Consensus

Thanks for all of your wonderful input! The end result is that we are going to "store" the van in our garage for our friends.

If it so happens that I have an emergency, then I should go ahead and use the van. But I shouldn't go out and just waste gas because I have a vehicle to get around in.

Any emergencies I need to invent? Just kidding, heaven knows I couldn't handle it if Carly broke her other leg (or worse).

I just got back from a day of organizing and cleaning my brother and sister-in-law's house. Todd did the design for their remodel and I have been able to help pick out a couple of colors for the interior and the end result is amazing. It wasn't photo ready tonight, but let me just tempt you to come back soon to see the amazing edifice with a before & during construction picture:


This was once the new roof was put on and the second story added! Are you enticed? My husband is brilliant!

A Call For Help

I have been stranded at home each day since the middle of October. Car-less. The vehicle which Todd once used to transport himself to and from work needs some major work. It has sat in our garage from the time we discovered the problems in October until one week ago when Todd and I took it into a shop to being the long process of restoring this little car to it's proper being.

I have been okay without the car. Somedays a little frustrated. Like the day when I had to call my dad out of work to come and watch my kids while I took his van up to Primary Children's to discover that Carly had a broken leg. Or the other times I have had to borrow a relative's car to get groceries while she watched my kids, or when my mom has to bring me a gallon of milk in the morning because I have run out and have no way to get a gallon of milk. Then there are the countless playdates I have to miss or make the other mom's come out to my house because I can't get out.

Last night my visiting teacher, Kelly, came over for her visit and something came up about me not having a car. She showed up this morning with a white mini-van and the key to it (might I add that it is a much newer version of the van I currently have with leather seats & stow & go...maybe not healthy for my relationship with my own van. Is it a sin to lust after another van?). She told me to borrow it until the Camry gets fixed. You see, they own a car-leasing company and they just so happen to have 9 cars in their possession right now that they are not leasing out. I told her I couldn't afford to pay a monthly lease, and she said it wasn't necessary.

So I called Todd thrilled to not be grounded anymore and he said to me that he didn't feel right about it and he would rather that I not take them up on their offer. I can see his side and I can also feel my selfish side of wanting to get out and about. What should I do? Should I stand up to Todd and tell him that I am not going to return the van, or just go ahead and return it. I've gone 3 months without a car, I can do it a little longer.

A wise woman has told me to get a backbone and keep the van. The woman being one of the many who have had to bail me out during this time without a vehicle.

Give me your thoughts.

Crafty Project

I made this for Abi's bedroom:

Hitch

You know the part when Eva Mendes' character sees her great-grandfather's name while visiting Ellis Island. She breaks out into these gasps and that is what Carly's anger reminds me of.

Possibly the Cutest Kids Ever

Yesterday before church, I actually had a few spare minutes with the kids all dressed and looking decent. I wanted to grab a picture of this historic moment, so I had them line up on the hearth of the fireplace. The picture turned out too blurry, because getting them to sit still at the same time was impossible. I did, however, get a cute video. Enjoy!


To understand the "get angry" thing, maybe you should see this video (if you can see it...sorry). It is so hard not to laugh at Carly when she gets upset.

Her outbursts remind me of a scene from a romantic comedy. Can you guess which one?

Oh, yeah, and lately the older kids have decided that they don't need an afternoon nap at the time I suggest. Once it hits 3:00, if they haven't had a nap I forbid it and try different techniques to keep them awake. None of them are working. They are falling asleep doing the cutest things:

Eating Cheetos

Watching Playhouse Disney

Coloring

Update on Carly's leg: She goes back in to Primary Children's on the 9th of February at which time I am almost certain they will remove the cast...she is trying to walk on that peg leg and has started sleeping through the night again.

Connor's 4th Birthday

I am not a big fan of big birthday bashes. I prefer the quiet closeness of family. I am not a fan of the preparation involved in a big birthday party, I don't like the clean-up (the set-up is fun) or the fact that after all the invitations have all been sent out, there is always someone you forgot to invite and the guilt that follows when you realize it. I feel bad when people that may not have that much money feel as though they have to purchase a gift for our little guy when he doesn't really need any more toys (his imagination is amazing) and I don't need any more toys to clean-up.

However, this weekend my idea of big birthday parties began the change a bit. My dad had done some work for The Little Gym in Sandy and in exchange for payment, he offered to let Connor have his birthday party there. Then my dad proceeded to remind me of everyone I needed to invite (I hate this part of birthday planning.....if you invite one cousin, you have to invite them all, and if you invite one neighbor, they all have to come, and if you invite one acquaintance, you have to invite them all...you get the picture. This place had a cap on how many friends you could invite and I had already gone over. How do you explain to someone that "your kid couldn't come because I didn't think of him before I hit my 20 head count."

I got the list of names to The Little Gym and they sent out all the invitations! That was pretty cool, one less thing I had to do. Then it came time for the food. Luckily I had received a coupon for 1 dozen cupcakes from my cousin-in-law's wife (ha ha...figure that one out!)and she was willing to make a few dozen more. They turned out so perfect! I picked them up the morning of the party, headed to the Little Gym and this is where my feelings about parties totally began to change.

Once we arrived, the staff at the Little Gym took over and I just sat back and enjoyed the scene. As the kids arrived, they took them into the gym and let them go wild. And then intermitently they had planned activities that fit the attention span of most of the young kids there.

They took care of all the trash when Connor opened his gifts and they even wrote down who gave him what! Then they corralled the kids and took them into another room for the cupcakes(they provided the drinks and paper products) and the goodbyes by handing each kid a balloon as they left. My favorite part of all, they took care of the cleanup and took the presents and remaining cupcakes out to our car.

THIS is the way to have a birthday party!!! No fights to break-up, no kids to scold for being too rowdy (they can be as rambunctious as they want) no clean-up and no planning!!!

Giving Carly Credit

My dad called yesterday informing me that I need to post more pictures that portray Carly's true personality (I emailed a slideshow with the major events from 2008 and in almost all the pictures Carly was crying). She is not much of a crier, so when she does cry...that's when the camera comes out).


So here are a few of her when she is in her normal content state (for you dad).



And of course, I can't play favorites...so the other kids in my life:

Thank You

I have loved reading all of your comments and finding out how real each of us are in this crazy world.

Yesterday I took Carly into the fracture clinic where they took another x-ray, removed her splint and replaced it with a bulky bright pink cast.  As you can tell by the picture, she is very happy to have it on.

I would write more about the happenings and mischief going on around here...but I am at the present moment babysitting. The three oldest have shut themselves in Connor's bedroom and it's quiet (never a good sign). Emily is peacefully asleep. Carly is supposed to be taking a nap in her room, but I hear her whailing. I need to go to the store tonight and pick up some Benadryl for her...not to knock her out completely but to help with the discomfort and itching the cast will cause. Per the Dr.'s instructions.

Super Me to the rescue...of what? I don't really know.

Worst Week

It all started with the flu.  Abigail began throwing up one morning while I was babysitting.  She was sitting next to little Scooter whom I had just calmed down from his mom leaving.  Then he lost it when he saw that Abi lost it.  I took Scooter to the living room where he sat and cried on the couch for his mommy (can you blame him...maybe deep down inside he knew that he would have this same bug in a matter of days) .  Then I began cleaning up the mess (thankfully the two smallest girls were in their high-chairs and contained).  Abi kept crying, "My mouth is falling off."

So I spent that day tending to sweet (ha ha ha...rough week with her personality too) little Abigail's needs, wants, wishes, desires.  Although she did spend a good part of the day just laying around instead of being disagreeable.

Side Note:  I have been reading a huge assortment of books on parenting trying to find the method that fits Abigail best.  Angie swears by Love and Logic and my friend Janel had a copy and I am almost through reading it.  Although the methods aren't really working with Abi yet, I think that over time this will help me not be so quick to anger.  Any of you have suggestions of dealing with a child that has a beautiful mind of their very own?  I was so happy when I read on Manda's blog that she had to put the child door lock on the inside of her sons door...I had to resort to that too.  It always makes me feel a little better when I hear of other moms that I hold up on a pedestal suffer with the same parenting problems as I do.

Let me state here and now that I hate the flu.  I hate the clean-up, the smell, the way you feel, the way the people you take care of feel and the fact that if one person in your household has it, you will all eventually have it.

Connor was next on the list.  At least when Abi threw-up she did it on hard surfaces that were easy to clean-up.  Connor freaks out and refuses to move from the spot he is at.  He also refuses to use the towel I have laying by his head, or the trash can sitting next to the bed, or heaven forbid the toilet (I am beginning to think he has a serious aversion to the toilet what with the potty-training failures and all).  So he has to throw up all over his bedding in his own room and his walls.  I spend some time cleaning it up and grabbing blankets to cover his bed with (I only have one set of sheets for his bed...something to put on the shopping list).

Connor refuses to sleep in his room, and I am not about to let him into my bed (with the brand new green velvet quilt I got for Christmas...worldly and selfish, I know) and move all of his blankets onto the floor next to our bed.  I tried to lay towel by his head in case he needed to lost it again, and he flipped out.  So I set it at my feet.

I can't sleep.  Every deep breath, cough, whimper, I am expecting the worst.  Then it happens and I can't grab the towel soon enough and he dirties the last of our blankets, the rug and the wall.  Connor can't stand to be dirty, so amid the melt-down I start a bath for him and get him in the water to calm himself.

While Connor is in the tub, I go back into our bedroom to do damage control.  Todd has curled up on his side of the bed trying to sleep when he mumbles, "gosh, that really stinks."  I absolutely lost it at this point and blurted out, "Well then why don't you actually get up and do something about it!"  He mentions something about having to work tomorrow.  I think he could sense the steam coming out of my ears ("as if my job isn't as demanding or important as yours" I am thinking), because he rolled out of bed, took the blankets down to the laundry and then began bathing Connor.  I finished scrubbing the floor and rug and got Connor settled into his own bed...no sheets and an afghan to cover him.  At this point he is too frightened to sleep by himself and I am not about to clean my bedroom again, so I made myself a bed on his floor.

Now fumes of anger are raging through my system and I can now feel that I am getting the same disgusting bug running through my body that the two kids had.  I couldn't sleep and  all I could think were very selfish thoughts of "Who is going to take care of me when I am sick?  I won't get to take a sick day.  Who will draw a bath for me and let me just sit in silence?  I haven't slept a full eight hours in 14 months.  When will I get a full nights sleep again?"

Then I heard Carly and it sounded as thought she might be throwing up.  I ran downstairs to grab her and brought her upstairs to the bathroom, for fear that I was about to lose it.  Connor then came knocking on the door and from the hours of 2:30-3:30 the three of us hung out in the bathroom.  Carly never threw up.

I put Carly back to bed and started Thursday fresh, however I did call Armadillo and tell her that I couldn't watch her kids that morning.  Connor had thrown up again and I was on my way.

So Thursday morning was when I thought my life couldn't get any worse.  And of course, the Lord always has a special way of humbling you when you think that.  I was in the bedroom and the kids were supposed to be downstairs watching Ratatoullie when I heard little squeals of laughter and three thuds, then a wailing.  I thought it was Abigail and was certain she had fallen down the stairs (it wouldn't be her first time).

To my astonishment, Connor and Abi were at the top of the stairs, they looked at me with fear in their eyes and proclaimed "Carly fell down the stairs" and "I didn't do it."

Carly was on the cement just lying there on her back wailing.  It took an hour to calm her down.  I knew something must be wrong when she just wanted to cuddle.  She is the world's busiest and happiest baby and for her to want to sit and cuddle for any period of time is a shocker.  She has just started walking (yee-haw...that fat little chub weighs 35 pounds and has been giving me some minor health problems) but now she refused to even crawl.

I called my favorite nurse (my sister-in-law, Angie) and asked for her advice.  She recommended I call my Dr. and have her checked out.  So I called the Dr and the Dr told me to take her to Primary Children's right away.  My dad came to watch the two older kids while I took his van and went to Primary Children's with Carly (Todd was at work and then he had a dentist appointment).

They took X-rays (OUCH!!!  They couldn't contort her leg any softer?...but really, they tried and they were kind enough to encourage me not to watch) of her right leg and discovered that she broker her little tibia and fibula.  So she has two splints right now and next week she will get a cast.

Worst Mother of The Year.  Right here, bring it on.  My mom and mother-in-law have been so wonderful and sweet knowing full well that this experience is more painful for the mother than the child.  Tonya asked me if the Dr had prescribed me any muscle relaxers...why didn't I think of asking for one?

So Carly and I didn't sleep much last night and I am now going to spend the remainder of the day discouraging Abigail and Connor from rough-housing with their little sister and finding ways to forgive myself.  I think I will drown my woes in Diet Pepsi.

All in all, it could've been worse.  It could've been her little head and I could've been watching other kids and it could've been one of them.  It could've been worse.  And I am sure that someday there will be another week to top this week, so I guess calling it the worst week just doesn't fit.