Hidey Ho Neighbor

So, the last several weeks have been QUITE the rollercoaster around here. The name of this rollercoaster, THE FLU. First Dylan for about a week, then me for a little over a week, then Owen, and now Aidan is on the tail end of his. Poor kid. This flu is NASTY too. Poor Dylan, when he had it, looked like death warmed over. He didn’t budge from the couch, his eyes were always watery, he pretty much had a constant fever, and then the cough started. When I had it, I could barely even stay awake. I felt so bad for the boys, because Jake had gone back to working days, so they were stuck all day with sick mommy. I would get up with them in the morning, get them breakfast, then lay on the couch until lunch. Make lunch, then lay them down for naps and go back to bed myself. I would sleep until Jake got home, even if the boys were up. That is how horrible it was….I couldn’t even stay awake to take care of the kids. PRAISE GOD that they were so well behaved during that time when I needed to rest. They played nicely and quietly. When Jake would get home I’d go into a deep sleep and let him take care of the rest. He had a rough week playing Mr. Mom.   Luckily Aidan and Owen didn’t catch it until I was feeling better. I can’t even imagine if we had all had it at the same time. Jake of course WON’T get it. He never gets what we have. haha!

Only about three months left until our big trip home. We are getting excited, planning and preparing for it. It will be a weird climate change for us, after having 6 months of winter and snow(possibly longer by that point!) and then being just at the beginning of a mild summer. We welcome the change though!!!   Jake and I have talked a LOT about plans for this summer. After being cooped up all winter we plan on being gone A LOT this summer. Lots of camping and day trips for us. There is NO WAY I am going to spend the summer inside like I normally like to.  

Not much else to report around here. Life is pretty ho hum these days, being sick and cooped up in the house. We KEEP GETTING SNOWED ON and it seems like it’s NEVER going to end. Most of our snow had melted, we could see the grass and sidewalks, our driveway was clear, the streets were clear….it was amazing! We were so excited….and then….a blizzard…..and then….snow for three days! AAAAARRRGGHH!!! Now we have another storm we are expecting in the next day or so. I guess I should just be glad we don’t have the floods that Fargo has gotten. I couldn’t even imagine dealing with a flood at any time of the year, let alone when it is as cold as it has been.

Well that about covers it for now. We are hopefully going to be going out for dinner tonight, provided Aidan feels up to it. Jake has to works 12’s for the next two weeks (weekends included I think) so this will be our last chance to get out together as a family for a few weeks.

Why I’m thankful for the computer….

…… because even though I’ve felt like this

and looked like this

NONE of you have seen me. It’s like a wonderful super power where I can still visit with all of my friends and never have to worry that they can see me at my worst!

The good news, I’m *starting* to feel better. Still weak, but definately better. I may even attempt dinner tonight. After which I will head straight back to bed.

 

I’m super sick

and that means I miss my mom.

What’s that smell?

I remember when I was little I would crawl into my moms lap and smell her skin. Most vividly I remember it being summer, sun shining, everyone sitting outside at my Granny and Papa’s house, and my mom would be in a lawn chair under the tree. Her skin was warm and smelled so good. It was comforting, soothing, familiar. I miss those days when I could crawl into her lap and she would hold me. At the same time I would lay my head on her chest and I could hear her heart beating, and when she talked it sounded muffled in my ear. There is nothing like it.

Whenever the boys are in my lap I catch them smelling my skin. When they lay with me in bed they always lay facing me, usually with their face pressed against an arm, or burrowed in my neck. As a baby, Dylan would actually nuzzle his way all the into my arm pit. To this day he is a nuzzler and will press his face against any exposed skin, just to get a scent of mommy. Aidan does it too, but more discreetly. If I ever were to point it out, he’d turn his head and run from me. He likes to sniff my shoulder while rubbing my arm. Owen has the nose of a bloodhound. That kid can smell me a mile away, maybe because he is still nursing. Owen is like Dylan and prefers to bury his face in my neck. I often wonder what I smell like to them? I remember how my mom smells, but I couldn’t describe it adequately. Warm and sweet, and that doesn’t do it justice.

At night when the boys are asleep I always go in and check on them, with the exception of Owen. Never wake the bloodhound. My favorite thing to do with Aidan and Dylan is to just SMELL them while they are sleeping. Their cheeks smell so sweet. I swear Aidan smells like maple syrup. Dylan is more of a musky smell. They are so peaceful and sweet looking, and I’d know their smell anywhere. Jake thinks I am nuts, but I think it’s just a mom thing. Or maybe it’s a me thing. Maybe I so many of my fond memories are tied to scent that I instantly pick up on it.

That is one of my favorite things about Jake too….. his smell. When he is gone I sleep in his unwashed night shirt because it has his smell on it. I’m always sniffing his neck or his cheeks. Oddly enough, I think he smells like maple syrup too. Maybe that is where Aidan gets it???

One smell that I actually DO have bottled is my Granny’s perfume. She wears Gorgio all the time, and whenever I smell it, it’s like a hug from her. It’s one of the most familiar scents I know, and I can find it anytime I want to. I have a bottle of it that is half full that I will open once in a while just to get that familiar scent. 

I wish I could bottle them all.

Wanna hang with me for a bit tonight??? or today?? whatever. ;-)

Watching Celtic Thunder on PBS….. A-MAY-ZING!!! I also love Celtic Woman. I think I might wish I was Irish…or Celtic….or…what would I be??? Whatever it is, if I was, I’m sure I would be able to sing.

Ate an entire small blizzard from DQ with Dylan after his appointment today. I’m thinking my stomach is mad at me. But dang it was good!

Tomorrow I have a hair appointment at noon, then after that I am going to meet my friend for lunch and a movie. SWEET! I’m so excited to hang out with a friend WITHOUT kids! You have no idea how amazing that is! And my hair, goin’ shorter folks! Much shorter….think, spikey in the back. Don’t worry, it won’t be scary. Promise.

I’ve been looking at train ticket prices for a few days. My friend Shannon and her family are riding the train from Chicago back to Oregon and it stopped here in Minot so I went to see them for all of ten minutes today. It was fun because I haven’t seen her in four years, and I’d never met her youngest.   Anyway, when I was talking to her earlier this week the idea of a train sounded kinda neat, and less expensive, for our trip home. I looked into it and the prices are awesome! While it’s out of the question (for many different reasons) for our trip home, I’m thinking it would be a great thing for making small shorter trips home during the year with just me and the kids. Something to think about. That, and if my mom or Jake’s parents wanted to come see us for cheaper, it’s a great idea.

So this weekend is our first chance to go to this new church as a family, and now Dylan has the flu. Not the stomach flu…. THE flu. I prayed tonight when I put him to bed that we would be able to go to church as a family on Sunday, but we shall see. If not, I’m going to ask Jake if I can just by myself while he stays home with them. heh heh heh. I know that when the thought of missing church BOTHERS me because I’ll miss being there, I’ve found a good thing.

Talking to my good friend right now (seriously) about parenting techniques…. LOVE HER. I have learned a lot from her, even though I’ve been a mom longer. Love the kind of godly mom I have watched her grow into, especially considering the first time I met her she was a wild and crazy party girl. Gosh I love her testimony!

Well, now that I have been staring at this screen for over an hour while I talked to my dear friend, I’m all out of things to say. My mind is now consumed with everything we talked about…..kids, our favorite tv show, life, husbands, doctors, Peanut and her dog Gravy, dog groomers, how I take Peanut to the same vet she used to take her dog to (when she lived here forever and ever ago…before I was even married!), when her husband is coming back from his deployment (Praise God!)….things like that. I love old friends.

Now, off to call another one. Yes, I spend a lot of time on the phone. I’m a talker, what can I say?

What happens until about 2am….

Rockin’ It

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me how much I love me some music. Here are two songs I’m lovin’ right now. There are some songs I like to listen to because they’re catchy. Others I like because the music is pretty. Then there are those that move me in the deepest ways, leave me speechless, with goosebumps, tears in my eyes, and breathless from belting it out with my whole heart and my hands reaching high. Enjoy!

Then there’s a new one I heard at church. Dancing Generation. To be honest, at first, I was like “what the heck are all these people doin dancing all over the place?!” And then I focused on the words and remembered that the Bible talks about dancing in praise to God. This video, I kid you not, is what it looked like in church when I heard it. It was overwhelming and amazing at the same time. People younger than me, men and women older than my grandma, the woman in the business suit, the man in the biker jacket, the grandma with her hair “just so” and the shy looking guy in the back row…..all giving praises in the form of dancing. And when I say dancing I mean more of like what you see in this video. I was so excited to see so many different people joining together for one purpose. I wish the lyrics were on this video, but they are clear enough to understand. Enjoy!

I love midnight

…because everynight at midnight I know my dear friend will have an awesome blog post. Never fails. Sometimes I stay up that extra 30 minutes or an hour just to read it before I go to bed. You should too.

That’s all.

Just a quickie…

…..with the long version to follow later.

Three Questions:

Do you apologize when you know you’ve been wrong even though you know it won’t be received well, if at all?

If you’re still holding a grudge, does that mean you haven’t really forgiven?

Does it really matter if someone else forgives you?

I’ll check back later. THANKS!

Me through their eyes

Okay, I saw this on one of my friends profiles on Facebook and decided to use it for my blog. I thought the idea was so cute and I just love their answers!

 DYLAN: will be 5 next month

AIDAN: 3 and a half

1. What is something mom always says to you? DYLAN: if I don’t do what you say you’re gonna psank my butt. (AH HA HA!)  /// AIDAN: you say you always want to talk to us. always!

2. What makes mom happy? DYLAN: when I draw you something you like and when I make cute pictures of me walking to the park with you.  /// AIDAN: when we bounce on the bounce house

3. What makes mom sad? DYLAN: dat I say mean fings to you when I’m mad.  /// AIDAN: when we don’t eat.

4. How does your mom make you laugh? DYLAN: by doing silly fings (he giggles)  /// AIDAN: you make me laugh like this (makes a funny face)

5. What was your mom like as a child? DYLAN: a little baby when you were a baby  /// AIDAN: I always used to carry you.

6. How old is your mom? DYLAN: OLD!  ///  AIDAN: big

 7. How tall is your mom? DYLAN: um, big. /// AIDAN: way super bigger than everyone that is in this house (besides Daddy of course!)

 8. What is her favorite thing to do? DYLAN: sit with us and take care of us /// AIDAN: your favorite thing is to wipe everything that is in this house. (like butts perhaps?!)

9. What does your mom do when you’re not around? DYLAN: you clean and do other stuff and go and get food. /// AIDAN: you can’t find me.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? DYLAN: I don’t know what question we say to that. /// AIDAN: what will you do?

11. What is your mom really good at? DYLAN: at cleaning and very good at taking care of us /// AIDAN: you’re good at this house, being messy. (HAHAHAHAHA!!!! I think is more on cue than Dylan!)

12. What is your mom not very good at? DYLAN: at making houses /// AIDAN: you’re not very good at messy playrooms.

13. What does your mom do for her job? DYLAN: take care of us and clean the house and um and get food for us. /// AIDAN: cleaning up

14. What is your mom’s favorite food? DYLAN: I don’t know! /// AIDAN: it’s about pancakes and syrup on it and you like something else (at dinner we were talking about what I’m making Saturday for breakfast)

15. What makes you proud of your mom? DYLAN: of cleaning my room that you did yesterday /// AIDAN: when it’s messy downstairs I run up to you guys and tell you that crocodiles are biting on Owen and the crocodile is gonna chase me and then it caught my butt and then I ran back upstairs and I tell you because he bit my butt like this *makes chomping sounds* (WHA?!?!)          

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, which one would she be? DYLAN: Wubzy (gee thanks kid!) / AIDAN: you will be Sid the Science Kid, now can I get down?

17. What do you and your mom do together? DYLAN: stay up at naptime and play /// AIDAN: I not gonna tell you anymore cause you said I can’t get down and I want to get down that’s why I not gonna tell you something.

18. How are you and your mom the same? DYLAN: because we have the same skin /// AIDAN: because you like me

19. How are you and your mom different? DYLAN: because we don’t have moles, just you and not me. /// AIDAN: you’re different with moles on you (oh my word this one cracks me up!!!)       

20. How do you know your mom loves you? DYLAN: because you sing with us at night /// AIDAN: because you carry me when Dylan kicks me like dis *demonstrates kick* and I cry.

 21. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go? DYLAN: Burger King /// AIDAN: Burger King

I feel the need to clarify #21 Burger King is the only drive thru on base so we ONLY go to Burger King. HAHA!! Oh my goodness these were SO FUNNY! I only wish Owen could answer some.  ♥