of a garden salad... I had a kitchen full of dirty dishes. I did think some where today because I went to the store for entertaining via plastic wear all matching and stuff but oh my the dishes from me getting carried away preparing were off the charts. So I start.... child hood memories flashing before my eyes...I was at the sink for about 30 minutes....WHILE THE HOUSE FLOODED................... my back to the obvious..... the water was running under the cabinets down the row to the door and amazing enough I had no idea until I noticed a pretty large puddle at my feet...Hum I thought I did not remember spilling out of the sink yet I tried to convince myself I must have dumped water when rinsing a large pan or lid (like when I was a child) funny how my mind makes excuses...but when I turned and slid and somehow slammed my toe on a part of the cabinets I didn't even know existed I felt it...I saw it..I reached down and put it back facing forward and I screamed..... which then brought ALL THE CHILDREN asking why I made such a mess... "Mom, you made a very big mess in the kitchen, the water is running out here in the dining room" DO I applaud the full thought expressed in a complete sentence and the thought conveyed with out stuttering... because actually the entire message was one of her finest EVER! Keirsten looked mortified and decided the best thing to do in a situation like this is to remove small children from the area... and I proceeded to tape the toe to the next toe and begin Tylenol as I mopped up water....

This after taking the boys to the grocery store shopping where Jordan entered the store and without my knowing took a bite out of an apple and placed it back on the pile in produce. Some older woman who apparently had nothing better to do today brought me the apple and very nasty like said..you may as well have him finish this apple.. I kindly took the apple put it into a produce bag and explained to Jordan we must pay for the apple BEFORE we take a bite...apparently this woman had no further faith in me as she followed us the ENTIRE time in the store until I was at the check out and placed the apple up to pay.... It was my faith in the season that kept me from saying anything to her and only smiling as we stayed to our shopping list and zig zagged the store and she stayed right behind us... Bless her heart! lol

Lasagna made...CHECK, done


Friday, December 25, 2009









My girls recieved loads and loads of make-up....can you tell? Mandie brought a how to apply make up manual.... hope they can get to it soon.

OOOPPPPS, I DID IT AGAIN.....forgot a present!!!!











As I post Tressa is jumping and jumping while the others count to 20 over and over and over...she doesn't even know she is exercizing!!!!

This gift was sent to Tressa a week or so ago from her birth family...I slid it under the baby's bed...and forgot about it until now. She says it the best Christmas present ever.

Mt Grandson Ayden video'd in for Christmas. lives in GA

I will share......Dear Santa

Dear Santa,
I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor and sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.
Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is calling and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,
Mom

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.












SSSsssshhhhhh no kids post....


In the dark I set up the sand/water table for morning. I found this table in Ft Myers at a Goodwill store a few weeks ago and have had it hidden in the garage. A couple bags of sand and toys..Waalaa... I know this is going to be a hit for my kids. I must say THANK YOU My daughters gift is a painting of a tree where the branches are bare of leaves yet hold a heart with each of my children's names on it. I will post a photo... love it Mandie!!

Santa is on his way...... kids are sleeping.......











sibling exchange...and spoil the grandkids night.