Back Again

My poor, poor blog. I got it all prettied up, and then I neglected it for two weeks.

I am going to clear out the cobwebs around here, spruce things up, and give you an update.
And, I am going to try and make it here more regularly. Hopefully life slows down a bit so I can.

My dad is doing so much better. He actually went back to work on Wednesday for the first time in 3 weeks. It feels good to have him in a regular routine, and to have him looking like his normal healthy self.

It's still tax season, and that blows. We are all getting worn out. Jeff has had two different viral infections, and now a sinus infection. I think it's because he works WAAAAAY too much. The boys miss their dad terribly, and I am beyond tired by the time 8:00 rolls around.

My poor Evan. He was soooooooooo close to graduating from eye therapy, and his therapist up and quit last week, with no notice. They do not have another therapist who has an opening and enough experience to work with an eye problem as severe as Evan's is, so we aren't sure what to do next. We are on a waiting list right now, but this has already gone on for 15 months, 5 months longer than they originally told us it would take. The older he gets, the harder it is to miss school for this as well. Jeff and I are thinking it might be a sign we need to be done. I feel bad for Evan though who has given this his all, only to have the adult in charge quit on him.

Charlie is going to be starting soccer this month. He is super excited, especially because his cousins Brooke and Colin are going to be on his team. Sammy is disgusted he isn't old enough to play. It will be a rough season for him.

Most exciting is that I am going to be an aunt again on March 19th. I can't wait to have a baby around to squish again. I love babies. SO. MUCH. Can't wait to meet this one!

Hope you all have a great weekend ahead. I can't wait for March next week! I am SO ready for spring!!

Dad

I was able to spend most of the day yesterday with my Dad at the hospital. It was nice to be able to send my Mom home for a little bit to rest, run some errands, and take a shower. She seemed to be more relaxed and refreshed when she returned, which was a relief. She has been at my Dad's side since everything happened, and I worry about the toll this is taking on her as well.

Dad was better, but not better, all at the same time. The bleeding has stopped, and the pain is reduced, which is wonderful. We are thankful for small victories. On the other hand, he has so much blood from the hemorrhage in his abdomen it looks like he is 5 months pregnant. The pressure this extra fluid is putting on his organs makes it hard for him to eat and drink more than a small amount, and to take a full breath. He is off the narcotic pain relief which has eased his nausea, but that leaves him with substantial pain when shifting or walking.

Yesterday he was allowed to walk from the bed to the bathroom, and it was amazing how much this small task exhausted him. I think that is what really hit me yesterday...how tired he is, and how weak he is. He would drop off to sleep in the middle of a sentence, and the smallest of movements would take his breath away. He looks so much older than he did a few days ago, and that is hard to see.

It's going to be a long recovery process, longer than I originally thought. We expect him to be in the hospital until at least Monday or Tuesday, and to be off of work for much longer than that. This adds a whole new layer of stress to the situation, as both of my parents are away from work for an extended period.

I want to say thank you to each of you who have said a prayer for him. The very best part of the internet is the friendships and communities it creates, and I am so thankful for real life and blogging friends this week. My family and I have felt so supported and loved, and I can't thank each of you enough. I will be praying that each of you and your families have a wonderful week ahead.

Company Girl Coffee 2-5

I don't even know where to start with this post. I have been running on adrenalin for the past two days, and now I am tired and weepy.

My Dad went in for a surgical procedure on his heart on Wednesday morning. It was a procedure he has had twice before, and was supposed to be fairly routine. However, during the surgery, the femoral artery in his groin tore as they were trying to thread a line up to his heart. He began to bleed internally pretty heavily. When all was said and done, he lost about 6-7 pints of blood, which ended up in his abdomen and behind his organs. Initially, they had trouble stopping the bleeding, and getting him stabilized, which was beyond nerve wracking. My siblings, mother, and I spent most of the day Wednesday at the hospital waiting and hoping and praying while they worked to stop the bleeding and stabilize him.

He had several blood transfusions to help replace what was lost and bring up his hemoglobin levels. Today he was in pretty severe pain with the fluid and blood in his gut putting pressure on his lungs and organs, so they are giving him some pretty heavy duty pain killers. He was allowed to sit up a little today, but it will be awhile before they let him out of bed to try standing or walking.

The whole situation was so surreal. It was scary and made me feel so helpless. During the worst of it, the thought I kept coming back to was that I absolutely can't imagine my life without my dad in it. He is truly larger than life, and is the best man I know. He has a wicked sense of humor, a love of children and animals, and is the handiest man around the house. Best of all, he is a connector of people. He has a magic talent for working with others, and bringing out the best in everyone he meets. He finds ways to nurture friendships between people who might not otherwise be together. He is the core of our family and the core of our lives. Without him to anchor me, I feel like I would float, aimlessly.

I am just so incredibly thankful he is getting better. I am so thankful for everyone who has cared for my family this week. My dad has been uplifted through prayer and love, and it has helped us to feel much comfort.

I am hoping and praying that this weekend brings quick healing and pain relief for my dad, and some rest for my Mom, who has been through the wringer. I know I asked for a prayer last week as well from all of you Company Girls, but if you could spare time for one more, I would love you for it. Prayer is AMAZING, and it is what is getting us through.

Angst

Conversations with Evan lately take one of two directions.

Conversation One
Me: Evan can you please _____. (Insert household chore here).
Evan: What?! I can't believe you are making me dooooooooo that! You are the meeeeaaaaaanest Mom the whole wooooooooooorld! You just don't understaaaand me!

Conversation Two
Me: Evan can you please ______.
Evan: I can't do anything right! I'm the worst kid ever!
Me: Evan, PLEASE do not talk about yourself that way!
Evan: But I can't even take out the trash right, so I'm not going to.

Ugh. It hurts my heart, to suddenly be constantly at odds with my sweet little boy. We used to be so connected, and so in tune with each other. I hate that we have to go through this stupid teenage angst. And that it started at 11. Don't we have at least two more years to go before the hormones?

I remember having these conversations with my Mom. I remember being a complete, annoying wreck when I was anywhere from 13-20. But, for the life of me, I can't remember why. Why in the world did I feel that way? Why did the world seem out to get me? In particular my parents? I feel like if I could just recapture some of that, maybe I could make this easier on Evan and I.

But maybe too, everyone has to go through this. I just hate it. I want my kid back. I want my relationship with my kid back.

And I wish I could take back every single rotten thing I ever said to my mother as a kid. I get it now, what it did to her, and how it made her feel.

Ugh.

New Perspective

This afternoon, I was busy cursing winter under my breath. Saturday brings me the despicable task of sweeping all the floors and mopping everything clean again. Doing this in the month of January means that I sweep an entire sandbox full of rocks into my dustpan. Despite being "Mom the Shoe Nazi" (as Evan calls me) and freaking out at my family if they try to wear their shoes more than 2 feet beyond the garage door, the sand and gravel and rock salt are invading my house.

I was also cursing because I would dearly love to shoo my boys outside for the afternoon. Today though, it was chilly, muddy, and icy all at once, and hello? I don't want to add mud and snow to the mess on the floor.

So I was grouching and grumping as I stepped onto my back deck to shake out some rugs when I must have been hit in the head with a brick or something, because all of sudden I was struck with the simple beauty of a winter afternoon.

The farm fields behind our house were dusted with snow, and looked like a baker had sprinkled them with powdered sugar. The air had just the perfect amount of bite to it, so that instead of making it hard to breathe, it awakened your senses. The sun had just started to sink lower in the sky, and the light was so golden...rich. And I was dazzled. Invigorated.

I'm not giving up my pining for spring. I still can't wait to mow the grass and throw open the windows to warm spring breezes. But I am glad to have had this reminder that beauty comes in all seasons.

Company Girl Coffee

Today I am thinking of an old friend who is having a difficult week. She is the mother of one of my best friends, and also the mother of my first boyfriend. She played a HUGE role in my teenage years, and was like an extra mother to me. As an adult, she has become a trusted friend.

In November, my friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. After two surgeries in December, this month she started chemotherapy and radiation treatments. This week, her hair began to fall out. Last night, her husband shaved off the last of her hair for her.

I remember when my own Mom had to go through this same step. My Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2002. The surgeries were hard physically and emotionally, the chemo made her miserable, but one of the hardest steps was loosing her hair. When it was reduced to clumps here and there, she asked my Dad to shave the rest off for her. As women, we identify so much of our look and personality through our hair. To suddenly be stripped of this is shocking. My mother described it feeling as though she had to walk in public naked.

I was at my parents home when my dad shaved her hair, and it is a moment I will never forget. The tenderness between my parents. My mother's bravery. My mom asking a 3 1/2 year old Evan to hold her hand while her hair fell down around her. Evan standing next to her, holding her hand and patting her shoulder. All of it is etched into a forever memory. When it was all done, Evan looked at her and said, "Wow! That looks cool! Now you are my circle head Grandma!" We all laughed, and it was that child like humor that saved the moment.

And so, as my friend also goes through this experience this week, I am praying for her. I am praying that she is blessed with health, comfort, and peace. But most of all, I pray that she receives strength to get through the tougher moments.

If you could spare a second, please pray for her. The power of prayer is amazing! I know it will help immeasurably.

Kitty Cat Hats

A couple of weeks ago, on cjane enjoy it, Courtney showed a picture of her adorable son The Chief wearing a handmade knitted kitty cat hat. Modeled by as cute a chubby cheeked youngster as The Chief, the hats were irresistible. I loved the cat ears on the top, and I knew Charlie and Sammy would too. Courtney mentioned the hats were made by a talented reader of her blog, Amy, who has a business called Something to Meow About.

I emailed Amy right away to ask if she would make a Kitty Cat Hat for Charlie and Sammy. Look what came in the mail today:



I love, love, LOVE these hats. They are gorgeous, and the attention to detail is amazing! The boys love them so much they spent the rest of the day wearing them and pretending they were kitties.

You too can have one of these scrumptious creations! Just email Amy at: ladyamybug@yahoo.com

Thank you Amy!!

Worried...

I am worried about Evan.

Evan was identified in Kindergarten with a reading disability. Immediately after hearing the news, I was of course concerned, but I also felt that we had an immense amount of time to help him catch up.

Then I blinked, and I was married with two babies. My time after work shrank considerably.

Then I blinked again, and now Evan is suddenly in 5th grade. And that immense amount of time has disappeared.

He makes progress every year, but slow progress. This year after testing we discovered he is two years behind his peers in reading development. Sitting in the meeting, hearing he reads at the level of a 3rd grader, I wanted to vomit. We have had him tutored, he is in special ed classes at school, and we have been doing eye therapy for over a year now, all in an effort to help him become a better reader. And still. So far behind.

As Evan grows up, and begins to look more grown up and act more grown up, I begin to envision his future. How will he ever get through high school like this? Will a private high school even accept him? What about college? You can't go to college if you can't read. How will he support himself? My mother's heart spirals into a cycle of worry when I think about it.

I have tried about every thing I can think of to help him. The only other thing I can think of is having him sit next to Charlie this spring and summer as I teach Charlie to read. Would it help to start from the beginning? The older Evan gets, the harder it is to make him work on these beginning reading tasks, because it makes him feel humiliated.

Panic is starting to set in. I don't know what else to do to help him.

Sucess!

I have been working along with Rachel Ann at Home Sanctuary to accomplish one of my New Year's goals. I wanted creating Sanctuary for my family to be a major focus for me this year. Luckily for me, one of the first tasks Rachel Ann assigned was to take a close look at our weekly schedule, and then to use that to create a weekly Housekeeping Schedule.

This was so helpful. In the summer, when I am off work, it is SO much easier to get everyday chores done. When I am working full time, it's another story. Setting a schedule and involving my family was a great idea. We divided up tasks based on our schedule of weekly activities, and both Evan and Jeff agreed to be assigned regular jobs.

This was my first whole week of following with the schedule and sticking to it. And it ROCKED. My laundry was done ahead of schedule today. My house is clean. I even had time for a couple of organizing projects around the house. I completely cleared off the fridge and reorganized it today. When Charlie came through the room when I was done, he asked, "Hey, who got us a new fridge Mom?" Wow. That little comment showed me just how badly this needed to be done!

And now, I even have some me time at the end of the day! A perfect way to end a Sunday. Thanks Rachel Ann, for such a great idea.

Attitude Adjustment

I am in need of a serious attitude adjustment.

Tax season is always a struggle for me as a wife. Intellectually, I know this is a time when I can really step up to the plate and show Jeff my love and support. I should be doing my best to make our home a place of sanctuary, to take care of the kids, and to offer him a positive shoulder to lean on when he is tired from working long hours.

Emotionally though, all I can seem to do lately is pity myself. I think grumpy thoughts about having to work a full time job, always be in charge of the house and the kids, and on and on. I find my brain running through this litany of complaints over and over again as I go through my daily tasks and by the time Jeff comes home I am like Mount Vesuvias. Poor guy. He just wants a warm meal and a friendly face, and instead he comes home to me. Grouchy Selfish Wife.

I need to keep joy front and center in my attitude. I am lucky to be wife to this man who works so hard to support us. I am lucky to have three beautiful boys to care for, and a home to call our own. I know these things. I know I need to be joyful. But how?

I so wish I was better at looking outside of myself and focusing on others. I wish I was better at being a joyful mother and wife. It's the best thing for my family. I am going to start by praying for Jeff, and my kids. I find it is a lot harder to be mad at someone you are praying intently for. You'll be able to find me in the next few weeks cleaning the bathrooms and fervently muttering prayers at the same time.

Here's hoping I can turn myself around. My family deserves it.

Blog Love

Look! It's here!! My blog just had a beautiful make over.

Emily over at The Blog Fairy did an amazing job. She was so easy to work with, she was fast, and she knew exactly what I wanted, just by me answering a few questions in an email.

Seriously. I could just sit here and stare at it all day long!! (Which would be bad...as I may have about 20 loads of laundry waiting for me.)

Thanks Emily for making The Sole Woman beautiful!

Company Girl Coffee: January 22

WOW am I late getting around to this post this week! It's so late that maybe I should offer you a glass of wine instead of coffee. How 'bout it? Maybe some appetizers too...boy that sounds yummy.

The Big News around The Sole Woman this week is that I am getting a visit from The Blog Fairy!!! I have really loved the look of my blog, but it has been almost two years since the last redo, and I felt like it was time for a change. So check back soon! I'm getting some new diggs around here, and I am in love with the work Emily at The Blog Fairy did. She is an excellent designer!

I am also really excited because we recently booked a vacation for our family this summer. It will be the first time in two years that we have taken a trip as a family. We've been working so hard to replenish our savings after the whole two babies-a new house-and a minivan-in one year debacle of 2006. Now that Mr. Sole Woman is feeling more confident of the finances, we are going to get to have some family relaxation time! It will also be a little celebration of our 5 year anniversary.

We will be visiting Pine Beach Resort in northern Minnesota. This will be our third trip to the resort. We stay in a cabin right on the beach at Lake Belle Taine. It is so amazing to wake up to the sound of water lapping at the shore, grab a cup of coffee, and drink it on the deck over looking the water while a magnificent sunrise dazzles the senses. Charlie was only 6 months old the last time we went, and Sam has never been, so I can't wait to see what the little boys think. Now, if only July were a little closer!!!

I hope all of you have had a great week, and have an even better weekend!

Nervous Nellie

Hi friends.

Don't have much to say, or to report. Just thought I'd stop in to say hello.

Not much new around here, other than the miserable winter weather. It has been densely foggy for the last 6 days. A wet, drippy fog that doesn't disappear until after noon. It's also a freezing fog, leaving morning streets shiny with ice and slick spots. I have had a white knuckle drive to work every morning since Thursday.

Overnight tonight we are supposed to get accumulating ice. So far, they haven't called off school, and that makes me really nervous. I am not too bad at driving in snow, but ice is a whole lot scarier. I am pretty nervous about the drive to work tomorrow.

How many days left until spring?!

Birthday Love

Four years ago today, at 3:45 PM, I got to see the beautiful face of my Charlie for the first time.



At 10 pounds, 23 1/4 inches, it was a face that already had deliciously chubby cheeks.

All of the people that helped to welcome Charlie into the world 4 years ago today came to our house to help celebrate. One of the most special things for me about Charlie's birth was that my awesome friend Christi was there to help.


Christi with her daughter Alyssa

There is something so powerful about sharing the birth experience with other women. Having Christi there to rub my back, encourage me that I was almost there, and to see Charlie make his entrance meant more to me than I can put in words. It means just as much when Christi and her family come to help Charlie welcome in a new year.

Both of my darling Godson's came over to party. Aren't they the most handsome boys?


Godson Colin is 5



Godson Joel is ALMOST 3. (I was there to see his birth!! It was one of the most AWESOME moments of my life! Joel is Christi's son).

Charlie is my most high spirited child. He is fearless, determined, and stubborn. He is a social butterfly, and will talk to everyone and anyone. He is a snuggler to the extreme, and gives the best of hugs. He tries my patience like no other, and fills my heart with love and joy, all at the same time. He is a gift I am forever thankful for.

One of my clearest memories of that first week home with my new baby Charlie was sitting curled up in a recliner with Charlie tucked into the crook of my arm, a warm quilt tucked around both of us. I spent the whole day snuggling with him, just looking at him. Memorizing his features, and touching his sweet new baby skin.

Yesterday, after the guests had gone home, I sat down in that same chair to rest for a minute. Charlie brought over that very same quilt, and asked if he could snuggle. Tired from all the excitement and missing his afternoon nap, he curled up into my side, the quilt tucked in close around us, and went to sleep. I looked down into his 4 year old face, and kissed his sweet cheeks. It was one of those perfect moments that life gifts us. I tucked it into my heart to take out and remember when Charlie is grown. The perfect way to end a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday Char Char. I love you to the moon and back!

Company Coffee January 15

Come on in girls!! The coffee's always hot at The Sole Woman!

How was your week? I hope you all had a great one.

We were busy going back to school and to work. Having three weeks off due to Christmas break and two blizzards was good, and it was bad. We had lots of family time, we slept late every day, we snuggled in on the couch, and watched some great movies. Unfortunately, we also got completely away from our routine and structure. By Wednesday the kids and I were having to drag ourselves out of bed and prop our eyelids open. It really showed me how much of a positive impact having a basic schedule and routine around the house helps everyone.

Thursday was a KILLER. I worked a full day, and had a late meeting after school before we could leave. I needed to stop at Costco on the way home, so it was 5:30 by the time we were pulling into our neighborhood. Very late for us. I was pleased to see that our neighborhood had been plowed again while we were gone, and we finally had a two lane road again after about 3 weeks of narrow one lane driving. As we got closer to our house, I noticed that there were cars all up and down the street sitting with there hazard lights on. "What in the world?!" I thought. "What's everybody doing?"

And then I saw it. No one could get into their driveways because the plow had created a 3 foot wall of ice in front of each house. Ice. 3 feet of it! We were already late and I had been trying to figure out how I would manage dinner, homework, and bath by myself while Jeff worked late. Now I had to add ice chipping to the list. When it rains, it pours!! And sometimes, it pours ice.

I made it though! I tried to focus on the bicep workout I was getting. The power of positive thinking!!!

We have a big weekend ahead. Charlie's birthday is on Sunday. My middle baby is turning 4! We are having friends and family on Saturday for a celebration. Charlie is PUMPED for birthday fun! And while I am a little sad that he is getting so big, I can't wait to help him welcome in this new year.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

A Prime Example of Why Men Can Be Hard to Live With

Tonight, while sitting next to Evan on the couch, I noticed that his toenails had grown to an amazing length. The following conversation ensued:

Me: Evan, you really need to cut your toenails tonight.

Evan: Can't do that Mom. I need them. They're good tools.

Me: (Very puzzled but trying to keep up) Tools? Give me an example.

Evan: Every night when I'm sweeping the kitchen floor, I use my toenails to scrape stuck pieces of food off the floor so I can sweep the stuck pieces up.

Jeff: (Completely serious) Makes sense to me. Let the kid keep his toenails.

Me: (Speechless) ....

Ah Tax Season!! How I Hate Thee!!

Oh friends. I am so discouraged this week.

And it's only Monday.

We are back in the throws of tax season around here. Back to the days when the kids see Jeff only when they kiss him good bye before school in the morning. I know I probably shouldn't complain about this when there are so many wives around the country who are dealing with their families on their own while their husbands are deployed for many months. I know what we go through isn't as bad as that, but it is still hard for me. I am praying for patience. For inspiration to be supportive to my husband while he is tired and overworked and doing his best to support our family. And for joy. Lots of insight to find joy in all these moments I am the sole caretaker of my kids.

I am also thinking I am a nutcase. I recently decided I would go back to school this summer, and tackle my masters degree. I made this decision in November, when the crusty, ugly, dark, and dank memories of tax season were pushed into a far off corner of my brain. Now that I've had a refresher course on how much fun it is to work a full day, take care of everything on the home front by myself, and still have school work to do in the evenings, I am wondering how in the world I will handle having homework again.

I'm not changing my mind yet, but I am going to take a step back and pray for direction. I am an expert at biting off more than I can chew, and usually for no more reason than to prove to myself that I can accomplish something. It may be time to learn I don't have to prove myself to myself anymore. And if anyone knows how to do that, I'd love some tips.

Company Girl Coffee January 8th

Come on in out of the cold girls! I have fresh coffee on to warm you up. Or, if you prefer tea, thanks to Rachel Ann I discovered this week that I have 23 different varieties of tea in my pantry for you to choose from!

Yup. 23.

One of my sanctuary tasks this week was to fill up some garbage bags with trash from any area of the house. Rachel Ann talked about cleaning out her pantry, and I knew mine was a mess I just kept shutting the door on, so that's where I started too.

I found many horrifying discoveries, but the worst/funniest? I just kept pulling out box after box of tea bags. Before long, Evan was laughing at me, and grouping them into piles on the counter. After the pantry, I moved on to the cupboard where I keep spices and baking items, and pulled out a lot more trash. AND more tea bags!

When I was done, I thought to myself, "What in the WORLD?! How did this happen?" And here is what I've come up with. When we get groceries, I try in general to put things in the same spot. But if there's not room, I just shove it in somewhere. Anywhere. And apparently this causes a back log of tea bags. I also need to do some more careful inventorying before hitting the grocery store.

No more shoving things in for me. Even if the results are great at getting your grumpy 11 year old to crack a smile.

It's frigid at our house today. Temps are at -30 below. No kidding! The furnace can barely keep up, so we have been gravitating towards the living room andthe fireplace, and the cozy blankets we keep by the couch.

Here's Charlie and kitty Ray keeping each other warm:



At least we can drink warm tea when we are chilly!

I have a job? Really? Because it feels like I haven't been there in WEEKS!

No school again today my friends! The road conditions were treacherous, but even worse than that the windchills were sustained at -20 to -35 all day long.

AND no school again tomorrow, as it is expected to be even colder, if you can imagine. Which I can't. When it's that cold, it's just cold. You can't really tell the difference between -20 and -35.

I wish I could come here and report that my house is now spotless. I did do the laundry, but mostly I took a nap with Sam, and I played Beatles rock band. Totally great game, but also totally addicting. Especially if you are a Beatles fan like me.

Tomorrow my goal is to get off my hiney and make SANCTUARY for my family. It's clean the house Friday for me!

I've loved the break, but is really turning me into a sloth. My kids have only been in school for one day this week. It's been like having three weeks off for Christmas vacation. We are so out of schedule and routine, and it is turning my brain to mush.

I actually had a dream while I was napping that I was playing outside with the boys and the grass was green, there was a warm wind blowing, and the sun was shining. HEAVEN! How many more weeks until spring?!

Snow Day! AGAIN

This is the worst winter I remember in AGES. In FOREVER.

We already have 27 inches of snow on the ground.

Today will bring roughly 6 more inches, plus my personal favorite, blizzard force winds which make fabulous snow drifts! I love shoveling snow drifts! NOT.

To make it really fun, tomorrow the windchill will be -35. Awesome!

And my dear Mr. Kleffman? I love him dearly, but instead of buying us a snow blower, he bought us another shovel. The man cannot stand to part with a dollar. And most of the time, that's nice. Except when it is the worst winter in AGES and FOREVER and I am desperate for a snow blower.

We are off of school again today after only one day back with students after Christmas break. I love me a good snow day, but I actually would really like to be with my students. We have so much to do!

I am convinced Nebraska was picked up a couple of months ago and put in Alaska. This is just no fun.

Family Video

For Christmas this year, my Aunt Connie made a DVD for everyone in my family that included a video made of both my Grandma Rose and Grandpa Dave (who died this past June) in 1992. In the video, both are describing what they know of their family history, and their childhood memories. It also includes a video from 1999 of Dave describing his experiences in WWII, and on D-Day. It is such a treasure to have these, and I am so thankful that Connie had the foresight to take them.

I watched the video last Tuesday, right after our family Christmas party. I fully expected the video of my Grandpa to make me sad, and it did. Not just because he passed away so recently, but really because I felt that we lost him so much longer ago to Alzheimers. I don't think I had a conversation with him where he was fully present mentally past 2003. It was lovely to hear him and see him the way I remember him.

What I didn't expect was that the video of my Grandma Rose would hit me even harder. My Grandma is still with us, and she is sharp as a tack mentally. But as she has aged, she is much feebler physically, and her mental outlook is so pessimistic. She thinks and talks mostly about her health, and truly that is understandable considering the amount of medical issues that she has. She doesn't like to leave the house, and it is hard to have a conversation with her sometimes, and she has started to shut people out because she is so depressed.

Seeing her in the video from 18 years ago brought me to instant tears. There was the Grandma I remembered, laughing and telling stories. Looking lively and sitting in the kitchen I loved to be in. It felt like sitting across the kitchen table from her as she used to be. Again, I am so thankful to have this on tape, but it made it painfully obvious how much ground she has lost lately.

Time can be an ugly thing. There are so many times when I wish I could stop it entirely. But since I can't, I will use this as one more reminder to savor moments as much as I can.

Company Girl Coffee: New Years Day

Pull up a comfy chair, get cozy, and settle in for a virtual cup of coffee while we visit! It's company girl coffee day over at Home Sanctuary. I am proud to be a new company girl. I will be linking up with Rachel Anne on Fridays for some "coffee", and I will be working throughout each month to accomplish the small tasks Rachel Anne assigns around the house to make my home more of a sanctuary for my husband and kids.

Which leads me right into my post for today...NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS. Except this year I am not making any resolutions, I am doing some goal setting. Lots of people on blogs this week have been talking about how goals are more achievable than resolutions because they include planned steps. Makes sense to me, so that is what I am going to try.

1. SANCTUARY: My goal for 2010 at home is to make my home a more peaceful and enjoyable place for my family. I enjoy organizing and cleaning, but sometimes as a working mom I don't do such a great job. I am especially great at stuffing piles of stuff in corners and closets, thinking that I will get to them someday. Sadly, someday never arrives! Which is why my storage room looks like a bomb went off in it. I am going to conquer the the piles this year, and this summer I am going to have a garage sale to clear out the clutter.

2. HEALTH: I usually make a resolution about loosing weight. I have learned over the past 3 years though that my metabolic disorder and PCOS make this darn near impossible. Instead, this year I am resolving to make healthy changes in my eating and lifestyle so that I can be a more healthy me. I AM going to get that cholesterol back down. My awesome friend Christi has agreed to be my partner, and I am counting on her to bully me all year, and kick my butt when I get off track.

3. RELATIONSHIPS: I am not a patient person by nature. I am also bossy, and have a need to control every aspect of everything. As a teacher who works with 30 six year olds every day, I often feel that my students get the best of my patient reserves, and my own family gets the left overs. This year, I am going to take 15 minutes for myself when we get home, to do a mini recharge. I am going to work to be a better Mom and Wife, which are my two most important jobs in life.

To get started on the sanctuary, today we are going to take down the Christmas tree and de-Christmas the house. I find this task to be SO depressing, but today I am going to try and focus on a fresh and clean start.

And in a totally random way to end this post, here is a picture from this week:



This is Jeff and Sam watching the Cowboys game on Sunday. Sam had his new Cowboys jersey on, and it was just so cute to see both of them snuggled up together and so intent on the game. It amazes me just how much Sam understands about football at only 3 years old. Jeff finally got his football buddy!

I hope all of you have a wonderful day today!!

Christmas Party

We had a grand old time last night at our house. I had my grandma, 14 of my 15 cousins and their families, my parents, and my aunts and uncles over to celebrate the holidays. Good times were had by all. It was nice to talk with everyone, especially since this is the only time I may see some of them this year.

We even had a visit from the Sheriff (that hasn't happened at a party that I hosted for a GOOD long time, let me tell you...at least it wasn't for rowdiness!!) One of the guests parked on the street, which made travel down our snow packed, dumb one lane roads tricky, so one of our more friendly neighbors called the sheriff's office. Didn't even bother to come talk to us first!! I may or may not have told the sheriff that this wouldn't have been a problem if the streets were plowed a bit better. *cough*

I made this pie:



And it was delicious, if I do say so myself!

My handsome brother Creighton, and his lovely lady Lindsey were there. I love this girl. I hope Creighton makes her an official member of the family very soon. That was just a subtle suggestion, dear brother.



This is me with my mother (in red) and my Grandma Rose (in black-I am named after her!). God gave all of us the exact same face, so I am relatively sure of how I will look at 57 and 88.



And this is Grandma Rose with 14 of her 15 grandchildren. Of the 15, only 3 of us are girls. There are WAY TOO MANY BOYS at our family gatherings. Also? All of those boys are VERY VERY TALL. Just look at them...



Too bad the three tallest are seated. They are all over 6 foot 6. No kidding!

This is me with my best cousin pal growing up, Jeremy. He and I are the oldest grandkids, and we kept everyone in line when we were younger. Which is a nice way to say, we were very very bossy. And of course, I am not bossy anymore. Oh no! (Jeff is laughing because he knows the truth!)



We had lots of good food, including a monster 14 pound ham I baked. Somehow, we planned the food very well, and there was plenty, but not gobs of leftovers. Which is nice for my waistline.



The only downside to having a party in December in Nebraska is this:



A pile of shoes at the door, all of which are coated with a thick layer of sand and ice melt. Makes for fun cleaning times in the morning!! But it was worth every grain of sand. I wish Christmas came more than once a year so that we could see more of these wonderful people.

Christmas Blizzard 2009

Christmas was a wild ride around here, due to the 15 inches of snow we received from Christmas Eve through Saturday night. Jeff's family Christmas celebration was canceled entirely, and the one I am hosting has been rescheduled to tomorrow. In preparing for the 40 people who will show up at my door tomorrow needing a place to park, I called the Douglas County engineer, and begged them to plow more than one lane through each street in our neighborhood. They did come and plow for quite awhile this afternoon, and I think it is the best it can get, but there is just so much snow and nowhere to put it. Parking will still be dicey. We have received 22 inches of snow in December here in Omaha, and it is all still on the ground. To illustrate:



This is the back of our neighbor's house. As you can see their back door is almost completely covered with snow.

I feel that we have been transported to Alaska.

I would like to go home now.

Normally, I enjoy winter and a good snow. Now? I AM SO.SO.SO.SICK OF IT!!!

Our Christmas in Pictures

Evan teaching his brothers how to use their new Leapsters on Christmas morning. (This is by FAR Charlie's favorite gift!!)


My big boy Evan on Christmas morning, enjoying one of his many new DS games.


Charlie next to his haul from Santa.


Sammy got this football uniform and helmet from my Mom on Christmas Eve. He loved it so much he wore it to bed that night, and insisted on opening most of his presents Christmas morning with his helmet on.


Our tree after Santa arrived.


Evan's big present this year...a new bike!! He was thrilled! Too bad he can't ride it in all this snow.


Sam in his new uniform on Christmas Eve. I will never forget his excited gasp as he opened his present. He had to put it on RIGHT.AWAY.


Jeff and my Dad


The table at my Mom's house-delicious lasagne!!!


My handsome three dressed up for Christmas Eve services!


Have you heard of The Elf on the Shelf? (If not check it out at Amazon-great tradition to start with your kids!) We started this this year at the suggestion of my sister. The kids named ours Santa Elf. We were sad to send him back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas!

Once again, I am up before the rest of my family this Christmas morning. Not sure why this is an annual occurrence, but I think it has something to do with how much I enjoy creating a wonderful Christmas morning for my kids.

It is a bona fide blizzard here in Omaha. It wasn't snowing yet yesterday when we decided to leave for Christmas Eve services. The weather people were initially calling for just a couple of inches to fall by 6 o'clock, so we thought we could make it to church and to my parent's house for our annual Christmas Eve celebration.

Church started at 4:00 (and I am, so , so glad we got to hear Evan's choir sing. They were beautiful!) but by the time we walked out at 5 we were stunned at the amount of snow that had already fallen and was drifting against the cars. We decided to head over to my Mom's anyway, and I am glad for all of us that we did. It was nice to be with family. It just doesn't seem like a holiday if you can't do the same traditions you have every year.

We left my Mom's house at 9:00, and I was really worried we might not get back. The snow was coming down hard, and the blowing and drifting was awful. We actually live outside the city and have to depend on county snow plows, which often seem to be MIA. The county streets were AWFUL. Completely snow packed. Thanks to the help of the good Lord, we got to our own driveway where we finally got stuck in about 8 inches of snow. I had to get out and shovel the tires out, and then push the van the rest of the way into the garage, but we made it!!!

Now I am eagerly awaiting my kids to wake up so I can have a cup of coffee and enjoy my family while the snow still swirls around us. (That's right! It's still blizzarding, and is not scheduled to stop until tomorrow morning!)

The only bad thing? I don't think Santa brought me that snow blower I asked for.

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Enjoy your day.

The 23rd

December 23rd is so bitter sweet.

So much excitement over the events of the next two days, but sad to see the season coming to a close. This is truly my favorite time of the year, especially with my boys, and I am so sad to see it coming to a close.

This is the year that Charlie and Sammy are 3 for Christmas, and everything is magic for them. They are anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival, services at church, and going to Grandma's house. I love watching everything through their eyes.

Evan, despite being 11, is just as excited. I love that he is helping me to pass traditions on to his little brothers.

We are forecast to get over a foot of snow Christmas Eve into Christmas Day, but I think we will at least be able to sneak in church and my mom's house on Christmas Eve before things get too bad. And then we will snuggle down in our warm winter beds and wait for reindeer hooves to sound overhead. I've bought steak for a special Christmas Day dinner, and we will celebrate snow bound with our own little family.

I hope all of you have a very blessed Christmas, and that you are safe, warm, loved, and surrounded by family.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Stupid Snow and Other News

I am really disgusted with the weather report in these parts.

We are under a Winter Storm Watch from Tuesday night until Thursday evening. We are supposed to get up to 1/2 inch of ice first, and then heavy snows. At this point, it is not looking good for us to get to church on Christmas Eve for Evan's choir to sing, to be with my parents on Christmas Eve, or to drive up to Harlan on Christmas Day to be with Jeff's family. All the special events I have been looking forward to may be canceled. I am praying the storm misses us, but we will see. I am headed to the grocery store tomorrow to pick up some supplies for a Christmas dinner in case we are snow bound.

I am also disgusted with my body.

I went into the doctor today for my regular 6 month check up on my cholesterol, and I learned that while my HDL (good cholesterol) did increase into the normal range for the first time ever, my LDL (bad cholesterol) increased 55 points. To be at the highest end of normal I need it to go down 60 points. All this while on lots of medication, diet, exercise. I asked both my doctor and my Dad (who also has cholesterol problems) if they had any advice. They both said the same thing.

Get new parents.

Since it is too late for that, the doctor has added yet another medication to my repretoire. Thank God for health care reform because we will soon not be able to afford our pharmacy bill!

Evan was tested for both anemia and mono today to try and track down the cause of some strange symptoms he has been having lately including extreme thirst, exhaustion, and diarrhea. No results on his blood work yet, but I am hopeful we will get some answers.

I am trying to be positive today, but it was not a good start to our holiday week. Maybe some present wrapping tonight will help.

Holiday Stress

I am not usually a person who feels a lot of stress during the holidays. It is really and truly my favorite time of the year, especially after my children came along. I love the lights, the decorating, the baking, the events, and the shopping.

This year? Different story.

Remember that blizzard a couple of weeks ago? It was a lovely three days of being snow bound at home with my family. I loved snuggling on the couch and taking a break from life. But taking a break in December means that you are creating a pile up of chores to accomplish during an already very busy time.

Three days last week had me going, going, and going some more until 10:00 every night, hardly sitting down the entire time. So, last Wednesday, I took a personal day from work. I never do this. Usually I save my days and use them as sick days when I have to be caring for sick little ones. I am so glad I indulged myself this year with time. I finished my shopping. I ran errands. I went to the doctor. I wrapped gifts for three hours.

I was by no means done with my holiday chores when the day was done, but I felt so much more in control. I may make this an annual tradition. Sometimes Moms just need time to do some uninterrupted work.

On Thursday, I did something else I have never ever indulged in.

A cleaning lady.

I have always felt that the cleaning is something that I can easily and cheaply do myself. And most of the time? It is. I also feel like it is part of my duty as wife and mom to my family; to make our home a clean and organized space. Maybe it sounds silly, but it is truly something I think God wants me to do to minister to my family. But since I was drowning in chores and jobs this month, I thought...just this once.

Heaven is coming home after working all day to a house that smells fresh and clean. Every surface was shining, the appliances were gleaming, the beds were all made, and it was so beautiful I almost felt like we were in someone else's house. (Which perhaps says something about my cleaning abilities). Evan walked into his room and breathed a reverent "Wow Mom! This is AWESOME." The only downside? It was so clean, I didn't want the children to move or touch anything. Ever again.

I have had such a great weekend as a result. Since everything is clean, I have been able to get to other chores that have long been residing on my to do list. I feel energized by having a fresh start. So while I can't justify it being a regular occurrence, maybe I was wrong about the just this once part.

I am feeling better about Christmas being in 5 days. And I am over feeling guilty for helping myself out. I guess I'm not Super Mom after all, but that's okay.

This Isn't Funny Anymore!

My muscles are SCREAMING! Yesterday, after my last post, we got around 6-7 more inches of snow, and then the blizzard force winds took over during most of the night. When we awoke, we found a waist high drift blocking our front door, 18 inch high drifts over most of the driveway, and a HUGE 4 foot drift blocking the garage.

The bad news?

We don't own a snow blower.

Jeff and I worked our butts off for two hours this afternoon, once the winds finally stopped blowing. Have you ever exercised so much you felt sick? I felt that way after the first time I worked out with my personal trainer. And then again today. We didn't even start on the sidewalks or the front stoop/door, and still when I came in I felt nauseous and achy. Thank the Lord our neighbor let us borrow their snow blower for the drifts by the garage, but even then we had to shovel off the top layer of snow because it was too deep for the blower to handle. Our neighborhood still hasn't been plowed, so we are stuck. Cabin fever is starting to set in along with the muscle aches.

We have another snow day tomorrow (3 in a row is unheard of!) and so the upside of this whole thing is that all of my laundry is ahead of schedule.

Some holiday panic is starting to set in...I was supposed to have a personal day on Tuesday to get some holiday shopping done. As a result, I have only about 1/4 of my holiday shopping done! We're cutting it down to the wire this year...EEK! Hopefully my muscles will be able to move again by the weekend, so I can get some of this DONE!

Blizzard!

In the wee early hours of Monday morning, it snowed 2.5 inches here. It was just enough to make everything look festive, and to make driving a bit tricky. We still had school on Monday though, and the kids were full of snow excitement.

Monday night, the snow started coming down thicker and faster. By the time we woke this morning, our driveway had a fresh 3 inches on it, and school had been cancelled. So, we spent the day snuggling on the couch and watching movies.



Even the cat.

We went outside to shovel and play around 11 o'clock. The driveway was now covered with about 6 inches, so I put a shovel in everyone's hands. Evan is getting to be pretty good, but lets just say Charlie and Sammy were *not* very helpful. The boys had a great time zooming down the slide in the backyard to land in the huge pile of soft, new fallen snow underneath. We were very chilly when we came back in, but it was nothing a good hot bowl of mac 'n cheese couldn't handle.

After lunch we all got down to the business of napping under our electric blankets, and when we awoke, this is what it looked like outside:



Snow, snow, and more snow-still falling quickly in thick, busy flakes. And this is my driveway, only 3 hours after I shoveled it:



Can't even tell we were out there, can you? And even though it is only 4:00 in the afternoon, school has already been canceled for tomorrow as a result of the blizzard warning which will take effect at 9 PM. That's right-the snow is expected to start falling in even heavier amounts. I may give up on the whole shoveling thing until this is over.

Thank the Lord Jeff was able to work from home today, so I didn't have to spend any of my delicious day worrying over his safety.

I think tomorrow I am going to lay in another batch of sugar cookies and make the boys help me decorate. One of the best parts of being a teacher? SNOW DAYS!

Cookies Galore

It's been a sugar filled weekend around here. My Mom, sister Sarah, Aunt Connie, and I all got together on Saturday and baked, and baked, and baked. For 9 1/2 hours we baked. Until cookies were coming out of our eyes and ears! We made sugar cookies, peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies, a candy we call Ella balls, peppermint cookies, turtles, and chocolate peanut clusters. And now our freezers are stuffed with Christmas goodies for our families and our children's teachers, and our Christmas guests.

It is soooo much work, and my feet and hips hurt today, but it is lovely to see everyone, drink coffee, and munch a broken cookie here and there. To be truthful, it is a task that tries my patience. I don't mind making one batch at a time. I really do love to bake. But I do like tasks that take a small amount of time and then are done, so I feel a sense of accomplishment. Being with the women in my family makes up for the never ending work though. As you know, I don't have nearly enough estrogen in my life, so a big dose like this is great.

We were sad that this year my Aunt Julie and Grandma weren't able to join us though. Grandma went back into the hospital for the third time in less than a month, and Julie toughed out the whole day with her, getting her seen in the ER and eventually admitted. To top off her bad day, Julie's car wouldn't start when she finally went to leave the hospital for the day. I hope the huge pile of cookies waiting for her at home made up for it a little bit. We missed both of them bunches.

My kids also got to play with their cousins while we baked. Some of my favorite memories as a child are of playing with my cousins, especially during the holidays. I love seeing my own kids develop that same relationship with their cousins. Although wan't it just yesterday that I was their age?!

I hope that all of you have a chance to do some of your favorite holiday traditions this year!

Seeing God in the Little Things

Today Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary asked the Company Girls:
How is God working in YOUR life? Do you sometimes miss the quiet presence of our amazing God in the hustle and bustle of life?

(I have been reading her blog for a long while now...I love her inspiration and advice, and the motivation to get things done around my home-but this is the first time I have participated in the monthly point challenge and the weekly company coffee!! I'm very excited!)

The thing I am really loving about this holiday season is that I have had the chance to see and feel God through my children. We have made time this week to pick out a holiday movie or book every day after bathtime, and then we all pile onto the couch (even the cat!), turn out all the lights except the Christmas tree, and snuggle in together. While my children enjoy Rudolph and the Grinch, I have loved having time to just stare at their beautiful faces, full of holiday wonder. I have had the chance to kiss their sweet cheeks and smell their freshly washed hair. I have been so thankful for God giving me the honor of raising these children, and the joy of being the mother in this family. I love where I am in my life, especially with my family, and I am SO thankful that the holiday season has provided me with the chance to stop and really experience that joy.

I hope that all of you have the chance this holiday season to love on your family, and to reflect on the blessings on your life. It's one of the best gifts of all.

Boys!

My preschoolers kept their teachers on their toes today.

This morning, after only 30 minutes at school, Sammy tripped while running in the gym and split his chin open. We were sure he was going to need stitches, as it was a pretty long cut, so my Mom (who works at the daycare at my school) headed off to the ER with Sammy in tow. Sammy was really impressed to be presented with a mask that made him look just like a doctor, to be asked to sit and watch Disney channel cartoons for an hour, and to be given some markers to color with. Luckily the doctor decided glue would be good enough to seal the cut, so no stitches were needed. On the way back to school Sammy asked my Mom if he was ever going to get to eat breakfast, since he had been whisked off to the hospital before breakfast was served at school. To top off his fun morning, Grandma took him to breakfast at Burger King. He was thoroughly impressed with his royal treatment. This was another one of those times when I thank my lucky stars that my mom works at the same school I do.

Charlie is lucky to be in one piece this evening. His class was on a walk to the nursing home across the street from school this morning when he dashed across the street-RIGHT in front of an oncoming car. He teacher reported it was the scariest thing she has seen in 20 years of teaching preschool. I wanted to yell at him and smother him in kisses all at the same time. He spent some time in his room tonight while the rest of us watched our nightly Christmas movie, and we said a BIG prayer of thanks to his guardian angel.

Needless to say, my boys will all be getting crash helmets for Christmas.

Amazing Weekend

We have had a wonderful few days around these parts. We did home repair on Wednesday, and knocked a couple of to do items off our to do list. Our fireplace is now functioning for the first time in a year (thanks in part to the removal of a family of mice, but that is a whole other post), and we have new outdoor light fixtures.


Decorations courtesy of Charlie and Sammy

Thursday was a double celebration for us, as we also celebrated my baby turning 3. Which should be impossible, as Sam was just born yesterday. The party was at Casa de la Kleffman this year, which I loved, as I love to cook big dinners. The turkey turned out great, thanks to whatever they do at the Butterball factory, and my sister brought an AMAZING gourmet mac 'n cheese recipe, which my hips thoroughly enjoyed. I vote for it to become a Thanksgiving tradition.



After the dishes were done, we had birthday cake in addition to our pie and pumpkin crumble cake. Isn't this 3 year old boy as delicious as the turkey?



Sammy had a blast celebrating with his cousins. I love that this bunch is the best of buds...



Sammy's favorite present was a Spider man costume from my sister, and he has worn it every night since. In fact, he insists on wearing it to bed. I have had to sneak it into the wash.



On Friday I went to Target for the Black Friday experience with the awesome Christi, and I scored a few deals. The best part though was breakfast at Summer Kitchen afterwards. Have you noticed yet how much I've eaten this weekend?! SO MUCH FOOD!

Friday was the actual day of Sammy's birthday, so I wanted to do something fun to make it special for him. So, after some encouragement that I could handle it from my sister and Christi, we went to a Christmas tree farm. You see, we have had an artificial tree for 14 years now, ever since I moved into my first apartment in college. I grew up having real trees for Christmas with my parents, but once I was on my own, I was completely intimidated by the tree stand. You know that thing the man in the family has to fiddle with for three hours, and then even after that the tree is still crooked, and then a day later the tree falls down anyway? After hearing the farm we went too has a special "Marriage Saving Tree Stand" they sell to make it easy, I braved my fears to help Sam have a special day. We got on a hay ride and rode out to the tree field, picked out our own special tree, and got to see it cut down (this part made Sam sad-he was sure the tree wasn't liking this!) Charlie loved the free hot chocolate they offered and the machine that shook the trees to get the dead needles off. It's a good thing Evan talked me into the tree we got, because this one almost reaches the ceiling, and the one I wanted was even taller.



We all had fun decorating, and I have to admit, this tree looks and smells SOOO much better than our artificial one.



And the tree stand was a breeze. I think we will be making a return trip next year. When we had decked the inside and outside of our halls, we celebrated with a viewing of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, our new Christmas video.

We've had such a fabulous weekend, I am not sure I am ready to go back to work tomorrow. We are ready for Advent and the Christmas season though. I LOVE this time of year!

Beyond stuffed...

My friends, I hope you had a wonderful day.
The turkey turned out beautifully at my house.
My father in law told me it was the BEST turkey he's ever eaten.
Is there a better compliment than that?

Sammy had fun with cousins and ate lots of birthday cake.
He blew out the candle on the second try.
Presents were opened and Spider Man costumes were worn.

I loved seeing my family.
We drank champagne to celebrate my new NBTC status.
My fridge is now stuffed with leftovers,
and we have lots to eat while watching football tomorrow.

But there is a bad ending.
Within the last two hours I have come down with what I am pretty sure is strep.
Bleh.

I guess you can't have everything.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to stop in quickly and wish all of you a wonderful holiday tomorrow. I hope you are surrounded by family and friends, and between mouthfuls of turkey and pie, you have a chance to be thankful for your blessings. I have plans to kiss all of my blessings tomorrow. All four of those wonderful boys are getting a big smacking kiss.

We will also be wishing Sammy a Happy 3rd Birthday. I can't believe my biggest surprise in life is going to be 3. I love him to pieces. Every bit of him.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!!

I love this week, every year. I love the break from school. I love making the dinner (I have 15 people coming for our Thanksgiving feast, and I couldn't be happier!) I love being encouraged to take a moment to look around at all of my blessings. I love going shopping on Friday and fighting the crowds. I love that Sammy's birthday is always right around Thanksgiving, and I will always remember that I went into labor after eating a lot of turkey leftovers, sitting on the couch next to my husband. (Right after the first hard contraction came, I could only think, "I really shouldn't have eaten all that turkey.") I love decorating the tree and the house and listening to Christmas music.

But most of all, I love that we are poised right at the beginning of the most magical time of year. All of that anticipation, excitement, and fun events still ahead.

I can't wait!

New Moon Heaven

I am a HUGE fan of the Twilight series. Today I got to feed my obsession by seeing the New Moon movie (and eat nachos with cheese...AWESOME!). It was so, SO, SO good. I loved it even more than Twilight. I always felt strongly that Bella should have chosen Jacob, and I love the line her father says in the movie, "Sometimes you have to learn to love what's good for you." A lesson I learned the hard way several times over. Anywho, I love that Jacob was the featured guy in this movie.

I got to go with my friend Christi, which made it even more awesome. I love girlfriend time. It's been awhile since I've gotten to see her, so I had some volcano of the mouth issues as I gushed all of my news to her. Being with Christi is like soaking up sunshine. NO KIDDING! I feel so cheery and positive after I have spent an hour or two with her, which is why I am going to brave the crowds with her on Black Friday. And then we are going to have breakfast afterwards so I can gush at her some more. I love that she still likes me even though I can't stop talking when I am around her.

I am topping off my great day with family movie night. The boys picked Rudolph, which I thought was a fabulous choice, since I could watch Christmas movies all year long.

Happy Weekend to you!

Kiss Your Brain!

I am just so excited today-I have really and truly been on cloud nine for the last 14 hours. At 8:30 this morning, I found out that I passed all of my requirements, and I am now officially a Nationally Board Certified teacher. It took me 18 months of blood, sweat, tears, and more tears, but I did it. I was so convinced I would fail. I found out on Wednesday that the board would be releasing the scores on Friday morning, and I didn't tell one single soul that I would be finding out, because I was dreading telling everyone I didn't make it.

So, when it popped up on my computer at school this morning, I screamed in surprise and happiness, and scared the ever living daylights out of my quietly working students. When they asked what the matter was, I told them all about it, and one of my little girls said, "Mrs. Kleffman, you are so smart, and we are so proud of you! You need to Kiss Your Brain!" (This is what I make them do when they have a particularly fabulous answer or solve a problem). Which was so sweet, and I was so emotional, I burst into tears. To have my students be proud of me? What could be better?

I have been teary on and off all day. Mostly because I did this whole thing to prove to myself that I could, to walk outside of my comfort zone, and to show myself that even though I am now a wife and mother I am also still Christy the girl who loves to teach. To have those things reaffirmed to me was awesome. I have been saying prayers of thanksgiving all day long. Thanking God for my gifts, because without him, I would not be a teacher. I am thankful for the mission God gave me in life. To help kids, whether they are my own or mine through my classroom.

THANK YOU GOD!

I am going to spend the rest of the weekend Kissing My Brain, because darn it, I am PROUD OF ME!

Happy 100th

We are headed out tonight to celebrate my Grandpa Creighton's 100th birthday.

He actually died in 1991. I was 13 when he died, and his death was hard. I missed his guiding presence at family get togethers, at my annual birthday celebration with my grandparents, and being able to see him with my Grandma Sophie. Sophie and Creighton were married for over 50 years before he died, and I remember them shining with love for each other when they were together, even when they were in their 80s. They provided 10 children and numerous grandchildren a powerful example of a loving marriage.

Too celebrate a wonderful man, his children are getting together tonight with fun, food, and football. I love that we are still loving him, and thinking of him almost 20 years after his death. It is a great way to pass on to my own children our memories of a man they will not have the chance to meet. I love that he continues on through us.

When my Grandma Sophie died in 1993, one of the last things she said to her children was a request that they still get together, still have holiday parties, still see each other often after their parents had both gone. She would be so proud to see them gathered today. I am proud of them too, and proud to be part of a family that loves each other always.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Creighton!

Germs Germs Germs

I was excited on Monday to be able to have a normal week with healthy children and 5 days of school to catch up on things at work.

The germs attacking my family had other plans. They decided our week with H1N1 and high fevers last week was not nearly enough fun!

So today, when Charlie woke up from his nap, he had a fever of 104 again. Awesome!

Back to the doctor we went, where we discovered he had a raging case of strep. His pediatrician said it was one of the worst he has seen he has seen in a long time, probably because his immune system was in poor shape after his bout with the flu.

I am back to sanitizing the house, even though I just went through this ritual over the weekend. I just don't want ANY MORE SICKNESS. Does everyone hear me?! I AM DONE WITH THESE GERMS. Amen, The end.

Happy Halloween!

We got a head start to the season of being thankful on Saturday, when we were all extremely thankful that everyone was healthy enough to go trick or treating. I was really worried Sam wouldn't make it, but after one more day of laying low, he was up for the job of being adorable in his Clifford costume. He didn't really make it too far around the neighborhood before he got tired, but it was far enough for there to be way too much candy at our house.



Charlie was a very spooky spider (even though he only had six legs-oops!)



Sammy as Clifford the Big Red Dog-don't you love his floppy ears?



And Evan as the spooky goon. As soon as Evan put his costume on, Sammy refused to call him Evan and instead said things like, "Mom! The Goon won't hold my hand!" and "Hey Goon! Wait for me!" It was hilarious how seriously he took the whole costume thing.



This was taken roughly 30 seconds after we got back in the door. Sammy made a bee line for the couch to pick out all of his packages of "starwars" (aka Starbursts) from his bucket, and eat them as fast as he could unwrap them. Apparently this is his new favorite candy.

SO glad we had a succesful and happy Halloween!! Hope you did too, and that you had lots of candy to enjoy!