Progress

I love when I get on Facebook or a blog and read a mother sharing something that her child(ren) has done.  Some may call it bragging and some may get annoyed at hearing it.  I actually love it!  When a baby rolls over or walks for the first time, when a toddler uses the potty, when a preschooler can recite the alphabet, when a child starts to read and write ... those are huge milestones and achievements that are worth bragging feeling proud about. 

Parenting is never an easy thing.  In fact, lately, it seems I've been dealing with one struggle after another with my children.  So when they do something great I can't help but feel joyful about it and I want to share it with others.

My son is in kindergarten and has been learning to read.  Before starting school I helped him learn the alphabet and how to recognize and write each letter.  I also helped him to learn how to write his name.  He has always caught onto learning things quite easily and it hardly takes any effort on my part.  Will he always be that way?  I'm not sure but for now I'm just going to be thankful for his amazing memory.  Now he is learning how to read and although he has been struggling a little bit with how to pronounce words and sound things out I was so amazed when he picked up a book the other day and read almost all of it.  Last night when I tucked him into bed he picked another book from his book shelf, one I can't remember ever reading to him, and he read it word for word perfectly.  I was nearly brought to tears by it.

 

One subject he seems to excel at is math.  So far he's managed to teach himself addition and subtraction and has needed very little help from me or his father.  A few years ago, out of the blue, he asked me, "Mom does 5 and 5 make 10?" and he would just keep asking with different numbers and continuously getting them right.  Now math is not my subject.  Never was.  Never will be.  For some reason I just can't seem to get the hang of it.  My husband is the math genius.  He is an accountant after all.  I call him a human calculator and it seems, thankfully, that my son has inherited it from his dad.  

My sister-in-law gave Matthew a 1st grade math book for Christmas and last night he sat down with it by himself and started filling out one of the pages.  I was amazed at how quickly he went from one problem to the other.  I never saw him hesitate or use his fingers to count (like I had to do with some of them).  

It's been so amazing watching as both of my children learn new things.  They both seem to pick up on things so quickly.  It may not matter to some but for me it's a huge deal.  In school I had to take some special education classes because I just couldn't get the hang of what I was learning.  Focusing was hard and I did try.  I would learn something and then quickly forget.  Test taking was a nightmare.  I'm truly surprised I managed to graduate.  I don't usually talk about it.  It's embarrassing.  But that's why I am so amazed and so grateful to see how well my children are doing when it comes to learning.  

My kids are awesome and I'm so thankful that God has chosen me to be their mother.  Now I hope I don't do anything that will screw anything up and ruin their potential.  So far so good (I think). 

 

A Spring Teaser

The weather we've been experiencing this year is weird.  A drastic day to day change.  We've gone from 20 - 30 degrees to 60 degrees instantly.  Now it looks as if that 20 degree weather will be back by tomorrow.  Yesterday's weather was such a tease. 

It was bright, sunny, warm and in the 60's.  A perfect opportunity for us to get outside and play.

We played in the driveway, took a walk around part of the neighborhood and then my son went to play with the kids next door for awhile.  My daughter and I stayed in the driveway until it was time to go inside and make dinner.

 

 It was definitely a day to enjoy!  I'm so glad we had a break from the cold weather.  Today it's still warm but it's raining so we're having to find things to do inside.  Tomorrow the temps are supposed to drop pretty low and we may possible see some snow.  What?

I cannot wait for the warm weather to make it's appearance and stay for awhile.  

Happy Homemaker Monday - 3-10-14

I told myself I wasn't going to go on the internet at all and I wasn't going to participate in HHM today until I had certain things around the house done.  Guess what?  Those things are DONE!  Yay.  So here we go.

Oh, I just noticed that this is post 100 for me on this blog.  Wow.  Happy 100 post to me.  Ha ha!  

Hosted by Diary of A Stay At Home Mom

As I look outside my window:
There are still spots of snow laying on the ground here and there and it is a bit chilly ... BUT ... the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the sign that spring is just over a week away is there.  It's about 50 degrees right now.  I'm so ready for winter to be officially over.

Right now I am:
In the process of doing a deep, spring cleaning around the house.  Downstairs especially.  We bought a new TV for downstairs and I'm trying to get the rec room to look more liveable.  We've been wanting this area to be an extra TV room/play room but we haven't used it much so it gets neglected, especially when it comes to cleaning.  Ugh.  I have to stop letting it go.  The dust in this house accumulates so easily and quickly.  I HAVE to keep up with it a lot better than I have.  I took care of a few things I said I would before I sat down to blog and once I'm done with this I have more things to do before getting my son off the bus.  Whew.  I'll be busy this week.

Thinking and pondering:
Of all the things I want to do to the house this week.  Giving it a deep clean and some organizing.  Wanting to add updated pictures around the house too.  Desperately needing new toy bins for all the toys to place downstairs in the rec room.  So much clutter.  Always.  So.  Much.  Clutter.  Also, last week we all caught a bad cold and we're finally getting over it so everything I missed out on doing last week needs caught up on this week. 

On my bedside table:
My Bible, which sadly, I haven't picked up in awhile.

On my tv tonight:
I'm not sure.  It's always the kids' shows that are on and then once they are in bed my hubby and I browse through the channels until we find something worth watching.

Listening to:
The humming of the computer and the washer and dryer.  That's it.

On the menu for this week:
Monday - the kids had leftovers and my husband and I had Pollo Alla Caciatora made by my awesome husband.
Tuesday - Pork chops, mashed potatoes and corn
Wednesday - Crockpot Sausage & Cheese Tortellini
Thursday - tacos and rice
Friday - pizza

On my to do list:
Finishing the laundry (and then that starts all over)
Finish cleaning/reorganizing rec room
Clean bathrooms
Dust/vacuum and all the usual weekly things
Take my daughter's clothes that I boxed up and bagged up to my friend's house so her daughter can have them.  Yes, was supposed to do that last week but we were all sick and stuck at home.

Happening this week:
My best friend's birthday is this Thursday.  Have to remember to call her.
Going to enjoy some sunshine today and tomorrow (hopefully)
Not anything big or set yet.  Just spending the week cleaning and cleaning and making up for not doing much of anything from being sick last week.
If we're all completely well by the weekend I'd love for us to go out and do something fun.  I need that.  We all do.  

What I am sewing, knitting, crocheting or creating:
Nothing (too busy CLEANING)

My simple pleasure:
Being at home snuggling with my family and relaxing with a movie.

Lesson learned the past week:
Don't let housework go ... or else you'll have a bigger mess to clean later.  lol

Looking around the house:
I am downstairs in my rec room where our desk top computer sits (the one my hubby built.  He's so computer smart).  Like I said, I don't spend much time down here.  This is where we keep our exercise weights, most of the kids toys, desks, computers, couches, end tables and our new television.  There is a door that goes to our second bathroom, another to our laundry room and another to the garage. 

From the camera:

 My hubby and son went to a monster truck show over the weekend.  It's their favorite thing to do together.

Prayer list:
My hubby as he prepares for surgery in two weeks.

Bible verse/devotional:
"Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus" -- Romans 15:5

A Very Sick Household

Have you ever been so congested and clogged with mucus that you can't even taste the food you put in your mouth?

Yes, that's how it's been for me in the last few days and I hate it. 

We've all been fighting colds but my two year old seems to have gotten the worst of it.  My poor baby. 

For the first few nights she wasn't sleeping at all and then suddenly all she wanted to do was sleep.  This is also day number three of not eating anything, aside from a few grapes here and there.  I took her to the pediatrician's office today and not only does she have a chest cold but an ear infection as well.  We've gone through this before with her.  She has snapped out of it suddenly during those times and I know she will this time as well.  It's just been hard to see her this way.  She's miserable.  We've all been miserable but she's too little to understand why she feels the way she does. 

It's also hard to give an antibiotic to a little one who refuses to take it.  So my trick is to mix it into one of her favorite drinks.  I've had a vaporizer running all day.  I have also been mixing some honey and lemon juice into her drinks as well.  My only wish is that she would eat but the doctor doesn't seem too concerned with that at this point since she's still drinking fluids.  

With my own sickness and a sleep schedule that's been out of whack all week I feel like I could crash at any moment.  But a mother has to do what a mother has to do and I can hear Dory (the fish from Finding Nemo) saying "Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming."

Sickness

It's been a pretty miserable week for us since the sick bug entered our home.  My son was the first to get it, as is usually the case.  He had a terrible cough all weekend and stayed home from school on Monday so he wouldn't have to spread the germs to his friends.  He seems to be doing a lot better today but in the last few days I've had a very sick little girl to care for.  She's so different from her brother when it comes to being sick.  He is easier to deal with and just wants to sleep.  She, on the other hand, doesn't want to sleep nor does she want to eat.  I've been sleep deprived in the last two nights.  I know it's hard on the poor girl not being able to breathe through her nose that is all stuffed up. 

We've been through this plenty of times before with both children and I know it will pass.  Still, it's very hard to see the little ones have to suffer.  I do enjoy the extra cuddle time though. 

Unfortunately with having to tend to two little sick ones I've caught the cold as well.  I've been trying to avoid passing it along to my husband but it seems as if something might be brewing in him as well.  This isn't good.  He has to have surgery in less than 3 weeks and if he's sick at any point from now until then he may not be able to get it done.  I know the idea of postponing surgery has him upset and I feel bad about it.  I've been spraying the couch and other things around the house with Lysol as often as possible.  I've been constantly washing and sanitizing my hands and having the kids do the same. 

It's no fun.  I can't wait until we are all healthy and well again ... and sleeping through the night. 

Happy Homemaker Monday - 3/3/2014

Even though I'm taking care of two sick little ones today I thought I would take a break and do Happy Homemaker Monday.  Joining in with Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom.  I can't believe it's March already.  The year is already passing us by.  Spring is a few weeks away ... FINALLY!

 

As I look outside my window:

Sunny with snow covering the ground.  We had about an inch of snow fall throughout the night.  Not as much as they expected and I'm okay with that.  It's a bitter 23 degrees.  

Right now I am: 

Sitting on a heating pad.  I've been exercising a lot but recently decided to kick it up a notch and boy did that make my legs and butt sore.  It will be worth it though.  My son, who is home sick today, is sitting next to me playing Mario on the Wii.  My daughter, who is also sick, is napping.  Hoping she gets the rest she needs.  She has a runny nose and fever.  

Thinking and pondering:

• About this blog and what more I'd like to write about.  I want to keep it updated as often as possible.
• My husband's surgery which is in exactly 3 weeks from today.  I worry about him, even though he seems so calm and okay with it.  We have a lot do to around the house before the surgery.  He won't be able to walk for a few weeks or maybe a month after.  
• About my kids and hoping they can get rid of this cold soon.  My throat has been feeling scratchy and I'm hoping I don't get hit with it full force.  
• What to make for dinner this week.

On my bedside table:
My Bible.

On my TV tonight:
Monday nights are Cake Boss.  Tomorrow night a new season of The Little Couple is on and I really want to watch that and on Wednesday's we watch Duck Dynasty.  Other nights we just seem to channel surf until we find something worth watching.

Listening to:
The music from the Mario game and my son getting frustrated with himself when he keeps losing.

On the menu:
Burgers and fries ... by the request of our son.

On my to do list:
Finish laundry
Sweep floors
Finish packing my daughter's old clothes and then pass them along to a friend who has a daughter.
Organize all areas of the house
Mentally prepare for hubby's surgery in 3 weeks/Also get things around the house ready.

Happening this week:
Early dismissal for my son on Wednesday
This weekend me and my daughter are hanging out with my mom while the guys who to an indoor monster truck show.  That's if everyone is well by then.

What I am sewing, knitting, crocheting or creating:
I made cupcakes yesterday.  And in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday I made them with purple icing (like in The Cat In The Hat movie).  It's the little things that keep my kids happy. 

My simple pleasure:
Having a family that is NOT sick.

Lesson learned the past week:
I've been teaching myself how to adjust to change and accept it.  See previous post.  I've realized that even though it's hard to face changes the change can bring on amazing things.

Looking around the house:
Boxes and bags of my daughter's clothes sit in the dining room waiting for me to put them in the car.  Toys are in every corner of the living room (as usual).  My son is now playing Legos on the living room floor.

From the camera:

 

What do you do with a box the new dishwasher came in?  Turn it into a house

Prayer list:

My children getting over their sicknesses

My husband's upcoming hip replacement surgery

Bible verse/Devotional:

 "And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." -- Matthew 18:3

Learning to Deal With Change

"Change is the law of life.  And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future" -- John F Kennedy

Change is a big part of life; it's inevitable.  Change is something we all face throughout our lives whether it be big or small, good or bad, happy or sad, etc.  It can be used to help us grow and learn.  What would life be like if we all stayed the same?  Boring!  But why does change have to be so hard?

I remember the first time change hit me really hard was when I was thirteen years old.  I had lived with my parents and sister (my other sister and brother were married and out of the house by then) in the same house I had lived in since being brought home from the hospital after my birth.  I was in a house, a town, a state that had all been very familiar to me.  It was my first year in junior high and I was finally allowed to wear make-up and go to the mall or movies with my friends WITHOUT adult supervision.  These were awesome changes that had me feeling like I was finally growing up and becoming someone.  Life wasn't perfect but I was happy with it.

I had always pictured myself living in the same house until I was an adult and ready to make the choice on my own to move out.  I envisioned visiting my parents at that same house with my husband and kids.  The idea of moving never occurred to me.  Until my dad brought it up one day during dinner.  I remember the conversation well.  He and my mother decided to put the house up for sale and move to a cheaper place.  New York was too expensive and blah, blah, blah.  We had to go.  So the house went up for sale and was sold by the first family that came to look at it.  Everything happened so fast.  Now, when my dad said he wanted to move somewhere cheaper it didn't end up being in another house ... it ended up being in another state.  Pennsylvania.  By summer our house was sold and we packed our things and headed to the Keystone State.  Unfamiliar territory for me.  I started 8th grade in a new state, a new school and surrounded by new people.  Big change.  The kind of change I had a hard time adjusting to, even many years later.

 

I realize that if I had not moved to Pennsylvania I would have missed out on a lot of opportunities I've had here.  I wouldn't have met the people who became my friends and I certainly wouldn't have met my husband or had my two wonderful children.  I really can't see life without them now that they are here.  I know change can bring on a lot of wonderful and positive things, but letting go of once was is pretty hard.  

Another time when change hit me hard was after graduating from college.  I spent two years in business school and was surrounded by great friends (story here) and good times.  I didn't realize just how much that time meant to me until one day years later when I was sitting at my desk in an office job.  I looked around at the desk, the phone, the computer and all that surrounded me.  I thought about how the degree I earned in business school led me to getting that job and then I started thinking back to that time in school ... and I missed it.  I missed it so much that it hurt.  I wished to have had a chance to go back to that time and relive it.  You know, I always said how cool it would be if life came with a remote control that we could rewind back to good times and fast forward through the bad times.  Yeah, like that would work out well, right?  Wake up Dawn.  Change happens whether I like it or not.  

Change is what helps us live, grow and learn.  It's not going to stop.  Even though I do often think back to certain times in my life and wish I could relive some moments I do feel blessed to have all that exists now.  My husband, my two children, a house, thirty-five years of great health, new people who have come into my life and became good friends, old friends who are still here for me, other old friends who I realized weren't friends at all.  You get it. 

As hard as it was I had to learn to embrace all of the changes I ever had to face.  Although some were hard, it's all been good.  It's all led me to this very moment.  I can say I feel very blessed with how my life has turned out.  I've learned how to cope with change by looking at all the positives instead of the negatives.  I try to look at all the benefits that all the change I've gone through has to offer.  I've also learned to accept this as a part of life that is out of my control.  I've learned to let go of the many changes that took place in my life that has caused me to feel depressed over the years.  It wasn't a simple thing to do but I did it.  

However, I'm now faced with a new type of change and it's quite a challenge for me.  This is the change of watching my children grow and trying to accept the fact that neither of them are no longer babies and will just keep growing and growing.  I'm sure it's a hard thing for any parent to watch her/his children grow and know that the years of being little won't always exist.  It's a sad revelation but this too is also a good thing. 

It's bittersweet.  

If you're a new parent who is dealing with the pros and cons of having a newborn I want to let you know that the saying they grow up fast is definitely true.   So during those sleepless nights when that baby is refusing to sleep or is crying and begging to be comforted by you ... embrace it all.  It doesn't last.  I look at this picture of my three year old son holding his newborn baby sister and I'd give anything to have that very moment back.  But I can't.  They are growing and life is moving forward.  There is no stopping time or slowing it down.  All we can do is enjoy every moment as it is given to us, hold on to the memories and prepare for the future.