At the end of last week my Grandpa Andy went on hospice care.
He died at 0630 on Sunday morning.
My dad called me as we were getting ready for church to let me know.
We told the boys that Grandpa Andy had gone to Heaven. I asked them what they thought he was doing.
Deacon said he thought he was maybe exploring and getting settled in. Roman thought he was maybe "hangin' with Jesus". Noah thought he was maybe checking out the fields in Heaven.
My Grandpa was a farmer. He watched the weather, loved the land.
He fished for bull heads, and he loved popcorn.
We played a lot of Uno with him and my Grandma.
He called "Yellow", "yeller".
We went with him in his pick-up to check out the fields.
He liked to watch the Twins.
He was a "leftie" just like Deacon.
And he loved our kids.
Grandpa Andy was a hard worker and he always wanted to hear if Noah's company was busy, and if he was getting a lot of hours. He seemed pleased if Noah worked overtime.
One time Noah asked him something about "a cow". Grandpa was totally confused and it took a long time to sort out the problem. It wasn't a cow, it was a heifer.
Poor Noah. But now he knows the difference.
Grandpa wore striped overalls and a John Deere hat during the week, and on Sundays he wore a dress hat with his Sunday clothes.
Grandpa Andy lived to be 93.
He put his trust in the Lord when my dad was a boy. We know we will see him again. I am so grateful for the hope that we have and that we can pass it on to our children. Death is not the end!
(now I am off to dig up some half way decent clothes for the kids...do we have appropriate funeral wear? Probably not, but we will do our best!)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday Confession
*I went to vaccum the stairs this week and my stair attachment was not in it's rightful place. I remembered where I had last seen it, and was soon on my hands and knees pulling it out from under the couch.
*I haven't sewn any Awana patches or Upward patches on yet this year. When Deacon was first in Cubbies I sewed them on as soon as he got them. At that same time there was a girl in my sparks group who never had her patches on her vest. Her mom had 6 children and I am afraid I was a little judgy-judgy about the whole thing. Now I am *that mom*.
*Another Mom at Awana asked me where the Sunday School patches were supposed to go. I showed her on Roman's vest and admitted that I hadn't put any of his on yet. I commented something about being the "bad mom" this year and not getting it done. Roman, who had been listening to the whole conversation, piped up "Well, I don't think that that makes you a bad mom!" Deacon may not agree, but at least one child isn't that broken up about the whole thing!
*I keep several pairs of socks by the front door. The boys just grab a pair when they put their shoes on to leave the house. They remove them and throw them back in the pile when they get home. This solution was born out of necessity. They always take their socks off and so I was always finding random socks and throwing them into the laundry room. Then they would take out clean ones and only 2 days into the new clothes washing cycle, they would be out of socks. Now, they may be wearing dirty socks, but at least I am not overdoing laundry.
*Berean circles under the table waiting for legos to drop. Berean keeps an eye out to make sure she notices right away if the bathroom door gets left open, so she can shred toilet paper. Berean hangs out by the dishwasher, waiting for it to open. While she waits she eats crumbs off the floor.
*Lincoln came into the office this week and announced that the "moie" was "boing". (the movie was boring). This was the first time that I got super excited and even recorded a video of my child saying something was "boing". It was just so exciting for him to get the "b" in there on his own!
*When we dropped Lincoln off at school last week, I let Deacon and Roman run the long way around on the far sidewalk. We do this every week because they think it is exciting, and I am just thankful that it allows them to run off extra energy. B, L and I were waiting at the door when I noticed that there was an elementary class that had come outside and was grouping on the sidewalk that the boys were on. Roman put his head down and dashed through but I saw that Deacon was stopped. It was taking a long time, and I almost walked over there to see what was going on, when Deacon finally broke free and trotted over. Apparently the teacher had thought he had escaped from a different classroom and Deke had a hard time convincing him that was not the case.
*I haven't sewn any Awana patches or Upward patches on yet this year. When Deacon was first in Cubbies I sewed them on as soon as he got them. At that same time there was a girl in my sparks group who never had her patches on her vest. Her mom had 6 children and I am afraid I was a little judgy-judgy about the whole thing. Now I am *that mom*.
*Another Mom at Awana asked me where the Sunday School patches were supposed to go. I showed her on Roman's vest and admitted that I hadn't put any of his on yet. I commented something about being the "bad mom" this year and not getting it done. Roman, who had been listening to the whole conversation, piped up "Well, I don't think that that makes you a bad mom!" Deacon may not agree, but at least one child isn't that broken up about the whole thing!
*I keep several pairs of socks by the front door. The boys just grab a pair when they put their shoes on to leave the house. They remove them and throw them back in the pile when they get home. This solution was born out of necessity. They always take their socks off and so I was always finding random socks and throwing them into the laundry room. Then they would take out clean ones and only 2 days into the new clothes washing cycle, they would be out of socks. Now, they may be wearing dirty socks, but at least I am not overdoing laundry.
*Berean circles under the table waiting for legos to drop. Berean keeps an eye out to make sure she notices right away if the bathroom door gets left open, so she can shred toilet paper. Berean hangs out by the dishwasher, waiting for it to open. While she waits she eats crumbs off the floor.
*Lincoln came into the office this week and announced that the "moie" was "boing". (the movie was boring). This was the first time that I got super excited and even recorded a video of my child saying something was "boing". It was just so exciting for him to get the "b" in there on his own!
*When we dropped Lincoln off at school last week, I let Deacon and Roman run the long way around on the far sidewalk. We do this every week because they think it is exciting, and I am just thankful that it allows them to run off extra energy. B, L and I were waiting at the door when I noticed that there was an elementary class that had come outside and was grouping on the sidewalk that the boys were on. Roman put his head down and dashed through but I saw that Deacon was stopped. It was taking a long time, and I almost walked over there to see what was going on, when Deacon finally broke free and trotted over. Apparently the teacher had thought he had escaped from a different classroom and Deke had a hard time convincing him that was not the case.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
6 Updates
1. drumroll please... Noah totally stepped up during my 4 day working weekend and kept the house somewhat clean all weekend! Yahoo!
2. The kids and I were sledding today and I attempted to snowboard down the hill. I remained in an upright position for about 4 feet. I turned to see Roman and Deacon looking at me with completely bland faces. Roman said, "I think you should bend your knees more" and Deacon said, "well, I guess I do have more experience". There were no more attempts. If you aren't going to impress anyone, there is no need to risk breaking appendages.
3. Berean had escaped again and was in the basement with the boys. I asked Deacon if he was keeping an eye on her and if she was getting into trouble. He said, "She's finding her own fun, and lately her fun has been okay."
4. Noah and I got up and exercised before the kids woke up this morning. I attempt this periodically but it never has worked before. Maybe this will stick? I actually felt really happy all day, but I am not really convinced that this plan will continue to work- mostly because of my crazy night shift thing.
5. Lincoln wanted to go down the slide with me today and said "you and me". He then pointed to the sled and said "you, then me". He usually uses a minimal amount of words and so to hear him use a word like "then" as a connecting word was really cool.
6. Berean is playing! She picked up a wooden puzzle that Lincoln had been playing with and attempted to put the pieces into the slots! She also threw a ball. She is not so much a baby anymore...
The best update, however?
The temperature is no longer sub zero! Maybe that is the reason I am so happy!
2. The kids and I were sledding today and I attempted to snowboard down the hill. I remained in an upright position for about 4 feet. I turned to see Roman and Deacon looking at me with completely bland faces. Roman said, "I think you should bend your knees more" and Deacon said, "well, I guess I do have more experience". There were no more attempts. If you aren't going to impress anyone, there is no need to risk breaking appendages.
3. Berean had escaped again and was in the basement with the boys. I asked Deacon if he was keeping an eye on her and if she was getting into trouble. He said, "She's finding her own fun, and lately her fun has been okay."
4. Noah and I got up and exercised before the kids woke up this morning. I attempt this periodically but it never has worked before. Maybe this will stick? I actually felt really happy all day, but I am not really convinced that this plan will continue to work- mostly because of my crazy night shift thing.
5. Lincoln wanted to go down the slide with me today and said "you and me". He then pointed to the sled and said "you, then me". He usually uses a minimal amount of words and so to hear him use a word like "then" as a connecting word was really cool.
6. Berean is playing! She picked up a wooden puzzle that Lincoln had been playing with and attempted to put the pieces into the slots! She also threw a ball. She is not so much a baby anymore...
The best update, however?
The temperature is no longer sub zero! Maybe that is the reason I am so happy!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Did Not Win "Mother of the Year" this Week....
It has been one of those weeks.
You know, the ones where the kids and the mom and the dad are just not really in sync.
Or maybe that doesn't happen at your houses.
Part of the problem is the cold,
and the all-indoor activities.
Part of it is the poor mom who has not been able to exercise this week due to circumstances.
Part of it is the constant messes and the complaining when it is time to clean up.
And part of it is pushing the limits.
Thursday afternoon I was cooking and Berean was chasing me around the kitchen fussing and screeching. I explained to her that I needed to finish a few things in the kitchen, and she was going to have to wait. She didn't like that so much. I knew she was kind of tired, but considering that we were only 45 minutes out from needing to pick Lincoln up at preschool, I knew that her nap was going to have to wait.
I have never had a kid that would just randomly fall asleep.
I do now.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Now That There Are Four
I've been thinking a lot about life with 4 kids.
Why?
Well, we got our new medical insurance cards in the mail. I punched them out and fanned them out in my hand.
6 cards.
I showed them to Noah.
"When you look at these cards, it looks like there are a lot of people in our family"
He laughed.
Yesterday we split the kids up. I had the older ones, he had the younger ones.Sometimes its "you have the boys, I have the girl"
Sometimes I say "I have the middle ones, you take the others"
About an hour into our activity Roman suddenly stopped and looked up at me with an alarmed look on his face.
"Where is Berean?" he asked.
For a split second, I panicked.
"She is with Daddy." I said, while frantically searching through my brain files to verify that that was indeed true.
Sometimes I feel like I am constantly counting children. Looking in my rear view mirror to make sure that they are all there, stopping when I get somewhere to make sure everyone is accounted for, mentally going through each one and verifying that I know their whereabouts.I am sure this will happen more and more as they get older and we are taking them to separate activities. Things weren't that hard before Berean could move ( I remember saying that with Lincoln too!) Adding a new immobile baby for me isn't that big of a deal, it is adding a toddler to the mix when things suddenly get more interesting.
And, boy, has it gotten interesting.
I feel like I say, "where is that girl?" 20 times a day. I can be putting on her snowsuit and suddenly she will be on the other side of the room. She watches for opportunities to escape.
I have learned to appreciate the little things more: things like when I only take 2 kids somewhere or when I go to work alone. When Noah and I take them all somewhere, but we are together.
When they are sleeping at night.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Measurable Goals
Oh, how I love measurable goals.
In nursing school we had to write nursing care plans,
and the goals needed to be measurable.
It is challenging to write goals like that,
it takes more time and effort to write out the steps,
the mini achievements,
instead of just the grandiose, vague end result.
And some things are not well measured.
The strength of a relationship?
It is more of a feeling, a contentment, a lack of stress when thinking about it.
It is harder to measure improvement.
The strength of a body?
It is not a feeling,
you know that you used to be able to lift 10 pounds, then 15, then 20.
Measurable. Concrete. Definite improvement.
It is fun to watch the kids.
Berean.
Moving from rolling, to crawling, to standing, to crusing, to holding on with one hand,
gripping one finger.
Lincoln.
No words, to five words, to singing the alphabet, to spelling his name,
to pointing out words on a sign.
Roman.
Screaming, to scared eyes, to tentative steps, to jumping in the water
with only a teacher.
Deacon.
Putting a harness on, to climbing 2 feet, to climbing 6 feet, to climbing 10 feet, to
ringing the bell.
Measurable.
Improvements.
Growing.
Love it.
In nursing school we had to write nursing care plans,
and the goals needed to be measurable.
It is challenging to write goals like that,
it takes more time and effort to write out the steps,
the mini achievements,
instead of just the grandiose, vague end result.
And some things are not well measured.
The strength of a relationship?
It is more of a feeling, a contentment, a lack of stress when thinking about it.
It is harder to measure improvement.
The strength of a body?
It is not a feeling,
you know that you used to be able to lift 10 pounds, then 15, then 20.
Measurable. Concrete. Definite improvement.
It is fun to watch the kids.
Berean.
Moving from rolling, to crawling, to standing, to crusing, to holding on with one hand,
gripping one finger.
Lincoln.
No words, to five words, to singing the alphabet, to spelling his name,
to pointing out words on a sign.
Roman.
Screaming, to scared eyes, to tentative steps, to jumping in the water
with only a teacher.
Deacon.
Putting a harness on, to climbing 2 feet, to climbing 6 feet, to climbing 10 feet, to
ringing the bell.
Measurable.
Improvements.
Growing.
Love it.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Berean's 10 month Update
Berean turned 10 months old on the 7th.
She is not walking on her own yet, but is walking while pushing objects around. She also likes to climb on things like children's tables (especially picnic tables), stools, couch and chair arms, people and toys. And she loves the stairs. A lot. Thankfully, she navigates them well. She has taken to sitting on her knees or in the "W" position.
She still puts everything in her mouth- now though if we tell her to take it out, she will usually comply.
Her favorite things to do are: 1. Emptying her clothes crates 2. Laughing at her brothers 3. Climbing things 4. Emptying the cupboards 5. Emptying her toy box 6. Emptying the dish washer.
She is still not a huge eater and will often pocket her food (much the same as she does with other things she mouths). Berean still likes to nurse a lot, but has decreased the amount of times a day. Now, when I work nights Noah can just get her up and give her breakfast instead of thawing breastmilk for her. Of course she goes crazy when I walk in the door, but I guess that is to be expected :)
Berean now says 5 words. (or at least she imitates them. Sometimes it seems she understands the meanings, and sometimes it doesn't):
dada (daddy)
mama (Mama)
ma en (muffin)
a da (all done)
ba ba (baby)
Even though she is getting into the boy's stuff more now, they still love her and are surprisingly gentle and patient with her. In fact, if she does something they don't like they are more likely to blame me for not watching her properly instead of her for doing it. I don't know which I prefer :)
She is not walking on her own yet, but is walking while pushing objects around. She also likes to climb on things like children's tables (especially picnic tables), stools, couch and chair arms, people and toys. And she loves the stairs. A lot. Thankfully, she navigates them well. She has taken to sitting on her knees or in the "W" position.
She still puts everything in her mouth- now though if we tell her to take it out, she will usually comply.
Her favorite things to do are: 1. Emptying her clothes crates 2. Laughing at her brothers 3. Climbing things 4. Emptying the cupboards 5. Emptying her toy box 6. Emptying the dish washer.
She is still not a huge eater and will often pocket her food (much the same as she does with other things she mouths). Berean still likes to nurse a lot, but has decreased the amount of times a day. Now, when I work nights Noah can just get her up and give her breakfast instead of thawing breastmilk for her. Of course she goes crazy when I walk in the door, but I guess that is to be expected :)
Berean now says 5 words. (or at least she imitates them. Sometimes it seems she understands the meanings, and sometimes it doesn't):
dada (daddy)
mama (Mama)
ma en (muffin)
a da (all done)
ba ba (baby)
Even though she is getting into the boy's stuff more now, they still love her and are surprisingly gentle and patient with her. In fact, if she does something they don't like they are more likely to blame me for not watching her properly instead of her for doing it. I don't know which I prefer :)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
He Maintains Our Marriage
(The pictures in this post are pictures Noah took when he was in Jackson Hole last summer)
I manage the household.
But Noah manages our marriage.
This is not to say that he doesn't help with the household,and that I don't help with the marriage.
He does help.
And I do help.
But we each have our strengths.
He is really good at making sure we have time
to go on dates, connect, talk, listen, play games.
I am very goal oriented and it is easier for me to let the more important things slide in pursuit of my daily checklist.And he helps me remember what is the most important.
He is, without a doubt, the best part of our marriage!Wednesday, January 12, 2011
From the Archives
January 2009~Brothers~
I must make sure that they don't see this picture
They will want to know where there Knight Head Gear is
and I have no answers for them.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Homeschooling is Isolating
Before my kids were school aged our lives were filled with walks, parks, play-dates, Bible studies, YMCA trips and zoo outings. We were meeting new people and getting together with old friends all the time.
I was always available to hang out with my friends during the day- the kidless friends who had a day off or worked an odd shift as well as my friends with kids.
We also got together with friends in the evenings and on the weekends- after the kids were in bed.
But all that is no more.
Now we have school. Although I am fairly flexible and even though school doesn't take up that much time, I am still feeling the isolation a little bit. I can't just run around here and there because we need to get the schoolwork done. I can't just have people over every day of the week, because the school must get completed!
Yes, I have met new people this year. We go to a homeschool co-op thing and for my first time ever we are attending ECFE. We go to a gym class at the Y and we socialize during rockclimbing times. We go at least one place everyday.
But it is not quite the same.
The kids stay up later and it is harder to have people over after they go to bed because they aren't in bed at 7pm anymore. And yet they aren't quite old enough to manage themselves.
Granted, we do more stuff with the boys: puzzles, games, WII etc; but I kind of miss my friends.
I have friends who are home a lot and they are ok with that. They like it. I have friends who work from home and they like that. I have a friend who will not get into her car to go anywhere for days. And she loves that.
But not me.
Honestly, one of the reasons I was ok with going back onto the schedule at work is this isolation reason. I like my job, but I really love my coworkers. I like to be with people. And right now, it is good for me.
Even though I am sleep deprived.
Yes, even then.
I was always available to hang out with my friends during the day- the kidless friends who had a day off or worked an odd shift as well as my friends with kids.
We also got together with friends in the evenings and on the weekends- after the kids were in bed.
But all that is no more.
Now we have school. Although I am fairly flexible and even though school doesn't take up that much time, I am still feeling the isolation a little bit. I can't just run around here and there because we need to get the schoolwork done. I can't just have people over every day of the week, because the school must get completed!
Yes, I have met new people this year. We go to a homeschool co-op thing and for my first time ever we are attending ECFE. We go to a gym class at the Y and we socialize during rockclimbing times. We go at least one place everyday.
But it is not quite the same.
The kids stay up later and it is harder to have people over after they go to bed because they aren't in bed at 7pm anymore. And yet they aren't quite old enough to manage themselves.
Granted, we do more stuff with the boys: puzzles, games, WII etc; but I kind of miss my friends.
I have friends who are home a lot and they are ok with that. They like it. I have friends who work from home and they like that. I have a friend who will not get into her car to go anywhere for days. And she loves that.
But not me.
Honestly, one of the reasons I was ok with going back onto the schedule at work is this isolation reason. I like my job, but I really love my coworkers. I like to be with people. And right now, it is good for me.
Even though I am sleep deprived.
Yes, even then.
Monday, January 10, 2011
I forgot to post this!
This is Deacon with his 7th birthday cake.He had a kid party in the gym at church,
and a "parent" party at home.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Presents!
It is a cold, windy January day. Ugh. It makes me very crabby to think of leaving my nice warm house. In here I have access to hot chocolate, blankets, bathrobes, books, internet and 4 (very) warm (overly) cuddly children.
Out there I am subjected to not only the elements but also (very) cold (overly) whiny children.
This morning, in my rush to get everything I needed out the door and into the van, I forgot my hat. Yesterday, in an effort to become a (very) clean and (overly) tidy person I had cleaned out my van, which included removing Noah's hat from the front seat.
So I was (very) hatless.
And, then I realized that I was (very nearly) gasless.
And I was (overly) cranky.
Instead of all that, however, I thought I would write about some different presents that we all got for Christmas.
1. Scarves! I went to Old Navy on their $1 scarf Saturday and got 6 scarves! I was only allowed 5, but I brought my sister and she bought some and donated one to me. (or maybe I owe her a dollar...) Lincoln got a red one, Noah navy blue, Deacon black, Roman and I got stripes and Berean got polka dots. And guess what? They all (even Noah) use them often (Lincoln wears his every time he walks out the door!). Definitely $6 (or $5 :), well spent!
2. Crayola Twistable Crayons! The boys got these from my cousins and they love them and use them everyday! I had seen these in the store, but never purchased them.
3. Legos! It was truly a legoriffic Christmas!
4. Jedi robes! My mom made the boys Jedi robes.
Out there I am subjected to not only the elements but also (very) cold (overly) whiny children.
This morning, in my rush to get everything I needed out the door and into the van, I forgot my hat. Yesterday, in an effort to become a (very) clean and (overly) tidy person I had cleaned out my van, which included removing Noah's hat from the front seat.
So I was (very) hatless.
And, then I realized that I was (very nearly) gasless.
And I was (overly) cranky.
Instead of all that, however, I thought I would write about some different presents that we all got for Christmas.
1. Scarves! I went to Old Navy on their $1 scarf Saturday and got 6 scarves! I was only allowed 5, but I brought my sister and she bought some and donated one to me. (or maybe I owe her a dollar...) Lincoln got a red one, Noah navy blue, Deacon black, Roman and I got stripes and Berean got polka dots. And guess what? They all (even Noah) use them often (Lincoln wears his every time he walks out the door!). Definitely $6 (or $5 :), well spent!
2. Crayola Twistable Crayons! The boys got these from my cousins and they love them and use them everyday! I had seen these in the store, but never purchased them.
3. Legos! It was truly a legoriffic Christmas!
4. Jedi robes! My mom made the boys Jedi robes.5. One of my sisters got me bowls to replace the ones I have donated to the "C.F.V.C (cause for vomiting children). My other sister searched thrift stores for new sweaters for me (love them and love that they are from thrift stores! Reduce, reuse, recycle!)
6. Noah got a Ninja Kitchen system (which makes him very gleeful as he crushes ice) and I got a new camera that will be easier for me to carry around when it is just me and the kids.
7. Fruit Trees!
Ahh...that gives me sweet memories of warm weather. On that note I must be off to go curl up on the couch and take a winter nap...
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Division of Labor
I guess I haven't shared this on the blog yet, but as of January 1st I have an actual "position" at my hospital. I am working a .5 (20 hours) a week and I have a block schedule. I never thought I would do this, as I loved being able to work whenever I wanted and as little or as much as I wanted - but things change.
1. I was working close to this anyway
2. I take a pay cut, but I will become benefit eligible (STD,LTD,Med,Dent, Retirement stuff) and will be getting PTO. All that is worth a lot more than the pay cut I am taking - but I am also losing my flexibility.
3. The medical benefits through the hospital SHOULD cover Lincoln's speech therapy, which is the biggest reason for the switch. (I say "should" because we couldn't actually get him preapproved until we made the switch, looking at the criteria though it seems like he will be covered).
But, this is coming at a time when our homeschool is also ramping up- simply because the kids are getting older.
Which is why we are now discussing "Division of Labor".
And then I read Navigating the Mothership's post about this same topic. I called Noah on the phone and asked if he had read it.
He had.
We talked about it.
He told me I was amazing.
Basically, up to this point I have been managing the laundry, the finances, the cooking (0n the weekdays), the cleaning, the homeschooling, the paperwork, the med/dent/speech appointments and paperwork, the mowing, the basic yardwork, the grocery shopping.
Now, that is not to say that he doesn't do anything.
He gets home from work late, helps me get dinner on the table, we have family time and then he helps put the kids to bed. He pitches in with kitchen clean up most nights, cooks on the weekends, runs erronds for me (it is much easier for him to stop at the post office to mail something then for me to take all four kids), and often fills up my van with gas. He also does the bigger projects around the house and yard. If I am folding laundry, he helps. If I am cleaning bathrooms in the evenings or sorting papers, he helps. If I give him a project, he does it.
But I am going to need more help now since I will be working more shifts in a row- which is when things fall apart.
I may hire a friend to watch the kids once a month for a couple hours so I have a little extra time to do bigger projects. I am also going to utilize the Y child care more, piggybacking my quiet time/Bible study time with my workout.
The other big thing I am implementing is "The home management binder". I had been intending to start one in the fall, but it just never happened. It is just a basic three ring binder, but I am hoping it is a life-changing one :) It is going to sit on the counter in the kitchen so it will be easily accessible (if I can find it under the thousand other things that sit on that counter!)
The first page is entitled "House projects". This is a spot that we can jot down things that need to get done such as "change light bulb", "finish bullnose in bathroom", "touch up living room walls". There is a side box for "needed supplies". Maybe the reason the light bulb hasn't been changed is because we don't have any. This way, when one of us is headed to Home Depot or Target, we have a list already made. The plan is to look at this list on Friday night and pick 1-2 things off of it to tackle on the weekend.
The second page is divided into 4 sections, one for each floor of the house. It lists all the jobs that need to be done monthly for each floor. One floor will be tackled per week of the month, but this way the list is right there and I can refer to it and check things off as I do them. And Noah can refer to it on my work weekend and see easily something that hasn't been checked off yet for him to do. I have done this in the past, but I tried to tackle the whole floor at one time instead of little jobs. Now if it is the main floor week, I can just look at that list and pick out a quick job when I have a few minutes. It is nice to be able to have a sparkling clean area all at one time, but it is not practical for my stage of life. It is much more efficient to glance at the list see that I need to clean out the fridge and do it in the 10 minutes that the kids are eating breakfast, instead of blocking out a whole evening to clean the whole kitchen from top to bottom.
The third page highlights different days of the week for things that need to be done weekly, for example Mon-laundry, Tues-papers, Bathrooms etc.
I also have a page for meal ideas.
The next pages are actually divided into a "calendar", 1/4th of a sheet for each day. I have boxes to check for blogging, exercise, school, my own reading time, quiet time, daily tasks, weekly tasks, calls and emails to make. I also have space for jotting down places I need to go and extra things that need to be done. I cross them off and at the end of the day the things that are left move on to the next day's list.
My biggest plan though? I will be leaving Noah notes of small jobs for him to take care of when I am sleeping in prep for work, at work and for when he comes home from Broomball.
And I think he will do them.
1. I was working close to this anyway
2. I take a pay cut, but I will become benefit eligible (STD,LTD,Med,Dent, Retirement stuff) and will be getting PTO. All that is worth a lot more than the pay cut I am taking - but I am also losing my flexibility.
3. The medical benefits through the hospital SHOULD cover Lincoln's speech therapy, which is the biggest reason for the switch. (I say "should" because we couldn't actually get him preapproved until we made the switch, looking at the criteria though it seems like he will be covered).
But, this is coming at a time when our homeschool is also ramping up- simply because the kids are getting older.
Which is why we are now discussing "Division of Labor".
And then I read Navigating the Mothership's post about this same topic. I called Noah on the phone and asked if he had read it.
He had.
We talked about it.
He told me I was amazing.
Basically, up to this point I have been managing the laundry, the finances, the cooking (0n the weekdays), the cleaning, the homeschooling, the paperwork, the med/dent/speech appointments and paperwork, the mowing, the basic yardwork, the grocery shopping.
Now, that is not to say that he doesn't do anything.
He gets home from work late, helps me get dinner on the table, we have family time and then he helps put the kids to bed. He pitches in with kitchen clean up most nights, cooks on the weekends, runs erronds for me (it is much easier for him to stop at the post office to mail something then for me to take all four kids), and often fills up my van with gas. He also does the bigger projects around the house and yard. If I am folding laundry, he helps. If I am cleaning bathrooms in the evenings or sorting papers, he helps. If I give him a project, he does it.
But I am going to need more help now since I will be working more shifts in a row- which is when things fall apart.
I may hire a friend to watch the kids once a month for a couple hours so I have a little extra time to do bigger projects. I am also going to utilize the Y child care more, piggybacking my quiet time/Bible study time with my workout.
The other big thing I am implementing is "The home management binder". I had been intending to start one in the fall, but it just never happened. It is just a basic three ring binder, but I am hoping it is a life-changing one :) It is going to sit on the counter in the kitchen so it will be easily accessible (if I can find it under the thousand other things that sit on that counter!)
The first page is entitled "House projects". This is a spot that we can jot down things that need to get done such as "change light bulb", "finish bullnose in bathroom", "touch up living room walls". There is a side box for "needed supplies". Maybe the reason the light bulb hasn't been changed is because we don't have any. This way, when one of us is headed to Home Depot or Target, we have a list already made. The plan is to look at this list on Friday night and pick 1-2 things off of it to tackle on the weekend.
The second page is divided into 4 sections, one for each floor of the house. It lists all the jobs that need to be done monthly for each floor. One floor will be tackled per week of the month, but this way the list is right there and I can refer to it and check things off as I do them. And Noah can refer to it on my work weekend and see easily something that hasn't been checked off yet for him to do. I have done this in the past, but I tried to tackle the whole floor at one time instead of little jobs. Now if it is the main floor week, I can just look at that list and pick out a quick job when I have a few minutes. It is nice to be able to have a sparkling clean area all at one time, but it is not practical for my stage of life. It is much more efficient to glance at the list see that I need to clean out the fridge and do it in the 10 minutes that the kids are eating breakfast, instead of blocking out a whole evening to clean the whole kitchen from top to bottom.
The third page highlights different days of the week for things that need to be done weekly, for example Mon-laundry, Tues-papers, Bathrooms etc.
I also have a page for meal ideas.
The next pages are actually divided into a "calendar", 1/4th of a sheet for each day. I have boxes to check for blogging, exercise, school, my own reading time, quiet time, daily tasks, weekly tasks, calls and emails to make. I also have space for jotting down places I need to go and extra things that need to be done. I cross them off and at the end of the day the things that are left move on to the next day's list.
My biggest plan though? I will be leaving Noah notes of small jobs for him to take care of when I am sleeping in prep for work, at work and for when he comes home from Broomball.
And I think he will do them.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
What Happened on New Year's Eve
Before I explain the rest of the story I have a little bit of important business:
Berean said "muffin" today. Yes, I actually have a child who is just shy of 10 months who not only says "ma ma" "da da" (not always in correct context), but who also says "muffin". This is very exciting for me, because my earliest speaking boy (Roman) did not talk until well on his way to Two and my other boys were well on their way to Three.)
I said, "do you like your muffin?" (why wouldn't she? It had chocolate chips in it) and she said, "ma en". And then she did it again for Daddy on the phone, and again for Grandma on the phone.
----
New Year's Eve.
(By the way, the dramatic post was written late at night when I had a lot of household tasks to accomplish and so I just decided to leave it the way it was. I thought I would maybe generate a few comments)
I left for work early because the weather was bad. On the interstate it felt really windy and I noticed that I was having to work harder to keep my van in a straight line. In addition there was a lot of salt and snow/ice and you couldn't really see the lines, and there weren't very many cars on the road. I kept wondering if I was hydroplaning or on ice because I felt like I was moving so much.
I took my exit and drove to the bottom of it, took a right turn on red and started driving toward the hospital. And then I got pulled over.
It was very dark, and all I could see was the flashing red lights. I wasn't that upset and was franctically trying to figure out what I had done wrong. I knew that I had not been speeding, the weather was bad and I was under the limit. I had taken the right turn on red, but I had done it a hundred times and never noticed a sign prohibiting it.
The officer came to my window and I rolled it down. I must have looked questioning because he said, "Ma'am, I just wanted to be sure you were ok to be driving."
I answered, "yes, I am fine. I am just on my way to work at the hospital. Is there a problem?"
"You drove over the white line on the interstate a couple of times, I just wanted to be sure you were ok."
"I didn't realize that" I responded, "I am just going to work."
"Alright, have a good night" he said. And then he walked away and I drove on to work.
I really wanted the opportunity to explain to him that the lines were not readily apparant and I had just had my tire rod changed and was wondering if something was not aligned quite right (seems to pull to the right). I wanted to mention the wind. But he didn't want to hear all that. He just wanted to talk to me and make sure I wasn't drinking. And I wasn't. So we were good.
And that is the story of the night I got pulled over for impaired driving.
The end.
Berean said "muffin" today. Yes, I actually have a child who is just shy of 10 months who not only says "ma ma" "da da" (not always in correct context), but who also says "muffin". This is very exciting for me, because my earliest speaking boy (Roman) did not talk until well on his way to Two and my other boys were well on their way to Three.)
I said, "do you like your muffin?" (why wouldn't she? It had chocolate chips in it) and she said, "ma en". And then she did it again for Daddy on the phone, and again for Grandma on the phone.
----
New Year's Eve.
(By the way, the dramatic post was written late at night when I had a lot of household tasks to accomplish and so I just decided to leave it the way it was. I thought I would maybe generate a few comments)
I left for work early because the weather was bad. On the interstate it felt really windy and I noticed that I was having to work harder to keep my van in a straight line. In addition there was a lot of salt and snow/ice and you couldn't really see the lines, and there weren't very many cars on the road. I kept wondering if I was hydroplaning or on ice because I felt like I was moving so much.
I took my exit and drove to the bottom of it, took a right turn on red and started driving toward the hospital. And then I got pulled over.
It was very dark, and all I could see was the flashing red lights. I wasn't that upset and was franctically trying to figure out what I had done wrong. I knew that I had not been speeding, the weather was bad and I was under the limit. I had taken the right turn on red, but I had done it a hundred times and never noticed a sign prohibiting it.
The officer came to my window and I rolled it down. I must have looked questioning because he said, "Ma'am, I just wanted to be sure you were ok to be driving."
I answered, "yes, I am fine. I am just on my way to work at the hospital. Is there a problem?"
"You drove over the white line on the interstate a couple of times, I just wanted to be sure you were ok."
"I didn't realize that" I responded, "I am just going to work."
"Alright, have a good night" he said. And then he walked away and I drove on to work.
I really wanted the opportunity to explain to him that the lines were not readily apparant and I had just had my tire rod changed and was wondering if something was not aligned quite right (seems to pull to the right). I wanted to mention the wind. But he didn't want to hear all that. He just wanted to talk to me and make sure I wasn't drinking. And I wasn't. So we were good.
And that is the story of the night I got pulled over for impaired driving.
The end.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2011 Goals
I was hoping to go back to my 2010 goals, evaluate them and then regroup for 2011; but alas, I can't find my 2010 goals.
I am pretty sure one of the goals was to be more organized.
Probably that goal can be classified as a failure.
oh well.
I know that I wrote them down last year, and probably intended to blog about them and just never got around to it. Of course, I don't label my posts, so I could just be missing them. But probably not.
My plan was to evaluate 2010 first and then post a plan for 2011, but I think it would be safer to post my plan for 2011 now- after all, the odds of me never doing it go up with each passing day.
So, here goes (please note: this is all off the top of my head, and I will probably be adding and subtracting from this list as the year goes on :) It is how I roll!)
PHYSICAL
-2010 was not my best year. I gave birth in March, and even though I have lost all my weight (and more!) I do not feel like I am in that great of shape. It is hard to fit workouts in with working on the weekends and all 4 kids during the week, but I am determined to keep trying!-
Goals:
*Jan/Feb Aggressive 5k training plan with goal for running a 5k in 25 minutes by the end of February.
*continue slowly easing into running in my 5 fingered running shoes
*Tri training program with goals of completing 3 tris this summer and possibly a 1/2 marathon in the fall
*run with Deacon- goal of him being able to run a mile by end of school year
*get my name on the 100 mile swim board at the Y (this has been an elusive goal for me, maybe this is the year!?)
*rock climb and swim with the kids
*biking this summer with the family
ACADEMIC/WORK
-2010 was a bad academic year for me. I had wanted to spend time studying for a nursing certification, but never did. I started homeschooling the boys, so that was good, but personally and professionally I didn't do much of anything-
GOALS:
*study for the CCRN exam. I am not sure how I am going to fit this in yet, but I would like to try.
*play lots of games with Noah and the kids
*learn along with the kids, study in more depth what I am teaching them
*research curriculums and come up with a firmer plan for the boys schooling
*continue to homeschool the boys!
HOUSE/YARD:
-in 2010 we bought the lot, did yardwork, bought a new furnace and airconditioner and did a lot of clutter reduction. We also did some painting.-
GOALS:
*plant a managable garden
*plant fruit trees (Christmas gift from in-laws!)
*keep eye out for new furniture
*cabinets to kitchen/dining room
*shelfs/organizational system to Master Bedroom closet
*Stay faithful with a "floor of the week" clutter management/cleaning schedule
*hold the children responsible for cleaning up after themselves
*Home Management Binder (never thought I would do it, but last weekend I finally put one together and I have high hopes for it).
FINANCIAL:
-Noah and I put a lot of hours in at work in 2010. I also spent a lot of time setting up a couponing system and implementing strategies to reduce grocery bills. I am proud of how we curtailed our spending this year-
GOALS:
*Continue couponing
*Meal planning weekly
*Do 3 big "freezer meal" cooking days throughout the year
*Get budget I put together approved by Noah and follow it!
~I do have more financial goals then this, but this is a public blog so I am choosing not to blog them here~
PERSONAL/SOCIAL
-2010 was a year of transitions for us. Starting to homeschool, continuing to work and managing 4 children has dramatically decreased the amount of personal time that I have and the amount of time that I have to hang out with friends-
GOALS:
*Blog 5 times a week
*incorporate friends into things that I have to do (ie: meal plan or freezer meals together, go places with our kids together, etc)
*READ- start back up my reading time to a minimum of 1 chapter of nonfiction a day and 1 chapter of fiction
*have people over every other weekend (this is VERY important to Noah and we have discussed it and I have decided that as long as we keep it simple, I think I will be able to handle it without nervous breakdowns)
*make time to have playdates with people my younger children's ages!
MARRIAGE:
-2010 marked 10 years of marriage for us! I still love him!-
SOME GOALS:
*Read Love and Respect
*Establish specific dates together throughout the week
*emails, phone calls
*1-2 weekend trips
PARENTING:
-It is a time consuming tasks to manage 4 kids and all their individual needs!-
GOALS:
*Family activity 5-6 nights a week (rockclimbing, swimming, game, puzzle, Family Talent showe, Wii)
*Supper together 5-6 nights a week
*Continue to read (and reread) parenting books
*come up with an organized way to pray diligently for our kids
*implement 1-2 ways to teach/give our children the opportunity to serve others!
SPIRITUAL:
Once again this one is more personal, but here are a few of my GOALS:
*explore both spiritual and Biblical topics and timelines with the kids
*Finish Beth Moore Daniel study
*Bible study this summer with kids
*continue to volunteer at church
*organized prayer life
As I said, I will be revamping and tweaking these over the next few weeks- but it is a start! What are your goals for 2011?
I am pretty sure one of the goals was to be more organized.
Probably that goal can be classified as a failure.
oh well.
I know that I wrote them down last year, and probably intended to blog about them and just never got around to it. Of course, I don't label my posts, so I could just be missing them. But probably not.
My plan was to evaluate 2010 first and then post a plan for 2011, but I think it would be safer to post my plan for 2011 now- after all, the odds of me never doing it go up with each passing day.
So, here goes (please note: this is all off the top of my head, and I will probably be adding and subtracting from this list as the year goes on :) It is how I roll!)
PHYSICAL
-2010 was not my best year. I gave birth in March, and even though I have lost all my weight (and more!) I do not feel like I am in that great of shape. It is hard to fit workouts in with working on the weekends and all 4 kids during the week, but I am determined to keep trying!-
Goals:
*Jan/Feb Aggressive 5k training plan with goal for running a 5k in 25 minutes by the end of February.
*continue slowly easing into running in my 5 fingered running shoes
*Tri training program with goals of completing 3 tris this summer and possibly a 1/2 marathon in the fall
*run with Deacon- goal of him being able to run a mile by end of school year
*get my name on the 100 mile swim board at the Y (this has been an elusive goal for me, maybe this is the year!?)
*rock climb and swim with the kids
*biking this summer with the family
ACADEMIC/WORK
-2010 was a bad academic year for me. I had wanted to spend time studying for a nursing certification, but never did. I started homeschooling the boys, so that was good, but personally and professionally I didn't do much of anything-
GOALS:
*study for the CCRN exam. I am not sure how I am going to fit this in yet, but I would like to try.
*play lots of games with Noah and the kids
*learn along with the kids, study in more depth what I am teaching them
*research curriculums and come up with a firmer plan for the boys schooling
*continue to homeschool the boys!
HOUSE/YARD:
-in 2010 we bought the lot, did yardwork, bought a new furnace and airconditioner and did a lot of clutter reduction. We also did some painting.-
GOALS:
*plant a managable garden
*plant fruit trees (Christmas gift from in-laws!)
*keep eye out for new furniture
*cabinets to kitchen/dining room
*shelfs/organizational system to Master Bedroom closet
*Stay faithful with a "floor of the week" clutter management/cleaning schedule
*hold the children responsible for cleaning up after themselves
*Home Management Binder (never thought I would do it, but last weekend I finally put one together and I have high hopes for it).
FINANCIAL:
-Noah and I put a lot of hours in at work in 2010. I also spent a lot of time setting up a couponing system and implementing strategies to reduce grocery bills. I am proud of how we curtailed our spending this year-
GOALS:
*Continue couponing
*Meal planning weekly
*Do 3 big "freezer meal" cooking days throughout the year
*Get budget I put together approved by Noah and follow it!
~I do have more financial goals then this, but this is a public blog so I am choosing not to blog them here~
PERSONAL/SOCIAL
-2010 was a year of transitions for us. Starting to homeschool, continuing to work and managing 4 children has dramatically decreased the amount of personal time that I have and the amount of time that I have to hang out with friends-
GOALS:
*Blog 5 times a week
*incorporate friends into things that I have to do (ie: meal plan or freezer meals together, go places with our kids together, etc)
*READ- start back up my reading time to a minimum of 1 chapter of nonfiction a day and 1 chapter of fiction
*have people over every other weekend (this is VERY important to Noah and we have discussed it and I have decided that as long as we keep it simple, I think I will be able to handle it without nervous breakdowns)
*make time to have playdates with people my younger children's ages!
MARRIAGE:
-2010 marked 10 years of marriage for us! I still love him!-
SOME GOALS:
*Read Love and Respect
*Establish specific dates together throughout the week
*emails, phone calls
*1-2 weekend trips
PARENTING:
-It is a time consuming tasks to manage 4 kids and all their individual needs!-
GOALS:
*Family activity 5-6 nights a week (rockclimbing, swimming, game, puzzle, Family Talent showe, Wii)
*Supper together 5-6 nights a week
*Continue to read (and reread) parenting books
*come up with an organized way to pray diligently for our kids
*implement 1-2 ways to teach/give our children the opportunity to serve others!
SPIRITUAL:
Once again this one is more personal, but here are a few of my GOALS:
*explore both spiritual and Biblical topics and timelines with the kids
*Finish Beth Moore Daniel study
*Bible study this summer with kids
*continue to volunteer at church
*organized prayer life
As I said, I will be revamping and tweaking these over the next few weeks- but it is a start! What are your goals for 2011?
Monday, January 3, 2011
Being Pulled Over
I got pulled over the other night.
Yes, I am ashamed to admit that I got pulled over on New Years Eve,
and for impaired driving, none-the-less.
Seriously.
And that same day I lost one of the diamonds in my wedding ring.
Not a good ending to an otherwise fabulous year.
sigh.
Welcome 2011!
Yes, I am ashamed to admit that I got pulled over on New Years Eve,
and for impaired driving, none-the-less.
Seriously.
And that same day I lost one of the diamonds in my wedding ring.
Not a good ending to an otherwise fabulous year.
sigh.
Welcome 2011!
Let's Go Back to High School Part 2
We left off with Noah heading off to Summit (back in 1996). We left with me being convinced that there would be lots of girls vying for his attention.
And I was right.
They were seriously hunting for boyfriends (ahem...courtship partners) and even Noah (as relationshiply dense as he could be at times) could see that.
I knew that 1 or 2 of them had written to him post-Summit, but he had chronicled his adventures for me upon his return, and I concluded that there was no imminent female threat to our relationship; well, at least not from Colorado. We didn't exactly have a well defined relationship anyway, so there wasn't a lot I could do even if something had come up.
Life went on and Summit faded into the distant past. We had lots more things to think about: 1. The crisis when Noah almost went to Michigan to school, 2. The crisis where I almost went to school in Canada, 3. The crisis where our relationship just about ended forever. 4.the crisis etc, etc.
After all that was over we moved on to getting engaged, getting married, moving out of state, having a baby. And then another baby. And then another baby. And then one more baby.
Finally, with all that stuff out of the way, we could readdress the girls at Summit.
Well, actually, I decided that it was time for Noah to go through a box of assorted papers in the basement. Noah doesn't like to get rid of stuff, and so (with his permission) I began to help him sort out the myriad of papers that had been haphazardly thrown into a filebox 10 years ago- a box had always just been marked "Noah" and had gotten moved along with barely a glance.
We started going through graduation cards, old bank statements, maps, old college (and high school) papers. And then there was the old correspondence. Most of it was from me, and so I pulled out anything with my handwriting on it to dump into the box full of letters in the office. I left the rest of the letters for him to review- I honestly wasn't sure what I would find.
A couple minutes later he started laughing and handed me a letter. It was a letter from a girl, and he didn't recognize the name. We finally established that it was a girl he had met at Summit, and from some other letters we found, it was clear that she had been quite interested in him.
The reason it was so funny was this, though:
Paragraph #1: thanking him for writing her back
Paragraph #2: comment about a test she had taken
Paragraph #3: "Well, I hope your hitting techniques will improve soon and if it doesn't I'm sure nobody notices."
I just started laughing when I read that. That poor girl! I can just imagine how excited she was to get a letter from him, only to open it and find an epistle documenting his latest struggles with "hitting technique".
I have read his pages on baseball, and I am pretty sure that was not what the girl was hoping to read.
Apparently I was all stressed out in 1996 for nothing.
(don't you all just miss high school?!)
And I was right.
They were seriously hunting for boyfriends (ahem...courtship partners) and even Noah (as relationshiply dense as he could be at times) could see that.
I knew that 1 or 2 of them had written to him post-Summit, but he had chronicled his adventures for me upon his return, and I concluded that there was no imminent female threat to our relationship; well, at least not from Colorado. We didn't exactly have a well defined relationship anyway, so there wasn't a lot I could do even if something had come up.
Life went on and Summit faded into the distant past. We had lots more things to think about: 1. The crisis when Noah almost went to Michigan to school, 2. The crisis where I almost went to school in Canada, 3. The crisis where our relationship just about ended forever. 4.the crisis etc, etc.
After all that was over we moved on to getting engaged, getting married, moving out of state, having a baby. And then another baby. And then another baby. And then one more baby.
Finally, with all that stuff out of the way, we could readdress the girls at Summit.
Well, actually, I decided that it was time for Noah to go through a box of assorted papers in the basement. Noah doesn't like to get rid of stuff, and so (with his permission) I began to help him sort out the myriad of papers that had been haphazardly thrown into a filebox 10 years ago- a box had always just been marked "Noah" and had gotten moved along with barely a glance.
We started going through graduation cards, old bank statements, maps, old college (and high school) papers. And then there was the old correspondence. Most of it was from me, and so I pulled out anything with my handwriting on it to dump into the box full of letters in the office. I left the rest of the letters for him to review- I honestly wasn't sure what I would find.
A couple minutes later he started laughing and handed me a letter. It was a letter from a girl, and he didn't recognize the name. We finally established that it was a girl he had met at Summit, and from some other letters we found, it was clear that she had been quite interested in him.
The reason it was so funny was this, though:
Paragraph #1: thanking him for writing her back
Paragraph #2: comment about a test she had taken
Paragraph #3: "Well, I hope your hitting techniques will improve soon and if it doesn't I'm sure nobody notices."
I just started laughing when I read that. That poor girl! I can just imagine how excited she was to get a letter from him, only to open it and find an epistle documenting his latest struggles with "hitting technique".
I have read his pages on baseball, and I am pretty sure that was not what the girl was hoping to read.
Apparently I was all stressed out in 1996 for nothing.
(don't you all just miss high school?!)
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