I Want a Pill for Myself

I have deep suspicions that today, my children swallowed a drive-Mama-crazy-any-way-we-can pill.  I can find no other idea for the outrageous behavior we have experienced today.  They went to bed on time (and slept soon after), they are fed, clothed, not sick...well a little snotty...and ok, Leigh is cutting her molars, but she wasn't the bad one.  That title goes to Abby.

The day started ok enough, but after a couple hours some screaming and fits started, I can't remember over what now.  So I put Abby into her time-out chair in the corner.  This is my latest attempt of correction.  She hates being there.  I usually give her just a minute, upping it if she gets off or is too rowdy.  I usually let her scream and fuss, I just go on with whatever I'm doing, ignoring her.  And boy, does she HATE that.

So today I put her there, and she did ok, just some screaming.  But later she got a second (and third and possibly fourth) time-out, and she spit on the ground.  SPIT!  And when I was dragging  walking her to the corner she bit me!

She has been biting a lot lately actually, when I am forced to restrain her to get something done, like get her jacket on so we can leave wherever we are.  So it's not too surprising, but still upsetting.  And I will admit to those that don't know, I have a bit of a temper, so when she chomps down it is so very hard for me to remain calm.

I just wish I knew that what I am doing is working.  Am I getting through to her?  I don't know!  I tell my hubs that she is a child, it just takes lots and lots of time and repetition.  But I think I need to have a wife myself to talk to me...ok, maybe not.

Oh, I just looked at the time and I need to go make some mashed potatoes for supper (again, we just had them last night but hubby wants them because he wants gravy again tonight.  Oh the things I do!).

I Might Be Wiping Away Tears Just Thinking of Them

This past weekend we went to Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) to see some family.  Well, actually, I guess you could say we went to see a football game, and the family just all happened to go to the same game...I'm confusing even myself now.  Our family doesn't live there, they too had to travel to come watch the game; they just didn't have quite as far to go as we did.  Their drive is about 5-6 hours, our was 9 1/2 (ish).

Trips with kids, as anyone with children can tell you, are definitely two sided.  There's great fun times, having the kids experience new things, such as a huge waterpark, and there's the horrible stressful times, such as when the mother (you) breaks down while in the hotel parking lot and exits the car to sit on the curb while others drive by.  Not that that happened at all.  Or maybe it did.

We only went for three days.  No, that's not quite right.  We had three days total on the trip, which means we spent two days travelling, and one actual day in the city.  So that is the first thing I would have changed about this trip if I could have.  At least, at LEAST, one more day.  One more day would have allowed more relaxing visiting, as well as some shopping.  Because I have a shocker, I went to the world's largest mall, and didn't shop.  All I bought were some swimming shorts since I forgot mine at home and some cheap food court Chinese food for lunch.  So exciting!

The kids LOVED the water park, like I knew they would.  They didn't stop laughing while we were in the wave pool as they got blasted by wave after wave.  And they liked the little (crowded) kiddie pool with mini-slides.  The bummer was that the kids' playground complete with slightly bigger-kid-friendly slides was closed for construction.  So that was why the only remaining kiddie pool was crowded.

After a couple hours playing in the water, we went back to the hotel and everyone except for me, the kids, my mom and my sis-in-law went to the go-carts/batting cages.  I was so tired, partly from lack of sleep in a strange bed and partly from swimming, that I just wanted to relax before we had to leave for the football game.  It was nice to get time to visit in a little more intimate setting, not with a gaggle of people around, everyone trying to talk to everyone at once.

The hard part was the leaving.  Since we had a longer drive, we wanted to be gone by around 9.  We got away by 9:30, and that still felt too early.  Every time that we either go up to visit, or someone comes down here to visit, the goodbyes get me.

I love where I live now.  It just feels right.  I don't miss the city that I used to live, but I DO long for the people still there.  Our family and friends.  I wish that while I was there, living minutes away from them, that we had taken time to see them more, do more, visit more, ANYTHING more.  Because now it's not like I can just call them to come over for coffee, ha!  And sometimes e-mailing, or talking on the phone or skyping just isn't the same.  (I have to admit that skyping slightly weirds me out.  Maybe I'm too old-fashioned...)  But it's still something and I'm glad we have it.  And I'm glad for cars, that make it so we can travel that distance without too much effort.

So here's to my family and friends.  I LOVE and MISS you all so much!

Oh My Aching Back

That sums me up right now.  My back feels like it is trying to kill me.  I have been on my feet all day, or most of it.  And I have a cold, so that makes all the standing-on-my-feet even more miserable.  Wah, wah, wah.  Poor me.

Okay, so enough whining.  I did spend a lot of today standing in the kitchen, but I got most of what I wanted to do, done (sort of).  I have been given a box of plums, so I wanted to make jam with them today.  My first time ever.  Last year I canned peaches and pears, so I'm branching out further this year.  So far I have done cherries and peaches, though those stories have little success.

All but 2 of my cherry jars failed to seal properly and therefore spoiled (I had 12).  And I only had 3 jars of peaches, and one of them broke while in the water bath.  So now I only have 2.  (In case you can't do basic math...)

Wow, is making jam a lot of work, or else I'm just doing it wrong!  Hahaha, no.  I actually like it, just once I was started I couldn't really stop, though I wanted to.  And the girls sometimes wanted to.  Over all they were good today.  I brought out our Mega Bloks (I think that's what they are, giant duplo) and they played with that for awhile since we haven't had them out for months now.  But eventually they got a little whiny.  So I popped on a show.  (The Great Muppet Caper for the millionth time.)

So I made one batch of jam, which gave me 8 1/2 250mL jars.  And used only 1/4 (if that) of my box.  Now I have a dilemma.  I still have a ton of plums!  So I might have to repeat the process again this weekend.  Though I will need to buy more jars and more pectin.  But I think to myself, why do I need more than 8 jars of jam? We don't eat a ton of it, just a few sandwiches for Leigh and the odd day of toast for the girls and my hubs.  But I think I will try to give some to my family and friends.  Then they can all praise my skills.  Yes, I give so I can receive praise.  I'm nothing if not humble...

The Friday Edition

So I wasn't going to post since I already posted a picture today, but I figured I should at least try to stick to my word.  Since I said Friday was "Weigh-in" day, I should really give the update on Fridays.  Instead of just not.  And yes, it is Saturday already in most of the world.  But I still have 20 minutes here...though maybe by the time I hit publish it will be tomorrow.  Oh well, can't help that now.

I have done horrible, and I mean HORRIBLE, with my eating this last week.  It's so bad, I have to say it again.  HORRIBLE!  And it's such a disappointment after how well I was doing.  So the damage is, I'm 164, and that was yesterday.  I've been doing so bad, I didn't bother weighing myself today.  I don't like to bring on depression purposely.

And I had planned on being 'good' today, but nah.  There were tortilla chips in the house.  And I don't remember if I've said it before, but salty foods are just my thing.  My hubby is amazed at the amount of crackers I can eat, all by myself.  When I think about it, I myself am actually amazed too.  So I have just stopped buying them.  Or actually I buy the unsalted saltines.  No good at all.  So now I don't eat them.  Unless I'm desperate...which happened this week.

So there it is.