July Updates.

Updates: (I know, I know... always with the updates)

• We were on vacation last week. Monday and Tuesday we were in Duluth with the kiddos and my niece, Maris. Very fun! We went to the zoo, Enger tower and on a boat ride. We stayed at a hotel with a pool and swam. It was a very nice break. Wednesday the boys had school in the morning and we spent the rest of the day with Shane's mom in Foley. Thursday morning Colton & Calvin had school again; we kept busy with house work most of the day and the boys had t-ball. Friday we returned the Mazda 6, and the kids spent the night at Grandma's. Shane and I stayed up late and read, played with toys, and did boring geeky stuff really. Saturday we ate lunch at Barnes and read. Then we went school clothes shopping with the kids and grandma. Sunday I was "crazy clean house woman."
• Colton & Calvin are in t-ball for the next three weeks. They love it. One of their friends happens to be in it as well and we have had a blast seeing his parents at t-ball. Carrera is a little jealous, but spent the last time playing with Colton & Calvin's friend's older sister.
• I got 100/100 (A) on my attachment paper. Which means even if I do absolutely none of the rest of my homework I will still have an A in that class. All I have left to finish for my summer classes is my birth order paper, which will be done soon.
• Calvin is three whole inches taller than Colton!
• This week has been really draining. It is hard to be back with all of the kids.
• I cut off my hair and I HATE it! It has inspired me to eat better and work out though. I decided if my hair looks ugly then my body needs to look hot.
• My eyes hurt from reading journal articles on the computer for my paper. I'm going to bed.

Hello Protege!

Friday we said "good-bye" to our 07 Mazda 6. It was a lease, and boy am I excited not to have that payment anymore! Six months ago we purchased a 96 Mazda Protege from my best friend*. What a blessing! We knew that we could not afford a car payment, and I really didn't want to be stuck at home with eight kids and nothing to drive in an emergency. We made some improvements right away. They included: new starter, new brakes, new tires/wheels, new wipers, removal of a key broken off in the trunk, fixing lights that were replaced wrong, and some other wiring or something (it is hard for me to remember what that was for - it was six months ago). Recently we replaced the windshield and Shane just replaced the stereo (with an inexpensive one) because it wouldn't play CDs and he is the one that will be driving it most. And I LOVE it! I am glad that we've had it checked over and everything that was important for reliability & safety we fixed (a few things we said "no" to at this time). It finally feels like our car to me. And I feel so blessed to have it!

*My best friend hasn't been around much since we purchased the car (hiatus?), but I still love her, and until I hear differently she still is my bestest friend.

Chirping Fire Alarm 101-02

With that said, it was the Carbon Monoxide alarm chirping, and that one needs to be replaced. Argh! In the process I've set of the fire alarm two times. I can't believe the kids are still sleeping!

Chirping Fire Alarm 101

I'm sitting here trying to post with a f-ing chirping fire alarm. This is the second one we've had problems with. I changed the battery three times and it is still chirping. So I googled it and found out two things: first, fire alarms expire and they suggest replacing them every five years (some are even programed to chirp when they need to be replaced); second, not only are you supposed to replace the batteries twice a year (daylight savings is a good reminder) but you are supposed to vacuum dust out of them when you replace the batteries. There, now when it happens to you, you'll know. I really want to hit that alarm with a bat!!

No, I'm not psycho.

I have this irrational fear that either #1 with no forewarning signs a daycare parent will quit bringing their kid with no explanation or #2 with no forewarning signs a daycare parent will rip me apart for doing something that I had no clue I was doing and then take their kid out of my daycare. I know, classic adult child of an alcoholic. I have to remind myself sometimes that even though I have all these irrational beliefs or thoughts, that I am not psycho. At least I can see the irrationality in them.

Related to this fear is another fear that everyone will blame me for any problems with their kids, mostly things like their kids getting sick. I had to face this fear head on this week. Colton and Calvin had Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) when they were little (as far as I know you can only have it once), and I have actually worried specifically about the daycare kids all getting it (and as a result I am very aware of my sanitation practices). It is spread by saliva, but also through contact with human feces. Basically, for me, I've always feared that it would be an indication that I was not doing a good enough job keeping everything sanitary. Ok, totally irrational. Kids suck on toys and share them all the time. No matter what I do, unless I don't allow the kids to play together, stuff is going to spread, especially highly contagious diseases like HFMD. Who would know for sure who had it first and where they got it. Really it could be picked up anywhere!

So, all but one of the kids in my daycare had it this past week. I spent yesterday in high anxiety mode and I probably will have a good cry today (I can feel it). Even though I know that it is not my fault that everyone got sick, I still feel that I am to blame. So, I keep breathing and telling myself "this too shall pass," while secretly waiting for a child not to show up tomorrow or a bang on my door from an outraged parent.

Updates.

Kid/Family Updates:

• Colton and Calvin are beginning to read and I actually keep tearing up every time I think about it. I am SO excited. Shane said last night, "Colton will be so much happier when he can go disappear into his room and read." It won't be long now - he is really catching on! Calvin requires a little more patience from us.
• Carrera had Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (doesn't that just sound awful!) this past weekend. Colton, Calvin and I had it about five years ago (if I remember right). We are fairly certain all but one of the kids here in daycare had it last week or over the weekend. Not fun, but not too serious.
• We are going to Duluth for two days over our next vacation and are bringing along my niece, Maris. I am SO excited to get away and spend some great time with the kids and my niece, who is like a little sister to me (and good friend).

School Update:

• I worked on my paper Applying Secondary Attachment to Family Home Daycare until late into the early morning last Thurs/Fri. It feels so good to write a paper!
• I've interviewed all but one of my siblings for my birth order paper, which is all I have left to turn in for that class.
• I'm almost done with the bulk of the homework for both of my classes. They both end the second week in August, but I just keep working ahead. I still have class online discussions until the first week in August for one class.
• Shane's boss approved for him to have Friday mornings off Fall Semester so I can take one of the required classes for my major that is only offered during the day. This 1 credit class is also a pre-requisite for a bulk of the rest of my classes I need to take so I wanted to get it done a.s.a.p.
• I am registered for three classes in the fall (7 credits), and if all goes well I might take 9 credits spring semester.
• I'm fairly certain I will be majoring in Community Psychology with a Child & Family Studies minor.

More than meets the eye.

Shane brought Colton and Calvin to the comic book store this morning, and they came home with Transformer toys. All afternoon Calvin has been crying about how he can't transform his because it is too hard. I attempted to help once but now I am refusing. Shane forewarned him that his toy was a hard one (I guess they have a rating system for difficulty), and told him before he bought it that we were not going to help. I held him for about a half hour while he cried. Then we talked about disappointment, regret, not being able to go back in time, and how everything will be better in a few days and he will not be miserable forever. Days like this may be hard for him, but they are hard for me too. I don't like to see him disappointed, but I hope that I am allowing it to be a good learning experience for him.

Plunge.

I just spend the last few minutes updating my viewing of my sister's Flickr photos/blog. She writes about the every day things that happen to her and they are profound and funny. Smack dab in the middle of looking at her photos I heard "Colton's poop didn't go down!" from the bathroom. I really would love to have a Flickr and post pictures of my every day life, but they would be pictures of snotty noses, poopy diapers and plunging the toilet. I plunge the toilet every day, and that is not an exaggeration. My boys (all three of them) poop daily, and they poop well, and at least once a day it does not make it down. The whole house knows that it is my job to plunge. One of the many fun things about being back in school is that I have things to think about and talk about that don't revolve around who bit who, or whether so-and-so pooped today. I don't know if everyone appreciates my ramblings about secondary attachment or birth order party tricks, but I like to have something to contribute. My sister's life is exciting and her every day things she posts make me laugh and brighten my day. Then I walk away from the computer, binge on a few more multi-colored mints, and realise it is just another day and another plunge.