Celebrate...How???

Yesterday, we came upon a curious problem.

Hubby was promoted to Executive Vice President and I wanted to celebrate this achievement, but how???

How do you celebrate an accomplishment or achievement that does not involve food??

Going out to dinner would have been an easy option. But hubby is doing really well on a diet, and the kids all had things they needed to be to, so that was ruled out right away.

Going away is not an option with school starting.

 A nice present??? Hmmm... the company gave him a new name plate.

Seems like there should be something out there that we could do to celebrate.

Something on our limited budget, something special, something meaningful, something memorable..

Hmmmm.....any ideas...?????

Well, no matter what, I am so proud of who he is and all he does for our family!!

Getting the itch

I'm in trouble!!!!

Why???

Well, I am definitely getting the itch to go away. I know we just went on vacation 2 months ago, but I feeling the need to escape..

Escape what, you may be thinking, It's summertime after all.

Here is why I may be in trouble.....

School is just about to start, we are in the last week of summer vacation, and I still have to work and we are not going anywhere before school starts.

Then we are thrust into the school year and soccer practices/games for all four kids. The opportunity to go away greatly diminishes.

But, I am one who needs to get away every so often. If I don't get away, I feel sufficated, closterphobic if you wish, or just plain and simple....cabin fever.

I feel the need to explore, spread my wings, and just go where the wind may take me.

I know some people (like my mom) cannot relate to me. They are perfectly fine to stay home, not travel, content to stay in their world where they are.

NOT ME...... I want to know what else is out there that I may be missing out on. Take me to the action. Even if that action is a beautiful waterfall, a mountain to hike, or rollercoaster to ride.

LETS GO!!!!!

The mom debate

Oh what a night

You see, Babygirl fell asleep at 5:30 last night. You moms are already seeing the problem.

We have been keeping her busy and staying up late. Most days she has been taking a nap (which she gave up last year) but yesterday she crashed before dinner. She went upstairs to play in her room and at some point curled up onto her bed and drifted off into la la land. I only noticed this when she had been very quiet for too long. How precious, and peaceful she looked.

That, starts the mom debate....to wake her up or leave her sleep (and for how long)

*Will she stay asleep through the night?
*Will she wake up hungry (she had no dinner)?
*If I wake her up will it be midnight before she goes back to sleep?
*Which is worse for me????
       -Possibly being woke up in the middle of the night with a starving girl or possibly having a little girl who wont go back to sleep??

I chose to leave her sleep.....

As I had predicted, Babygirl woke up as I was heading up the stairs to go to bed (at least it wasn't when I had just fallen asleep).....

"MOM???"
"Yes, sweetie."
"I'm starving. Why is everything so dark? and where is everyone?"
"Let's get you a snack. You fell asleep at dinner time and now it is the middle of the night and everyone is asleep"
With an absolutely priceless face of confusion she says "Huh??"

And so it went.. Trying to explain it was the middle of the night, getting her some food to fill her belly, trying to convince her she needed togo back to sleep when she was not tired at all. I did finally manage to get her back to sleep after what seemed like an eternity to me. However, she was restless the rest of the night. Coming into our room several times and eventually sleeping with us.

Hmmmm.....not sure I won the debate on that one. Maybe I should have woke her up....

Are you smarter than...... a smart phone

Just wondering, who out there is smarter than these new smartphones?

I know it sounds crazy, but I really do think my smart phone is smarter than I am.

It has been 2 months now that I have had my droid eris, and the thing still boggles my mind.

I am used to a simple phone where I can call, text, or take a picture. That is all I really need.

But society keeps pushing these smart phones and with a hubby in IT, I felt I had little choice, if I was to upgrade my phone. They almost all require a data package now :(

I thought I can deal with it, I can learn. It is embarressing when I can't figure out a simple little task, like, put a signature at the bottom every txt. Then my children say "Oh, that's easy mom. I will do it for you." And seconds later I have a new signature.

Sigh.... I never thought I was old, but smart phones really make me feel that way.

Are you smarter than your smart phone?

Remembering

Today I went to my friends' PopPop's funeral. I didn't know the man, but it was very evident to all who attended that he was a dearly loved man.

During the service, my thoughts went to my friend and her family, and to the time when my grandmother passed away. I remember feeling  that the whole world should have stopped. I was grieving and so should everyone else.

I remember struggling with people going on with their normal everyday lives. Hearing conversations of people going to the movies, or doing something fun, baffled me. Didn't they realize my grandmother had just died. Have some respect people. Everyone, the whole world should stop....because my whole world had just crumbled, didn't their world crumble too.

But in reality, they might have only known someone died because of the funeral procession, not because they were in any way affected by the loss of a great person.

I want to always remember those feelings as to relate to others who are going through such a loss as I did. I still may have the right words to say, or even know what to say, but I understand the loss.

Life eventually goes on, but not the same. It will never be the same. But it is ok, especially when there is assurance in knowing our loved ones are with our Lord, and we will one day see them again.

Little Man's Progress

Little man is progressing well with his healing. He is not able to eat with his front teeth yet, but can manage soft foods with his back teeth. Most of the stitches have come out. One by one that is. He feels the need to show me each one. " Mom, here is another one" as he is holding it up high with pride. GROSS! I try not to cringe in his sight, and politely say "OK, go put it in the trash".  I certainly don't want to diminish his prize possessions from all he has had to go through. Praise God he doesn't want to keep them. We already had what they removed in surgery in a specimen container (which we convinced him to put under his pillow to give to the tooth fairy.)

One more week of not eating crunchy foods, and three more weeks till he can use his front teeth.

I had asked him a few days after his surgery how he was doing. He seemed good, just a little out of it.

His response.....was not a verbal one.....

Rather, a non-verbal one.

What was his response.....

He carefully picked a flower out of the basket he had received from his grandparents as a get well gesture. He chose the flower with purpose and with poise.

He then proceeded to put the flower in his mouth (like he was getting ready to do the Tango) and grabbed me ever so gently to begin a delicate dance with his mama. Then he says...

"Does that tell you how I am doing? I am doing great!"

Oh man!! What a romantic at heart. His future wife will be so blessed. Until then, I get to receive such blessings!!!

Little Man's surgery

My brave little man had oral surgery today.
He went in knowing what was going to happen.
He asked all his questions, to which he had some very good ones for a 9 year old....i.e. "What are the side effects?" -referring this question to the anesethiologist about the anesethsia he would be getting. Impressive.
He was prepared, nervous, and ready to put the whole thing behind him. Ready to be done with it and on the otherside.

They give him some versed (to make him sleepy) before taking him back to the OR.
The doctor comes back to check if he took the medicine. The doctor asks "Did you drink that medicine?"
Little man's response "Yes, and it was nasty!" That's my boy. He gives it to you honestly.
The doctor chuckled and agreed with him that it is indeed "nasty".

They came and got him as he was starting to act a little drunk. We gave him our kisses and hugs and away he went. (He later told me he fell asleep on the gurney before they ever put the breathing mask on him in the OR. he was relieved about that.)

With tears in my eyes as I see my little man roll down the hall without me, we walked the opposite way to sit and wait in the waiting room. Even though he would only be 45 minutes, it still felt like an eternity.

The surgery went very well and exactly as planned. We were brought back to where they would bring him. He had already been to the recovery room and had begun to wake up. He was a true champion through it all.

His biggest issues have been the constant vomiting, and complaints of a sore throat. He has not complained too much about the stitches in the roof of his mouth, or the stitches around each tooth. The vomiting will stop once the anesethsia is out of his system, and the sore throat may hang on for a day or two. The sore throat is from the ET tube (breathing tube) they put down his throat for the surgery.

The next hurdle to get over, will be his eating. He will not be able to use his front teeth for a month. They were all loosened during surgery and need to reset themselves. If they don't reset, he could lose them like baby teeth, yet they are his permenant teeth. For the next 2 weeks it will be all soft foods.

Well need to go, he is starting to stir (he's been napping, giving me the opportunity to blog. I probably should have been tackling Mount Laundry, but wanted to be close when he woke up).

A few vacation pics

Here are a few pics from the vacation. The hot tub was great to soak in after hiking, or just to relax in.
Man oh Man, I came home wanting one (to put it mildly).



One of our first hikes to an abandon mine. Notice babygirls attire for hiking. LOL! She always puts her girlie ways to work. A SKIRT to hike in??? I didn't even notice until we were half way up the mountain. Oh well. It worked for her. LOL.

This was the first waterfall we saw. It was amazing and beautiful!!

Later on in the hike, we came across a smaller waterfall that cascaded into a little cove with a beach. Even though the water was FREEZING the kids went in swimming anyways. They may never have another chance to swim with waterfalls around them.

So many other experiences. Wanted to upload the mountain coaster, but need to figure out how to get it from my phone to here. Hmmm. Technology sometimes baffles me. That's when I say..."Oh honey....." LOL.

Vacation

Summer is just flying by. It is hard to believe it is already the end of July. It looks like the last post was when we had just arrived for our vacation.

I am pleased to say we had an absolutely amazing time. It was filled with adventure (hiking trails and seeing waterfalls) thrills (riding the mountain coaster 3 times. If curious go to www.wisp resort and check out the mountain coaster. It was way cooler than it even looks), fun (riding go carts, bumper boats, playing lazer tag, mini golf, and aracade games one day all day), relaxation (soaking in the hot tub at the cabin each night) bonding (bonfires, family board games, rooting for USA soccer team for the World Cup) plus lots of other great things.

It was truely a vacation that was memorable, and meaningful. Great conversations, great bonding, and time with each other.

Now I am ready to start planning next year's vacation. Hmmm. So where in the world (or east coast) are we going to end up next year? Well time will tell.

Attitude adjustment

Awwww!!!!

Here we sit in the beautiful mountains of Deep Creek Lake. The scenery is absolutely breath taking, and I need an attitude adjustment.

What????

Yes. I have planned this family vacation for a year now, and everything I thought we would do, we probably will NOT do. How frustrating!!!

It is difficult to plan activities that interest all ages from a teenage boy wanting adventure and thrill, to a little 6 year old girlie girl who just wants to color in a coloring book. WOW!! What a challenge!!

I am noticing how my disappointment with weather, inability to do the activities I WANT to do & planned is affecting the mood of my family.

So I need an attitude adjustment, and give this vacation to the Lord and all He wants it to be for us. To enjoy my family no matter what activities we do. Even if it is just playing on the computer together or watching a movie. We are together without all the distractions and responsibilities that we have at home (Thanks to Hubby for helping me realize this).

So I am going to start out each day asking
"OK, Lord. What do you have for us today?"

And go with it and enjoy it!!