motherhood is.....

What does motherhood mean to you?

does it mean hours of screaming, crying, fighting, talking back...?

did Rosie the Riveter go to work in the factories to avoid all that racket?  I wouldn't be surprised - especially if Daddy was an ocean away and she had no other way to get a break!

you see, I'm not suggesting that mothers don't love their children every moment of every day, I'm suggesting that most of us need a balance to keep us sane.  I have great kids, really great kids for certain, but they OFTEN drive me absolutely crazy!  They are at an age where they can do an excellent job of keeping themselves entertained - there are no more diapers, I don't need to remind them to go potty, they are capable of getting their own snacks!  Life is good!  Of course there is always the other side of that coin!  They are also very capable of talking back, refusing to help each other, fighting as if they are Arabs and Jews in the Holy Land and my favorite, refusing to clean their rooms!!  Tattling is at an all time high - and don't get me wrong, it has it's place!  There are some things that I may never know about if they weren't expert tattlers; but I don't really care if one of them made a face at the other or if someone won't scoot their chair over 3/4 of an inch!  What's the deal with this selective independence?  Shouldn't there be some rule that if you are under 18, how about under 10, that you shouldn't be allowed to say no to your parents?  At the very least, you should have to do what you are told without a puss on your face or stamping your feet or having a temper tantrum.  I'm just putting that out there!!

Ash Wednesday

Go Get your ashes everyone!!!  Hope you had a fabulous Fat Tuesday yesterday cuz the season of Lent is upon us now!!

 

Have you thought about what you are going to do for Lent this year?  We talked to our  PRE class about the GUS and TOM method. Give Up Something and Take On More.  My family has decided to pick a different GUS and TOM for each of the 40 days during Lent.  We have 40 slips of paper in the GUS jar and 40 in the TOM jar and ever night at dinner we will draw a GUS and TOM for the next day.  All 5 of us will do those 2 things for the entire next day - give up tv, give up computer (say it isn't so!), pray a decade of the rosary, tell everyone else in the family one reason shy you love them...  The lists are endless, just give up something that is a sacrifice, an effort for you and take on something good that will help you keep your focus on God and the reason for the season of Lent!!  Share with me some of the things that you and your family do during Lent - it's a long season and there is a lot to share I am certain!!!

My visit with Ranch Girl part 2... the pictures

As I said before, my visit with Ranch Girl was fabulous!!!  It rained almost the entire time, which was fine because we didn't have to make excuses to just sit around and talk and knit and eat yummy food and drink lots of coffee and then switch to champagne (Ranch Girl's favorite!) after the appropriate hour!  It was like a mini Girls' Weekend of the TOETAT5 but just the 2 of us! 

 Ranch Girl's son took these pix right before I left - a full day of travel ahead, I was dressed for comfort not looks!!!

 the bottle of pink champagne I brought with me - pink for me (my favorite color!!) champagne for Ranch Girl (her fav beverage!!) it was actually quite tasty

  This is the chair that I claimed for my own while I was there!  Tiger often joined me for a little snuggle!!  With my laptop, cup of coffee, knitting and Tiger I could spend all morning in the chair chatting with Ranch Girl!!  Not a bad life!

  this wonderful family took me into their fold and made me felt like one of them while I was there!  It was no more evident than when they introduced the game of "Aggravation" and then proceeded to try to kick my butt!! I did not win, I won't lie, but I did not get my butt kicked either!  I can hold my own - especially when you come after me!!  There will be another round when I return - take me at my word Rand Family!!  Until next time!

Not me....

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This past week, no matter what anyone else tells you to the contrary, I most certainly DID NOT:
tell the girls that as long as there was no "visible dirt" on their clothes, I was perfectly fine with whatever they wore!!
take a big fat nap on more than one occasion in the middle of the day just because I could
laugh out loud at the school psychologist who suggested that we should start making Little S ride the bus to school in the mornings, thinking that having lunch with me on friday would be enough motivation to help her overcome whatever it is inside her that SERIOUSLY does not want to ride the bus
wait until the very last possible second to mail my nephew's birthday present - his birthday happens to be today!  Happy 10th Birthday Wack!!!
shamelessly heckle customers at the grocery store in an effort to help the girls sell more cookies at the girl scout cookie booth!
make the kids watch their movie in the living room so me and my friend could watch our movie in the theater room in the new chairs
make a few "changes" on the DVR 'to do list' that may perhaps have been to my advantage
Feeling very pious reading my 'not me'?  Trying doing your own - be sure to link back to mckmama!!!

a smile from God

Isn't it a lovely thought?  That God smiles at us all the time?  Do you take the time to notice and smile back?  As we approach the beginning of Lent, it is an excellent opportunity for us to re-examine our relationship with God and things that we can do to lead better lives here on earth.  Instead of computer time today, spend some time with God - you might catch him smiling at you!!

TGIF!!!!!

TGIF!!  Why?  I'm not really sure, fridays in and of themselves aren't especially exciting, but the pending weekend can be - unless you're a mom with 3 kids running in 15 different directions, then maybe TGIM would be more appropriate!  We don't actually have all that awful of a weekend ahead of us - 2 birhtday parties, shopping for gifts for those parties (one is a sleepover tho so bonus points!), working a girl scout cookie booth (with Little S who is painfully shy and not totally digging asking strangers to buy cookies, but we'll work it out), PRE for all 3 girls preceded by mass of course, hubby flitting off to the UK for a week in the middle of it all, homework for everyone, tons of laundry (and I think the washing machine is trying to die and it is only 6 years old)

The rose, by any other name, is torture......

I just love Mama Kat from Mama's Losin It!  Although I enjoy all her posts, I especially like the writers' workshop prompts every week - there's always tons of variety and creativity and although her husband Pat suggested that we write about the NBA all star game this week, I think I'm going to go with #5 "write about something mean you did to a sibling".  I am however going to take creative licence and instead tell you about the super meanest thing that my one and only beloved sibling did to me.  This story continues to be a source of joy and uncontrollable giggling for her and now also for my husband and eldest daughter - they are all terribly insensitive if you ask me!  My case in point......

When I was in junior high, we lived in this house that had this fabulous little rec room in the basement for me and my sister to play in.  I loved this room and spent a great deal of my time in there during those years.  One of our favorite things to do was to put in a mixed tape of our favorite music and sing at the top of our lungs and dance around the room.  I thought it was an activity that my sister and I enjoyed equally, until that fateful day....  

I had a favorite song that I played over and over again.  Hint....

ok, another hint.....

think the late 70s.......

can you hum a tune?

Ok, so it was....

 yes, Madam Bette's The Rose.  A classic today, I know, but back then my absolute favorite song, recorded directly off the radio onto my cassette tape for my listening pleasure 24-7!!  It was pure joy to sing along with Bette, UNTIL.  One day I was belting it out and about halfway through the beautiful ballad, there is a break in the music and I hear my "darling" little sister's menacing voice saying "Helloooo Gayle", I scream because she has just defaced my beloved Bette in the middle of my favorite song, do you hear me, do you understand the implications?  That evil little girl (4 years my younger, so I'm not even allowed to beat her) has destroyed the only true source of joy I had in my life at that time.  AND she has been sitting on the stairs WAITING to hear this little plot of hers go down and when it does, she is cracking up on the stairs - fits of laughter.  That is until I take off after her!  Then both of us are screaming.  I don't remember much after that - I believe that my mind blocked it out because it was all too painful - but I know I was sobbing and yelling trying to explain this travesty to my mother who I am certain was having difficulty masking her amusement.  Thirty years later, I still bear those scars, tho they are not visible to the naked eye, of my sister's merciless cruelty.

That is my story.

another funeral

Ok, so some day we will most certainly laugh about this, but at the moment it is bordering on absurd.  I came home yesterday from my usual meeting and errand schedule and was not greeted by "Theodore/Thumper" in his hutch in the garage like I usually am.  I got out of the car and said his name - that usually gets him hoppin - and nothing, then I noticed that he was laying down in the back corner of the hutch, I reached in and touched him and he started seizing.  Apparently rabbit seizures are no more pleasant than a human seizure.  When it was over, I tried to pick him up and that triggered another seizure - one that apparently he did not survive.  Now as tragic an incident as that is by itself, this is the 4th bunny death that our family has endured in the last six months.  We started out just fine as bunny owners.  About a year and a half ago be got FooFoo, then a year after that we obtained Thumper #1 from a friend who's other rabbit had "run away" and things were fine for about a month, then one day FooFoo was dead - although Thumper #1 was fine.  We waited about a month to make sure that he was indeed fine, then we got another companion for him (they are social animals after all and like company) - Elvis lasted approximately a month with Thumper #1 and he too died.  At this point, we are concerned that we have a serial killer on our hands - especially when we find out that Thumper #1's first room mate (when he still belonged to our friends) did not in fact run away, but was also found dead like FooFoo and Elvis.  We decided that he didn't need a room mate after all, but much to out surprise, a month later, he was dead too.  That was enough for us, we decided to take a break from the bunny business for a while.  The hutch was thoroughly cleaned and left empty for 2 months when a different friend said that they had gotten a second bunny about 3 months ago but that they had irreconcilable differences and needs to find a new home for their Thumper - of course we obliged!  Thumper #2, who I called Theodore came to live with us and all was fine until yesterday - refer back to the beginning if all my rambling has you confused!  Needless to say, I have had it - what sort of bunny killer gas do we have here?  There are happy and healthy seeming one minute and dead as a doornail the next.  We decided to take Theodore/Thumper #2 to the exotic vet in town for a 'necropsy' or bunny autopsy as I prefer to call it - $50 later, we hope to know what is killing all our bunnies and breaking the girls' hearts on a monthly basis.  Please stay tuned.....

one of my biggest problems...

OK, I know that lots of you have seen this before, but it really is me!  I have a sever case of volunteeritis - I love to be involved and perhaps I also like to feel needed (is that my therapist talking?).  I am on the PTO Exec Board, in charge of membership, the school bookfair, head room parent for 2 of my 3 girls' rooms, working on the school carnival sponsorship committee, and that's just a school!  At church I teach 5th grade PRE, participate as a table leader in our financial freedom seminar, a co-table leader for Bible study, am on the religious ed board, am a photographer for the church magazine - I think that's all, oh wait I'm in Team #59 in women's CRHP, tho those responsibilities are minimal and almost over.  I pitch in in a couple other ways from time to time - oh, right, leader for Big S's girl scout troop!  Ny photography business is slow but to be expected since it is very new, but I would like some more business!  And I wonder why I'm tired at night and don't want to do stuff around the house!  I need to prioritize and organize!!  Step one in the new me it looks like!!

my trip to visit Ranch girl..

I will start by saying that I had a fabulous visit with Ranch Girl!  Thanks so much hubby!!!!  What a thoughtful Christmas present!  The trip to get there, was another story!!  Not all smiles that day ;(  To begin with, I didn't know that Indy is one of 15 airports in the US where you have to check you bags 45 minutes before your flight instead of 30 like ALL THE OTHER AIRPORTS IN THE WORLD!  Needless to say, I got there 40 minutes before my flight and they wouldn't let me check in, so I missed my connection in Chicago so I had to be re-routed from Indy to Denver to San Francisco, then I was able to catch my flight in SF to Burbank.  But that's not all, when I was in Denver, I had an aisle seat and apparently United boards the window seats before the aisle seat to eliminate people people crawling over each other, but before my group got to board, they announced that all the overhead bins were full and so anyone with a rolling suitcase carry-on would have to gate check their cases - it sucked, but life goes on, UNTIL they said that you would get your suitcase back at your final destination NOT in SF like with normal gate check situations.  I was not happy, but there were people with me going to Tokyo, one lady had a baby and she was counting diapers and bottles trying to figure out how much she would need to carry in her arms along with her baby to get them from Denver to Tokyo including their layover time in SF - I was appalled!  To keep on the path of an awful day of travel, we got into SF on time, but all of a sudden, nothing was coming in or going out and my flight was delayed several hours - I just kept thinking about that poor lady with the baby.  I remember traveling when my girls were that age and it's exhausting just keeping them entertained when you prepare for your scheduled travel time, but to take away all your stuff, then extend you layover just sucks!   Anyway, that's my sad travel tale, the rest of the trip was fabulous and I feel personally responsible for ending the drought in southern California (you too can hire me for your rain needs!) and my travel home went as originally scheduled, so all was well!!  I didn't take my camera since, sadly, it is not fully functioning, but Ranch girl's son took a pix of us before I left that I am waiting to get the file for then I will post it!!

the new me????

So, what do you think of the new me?  Ok, this really isn't me - the hair is all wrong!   But I like the general idea of being a domestic diva!  I love to cook, sew, knit - ok I don't like cleaning, I'll admit that, but I always like the results!  So, here's my new goal - not a new year's resolution, but a new Gayle's resolution - I want to do things that I enjoy and that make my family happy also and some of those things can only be accomplished by me doing some things that I don't absolutely love, but who's results I do love!  So, the new me is going to really work on doing a better job of the things on that list - I'll keep you posted!

my loves....

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!

Here is my darling hubby making faces at me because he doesn't like having his picture taken!

Love you honey!

My darling Big S!  I am loving watching her grown and mature into a young lady!  She is smart and funny and I love just hanging out and talking with her!

Here are Little S and Little G!  They are both darling little imps!!  They couldn't be more different if they tried yet they get along really well!  Little S is quite the clown always keeps us laughing and has a huge heart of gold!  Little G often plays the ditz even though she's smart as a whip like her sisters!  She is giggley and loves to play ticklemonster with mom and dad!!

I love the four of you with all my heart - you are my world and my life!!

Love you!

the sick house!!

OK, so we're not talking a little sick, we're talking A LOT SICK!!  I get home from my fabulous visit with Ranch girls to this.... the whole house is sick!  Little G stayed home sick monday, so hubby had to take the day off and work from home - he made it work with a little juggling of things - he's a big boy- he can handle it!  Tuesday while I am traveling across the country to get home, I get a text, all 3 girls are home sick, YUCK!  And hubby has it to - is it too late to go back to ranch girl?  I love them and am sad that they are sick, but let's be honest,  I don't want to get it too!  But I do the right thing and get on my next plane headed east to Indy :(

I get home and everyone looks like this!

Hubby has to go to Cincinnati the next day - sick or not, so wednesday morning, off he goes and I have all 3 girls home again with temps spiking into 103-104 I'm a nurse, I can handle it, but they are so pitiful.  At least until the motrin and tylenol kicked in, with the fevers under control, it was a fun day, then one by one they would drop as the meds wore off and naps were take, tv was watched way too much and computers were played on!  There are certainly worse sick days - no puking thank goodness!!  Glad to say that Little G went back to school thursday and Big S was ready to go back friday (I think that the V-day party was a little motivation!!), so Little S had to get dressed and go with us to school to drop off the goody bags for one of the parties and her valentines - but surprise!  We are getting things taken care of in the front office and the child who NEVER wants to go looks up at me and says "I think I'll stay".  Needless to say, I was stunned and thrilled at the same time!  I walked her down to her classroom and told the teacher that I would run home ad get her backpacks and books!  Which is exactly what I did, then ran a few errands, then back to school for the parties, then one kid to girl scouts, other 2 home, eat a snack, take another to her girl scouts, then then to pick up the first, then back to pick up the second.. then home to the couch - I'm fighting really hard not to get sick!  I definitely have a head cold brought on by exhaustion I think, but no fever, so far so good!!  Everyone is back in action although not at full steam yet - fine with me if we go slow for a couple days!  Just in time for hubby to fly out sunday morning for work again!!

heading home...

I'm heading home today from a blissful visit with Ranch girl.  I am so lucky to have a friend like her!  I am so lucky to have a hubby who would give this trip to me because he knew how much it would mean to me!  I am lucky to have 3 beautiful little girls who love me and missed me and are excited that I am coming home!

  I was pondering what my day of travel might be like today.  I have 3 flights, so perhaps I will get an opportunity to fly on each of these planes throughout the course of my travels today!  The yellow one looks like it may lack leg room and I'm concerned that it may not have a potty!  This stealth on looks super cool, so I'm imagining that everything inside is super high                                        tech!  I think it probably goes pretty fast too!

This on looks sleek and sophisticated - like me - ha!  I bet it has lots of leg room, cool tvs for each seat and really nice flight attendants with cool uniforms and english accents!!  

Of course I am probably not going to get a chance on one of these planes let alone all three, but a girl can dream!  I'll keep you posted!!

think of me...

So, as you read this, I am winging it accross the country to visit Ranch Girl!  Here's what my day of travel will look like...  I have a 6am flight out of Indy to Chicago, then a nice little layover - time for coffee and a muffin (ok, it's a 2 hour layover so 

several cups of coffee and muffins!!).  Good thing that I will have packed this...

with lots of entertainment for me!  I keep m

unchies, knitting, reading, my DS to play games on, my Archos to watch movies on and of course I have my "liquid baggie"!!

I need to make sure that I have a good seat assignment and not one of these!!

Emergency exits seats are good for the legroom, but I HATE not having my stuff at my feet!  Don't even get me started all the education that goes into the responsibility of sitting in that seat - you can waste all your time on a short flight studying these em

ergency procedure cards!

I am looking forward to a nice peaceful flight - ok really 3 flights, but traveling alone makes it much better - trying to switch planes twice with hubby and the 3 girls is a whole other story!  Too much crap to lug around and too many people to keep entertained!  Don't get me wrong, my girls are great travelers and I really enjoy our family trips, but when it's the 5 of us, I prefer a direct flight  one change at the most!  When it's just me, I don't mind more than one transfer - especially when I'm heading on one of our girls' trips or in this case going to see Ranch Girl!! 

Just in case you were wondering... I am off in the morning to visit Ranch Girl!!  This fabulous trip is my Christmas present from hubby and I am very excited.  Now let's note that it reached a high of 10 here today and it was in the low 70s at Ranch Girl's house!  I have checked weater.com and it is supposed to be in the 60s while I am there - some days a chance of rain, but who cares?  Double bonus gift - warm weather AND a visit with Ranch girl!  I am soooo excited!!