Confessions…

*I left my deodorant at the lake the weekend before my big test and interviews. I don’t know why I didn’t just go buy a new one – guess I was a little distracted by other things on my mind. I usually use a gel deodorant, but my back up solid did NOT do the job and it was not a great time to be.

*When I run, especially when it’s cold, my nose runs. Most of my workout clothes don’t have pockets to put tissue in, and even then rare times I do have pockets, I forget to actually put the tissue in. So, I end up blowing me nose on my sleeve and rolling it. Or, sometimes, the inside of my shirt, up around the collar (if it’s short sleeve, I guess and even sometimes when I’m at the gym!).

*I love my $8 Walmart ring. I love these kinds of organic, curvy patterns and I love leaves. I’ve got a couple of fun ones now I like to rotate wearing.

*I have my eye on this gorgeous little bauble from Stella & Dot. A friend from high school is an independent salesperson and posts things on Facebook..there was a picture of her wearing this necklace and I had to go look it up and find it. I was a little shocked by the price, but maybe once I start earning a paycheck again…I don’t usually wear anything other than my diamond necklace Greg got me when Dellaina was born and this may be too big and gaudy, and I usually don’t like gold at all, but I really like it. I’ve always been attracted to Grandma-style.

*I know you want your kids’ teachers to like your kids, but…maybe not TOO much. Wyatt’s teacher, Mrs. Izzy, is very nice and really favors Wyatt, but sometimes it just gets under my skin. In the mornings during car riders, it started out as a funny joke that Mrs. Izzy had to be the one to get Wyatt out of the car – staking claim, “her boy”, etc. And the other teachers laughed about it and if they happened to get a turn, would say things like, “uh-oh, I’m going to be in trouble with Mrs. Izzy for getting you out!” And it was humorous, but also, went a little too far/crazy sometimes being over emphasized. And she talks about her sons as his brothers?! And says they know all about him..again, joking, but still…really?! She has explained that he looks so much like her own son did when he was little and I get that, to a point. On Wednesdays, he wears his gymnastics clothes to school, because Greg picks him up in the afternoons and takes him back to his office and I come by and grab him as soon as Dellaina gets off the bus to get to gymnastics in time, so there isn’t much time to change. The one that really got to me was one Wednesday dropping him off, Mrs. Izzy sees him dressed for gymnastics and says, “oh, today is gymnastics! Remember who your number 1 fan is” referencing and pointing to herself and I just bristle and remark, “yeah, maybe the person that has paid for it, taken you and watched you for an hour every single week for the past 2 1/2 years” I don’t really know if she heard me or not or got the message, but it’s just rubbed me the wrong way. And I know it’s a little silly, because I am glad he has a fan and someone that recognizes that he’s smart and sweet and special.

*I sometimes let the kids do wild and crazy things without even getting upset! (And I also might encourage/enable/allow an increasing obsession with stuffed animals) I had asked Dellaina to get all of her animals off her bed so that I could change the sheets and Wyatt comes into my room to report, “Dellaina threw all of her animals on the square!” I asked, “on the landing?” And he says, “yes!” I tell him that I’d asked her to take them off her bed and that it was fine and he says, “Oh. I threw some of mine, too.” Guess he wanted her to get in trouble first! So, I tell them I’m going to take a picture and send it to their Daddy and they scream, “No!!” because we know Daddy likes things clean, neat and picked up and might not approve! But, I laughed and told them it was ok, they’d have it cleaned up by the time he came home and we made a game out of throwing them back up the steps, rather than making a million trips up and down trying to carry them all.

 

*Sometimes, I force Wyatt to wear clothes even when he looks this pitiful about it:

 

I usually do let him pick out his own clothes, occasionally making suggestions if things clash too badly, but not pushing the issue too much if he balks or protests. He’s had issues with pants being too white, which I could understand, but these he complained were “too blue!” And I just think they are so handsome, I couldn’t let him whine his way out of them.

Noooooooooooooo!!

My worst fears have finally come to fruition: my children have outgrown naps! <gasp>

Last week, we had several Mama & Dellaina days wherein, she did not get a nap. We watched movies or still had some down time, but never even made an attempt to go upstairs and lay down or anything. They have stopped taking them at all at school as well. Most days, Wyatt’s report is marked, “did not sleep” and they both tend to go to sleep well at night (Wyatt less so some nights, but still usually overall, they are good sleepers). Then, over the weekend, two days in a row, we all took good naps (apparently, some of our last. booo-hoo) and then both kids were up for hours past bedtime. I came downstairs whimpering to Greg about (beginning of?) the end.

Emily didn’t have much sympathy, either, remarking, “they are 6 and 4! That’s pretty darn good” and “you can’t take naps at work, either” even in the same breath as discussing being spoiled by Noah’s good nap schedule and adjustment going back to work – and after we’d BOTH delayed meeting up for lunch to lay down for a bit! It’s a strong Jones/Wickliffe family trait: napping. at the drop of a hat. I do love my sleep mask! There’s just something about shutting out the day that can get me to sleep so much faster than laying there forever at night, trying to find room to stretch around 175lbs of dogs, even after I’ve piddled for hours and should be wiped out.

Hmm, definitely think we will still have to institute mandatory Quiet Time in our Rooms to still read, play quietly or zzzzz [Dellaina, Wyatt, Mama]. yes, this could work…if Daddy goes for it.

(back in May, but still, oh so cute)

Endless

Sometimes, just sometimes, I get overwhelmed by it all.

As soon as you get through all the laundry, there’s more to do; it piles right back up in the hampers to be washed and on the dryer to be put in drawers. Those socks I put off matching, collect again, waiting.

As soon as you unpack your suitcase (finally), it’s time to pack it again.

As soon as I hang up clothes properly, they pile up again.

As soon as you make up the bed, you’re crawling back in it.

As soon as you get home from the grocery store, you add something to the list. I can’t go listless for any significant amount of time. It’s always dangling out there waiting on me to get to it.

As soon as I get through a pile..the mail runs or the art gets sent home from school or is created from home and the piles remain.

As soon as you put clean sheets on the bed, they get peed on. again. seriously?!

As soon as you wash the blanket, it gets dog hair on it. or goes back to school for the week.

As soon as the money gets put in the bank, it gets taken right back out.

As soon as you wash your car, it rains.

As soon as you get something new, it breaks.

As soon as you get through taking one test, you need to start studying for the next. or read one chapter, you have more to do. or write one paper, there’s another. or one semester finishes, the next is right on it’s heels.

As soon as you deal with one issue, multiple others arise. and are just ever lingering out there for you to address.

As soon as you remember one round of birthdays/anniversaries/happyyougotengaged there’s more on the way.

As soon as you get through “that time of the month” it’s back again!

As soon as you water the plants, they need it again.

As soon as you exercise, it’s time to go again.

As soon as you lose weight, it comes right back. And you let yourself get back to where you swore you never would. because you gave up. threw your hands up and said, “screw this!” I should not have to work so hard! I am not going to diet anymore! But, um, it’s not fun being back there, so you gotta fight. and get the weight back off. you did before.

and you can. again.

and you will.

justkeepswimmingjustkeepswimmingjustkeepswimming……

Lost and Found

Last Friday, for Emily’s birthday, we went down and picked up she and Samuel and took them to CFA for breakfast and then to Old Navy for a mini shopping spree. We found lots of tank tops, but ran next door to Kohl’s to see if they had any skirts. And Dellaina got lost and I had a panic attack and was rendered useless.

It really wasn't that bad because it wasn't really that long of a time - no police were notified, etc. (although Emily did have her phone out to call 911, she just wasn’t getting signal yet), but it just felt so. . . oppressive. When we walked in, the kids had gotten some of the Toy Story character dolls (the $5 Kohl's Cares item) and Dellaina asked me if she could go get a Buzz instead of the Rex she had. She had already been back at least once to make an exchange or addition. We were at the wall in the Junior's Department and the display was right across the main aisle at the checkout, so I told her, "thank you for asking and yes, you may" I picked out the size of the skirt we were looking at and go to look up at the display area, because being short, I didn’t have a clear view. I don't see her anywhere. . I come out from the clothes racks and just don't see her. I'm calling her name, and I walk out the doors -- that was the scariest part, because we were just right at the entrance/exit, so it could have been so easy for someone to just snatch and run. I'm starting to really panic and breath fast and tear up and a lady is walking into the store and asks if I lost a child and I answer, "yes" and she asks how old, and I tell her 4 and she asks what she's wearing and I go blank, still focusing on all the other people around and my breathing and where in the world she could be. I am yelling her name out, Emily has run out through the parking lot, too, glancing in cars that are leaving, etc. and she comes back inside and is yelling very loudly for Dellaina as well. I just felt like I was spinning in this slow circle like in a movie, scanning and looking, but not finding and the panic was really debilitating! I would have thought I was more able to respond than I found myself - just feeling helpless. The lady gets the attention of the cashiers, who somehow are oblivious to our yelling and panicking (?!) about using the intercom and going to customer service and she asks me again what she is wearing and I still cannot form an answer, because I'm beginning to hear mumbles that maybe someone found her at the other check out area in the opposite direction and I'm just frozen, watching Wyatt (who was also helping us yell out her name - getting to yell in a store, fun!) and Samuel, who thankfully is staying put in the cart and not wandering like the boys are prone to (watching his mama and aunt run around wildly and yelling in a store, how strangely fascinating!) I think that if we had been deeper in the store or if it had been Wyatt that does wander off, I might not have panicked to the extent I did so quickly. I just felt like the distance and time didn't allow for her to be anywhere else, so someone MUST have taken her right out the door. And she wasn't responding to our calls, so she couldn't be close enough, which she should have been given the time lapse and distance I expected her to be. ugh. it was just awful. She did say, she could hear us, but didn't know where we were, so we have discussed, "you have got to answer me when I call and I'll find you!" And she knows how upset I was, because we've talked about it a lot ("are you still thinking about me getting lost?") so hopefully, well, hopefully, there won't be a next time, because I’ll watch her most closely, but hopefully, if there is a similar situation, we won't have to get so crazy because she'll also know to speak up sooner? . . .but it was just an intense several moments. Emily was completely white and we all just hugged and revived in the middle of the entrance and laughed the nervous, relieved, embarrassed, but thankful to be embarrassed laughs, so I can just imagine what I looked like. Greg kind of laughed at me admitting that I hyperventilated in the store and Daniel seemed appalled that we jumped to the conclusions we did so quickly and escalated, but in that moment. . she had asked if she could go to a certain place and within a moment she wasn’t where she was supposed to be and the big expanse of doors were. . .*shudder.

I don’t think I’ll ever look at this banana shirt the same way again. How could I not remember? And the rain boots! All very telling details that I would have come up with eventually, but just couldn’t focus on at the time.

Inevitably

~The kids will have multiple requests or screaming, wrestling matches the moment my food gets ready/hot or I’m on the phone.

~The dogs will come open the door to the bathroom to curl up in front of the heater as soon as I step into the shower. No matter how long the water has been running to heat up before I actually get in. It’s like they wait to hear the noise change of me actually stepping into the water, before pushing open the door. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told them to close it behind them, but they never do. And Hank will always wedge himself between poor Boss and the heater to hog all of the heat.

~Dogs shed. and drool. It’s natural. But, inevitably, I find it by stepping in it. without socks.

~I don’t consider myself super klutzy or accident prone, however, I seem to have some little annoying, painful thing to contend with on a daily basis. Whether it’s a cut in my mouth, a bump in my nose, a hang nail, or I stub my toe, or get a cut on my finger, these everyday nuisances are quite painful and tend to be in places that get used a lot, so I’m constantly bumping or reinjuring. Currently, I have a dark bruise on my left wrist that I have no idea how I got (I do bruise easily) and some cut or something on the inside of my mouth that keeps “catching” on my teeth. grrr.

Playdate and Battle Wounds

Wednesday, we managed to squeeze in a playdate with our favorite Red Heads and their sis. We went over to Cassi’s house and played, had lunch and even ventured outside before naps. It was great to see our friends again.

Clare is really trying to figure out who Wyatt is and giving him quite the stare down! this picture makes me laugh – how stumpy do I look? I have like no torso!

love Clare’s expression! Cassi looked fabulous. the boys were cute and I thought I was getting them looking at the camera, but it was right as they were starting to fight over the buggy. classic. nap time! Is Sydney not just the cutest?!

Thursday, I drug the kids out shopping. Terrors! They did pretty well overall, but it’s just a lot. At Target, we had one of those double seat buggies (like at Walmart) and we were basically stopped in one section when all of a sudden Dellaina is on her head on the floor?! She said she was reaching for her princess doll and she just flipped right out and landed on her forehead! Not protection or stopping herself with her arms whatsoever! The hard tile/cement floor! And it was carpeted (no padding of any kind), so she got rug burn to boot! I just felt awful like one of those parents that doesn’t restrain her children and lets them wander everywhere and fall out on the floor. *sigh. Then, at Kohl’s I was holding Wyatt at one point when we were trying to leave, but I had asked someone a question about a display and he’s laughing and playing with me, but somehow it turns into him squeezing my face and I get a nice little cut from his fingernails! Dellaina is just as fascinated by my boo-boo as hers. Then, we realized that Wyatt had lost his little Handy Manny hammer. He carries it everywhere! I didn't even know he had it until one point in Old Navy he goes running back over to the dog they had been petting to grab it and I should have taken it then to protect it, but I was scattered and when we got to Kohl's he gasped, "where's my hammer?!" and by the time we went back to check Old Navy, we couldn't find it. I left my name and number in case it showed up and the guy was nice enough to let Wyatt have a little bouncy ball he was eying (that may have also been lost by someone? don't think it was something they sell). I was really bummed for Wyatt because he really loves his little hammer. We were all weary by the end.

Friday, Emily was off and had to take Samuel for his Flu booster shot, so wanted to do something fun for him afterwards. What’s more fun than IHOP with your cousins? Everyone did pretty well. Wyatt was charming the waitress with excited, “Hey!” whenever she came by and when she brought the food, he absolutely lit up and exclaimed, “yay!” flapping his arms. But, then, when I had to split the smiley face pancake between him and Dellaina, it all went South in a hurry. The next time she came by he was just crying and screaming and she was heartbroken. We managed to get passed it all eventually (after many more unhappy, unjust moments to his disliking) and he was all smiles again when she came back by. As we were leaving, we were collected in the little atrium area looking at a Christmas tree when a man coming in, being nice, opened the door for us. Wyatt shot out and I was kind of stuck behind Emily, holding Samuel and Dellaina. He kept heading straight towards the parking lot and I was telling him to stop and he paused and looked at me trying to get to him and thought it was a game, so started off again, and I had to really yell, “WYATT STOP!” to get him to stop. There weren’t any cars coming, but I wanted to make the point regardless. Then, he wouldn’t hold my hand and was flopping around and managed to trip over his feet and scrape up his elbow. He didn’t want to clean it up or put a bandaid on it, which was odd to me. He seemed fairly shaken up by the application of medicine and a bandaid anytime I’d bring it up. We were going to go by Emily’s house and drop off the kids so I could jet down to Sam’s and pick up our Christmas cards (Thanks Granny!) but I managed to miss the exit and ended up just taking them with me and we made good time, so were able to stop back by Emily’s to play. Most folks should get their cards this week, so I’ll post them by the end of the week.

1, 2, 3 and 4

I have pink eye in ONE eye. Or at least antibiotic drops to treat pink eye from the doctor who barely looked at me during the “exam” and sat on his stool with his funky wool pants and sockless loafers and sent and received TEXT MESSAGES! I wish I had asked him if it was breaking medical news or made my appall more apparent.

I have 2 super cute and sweet kiddos.

 

 

 

who each made a ghost to hang on the porch.

After the doctor, we went and got Dellaina’s 3rd and Wyatt’s 4th haircuts. We went to Wal-mart, because I wasn’t impressed with our last round at Groovy. But, it was a different lady at Wal-mart and she was very inept with the water sprayer and got us all soaked! I was nervous, but she came through on the haircut, thankfully. It had been since July for Dellaina and her hair was getting long and kind of tangly. Plus, I’d seen some pictures at Granny’s of her first hair cut and was reminded how cute it had been short. We didn’t go really short, but it needed a healthy trim. Then, the lady used a blow dryer, so it was pretty straight, with curls at the bottom and around her face. Very pretty. It actually reminds me of Granny’s hair.

 

 

Wyatt needed just a trim, too, because it was just shaggy around his ears and in the back from his last cut where I think she was trying to keep more of the curls that just don’t seem to be there anymore. We weren’t going to pay someone to do it and just attempt it at home, but since we were there, I just went ahead and got them both trimmed up. He was all over the place during Dellaina’s haircut, but then when it was his turn, he was so still in the chair. It was amazing! She even used the clippers at the end to get his sideburns and neck.

ever so helpful. After seeing me take Dellaina’s picture of her haircut, he said,  “see Wyatt’s hair cut? Take my picture!” and showed me! It really looks shorter in these pictures than in person. I think because of the lighting and blond hair around the hairline.

 

 

 

 

 

Country song

You don’t have to suffer through this, I just felt like compiling.

our toaster oven stopped heating on/from the bottom. Other than the microwave, I use the toaster oven to “cook” quite a bit, so it’s really a hindrance.

the dining room table has a big mysterious scratch in it.

the top of our entertainment center has two large strips where glow sticks were placed and left overnight and somehow leaked enough to eat away the finish and stain? it’s really quite depressing.

the kitchen chairs are coming apart on us.

the basement flooded. well, more like seeped. but, it’s enough that we’ve pulled up the carpet. It wasn’t our favorite, but it was a durable carpet with good padding and it’s not like we’re in a great position to be replacing it. And flooding isn’t covered by insurance, BTW. We do actually have some tile Greg bought at a Home Depot that was going out of business a long time ago, but again, not sure when we’ll be able to get it laid.

we’re getting estimates for removing the big, beautiful tree in our front yard. That covers the entire house. it makes me sad and is a CHUNK of change, but worth the peace of mind now that we have substantial “tree fear” and it has some other signs of mouse holes and fungus.

The kids music tape we have finally snapped and so we really have limited options of listening in the car now since the CD player is also broken and my radio picks up the Spanish or the Christian channels and that’s really about it, unless you like static mixed in.

I can’t tell you how many times I have to ask Wyatt, “why must you destroy things?” during the course of the day. It’s just in him. Things have lasted for years and through Dellaina just fine and he comes along and within minutes: pieces. destruction. Between him and the dogs chewing things up, it’s not like they are big items, but it adds up!

there are stains on the carpet everywhere.

the baseboards are nasty and everything needs a good coat of paint to freshen it up.

the fish tank needs cleaning.

the weather stripping on the French doors is making it harder and harder to open.

the piles of paperwork and artwork are NEVER-ENDING. I am seeing things through Greg’s eyes and I don’t like it! ;) He did fix the silverware drawer and the hand rail that had broken earlier this week that would have otherwise made it into this list (and I guess, technically, still did).

But, at least we have our health. Oh wait. Other than that potential parasite I could have that I’ve been treating – where the treatment isn’t much relief from the ailment. And, oh yeah, I have strep throat. lovely.

In all seriousness, I still know how much we do have and how blessed we are and I am so very grateful, I just wanted to vent for a tiny, long, rambling minute.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

We’ve had an unbelievable amount of rain in the past week and there’s no end in sight. It keeps us cooped up inside – watching endless amounts of movies to pass the time. It’s difficult to run errands because you become absolutely soaked just getting in and out of the car. Like last week, after our Thursday concert was rained out with a heavy downpour right at noon when it should have started (we passed and saw people huddled under the gazebo) we attempted a trip to Walmart. The kids had on their rain boots, rain coats and umbrellas and it was a fun adventure going in, but coming back out, it was just super wet. Something fell off the front of the cart from underneath and I was pushing it across the street under the buggy. I had to stop and dislodge it while in the middle of the street because I couldn’t push the buggy any further. My rain coat started soaking through; my shoes, socks and jeans were soaked through and the wetness was creeping up from my feet and down from the run off of the raincoat. As soon as we got home I stripped down to just bra and panties. I had to fix lunch for the kids and dogs but couldn’t stand my heavy wet clothes any longer.

Hank has stayed medicated for a week it seems, dealing with all of the thundering. Wet dogs just add to the fun, too. It’s all really testing out the newness of our deck, too!

Yesterday, in a brief break in the rain, Greg actually got up on the roof to clean off the front gutter because it was so clogged we had been having lots of run off onto the front porch, which backs up and leaks into the basement. At least we didn’t have to worry about the back gutter, since it was just recently put up!

Today, we put on jackets, boots and umbrellas just to go up to the mailbox. Just to have an adventure outside. It was during a brief respite from the heavy rains, so I was able to snap a few pictures of the creek in the back yard that is just rushing. If you recall (last two pics in post), it normally is not very deep at all. They weren’t really capturing it, so I recorded a little video as well, to really show the water movement.

 

 

after the rains started up again, we developed a river in the back yard and the rushing creek overflowing into the woods and yard! I’m up in Dellaina’s room through the screen.

And there’s even MORE rain and rushing water now, but I’m not going through this upload process again. unreal. so glad we live on a hill!

Rattling around

Some random old thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head, so I just want to mention and attempt to de-clutter:

We were getting less catalogs for a while. I think it’s a sign the economy at least thinks it’s improving if the company’s are sending us catalogs again. I thought maybe they’d pared down their lists to people that had actually bought from them within a certain amount of time, but we were running out of bathroom material! I still like to browse even if I can’t afford anything in Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Mini Boden, etc. I’m glad they’ve picked up again.

I dyed my hair again just before the baby showers. It was waaaaay darker than I was expecting (the box showed bright red), so I wasn’t crazy about it at first. But, it’s grown on me. And it helps that Greg likes it so much.

 

 

 

Happy 3 years of blogging to me (in June!) Nearly 840 posts and 17,800 views! I’m proud to have been recording and happy you’ve persevered through all of the ramblings and pictures with me! Thanks!

However, with so much rick, old material, I am really frustrated that the Search feature on blogs is no longer working for me. Is anyone else experiencing trouble? I used to be able to look up old posts to link back to when referencing them with key words, but even if I use the exact words as the title it comes up with 0 results. I can still do a search, thank goodness, once I’m signed into blogger, through the dashboard, but it’s not as easy, because it just lists the titles of the posts, I can’t go through and skim them as easily.

Here’s the dolphin video from our beach trip I promised.