Forced labor

Beks watching the big kids work


Washing daddy's car

Thanks Amy for loaning me your boys!

July 23 What a week already

Let's see this week so far...

Mon-fix mower, mow jungle, help Elle watch a friend's three kids, barbeque burgers and dogs for dinner, chat with two other deployed wives, clean kitchen, and realize that I have been ignoring a killer headache that is rapidly getting ugly. Take a deep breath and try not to throw up on baby while she is nursing.

Tues-baby up to nurse at 2400 and 0400, storm rolled in (loudly) shortly thereafter, second storm rolled in and hour later just as I was finally drifting off too sleep, baby up again at 0700. Not a good start to the day, my whole body feels icky. Get out of bed and realize that every square inch of my house is a disaster. Why did I get out of bed? Oh yeah, I have kids and they need to be fed and ferried to their stuff. Piano lesson, try to sign up for Volleyball since my calendar says sign ups began on the 20th, try and figure out why they are looking at me funny, why are you looking at me like that? Process (finally) that sign ups are on AUGUST 20th just like the nice people keep repeating, just like my calendar says, leave quickly before they call someone, mental note - send Ben back to sign up for volleyball. Library, lunch, and pool with friends. Warm air, sunshine, warm water, ahhh, head and body beginning to heal. Reluctantly (snort) send kids home with friend and go to comm alone. Pick up kids who had been fed dinner and dessert (we love you Stacey!) and head home, unload, baths, children read for most of the evening, and baby went to sleep easily. House is still a disaster, it will still be there tomorrow.

Wed-Overcast and gloomy outside but no rain, try and pick up house with baby nursing every three hours again. The big kids were tremendous help today with the baby. Great mom moment. I captured these. Beks loves her big sister and being in her room, not just because her big sis is wonderul, but because she has a full length mirror in her room, and what baby doesn't love a cute baby face to look at?

Note Elle's 'baby' in the pictures, Leia the dog.

I did manage to get a lot done in the basement today. I put up new shelves and re-arranged a bit to accomidate them and the new storage totes I bought. We picked up and put things on the shelves where they belong. I cleaned out under the stairs and got it swept. Now only garage sale stuff is under there and it is organized. I went through the momento/scrapbook boxes that were under the stairs and placed large keepsakes that can't be scrapped into a new rubbermaid. I got the toy buckets in place and now I am working on the kid's art. All this time the kids took turns dealing with Bekah and helping me, thank you guys. It is starting to look decent down there. After dinner, shower, bible study, ice cream, and kids in bed, I went down and worked some more on the basement. The last corner has been reorganized and more things are out of boxes and into storage totes. Almost there.

The highlight of my day came late at night as I was emailing my hubby the day's events. I caught him at work and was able to chat with him via email for a few before he had to go actually work. That was a treat.

July 16 I am taking back my house!

A lot of mess has threatened to overtake it. I made laundry soap so I could do laundry. I washed all the small appliances it takes to make laundry soap and baby food. I cleaned all the pots and pans I used to make baby food and dinner the night before. Pick up toys, not sure who has more out, the baby or the dog. Rescue half the couch from three loads of laundry, the other half from mail and other junk. Vacuum. Wash and put away baby's laundry. I think I may have washed every towel I own. Watch Bekah have a very intense conversation with the vacuum. Vacuum some more.

Baby actually played near me while I cleaned. Then we spent a quiet evening together, had dinner, read Sunday's paper. I am still not accomplishing things at the speed I did before baby, but oh well. She is only this small for such a short time. I know it will be over too quickly.

And sadly, staying home and cleaning was less tiring that all the running around is.

July 13, Still no rest

Baby was up at 2-something and 0630 again only this time she was not in a good mood. I wish that tooth would hurry up.







Wake up tired, cranky kids, get them dressed and fed







Make beef enchilada casserole for fellowship







Shower and dress self and baby
What Beks thought of the sermon





Church and fellowship






In the fellowship hall










































After fellowship...

Michael's

Home, basement finally dry

Sweep again

Lay rugs back down

Re-arange furniture

Reconnect all electronics

Sort out how to keep wires, cables off floor, just in case

Kids of to VBS with John and Stacey and kids

Baby up from nap screaming

Mom got nothing else accomplished for the rest of the day

*Sigh*

July 11, After the Zoo

Commissary-needed stuff for Jake's team party, fellowship Sunday, and snacks for Elle's team next week. All the things I forgot the last two times I went in there.

Home, unload, lunch

Three loads of laundry (including the uniform needed that evening)

Baked 48 cupcakes

Put together flyer for Elle's team party

Packed for ball game

Elle packed for game, sleepover, girl scout art program, and girl scout pool party

Go to pool to fill out paperwork for team party

Pick up Elle's friend Peyton, head to ball fields

Team pictures and game

Grab McDonalds

Go back to ball fields to watch Peyton's younger sister's 8:30 pm make-up game (?)

Swap kids so Stacey can take the girls to their first girl scout thing in the morning. I got the boys.

Home way to late, all in bed, big thunderstorm, full, full day

Wednesday, July 09 - The Flood

This day was the other half of why I havn't been able to keep up with my blog. I walked by the basement door and caught a glint of water out of the corner of my eye. I assumed the furnace was leaking again, boy was I wrong. Upon further investigation I discovered water EVERYWHERE, not just where it usually leaks in, and lots of it. I knew this wasn't furnace and there hadn't been a storm in a few days, so where did this water come from? Remember Monday, when I mentioned that the kids had been filling water ballons in my yard? That's right, my wonderful cherubs and their friends left the hose on for TWO days!

So the fort of empty boxes that Jake and his buddy layed seige to and destroyed was now not just a huge mess, but a sopping wet mess. The water got three of the rugs, some toys, winter gear (why were these in the fort?), and all of the electronics cables were laying in it.

The kids and I spent the entire day down there. We got the wet boxes thrown out, (thank God for the renovation across the street, their dumpster came in handy!), and they dry ones and the paper nested and stacked in the one dry corner. The rugs are indoor/outdoor utility rugs so they are non-absorbant and light. When I lifted them up all the water poured off. I drug those upstairs to dry. Elle wiped the stairs so no one would fall, her and Jake took turns sweeping the several inches of water we found under the boxes towards the drain and sweeping debris. I carefully unplugged everything from the wall which ,thankfully, wasn't wet and Elle and I moved the furniture. That was fun.

Baby had a great time down there watching us work. The positive sides of today? The kids worked without one complaint. They seemed to understand this was their error and they needed to take responsibility, (proud moment). And, we have been needing to get the basement organized. Now it is partially organized and even got a cleaning.