Mommy Needs a Time Out!

Life goes on...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 01:45:00 +0000

Whew! Lots of stress around here lately...First, our septic system started having major problems and it cost us around $800+ to get the pump replaced. Then, our Camry started driving really crazy...got it checked out, and sure enough, that was another $800 repair (but worth it to fix!). A few days after that, we got hit with some major rainstorms and our roof started leaking. Awesome. They say things happen in threes, so I'm hoping that's it for now. I'm so grateful for a good job so we can handle little (big) things like this. Its definitely not easy, but I have been able to pick up a couple of tutoring jobs for extra money and Chris' business is going well overall, so we're okay.

Some bad news came along late last week and I've been worrying over it for awhile, so I might as well talk about it. My stepmom Linda was diagnosed around a year ago with bile duct cancer...there's a tumor about the size of a hen egg in her liver. It was spotted during an echocardiogram of all things. So who knows if it ever would have been found if she hadn't been having those random heart palpitations? Anyway, after a year of chemo and embolization treatments, the latest scan shows that the tumor, which was 1.5" originally, is now 2". Not only has it NOT shrunk...the thing has grown. Ugh. I freaking hate cancer. They will be doing another MRI tomorrow and so far, I think the plan is to start the cyberknife treatments at double the dosage to see if there is any effect. Praying and praying for her total healing.

Andrew and Hannah spent the weekend sick. :( Andrew has been running a mild fever (like, no more than 100.5, but enough to just make him feel crummy), and Hannah was up all night Friday night vomiting. She has been fine since Saturday morning @4 am, but today has had some different tummy issues. Poor babies. Chris is not feeling too well either.

Despite all this (and yeah, this post has become quite the downer, huh?), God is so good to us and I feel so very blessed. My kids and husband make me laugh every day. My job is enjoyable 90% of the time, and I have a (messy, chaotic) house to come home to. I am spoiled and don't deserve any of it, so I'll just say THANK YOU GOD and keep on doing what He has put me here to do. :)

My Hannah Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 14:35:00 +0000

My kids are killing me. In a good way! Every day they are saying or doing something that just makes me laugh and laugh...Today, though, I must write about my Hannah. Yesterday, Hannah and Andrew were playing together so well. No fighting, no fussing, nothing. Hannah made the comment that she wanted to marry Andrew when she grew up, and when Chris told her that couldn't happen, she got so sad! She seriously cried as if her heart was broken. It was so sad, but so very funny. I felt bad laughing when she was obviously so upset, but seriously. It was hilarious.

Hannah has become quite the love bug lately, too. She loves to hold hands, hug, and especially kiss! When we are walking into her school in the mornings, or anywhere, really, she will hold my hand and kiss it all the way. When she gives hugs, they are full throttle, bear hugs. It's precious and wonderful, and I am trying to remember every minute because these moments will disappear far too quickly.

Funny kids

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 03:40:00 +0000

I just had to take a minute and jot down some of the funny stuff my kids have been saying this week. They are just cracking me up.

From Andrew: "I need a spa day!"
- When I asked about this he says he isn't sure what a spa day really is, but he's pretty sure it means relaxing. His idea of relaxing? Staying in his pj's all day, playing video games. :)

From Hannah: "I love you in the whole world!"
-What she means is, "I love you MOST in the whole world!" I told her what I think she meant to say, so now she's working on remembering to say it right, but it's soooo stinkin' cute to hear her say it wrong, :)

Hannah is also loving music these days. She's always loved music, but recently she's started to memorize songs and she loves to sing. On the way to school each morning, I get serenaded together tune of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and most nights she sings herself to sleep to the tune of Feliz Navidad. Too cute. One of these days I might remember to try to video tape or somehow record it.

These kids wear me out, but they are simply awesome. I am so very blessed.

New school semester, and a little stress...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 15:33:00 +0000

So Monday is the beginning of a new semester at school. I am excited about that, but I have to admit, I'm also very nervous. See, my wonderfully awesome co-teacher (and FRIEND), Kelly, who I've been with now for two years (this year being our third year co-teaching) had a beautiful baby girl yesterday. Harper was anxiously expected and everyone is so thrilled to have her finally HERE so we can ooh and ahh over her and tell her how beautiful she is and how lucky she is to have such a great mom, dad, and two big sisters. What does this have to do with me being nervous? Well, it means that (obviously) Kelly is going to be out for at least 6 weeks on maternity leave. There will be a long-term sub in the classroom and he is okay...just not who I'm used to. It is so hard for me to deal with change. I definitely need to work on that. I am not nervous about teaching the math or handling the students or anything like that. I just get nervous about how someone different is going to perceive me, what they will think of me, etc. Silly, I know, but that's my reality right now. *I like routine.* Six weeks will go by super-fast, though, and it'll be great. All I know is, I will certainly miss my friend. I'll be counting the days until February 18, for sure. :)

In the meantime, I am going to heavily rely on and enjoy co-teaching with my other awesome co-teacher and friend, Jessica. She's amazing and she always listens when I need to vent or de-stress by just getting something off my chest. I am so very grateful to work with both of these amazing women. I am a lucky, lucky girl.

My new baby

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 21:09:00 +0000

Today's happy has to do with my new "precious" (think Gollum in LOTR)... My new iPad! It was ordered through eBay at @ a 50% discount. It's an iPad 2 and came with a cover, a carrying case, a keyboard, and two chargers. My hubby is the best. Sometimes his frugality causes me to sigh and think he's crazy, but I love him for it. I love my new toy and will probably sleep with it under my pillow tonight. Ha! :) I'm blogging from the iPad now, and will attempt to attach a pic of my precious in its brand new purple case (to protect it from little hands that might dare to touch it). Squee! :)

Quotable Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:27:00 +0000

I know I'm biased, but I swear my kids say the funniest, cutest things. Here are just a few jewels from the past week or so:

Chris took Andrew to the Dollar Tree, and a lady complimented Andrew, telling him he was "so cute." Andrew's reply? "I'm not cute! I'm awesome!"

As Andrew and Hannah were playing in the backseat of the truck on our way to Alabama, Andrew says, "Hannah, you're my favorite girl in the world."

While playing with Hannah's Dora dollhouse, Andrew got tired of it all and decided to push Dora down the itty bitty stairs. Hannah says, "You are so rude."

Hannah, upon waking up the morning AFTER Christmas: "Oh no! We forgot to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus yesterday!"

I love my kids.

Home Sweet Home

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:16:00 +0000

There's no place like home...

Ahh...there's nothing like the sweet feeling of coming HOME after a nice visit with family. Don't get me wrong -- I loved seeing everyone and it was get to laugh and tell stories and make new memories -- but there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed with your children safely tucked in their own beds right down the hall.

When Chris and I visit his parents in Alabama, we most often sleep in their camper/RV (think Cousin Eddie's RV in the movie Christmas Vacation) and let the kids take their spare room. They have to share a bed, which is always interesting, but the fact that we are outside means we can sometimes sleep in and let the grandparents take morning duty. Sleeping in the camper, however, means it is cold and not at all comfortable. Sleeping on the mattress (if you can call it that) is kind of like sleeping on a board with a thin pillowy-type substance lying on top of it. Chris thinks its really comfy. I tend to disagree. I am SUPER grateful for a free place to stay where the people love me unconditionally and feed me such wonderful, delicious, fattening food upon waking (and every few hours afterwards) so I am NOT complaining. In fact, I think it's great, and I always secretly wish Chris would walk into his parents' house in the mornings saying, "Morning, y'all! Crapper's full!" (I know that's not the word used in the movie, but you get the point. And if you haven't ever seen Christmas Vacation, you.are.missing.out.)

Speaking of beds, it is time to get my kiddos in the bath and in their beds, after which I plan to plant my butt in my aforementioned beloved bed. Good night!

Counting my Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 22:21:00 +0000

New Year's Day...Normally by now I'd be making a long list of things I'd like to change about myself in the upcoming year, and after about a week I would give up and it would all be over. As I posted a couple of days ago, this year I don't plan to make a lot of promises I'll never keep, but I plan to spend a few moments every day counting my blessings and actually writing it down (or, to be more accurate, typing it out) here on this blog.

Today's blessing is just the ability to be here in Alabama with Chris' family celebrating a late Christmas and bringing in the New Year with people who love us. Watching Andrew and Hannah play with their cousins and enjoy them so intensely...it's priceless. I sometimes wish we lived closer to them, but to be honest, I think the distance makes the time spent with them so much more precious and much more enjoyable.

I love that Andrew & Hannah enjoy bathroom humor as much as their mom and dad do...The word "underwear" has brought an abundance of giggles today. It's quite funny. :) It's been a low-key, lazy day due to all the rain here, but really...this is exactly my kind of day. I am one happy girl!

Goodbye 2012...Hello 2013!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 19:59:00 +0000

So I know it's been a LONG freakin' time since I wrote a blog post, but seriously...life just goes and goes and sometimes it's all just too much. As I think back and plan for the future, I really hope to be more dedicated to keeping up this blog and writing down all the awesomeness that happens in my life. It's so easy for the negative to outweigh the positive, so while I may have other resolutions for this year, I will definitely make my #1 resolution a commitment to post something good about my life at least once a day. Even if it's just a sentence, a funny quote from one of my kids, or the same thing I'm thankful for every single day, I want to make it a point to write down something GOOD from every day. There's so much evil in the world...and it is so easy to get sad and start the whole "woe is me" cycle, so this is going to be one way I hope to combat that feeling and bring more joy into my family's life. I guess I figure I don't want to be one of those people who always wears you down with bad news or sob stories. Don't get me wrong: I definitely have plenty to tell! I want to be a more uplifting, positive, encouraging personality, so I am going to revitalize this old blog and get on with the business of being grateful for the billions of blessings in my life.

Now that that's out there, please keep me accountable. Being that it has been nearly seven months since I last blogged, there's probably no one reading, but if you are, let me know! Keep me honest. :) Oh, and as always, feel free to add what YOU are thankful for as well!

On a Mission

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:39:00 +0000

So about a month ago, I began to get really sick of how overweight and un-energetic I was. I watched a very good friend start a nutrition program called ViSalus. Yes, people enjoy the benefits of weight loss through ViSalus, but athletes also use it to increase their performance. Basically, she started drinking a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and eating a normal dinner. After two months, she had lost nearly 30 lbs. I was amazed at how much more energy she had and just how GOOD she felt.

I've always been wary of these programs, though curious, and I guess she got to me at the perfect moment, because I decided to go for it. I decided to join the Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge at the end of April. Its now June 1 and I have lost 12 lbs and 5 inches off my waist. Tomorrow, we go to Orlando for a trip to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary (which is actually the 22nd of this month, but whatever). I did a little shopping for the trip and was shocked to discover that I was able to fit in a pair of shorts that were a whole size smaller than what I'm used to buying! I am so excited and motivated. My friends at work comment on how much more energy I have and how much happier I am. I really do feel GOOD. ViSalus is about so much more than weight loss...Its about getting healthy. I CRAVE my shakes now, and when I don't get them I feel horrible. Pigging out on pizza (yep, I still do it from time to time and STILL lose weight!) just makes me feel yucky. Honestly, my husband is talking about where we'll need to stop for lunch on the way down, but all I want is to take a cooler and have my shake while we're driving down! :)

I have some friends who are using Advocare and are having tremendous success with their products, and I am so, so happy for them. I feel like ViSalus and Advocare are similar in that the focus is on healthy living, not simply weight loss. No matter what you choose, I think everyone should make this lifestyle change and GO FOR IT. I love that I am able to keep up with my kids better and I'm truly desiring better foods.
Does it cost money? Yes. My Vi shakes are $99/month, but my gosh...I used to spend way more than that on JUNK that was making me feel horrible and gain weight, but now I am healthy and honestly don't see the need to go to the grocery often at all, since we don't eat that much. Anyway...its been a fantastic thing for us and I am just so excited about it that I had to share!

Interested in joining us? You can visit my site: www.annairvin.bodybyvi.com OR my husband's site: www.chrisirvin.bodybyvi.com and join the challenge with us!

Meanwhile...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:16:00 +0000

Good grief, I just realized its been over two months since I blogged. CRAZY. I have very good intentions...I do...but life has this crazy way of going way too fast and leaving me with not too much time to do the things I want and need to do. Basically, I live in "survival mode" most of the time.

Anyway. Lots of news! Andrew was recommended for gifted testing at school! It would be so great if he could get into the gifted program, since that opens up a lot of opportunities and keeps him in more challenging classes, which would be very good for him. When he was tested, however, he was being very silly, so I won't be surprised if it doesn't happen this year. And its no big deal if he doesn't get in this year. He can be tested again in second grade. Of course, he may just not qualify for gifted classes, and THAT'S OKAY. I don't want to pressure him, but of course I want the best for him. I look forward to getting the results to see if he qualifies for gifted education. He still loves Star Wars, but also appreciates a good superhero or two. Iron Man is the current favorite. Transformers are a hit as well. He is ALL BOY.
Hannah has had a verbal explosion and talks ALL.THE.TIME now. If I thought Andrew talked a lot, I had no idea what was coming! This girl can TALK. She starts most of her sentences with "please," which can be very funny. She can operate the XBOX, Wii, and iTouch like nobody's business and she has to help me figure it out most of the time. She will only wear dresses unless we absolutely forbid it, and that girl loves her some shoes. She has more shoes than I do, I believe. The Disney princesses and Strawberry Shortcake are her best friends these days. She loves to dress up and wear her tiara as often as she can.
Chris is doing an AMAZING job with his online business. We loaded up a truck full of his inventory (mostly video games, but also some DVDs, computer equipment, etc.) and went down to the city-wide yard sale that happens twice a year, and we made nearly $900! Awesome. He has a thriving little business and its perfect for working with his stay-at-home dad schedule. We're looking towards him going back to work full-time next year.
As far as next year, I assume I will still be teaching school, Andrew will go to 1st grade, and Hannah will enroll in the lottery-funded pre-K program at a daycare that's basically in my school's front yard. Andrew will ride the bus to my school in the afternoons and after we get out, we'll go pick up Hannah from pre-K and head home. Ideally, this will run smoothly and everyone will be happy. :)
So that's what's been happening in my house...If anyone out there is still checking in, I'd love to know what's up with you!

Thinking through a bad week

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:57:00 +0000

GAH. This week was a rough one. Not so much on the home front, but on the job/school front. My 100 sixth graders were absolutely off the wall this week. So much disrespect, so much attitude...sigh. I guess I should be used to it by now, but by Thursday afternoon I had *had it*. I was DONE. I even got so mad I told my students I was quitting. I grabbed an empty box that happened to be sitting in my room and started packing up all my personal items (pictures of my kids and things like that). (And no, I wasn't doing it as a manipulation technique...I was truly considering walking out that door and never going back.) They got SO QUIET. It was amazing -- I had begun to think there was something physically wrong that these kids could not sit still and be quiet for any length of time...but they did it. At the end of class I got several letters from them apologizing for being so rude and not listening to me. Of course, I cried. First I was crying because I was MAD and then I was crying because, doggone it, I really do care about my students. UGH. Sometimes I wish I didn't care. It'd be so much easier to just NOT CARE. Then all the rude comments and behavior just wouldn't bother me. Maybe I need to go back on my happy pills.
Friday morning I really didn't want to go to work. I didn't want to see the kids. Some part of me thought it would be great to be out and let the kids think I really DID quit because they were so bad. But, that's mean and I just couldn't do it. I went in, of course, and oh my goodness...I got clobbered with hugs. They told me they were so relieved to see me, they were so sorry, they didn't want me to go...It was sweet. I start to think I must be the worst teacher in the world and terribly ineffective, then my kids go and do this kind of sweet stuff. Maybe I'm not the best teacher ever and maybe I never will be...but I know now that I matter to them. In some way, I am making a difference in my students' lives. That's a nice feeling. I know it'll be gone by Monday, so for now I am enjoying knowing that in some small way, I'm making a difference.

Wishin' for more time

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:56:00 +0000

I *so* wish I had more time to write down all the awesome, funny, sweet things my kids have been doing lately. Seems like I rush home from school, spend a couple of hours with them, then its time for bath/bedtime. After that hour-long ordeal, I'm exhausted and just fall into bed. My energy and creative juices have been sucked dry. I'm going to make more of an effort to write this stuff down, though, 'cause its pretty special and I don't want to forget it.

Just the other day Chris and I were reminiscing about Andrew being a baby and how he would lie in his crib and laugh hysterically while Chris made his stuffed animals sing and dance around him. Andrew would squeal with laughter and flap his arms and legs in what we called "the punkin dance". We have a video of it, and it still makes us laugh to watch it.
Seems like only yesterday he was 6 months old and the "punkin dance" was the highlight of our day. Now he's a month away from SIX YEARS OLD and in Kindergarten. What in the world happened??
Hannah is three going on twenty-three and bossy as all get out. She says stuff like, "are you listening to me?" and "what did I tell you?"...She sounds just like me and Chris. Wow. She loves to be the leader when we go anywhere (as if we're really going to walk in the line), and of course Andrew has to argue about it. We shut them down by reminding them that Mommy & Daddy are the bosses, not them (this seems to be news to them), and they are most certainly not the leaders. Hannah is still velcroed to my side as soon as I get home. That girl LOVES her mommy. I love her, too, and I keep reminding myself that one day this will all be a thing of the past and I should be glad she *wants* to be with me so much right now...But OH.MY.GOSH. it is so hard right now. I'm all "touched out" by the end of the day, which sucks for Chris.
She does such funny stuff, though. She is ALL ABOUT the Disney princesses, and Andrew is still ALL ABOUT Star Wars. Andrew likes to blow stuff up and Hannah likes to play dress-up. They crack me up. Oh, and in anticipation of the National Championship, Hannah was playing with a toy elephant today...I asked her what kind of animal she had. Instead of saying, "elephant", her response? ROLL TIDE!
Amen, little princess. Roll, Tide, Roll!
And with that, I'm being beckoned to the truck for a family outing. Watch out, world...Here come the Irvins!

Welcome, 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:36:00 +0000

I can't believe yet another year has come and gone. WOW. Just for laughs, I went back and re-read my resolutions from last year and oh boy, did I blow it. But, whatever. Not gonna beat myself up over anything. There's always time for a fresh start, right?
Today is a new day, the beginning to a brand new year, and I am going to enjoy every second as much as I can. Resolutions? Nah. Not doing them this year. By the end of 2012, I just want to be happier, healthier, and more appreciative of all the good things in my life. That's it. I hope 2012 brings good things to us all.

It's Magical, Y'all

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:05:00 +0000

Oh my goodness. This Christmas has been the most magical, chaotic, crazy, wonderful one yet...and its only Christmas Eve! This is the first year that both kids have understood the magic of Christmas. Of course they are thrilled to tears that Santa is on his way, and it was ca-ray-zee trying to get them to go to bed tonight (Andrew was wanting to stay up and watch Santa's journey on NORAD) but we finally convinced them to both go to sleep. Now, I sit here watching a movie (Water for Elephants...never read it or seen it) and thinking about how awesome it is to see Christmas through the eyes of a child again.

Have I lost my cool, wanted to throttle them a few times over the past week? Yes! Lord knows they have gotten too hyper and LOUD with the excitement of it all, but...I understand. Its magical!

Today we had our "family Christmas" and opened presents from each other. We thought the kids might be too overwhelmed with all the presents AND the Santa gifts, so we thought we'd spread it out. They got a chance to play with their presents and put out the reindeer food before we headed to church for the Christmas Eve service. Afterwards we came home to bake cookies for Santa. Andrew even offered up his Star Wars plate for us to use. SO cute. I simply cannot wait to see their faces when they wake up in the morning and see what "Santa" brought.

In the midst of all the Santa stuff, though, I hope we've done an adequate job of making sure they understand what Christmas is REALLY about...the birth of God's Son, Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I want my kids to know Him and share my faith. I want them to understand that we give gifts as a symbol of the greatest gift ever given, the Son of God sent to live and die among us so we might know God and have a relationship with Him. Tomorrow, after the excitement of the morning, we will sit the kids down and read them the story of Jesus' birth so they remember why we do all this...why this season gives hope to so many.

Whoever you are, wherever you are...I hope God blesses you this Christmas with love and peace, and most of all, JOY.

Break from school = Plague upon my house

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 20:46:00 +0000

So apparently being out of school for any reason gives my kids the plague. Remember Thanksgiving break? Seriously.

Thursday, Chris gets a call from Hannah's preschool @ 10:30 (approximately ONE hour after dropping her off). She's throwing up and has a fever. Awesome. She's feverish all day, but sleeps pretty well that night. We put her to bed at 6:30 pm and she slept until 11:30 am Friday morning. Freakin' awesome. We're thinking she quite literally "slept it off" and would be just fine from here on out. NOPE.

Friday is the last day of school for mommy and Andrew, and we're all happy and looking forward to a nice, relaxing break...Hannah, however, has other plans. She was literally up ALL NIGHT. Every 30 minutes I was awakened to a serious coughing fit, usually ending in her vomiting up food or, when that well ran dry, coughing up phlegm. I felt really sorry for her until about 2 am. After that, I was just seriously wanting sleep. Believe me, we tried cough medicine, Benadryl (Because, for the love of God, just SLEEP! Plus, I was thinking maybe it would help dry up the mucus.), Vicks vapor rub, a vapor plug-in next to her bed, a humidifier...It was like having a newborn in the house, but both newborns I brought home from the hospital slept WAY more than Hannah did last night.

Chris left the house @ 7 am this morning (I think...I was so out of it from sleep deprivation, I can't say for sure) and has been gone all day. I am so, so very tired. He has been at the flea market all day trying to sell our ~~crap~~ treasures, so I know he is going to be tired and wanting to just relax and chill out, but ohmydearLord I am exhausted. I could quite honestly fall asleep ANYWHERE...even right here, typing this.

ZZZZZZZZ...

See? I'm not a slacker after all!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:56:00 +0000

Woohoo! Just ordered my Christmas cards and had to share...Check them out!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

(This also works to say MERRY CHRISTMAS to all the folks we forget to/cannot send cards to this season! Love you all!

Back in the Swing of Things!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:42:00 +0000

Watch out. This cleaning bug is NO JOKE.

Well, we survived the great plague of 2011!

Everyone is FINALLY back to full health and doing great. Thank you, God.

It was a crazy week at school (for teachers, anyway). I found myself asking, "Is it Friday yet?" on Monday afternoon. NOT a good sign. I usually can make it until at least Wednesday afternoon before that question crosses my mind. The students are acting like Christmas is tomorrow, and we still have two more weeks until ~~Christmas~~ Winter Break. Sigh. I suppose we'll make it. :)

Andrew and Hannah are doing great...This is the first year I think both of them really "get" what Christmas is, and its magical seeing them get into it. Hannah has been singing, "Happy Birthday, Jesus" and Andrew keeps talking about baby Jesus. So cute. They love seeing the lights and decorations everywhere (not at our house...yet...but everywhere else). Of course, they're all about Santa, too, and can't wait to see what Santa brings them. They both have WAY too much on their "lists" but oh well. Someone probably needs to explain the economy to them and help them see that even Santa is going to have to cut back this year. Oh well.

Andrew is spending the weekend with Chris' dad and stepmom and they are taking him this afternoon to see the Grinch at the Fox Theater. He will have a blast, I know it. Hannah is really enjoying being the only child this weekend, that's for sure! Its nice...She's a great helper, which is awesome since I've been bitten by the cleaning bug. Last week we noticed the dryer was taking way longer to dry our clothes, so this morning I crawled behind it, noticed the hose had come loose, so I reattached it and ended up scrubbing the floor while I was back there. Who knew it could get so NASTY underneath a major appliance?? Grody. So anyway, that started me thinking about how much ELSE there was to clean. (Face it, after being so sick and then traveling to TN, the house was not in pristine condition...not that it ever is!) I've moved furniture and swept the den, then swept and mopped the kitchen floor. I'm currently waiting for it to dry so I can move on to other rooms. (If I dare try to tiptoe across it, Hannah will follow me and I'm afraid she'll slip and fall Hey, that's my ~~excuse~~ story and I'm sticking to it.)

Dang, I just noticed the floor is pretty much dry. Off to clean more rooms! Somebody take my temperature...I must be ill again.

Sick and Tired...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:56:00 +0000

...of being sick and tired!

Ugh!!

I should be grateful that I no longer have the intense throat pain, and my voice is slowly but surely coming back, and Andrew is so much better, thanks to the "pink stuff" (amoxicillin).

However.

Chris is now WORSE instead of better. I'm not sure if he caught my sore throat virus or what, but he's miserable. Hannah is running a fever and is just miserable...Poor thing doesn't appear to have pink eye, but there's some kind of green eye boogers that keep accumulating in the corner of her left eye, and she's coughing constantly...its just so pitiful. She went to bed tonight at 6:30 pm. She'll probably be awake at like 6 am, which will suck, but I just couldn't force her to stay up anymore. Poor baby. I feel like we did this to her...although I have no idea what other option there was. We have no one closeby to call and say, "Hey, can you take Hannah for a few days so she doesn't get sick?" Yeah, I don't think I know anyone who would be willing to do that. I guess it was just inevitable for her to catch it.

As for me, I am better, but now the pain/congestion is no longer in my throat and chest...its in my nose and head. Maybe it will find its way out soon. Sigh. I'm just so stinkin' sick of being sick. Enough is enough. For now, we are quarantined in our house and praying for the apocalypse. I might make cookies or something while we wait to die.

Potty Help, PLEASE!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:13:00 +0000

So I posted this on my mommy Facebook page for our group of moms who all had babies in summer of 2008...I am having a difficult time with Hannah and the whole potty thing, and since no one on my mommy page will respond, maybe I can seek some help through the few of you who read this blog! :)
I would be calling family, friends, etc. for advice, except I still have no voice and it hurts to even whisper.
Anyway, here's what I wrote on my mommy board (its a total copy & paste):

Hannah is now 3 yrs and nearly 5 months old...and she STILL will not go potty. If the diaper is merely wet, she will take off her pants and change her own diaper/pull-up! If she's stinky, she will come and tell me or Chris so we can help her clean up. But she WILL NOT go to the potty before soiling herself. I do NOT get it. We've tried bribing (she found some adorable Princess panties and socks she went crazy for, so I bought them and told her she couldn't have them until she went potty all the time for 1 week. I know she knows better. She knows the feeling before she goes...She just doesn't care about being messy.

Chris (my hubby) is a stay-at-home-dad, and I told him that I think we need to just put her in panties, let her feel the wetness and dirtiness and maybe then she will hate feeling yucky so she'll decide to go potty. I feel like its a stubbornness issue. She just doesn't want to do what WE want her to do. He says he doesn't want to chase her around all day (plus, when she's in preschool, he doesn't want to make her teachers deal with that mess. Also, he says that, between picking her up from preschool and picking up Andrew from kindergarten, he will take her on "daddy dates" to the park and stuff, and doesn't want to deal with messes in her pants and taking like 5 changes of clothes everywhere. I see his point, but honestly, I don't think it will take that long before she "gets it."
I am off from school all week next week for our Thanksgiving break. We will be going out of town to be with my parents, but I'm still thinking I will try putting her in panties and seeing what happens. Am I crazy? If anyone else still fighting the potty issue? (Fight is the wrong word...we don't ever fight her -- that would just make her MORE stubborn! More like a mental fight in my own head...)

Please help...Any help/tricks/ideas/support would be greatly appreciated!!

Quarantine

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:50:00 +0000

So, if we're Facebook friends then you've surely read my fever-induced delirious rants about how everyone in my house is sick. Except Hannah, but even she has a lingering cough from being sick a couple of weeks ago. Sheesh.

Here's what's going on:

Me -- Strep throat, fever ranging from 100 at the lowest to 104 last night @ 2:30 am. Got 5 shots at the doc's office today (2 antibiotic, 2 steroid, and 1 for pain). Lost my voice...even whispering hurts like a mofo.

Chris -- ear infection (rare for adults), and bronchitis...also still kinda recovering from a brutal stomach bug a couple of days ago

Andrew -- picked up from school today because of ear pain...couldn't chew food or talk because the pain in his ear was so bad. The school called @ 11:30ish so I sent Chris to pick him up and take themselves to the doctor.

We have four prescriptions for me, two for Chris, two for Andrew...our kitchen counter kinda looks like a pharmacy. Hannah is still taking nighttime cough medicine because when she lies down, she coughs like crazy (sometimes until she throws up), so the medicine helps her little body get some rest.

Can we catch a break?? Please?
I'm seriously thinking about maybe getting a sister-wife (or brother-husband) just so there's someone around to take care of the kids and the house when BOTH adults are so sick. Its times like this that seriously make me want to live closer to my parents. Sigh.

Fight Club

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:46:00 +0000

I swear, its like kiddie fight club in my house these days. (I know, I know...The first rule about fight club? Never talk about fight club. Still.) Andrew and Hannah's sibling rivalry seems to be at an all-time high. Yesterday Hannah woke up, came downstairs, and walked over towards Andrew's toys. His response? Smack her in the face. ?!?! He has never done that before, so I was shocked. Hannah promptly pushed him back (that girl is NO easy win!) and then they were both crying. Chris, being the fabulous guy he is, had let me sleep in but I couldn't help but wake up when I heard the crying. By the time I got up and got my lazy butt downstairs, they had both been sitting in time-out for a good while and were on "Level 3."*
The rest of the day kind-of went the same way. We had some periods of happiness, especially when Poppy and Nana (my dad and stepmom) arrived for their visit, but for the most part the kids have been at each other's throats more than ever before. I was thinking that, with Andrew in school all day and Hannah at preschool, the time apart would help make this stuff better. Not happening. Hannah goes to preschool from 9-12 every weekday, with two days a week when she is there ALL day (picked up after Andrew gets picked up from school). According to Chris she is fantastic when its just them, but as soon as Andrew gets picked up she gets CRANKY. I guess she just wants to be the only child or something. She's definitely not a fan of sharing attention. Andrew is usually sweet, but oh.my.lord...if Hannah dares get anywhere NEAR his toys? Meltdown! He cries and cries and cries...I keep telling him that the more he freaks out, the more she wants to keep doing whatever it is she's doing. Its as if they LIVE to annoy each other.
I don't know what the solution is, or if this is just a phase, but I am ready for the fight club to be shut down.

Frustrated

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:24:00 +0000

I am so frustrated. And sad. And mad.
I know its normal for couples to argue and get stressed out over stupid stuff, but it seems like its happening to us all.the.time. I need a freaking break. I need to get away from everything, but there's no way that's gonna happen.
I do stupid stuff (like accidentally letting the cats outside) and Chris gets mad because he worries that they might get lost or hurt or something. He says stuff he doesn't mean, and I say stuff I don't really mean...and its a vicious cycle that just goes on and on.
Ugh. We probably need a date night or something, but that ain't gonna happen anytime soon. The kids demand so much of our time and energy and we have NO ONE to help us out. We are both exhausted all the time. I work all day with 100+ sixth graders and come straight home to my own 3- and 5-year-olds. Chris takes a break as soon as I walk in because he's tired and needs a break (duh -- He's been with Hannah since noon, and picked up Andrew at 2:30ish). I usually don't get a break until after the kids are in bed. By that time I am so tired I just want to sit down (or just go to bed so I can start all over again the next day).
Its frustrating. Our marriage is suffering because we're so busy and tired and stressed out. At this point, though, I would rather have time by myself than a date night with Chris. We're not getting along so if I'm honest, I really would probably not enjoy a date night. Right now everything I do annoys him, and everything he does annoys me. That's horrible to say, but its true.
We should probably go back to counseling, but when? When do we have the time? Or energy?
I don't know. I'm just rambling...I can't bottle stuff up or else it comes out in an explosion later on, so that's all this is. Any advice/opinions would be great. Or even just a "Hey, I've been there. You'll get through it." would be nice.

Teacher's Pet?

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:40:00 +0000

Oh my goodness. My kids are just blowing me away lately with the way they're just soaking everything in and learning so much! Andrew comes home every day telling me all kinds of new stuff, and he's just zooming through the little readers they send home. He started on #1 (duh) in August and now he's in #7. He always asks to read more and more every night, beyond what they ask him to read for homework. He loves math and he's VERY good at it (makes his math teacher mama so proud!). We make up word problems for him a lot and he answers them right every time. Too cute. The other night he was rolling around on the floor. I asked what he was doing and he said, "Look, mommy! I'm a cylinder! I roll when I'm on my side! But mommy, if I were a cube I would slide. I couldn't roll if I were a cube." Wow.
His handwriting is still terrible, but he'll figure it out. He has a Transformers notebook that he likes to write in. I found some websites where I could make special handwriting worksheets for him, so I printed out a lot of those. Several people mentioned a program called Handwriting Without Tears as well, and I am looking into it. Can't afford to buy much right now, so I'm working with the free stuff, but he's fine. I just LOVE seeing him so excited about learning! Makes a mama so stinkin' proud.

Hannah? Oh my goodness. She is a MESS. Such a cutie, and such a stinker. She is talking so clearly now and she's oh-so-girly. She loves to dress up like a princess (she's obsessed with the Disney princesses), brush her hair, paint her nails, and look at her cute clothes. She's so cute...If you ask her a yes or no question she answers, "yes uh-huh!" or "ummm...no." Its adorable. (Well, probably just adorable to me, but its ok. I'm allowed to think she's awesome.) She recognizes all her letters and loves to tell us, "R is for Rapunzel! T is for Tiana! C is for Cinderella!" (you get the point) when she sees them on signs or whatever. LOVE.

I'm a teacher. I was in school full-time for 20 years straight. It makes my heart so happy to see my kids developing a love of learning. Life is good.

Taking a Time Out

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:11:00 +0000

After being sick for more than two weeks, I finally cried "UNCLE."

I called my boss (principal) and told him I needed a few days to recover from the physical and mental stress. He was so gracious and understanding (or at least he pretended to be), and said to take the three days I'd asked for. I headed to the doctor yesterday and found out I was sicker than I thought! It would seem that letting a cold and cough linger for two weeks is really not good for you. Interesting. Anyway, I ended up with FOUR shots* (3 of which landed in my hiney), a prescription for some heavy-duty cough medicine so I can actually SLEEP at night (imagine that!), and a Z-pack. Nice. I am already feeling better, but following my doctor's advice and staying home through Wednesday just so I can rest and fully recuperate. Normally, I'd just keep on going 90-to-nothing and get sicker and sicker and...You get my point.

So, today is Day 2 of staying home. I am trying to rest and work on my school stuff (part of the extreme mental stress I mentioned earlier) while the kids are in school. When Hannah comes home at noon, I try to work on being a better mom to her and give her some quality time. When we pick up Andrew from Kindergarten at 2:30-ish, I try to give him some QT as well. Its all about balance, and I have been WAY out of balance for a long time.

Everybody gets off-balance sometimes!

I have been working so hard on being a good teacher and school employee that I've been giving my all to them, which does not leave much for my family. That is so unfair to them. I come home at the end of the day exhausted and physically unable to be the wife and mom I want to be. I spend all weekend trying to hang in there and do fun stuff with the kids and Chris, when all I really want is a quiet hour to myself to de-stress. I have been sick for so long that I come home and collapse and am pretty much useless. Not good. My house is in chaos, and my poor kids...The mommy guilt is overwhelming. I know, I know...I have to work. They understand. They still love me and they know they are loved. I just feel so very guilty about it all.

I don't know. All I can say is that I am so grateful for this doctor's note that gives me permission to rest and get to a better place...not just physically, but mentally as well.

*For those of you wondering what was in those 4 shots...Here you go. One was an antibiotic shot (since I suck at taking pills), one was a steroid shot (to help me feel better quicker), one was an anti-inflammatory (to help my lungs recover from the coughing, and one was a B12 shot (bloodwork shows that I have a MAJOR B12 deficiency).