Saturday, January 29, 2011

Why does time go so quickly and our bodies go with it?

Okay, twins are down for a nap, Sarah is working on her 3rd snack of the morning and the laundry is going. After the piles are taller than the kids, it is time to start washing. Forget about the folding and putting it away that is all optional. At least they are clean right?
Mama's going out tonight to a fancy party and I'm going stag. Going to meet up with one of my girlfriends and be her "date" for the night. Anyhow, should be fun. Nails done check. Hope they don't get messed up before tonight when there is still much work to be done. Babysitter check. She's even coming early so I am assured a shower and time for makeup application. Dinner for kids -- pizza-- check. Outfit for tonight -- not so much.
Well, you know how you hang on to clothes waiting for the day that you will lose your baby weight and look as great as you did before you had 4 kids. Why do we do that? Even if we get to the same weight again, body configurations are never the same. What is up with that? Half of my closet is things that I will fit in again one day. My wardrobe looks like that of the yo-yo dieter. Larger clothes that don't fit anymore but might fight if I keep eating chocolate to curb my daily stress and smaller clothes that I wore back in highschool because one day I will get down to that size again. Yeah, right.
Anyways, last night at 11pm I started trying on outfits for this black tie event tonight. Why did I procrastinate? Oh yeah, my 4 kids needs came before mine and I had to go to the grocery store before their sale went off. By the way, I got $200 worth of groceries for $92.00. Score!
Okay, 11pm trying on clothes in the living room so I don't wake Sarah who is sleeping in my bed. Found 2 dresses in the way back of the closet. The short black dressy dress that I have never worn (was a good deal and waiting to get down to that size). Anyways, that would work if I didn't breath or bend over during the night. I must have gotten taller since I bought it 10 years ago. Dress #2 was worn to the Marine Corp ball pre-kids. Yeah, that wasn't happening either but of course, I am gonna hold onto that one because one day.......
So, borrowed a few outfits from my friend Suzy. Several options. Think I finally decide on something so I go to pull out my black high heels and wipe the dust off of them except I realize they are navy not black.
And I haven't checked the weather but it will probably be 20 degrees tonight and I'll be wearing a short sleeveless dress. Oh well, so will probably 80% of the ladies there.
I am excited about getting to socialize in party attire. Very excited for Frankie and Michael Brooks -- 5 years. It seems like yesterday I was just at their 1 year anniversary party. Cannot believe it.
What am I gonna wear? Not 100% sure yet. Better finish figuring that one out before the babies wake up and before it is time to pick up Sydney from gymnastics and after I clean the toilets and play cars with Sarah and what was I supposed to be doing.......oh yeah, the outfit.
God bless and have a fun weekend.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Catch up time

Wow, I figured this would happen. Start blogging and then get to busy to blog. Actually, I couldn't figure out for a while how to get back into my blog. Just one of the everyday challenges for a technically challenged mother of four.
This is how bad I am. Christopher got hold of the remote one day and totally screwed the television up. We couldn't get anything but snow. Chris was out of town so for 2 days we didn't have tv. It didn't seem to bother anyone but Sarah. I thought she would have a nervous breakdown because she missed Caillou and Max and Ruby for 2 days.
Okay, this past week, my dad and stepmom were here. It was very nice to have help and my children enjoyed playing with them. Linda cooked and did my laundry as well as watch the kids so I could run much needed errands without getting the biggest shopping cart the stores had. Papa and Linda I guarantee will sleep well this week.
We attended our Aunt Ruby's 90th birthday celebration yesterday in the big town of McRae Georgia. If you blink you'll pass right through it. I always love seeing her. I hope I look that well at 90.
I am surprised I stayed as long as I did. I seriously did not think this one out well. There were 3 adults to 4 kids. Pretty good ratio, huh? I seriously need a GPS tracker on these two.
My true concern was that the cake table and punch table didn't get knocked down before Aunt Ruby at least made it to her surprise party. Between Sarah and Sydney playing hide and seek around the food tables and the twins running off in opposite directions, my stress level hit a new high.
By the time, Susannah stepped in Sarah's plate of birthday cake and Christopher spilled the drink. I knew it was time for diaper changes and a quick exit while the building was still intact.
I totally have such admiration for the single moms. God bless you all.
In the wee hours of the morning, when one of the babies wake up just to say "hey" and decide they want to play at 1am for a 2 hour span of time, I realize how blessed I am to be here to see it.
I know usually that playing the "what if" game is not a good thing. However, I think it keeps me centered and thankful in this instance.
Things could have been so differently for my family and praise God they aren't, but there was a real possibility that I might not have been here to see them or that none of us would be here at all. God not only spared my life but my twins' lives as well. What great mercy he showed us. What a wonderful gift that was given to us.
I try to think on those "what ifs" as I am pulling babies off of the kitchen table and wrapping the toilet paper rolls back up and refolding laundry. I could have missed all of this. I am thankful for the journey and much better for it.
It is a wild ride and I am so thankful to have family and friends around to help me when I need a helping hand. God bless all of you for the love that you have shown me and my family. I truly am blessed beyond belief. Love to you all. Good night.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Another wild day at the zoo

Okay, kids are down finally. Day 4 proved to be a stressful day. It didn't help that I didn't have any caffeine in the house and have diagnosed myself with a Dr. Pepper addiction. The freezing rain didn't help me get motivated and the alarm clock went off just way to early.
The up side of the day was the phone call from Chris. It was very comforting to hear from him and know that he is safe.
The babies' nap was cut short today. Probably, by Sarah's scream fest for 45 minutes. And I wonder why I have headaches everyday.
I do have the most loving children in the world and it would work out perfectly if I were an octopus and had eight arms to actually hold all 3 of them and perform my daily duties. I don't think they want a mother; I think they just want a jungle gym.
Today, I have been a slide, a horse, and a step stool. I am not surprised that my back feels like the back of a 70 year old woman.
I was able to escape from the zoo this evening to go to open house at the Methodist preschool where Sarah will be attending hopefully next year. I think I was the only mom there who was excited that the 3 year old program was 5 days a week instead of 3. She wants to go to school so it's not like I'm shipping her off to boarding school or anything.
Okay, I have had my little rant and I feel better. Now, children are in bed and time for my shower, some ibuprofen and a Ben Gay heat patch for my shoulder and back. Did I mention that I am falling apart one appendage at a time?
I love my children and I wouldn't trade any of this for anything. It is just so ironic to think that my life is what it is now. I was always the person who arrived 5 minutes before I was supposed to be somewhere and now even waking up 3 hours ahead of time, I am lucky if I can get there 5 minutes after I was supposed to arrive.
God is definately trying to teach me to mellow out. The lesson I am seeing in all of this is to let it go. Let go and let God.
For me, it was easy to let God handle something out of my control like cancer but I have to remind myself that He wants to be there just as much for lost car keys and baby spit up and burnt meals and piles of laundry. He wants to be in charge of it all and it all matters to Him -- even the insignificant petty stuff of life.
As I reflect on the day, I survived and the kids were fed and clothed (not bathed tonight, at least 75% of them weren't) and no one went to sleep with bodily damage. In the life of a mother of 4, I would consider that a good day.
And in the quiet now, I can sit back and be still and know that He is God and I am blessed beyond measure.
Good night and restful sleep to all!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Another chapter for my book....

Well, I decided to blog mainly to keep my husband informed of all his children's antics while he is away and secondly, to keep my sanity in this crazy world of mine. I have always loved writing and have just let that go since having children. However, God must really want me to start writing again because He is giving me some incredible stories to tell. I better take the hint and get on the ball.

I am not going to worry about grammar so as to let my true creative juices flow. Or maybe that is just an excuse but anyhow, I have 4 kids I don't really have the time to shower so I'm not going to worry about if this is grammatically correct or not. Anyway, it will give something for all you grammar buffs to critique in all of your spare time.

Today was day 2 alone without the hubby. Everyone is still alive. The babies are behind me fighting over a broken keyboard lying on the floor which is the only reason I am able to sit here and type right now. The older two have been absolutely horrible to each other today and no one wants to eat anything that I have fixed today. Sounds about like a typical day here.

I just had a cup of coffee at 5:00 and am trying to get the energy to get up and get kids bathed and get outfits ready for church in the morning. I have to have things ready to go and I must be on time. I might not find anyone else to watch all 4 kids for a 3 hour block of time. Just kidding. I have lots of people who have offered to help; I am just too proud some days to actually pick up the phone and admit to people that I can't handle it anymore. I guess we have all been there though.

This blog will definately put me in a fishbowl and I am definately okay with that, I think. Follow if you want. Alot of it will be humorous and some might be educational -- not too much though 3 pregnancies and chemo fried most of my brain up. But hopefully you will find that you are not alone. No one is perfect; we are human. May we just be still every once in a while and remember that this too shall pass and when it is gone, we will miss it.

God bless!