Alright! I just have to share these stories because they cracked me up.
Anna was in the bathroom sitting on her little potty. Roger opened the door to check on her. When he opened the door he found Anna standing up, completely clothed, with the round pad thing of her toilet seat around her arm. She looked up at him, smiled and said "ok, I'm ready to go swim!" She had it around her arm like it was her inter-tube that she was planning on taking to the local pool to float on. R
Yet another Anna story:
We were driving in the car a couple of weeks ago, just Me, Paul, Roger and Anna. WE were headed to a little family adventure that we take once a week, having a crazy conversation that you tend to have with a 2 year old and 5 year old.
Anna looked straight at Roger and said "puppies smell."
Roger said "yeah? what do they smell like?"
Anna said "like puppies."
Roger said "what do puppies smell like?"
Anna smiled real big and said "LIKE POOP!"
I think she is on a "that smells like poop" kick because yesterday morning she climbed up in my lab while I was drinking some hot tea, took a smell of my tea and said "wew, your tea smells like POOP." I guess I need to get on to her for that don't I? but my precious little girl is CRACKING ME UP.
Just one more story:
I was driving back from chapel on monday and heard Anna in the back of the car say "Knock. Knock" So I said "who's there?"
Anna said "Banana!"
I said" banana who?"
She said "Banana Anna?" then giggled really really hard.
Paul then learned over in his booster seat and said "yeah, that was a good one Anna, that sure was a good one!"
And that ladies and gentleman is why I am a stay at home mother. I worked too hard to bring these precious lives into the world to miss these precious, hilarious moments!
Monday, September 27, 2010
I woke up this morning to a rainy, cold day.
Yuck
So,I did what any stay at home mother would do on a cold rainy Monday.
We all had a wonderful time bouncing, giggling and chasing each other.
While there I noticed up on the wall a sign that had a martini glass with a babies pacifier in it. I was curious as to what in the world that could be advertising. I got closer to find out! It was advertisement for a local moms group.
How exciting!
We got back home around 1pm, ate lunch, read books and I snuggled the little ones up for a nap. Once everyone and everything was calm in the old mansion, I made a mad dash for the computer to check out the moms group group.
It looks AWESOME! I joined. I even joined the book club and have the book on hold at the library.
Tips for today:
Join the Momtini group, especially if you are a stay at home mother, for your sanity people! And take your kids to monkey joes to give your couch, that the kids tend to use as a bouncing thing, a break!
Ok. So that is a fib. I am feeling VERY overwhelmed.
Paul and Anna are driving me completely NUTS.
While we are waiting for our house in Etown to be move in ready, Paul is staying at home with us every single day. He is 5. He needs social intereraction. He needs to go to preschool. I have had him in a preschool here for 2 years but I have him registered for a preschool in Etown so that when we move he will immediatly have a place to go. He'll be going Tue-Fri 9am to 11:30am. But until then me, Anna, the kids at the park and the kids at the library are his social interaction. It keeps me VERY busy.
Anna is 2 and has discovered that making her brother scream is SUPER fun. She has a whole tool box of sneaky tricks to piss Paul off. And if you know Paul, you know that he can get VERY upset VERY easy. She bites, pinches, smacks, pulls hair and even picks his toys up and slings them across the room. My whole day is spent breaking up these little fights. My jaw and head hurt from the tension. This psychology degree is getting put to good use. let's see if it works!
It is driving me NUTS. COMPLETELY NUTS. I'm not joking. I'm exhausted.
On top of that I have to clean, do the laundry, go to class, study for class, and try to SEE my husband at least for 30 min a day.
Oh and did I mention my brother is getting married NEXT weekend and that the kids are in the wedding and Roger is the minister of it?? :0
Staying home is NOT for the weak of heart....pun intended.
Paul and Anna tell me at least 5 times a day what a horrible mother I am. It tends to follow the "NO" that I give when they ask to have ice cream for breakfast or the "NO WAY " I give when they try to jump on the couch or the "YOU STOP THAT NOW" that I scream out when Anna attempts to push Paul down the stairs on his skate board. When children learn to talk it is not all love that they speak. They enjoy expressing their anger as well. When you are a barrier for their so called enjoyment of life, then the hateful words start to fly.
This morning after doing the house work, managing the fighting kids and contemplating WHEN AM I GOING TO GET TO READ FOR CLASS or just sit on the couch for like 5 seconds without being jumped on, I walked out to the mail box to check the mail. BAD IDEA. There was ANOTHER medical bill. ANOTHER ONE???? SERIOUSLY???
I had a new pacemaker placed in May and the bills just don't stop coming. A bill from my cardiologist, a bill from the anesthesiologist, a bill from the hospital, a bill from the surgeon. Why can't they just put them all together? one big bill. I know there is a good reason but it is so depressing to pay a MASSIVE bill, feel the relief of no longer having it over your head, only to walk out and receive ANOTHER massive bill. Punch in the gut.
It is enough to make me not ever want to get this stupid pacemaker replaced EVER AGAIN. Just take the thing out and let me die.
My cardiologist's nurse keeps calling the phone. I haven't called her back. I dread what is next. I know I have another check up coming. I don't want to go. I know there are even more tests which means even more bills. I want to cry out into the world "WHY ME??" I am very thankful that my children didn't get this heart condition. I would be eaten up with even more guilt than I already have.
I keep waiting for that day where I can wake up on a beautiful weekend, snuggle with my husband, take a warm shower before eating breakfast and sipping tea. Read on the couch until I feel the urge to go for a long bike ride with Roger. Come back to the house for a long lunch and afternoon nap. Get up from the nap and sit on the porch swing knitting until dinner time........and on and on and on.
I've been told that after having children your days a filled with humility and sacrifice.
It is true.
My bed is invaded just about every morning, my shower tends to have little heads popping in to say hi, my breakfast is typically eaten and my couch has been taken over by the "pirates" as their boat. Every now and then I get to have a great conversation with my husband that DOES NOT involve the kids or the house or school or work. But even then, the conversation to interuped by anna declaring to the world that she has to "POOP IN THE TOILET!"
Most days it brings me great joy to have the craziness of this cute little family of mine but I would be telling a fib if I didn't say that at least once a day I feel a little overwhelmed with the urge to take back my personal space.
I yearn, right now, at this very moment, for a cool, quite, dark space to cuddle up with some tea, a good book and read. I also yearn to bursh my teeth!
When you share a house with three other people, time management is a BIG deal. Space invasion is an EVERYDAY happening.
In a little bit Roger is taking both children grocery shopping with him. I am overwhelmed with joy. I am going to have a house all to myself for at least an hour. He is a brave soul.
Oh boy. Roger just handed me a delicious lunch that I am going to get to enjoy without having the share!!!! YAY
Never mind. Anna just asked for a bite before she left :(
Later that evening:
We were sitting downstairs, after putting the kids to bed, talking with my brother and sister-in-law when we heard a big CRASH. We looked out the window to see our neighbors looking at our car with a flashlight. When we opened the front door to see what was going on they said "Man, someone just hit your car and drove off.' yep, a hit and run. We completely lost our left side mirror. Wonderful!!
There isn't much of a story that goes with this picture but I thought it was adorable.
I had just put on some John Lennon when little Anna came running up to me with her funny little hat and screamed out in excitement "DANCE WIT' ME MOMMA!!"
As we were dancing Roger pulled out his camera to snap a picture.
It is such an in-the-moment picture.
I love how adorable that little face is.
I love that squeaky little voice that chases me around the house yelling "MOMMA! Hey MOMMA!"
I love love love that she insists on calling me Momma. It mealts my heart every time I hear it. Even if it is followed by "look I put lotion all over the wall all by myself."
I cherish every second I have with my little miracle baby.
"Anna Catherine, I could eat you up I love you so."
Wednesday after reading group at the library Paul, Anna and I met up with some friends at the park for a play date. Sitting in the grass under the trees chit chatting with other moms while the kids run around like a bunch of wild children is always a wonderful and relaxing time.
Thursday Roger worked from home. It was raining pretty much all day so the kids and I had a lazy day of couches, books and pirates. During his lunch break Roger came downstairs to watch the kids while I went for a long walk on the farm. That afternoon we enjoyed yummy potato soup before having a spontaneous water war with the water hose. Kids verses Parents. Once we were all completely soaked we rushed inside to warm up. Anna and I got a bubble bath while Roger and Paul warmed up with the heat pad. Once we got the kids to bed at 8pm Roger and I watched a classic movie...The Burbs with Tom Hanks. I even got a chance to knit on the mittens I am making myself for winter.
Today, Friday, has also been great. This morning I not only got my morning devotional and cup of tea before the kids got up, but I also got a chapter read in my text book for class. YAY!! At 10am the kids and I went for a play date on a beautiful farm. Our friends have 80 cows, 4 dogs and 4 Thoroughbred Race Horses. We got to check on the cows, feed and love on the horses, chase the dogs, explore the property and watch the kids play with the simple toys of a stick, bucket and walnut. After lunch we put the kids down for a nap and roger and I rushed around and cleaned the entire house! The laundry is almost done as well!! YAY! This afternoon the kids and I are going to bake cookies after dinner and snuggle up for a movie!
Yesterday I met with two of my professors and Debby (a bsk staff member) about the possibility of starting up a pastor's wife mentor team. Part of which will be a pastor's wife retreat. Self care is seen as a big deal for ministers but often times the minister's spouse is left out of that. I proposed that a mentoring program be set up for the spouses. I would love to see minster's wives become each others mentors. I would also LOVE to have a retreat specifically for us. We're working on it! If you are interested email or call the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky....ask for Debby
Speaking with them gave me hope that this little project just might happen! I have been thinking and praying about a pastors' wife mentor team for 2 years now.
Here are a few pictures that we took this morning.
Paul was trying on some dress clothes I got him at the thrift store.
When he put the shirt on I wanted to cry. he has grown up so much.
I can't believe I have been his mother for over 5 years.
Anna wanted to take a picture too.
However, she hadn't gotten dressed yet.
The picture, I think, turned out hilarious.
It does a great job at capturing all of our personalities.
Just a funny little story:
I was relaxing on the floor, Roger was on the couch, Anna came up to me and said in a robot voice "I'm a toy. Play with me." Paul walked into the room singing "All the single ladies. All the single ladies. All the single ladies. All the single ladies. Put your hands up.ooooh ooooh" Roger looked at me and said "yep, he didn't hear that in my car." Paul then sat on the couch, looked Anna straight in the eye and said "The more you fight dragons, Anna, the more you'll be like me." Anna responded, "I don't like the dragons." Paul made a silly face "well, that's the point."
I love their conversations.
Before that Anna and I had a mother/daughter trip to the park. As we were walking to the park the sun came out for a bit. It had been raining all day. She screamed out in joy "HELLO SUN. I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH. I missed you, you silly sun." She then waved and screamed "HI" to every person she saw on the side walk or on their porches.
Tuesday after my pastoral care and counseling class I was feeling incredibly overwhelmed.
We had just went over the details of conducting our first sessions......how to film the session, how to play the session back in order to critique it, and most importantly how to go about establishing a client to helper relationship when a client first walks in.
Our professor gave us an example by sitting in the middle of the class with one of the students and conducting an intake interview while we observed and one student filmed.
It was a bit strange listening to someone's actually intake.
A part of me was intrigued by how smoothly our professor was with pulling out inner emotions from the client/student.
Another part of me was surprised at how open the client/student was about sharing personal issues.
And yet another part of me was fearful that I would never be able to do such a thing. That I would never be able to conduct a session. That I would just clam up with anxiety.
Then I was asked to be the client, the professor the helper, and I was to give a family history.
Asking a client the family history is a way in which to establish a relationship and find some specific issues the client might be dealing with.
Oh boy.
A lot of stuff came out.
I was suprised yet again at how smoothly my professor was at getting me to talk about touchy issues in a large group of people.
Major Anxiety.
After class, during the drive home, I kept the radio off and prayed the typical prayer "why me? Oh Lord why me? Why have you called me this ministry of counseling? Lord, I have too much social anxiety issues to actually be able to help anyone? I can't do this? I want to but I just can't."
This weekend Roger and our whole church Family at Living Faith Baptist Fellowship, got the opportunity to meet and greet with several college students from Morocco.
They have been traveling around for several days blessing America with their lovely voices, happy spirits and bongos.
Our church hosted the students over night, fed them a wonderful picnic lunch on Labor Day and got to enjoy a wonderful private concert.
I unfortunatly was unable to attend. I had a horrible cold that forced me to stay home with the kids
Here are some pictures from the day that Madge took.
Our church gave the students a hand carved nativity, made in kentucky, as a gift to remember us by.
The students gave our church a hand made bowl from Fes depicting the front gates of the city.
What a lovely day spent in fellowship!
Meeting and greeting people from around the world!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
I thought I would share this with you all. What an incredible story!
3 groups came through and one couple seemed VERY interested. Our Realtor is going to touch base with them this coming week.
Maybe we will actually sell this house!
Another quick update:
I have started my 4th semester at seminary and Roger has started his last year!
Our Seminary, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, has moved to the Georgetown College campus! We both graduated there so it is super nice to be back on campus again.
I LOVE IT! It feels like home.
I am taking my first Pastoral Care and Counseling class.
For those of you who have no clue. I am in the process of pursuing my Master of Divinity with a concentration in Pastoral Care and Counseling. It is a 90hr master program so I will be there for a very long time. :/
I am so excited about the class I am taking this semester!
We are learning how to conduct a session!
I'm a bit intimated by the lab work. We will be having labs in which we are being filmed while we see clients. The clients are students in the class ho play the part. We all take turns being the helper and the client. Then that video is going to be shown to the class and the class and professor will critique it.
That is going to cause me a massive amount of anxiety. However, I am so excited to be able to actually learn how to conduct a session (intakes, explorations, insights and actions) YAY
The reading material is great as well.
The main office of the seminary is in the Georgetown College library. Go check it out. It is in the room with the fire place. Walk in and go to the right. Keep going back. You'll see it. I think it is stunning!
There is a massive town festival going on in the park beside our house.
There are yard sales EVERYWHERE!
People are EVERYWHERE!
We are having an OPEN HOUSE!
Once again we have managed to make the house look as if no one lives here.
It has been a major chore.
We are all REALLY REALLY sick with some bug that has been going around. My head feels like someone is smashing it, my body aches, my throat hurts and my ears are ringing. Roger feels the same. Anna has screamed ALL MORNING LONG after being up screaming ALL NIGHT LONG. Paul is spacing out on the couch and screams anytime someone attempts to help him.
Roger and I have sorted through the house and cleaned all morning like zombies. There were times that I totally forgot what I was doing and found my self, broom in hand, staring at the wall only to be brought back to reality by Anna grabbing my arm screaming "HOLD ME. HOLD ME. WAAAAAAAAA"
I write this to ask for prayers.
Please keep us in your prayers. We really need to sell this house. It is a horrible time to try to sell. No one is really buying in this town. It seems like everyone is trying to get out of here.
Our other house, in the town we will be moving to, is nearing the completion mark. We have paint on the walls, tile in the kitchen and we just picked out the carpet. I think the appliances will be coming in a couple of weeks. Then we will move. (THANK THE LORD)
Oh man. Thinking about packing with two small children is making me sick to my stomach.
When I got home from class Tueday night Roger looked exhausted. I asked what happened and he informed me of the night. While he was in the restroom he heard Paul scream "anna bit me aaahhh" Then he heard Anna scream "I'm going to bit you one...two...three.....TIMES HA HA HA" When he walked out he found Anna chasing Paul through the house trying to bite him while poor paul cried and screamed out "no Anna it is not nice to bite people. AAAAAHHHH no Anna no. you hug and kiss people. AAAAAHHHHH no no no that is not nice AAAAAAAH" Paul has a big bite mark that has turned into a nasty bruise on his arm. Later that night as Roger was trying to get them ready for bed anna kept running away from him saying "no you brush my teeth NO NO NO" While Paul kept jumping into the towel closet "look I am playing hide-n-seek!!" I just responded to the stories with "yep, that is why I am the professional momma and you are not!"
Roger and I were in Anna's room cleaning for the open house. We had to declutter while Anna was somewhere else in the house. She doesn't like people in her room. We had her radio on. we heard a knock on the door. It was Anna. "what you doing my room?" I thought quick "we are having a DANCE PARTY!!! YAY" we started to dance. She joined in! Then we heard Paul yell up the stairs "ummmmmm MOMMY? DADDY?" I ran down the stairs to find him at the bottom, pointing to the door "someone rang our door bell and he just will not go away." I looked outside and found one of our minister friends sitting on our porch swing, eating his lunch. I guess he rang the bell, heard the music and decided to wait until we were finished. I thought it was pretty funny!
The kids were super hyper and we were exhausted. I tried to think of fun little things for them to do but they didn't want to do any of them. So, I looked at Roger and declared "then we shall play hide-n-go-seek. Boys verses Girls!" Lights off, counting starts, girls hide. It ended up being super fun! Roger however took the game way too serious. There were several times I had to give up because I couldn't find him. "YA see this is what you look for in a good hiding place. you typically need......." Playing the game has helped teach Anna how to count to 10 and how to be quite. Now I know that if I am out somewhere and she is super loud all I have to say is "hide Anna!" and she will cover her eyes and mouth. YAY
By 10 pm yesterday (tuesday) I had cleaned the whole house, bathed two children, fixed and cleaned up breakfast and lunch, walked the kids to the park to play, read them 3 books, placed them down for a nap, got them up from a nap with a snack ready, ate dinner and went to my 4th semester class at seminary. WUW
That is after having the most horrid day of my life on Monday.
We had dropped the kids off with the grandparents on Thursday (aug 26) to try our best to enjoy some peace before the storm (class started monday aug 30)
We went to the woods.
We got covered in seed ticks and chiggers.
GREAT! My legs look and feel HORRIBLE.
After spending all day Saturday at seminary orientation and all day Sunday at church, on Monday morning I headed down to pick up the kids. My plan was to get them, feed them lunch, drive them home and finish the house chores that I didn't get done over the weekend.
That plan didn't work out.
As I was loading the kids' car seats in the car from the grandparents car I happened to look at my right back tire. IT WAS COMPLETELY FLAT.
I walked back in the house and declared "I need a moment before I deal with this" Then I walked in the kitchen and got a cupcake.
A guy they new came over and bumped my tire up so that I could drive it to his shop to get the hole plugged. Once I got to the shop they informed me that the hole was too big to be plugged and that I needed to go to Big-O-Tires to get them to look at it.
I drove to Big-O-Tires, sat for an hour while they looked at the tire and checked the air in the others. They then declared "mam, the tire looks as if it has been plugged already and it isn't leaking" I responded "Really? well, they said that they put a plug in it but that it wouldn't hold because the hole was too big. are you sure?"
I made them look at it again because I didn't think that they understood that there was a plug placed into the hole but that it was still leaking and therefor either needed to be patched or a tube placed.
An hour later "mam, it looks good. they must of fixed it."
I got in the car and drove away perplexed.
Half way down the road the bell went off in my brain "I told them to look at the WRONG tire." I had been telling them to check the front passenger tire when in fact the flat was the back passenger tire. I AM AN IDIOT.
So, I drove it to wal-mart "listen I don't want to look like an idiot and go back to Big-O-Tires so, do you all do tubes?" The answer was no.
I drove back to Big-O-Tires.
They had shut the garage doors and the main man was about to lock the front doors.
It was 5:15pm
I ran up to the door like a complete idiot. "hey hey hey listen hey hey hey. I figured out the problem. I had been telling you the wrong tire. The front passenger tire was just patched about 2 weeks ago but the back passenger tire is the one that had the massive nail in it today. It is the one with the hole that needs fixed."
The guy looked at me and just yelled out "wait a second guys. We have one more."
Everyone looked confused.
The men in the garage started to grumble.
Then they see my car pull in "hey, is that the car we have already looked at twice?"
From 2pm to 5:30pm all of this took place.
I drove back to the grandparents house, walked in and was attacked by my children "mommy mommy mommmy. I need........."
I fed them a quick pb&j, loaded up the car and headed home.
The whole trip home consisted of Anna screaming about something followed by Paul screaming about something.
At one point Anna screamed out "I NEED TO PEEEEEEEEEE" "honey we are almost home. Hold that pee in there. please hold it for mommy. don't pee on yourself. don't you want to wait and pee at your home in your little potty? your little potty misses you. hold that pee baby girl. HOLD IT."
When we got home around 8:30pm everyone wanted to eat AGAIN. So, I fixed something and tried my best to get them to bed. Paul went. Anna refused.
I waited for Roger to get home from class at 10pm to help me get the stereotypical two year old to bed.
So, recap.
Monday= crazy tire day and Roger's first day of classes
Tueday= catch up on chores day and Jessica's first day of classes
Wednesday= Roger is gone all day and late in the afternoon to work in etown
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