Chasing Fireflies

After getting called into work on Saturday, the rest of the weekend was blessedly uneventful.  I spent large quantities of time on the porch with my knitting.

On Saturday night H and the boys and I spent a bit of time catching lightening bugs.  W is a pro.  J has a bit more trouble, but big brother will chase one half way down the block for him if need be.

It is such a treat watching them take joy in the simple things.  Maybe they are not simple things at all but rather moments and things sadly taken for granted by most.

A little office help

Saturday June 25th 11. I was supposed to have the day off today. I got a call from Dave at 8:45 this morning telling me our back hoe opperator called to cancel our digs for the day, the back hoe had a broken line.  He asked if I could come in for a couple hours to dig up more pools that could be built in a pinch.  Insert explitive here.  I have had a bad head ache for days now, and I was planning on sleeping in.  I had also promised W that I would have the day off to spend with him.  So, I did the next best thing, I brought him to work with me.  He enjoyed the office chairs and how they spin around.  Currently he is playing Angry Birds on my phone. I hope this keeps him preoccupied long enough for me to get things buttoned up around here and Dave will let me go.

I am looking forward to my doctors visit this week. I have terrible acid reflux and it is getting worse.  Nothing I take seems to work. Lately I have been eating two pieces of dry toast just before bed, and it seems to help. But when it is bad, I am up for hours and the next day I feel like I have 3rd degree burns in my chest. That cannot be good.  I also have a dentist apt for Thursday this week. Finally I am getting this broken front tooth worked on.  It has been over a year. I look horrible. 

A do nothing and like it weekend is on tap for me. E is going to the Shoreland fest later today, and I am sure H will ask to go somewhere. So I am sure I will get the chance to do some knitting on the porch.  I have a ton of laundry waiting and need to wash my sheets too.

Turning the corner

Well the weather is trying to make that long awaited turn towards warmth and sun..all in the same day..imagine!  The boys are getting more and more tan with every evening I pull them from the tub.  I seem to notice this more after bath and I have washed a days way of "play" off of them.  I am starting to see a stubbed toe and a bruised shin more often.  Sure signs of summer.  Last weekend we stocked up on band aids and anti-itch lotion, all good signs even if for unpleasant tasks. 

We see more of J these days.  We selfishly enjoy when he is unattached.  We get to spend more time with him.  He seems more drawn to us.  I want happiness for him more than anything.  In the meantime, I am going to soak up all the J time this momma can get.  There is always the lure of a home cooked meal as motivation to drop by as well.  Meanwhile, I continue to pray for him and give God thanks for his job.

B.  Hmmmm  feeling his age poor man.  Work is using him like a rented mule poor baby.  His hands are like sandpaper covered in Neosporin and Band aids.  His touch is almost painful to my skin.   He continues to battle his depression.  It ebbs and flows.  He is having a hard go of it lately.  The weekends are better, especially if the weather is nice.  He did put half the fence up in the yard, and I am hoping he does the back this weekend.  We are having trouble with strange unattended kids in the yard.  But, I have to wait until he is motivated enough.  Accepting him for who he is and what he is capable of or not has been hard, but with that acceptance comes some release of frustration.  I have stopped setting expectations for him and then I am not let down.  What I get is a bonus.  May not seem the best of circumstances, but I think with age comes wisdom...and he is who he is.  I can accept that or go.  I love him.  If I walk out on him, then that pretty much makes everyone.  His sister is about the only other person on earth who loves him unconditionally.  No wonder I love her.

E. Is working with me this summer.  She is saving money for a car.  She IS a saver and I envy that.  Comes from doing without most of her life I suppose.  Every cloud blah blah.
Today BK had a long lunch.  He picked her up here at the office with a card and pink roses.  Oh how I love that boy!  Such a relief that she chose well, or got lucky or whatever.  I know no matter what, she will be cared for and respected.  That is all that matters.  I have enjoyed her company and will be sad when fall comes and she has to be gone for the cold months.

H. My tough one right now.  Poor baby is not taking these transforming from child to woman years with a grain of salt.  B said she would be our rough one and he was right.  We love her to death, but I wish for her sake I had a fast forward button to get her through the teenage angst.  She has a good head and is smart, we just have to hang on tight and get over the bumps.  She is loving, but with a short fuse.  That love however is intense, and selfless and she is the most loyal person you could ever hope to meet.  E is strong in her convictions, where H can waver, but a more tenacious loyalty you could never hope to find.

W. Smaaaaart!  Stubborn!  gee, I wonder where he gets that from tee hee?  Really into so much these days.  T-Ball fever.  I am looking into getting him some equipment.  Has quite the arm.  E and BK are taking him to a Mud Hens game this spring.  I know he will love it.  Can't believe this is my last summer with him.  B was so sadly right, the first 5 yrs will be rough with him, but go faster than I know.  He is my hearts delight.  Last night we had a thunder storm and he crawled in between us.  I gladly moved over...these times are swiftly fleeting for me.  My "little guy" time with him has become a fist full of sand.  So I hold tight!

JJ.  Has the Devil in him lately...and I grin as I type because he is so darn cute!  Lucky for him!  Such a lover.  Snuggles, kisses, and impeccable manners for a 4 yr old.  Such a treat.  Speaking of, we have taken to calling him Sugar Boy as of late because of his penchant for treats.  What a sweet tooth.  What a sweet boy.  I must have done something good to be blessed so many times over. 

Me.  Thankful, ever foolishly hopeful, procrastinating on letting my W go to kindergarten.  My mom told me last weekend "you can't keep him home forever"  I can try!  J is 25...25!  Where did my life go?  This time around, I am older, hopefully wiser.  I will cling, and claw and cry my way through W and JJ.  I will savor every moment I can.  I will notice ridiculous small things and praise God for them.  My camera is now an appendage.  Keeping safe my memories...they are all that's left me.

p.s.  Had the most amazing, wonderful Mothers Day ever...EVER!  The entire day with my fab 5.  Dinner, ice cream, laughter and love.  A beautiful white orchid that reminds me of them every time I look at it.  God IS SO SO GOOD!

Feast or Famine for Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day has come and gone.  I had a nice relaxing weekend...as relaxing as you can get with 5 kids, friends and family anyway.

On Sunday we went out to A and J's farm for a cook out.  We had a nice time..the boys didn't want to leave.  They were happy, filthy and exhausted.  The boys cried through bath and passed out shortly thereafter.

Friday, DSP and crew put our new liner in.  It is so beautiful!  I ordered the ladder today and they have it in stock and on hold for me.  The water is like ice, but Jack was in it for hours at a time yesterday.  It was about 90 here yesterday and again today.  I love it!  I do feel bad for poor B though, working out in this.  He hates the heat.  I love it, like I love when the weather turns cold at first.  Something about keeping my family cool or warm and fed...makes me feel good, and so blessed.  

Things are crazy busy at work now that Mother Nature finally decided to turn on the heat.  E and I could hardly stay on top of the phones.  We have another hour to go, then we are off to the store for BLT supplies for dinner.  We had the most amazing sweet corn from Kroger of all places yesterday, so I think I will get more of that. And some watermelon.  I love love love summer.

Say Chuckie Cheeeeese

Father's Day weekend 2011 has come and gone.  Year 2 without my dad...sadness.  On the upside, we did have a nice day. Bill spent the morning sleeping in, it was well deserved.  We had a spur of the moment dinner at Red Robin with Brandy and Elvis and all of our kids except J.  Today is Zachary's 4th birthday, so after dinner, in celebration, we took the kids to Chuckie Cheese.  I have always dreaded bday celebrations there.  It is the epitome of obnoxiousness.  But, wow did the boys ever have an awesome time! Who knew?  We were there for hours.  They were so well behaved it was unbelievable.  Emily and Hope had fun with them and are begging to take them back.  So I guess we will be going back.

Hope had a long weekend.  She had a root canal started 2 weeks ago, and it decided to flare up.  Toothaches are like babies. They never come during "office hours". I tried to keep her as medicated as possible, but on Sunday night she wound up getting sick to her stomach from all the medication.  Nothing is helping her pain much.  The Dentist is seeing her at 2 this afternoon thank God!  I feel so bad for her.

Change isn't permenent, but change is.

I have stopped and taken notice of some changes in our household that kind of snuck up on me.  I look around the house. I notice a complete lack of baby items, high chair etc.  I notice the lack of Fisher Price People, socks that stay white for more than a 3 day period, and I have not had the need to purchase sippy cups in a considerable amount of time.  In place of these things now I trip over cords to video game systems, baseball hats, and have Lego pieces embedded in the soft fleshy areas of my poor feet.  When did this happen?  How right B was when he said the first few years will be rough, but before we know it, they will be 5.  Poof!  They are pushing 5 and 6.  E may as well be an old married woman for as domesticated as she is.  H continues to battle the hormones, but will be out of school by this time next year. I noticed a thinning patch on the back of J's head over Memorial Day Weekend.  Stop the world Lord, I wanna get off!  This ride called life goes too fast!

Deep breaths.  I have been having some new experiences associated with these changes.  Moments where a can hear noises I have not heard in some time.  My own breath, the refrigerator hum, a clock tick.  I can be home and go un-noticed for minutes at a time.  I long to be home for the boys, and they have so many better things to do than hang out with me.  Funny how one goes from being willing to gnaw their own leg off to get a moments peace, to wondering where everybody has gone.   So goes life.

Time to think

Unusually quiet day in the office today.  Pools continue to stream in, but the phones have calmed down a bit.  Seems this office ebbs and flows with the weather too.  It is a cool week this week. Only in the lower 70's for highs.  This I am sure is a welcome relief for Bill and his work week. I have enjoyed the quiet.  I think I had a touch of food poisoning the past 2 days.  I am only just now in the late afternoon starting to feel better.

With only an hour left to my work day E and I are taking a few trips around the building and I am sneaking some knitting in too.  Can't seem to break this funk I am in today, wishing I was at home.  Guess I will just enjoy the quiet until the time to leave is here.  Will be happy to see the kids and sit out on the porch for a bit after dinner.

Life is not the breath I take but the moments that take my breath away.

This morning I had to run an errand for work.  As I was walking back to my truck, I noticed in the fine film of dust on the hood, JJ had left his hand print.  It is a beautiful June day today, the country music on my radio was fitting, and that little hand print just made my morning. It was as if he jumped out to say "hi Momma" 

I spent the morning on Sunday (chilly one) on the porch with the boys and my camera.  I snapped the pic of JJ here with his powdered sugar doughnut, and his ever and always present baseball cap.  He sleeps in this hat.  I have bought him several, but he is really partial to this red one.  It was his first.  He has always liked hats.  One year W got a construction hat for Christmas, and JJ always had it on.  He is funny, sort of a mystery kid.  I feel like I am miles away from knowing who he is.  I know at the ripe ole age of 4 it is hard to tell what makes him tick, but W is so verbal by comparison.  I am always left wondering what JJ is thinking about.  I can tell you this much about him.  Loves hats.  Is our Inspector Gadget, loves to know how things work or go together.  Only lefty of my 5. Swims like a fish.  Picky appetite, sweet tooth the size of Nebraska.  Hates to be barefoot unless inside or in the pool.  Stubborn as his mother, tough as his dad.  He amazes me every day.

Got the air in my truck fixed.  I am like a kid at Christmas!  I have never in my life owned a car with air, until now.  I feel so spoiled going down the road with it on. 

Tucker had a vet visit on Saturday, updated his shots. Vet says he is the picture of health.  His flea and tic treatment was done that day as well...so glad because he needs a bath and E and I can now give him one.

E and BK joined a gym and are busy buying work out clothes and running on treadmills.  I hope they get the results they seek.

Sunday was spent with B and my boys.  We ran some errands, and had lunch.  Later dinner with my fab 5 and BK.  Up late watching a movie with Bill, but it was nice to have the "us time".

The heat is on!!!

Well summer has made her presence known today.  98 degrees. So humid you could drink the air.  I feel so bad for B working out in this heat.  I cannot even imagine.  I am sure he will eat and go to bed...I hope he cools off in the pool first.

I have chicken salad sandwiches and strawberry shortcake for dinner.  Nothing that will heat the house up for us tonight.  Thank God for the air conditioning and the pool.  I feel so bad for people who have no air or pool.  I guess I lived as a kid without it..the air I mean, but we at least had a pool and an attic fan.  It was not much relief when it was humid though.

I just got a text from poor B, saying a guy called in sick and he is stuck out in this heat in Monroe MI with a young kid who doesn't pull his weight.  Poor man, he does not do the heat well.  I told him to hurry home and get in the pool to cool off, I have a cold dinner planned.  He can just rest.  He was also informed yesterday that he has to be in to work at 7 from now on.  They are trying to kill him.

I hope I can beat him home. I want to make sure everything is perfect that way he has no stress. 

Hope and the boys have been living in the pool today.  It is dangerously hot and hard to keep they hydrated.  Hope said the boys actually asked to come in the house today. Must be hot, because they live to be outside.

I guess I have the perfect excuse to take pics of the kids in the pool this evening.

Oh those summer nights

Yesterday evening, after an exhausting day at work, E and I came home, cleaned the boys up and headed to a local church festival.  It was "family night" we bought the boys each a $15.00 ticket for unlimited rides from 5-10.  They looked at us in disbelief when we told them to go ahead and pick things to do, as they could ride any ride as many times as they would like.  Oh the smiles!  I think they smiled the entire 3 hours we were there.
A 4 and 5 yr old paradise. Lights, noises, rides, games, cotton candy, french fries, the works.  I was a bit on edge as it was very crowded and having two of them pulling in 9 different directions in addition to all the walking wore me out. It was however, worth every step just to see the looks on their faces.  I think JJ lasted about 10 minutes after his bath before he was out like a light.  William seemed....lost for lack of a better word.  I think it is harder on him having both parents gone 40+ hours a week.  He couldn't seem to fall asleep.  Finally he stood beside my bed in the dark and laid his head on me.  I asked him if he was having trouble, he shook his head yes.  I asked him if he wanted to crawl in with us and he didn't hesitate.  I didn't sleep so well, but at least he rested.  He was still sleeping when I left for work this morning.  I am off at noon and I cannot wait to get home to them.
It is supposed to be 89 and humid today, so I am sure much of my day will be spent playing life guard.

At 6 we are off to A's graduation party.  I spoke with my sister this a.m. We laughed about being over emotional fools, and entertained the idea of a Valium before the festivities....you think I'm kidding?  I warned her I had a raging case of PMS and that is not going to help.  My sis-in-law suggested "tying one on"...again you think I'm kidding? LOL.

Tomorrow Emily wants to check out the Old West End Festival.  Lord, no rest for the weary, but I guess I will go.  I have never been and I heard it is one of the best the city has to offer.

I had better close.  Need to finish up some work here, and make sure my battery for the camera is charged and good to go for later today.

Oh Friday, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

It's Friday, I would be more excited had I not been asked to work tomorrow, but I will take what I can get.

I get to sneak out a bit early to pick up our new pool ladder and chemicals. Then E and I plan on taking the boys to the OLPH festival for a bit this evening.  After bath and bed we will go moon light grocery shopping.  H has plans to go to the festival with friends and then a sleep over.

Tomorrow is work, and at 5 we head to my sisters for A's graduation party.  As I mentioned before, he leaves for college in the fall and we are proud, but mostly sad. I guess I should add shopping for a gift for his dorm to my list of things to do before the party. 

E and I just finished lap number 5 around the work parking lot.  I hope this helps me lose weight.  I am 125 over.  I am disgusting. I lost it all once, I am hoping to lose it all for the final time.  I should have never let myself get this big again.  I read a quote that said "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"  I love that.  I tell that to myself all the time now.  Fingers crossed.

Posting some random pics here.  On the top is our A in his senior pic.  We think he looks like a Gap add.

Summertime and the livin is easy

Well what can we expect from NW OH weather?  We always go from zero to kaBLAM when it comes to weather.  So, Friday was cold and rain, we all had fall weather clothes on...Saturday and Sunday yep you guessed it, 92 and humid.  That wonderful sticky feeling your house gets if you don't kick the air on (which I promptly did Sat a.m.)  Admittedly, I will take Hazy and her evil step sisters Hot and Humid over the chill of winter any day.  Friday the new liner went in the pool and it is gorgeous!  The boys have braved the icy water for hours at a time..ahhh youth.  I remember jumping in as soon as my parents pulled that cover back.  It was actually a treat to have to hose the cover off, fold it up and lug it to my dads work bench.  Today, not so much sticky, wonderfully breezy, azure skies and around 80ish.  I'll take it thanks!

Memorial Weekend was a wonderful break from talking about other people's pools.  Family time, and a very nice BBQ at A and J's house.  5 acres of room to roam, toads to catch, kittens to chase, chickens to gather eggs from, horses to ride.  Bon fire, good food and S'mores.  The boys didn't want to leave. Lord were they filthy by the time we left for home.  Overtired, they cried through bath and promptly passed out for the night.  We all had the treat of sleeping in until 10.  I could use more mornings like that. 

Tuesday..a.k.a Hell Week here at DSP.  The phone was literally ringing off the hook.  Poor Emily and I had to run for our lives to get away from the office.  I hate days like those, but I saw it coming after all the rain.