pity party

it's Sunday afternoon.

beautiful day outside.

gotta get ready for work, all 13 hours of it.

while my family is all snug in their beds catchin' zzz's, i'll be patrolling the units of the hospital, making sure all is well.

i don't mind it while i'm there, but thinking about it ahead of time makes me grumpy.

i know i am blessed to have such a great job.

but sometimes being a stay-at-home mom sounds so inviting...

especially when i'm walking the halls at three in the morning.

what will you be doing at three in the morning?

(make something up if you have to; it'll make me feel better.)

Heartbreaker

Last year at preschool, this little girl had a big crush on Gabe...

She has moved on to greener pastures (kindergarten), while Gabe is in a new Young 5's class for kids not quite ready to leave preschool.

Apparently a new girl has taken notice of my olive-skinned heartbreakingly handsome boy.

When I picked Gabe up from school today, I was asking him about his day.

Me: So, who did you play with at recess today?

Gabe: Well, I like to play with Calvin and Braden, but this girl, Gracie, kept wanting to hug me.

Me: Hug you?

Gabe (with a shrug of the shoulders): Yeah, she hugged me, like, fibe times. She hugged my guts right up to my heart! She lubs me, I think. Can I have a snack?

And so it begins...

Meal Plans

You may remember my discussion about starting a meal plan for my family.

I went to the library, checked out some cookbooks, made a list of the recipes that sounded good, then got down to business deciding which meal to have on which day.

I do one week at a time, and post the plan on the refrigerator for all to see.

We're on the second week, and it's going fairly well. I like knowing what I need to set out to thaw in the morning, I like having all the ingredients ready, and I can plan my time according to what I'm planning to prepare.

The bonus of this meal planning has been that the kids know in advance whether they're going to like dinner or not. They have time to prepare themselves for the torture that is (gasp) beef stew, or the excitement that is breakfast-for-dinner.

It is really difficult to try out new recipes on these folks, though. I have made a deal with them, to make it easier. I will only try one new recipe per week, and it will be followed by a well-loved meal the next day.

Last week the new meal was chicken piccata. It was a huge hit.

This week, pasta with shrimp. Isabel had a stomach flu, Elijah doesn't like shrimp. But Gabe, Joe and I loved it.

With busy schedules, football practice and Girls on the Run practice, family dinners have a high potential of falling to the wayside. I am fighting this tooth and nail.

Anyone else doing a meal plan? Even cooking dinner? Any other Rachael Ray wannabe's out there?

Happy Tuesday!

Thanks, Kay (my sweet MIL), for sending me this funny to start off my week. After spending the day cleaning and organizing, then going to work all night, I needed a good laugh. You're the bomb!

Hope you get a chuckle, too. Lula, I have to say, I thought of you while writing this post. Only because of the iPod, though, I swear...

"I was in the restaurant yesterday when I suddenly realized I desperately needed to pass gas. The music was really, really loud, so I timed my gas with the beat of the music.

After a couple of songs, I started to feel better. I finished my coffee, and noticed that everybody was staring at me....

Then I suddenly remembered that I was listening to my iPod."

Man, you've gotta love Maxine!

The day has come.

Labor Day in Cincinnati has always meant one thing...

The annual WEBN Fireworks production held on the banks of the Ohio River. Over forty minutes of incredible pyrotechnics set to music. Thousands of people crowded together to ooh and aah over each explosion.



Did I mention thousands of people?


The party usually starts before noon on Sunday, with people competing for the best spots to see the show and hear the music.

The fireworks don't start until after dark, which these days isn't until after 9pm.

That's nine hours of partying before the party even starts.

Let's just say that by the time the first shower of sparks lights up the skyline, the ratio of sober to drunk goes from a 3:1 to about a 1:150.

I admit, I have been part of the partying crowd many times.

I have witnessed men peeing in the streets...


and a host of other things too crazy to mention on my mommy blog.

The question I have is this:

At what point was it that a night of drunken firework-and-men-peeing-in-the-streets-watching went from fun to, well, not so fun?

Driving downtown. Finding a parking space. Hauling the cooler and blankets and bug spray and jackets and snacks from said parking space through the city streets until you find the ultimate spot. Worrying about someone stealing your spot while you go drop a small fortune in the booths that line the river. Worrying about drinking too much and having to find a port-o-let without a mile-long line to pee in. Worrying about having to shield your child's eyes from the sights of men peeing in the streets. Finally getting to see the fireworks, only to have your child be scared to death of all the noise.

I haven't been to the fireworks since I had kids, simply to avoid the above scenario. A cookout with friends in our very uncrowded and uncrazy hometown sounds like a much better time.

Man, when did I get this old? I never thought this day would come...

A girl like you

Isabel, if I haven't told you lately...

I feel so blessed to have a girl like you for my only daughter.

When I got a call from your new fourth grade teacher yesterday, it warmed my heart to hear her tell me what a wonderful and sweet student you are, and how much she loves having you in her class already (this was only your fourth day of school!).

It set me to thinking about all the different roles you play, and how you touch so many lives at just nine years of age.

You are a kind and generous friend and student.


You're the best daughter any mother could ever hope to have. You are always asking me if I need any help around the house or with Gabe, and you never complain when I give you a task to do. You are so even-keeled and sweet, rarely in a bad mood. (And you don't even fuss when we make you go to Elijah's football games.)


Your younger cousins absolutely worship you. Katlyn wants to be just like you, and when you generously give her your outgrown clothes and toys, she treasures them (like I used to with my big sister, Rhonda). I love the way you show Katlyn and Kylee so much attention, and how you want to be a role model for them.

You are the best sister to your brothers. Most of the time, you are able to get along and have fun with your older brother, even when he's being a booger. And the way you are with Gabe...he knows how much you have loved him from the start, and he loves his "sissy" right back.

Isabel, I am loving watching you grow from a sweet little baby into this wonderful young girl you are becoming. Jesus' light shines through your eyes every single day, and all of us are blessed to have you in our lives.

I love you, honey.

Love,

Mommy

Sibling withdrawal

Poor Gabe, he is suffering from an extreme case of sibling withdrawal today.

He woke up this morning so sad to see Elijah and Isabel getting ready for school.

"They have to go again?!"

Gabe doesn't go back to school until next Wednesday.

I have a feeling it's gonna be a lonnnnng week. Right now he's begging me to play Star Wars on Gamecube.

Did I mention I don't like video games, mainly because I suck at them (other than Rock Band, which I can seriously kick butt at)?

I have a lot of housework and projects calling my name. I think they're gonna have to wait another week, though. Luke Skywalker needs my help...