Leaves

 

 

 

 

Leaves falling while I am raking sound like rain.

Spider Bites

 

 

Yesterday afternoon, Waverly and I were outside on our driveway enjoying our lovely november weather when I was bitten by a spider! It hurt, I saw the culprit, stepped on it and then kind of freaked out! It was a brown spider which made me worry that it was a Brown Recluse, whose venom is more potent than a rattle snake I discovered! My toe swelled and turned red. I was talking to Sheila on the phone and did not know what to do! I was quite freaked out for a while. I googled spider bites and discovered that I needed to wash the site, ice it, elevate it, tie a bandage tightly to reduce flow of venom, and seek medical attention. It was bad timing. I decided to wait and see if I developed a pus filled blister, fever, nausea, headaches... Fortunately, nothing happened. The redness and swelling and pain went away. I had saved the squished spider in a baggy just in case I need to take it to the doctor with me! I have since thrown out the spider. Matt asked if I was bare foot, no, I had on flip flops and they are shoes, sort of.

Why I Love My Mom: by Sullivan

I found this paper the other day while I was cleaning out a drawer, Sullivan wrote it in 4th grade:

I love my mom for many different reasons. One of those reasons is because she gave birth to me and she loves me. I know that she loves me because she does tons of other stuff. She helps me with homework. Two nights ago I had to write a story about my ancestors.She gave me a big book full of information and she let me write from that. Another reason is that she cooks for us. She makes delicious meals. She hates going to the grocery store but she does it anyway. She does this because she loves us. She asks for our advice on what to cook so she knows we will like it. When she cooks it we offer to help her because that just shows that we love her just as much as she loves us. She always packs our lunches for school. She always puts really good stuff in it. Whenever we are sitting around she pulls out a game and asks if anyone wants to play. Everyone in my family comes running over to play and in the end we all have a great time. There is always laughter going around. Sometimes we play outside. This is why I love my mother.


This made me smile and giggle a little. It also kind of made me feel sad. I am not sure what he (they) would write if they were asked to do this same assignment today. I am afraid I am not being a very good mom and I need to do more and better. I think I just need to have more fun with them and help them to feel loved. I think I get to caught up in the busy-ness of our chaotic life and they get pushed along with the tide. I need to slow down, care a little less about the messes and schedule and enjoy my children. I know they will be all grown up and gone before I can blink.

Waverly's new habit

I would post a picture but I might get in trouble, so you just have to imagine her...
NAKED! I swear every time I turn around she is naked. I wrestle her kicking screaming cute softy chubby baby body back into diaper and clothes. Then in just a few minutes she comes to find me giggling and all naked. She is cute naked with her chubby thighs and squishy bum and belly that sticks out. But, she really should wear clothes, especially when the brothers are home. Today she even wanted to go outside and swing naked. It is cold and rainy, and she was naked! I have to admit I think it is cute and funny, so I give her a little naked time and then she is happy to wear her clothes for a little while.

On a completely different topic, Madsen has decided to try out for the wrestling team. So much for my easy winter sport season!

Here's Hoping

I just returned from voting this grand election day. Oh how I hope and pray that the silent majority will not be silent today and our voices will be heard and "they" will be forced to listen. I hope that there will be changes where changes are needed and we can elect leaders who actually care about this country and the people. I hope to see the results make me happy and all the network announcers and Dear Leader and Nancy shaking in their boots. I hope Nevada steps up and replaces Harry Reid. I hope North Carolina steps up and replaces Price and a few others.

No matter what the outcome, I am grateful for the opportunity to vote. I am grateful that I can peacefully walk into my polling place and cast my vote without any harassment or threat to my life. I am grateful to live in this country, that despite current leadership and problems, is still the promised land and the very best country on this earth. It is still the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Silver

 

Matt pulled out my first silver hair tonight. Actually, it was WHITE! I guess I will skip the silver and go straight to white. To be honest, I am surprised it has taken this long. My lovely mother has had grey/white hair as long as I can remember. We all thought we would be grey young like she was. Diana is pretty silver now too, but from a distance she sort of looks blonde, right Di? Tam has gone so dark that when her silver kicks in it will really show!

Matt told me that it was all down hill from here, before I know it I will be fat and bald. I think he has a case of mistaken identity. Most likely I will be skinny and have white hair. I just wonder how long it will take for the white to dominate. I overheard a conversation at church the other night when one lady said she thinks no one should ever let their hair go grey or white because they look old and awful. I told her that I would know what she thought of me in a few years when I am white! I do not plan to color my hair. I think natural is beautiful and I am proud to be aging. And, I think my mom is beautiful and if I turn out like her, that is okay with me!

Sleep over or late over

 

Sullivan brought home his second sleep over birthday party invitation of the year yesterday. The first time, we told him he could stay until 11:00pm because we had games early the next morning. He griped, but when the option was 11:00pm or none at all, he chose 11:00pm. This time, the games are not until 11:00 am so I do not have that same excuse. I still told him he could stay until 11:00pm. He was not happy with me. I will give him the same options. My boys think they are the only kids not allowed to sleep over. I know that is not true. I have problems with sleep overs.
Number 1. My kids stay up WAY too late and then are crabby jerks the next day.
Number 2. I think kids should sleep at their own homes.
Number 3. Although I think my kids are good and make good choices- sleep overs give way too much opportunity for bad stuff to happen. Even worse now with all the internet stuff and cable tv, along with kids.

Honestly, it amazes me that parents are still willing to host sleep overs with kids (parents) they do not know. It amazes me that parents are willing to send their children to sleep over at the house of people they do not know. Our policy has become they only sleep over at select church members homes and the one other family that we have known for 6 years. Insert whining and wailing and gnashing of teeth and lots of that is not fairs.

Declan keeps begging to have a sleep over with his church friend. Matt keeps telling him he can do it when we find a good weekend. I think there is never a good weekend!

Madsen has a group of friends that think everytime they get together, it needs to be a sleep over. They also think that any day off of school, holiday, weekend, should have a sleep over. It makes me batty! I know at least one of the other mothers involved in this group feels the same way I do, although she often has the kids at her house. The guys do not have shcool on friday, so at Scouts last night, these boys were making plans for sleeping over Thursday night and then being together all day Friday. Madsen asked if they can come to our house. Ugg! I have plans for Friday morning. I told him they can hang out Friday afternoon until it gets time for pasta party, high school football game, primary activity and Cannon's first football game.

I think I just added to my meanest mom on the east coast status.