Observation Notes

The boys have been doing some funny stuff lately, I have to document it before I forget.

Q:
"Betendly": to play pretend. as in "Look mom, I betendly cut B's hair."

When watching T.V., every commercial Q states: "Ooo, can I get that for my birthday?" (he still hasn't grasped that Christmas is days away, and to put them on the Santa list instead...
During a commercial for Oxyclean detergent, he asked me "Look Mom! Do you want that for your birthday?" No, I do not.

After an episode of him vomiting I returned home with Gatorade, popsicles and his favorite crackers. He asked if he could have them, and I told him yes, "when you're sick you should drink Gatorade and eat crackers for a little while." He says: "Awesome!!" He's loving having a stomach bug.

"Mommy, get off my nerves!" I wonder where he got that from? A moment of weakness on my part...but mine was more like, you're so ON my nerves.

B:
Talking more and more everyday,
B mis-says things, only he can get away with.
"I shit": Can be either "I sit." or "I see it."
"I shit down": I sit
He also says "Nope" instead of "No" these days which is soo cute.
His version of 'frog' is pretty funny and bad at the same time.

He likes using the potty to pee in. And now every time I change his diaper, he pees on demand, whether or not there is a potty in sight. And he laughs maniacally when he does it, which makes me laugh every time.

This and That

Why is it that when B gets sick, like upset stomach sick, its a bizarre event. Thursday am, like around 3am, I heard a noise in his room, but couldn't identify it, and he didn't wake up and cry, so I thought nothing of it and went back to sleep. When I got him at 7:30 that morning, he and and the crib was covered in dried up puke. Gross. I thought nothing of it cause B pukes all the time when he has congestion. And because he didn't cry that's what I thought it was. He acted fine, ate breakfast and then 2 hours later, puked 3 times in a half hour. Well, I thought OK, he's got a stomach bug, but he was acting so normal and was begging me to eat. I didn't feed him for a couple hours and gave him sips to drink and he didn't puke again.

So, two days later (he hadn't been sick since Thursday am, now its Sunday???) it happens again, I awake to him calling me like normal, and when I get him, again, puke everywhere and an added bonus of poo. I ended up throwing out the PJ's and hosing him down. I took all the bed linens and scooped them up and put them in the wash. Little did I know, that his favorite book was in there too. So if you ever wondered what it'd look like if you washed a board book. Ugh. Does it get any better?

We have had a great weekend so far. But it seems the Christmas tree fairies were against us this year. Friday we went to our new favorite Christmas tree farm, Jug Hill to search for our tree. We got there in time for there still to be daylight out and walked in circles for a good half hour before deciding on a tree. The problem was, none of the big trees were labeled with their height and price, so we picked a tree "sure, that'll fit" and asked the dude how tall it was. "About 10ft". OK, so we purchase said tree and haul it home. When we get it in the tree stand and stand it up, it was a Clark Griswold moment. No, it did not fit. It was quite funny though. Fortunately we only had to trim off the top a little. So then when we go to put on the lights, I swear to you, only one strand of about 5 that we use to put on the tree worked. And the angel won't light anymore. What the heck happened in our attic this year? How do they all decide to not work at one time? I guess they are 9 years old, but its just weird they all went kaput at once. We tried to go trade them in for LED lights, but they were all sold out. The bonus is that new lights were only about $1.50 per strand.

Decorating the tree was fun. We only broke 2 ornaments, and I did one and Q the other. We had to put B to bed for a nap and do most of it, cause all he wanted to do was climb the latter and play with the power strip the lights were plugged into. The boys got to pick out new ornaments too and Q picked out a Hot Wheels ornament and B a Mickey Mouse one. The bottom of the tree is nothing but unbreakable ornaments and I let the boys decorate the bottom half. I love that there's like 10 ornaments on one branch, and that its soo heavy its sagging to the floor. I love the tree and how it looks. But I noticed over on Kelly'sKorner that those people have neatly coordinated trees that look like they're from a department store. I guess I'm not sophisticated or stylish or whatever they are, cause I don't like them. They also have multiple trees in their house. Crazy. It must be a southern thing. I like a simple (although large) REAL tree with ornaments collected over the years. I'm not a tinsel or garland person either. I'm quite opinionated when it comes to a Christmas tree. Here it is, I happen to love it!

A Thanksgiving Tale of Two Head Wounds

Where to start?
We decided to stay home this Thanksgiving and have a quiet holiday w/ just Scott's parents. Four adults and two children instead of well, lots more than that. I love spending time w/ my family and the chaos that goes with it, but we did it for Easter, B's birthday, family vaca in May, sometime in June again in July for my Dad's birthday party, and a couple of other trips south and north. We just wanted to stay home a relax. Well, we sorta did that.
Wednesday afternoon, I prepped most of the side dishes and Scott prepped the Turkey. Then we went out for dinner at a local BBQ joint so we wouldn't have to cook, it was yummy and a well laid out plan.

Well, as Scott got up at 4 in the morning to but the bird in the brine, he was over come with stomach cramps and vomiting for hours. So, I called and cancelled the in-laws. And we ordered Chinese for dinner. Yes, there's nothing like chicken and broccoli, crab rangoon and egg-drop soup for the sick one as a Thanksgiving dinner. (A side note: we always wanted to get Chinese food for Christmas dinner ala "Christmas Story", but I wasn't happy about it this time." ) Not to mention that I had a fever and cough and miserableness that day too. The IL's agreed to try again on Friday for Thanksgiving, so all was not to waste. Right? Wrong. MIL called later and informed me that the wouldn't come Friday because she was having blood drawn. What? Yes, apparently having blood drawn takes at least 8 hours...whatever. So we called a couple over for dinner that night and had a very relaxed dinner. And let me say this, it was the best turkey we've ever cooked. Did I mention it was almost 20lbs? We got it for free so I got the big one, and we have half a bird in the freezer, and a ton of LO's in the fridge. Well folks, it does not end there. I promise I'll get to the head wound part soon.
We had a lovely Saturday, went and paid thru the NOSE at Northlandz, but the kids loved it and came home and chilled and decorated for Christmas, which Q LOVED. We get a call that our new fridge will be delivered on Sunday between 11 and 3pm. So off to bed we went with visions of 26 cubic feet of french door refrigeration dance in our heads.
Sunday, Scott heads out the door w/ the kids and I wait for the fridge. The guys get there at 11am just as Scott is coming back from church and I leave the house w/ two fridges in it and the guys from Lowes assembling the new one. (I had to go to the second service to work the registration table for Christmas).

When I call to say I'm on the way home, Scott says, just come home, Q tackled B into the wall and it put a hole in the wall. What? So, as I walk in the door, Scott is pushing the new fridge into place and it won't go. Yes, he did measure, however the back of the cabinet wasn't level or something and he had to take off some molding and finagle something or other....
Well, as he was pushing with all his might, his foot slipped on a kids toy and he fell face forwarded into the fridge and successfully dented it and his eyebrow. Blood and expletive flowed freely.
Seriously, I'm waiting now for Q to start with the F bomb, there's no way he could have missed it.
So, Scott has a sweet head laceration which definitely needs stitching, but we decided to butterfly it (my mother assured us it will 'heal nicely'). I don't know why we decided to trust my mom on this one, but Scott did not want to go to the ER. Its not like it wouldn't stop bleeding or anything, its just super deep and yucky, and will probably open and close a thousand times before it heals. Oh well, we'll see.
Brendan's head is OK, the wall is permanently scarred. He has a red mark, but that's it. That kid must hit his head at least 3 times a day and each time I think, "Is this the day I take him to the ER?" Q was the same way. Its just a matter of time before one of them has a concussion.

So that's what happened on my Thanksgiving vacation.
I'm thankful that's all that happened.

Praises

Well, I survived Q's sickness. His fever finally broke on Saturday morning. He still has a nasty, junky cough. Only one day for about an hour did I have my hissy fit from being stuck in a house w/ a sick kid and one very active toddler (who was more sick of being the house than I was). I couldn't even send them outside to play to burn off some energy, cause it was raining all week too. Argh. But I survived. Now I just wait to see who else will come down with the fever/cough, dare I say flu?
So, Praise the Lord that I survived and did or say anything too regrettable to the children in my isolation. And Praises again that Scott was super supportive and brought home dinner on Friday night.

Another big praise is that Scott is now back working full-time. We only had to endure one month of a greatly reduced income, and I'm so thankful for that. His employer has said that he will remain full-time (w/ a 10% pay decrease) until March 2010 when they do reviews again. The pay decrease will most likely seem like nothing since we were bracing for a 40% pay cut. I can deal with a 10% loss.

God is good. I'm so thankful. So, thankful for much more than Scott's job. I'm blessed, so blessed.

Day 4 and I'm not losing it, yet.

I've been stuck in my house with a kid with what I'm guessing is the flu. It is day 4 of our isolation and I haven't lost it yet. I have taken numerous car trips to Sonic to get slushes for Q (and a little something for myself), but otherwise haven't gone out...oh except for a trip to Target to get a humidfier filter and tylenol and special treats for the sick one.
It is always a challenge for me to stay home. I have to get out, more like escape these 4 walls. Sometimes its to escape the two of them constantly ontop of each other and the screaming that goes along with that.
I have gotten lots of stuff at home done, like hands-and-knees scrub the floor. I can't tell you the last time I did that. And let me tell you, I swiffer or use my new Hoover floormate on them-regularly, but man, the floor was NASTY. The water was so black when I was done, and it was just the kitchen area.
We've also discovered a new time consuming task--craft time. Q loves it. We've made a Mickey Mouse puppet, Dumbo flappy thing, and a parrot. As well as several pictures of the family. I also discovered that Q can write fairly well now. He can write his name (which is nothing new), my name, Dad, and Gram. Very legibly too. His 'people' are circles w/ huge circle eyes and legs and arms sticking out of the head. They're cute!
B likes to just take the crayons and markers in and out of the box...and chew on them occasionally, and throw them on the floor. He asks for the scissors over and over, "I cut. I cut!!!", but sorry, no way. I give him the playdoh scissors, but he just throws them at me.
I've also been playing around with blogger templates...I'm such a novice.
Well, lets see how we fair today and if I don't lose my mind! I hope I didn't speak too soon.

Oma

Ermgard Hedwig Langenbach

August 24, 1912-October 11, 2009

Oma is german for Grandmother.
I'm thankful to have had Oma as such an integral part of my life.

What can I say about Oma that you may not know. Oma and I had a special relationship. I had the privilege of growing up with her in the same house and sharing a lot of time with her. From my earliest memories, I remember sneaking through a dark house at midnight when I couldn’t sleep to cozy up next to her in her big lumpy bed.
We spent lots of time together in the garden planting vegetables and picking strawberries from the patch on the side of the house. Hanging laundry, cooking dinner and everyday things like going to her favorite fruit and veggie stand on Frankford Avenue. I remember in the winter, coming down to oatmeal in the morning and a cold hand down your back so you could “feel how cold it was outside”. In the summer we’d go to Styer’s to pick strawberries and make jam, and hang out by the pool. She’d never go in, just dip her toes in.
We did fight sometimes, when she’d make me do my homework or chores when I didn’t want to, or when she was simply upholding the rules. She was also good about bending those rules sometimes, like letting me watch TV when I wasn’t allowed to, but I’m not supposed to tell you that.

Oma had a gift of making someone feel welcomed and special. Anyone of my friends could walk in the door and she’d ask if they were hungry, give them a list of what was in the refrigerator and eventually feed them if they were hungry or not. You couldn’t refuse food from her, she was very persistent. I remember her feeding one friend of mine breakfast every morning before we left for school together.
I loved the special trips we’d take for our birthdays. And I always wanted to sit next to her when we went to shows or concerts, she always had Chicklets gum in her purse.

As I got older I never dreaded spending time with her as some teenagers hate old people. She was always cool to me. I loved spending time with her. She was a good shopper and liked going to the movies. We would go to any and all Robert Redford movies together.

As I was an adult she still found ways to relate with me. I remember after having Quinn, telling her that I was fitting into my “regular clothes” and she was congratulating me and said, “It feels good doesn’t it? Its like a nice milestone.”
Speaking of Quinn, I have never seen her so in love with a baby as she was with Quinn. And he in returned LOVED her from the beginning. He would scream when anybody but me held him, but he would smile for Oma, and he loved to visit her.

It got difficult for me as an adult, to watch her age. She was so with it, and so cool up until the past 2 years. She always had taken a lot of pride in her home and in herself. To watch her lose some of her capabilities was so painful. I was so angry that it seemed God was making her suffer. But God’s word states in Romans:

33Oh, the depth of (A)the
riches both of the (B)wisdom
and knowledge of God! (C)How
unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34For (D)WHO
HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?
35Or (E)WHO
HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?
36For (F)from
Him and through Him and to Him are all things (G)To
Him be the glory forever. Amen.

I cannot question God’s plan. God owes nothing to me. I may never know why it seems bad things happen to good people but I have hope in God. I also have comfort knowing that because Oma knew Jesus’ love and grace that she is no longer suffering or in pain. And that because she knew Jesus and because of His sacrifice for us on the cross, she is with Him, in glory.
Two scriptures that have brought me great peace thinking about Oma finally resting.

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

Isaiah 40:31 (New International Version)
"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

The best part of knowing that Oma was saved is the picture I have in my mind of her rising to walk to Jesus in heaven, without having to use a walker or wheel chair.

"Trust Me"

Life has gotten a little uncertain lately. Starting about a year ago, Scott's company starting laying people off. Thankfully, God has allowed him to keep his job unchanged until this past Monday. Two weeks ago, his company informed him that they were cutting his hours down to 3 days a week starting Oct. 5. That's at about 60% of his salary, and dare I say, impossible for us to live off of. We can pay bills, but not do anything else (maybe eat 3 days a week, ha!). When we first found this out, I wasn't shocked or surprised. God had prepared us for this for a whole year. A whole year of thinking, this will be the month Scott loses his job, not knowing how to spend money, budget, plan for upcoming months or whatever. We did take a class at church by Dave Ramsey, who puts you on a plan and how to budget, which was such a blessing. With this news, we were able to know exactly what in the budget goes and what stays.
We immediately prayed. We know He will provide and I was not in panic mode.
God has shown himself to me at several times through the last weeks. One was with this verse, the day after the news Scott was going to be cut.

24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will
wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than
clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away
in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more
valuable than they?" MATTHEW 6:24-26

This was from a Daily Bread devotional slated for that particular day. And I already knew the great truths from that scripture, but it was an excellent timely reminder, and a great representation of how awesome God's living word is; Applicable today and forever!

A few days later I was making and receiving phone calls from prospective employers for myself. I didn't know what I was doing, how to answer questions or what I was even looking for in a job. Part-time, part-time temporary or leading to full time. What? I didn't know what to do. I found myself praying, "God, just tell me what I'm supposed to do? Please, make it clear." In that early morning, I heard His voice say to me "Katie, just Trust ME!" Just trust Me. Its awesome. I knew it was His voice speaking to my soul. And its funny. God had said that to me one other time. I was fretting about conceiving our 2nd child. I was so conflicted on the plan that a fertility specialist had mapped out for us. I didn't want to go thru with the crazy plan of a zillion tests and procedures. I didn't want to take the drugs that would help me ovulate. One morning as I woke to take my temperature to chart my basal body temp to get pregnant, I opened my eyes to the sun shining thru my opaque curtains in my bedroom. I was reaching for the thermometer when I heard his voice again say to me "Katie, just trust Me." The next day I got a positive pregnancy test.

God can be trusted. I know this! I also know that His plans aren't for a completely rosy happy ending and that's when I get fearful. But I also take comfort in this:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Trusting You, Lord. In these days of uncertainty, I will trust. I know there is more to come...