Randomness and Storms!

When I plugged in the camera today I discovered a few missing images from Chicago that needed to be shared! The memories just keep on coming!

This is the water tower...the only building left standing after the famous Chicago fire.

(And that's K and L in the bottom right corner!)

Yes, we went in here!

Yes, we drooled a bit!

And in amidst the tulips and city life, we stumbled across this lovely fountain...so calming!

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Yesterday I was the crazy lady that took three children shopping at 9am to buy flowers for our gardens and window boxes and then came home and had LOTS of help planting them! Tater had a blast picking out flowers and choosing her favorites! It was a great way to celebrate Earth Day and give back to the planet.

I picked these for by the front door...even though I had said I wasn't doing any container gardening this year...other than window boxes...oh, well!

We planted four of these with Dusty Miller, petunias, and ivy.

This box has an added delphinium...which supposedly attracts hummingbirds and butterflies and detracts deer (not they are frequent visitors to our neighborhood!)...and Tater had to have it! We hope to be able to watch visitors from our window this spring and summer!

Tater picked the pink daisies!

The yarrow made me think of Mimi's garden.

Tater loved these purple flowers and they made my two whiskey barrels easy to plant!

And how pretty is this!

(Imagine it without the sticker!)

Cool thing is that this plant was grown in the town I was born in...hundreds of miles from where I live now...just a neat connection!

This is our backyard expansion that we finished last week to incorporate the "trumpoline" (in Bruiser language!). The net we ordered should be arriving today so I'll feel a bit better having the little ones jump, jump, jump!

This is Daddy's new fire pit...to go with his new grill

(pictures later...it was covered and I'm not supposed to touch the man stuff!).

Hopefully we will break in the pit this weekend with the marshmallows we bought last night!

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And yesterday a storm hit...literally and figuratively!

This was the sky yesterday afternoon.

Imposing, huh?

See the hail on the chair?

And on the canopy and deck?

And, while that storm was happening, my lovely school department that employs me was brewing a storm of their own! We've been without a contract for almost two years. Last January (2009), they unilaterally and unprecedentedly cut our salary 5% and imposed a 20% co-pay on out health insurance. It was a huge blow financially and spiritually for the union...we lost all faith in the school committee, who refused to negotiate and ignored the mediator's suggestions. Things have been tied up in court since then. Until yesterday...

The attorney for the school department sent a letter to the attorney for our union. They are cutting our pay another 3%, requiring us to work an additional 4 days per school year, and additional half hour each day, increasing our class size from 25 students to 28 students, and cutting our sick days (15 paid days down to 8 paid and 7 unpaid...but you have to use two paid, then seven unpaid, and then the remaining 6 paid).

Now, I love my job...I really do...I can't think of any other job I'd rather do! But all the stuff that goes with it is so frustrating. Teaching is one of the most dedicated and giving professions I have ever seen. It so hard to see such amazing professionals have their livelihood cut and cut again. The lack of respect and value is unbelievable. Yes, we get the summers off. Yes, we have shorter work days. Yes, we get a lot of vacations throughout the school year. But, admit it...do you really want to spend all day in a classroom filled with five- or six- or seven-year-olds...or (in my opinion!) with a school full of teenagers? We earn every bit of what we get...no matter how little it is becoming!

That being said...I'm going to try to enjoy my last day of spring break. Then, come Monday, I'll go back to school and happily greet all my little ones and continue to give them best education I am trained to give...and love every minute of it!

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And here is a happy thought to end the randomness...Miss Wiggles is trying to be Mommy!

Ooooo, look at those little legs!

Too, too, too cute!

In Like A Lamb and Out Like A Lion!

March started out fabulous! We spent the week playing outside...and most days without coats!

Daddy was trying to grow grass here in the fall...now it's just Bruiser's construction site!

Cheese!

Tater!

Then the rain hit and we spent a LOT of time inside!

Miss Wiggles ate her first ear of corn!

And we headed to a local hockey game on Friday night. Daddy's company has season tickets that they raffle off for each game and this week he won! So we took all three...yes, all three!...kids to the game. We left after the second period, telling the kids that they were never going to a game again! It was that bad. Bruiser fussed and wiggled and screamed until he fell asleep on my lap. Tater bounced all around, kicked all the people in front of us, and managed to spill her water bottle into the hood of the man sitting in front of Daddy. Miss Wiggles was the best of the three! She sat and drank her bottle and clapped her hands every time everyone else did!

Don't you love Tater's fashion sense?

Bruiser tickling Wiggles!

Sibling kisses!

Then Saturday we headed to Tumble Tots...because we didn't get enough torture Friday night! Bruiser wanted nothing to do with the activities until they pulled the parachute out. I think we need to find a parachute class and he'd be thrilled!

And that's where he laid until the parachute came out!

We followed Tumble Tots with some shopping and a work party. Then more shopping Sunday after Sunday School (because we forgot to change the clocks and missed church!). We'll share the newest "members" of our family another day...it's always fun to treat yourself to some new toys once in a while!

Blizzard?

There was a blizzard? Where? Did I blink and miss it?

Here's what I saw...

Anyone else want to agree that this did not warrant a "snow" day from school?

Meetings Through the Eyes of a Four-Year-Old

It seems that there have been a lot of "meetings" in house lately - bible studies, committee meetings, work meetings, book groups, etc. So my kids know that Mommy and Daddy have meetings and that someone else has to watch them. Actually, they enjoy these breaks from us!

Every other Wednesday, I have a staff meeting at school at 2:45. Now, because I teach morning kindergarten, I am home from school by 11:30 and my sitter leaves. So what do I do on the days that I have staff meetings and I have to go back to school? My wonderful neighbor, B, who has Wednesdays off, comes and he sits with my kids and his while I head off - and yes, I said he- what a great Dad!

Anyway, last year it worked great. This year it got a bit tricky. Tater has preschool on Wednesdays until 2:30 - a block away from my school. So this year I pick her up and take her with me. Unfortunately she can't sit in the meeting with me because the language isn't always G-rated (teachers, who knew!). So she plays in the kindergarten room with two other little girls whose Mommy is a teacher too. It works great!

Anyway, all that to tell this story!

We were driving home from my meeting today and Tater asked to have her own meeting. She's going to invite "little big people" and have cookies and have a rest time and play a lot! I tried to explain that meetings aren't fun and that you listen to people talk and you don't get to play. I guess all that was over her head because she insists that she is still having her meeting her way with LOTS of people! Oh, and I'm in charge of the invitations - so let me know if you meet the qualification of a "little big people"!!!!

Weekend Review!

We spent the past weekend making a six-hour drive to Mimi and Papa's on Friday, visiting with the family on Saturday, and making a six-hour dive home on Sunday - just a quick trip! But it was enjoyed by grandparents and the grandchildren - and that's what matters! Mimi needed a pick-me-up, Tater needed a Papa-fix, Papa needed a "Tater Squeeze," and Bruiser needed to take a trip "up Papa's...hill!" Of course, Mommy and Daddy enjoyed some family time, some yummy food that can only be gotten at Papa and Mimi's, and some bargain shopping (at least Mommy did!).

Since this was our last visit before Halloween, we decided to celebrate a bit early and went knocking on Mimi and Papa's door and even stopped by Auntie M's and Uncle J's. We got a few looks, but the kids had fun!

Attack of the "roar"!

The only shot I could get of the bunch that is always moving!

I woke up Sunday morning (at 5:00am!) to Papa telling me Tater had a tummy ache. I assumed she had a bad dream (They watched "Shrek" before bed!) and told Papa to turn on some kid shows and she should settle down. Two hours later, I found out I was wrong! Tater - who's only 4! - got herself to the bathroom before she got sick. What an amazingly big girl!

So then we began the debate about what to do. Do we take a sick child in the car for six hours? Do we stay another day and both miss work on Monday? And what if some else gets sick until Monday morning? Nothing is ever easy in our life!

In a couple hours, after several mad dashes to the bathroom, Tater was claiming she was "starving" and successfully kept her snack down. So we bit the bullet, loaded the car, and headed off to home! She was a trooper! Not a sick moment on the trip. And we only made one stop, halfway through. She took a good two hour nap (see below) and I think that help her more than anything! She did stay home from school Monday but only because she was up four times Sunday night to go to the bathroom - really, what four-year-old does this? She is so big!

In a future post, I'll share our new toy (hint: we finally hot a Wii!!!!!!) and how we broke Papa's heart by buying it!

And, here's the other news...Shadow stayed with Mimi for a vacation and to give her a bit of company. He's determined to sleep on Papa's pillow...we'll see who wins that battle! But, we are missing him...especially when Miss Wiggles has spaghetti for dinner!

Chickens, Goats, Chickens, Turkeys, Sheep, and...Yes, More Chickens!

Last weekend, Daddy's company had a family picnic at a local farm and nature preserve. Tater was away with Mimi and Papa, but headed off bright and early with Bruiser and Miss Wiggles. It took us a bit of time to find the right spot, but when we did we found a great location with lots of activities to keep the kids - big and little - entertained. We explored the bounce house, the farm, the volleyball court, and, of course, the food!

Our day started off with us discovering just how small a world we live in! When we arrived, another family has also just pulled into the parking lot. Daddy had just spent a week training with the husband, which was a bit uncommon since they worked in different areas of the company. The husbands began introductions when I looked at the wife and realized that she and I had spent time together while her daughter and Bruiser were in speech group together...small world!

Bruiser spent most of the day hauling his bag of "fars" around and finding secluded areas to play by himself. He really prefers to be by himself!

Playing "fars" in the volleyball court

Smiles from Miss Wiggles

Bruiser and his bag of "fars"

"Cheese!"

Checking out the chickens

Visiting the goat

They Make Insurance For A Reason!

You know how you pay those monthly premiums on your car/house/etc. insurance? And you know how every month you groan and moan about spending the money? Well, I learned just how wonderful insurance can be!

We have been in a bit of a car world nightmare these past few weeks. Daddy has a car that was made in 2001 - and it needed a bit of work (think the $2000-3000 range - yeah, I know!). So we debated about fixing it or getting a new one. Paying the one-time repair costs won out over the monthly car payments, as nice as a new car seemed to Daddy!

So, with such large bills looming, we didn't need any other expenses at the moment. And everything seemed to be okay...until yesterday. It was an overcast day, I was rushing to get out of work, run a quick errand, and make it home for my afternoon book club. Well, with all that on my mind I didn't notice how close the car next to me in the school parking lot had parked. I started to back up and ... BANG! Yup, I hit that car. So I got out and checked the damage. My car was fine - paint transfer on the bumper. The other car? Two scraped and dented doors from my nice big mini-van bumper. *sigh*

So I headed back into the school, had the secretary make an announcement to see who's car it was, and braced myself to suffer the consequences. I got lucky - the car belonged to a fellow teacher, who is a friend, and who's husband owns a body shop. She didn't even bother to look at it and decided to let her husband check it that night.

So the "damage"? Amazingly, my little mistake was going to cast $1000 to fix! She asked if I wanted to pay it or submit it to my insurance...ha, ha, ha! Like I have $1000 sitting around! So, I called my insurance company today and they were SO nice (If you are looking for an insurance carrier, call Liberty Mutual - we love them!)! The repairs will be covered and most likely my premium won't be affected since it was my first little mistake! Thank you, God, for those monthly payments!

This Man Deserves An Award...Or Does He?

Daddy has been working a lot of hours this week. His project at work is at a very critical point and besides working extras hours, he is also is "on-call" every other night until things settle down. And you know what it means when Daddy works extra hours...Mommy works extra hours at home! Now, we are fortunate that Tater is at Papa and Mimi's - that means one less child! So the past two night Daddy has worked past Bruiser's bedtime, has missed dinner, and only got the occasional G-Baby cuddle. Award-deserve so far, right? Just wait!

Last night, I headed to bed around 10:30, exhausted from playing Mommy all by myself. G-Baby settled right down and all was good until about 4am. G-Baby started to fuss and nothing seemed to settle her (by morning, I discovered she had a little bellyache, but that wasn't apparent at 4am!). An hour into trying to settle her (5am), I developed a full-blown migraine. I had no choice but to wake Daddy and ask him to take over so that I could sleep away the headache and still make it to work in the morning. And the response I got? In his own words..."I didn't come to bed until 2am and I have a 9am meeting. I have to sleep."

Yes, that's right! He did say just that! Now, you might think he was up until 2am because of work...not so much! He chose to stay up that late! And a 9am meeting? What about the 22 5- and 6-year-olds that would be waiting for me at 8am? There might have been a bit of yelling that followed and then I continued to soothe G-Baby...God forbid, we interrupt Daddy's sleep! Award-winning Daddy, don't you think!

But there's more! By the time I got up, I was still a bit irritated...to say the least! I got ready, headed out to work, grabbing my keys off the hook by the door, where I always hang them and Daddy never does. I was at work for about 30 minutes when I looked up and saw Daddy in the doorway of my classroom. Daddy NEVER comes to my school. And don't get excited...he wasn't there to apologize. Come to find out, he had decided to hang his keys on the hook as well - on top of mine. I grabbed his keys, which had the only key to his car. So before he could leave for work, he had to borrow the sitter's car and come swap keys. He actually asked if I had done it to get back him! and, even though I didn't, it sure would have been a great idea!

Oh, and that 9am meeting? He missed it!

What I Learned Ths Week

1. I learned that you CAN teach all morning, manage the preschool run, follow your son through early intervention, do the preschool pick-up, make dinner, haul all three kids to dance class, and attend a church meeting...all on an hour of sleep (I think anyway...I'll let you know tomorrow!).

2. I learned that there are times as a parent that you will actually root AGAINST your child! Bruiser failed his speech evaluation today which qualifies him for more therapy and I actually cheered! You moms can understand - when your children need something (and Bruiser needs help with his talking!), you want to do everything to help them - including wishing and praying with all your might that they fail! I guess it falls under the same category of when you take your child to the doctor and you are praying that he has an ear infection so it is a justified visit...you understand!

3. I rediscovered the sweet innocence of seeing your baby baptised and blessed in the eyes of God - even when your older children are screaming and running all around you.

4. I learned there is nothing sadder than having to pry your four-year-old off her Papa when its time for him to leave and then having to listen to her scream at the door "I need my Poppy!"

5. I learned how wonderful it is to have friends that know just what you need and when you need it.

6. I learned that I can stand strong in my faith and I can support my beliefs and that I can surround myself with others who have the same faith and beliefs.

7. I learned that it is a lot easier to be a dedicated kindergarten teacher when you are not pregnant...even when you only got one hour of sleep the night before!

8. And I have re-affirmed that there is no better job than being a mommy!

What I Learned This Week

1. I learned (or maybe was reminded!) that it is very hard to think when its this nice outside - I just want to play outside and go to the beach! I just can't be as creative as some other Mommy Bloggers - not today anyway!

2. I learned that even though no one can understand your two-year-old, he doesn't neccessarily qulify for services (more to come on this frustrating topic!).

3. I'm learning that I am just a character in God's story...and I will share more as I learn more about that role!

4. I learned that giving a baby shots is just mean and that older siblings don't like to watch or hear the screaming that comes with it!

5. I learned that organization never lasts!

6. I learned that disappointment is still rotten even to a mommy. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week (which I think is actually next week), our PTA arranged for all the teachers to get 15 minute chair massages today. Then about an hour before my scheduled time they announced that they are being postponed until next week - so disappointing!

7. I learned that you can miss your four-year-old so bad it actually makes your heart hurt! Two more "stucks" until Tater returns to the House of Sprout - Mommy and Daddy are counting the hours!

8. I learned that a baby can eat and eat and be a total munch and still not gain enough weight to even be on the growth chart - don't the rolls on G-Baby's legs mean anything?

9. I remembered that even though spring flowers and trees are beautiful, they still make me itch and feel miserable!

10. And the biggest revelation that my husband and I had this weekend was...we have outgrown our house and we can't think about moving anytime soon! Too many kids, too much stuff, and not enough money to fix it!

Rookie Mama in the House!

G-Baby has reached that magical age when those sharp little teeth have begun to push against her tender little gums and cause that intense pain that turns a sweet, happy baby into every parents nightmare! Last night we slept about an hour - and that was with her glued to my side in my bed. Then this afternoon she woke from her nap screaming and couldn't be consoled. I changed her, I fed her, I walked her, I patted her, I rocked her - NOTHING WORKED! She screamed so loud that she woke Tater from her nap. Finally, out of desperation, I called Daddy at work and let him hear her cry. He figured out the solution ... from 20 miles away!

Daddy: "Did you feed her, change her...?"
Me: "YES! I DID EVERYTHING! NOTHING WORKING! I CAN'T TAKE IT!"
Daddy: "How about Tylenol?"
Me: "Oh, I didn't think of that - maybe I should try some."

So, in went the Tylenol and off went the crying. I felt like such a rookie! I've been through this two other times (Never mind that Bruiser Boy popped five teeth without a peep and the doctor had to tell me about them!). I should know what to do - I'm going with "it was the heat of the moment!" and I'm putting the Tylenol by my bed tonight!

Daddy Day Care - The Sprout House Version!

Disclaimer to Daddy: This is not meant to make you feel like you are not appreciated! I just had to share the craziness of our house! We love you, Daddy!

So, as I wrote earlier, our sitter enjoyed a wonderful vacation and some well-deserved time away from our "angels"! While she was gone, we juggled a few people around to watch our darlings since Mommy couldn't get any time off work. The first two days were assigned to Daddy. And to be honest, I was more worried about those days than I was about the other two days when our amazing neighbors watched the kids! One would think - "Oh, Daddy knows the kids, knows the house, knows the routine, knows the expectations...everything should be fine!" - well, not exactly. As much as I love Daddy and as wonderful a Daddy as he is - he doesn't multi-task very well and becomes easily over-whelmed...two traits that don't work for a stay-at-home parent! Here are the pictures of what I came home to the second day, when Tater came to school with me and he only had Bruiser Boy and G-Baby:

To add to the chaos, Daddy decided to add a whole-house water filter to the basement in the midst of all this. I was very grateful - our city water has been full of rust for the past year and the children have been bathing in brown water - DISGUSTING! In the middle of fixing the filter pipe, something broke and he had to shut the water off. Then when I got home, he had to go to his favorite place - Home Depot - and then come back to fix the filter. Not the best plans for a day when he's watching three children and planning to go into work in the afternoon. Needless to say, he worked from home that day!

Missing filter - no water in the house!

Our lovely, efficient filter! It works amazingly!