If You Aren’t Giving Me Lovin’-I’m Sleeping Somewhere Else!

Tyler has been somewhat of a permanent fixture in our bed lately.  I blame this entirely on my husband.  The child refuses to go to bed until everyone is asleep.  Jeff likes to stay up late-and by late I mean two and three o’clock in the morning.

If you read the any kind of child’s rearing book-it clearly states bedtime for a three-year old should be around eight p.m. Nope, not for my child, not going to happen.  When he does go to sleep it is usually in our bed.  In my younger days, I loved sleeping with a toddler by my side.  Now that I am six years older and the wiser, not so much! I need my space, I need complete silence (Jeff snores) and I need complete darkness!! No nightlight for me!!

Last night, crawling into bed I explained to the boys that I would be getting up really, really early in the morning to go to work and needed to go to sleep. I was in bed ten minutes, and had just dozed off when I see a little head at the edge of my bed.

“Mommy, I want to sleep in your bed!”

“No.”

“But I DO!”

“No, you need to sleep in your bed! Go to sleep!”

He wanders away……all the way to my husband’s empty side of the bed.  I do not roll over, I make no motion to acknowledge him.  I hear rustling, I feel covers being pulled-I lay motionless-trying my darndest to not move.  He somehow uses the blankets to pull himself onto the bed.

He snuggled in close to me and kisses my ear.  I smile, but make no sound.  He folds his arm around my neck, I still lay motionless.  He kisses my cheek, still grinning I make no move.  We lay in silence for a few minutes.

He gives up, crawls out of bed, walks down the hall and crawls into his own bed. At five o’clock in the morning, I find him asleep in his own bed.  My big boy made it all night! Tough love but he did it! He stayed in his bed-he will get rewarded tomorrow with lots of hugs, kisses and lovin’!

She Knows She Made A Mistake

A recent news report spoke of an accident where a mother and child and three grown men were in an accident.    The mother transferred by helicopter to a larger hospital.  One of the three men brought to a local hospital to be checked out and discharged.  The child died.  Merely four years old, his life had barely started.

The local newspaper reported the mother had been talking on her cell phone, and crossed the center line-tragic, yes!  The later news reports later reported she had been texting on her cell phone-yes, still tragic!

I am amazed at all the comments that followed the news articles. Mean, hateful words stating the mother should be put in prison for life. My thoughts are this.  What worse could a mother’s life entail when the result of her mistake, a mistake many of have made without the same consequence cost her child’s life?  Do you think she will ever for one minute forget that fatal mistake?  Do you think her life will ever be the same without her son’s face ever-present in her life?

My question to all the haters is this-have you never made a mistake? Have you never talked or texted on your own cell phone while driving? Maybe, your child wasn’t in the car with you, but maybe the oncoming car was a van full of someone else’s children.  Maybe you got lucky?  Why is everyone so quick to point the finger when it wasn’t their mistake?

My greatest fear would be that I caused my own children such harm.  Could I live my life and continue living with myself after such an accident?  Mind you, the word is called “Accident” for a reason.  I doubt this is something this mother will ever get past, I doubt this is something the child’s father will ever get past.  They will forever be scarred for life.

So maybe if you have lived your life perfectly, having never made any mistakes-you have the right to judge.  But for ten seconds, put yourself in that mother’s shoes, or better yet put yourself in the hospital bed she lay in with her heart beating while her own flesh and blood’s heart beat stopped days ago.

Modifying Tyler’s Art

Those of you who know me or have gotten to know me know that I am extremely OCD about certain things.  Unfortunately for Michael he met the wrath of my obsessive compulsive disorder this afternoon rather innocently (looking back of course!)

The babysitter likes to do little art projects with the kids for holidays and they make cute take home projects. Yesterday, Tyler made an Easter Bunny with a clear bowl for a belly that is meant to hold candy.  It has a styrofoam ball for the head, with ears attached and little feet that it stands on and it is holding a cute little basket with two little decorated Easter eggs in it.  Michael made the same one when he was three years old and every Easter I set it out with my decorations.

So today Tyler made one and I have to say he was very proud of it! When he handed it to me he told me, “be careful not to take the ears off!”  I brought it in the house and displayed it proudly on the kitchen counter. I explained several times to Michael who was jealous that he didn’t get to make one because he was at school that I have the one he made and we will get it out with the rest of the Easter decorations.

On to homework.  I am multi tasking as usual, cooking supper at the stove and calling out spelling words for Michael to write on the dry erase board.  I look over and see Michael doodling on something with his dry-erase marker and I instantly know it is Tyler’s bunny.  I startle him and ask what he thinks he’s doing and he replies,” What? It needed eye brows!” There on Tyler’s cute little bunny is a giant blue dot above the right eye-“GO TO TIMEOUT!” Michael runs to his room crying.

I am so mad! Tyler comes in the kitchen and asks what Michael did.  So I explain to my just-turned three-year old that Michael drew on his bunny.  Tyler’s response was, ” Oh, why he didn’t have eyebrows?” He is so cute-I can just kiss him! Of course, Tyler doesn’t care that his bunny has a blue dot-he’s THREE! But it is the whole point-Michael is much like me-okay he is my Doppelganger! If someone drew on something Michael created just like me he would sob hysterically and cry that his artwork was ruined forever.

I made Michael apologize to Tyler, though Tyler could have cared less and Michael didn’t think he did anything wrong because, “really Mom-it needs eyebrows!”

A Fresh Coat of Paint

I love to paint!! Rooms, that is! I also love to rearrange furniture-it absolutely drives my husband crazy to come home and have all the furniture in the house rearranged! The good news is that I stopped asking him for help a long time ago. When I was younger and shared a room with my sister, I would wake her up and announce we were rearranging our room-and much to her dismay, if she didn’t awaken cheerfully to help her neurotic sister, I usually used some type of force to get her to help-sorry Kristin!

So, here it is Springtime and lucky for Jeff I have been working way too much to have time to paint a wall or move much furniture.  But it is coming! ….and soon! I am already looking at ideas of colors and decorating ideas- I can’t wait! I am like a kid in a candy shop-my husband loved when we moved into our new home seven years ago and the walls were all a pristine white. BORING! Not anymore! The kitchen is currently green and yellow-the living room a multiple palette of browns, the toy room is gold, the kid’s room is currently multi-colored with green, yellow and brown and my room our room dark chocolate.  My home office is lime green and a bright turquoise blue.

I can’t wait to start painting and I am so excited I am not sure which room to start with first! The boy’s room could definitely use some updating but unfortunately I don’t want to paint green in it.  When Michael was young I told him that monsters hate the color green and he was in luck because one of his walls is green! Unfortunately he still remembers me saying that!

I have the hallway that I could paint and my bathroom and there is always the stairway leading downstairs-though I haven’t figured out how I am going to reach the top of the cathedral ceiling above the open staircase-so I may have to hold off a little longer on that one!

….and if I don’t like the way it turns out, I will just paint over it!  The nice thing about all of these coats of paint is that our house will be extra insulated from the cold and heat!

Writing a Letter

When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone.  It is easy to get to the point and text message someone, or send them a quick email., but when is the last time you truly sat down with a pen and paper and wrote a letter to a friend.  A fellow blogger friend of mine, has taken Lent to send a letter to a family member each week.  I thought this was a great idea.

I have four older brothers and one younger sister and sometimes our lives get so busy that we can go weeks without talking to one another.  Sometimes with siblings that I am not as close to, when I call them, there is a lot of silence.  And to mark this silence, one of us will usually use the phrase, ” so what else is going on?”  Usually with those individuals we have missed so much of what is going on in one another’s life that it is easier just to say “not much” and move on. Or in other cases you are afraid they will judge you for what ever it is that is going on in your life that you purposely leave it out.

But conversations are two-sided and to keep them running smoothly it takes two parties and a subject.  With writing a letter, it is all you.  Which in my case is easy-I could talk to a wall and still have a somewhat stimulating conversation-for others it’s not so easy. My goal for the next couple of days is to sit down and write a letter, it doesn’t have to be world-changing it just has to be a nice note to someone that says, ” Hey, I’ve missed you” or “I’ve been thinking about you”-who knows who is going to get this letter- so check your mailboxes! Hehe!

Friends Who Never Have Time

I recently read an article in one of my monthly magazine subscriptions about “ditching friends”.  It was a basic how to get rid of friendships that no longer entice you or fit your lifestyle.  After pondering the article for many days-I think I may be getting dumped! Hehe!

If you have friends who are always busy with their job, their kids schedule, family get-togethers, blah, blah, blah-do you believe them?  I guess in the time of Facebook and Twitter it is easy to see just what your friends are up to.  Like a week-end get away to visit some other friends of theirs, or nights out at the local martini bar with their other groups of friends.

In adulthood, I have realized that the person who is my very bestest friend in return may have a closer friend than I, and that is okay.  I read a quote once that said,” a true friend always feels they are getting the better end of the deal”. I have many friends that I have felt this is the case.  I can call them in an emergency, and they know just what to say or do.  I can pick up the phone after not speaking with them for several months and our friendship picks up right where it left off.

It gets hard after numerous times of seeing friends and them saying, “Why don’t we get together? You guys need to call us!” That you begin to feel like your friendship is more of a burden.  Why do I always have to call and invite?  Am I that low on their calendar list that I now need to make reservations?  Is that just because they are truly busy with meetings, agendas and children or because their social calendar is that booked out with their other friends or are they trying to let me down easy?

 

Vacationing in the Great United States

It is time for my family and I to start thinking about our summer travels.  The past six years my husband and I have made it a point to  vacation where there is also history of our nation.  Usually this means civil war battle fields, former President’s homes, etc.  It really is fun and we have always made it a point to include something fun for the children.  We have also made it a point for it to be within driving distance that must accommodate a replaced hip, an injured knee and two young children.

Living in Southern Illinois and growing up on a dairy farm where cows need to be milked twice a day, we didn’t vacation much.  As a child, we went to Cumberland Falls, Kentucky; the Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin and on day trips.  Before marrying my husband and I made several trips to Topeka, Kansas to visit with some friends.  We spent our honeymoon in Negril, Jamaica-my first flight and view of the ocean.  We have since spent time in Chicago watching the AVP sand volleyball tournaments.  We have also ventured to Las Vegas and had a blast.

Our past vacations encircling history have been to Springfield, IL a must for us Illinoisans.  We have been to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield in Springfield, Missouri; the Battle of Shiloh, otherwise known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing in Tennessee and the Battle of Stones River, also in Tennessee.

I am ready to see some sand, sun and ocean but Jeff feels it is too far to travel with the boys. If anyone has some historically and somewhat exciting travel ideas for our family, please comment!

Heaven knows I am in need of a vacation and soon!!! ….and taking off a few days for Michael to finally have his adenoids removed (again) and bronchoscopy at the local Children’s Hospital does not count!!

Worth Forgetting

I have had some time to do some thinking tonight. I am no longer “doom and gloom”.  I think my problem has been things from the past weighing heavily on my mind.  Things that I can not change by dwelling up on them.

Why does our past sometimes haunt us?  Little mundane things that are worth forgetting are drudged up to add weight to our already busy lives.  I am making an effort to not waste anymore of my thoughts and time on these things and letting bygones be bygones.

I have made choices in my life that have brought me where I am today.  I am happy with the end result and those that got left at the wayside and have fallen far behind were left there for reasons unknown to most of us.  I am thankful that I made right turns instead of left turns and have become a better person for these decisions.

I could be living a much different life than the one I lead-for this I am thankful. Whatever or whomever was at my side to help me make the right decisions I am forever indebted to.

“What if’s” and “could’ve beens” don’t get us further in life-they hold us in a stagnant state. A state I refuse to remain in.  I have always been very emotionally attached to what is going on around me, concerned to fix things and people-even at the cost of myself.  While my New Year’s Resolution is to be more “Thankful” I am going to add to it “to learn to let go”.

Doom and Gloom

Do you ever have days when you are just cranky-for no apparent reason.  I  laid in bed and slept all day, only to awaken still tired and longing to return to bed.  I’m not sick, just have a stuffy head related to allergies. 

Sure, I work nights and could always use that excuse-but really, I slept nine and a half hours, was up for two hours and returned to bed for another three hours before dragging my butt to work.  I don’t think I can use the “I work night shift” excuse for sleeping that much.

This is a little bit concerning since I was recently diagnosed with low Cortisol or Addison’s disease in January.  The side effects of the disease are fatigue, low heart rate, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, blah blah-so yes, it could be that-but they started d me on two different daily steroids and in recent weeks I have been feeling so much better. But, I don’t really feel like getting into that since that has been so much of my life the past few months.

The weather was beautiful today, not that I saw it-just going by what I heard.  In fact, yesterday I spent the entire day out side with the boys playing baseball, jumping on the trampoline and working in the landscaping-may be I over did it-who knows?

I am reading “Worth Fighting For” the book by Lisa Niemi Swayze regarding Patrick Swayze’s battle with pancreatic cancer and the team they formed during his battle.  It’s good, but maybe a little depressing.

I haven’t truly found anything exciting to blog about for the past few months so I feel like I have writer’s block and I really just want to write something meaningful and exciting.  It is so easy for me to write about the boys-as they are my everything, but I imagine people get tired of hearing about that.

So here I am rambling on and on about nothing. Sorry to take this out on you, but who else listens at 0100 in the morning. Well, until I have something productive to say-I will talk to you later!

What I Want-a shared post

What I Want. This is a great post that I stumbled upon at a new blog I started following called My Girlfriend Voice-check out her blog!