An Up and Down Day

I'm still fighting a sinus infection, which now feels more like flu. My head has quit draining, and I have tremendous pressure in my head and behind my eye. Ian was gone for four nights/five days, home one evening after work, and then not home again for the last two nights. I am tired and very achey. I'm dealing with it ok....

This morning the kids did normal school type things. Asher threw rice crispies as far as possible from his high chair, Gabriel monitored everyone's activities and played cars, Nathaniel did one lesson every three hours- I guess that means that he only did one lesson today- and Micaela did nearly all the subjects.

We had an interesting interuption as well. Our long lost missing kitty returned. He left as a real baby while we were in CA, today a young male orange cat came to our yard, allowed all three older children to manhandle him, was carried all over like a doll and purred, and then he inspected every square inch of the front porch and all of the small trees in the front. I'm almost certain it was the same cat. He was very clean, well fed, and had a collar. I suppose we can't keep him. Anyway, then he was treed by our overly friendly dog. He was high, and Micaela was sure he was stuck for good. By herself she pushed the playhouse under the tree, climbed to the top and called to the kitty to come down. Kitty didn't think that was wise. Micaela cried and begged me to call the fire department. Mommy didn't think that was wise. Because of her desperation, I went to the garage and got a ladder, climbed way too high for any balance- impaired pregnant woman to attempt, stretched to get the cat, got scratched several times for good meaure, and finally rescued poor kitty. Micaela was thrilled. She immediately ran to pick up the cat, who amazingly did not protest. She carried it through the dieing lily beds singing loving kitty songs to 'her.'

When the kitty ran back home- wherever it's been anyway- Micaela sat very still and quietly at the swingset. Crying real tears, and sobbing every once in a while. She does love kitty cats. Since the kitty ran away during their wedding, I think Aunt Michelle and Uncle Nader should replace the kitty and fund its upkeep. What do you think?

Anyway after we lost poor kitty again, we did history, cleaned up a little, and I made dinner. While I made dinner, Micaela and Gabriel sat at the bar. Gabriel watched in awe as I sliced sweet potatos. Micaela gave Gabriel a phonics lesson that I'm sure he never heard. She started talking and explaining, and read over 30 pages of Pyramid (phonics exercises) to him. She never seemed to notice that he was not listening.

While dinner was in the oven my head was throbbing. I gave the older children two choices: go outside and don't come in till dinner or go to bed for the night. They all went outside. At dinner Gabriel got in trouble for playing with Asher's food three too many times. I sent him to bed, because at this point my mental/physical state was declining.

After dinner, I did not clean up and I sent Micaela and Nathaniel to the play room with paper, scissors, and glue. Asher stayed in his high chair because I was pretending to make him eat his sweet potatoes. In reality, they joined the rice krispies in the floor. I lay on the couch because my back started aching like the flu. Yuck! Anyway, Nathaniel wet his pants after I told him to go to the bathroom, he couldn't tell me where, so there's a puddle somewhere I haven't found. Instead of putting on pj's, he riled up Gabe who was already almost asleep, and Micaela played dress-up with everything in her dresser. I lost my temper. I yelled and screamed and stamped my foot, and yes, spanked in anger. I sent them to bed, all crying and now I feel terrible. I hate being sick, and I hate the part of me that rises to the surface when I'm exhausted and feeling sorry for myself.

Any advice for gaining self-control as a harried mother of many littles?

The travelers...

I left Ian and Micaela at the airport this evening. Micaela read signs the whole way to the airport. Things like Title Max and Sitar Indian (but not Cuisine), Hamilton Place, and Exit. After the airport I sat in a traffic jam. Ian called after they boarded, and then I cried. I've never cried before when he has left. Micaela's never even been gone 48 hours. I've never missed them so much. Anyway, moving on... I heard from them during their layover. Ian said she has not stopped talking the whole time, and she's constantly reading signs like Delta, Men's Restroom, and Don't Leave Baggage Unattended. He's tired. He'd like a nap. Maybe when they land and someone else can talk to her. Have I ever noted that she loves to read No Smoking signs. She says it loudly and pointedly, and I feel so guilty like I've been smoking around my kids. It's embarrasing.

What goes in the laundry...

Today I did a big load of jeans. At the end of the wash I found two pennies, three acorn caps, one acorn, two marbles, a rock, two small rubber airplanes, a hot wheels car, a broken piece of blue polished glass, and my very own debit card. I should check pockets, but it is an awful lot of pockets! De'etta, you're not allowed to scoff at the number of pockets!

Nathaniel again..

Micaela (reading a book title) "Who built the pyramids?"

Nathaniel: the Jip-chins.

An Ode to a Cricket

Each night before bed
As the sun sinks red
The chorus begins
From our insect friends
They sing through the night
Quite nicely till light --

But lately, I confess it's been rough

We've had a dissentor
A loud singing tenor
Who sits below our screen

Screaming his song
Out loud all night long,
And never stopping to breathe.

Next to the house
He's warm as a mouse,
And sings faster than all his friends.

His lack of concern
For tempo has earned
Both of our disrespect-

I can not sleep
For hearing his cheep
And that's why I'm not in bed.

Sunday

Yesterday we stayed home from church. Ian and I were tired and achey, Micaela and Asher had high fevers, Nathaniel was coughing and snotty, and Gabriel was simply Gabe. We took a long drive in the country, got lost, decided to visit my Grandparents, had lunch, went to an apple orchard for dumplings and ice cream and then came home through Chattanooga, where Micaela picked up a winter wardrobe. I wanted to share some of Nathaniel from yesterday.

At breakfast: Dear God, thank you for the food, and thank you for making the food, and thank you for making your own glory cause you're soooo beautiful. Amen.

In the car, Micaela: Nathaniel, where are you going?
Nathaniel: to heaven.

At lunch: Dear God thank you for all the food, and for the corn, and for making our bodies, and for giving us the food to make our bodies grow cause we want to grow. Amen.