Just some random thoughts...

I am to the point where I'd pay good money to know why I can't sleep so often.

I went back and was reading old blogs (this is why I blog. You think I do it for you, but really, I love the (rare) times when I go back and read.) It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since some of the blog posts I was reading. Wow, what a year we had last year. Between pregnancy, birth of Kate, Gallbladder surgery, MRI's, EKG's, Bladder testing, lumps removed, church/relationship hurts and frustrations, etc..it was a rough time. I am so happy to look back and remember how HARD it was, and yet see how I handled it. God really does give us the strenth to handle what we face. And today I am so thankful that all of it turned out ok. Maybe not how I wanted, but it turned out ok.

Lately, I've noticed how often I think "Wow, I'm blessed." And tonight I realized it's because this year has been so totally different. Yah, we've had some issues (tonsil surgery, and other small things) but, wow, it's been a good year. Nothing like hardship to help you know what GOOD is.

Also, I was reading about Kaden when he was Kate's age....and I was right, he did have a ton of words. It will never cease to amaze me how different Kaden and Katelyn are. I LOVE IT. God gave me such blessings when He gave me them.

This 'n That

Lately my sleep habits have been awful. Absolutely awful. I sleep REALLY good for one night, and then the next 3-5 nights I can't sleep til well after the morning has arrived. Guess which night tonight is???

For those of you who might not stalk me on facebook. Or who do stalk me on facebook and just aren't very good at stalking... I have a lot of big things going on in life right now!

Last week I agreed to be the Gillette MOPS Co-Coordinator. Yes. Me. I'm the one who (should I post this on internet for all to see?) has always said I'm not even that IN to MOPS. But, when it ended abrubtly last year it troubled me greatly. I had even considered stepping up to coordinate when I knew the position was open, but really thought someone else would step up. Then when no one did it was shut down, to my surprise. All I heard from all my MOPS friends was shock, dissapointment, and sadness. So then all summer I prayed hard about starting a Women's Bible study or a Mom's group that was not MOPS at my church. Something that could start out small so I could start my leadership skills on a smaller scale...but I never felt peace.

Part of that is because I am already the nursery directer. I coordinate the baby showers at church (and just recently have HELP, thank goodness!!!), have my Pampered Chef cooking clubs and babysit a 3 month old 14ish hours a week. But really, I think it was just that it wasn't God's timing. In fact, I know it wasn't.

A couple weeks ago at a Bible Study I almost didn't join, at a church I don't go to, on an evening I was supposed to have cooking club, I met Stacey. Stacey moved from Cheyanne and has coordinated MOPS before. To make a long story short- here we are getting MOPS restarted and it's awesome. I am so excited. No, really, I AM! I found out that coordinating is something I just enjoy. But only if it's right. And only if I can bounce ideas off someone else. So, all in all, this week's been a busy one trying to get MOPS started in a month instead of months and months which is normal.

Speaking of babysitting. Did you all know I was doing that? (Oh, yes, all you facebook stalkers did, how 'bout the rest of you?) Anyway, I've been babysitting a (then 2 month old, now 3 month old) for a month. It's.been.awesome. I was nervous at first. But so far Katelyn and Kaden totally love her. And she sleeps 90% of the time and even then half the time I wake her up to feed her. And when she is awake she just adores watching my kids play. So far, so good. And the extra money is nice too! It keeps me home Tues-Thurs afternoons, but I always have at least an hour of ME time still. Does it get better than that?

Let's see...what else is new? Kate has been a teething monster baby. But just tonight we felt one bottom right tooth. If that's the only tooth that comes from this teething disaster I'm gonna be depressed. But at least there's one, right? Katelyn is getting bigger and smarter and cuter and sneakier as the days go by. She loves nothing more than to scream at brother for touching HER STUFF. (Which is really his stuff.) Also, she thinks his trains are an awesome way to get his attention. Mommy is about to go crazy with it.

Kaden has had a cold/allergies/something problem since Labor Day. I keep saying "If he's not better by Friday..." but really I just don't want him on antibiotics! I don't know if he's ever gotten over something without them! We've been feeding him allergy meds but wondering if he's going to need some asthma treatments. But I don't want to talk about it anymore. This week I changed all his clothes to 4T. I expected them to all be huge. Um, nope. They look great on him and this mommy's in denial. He cannot be growing up so fast. Speaking of growing up, he started Cubbies last week. He's been there twice and loves, loves, loves, LOVES it. And it's a nice break for us too. He was given his book, vest and bag last night and first thing this morning he was asking to look at his book. He's so quick at memorizing the verses, but won't say them to anyone but me. And even then only if no one else is around, or listening, or COULD BE around or listening. He suddenly thinks he's shy. Weird. Also, he's been testing my patience lately. My prayer is that I will be a mom like God wants me to be. Not yelling, or going crazy on him. Boy oh boy...it's been hard. But I sure do love that kid.

This weekend I have a Craft Day all day Saturday and a Baby Shower on Sunday. Crazy me decided it would be "FUN" to make cake pops for this baby shower. Which-it would be- if I were confident that I could make them, have them turn out, AND be cute. I did practice once...and learned what not to do. Needless to say, after a busy week of MOPS planning, Cooking Clubs, Awana, babysitting, etc...I'm worn out going into a crazy busy weekend. And coming out next week isn't looking any calmer! But I'm not complaining- I feel so blessed in all I have and do. My friends. My appointments. My leadership (which I've grown so much in!) and my kids. I love it all. (Oh and you too, Luke!! Even if I haven't seen you lately! Date soon?)

Yes, I did just ask my hubby for a date on my blog. And I bet it works too.

Funny Girl

This morning Katelyn wanted to go outside with her big brother. So I told her she could go out but we had to get her dressed first. So she "helped" me get her pajamas off. Then when I held out her shirt she got "that look" and giggled and ran. Not being one to play that game, I just sat there. She went over to the back door and cried and cried to go out. So I told her she had to come get her clothes on. So she comes back to me and just when she's out of reach she got "that look" again, and giggled and ran...only to find herself at the back door, realize she wants to go outside, start crying and start the cycle over. I kid you not, it has been going on for 15 minutes. It's like she has an attention span of less than 2 seconds and forgets what she's going for... I wonder if we will get dressed today, or go outside???

Salesman

So, yesterday, I heard my doorbell. To me that means one of 3 things:

1) I have a delivery from Fedex (I didn't think I had anything coming so I was pretty sure this was not the reason for the doorbell.

2) My pastor was at the door (but since I was not in my pajamas I figured this couldn't be it either. He has the worst timing! And, I make this sound like it happens often, it doesn't..it was just a good way to point out that every time he happens to drop something off I look like a lazy bum.) Anyway..

3) Another Salesman.

And so it was, that when I answered the door I thought maybe it was option 3: the salesman. But this guy didn't look like a salesman. Let me elaborate. He looked like he may have just gotten out of prison...just long enough to have shaved and changed out of the jumpsuit into some ill-fitting shorts and tshirt. He was balding. And young. So the first thing he says is, "HI! Is your mom or dad home?"

....

Really? Ok, I do look young. But the first thing that popped in my head was, "What do I say? He looks like a rapist creep. If I say 'No' what if he's here to rape me?" Eventually, I just said "It's my house." At least then he couldn't know if someone else was home or not.

Enter Kaden. In his underwear. Keep in mind, I didn't know if this was a salesman (so far, no evidence) or a creepy monster. So I tell Kaden to go put shorts on. No answer. So this guy finds it convenient then, to ask me how old I was. Somehow, I don't know why, I told him 26. To which he replies "OH! I'm 27! I have a couple boys. Looks like you have a boy too. Aren't kids just...." Ok by this point I was like this is getting rediculous.

Finally he pulls from his back pocket a little spray bottle of "Cleaner"...before he could say a word I said, "We have lots of salesmen around here, and I've seen that product and I don't want it." (And by "seen that product" what i meant another salesman has gotten exactly this far into showing it to me.) Anyway, so he uses every sales technique in the book (I would know, I sell Pampered Chef...I've had training.) and I used every "get out of this sale" technique in the book. I tried telling him NO. I tried telling him I needed to leave to get my sons hair cut. I told him I had no money. I told him EVERYTHING. Nothing. He wouldn't even take a step backward on my front step for me to close the door. Nope. So finally I looked at him in the (scary) eyes and said "Listen, I don't CLEAN my house, and I don't want cleaner."

Yep. I told a salesman I don't clean my house. Normally I'd be mortified that someone would even THINK to believe that about me. But this time I was relieved that he did believe me. And he left. But only after asking if it was just me and my son around... I made sure he knew I was happily married. Thank you very much.

I laughed out loud to myself later. "I don't clean my house"...are you kidding me? Just that morning I scrubbed both bathroom and kitchen and had to constantly keep my OCD from rearing it's ugly head. I am perfectionist about my stupid floors, much less the other stuff.... "I don't clean my house!" I can't get over it. I crack myself up.

So, if you find yourself face to face with a scary looking cleaning salesman...now you have your weapon. Trust me...nothing else works.

More about the kids...

Facebook reminded me that this was Luke's "status update" from February 21, 2011.

"Good morning Mom! Time to get up?" ~ Kaden, 15 minutes after going to bed.

He is so hilarious. And I wanted to have it noted somewhere other than Facebook for him to see someday.

So while I'm at it...more Kadenisms:

"Nurdles" are noodles
"I'm a BOY" is what he thinks is the reason for everything. (Example: why can't I paint my toenails, Mom? Because you're a boy. Why can't I have long hair? Because you're a boy. Translated in his mind: Find your shoes Kaden. I can't! Why not? Because I'm a boy.) You see the trend. Sigh.

In other news, Katelyn has learned how to push Kaden's buttons in a matter of milliseconds. Threaten to come downstairs when he just finishes building a track out of his wood track set. Take said tracks. Run to the bathroom and get there before Kaden as soon as you realize he needs to go potty. (She loves this one, and does it often. I keep trying to tell Kaden not to announce his need to potty...She loooooves the hollar and screams that come from him until I make her leave.) Also, she mostly won't do what we want her to...unless we ask nicely. We can have a fit because Mom said "Give me my phone back." but if Mom says "Kate, can I please have my phone back" then it's all ok. RESPECT.... also, at her developmental checks she will not do what they ask. At the last one (about a week ago) they got out a HUGE stuffed bear to try to get her to come play with them. She smiled slightly (with a look that said, "I'd DIE to be playing with that bear right now, but I can't since you want me to") and walked the other way. There was NO getting her to play with that bear until the end, when she wasn't supposed to. I found it all very hilarious. And we wonder why she doesn't talk. Why would she, if we WANT her to?

When I write these things it sounds so cute and funny. But actually, in real life, I struggle to see the humor oftentimes. I'm working on that.

My funny Kaden-boy...part 154 (and counting I am sure)

Since Kaden turned 3 I've been more careful to be teaching him about privacy and what that means, and helping him learn to close the bathroom door when he potties...etc. Well, I HAD hoped it was sinking in..and today I learned otherwise.
Today I took a quick shower while Kate slept. After I got out Kate was awake so I had to go in my towel to calm her down (Kaden's attempts to calm her were almost fatal...lol). Anyway, so then I went to my room to dress and he followed. So I said to him, "Kaden how about you go into your room and let Mommy get dressed." No answer. So then I said, "Kaden, Momma needs her privacy, can you go out of here?" To which he promptly ran out. Pretty soon I heard, "Where is it, Mom??" I didn't know what he was talking about.... so he comes back in... "Mom, I can't find your privacy...where is it?"
Apparently our talks of privacy have fallen on deaf ears. Not that this really surprises me. More confirms in my mind that the blank stare he gives me really is just that. Blank.

I tried....

As I sit to write this Kate is sleeping peacefully and Kaden is playing with his trains while lacking clothing on the lower half of his body. It truly feels like it's gonna be a good day!

I'm hosting a baby shower at my church today. It's the first time I've ever hosted something like this without help. (cooking clubs certainly don't count). I am VERY excited because it's construction themed and I'm truly feeling inspired. I just hope we have a good turnout!!

and Luke just burst in and disturbed this peaceful household. grrrr. I guess I will try this blogging thing again later.