Saying goodbye

Don't worry - I'm not leaving blogging.

I just have to send my husband off to a different country.  

This is very hard.  I'm trying so hard to hold on to the hours, but they are slipping through my fingers.  I am praising God, because I was supposed to drop him off tonight with his unit, but we've been given a bit more time.  I'll take every bit I can get!

Once again, I wish I could bottle up certain moments to keep for later.  Wouldn't it be wonderful?

Projects!

Today, hubby and I started ripping the carpet up in the living room/dining room/great room area.  We had no idea what sort of state the hardwood floor underneath would be in.  But let me say, it is beautiful!

We will be calling for an estimate this week, though, for some small repairs and sealing to be done.  Not much has to be done, but we want it done well, as we need to sell this house when the Army moves us on.  

I also have some other projects that are screaming for their turn, so once this is done, it's on to the next thing.  Isn't it always?

Mixed greetings

I tell ya, when you go out with 5, you get all sorts of reactions.

Several older ladies got lots of enjoyment from my bunch.

One man chuckled everytime he passed us, especially when Emily discovered something inside her mouth was bleeding... she kept touching it, looking at the blood, wiping it on her shirt, and exclaiming: "I'm bleeding!" Then she'd repeat the entire process. Goofy kid.

One mom was eager to talk to me, as she is expecting her 3rd. She is hoping for 4, but her hubby says no.

Then this one... two young women out, one of which was the mama of 2 little ones. The mom who had no kids says (upon seeing me and my bunch), "Girl, and you think you have it bad..." and then they both looked at us with disdain. I wanted to speak up, but they weren't actually talking to me, just loud enough for me to hear. And they allowed me to see their reactions to my family. But still. I figured with their reaction, nothing I could say would be taken well.

Oh yeah, and the lady today who told me that she appreciated the sweet manners that my kids have. That made me feel really good!

Squeaker is now a YEAR OLD!!

Are you ready to hear the cliche things we all say at this point in our babies' lives?

"Where has the time gone?" "I can't believe my baby is one already!" "It seems like he was just born!"

And yet I mean all of them.

As for an update on the little guy, he has 5 teeth for sure. Not sure if that one tooth that has been bugging him has popped through yet. He still has his blue eyes, which makes me happy. (I have a brown-eyed boy, and I was hoping for a blue-eyed one, too. I think it's fun when they are so different.) He has been taking steps for a bit now, but isn't truly walking yet. I think he probably could, but he is too chicken to go for it. Oh! And he has a small dimple in his right cheek. None of my others have a dimple, so it excites me. However, the sort of dimple it is, I half wonder if it is the chub in his face that is giving him the dimple... guess we'll have to wait to find out for sure.

He's actually super shy. He hides from other babies, lol! I admit that I love how he curls up on me when another person comes near. But if you are at home with us (and he is used to you enough), he is so fun and active. He talks and talks, even seems to sing sometimes. He goes up and down our stairs with the older kids to the playroom. They can't shake him, but they actually love it. Sweetheart (my 4 yr old) will actually get down on Squeaker's level to ask him to play with him. It's pretty sweet.

Oh yes, one more thing - he has a trade mark growl when he is happy, of all things. I suppose for him it would be akin to a cat purring. He just growls and growls. It's pretty amusing.

The weird thing for me is... no new baby in sight. I'm trying to savor his each and every... everything! I wonder if he'll be the last or not. If he is the last - what a way to end that season! He is just SO wonderful. I cannot complain a bit!

Let's play the Opposite Game!

Okay, to test you, let's start off easy...


What is the opposite of happy? If you said "sad," give yourself a sticker.


Let's try another: the opposite of hot? If you said "cold," consider yourself smart!


Here's the toughie: the opposite of closed eyes? If you are my 2 yr old daughter, you said:


"Close your eyes open!"

What Thanksgiving traditions do you have?

So far the only real tradition to do with that specific holiday is that we make a Thanksgiving tree.

This is NOT a decorated tree, like a Christmas tree. It is a brown tree made out of construction paper or posterboard. We hang it on the wall - bare. Not a leaf on it. Then every day, we each write on a fall-colored leaf (made out of orange, yellow, or red construction paper) something we are thankful for. By Thanksgiving, the tree is full of beautiful leaves.

We start this tree on November 1st and add our last leaves the day before Thanksgiving.

A serger!!! A SERGER!!!

I may be crowing prematurely (and I hope not!), but my mom called tonight to tell me that my grandma (actually a friend of the family that we call Grandma) will be giving me her serger!!!

She says she just doesn't have anyone to sew for anymore, and neither of her two daughters will use it, so she is giving it to me for Christmas!! She also asked Mom to help her go through her stash of fabric to pick stuff out for me.

I am THRILLED!!

Can't stop smiling!!

I think I may not be touching the ground when I walk...

Hidden Costs of Peaches

When we bought this house last year, we discovered a peach tree in the backyard. It didn't produce fruit last year, but it has this year. I wasn't able to put away as many peaches as I wanted to, as it's my first year figuring out when to pick them, and I think I picked a bit late.

However, I have lovely fresh peaches sitting in my freezer, swimming in their juices and a bit of sugar. I tasted the juice and YUMMO!!!

But I was wondering... seeing how I didn't even plant the tree, and the tree does all the work for you (we didn't even spray for bugs), would you call these the cheapest peaches I've ever gotten? Or, considering the fact that we bought this house and the tree came with it, would you say they are the most expensive peaches I've ever gotten? *wink*

Projects, projects

Don't know what is going on at your house, but ohsomuch is going on here.


I have a to-do list that I've been working on. It has 28 items on it. Oh yes. 28! And that doesn't include the big projects I'm working on slowly, either. Big projects like repainting the kitchen cabinets, taking down the wallpaper in my house, or trying to get ready to do a yard sale. None of those 3 will be accomplished this summer, I'm afraid.

Ooh. And I just thought of another two things to add to my list. LOL That wasn't a joke - I did!

It's self-inflicted. Brilliant.

Last night I started feeling icky. Then the nausea turned into stomach cramps that have wakened me off and on all night. I have spent many minutes wondering what is going on. I recounted how one of my kids had been barely sick on Friday. Thought about what we had for dinner. Should be no problem there - I pulled frozen meat from the freezer that was precooked.

Suddenly, it hit me. Oh no. Not good. Earlier in the day, I'd taken a drink of water from a bottle that had been used to feed a baby bird with a dropper. ACK. I kept thinking I needed to throw that bottle out. And forgot.

So what do I most likely have? Salmonella. From contaminated water. In other words: food poisoning. Yippee.

The good news is, no one else will get it. Not even the baby, as you can't pass salmonella through breastmilk. And the other good side is: hubby is on leave, so if I get it really badly, he is here to feed and tend to the kids whilst I languish on the couch. LOL

So far though, just cramps and nausea. The last time I had food poisoning was when I was preggy with Sunshine. I know what to do: keep from getting dehydrated (throwing up/diarrhea) and wait it out.

You'd be SO proud of me

(Btw, before I start, I could have sworn that I had posted since I got home...? Guess not, Mater.)

Ok, before I can tell you what you should be proud of, gotta tell you the background. The hubster was gone a month (military stuff) to a state far,far away. He just got back last week. Well, being the only grown up in the house during that time, I got a little tired and in need of a breather, especially since the baby still isn't sleeping through the night.

So I took 24 hours away for a little recharge. I went to a hotel for a night and slept in a marvelous bed, with ten pillows!! I lounged in that bed for hours. I slept in. Around caring for the baby, of course - since he is a nursing baby, I took him, but he is easy to care for, so it truly was a break. I went shopping here and there, and even bought myself a couple things.

And, I've not allowed the guilt monster to attack me over the money thing. It has tried to creep in there, but I've kept it at bay.

So, are ya proud?

Heading home today

I had toyed with the idea of staying for another weekend, but I'm going home. Well, and the Bahamas sounded good, too, but I don't suppose that would work too well. Imagine the look of horror on other people's faces when I would board the plane with 5 tiny children. LOL!!

As far as the sickies, someone has been sick all week. I just checked Shortcake a bit ago, the child this all started with, and she has a fever again! Ugh. Hopefully going home will allow her to rest better.

(Oh, and hello, Tami! It's nice to "meet" you! Thanks for the comments you've been leaving! You've made me smile. )

I despise this guilt I seem to fight!

I am so tired of the Guilty Monster whispering in my ear!

I am referring to the stuff we wives and mothers carry around when we aren't doing anything wrong. While we are here with my parents, I had decided to allow myself to do a few things just for *me*. But spending the money is plaguing me - before I actually spend it, while I am spending it, and after I'm spending it!!

And in case you were going to ask - yep, hubby is totally fine with me spending it. He even said, "Do not feel guilty!" to me. But it's there anyway.

I feel the same way about asking my parents to watch the kids while I go get out alone. Mom told me not to feel bad, especially since they adore the kids and look forward to taking care of the kids. Yet, there it is again.

Argh. Am I not allowed to do anything to recharge or give myself a treat? Where does this come from? Who started this nasty cycle? Is it part of being used to putting the kids and husband first, so to do otherwise is hard for me/us?

Saying hello from my parents' house

We took a break and drove to my parents' home on Wednesday. The kids did great for the drive, including Squeaker, who slept the entire way! We plan to be here for a full week.

Now, this trip was to serve a few purposes: to let friends and family see the new baby, to attend a cousin's graduation (he was my ringbearer when I got married), to finally end our sort of quarantine while baby was so new, and to give me a chance to grab a break here and there.

The funny part about it all is that we aren't getting a chance to see several of those friends and family and right now, plus two of my kids have gotten pretty sick since we arrived. So I guess it is just as well that those folks are not available.

Shortcake starting running a vicious fever yesterday before dinner (it is being managed, but it goes sky-high quickly), and she has diarrhea. Sunshine started vomitting early this morning. So I guess you can say our quarantine from germs is definitely over!

Hopefully, Squeaker will be spared this nastiness and everyone will be well by the time we head back home next week.

Follow the sound of my voice...

You're getting closer...

...closer...

... I'm over here! *one arm is sticking up out of a pile of clothes, waving madly* Can you help me out of this pile?

You see, I'm in the middle of a major reorganization of clothes. I have clothes I never put away properly because our stuff was in storage the entire time we lived with my parents, so organization was next to nil then. And then we moved here and had all that comes with moving got in the way of that...

And now we have a big change in seasons, so I need to get the clothes put away properly.

And I'm drowning. Ever have water up your nose? Well it's like that, only it's a blend of cotton and various other materials. And I'm not making very fast headway. Partially because I'm trying to do it around the schedule of a newborn. And partially because I keep finding clothes that the cat found a way to get into the box and pee on the clothes, so now I'm doing major laundry on top of that.

Someone throw me a life preserver. Made from brownies. Thanks, doll.

Goings on

Squeaker (who lately has earned the name of "Screamer" instead) had a wonderful night of sleep last night, and consequently, so did I. The first stretch was almost 6.5 hours!!!!! So far this morning, he seems to think he can only nap in my arms. Silly boy. Yet, I love it!

I'm in the midst of the reorganizing of the kids' clothes. Not my favorite chore, but it sure does feel good to see it all slowly come together. Once that undertaking is finished, we'll get back into the swing of things, meaning we'll get into a routine again that includes school.

Hubby is gone for a good stretch. He wants to take some time off in July so we can all just enjoy each other again. Poor Shortcake asks every morning, "Daddy home?"

I still have a few thank you notes to finish. Oh, and must have the children write a couple - they've been given presents lately by friends and family. One of which was a child's Schwinn bicycle! We certainly are blessed over here!

Also, planning to go visit some online friends in the southern part of the state this weekend. Hopefully the price of gas will not cancel the trip for us. I'm super excited, and the children don't know yet. They will be giddy when they do know. It's to be a picnic in a park with other families, some of whom I know already and some of whom I do not.

Well, that is us for now. Hope you are doing well!

Can you believe it?

I've done the usual precautions with bringing germs into the house, what with the new baby and all. We been around no one who is sick to our knowledge, and yet...

I have a sore throat, I'm sneezing, and I just feel all over yucky. Nice, eh?

Go figure...? The blessing in this right now is that tomorrow we are having a meal brought to us for dinner, so I can just relax tomorrow. I'm going to rest, rest, rest on the couch, and I'm not going to fret over the sty my house will quickly become while I do nothing to keep up with the kids and their messes. *smile*

Oh, and can you please pray that our little Squeaker does not get what I'm coming down with? Thank you!

Oh dear me - please forgive me!

I cannot believe I've been MIA for so long!!

I seriously thought it had only been at most a month since I posted. GULP.

As an olive branch, may I offer the news of our baby's birth???

We had another BOY! He weighed in at 8 lbs, 10 oz and 20.5 inches long. Labor was fast and and furious at the end, going from 7 cms to birth in just 15 minutes. I ended up going all natural without pain meds, which was not in my plan, lol.

The other children are very happy and pleased to have another boy in the family. They love his squeaks and tiny baby parts. They all love to hold him and give lots of kisses. Watching my children joy in another sibling is such a wonderful thing!

Hugs to you all!

Whew, dodged a bullet this year

My shopping was done about a week ago. Got it all done in a couple hours.

Now before you turn green with envy, let me say that I only had to buy for my kids this year. Hubby and I are not exchanging gifts, nor are we giving gifts to extended family. It's just a rough year financially, so we are keeping it simple.

And may I confess a guilty secret? I am relieved that I don't have to buy a gift for hubby. Okay, do you think I'm totally awful?

It just that the man is horrible to buy for. Horrible. The only things he would be thrilled with would be waaaaaay outta our price range - expensive man toys, you know. Like firearms. Seriously. Even my sisters and parents struggle with buying for him.

One year I just said straight out for him to tell me what he wanted for Christmas that we could actually afford. So he picked an electronic gadget that he said he would get lots of use out of. Perfect. Only he never used it. Not once. It has long-since disappeared.

I used to get super stressed over his gifts, planning even sometimes a few months ahead to find the gift he would surely like. Other years I procrastinated in dread of the whole thing. Either way, it has turned out the same. He is neither impressed nor depressed over his gifts. It's just something he opens and then simply says, "thank you." That's it. And then he never uses them. LOL

So the last year or two I gave up. I started just walking through a store and if I see something that seems decent and might get used, I get it. I think the most successful gift I've given him is an insulated coffee mug. LOL

So does this make me a horrible person? I hope not. Because we're still young, and I have lot of Christmases and birthdays to shop for!

Update on why I'm not here much lately

We finally got my computer back from the Geek Squad a few days ago, and they found absolutely no problems. I have no idea how they did that considering it is still crashing! So we will be taking it back again and telling them to look again. The beef I have with them at the moment is that when we picked it up, they said, "Well, you should be able to get on the internet now. We fixed blahblah setting." Um, I could get on the internet before. That wasn't the problem, folks! Did they write down ANYTHING I told them?

Anyway, so with the crashing and absentee computer, I'm limited to dh's laptop, which means I'm limited in how often I can get on here. The man lives on his computer, and even takes it with him at times, so that is why I just am not posting much. But I promise... we get that computer fixed, I'm back, baby!

Hope to see you SOON. *mumbles under breath about the mixed blessings of computers*