Another Top 10 list and other ramblings...

Top 10 things off the top of my head that I really really miss from my before children days

1. Sleeping in
2. Friday nap night
3. Private bathroom time
4. My memory… I hardly ever missed appointments or forgot to go places
5. Quiet time in the morning while getting ready for work
6. Listening to GMA on the tv in the mornings – now it’s Sponge Bob or Little Einsteins
7. Getting frisky with the hubs in random places in the house at random times
8. Friday nap night
9. Sleeping in
10. Staying up late (cuz inevitably I fall asleep now between 9 or 10 in front of the television)

I love the turn my life has taken and I’m tired now but a good kind of tired and I’m busy now but a good kind of busy… a really fulfilling kind of tired and busy kind of feeling… does that make sense… by the way, my “Top” lists are in no particular order. They are just as random as everything else I do.

Here’s a snap shot of our little family….

Cali…. Diva much? She’s my sweet little girl most of the time but when she isn’t saying “I do all myself” she’s saying “No!”. She says new words and complete sentences, it seems like, every day. She’s just a growing up. She is also blooming out of her little shell and that has been neat to experience. Just last night we had a visit from Matthew’s preschool teacher and Cali hugged her when she left. A year ago, she wouldn’t have even stopped screaming and crying until the lady left. Potty training is still in progress. We encourage and talk about it as much as possible so the tools seem to be all there. It’s just up to her to do it. In the last few weeks she has started completely dressing herself and she does go #1 on the potty when she’s changing clothes so that’s progress… She loves to go cheer Matthew on at t-ball games and we are considering swimming lessons for both the kids this summer at the YMCA, especially now that we have a pool. We are also considering Head Start for Cali in November.

Matthew… is done with preschool for the summer. His teacher has to do home visits so she came over yesterday evening and bragged about how smart Matthew is and how wonderful it has been to have him in her class. She will be his preschool teacher again next year and she also said that she has put in dibs to have Cali in her class too in a few years. Matthew is playing t-ball and that has been so fun to watch and cheer him on! He is growing so much and is definitely all boy… he is still the little Calvin and Hobbes boy I have always wanted. He does talk about his “mommy with the polka dots on her face” sometimes. He actually told Jimmie one day when Jimmie was scolding him that he was mad at Jimmie and was going to go live with his other mommy. He has a lot of built up anger and confusion about some of the things that have happened to him in his life, which is a lot for anyone to deal with, especially a 4 year old little feller. Jimmie and I have been going to therapy to learn how to help him work through his issue with play therapy. So we each have a play date with him once a week which he loves because he gets our undivided attention! This past Wednesday I had to take him to get his 4 year old booster shots of MMR, Tetnus, and Polio. So he got 3 shots. Bless his little heart. He cried but he was brave and then he and I went home and got in the pool. As we were both relaxing in our floaties he told me that we were having a pool play date. So precious!

Jimmie… amazed me by all the work he did to put up the pool. He keeps saying he’s buying a pulling tractor and that’s why he did it but I think 2 little people begging for a pool have a lot to do with it too. He has told me if I don’t keep the pool clean, he will drive a tractor through it. Being it is my new happy place, I really doubt I will have troubles keeping it clean. He also continues to amaze me by being a great daddy. He has a lot of patience with the kids and it is so sweet to watch him with them. The other night all 4 of us were in the pool and it was just a wonderful time.

Me… I’m having scar tissue issues left over from my surgery a few years ago… I may have actually developed a hernia that pops out of place every once in a while and is so painful it takes my breath away so I’m sure I’m going to have to have that checked out soon… blah at health issues… getting old ain’t for sissies… I’ve heard that saying a lot and now I know it to be true! I’m hoping with the swimming pool, I’ll be more active and that may be good for working out some of that pain. Other than that, I’m having fun being a mommy… work has been crazy and I find myself feeling guilty when I have to work later than usual and can’t be home to take care of stuff and have to ask Jimmie to do stuff like get dinner and pick up the kids. I actually apologize to him when I tell him I’m going to be late and he tells me to not worry about it, he understands, which makes me feel worse but also makes me feel blessed to have him as my partner in all things this life throws at us. The duplicity of being a working mom, I know.

Well anyway… that’s a little of what is going on with us these days… thanks for reading!