I have a few minutes this morning so I thought I would jot down a few thoughts...
We have been so busy lately, I feel like my head is spinning! And, in the middle of the busyness our vintage (old) wall oven from 1959 died. Well, actually, amazingly, the door broke, the oven was still working great. Of course, as with all things in our vintage home, the fix has been complicated. A new wall oven wouldn't just slide right in the old space and the nearest size which would require the least amount of work to install, was tiny inside...wouldn't even fit the cookie sheet I use most often (every day). So, DH has been working very hard to cut away the part of the kitchen cabinet/counter that had the cooktop so we can install a beautiful and big new freestanding range. The space where the wall oven was will now contain the microwave and when finished will have a shelf for my pretty platters or for cutting boards. I'm not sure what I'll put there. I asked for shelves for my cookbook collection but the horrified look on my husband's face told me that wouldn't be happening. We already had the new flooring for the kitchen but hadn't put it in due to the lack of an installation kit which conveniently arrived this week. So, with the help of some great friends...I will have a newish kitchen soon. I can't wait to cook on my new range. For the past week I have had neither oven nor cooktop and we have existed on electric skillet, slow cooker and microwave food or in other words, a lot of takeout!
The other happening in our lives is the start of VBS this Sunday. I am anticipating an insane week with work and then VBS from 6-9 every night. We are going to play hooky on Wednesday though, for DH's birthday. There will be a family dinner somewhere of his choice. VBS ends on Friday with a Family Mass and a performance by the kids and then a dinner at church. I'm sure I'll have all kinds of pictures soon.
I've mentioned DH's birthday on Wednesday but we have another important date coming up a week from today - our 11th anniversary! So much blogging to be done, so little time. Check back for updates and pictures. I am still practicing baby steps so it may be a little at a time!
Have a great weekend!
P.S. I haven't been able to log into playlist so my music hasn't changed. Anyone know what's up?
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Movie Review - Mamma Mia!
I got to see Mamma Mia! with some of my friends last night. It was freakin' hilarious! I highly recommend grabbing some good girl friends and going. The music was great with the exception of Pierce Brosnan's groaning, ummm singing. Also, if you think Colin Firth is a handsome man, don't see this movie for him, you'll be disappointed and surprised. However, it is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time, and not just because it is the only grown up movie I've seen in a long time! Go see it!
Monday, July 14, 2008
My Strong Willed Child
Everyone is still asleep - Maybe I'll get to finish this post. One can only hope.
This summer has been very hectic for me. I started my new part time job. I have three kids at home to entertain. Last weekend, we had two major appliances malfunction. Our oldest is in swim lessons. Let's just say we are not having the lazy days of summer.
Last night, one of our "battles" came to a head with our strong willed child, the G-Monkey. We have had a terrible few weeks with her. She has been waking up at night two or three times every night for over two weeks now. This results in a very cranky mommy and a very cranky three year old. And, we can't figure it out. So she keeps waking up and the cycle never ends, just gets worse.
So for the first time ever, on a weekend, she showed Daddy just what she is capable of when it comes to naughtiness. She usually just reserves it for me. There was hitting (her not me!) screaming (both of us) uncontrollable shaking and flailing on the ground (her but I thought about it), and a lot of lying.
For some insane reason, we thought it was imperative to go to church. So off we went to the 5:00 service. She was awful. Headed for a spanking all day. In church, she faked going to the bathroom before we went in. Then, five minutes later, really had to go and started crying in a panic. Daddy took her. She was crawling all over us and the pews. She wouldn't leave her brother alone and thought it was funny to rile him up so that he had to be taken out. And then the thing that really got me. She went to the alter with her sister to get her children's bulletin and wouldn't come back! No kidding, she just looked at me from down there and smiled a mean little smile and stood there. I had to go get her! So very embarrassing! When she took her time coming back from giving to the children's collection I thought it was cute. She was counting the money in the basket and that is so like her. I should have seen it for the sign of things to come. By the way, I should say that she was very in control the entire Mass. She never once did anything that I could take her out for - She just pushed as hard as she could to the boundary she knew was there. That is the story of her life.
It was only when we got to the car that she started to throw a huge fit and we abandoned the idea of going out for dinner. Which brought on another fit. She was then fine until dinnertime. She asked if she ate her dinner could she have cake? I told her if she ate her hamburger, she could. So, she takes bites of her hamburger, chews it up and spits it back on her plate (so gross to watch). And then wants cake! No Way!
We get over that and get to bedtime where she throws a fit that she wants to trade beds with her sister. This was not okay with the Princess so G-Monkey punched her! Yes, punched! She was put straight to bed, in her own bed, and told no Max and Ruby today. Oh, the crying, the screaming, the drama!
Any ideas? Any sympathy? Any good books to read? Any funny stories?
I found a great article on Momsense.com that said to preserve the parent/child relationship above all else and to choose your battles. So this is my new plan. I need to let her have more control over herself within a few parameters. But, she will not be going back to church any time soon unless the nursery is open!
This summer has been very hectic for me. I started my new part time job. I have three kids at home to entertain. Last weekend, we had two major appliances malfunction. Our oldest is in swim lessons. Let's just say we are not having the lazy days of summer.
Last night, one of our "battles" came to a head with our strong willed child, the G-Monkey. We have had a terrible few weeks with her. She has been waking up at night two or three times every night for over two weeks now. This results in a very cranky mommy and a very cranky three year old. And, we can't figure it out. So she keeps waking up and the cycle never ends, just gets worse.
So for the first time ever, on a weekend, she showed Daddy just what she is capable of when it comes to naughtiness. She usually just reserves it for me. There was hitting (her not me!) screaming (both of us) uncontrollable shaking and flailing on the ground (her but I thought about it), and a lot of lying.
For some insane reason, we thought it was imperative to go to church. So off we went to the 5:00 service. She was awful. Headed for a spanking all day. In church, she faked going to the bathroom before we went in. Then, five minutes later, really had to go and started crying in a panic. Daddy took her. She was crawling all over us and the pews. She wouldn't leave her brother alone and thought it was funny to rile him up so that he had to be taken out. And then the thing that really got me. She went to the alter with her sister to get her children's bulletin and wouldn't come back! No kidding, she just looked at me from down there and smiled a mean little smile and stood there. I had to go get her! So very embarrassing! When she took her time coming back from giving to the children's collection I thought it was cute. She was counting the money in the basket and that is so like her. I should have seen it for the sign of things to come. By the way, I should say that she was very in control the entire Mass. She never once did anything that I could take her out for - She just pushed as hard as she could to the boundary she knew was there. That is the story of her life.
It was only when we got to the car that she started to throw a huge fit and we abandoned the idea of going out for dinner. Which brought on another fit. She was then fine until dinnertime. She asked if she ate her dinner could she have cake? I told her if she ate her hamburger, she could. So, she takes bites of her hamburger, chews it up and spits it back on her plate (so gross to watch). And then wants cake! No Way!
We get over that and get to bedtime where she throws a fit that she wants to trade beds with her sister. This was not okay with the Princess so G-Monkey punched her! Yes, punched! She was put straight to bed, in her own bed, and told no Max and Ruby today. Oh, the crying, the screaming, the drama!
Any ideas? Any sympathy? Any good books to read? Any funny stories?
I found a great article on Momsense.com that said to preserve the parent/child relationship above all else and to choose your battles. So this is my new plan. I need to let her have more control over herself within a few parameters. But, she will not be going back to church any time soon unless the nursery is open!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Baby Steps...Lessons...Fun Fridays
My new lesson - do everything in baby steps. That is my explanation for not blogging in FOREVER! Every time I sit down to blog I plan to download pictures from the camera, upload them to blogger and write a witty post. Then I get interrupted...again and again and again. So I turn off the computer and don't blog. So here is my baby steps blog. It will be done in stages and who know when the pictures will appear? Please bear with me...
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