Tooth Fairy Quits!

After two days of not showing up--the Eddyblouin tooth fairy has decided to drop the guilt and frustration and begin simply trading teeth for cash. The first transaction went well Any sense of loss of childhood mystery, and wonder over nocturnal transformations was easily assuaged by cold hard cash.

Birth Announcment by Shutterfly

A limited edition--only got 25. They are going out today to a precious few distant family and friends. Since the Bible passage celebrates Sons, I decised to feature Blaise's sisters in the photos.

Small Successes

Today has been an OK day--but I don't feel like I've really DONE anything. So this is actually a good exercise for me. . .

1. I made homemade, lowfat, sugar-free, yummy, pumpkin bananna muffins for breakfast.
2. I talked to a friend on the phone, and I think gently pointed out that husbands need loving care too.
3. I homeschooled my 7 year old, even though I often let his lessons slide because they go so fast. As of 5 pm only the 13 year old still has work. . . and that's her issue, not mine. . . ">

John is now

EMPLOYED!! He goes up to Borealis Breads for a meeting on Thursday, and starts on Friday!! Just in time for Thanksgiving and November bills!! YEAH!!!!!!

BTW I'm also beginning to bring in tens of dollars a week as a weight watchers leader. Just doing my part. . .

A Couple of Good Excuses

For not continuing my ramble down memory lane with the trip back home:

--We are not living at home this weekend, but at friends' who are away, so John can get the oak down, sanded, and finished. . .say a prayer for that hard working man who can't get to the end of the day without having either a thumb or a toe that has succumbed to THE HAMMER!

--I have just finished the seoncd day of my three day work week here. (click on the "greegourmet" link at the top of the page) It is owned by friends, and I'm loving it. The job serves 2 purposes:

-- It brings in a little extra $ before my CNA Class begins (still don't know if I'm accepted. . .)
-- it gets all of use used to the new "mom-out-of-the-house-for-3-days-in-a-row" schedule that we will have for 10 weeks during the class.

Two things I have learned about myself thse past 16 hours of payed labor:

--I'm mighty good at chatting-up friendly strangers and being generally welcoming and helpful.
--I can handle myself very well in a kitchen. Preparing ahead, multi-tasking, and creative cooking are all things that have become second nature as a professional homeschooling Mamma. Who knew thay would become marketable skills?!

Another thing--being at a deli/market all day is NOT as tiring as taking care of my sweet babies. . .huh? But the pay (at the market) is not NEARLY as good! Eternally speaking, that is.

My First Step Out

I worked for 5 1/2 hours! CRAZY. Our friend has an in-home-care business. He had a hospice case and needed women to help cover hours for the 99 year old lady coming home for the last time. Talk about jumping in with both feet!

Long story short. . .I Loved it! I was surprised at how similar the whole process was to labor/birth/infant care. I took care of her grieving friends as much as I took care of her. I am also thankful that she passed-away 40 min. after the end of my shift. . .we'll save that experience for later.

I am struck at the beauty of all times of life--to the very last minute. Or 40 minutes before the very last minute. Sometimes things being as they should be includes suffering. Embracing life, and loving it, ultimately does mean pain, loss, grief. But when it is in relation to joy, faith, and grateful abundance, it is right.

I couldn't have asked God to provide a better introduction into this working-Mama adventure! Now I just have to get accepted into the CNA class!!

Not Like Anne

Anne of Green Gables has always been a role model for me. I love Anne. The books. The TV movie (but not the weird third one. . .). I Love Anne, and Marilla.

Anne says she never makes the same mistake twice. She is right. She is an impertuous, and thoughtful soul. I, unfortunately, am impetuous and superficial. Not prone to long periods of, what's it called, maybe consideration, or prudence. . .

Case in point: Give a baby a cell phone and he'll suck on it until the ear piece is full of spit and your conversations are muffled until it airs out. Cell phones are not appropriate teething toys.

Give him the cell phone again. WOW. Still not a good idea!


Give him the cell phone again--I'm sure as an act of desperation or an extreme moment of thoughtlessness--the same thoughtlessness that would bring a mother to eat a cookie a child has asked her to hold to keep a younger sibling from eating it. . .terrible isn't it.

Finally toddler teeth penetrate the display window glass on the cell phone. Now not only are conversations muffled, but you have an attractive spiderweb crack, AND a wave of saliva swishing back and forth under the glass. What fun.

REPEAT--CELL PHONES ARE NOT BABY TOYS!

Maybe I have learned this lesson now. We'll see. . .


(no toddlers were injured during the making of this post)

Details

They can slip through the cracks. Many days are successful solely because off having been survived by all. But sometimes things like french braids, bow ties, or even painted toes can sneak into the hullabaloo. Small joys!

The Spotlight

The School posted some nice pictures of the Gala, including cute puppy and crazy auctioneer

Me and My Body

During my run today I began musing about this dear body of mine. I've heard it said that none of the cells in my body are the same as ?# of years ago. John said maybe this is true of everything but the brain--anyway it made me think about all the joy I have had thanks to this physical self. I am thankful not to be an angel!

I have clear memories of kick-ball in Florida, dodge ball in Ottawa, volleyball in Toronto, running in Connecticut the summer I visited Grandma, and lots and lots of dance at my high school. In college I was introduced to basketball, rowing, and European handball. In Santa Fe, swimming. I swam a lot with John. Now I'm really into jump rope and pilates--along with an occasional run. Of course giving birth to 5 babies easily is a big reason to celebrate my body!

But with all this thankfulness and joy even I have fallen into the self-critical body-image rut at times. I have plenty of girlfriends who have heard me moan about belly-fat, thigh-jiggles, and stretch-marks. It is almost impossible to be objective and rational about one's own body. Witness: the model/professional athlete/movie star who worries that she is too fat. That's nuts! Then again, I have had the experience of seeing an old picture of myself at a time when I had felt "fat" and shaking my head that I didn't know how beautiful I was then.

So I'm not going to wait for the picture 8 years from now--I'm going to love and appreciate this darling body NOW!

STRESSED=DESSERTS

This is a specially formulated diet designed to help women cope with the stress that builds during the day.

Breakfast
1 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 cup skim milk

Lunch
1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
1 cup spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 Hershey's kiss

Afternoon Tea
The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag
1 tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner
4 glasses of wine (red or white)
2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size supreme pizza
3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack
1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

Remember: Stressed spelled backward is desserts. Send this to four women and you will lose two pounds. Send this to all the women you know (or ever knew) and you will lose 10 pounds. If you delete this message, you will gain 10 pounds immediately. that's why I had to pass this on; I didn't
want to risk it.

How I Get Things Done

Today, Friday, was my day to work on the Easter dresses. This is my fourth year making the girls' dresses, and my first sewing darts! Heady stuff, that!

Every year my method in getting this fussy, focused, baby un-friendly work done is different. There was the all-nighter year. The year we went to a hotel and I sewed while the kids watched animal planet. (I thought that was "safe" but found myself explaining IUD's to Thalia's "What are they selling in THIS commercial Momma?"--she was shocked!).

This year I'm trying to include the girls. I hope Mary Catherine will do most of the straight seam sewing. Thalia uses scraps for her doll clothes. The boys roll around under foot. It is a challenge. But it is also a wonderful exercise is working together.

One of the down sides of the industrial revolution was the transfer of work from the family to the factory--or office. Working in the home together gives my children the experience of seeing how my efforts, and theirs, contribute to the family in concrete terms. Mommy's work is not a mysterious thing that happens in a building far away--it's right here--right now. This goes for anything from cooking, to sewing, to working on the budget, to writing talks for the various organizations for which I volunteer. I love that I do all of this in the heart of my family. I am truly privileged--and so are my children.

Adding to this joy was that my friend and her daughter joined us today. She altered her jeans and two of my skirts (yes, they had to be taken in--thanks for noticing) while I pinned and cut.

We stopped just short of actual sewing. Mary Catherine was disappointed, but this too was a lesson. The baby was getting fussy, and dinner was calling to be started. Better to stop now on an up note, then wait till we are all crying and hungry. I promised a post-little-kid-bed-time session tonight.