Girl Scout Ceremony...

I missed it. The kids were laughing and playing all day, nothing seemed wrong at all. I got the kids all ready to go, changed bums and all, then put on Tyler's weighted vest to help calm him down a bit before the ceremony began. When we got there, I took everyone's coats off and handed them off to the leader so she could go put them away and then got busy taking Tyler's vest off. Just as I got it off and turned around to put it in the diaper bag, he threw up all over the entryway. I grabbed his hand and led him outside to cool off a bit and he threw up again on the door steps. I grabbed some snow and was rubbing it on the back of his neck and on his face to keep him cool and to wash away anything remaining on his face. We went back in and the clean up had already been done, so I informed them of the mess on the stairs outside and they went to clean that off as well. I felt terrible, embarrassed, worried, and frustrated all at the same time. A friend of mine was there and offered to take Terra for me so I could take the rest of them home. It just seems like this sort of stuff happens the most when my hubby is gone out of state on a business trip. It's rather aggravating, to say the least. As soon as I got home, I got the kids inside and fixed them a bedtime snack to digest before climbing into bed. I had planned on just skipping over Tyler and giving him fluids. He started snarfing everything down like he'd not been fed all day. He was fine. No fever, pail cheeks, bags under the eyes....none of that. It irritated me that there was really nothing wrong. I'd missed out on Terra's ceremony...both parents had! I felt bad for Terra, she had cried when I told her I had to go home and that someone would bring her home. I think something happened at school today, but I haven't had a chance to talk to just her about that. We'll see. Right now, I'm just letting them wind down a bit before I go put them all in bed for the night. An uninterrupted bubble bath sounds FABULOUS right now - however, if I start filling up the tub, none of the kids will want to sleep, they'll want to play in the tub forever and won't settle down! I'd rather just not soak in the tub than have to get out of it to put someone back in bed. Oh well, Chris will be home tomorrow, so maybe I can have that "quiet moment of me-time" when he gets here. Again, we'll see!

So, How 'Bout Them...

New Year's Resolutions?! They're already going down-hill, for me! Ah, who needs 'em anyway!

This year is just as crazy as last year, just minus the chicken pox this time (knocking on wood). Terra started Girl Scouts and the cookie sales started on Friday! How about that! Alright all you "dieters", start buyin', you KNOW you'll have crashed or sabotaged your diets by the time we get them to you anyway! LOL I seriously think that picking the NEW YEAR to sell them was a bad idea! Oh well.

I received a new calling at church. I was released from the Relief Society Music and put in as a Primary teacher. I have the CTR 5 class, which means I'm teaching James' age group. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids...but it seems like since I'm in there, my kids act up more...or maybe they're acting the same as before, I'm just witnessing it first hand now. Herumph! One of my resolutions was to have more patience with my kids. That doesn't bode well when I see that they're not acting the way they're supposed to - I completely lose my reserve to be patient and, well, lets just say that I end up not liking myself by the end of the day because I might have said hurtful things...So, it really struck me hard when they set me apart on Sunday (my second Sunday teaching). In the blessing I was promised that as I served valiantly in this calling, that I would have more patience with my own children at home, that life's circumstances wouldn't seem so stressful and that I would grow closer to my spouse as we endeavored to do the Lord's errand. I was encouraged to attend the temple regularly and that the Spirit would speak to me and lead me in ways to teach my/the children (I couldn't understand which word he used there...kids started to get restless - either way, I'll take it).

That blessing really left me to ponder quite a few aspects in my life. I seem to fall short in SO many ways, but my kids are all still alive and they SAY they still love me (well, the older two do anyway...we're still trying to get Tyler to say it...we're getting closer...and Celeste? Well, she gives me slobbery kisses, so I'll just take that as an 'I love you'!).

It led me to rethink my resolution, rather than just give up on it altogether. We came home and it seemed like the kids didn't wear on my nerves the way they had been for the past 6 or 7 weeks. I actually enjoyed having them around (not that I didn't before...I better stop before I dig a deeper hole). They still don't listen to simple instructions, but I don't blow a fuse at them when they don't, I simply explain it better...and give them an ultimatum of sorts - very calmly too. I'm quite impressed with myself.

Although, today, I find myself faltering again. Chris is on a business trip that seems to get longer and longer as the day progresses. He's probably not going to be back in time for Terra's Girl Scout Ceremony tomorrow night. She'll be "sworn in as a Girl Scout" and receive a pin for her vest. The stress of not having him here for something so important to her is aggravating me a tad, causing me to snap at the kids more. So, what did I do today? I went and got dinner rather than cooking it. I think its saved me for the evening. I'm already getting pj's on the kids (it's only 6 pm) and letting them play video games for a while before bedtime. I still need to pull Terra away from them and have her do her homework with me, but I'll get to that...eventually.

A hot, uninterrupted, bubble bath sound really fabulous right about now...anyone want a few children for a couple of hours?!

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Two days before Christmas, one of my girlfriends and her family had a house fire. Not much was able to be salvaged from the "remains". Here is a couple of news reports on it, if you want to read about it (they almost all say the same thing).

http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=129431
http://www.kdvr.com/news/sns-ap-co--strasburgfire,0,1122261.story
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14055910
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They've since found a small home to rent temporarily and have been receiving tremendous amounts of help from the community and surrounding areas. Thanks to all who have prayed for them and we ask that you continue to pray for them. If you wish to donate anything, please do it in the form of a gift card, they're being overwhelmed with the amounts of things they are having to go through right now (and nowhere to really put any of it in storage).