Behind the times

I found this link on Joshilyn Jackson's blog.  Her book, Gods in Alabama, is listed as one of 100 books by "living writers" that will "spark discussion."

I loved her book and planned to vote for it but thought I'd go ahead and check out the other 99 books listed.  I was dismayed to find that I'd only read ONE other book on the list!

I hope to check out at least a few of the books on the list.  In the meantime, I guess I'll have to start my own discussions about books that I have actually read.

Your prayers, please

If you pray before you go to bed tonight, please add my husband and father-in-law to your prayers.

My father-in-law was diagnosed with gastric cancer this summer.  He handled the chemotherapy and radiation quite well and is an excellent candidate for surgery to remove the rest of the tumor.

The surgery is scheduled for first thing tomorrow morning.  He has done so well with everything else that we are hopeful that this will be very successful.  I'm just thinking a few extra prayers can't hurt!

Thank you!

Unreasonable

My daughter is not grounded.  She is not being punished (despite what she may think).

She has been invited to a birthday party tomorrow evening.  It is being held at a facility that she has been dying to visit and, according to her, all of the other fourth grade girls are going.

So what is our problem? The party is tomorrow evening.

We have not yet ventured into evening soccer/baseball/football practices so maybe we, as parents, are just not yet in the swing of things.

Having said that, our daughter is not yet in the swing of getting up easily for school each morning.  (Not to mention the fact that she was home from school last Thursday and Friday with a fever and sore throat; she's still got a cough that won't completely go away.)

So we are not allowing her to go to a birthday party on a school night.  The party is being held across town, from 7-8:30pm.

Are we being unreasonable?  What do you think? 

 (You won't change our answer but I'm curious.  Are we the only square parents out there that have raised an eyebrow over a child's birthday party on a Wednesday night?)

Baby steps

Thank you, Writers Digest, for including an article entitled Baby Steps.

I can't write a novel in a month.

I can sit and write for 15 minutes each day.

In that fifteen minutes, I'm sure I can complete one page.

That's 7 pages a week, 31 pages a month, 365 pages a year.

365 pages might equal a book!

Try again Tuesday

I was going to post a glowing report of how well my Monday went.  I felt like such a successful homemaker as I roasted both butternut squash and sweet potatoes in the oven, had a load of laundry washing, put dishes away and entertained the baby all at the same time!  I felt even better as I pureed the vegetables later (this took a little longer as the baby was not quite as entertained with the loud whirring of the food processor overpowering the dainty sounds of electronic Baby Einstein music coming from his toy).  I got it all done before picking the kids up from school, happy in the knowledge that tonight I was going to hide butternut squash in their mac-n-cheese for dinner.

(I have decided, you see, to hide veggies in meals for all of the family members.  The kids don't eat enough vegetables and while I can't prove that any of the hubbies' more frequent colds or recent aches and pains are caused by a lack of veggies, eating more can't hurt!)

Alas, my efforts proved only moderately successful.  My daughter, who usually asks for at least two helpings of mac-n-cheese, decided last night that she "just didn't like it, for some reason."  (I did not tell her about the extra ingredient and I thought it was hidden pretty well but she knew something was different.)  At least she is the one who will eat veggies willingly and did polish off her green beans.  My son did not finish his portion of mac-n-cheese but I was moderately pleased as he noticed no difference and did eat some of it!  The hubbie just wanted pasta so he and I had spaghetti but I did not have a chance to sneak anything extra into his dinner.  (At least he does put tomatoes and black olives on his pasta.)

Dinner was a bit rushed as the kids had gymnastics until 6pm last night.  Tuesday is the day I let them stay at the after-care program at school.  (I feel they are lucky that they don't need the childcare but they feel deprived as so many of their friends go.  So we compromise and they get to go on Tuesdays--which gives me a few extra hours with just the baby!)  So I have plenty of time to have a full, vegetable-laced dinner waiting for the family when they get home this evening!  

(Feel free to wish me luck.  It's only 10:20am--a lot can happen between now and dinnertime.)

To the drug manufacturers

Dear Drug Companies, 

Recently, some children's medications were recalled due to the potential for overdose.

While I appreciate the action, perhaps you could save some money--and children--if we just found a way to print the information large enough for bleary-eyed parents to read!

As a maternally-aged mother, trying to read the Tylenol bottle at 0-dark-thirty proved nearly impossible.  (I am only 37 and my eyesight is normally fine but after rising with an infant as well as a sick child, my eyes don't focus quite as well in the wee hours as I'd like).

Luckily I could read the dosage amount (though I already knew that as my daughter had already had one dose earlier).  With the combination of my poor memory and lack of sleep however, I wanted to check to ensure that she could get another dose at 4 hours rather than 6.  While I suspect part of the problem is that I may be contracting her cold as well, it was still excruciating trying to read the tiny print on the side of the bottle.

I know you must include all of the side effects and possible drug interactions but I would not have been able to read those, either.  Can't we include that on the insert but print the dosage information in larger print?

Sincerely,

Sleepy in Indy

Not the Same Street!

I saw this back in November and it has been sitting in my "drafts" folder ever since.  Except for the re-runs, it seems Sesame Street has changed right along with the rest of our neighborhoods!

I haven't watched SS in a few years and it'll likely be another year or so before J discovers it--I wonder what we'll be in store for then!  I know Kermit and Miss Piggy have moved to Hollywood and everyone can see Snuffelupagus now.  I wonder if the head-banging musician is still on?  Oh, I'll never get it!  Never!  Never!  Never!

Quick! Vote!

No--this has nothing to do with primary fever.

Here's my dilemma:

My daughter is getting to be as forgetful as her mother.  The problem is--my memory was FINE when I was NINE!  She is allowed to forget her gym clothes only so many times before she has to sit out--and she loves gym!  She is either down to one more time or no chances left and I just found her gym bag by the back door.  Should I take it to school?

(I'm thinking NO.  Maybe she'll finally learn and it is her responsibility.)

In the same vein, my son was sure he did not need his warm jacket today and just wore a wind breaker but I took the recycling out and it's COLD today!  (After 67 degrees on Monday and about 60 yesterday, we have forgotten it's January!)

SO--should I rescue my kids and take the gym bag and jacket to school?  Let me know but vote now--gym class is in an hour!

Laissez les bon temps roulet!

As I am nursing our son, I feel like I can't "diet" and cut out too many calories right now -- but I've got to shed these many, many baby pounds.  So--I decided to start exercising regularly again with the new year and to try to cut sugar out of my diet.

I was finally successful in having a completely sugar-free day yesterday.

My husband came home from the store with this last night.  (He found one in Indiana!)

I finished off my son's piece after he went to school this morning so I guess I just shoot for a sugar-free afternoon, today!

Light at the end of the tunnel

J went to sleep a little earlier than usual last night (after taking micro-naps during the day) and slept almost 6 hours straight!  (By the time I got the kitchen cleaned up, dishwasher running, etc., that meant I got about 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep!)

FIVE hours.  Life is good.

After he had breakfast and a diaper change, he went back to sleep--about an hour before I had to get his older siblings up for school.  So I managed to have a cup of (hot!) coffee, read a little and take a 15-minute micro-nap myself before he woke again--5 minutes before I had to get the others up!  I don't need an alarm with this little guy!

I don't know if it was the REM sleep or the fact that I've had almost 3 cups of coffee now but my morning is zipping along nicely!  I hope yours is as well!

That's my girl!

I have asked my mother repeatedly over the years to remove the curse.  You may have heard of it:  "I hope one day you have a daughter just like you!"  I got one and I get it!

Last night however, I smiled when she sent me an email telling me her New Year's Resolutions.  Here is her list:

1. Be more organized.

2. Exersize

3. Right a book

New beginnings at the end of the year

Today we had our son baptized so it's a new beginning for him in his spiritual life.  (Not that he is aware of it quite yet!)  Our priest really involved our other two kids so that was wonderful!  Two of my nieces, along with my sister and parents were able to be there so the day was made even more special.

2008 will bring many changes!  It is amazing to see how much J has changed in two months and this is just the beginning!

Speaking of beginnings, the hubbie and I got a joint Christmas gift the day after Christmas--a new computer!  We were deciding whether to upgrade or get something new and decided on an iMac!  It's wonderful and easy but different enough from my PC that I'll be spending a little time just getting adjusted to a new way of doing things!  (Though I'm excited as some great writing software out there is available for Mac only and now I can try it!)  (If they just had one that could write the perfect ending for me, I'd be set!)

I hope this holiday season has been going well for all of you!  Happy New Year!

It's that time of year!

It's that time of year when I can't manage to post blog entries, apparently!

The baby is six weeks old and seems to think that he should get more attention than the computer--go figure! I am TRYING to get Christmas cards out and tried to save time by having our names pre-printed on them this year. (Yes, I am that lazy). My name came back misspelled however, so I am picking up a new batch later this week. So if you are expecting snail mail from me, it won't be any earlier this year! (I don't think I've ever gotten them out much before Christmas so why mess with tradition now?)

Today is also my 14th wedding anniversary! The hubbie does not read the blog but I figure 14 years is worth mentioning and celebrating!

I hope you all are doing well and surviving--I mean enjoying--the holiday season! ;)

One can dream!

Hubbie and the two older kids are at a basketball game; the baby is lying on his playmat, gazing right past the colored lights and music floating above his head and I have just finished putting groceries away. So, I'm pouring a glass of red wine and I'm ready to curl up with a good book.
(Instead, I'm going to sip my wine while I fold laundry but I'm going to think about which book I hope to get to!) ;)

Are you enjoying your weekend?

'Tis the season

We received our first measurable snow of the season during the night. Every other school in town seems to be on a two-hour delay except for the school my children attend. It doesn't bother me a bit but they were a little sad to get out of the car and gingerly traverse the school parking lot at the normal time this morning.

I think the temps will warm to the 40s tomorrow so it won't stick around too long but I think we'll get more this weekend. I guess I know what our (their) Saturday plans will be!

How's the weather where you are?

It's a new day!

I may not finish the novel but I have more hope today. Everything looks brighter today! J slept in his bassinet for almost 5 hours last night! It is amazing how much brighter life seems after a little R.E.M. sleep!

The rest of my family spent the night up at South Bend last night and will return this afternoon. Who knows what the little one and I can accomplish in the meantime? :)

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Nano a no go

I said they were good INTENTIONS, right?
I have given birth to yet another "velcro child." He sleeps during the day--when he's being held!
It's progress. When I first brought him home, he wanted to be held all night but would sleep in a bassinet or pack-n-play during the day. I was hoping we'd get the days and nights worked out so I could sleep at night. We've gotten that far!
However, I was hoping to do some writing during the day and that is very hard to do one-handed! I have some great new ideas but typing one finger at a time is slow going and I don't have the energy to do much now (11:30pm).
SO...stay tuned this time next year...maybe I'll have made more progress by then! (If he hasn't started walking...)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I lost 2 inches

J is now 11 days old and is so well behaved! ;) He accompanied me to the salon this morning and was kind enough to sleep long enough for me to get a few highlights and have 2 inches cut off of my hair!

I'm not quite back into my pre-preggo jeans yet but after going darker last month, it was time to lighten the hair up again and lose some weight there! It's amazing how much lighter I feel already just by making my hair shorter and blonder!

I'm trying to lose a few baby pounds as well by exercising my will power each time I pass the kids' Halloween candy!

We are still here!

We're settling into our new routine--if you can call it a routine already! After a week of not driving, I'm back to taking the kiddos to school successfully without arriving much later than we used to. (Most days we could not afford to, anyway!) So...we have work to do to get the kids there early enough to socialize with their friends before school but otherwise, I'm managing getting out of the house with three kids (so far)!

I've also made the insane choice to attempt Nano again this year. What makes me think I can reach 50,000 words this year if I could not last year? Limited time. Last year was the first year that my son was in school every day. It was half-day kindergarten but I finally had "free time" every morning. With Joshua's arrival, I have lost guaranteed free time again for the next few years but I'm hoping to use some of his naptimes to sit down and speed-write. That's the goal of Nano anyway, right? Just to write without stopping to edit or consider whether what your writing has any redeeming value. So if my fingers can ramble on during some naptimes and I can grab a nap myself during others, I'll be successful! (Shocked but successful!)

How many of my writing pals out there are doing Nano again this year? Good luck!

He's here!

Our little bean arrived on Thursday! Joshua Thomas was born at 2:03pm, weighing 8lbs, 3oz.
My parents are still here helping out and baby is settling in and doing fine.

Hope you're enjoying November!