On The Bright Side with Kellybelly

Uh Oh

2012-01-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

Last week Allyson and I went to the public library. When we arrived, a story time had just ended so the typically quite library was filled with giggles and chatter. We made ourselves comfortable at a table and read stories for a while. As we scanned more and more books, the crowd began to dwindle. Ally decided that she wanted to check out a little play area that was previously crammed with excited toddlers who had most likely headed home for lunch.

When she plays Allyson uses this sweet high pitched voice. When she does this, it means she is having a great time and is fully into character. She also sings in an opera type voice that I find absolutely adorable. So as I perused through parenting magazines my sweet friend happily played (and sang) with a bead maze.

Suddenly Ally stopped singing and the library went silent. She cautiously studied all around us and realized that we were the only people left in the library.

“We have to get out of here,” Allyson announced grabbing her coat.

“It’s okay honey, we can stay, the library is still open,” I replied putting down the magazine.

“No, we have to go,” she said peeking around the corner to see where everyone went.

“Why do we need to leave?” I wondered.

“I don’t want to get caught!” Allyson declared fumbling with her zipper.

“Caught doing what?” I asked wondering where this question was going to lead.

“I wasn’t quiet,” Allyson anxiously confessed.

Isn’t it funny how a child’s mind works?

2012-01-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2011-12-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

The New Year is upon us, a time of reflection, celebration and new beginnings. Along with the exhilaration of a fresh start comes the dreaded…New Year’s Resolution. Oh sure I could go with my clever husband’s approach and proclaim, “I resolve to do a little more exercise this year than I did last.” However, I am not convinced that parking one space further from the Dunkin Donuts every day this year is the route that I want to go with. Then again I could rely on the magazine covers at the check out line for inspiration, but doubling my income in thirty days or less seems a bit unrealistic to me. Each year I attempt to improve as a person, yet somehow it doesn’t always come to fruition.

Last year, on top of my own personal resolution, I added an addendum. I decided to “unplug” my kids more often and encourage more outdoor time. As you may recall, last winter was a very snowy one. And although my favorite thing to do on a snowy day is play board games with the kids, the novelty began to wear off on all of us after what seemed like the 80th snow day. On this particular day, boredom and whininess began to set in. Given that whining could potentially send me over the edge, I encouraged the kids to go outside for a while. At our house, gathering the boots, snow pants, mittens and hats takes roughly twenty minutes (if we are lucky), so I vowed to stay strong and not let them back in after ten like they usually do.

It was a picture perfect snow day. After the last zipper was zipped I happily opened the door and pushed…I mean let them out. I then filled the kettle for a nice (quiet) cup of tea. Before the kettle even whistled Lindsey (7) appeared at the door. “It’s cold out here Mum! I am shivering!” I stayed tough and insisted she stay outside longer. Two minutes later Zachary (9) proclaimed, “Mum, I am freezing can I come in?” I shook my head and pointed to the stairs. Then just as I was making my way to the bookcase to grab my book, I innocently glanced out the window. I spied the three of them huddled together in front of the window beckoning me with their sad eyes to please save them! It was as if I’d sent them ice fishing in the Artic! I quickly looked away, but as I attempted to start my book, our littlest one Allyson (3 ) began yowling loudly on the front porch, “Mamma! I am fweezing Mamma! Pweeze let us come in!” So, much to my chagrin, after only seven and a half minutes the gang was back inside.

While helping to unpeel their outdoor clothing, I noticed that indeed they were shivering. To appease my feelings of guilt and shame, I quickly put the kettle back on for hot chocolate. Right before my eyes their sweet little red cheeks turned stark white in a matter of minutes! Normally the whining would have tipped me off but as a result of my quest for quiet I missed the beginning signs of illness. My poor babies all had fevers! I might as well have sent them out in the Artic! Boy did I feel like the worst mother…again.

While the pursuit of more outdoor time didn’t exactly pan out on this day (nor did it last spring when we got a little lost on a hike- but that’s a story for another day) I recognized that mistakes
will inevitably happen, but it’s what you do after you make them that matters. So this year I resolve to learn from my mistakes and simply…listen. I’ll let you know how it goes…hopefully better than my quiet cup of tea!

I Want To Wish You a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-18T12:54:00.000-08:00

"Police dah dee dah!"

Last year Allyson would belt out her version of Feliz Navidad almost daily. Now every time I hear this song it makes me smile. Just passing on the smile.

Merry Christmas!

What Would Jesus Do?

2011-11-13T04:39:00.000-08:00

I needed to pull into a full service gas station very near to our house for some gas the other day. After I announced what I needed to the man, Lindsey kindly reminded me to watch to make sure that they do not give me too much this time. A few weeks ago, I only had 20.00 with me and somehow the gas machine was broken and didn’t stop. I didn’t notice. (I must have been chatting.) The gas guy frantically stopped the meter at 24.00. He genuinely looked very upset, as if he was going to get into trouble. He explained that the machine was broken; however, I only had 20.00! I told him I would come back and give him the four dollars. And I did.

After telling the story, Ryan quickly responds, “Why would you do that? He made a mistake, not you mum.” I replied, “I just did what I thought Jesus would do.”

Lindsey quickly pipes up from the back seat, “They didn’t have cars back then Mum!”

Really?

2011-11-04T17:59:00.000-07:00

This is a first...

"YUCK!" Lindsey exclaims from the bathroom.

Fearing something awful, I hesitate to respond, "Everything okay?" I wince, not really wanting to know.

"Someone put soap on my toothbrush!" I immediately glare over at Zach who lowers his head.

"Zaaach?" I ask.

He pauses then slowly looks up at me. "I did it, I am sorry. She did it to me last night so I did it back."

Please tell me this will pass!

Season Finale

2011-06-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

I wrote this post way back in the middle of June...Due to an update on our computer I was unable to post blogs. Better late than never right?

Not unlike most families, this time of year tends to become incredibly chaotic. For the past three weeks we've been playing baseball, lacrosse, finishing up dance, studying for finals, wrapping up with school events, all while enjoying the outdoors and family functions. Happily, we are winding down.

Ryan finished up with school a few weeks ago. He studied his brain to shreds before and during finals week. As parents Neil and I gave him the tools, time and support, but other than that, he was on his own. And in Ryan fashion, he quietly finished the year on top and we couldn't be prouder.

In our family's fashion, Em’s middle school graduation and the three girls dance recital fell on the same day, as well as a baseball playoff game for Zach. That day was a whirlwind of a day!

At the beginning of middle school Emily was a sweet little girl tediously trying her very best to figure out what was what. She ended her middle school career with the same sweetness but with the confidence and strength that we always knew she had, she just needed to find it. Em was honored with the Head Master Award. Her name is on a plaque outside the Head of School's office. After the ceremony, he told Emily that everyone of these students went on to do great things and that he knew that was her path as well. Em has a new sparkle in her eye--the sparkle is knowing that she is who she is and just because she has dyslexia doesn’t mean she can’t do great things! She has and will do great things.

Ryan and Em received awards from both of their schools for exceptional performance. Ryan was honored with an award in outstanding achievement in biology.

As for our little slugger Zach...he was chosen for his baseball league's all star team and named MVP of the game! Yay!

The recital was amazing! (Even though we had to change from graduation wear to recital wear in a D'Angelos Sandwiches bathroom! HA!) Emily, Lindsey, and Allyson were magnificent dancers.

It's been a whirlwind of a week! I think it's safe to say that we are looking forward to the lazy days of summer!

(As I re read this I realized it sounds like a complete bragfest...I decided to post it anyway.)

You are not going to believe this...

2011-05-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes! I have a cell phone! Is it cell or cel?

I was most likely the only person on the planet over the age of 13 that did not have one. In fact, (some of you may have heard this story) last year Allyson and I were in the grocery store parking lot one morning when an elderly (I would say she was at least 80) women pulled her car in next to ours. I immediately noticed that she had a flat tire, and it didn’t look as if she had any idea. I figured I should let her know and see if I could help. As she unhurriedly opened her car door, I walked over to her and let her know, then I asked her she had Triple A. She did! I then said, “I don’t have a cell phone, but if we go to the service desk inside, I am sure they will allow you to use the store’s phone.” She then took out her cell phone and said she could call. So now I am in the cell phone club with Mildred the old lady with the flat tire as well as the rest of the population. Yay me.

Feel free to email me with your number...I have texting too. Wow, I wonder if Mildred can teach me how to do that?

Happy Birthday Allyson!

2011-05-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

Where did those four years go? You are the exclamation point to our family! I love you so much sweet girl! I hope you enjoyed your cake for breakfast and the gifts that your brothers and sisters gave you! I know you liked your pack of gum! Yay you are four now and you can chew gum like a big kid!

Happy Happy Birthday!

Eeewww!!!

2011-05-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

Neil was tenderly tucking Allyson into bed last night when he noticed her pillow pet was wet.

“Ally? Why is your unicorn wet, honey?” He asked.

“I was giving her a bath just now before you came up daddy,” she matter of factly revealed.

“How were you giving her a bath in your bed?” Neil wondered.

“I spit on her and rub it in so she is clean,” Allyson replied.

Gosh I love that girl, but eeewww!

Confessions of a Mom of a Teenager

2011-04-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

My stomach is in knots as I write this.

I sent Ryan (9th grader) to school today knowing that he probably could have used a day off. He was a little under the weather yesterday, and even worse this morning. I sent him any way.

Ryan is a bright kid, always has been. And until this year, he was rarely challenged in school. It boggled my mind that he could earn all A’s with very little effort. It actually frustrated me. He is now attending his dream school and Neil and I couldn’t be happier with the culture there. It’s actually cool to be smart! As this year has progressed, the workload has become enormous, and the pressure to do well is insane. I am not helping.

For the first time in his academic career, Ryan failed a quiz. He said that most of the kids in the class had flunked and that the quiz was “ridiculous.” (The “other kids” phrase has never worked in our family and Ry knows that.) Neil and I kept our cool, but mentioned that it seemed as if he wasn’t devoting as much time to school work lately. This upset him, but I think he knew in his heart that we were right. He even did some extra credit in that class in an attempt to bring his grade up.

Fast forward to yesterday. He wasn’t feeling well and proclaimed jokingly, “I think I am going to take tomorrow off.” I replied that if he had a fever, he could. (He had an entire week off last week, including Monday for heavens sake!)

It turns out that he has another quiz today in the same class and on top of feeling yucky, he is clearly nervous. I decided to stay strong. He needs to push himself. He needs to learn what it is to really study and buckle down. This is what life is about…right? Right?

It’s hard to be strong. Did I mention that he was up until 1:00am studying? It’s hard to be strong.

Easter

2011-04-27T05:44:00.000-07:00

Here is our annual "Easter Picture." We had a wonderful day! The weather was glorious and the kids didn't bicker at mass. Spending the day with Neil's family was fantastic too! Although Zach decided to declare that the chicken (it was turkey) was dry!! I almost died of embarrassment right there on the spot. Hopefully your Easter went well too.

Highlights

2011-04-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Emily's trip.

She had an absolutely AMAZING time! I couldn't be happier nor prouder of her!

Hmmmm?

2011-04-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Something is missing around here. Oh yeah, it’s Emily. She and her classmates (as well as two teachers) are in Nevada right now on a hiking trip. I couldn’t be happier for her, but she’s way over there! (I am pointing at Nevada on our map right now.) Tomorrow they are traveling to Utah to do some backpacking. Wow!

This class (ten of them) is brimming with excitement! They have trained for three years in anticipation of this trip! Em called when they arrived at the site and I could just hear her smile over the phone. (I know you really can’t hear a smile, but you know what I mean.) I miss her terribly and of course I can’t bring myself to truly think about her sleeping outside and rock climbing and doing all of these crazy adventurous things because it gives me a stomach ache. What I chose to think about is the joy in her heart. I can’t wait to hear all about it!

Scaredy Cat

2011-04-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Neil installed a new washer and dryer in our basement. Thank goodness because our dyer was taking an extremely long time to dry the clothing. (I know I know the Amish don‘t have clothing dryers.) In fact for one load it could take up to three hours to finish. That isn’t convenient when you have seven people in the house with places to go and people to see and you aren‘t comfortable leaving the house with the dryer on. The thing was also making a piercing screech with each turn that was most likely causing some hearing loss to the aforementioned seven people. Not only that, it was also ripping clothing to shreds! Poor Em was missing a strap on one of her camisoles, some of Allyson’s little socks looked more like tassels than socks, and last week I accidentally threw a bra in there and when I opened the dryer, only half of it was left. Huh? We definitely needed a new one.

The next day I began catching up on laundry in our new machine. I came back upstairs to check my emails as I listened to Allyson and her friend Kate happily coloring at the dining room table. I adore listening to the two girls chat. “Look Ally, a cat!” Kate proclaimed. We have this scary looking cat that roams the neighborhood. He is very large with what looks like a lions mane surrounding it‘s face. It also has the most evil eyes I have ever seen. When I encounter this cat (even through the window) I immediately get the chills…he is that creepy. It is a feral cat and once and a while he hangs out in the driveway next door and plays with the dead animals that he hunts. The kids are completely fascinated by it. When Kate repeated, “Look at the cat Ally!” I assumed that the scary cat was at it again. As I got up from my seat Kate sweetly calls, “Kellyyyy a caaaaat.” I step into the dining room and I completely freeze. My eyes are caught in the defiant stare of the cat that is INSIDE the house!

“Girls, you need to come with me,” I calmly take their hands and usher them to the stairs and close the door behind them. Meanwhile inside my head I am thinking, holy crap! How did this cat get in here and how do I get him out!!!!!!! “You girls stay upstairs,” I assure them, “and I will let you know when it’s okay to come down.”

Promptly, I shut all of the doors as the cat ran into the back hall. Shaking from head to toe I begin to pace around like a lunatic talking to myself as I attempt to figure out what to do next. On impulse, I call Neil. (I am fully aware that this was a wimpy thing to do, but I was petrified.) Neil agrees to come home to help (he is ten minutes away). I take a deep breath and decide to peek into the back hall. I cringe at the thought of approaching the ferocious feline, but I wanted to try and get him out by myself. (I guess I was embarrassed that I called Neil…I am such a girl!) Much to my relief, the basement door was open and he escaped down there. Quickly, I open the door to the outside and block the kitchen door with the trash barrel. I needed to physically witness the beast leave. Since I was fairly certain I could do this, I decided to call Neil back.

“Neil,” I whisper as to not startle the cat as it edged its way back up the stairs, “I think I am okay, you don’t have to come.” Neil replies, “Why are you whispering?” He must have conjured up an image of me trembling in a corner somewhere. As he is speaking to me the cat creeps even closer, his fur was standing straight up. He stopped at the very top and glared at me with those menacing eyes as if to say, Lady I will pounce on you and rip your face off if you take one more step. I stood my ground, trash barrel in one hand, phone in the other.

“Kelly! Kelly!” Neil calls through the phone.

I pause before murmuring, “He’s looking at me Neil I am scared, but I think…..” I whisper even softer, not wanting to startle the cat. Just then the beast makes a break for me, but I block him with the barrel and then he bolts outside!

“He’s out!” I shout. “I did it! Neil thanks for being there for me!”

I was still shaking when I went upstairs to tell the girls the coast was clear. They had forgotten all about the cat and had moved on to playing with the stuffed animals.

That nasty cat stuck with me for the remainder of the day. I later figured out that the cat must have snuck into the cellar when Neil was moving the new appliances in the day before. I felt lucky that he didn‘t jump out when the kids were down there, or when I was on the treadmill. Can you imagine?

Rugby!

2011-04-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Ryan (our ninth grader) was late calling me to come pick him up at the train station after school one day. He was trying out for the rugby team (despite my apprehension) so I figured practice was running a little late. Well, after sitting on my hands for twenty minutes, I called him…no answer. (I hate when that happens! My mind goes to places that I really don’t want it to go, but I immediately stop it.) Ten minutes later he finally calls me back, but unfortunately he doesn't sound right. In fact, he sounds upset. I ask him if he is okay, but instead of answering, he simply replies “Can I get a ride home from school today?” I knew something was terribly wrong because he loves taking the train. Neil picked him up since he was in the area on business. On the way home, Ryan confessed to Neil that he was hurt and having trouble breathing. When they arrived home, Neil proceeds to inform me that another teammate tackled Ry during a drill and struck him in the middle of his chest…hard. “I think my sternum is fractured mum,” Ryan winced. I immediately call the doctor. (Meanwhile I am thinking, why did I let him do this? I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this!) After x-rays the hospital wasn’t completely sure if he fractured his sternum since there was a separation, but it’s precisely where a growth plate is. So, Ryan may have fractured his sternum. Thank goodness he was instructed not to play any contact sports for at least six weeks.

"There is always next year!” Ryan proclaimed the next day. Oh Lord give me strength!

Fooling Around

2011-03-20T10:38:00.001-07:00

Emily got a new camera and was taking some funny shots of the kids. I thought I would share.

Mommy Guilt

2011-03-18T05:43:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently suggested that immediately after giving birth they secretly inject all new moms with a big dose of Mommy Guilt. I chuckled because I instantaneously visualized a colossal syringe being pierced into my arm as I (in a deep fog filled trance of relief) tenderly gazed into the beautiful eyes of my newborn baby, completely oblivious to any pain. If it were indeed true, that would explain the perplexing behaviors that moms (okay, me) sometimes exhibit.

After my shot of Mommy Guilt, the signs and symptoms immediately took effect. Nursing wasn’t going well and I felt like a complete failure. The nurses unknowingly scared me to death with conflicting advice, guidelines that made no sense to me and never ending pamphlets. Mix in well meaning friends and family, add a touch of raging hormones and sleep deprivation… it’s a wonder we made it through the first year alive.

I will never forget the first time I introduced our first son to our next door neighbor. Sweet Mrs. Z was a well meaning elderly woman with a big heart. She was thrilled to meet our new arrival! Peeking into the baby carriage she declared, “He is such a beautiful baby,” grinning from ear to ear I nodded as she continued, “You really need to watch him so nobody steals him, dear.” I can’t remember how I responded at that moment, but I recall being exceedingly suspicious of strangers for the next few days (okay years). I also wondered what she meant by “I need to watch him?” Was I not attentive enough? Am I neglecting my son? Does she think I am a bad mom? Luckily my very patient husband talked me through it and I finally let it go. Of course, my intense reaction was most likely due to the Mommy Guilt injection, right?

As the years went by, new worries surfaced and the guilt came along with it. Is the baby developing like they say in this book? Should I make my own baby food? Is this babysitter competent? Do I really need to wash this, or can I just spray it with Febreze? When was the last time I cleaned their ears? Is it safe to send him into the public restroom? How much TV is too much? Are my kids the only ones without a cell phone? Am I expecting too much from them? It’s dizzying!

Luckily, as time passes the side effects of Mommy Guilt subside a bit and you begin to realize that no parent is perfect. For example, when my first two children went to Bernazzani (they are in the eighth and ninth grade now) and forgot to pack their homework, I would frantically race to the school to drop it off immediately. Nowadays if one of the children forgets, I may bring it… at pick up time that is if I remember. Perhaps one of the side effects of the Mommy Guilt vaccination is memory loss? That would explain the occasional (okay often) forgotten permission slip, milk money, or over due media center books.

Children are blessed at birth with mothers overcome with such tremendous love that sometimes they just can’t help themselves. They want the very best for their precious off spring and when mistakes ultimately happen or unrealistic expectations erupt it can lead to insanity.

Adoptive parents (and of course dads) are no doubt filled with the same joyful madness. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Thus when the perplexities of Mommy Guilt begin to get the best of me, I simply ask myself (just as I ask our five children if they feel inadequate), “Are you doing your very best? “ If the answer is yes, then there are absolutely no grounds for guilt…inoculation or not.

-------------------------------------------------------

Warnings: Do not watch the nightly news or crime themed programs on television for at least six weeks after injection.

Do not read more than one parenting book or magazine at a time for 12 months.

Pay no attention to well meaning comments regarding kidnappers, life insurance, and post partum weight loss.

---------------------------------------------------------

Side effects:

May cause an overwhelming awareness of how others see you as a parent

an inability to move away from the baby monitor

an intense urge to put your child in a bubble so no harm can come of them

L-E-N-T

2011-03-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

L-E-N-T

Lets
Eliminate
Negative
Thinking

This is what the priest announced during his homily last Wednesday! Isn’t that ironic? This was exactly what our family decided to work on. God was speaking to us directly! Well, maybe not, but it sure felt like it. He gave us a “shout out!”

So far it’s been going fairly well here. It's hard for brothers and sisters to talk nicely to each other...especially during board games! Oy! Sibling squabbles during Disney Trivia Pursuit kind of squashes the fun. (Even Mikey Mouse looked annoyed!)

How is Lent going for you?

Lent

2011-02-28T15:36:00.000-08:00

The season of Lent is coming and I am struggling with the decision on what I should abstain from during this notable time of the year. Alas, this happens every year. I look back at years past and it’s valuable, but I still grapple with this. One year I gave up television. Oh boy! I ended up taking a painting class at Home Depot with my good friend Erin and I sponge painted our entire house! HA! Giving up tv showed me how wasteful it is and it’s stuck with me to this day. Luckily I gave up on the sponge painting. Looking at the pictures cracks me up though! Another year (actually several) I gave up coffee. Let’s just say that my family lovingly begged me not to do this ever again! Last year I abstained from snacking between meals. At first it was a snap…I just had HUGE meals. A nice omelet with home fries for breakfast, two sandwiches and soup for lunch…LOL! I soon realized this was defeating the entire purpose and reverted back to eating regularly. No snacks was tough at first but it was extremely helpful. I had weaned Allyson from breast milk yet I was still eating as if I was a nursing mom. The no snacking one has stuck with me as well, but unfortunately at the moment, I have some health issues. I am currently dairy free, peanut free, corn free, and attempting to become gluten free! (This is really driving me batty, but I feel much better.) I am also rationed to one serving of red meat a week (I know!), so the food thing is just way too maddening right now!!! I guess I’ll let you know what I decide, and I cordially welcome (Okay I am begging you)any suggestions!

Snow

2011-02-02T12:19:00.000-08:00

Hi There!

The kids are all home for the second day in a row due to never ending snow. I love snow days, and as most of you know, I adore having all of my "cubs in the cave," however, I have had enough of the white stuff! How many snowmen, igloos, snow cones, forts, lemon snow desserts, and snow slopes can one person make before they go insane?

That groundhog had better be right. “Spring! If you can hear me, please come quick, I am about to lose my mind!”

Does anyone have a picture of grass they would like to share with me? I forget what that green stuff (okay brown at our house) looks like.

Hmmm… I wonder what a beer flavored snow cone is like?

They're American?!

2011-01-21T13:49:00.000-08:00

Allyson and I were at Wal Mart the other day picking up what I originally thought a few things. (I am sure some of you must know how that goes!) As I put more and more into the cart the more uneasy I became. Zach needed some materials for a zebra project, Ryan needed folders for school, I needed to make cupcakes for Lindsey’s party, not to mention all the odds and ends that you really don’t need but… so when Allyson asked to buy some florescent drinking straws I said, “Not today honey.” A few moments later as I was trying to find a number seven candle, Allyson once again gazed up at me with a package of straws in her hand. (This time they were red white and blue) and asked, “Can we buy these? Pleeeeeaase? They’re Americaaan?!” How could I say no to that?

Happy Birthday Lindsey!

2011-01-20T05:06:00.000-08:00

Where has the time gone? My smile is brighter just thinking of you and your dazzling persona. I can’t imagine my day without your hugs and conversations. It simply wouldn’t be complete with out a glimpse of the adoring look in your eye as we snuggle for reading time, or watching you tend to Allyson during play, listening to your stories (I am amazed at how in tune you are with others.).
Overhearing you and Ryan discuss schoolwork, witnessing you and Emily practice dance moves, and even playing board games with Zach (minus the bickering!)are all wonderful gifts that you share with us. Thank you for being you!

Happy Seventh Birthday Lulu!

~I love you~

Sisters

2011-01-18T06:05:00.001-08:00

I was going through the computer and found this picture that Emmy took on Christmas using her new camera. Nice job Em!

Jack and the Beanstuff

2011-01-15T12:34:00.000-08:00

Saturday is dance day for Allyson and Lindsey! As we drove to class I noticed a large puffy cloud in the sky. I pointed it out and proceeded to throw out a storybook idea. The three of us created the main character and came up with a problem for him to solve. It was actually a pretty good story! In fact I proclaimed it out loud just as we pulled into the parking lot,"We created a wonderful story girls!" Allyson agreed, "Just like Jack and the Beanstuff!"

Gotta Lover Her!

2011-01-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

Before bed this evening, (that sounds fancy doesn't it?). How about...

At nightfall, prior to retiring for the evening, Allyson and I were engaged in discussion.

Nah, let me tell it in my voice...

After story time and teeth brushing, Allyson and I were reviewing what we read about (bugs) and discussing our plans for tomorrow. As we wrapped it up (or concluded our conversation) I asked our sweet little three year old, "Today is Thursday Allyson, so what is tomorrow?" With a blink of an eye she replied, "Tomorrow."

2011!!!

2011-01-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New year friends! I figured that if I put my resolutions in writing I could solicit your help and hopefully follow through with at least a few of these...

1. Be a better listener…lately my mind races or desperately attempts to hold on to a thought as the other person is talking to me when instead I should simply LISTEN. So what if I forget what I was going to say, that is something to work on next year, right?

2. Relax…the laundry can wait, but the kids are growing up so fast. I have fallen into a pattern of rushing to get everything (not just laundry) done so that I can relax with the kids later. Guess what? Later hasn’t been coming very often! There will always be something that needs attention. I prefer to pay attention to someone instead.

3. Delegate. That way I can be a better listener and relax more. (I am wicked smaaat huh!)

4. Stay on the workout schedule. It is so great for my mental health. At times I feel guilty taking the time, but I am a much nicer person after I work out.

5. Keep the spark lit! This one I will keep semi private, but it is so important to feel connected with Neil. During the hustle and bustle of the holidays (not to mention weeks of sick children!)we haven’t been as “close” as often as we usually are. The holidays are over baby! (How you doin’ Neil?)

There is another goal of mine. I need to write more. This was the whole reason that I began this blog in the first place. It brings me joy! So if you don’t see me blogging in a while, feel free to hound me.

God Bless and best wishes to you all!

I Made A Mistake

2010-10-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

This scenario has weighed heavily in my heart for a few days and I guess I need to get it off of my chest.

Neil had last Thursday afternoon off and we were out with Allyson running errands. It began to rain, so I ran into the grocery store to pick up some odds and ends quickly while Neil and Ally waited in the car. I had five items in my hands and swiftly made a break for the express lane. As I dawdled in the check out lane, I shamelessly glanced at the tabloids wondering who the heck half these people were (shame on you John Travolta by the way). It seemed bordering on forever for the “express line” as a woman and her young daughter joined the line. I quickly noticed that her cart had more than the 12 items the sign directed, but shrugged it off. Soon after, an older man arrived. Given that I was bored, I glanced back as the man remarked, ”This is the express line?” Assuming he was referring to the length of time it was taking, I nodded and smirked. However, he then directed his comments specifically at the woman behind me who happened to have on a khimar ( head scarf), so it was apparent that she was Muslim. “You have more than 12 items there, you do know this is the express line don’t you?” She respectfully replied, “Yes a few more, would you like to go in front of me?” Instantly, the man’s demeanor transformed. As the air surrounding us became overwhelmingly heavy he abrasively proclaimed, “You people make me sick. Just do what you need to do.” All was still as my entire body went numb attempting to process what this seemingly placid older man just uttered. Did I hear what I just heard? Is she still in line after that? What should I say?

Shamefully, I said nothing. Was it because I didn’t want him to say more in front of the young girl? I can’t be sure. Was it because I avoid conflict whenever possible? Perhaps. Was it because I was simply shocked? Most likely. What ever the reason, I am ashamed and I am sorry. This man went over to the manager to complain and the woman stood up for herself as the manager opened another register for the man as he loudly carried on about the injustice of it all.

I can't imagine what it's like to have someone inflict such hatred at me, and I am truly ashamed that I did nothing as it happened in my presence.

I Am Here I Am Here!

2010-10-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

Please forgive me for not posting in a while. Life is good!

With school in full swing for the oldest four children, I was convinced I’d have oodles of uninterrupted time to devote to this blog of mine… Not so much!

How can I complain? I am blessed to enjoy days alone with Allyson. She is such a neat little person! The weekends are full as well. In fact, I was just saying to Neil,

"Whose idea was it to have five kids and sign them all up for stuff?
Can't we just become Amish and churn butter?"

He said no, even though I told him he would be really cute with a beard.

A Father's Day I Will Never Forget

2010-06-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

The little ones and I let dad sleep in. While daddy slumbered we thoughtfully prepared his favorite breakfast. (Okay, I did most of the work while the kids watched cartoons.) As the bacon began to sizzle, Lindsey and Zach tiptoed into the kitchen to beg for some. “After dad gets his breakfast!” I firmly announced. Needless to say, we fed dad and I went back to cooking. Lindsey snatched up some bacon and made a break for it. I giggled to myself as I pretended not to see her. A minute later I went in to request that she have a picnic on the floor so that our sofa wouldn’t be covered in bacon grease. As I entered the room I noticed that her eyes were unusually wide--panicked you could say. I instantly knew she was choking. “Are you choking?” I quickly asked, but no sound came from her mouth and she didn’t even nod. I spun her around and instinctively performed the heimlich maneuver on her…nothing, all I heard was a little gurgle and me praying in my head. I did it again…nothing . After the third attempt I felt as if my entire body was on fire and as I began the forth time, decided that I would scream “Call 9-1-1!!!,” but before I could, a huge chunk of fatty bacon shot out of her mouth and landed with a large splat on the floor. “Can I have a drink, my throat hurts?” Lindsey calmly asked. She had no idea the severity of the situation at all. Numbly, I got the drink then raced up the stairs to Neil. Shaking from head to toe I burst into tears as I tightly hugged him. It was a full minute before I could even blurt out what had just happened. I have never performed the heimlich maneuver on anyone before, let alone my own child. Thank you God for helping me stay calm I can’t imagine my life with out Lindsey in it.

Milestones

2010-06-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon when I discovered a little cash in my pocket. Since our second grader (Zach) seemed a bit down in the dumps when we arrived home, I thought I would bring our three youngest children out for lunch. We seldom go out to eat these days and I figured it would make his day a little bit brighter. After walking for what seemed like days because our three year old is completely awestruck by nature, Zach’s whole demeanor changed for the better. His sweet face lit up even more when he noticed a few of his buddies were already there as we arrived. We ordered our food and then my excited boy turned to me and asked if he could sit at the table with his friends. Without skipping a beat, I softly handed him his lunch and off he went. While I may have looked composed on the outside, on the inside I thought, Does this have to happen so soon? Zachary is our third child, so I have been through this before and while I fully recognize the whole autonomy thing, it remains a tricky subject for me. (In fact I am positive that I would make a terrible mother bird. The thought of letting my little hatchlings fledge for themselves after only a few weeks is appalling. My nest would be freakishly enormous not to mention insanely loud and probably overloaded with an abundance of extra feathers and random worm particles.)

I decided it best to sit with my back to him. I knew that my role in this circumstance wasn’t to hover, so I pretended that I wasn’t paying attention as he ate with his pals. (Boy did I wish I had one of those Whisper 2000 thingamajigs.) All was going relatively well until his friends had to leave, and instead of rejoining us at our table, he finished his meal by himself. I didn’t see that one coming I thought as I attempted to swallow the enormous lump in my throat. It was a bittersweet moment. He felt self-confident enough to eat by himself, yet I really wanted him to return to our table. As we finished, Zach appeared beside me “You ready?” my bright eyed eight year old asked while loudly slurping the last of his drink. “We sure are Zach, are you?” I replied, trying to act unflustered. He responded by tenderly saying thanks, and my broken heart was instantly repaired.

Believe it or not, I am making progress in this area. We recently took the crib down after 14 years. Our youngest (Allyson) moved into her big girl bed and it only took me about a month before I eventually felt ready to dismantle it. That crib was such a poignant staple in our home, so this pronouncement wasn’t an easy one. Luckily my husband Neil was very understanding. (Either that or he just didn’t want to deal with a weeping wife.) On that day I blurted, “I am ready for you to take it down, but I don’t want to be here when you do it.” Neil simply smiled as if to say, “Finally!” So I went for a walk (alone) and thought about all of the amazing things I was truly grateful for and when I finally returned, the crib was in the attic and the world was okay.

It might be a good idea to embark on the future instead of on the past, especially since our oldest is heading off to high school in the fall. (Would it be inappropriate to ride the train in with him on the first day of school? Don’t answer that.) I am ready…I think. I am ready to accept that my hatchlings will eventually leave the nest and until that time it’s my job to help them all to learn how to fly. (As long as I don’t have to teach them how to parallel park we will be okay…I think.)

I Love You Allyson

2010-05-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

My sweet baby girl. I know, I know, you aren't a baby anymore, but
you will always be my baby. Thank you Ally. Thank you for giving
me the amazing gift of carrying a child inside of me one last time. Thank
you for warming your dad's tender heart. Most of all, thank you for the
gift of you. Our family is joyfully complete because of you. We are blessed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLYSON

There Is a Reason

2010-05-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

This morning at Mass our pastor recited a poem near the end of his sermon that touched a chord with me.

I thought that I would share it with you.

There is a reason:
For every pain, that we must bear,
For every burden, every care.

For every grief, that bows the head,
For every tear-drop that is shed.

For every hurt, for every plight,
For every lonely, pain racked night.

There's a reason

Buf if we TRUST GOD,
As we should, It will all
work out for our good.

He knows the reason

Happy Mother's Day

Scattterbrain

2010-05-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Please tell me I am not the only person who does this!

I will begin a task…let’s say I am putting laundry away. (Usually I have the kids do this, but there are times when I do it just because I am behind schedule and I want to check it off of my list.) So I grab a pile from the table in the kitchen and begin my journey to the stairs. I march by the computer desk and notice that one of the kids left a toy on the desk so I put the laundry down and pick up the toy and bring it to the toy box. When I enter the playroom I realize that the entertainment center is really dusty so I set off to the kitchen to grab a rag. I catch a glimpse of the laundry and it reminds me that I need to put the clothes away. Then I make my way back to the desk and get the clothing to put away. When I tread past the bathroom on my way back from putting the laundry away. I notice that the sink in the bathroom is covered in toothpaste. So I grab a wipe from under the sink and begin to clean up the toothpaste. Then the phone rings and….you get the point, right? So by the end of the day I am not really sure what I did that day because the entertainment center is still dusty and the laundry is only half done!

I am a hopeless scatterbrain.

Zach's First Holy Communion

2010-05-07T09:38:00.001-07:00

(getting ready)

Here is my sweet boy in his "lucky socks." (I pick my battles...God loves him regardless of his footwear.)

Doesn't he look absolutely thrilled? LOL

Here is Lindsey practicing for her day in a couple of years...

And sweet Ally (waiting for her hair to be braided) wondering what is going on?

Our two oldest were a bit camera shy, but I think I can post a few family ones soon.

It was a glorious day.

God Bless you Zachary. He will always be with you.

Update

2010-05-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post I expressed uncertainty regarding our son Ryan and his high school education. Well, he is going to attend his dream school! Thank you for your prayers and encouraging words.

Keeping Americans Safe

2010-04-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

If you were Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona, what would YOU do? The citizens of her state overwhelmingly agree with her position and support the bill that makes it a crime to be in our country illegally. The law requires Arizona residents to present documentation of citizenship. The federal government has failed the people of Arizona (who are not racist by the way, they merely want LEGAL immigration.) Ugly crimes are seeping into their state at an alarming rate and the law abiding citizens have repeatedly pleaded for help. The governor is simply doing her job. I applaud Governor Brewer for her bravery and encourage the legal residents of Arizona to stay strong.

What is the Plural of Circus?

2010-04-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

Our family was disconnected today. Neil had the girls with his sister at the circus, while I had the pleasure of spending the day with my boys. Our crew had a very nice time together. We hung out at the house for a bit then went to visit my dearest friend Melissa. She has two adorable cats (her husband Paul is adorable too, but he wasn’t there). Zach really enjoys playing with the less introverted of the two cats Bruschi. Bruschi’s brother Pop Tart didn’t peek his bashful little self down to say hello today, but maybe next time. We then trekked up the street to muck around for a bit at what the kid’s lovingly refer to as “Melissa’s Park.” It was lots of fun! We made a well timed departure… just as a thunderstorm rolled in! Zach and I love to watch out for lightening. After that I bribed the boys to come run some errands with me before we took Ryan to soccer practice. As we ran errands Neil sent me some pictures from the circus...

Cute huh?

Yummy

And then this one really cracked me up!

He wrote, "Having a GREAT time!" under this one.

It looks like Neil isn't a huge fan of the circus.

As the boys and I were returning home, Ryan wondered why he wrote that? I replied,

"I guess your dad has been to one too many circuses...or is it circi?" The three of us burst out laughing!

We like circi...just because.

The Hike

2010-04-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

Our family enjoyed a lovely day together. Neil abandoned his typical “Whatever you want to do,” way of thinking and suggested we spend the day at a local nature museum. I appreciated that I didn’t need to decide on the plan this time. And to my amazement not a single fight over seats or radio station transpired as we traveled to our destination. This may actually work out the way I envisioned it I thought to myself as we pulled into the parking lot. How nice to escape the hustle and bustle of life and simply relax and enjoy beautiful scenery together as a family

We explored and observed for a while, (We all loved watching Allyson’s wide eyes. She found everything fascinating…especially the otter. He was very cute!) Then we decided to go on a mile hike up the mountain. Boy was that an interesting adventure! Ryan (above) climbed up a tree in the middle of the woods! (Which was hilarious because when he reached the top, his cell phone rang and he actually answered it! Now I couldn't exactly express my amusement at that moment because I didn't want the rest of the crew to attempt a climb too...but it was pretty funny.) And sweet Allyson nearly made it the whole way up the mountain but ran out of steam right before we made it to the top! Em, Zach and Lindsey effortlessly dashed the whole way! ("Oh to be young again!" Ryan said.) I will admit that I became a little unnerved at times when we needed to scale huge rocks with Allyson in tow but luckily Neil was his cool as a cucumber self.

After our enthralling hour long expedition we said farewell to our new friend the otter and ventured back to the car…Where the kids proceeded to bicker over seats and radio stations. Well, at least we had a fleeting period of tranquility.

Ick

2010-04-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

As I lethargically set foot into the kitchen this morning the stench of something entered my nostrils. I cleaned the cabinets (all two of them), scrubbed the floor, emptied the fridge, yet was unable to find the culprit. Maybe Neil is hiding a dead body under the floor boards? Or perhaps Allyson needs a bath.

Update: I discovered what it was...forgotten broccoli. Man was it stinky.

Devastation

2010-03-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from an area fairly close to us.
We had three days of pounding rain and these poor people have lost almost everything. For some, not only did their basement flood, but
it seeped up into their homes, their cars, campers, boilers...all ruined. Many of these families are friends of ours and classmates to our children.
Just days before, we were together at a special gathering sharing laughs and great conversation.

It doesn't seem fair. Prayers just don't seem enough.

(Above)

The water came so quickly that it surprised these poor souls. They were unable to

safely leave their homes without help.

This pool belongs to a co-worker of Neil's. That fence is a six foot fence!

Neil took this one at the top of the hill. On the far right is the park where our kids like to play, it looked more like a river. If you attempted to go down that hill, you would be up to your shoulders in water.

It is a blessing that everyone made it out safely, but devastating to observe such destruction.

One of the teachers from the school stopped by tonight and mentioned a fund raiser to help the families from our school. That is a start, I suppose.

Miracles Happen

2010-03-06T14:12:00.000-08:00

As I frantically scrubbed the floor this morning (I do this when I am stressed out) toiling over an important decision, something unbelievable happened!

Since elementary school, our oldest son has asked to attend a local private school. I am not sure where the idea came from since Neil and I hadn’t planned for our children to go to private school. We merely encourage our children to try their best in school and make it a priority of ours to give them all of the tools necessary to succeed. My guess is a teacher may have planted the seed. (I say this because on more than one occasion his teachers have mentioned in passing that he would be a great candidate for this particular school.) Ryan is entering high school in the fall and he asked if he could take the entrance exam and apply. We agreed that he could, but cautioned him that unless he received a scholarship or some significant financial aid to cover the tuition, he would not be able to go. I deliberated with myself… What am I setting him up for? Is he mature enough to understand this? But then I thought, How many children do I know beg (and I mean beg!) to attend a specific school?

Wouldn’t you know it, he scored extremely well on the exam. In fact they (school) called him and encouraged him to apply! Oy! All of us were incredibly proud, as well as hopeful that he may have earned a significant scholarship and would have the opportunity to attend. As it turned out, Ryan was awarded an honorable merit scholarship and our family was also given financial aid that we are appreciative. Yet, even with the help, being a large family on one income isn’t conducive to a private school education.

Alas as we toured the school and spoke with students, parents, and faculty, I inadvertently fell in love. I understand the endorsement that Ryan’s teachers offered him, and I completely understand why Ryan would want to be a part of this culture. It is truly amazing!

So this morning I was lamenting and praying about this difficult choice before us. In all honesty, I was about to just give up when something caught my ear on the radio. It was an enthusiastic Jesuit priest discussing
St. Ignatius. My sunken heart skipped a beat. The school that Ryan wishes to attend is a Jesuit school and the scholarship that he earned was named after St. Ignatius of Loyola the very same person that was now being discussed! Needless to say, I got my answer. There has to be another door that I haven't opened yet and I am determined to find it.

Happy Birthday Lulu!

2010-01-21T07:26:00.000-08:00

I hope that you enjoyed your "cake for breakfast" and your special dinner. You make my heart smile sweet girl. Happy sixth birthday!

Scott Brown Wins!

2010-01-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

I am overjoyed! Never in my life has my heart been filled with such pride, enthusiasm and excitement as it was while marking my ballot tonight. Massachusetts voted THE PEOPLE'S seat back. Are you listening Washington?

GO SCOTT GO!

Now I realize that my above entry sounds a bit dramatic, but my heart has been broken twice in some recent local elections, and this one was my third swing. Luckily it was a homerun! This race was nasty! If you do a search on Youtube for Martha Coakley ads, you'd be stunned and embarrassed. Not only were they untrue, they were just plain appalling. But this wasn't just about the ads. Scott Brown is a voice. Our voice. Many of us here in Massachusetts felt hopeless as we watched our country turn in a direction that we strongly opposed. Healthcare here in Massachusetts has become outrageously expensive since the law changed for us in 2006. In fact, Massachusetts has the most expensive family health insurance premiums in the country, according to an analysis that highlights the state’s challenge in trying to curb medical costs after passage of the law that mandated coverage for residents. So we know first hand what this proposed healthcare reform bill would mean. We need health insurance reform not health care reform. We also want our elected officials to stop their entitlement mentality. I mean no disrespect to the president when I say, “Take your Czars and shove it.” And to Congress, “We need you to hear us, so LISTEN. You work for us.”

I Just Threw Up in my Mouth

2010-01-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

Nice title huh?

Today my papa (He is my step father, but he is the only real father I've ever known.) was having surgery. Thankfully, my brother offered to spend the day with my mom, and then Neil and I planned on going in later. I begged my mom to call me right after the surgery (Sadly, she has a history of forgetting.) All of us have been on edge this week. Papa is well into his seventies and has a history of heart problems and this is a fairly complicated five hour procedure. I understand this isn’t about me, but I just missed the dang call and she didn't leave a message! If everything was fine wouldn’t she leave a message?!

Most of the blame falls on me. I had the phone in my hand but put it down to answer the door and then Allyson called me from upstairs and that is when (of course) she called. What is really sending me over the edge is that she shut her frickin’ phone off and doesn't know how to get voice mail. So now I am left pacing (and blogging to pass time) and assuming that something went terribly wrong.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

During my rant, the phone rang and it was my mom.

He is out and okay. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful and need to go back in on Wednesday. Out of respect for my papa I don't want to plaster his medical history here, but I must say, this is extraordinarily disappointing. At least he is all right.

I am going to have to have a cell phone intervention for my mom later, but right now I will resume my Hail Mary's for papa and stop my online temper tantrum. Thank you for reading this (uncharacteristic of me but absolutely needed) rant. And please, if you think of it, say a little prayer for papa. Thanks.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

Sending warm wishes from our family to yours.

The Sweetest Thing Anyone Has Ever Said To Me...

2009-12-05T06:24:00.000-08:00

                      "You make my heart feel super happy!"

                                               -Allyson, our sweet 2 and a half year old

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

Our family had a lovely Thanksgiving. We ended up having a simple meal with just us. This has never happened before. Each child had special jobs to do in preparation, and despite both mine and Neil's and reservations, it worked out just as I dreamed. The kids enthusiastically helped out and actually enjoyed it! And oh how I did too! Neil spent most of the morning with his mum. (She hasn't been well, and it was very important that he was there. I was very glad that he went to share Allyson with her on such an important day.) When he returned with Allyson, he was delighted by the smoothness of it all.

Recently, we've been extremely busy with activities, volunteering, and family illness (on both sides) so Neil and I have been like two ships passing in the wind. I look forward to sharing many more moments like these with our children in the days ahead.

Thank you Ryan, Emily, Zach, Lindsey and Allyson for all that contributed to make our day so special. And Neil, thank you for all that you do daily to make it possible for me to be a mommy to our children. I love you.

Oh Man

2009-11-09T07:36:00.001-08:00

You know your day can only get better when you try to fold laundry, dance and scramble eggs at the same time only you lose your balance and as you attempt to recover cause four eggs to swiftly catapult directly into a laundry basket filled with clean clothing.

Happy Monday!

Yep, that is a run on sentence alright!

photo by Emmy

You know what stinks?

2009-09-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

A forgotten bag of potatoes in the way back of a cabinet!

Oh my goodness, I can't believe how much stench is in the air. I need to bake something to cover it up. Even though I immediately transplanted the dripping bag into a trash bag and raced it to the garage, the overwhelming odor is still here.

Please share some of your stinky stories here.

Voila!

2009-08-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

I absolutely adore the sounds of summer! With that said, I need to admit that at times it can get a bit nuts around here. However, I discovered a way to get away from it all for...well....a little over 45 seconds.

I swim underwater (or just duck under). It's really quiet down there. That is until your five children discover that you can hold your breath for a really long time and decide to play the game, Guess what I just said. Did you know that "I am a dinosaur," sounds a lot like "I have a canker sore?" when you are under water. Believe me, it does.

Can you tell I'm smiling as I type this...I can't help it.

Happy Birthday Zachary!

2009-08-07T15:15:00.001-07:00

I am sorry that I am late with this posting sweet boy... (Yesterday was his special day, but we were so busy! Happily busy!)

Happy Birthday to my energetic, creative, and warm hearted little boy. You light up a room the second you enter it. I love you so much Zachary. You are a beautiful gift from God.

Thinking of my brother

2009-07-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

I try not to get too deep here, especially since the title of the blog is On the Brightside. However, this week marks the 30th anniversary of my older brother Kevin's death. I was eight when he died, and to be honest, for the longest time I thought he was away at a camp and would be home again some day. It's funny how a child's mind works? I am mindful of this when dealing with my own children.

Kevin passed away a week before his 11th birthday. He had a brain aneurysm, so it was very sudden. This week, whether I realize it or not, tends to make me extremely heavy hearted. It is amazing how my sub conscious works. What's also peculiar is that my mom and brothers get the same way.

When I was a young girl, I was afraid that I wouldn't make it to 11. I spent two years trying to figure out how to postpone my birthday. (Hmmm, if only I could do that now!) My mom found out and took the three of us to see the doctor that tried to save Kevin's life. He explained that we would be okay. What a great thing to do, even though in my head (no pun intended there) I thought, how do you know that I am okay? You have never looked at my brain? I stopped worrying once I turned 12.

My brother Kevin was a hero. Because of his death my mother found the strength to leave my father (an abusive alcoholic). I know that sounds a bit dramatic, but I honestly believe it. (My mom does too.) My father got even worse after Kevin died, so I am so very grateful for my brother Kevin and to my mom, who saved us all. So I guess there is a bright side after all, huh?

Happy Birthday Kevin...and thanks.

Happy Birthday Emily

2009-07-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

Today was Emmy's 12th birthday. Here she is...the speed demon that she is! Thank goodness she isn't quite old enough to have a drivers license yet!

My, what an amazing young woman you have become Miss Em! You inspire me to be a better person almost every single day. (I should probably enjoy this last year before we enter the teen years huh? Just kidding buddy...we will be fine!)

Happy Birthday Em. Oh and I am still taller than you. ;)

xoxoxoxo

Operation Bag

2009-06-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent column that I wrote for Zachary's school newsletter...

I knew that I had hit rock bottom when I inadvertently cleaned up the entire waiting room at the kid’s pediatricians office one morning. I am not proud to admit it, but it certainly was a wake up call for me! And considering I wasn’t doing a whole lot of sleeping at that time, it worked much better than the extra super large cup of coffee I drank before I left the house. Luckily our newborn daughter and I were the only two in the waiting room at the time. None the less, when I realized what I had done, my face turned purple with embarrassment.

As I waited for the nurse to call us in, I recognized that I had fallen into a cycle of behavior of constantly picking up after my family instead of letting them do it for themselves. I suppose it happened because it was just easier to do it myself rather than argue or badger. But how could I possibly fit in the family time that I absolutely adored in between nursing a new baby, taking care of four other children, the house and then organizing everyone’s things? Something needed to change and it was up to me to initiate it.

In the past, I found that if I nagged enough, my family would reluctantly put their stuff away. But again, I didn’t sign up to be the worlds biggest nag. (That’s one of my famous mom quotes that I use when I am frustrated, you can use it if you want to.) I also tried to ignore the piles of stuff that accumulated throughout our home, but that became not only annoying, but dangerous. “How many times do I need to trip over this stegosaurus before I break my neck?”

That night I made an important announcement at dinnertime. “Since my pleas for help around here have gone unanswered, I have decided to take every item that is not put into it’s proper place by the end of the day and put it into a bag to be given to charity at the end of the week. I need more help around here, and this is my only choice. Mom is tired,” (The guilt trip usually works around here.) As I finished my overly dramatic speech, I glanced at everyone’s blank faces hoping to get some sort of an apology…something…anything? But the only response I got was from our then five year old, “What’s a plea?”

After a brief explanation, everyone in the house (over the age of five) was ready for the challenge. Operation BAG was put into place. (Don’t ask me why it was called this, but it stuck ,so we kept it.)

Before bedtime, I annoyingly spotted many violations. And since it was the first day I issued a warning. Everyone, including Neil, jumped up from what they were doing and scrambled to put their stuff away. But the second day, I decided to simply collect my defiant family’s belongings without a word. The BAG contained a camera, Gameboy, two baseball hats, a deck of Pokemon cards, three socks?, a sticker book, a belt, and two Webkinz animals. Oddly, nobody even asked where their beloved belongings were the next day! And as day three closed I hesitantly put even more neglected items in the BAG. I was beginning to think that I would need to change this experiment’s name to Operation DUMPSTER. Finally, on the fourth day, they began to notice.

“Mom! Have you seen my baseball hat? Is it in the BAG?”
“Who took my pack of gum? It didn‘t just vanish…Oh man, the BAG!”
Or my own husband trying to sweet talk me, “Kel, you look very pretty today. Where is the BAG? I need my belt.” And to all, I simply replied “Did you put it where it belongs?” (Since when did I start sounding like my own mother?)

It took a disappointing four days for the littering scoundrels to realize how much stuff they left around the house! I wish I could say that things changed dramatically since then, they didn’t. But they did change a little. You’ll no doubt find piles of clutter decorating our humble home, but at the end of the day we work together to put it all away (usually). And I definitely have more time to enjoy my husband and kids, which is great since my newborn baby girl is now an extremely active toddler who enjoys leaving her toys every where just like her big brothers and sisters!

My Little Blessing

2009-05-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Friday mornings are nuts here. After the oldest three are off to school, I need to get my two little sweeties ready to drop Lindsey off at preschool. It really takes it's toll on Allyson, because normally I try to keep things fairly simple and calm around here. I am not a big fan of dragging children (especially really young children) all around the place, but some days it just can't be helped.

After drop off, errands and chores this morning, I took Allyson for a nice walk to break up the cycle of madness, and then made lunch. The poor love was ready for her nap, but I needed to go back to get Linds at school. I was racing against the clock because Emmy gets dropped off here at home shortly after. So I attempt to cajole Ally out the door and it doesn't go very well. (Need I say more? She is two and tired.) Normally I can distract her, but she had had her fill of being carted around for the morning. We finally make it to the car and she sternly resists going into her car seat. With a deep sigh I begin to pray for patience, "Hail Mary," puzzled Allyson interrupts, "Me no Mary! Me Allyson!"

How do you not laugh at that?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLYSON

2009-05-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

On one hand it seems like just yesterday when you entered this world, but on the other it feels like you've been here all along. Sweet girl, you never cease to amaze me with your physical agility, excellent vocabulary and outstanding manners! All of us can't imagine life without you! Thank you for your warmth, silliness, funny songs and kindness Allyson!

Happy Birthday!

Signs of Spring

2009-05-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

I can actually see the radiators because they aren’t covered in soggy snow pants hats and mittens

Dead dandelions in my pockets

The random strands of pink and yellow Easter grass and plastic egg halves spread all over the house.

Bubbles and sidewalk chalk

Long walks

Cleat prints and "schmootz" (the stuff that sticks to the bottom of the cleat) from soccer and baseball all over the front porch

Giggles on the swings

Daily hunts for shin pads and baseball gloves

More giggles on the swings

Debates over whether the kids need a jacket or not every morning.

Skinned knees

The ice cream man leisurely driving by and waving at our kids through our window just as we sit down for dinner every night

Spring is finally here!!!

Middle School

2009-03-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Our two oldest children are in middle school. Remember middle school? For me it was an absolutely horrible time. My awkward body was going through all of these weird changes that I didn’t understand no matter how many After School Specials I watched or Judy Blume books I read. Not to mention the “mean girls” in eighth grade that bullied me for an entire year because some boy liked me. I don’t want that for my children. But as I remorsefully think about the mistakes I made and the tears that I cried, I realize that because I went through those horrid days, it made me …me. Now don’t get me wrong, I am far from perfect (I couldn’t be further from it) but I kind of like me. I am sometimes overly empathetic, but who couldn’t use a little thoughtfulness in their lives? I want my children to feel the same way about themselves.

So I watch and listen, and even cry for them when they aren’t looking, because…I know. (Even though they don’t believe me.) I hope that they hold the above quote in their sweet little hearts because it is very very true.

I think I will blow this quote up and hang it on the wall because there are days when I need reminding too.

There truly IS a bright side...

2009-03-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our nation's economy is going down the tubes. (Don't worry, I am done with the finger pointing.) Everywhere you turn we are reminded of bailouts. lay offs and rising taxes! But there is a light at the end of this turbulent tunnel that we are traveling in.

Our personal relationships can and will grow stronger as a result of this. I am hopeful that people will realize how important it is to share your life instead of running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. It doesn't cost a whole lot of money to sit and chat, share a meal (even if it's hot dogs and beans), take a walk, or play a board game with family and friends. (Making love to your spouse doesn't cost anything, and it will bring you even closer. I highly recommend it!) Instead of worrying about where to take a vacation, which car we should buy, or how many minutes we've used on our cell phone, we can focus on the people in our lives that make us truly happy and fulfilled.

Now I understand that some of us are struggling to put food on the table or trying to find a job, but if we are surrounded by people who truly care and love each other and support one another, this journey will be easier than if traveled alone or unhappy.

Ten Reasons Why I ABSOLUTELY Adore My Valentine!

2009-02-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

1. He makes me coffee in the morning.

2. He calls me when he's on the road to see if I need anything.

3. He will take a lunch so that I don't need to wake the baby to pick up the kids at school.

4. He never complains when I am behind with the laundry and he needs to dig for socks.

5. He is a very good "spooner."

6. He is great at math!

7. He stays calm when I go off of the deep end!

8. He can instantly tell when something is bothering me and will sincerely ask, "What's wrong?"

9. He tells me that I am beautiful even when I am ten months pregnant sporting swollen ankles, love handles and bulging varicose veins.

10.When he walks into a room my heart still skips a beat!

Happy Valentines Day Neil! I LOVE you!

Our Very Own Peter Pan

2009-02-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

Emily switched schools this year. This school is 45 minutes away from us, but a dream come true for Em. My heart felt broken the first day, but I knew we made the right decision. The fact that our sweetie, even though she was the new girl, found the courage to try out for the part of Peter Pan in the school play only confirmed that this was the place for her! Here are a few pictures from the play.

Her biggest fans! (I love Allyson's green lolipop face in this one LOL!)

Happy 5th Birthday Lindsey Lu!

2009-01-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Thank you for being who you are! You are loved and cherished. Happy Birthday!

Confession

2009-01-18T18:51:00.000-08:00

I still nurse Allyson (20 months old). I know I know, you don't have to say it out loud because I have heard it already. "You still do that?" I wish I could proudly proclaim yes, but instead I am embarrassed. I've seen the raised eyebrows and the disaproving grimaces. (Even from the nurse at our doctors office.) We don't even breastfeed in public, it's a quiet time shared at home, and I usually don't discuss it unless asked. Yet, I am writing this to get it out in the open. I am sick of feeling this way.

Sweet Allyson is struggling to gain weight. In fact, she recently had an endoscopy to confirm a diagnosis of Celiac disease. But instead of an answer, we have questions. (She has many of the "markers" but she doesn't have Celiac.) Why is she anemic? Why isn't she gaining weight? Why is she low in a particiular anit-body?

So for now, we are back on a dairy free diet. Hopefully she will improve, but until then I will breastfeed her. It's my insurance policy, and it's her comfort, as well as extra fat and calories. I feel better now, I just hope that my sweet girl does too.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

Here it is...this year's Christmas card picture. Every year I vow that I will be more creative and thoughtful, and
every year I break that vow. I know one vow that I am not going to break. I vow not to lose sight of the reason for the season. God Bless you all and enjoy your families and friends.

2008-12-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

Some Good Sound Advice...

2008-11-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

Don't feed seagulls.

Why do I say this you ask? Well, let me tell you.

Last Friday after I dropped Lindsey off at preschool, I decided to venture off to do a quick errand at Wal Mart. Zachary's school was running a warm winter clothing drive so I wanted to pick up some inexpensive hats and mittens for children who may not have any this winter. When we arrived, I parked and mindfully schlepped to the back of the van to lug out and assemble the stroller. As I unbuckled Allyson to take her out of the car, she noticed a package of crackers sticking out of the diaper bag. "Cracker?" she politely asked, "Pleeeese?" Of course I had to give her one, afterall, how do you say no to that?

"Sure sweet girl, just let me buckle you up," I replied while sitting her in the seat. As I finished, I noticed a lonely little seagull in the parking spot next to us. Thinking I was really smart, I decided to throw the top couple of crackers (that I thought may be stale) to the hungry looking thing. BIG MISTAKE! I casually tossed the crackers in his direction, then handed Ally hers.

Suddenly, out of nowhere came a big gang of smelly, loud, and aggressive seagulls! Plunging and swooping, the decoy's accomplices came after us! Their wings were huge, their calls deafening! What concerned me the most was that my sweet baby girl was holding a cracker! I instinctively slammed my car door shut so I could high tail it out of there! Just as the door shut, one of them pooped on my head with a SPLAT! Ewwww! Lucky for me (I guess) it was only on my headband. How disgusting! I whipped it off and made a break for the store. While I was in panic mode, Allyson happily munched on her snack while making "tweet tweet" sounds. Go figure?

I was still shaking ( I think I was even talking to myself ...again) when I got to the checkout line at the end of our "quick errand." When we approached the car, that little trouble maker of a seagull was still hanging out in the same spot. "Tweet tweet." chimed Allyson. "Yeah tweet tweet indeed Ally," I responded as I gave that flying rat the evil eye.

-----------------------------------------------------------

I bet one day you will see me on an episode of When Animals Attack...

"Watch as this clueless mother feeds the savage
flying beasts some crackers, putting her defenseless
child in harms way."

If you do see me on that tv show, try not to laugh too hard as you watch me stumbling and flailing my arms like a blind drunk penguin giving directions okay?

(Does anyone else have that Flock of Seagulls (from the 80's) song stuck in their head? "And I ran I ran so far away?") LOL!

Pet Peeves

2008-10-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

If I could chose one animal on our beautiful planet to become extinct it would be...
THE STUFFED ANIMAL.

Who is with me?

Joe the Plumber for President!

2008-10-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

Joe is sick and tired of people talking badly about our country. He wants to chose how to "spread his wealth" himself. He is extremely proud to be an American, and now thanks to our shameless media, I know more about Joe the plumber then I do about Barack Obama. Reporters went through Joe's divorce records and his credit score! WHAT?!

What's even more shocking is that I just read that the presidential front runner wouldn't qualify to be a state trooper in our state because of his admitted drug use, his past relationships with admitted terrorists, and his refusal to release his birth certificate. Oddly, he will most likely be our next president! No thank you! I like Joe the Plumber.

You're Fired

2008-09-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QBRIsCkGQ0

What a mess! Please...vote these crooks out of office. Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd, you should be ashamed of yourselves! And all of these congress people with their hands in the pot, you are a disgrace! You work FOR US so if I had my way I'd pull a Donald Trump and say, "You're Fired!"

Caption Contest

2008-09-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

Emmy took this picture last winter and I just found it on the computer. (Fresh fresh fresh!) Poor Lulu had no idea why her brother asked her to show her chipped fingernail.

Sarah Palin as McCain's VP Pick

2008-08-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a surprise! I thought for sure that "the maverick" was going to pick Mitt Romney as his running mate.

My first reaction to the govenor of Alaska was... Who?

My second reaction (shamefully) was...

Geesh, I can't even keep my laundry in order as a mother of five, how the heck does she do it?

My third reaction was...

How does she find the time to have ___with her husband and keep five children happy and healthy, as well as run a state?

(Mum, if you are reading this, I am really sorry, but I am trying to remain honest here.)

After all of our little ones are happily tucked into bed, I will try to learn more about this (what seems to be an amazing) woman. That is unless I find time to...
never mind. ;)

Grumpy Mom Strikes Again

2008-08-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love summertime. At our house (and I imagine most of yours as well) most days are beautifully carefree...just the way I like it. We lounge in the mornings and chat about what we can do that day, and usually end up doing something fun(in between some sibling bickering) but all and all it really doesn't matter most days really. Unfortunately, last Friday didn't exactly turn out that way. (Okay it did, but there was a HUGE speed bump on the road to getting there...a grumpy mom!)

The morning started out very nicely. Me with a hot cup of coffee in one hand,our sweet little one Allyson in the other. She was doing her new thing...pointing at everything in sight then looking brightly up at me to ask,"Whasat?" Ryan and Zach were playing "something" in the playroom and Em and Linds were loudly munching on a bowl of cereal. All was well with the world.

I decided that I really needed to get out of the house, so I had made plans in my head to go to the library in the morning and the mall to pick up Allyson's pictures in the afternoon. But my plans were swiftly pushed to the side by the kids.

I came downstairs after putting Allyson in for her morning nap to find the remaining four kiddos breaking out a game of...Monopoly. (Monopoly?) I took a step back and observed as the older two children patiently explained the rules to the younger ones then handed out the money and enthusiastically began. (Wow, how sweet, but honestly, I had some serious doubts about this. Lately Ryan and Em begin arguing after "Good morning" and Lindsey and Zachary are lovingly referred to as Oil and Water at our house.)

Surprisingly, they were still happily buying properties and getting sent to jail after an hour and a half. But when lunchtime came, things began to get ugly. It was almost three hours into the game and Lindsey had quit (I don't know how she stayed in that long--she's four!) and it seemed like the road to Boardwalk was all down hill from there!

Conflict after conflict after conflict!!! We tried rock paper scissors, I attempted to let them duke it out (big mistake) I reasoned, mediated and listened to the unfairness of it all and then it happened. Without warning...after the eighteenth time they shouted "Mom!" I had had it! (This is where I felt like I was on the outside looking in.) I stomped into the dining room with a scowl, "Enough! Everybody-not you Lindsey (who was like a deer in headlights with peanut butter on her forehead?) go upstairs!" Everyone sat scared there for a moment...I am not sure why (okay because my response was out of nowhere!) "Now!"

I was quickly ambushed with questions like "Why?" "What did I do?" "Can't you just listen to my side?" I sternly piped up, "For your own safety,go up there and stay there!" (For there own safety? What was I planning on doing to do to them?) Luckily, I resisted flinging the game across the room and left it intact. Next,I quickly took a trash barrel up and put it in the hall announcing. "Please clean your rooms while you are up here!" And they did.

They instinctively knew that their mom had lost it, the poor loves. Meanwhile downstairs Lindsey kind of hung around close by waiting. Waiting to see what I would do next. It was kind of annoying actually because I didn't know what I was going to do next. Allyson began following me again asking, "Whasat?" (Somehow it wasn't cute that time?)

I quickly realized (after talking to myself for a few minutes) that I simply needed space and uninterrupted time. This happens to me every once and a while (please tell me it happens to you too!) Being home with the kids is something that I absolutely love! But sometimes a little "Metime" is in order.

Needless to say, the kids bedrooms look great, the Monopoly game continued until 4:00 without any major disagreements, and I swiftly went downstairs for a great workout shortly after Neil came home. And when I came back up to put Allyson to bed she pointed at my headband and said...

And it was back to being cute!

My "Baby" is Growing Up

2008-08-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

We took her for her one year pictures (a bit late) today. She was a doll! All of the kids helped. I can honestly say that it went really well. Phew.

Vacation

2008-07-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Ahoy!

Just popping in to post a few pictures from our vacation that my dear sister in law took. Thank you Kerri!

Allyson and Daddy.

Allyson (or shall I say Gidget Jr.) absolutely LOVED the beach! She dove right in and never once looked back!

Ryan and my Godson Sean skillfully digging for sea life.
All of the kids really enjoyed discovering new creatures on the shore.

Here are Zachary and Billy on the hunt for crabs!

Lindsey and her cousin Sean taking a break from mini golf

Here is Allyson "riding a horse" with her biggest fan Zachary right behind her.

Here is Emmy doing her very best Jan Brady imitation! (Too bad most of the kiddo's have no idea who Jan Brady actually is!) Gotta love the bikes! Watching all of the sweeties zooming about the resort was one of the highlights of my week.

And we even had a make over session for Lindsey Lu...

Before:

After:

The kids had such a great time. My heart is filled with joy just thinking of the many memories from this one trip.

I am not sure that cousin Rachel's heart was filled with joy when the crew decided to help her overcome her fear of clowns. You are a great sport Rach! ;)

Bad Bad Blogger

2008-07-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

Life is indeed great...isn't it? It can also become extremely hectic at times...well at our house it does anyway. I really wanted to check in briefly since I've received several emails asking where I am. Well...

I am happily immersed in life and simply unable to sit and blog at the computer. (However, if you follow me around the house and listen really carefully I blog verbally to myself...much to the dismay of my children whom often wonder who the world I am talking to!)

Allyson has officially become a proficient climber, so I am on constant patrol. Lulu has decided to teach herself how to swim in our pool, therefore I have suddenly become a valiant life guard. Not to be outdone, Zac is currently working on his curve ball. I happen to be his biggest fan. His current favorite phrase is, "Mom, watch this one!" I am also wearing the hat of guidance counselor since our sweet Emmy is preparing for her entrance into middle school. And since Ryan is enjoying the freedoms that Neil and I have given to him now that he has proven that he is a very responsible young man, I have taken up the odd habit of pacing about while feeling like I am missing something. (Don't ask, I can't explain it.)

And since my handsome husband is working very very hard to provide for us all and then jumping right in to play hard when he comes home, I have very little spare time!

So I needed to make a choice...find time to blog, or time to nourish my marriage, my children and myself. Obviously I didn't choose the blog. I guess you can say that I am a really bad blogger.

Hopefully in the fall I will have more time to spend here as well as catch up with all of you! In the meantime I will continue my patrol while cheering, pacing, listening, and talking to myself as I enjoy my days of summer!

Have a WONDERFUL summer too! xoxoxoxoxo

Busted! Jumping on the bed

2008-06-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

Emmy at the spring concert

2008-06-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

"I LOVE my big brother Ryan"

2008-06-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

YO!

2008-06-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

The Results Are In...

2008-05-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

The doctor's office called...Allyson has outgrown her milk allergy!!!

I am so very happy for my precious baby girl! We introduced a few things over the weekend and she got a bit of a belly ache. (She actually vomited on Emily's face...sorry Em.)So we decided to take it slow, despite being surrounded by people wondering when I am going to wean her. Gulp I don't like that kind of pressure.

The Phlebotomist from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks

2008-05-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Allyson's one year well visit. Well...she is very well indeed. Our sweet girl didn't gain any weight but she did, however grow over two inches in three months. Yay Allyson!

Our beautiful one year old also got two vaccinations and handled them well. Me...not so much! It makes my heart ache when she looks at me with those big blue eyes wondering how I could let this strange lady do this to her? It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase... "This hurts me more than it hurts you."

At the conclusion of the visit, the doctor and I discussed Allyson's milk allergy. Since lots of times children outgrow this type of food allergy we both agreed that we would proceed to do a radioallergosorbent test...also called a RAST. Honestly, I really didn't want to put Ally through this. The mere thought of watching her get blood drawn sent shivers up my spine.

But, it has been a long couple of months trying to keep my angel safe. Do you know how many times I have actually "cried over spilled milk" since she started moving around on her own? Or how stressful it is because she is... oh so very talented at picking up tiny pieces of anything from the ground?

Do you know how many things have dairy in them? One time when Allyson was about five months old (many of you know this already) she mouthed a toy that our neighbor's baby had mouthed as well. She instantly got hives, her eyes and nose watered and her eyes got swollen as well. So needless to say, our family needs to know once and for all just how dangerous it currently is if she is exposed to dairy products. Plus being a completely dairy free nursing mom for a whole year...I really miss cheese! LOL!

So off we cautiously sauntered to the blood lab down the hallway. It is a separate office all together from our pediatrician and I was a bit apprehensive because of Allyson being so young. We signed in and waited and waited and waited... As we lingered Ally roamed the hallway charming everyone who came in and out of the building.

After what seemed to be a really long time of chasing Ally everywhere, the receptionist called our name and she came out from behind the desk. This woman was dressed in scrubs so I am assuming she was a nurse of some kind but I really didn't put much thought into it. "You can sit her on your lap in this chair," she kindly directed.

Ally and I were both very quiet. As I nervously sat down, wondering to myself how this was going to work, an extremely tall dark woman (the phlebotomist) dressed in all white sternly entered our cubical. The room got even more quiet and to break the tension I quickly blurt out,
"I am probably going to cry harder than the baby...just to warn you."
Neither of the two ladies responded at all, and the conversation quickly got ugly.

Phlebotomist..."What are you doing?"

Desk Lady..."I am helping."

Phlebotomist...shakes her head as she snaps her glove. "Well then you can take the blood then if you are going to have them sitting. I put babies on the table over there."

Me...Gulping, this isn't happening. Surely this is some kind of joke. Where is the camera. This isn't funny.

Phlebotomist..."You go right ahead Miss Comeoutfrombehindthedesk, take the blood."

Desk Lady..."I am concerned for the patient, I am trying to help. I don't feel comfortable." She then looks at me and says, "I am so sorry." Next,she says to the tall lady, "I can help hold the patient so that she doesn't get injured."

Me...gulp

Phlebotomist..."I will instruct the mother how to hold her."

At this point I am burning up. I don't want to be here to begin with and now this?!!! The desk lady walks away and the Phlebotomist huffs. She then turns to Allyson and I. Ally trustingly looks up at me and inside I am debating what I should do.

I am then instructed sternly to lay the baby down I continue debating with myself. She then gets the elastic thingy out to tie it onto Allyson's arm.

Meanwhile I am thinking...

A good mom would have taken the baby out of this place. Hail Mary full of grace... Please help me do the right thing.

The Phlebotomist searches for a vein and can't find one. She then goes to the second arm and does the same.

At this point I take a deep breath and pipe up, "If you can't find a vein, or you aren't comfortable doing this, please stop. I can take her to a pediatric place." (Frap that really didn't sound very intelligent did it?) "Please don't try anything if you aren't confident."

Now, if you know me, I am extra super polite most of the time, but holy macaroni...do not mess with my baby! And thank you Blessed Mother for helping me find the right words.

Immediately the Phlebotomist softens. She explains that she does babies all of the time and that she usually feels for the vein but not necessarily sees it. She then takes my hand and kindly shows me. Thank goodness I felt it plain as day.

Pinning Allyson as tightly as I could and listening to her yelp wasn't anything compared to feeling completely frightened that she was going to be hurt by this large woman in all white.

When it was over I held my sweet baby close and apologized to her tenderly. As we entered the waiting room on our way out,everyone shook their heads sympathetically. The desk lady apologized again and I nodded. I also vowed to myself (and Mary) that I would NEVER to go back there again!

This is the messiest that it got...

2008-05-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

She didn't want anything to do with the cake? (As you can see from the picture.) LOL!

Happy Birthday Allyson!

2008-05-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

She wasn't too sure about the dairy free cake that Lindsey and I made for her. LOL! Zachary and I liked it though.

I can't believe it's been a whole year! Allyson, you have brought beautiful light into our world. Your smile, zest, and hugs are just glorious!!! Thank you for being who you are. Our family is even more special with you in it. You are a treasure. Happy birthday love!

Thank goodness the kids and I went to the party supply store for balloons! How can you go wrong with balloons?!!! All of the kids had a blast..despite the flop of a cake. Family fun, and balloons! Yay!

One Year Ago Today

2008-05-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

Here I am...one year ago just as I was leaving for the hospital. My water broke, and despite my inner voice telling me to stay home, I listened to the doctor's office and went into the hospital to give birth. I was full excitement and joy here even though I was absolutely humongous and really uncomfortable.

As well as the excitement,I was full of uncertainty. I just knew that my body wasn't ready. If only I had listened to that voice inside of my head. Although, trying to labor at home with four other children wasn't something that I would have been very good at.

In case I don't have time to finish...everything turned out okay. Allyson and I made it. Our sweet baby girl ended up being a shoulder dystocia baby and because of her very rough delivery...let's just say it was a scary moment in time shall we?

The Artist

2008-05-09T04:54:00.000-07:00

Here is our very talented artist Zach! His picture "The Seadragon" was selected to be on display at our public library. It is the one mounted in orange above his head. Yay Zachary!

Mean Mom on the Block

2008-05-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

My poor sweet baby girl. Her sleep pattern is changing again and she isn't sleeping well AT ALL. The worst of it...she doesn't give up! She keeps on crying and calling for me. And to add insult to injury she gets herself in such a tizy that she poops in her diaper every time she gets upset. In my heart of hearts I know this is a phase, but holy frap!

I am embarrassed to admit this, but tonight after I FINALLY settled the poor love in for the night (hopefully) the neighborhood gang began racing bikes outside. They were having a grand time shouting and calling out to each other. Now, normally this is music to my ears, but tonight...not so much. You know what I did? I went out and asked them to turn it down a couple of notches. What kind of person does that???!! A crazy mom who hasn't had a break for a few days that's who. I can't believe I did that though. Gulp. I am the mean mom on the block.

A Public Service Announcement from Neil

2008-04-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

Wetting old dried up clay for a pottery wheel that your daughter got three years ago for Christmas and then forgot about, and then putting it into the microwave will NOT make it soft again.

Ask a Silly Question...

2008-04-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

Neil had today off and we just puttered around the house a bit. I needed to get some potting soil so I took Allyson for a walk to the hardware store near by. When I returned I wanted the kids to come outside but noticed that Lindsey was barefoot.

Me....."Lindsey what happened to your socks?"

Lindsey....."They got wet."

Me....."How did they get wet?"

Lindsey....."I stepped in a puddle."

Me....."Where was the puddle?"

Lindsey....."In the bathroom."

Me....."What happened?"

Lindsey....."I had a little accident! A real little one mumma."

Me....."Did you clean it up?"

Lindsey....."Yes mumma."

Me....."Good job Lindsey."

Lindsey....."With my socks."

LOL! Life with Lulu is never boring!

Thank You Billy!

2008-04-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

We had a WONDERFUL day yesterday. It is spring vacation and our home was FILLED with children! I believe at one point we had around 14 children plus neighborhood kids roaming around here. It was a bit warm outside...it felt more like summer than spring, but how can I complain?

My sister in law Kerri came over with her two boys: Billy who is five and my sweet God son Sean who is three. They brought their bikes to ride. Zachary had given up on riding a two wheeler. He refused to practice anymore because he kept falling. Until...Billy started masterfully racing around our neighborhood (okay just our street, but it sounds better doesn't it? LOL) like a pro on two wheels. This inspired Zachary to give it one more try. And wouldn't you know it he did it!

Thank you Billy for showing Zach that no training wheels isn't so scary after all!

Now if only we could get Zachary to tie his shoes? Billy, when you figure that one out give me a call okay? Love you!

How Can This Be Okay?

2008-04-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

My mom called me on Friday morning in tears. "They let me go Kel,"she blurted trying to catch her breath. For a moment neither of us spoke. I listened to her sobbing on the other line. My mom worked for the state for 26 years and just like that they informed her that her position had been eliminated due to cutbacks. No package, no options, just...see you later.

Not only that, it was a stranger who did it. My mom had never met this man before in her life. He offered no answers. "Did I do something wrong?" my mom asked. "No."

She was escorted from the building by two men and told that they would mail her things to her.

She will have no health insurance after May.

How cold. How unfair. How can they just do that?

UPDATE

My mom filed an appeal and got offered another position. She is most likely going to take it so that she can still retire when she planned to with her full pension. It has been a really rough week for her. She hasn't been sleeping. I still don't understand how they can do that? Thank you very much for all of your prayers and advice. I appreciate it.

Gulp

2008-04-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby girl is into everything lately. By the time Neil comes home from work I am literally shaking some days because I have saved her life at least five times. In fact just the other afternoon she had a chocolate Easter egg in her mouth, tin wrapper and all! You know the ones that are the perfect size to completely block her throat!

She sweeps her hand underneath the furniture for things so I find myself pacing from room to room searching for possible dangers.

She is also an expert at climbing stairs! Luckily we have a door to the room where the steps are, but my sweet children are sometimes forgetful and leave it open. I made the mistake of sitting down to peel potatoes the other day and realized it was too quiet. Sure enough Allyson was on the second floor!

The play pen is good for about 15 minutes, baby gates are tough because Lindsey and the neighborhood children can't figure them out. We have one gate that is at the top of the steps.

Allyson is faster and faster every day. She swiped a strawberry from the table (Lindsey left it a little bit too close to the edge.) and took off running leaving a trail of juice that was dripping from her chin and her clenched hand the other day. God bless her. You could hear her belly laughing from down the block!

She also enjoys playing the drums on the toilet, eating the shmutz from Ryan's baseball cleats,and chewing on electrical cords and unattended Pokemon cards. Baby proofing was so much simpler when I had less children. LOL!

Needless to say, I have a ton of unfinished projects, a big pile of dirty laundry, but a huge smile on my face because...well, just look at her!

Enjoy the day!

Bed Times

2008-04-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

When I invisioned myself as a mother a long (long) time ago, I imagined bed times as tender moments. Me rocking the baby to sleep while softly serenading a sweet lullaby. Or sharing a story while snuggling up underneath covers and after saying, "the end" my angel rolling over and quickly drifting off into dreamland. Lucky for me I am blessed to have moments (kind of) like these, however lately the endings aren't nearly as charming. It sometimes goes like this...

I am sharing a beautifully quiet moment before bedtime in our room with the baby at the end of the day. Nursing her uninterrupted is a gift that I try to give her at least once a day. She prefers it, and of course I cherish these moments because I know they will be gone before I know it. VRRRRoom VRRRRoom! I hear a noise and wonder what it is? Again VRRRRoom VRRRRoom it's right outside of the bedroom door. I quickly realize it's someone roller blading and I can't believe it! Are you serious?!!! I take a deep breath and try to ignore it, but after a few more minutes both Ally and I are now wondering what the heck is going on and why Neil (my husband) is alllowing it?! I swiftly make my way to the door, and peek out only to find Neil roller blading in the hallway. Annoyed I ask,"What are you doing?!" He replies without blinking, "Rollerblading." Shaking my head I mutter, "Stop it." "Sorry." he says staring blankly into my steaming eyeballs

Or then there is this one...

I read a cute little story to Lindsey. Sometimes I feel like Linds gets left out of things. The older kids have their friends over all of the time, and the baby is into everything lately, so it's nice to share one on one time with Lulu at the end of the day as well. After the book and brushing teeth I give her a ride on my back to bed. I put her down and she starts feeling the sheets with the palm of her hand. "Oh good it's dry," she announces as she pulls the covers up over her. "What do you mean honey?" I ask, not fully wanting the true answer because I just want my day to end at this point (selfish I know). She matter of factly states that she wet the bed last night, but good thing it's dry now huh?
I love that she makes her own bed now, I love that she has no clue as to why she can't sleep in those same sheets again, but I am not loving the fact that I need to change the bed right now.

Being a mom isn't quite what I imagined as a child, and it is certainly not what it's like on television! It's better...even with damp sheets and roller blading husbands.

Allycat

2008-04-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

The Next Idol?

2008-04-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

The Gift of Sisterhood

2008-04-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

Oh To Be Young Again...

2008-04-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

and just hang out with no pants on without a care in the world. Here is my sweet niece Maddy (the cute brunette) and of course our Allyson chillin' on the kitchen floor. Thanks for coming to visit girls! We missed you so very much!

Me and my Buddy Zachary

2008-03-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

It's not the best picture...probably because I almost always avoid having my picture taken, but here we are.
If I could bottle up the love, energy, and talent that this sweet boy has inside of him, I would be a very rich woman. Although if you really think about it, I am already very rich... just not in dollars.

Thanks Easter Bunny!

2008-03-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Right before bedtime on the night before Easter my sweet boy Zachary quickly jotted down a little note. (See Above) He kindly asked me to put it on the table in the living room for the Easter bunny to find (right next to some baby carrots and some Sun chips?). How cute is he? I especially love the way he spelled appreciate! He also waited a few days before he put his lost tooth underneath his pillow because he wanted the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny to meet each other. LOL! Zachary is such a thoughtful and tender hearted person. Our family is so lucky to have him with us. He makes me smile every single day!!!! I Love you Zach and I uPreeShEET you more than you will ever know!

On The Bright Side with Kellybelly

Uh Oh

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I Want To Wish You a Merry Christmas!

What Would Jesus Do?

Really?

Season Finale

You are not going to believe this...

Happy Birthday Allyson!

Eeewww!!!

Confessions of a Mom of a Teenager

Easter

Highlights

Hmmmm?

Scaredy Cat

Rugby!

Fooling Around

Mommy Guilt

L-E-N-T

Lent

Snow

They're American?!

Happy Birthday Lindsey!

Sisters

Jack and the Beanstuff

Gotta Lover Her!

2011!!!

I Made A Mistake

I Am Here I Am Here!

A Father's Day I Will Never Forget

Milestones

I Love You Allyson

There Is a Reason

Scattterbrain

Zach's First Holy Communion

Update

Keeping Americans Safe

What is the Plural of Circus?

The Hike

Ick

Devastation

Miracles Happen

Happy Birthday Lulu!

Scott Brown Wins!

I Just Threw Up in my Mouth

Happy New Year!

The Sweetest Thing Anyone Has Ever Said To Me...

Thanksgiving

Oh Man

You know what stinks?

Voila!

Happy Birthday Zachary!

Thinking of my brother

Happy Birthday Emily

Operation Bag

My Little Blessing

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLYSON

Signs of Spring

Middle School

There truly IS a bright side...

Ten Reasons Why I ABSOLUTELY Adore My Valentine!

Our Very Own Peter Pan

Happy 5th Birthday Lindsey Lu!

Confession

More Questions....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Some Good Sound Advice...

Pet Peeves

Joe the Plumber for President!

You're Fired

Caption Contest

Sarah Palin as McCain's VP Pick

Grumpy Mom Strikes Again

My "Baby" is Growing Up

Vacation

Bad Bad Blogger

Busted! Jumping on the bed

Emmy at the spring concert

"I LOVE my big brother Ryan"

YO!