Last week of March...First week of April

Wow....this week has flown!! Thank goodness for that because I have been at work A LOT this week and I don't like how disorganized and thrown off it makes me feel. It is so strange to think that yet another Maine winter is finally behind us and Spring is here now that it is April. Over the weekend, the male members of the family designed and built our new deck. I've wanted one since we moved in...we have sliders that looked really funny for five years, not to mention I never could quite reach out far enough to WASH THEM!! Well, since the mortgage company finally decided they would require such a thing of us (5 days before our carpenter--Ed's Dad--left for Florida for 3 weeks!!), Ed's Dad, and my brother-in-laws and four boys got together in the pouring rain (time limit, time limit) and got much of it put up. Monday morning rolled around and major thunderstorms rolled in, just as "Deda" (the kids fancy name for their Grandpa) and I were about to put the decking on and the railings/benches up. We got a lot of it done even though we waited for the storms to clear. It was cold and miserable but in the end so worth it....for me at least!! So, the plan is to finish it and have the "inspector" come ASAP to get the new mortgage all squared away--lots of fun :) :)
In the puppy world--they are HUGE!! They're all running around, playing and having a blast in life. Very simple, very cute life!! One little boy whines all the time if he isn't sleeping or eating--I know, enter "male slam comment", but I'll defer :) :) Then there is another little girl who seems to Reeeeeallly want to learn to bark. It comes out as this high pitched, loud YIP every time! If you aren't expecting it, it startles you. Calvin lifts her up and tells her, "Don't worry! some day you'll get your bark". LOL Funny guy!! It was even funnier when he told me that line was from "Bow Wow Chihauaha" hahaha--I think he meant Beverly Hills Chihauaha.
The kids are doing pretty well. I was incredibly thankful we made it through April Fool's Day since all I heard for hours after school was joke after joke after joke---ugggghhh!!! All five love Ed's new job and Ed seems to be fitting in nicely at the Y. He is exercising and enjoying dealing with local kiddos and co-workers. It's nice to see him so happy. I know to some degree he misses Sweetser, but I also know he had been ready for a change for a while. On that Monday morning when he headed to the Y for the first time as the "Director of Camp and Recreation", despite the usual arguing needed to motivate the kids, somewhere inside me, I got this very nostalgic feeling. It was like the feeling I get as I send my child on the bus for the first day of Kindergarten--it was like sending my baby on the bus! I am now dreading the day I bring Em to school for the first time. Many parents are thankful when all their kids are in school--not me. I enjoy being a mom and have enjoyed the preschool years. I'm trying to get myself ready and have been better about bringing Em to preschool daily, but I really miss her. I think summer break will be nice this year, and I enjoy having the kids around. Granted, come the middle to end of August, when I've heard "I'm bored" 25 times in the last hour, I have a few moments where I can't wait for school to start. As soon as it does though, I miss them again. Even with all their goofy quirks and little annoyances, they're great kids :) :) I do wish the boy egos and fighting and the girl sassiness would magically disappear, but I suppose God has to give us something to keep us on our toes!!
Well, the hour is nearing 1 am and I haven't even played one game of Bejeweled on FaceBook!! Gonna run and aim for #1 since I'm currently at least 5th!! But..that will be for another post :) :)

Day job??....kid review...Allison's birthday!!

Well, I made it through a day shift--pretty good for someone whose life is usually backwards since she's worked nights or evenings for the last 10 years!! I don't even remember what a day job is like--LOL!! Regardless, we were busy and I had the pleasure of helping our newest nurse out today--she was wonderful to have along and caught on to everything incredibly fast! Some people are just naturals at what they choose in life :) :) (her that is, not a shameless brag for me LOL!!) So, after work I bombed down the River Road after dropping off the official changeover form for Ed to start up insurance under me for the next few months--this is SOOOO becoming ReALiTy!! I had 4 kids getting off the bus and one at daycare, and I managed to remember everyone and, maybe even their lunchboxes too!! We even ran a few errands and then went to the Y for some swimming. It was nice to feel "like everyone else" for a day. I was sleepy from about noon on, despite the "busy-ness" of the OB unit (not baby-wise--pregnant visit-wise). Now, you guessed it, I'm laying here typing this to the rythym of Ed's quiet breathing!! How unfair that this dude I married can sleep through a Parade and Marching Bands booming through our bedroom and I wake up to a feather falling on the basement floor--OK, that is an exaggeration, but it is almost the truth!! Maybe it is just the Mommy in me. On that note, Calvin actually admitted that he thinks I have eyes in the back of my head this evening!! I was impressed--but now I have this aweful image and wonder if anyone really DOES have eyes in the back of their head!?? Maybe Austin can draw me a picture of that--his imagination is wild and downright odd most of the time--but that just makes him, HIM!!
As we left the Y tonight, we happened to see Dr. Steve. I explained to him how the 4 shots my daughter recieved yesterday did not slow her down in any way!! When he chuckled and asked her about it, she laughed back and said, "remember! You said I could punch Cameron!!" That is really not how it happened--lol--but Dr. Steve is such a good sport, he went along with it, and Cam, being Cam, did too :) :) It was pretty funny coming from this fiesty little five year old!! Oh, I musn't forget my Hunter-man!! He had a little time out from the pool tonight--the crocodile tears welled up and I even felt bad for him, buuuutt....the lifeguard is right--tough love for the little man!! He got back in, but I'm sure it brought a flashback to him of a few years ago when one particular swim instructor plopped him on a bench out of the pool (no towel!!) after five minutes of swim class and forgot to let him back in for the entire class--he didn't go back and we haven't participated in swim lessons since, even though she's been gone a long time!! I couldn't put him through that heartbreak again--she didn't even offer an explanation until I approached her and told her it was inappropriate--then it was a lame one! Oh well, here I ramble--what's done is done!! He forgave this lifeguard and she seemed to return that feeling because he was splashing and jumping around a few minutes later. :) :)
Well, I suppose I could jump back on facebook and take a quiz or two--maybe sleep will come!! Hey, have a happy Friday--It's Allison's Birthday!! She's 14--all grow-ed up!! Happy Birthday, Allison!!

The puppies...and what was I thinkin'?

The puppies are growing so fast!! Two of the little girls have opened their eyes over the course of the day and the third girl is slightly opened; all three boys are still closed eyed. See, girls really do mature faster than boys!! LOL Maybe I should have called this blog "what was I thinking??". I agreed to a day shift tomorrow and now, it being 10:11pm and I am blogging, I realize there is no way I will not be very tired tomorrow!! I taught the last childbirth ed class of my March series so I'll have a few Wednesday nights off before Centering CBEd starts up, but I left the hospital exhausted after a small "discussion" with a grouchy lab lady. Then, I had to turn around and go back to the hospital because I left my Cell on the office table and was having MAJOR separation anxiety!! I haven't been "cell-less" for 10 years!! We got it before Cam was born in case Ed was out and about and I went into labor! LOL who knew I'd actually depend on the darn thing--back then, it was like carrying around a brick--heavy and completely un-streamlined!! I remember testing him while he was golfing--hours later he called me and I lectured him, "what if it was real?"; "but it wasn't" he said, "but what if it was"; "i knew it wasn't" he said---WHATEVER!! LOL wow--talk about a tangent!! Goodnight :) :)

Busy day

Its been a busy day. I haven't even had time to workout which is a little odd for me!! I've worked out a lot lately--swimming 30-60 minutes and then following it up with the treadmill on level 20 at 4.2 mph for 30 minutes. We had a couple appointments today that required a clean-ish house so I worked on that, then I came to work where the busy-ness has just started to slow, slightly. I thought I'd grab a few minutes to blog and maybe check facebook before the next busy wave starts. It's good...a busy hospital is much better then a slow, patientless hospital and it is always nice to have moms and babies to care for and educate. Well, dinner is on it's way (yeah--$5.99 pizza from Romeo's---YYYYUUUUmm!! Is that biggest loser friendly??) so, until tomorrow :) :)

Why Can't I sleep??????

Well, here I am, yet another night, lying here wide awake with a house full of sleeping kids, animals and Ed too (he sometimes qualifies as both--lol!!). I just got home about an hour ago from a busy but nice evening shift at the hospital. A baby was born and we all sighed a sigh of relief and a few new grey hairs sprouted on each of our heads...all is good. It is such an adventure even getting to bed at our house that it makes total sense why I am so awake. I first have to face my complete fear of the dark and make a run from the truck to the house, hoping that all the shadows I see are just that and not the waiting coyote we often hear way too near our house. Once inside, I pick up no less than 2 pairs of socks for the hamper, a pair of boots and a wet bathing suit entangled with a towel in a shaw's bag. I then proceed to the bathroom because I can hear the loud cries of a puppy as soon as the front door closes behind me. Sure enough, Lilly, our black lab who gave birth to 8 beautiful puppies last Saturday night, is nursing 5 of the 6 pups who survived. One little adventurer--blind and deaf to the world--cries out loudly from across the room, front arms swimming and searching. I scoop her up and bring her to her mother. Just as she latches on, Lilly jumps up and darts for the door--GREAT! This starts the puppies all hooting and howling. But, Lilly is panting loudly and it feels like the room is 100 degrees, so she gets a late night trip out the door to cool off some. Never leaving the porch, I call her back in and redirect her to the puppies--of course I must fill her food bowl--nursing Mommies must have food at hand ALWAYS!! Then, I turn off two cable boxes--why waste electricity--and peak in on my sleeping 9 year old. He is so big to me tonight-he's losing that sweet baby-ness and starting to look more like a tween...I've tried digging my heels in in protest, but obviously, he's still trudging forward and getting to be a big boy. I somehow manage to gather several more laundry items and some toys and puzzle pieces which I put away and then head upstairs where Em and Hunter are fast asleep--same problem, they grow so fast :( :( What great kids we have!! Well, now I see Ed sleeping and turn on the 3 watt light on my side of the bed while I sit to eat the yogurt snack I managed to bring upstairs with me. Of course, just as I glance toward Ed to see if he is really asleep or just lying there avoiding conversation, his eyes open wide and he looks horrified before giving a yawn and rolling over and back to sleep. Phew--OK, quick update of my Biggest Loser group (somehow they felt I should run this, but that could be an entire blog in itself) using the spreadsheet I mustered together ALL BY MYSELF, before checking and updating my Facebook account. Just then, I lay down, laptop still on and suddenly, I hear the cat hacking and hurling. She is obviously inches away--in fact, she is laying on Ed's knee area and about ready to let the big trail of cat barf go all over our Christmas Gift Comforter and ED!! So, I kindly rescue him by whispering a "pssst..." which causes the poor man to sit bolt upright with a horrified look and breathing heavy and loudly!! Great, I've just read that he went to bed a few hours ago due to a nagging headache and I'm sure its back if it ever left!! Well, at least we're spared the cat barf for a few more minutes--probably until one of us has to use the bathroom and find ourselves stepping in it somewhere, as she ran off in annoyance with my "pssting" and Ed's reaction. Hmmm...writing apparently makes me sleepy so I'll go now before I wake up again

Night all!!

Another Saturday......

Oh what a day. It's been a loooooong day. I know, what a way to start off my first blog on my first blogspot. BTW, thanks to Karen for introducing me to this. It is such a super way to keep my family from afar updated on our happenings--well, and also those from across town :) :)

Anyway, back to today. OK, so our day started with basketball. Every Saturday starts with basketball for a while. Of course Ed is reffing the morning games and, today, he has to rush off to another game later in the morning. Meantime, we have Biggest Loser weigh in. So, the kids get settled and the usual lecture by Mom before I race off to get weighed. Since my entire family is also doing Biggest Loser and are also at the basketball game, I can whine loudly about my 2 pound weight lose not equaling my hours and hours of exercise, when I return from weigh in. My Trek to Tahiti form is almost at Tahiti and it's just the first week!!! At this rate, I'll make it there and back every two weeks through the March 4th deadline!!!!!! Anyway, so I decide I'm giving up exercising and eating and pout. LOL My Father-In-Law can't resist and reminds me I haven't been doing my situps and that my "canary legs" don't really need the work. I always know I can depend on him :) :) So, Cam's game starts and the two little ones head off to their basketball game. Early on, Ed calls a foul on Cam--never goes over so well--and, unfortunately, in the end, despite a very confusing scoreboard issue, the Bulls lose and Cam is sad. We get past it (slowly but surely to quote my Dad) and we return home. I slowly muster up the rest of my refi info to send out and Cal and Austin load up the truck for a VERY full dump run. Yeah, the garage is clean. I can now recieve the Model A pickup my poor Aunt has been stumbling over for well past 10 years (only my issue for 10 years, though!!). So then we fast forward to this evening when we spent a while at the Congo Church for the Special Olympics Benefit Concert. Calvin and the rest of the group did so well!! They played many songs I knew and even our younger kids had fun. Em loved it so much, she kept taking pictures with the little digital camera she got for her birthday. Too cute!! Anyway, Ms. Duke and her students did such a marvelous job!! So, now that the youngest 4 are in bed, we're watching a movie with Calvin. Of course You, Me and Dupree isn't the most appropriate movie, even for a 15 year old, sooooo he's had to turn his head several times, but its still proving to have a cute plot. Well, Ed is now snoozing on the couch so I guess bedtime is drawing near. Time to do some situps and ab exercises on the Bosu Ball!! Goodnight!! I hope you enjoyed my first blog..................