Deogratias

I'm In a Slump

And I can't seem to crawl out of it.  This morning before my wonderful husband woke me at 6 a.m. to ask if I had washed any underwear lately.  Uh oh!  I'll do it today - I promise. 

Then my adorable 5 year old son woke me at 7 a.m. to ask for breakfast.  Just 5 more minutes - think about what you want I instructed him.  "I know what I want," he informed me - "Tacos!"  Hmm - tacos for breakfast - ok.

Lately I've felt a total lack of motivation to get things done.  I would rather sit in front of the computer or lie down and read.  I want to get up late, take a long nap and then go to bed early.  I'll watch the Braves game just for an excuse to lie on the couch.   I did go to Jazzercise yesterday for the first time since moving, but then I had to come home and nap for a couple of hours.

I've promised myself that today I'm going to unpack the boxes containing books for the bookshelves.  This week I'm going to get started planning my school year.  I'm going to get Jacob some news shoes and a haircut.  I'm going to sit down with Alex and have a really good piano practice every day.  I'm going to go get a new driver's license and transfer my car tags to our new county and register to vote.  I'm going to the old house and do some cleaning.  I'm finally going to buy a shower curtain so Jacob can use  his shower.

I'm not going to get any of this done if I just sit here and read blogs all day. I'll get one of the kids to go get the newspaper so I can read that too - and then I'll work the crossword puzzle - I've gotten really good at that.

A Quick Update

After a couple of months of chaos and relying on the electronic babysitter, I decided to partially unplug yesterday.  This means that there is only one hour per day per kid of TV and video games - and one kid is grounded from all TV for a week for sneaking. 

So, yesterday was pretty rough.  I had a lot of "I'm bored," and "There's nothing to do.".  But today - Halleluia - the boys are playing together and seem to be having fun.  It's some kind of imaginary war game and they are even involving the dogs.  I knew they could do it!

While they are playing, I've been unpacking the master closet.  Lee put shelves in over the weekend - huray!  I've also taken the time to put up a hummingbird feeder on the back deck.  Last week we saw one flying through the sprinkler and I realized that we  had forgotten all about our little friends this year.

Another Top 10

In the interest of balance, and because I am becoming increasingly frustrated with my home situation, I have decided to post my second top 10 list - this one from a negative perspective.  I hate to be a complainer, but you know sometimes it just makes you feel better. So here goes:

The top 10 things I don't like about my new house: 

1. My dishwasher doesn't hold enough dishes.  Although it is very beautiful and came at a very good price (Craig's List), it is too small for a family of 6.  I used to be able to get three meals worth of dishes in one load, but now I'm reduced to two.

2.  I don't have any shelves in the closets.  Just try getting your family ready for mass when all of their "church clothes" are stuffed into boxes or lying in a corner.

3.  Modified chain link entry gate.  Every time we leave or arrive, someone has to get out and open and close the gate.  Not too bad when Jacob is with me, but he is at Boy Scout camp for a week now.

4.  Poison Ivy.  Fortunately we haven't had any serious outbreaks, but it is all over the property.

5.  My kids don't know how to play without their friends. 

6.  I don't know where to put everything. 

7.  Very few doorknobs have been installed yet.

8. Sparky keeps getting very dirty.

9.  I can't find anything I am looking for.

10.  No pool.

Fortunately just about everything on the list (except the pool) will be changing soon.    It's just frustrating to move - although I am sooo thankful that the moving is done.

Top 10 Reasons

I LOVE MY NEW HOUSE!!!!

1. It was built by my wonderful husband.
2. It's filled with four great boys.
3. It is surrounded by or inhabited by 3 super dogs.
4. There are trees all around.
5. It is all one one level - except for the basement.
6. Lee has his office here.
7. Great windows, most of which don't require curtains.
8. It is our first house that doesn't face east - it faces south so we don't get direct sun through the front or back windows.
9. Spray foam insulation.  Yesterday Nicholas accidentally turned off the air conditioning and we weren't totally miserable.
10. IT IS HOME!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA KENNY

 Remember this great picture of you and  Roscoe?  I can't find any others of you because when the cameras come out you are conspicuously absent!  I wonder if that is intentional....hmm.

Well thanks for being a great Grandpa.  I hope you're having a great day!  We all love you!

Tough but Rewarding

 If you include finding and purchasing the land, this house project has been going on for over a year now - and sometimes it seems like we've aged 10 years.  Lee's hair is becoming more salt than pepper and I'm being treated for high blood pressure.  There is an an end in sight however, as we're actually planning on moving next weekend!

Through all of the work and the trials and nights spent alone while Lee worked late at the house, I've sometimes wondered if we were doing the right thing.  We're happy where we are, and life sure would be easier if we stayed.  But today I saw the proof that we are doing the right thing.

I hate working on Sundays, but today it was a do or die thing.  We are getting our erosion inspection tomorrow to prepare for the occupancy inspection later in the week, and we HAD to plant the grass today.  So beginning at about 2 p.m. we all began work on planting grass, covering it with straw and watering it.  Four of us arrived home at 10 p.m. and Lee and Jacob are still there.  Did I mention that the temps were in the upper 90's today?

Despite all of the heat and exhaustion, the day went very well.  Our boys really stepped up to the plate and worked harder than I have ever seen them work.  Sure Andrew did the least, and occasionally we caught him playing in the sprinkler, but even he took his assigned jobs seriously at times.  I was so proud of Alex because  he stayed out spreading straw longer than anyone else and he is not an outdoor in the summer type of person - except if there is swimming involved. 

I wish I had taken my camera because the boys were so cute covered in dirt and sweat out in the yard. I'll just have to hold on to the memories and rest assured that we'll  have opportunities for this kind of family work day again.

While we were wrapping up I noticed that everyone was cheerful and the boys were actually getting along for a change.  They all seemed to be learning something and were eager to see how quickly the grass will grow.  This made me realize - this is why we are moving! 

PS:  Lee and Jacob arrived home about midnight last night.  We had to remove a couple of splinters, they showered and hit the bed.  Once again Lee was gone to work again before the rest of us even got up - I don't know how he does it.

PSS: Someone looked at our house yesterday and it seems very promising!  Say a prayer that this is THE one.

A Revelation and Resolution

Things have been moving pretty quickly around here and more than once I've doubted that I could handle it.  Somehow I was able to get up each morning and do at least some of the things that need to be done. 

I found out I have high blood pressure a few weeks ago and have begun taking meds and making some lifestyle changes to improve things.  This  has prompted me to try as hard as possible not to let the stress of it all to overwhelm me.  I've prayed for the answer and it has been revealed to me.  It is, simply, slow down and be nicer.

Funny, but I always felt like I was a nice person.  I've tried to avoid sin and to do nice things for people.  I try my best not to gossip and when I hear someone doing it I often take up for the person.  I give my time and money to charity and I give most of myself to my kids and my husband.  However, it was revealed to me that there is more to being nice than this.  You have to actually speak nicely to people.

Yesterday someone called me to inquire about my fertility care business and I was overwhelmed by the kindness in this woman's voice.  Nicholas had answered the phone and he brought the phone to me.  She commented about the "sweet little boy's voice," and seemed so kind and gentle.  I realized, "This is a nice person."  She is not just someone who does nice things for people, but rather someone who actually tries to make people comfortable.  That is what I am missing. 

I've realized that it is more important to be nice to someone than it is to help them out.  My kids would actually prefer a nice mom to a mom who takes them swimming everyday.  Thus my resolution - to be nicer to everybody.  Perhaps I'll do a little less for people but I'll do it with a nice attitude.

Now this might seem pretty obvious to you, but somehow I'm just figuring it out at 43.  Well, better late than never.  Hopefully I can keep learning important lesson for the rest of my life.  Trust me when I say that I've got tons to learn.

Welcome to the Real World!

Well, I have been married to my wonderful husband for nearly 19 years and I  have yet to learn an important lesson in household management 101 - keeping a family budget.  Oh, sure I have written them out many times, but never once have I actually stuck to it.  We've both been in the habit of just buying whatever we want whenever we want with no thoughts of money. 

We've been able to get by with this for two reasons.  One, neither of us has a great spending appetite.  We really don't want that many things and/or we've been able to subconsciously tailor our wants to our income availability.  Number two, we've always had a decent income.  In the beginning we both worked and then for the last 8 1/2 years Lee has managed to bring in a nice income from his 100% comission job.  We have always gotten great deals on our houses and we drive old cars so our payments are lower than many of our neighbors. 

Now I'm getting to the main topic of this post.  Things are changing fast!  Gas is now $4 a gallon, and Lee's job requires that he drive hundreds of miles per week.  Groceries have recently gone up and we've added some expenses due to our construction project.  We are now living paycheck to paycheck. 

Last week  we pretty much ran out of money on Tuesday - and payday is Friday!  We had enough for Lee to fill up his tank and to take care of some outstanding checks and that was it!  Fortunately we had enough groceries and I had a full tank  because if not I don't know what we would have done. 

I'm not looking at this as a great tragedy or anything.  In fact it is an opportunity for me to do what I have always wanted to do - make a weekly budget and keep it.  It's helping me to show discipline and realize that I waste tons of money on things that we really don't need.   I'm actually pretty psyched about it.  Today is payday and I already have the weekly bills payed and subtracted and  I'm planning the week.  I'll go to the store once and we'll just have to learn to make due with what we have.

Thank you Dave Ramsey for instructing me in your daily radio show that credit cards are  not the solution.  In the past we would have just charged it all and run up thousands of dollars worth of debt.  Today we're making do and enjoying our status as debt free - except for the house.

For any family members out there reading this, please don't be alarmed.  We have a freezer full of meat and a pantry full of canned goods.  We have plenty of milk and cereal and bread as well.   We are not going hungry and we are not in need of a handout. 

Not to mention the fact that the boys bought a new Wii last week (they had saved up for it - $310.00) and who has time to eat when your're playing the Wii?!! 

In addition, I've been keeping myself entertained by all of the free music on Myplaylist.com!  Who knew you could get all these songs for free!  My favorite American Idol performer managed to win the contest this year and now I can hear his music anytime - Hurray for David Cook!

A Beautiful First Communion

Of course I had hoped to post these photos a couple of weeks ago, but life and death got in the way.  It was a very, very lovely day and Nicholas was a very special first communicant.  Since that day  he has enjoyed Mass so very much. 

His big brothers were able to serve at the Mass and I was able to lector.

His Grandad, Grandma Linda and Grandma C.C. and Grandpa Kenny and Uncle Dean came for the occasion.

Afterwards we went to eat at Nicholas' favorite restaurant and then went to look at the new house.

It is heartbreaking  that my mom wasn't able to come.  She had reservations,  but her failing health prevented it.  Her last request of me prior to her death was over the phone on Friday the day before.  She asked me to go out and buy a card for Nicholas and put some cash in it from her.  Of course I agreed but was unable to report my compliance to her  because she died at 1:15 the next morning.  Nicholas was sad but proud to be able to receive his 2nd communion at Grandma Tusie's funeral.

An Important Lesson Learned

When you have four kids and you're trying to sell a house, it's very important to do a final bathroom inspection prior to the arrival of potential buyers. 

Here's what happened.  Yesterday we had a showing at around 4:30.  When they arrived those of us who weren't outside already quickly went out back to hang out with the dogs.  About 2 minutes later the real estate agent poked her head out and said they were leaving.  My inquisitive husband asked why they didn't like the house and she replied "Condition mostly." 

"Hmm," I thought.  Ok, it does need some new carpet and have a little problem with the cabinets, but it does have brand new granite countertops and new paint almost all over the downstairs.  Maybe I'm prejudiced, but I don't think it is that bad.

A few minutes later I went into the downstairs bathroom and found something that may have caused the quick exit.  There was poop on the toilet lid!  When I found out who the culprit was he explained - it was only a little spot! 

Now I have no idea if the potential buyers saw this, but no matter what I am inspecting every bathroom before every showing from now on!