Batshit flu crazy

OMG.  I'm going batshit flu crazy.  It's hit me and as of the last 2 hours it's hit Lauren.  There has been more Motrin and more stupid television in the last 7 days than is healthy for anyone.   

I hate when the kids are sick but I just think it's wrong when the mommy gets it.  We should have immunity from all things that keep us down.  After birthing a 9 pound baby with no drugs, I feel like I've served my time.  Not to mention 3 pregnancies alone.  Areyouwithme?  It's just not fair.  This bullshit flu can take a hike.  I've got laundry to hide and ignore, you know?

Poor baby girl who, even at age 3, needs her chewy when she's sick.

The scary part is that Chris is the only one who hasn't gotten it yet and in 4 days he is the best man in his brother's wedding.  Let's all say a collective voodoo prayer that it does not hit him.

See how cute they are?  They need Chris to be healthy on Friday night for their wedding!

By the way, I'm so grateful to our friends who are family who have offered to and have taken my kids to and from school and who are always looking out for me when Chris is at the firehouse.  I love you all.

Ridiculously oblivious

Predictable.

For the last 36 hours I've worn my hair differently than I have for the last 16 years.  If Chris walked out of the bedroom we've shared together for the last 16 years wearing his hair differently, I would notice.  Callmecrazy.

He hasn't noticed.  And it's not just that he hasn't said anything, he hasn't noticed.  Just like when I got new glasses or got a spray tan and walked through the front door 3 shades darker than I'd walked out of it an hour before.  He didn't notice.

He's smart and fabulous and oblivious and ridiculous.

I didn't say it was drastic.  I just said it was different.

Still.  Ridiculous.

~ What the Hell Wednesday ~

This is a little different than a usual WTHW but it's what's on my mind.


This week is spring break for the kids.  Chris is working all week either at the firehouse or at his office but since Lauren is suddenly awesome! and easy! and a phenomenal listener! I had plans to take all three kids to some fun new places.  On my week's agenda was: the Children's Museum in Sacramento, sledding up in Strawberry, taking BART to San Francisco for lunch, and getting together with different friends. 


Instead, this is how our week has turned out:

Day 2 of The Fever

Day 1 of The Fever

There are no other symptoms, just a body that is on fire and body aches.  Naturally I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and see who is next.  Either it'll be Lauren or me.  Chris is in the clear I think since he hasn't been home.  It's one of the beauties of having multiple kids.  It spreads to everyone usually a day apart so you're down and out for a good week. 

Sooo...  what the hell?  It's spring break!  We had plans!  Fun places to go!  Traveling!  Instead we're home - the sickies eating Ritz crackers and Motrin and the healthy ones are held hostage.  The amount of television and stupid cartoons has exceeded a healthy limit for sure. 

Hate that they're sick.  Hate that we're stuck at home.  Hate that our opportunity for some fun times together is replaced with a marathon of Phineas and Ferb under a blanket on the couch. 

What the hell!

Incentive

Drew is a lot like I am in lots of different ways.  Some good, some bad.  One thing I'm noticing lately that we share is... and I hate to admit this ... but the whole being-ok-with-just-doing-an-ok-job-at-something thing.  It's a terrible quality, one I don't tolerate well in others but seem just fine tolerating in myself.

Her spelling tests at school are a good example.  She's a terrific reader, something I take zero credit for.  She went to such a phenomenal preschool and had the best kindergarten teachers ever and she just took off with reading very easily.  Because it's easy for her, she enjoys reading and therefore just gets better and better.  <--- I'm not bragging, I'm just setting the stage.  Thus far, spelling tests have been a cinch.  It's just the last few weeks that she actually has to study and review her words to spell them correctly at the end of the week on her test.  Without that time spent at home reviewing them she misses a handful.  Here's where the being-ok-with-being-ok comes in.  She's cool with that.  Chris and I are not.  

If she was doing her best we'd be fine with it.  She's not, though, and even she knows that.  Here's where the incentives come in.  I don't want to do food or treats, bedtime times are kind of set in stone for now, and I don't want it to be tied to money or material things like that.  So, what the hell do you bribe a 7 year old girl with? 

The new deal is this:  If she gets 100%, I will give her a manicure at home with a color of her choosing (from my collection).  Painting nails is something new in our house and she loves it.  Holding it as a special treat has made it a very important event and I really like that.

We went to see The Lorax today and I snapped this picture before it started.  Can you see who got 100% on her spelling test on Thursday? 

Good girl.

Play baaaaalllllll!

I grew up in a baseball family.  My mom, being from Sudbury, MA, breathes and bleeds Red Sox and always has.  In fact, as I write this she is in Ft. Myers, FL at the Red Sox spring training camp.  My brother knows every statistic about every player on every team - college or professional.  You think I'm kidding?  I'm not.  A few years ago he even won on the Fox Sports game show called Sports Geniuses.  My sport from age 5-18 was swimming and water polo.  On land I'm kind of inept but put me in the water and I'll kick your ass.  ALLTOSAY, sports was huge in my life growing up. 

William started baseball today, officially, and it makes me very happy.  I love the sound and the smell and the excitement of it all.  It's comfortable and nostalgic and it's put me in yet another new role - baseball mom.

He did very well today and more importantly his team did very well in playing together as a team.  Good attitudes and great effort was shown and for that I am very proud of William and his teammates.

Chris's business, LifeSaver CPR, is the proud sponsor of William's t-ball team and that was another source of pride out there on the field.  Seeing all the kids bearing our company's name was kinda neat.

A few pictures of our day, the beginning of a new spring/summer life for us...

Ready for Opening Ceremonies this morning

Warming up before the game

Go Angels!  My new Saturday uniform...

Drew and Lauren during William's game.  Lauren is a super fan, can you tell?

LifeSaver CPR

I've got the fevah.

 

They don't belong to me. Swear.

I am mortified.

Our housecleaner is here today and after she'd been in my bedroom I went in to grab something. 

This is what I saw shackled to my bed.



They belong to William.  They came in an FBI kit he bought with his own money at the dollar store.  He was laying in my bed while I brushed my teeth this morning.  Apparently he put these there while playing.  The thing is, the housecleaner left them and even laid them out on the pillow after she'd made the bed up. 

I'm almost too mortified to look at her and even though she has been a part of our family now for nearly 4 years, I just can't bring myself to explain it. 

Given the quality of the plastic on those things I will assume that she will assume they belong to William.  I would.  Wouldn't you?  Wouldn't you?

New fatty perspective

I don't need a Pinterest board or pictures on my fridge or post-its on my bathroom mirror with motivational sayings to motivate me to go to the gym or to become more healthy.  I'm 36, I've lived my whole life in this body, I know what I'm capable of and what choices lead me where.  THIS, however, totally grosses me out and puts a whole new perspective on what the hell it's all about.

For the record, neither is me.

I won't be blogging for the rest of the day because I'll be on the elliptical for the next 20 hours.

Daylight Savings already??

The time change always has me in a dither.  I work SO hard at establishing and maintaining such a strict schedule for the kids and then twice a year the clock blows it all to shit and I practically have to restart. 

Even though we lose an hour sleep, when the kids get up at what their body thinks is 7:00am, it's really going to be 8:00am.  That I can deal with.  But when it's time for bed at 8:00pm, their bodies will think it's only 7:00pm.  That sucks for everyone.

It's not just a simple turning of the clock and forget about it.  The effects linger for nearly a week.  I hate it. 

The clock will continue to run our household, as it has done for the last 7 years.  I know it's tough to be 7 and going to bed at 8:00pm when it's still light out kinda sucks but you know what sucks more?  Having a mommy who is going on hour 14 of non-stop kids being around.  Drew will discover that being in bed in the sunlight is more fun than being downstairs and being around me come hour 14, I think. 

Don't forget!  Saturday before you go to bed to turn your clocks forward.  And don't forget to change the batteries in your smoke detectors, too! 

Slutty brownies

They are unnecessary, easy, and sinful.  Hence the name. 

What you need:

* Cookie dough
* Brownie batter
* 16 Oreos - double stuff or not
* 9x9 pan
* Parchment paper

I make everything from scratch but honestly for this, you could use a box of cookie dough mix and a box of brownie mix.

This is how easy it is:

Cookie dough, pressed down into a 9x9 pan that has been lined with parchment paper

Lay the Oreos on the cookie dough

Pour brownie batter over the Oreos

Put that in the oven at 350* for 30ish minutes.  Then you get this:

And after it cools a bit, you get this:

And if you eat the whole thing, you get this:

But!  They are oh, so good.

If you make them, I want to hear about it!

Thanks to my friend Kristin who made these and shared them with me.  She originally found the recipe here.

It's official.

She's 3.  This is the year she gets to chew gum, start preschool, learn to write her letters well, and give up all tantrums and bad two-year-old habits.  Wait, what?  That may not happen?  Let me tell you that yes, yes it will.  I will WILL it so.

Ain't she cute?

We had our parents and our nearest and dearest come over for a little cupcake celebration for Little Miss.  It was easy and simple and lovely and special.  Thanks to all who love my kids.  Nothing makes me happier than having my house full of our family of friends.

I have a reprieve of kid parties until September when my baby boy turns 6.  Then I get to have cake for breakfast and grieve another child getting a year old all over again. 

Fun times.

Hope your weekend was easy and simple and lovely and special, too.

I am a day away from having a 3, 5, and 7 year old. THAT is why I nap.

Soooo, I'm trying not to be in denial here.  Tomorrow, my baby turns 3.  My 3-3 baby is turning 3.  That's supposed to be good luck or something, isn't it?  Anyway, I still want her so badly to be a baby and she's just not.  Tonight she was pleading her case to have Gatorade with her dinner instead of milk.  I told her that we always have milk with our meals.  She said, "But Gatorade is good for your brain, too."  My baby said that.  My almost three year old girl who I am trying to keep a baby said that.  She clearly needs to work on her facts and her negotiating skills BUT, she said that.

March, 2009

March, 2010

March, 2011

March, 2012

Not only does her hair get more blonde and her fashion improve every year, but she just looks... less like a baby and more like a little girl.  I say I'm over them growing up but I'm just not.  I doubt I ever will be.

Couldn't love her more.