Ten

I'm copying a 10 idea from some friends who did this a couple of months ago. Since becoming a one-income family, my spending habits have had to change a bit, but if we happened to have any extra money laying around, here are the first 10 things I would use it on.

1. My hair - This has been a major sacrifice for me, even though no one in my family or extended family understands my woe. No highlights or color of any kind for well over a year has been torture.
2. Clothes - I want a variety, but only seem to have the basics.
3. Shoes - No explanation needed.
4. Going Out To Eat - No cooking, no mess, tastes great...what's not to love? (Unless you read restaurant safety/cleanliness articles -- just don't do that. It's better to pretend that everyone washes their hands.)
5. A Construction Crew - And I wouldn't let them leave until my basement is completely finished.
6. Picture Frames - Fun, contemporary ones - not the country looking stuff I have in my possession currently.
7. Living Room Furniture - Come see my living room and you might be so convinced that you'll donate to the cause.
8. Ice Cream - Preferrably Cold Stone Creamery or Marble Slab, but Dairy Queen or Braums will do also.
9. Porch Railings - Yes, that's what I said, porch railings. We moved into this house 2 1/2 years ago and still do not have porch railings (or stairway railings or window well covers for that matter...I guess safety must not be a huge priority for us). I think the house looks funny.
10. A Laptop - By this point in my list, I would need a huge amount of money laying around, but while I'm dreaming, I may as well dream big.

My Blessing

Warning: This could get sentimental.

My friend wrote today about not being good with sick kids. Which I think is so funny since she is a nurse and one of the first people I call with medical questions. Do you know how many times I wished for the sake of my children that I had a nursing degree? She's probably right, there's a good chance I'd be even more insane with worry than I already am. Anyway, yesterday morning she almost received one of my desperate phone calls at 5:00 a.m. Lucky for her, my mother (also a nurse) finally picked up the phone on the fifth ring.

My 19 month old was the reason for the frantic phone calling. He woke up coughing. Not just regular coughing. Barking, intense coughing - the kind of coughing where you suck in air but your body just can't quite figure out how to get it all back out again, so your half gagging, half coughing, and half not breathing at all. That's what he was doing. That, I discovered, is not pretty in a one year old.

I panicked. I ran from his room to my room, flipped on the light and told my groggy husband, "You have to help me." I, of course, handed our son to him as quickly as I could so he could fix the problem. I was dressed and had my contacts in in 2.3 seconds and decided to call mom to see if she thought we could make it to the hospital where his doctor is (and where she works) 20 minutes away or if we needed to take him in the local very small hospital in town. She advised a breathing treatment before we rushed out of the house. She, of course, came to our house to see how bad he was, probably because she knew I was in panic mode. She was right, the treatment did the trick and held him over 4 hours until we went in to see the doctor for $25 instead of $300.

So, the diagnosis was croup and the result is lots of steroids and very little sleep.

That was a long introduction for why I actually started writing this post. The 5:00 a.m. "are you going to die in my arms" feeling has had some effect on me, mostly in the way of making me look back over his short life and count my blessings. Here are a few.

• He is my baby of promise. After literally feeling like God told me I would have a baby by the end of the year and then miscarrying yet another child, being called on Christmas Eve to let us know we'd been chosen to adopt a baby boy was an amazing Christmas miracle.


• His dark eyes make my heart melt, just like I'm sure they will do to some precious girl someday.


• His smile and laugh are contagious. They brighten my day, even when he's being naughty.


• He cracks me up all the time. When he wakes up in the morning or from his nap, one of his first words is always "pop sicle." Just like that, with a big pause in the middle. Because we feed him popsicles at every meal??


• I love the way he repeats the last two words of everything he hears. I call him a Polly Parrot. He says he's a Polly Carrot.


• He adores his big brother, even though big brother doesn't often deserve adoration.


• I couldn't love him anymore if he were my own flesh and blood. I feel completely blessed to be able to honestly say that. I can't comprehend the intracacies of human love and emotion, but Somebody knew what They were doing.

Last night I went over to my parents house to attempt a feat that I was not looking forward to at all. There was a good reason for this, as it totally exhausted, frustrated, and wore out every one of us there.

But, I am happy to report, that with three adults, smarties, fruit snacks, and a train video (and lots of screaming, crying, and kleenexes), we accomplished the feat...of giving my one year old a haircut.

Now don't jump to the conclusion that I'm completely crazy just yet. I tried my best to get him to somebody who actually went to school to know how to do this insane job of cutting hair. Her first available was next week on Tuesday. I said, sure, that would be great - and then I went to my calendar and realized that I had booked something else on that very same day. The next available appointment was over two weeks away.

Normally I would just suck it up and wait, but he was already way past due. During every meal we have yogurt-covered, applesauce-filled grimy little hands that are magnetically attracted to his beautiful head of dark, thick hair. If I didn't dislike the army look so much, this boy would have had one of those cuts long ago.

I knew giving him a haircut would be difficult, because the last three haircuts have gotten progressively worse, even with someone who knows what they are doing. That is why I graciously handed the scissors to my dear mom last night. She was honored - until she realized what she was up against.

So, considering that he now screams, cries, and throws himself backwards every time he sees a scissors, we will not be returning to the lady who has the fancy certificate on her wall. We will go straight for the candy and movies at Salon Grandma.

My Wonder List

This was one of those "I've got nuthin'" blog weeks. The week seemed crazy busy with normal, everyday stuff, but nothing particularly blog-worthy. Either that, or I completely ran out of time each day so I didn't spend the much-needed brainpower, I'm not sure. But, there have been a few things I've wondered about this week, so I'll jot those down for today.

I've wondered...

Why my one year old can say "more cinnamon cereal," "want different hat", and "more marshmallows," but still calls a banana a "dana."

Why men can lose five pounds in three days, but it takes a woman at least three months.

Why at noon on Wednesday my husband and his father say they are sure they won't be in the fields until Saturday, but by 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday they say "there's a good chance we'll be back in tomorrow."

Why my 4 year old is obsessed with his poop - and isn't afraid to let everyone know about it. "Mommmmm! My poop is loose today!" Loose? What? And when it's not "loose" - "Mommmmm, guess what, my poop is strong again!!" Yes, you heard me right, "loose" and "strong".

Why I can discipline my children or be very frustrated with them, yet 5 minutes later they will still come running to me to solve all the world's problems. I love that.

Why 3 hours can go by so slow after naptime between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., but three hours in the evening with your friends can go by so quickly.

Why it only took me 1 week to be addicted to reading people's blogs, but I can't ever seem to get addicted to cleaning or cooking!

Why I can't ever get a card sent on time! I have only sent 3 cards ON TIME this entire year. And all three were for the same day - September 10. Today is my brother's birthday. I bought the card a week ago, signed and sealed it three days ago, and where is it? On my kitchen counter.

Why I am so uptight about flying. Millions of people do it everyday - even across the ocean. So why does the thought of it about send me into a panic attack every time I think about it? I hate being a wimp.

Why I'm supposed to be packing for the lake and I'm still sitting in front of my computer! I sure wish I was one of those people who work better under pressure.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'm going to be spending mine lounging in the sun, cruising around on the boat, and trying to keep little boys from drowning!

Huh?

For those of you who read my blog yesterday, I'm happy to report that the day got much better after 5:20. You guessed it, that's when the other adult who lives in this house walked through the door. I'm not sure if my husband read my blog first, or if he could just tell that it had been a rough several hours, but last night he came to my rescue. After heading out to the farm to sit on the tractor for hours, he arrived back home within 20 minutes saying, "Daddy to the rescue!" I'm not sure if he was implying that our kids needed rescuing from me, but I'm not going to ponder that because he immediately told me the fields were too wet and that I could have the entire evening to scrapbook. My jaw hit the floor and I ran for my stuff before he could change his mind.

What followed was interesting. My husband and sons were putting together a puzzle on the floor. Apparently the side with the picture on it became too mundane for their Einstein brains, because I soon heard my dear spouse say to my 4 year old, "Do you want to make this a little more challenging?" They proceeded to flip the puzzle pieces over and put it together with only the gray side up. Who thinks like this?


And because that wasn't challenging enough, they decided to try to then flip the completed puzzle over all in one piece...

...which wasn't so successful. (It was, however, entertaining. The 1 year old kept running around the kitchen screaming "AGAIN! AGAIN! FALL DOWN AGAIN!!")

And because that wasn't difficult enough, their next step of "making it more challenging" was to put it together again, but starting in the center and working their way out to the edges.

Is there any chance my family is normal?

On second thought, why should I care, I got an entire evening off out of the deal.

The Power of an Email

This has not been a great day. I was pretty sure that my blog was going to be something sarcastic about how my younger child screamed for almost an hour before going to sleep (which he hardly ever does) or how my older child had a meltdown because he couldn't find his precious "hand" blanket (which is so worn out the handprints have long ago washed off). By 2:00 this afternoon I was seething with so much anger it was almost starting to scare me. You name it, I was mad about it: how I worked my butt off cleaning the house and it never stays clean; how I was going crazy today staying at home, but feeling too guilty to think about taking my kids to a babysitter; how I couldn't even fit in time to sweep the kitchen floor, blah, blah, blah.

Then I opened my email. Have you ever been knocked flat by an email? Today I was. The actual email was, of course, cute with little baby pictures by each of these quotes, but you'll still get the idea. Here is some of what it said:

I believe...that our background and circumstances may have shaped who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe...that no matter how good a friend is, they are going to hurt you once in a while, and you must forgive them for that.

I believe...that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I believe...that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe...that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe...that money is a lousy way to keep score.

and the big one for me today...

I believe...that you control your attitude or it will control you.

Ouch.

At 2:00 when I was seething with anger, I was working on my Bible study lesson. Yes, it was a fine state of mind to be in for that task. I prayed that there would be something for me in the lesson, or that God would just miraculously fix my bad attitude.

Today He didn't speak to me in Ephesians, instead He chose email.

Things I've Learned While Being Trapped In The House

I haven't left my house since Wednesday. Had I known my 4 year old would wake up with a fever Thursday morning, I would have lived it up a little more on my last day out in the world. Although I can't remember things like when the last time was that I showered, I have learned a few tidbits of information during this time. You will all sleep much better at night knowing these things.

• "Throw-up makes you lose something that your body needs, but Sprite gives it back to you. I'm not sure what it is that your body needs, but my cousin telled me that, so I know it's right. You can ask him if you want to know." Exact quote from the 4 year old.


• I'm on a laundry strike - for one child anyway. I officially have 27 pairs of pajamas, 32 pairs of jeans/pants, 13 pairs of overalls, and more shirts than I was willing to count for my 19 month old. I spent some time the past couple of days doing the season transition of clothes for my kids. (If it hits 90 next week, it is my fault, sorry.) I have three fabulous people that have handed me boxes of clothes for my little guy. It is GREAT, but nothing short of overwhelming to wade through the masses of 18/24 month clothing!


• My husband informed me that the two cows that I wrote about a few days ago have actually been living next to us for at least a year, if not two. And here I thought they just showed up. I'm pretty observant, huh? Told you farming and me don't mix. Couldn't resist throwing something more in about the cows.


• You know a sick child is really bored when he hangs upsidedown off the couch to watch Bob the Builder...in Spanish.


• You can't judge a movie by the back of its cover. My husband brought one home from our library (free check-out for a whole week!) that sounded really good, I would have picked it too. It wasn't so grand.


• It officially takes a fever of 102.2 for my child to stop playing and lie down on the couch. I don't even need a thermometer anymore.


• If I tell my 19 month old "no" or upset him in any way while we are standing on the wood floor, he will actually run to the carpet to throw his fit somewhere soft.
• Everybody emails me when I have no time to reply and no one emails when I'm staring at the computer longing for some outside communication.
• Waiting for the basement to be finished is like cleaning and flying. I really hate the process, but love the end result.

I just reread everything I have written. If I were someone else reading this post, this would be my comment: "Girl, you have GOT to get out more!" So, on that note, I think I will be done now.

10 Things

I didn't forget. This week was BE THANKFUL week for me! So here are 10 things that I am very thankful for.

In somewhat of the "right" order because my husband wouldn't appreciate being listed below the telephone.

1. My God. I just started a new Bible Study that is forcing me to be more disciplined, more observant, and more determined to know God and His power. This is stretching me and so far I am loving it.


2. My husband. Because he loves me whether I'm fat or not, pretty or not, happy or not, and cooking or not!


3. My kids. They bring out the best in me and the worst in me. Sometimes I'm not very happy with their actions or attitude, but I'm still the one they come running to when their world gets turned upside down. This warms that spot in my heart that was filled with jealousy when everyone else had someone who called them "mama" and I couldn't have children.


4. My Friends. I could say so much here, but I don't have much time before the kids wake up. I love you for filling my life with joy, laughter, and happiness!


5. My parents and in-laws. Yes, I'm serious, my in-laws. I know, not many people say that. They are wonderful to us and to our children. No need goes unmet, and many "wants" get filled in the process too!


6. My brother. He has made me look outside the box and see the world from a different perspective.


7. My home. It's hard not to want bigger or better or decorated by someone who has a clue, but it is enough and more than we would ever really need.


8. My telephone. Yep, there it is. It's my connection to the outside world when the walls feel like they're closing in.


9. Fall weather. I love the not too hot, not too cold time of year. We can still be outside some, but it is the first glimpse that some of my favorite times of year are coming soon - my son's birthday, Christmas, my other son's birthday...it must be because I love shopping!


10. Books. I love getting lost in another world, reading for advice, or just finding out opinions of others. I could spend entire days reading.

Nap time is over, so it's time to put my thankfulness to the test!

Fishing, Football, Farm Animals, and Freakishly Loud Music

What a night.

Our son has been begging to go fishing. He got a new fishing pole a couple of months ago and has been dying to break it in. So, finally, daddy agreed to take him. Daddy also thought this would be a fun family event for all to enjoy. This picture captured the one moment the the little one was actually sitting for more than 5 consecutive seconds. The look on my face about says it all.

The fish were not biting, so the next best thing was practicing casting the bait into the water.

It didn't take long for us to decide that there would be no fish caught on this evening. We went back up to the house for some football practice. We were actually amazed with the small amount of athletic talent that emerged.

Not to be outdone by big brother...

What occurred while we were playing football is only possible to comprehend if you have a good imagination. We were minding our own business in the front yard when we realized that the cows were mooing louder, and louder, and louder. Yes, cows again. What have I done to deserve this? I had not realized it up to this point, but we have 5 cows living on the east side of our property (I knew that part) and 2 cows living on the west side of our property. I'm not sure when the neighbors to the west thought they needed cows too. Tonight, all these cows decided they wanted to get to know one another a little better. They struck up quite the deafening conversation, and soon the 5 cows were sprinting up and down the fence line trying to figure out how to get to their new friends. The leader of the bunch actually tried to duck under the fence to get out. All this to say that it is official: my husband did a terrific job fixing the fence. Had he not, we would have been in the middle of a great stampede.

Oh, the life. It gets even better. In the middle of all this, our human (we think, anyway) neighbors across the way decide it is the right time for drum practice. By the sound of it, one of them must be forming a new rock band. This noise even makes the cows stop. At least there was some benefit to it.

I'm trying to remember now why we moved to the country. I think one of the reasons had something to do with peace and quiet??

Farm Wife 101

Today about 4:30 my husband went out to mow the "farm." This doesn't mean our yard, this means the acreage way back behind our house that belongs to my husband's father. It is where the shed is located and where all the farm implements, grain bins, etc. are stored. He mows it because his father recently bought a nice riding lawn mower that he lets us use any time we want it. In return, my husband mows this acreage for his dad. Adjacent to this land is pastureland that his father conveniently rents out to another farmer - which means that about 4 months out of the year we are blessed with neighbors...the kind that moo.

This evening my husband came flying into the house at full speed.

Him: "Where's the cell phone? I need it now!"

Me: "I don't know. Why do you need it?"

Him: "I just do! What is dad's cell number?"

I should know after 10 years that this is not the time to ask questions, but for some reason, that is still what immediately flies out of my mouth.

I found the cell phone and watched him take off out the back door and head toward the pond. I knew whatever had happened wasn't good because he was calling his parents -- who are currently in Kentucky on a 10 day vacation. I could tell he wasn't getting a hold of anyone on the phone, but I couldn't go anywhere to investigate what was going on because my son was still taking a nap.

Fifteen minutes later the phone rang. It was my husband.

Him: "Do you have any phone #'s of where mom and dad are at?"

Me: "No, but maybe your sister does."

Him: "I have nothing to write with out here. Can you drive out here to the pond and bring me some paper and a pen? I might need your help."

Of course I load up the paper, pen, and 18 month old (big brother had asked to go to grandma's for the afternoon) for a short jaunt out back, wondering the entire time how I am going to be of any help with the little tyke along for the show. And do I even know yet what has happened? NO!

When I got to the pond, my husband showed me what had happened. He had somehow mowed down the fence - the electric fence. Thank goodness for rubber tires on the lawn mower. And what did he need my help for? Cow patrol. Yep, he wanted me there to make sure the cows didn't get out. I know you are all insanely jealous right now.

I am sure that somewhere in our lengthy relationship I have told my husband about how my dad used to drag my brother and me to my uncle's pasture to cut wood every fall. His pasture was full of cows. Cows that terrified me so much that I wouldn't get out of the back of the truck if they were anywhere in my visual path.

But in spite of this, here I was 20 years later, sitting on the lawnmower with my 18 month old son, making sure the cows didn't get out while my husband fixed the fence. I'm living the dream life.

The good news -- the cows are safe and the fence is fixed. At least we think so...how does one really know the electric fence is fixed without touching it?

I guess if the cows are sleeping on my porch in the morning, I'll get to take part in Farm Wife 102.

10 Things...Forgotten

I completely forgot it was Friday...until I started reading my friends' posts and realized that today is "10" day.

Ten reasons my brain is so fried that I forgot today was Friday:

1. I still haven't recovered from last weekend. That is a serious sign that I am getting OLD.
2. My 18 month old has a cold - which means his naps are short and he wakes up a lot at night.
3. It stormed last night - for hours. Neither one of my boys sleep through storms anymore. The 4 year old is scared to death and I just think the little brother can't possibly dream of missing out on all that quality family time.
4. The laundry has multiplied itself around here like little bunny rabbits. I'm not sure why, but I can't seem to crawl out from under the piles.
5. I'm still adjusting to the new fall schedule. My son loves preschool, and I love it that he loves it, but it definitely puts a new outlook on our days.
6. Monday was a holiday, so really today is still Thursday.
7. I spent all of our money last weekend on my getaway and today was not payday.
8. I think my children are scarred from me being gone last weekend. They are like little sheets of cling wrap.
9. Grandma #1 is leaving in the morning for 10 days and Grandma #2 is leaving Monday for 4 days. Yes, I know how incredibly spoiled I am -- but the kids are going to feel like this is a very long time.
10. I'm exercising more and my clothes feel tighter. This is severely irritating me.

Well, that was a positive, uplifting 10 list. I'm vowing right now to focus all week on 10 things I'm thankful for. At least I know what I'm writing about next Friday.

Mr. Logical and Death

My friend and I take turns driving our children back and forth to preschool in another town. Today when she dropped off my four year old she declared that my 4 year old has an incredibly logical/analytical brain. "Hmmm...," I thought, "Is that good or bad?"

Many of his comments have led her to this conclusion, but today was especially funny to her. Apparently, on the way home her 4 year old had pretended to die in her seat. My friend and her other daughter were playing along..."Oh no, what happened to her? Oh, what are we going to do? Oh, she's gone forever..."

My child piped right up in all seriousness, "She is not really dead. She is just pretending. That's what we do when we play. Sometimes we pretend things that aren't real."

Really? Thanks, now we can all sleep better at night.

Then tonight we were on the way to dinner with grandma and grandpa. Grandma asked my 4 year old if he had told me about the baby kittens he and his little brother got to hold this weekend while staying at her house.

Him: "Oh yeah, I held the kitty very carefully."

Me: "That's great."

Grandma: "His little brother loved it too, only he had a little trouble holding the kittens."

Him: "Yeah, he just squeezed and squeezed those kitties. He squeezed their tails, then he squeezed their necks so tight."

Me: "Ouch. That doesn't sound good. We're going to have to teach him to be more careful."

Him: "Yeah, but it was really okay. It's not like they died or anything."


Good point. If only life could be that simple.

Back To Real Life

Here are some things I learned during our girls weekend away.

• We often make fun of western Kansas as being "no man's land" and "out in the middle of nowhere." I am here to tell you that the same statements are true for extreme northern Kansas as well. They even have gas pumps that still look like this.

• An entire day of shopping is still the best way to spend a day no matter how many hours you drove to get there, how much sleep you DIDN'T get the night before, or how much you buy or don't buy.


• When you ask the waitress at Olive Garden to embarrass your friend as much as possible for her birthday celebration, they do a really nice job of fulfilling the request. (I'm very sad I did not document that occasion with a picture.)


• The weekend gets even better when the man of the house you are visiting is willing to cook every meal.

• When you hear a clunking noise while driving down the highway, there is a good chance that means your tire is flat.


• When you discover the piece holding the jack into the car is rusted and can't be removed and you have to call 911 for help in Missouri, it will take roughly an hour for any form of help to arrive.


• If a nice man stops to help you (which he did) right before the police officer arrives, the said police officer will then stand there and do nothing while he watches the nice man change the tire.


• When the nice man and police officer tell you to drive 7 miles back the other way to Cameron, MO to have Wal-Mart put on a new tire, don't listen the them. The Wal-Mart in Cameron seems to have issues with their tire balancing machine working and will scowl at the thought of putting new tires on your car. They will tell you to drive 30 miles down the road on the donut tire to St. Joseph. Just go there, they have nice people there.

• 3 1/2 hours and $200 later, you will be merrily on your way back home.
• We definitely set a new record - Illinois to Kansas in roughly 15 hours. Home never looked so good!!