Issues and Answers

We are staying busy with March of Dimes still, even if a lot of the busy means sitting still. About a month ago, I got up bright and early and spoke to a bunch of high school kids who are doing fundraisers with Key Club. Last week, we took the kids to a team captain rally. They shook hands and said things like, "Thank you for Marching with Dimes," "Thank you for helping save babies," and, "Hey, what's your name?" We have tried to keep this a family affair as much as possible. I don't mind spreading myself thin participating, but I hate when it takes me away from family. Including them makes it some version of family time, but it also shows by example what it means to participate in something we believe in. Though there have been elements I couldn't share with them, like calling to invite people to the rally or entering donations, we are doing our best to include them.

This week, I got a call Tuesday afternoon to see if we could be at the television studio for an interview Thursday morning. Little did I know that the local CBS station does a weekly show called Issues and Answers -- a thirty-minute show that showcases mostly non-profit organizations. They wanted to do an episode about the March of Dimes and promote the March for Babies coming up next week.

I was incredibly nervous. Abby (March of Dimes director) insisted I knew all the answers to the questions we would be asked, and since it wasn't a live show, we could re-do any major mess-ups; that took a little of the edge off. I wasn't too worried about the subject, I was more nervous about getting too emotional. We got the kids up super-early because we had to be at the studio by 7:30am. When we got there, everyone was incredibly nice and made us all feel right at home (as much as possible, given the setting.) They recorded Abby's segment first, and they invited us to the mostly-soundproof control room so the kids could see how it all was done. They even let the kids operate the prompter for a few minutes. There was a roomful of busy people, but they all did a fabulous job of working around the kids but answering their questions. Allen and I were on the next segment, but the kids stayed in the control room. The interviewer, Bryan Houston, tripped me with a question that brought a few tears too close to falling. He asked another to put me at ease again, but later he came back to it. It will be interesting to see how that part gets edited.

The kids were very well-behaved ... OFF camera. At the end of the show, the kids came on the set with us. Now THAT is what I am really interested in seeing. It isn't that they were being "naughty," but they were being kids -- predictably silly. The kids could see themselves on the screens behind the camera, and they had a bit too much fun making faces, waving, and wiggling eyebrows. Jon even spotted the countdown clock and started counting with it. It was a bit chaotic, but I think we all really enjoyed the experience. I am a bit thankful that the episode is shown at dark-thirty Sunday morning, but I promised family I would post the weblinks to see the show. Just skip to the good parts -- the third and fourth segments where the kids are involved.

First segment (March of Dimes intro & Abby)
Second segment (Allen & me)
Third segment (includes kids)
Fourth segment (includes kids)


 
 
 
 

A rather mundane day where nothing out of the ordinary happens

My alarm went off at 5:30am because I forgot to change it from yesterday. I couldn't wake up enough to figure out how to reset it for 6:30 so I turned it off and woke up late.

Since I woke up facing a dozen piles of dirty laundry, I decided to start a load before I had breakfast. I loaded the washer with clothes, opened the drawer for the laundry soap, and started to pour in dog food. I realized then that I needed to start the day with coffee rather than laundry. I should have just gone back to bed.

The morning went mostly fine. I put laundry in the washer, I put laundry in the dryer, I put laundry in the baskets, I folded laundry and put it on the couch, I folded laundry and put it on the counters, I folded laundry and put it on the bed, I folded laundry and put it in the baskets, I folded laundry and sent the little kids with little piles of little laundry to put away. Just about the time I was ready to puke laundry, they asked for a picnic lunch.

After such a sweet morning of helping me, I was glad to shoo them out into the fresh air to have a picnic in their playhouse. They had a nice little lunch, brought their plates back inside, and asked to play for awhile before naptime. Sure, sweet things! Anything you want... since you helped with the laundry. Not long after that, I had to confiscate shovels because they were digging up the yard (they have been told that's not allowed.) Not much longer after that, I confiscated sticks that they had turned into yard-destroyers. If we wanted our yard to look so ugly, we would go get some gophers. In the amount of time it took me to take the toy baskets (full of sticks, shovels, and pails) to the garage, they managed to use their hands to dig a lot of sand onto the porch. They proceeded to pick up handfuls and throw it at the windows. Thankfully, the windows were shut, but they got in lots of trouble for that. The porch looked like a hurricane blew through, the yard had a new pit, all three outfits were covered in sandy mud, and I had flames coming out my ears. Ben, Maddie, and Jon were stripped to their undies and sent to bed for naps. For a few photos of that part of the day, see previous post.

The little ones went upstairs to play while Will, who had great behavior, got to play with his Leapster. Jon sat in the matching clean socks and folding washcloths, while I continued to rotate the laundry -- sorting out winter and summer clothes, too small and too big, boys' and girl's, kids' and adults'. Maddie came down to complain that Ben took all the blankets off her bed, but I sent her to figure out how to fix it. Not long after that, I heard the big bang. I rushed upstairs to see what happened, but she met me at the top with a face full of blood. That was one of those moments, I just took her and ran to the kitchen to figure out which part(s) are bleeding. Her teeth had cut her lip, but they were bleeding at the gums a bit, too. I wiped the mess, gave her a towel with wet ice to help the swelling, and made sure her teeth were still in snuggly. Four of her teeth hit her lip, two of them were a bit loose. I am hoping they tighten up and I'm holding off on the dentist or doctor visit -- after all, I have some experience in this department (I say with a grimmace.)

The best I could figure out from the different stories, was that Maddie might have been trying to jump from the dresser or the bed. I suppose she forgot to plan the landing, so it ended in blood, tears, hug and stern lecture. Ben and Maddie went back upstairs to plan, and I started working on jumbalaya for dinner. Eventually, Jon ended up upstairs, and before I knew what was going on, I heard the handrail of the stairs being used as a race track. I went upstairs, and heard the footsteps scurrying before I got to the top. When I called all three to me, Maddie was stuck under her bed, having crawled under to escape the spanking she knew might follow. Jon also was hiding, but as the story was told, it was only Maddie and Ben letting the toys go down the rail. As the Matchbox cars, tractor, toolbox, dollhouse bed, Barbie went down the rail, they each punched a new hole or dent in the wall when they crashed. The teddy bears all landed silently, and they didn't seem to do any wall damage. I demanded that toy room be picked up and I went to finish dinner.

All four kids were upstairs goofing off ... not picking up toys. I went up with a trash bag and told them that whatever wasn't picked up when I was done cooking was going in the bag. That gave them plenty of time. Just a few minutes later, I heard,

"Stop it!"
"No, you stop!"
"I'll make you stop."
"WAH!"
"You deserved it!"
"WAH!!"
"I'm sorry, Ben! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

It was the really long apology that clued me in that I should check it out. I went back up. Same song, second verse. I rushed upstairs to see what happened, but Ben met me at the top with a face full of blood. That was one of those moments, I just took him and ran to the kitchen where I can figure out which part(s) are bleeding. His teeth were bloody, his lips were both split and bleeding. I wiped the mess, gave him a towel with wet ice to help the swelling, and made sure his teeth were still in snuggly -- they seemed to be. I'm holding off on the dentist or doctor visit -- after all, I have some experience in this department (I say with a grimmace, knowing that at least if I have to go, I'll just take Maddie and Ben.) It turned out Will got mad about something so he stepped on Ben's face. I don't understand how my kids are going to make it to their teen years acting like this.

Ben bled much more than Maddie did. In fact, he had enough blood on his face, that later I found I had flung it all over the wall when I picked him up. While I was cleaning up the blood, I snapped a phone picture to show Allen what he was missing. Instead, I should have checked dinner. It's a good thing I doubled the recipe, because all the food on the bottom was burned. We still had plenty to eat, and it turned out pretty tasty. Dinner was tense. I was worn out, Allen had a long day at work, the kids knew we weren't happy, and Allen and I were wishing there was a parents' manual for days like these. We considered all the ways to handle our "situations," and even thought about not letting Will go to Cub Scout camp this weekend. We got the kids in bed. The laundry is mostly put away. The soup pot is soaking. I am pounding out my frustrations on the keyboard and trying to enjoy a bite of ice cream.

When I write about days like this, I have to chuckle knowing that several of my friends read my blog during their tough days :) Days like these are good to write down... then when I feel like I'm having a bad day, I can re-read it and realize it could be worse. I am thankful that we didn't have to make any trips to the hospital, doctor, or dentist (yet.) I am thankful for every single moment that Allen is home to help me parent. I am really, really thankful for the few minutes at the end of a crazy day when I can sit and enjoy silence, and thank God that I survived the day.

A Bit Too Quiet?

Setting: 2:00pm Friday afternoon
The little kids are supposed to be napping. When I went up to check on them, Maddie was asleep, Jon's bed was empty, Ben seemed to be snoozing...

Since it was time to go pick Will up, I pulled the covers back to wake him up. 

BENJAMIN CLAY! JONATHAN RAND! YOU BOOGERS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SLEEPING!!! .... what's a mom to do??

Bluebird Happiness

I am amazed at my attention span when it comes to Silas and Sialia. At the slightest hint that they might be active, I can sit for hours on the stairs quietly waiting for the perfect picture. Jon and Maddie will sit and wait and watch, too. Ben and Will don't mind watching, but the sitting, waiting, AND being quiet drives them crazy, so they don't last as long before they are off acting like boys.  (Ben IS in the photo with Jon watching Sialia getting in the birdhouse.)

I can sometimes see the birds from the kitchen window, but when I go outside to try to get a picture, they fly away or perch high enough I can only see a silhouette. The staircase window is definitely the best place to watch. Last week I removed the screen and cleaned the window, but my favorite photos are the ones I leaned out the open window.

Sialia will peek out of the house when I call to her. Clicking seems to frustrate her, but I think she's getting used to the camera sounds. Kissy noises sound too much like a squirrel and she doesn't like that, either. So far, she seems to respond best to, "Good morning, Sialia." There have even been a few times, I've assumed she was in the house, but she was not; when I call her, she comes to the tree or fence to greet me.  

The other day, I was talking with friends trying to make plans. For some reason, in my head, I had plans for the 12th. When I consulted my calendar, it was mostly blank. I've also paid attention to the weather for next Tuesday, and wondered about having the lawn mowed by then. I realized I've been planning the 12th as if there will be an avian birthday party... and that I've been invited? It IS a bit nuts, but I am willing to admit it :) ... it has just been so much fun watching these birds!!I am expecting them to hatch Tuesday, April 12th, but I might have miscounted. I was not completely sure whether she started incubating right after she laid the fifth egg or if she waited a day. Time will tell, and I'll post updates.

AWOL

 AWOL = A weekend of leisure. This past weekend I had a blast getting away for a night with some girlfriends from MOPS and church. We drove up to Frisco Friday night, stayed at a hotel, went to a painting class, did some shopping, and headed home Saturday night. It was nice to have some me-time without kids; it was nice to have some girl-time; it was nice to release a little stress with a paintbrush; it was nice to release a bit more stress with a margarita and laughter.

We went to Painting with a Twist, and everyone painted a gold cross on a red background. There was an instructor teaching us how to do brushstrokes and mix colors for shading, and there were several painters wandering the room to share advice or help those who were having trouble. It was fascinating for me to be next to Kathleen who started out afraid to paint because she didn't want to mess up. By the end of the session, she was painting confidently and having a good time. I think I'd like to go back sometime and try something a bit more challenging. ... now to figure out where this big red painting will go...

Civil War Living History Lesson

This is one of our crazy-busy seasons, and I just noticed I've missed posting some of our fun. At the end of March we took the kids to Camp Ford, a Civil War POW camp which is now a historic park. There was a "living history" weekend happening, and we all enjoyed seeing the exhibits. The first stop was a bit creepy -- it was set up to show the tools used by field medics. The kids asked, "Why is your apron so bloody?" "What is that big knife for?" "Why is there a pile of bleeding arms and legs next to the table?" "Why is there a big plastic fly on that big plastic poop?" The man dressed as a doctor answered all of the questions.

All four kids enjoyed the table that showed Civil War era toys for children. The added bonus was that they were allowed to play with them, too. Maddie was fascinated by the different types of dolls, Jon enjoyed swinging a toy with a weight that made chicks seem to peck at seeds, Will swung a wooden axe, Ben spotted the toy guns. 

 There were some cannons at the camp that the men set off every couple of hours. Here is one of the soldiers watching and waiting for the bang.

Here are my kiddos waiting for the bang (... and not too thrilled with the noise.)

Though most people dressed the part, the highway is right behind the fence. The oil tankers and SUVs driving by reminded us that this is definitely a different time-period.

All in all, it was a great way to spend a few hours on a Saturday morning. The event was free, it was educational, it was quality time outside in beautiful weather. We may just have to add it to our calendar for next year, too.

A Picture for Daddy

Will spent about 40 minutes in the garden the other day with a pencil and paper. He came back inside with a neat picture and I could tell what he was looking at. I loved all the labels, too. After he started his homework I started wondering where he put his drawing, but I never got around to asking. That night, Allen showed me the card on his pillow. The front said, "If you like the gardan... I'd like to say... Your the..." Inside it read, "Best DAD!" but somehow I read it out of order. My eyes started watering at what I thought to say, "Your the ... sun and clowds!" Either way, I love this sketch he made for Allen. I am thrilled that he can find beauty in our garden, even when it has lots of weeds :)

PS - I tried adding a picture of the front because I like to record his writing and spelling, but for some reason, I can't load it to the blog.