Monday, December 28, 2009

Now that's a lot of work!

I don't think these guys have flat screen televisions to entertain them. Can you say new reality tv show?

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Teaching Compassion

It's been a hard last couple of months for our family. Well, probably just for me since I'm a mom and need to hold it all together. I knew that having a baby was going to upset the cookie jar. That just seems obvious, it always has. That must be why I have cookie crumbs all over me right now...literally.

But I also added having my gallbladder out three weeks after Squeak was born; and the recovery, as I mentioned before, I thought it was going to be pretty easy. Yes, it would hurt but I gave birth to three babies naturally and have had a filling drilled without Novocaine, so I thought I could hack it. But that's not what happened. It took me a good three weeks to get to a point where I was doing less than half of what I could do before.

But I've been doing better and more. Thanksgiving was fun but tiring and I have had a chance to catch up on the sleep I missed back then. As each day goes by it seems I'm losing even more sleep trying to give myself alone time after the kids go to bed and Christmas shopping online. Webby went back to school in September, too.

Then a couple of weeks ago Webby called me to tell me he was at the hospital and hour away with severe abdominal pain. It has to be pretty bad for Webby to take such an action so I knew he had to be feeling pretty bad. He ended up having an unexplainable gallbladder infection (no stones) and having surgery.

I've been holding it together, just barely, until this morning. It dawned too early after a late night. It started with the girls yelling at each other. I started to cry and Webby was there to comfort me. He helped the girls get things moving and then he left, a little late, for work. I came downstairs still a bit emotional. I sat down at the computer to read my emails. Sweet Girl came over and stood next to me. She saw the tears still lingering in my eyes. She leaned in a gave me a big hug. And she just stood there and held me and I held her back. She squeezed a bit harder and then she was done. She let go and told me she loved me. When I dropped her off at school she said, "I love you more than you know. Have a good day."

In the past I have pushed back my emotions so the kids do see me cry. I've pushed them away when I've been on the verge of tears so I could deal with it alone. I was supposed to be stronger. But somehow today I realized that what I needed was love form those I love. And I accepted what was given by my child. And I realized that this was a teaching moment. And in that moment I taught her how to notice when someone needs them and to give what she could.

And even through all of this I have been blessed so abundantly. I have such good friends who are willing to watch my kids all day on short notice. Friends willing to drive me an hour away to get Webby's car and get to the hospital. Friends bringing me meals. Family coming to stay and help with meals and kids and the house. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who is here when I need him.

Have a Merry Christmas! Count the blessings you have been given this year!

Enjoy the pictures.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Santa Fun

A friend of mine posted this and I just had to it pass along. I laughed so hard I cried! Enjoy the next 15 minutes!







Got it! This is by the comedian David Sadaris called "6-8 Black Men"


Friday, December 4, 2009

Update

So here we are at the end of the year. It was 62 degrees yesterday! It reminds me of 3 years ago when we moved here. We had a very mild winter until February when it dumped 24 inches in 24 hours. I'd never seen that much snow in my life. It has been a wonderful last 3 years here in New England. Read my post about how we got here.

Squeak is doing really well. He's growing like a weed...a well fed weed. He grew 2 inches in a month! He is now 12lbs 11 oz and 25 inches tall! My how he has grown and changed! Here are more pictures of all of us.



The past few months have been good. We had a visit from Webby's parents at the end of October. We all had a great time and they got to go trick-or-treating with the girls.

Sweet Girl has proven herself a true outdoors man. She and Webby went for a hike up Reptile Mountain. She hiked all the way up with Webby and it only took them 15-20 minutes more than if Webby was going alone! She loved it and has decided that now she wants to hike a mountain much, much bigger. One that took me hours to hike and it was rough all the way up.

Sweet Girl and I played a little game that she made up the other day. It's called the Appreciation Game. Here is how you play. One person says, "I appreciate..." and then tells you what they appreciate about you. Then you say back, "I appreciate..." and then you tell them what you appreciate about them. Sometimes you get to take 2 turns in a row! How fun is that!!

The other day I was listen to my ipod. Sweet Girl asked if she could listen. I told her is was talking not music. She looked at me and, shaking her head and pointing, said, "Oh, it's Vicki on there." Later we were talking and she was talking about someone but couldn't remember the name. She was trying to figure out the name and said, "Who is it that you love? Oh, right Vicki!" Last night after we put the kids to bed a friend came over. Of course, I hear their bedroom door open and out pops both girls. Sweetie Heart asked who it was here. I told her and she said, "Oh, I've only heard Vicki's voice a couple of times, but I thought it was her." And Of course, Sweet Girl said, "I thought it was Vicki!" Seems like Vicki should just go ahead and move in, everyone just loves her!

Sweetie Heart is doing well in school. It's been hard for me to let go of her responsibilities at school. But I'm doing my best to allow for natural consequences. She's doing well. She came home the other day telling me a boy in her class finally admitted it. He L's her! and 2 other girls in her class. Heaven help me. She has had boys liking her since she was in kindergarten! she is continuing to pursue her art and has taken a few classes here at a local art studio.

So all is well with us. Hopefully I will post again before too long. But if not, Have a very merry Christmas!