I love my jobs

I love my jobs - all 50 million of them; the profit and the not for profit.

Even though it may not always seem like it, I love my kids and am very proud of them. This week Thornley was the Super Estrella at school, so we had the opportunity to go into his class for 30 minutes everyday and watch him be the "teacher" during circle time. He did such a good job!! I hardly understood what was going on, but I knew enough to know he was doing a good job.


And my sweet Jack Jack just cracks me up! On our way home from Costco this evening he says, "You need to listen to your mom, because if you don't God will kill you". Words to live by, brought to you by my 3 year old.

My husband is pretty cool too. When I sit down to think about what he does, it amazes me that he can fit it all in. He's taking a little leap of faith and moving his Sunday night worship time to Sunday morning in hopes that it'll be a "more convenient" time for young adults and teens to come. At least now we'll have Sunday nights free again - just in time for the start of another season of Amazing Race (starts next Sunday, Nov 4th, I can't wait!!). The bummer is, once again, I can't "go to church" with him. For a while there we went to the 10:45 service together, which meant we could actually sit together and then talk about the sermon. Now, he'll be giving the sermon, and it's intimidating to me to talk about a sermon, when it's been given by my husband. Sunday school lessons, sure, but a sermon?

My preschool job just keeps getting better and better, and since the kids are getting used to us and each other they are getting crazier and crazier! We had a visit from the fire fighters this week, and even better than that - a birthday celebration. Arlene helped the kids make a cake and when they ate it at snack they proclaimed it was the best cake ever! Funny how you grow out of that when you get older - I don't think any of my cooking is the best ever; maybe I'm just a bad cook.

We also had a special event at church this weekend, which kept me there ALL day on Sat., and by all day, I mean we were running out the door at 10:58 so the alarm wouldn't go off while we were in the building (only to be told this morning that the alarm doesn't automatically arm until 11:30). It was a "birthday" party for an organization called LifeChoices. I wasn't able to hear too much of the presentation while schlepping food in and dirty dishes out, but it looked festive and I had some great teen helpers that I got to hang out with between courses!

So that's been my week in a nutshell. Crazy busy, and not always the best when I'm in the midst of it, but certainly enjoyable when I reflect.

I seem to be rambling, but it's because there are a few jobs that I don't enjoy - cleaning the kitchen counters and laundry, both of which await me after I put the boys to bed.

Stay tuned for my next post - which, unless something noteworthy happens, will be a picture of the boys in their Halloween costumes. I think I'm as excited as they are!

You Know You're in Trouble When...

Let's all remember back to childhood when you'd be in super big trouble and you'd get middle named.
Tonight Jack wanted my attention and after a few repeated mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy. mommy...
He started to get frustrated and started in on the mommy Anderson, mommy Anderson, mommy Anderson...
That still didn't grab my attention (actually I was paying attention the whole time, just not responding), so then he pulls out all the stops and starts in with the mommy Anderson Elizabeth, mommy Anderson Elizabeth.
Does it count as getting middle named when your middle name comes at the end?
Furthermore, when did he learn my middle name?

Alternative Medicine

Why haven't I blogged in a week - simple, really; sleep deprivation! Why must every member of my family insist on waking me up at different times in the night? First it's Jack, then Thornley, and with out a doubt my husband once or twice with either his snoring or grinding of teeth. Why can't they just let sleeping Meghan lie?!
On a side note, I thought you mom's out there might be interested in a new form of alternative medicine. With all these recalls on infant's cold medicine (which by the way, I am a big fan of), I thought I'd fill you in on some ground breaking new cure for the common cold - pretzels. That's right, Rold Gold tiny twists, according to Jack cure what ails you. Just last night, I was sitting downstairs watching a football game, eating my snack, and here comes Jack, down the stairs to tell me he has a cold. "What do you want me to do about that?" I asked.
"Oh, hmmm, I need some pretzels mommy," he replied.
"Pretzels, that will make your cold better?" I double checked.
"Yep," he told me with a mouth full of pretzel crumbs.
Just to let you know, it doesn't cure a cough - what kept Thornley (and therefore me) up last night.
When I discover that medical breakthrough, I'll let you know!

The Lord Gives and the Lord takes away

I was talking with Adam on Friday about how we have 2 special events coming up at church that I'm the hostess for, so that means some extra money. I was excited to finish the month off with perhaps some money left in the account, perhaps some money set aside for Christmas, perhaps some new clothes, the list of possibilities went on and on.
A few hours later Adam decided to mow the lawn - a special event in and of itself. I heard a strange noise and looked out the window to see Adam's head in his hands as he trudged over to the neighbor's house. Apparently what I'd heard was a rock that had been thrown from the mower hitting and shattering the neighbor's car window.
No big deal, I thought, we'll pay his deductable and be done with it. But no, our neighbor doesn't have comprehensive insurance, only liability. So it's a good thing we have 2 special events at our church at the end of the month because we now get to replace our neighbor's car window.
Hopefully, this doesn't mean that Adam will no longer mow the lawn!

Then and Now

THEN
Would stay up until 1 or 2 a.m.
Would watch late night TV (Letterman/Leno) with my roommates while drinking beer
Would wake up at 6:00 a.m. to workout
Go to Pier 39 to look and listen to the sea lions
Would hang out with the cute neighbor boys and play practical jokes on them

NOW
My kids wake me up at 1 or 2 a.m.
We watch TiVo'd Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while Jack puffs on his nebulizer
Waking up at 6:00 a.m. IS a workout
Lay in bed and listen to my kid's barking seal cough
Hang out with my cute husband and kids and play practical jokes on friends on vacation (if you're reading this Cori, be afraid, be very afraid).

Jack woke up with croup AGAIN, so it's late nights, gross medicine that at least he doesn't throw-up anymore, and breathing treatments - CROUP THERE IT IS!!**

ODE TO CUTENESS

Today they drove me crazy, and then tonight they did this, which was so cute!

Chip off the old block

Today we had Thornley's first parent/teacher conference. Now some may shudder thinking about meeting with the teacher, Adam and I were looking forward to meeting with Sra Bier to see how Thornley is doing in class and with the whole Spanish thing. Good news - he continues to take after Adam! Not only does he look like him, and have his temperment, he also has his brains.
Good reports all around for T! He is one of the few who turns his homework in everyday; today he even did his homework twice, and tomorrow he says he'll do it three times! A nerd, perhaps, but a cute one nonetheless.
If I could take credit, I would; however, he reminds me more and more of Adam every day. I think one of the few things I can take credit for is getting him to school on time each day so he can be first in line!

Treetop has nothing on him!

Jack making his juice











and enjoying the fruits of his labor.

A Pumpkin for my Pumpkin

Today was field trip day to the pumpkin patch. I LOVE the pumpkin patch. We went to Falls City Farms, where we got a tour of the barn, a little lesson on bees from the farmer, a tractor ride and a pumpkin! My favorite part, besides looking at my cute kid with his pumpkin was when they let all the kids put an apple in the apple press and made apple juice. I didn't try any, but it must have been good, because Jack isn't a huge apple juice lover, and he drank his cup dry.

Fall

Whenever I think of fall, I always think of a song Thornley sang in preschool - Oh yes it's fall now, it's really fall now. Big orange pumpkins and falling leaves, Thanksgiving turkeys and pumpkin pies, don't forget to thank God for these.
Loved hearing his sweet little voice sing the song, and truth be told fall is my favorite season.
What I don't like about fall - the clothes, or the lack there of in my closet. What I need to find is a good fall sale, that has clothes that fit an out of shape mom, who had 2 c-sections and has yet to get that muscle tone back, but still has stylish clothes.

Who is his master?

Being that tonight is Wed., we went to youth group. Now, on a side note, I'd like to know who has talked to all my babysitters and told them that when I call don't answer. I think the boys are usually well behaved, and that I paid fairly well, but truly finding a babysitter on Wed night is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do!
Back to the evening...I took the boys with me to youth group tonight, because according to my husband they were great when they went 2 weeks ago. So we go. Dinner is a little boys dream - chicken nuggets and french fries, would they eat them, no. They wanted to play in the gym with their friends, and play they did.
Since Adam is gone he asked Pastor Brad to give the talk tonight, and since I have a small group and we discuss what the given speaker talked about, it's important to somewhat pay attention. Hard to do with the boys carrying on as to how they wanted to play in the gym.
We made it thru the talk, more or less, did our small group time, and went on our way. While on the way home I told the boys how the rest of the evening was going to go, "Get home, put your pajamas on and go to bed". "But mommy," Thornley says, "I need to talk to my master." Now being that we've just come from church I'm hoping he's talking about praying, but in reality, I think he was referring to Obi Wan.

Cure for the Chronic Illness

Again tonight Jack came downstairs with an emergency. "Another emergency mommy". "This is becoming a chronic condition, Jack". "It's not chronic mommy, it's called snuggling".
So snuggle we did while we watched a recap of Dancing with the Starts on Entertainment Tonight.

The non-life threatening emergency

I will admit, I was the mother who would brag that my boys slept thru the night early on. I think Thornley was like 4-6 weeks old. Jack a bit older, but still; he'd cry, I'd wake up, feed him, put him back to sleep. So why is it that now they have a hard time sleeping thru the night?
Every night at bedtime we go thru the routine; me, "Don't get out of bed, unless it's an emergency". Thornley, "Or if we have to go to the bathroom (yeah right, their sheets are almost thread-bare I wash them so much), or we're sick". Me, "That's right". Jack, "Or if we think it's morning". Me, "Yes, in the morning you may get out of bed".
So tonight I'm downstairs watching tv talking to my husband on the phone, and here comes Jack down the stairs. "What are you doing?", I ask him. "Mommy, it's an emergency.", he tells me. "What's the emergency?", I ask. "I need to snuggle."
I chose not to call 911, but instead let him sit on my lap and watch a bit of the Monday Night Football game with me.

Trying it out

So, a friend encouraged me to start a blog. So here I am.
I don't quite know what I'll say, or who is interested enough in the daily mundaneness of my life to read it, but what the heck! I've got laundry to do, and well, I'd rather do anything than laundry, so here I sit.
Just waiting you for enough creativity to post something fun!