Today I'm thankful for . . .
1. The opportunity to pay it forward. Last night a friend of mine did me a huge favor by coming over after the kids were asleep so I could go grocery shopping. Bobby has been working nights, I babysit 2 little girls during the day, and everyone got sick over the past week. It's been hard to get out and do the essentials- like buy milk and bread. It was so helpful to be able to get out for 45 minutes on my own. I was very grateful for her time and service.
Today I had the opportunity to help out another neighbor. She has two kids, a 5-year old girl S and a 2 year-old little boy E. Our kids are friends. She is currently in school for Occupational Therapy and she's in the middle of finals week. She texted me in a panic this morning because her babysitter fell through at the last minute and she needed to study for a practical exam in the afternoon. Could I watch her 2 year-old for a couple of hours so she could study, she asked. I had been planning on running a few errands in the morning, but after I had been helped in my time of need last night, I didn't feel right saying, "I wish I could help, but I'm busy. Sorry." I told her to bring E over for as long as she needed. I can't describe the look of relief on her face when she dropped him off. It reminded me of my own grad school experience and how stressful it was, especially during finals. There were times when all I could think about was studying, eating, or sleeping. It was hard enough, and that was before we had any kids. I can't imagine being in school now with little people who need my time and attention. I commend my friend for her efforts; she is doing a very hard thing.
I decided to take it a step further and I doubled the recipe for chili and cornbread that I was making for dinner. Bobby dropped off the extra batch for her and her family, and she later texted me, "Oh my gosh Amanda, thank you so much!! You probably felt that I'm not cooking anymore lately!! Thank you, this is so much, thank you!" I'm glad I was able to lift that burden for her. Service is good medicine.
2. My guardian angel. I definitely had one watching over me tonight. Our schedule got kind of crazy around 5 pm. The girls had a birthday party to go to and a rehearsal at church for the Christmas pageant tomorrow night. I was running way behind for everything, and when I was parking on the street for the birthday party I nearly took out the rear headlight on a sign post. I didn't even see it behind me until it was right next to me- literally centimeters from the side of the van. I don't know how I missed it, but I'm glad I did.
Later, when we were running [late] to get to the church, Sydney started complaining that she was hungry. I explained to her that was because she refused to eat anything at the birthday party and I hadn't packed any snacks so I couldn't do anything about it to help her. Then, in a moment of compassion, I realized that we would be driving right by the house in order to pick up 2 youth on the way to church. I told Sydney that I would run into the house to grab something for her to eat. As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside I smelled gas. I ran into the kitchen and saw that the front burner, the one with the pot of chili on it, was turned to the HI position. There were no flames, just gas coming out. It had probably been like that for about an hour- if it happened right before Bobby left, which I suspect it did- I think he bumped it on his way out the kitchen door to get to his car that was parked in the back. In any case, I quickly turned it off and opened the window to air out the room. If I hadn't gone into the house, it would've been another two hours at least until I would have returned home. I can't imagine how dangerous that would've been. Someone was definitely looking out for us.
3. Liam's ABC's. He sings the song over and over and it just gets cuter and cuter. At the end he says, "Now I know my EFG's, next time won't you sing with me!" I can't bring myself to correct him.
4. Sticky notes. Bobby could tell that I was in a bit of a rush and a funk when I herded everyone out the door this evening. When we got home Lillian and I found sticky notes all over the bathroom mirror. Bobby wrote a little note to each one of us. It brightened up my night. He's a sweet guy.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
My List
Today I'm thankful for . . .
1. The Christmas tree in my living room that is sparkling with lights and hanging with years of memories in ornaments.
2. Christmas songs- can't get enough of 'em! Yay!
3. My wonderful neighbor friends. T came over after the kids were asleep so I could do some much-needed grocery shopping tonight. I'm grateful to have milk in my fridge again, and for friends who are so supportive.
4. Only one [and a half] more shifts of night float this week. Bobby has been working the night shift since Sunday. He comes home in the morning and sleeps all day until he has to get up to go right back to the hospital. It's a pretty miserable schedule. Tomorrow night will be the last shift- wahoo!- until he has to do it again at the end of the month. :-/
5. Antibiotics. Liam got a wicked ear infection over Thanksgiving break and had a high fever for five days. His antibiotics are finally starting to kick in and he's getting back to his normal self. Thank goodness. Now I'm ready for my head cold and sinus pressure to go away.
6. My new nieces!! Bobby's sister had a baby girl a few days before Thanksgiving. Her name is Piper and she's adorable! Then, on Thanksgiving day, my brother and his wife welcomed the long-awaited arrival of Baby Jane into their sweet little family. I'm grateful that everyone is healthy and doing well!
7. A clean kitchen. Unfortunately my kitchen is NOT clean at the moment. There are dishes piled in the sink and dried up apple peels from lunch on the counter. But when it is clean I always take an extra moment to enjoy it. Because I know it won't last very long. Now I'm going to leave my messy kitchen and go to bed. Maybe the cleaning fairy will visit while I'm sleeping.
1. The Christmas tree in my living room that is sparkling with lights and hanging with years of memories in ornaments.
2. Christmas songs- can't get enough of 'em! Yay!
3. My wonderful neighbor friends. T came over after the kids were asleep so I could do some much-needed grocery shopping tonight. I'm grateful to have milk in my fridge again, and for friends who are so supportive.
4. Only one [and a half] more shifts of night float this week. Bobby has been working the night shift since Sunday. He comes home in the morning and sleeps all day until he has to get up to go right back to the hospital. It's a pretty miserable schedule. Tomorrow night will be the last shift- wahoo!- until he has to do it again at the end of the month. :-/
5. Antibiotics. Liam got a wicked ear infection over Thanksgiving break and had a high fever for five days. His antibiotics are finally starting to kick in and he's getting back to his normal self. Thank goodness. Now I'm ready for my head cold and sinus pressure to go away.
6. My new nieces!! Bobby's sister had a baby girl a few days before Thanksgiving. Her name is Piper and she's adorable! Then, on Thanksgiving day, my brother and his wife welcomed the long-awaited arrival of Baby Jane into their sweet little family. I'm grateful that everyone is healthy and doing well!
7. A clean kitchen. Unfortunately my kitchen is NOT clean at the moment. There are dishes piled in the sink and dried up apple peels from lunch on the counter. But when it is clean I always take an extra moment to enjoy it. Because I know it won't last very long. Now I'm going to leave my messy kitchen and go to bed. Maybe the cleaning fairy will visit while I'm sleeping.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Back to School!
Note: I meant to have pictures in this post, but it's not working. Stay tuned for a photographic update!
Today was the first day of school, and Lillian hit the ground running!
I, on the other hand, was not with the program. I mis-read the bus schedule and thought that the morning bus would arrive TEN minutes LATER than it actually did. I thought I was so prepared, with Lilly's lunch all packed, the stroller ready, and my "time to go to the bus stop" alarm on my phone, but by the time we started walking down the side walk we saw all the other moms and dads walking back to their houses! We totally missed the bus! A nice neighbor friend offered to watch Liam and Sydney while I drove Lillian in to school.
Although it was a first day of school blunder on my part, it turned out to be fun. I enjoyed the extra time with Lillian, and it gave her a chance to watch the video text that Bobby sent for her late last night (that I had forgotten to show her earlier in the morning). We held hands as we walked across the front of the school to the first grade line-up area. As she was getting in line she saw her BFF from kindergarten and they shared a very exuberant reunion. They are in the same class together, which makes me so happy for her.
Lillian was so excited that I don't think she even noticed when I left. What a big girl!
While she was busy learning and making new friends at school, Sydney got her teeth cleaned at the dentist. Another cavity-free visit for her (much better than her older sister)! She sat in the "Muppet/Sesame Street Room" and got to watch Epic while the dental hygienist and the dentist checked her little teeth. Liam wanted to watch, too, so he climbed right up into the chair with her. He's such a cheese ball!
This is Mama Fox's second visit to the dentist. (See this post here for her first visit!)
After a quick visit to the grocery store afterwards (which, by the way, is much easier with 2 kids rather than all 3) and some lunch at home, Liam took a nice nap and I painted Sydney's nails on the front porch. Good mother-daughter bonding time. At some point between all that I managed to knock out some of the heaping pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.
I got my act together by the afternoon and we made it to the bus stop to pick Lillian up with PLENTY of time to spare. She bounced off the bus and ran to give us all hugs. She had a big smile on her face and she said her first day of first grade was, "Perfect!!!" Her teacher is really nice; she sits next to two boys in Row 3, but they are really nice and they don't bother her like _______ did last year; she got to read a book about birds before she got on the bus; there is another Emma in her class, but not the same one that was in her kindergarten class; she showed her friend A where her cubby is; and she has gym class tomorrow so she has to wear tennis shoes. Did ya get all that?
To celebrate the momentous day, we walked to the 7 Eleven down the street with a friend and got Slurpees for everyone.
I'm much more prepared for tomorrow. We shouldn't miss the bus again.
Today was the first day of school, and Lillian hit the ground running!
I, on the other hand, was not with the program. I mis-read the bus schedule and thought that the morning bus would arrive TEN minutes LATER than it actually did. I thought I was so prepared, with Lilly's lunch all packed, the stroller ready, and my "time to go to the bus stop" alarm on my phone, but by the time we started walking down the side walk we saw all the other moms and dads walking back to their houses! We totally missed the bus! A nice neighbor friend offered to watch Liam and Sydney while I drove Lillian in to school.
Although it was a first day of school blunder on my part, it turned out to be fun. I enjoyed the extra time with Lillian, and it gave her a chance to watch the video text that Bobby sent for her late last night (that I had forgotten to show her earlier in the morning). We held hands as we walked across the front of the school to the first grade line-up area. As she was getting in line she saw her BFF from kindergarten and they shared a very exuberant reunion. They are in the same class together, which makes me so happy for her.
Lillian was so excited that I don't think she even noticed when I left. What a big girl!
While she was busy learning and making new friends at school, Sydney got her teeth cleaned at the dentist. Another cavity-free visit for her (much better than her older sister)! She sat in the "Muppet/Sesame Street Room" and got to watch Epic while the dental hygienist and the dentist checked her little teeth. Liam wanted to watch, too, so he climbed right up into the chair with her. He's such a cheese ball!
This is Mama Fox's second visit to the dentist. (See this post here for her first visit!)
After a quick visit to the grocery store afterwards (which, by the way, is much easier with 2 kids rather than all 3) and some lunch at home, Liam took a nice nap and I painted Sydney's nails on the front porch. Good mother-daughter bonding time. At some point between all that I managed to knock out some of the heaping pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.
I got my act together by the afternoon and we made it to the bus stop to pick Lillian up with PLENTY of time to spare. She bounced off the bus and ran to give us all hugs. She had a big smile on her face and she said her first day of first grade was, "Perfect!!!" Her teacher is really nice; she sits next to two boys in Row 3, but they are really nice and they don't bother her like _______ did last year; she got to read a book about birds before she got on the bus; there is another Emma in her class, but not the same one that was in her kindergarten class; she showed her friend A where her cubby is; and she has gym class tomorrow so she has to wear tennis shoes. Did ya get all that?
To celebrate the momentous day, we walked to the 7 Eleven down the street with a friend and got Slurpees for everyone.
I'm much more prepared for tomorrow. We shouldn't miss the bus again.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Today's Top Ten
Today I'm thankful for . . .
1. An organized toy room and kids that helped clean it (sort of)
2. Watermelon and cantelope from the Eastern Shore
3. Air conditioning
4. Blooming, Summer flowers
5. Philadelphia
6. My husband who likes to cook and is good at it; who enjoys reading bedtime stories, putting the kids to bed and falling asleep with them; and who devotes his free time to his family, not to TV or video games
7. Scriptures
8. Neighbors
9. A new car battery that was replaced for free because the old one went bad while still under warranty (and for friends who helped me figure out the problem when Bobby was away)
10. Delaware, Maryland, corn fields, tractors, the beach, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the smell of chicken houses and cow farms, home-made creamery ice cream, country roads, old school buses converted into trucks loaded with watermelon fresh-picked from the fields, stars, lightning, the Bay Bridge, rivers . . . The Delmarva Peninsula
1. An organized toy room and kids that helped clean it (sort of)
2. Watermelon and cantelope from the Eastern Shore
3. Air conditioning
4. Blooming, Summer flowers
5. Philadelphia
6. My husband who likes to cook and is good at it; who enjoys reading bedtime stories, putting the kids to bed and falling asleep with them; and who devotes his free time to his family, not to TV or video games
7. Scriptures
8. Neighbors
9. A new car battery that was replaced for free because the old one went bad while still under warranty (and for friends who helped me figure out the problem when Bobby was away)
10. Delaware, Maryland, corn fields, tractors, the beach, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the smell of chicken houses and cow farms, home-made creamery ice cream, country roads, old school buses converted into trucks loaded with watermelon fresh-picked from the fields, stars, lightning, the Bay Bridge, rivers . . . The Delmarva Peninsula
Monday, August 19, 2013
Monday, Monday
Today I'm thankful for...
1. Diggers and Dump Trucks. Our neighbors are having work done on their driveway. A big backhoe is digging a deep hole and dumping the dirt in the back of a dump truck parked next to it. When Lillian first heard the trucks working, she looked out the window and exclaimed, "LOOK! Everyone come look!" We all gathered round the window to see, and Liam pointed and shouted, "Guck, guck!" [translated: truck, truck!] over and over. The window view soon lost its excitement, so we went outside to watch from the front porch. The kids sat and watched like they were at the movie theater, and Sydney kept asking if she could get down and watch from the driveway. Her cautious mother said no every time she asked. I'm not that into trucks and tractors [definitely not as much as my two boys are-- Bobby and Liam], but I have to admit that it's always neat to watch them work. The construction vehicles are still parked in the driveway, so we have tomorrow to look forward to more work and easy entertainment! :)
2. Bribery. Liam has reached the age of comprehending a good bribe...an important developmental milestone in my opinion. Meal time now often consists of a conversation as follows:
Me: Liam, eat your green beans. [raise the fork with two green beans stabbed on the end toward his mouth]
Liam: No. [clamps his mouth shut tight with his lips pouting out and turns his head away and to the side, making a repulsed face]
Me: Liam, do you want a COOKIE!? [trying to sound as excited as possible]
Liam: [Big smile] Oooh, yah! [Reaches for cookie]
Me: You have to eat your green beans first, ok? [Raise fork with green beans again]
Liam: Ok.
Me: Eat some green beans.
Liam: No.
Me: Do you want THIS? [hold up cookie]
Liam: Yah.
Me: Eat some green beans first [hold up green beans] and then you can have the cookie, ok? [hold up cookie again for emphasis and temptation].
Laim: Ok. [mouth opens, insert green beans, remind him to chew and swallow them, then proceed to give him his cookie reward. Repeat process until green beans are all gone. And just to clarify, I don't give him a WHOLE cookie for each green bean he eats...he gets a little piece of cookie, size depending on how big of a green bean bite he takes]. :)
3. Sydney's fancy hair. Lillian coerced Sydney into letting her do her hair this morning. She said she was doing it a "super fancy way." After a few minutes she gave up and asked me to give her two pigtails. To my surprise Sydney agreed, and she kept them in all morning, which is a long streak in her book. She looked so cute, and it reminded me of when she was younger and her hair was in pigtails a lot more.
4. Liam's words. Here are a few:
Ya-Ya: Lilly
Nee-Nee: Sydney
Guck: Truck
Bee-Bo: Bellybutton (thanks to Sandra Boynton and her "Belly Button Book")
No: No translation needed
Et GO!: Let's GO!
Wawa: Water
Deuce: Juice
Assdint: Accident
Wide: Ride
5. Water. Tonight when I was making dinner I accidentally set a paper towel on fire. I tried blowing it out a few times, but to no avail. In fact, I think it only fed the flames more. Before the heat could get to my fingertips, I dropped the flaming paper towel into the sink and ran water over it. It all happened in a split second, but the girls were at the table watching. When it was over, and impressed Sydney said, "Wow, Mom, you're a fire fighter!" Lillian sort of scoffed and said something about me being a fire starter. What a smart aleck she is....but I was thinking the same thing. :)
6. Good advice and support. I've been struggling lately with the possibility of getting a job to supplement our income. Our budget is so tight and credit cards are making ends meet for us right now. Neither Bobby or I like the idea of accruing credit card debt, so the only way to make things work is to increase our income. I don't see any way we can decrease our spending enough to make up the difference. There's nothing more Bobby can do at the moment, so it would have to come from me. Do I pursue something related to my degree (that I earned six years ago and don't have any 'professional' working experience with...and that would take me away from home and the kids a lot)? Do I try to find some kids to babysit so I can at least be home with my own kids, too? Do I maybe start up a little preschool gig at home- but who do I know who has enough money to spare to make it worth it (but maybe someone does, I don't know, I haven't explored the idea too much)? Do we just keep using the credit cards so I can stay home and we'll worry about paying them off in a few years when income increases? I posed this question to a group of ladies who are in similar financial and life-stage situation as I am. All of their responses were different, but all were supportive and helpful. I'm appreciative to these women who offered their insights and advice. And I'll take any good advice you might have, too! I still haven't decided what I'm going to do, but I have a lot of options to consider and I'm feeling better about it already.
1. Diggers and Dump Trucks. Our neighbors are having work done on their driveway. A big backhoe is digging a deep hole and dumping the dirt in the back of a dump truck parked next to it. When Lillian first heard the trucks working, she looked out the window and exclaimed, "LOOK! Everyone come look!" We all gathered round the window to see, and Liam pointed and shouted, "Guck, guck!" [translated: truck, truck!] over and over. The window view soon lost its excitement, so we went outside to watch from the front porch. The kids sat and watched like they were at the movie theater, and Sydney kept asking if she could get down and watch from the driveway. Her cautious mother said no every time she asked. I'm not that into trucks and tractors [definitely not as much as my two boys are-- Bobby and Liam], but I have to admit that it's always neat to watch them work. The construction vehicles are still parked in the driveway, so we have tomorrow to look forward to more work and easy entertainment! :)
2. Bribery. Liam has reached the age of comprehending a good bribe...an important developmental milestone in my opinion. Meal time now often consists of a conversation as follows:
Me: Liam, eat your green beans. [raise the fork with two green beans stabbed on the end toward his mouth]
Liam: No. [clamps his mouth shut tight with his lips pouting out and turns his head away and to the side, making a repulsed face]
Me: Liam, do you want a COOKIE!? [trying to sound as excited as possible]
Liam: [Big smile] Oooh, yah! [Reaches for cookie]
Me: You have to eat your green beans first, ok? [Raise fork with green beans again]
Liam: Ok.
Me: Eat some green beans.
Liam: No.
Me: Do you want THIS? [hold up cookie]
Liam: Yah.
Me: Eat some green beans first [hold up green beans] and then you can have the cookie, ok? [hold up cookie again for emphasis and temptation].
Laim: Ok. [mouth opens, insert green beans, remind him to chew and swallow them, then proceed to give him his cookie reward. Repeat process until green beans are all gone. And just to clarify, I don't give him a WHOLE cookie for each green bean he eats...he gets a little piece of cookie, size depending on how big of a green bean bite he takes]. :)
3. Sydney's fancy hair. Lillian coerced Sydney into letting her do her hair this morning. She said she was doing it a "super fancy way." After a few minutes she gave up and asked me to give her two pigtails. To my surprise Sydney agreed, and she kept them in all morning, which is a long streak in her book. She looked so cute, and it reminded me of when she was younger and her hair was in pigtails a lot more.
4. Liam's words. Here are a few:
Ya-Ya: Lilly
Nee-Nee: Sydney
Guck: Truck
Bee-Bo: Bellybutton (thanks to Sandra Boynton and her "Belly Button Book")
No: No translation needed
Et GO!: Let's GO!
Wawa: Water
Deuce: Juice
Assdint: Accident
Wide: Ride
5. Water. Tonight when I was making dinner I accidentally set a paper towel on fire. I tried blowing it out a few times, but to no avail. In fact, I think it only fed the flames more. Before the heat could get to my fingertips, I dropped the flaming paper towel into the sink and ran water over it. It all happened in a split second, but the girls were at the table watching. When it was over, and impressed Sydney said, "Wow, Mom, you're a fire fighter!" Lillian sort of scoffed and said something about me being a fire starter. What a smart aleck she is....but I was thinking the same thing. :)
6. Good advice and support. I've been struggling lately with the possibility of getting a job to supplement our income. Our budget is so tight and credit cards are making ends meet for us right now. Neither Bobby or I like the idea of accruing credit card debt, so the only way to make things work is to increase our income. I don't see any way we can decrease our spending enough to make up the difference. There's nothing more Bobby can do at the moment, so it would have to come from me. Do I pursue something related to my degree (that I earned six years ago and don't have any 'professional' working experience with...and that would take me away from home and the kids a lot)? Do I try to find some kids to babysit so I can at least be home with my own kids, too? Do I maybe start up a little preschool gig at home- but who do I know who has enough money to spare to make it worth it (but maybe someone does, I don't know, I haven't explored the idea too much)? Do we just keep using the credit cards so I can stay home and we'll worry about paying them off in a few years when income increases? I posed this question to a group of ladies who are in similar financial and life-stage situation as I am. All of their responses were different, but all were supportive and helpful. I'm appreciative to these women who offered their insights and advice. And I'll take any good advice you might have, too! I still haven't decided what I'm going to do, but I have a lot of options to consider and I'm feeling better about it already.
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