This week....

Sucks!



I am home looking like this. Woke up Sunday with a sore throat and it turned into everything else and knocked me on my butt. Literally. Stayed in bed and on the couch all day for the last 3 days. I get up to get the kids to school and home and back on the couch. Tried to throw a load of laundry in, I got dizzy. Dr. said its a virus that's going around, feels like Strep throat and the flu, combined, lasts 5-7 days. Uggggh. This would all be ok if my Hubby wasn't here.....

Early Sunday I had to drop him off at the airport. He was Houston bound. A quick trip, he would be home Wed night. That's not bad at all compared to what we were used to. EXCEPT I have been on the couch the whole time he has been gone. My poor kids. I bet they are READY for Daddy to be home.
I have dishes in the sink.
Beds to be made.
Toilets to scrub.
Floors to sweep and mop.
Furniture to put back.
It all makes my head spin.
So it can wait. I will be better tomorrow. Cross your fingers. I am.

Okra

I had a conversation with our 5 year old. It went something like this.

Me~ "So if you had a little brother or sister what would you want to name her/him?" (generally speaking that is)

5 yr old~ "Shilo, its my favorite name"

Me~ "Really! We already know a baby named Shilo, you cant name steal"

5 yr old~ "Well then we would name the baby....Okra"

Me~ "OPRAH, like as in Oprah?"

5 yr old~ "Nooo Mommy, Okra like Okra"

Hmmmm well thats an interesting name. Good thing shes not in charge of naming the pets or children.

Picked her up from Preschool the other day. Walked in and quickly scanned the room to find her standing near the bookcase in the corner. Facing the bookcase, reading a book to the corner. Lost in her teaching. The teachers aid approaches me and says, "Hi, Hows your day? Taylor is over there, reading a book to Okra. Shes been teaching her for a while.. .. giggle"

Ooooh the imagination of a 5 year old.

I wonder if she can see Okra.

If we ever have another baby. Wellll NOW we cant name it Okra, because technically THAT would be name stealing. AND we just dont do that.

WOW!

Can you believe it, this little guy is 13 today!! WHOLLY SHMOLLY we are raising a TEENAGER. When did this happen?

I secretly took these pictures. BECAUSE if I try to get his attention all i get are silly faces!

These pictures stopped me in my tracks. Who is this little man with the deep voice and big feet?


Its amazing really, how fast they grow up. Its also pretty amazing when you start to see all your hard work pay off. The humbleness, the generosity, the kindness, the humor, the sense of style, the responsibility, the dedication, the affection, the character. As parents we see those things and its then that we can truly pat ourselves on the back.

Then all in a moment, it turns, they get grumpy and tired and hungry and selfish and wear dirty clothes and leave their beds unmade and take 30 minute showers and fight with their sisters and we SAY TO OURSELVES, THAT is NOT my kid, WHERE are his PARENTS!! LOL

HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY COLEMAN!!

Mommies work....

I took a week off of work. My mind and body needed a break. Mommy needed to be Mommy for a week and not a crazy rush around get through the day sort of Mommy.

One of my projects for the week.

Mommy let Taylor pick out her only flower and plant it ANYWHERE she wanted. See the Maroon ones in front of the Lillies, that would be her touch. Nice placement if I say so myself ;)

I cant take all the credit. Some projects are just better with little fingers (Taylor) and Big hands (Daddy).

Mommy is a much happier Mommy when I have pretty flowers to look at every morning when I leave the house and Every time I come back home. There is something about pretty flowers that makes EVERY Mommy smile from her head all the way to her toes.

Distraction

While the boys play baseball, the little girls have to be entertained.

Sometimes they get silly.

Sometimes they relax and snuggle up.

Sometimes the play peek-a-boo or other little games.

Sometimes they bug their mommies, or write on their arms

Sometimes they steal their mommies sunglasses and share them with everyone else.

Sometimes they make 20 trips to the snack bar or bundle up in Daddies clothes.

Personal Grieving

I wasn't going to post anything about this. I touched on it gently in one of my last posts. I haven't talked much about it and I haven't wrote much about it or put it out there. Every time I went to open my mouth to say something, I would quietly close it. I didn't feel like anything I could say would do my feelings or him justice.

My Papa lost his battle with cancer yesterday, on Mothers day. I cant even describe to you how hard he battled. Quietly for so many years. I believe for the sake of my Grandma. He didn't want her to carry the burden so he was silent, she knew, but they were silent. We knew, the family knew, we didn't want to accept it. So we pretended that it wasn't so.

He battled for 9 years, 8 of which was a silent battle. About a year ago, the cancer was back in his lungs, they removed a 1/3 of his lung, and all was well. At the end January he came down with pneumonia that put him in the hospital for 3 days. While he was there they did a full body scan and found what everyone hoped and prayed for was gone. The cancer was back with a vengeance. In his lungs, spleen and liver. Untreatable. Our job was to make him as comfortable as possible, love him as much as possible. How much time he would have, they didn't really know.

It was like hitting fast forward for him, things moved way too fast. He passed away on Mothers Day. I was going to write more details of the final weeks but just cant find it in my heart to do it. I started this post a few days ago and didn't finish. Every day gets better. The day I started writing this I was typing through tears, today I feel stronger and more confident.

I took the week off of work and I am so glad I did. If I would have gone back to work I would have had to put on a front which inevitably leads to break downs. I feel my Grandpa with me, watching over me, holding my hand and walking by my side. He is in the decisions I'm making and the smile I courageously have on my face. He loves me and I Love him and miss him but feel blessed that he was such a big part of my life and so many memories were made with him by my side. May you rest finally, you have fought so hard for so long and deserve to be at peace.