i was drawn to the ocean

• (see icon)
• Milena's love and support
• Milena's hugs
• The way Milena holds me at night
• My children
• Hugs and cooties from Avery and Evan
• (see icon)
• minxieone 
• box_o_spiders 
• Got a LOT of laundry done today
• (see icon)
• Had a pretty good day today
• My health and safety (knock on wood)
• My new phone (red Samsung Rant)
• (see icon)

The kids had a snow day today.  What a joke.  Needless to say, my nerves are a bit frazzled.  It's been a pretty good day, though, overall.  i made scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast.  The kids had sandwiches, chips, and bananas for lunch; i had a Healthy Choice entree.  i took care of my student loan payment, and called in a payment to my doctor's office.  i've gotten a LOT of laundry done!  i did the 2-mile walk.  So a pretty productive day.

i'll be starting dinner soon.  Tonight we're having pork chops, garlic mashed potatoes, and we're going to try the acorn squash that i got at Kroger the other day.  i'm looking forward to trying it.  i think.

While waiting for dinner to simmer a little longer (green beans with ham, potatoes, and onions), i was checking out the new website:  http://change.gov.  i watched Obama's speech again, and within seconds, all three of my children were crowded  around me, wanting, too, to watch.  While i am usually loathe to let them look over my shoulder when i'm online, i encouraged them to invade my personal space, Avery and Evan to sit on my lap together, and watch this beautiful speech with me.  They were mesmerized, all three of them.  And all three of them watched President-Elect Barack Obama speak for the entirety of that 17-minute speech.  Beginning to end, all three of them.  i was moved to tears again, just as i was on November 4.  Evan got a piece of paper and a pen and started asking me how to spell Barack, Obama, America, and man.  i can't tell what he was drawing and writing, but i can tell that it's important to him, and you know what?  It's important to me, too.  i am so proud to be the mother of three little boys who are so in awe of Mr. Barack Obama.

Edit:  Now Evan just asked me how to spell "cool".  LOL.  Kid's got it goin' on, eh?

i have PMS.  i felt full of rage today, mostly during the Witching Hour.  i didn't have an all-out psychotic episode, though, so that's good.  i did very (very if i do say so myself) well the rest of the day.  i got up at 6:20 and immediately became productive.  From the time i got up to the present moment i accomplished a LOT.  i had my morning quiet time, switched the laundry over, made a few important phone calls, e-mailed Evan's teacher, did a short meditation involving the five senses, figured out the schedule for upcoming weekends (who has the kids) and emailed the info to John/Kathryn/Milena, made the bed, updated the points board, took out the trash, got showered and dressed, brought the dog food in from the van, refilled the cat food bowl, refilled the sugar container, took care of some online stuff, started a list for tomorrow, filled out paperwork for volunteer stuff at Caywood, put the clean laundry away, had lunch, had an appointment with my bff Rose, mailed out some thank-you cards, supervised Avery with his homework and helped Evan with his Math homework (Milena helped with the rest of Evan's homework), took Avery for an orthodontist appointment, and tidied the bathroom, kitchen, living room, and dining room.  Whew!

In other news, i've done a bit of overhauling on my userinfo page.  i've also rotated in 11 new icons.  Have a look at it!  :-)

Gratitude List:

• Milena's love and helpfulness
• My therapy appointment went well
• We have power/working electric
• My mom's power was finally restored
• My health and safety (knock on wood)
• Hope
• Got a lovely card in the mail from box_o_spiders 
• All the birthday well-wishes i received.  Thank you all!  i love you!

is about to begin.  When Avery and Evan get home from school at around 4:00, it's like all hell breaks loose.  It's snack time, and they're hungry, and they have homework to do, and have you ever TRIED supervising a first-grader and a second-grader with homework????  Particularly when the first grader is developmentally delayed...  It definitely tries my patience.  Then there's dinner preparation, the eating of said dinner, and cleanup.  The never-ending laundry.  4-7 or so p.m.  Forget Happy Hour.  It's The Witching Hour.   Halp!

Sunday Night Gratitude List:

• Milena's love and helpfulness
• We had a good time at the pool today
• A beautiful day today with a clear, bright blue sky and warm sunshine
• Had a pretty good day in general
• Milena made pancakes this morning!
• The boys were pretty good today
• My mom kept the boys while we went to that play last night, and
• Matt and Avery spent the night with her

i've gotten a lot accomplished today.  Tonight, Milena is having dinner with an old friend of hers and i am having dinner with my mother.  The kids are with John due to the foundation work, which is still ongoing.  Today was more jackhammering and the shifting of a wall of our foundation.  Scary stuff.  Everything went well, though, from what i understand.  i finally got Milena's scarf finished.  It is longer than i am tall and i did it in double seed stitch.  It will be very warm!  It matches the earflap hat that i made for her last Winter... i just didn't get the scarf done before Winter was over.  It turned out well, i think.

i'm really glad the weather has been so mild (for August, anyway) the past few days, especially considering i have to turn the air conditioning off during the day while the foundation work is being done.  It's been beautiful and not too hot...a nice change from what mid-August is usually like in these parts.  i'm sure it won't last, though.

The boys go back to school tomorrow.  Matt will be in 7th grade, Avery in 2nd, and Evan in 1st.  This will be the first time that all three of them have been gone at school all day.  i will be sans children every day (M-F) from about 8-3.  i honestly don't know what i am going to do with myself.  Of course, i have my volunteer work at the school, and i'm sure i will play on the internet and do laundry and knit.

We haven't been in a while (for various reasons), but back on May 3, we celebrated Beltane at SJUU.  Here are some pictures of the Maypole festivities after church services.  Click on the pictures to see the whole gallery.

We spent some time downstairs today due to severe weather.  Tornadoes were spotted, and supposedly at least one touched down, just a few miles from here, but the Weather Service has not yet confirmed it.  The sirens went off and my phone went dead.  It was scary!  i got all the kids downstairs.  We herded the cats into the laundry room, and even took Hubert Cumberdale downstairs (our betta).  Idgie went down and i put Paxton in a kennel down there with us.  i grabbed a white candle, the radio, the laptop, the camera, and Milena's picture of her with her mom and dad (off the wall).  And a lighter and my purse.  The worst of the weather stayed away from us, and once the warning was lifted we went back upstairs.

Matt's friend Thomas has been over here most of the day.  Earlier, the three of us played 2 games of Yahtzee!  Avery was begging to play, too, but he's just not old enough to really do it!

Grats

• Milena
• My children
• Our (overall) health and safety (knock on wood)
• malanai
• zelophehadeus
• pierced_arachne
• box_o_spiders
• kerinda

The boys actually slept in a bit this morning - until about 9 - which was delightful.  Avery had a well-child/check-up with our beloved Dr. Kelly.  That went well.  Avery is tall and a bit thin for his age.  He had one shot and he yelped a little but he didn't cry!  After the appointment, we ran a couple of errands and met Milena for lunch.  When Milena got off work, we went to the pool which felt soooo good.  i did lots of leg exercises in the pool.  i also got a wee bit sunburned, despite using SPF 50 sunscreen, but not on my back, thank goodness--because i'm getting tattooed there on Wednesday!  i'm very very very very very very very nervous about it.  Yyyyeah.... this from the broad that likes to be beaten, has had an unmedicated childbirth, and has had 20+ piercings.  Yet for some reason i am so nervous about this.  The only other tat that i have was done 12 years ago and it is on my breast so it didn't really hurt at all.  i am so afraid it's going to feel like i'm being cut, like that dreadful neuro wheel thing that i have a love/hate thing for!  i'm getting it done at Acme, and i trust them -- i go there for all my piercings.  i'm just so nervous about this!!!  i'm getting an octopus on my upper back, centered.  Devin says it should take 2.5 - 3 hours.  Why am i so nervous???

Weekend update coming soon-- hopefully tomorrow.

For now, grats.

• Milena's love and helpfulness
• Got to go to the pool today
• A yummy and just-right dinner tonight -- sandwiches and potato salad
• Doing better (knock on wood)
• My children
• Talking ink (on messenger) with kaizenforlife
• spajunkie17
• Music

DitL from April 16 2008:


According to the stove clock, it's 6:30 a.m.  So far i am running right on schedule.

"There is an immediate emotional and psychological payoff to getting our houses in order.  We might not be able to control what's happening externally in our lives but we can learn to look to our own inner resources for a sense of comfort that nurtures and sustains."
~ Sarah ban Breathnach


This morning, after Avery got on the bus, and Milena was still asleep, Evan and i got a lot done.  He helped me unload the dishwasher, thus earning some points.  i let him spend some of his points on playing Nintendo.  i had him turn the sound all the way down and we listened to a CD of Celtic music.  Other than that, the house was quiet, and so peaceful.  i made a cup of tea and sat down with my book on the end of the couch.  Paxton curled up next to me.  The sun was shining in the windows, i was still in my comfy pajamas, Evan was having fun, and i just sat and read for an entire hour!  It's probably been a year and a half since i've read that much in one sitting.  i usually don't have time, or make time.

As i was reading, i happened upon the above passage from Simple Abundance.  How apropos!  Here i was recently, about as depressed as i've ever been, coping skills just *gone* and then yesterday morning out of nowhere i started cleaning and organizing.  i've long known that i feel so much better when my house is clean, neat, orderly.  It was the second part of that quotation that i'd never really thought about.  It's as if i instinctively started cleaning in an effort to pull myself out of that despair, to have order where all else seems to be chaos.  And i continued cleaning and organizing today.  Today i unloaded the dishwasher (with Evan's help), had Evan take out the compost, cleaned the bathroom, tidied up/organized the medicine cabinet, took out a LOT of trash, did 2 loads of laundry, put away all the clean laundry, refilled the pet waterer, and got about 1/3 of the desk cleaned off.  i'll work more on that tomorrow.  Things are coming together.

i intend to make that morning quiet time a habit, by the way.

The boys didn't have school yesterday or today.  And they've recently announced that they won't have school tomorrow, either.  i think they're starting to get a little stir crazy.

We have been having snow and freezing rain/sleet/ice storms.  It's all stopped now, but everything is still extremely icy.  i think the trees look so beautiful covered in ice.  It looks like glass.  Milena took some pictures for me...perhaps i will post some soon.  Like so many other forces of Nature, the beauty of ice is not without danger.  i'm pretty sure this local family won't be able to appreciate the beauty of ice-covered trees anymore.  A pretty big limb fell from a tree in our side yard, but thankfully it wasn't anywhere near the house or anything.

A lot of homes and business in the area have been without power which proved quite challenging for some business with today being Valentine's Day.  My mom called last night to say her power was out, but fortunately it was restored after just a few hours.  Hundreds of thousands of locals haven't been so lucky. 

Speaking of Valentine's Day, and in other local news, an imaginative criminal tried to sway a judge with a Valentine poem.

Hokay, so.

Halloween certainly did not turn out as i expected it to.  Right before time for the trick-or-treating to start, Avery, in a burst of excitement, was running in the dining room and somehow ended up across one of the chairs like a runner sliding into home.  He cried so loud and so hard that i later described it by saying "he put the 'howl' in Halloween!"  When he stood up, we were horrified to see that he had injured his head pretty badly.  There was blood everywhere--all over him, the chair, the carpet...  Milena got the wound cleaned up and got the bleeding to almost completely stop.  The gash was pretty wide and very deep, so we decided to take him to the Emergency Room in case he needed stitches.  He did.  He completely missed trick-or-treating and he was way more upset about that than he was the stitches.  He got three stitches and he didn't even cry.  (i guess he got all his crying out earlier!)  i was very pleased that they were so cautious in making sure he was numb.  The first time i ever had stitches, i was two years old and it was horrific and traumatizing.  Not the case for Avery.  He's just fine today, back to his regular self.  :-)

oracle0415 and her brood came over to do Halloween with us, but since Avery got hurt, they were so kind and helpful to take Evan trick-or-treating with them while Milena and i took Avery to the hospital.  Or hostabill as he says.

Evan was a puppy for Halloween.  Here's a picture of him in costume.  Milena did his makeup.

Word of the day is
formication - a tactile hallucination involving the belief that something is crawling on the body or under the skin

Grats for today:
~ a beautiful Autumn day
~ a beautiful Autumn day yesterday too
~ walking through rustly-crunchy Autumn leaves
~ the smell of Autumn leaves
~ being a sensate
~ exercising my brain
~ my friends and chosen family

Yesterday Milena and i met up with John and we took the kids to Burger Farm.  It was nice but i definitely like Huber's better.  Would you believe it was the first time i had ever been on a hayride?!  And it was Milena's first too!  We were hayride virgins!  i indulged in funnel cake and some of the most delicious hot apple cider i've ever had.  The weather was perfect... sunny and cool but not cold.  It was great.

i think i'm finally recovered from strep throat.  Now my allergies are driving me nuts!

Last week i met with people from Evan's preschool about his IEP.  They are confident that he will be ready to start Kindergarten next fall.  He really has made SO much progress.

And here's Avery's school picture!  He's getting to be such a big boy! 

ladyoceanstar, i don't know whether i love you or hate you for getting me started in Weff Riddles.  Man alive.  Seriously though i've been having a great time solving them.  And i think Milena has too.  ;-)

Avery: I know how to make tape, Mom. I figured out how they make tape. You just take a piece of plastic paper and cut it. And then you get a lollipop and suck on it until it's really sticky and then you put it on the plastic paper to make it sticky. And that's how you make tape!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aiden: [mild coughing fit] I think I just had a heart attack!

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also, Evan can now say "yes" and "happy" He has made so much progress! :-)

4 minutes ago, i put Avery on the school bus for his first day of Kindergarten.

4 years ago, i was in active labour (with Evan).

At 1:42 p.m., my baby Evan will turn 4 years old.



How bittersweet are the clutches of Motherhood.

Hokay, so.  Lots to say.  First, from the WTF, mate? files... Milena is currently asleep on the couch.  But that's not the wtf part.  Before she fell asleep she was watching The 700 Club.  Willingly.  See what i mean?  WTF, mate?

i hadn't planned a dinner for tonight because i thought we would be going to get Matthew from John's.  But Matthew has been at Don and Gina's all week and will be staying until Sunday.  So we ended up going out to Moe's for dinner.  Oh the burrito and tomatillo salsa verde goodness.  Heavy on the cilantro.  YUM.

Now let's back up a bit.


Now, some grats.

Friday Night Gratitude List:
~ the worst of the move is over and done-with
~ Milena's strength and helpfulness
~ our friends and chosen family
~ kerinda
~ oracle0415
~ malanai
~ box_o_spiders
~ doss
~ the cats, including Gypsy, seem quite happy here
~ helpfulness

Word of the day is
tuberose - a tuberous perennial Mexican herb (Polianthes tuberosa) having grasslike leaves and cultivated for its highly fragrant white flowers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
and now for something completely different:

i drove Milena to work again this morning because i had an appointment at the dr. office/lab at 9 a.m. to have my lithium level checked. We dropped Milena off at about 8:05 or so and got back to Dr. L's office before 8:30. i wasn't expecting to make such good time. i signed in, and they went ahead and called me back, so i was in and out of there by 8:38. When we had first gotten there, Avery and Evan went back to the kids area and were playing with some toy cars while i signed in. As we were leaving after my blood had been drawn, Avery said, "Can we put those cars away before we leave?" So i stopped and waited for them to pick up the cars they had been playing with. i was very impressed.

Also, while i was having my blood drawn - which takes a couple minutes because they have to use the butterfly needle in my hand - Avery and Evan stood quietly and waited near me and were SO GOOD. They got some stickers and some lollies. Their lollies had numbers on them, and after i opened Evan's and gave it to him, he looked at it and said, "nine!" i looked, and sure enough, it was a nine. i asked him to repeat it and he did. i had no idea that he could recognize the number nine and that he could say it, too!

So we got back home in time for me to put Evan on the bus just like usual, instead of taking him to school myself which is what i had been planning to do. We sat outside together to wait for the bus. It is so beautiful out there today. Maybe i can get some outside-y stuff done today. Maybe.

Word of the day is
diluent - diluting agent

i still feel pretty crappy today. i hurt all over, my throat is sort of burning, still have the allergy symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, and congestion, and i'm exhausted. i started feeling a little bit better yesterday afternoon and i got some laundry done, took care of all the pet dishes, and scooped the litter box. After that, i was pretty much useless. Today i'm trying to take it easy, but Evan doesn't like that idea. He is driving me nuts!

Thursday Night Gratitude List
~ Milena's helpfulness
~ Milena took the boys out for a while this evening and let me rest
~ friends
~ memories
~ was able to get a few necessary things done today despite feeling icky

Maybe i'll be up to posting more later. i do have stuff i want to write about, as well as some backed-up grats to post. But for now, i think i need to lie down for a few more minutes before i attempt to fix lunch.

Oh, also-- this is one of the icons Milena made recently. :-)