A Donkey in Church?

We went to church tonight to see the annual Easter drama production. Everyone I spoke to earlier in the week raved about how the drama ministry in my new church is so strong. "Semi professional" is the term most used along with "and it's free". Many said that I could not miss it. Just about all said they wouldn't miss it.

I had a MOPS meeting at church on Thursday so I was able to peek at the scenery. WOW! As soon as I saw this set, I knew I had to see the play. The stage was set in the old sanctuary of the church. The scenery ran along every wall. It was 360 degrees of Jerusalem scenery with all the chairs for spectators in the middle. I was so impressed but is the play really going to be as good as the set? As good and better.

The play was awesome! The acting was fantastic! The band played well! I have been to many plays and even volunteered at a theater before. I've never seen a play produced as well as this one.

The Play is told by John the disciple when he is an older man, just after he finished writing Revelations. It is looking back on the last week of Jesus' life to the Resurrection. It was well done and there were at least 500 people in that sanctuary that could attest to this.

My daughter had two favorite parts. One was when Jesus was dragging the cross down the aisle to the front. It appeared real to her. Maybe that is because the cross was real. This guy is dragging a solid wooden cross that is twice his size and he was struggling with it. He half carried it, half dragged it to the front and then off stage. The other favorite part was the Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey. Yes, they used a REAL donkey. I'm so glad we were close to the aisle so my daughter had a good look. Jesus rode down the aisle of my church, to the stage, on a real donkey, while the rest of the cast was there with palms.

What I loved about this play was that every scene was done so well and realistic. There was no "on stage" crucifixion. Lets face it. I've never seen a play that was able to pull off a "realistic" looking crucifixion scene. What they did tonight though was set the stage and leave the scene of Christ's death to the spectator's imagination. WOW! It was extremely powerful.

There are two more shows on Easter day. I hope each of those shows is just as packed as this one. Last year they had over 1500 in attendence between all three shows. Looks like it could be the same this year.

It was a great experience for my family to spend Easter Eve in church watching the last week of Jesus' life to the Resurrection. Sure we all know the story. When you see it played out so well in front of your eyes though, it's a gift.

Happy Easter!

I'm a FlyBaby!

I have always been challenged in the area of housekeeping. I am NOT Suzie Homemaker and would never pretend to be. I am honest. I tell people that although I consider myself a very good mother, I'm not great at cleaning.

Someone at The Homeschool Library recommended FlyLady to me. I had never heard of her. I looked her up, read her site and joined. It's been three days of my inbox being inundated with email reminders and testimonials and such. I thought I better get started. Today, I shined my sink.

I have an island in the middle of my kitchen with my sink located there. It has been a dumping ground for everything that I couldn't immediately find a home for. It didn't take long for my kitchen to look horrible. Stacks of papers, books, newspapers, magazines, craft items, baskets, single baby socks I couldn't find a mate to, Easter decorations (I found some Christmas decorations too!) were all items that I found today in my quest to "shine my sink" and the surrounding area.

Well I completed the project and it looks beautiful. My whole kitchen was transformed by that one task. The funny thing is I have been going into the kitchen all night and it's like I can't stop staring at my sink! Sometimes I walk into the kitchen and forget what I did today and am pleasantly surprised. This can't be my kitchen.

I'm very excited to continue with this program to see if it works for me. By the way, it's free. No joining fee and a ton of great organization, declutter, cleaning and health information! I have nothing to lose!

Wordless Wednesday 14

Little Piggies Showing Make Me a Bad Mother?

I am not a big fan of WalMart but I'm also not wealthy. I continue to go because I save money and I can shop for everything in one place. One stop shopping is priceless to a mother of three. I've had several bad experiences there. They range from standing in line for 45 minutes to being accused of shoplifting a piece of furniture because the receipt was MIA in my huge coat (snagged from my husband because I was 7 months pregnant), but that's a whole other story. There are many more stories in the WalMart Vault of Bad Experiences.

I went to WalMart today to pick up a few things (Easter goodies, eggs, ham for Easter dinner, popsicle sticks for daughters project.) I was in the craft aisle, minding my own business, when an employee came up and said how beautiful Lucianna is (of course) and all the cute baby conversation that goes with it. The woman then noticed that Luci didn't have any socks on her feet. She stated that her feet must be cold (actually they were warm, my daughter is a little hotbox always radiating heat.) I told her it was really warm out. I thought that the conversation would end there but that was not the case. The woman then said to me in a voice slathered with attitude, "It's not that warm out!" She then continued to stock and straighten shelves with her head held high in superiority.

I suppose I could have let this go. I could have walked away. No not me. I HATE it when people judge me and criticize how I mother my baby. Maybe this "all knowing" woman thought that I was a silly minded first time mother. Maybe she thought I was poor and illiterate because I couldn't decide which brand of popsicle stick was a better value. Maybe this woman thought less of me because I have an awful rash of dermatitis. I must be a horrible person because I'm not pleasant to look upon. Right? Well she had better set me straight from my wayward parenting path.

Although I owed this woman no explanation, I wouldn't leave the conversation at that. I proceeded to tell her that my daughter's left foot is dropped. She has never and will never be able to move her foot back without assistance due to an underdeveloped nerve. I have yet to find a shoe or bootie to stay on that foot. (One day she did have booties on in WalMart and I backtracked all over the store to find that left bootie.) Socks that do stay on are usually too tight on a foot that the circulation isn't all that great as it is. Also I don't believe in over bundling my child and while were at it I also don't believe in cleaning too much because immune systems can be lowered by killing all the bacteria in your house. This baby has never had to go to the doctors office for being ill. My three year old hasn't been to a doctor for illness for over a year and a half. I can't even remember the last time my 9 year old was so ill that a doctor's visit was required. So the next time you open your mouth to judge a mother on her parenting skills, think twice about it.

She apologized, over and over again. She then was so embarrassed and said "Well she LOOKS perfect." I said, "She IS perfect."

And just so you know, my girls do get the occasional runny nose and cold (although Monica never, ever gets sick). The flu actually hit us pretty hard around Christmas. I thought we might actually have to go to the doctor, but everything cleared up without the dreaded visit. It was the first time in a long time.

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz OUCH!

It's been years since the last time I was stung until today. The funny thing is that I was stung this year before I even saw a bee, any bee for that matter (actually it was a yellow jacket.) It wasn't even that warm today. The wind was downright chilly. I think I may have been stung by the only yellow jacket tough enough to stand the cool temperature.

I was getting out of my van. I put my hand on the door to shut it and I felt searing, hot pain on my thumb. I pulled my hand away as fast as I could and saw the little pest. It got me good. I muttered a few words under my breath and flicked it away so it wouldn't get in the van to sting Alex or Luci.

Happy Spring to me!

I Need a New Vacuum

If this is an April Fool's joke than it's a mean one. I would love to own a Dyson vacuum.

Contest here at 5 Minutes for Mom to win a Dyson Slim Vacuum Cleaner.

Curriculum Frenzy

I have been eating, sleeping and breathing school curriculum for Monica. I'm so afraid that I'm going to mess this up. She is so eager to learn. Her school is not doing the job right now. Then I say to myself, "What makes me better than the school? How can I possibly do the job better?" Someone told me two weeks ago that I am the mom and God gave me that job. I guess that if God appoints me to a job, I have it in me to do the job and I better do it. It's a lot of pressure to think that my daughter's education is in my hands. She is more brilliant than I ever thought of being.

Monica has never once had a teacher that was able to teach her to her level. Her third grade teacher came close. Her third grade teacher refused to use textbooks. I was very concerned about it at the time (Who does this teacher think she is that she can teach without the aid of textbooks?) Now that I've been doing major curriculum research and I see how dumbed down they are, I know why she refused to use textbooks. They are useless at their grade level. For Monica to have any challenge at all she is going to use some sixth grade texts.

I would love to find a Christian curriculum that I feel is "college prep," but I haven't found it yet. What a shame. They charge enough money for them. I'm not saying that children being taught with Christian curriculum don't have the opportunity to go to college, but do they have the opportunity to go to the college of their choice? This is a huge concern of mine. I don't want to deny my child the opportunity to go into the field of her choice because she can't get into the college that she chooses.

Yesterday when I was discussing some of Monica's classes with her, I stated that I wouldn't be testing her in the Bible class I've put together. I want her to focus on studying and learning the Bible and not worry about yet another test. She said that she would prefer it if I did test her. She craves structure in every area of her life. I don't think I've done a very good job of giving it to her.

Only time will tell if I'm up to the task.

Homeschool Set Up

It's been a while since my last post. My life is still crazy but I have added a new variable to add to the craziness. Homeschooling!

My daughter is not getting the education she deserves at the local elementary school. She is extremely academic and loves to learn. She has been bored all year and really has not learned anything new. Mornings were getting unbearable with crying, screaming and she started throwing up a lot. We discussed our limited options (Catholic school, Extremely conservative Christian school 17 miles away or Homeschooling).

Homeschooling won and I'm happy about it. I had Monica take a math placement test yesterday. Math is not her strongest subject but she still tested at a sixth grade level. No wonder she's bored. I'm going to do a language arts placement test and I have no doubt that the results will be more advanced. She tested at 6th grade level in reading/reading comprehension in the 1st grade. We have not had a problem with the Christian and public schools she attended until now. She really needs to be able to advance at her own pace.

Monica's last day at public school is April 10th. It is the day of her spring concert and she did not want to miss it so that is the day we chose. We are excited and happy about the decision. Monica is happier and more loving.

I know this is not going to be easy with the little ones under foot and demanding attention. Monica likes the structure of textbooks compared to the unit studies (although I do intend on doing more field trips and throwing in unit studies here and there.)

For the rest of this year I have put together a curriculum with various textbooks at her 4th grade level. I really need to get more of a college prep curriculum, one that is more academic and intense. I'm looking into Calvert. Unfortunately, none of the Christian based curriculum seem to be intense enough for her. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't really want to skip a grade because I'm afraid she will miss out on too much in social studies and science. I also thought that I might excel her in the reading/writing, English/grammar and math and work more in social studies and science until those two subjects are close to or at the same grade level as the rest.

I'm open to any suggestions.

It's Not a Scarf!

From what I understand, just about every novice knitter starts with scarves and progresses to other projects. Well here it is. My first two projects other than a scarf. Both are beginner level patterns. Both were my first attempts at following a pattern. I'm so proud!

Thirteen Thursday 9

Thirteen Uses for Knitting Needles! 1. Hair Sticks. I never seem to have a ponytail holder when I need one but I always seem to have knitting needles with me! 2. Drum Sticks on the table. This is a favorite for my 9 year old daughter and just the thing to drive mom crazy. 3. A hole punch. Yes, as embarrassing it is, I have done this in a pinch. 4. A coffee stir stick. Again embarrassing but it has been done. 5. Back scratcher. Yep, I'm still embarrassed. 6. Pointing to something I'm talking about. 7. Pushing something down that I can't reach off the top shelf of a cabinet. 8. I tap the baby's behind with one when she starts trying to sabotage a current knitting project or unwinding a yarn ball. 9. Reaching something that fell behind the refrigerator or under the couch. 10. Carving and adding detail into Alexandra's latest playdoh project. 11. Pointing to one of the children when they are getting into something they shouldn't be when I am trying to knit. They have come to know this as a warning. Mom's knitting needles are serious business. 12. Measuring device when I cannot find a ruler or tape measure. This is one step better than eyeballing it! 13. The final and favorite use for knitting needles, KNITTING of course!

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Wordless Wednesday 13

Busy, Busy, Busy

I cannot believe how busy a SAHM can make themselves. I don't mean cleaning the house and taking care of the children. That's a given. I'm talking about everything else.

I now love to knit. Every free moment I can manage, I have two needles and yarn in my hands.

I have taken up sewing again. I also want to teach the basics to Monica. I believe it is a fantastic life skill for my daughter to have. I'm not a master seamstress or anything like that, but I can follow a pattern (although I try to steer clear of zippers because it's been 20 years since home economics).

Monica has gymnastics, Girls Scouts and saxophone lessons. They are all on different days of the week.

We are experimenting with Alexandra taking violin lessons. This has just begun and if it works out we will continue.

Alexandra also has preschool twice a week. It is a nice break for both of us but it can be hairy getting her there and back. I have to get the baby bundled, get Alex ready and usually get Alex ready again because she loves to take her clothes off after I get her all ready to go.

I have some Microsoft Office teaching manuals and software. I am going to begin training Monica with Microsoft Word. If this works out, I will move on to Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint and Frontpage with her.

There's always a doctor or dentist appointment somewhere during the month when you have three children. I have a doctor appointment once a month to get trigger point injections. I actually travel an hour and a half to get that done because I have trouble trusting yet another new doctor sticking needles in my neck. When we moved, I just decided it would be better to travel. I travel once every 3 months to Massachusetts for Lucianna's doctors appointment. She also goes an hour and a half away to one of two pediatric neurologists in the area. She is going to the other one (which is an hour away) in two weeks for a second opinion.

I try to find time to blog but have failed miserably. I love to blog. I really love to blog. The problem is that I love to blog almost as much as knitting. I'm sure that will change since knitting is so new to me. One day soon, I will realize that I love to blog just as much as I love to knit and I will find time for both each day.

Did I mention that I am the troop leader for Monica's Girl Scout troop?

I also am in process of starting up an eBay business. The hard part is getting started. It's very time consuming and I haven't gotten very far as of yet, but I won't give up on it yet. It's just for a little extra money. All the activities that the children take part in cost way too much.

I'm in the process of looking for a home church. We found a really nice church about 10 miles away. Being realistic, I know that I'm not going to drive that far for every function that goes on. My recent Sunday attendance alone has proven that fact. I have to start the search over again and focus more local.

I would like to go back to college in the fall semester. This is something that I want to do for myself. It will probably be half on campus and half online study. I don't even necessarily want to go back to work. It's really more to fulfill the need to learn. We will see.

Yes, you have just gone through my life in a week. Most is focused on my children but I'm trying to refocus a little on me. To top off the list above, my time management skills stink. I don't know how I get through a day accomplishing anything.

I do the best I can, especially for my children. I don't force them to do a thing (I've actually tried to get Monica to quit gymnastics so I have one less place to go) but if they are having fun, I will continue on.

My New Favorite Hobby

Okay, like I have time for anything else in my life. I did manage to squeeze it in though. I taught myself how to knit from a book. I love it. It's a great feeling when you finish a nice project.

The picture above is the latest scarf completed. It's by far my favorite. Now I am working on my first sweater. I completed the back and have started on the front. It's for my three year old so hopefully it will not take me forever and a day to complete.

Next I will have to make something for the baby. I'm so excited to have a hobby that I enjoy so much. I crochet too but I like the patterns for knitting better. I think it's much more trendy. My children love it when I make them something.

I still have a lot to learn. There's only so much you can learn from a book. I've picked up a lot of tricks and tips from the show "Knitty Gritty," my new favorite television show. I have the DVR scheduled to record it twice a day. I watch it whenever I can slip it in. I will most certainly have the marathon of Knitty Gritty recording while I watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. Too bad football is over for the season. I love to knit while watching football. It's my favorite thing to do!

A Gift For Sure

Tonight we were sitting down for a great dinner. Alexandra said she had to go to the bathroom. We told her to go. After a while I called for her because she had been in the bathroom for long enough to do whatever she had to do. Whenever she's in there longer, there's always trouble. She cannot resist getting into something messy. Whether it's toothpaste, lotion, makeup, it's always a mess.

When we called out to her she came bounding out of the bathroom in her birthday suit. She had stickers from head to toe. Upon closer examination I realized the stickers were christmas present tags. Yes, it's true. We still do not have all of our Christmas stuff upstairs. There are a few items straggling about and the sticky tags were among them.

As Alex ran out with Christmas present tag stickers all over her naked body, she's yelling, "I'm a present! I'm a present!" Needless to say, we had a great laugh. A gift she is.

The Great Doctor Search Will Begin!

It's cold and the two youngest are sick again. This time it's a snotty nose and a cough that obviously hurts. We'll see how the weekend goes, but this time I might have to find a doctor. I say find a doctor because since we moved in October, no one has had the need for a regular family doctor. Since no one had the need, I didn't look for one. Not very smart on my part. I hate looking for a new family doctor. There are so many rules.

1. Insurance company says we must go to their network.

2. Monica says the doctor must be a female.

3. I require a Doctor who has urgent care appointments. It's likely the only time she'll ever see us. My kids aren't sick very often (Monica has never missed a day of school due to sickness) but when they do get sick, it comes on fast and furious.

There are more rules too. I will immediately drop a doctor that makes me wait more than an hour in a 6 x 6 foot exam room with three children. This has happened before and I was none too happy about it. Talk about claustrophobic!

I don't mind waiting but I hate doctors who make you wait for over an hour (be it in the waiting room or exam room) because they overbook but on the one occasion that I was 16 minutes late to my appointment for my 4 day old infant who was premature they were totally rude and told me not to do it again. So sorry. I just had a baby and am toting a rambunctious two year old to boot!

Wow! I didn't mean for this to be a doctor bashing post, but I guess that's what happened. Just a little frustration coming out as I deal with the fact that I'm going to have to do this all over again.

Wordless Wednesday 12

A Great Laugh for SAHM's

This story was forwarded to me via email. I got a chuckle out of it. Thought you might too:

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a......?" "Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom." "We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar." "What is your occupation?" she probed. What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire."Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?" Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, [what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the reward is satisfaction rather than just money."

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom."

Motherhood! What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door.

Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations" and great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates"? I think so!!! I also think it makes Aunts "Associate Research Assistants".

Crazy Days

No, I have not blogged in a week. Yes, I am still alive. I'm trying to do so many things right now that one thing always suffers. I don't know why I cannot just focus on one thing and get it done. I guess that's just not how I work.

Some things that I'm working on:

1. Knitting a scarf that I promised my aunt.
2. Planning stages of a home business.
3. Taking care of my children.
4. Weaning my 10 1/2 month old baby, Lucianna, so I can take medication that I need to clear up an annoying and repulsive winter skin condition on my face.
5. Blogging.
6. Planning meals for a low carb diet each day (eleven pounds gone and still working). My husband usually does most of the meal planning but he is gone for the next seven days.

These are the things I want to get done but everything is moving at a snails slimy crawl. It's very frustrating.

Knitting has helped relax me lately. I've found that I really enjoy it. I also crochet. So far I've knitted three scarves. I have one more smaller scarf for my three year old to do, then I will move on to something harder. I haven't decided just what to move on to though. I have found time to watch my new favorite TV show, "Knitty Gritty" and have gotten some great ideas. Their camera angle helps me to correct mistakes in my technique as well.

My husband and I have been low carbing since Jan. 3rd. Late start on our yearly same old, same old, resolution. That's okay. This year I'm feeling much better about it and doing well. I haven't exercised as much as I'd like, but I'll get there.

I'm trying to wean my little Lucianna but she is so stubborn. She's just not ready. She will not drink out of a bottle or a sippy cup. I think I have bought every kind of each one on the market. She's doing well eating table food even though she doesn't have any teeth yet. We have found that anything with any kind of milk product in it gives her hives. Out of all three children, she's the only one that has any kind of food allergy.

Chris is gone on business for a week so just the daily tasks of child care wear me out. He helps with straightening up and dishes. When he's gone for so long, I'm lucky to get a shower. It doesn't seem like my children can all sleep at the same time for any length of time.

I'm working on a home business. It's in the planning and set up stages so I won't go into detail. I'm just going to say that I've fallen in love with the idea of this business and I cannot wait to get started.

Hopefully I get back here to blog more this week, but only time (which I never seem to have enough of) will tell!

Thirteen Thursday 8

Thirteen Things I Must Complete Before the Weekend! 1. Knitting my grandmother's scarf. It's cold and she needs it now! 2. Putting the fringe on my daughter's newly knitted scarf. Again, it's cold and she needs it! 3. Dragging the Christmas decorations upstairs to be put in the attic. They are packed and just sitting in the foyer. Urgh! 4. Clean the house. It's really bad since I was so sick over the holidays. I lost complete control. 5. Buy Monica's best friend a birthday present. She was up over the Christmas vacation and loved the Speed Stacks Monica got. I will get her a set too. 6. Get Monica packed and ready to go to her best friends house for a long birthday weekend. 7. Start preparing for my first meeting as a Girl Scout Troop Leader. 8. Start preparing and organizing the spare room so that I can working on my home business idea. 9. Start knitting the scarf that I promised my aunt. 10. Put up the Disney Princess beads for Alexandra's doorway. She has been begging since last night and has already started in on it today. 11. Find a place for, and put away, the rest of the Christmas gifts. 12. Get the rest of the laundry upstairs. 13. Stop thinking of more things to do before the weekend!

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Wordless Wednesday 11

It Is Winter! Finally!

Okay, so now the luxury of running around without our coats is over. It's just plain cold out. It's supposed to snow here any minute.

I'm not complaining. I'm actually happy about it. The cold temperatures stop the germs and bugs both. When it gets cold, really cold, there is less sickness. The cold temperatures just wipe out the unnecessary germs. In the spring when the bugs come out, there are less of them. I hate summers with oodles of bugs. I could never live where there are a lot of bugs.

So I will gladly get out all the winter coats and snowsuits again. We will put plastic on the rest of the windows. (We've been procrastinating since it has been so warm). The heat is turned up.

Life is back to normal in Upstate New York!

It Looks Like Winter?

It looks like winter. Why is it so warm? Where I live, it's supposed to snow from November to April. I'm not complaining now. Just a little confused is all. A lot of people are saying that Global Warming is the cause. Some are saying it's just one of those warm winters. Regardless, it's warm. I went out without a coat yesterday. That's unheard of in an Upstate NY January. It's been raining a lot. Could have been snow I guess.

Too Cool For School!

She is so cool. I had to share this picture with everyone. She wouldn't settle for one barrette in her hair. She had to have them all in. I did that for her and about 10 minutes later she came up to me looking like this. She made the necklace in preschool and the shades are a hand-me-down from her older sister (powerpuff girls no less).

I actually took her to preschool looking like this. She is definitely the artsy one in the family. I love it!

We had the flu during the holiday. Yippee! There are no Christmas morning pics of the baby or Alexandra because they were so sick (unless of course, you like green snot). Monica was able to enjoy more because she is the child who never gets sick. She is the carrier of the family. She will (as she did this time)come home from school with a stuffy nose. It will last for two or three days. The rest of us get dog sick for two weeks. Thank you very much.

I did try to get the girls together for a Christmas morning picture. It went something like this. All the girls were sitting together. Lucianna sneezed a big snotty sneeze. This grossed out Alexandra, whose stomach was already queasy. She started gagging. Monica was so sure that Alex would throw up that she ran away gagging. I knew at this delightful holiday moment that there would be no pictures for this Christmas morning but many great memories.

Just about every piece of clothing we own has snot, puke, pee or poop on it. My washer and dryer won't be installed for at least another week or so as the plumbing still has to be run. Looks like it's at least one more gigantic trip to the laundromat. I finally got caught up on dishes today. As soon as I get the housework under control than I can take down the Christmas decorations.

We are all on the road to recovery. The baby and Alexandra are still a little sick but definitely better. One thing I can say. Even through all the sickness, pretending to be well for our Christmas Eve gathering at the house (which I really wanted to cancel but people were traveling for) and endless baking, cooking and cleaning it was a wonderful Christmas. We were blessed enough to provide a great Christmas for our children. We saw many smiles through all the sickness.

Wordless Wednesday 10

Menu Plan Monday 2

Click here and visit OrgJunkie! She is the organizer of Menu Plan Monday!

Menu? What Menu? Okay so this week my husband is out of town on business. When he's gone I don't cook. Treat for me and a treat for the kids. As much as they miss daddy, they also like to eat TV dinners. Great for me because they are a quick cheap microwave meal (Banquet is 99 cents) and I eat leftovers from Sunday.

Monday: TV dinners for kids and leftovers for me.

Tuesday: Same as Monday.

Wednesday: Same as Monday.

Thursday: Pot Roast with potatoes, carrots and celery.

Friday: Roasted Chicken with broccoli and mashed potatoes

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Let the food and festivities begin!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Enjoy!

Eat!

Be Merry!

Take a Nap!

Eat Again!

Take another Nap!

In The Blink of an Eye

I don't know what happened. How can this be? I woke up yesterday morning and my house is a complete wreck. I've done so well the last couple of months. Everyone was putting in their fair share of helping me clean. Everyone has stopped.

Well if they can stop why can't I? Why should I clean the same exact mess, every single day? I am so tired of no one caring.

If I pick up clothes off the floor, someone else strips down and throws their cloths in the same spot. I still don't have a washer and dryer because my husband says he has someone to do the plumbing and electrical work but he's never been here. I have to go to the laundermat. It's no picnic for a family of five. It's not a matter of money. We saved the money to do this a long time ago.

Doing dishes wasn't so bad because Monica was clearing the table and scraping the dishes. Now she has to be told, over and over to do her chore. It doesn't help to take things away. She already feels like she has nothing since we moved. She misses her old friends. She isn't doing well socially and hates her new school. I can't really say that I'm happy with the school either.

Alexandra has been sneaking food all over the house. She has been told, reprimanded, screamed at and spanked. She is by far the most stubborn child on the universe. I love it when my mom says to me "Well you will just have to make her do what you want!" Yeah okay. I'll try that one too.

Lucianna is cute as can be but wants to be held all the time. She's starting to go down the willful stubborn road that Alexandra has been traveling. Lucky me.

I haven't had a child free time to myself for a long time and it's really starting to get to me. Can you tell?

Thirteen Thursday 7

Thirteen Things about Preschool Children and Their Christmas Program 1. There's always at least one who crys. 2. There's always one who sings so loud they are screaming. 3. There's always an escape artist running off the stage. 4. When the escape artist is put back on stage they run from one side of the stage to the other while the others are singing. He's trying to find another way out. 5. The children all know the hand gestures to the songs, their timing is usually a little off. 6. The dancing is adorable! 7. The children are bursting with pride when they are done. 8. Mom has cried at least once while watching. 9. At least one parent has ruined a part of your video by standing up in front of you and not moving out of the way. 10. The teachers always put hours and hours of work into these programs that last 30 minutes. 11. If you have to save all year for 1/2 day sick or personal time for this event, it is sooooo worth it. 12. There's never enough parking or seating for all the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends that want to see this special event, but we all manage to squeeze in somehow. (There was a whole street of cars that got a parking ticket because the meters only have 1 hr of time. Ours was one of them. It's the best $10.oo show I've ever attended!) 13. Every parent thinks their child is by far the cutest one there. How is it possible that our children out cute every other child everytime?

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Wordless Wednesday 9

The Tree Is Up......Way Up!

My husband and the children went to pick out a tree on Saturday. It's huge. Way huge. Since we now live in a home with 9 foot ceilings, my husband decided to take advantage of that. The tree he brought home stands 4 inches from our 9 foot ceiling.

Apparently, Chris walked up to the guy selling the Christmas trees and said, "I want the biggest tree that you have." I wasn't there but that's what Chris tells me. Now knowing my husband the way that I do, I can only imagine the pride that went with this statement.

Everything is big. We have big furniture, a big house and now a big Christmas tree. Did I mention that we are big people? We look like very small people standing next to the tree though. I don't have a picture yet, but I will post one when I get all three girls in red and green garb and have them stand next to it. It's enormous. I'm going to have to come up with a nickname for it. It definitely deserves a nickname.

Well we put the lights, garland and some ornaments on the tree. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas....... Tomorrow night we will finish decorating the tree. I'm going to set up the nativity set. I will have to have a heart to heart with Alexandra as to why she's not allowed to play with it.

Menu Plan Monday 1

I was so excited to happen upon OrgJunkie and the Menu Plan Monday. I have been doing this for about two months and now I get to write it down and share with others.

Monday: Scalloped Potatoes and Ham (ham is leftover from the baked ham dinner Sunday)

Tuesday: Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Biscuits & Cauliflower and Cheese Sauce

Wednesday: Spaghetti and Garlic Bread (sauce is frozen, hubby makes once a month and freezes a bunch in plastic containers, his is the best!)

Thursday: Tacos made with Ground Turkey & Pinto Beans(family Fave! you'll see this one a lot!)

Friday: Easiest and Tastiest Meatloaf in the world (recipe below) Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Saturday: Homemade Pizza! Family Fun Night! Alexandra's Third Birthday!

Easiest and Tastiest Meatloaf in the world!

2 lbs 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef.

1 jar Nance's chili sauce (can get at Walmart grocery condiment section)

2 eggs

1/2 to 1 cup bread crumbs - depends on your taste

mix well

put in crock pot (this comes out very moist)

put tomato sauce on top after two hours

cook until done

If that is too moist for your family's taste

put in oven on 350 degrees covered for 1hour

uncover and put tomato sauce on top

cook for 1/2 hour uncovered

You can also substitute ground turkey for half of the ground beef.

The Nance's is so tasty. You don't have to add anything. Don't try to substitute other chili sauces. It doesn't work. Trust me.

Take a Picture. It'll Last Longer.

So lately, I've been a little self-conscious. You will most likely never see a picture of me because I am the one always taking pictures. You will not see a picture of me now because I will break the camera and hurt the photographer that tries. Here is my story.

If you have read my blog you know that I had a pretty stressful summer. Buying a house, selling a house, one daughter with a birth defect (which doctors cannot figure out), one daughter with an injury and all the other crud that daily life can throw at you.

When I get extremely stressed out like this, I get a bright red, peeling, flaky dermatitis ON MY FACE. Yes, I feel like a clown. Yes, people stare at me when I'm in public. No, there isn't a cure. I have to wait for it to run it's course, which takes months.

I have also put on a few pounds. I am in process of eating better and I bought a gym membership which I am going to start using today. I don't feel very good about my weight right now.

If that's not enough, my husband suggested that I dye my hair like I used to do. He likes it red. I am a person that looks good with red hair because I am a natural redhead. Over the years my hair color has changed to a brownish copper. I have good skin tone for the red so I can get away with it. Well, I did it. Now I look like the Little Mermaid's fat cousin with a skin condition. I don't know. I picked the wrong red I guess. Too much red, not enough copper. It also brings out the red in the dermatitis on my face even more. ARRRGGGGHHH!

When I go out in public, people literally stare at me. Well, at least I know it's all temporary. The fat can come off if I work hard enough. The hair will eventually fade. The face will clear up eventually, I hope. In the meantime, I keep reminding myself that God still loves me no matter how hideous I think I am.

The Mysterious Baby

I have a very sneaky baby. She does things without letting anyone see her do it.

You see, for the past week or so, I'd put the baby on the floor. The next thing I'd know, she was across the room. The other night I put her on the floor. I was watching her play on her stomach. I looked away for an instant. When I looked back, she was sitting up.

I got very excited. I told my husband (who by the way was sitting in the same room) and he told me I was seeing things. I must be mistaken. There's no way she could have sat up without us noticing. I disagreed with him. You know how she moves across the room and we never have seen it. Well this is the same. Nope, couldn't be. We would have noticed that. He argued back. I gave up.

The next morning, I heard Lucianna in her crib. She was doing her morning "complaining" as I call it. It's not a cry and not a coo. It's somewhere in between. I know when she "complains," I better get her in a timely manner. If I don't, it turns to a full blown cry. Well I was extremely happy when I went in to get her. She was sitting up in her crib. Now I know I wasn't seeing things the night before!

Since then, I have watched the baby when I knew she couldn't tell I was watching. She sits up with ease and she crawls backwards. The mystery is solved.

Punished for Procrastination

I may have mentioned it before, but just in case you didn't know, I'm the world's biggest procrastinator. Yes, that was me scurrying around the grocery store at 7pm this evening. List in hand, trying to maneuver a front heavy cart around, hoping I don't miss anything so I don't have to make a trip to the store in the morning.

I got to the turkey aisle. A frozen turkey was out of the question because there wasn't enough thawing time so I was forced to pay 3x the amount for a "fresh" turkey that was half frozen. Not only is it half frozen but it is twenty pounds. They were all out of turkeys below twenty pounds.

This is crazy because there are only going to be four adults at the table. I was considering a turkey of maybe 10 - 12 pounds. We will be eating turkey for a month. I'm sending everyone home with as much turkey as I can pawn off on them.

Tonight I made two loaves of bread, fresh cranberry sauce and I stuffed the turkey with oranges, lemons, limes, garlic and dill. It's in the fridge now but it was soaking in water all night to thaw it as much as possible.

Well, I guess I will go to bed now so I can wake up early and get the turkey in the oven. I wouldn't normally get up early but a twenty pounder takes most of the day to cook if you want an early serving time.

By the way, I did forget something at the store. Chicken stock for the stuffing. I'll be sending my husband in the morning.

Wordless Wednesday 8

Boxes, Boxes, Still Everywhere

Okay, so it's been awhile. My plan was to stop blogging, get the house unpacked and put together, then start blogging again. Well I guess that if I don't want to blog for the next 5+ years, that plan will work.

There are still boxes everywhere. It's the day before Thanksgiving, I haven't even gone to the grocery store yet. Schools out today so the house is extra messy and to top it all off, my milk supply is diminishing so the baby is more cranky than usual.

I love my new house. I still enjoy cooking in the new house and yes, even cleaning it. What in the world has gotten into me?

We found a nice church. I was so dreading the whole "drag the children to a different church every week until we find one we like" process. I found this church through the MOPS group. A lot of the women attended church there. They were really nice so I thought we'd give it a try. We all enjoy the church very much. Wow! That was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

So much has happened since I last blogged. It wouldn't even be fair to try to catch up. I guess I will just start fresh from here. We are starting a new life in our new house going to our new church. I will start blogging fresh.

A Little More Balance and Less Chaos

Can I just say that I LOVE MY NEW HOUSE! I'm so happy that we are finally here. There is so much to be thankful for. It's been a long road to get here, but now I can enjoy it.

Don't get me wrong. There's still a ton of work to do. Boxes are everywhere and there are still a few carloads of things at the other house. But every morning I have been waking up so excited to get downstairs and take a look around. It's all ours. I talked to my husband this morning and he feels the same way. It's like it hasn't sunk in yet.

I have been cooking dinner every single night. This was something I hated to do in the other house. I have been cleaning the kitchen each night. I love it. I don't know what's wrong with me. I actually enjoy cleaning this house. If I get too crazy with this housecleaning thing, I may have to change my profile.

With this house, my husband and I have come up with some new rules. These rules help to keep the house cleaner and I enjoy life more. Here are the rules.

1. Absolutely no eating anywhere except the dining room table. I could never enforce this rule in our other house with the 2 yr old because we had let her eat in front of the TV for so long that she didn't understand the concept of a "new rule." With the new house it was easy to tell her she couldn't eat anywhere but the table. Now if she even has fruit snacks she automatically sits at the table. This has made clean up time a thousand times easier.

2. Shoes off at the door. This is a rule that we have decided to enforce because the floors are unfinished. The hardwood has been sanded down but not polyurethaned yet. I have said this house is a work in progress and I mean right in the middle of the progress. We have to be extremely careful not to get anything wet on the floors. This is a rule that will stay in effect even after we finish the floors. It keeps the house cleaner and I hate cleaning dirty floors.

3. If you make a mess, you clean it up. Even Alexandra has had fun with this rule. I think she even takes pride in our new big house.

4. Dishes done and kitchen clean before bed. This is a non negotiable rule for me. I love my new kitchen. It is so functional that I enjoy spending most of my day there. I don't want to clean first thing in the morning, so I make sure it is clean before I lay my head down. I have cooked dinner every night and I have made bread from scratch everyday and enjoyed myself while doing it (everyone else in the family has enjoyed eating too.)

5. Bedtime is bedtime. Period. Mom and Dad need time to themselves. This is a rule that we have been working with. Alexandra sleepwalks and wakes up with night terrors each night so we have to make sure that we take care of her but I think she will grow out of that once she grows comfortable with the house.

6. Minimal TV. We hooked up the TV with very basic cable. We did have every channel known to man in the other house. We had become slaves to the television by revolving our activities around the shows on in the evening. Alex and Monica were watching way too much TV. Alex would be like a zombie in front of Noggin channel all day not wanting to do anything else and Monica was developing a bad attitude. We are already enjoying our family time together. Monica and Alex do so much more playing together. Chris reads to Alexandra each night for about an hour. I do more housework. It's amazing what that "boob tube" can do to destroy quality family time.

7. Healthy food only in this house and no more eating out for a while. After living in a hotel for 5 weeks, we have had our share of fast food. We have gained a substantial amount of weight (not the girls, they are still my little skinny minnies.) The thought of eating out repulses me. McDonald's is a dirty word in this household no matter how many Monopoly prizes they try and tempt me with. No fried food for a while. And we won't even go the homemade pizza route for a decent amount of time. Our digestive systems need time to heal.

This is just a start. I'm sure more will come. We can already see the changes in our quality of life. These rules have eliminated so much chaos in our lives. If we keep this up, I may have to change the name of my blog to something like "Gentle Waters," or "Peaceful Bliss." Just kidding. I know that I will always have to balance the chaos in our lives. Right now is just one of those times that I feel more balanced than others. I am thankful to God that He has put me where I am right now.

One is the Loneliest Number

I have moved many times in my life. None of those times have been anywhere near as crazy as this one.

It's been a long road in the closing process. We have finally closed on the house and have moved most of our stuff. I say most of our stuff for a reason. We are at a standstill. Why? You ask. Let me tell you.

The man we bought this house from is a very nice man, but he has some issues. It seems that he cannot break free from this house. Half of his stuff is still here. One room is half full of his stuff and the porch is overflowing with his things. We are at a standstill because his things are in the way. Each day he has been puttering around in the backyard not really accomplishing anything. I think that he thinks he is accomplishing a lot. He is so meticulous that he is using an air compressor to blow the dust off of every single little gadget and thingamabobber that he owns. He then stacks it somewhere (other than the trailer he is using to move).

I don't want to be mean because the man is so nice. He has given us a lot of useful items (we take just about everything he gives us because we look at it as one less thing he has to take time getting out of here). He is also very lonely. He had a failed marriage and it's been six years since he has spoken to his 15 yr old son who lives in the same town. We won't ask why because that's personal but I think it's very sad regardless of the reasons. I cannot imagine going through life not speaking to one of my children for so long. The man is also eccentric. I cannot always figure out his reasoning for things he has done or does. He doesn't seem to do well in social situations with people he isn't familiar with. The closing of our house was an all out circus. Again, this is something that people who know him say was not always so.

It's amazing that I do things like get up at 3:00am just so that I can be alone. I yearn for alone time so much that I would rather go without sleep. Yet at other times, I see people like this man who I speak of above, and I see how loneliness can eat away at your very being. It can be so damaging to every part of your life.

Wordless Wednesday - Middle Child Syndrome

Moving Wreck......I Mean Week!

Yes we finally closed on our house. It's been long time coming. I cannot believe that I'm finally going to be in my new house tomorrow night.

Moving is always so much fun. Yes, I am being facetious right now. I do however, look at it as the perfect time to CLUTTER DOWN!

Conversations in the past have gone something like this:

Do we need this thingamabobber?
Of course, it's in perfect condition.
But we haven't used it in 5 years.
What if we need it? I wouldn't want to have to go buy a new thingamabobber.
Okay, pack it up.

This time the conversation is different:

Do we need this thingamajig?
Have we used it in the past year?
No.
Put it on the curb. Someone will pick it up because they think they need a thingamajig.
What if we end up needing it at some time or another?
I will go to Walmart and buy a new one.


Now of course, this conversation doesn't apply to expensive tools or other things that are considered more of an investment. It does apply to just about anything made of plastic or rubber. I'm so tired of carting junk from one house to another. How does one family collect so much stuff?

I am really going to work on scaling our lifestyle down. I want our house to be less cluttered. If we buy every new gadget on the market, use it once and never throw it out, then things will never change for us. Our problem is not that we don't throw enough away. Our problem is that we accumulate too much stuff.

I've been online too long now. It's back to work for me. I hope to post again soon. I will have to get everything situated in the new house. Hopefully the chaos level will be back to normally chaotic soon.

Thursday Thirteen 6

Thirteen Nicknames we call our children 1…. Monica has been called Monnie Moo Moo since birth. 2. Alexandra has been called Houdini ever since we first put her into a chair with straps. This child has refused to be confined since birth. She never slept in a crib, refused to play in a playpen and no stroller, carseat or highchair straps have ever held her down. 3. Lucianna has been called Hunny Bug since birth. I don't know why but that is just what comes out when I look at her. 4. Monica has been called Drama Queen for the last couple of years. And the emmy goes to......Monica for her role in the made for television movie, This is the Worst Day of my Life! 5. Alexandra is often called BooBerry. Don't know why but that was what I called her when she was just a little baby. 6. Lucianna is called Pudge by her daddy. It's amazing that this baby that was born with too much skin for her itty bitty baby body is now a little ball of pudge. 7. We often call Alexandra by the name of The Machine. She never stops running. It's exhausting watching her. 8. Alexandra is also called The Rockstar. She loves to sing, dance and entertain. 9. Lucianna is called the Princess (although all of our girls have been called princess at one time or another when they were the baby.) 10. Alexandra has been called Sweetie Pea by me for a long time. Now I find myself calling Lucianna by that one as well. 11. Lucianna laughs uncontrollable when I call her Fat Baby. It must be the way I say it that tickles her so. 12. All three of our girls have been PorkABaby, Little Pig, Pig and Porkababy Stew as little chubby babies. These were started by my husband. 13. When my husband and I are talking about the girls, we refer to them as the Three Little Indians. Individually, we refer to them as the Little Indian, the Middle Indian and the Big Indian. It's a wonder that any of our children even know there names!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Our Trip to the Shriner's Hospital

Well, we made the trip to the Shriner's Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts yesterday. It was a 5 hour drive to get there. We arrived with time to spare for the registration process. Chris had to work so I had to take Alexandra with us as well. She did very well on the drive up.

Being a children's hospital, it was way over-stimulating for Alex. She loved it. She ran away from me to play with other children. She thought it was like a McDonald's playplace in that she could run around where ever she wanted.

We got registered and waited for approximately 5 minutes (which I thought was amazing) when the nurse called us in for Lucianna's appointment. Alexandra was having none of that. She wouldn't come out of the play area. She ran away from me and her pants fell down. She's running around the room with her pants around her ankles and I still cannot catch her. It wasn't until she tripped and fell that I was able to grab her and hoist her over my shoulders to get her to come with me.

We got through the exam and then they sent us down the hall to get x-rays of Lucianna's legs and feet. Alex ran away again and her pants fell down again (2T's are slightly big but 24 months aren't long enough and since she isn't wearing a pullup anymore.....) She continued to run away until she tripped again. She can really run. I really can't run. A nurse from the x-ray department took care of Alex while I helped with Lucianna's x-rays. It was crazy.

I've had not one, but two specialists say that they can see the difference in leg length and her feet. They took the films and measured Luci's leg and foot bones. They are both the same size. There has been a lot of prayer for this baby. I consider this a miracle. She does have a problem. She has the drop foot, which is neurological and will really affect how she walks. Her development at this time is completely perfect and symmetrical. I am so happy and relieved about that.

The good news is bittersweet in the fact that we still don't know why Luci has this birth defect. We don't know how it will affect her walking. All we can do is wait and see. The doctor at the Shriner's Hospital wants to see her again in January. She should be standing in her crib by then and we will see how she stands on her own. We will probably need a brace of some sort to aid her walking.

The people in that hospital were so nice. I cannot tell you how good they made me feel. I saw so many children that were being helped. It was mind boggling to me that access to some of this country's best orthopaedic doctors was free of charge. It's a truly wonderful thing.

I decided to cancel my hotel room for the night because we were in and out of there in less than 4 hours. I drove the 5 hours back and collapsed in bed. It was a very long day.

Nervous Mom Equals No Sleep

Hardly any sleep last night. I had to force myself to put the computer down and close my eyes. I finally fell asleep at about 2am and woke up at 5am. At least I got a full three hours.

I am taking Lucianna to the Shriner's Hospital today in Springfield, Mass. I am leaving at 7am. That should give me plenty of time for driving, eating stops and pee stops (Alex is completely potty trained except for an occasional accident at night. I wouldn't want this trip to make her regress.)

I don't know what to expect. I'm so nervous. I'm praying that her condition is one they can diagnose and one that is fixable. I just want her to walk and run.

Wordless Wednesday 5

In Other Words - What My Husband Did For Me

"A husband is a guy who tells you when you’ve got on too much lipstick and helps you with your girdle when your hips stick."~ Ogden Nash ~

I couldn't resist this quote. As I read this quote tonight and thought about my husband who I love with all my heart, one story, fits this quote to a tee.

When I was pregnant with Lucianna, I was very sick. I had high blood pressure with each pregnancy, but it was the worst with Lucianna. I was 32 weeks pregnant when I was put in the hospital and put on magnesium sulfate. Now it was just a matter of waiting as long as we could without any damage to my body. Lucianna was completely healthy.

My husband was a corporate restaurant manager at the time. He worked all hours and his restaurant was short staffed for management. It was nothing for him to work 12 10 hour days in a row. They don't call us restaurant widows for nothing.

So between his job, getting Monica to school and back and making sure Alexandra was well cared for, he was going crazy. He even brought the family to see me every other day or so. It was even more stress on him, but he knew I needed it.

The day I hit 34 weeks it was time to induce. My body couldn't take anymore. When the contractions started hurting I made the call that my husband was dreading. You see, he's one of those old fashioned wait in the waiting room and tell me when it's over types. He did not, under any circumstances, want to be in that delivery room.

My mother was in the room with me with my first daughter. My good friend was in with my second daughter. This time it was too early and I was scared. I wanted no one else but my husband with me. He reluctantly agreed.

He sat at the corner of the bed holding tight to my hands. I could see the fear in his face as each contraction came. My doctor had broke my water at 8:00 am. At 8:45 I knew the baby was coming soon. My husband went to get some juice in the little kitchenette because the nurse wanted to get me up. I didn't want too. I did not have the energy to fight even though I knew I shouldn't have gotten up at that time.

I sat up, walked around and then sat on the toilet. The nurse said that it would help the baby move down. I told her that when my husband came back I was going to tell him that he could wait outside. I didn't want him to have to be there if he really didn't want to be there. I had two nasty, long and painful contractions and wanted to go back to the bed.

What happened next was very surreal as if it were straight out of a movie. I can look back and laugh now. My husband walked in the delivery room, orange juice in hand. The nurse came to help me up so the bathroom door was open. I stood up. I screamed that the baby was coming RIGHT NOW AND RIGHT HERE! Lucianna fell out (came out bungee jumping as I like to say). The nurse was able to catch her so there was no injuries.

My husband just stood there, mouth agape, unable to move. The nurse had to tell him to help. I had so many things hooked up to me, wires from the baby monitor and iv's galore. I had to walk holding the cables, the nurse was holding the baby (it didn't help that the umbilical cord was extremely short) and Chris pushing the iv poles through the mess that he feared so much like some sort of zombie. He could not believe what he just witnessed.

Our baby was healthy. She was so healthy at 4 lbs 4 oz that she did not have to go to the NICU and she came home with me two days later. Many prayers were answered March 14th at 8:55am when Lucianna came bouncing into our world.

Later, I asked my husband why he didn't pass out. He said it was too much like watching a movie. Maybe he's not romantic but he loves me.

A New Journey -- Plan Unknown But the Purpose is There

I have posted about Lucianna having a medical problem with one of her feet. She cannot flex the foot or toes back. The problem is bigger than we first expected. Now her unaffected leg is growing with the rest of her body but the other leg is lagging behind. At 6 months old her one leg is already 3/4 of an inch longer than the other. The foot on that leg is also smaller.


I know the journey ahead of us is a long one. I also know that God has a plan for Lucianna. I don't know why Luci has this affliction. I do know that she will do something great. It is all a part of God's plan. I do not know what God's plan for Lucianna is today and I may never know. I'm sure if I did know what God's plan was I would mess it up somehow by thinking I have a better way.

I know God could and will heal Lucianna if it is His will. There have been many prayers for her. Would Luci serve her purpose for God if she were born completely healthy and whole? Probably not. As a mother, if I had the ability to heal her against God's will, would I? I would like to say that I am a woman that follows God's will all the time. You know and I know that would be a bold faced lie. I strive to follow God's will all the time but don't always succeed. Back to the question. If I had the opportunity to save my child all the future pain and heartache, even though it's not the will of God, would I? I don't know. Probably not, but maybe I would. Honestly, the inner turmoil and the fighting I'd do with myself to follow God's will would be life changing.

I am fortunate to be a chosen child of God. I don't think I could handle this without faith in God. I have a lot of faith that Lucianna will be okay. I really do think she will do something so great that I can't even imagine.

Even though I have faith, I still waiver. I cry when I think about other children making fun of her and the heartache that will cause for her. I also am heartbroken when I think of her not being able to run with the other children. I just keep in mind that there is a purpose for this. It is not an accident or luck of the draw.

Even for all the heartache to come I know there will be a matching happiness and joy. It will be something special that I will have never experienced with the other two girls.

God has a plan and a purpose. The purpose is there but the plan is unknown.

A Not So Funny Hotel Story

Got an email yesterday. Looks like the lawyers finally came to a decision that both are available to show up for the closing on our house on Tuesday. I will not hold my breath and I will not cross my fingers. If something could go wrong with this process, it has. Right now the way I look at it, I live in a hotel.

Speaking of which, I've got an icky "I-Will-Laugh-about-it-One-Day" hotel story. Believe me, I'm not laughing yet.

Last week, the hotel that we usually stay in was booked. All the hotels were booked except for Days Inn and Super 8. We have stayed in different Days Inn before and have had decent rooms. The Days Inn was in a better part of town and looked nicer so we made reservations there to stay the week. The only room we had available was a room with one queen bed. We brought the pack-n-play and were going to get a cot. Chris was working and I went to the hotel to check in.

We walked in the room and the smell of body odor and cheap disinfectant to cover up that smell of body odor hit me before I could turn on the light. I turned on the light (as my stomach turned) I saw several things immediately. The first thing I saw was all the peeling wallpaper. Ewww. I went in the bathroom and from one of the towels, someone else's hair was staring back at me. Ewww. Ewww.

Now I always pull back the sheets to check the linens before I settle in. I pulled the covers back and my stomach turned another flip. There was someone else's body hair in the bed. I'm not talking about just one. There was also short straight black hairs that looked like dog hair. This is what I saw just by pulling the covers down about two feet. It was obvious that these sheets were not changed.

I then got brave and decided to take a corner of the sheets off the bed. Before I requested clean sheets, I had to make sure the bed was in decent enough condition for us to sleep in. It wasn't. The mattress looked like a mattress that was picked up off a curb back in 1982. It was horrible. The mattress was dirty, old, smelly, ripped and worn. I immediately started crying.

I called my husband who was able to make reservations at the Super 8. I left that hotel and gave the front desk an earful. Blah Blah Blah, my children won't sleep in that filthy bed. Blah Blah Blah, why don't you make your children sleep in that bed. Blah blah blah, hair on towels and in the bed. Blah Blah Blah. He had obviously heard it all before and was not phased by it at all.

We checked in at the Super 8. It was fine. It was clean and it had two double beds. I check the beds and they were worthy of my family. Whew!