Shiny Moment!!!!

Kids are sleeping.  It's dark.  Lightning barely starts to flicker.  It's cold enough to turn on the heater and climb under covers.  A thunderstorm has started that is expected to last until well into Saturday night.  Thunderstorms.  I absolutely cherish thunderstorms.  

I give!

I have nothing else to give.  This is what I have come to today.  I just spoke to Amber and it sounds the same at her house.   To give you a glimpse inside the insanity I am swimming in:  

Kyra officially has pneumonia.  She has to be on antibiotics for 10 days, which was not ready at the pharmacy when I went by there earlier today. 

Kaden has come down with whatever crud is floating around my house.

Kierstin has come down with it as well.  Kimball is getting better, thank goodness.  Larry is still gone and struggling with this long trip.  I think he is having a pretty hard time with this one.  (And we still have until the 25th!)

The house is a small disaster, nothing insurmountable, but work.  Laundry has piled up again.  Doable, but more work.  I have not been to the gym since this plague  began and I feel just awful.  I have aches and pains and general grouchiness for all.  I wish I could turn on the charm, but I am drained.  I realize that things could be so much worse.  I know that.  And, for the record, I am grateful to have these relatively minor frustrations...BUT...I just want one enjoyable hour.  ONE.  Quiet.  peaceful.  warm.  cozy.  hour.  Is that too much to ask?  Maybe so.  

I want some shiny happy children for a while.  No sickness or frustration.  I do know that was not part of the contract when I arranged for these little buggers to join me in this life...but it would be nice.  I do get my shiny moments and I know they will return, but tonight, I wish I had some vice that would soothe my aches and make me feel a little better.  Coca-cola can only do so much.  (and I am out of that anyway!)

Oh, Kimball update that was funny today.  When I picked him up he was standing with Courtney.  When I asked him who she was he go this silly grin and said, "Courtney".  After a moment of silly quiet he says, "I think she likes me."  Too cute.  There is my shiny moment for the day.

Funny Moment of the Day

Ok.  Let's face it.  It has been a rough few weeks with sick kids.  It seems as if everything that can break over here is breaking.  My fridge is leaking all over the place, as is a broken something or other in the hall bathroom.  Amber's baby is in the hospital with some mystery illness that scared us all just a bit.  Larry is traveling.  It's Valentine's Day.  Now, ordinarily, Valentine's Day is a sweet little holiday that comes and goes with just enough pomp and circumstance to make each of us feel sweet and loved.  But tonight, it is making me feel a little...nervous.

Kimball.  Kimball.  Kimball.  Let's remember the little bugger:

Ok, so that one is a few years old, but that is how I think of him.  So, tonight as we were wrapping up the day and preparing for parties at school tomorrow, the children each put together the ceremonial valentine's cards to give the kids in their classes.  They are not supposed to put individual names on them.  BECAUSE THEY DON'T MEAN ANYTHING!  But then, there is Kimball.  He says, as nonchalantly as if he had asked for a glass of water, "I want to give Courtney something, but I don't know what."

Did you feel grey hairs sprout up just now?  I did.  He asked me about my first crush and such.  He asked my opinion about what he should give this Courtney person.  I am so silly that he actually has "feelings" for this girl in the first place.  BUT, he wants to give her something.  And then, something struck me.  I had my first kiss when I was 12 years old to a strapping young man named Daniel at a volleyball tournament.  12 !!!  (Kimball is 11 if you are having trouble understanding my concern)  So, here we are, sharing stories about nothing, when Kimball's first crush becomes casual conversation.  I am not sure if I am ready for all that comes with this.  All I see is a much taller version of my little boy who once only had eyes for me.  

Hmm.

What is the DEAL!!

Ok, why can't people ever do what they say they are going to do!  I scheduled someone to clean...didn't show!  I scheduled a contractor to look at my back yard about a pool...didn't show!  I scheduled verizon fios to fix a problem and they haven't shown up yet either AND they said they won't be here until up to 6pm!!!  They called me from their office yesterday to tell me that they would be here between 12 and 2!  I have zero tolerance for people not showing up for appointments.  Can't make it...pick up a PHONE!  

That's all I got right now.

You know you're in trouble when...

your 11 year old walks upstairs to call your traveling husband to ask for advice on what to do with Mom!  Seriously!  Now, I did find it a little manipulative in a desperate last ditch effort to soften the impact of three long weeks of the flu in our house.  I mean, come on...he made it sound as if I had gone crazy and was yelling at them for everything.  For the record, I didn't yell once.  I said I didn't care if they ate dinner or not.  I walked away from the table and began scraping full plates of food into the disposal

 without a word.  I knew that if I had chosen to speak I would yell at my four unsuspecting, relatively innocent and pitifully sick children.  (baby included)  Just how do you stay sane and sweet with four sick kids by yourself?

   SERIOUSLY!!!  

Kristen just asked me how the diet was going.  HA!  I think I have gained weight this week.  I can't leave the kids so I haven't gone to the gym since last Monday.  My skin is broken out in a very pre-teen way.  My clothes aren't fitting me again.  I don't really have the money to go splurge away my anxiety, which according to Oprah is only a crutch anyway.  I am worn out.  I am also feeling very guilty for feeling so worn out.  I am supposed to take care of them and be nice and sweet and get them everything they need, right?  Well, today, I was actually wondering who was taking care of me! (Again, Oprah has a lot to say about that subject)  Now...I am reco

vering and will be sweet as pie again in the morning.  I just need to see them getting better.  I had scheduled a cleaning crew today and she did not show, which only added to my frustration.  I was so looking forward to her bleaching this sickness right out of my house.  But, she did not SHOW!  I know, take a deep breath Heather...tomorrow is a new day and it will all be well.  It could be worse.  Larry could be home and sick as well.  I told him that I might have to jump off of a 

bridge if that were the case.  

The kids are sleeping now and the house is all picked up...

not clean, mind you, but 

picked up.  And I will now share with you a couple of pictures that give me comfort at this hour.  

Whichever of you wished this curse of sickness  upon my home...

PLEASE RELEASE ME!       

                                                    

note the "wise woman" in the photo:

Seriously!

Kimball has the flu!  This poor kid has been so sick this year.  He is worn out with it.  Of course, it started last Monday with Kierstin being sick and then Kyra and now Kimball.  That is nearly two weeks of sick in this house.  This week it has kept me home from the gym.  I mean, I get it.  I have to be here to tend to the little buggers, but it has certainly thrown me off on my goals.  

Larry is now in Miami.  I feel like NORAD should have a "Larry tracker" at this point.  He is gone until February 25th and then home for 2 days and then gone again for a week, I think.  He tells me his schedule and I know it registers as something out of the Peanuts.  You know the voice.  The sound of the teacher as she says "waa waa waa waa...waa...waa" when she is actually giving the children instruction of some kind.  I know it's silly of me, but the plans change so much that I don't really know until he's actually in transit.  I hate that he has to be gone so much.  

Oh, Lindsey's baby was born!  She is a tiny little, dark haired little thing.  They are doing really well.  She looks so much like Mike at this point.  You can see pictures of her, taken by our new photog in the family, Kristen, on either Lindsey or Kristen's blog.

Well, it's time to wake up kids for the day.  Hopefully it will be a healthier day than yesterday.  Oh, and I changed the presidential update over there because I believe that it's time for a Democrat in office.  I am conflicted over the war thing, but for so many reasons, it's time...and John McCain is just one of them.  

Day Five

Well, today I am tired.  I have had Kyra home sick and Kierstin has been fighting sickness for over a week.  My bold efforts to get in shape included taking Kierstin to the child care center at the gym.  The very first time I took her there she brought home a nasty cold that she is only now beginning to crawl out of.  Poor Kyra is pretty pathetic.  She asked to take a bath to feel better.  She asked for chicken noodle soup to feel better.  She asked me to read her a story to feel better.  She asked to sleep in my bed to feel better.  Now, either she is really pathetic or painfully good at working me...either way, I did all of those things.  She actually apologized for asking for so many things.  It was sweet.  

I worked out again today.  I did it.  I have now been successful at some kind of physical activity every day, except Sunday.  I am eating things like oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast, hummus (yes, I got the hummus) on Kashi crackers and fresh veggies for lunch and soup for dinner.  I am about 60 % there on taking my vitamins.  I do feel better when I take them.  I just keep forgetting.  I am down to only sipping on about 2/3 of a coke throughout the day...which is a leap for me.  Like Kierstin who needs to give up her bottles at 20 months old, I am far past my time to wean myself from my bottle of choice.  The tall shiny red label with white letters gets me almost every time...and when there is just a hint of ice floating around because the cooler it is in is just a bit too cold, I can't resist myself.  I digress.

At any rate, I am progressing.  I am getting organized at home.  I am decorating.  I am working on all things that have been sitting around screaming quietly for me to finally finish them.  I am working on it.

I have been profoundly grateful lately as well.  Every night that I walk through the house and turn off lights, check locks and peak in on sleeping children, I am reminded how blessed I am here with this family, and this home and all that it provides for us.  Kaden said to me one night that he felt really lucky to have me and Larry as his Mom and Dad.  Talk about parenting moments.  That was very sweet.  

It is time to attempt to sleep now, though it will not come for two more hours, if history repeats itself.  I hope that you are all well.  I hope that you feel a sweet satisfaction, amplified of course by sleeping children, as you lock up your safe and warm homes tonight.