Haiku x2

The green was boring

On to new and brighter hues

Tell me what you think

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The green leafy screen

Just didn't do it for me

I'm liking this one

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The header on top

A pic from the fam's cabin

The Northwoods Escape

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The poll on the side

Will let you vote on templates

Is this a winner?

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An award for me?

How can this possibly be?

I feel so honored.

I don't know if I can do this one all in haiku. It is too early in the morning for that.

I received this awesome (do I date myself a bit, using that word?) award from Coleen at Manners & Moxie and Sarah at My Life With Boys. I just love both those ladies. Coleen is a great writer and is a must read. She is too funny and I just love reading her posts. Sarah is a mommy of three boys as well. And wow, are they gorgeous! It is so fun reading her posts because I can really relate. So, thank you both!

I am supposed to pass this award on the ten other blogs. No problem! There are so many amazing blogs out there. It never knew how involved I would get in this whole bloggy world that was so foreign to be just a short time ago. I feel so lucky to be able to get a glimpse into the lives of these amazing women and writers. I know a few of the bloggers on my list may have already gotten this award, but here is another one for you.

Beck at Frog and Toad are Still Friends
Burgh Baby's Mom at Burgh Baby
Mamageek at What Works For Us
Kellen at On The Upside
OhMommy at Classy Chaos
Imbeingheldhostage at In The Gutter
Laura at Lunatic Fringe
Melissa at Such Simple Pleasures
Haley-O at The Cheaty Monkey
Heidi at The Viking Conquest

The Grumpous Gets a Lovely Award

What do you do all day when school is cancelled because of the cold, you already baked cookies, and read books, and you are housebound with three rambunctious boys? Well, you watch them bounce balls all over the kitchen for a good hour,

play with their Hot Wheels in the sunroom for another hour,

and then find a warm spot to sit, and watch too much crazy television.

I want to know what kind of drugs people are on when they write childrens' television shows. Some of the shows are clever and funny. But those shows are becoming fewer and fewer. Most of the shows are like the one we stumbled upon yesterday. Yo Gabba Gabba. Have you seen it? It is the craziest thing I've ever seen. I can't stand it. My boys don't even like it, thank heavens. I think it insults their intelligence. After about 3 minutes we just had to turn the channel. Before I could grab the controller this woman came on and did an odd little dance.Tommy looked over at me and said, "Mumma, WHAT is she wearing? What is she THINKING?"  I had such a hard time not laughing because I was thinking the same thing. Seriously, look at that! Do you see the long fringes hanging from her arms? And really, I know I'm being not-so-nice here, but I just don't get it. Why? WHY, would someone think that is a good idea. The only thing I could think of to say to Tommy was, "Well, honey, I wouldn't wear it, but she looks like she is having fun, right?"

Gulp.

Luckily, my freezing cold day was ended with warm fuzzies sent to me by OhMommy at Classy Chaos. She gave me The Spreader of Love Award! Thank you so much!!!! I want to give it right back to her because she is one of my favorite reads and she really does spread the love. I also want to pass it on to Brittany at 4LittleMen who spreads the love through her gorgeous pictures and fabulous, healthy recipes. Please go and check out her blog. It's fabulous!
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After I read this whole post I realize how grumpy I sound. I apologize. I think all of this cold weather is starting to shrink my heart. I promise I will be back to my "love spreading" ways as soon as the thermometer makes it over 10 degrees. And to make up for this grumpous post I will leave you with this amusing little story:

The other night Todd and Joey are sitting on the chair together reading the newspaper. Todd gets to the advertisements and begins looking at the Sears catalog. Todd and Joey are flipping through, talking about the big tractors, the power tools, and the big screen televisions. Then they got to the clothing sections, and Todd starts turning faster out of boredom when I hear, "Wait dad! I like THAT girl."  Todd looks up at me with a quizzical look on his face and turns the Sears catalog towards me. What girl does he like? Why, the girl standing in nothing but her underwear modeling lingerie, of course. Great. I am at a loss. How is this possible? He isn't even 5 yet! Do I really need to start hiding my Victoria's Secret magazines already?
I look at Joey and ask, "Why do you like that girl?"

He says, "I don't know. I just do."  Ha! That's probably what most men would say. "I dunno."

I say, "Well, don't you think she is kinda silly to be standing around in her underwear? I mean, don't you think she is cold? Maybe she should put a sweater and some pants on, huh?"

Joey just shrugs his shoulders and says, "Yeah, I guess. She is probably cold."

~Sigh~

Wordless Wednesday- Cold

Scrolling Saturdays #2- Working Triage

People have often asked me how I manage three young children when all of them are clamoring for my attention at the same time. My answer is simple. I'm working triage.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines triage like so:

A process for sorting injured people into groups based on their need for or likely benefit from immediate medical treatment. Triage is used in hospital emergency rooms, on battlefields, and at disaster sites when limited medical resources must be allocated.A system used to allocate a scarce commodity, such as food, only to those capable of deriving the greatest benefit from it.A process in which things are ranked in terms of importance or priority: “For millions of Americans, each week becomes a stressful triage between work and home that leaves them feeling guilty, exhausted and angry” (Jill Smolowe).

I have watched enough medical TV (ER, Grey's Anatomy, Birth Stories, Plastic Surgery Before and After, Dr. 90210, Medical Incredible, Mystery Diagnosis, anything I can get my hands on, really) to know what triage means. I've seen it in action on the tube, and yes, here in my home.It usually goes something like this.

I am in the middle of doing laundry (as usual) and Joey approaches. His face is drooping, a watery substance falling from his eyes. First, I assess the situation. The boy is clutching his stomach, complaining of pain, AND it is 11:01 A.M. Aha! The 4 year old is starving. Starving, I tell you! It must be serious hunger to warrant tears, yes? Nevermind that mid-morning snack he finished just an hour ago, he must have a sandwich immediately or he will surely perish. It is a definite Priority 1.

As I walk into the kitchen the baby starts whining. Again, I assess the situation. A quick scan reveals no injuries. Lift baby and sniff butt cheeks. Yep. Poopy diaper. This is now the new Priority 1.

As I sit down on the floor to change Ben, Tommy comes dancing up to me. Assess the situation. He is grabbing his penis and jumping up and down. His face is scrunched. Uh-oh. He has to go pee-pee!!!! This is the emergency that overrides all other emergencies and is ALWAYS Priority 1 as he is only 2 years old and has limited bodily fluid control.Grab Ben and Tommy and race upstairs (no bathroom on the 1st floor) to unload bladder. Wash hands. Run back downstairs where the diaper supplies (and seriously starving 4 year old) await our return. Quickly and efficiently change poopy diaper.

But what is this????? Poopy diaper has leaked! Poopy diaper has leaked! Situation has now turned Code Red!Carry baby and half removed diaper with pooped-up onesie back upstairs to bathroom and remove diaper over the bathtub. Once diaper is removed and poops are wiped off Ben's back, carefully and slooowly remove poopy onesie over the head of now enraged baby WITHOUT getting more poop on said baby. Quickly rinse baby, while trying to keep 4 year old and 2 year old from stepping in, on, or around poopy diaper and poopy clothes. Wash hands. Dry baby and redress in warm fresh clothes.

Carry baby back down the stairs, set him in his bouncer and FINALLY make the starving boy his sandwich. Are we done yet? Of course not. As I am getting the desired ingredients for the starving 4 year old's sandwich Tommy again approaches. This time there is no need for an assessment. "I have to go poo-poo so bad." A quick glance over at Joe and I know he is close to the brink and will probably not make it through another 5 minutes of waiting. Thinking quickly, I tell Tommy to start his way up the stairs while I run to the fridge and grab some string cheese, toss it over to Joe, grab the baby and catch up to Tommy on the stairs. I set Tommy on the pot and try not to ask him, "Are you done yet? Any more? Are you done, now?" every ten seconds.

Finally, wipe the boy, wash the hands, grab the baby and back down the stairs we go. The starving 4 year old is finished with his string cheese and is now nibbling on the plain bread that I had set on the counter. I finish making the sandwich, pour the milk, and a thankful smile spreads across his face.

Seeing his brother happily eating his sandwich reminds Tommy that he is hungry as well, and so the routine goes on, and on.

I always said I would have a career in the medical field, and in a way, I do.

This post was originally written on October 27, 2007. Hop on over to Scrolling Saturdays to read more posts.

Sad

He is gone too soon
He still had so much to do
Can you explain it?

None of us immune
To wreckage and tragedy
But this was a shock

He leaves a daughter
A loving family too
Where do they go now?

Don't know why I grieve
For someone I've never known
I feel off balance

It's silly really. Or maybe not so silly, but strange. Yes, strange. Strange that it is affecting me like this. I don't know why. But it is. There is a catch in my breath. A stick in my throat. For someone that I've never met. Someone that I do not know.
I try to change the channel every time it comes on. But his smile is so mesmerizing. And his eyes are so distant. I want to turn the channel but I don't. Instead, there is a pinch in my gut. A sting in my eye. He was a dad. He was someone's daddy.
It makes me so mad. It makes me sick. Can the press have some respect? Why interview the family? Why follow Michelle? They are in mourning. They will look sad, tired, and worn. Is that really what you want to see? Can't you have some respect?
I just don't know why it is affecting me this way.
It is sad.
Yes.
Sad.

Head Buttin' Baby, My Sickies, & An Award

Each of my boys has their own favorite way to show affection. Joey loves to give Eskimo kisses and get back rubs. Tommy loves butterfly kisses on his cheek and lots of snuggling. My Benjamin? Well, he is a little different. Benjamin loves to head butt. We call it bonking.

It really isn't as bad as it sounds. It is actually very sweet. He is very gentle when he does it and we have all come to love it.

I think it all started by accident. I remember asking for a kiss one time and he accidentally bonked my head. I, of course, started laughing and from that moment on he was hooked. Now he bonks everything he likes. His favorite Moo-Moo Cow-Cow? Head bonk. His sippy cup? Head bonk. Daddy coming home from work? Head bonks. His brothers? Definitely worthy of head bonks.

It may look like he is just crawling on the floor in this pic but he is actually looking for a head bonk.

Tommy knows he is getting a head bonk in this picture so he is leaning down to make it easier on his little bro. Joey was very sick yesterday (it was his turn in our house full of sickies) and I think Ben could sense it. He was giving him head bonks all over the place. And Joey was happy to take them.

Here he is pleading for another head bonk. Can you see the lean forward? The slight head tilt? Go ahead give him a head bonk.

How can you refuse this face? Wouldn't you want to give him a little head bonk? Just look how happy it makes him.

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Like I said before, Joey was sick yesterday. It was simply his turn. We've all had it in this house. The achy body, slight fever, upset, vomity stomach. It is just nasty. It started with Benny last week. He had a fever and just seemed achy. He didn't want to eat much and just sat around in my arms all day. Very unusual for my little energy machine.

Next in line was Tommy. You all saw the pics. It was not good. The poor little guy couldn't stop puking. It was so hard on him. I really think he had it the worst. It lasted almost a week. Every time we thought he was all better he would throw up again.

On Friday night we went out to dinner. We were all having a blast. The boys were so well behaved for the entire 45 minute wait for a table. When we finally got a table they played so nicely waiting for their food. Then, the minute Tommy's food arrived he got a funny look on his face. "I haffa bomit, mumma!" Thank God we were in a back corner away from any other patrons because I scooped up my fajita bowl and caught the vomit just in time. It was pretty nasty. Todd walked the bowl all the way through the restaurant to the bathroom and washed out the bowl so that our waitress wouldn't have to take care of it. Tommy promptly turned around and ate his food. HA!

Then, as you all know, Todd got sick just in time for the Packer game on Sunday. I don't know how he made it through the whole game feeling like that. Seriously, it was bad. Doesn't that make you want to vote for him? Go on! Go give him more votes on my sidebar, he deserves it!

I had it on Monday and Tuesday. All I wanted to do was lie around and whine. Every time I get sick after my kids have been sick I think, "This is how you felt? This is horrible!" They are always such troopers. And Ben! He couldn't even tell me how awful he felt. He just sat there. I am so thankful that I gave him medicine because I sure wanted to take every medicine I could get my hands on.

Now Joey has it. He lounged around all day yesterday saying, "I'm just so sick, mumma. This stinking cold." Poor kid.

The one thing the boys like about being sick? Sleeping downstairs on the futon with daddy. Todd has been taking the sickie to the futon so that they don't wake Ben with their constant vomiting. Then I have the other kid in bed (so he doesn't feel left out) with me while listening for Ben. It works well, and the sickie loves the one-on-one cuddle time with daddy.

Just after Joey had gotten done puking he went to lay back down on the futon with daddy. He was quiet for a minute, then turned to Todd and said, "Man, that freaking fridge is loud!"  HAHAHA!! Since when did he start sounding like a teenager?

So ANYWAY, this vomit bug has now run through our family. I really don't think it was the flu. The fevers were low-grade and it wasn't respiratory at all. It must just be some nasty virus. Besides, the boys got the flu shot and we all know how well those work, right? Right??

I was hoping this would be the last nasty bug we got in a while but now Ben has a runny, stuffy nose and is having trouble sleeping because of it. Let's hope this one doesn't make it's rounds through our house too.

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On a positive note, I've been given an award by Sandy at Momisodes. Thank you so much! She is a really fun read, with a beautiful little girl. Go on over and check her out!I'm passing this along to Melissa at SuchSimplePleasures. She is a newer read for me and I just love her. She is hilarious and real, and really does make my day.

I'm also giving this to Dawn and Renaissance Mom. She is so creative and crafty. Plus she is always so uplifting. You have to check her out. Oh, and look at these adorable little gnomes she made and sent to my boys! Those little gnomes really helped cheer them up when they weren't feeling good. Thanks, Dawn!

WW- Birdy Bed & Breakfast