'Fess Up Friday, Weakness Edition

Joining in again...it's sort of therapeutic.  You know, therapeutic in the sense that you proclaim your neuroses to the vortex that is the internet and they laugh at you (or pity you) and move on.

I am continuing the list format from last week's 'Fess Up Friday.

6. I have a weakness for pregnancy tests. I can't leave one alone in the house. It just beckons me to pee on it. Kind of like the Friends episode where Chandler uses all of Monica's ovulation tests. But not really. Because I actually could be pregnant or ovulating.  Chandler? Not so much.

7. I was proud of the fact that I managed to leave one alone for more than a month.

8.  For the sake of research for the blog, I took it.  I know my 2 readers were counting on me.  It was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

9. No, I'm not.

10. And, yes, we would be thrilled if I was.  Children are a blessing; a messy and tiring blessing, but a blessing nonetheless.

11. I also have a weakness for storage containers and other organizational products, which is ironic because I am anything but organized.

12. I think I am so attracted to those organizational items because they represent hope and possibility to me.

13. Until there are so many unused organizational items that I need something to organize them all.

14.  I also have a weakness for school supplies. Fresh pens, journals, pencils, etc.  I think I also hold out the hope that these fresh supplies will make me feel more together.

15. Maybe I should get a new storage container to hold them?

Because I Wasn't Already Having Enough Fun

So, anyone with young children knows that often the toughest part of the day is when you are trying to make dinner and the kids are DONE. They are tired, hungry, bored of all the toys, tv, etc that can keep them entertained throughout normal parts of the day. You are also DONE by this point of the day, which makes it all the more challenging to keep your sanity.

I have heard people call it the Witching Hour. This is a gravely inadequate term, much like the phrases "morning sickness" (not just in the morning, people!) and a "normal 9 month-long pregnancy" (it's 10 months and yes I want every bit of credit for that 10 months!) are laughably inadequate.

And hour? No, it is HOURS. Plural.

Tonight, during the Witching HOURS, I was making dinner. It was a fairly simple dinner, but that did not decrease the challenges I encountered.

Our 5 month old girl was screaming/crying because she likes to do that from about 4:30 pm until bedtime, around 7:30/8. It is delightful, really. There is nothing you can do, so you just have to kind of let her do it. That alone is terribly draining.

Well, she was in her third or fourth location within 45 or so minutes with her third or fourth toy because I was insane enough (as I am every night) to think that changing something would make her stop crying.

I was in the homestretch of finishing cooking. I felt fairly unscathed at this point. The crying was still going on, but I could see the finish line.

All of a sudden, I turn around and my 2 year old comes walking towards me with his hands outstretched and saying, "yucky!"

He had some stuff on his hands. A lot of stuff. At first I could not determine what it was. I had an idea but I thought, "surely not."

Yes, poop. All over his hands. I had been awaiting a delivery from him, but I was not expecting it to be presented this way.

Knowing it could have been so much worse, I whisper a quick prayer of thanks for it being somewhat contained and am thankful for our 2 year old telling me about it.

I pick him up while holding his arms away from me and take him to get cleaned up and bathe him.

But not before he managed to get some on me.

The baby's screaming has now reached new decibels. Dogs are howling in the distance.

Remarkably, I have managed to remain fairly calm and even laugh at all of this. I do call my husband, who at this point, is on his way home just to give him a heads up as to why I may be a touch frazzled when he gets home. And that I probably need some immediate assistance when he walks in the door.

And, of course, as ALWAYS happens, miraculous peace descends on our house mere seconds before the husband walks in the door and everything appears to be a-okay.

He always wonders why I am so frazzled.

The Neighbors and Questions That Remain

A little less than 5 years ago, when Hubs and I were newly married, the house next door to us was for sale. (This is the house of whom we now know to be Michelle, courtesy of nutty 'nice).

We noticed that the “for sale” sign was gone and assumed someone would be moving in shortly. I hoped to meet them and know when they moved in.

Well, be careful what you wish for, right?

One Saturday around lunchtime, Hubs and I were coming home from running errands. We turned into the neighborhood and saw this:

Can’t tell what it is? Let’s try this closer image:

At first glance, it appears to be a moving truck backing into a driveway. Normal stuff, right?

We kind of wondered why there were so many cars parked on the street but assumed someone was having a party.

WELL, we drive closer trying to get home only to realize the moving truck is parked (or abandoned?) in the middle of the street. No people near the moving van. No people appear to be at the house. No quickly scratched note taped to the truck offering an explanation or a “sorry for the massive inconvenience but the truck died.” Or “we could have put it in neutral and moved it slightly so that cars could squeeze by but decided not to. haha!”

Nothing.

We start to clue in that the half of a mile of cars lined up on the road are all the people’s cars who live further down the street, past the moving truck, but cannot get to their house. They had to park and walk to their house! To the very end of the neighborhood is another half of a mile. Quite the unexpected exercise for some of our neighbors.

And what about the people with cars on the other side of the van? There is only one entrance/exit to our neighborhood. They were stuck in the neighborhood, blocked by the truck. You couldn’t even pull up on the grass to go around because there are utility polls and trees blocking the way on both sides of the street.

This truck stayed abandoned through the evening. We never saw them come and move it, but I can only assume that there are neighbors who wonder WHAT THE HECK they were doing for the 8 plus hours that the truck blocked our neighborhood. Out to dinner? Shopping? Exploring the new area? are simply curious as to the details. Not me, but you know, "neighbors."

Surely there is an interesting behind the scenes story there, right?

Yes, this was Michelle and her family moving in. I do like the family from the little interaction we have had. I think they tried to keep a low profile for the first few months they were there. That, or they just think we're weird and tried to avoid us.

I guess I will never know the story behind the story.

A List, For Sanity's Sake

My thoughts are everywhere today and I feel like a list might help to reign them in.

1. My Sonic car hop is on vacation this week. I was a touch worried he had quit. I finally asked one of the other car hops and was relieved by their answer that he was on vacation. I understand he may not want to make a lifetime career out of being a Sonic car hop but I am hopeful.

2. I tried not to fret about said car hop and reminded myself that I do have a second in command car hop. She is still learning to not give me a mint. And her ice to soda to vanilla ratio is a touch off. But we're working through it. It's a process, people.

3. Hubs is interviewing for a new job. I will be happy whether he stays at his current job or transitions to this new job. Both are great jobs. I just want to know what it will be. It has been a LONG process with decisions made slowly. I totally respect that and the decision process of the company. I just am ready to know, you know?

4. We have been getting LOTS of quotes in the last few weeks for a privacy fence to be installed in our backyard. LOTS because we keep hoping for a miraculous price. That has yet to happen.

I've got the "getting a fence quote" routine down. They knock on the front door, tell me to meet them in the back, I tell them what we want, they measure and then say, "I'll crunch these numbers in my truck and knock on your front door when I have the price."

This scenario happened this morning except that I totally forgot that I had yet to get the price from the guy. Right as I was thinking about hopping in the shower, I heard a knock on the door and was totally confused as to who might be knocking. The Jehovah Witnesses weren't due for another couple of days.

Clarity of mind came back and I realized I had yet to get the price. Good thing I had not hopped in the shower yet.

5. I am pretty confident that my 2 year old is smarter than me.

Happy Wednesday, my 2 readers!

'Fess Up Friday

I am intrigued by 'Fess Up Friday and feeling in the mood to join in.

I find a list is most appropriate for my randomness.

1. My friend, Jessica, came to hang out at my house today. She arrived at 10:30am. What was I doing? Making pasta with garlic, broccoli, and tomatoes. For breakfast....

I could justify my behavior with the following explanation:

I made oatmeal for myself earlier this morning but my 2 year old, who has ONLY been consuming cheerios for the last two days, decided he wanted to try my oatmeal. I let him have it, happy for him to eat something other than cheerios. Things got a little crazy after that, so I didn't have a chance to make anything else for myself for a couple of hours. Then, when I had the chance to make some more food, pasta with broccoli and tomatoes sounded divine. I wanted asparagus as well, but we didn't have any.

But I won't. You've already judged me. And I am ok with that.

2. There are many out there who are all for "breakfast for dinner." I have never been a fan of such, but am definitely a fan of dinner for breakfast. Or anything random for breakfast, really. I have been know to eat egg rolls soaked in soy sauce, chinese food, rice, chocolate, turnip greens, collard greens, sauteed tofu, avocados, tomatoes, and edamame for breakfast. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

3. I am totally obsessed with brussels sprouts lately. I can NOT get enough of them. I keep thinking of when I will be able to go to the store and buy some more yumminess and roast 'em up!

Mmm...distracted again by the thought of their yumminess. I am thinking a grocery store run is necessarily after kids get up from their naps!

And a Sonic trip. My favorite carhop is working today!

4. One day this week, I managed to not notice for a few hours that I had my underwear on backwards. Not inside out. Backwards.

Yes, I am still scratching my head at that one as well.

5. I had to correct said backwards underwear in a public stall. Because it took being kid-free in a public stall for me to realize my dilemma.

Sweetly Answered Prayers and Precious Accountability

From the time we knew we were pregnant with each child, Hubs and I started praying various things for them regarding both physical health and spiritual health. One thing we prayed often when they were in utero and now that they are here is that they would love God and love His Word.

Though I am often inconsistent and because I hardly even know my name in the morning, I try to read some scripture to our sweet boy while he is eating breakfast or shortly thereafter. There have been times when I am more consistent than others.

Lately, he has been reminding me when I don't remember. He will be eating his breakfast and I will be sitting at the table with him trying to wake up and think a clear thought. I am pretty much still a non-functioning lump at this point. He will gently say, "Byyyee-Buuull?" while pointing towards it. And I will gladly read it to him.

What a sweet, precious answer to prayer as well as a great accountability to read my Bible! :)

The Plaid Blanket That I Loathe

Hubs and I are fortunate in that we get along well. We may have a disagreement here or there, but it is typically minor and resolved quickly.

One thing, though, that we remain on fiercely opposed sides is our philosophy regarding blankets on our bed. It is a sordid tale and not very interesting, but the main issue is this twin-sized flannel plaid blanket that he has. I think it was the cover on his bed as a child. It is old, not particularly attractive and HOT.

When we first got married, we did not have a bedspread for our queen sized bed. So, he used the plaid blanket on his side and I used another twin blanket on my side. This was before I hated the plaid blanket.

I eventually bought us a queen-sized comforter and packed up our two twin blankets. I did not at the time realize the impact of my actions. Or that this was only the first of many, MANY, times for me to pack up the blanket.

Our new comforter was pretty and actually fit our bed appropriately. But Hubs wasn't the biggest fan. There was always something not quite right about it to him. Too hot, too big, too hard to share with me, etc. And, honestly, the new comforter was a touch hot for me as well so I couldn't argue.

Before I knew what happened, that plaid blanket was on our bed again. I gave it some time (maybe a few months), but then I put our comforter back on our bed and put the plaid blanket up. By this time, I had also learned of Hubs hardcore protection of the blanket. No one else was aloud to use it, touch it, look at it. Not really, but it felt that way. He would not share it. It was life or death for him.

Whenever the blanket was put away, Hubs would lament how much harder it is to sleep without it.

Now, let me be clear. Hubs is a gifted sleeper. He typically falls asleep within 3.6 seconds. Without the plaid blanket, I think he falls asleep in 3.7 seconds.

The incessant plaid blanket versus our (no longer new) comforter back and forth continued for 4+ years.

This past spring, I asked him what would qualify as an acceptable blanket for our bed that we could share and both be happy with. He gave me his parameters. I obliged and bought what I thought was our bedding match made in heaven. It was not too heavy, not too light, and it actually fit our bed.

Source

I was thrilled to have a pretty cover that fit our bed that met all of Hubs' requirements. It made the whole room feel wonderful and cozy and happy.

I'm easily pleased.

However, Hubs had trouble adjusting to the new blanket. He would seek out opportunities to justify putting the plaid blanket back on our bed.

Most recently, our daughter had the tiniest bit of spit up fall on our new pretty, appropriately-sized blanket. Not to miss any plaid blanket opportunities, Hubs seized the moment and brought the plaid blanket out of the linen closet.

I soon packed it back up (for the 437th time).

Before writing this post, I asked Hubs if he was okay with me expressing my plaid blanket woes seeing as how protective he is over that blanket. He didn't mind. However, I had not thought of the consequences of my asking; the asking made the plaid blanket at the forefront of his mind. And it was on the bed that night.

I quickly put it back (for the 486th time).