If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say.......

Well, my fearless followers, I am sure you are wondering where in the world I have been?  I have been with Ozzy Osborne going off the rails on the CrAzy TrAin!  And it hasn't been a good crazy either.   Good crazy is baseball tournament weekends.  Good crazy is Nutcracker week.   Good crazy is last minute Christmas shopping.   This crazy has had me stressed, mad, sick, hot, cranky and generally "none fun".   None fun is how my daughter used to tell me she was not enjoying something.  I like it because none fun seems to have more impact than no fun.  Since I had nothing nice to say, I, go ahead and finish the old saying, I said nothing at all.    Because that is what my Mom taught me to do.   This was more of an emotional lock down.  Also, I didn't want to turn my rainbow all black and grey and dull writing rage posts.  If you are in to rage posts, go check out People I Want to Punch in the Throat.  She does rage well, and is funny too.  She had lots of commentary on Miley at the VMA's.
Anyway, as I was stewing, I gained some perspective on things.  I learned I need to be more specific.  When I applied for a job at the kids' school, I prayed for God to put me where he needed me most.  I interviewed for a position that I wasn't even considering.  I got it.  The people who hired me left the school.   The job turned out to be totally different from anything I expected.  I cried a lot and considered quitting.  I was moved to another totally different position.  I am now feeling much more at peace with everything.  I am not sure if God got me where he needed me the most or my principal got me where she needed me the most, but whatever the truth is,  I am happy in my new position.  Buuuuut, the next time I am considering making big life changes, this will be my prayer.  "Dear God, That was one amazing train ride we had last time.  Please, I beg of you, put me on a direct flight to where you need me the most. First class, if that is not too much trouble."  JUST KIDDING. Maybe.

I learned that I have amazing friends.  I knew this, but they stepped up their game for me over the last few weeks.  Friends who let me cry.  Friends who listened to my insecurities. Friends who genuinely want to see me succeed.  Friends who genuinely want to see me happy.  Friends with much more faith in me than I have in myself.  Friends who make me laugh.  Friends who make me cookies. Friends who make me better, just because I am lucky enough to know them.

I have learned that I have amazing kids!  This too is something I knew, but they proved it to me, again.  They put desserts and notes in MY lunchbox the first week of school when I was overwhelmed and did not do the same for them.  They made me a clip board to keep my bus list on.  They made me a sign to hang on my classroom door so I wouldn't be the only one on the team without one.  They have been on the ball in the morning and patient in the afternoon.  They were without a doubt sent to me on a First Class ticket and I am eternally grateful.

I have learned that my dad is so wise and my mom will do just about anything in the world to help me- even post surgery, even in a cast "boot".  I have learned that my husband is very patient.   I have learned to walk around the baskets of laundry that need to be folded and put away.   I have also accepted that they may be there for the next 12 years because there are more important things to do.    I have learned that I really do miss my sewing machine.  Last of all, I have learned that 9:00 is a good bedtime for me these days!  Good Night!

PS- The forecast here is finally cool in the morning and below 90 in the day.  This greatly increases the chance for rainbows!

Running Mind!

I am almost fully recovered from my surgery!  I have only little moments of pain, but they are different and more due to stiffness in my back.  I am so much happier without constant. nagging. pain!
Since I have been forced to slow down, my mind has been in overdrive.  Maybe by putting my thoughts down here for your amusement, I can get some peace.

1) Texas Rangers!  They took the lead in the AL West this weekend.  In looking at the schedule going forth and cross comparing it with the A's, I have decided that they both have a pretty light schedule coming down the stretch.  Assuming nothing ridiculous happens, it will all come down to who can win the most head to head games.

2)  I got a job!  I have never gotten a job and then not started for 3 months before.  That part has been bad for me.  It has given me lots of time to question it.  Can I do it? What was I thinking?  HOW am I going to pull it all off?  What am I going to wear?  I have been comfy (ok, probably too comfy!) for a long long time! When will I make dinner?  What was I thinking?  I kind of wish I could have started right away so I didn't have the chance for all these questions to enter my mind.

3) I am really excited about being at school with my kids.  It will all be fine.  I can do it.  It will be worth it.

4) I need to get some serious sewing done.  Tutu, Quilts, Halloween Costumes, Derington Christmas Gifts.

5) I need to clean my closet.  Out.

6) 2-0 Rangers in the top of the 8th.

7) I need to organize recipes and plan a menu for like the WHOLE month of September.  Then dinner won't be a surprise.

8) I need to clean out my daughter's drawers. She is "down stream" size wise from a couple of very fashionable and generous neighbors.  We need to make room for the latest windfall!

9) I need to get the kids back to school outfits.  I am not going nutty because all trends indicate they are about to grow. Also, see #8.

10) I need to back up my pictures.  My poor kids are pretty much only documented in digital photographs.  If my computer dies, they are gone.  I think I will do that now.  

11) I need to read a bunch of books.  OK, I want to read a bunch of books.  

12) I need to get moving again. With my doctor's approval.  I think I will try some pilates classes at a dance studio down the road.  I have tried running and what not, and I hated it.  And I QUIT.  So, I am going to get back to what I once loved, dance.  When I get back some flexibility and strength, maybe I will dust off my ballet slippers!

13) I wonder, often, how does The Pioneer Woman do it?  She has double my amount of kids! She takes amazing photographs.  She makes amazing meals.  She home schools her kids.  She writes cook books. She helps on the ranch. She watches tons of movies and tv shows. She has a TV show.   AND she seems to love her sleep as much as I do.  How does she do it?   I hate her so much.  Really, I love her so much, but sheesh, she is making this Suburb Woman feel a wee bit inadequate.

Wheeew!  That feels a little bit better.  I think I will haul out my recipes and begin that plan!

Sliced

So tomorrow My Slice of the Rainbow is going under the knife.  Yep, I am having surgery!  Over a year and a half ago I slipped on some ice.  I didn't fall, but gracefully awkwardly saved myself from it.  After carefully surveying the parking lot to assess who witnessed my grace, I went along my merry way.  A few days later, my leg started hurting.   I did not connect the dots.  I thought, "It will go away.  I am too tough and too busy for pain."  And day after day I thought that.  And it hurt and hurt.  I kept on doing what I was doing and then some and it kept hurting.  Finally, I decided something has to give and I saw a chiropractor.  She worked and worked and I got no real relief so she sent me for a MRI.  Only then did we see that the disc is all over my nerve and I should see a surgeon.  And I did. So, tomorrow I am getting my disc trimmed off of my nerves and I hope like heck it fixes the pain so I can get back to where I was a year and a half ago.
And I can get on with what is to come.  And I can get back in shape, and pick up a tennis racket, and buy some tap shoes, and use my hula hoop, and go on walks, and sit on bleachers, and sew, and wake board, and hit infield to the boy, and be Mother Ginger, and grocery shop, and roll over in bed all without the pain and the numb foot and generally wanting to cry at the end of the day.  

I hope you learn a few valuable lessons from my foolishness. In case you don't, I will spell it out for you.
1) Go ahead and fall.  If I would have fallen and broken a bone, I would have been better 16 months ago.   2)If it hurts, don't ignore it.  Sometimes pain doesn't go away.  Time does NOT heal all wounds.

Times they are a changin'

I am at my kids' school a lot.  A whole lot.  I don't think I am a helicopter parent, I just like to help out.  I was there so much that I thought, maybe I should consider getting a job if one that I am qualified for became available.  And about 38 seconds after I had that thought, someone asked me if I would consider working at the school.  What?   So I pondered it and I asked my kids about it to which they immediately begin praying that I would get a job at the school.  I was not "all in" on this idea.  I LOOOOOOOVE being a stay at home mom.   Giving up all that time that I can devote to my babies is a little terrifying to me, so I urged them (and myself) to change their prayer.  I asked them to pray that God would put me where he needed me most.  

And we all did just that.  

And I applied for the job.  

Shortly after I put in the application, I got a call saying the position had been filled.   So, I was all ready to continue on my merry way when the proverbial "but" came in.   "But, we would love for you to interview for the Instructional Aide position."  And in the next second, this is exactly what went through my head.  "No!  Heck No!  I can't do that.  I would be terrible at it.  I am staying home.  Oh, crap, wait.  I have been praying that God would put me where he needed me most.  Maybe that is what he is doing.  Is this the answer to the prayer?  If he wants me there, he will help me out, right, Moses?  Was there a disconnect?  Ok, I better interview.  It won't hurt and it is a great compliment that they would want to interview me.  I better do it.  This really could be where I am needed most."    

Yes, I can think and incredibly long run-on sentence in 1 second.  

So I scheduled the interview.  

Today, I was with my kids on the boat and I got a call.  My daughter answered my cell phone and I hear,  "She can't talk right now, she is pulling a tube in.  Oh, hang on, here she is."  "Hello.  Yes. I am at the lake.  Oh, that is great."   And then another second went through my mind, "Of all the people they want me?!?  I get to see my kids a whole lot more!  I will be working with lots of great people!  What am I thinking?  I can't do this.  Yes, I can."   

And now I say, "God, I hope you are right."   

Change of Plans....

So, this weekend, we did not lift a piece of clothing in my daughter's room.  Nor did we do the one thing I wanted to get done- spring pictures.  Why???  What could happen to derail my whole grand scheme?  Boys.  That's what happened.    Our boys were riding bikes home from baseball practice and my son was walking his across the street.  He hit the curb with the front tire and it rebounded into his face.  He busted his lip and we had to go to the ER and get stitches.  So we leave my daughter at the neighbors and off we go.  We went to a Children's ER and it was an excellent choice.  We only had to wait a little while, though, I had the ONLY kid bleeding from his face in there, so I thought it could have been a little quicker.   Everyone was nice.  They took great care of my baby.  
All the while, we had dropped my daughter off with our neighbors.  They are the kindest, most generous, sweetest people.  I shove her in the door unfed and a little shaken knowing they will take great care of her.  And they did.  And then the Texas Rangers, no not the baseball team, the Chuck Norris kung fu hero rifle shooting law enforcement agency knocks on their door.  Some one up to no good is using their address.  They sort out everything they can and are finishing up when we go to get Lindsay.   Sheesh.  11:30 we finally go to sleep.  
Saturday morning, approximately 12 hours after getting the stitches, the boy started coughing.  Did I mention he started the week with pneumonia and an ear infection?   Well, this coughing caused him to bust out a stitch.   We were down to 1 stitch.  Luckily the more important one stayed intact.  When she put them in, the doctor said there was nothing we could do about it if he busted one, so we dried the tears and moved on.  We went to see friends play baseball.   We went to Sonic.  We sat in the yard and visited with friends and did nothing productive the rest of the day.
Sunday was church and nap and lunch with grandparents and hauling some furniture.  It was good too, but still I couldn't regain the fortitude it takes to go into that room.
So now on Monday, I am re-arranging furniture.  Picking up, recovering, tidying, stapling books for Kindergarten, getting my hip worked on, Costco, grocery and back to the old routine!

Hoarders.....

Sooooooo, I have promised my daughter I will get in the trenches with her and help her clean her room.  WHY??? You ask.....   It has gotten to the stage of bad it is bothering me.  And I can happily sleep at night with laundry unfolded and dishes undone.  It is so bad I fear her ability to flee if we had a fire.  I fear more a pile falling on her in the night.  I fear most a raccoon family is coexisting with her, happily hiding in her piles of clothes by day and roaming free at night.  I exaggerate! I do fear I am raising a p-i-g pen though!  
Her room is filled with her treasure, by which I mean total crap we don't know what to do with, but simply cannot let go and 10,003 loose bobby pins.  The act of inserting a hanger into a piece of clothing and then placing it on the bar is almost completely foreign to her.  This was not the case when she was 3.  What happened?  It doesn't matter now.  We HAVE to go in. Luckily it is not disgusting filthy, just a big huge overwhelming clutter mess!  Maybe if we work in 30 minute increments and allow frequent breaks for wine (me) and whine (her)  no one will have a full on meltdown.  Maybe......
And maybe when the crew from Hoarders shows up I can casually say, "Oh, I am so sorry.  You must have received some bad information.  We are a tidy bunch here!"  

Crafty Projects

Here's the SHORT list of items I want to complete over the next few months.....

1) Organize and arrange the toy room into my creative paradise. (On going) 

2) Carter's Quilt (ASAP)

3) George Teacher Quilt (June 3!)

4) Lindsay Teacher Quilt (June 3!!)

5) Dyslexia Therapist Teacher Quilt (June 3!!!) 

6) King Size Quilt for my bed (ASAP)

7) Nutcracker Quilt for Lindsay and Auction (Aug 1)

8) New Tutu for the Snow Queen (No, I am not making it for myself.  Sept. 30)

9) Baseball Quilt for George (October 18)

10) Navy Block of the Month Quilt (Dec 20)

11) Christmas Quilt (Nov 1)

12) American Girl Doll Nutcracker Costume Set for DRB (Yes, I am serious)

13) Re-finish my kitchen cabinets (I live in a fantasy land)

14) Paint my bedroom (good luck)  

If we don't do anything else, I think I can pull it off.