Today, Gabe and I had the opportunity to go to his kindergarten open house and meet his teacher. While she was describing the curriculum and class units for the year she mentioned, that in the spring, the class would be "hatching baby chicks." Gabe (who had wondered off to the other side of the room) perked up and returned to me with a look of up most confusion.
He, quite confusedly (is that a word?) said, "Mom, how are we going to hatch baby chick?"
"I don't know Gabe. I guess you will have to wait and see in the spring."
Gabe, after a minute of contemplation, "Am I going to have to sit on them?"
I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing right there in the class room (I know.....Melanie laughing?.....impossible!)
I am thankful to the Lord for offering me times like these to remind me of what adorable kids I have. Otherwise I think I would forget, what with all the seriousness life seems to have trust upon me lately.
Oh......check out my newly started "other" blog
www.melanielovesdinner.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Kids say the darn-dest things
Kids sure say the darn-dest things don't they?
Gabe and I had quite the interesting conversation yesterday. I had gone downstairs to read him a book before quiet time and as I snuggled up on the bed next to him he says,
"Mom....we have four boys in our family don't we."
"Yep," I said, and testing to see whether or not he considered me a girl, "and how many girls do we have?"
"One...........but we will be having another one soon."
Me.....feeling a little uncomfortable at this point, "Oh yeah, how do you figure?"
"Well, you are going to grow her and then you will go to the hopsipal (yes....it is a typo but this is how he said it).
I don't know Who has been talking to my kids but they sure have been interested in having a baby sister. Do they not understand that we just had a baby. Do they not get it? Huh? Huh?
On a similar note, a friend of mine told me this story today. But first a little background on her. She is the mother of 5 year old twins, has a baby who has JUST turned one and is 19 weeks pregnant.
Yesterday she was driving in the car with her kids, had turned off the radio for some R and R, and found herself praying about her worries and fears (having little money, so many kids, etc) and was just finished telling the Lord that she thought they might be done after #4 was born and then.......one of her 5 year olds piped up with this:
"Mommy, the Holy Ghost just whispered to me and told me that there is another baby in heaven waiting and we are suppose to have five kids in our family."
Wow.....isn't that crazy. At least I don't have that kind of pressure.
Who am I kidding? I, at LEAST, have two more to go. If that's not pressure I don't know what is.
Gabe and I had quite the interesting conversation yesterday. I had gone downstairs to read him a book before quiet time and as I snuggled up on the bed next to him he says,
"Mom....we have four boys in our family don't we."
"Yep," I said, and testing to see whether or not he considered me a girl, "and how many girls do we have?"
"One...........but we will be having another one soon."
Me.....feeling a little uncomfortable at this point, "Oh yeah, how do you figure?"
"Well, you are going to grow her and then you will go to the hopsipal (yes....it is a typo but this is how he said it).
I don't know Who has been talking to my kids but they sure have been interested in having a baby sister. Do they not understand that we just had a baby. Do they not get it? Huh? Huh?
On a similar note, a friend of mine told me this story today. But first a little background on her. She is the mother of 5 year old twins, has a baby who has JUST turned one and is 19 weeks pregnant.
Yesterday she was driving in the car with her kids, had turned off the radio for some R and R, and found herself praying about her worries and fears (having little money, so many kids, etc) and was just finished telling the Lord that she thought they might be done after #4 was born and then.......one of her 5 year olds piped up with this:
"Mommy, the Holy Ghost just whispered to me and told me that there is another baby in heaven waiting and we are suppose to have five kids in our family."
Wow.....isn't that crazy. At least I don't have that kind of pressure.
Who am I kidding? I, at LEAST, have two more to go. If that's not pressure I don't know what is.
Testosterone Overload.....I thought I knew the meaning!
Gillespie Household Testosterone Count: 4 (ages 30, 5, 2 1/2, and 1). Gillespie Household Estrogen Count: 1 (age 27). I am used to being outnumbered and I am cool with it. Like it says in my header "It's okay, I have enough estrogen to balance it out." Besides, the nice thing about male hormones is that they are pretty steady and consistent. I can't imagine what our house would be like if the numbers were flip-flopped. Having said that.....I can now say that if I EVER thought I knew what true Testosterone Overload was....I was wrong. Oh, so very wrong.
Last weekend, things got a little interesting as we more than doubled the amount of Testosterone in our home. Weekend Testosterone Count: 9 (ages 33, 30, 8, 7, 5, 4, 2 1/2, 2 1/2, and 1). Weekend Estrogen Count: 2 (27 and 27).
We had some friends stay with us for a few days. They not only have three active boys of their own but they brought along their 8 year old brother/brother-in-law as well.
Crazy.....crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy. I literally thought the house would come tumbling down a few times. There was lots of wrestling, lots of yelling, lots of things being broken, and LOTS and LOTS of time enjoying the outdoors. HOORAY for good weather. What would we have done without you?
Be as it may, I did learn a few valuable things.
#1 Stop having children NOW. We can't afford to risk the possibility of ANY more boys.
#2 A room with padded walls is a NECESSITY. It must consist of four walls covered in high impact foam, straight jackets, and a pad lock on the outside. (I know what you are thinking.....but no,.....the room is not for me. It would be for the boys...although I may have to borrow it at times when Rob is traveling with work and, in order to do that,.....Rob would have to find a job. So as you can see...the room would solely be for the use of the children. At least for a while. Anyhow......). The rules would be that no one is allowed out unless they were bleeding, on the verge of dying, or already dead (in which case they would not be coming out on their own, but on a stretcher headed for the morgue).
#3 Boys are Boys are Boys. Here I thought my boys were the only one who were loud, obnoxious, mean, hyperactive, and a number of other things but....it turns out most of them are like that. Wow. I guess I won't have to send mine away to boot camp for babies after all.
EARLY Sunday morning (about 6:15AM) we found Gabe and Cael standing next to Nate and Nicole's air mattress talking their ears off (I have no idea where they get that). Nate and Nicole later told us that they would be bailing out on us a night early and going to their hotel instead. Something about "needing to catch up on sleep." I must say, I have never been more grateful for early-rising children. (that's a joke....just a joke).
All kidding aside, we did enjoy having the Carroll's with us. It has been a really long time since we have had the opportunity to enjoy their company and....enjoy it we did.
Thanks guys for giving us a glimpse into the future. I must say, I have NEVER been more frightened of what is to come.
Last weekend, things got a little interesting as we more than doubled the amount of Testosterone in our home. Weekend Testosterone Count: 9 (ages 33, 30, 8, 7, 5, 4, 2 1/2, 2 1/2, and 1). Weekend Estrogen Count: 2 (27 and 27).
We had some friends stay with us for a few days. They not only have three active boys of their own but they brought along their 8 year old brother/brother-in-law as well.
Crazy.....crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy. I literally thought the house would come tumbling down a few times. There was lots of wrestling, lots of yelling, lots of things being broken, and LOTS and LOTS of time enjoying the outdoors. HOORAY for good weather. What would we have done without you?
Be as it may, I did learn a few valuable things.
#1 Stop having children NOW. We can't afford to risk the possibility of ANY more boys.
#2 A room with padded walls is a NECESSITY. It must consist of four walls covered in high impact foam, straight jackets, and a pad lock on the outside. (I know what you are thinking.....but no,.....the room is not for me. It would be for the boys...although I may have to borrow it at times when Rob is traveling with work and, in order to do that,.....Rob would have to find a job. So as you can see...the room would solely be for the use of the children. At least for a while. Anyhow......). The rules would be that no one is allowed out unless they were bleeding, on the verge of dying, or already dead (in which case they would not be coming out on their own, but on a stretcher headed for the morgue).
#3 Boys are Boys are Boys. Here I thought my boys were the only one who were loud, obnoxious, mean, hyperactive, and a number of other things but....it turns out most of them are like that. Wow. I guess I won't have to send mine away to boot camp for babies after all.
EARLY Sunday morning (about 6:15AM) we found Gabe and Cael standing next to Nate and Nicole's air mattress talking their ears off (I have no idea where they get that). Nate and Nicole later told us that they would be bailing out on us a night early and going to their hotel instead. Something about "needing to catch up on sleep." I must say, I have never been more grateful for early-rising children. (that's a joke....just a joke).
All kidding aside, we did enjoy having the Carroll's with us. It has been a really long time since we have had the opportunity to enjoy their company and....enjoy it we did.
Thanks guys for giving us a glimpse into the future. I must say, I have NEVER been more frightened of what is to come.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Pedestal Plunge.......I have fallen and never want to return
So....I have this new obsessive compulsive behavior....it's called blogging. For some reason my mind in constantly thinking about what I might write about and......here I am again, writing about some insanely nonsensical things that really has no bearing on my life or the life of my readers.......or does it?
I was marveling today at how much I am enjoying my new mad house running skills (thank you Napoleon Dynamite). I have spent far too much time, in the last few years, berating myself for not being able to keeping house like I used to. What a joke, right? Was that not a completely different life time?
"The Time of Too Much Time"
Melanie: stay at home mother of one (Does that not say enough right there?). My house was deep cleaned once a week and spotlessly maintained throughout. The laundry was ALWAYS folded, Gabe was bathed ever other day, without fail. Dishes were done after EVERY meal and the kitchen was wiped down accordingly. Toys, books, and anything else touched by ANYONE were put properly back in their place the minute they left the hands of the user (no wonder Gabe never really learned to PLAY). I was known, amongst my friends and neighbors as "The Clean One" (or "One of the clean ones." Nicole was there too). What a pedestal to be put on. I don't know about you but I HATE being put on a pedestal. Inevitably you fall off..... and fallen, I have.
Now I have three children and a husband that is home full-time. The house is deep cleaned on a as-needed basis (or should I say, was-needed-a-week-ago-and-is-now-beyond-DISGUSTING- basis), I still TRY to keep the house tidy and not too unsanitary. The laundry is ONLY folded after two or more consecutive days of Gabe saying, "Mom, there is no underwear in my drawer,"or "Mom, I don't have any clothes to wear"...then I fold what is left of it (because inevitably, at that point, the clean baskets are starting to empty out and the dirty ones are filling up again), toys are always scattered around the house (we do try to pick them up at night but sometimes getting the kids out of our hair is more important than having them pick up their toys) and the status of the kitchen only enters my mind once a day.
The shining beacon in this life of anti-perfection is that I am coming to terms with it. Life is what it is and there is just no more time left in the day to get my "chores" done like I used to (unless I were to forgo all family (and blog) time). The important things are taken care of. My husband and children are fed and loved and are not forced to live in conditions that would attract the attention of social services. The rest just takes a back burner.
Rob.....my ever SO helpful husband and I, have come up with a nightly routine that is SO GREAT. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful husband. Every night after dinner he takes charge of the kids. He bathes them, dresses them, medicates them, and brushes their teeth. He even helps them pick up all their toys. Meanwhile, I am left alone in the kitchen to conquer the mess. And every night, I shut the light off and turn my back to a clean kitchen. I LOVE IT and I love him for allowing me the time to do it. I don't have to think about dishes all day, which includes not mentally scolding myself for not doing them after every meal, and in the end they get done and I don't even resent having to do them. It's WONDERFUL.
For those of you who knew me when I lived at Wrigley Apt, you would die if you saw my house now. Nicole (my former pedestal mate) and her family are staying with us this weekend. I think she will probably have a heart attack (or course the house will be clean when she gets here but after a few days I think my secret will be out). These changes in me are actually quite positive, I think, and hopefully she will see that too. Maybe I can talk her into taking the plunge with me.
Sunday's Spokesman Review Classifieds:
One "CLEANEST HOUSE IN THE UNIVERSE" Pedestal is now vacant and ready for the taking. Cost: Your ever living soul. If you are interested, please contact the Devil @666-6666.
Other pedestals that may be available soon, courtesy of Melanie G:
"THE MOST CONSISTENT MOM (Even If It Means Following Through With Something That Makes Her Mother Cringe)" Pedestal and "THE SKINNY ONE" Pedestal. Inquire Above.
I was marveling today at how much I am enjoying my new mad house running skills (thank you Napoleon Dynamite). I have spent far too much time, in the last few years, berating myself for not being able to keeping house like I used to. What a joke, right? Was that not a completely different life time?
"The Time of Too Much Time"
Melanie: stay at home mother of one (Does that not say enough right there?). My house was deep cleaned once a week and spotlessly maintained throughout. The laundry was ALWAYS folded, Gabe was bathed ever other day, without fail. Dishes were done after EVERY meal and the kitchen was wiped down accordingly. Toys, books, and anything else touched by ANYONE were put properly back in their place the minute they left the hands of the user (no wonder Gabe never really learned to PLAY). I was known, amongst my friends and neighbors as "The Clean One" (or "One of the clean ones." Nicole was there too). What a pedestal to be put on. I don't know about you but I HATE being put on a pedestal. Inevitably you fall off..... and fallen, I have.
Now I have three children and a husband that is home full-time. The house is deep cleaned on a as-needed basis (or should I say, was-needed-a-week-ago-and-is-now-beyond-DISGUSTING- basis), I still TRY to keep the house tidy and not too unsanitary. The laundry is ONLY folded after two or more consecutive days of Gabe saying, "Mom, there is no underwear in my drawer,"or "Mom, I don't have any clothes to wear"...then I fold what is left of it (because inevitably, at that point, the clean baskets are starting to empty out and the dirty ones are filling up again), toys are always scattered around the house (we do try to pick them up at night but sometimes getting the kids out of our hair is more important than having them pick up their toys) and the status of the kitchen only enters my mind once a day.
The shining beacon in this life of anti-perfection is that I am coming to terms with it. Life is what it is and there is just no more time left in the day to get my "chores" done like I used to (unless I were to forgo all family (and blog) time). The important things are taken care of. My husband and children are fed and loved and are not forced to live in conditions that would attract the attention of social services. The rest just takes a back burner.
Rob.....my ever SO helpful husband and I, have come up with a nightly routine that is SO GREAT. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful husband. Every night after dinner he takes charge of the kids. He bathes them, dresses them, medicates them, and brushes their teeth. He even helps them pick up all their toys. Meanwhile, I am left alone in the kitchen to conquer the mess. And every night, I shut the light off and turn my back to a clean kitchen. I LOVE IT and I love him for allowing me the time to do it. I don't have to think about dishes all day, which includes not mentally scolding myself for not doing them after every meal, and in the end they get done and I don't even resent having to do them. It's WONDERFUL.
For those of you who knew me when I lived at Wrigley Apt, you would die if you saw my house now. Nicole (my former pedestal mate) and her family are staying with us this weekend. I think she will probably have a heart attack (or course the house will be clean when she gets here but after a few days I think my secret will be out). These changes in me are actually quite positive, I think, and hopefully she will see that too. Maybe I can talk her into taking the plunge with me.
Sunday's Spokesman Review Classifieds:
One "CLEANEST HOUSE IN THE UNIVERSE" Pedestal is now vacant and ready for the taking. Cost: Your ever living soul. If you are interested, please contact the Devil @666-6666.
Other pedestals that may be available soon, courtesy of Melanie G:
"THE MOST CONSISTENT MOM (Even If It Means Following Through With Something That Makes Her Mother Cringe)" Pedestal and "THE SKINNY ONE" Pedestal. Inquire Above.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Good Times on the Oregon Coast.
We just spent the last few days on the Oregon Coast and had a really good time (besides the fact that I got sick and spent most of the last two days on the couch with a fever...oh well). No....we normally do not go on vacation, especially when we don't have a job but....we had already payed for it and we could NOT pass up the opportunity to see all the Thiessen's. It had been far too long (6 years) and most of them had not met the boys. Besides, they are too much fun. So....we went and what a fun time it was.
By the way, for anyone who suffers from chronic car sickness (which I do) I have a solution. A good one too. These....
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....are called "sea bands" and fight against motion sickness. I was soooo nauseous the last few days we were there (something to do with this bug and the twisty roads) that i wanted to hurl every time we were in the car. So, on the ride home I put them on and I felt awesome the whole time. I could even read. It was great. Rob thinks it is all in my head but to this I say......WHO CARES. He is constantly teasing me about them and thinks that if I put them in the trunk and tell myself that they will still help, then they will. Real funny, huh? Anyway, supposedly they can help with morning sickness too. I have had them for YEARS and have never tried them with pregnancy. I will have to try them next time. I'll let y'all know.
Goodbye days of summer bliss.....hello reality.
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| Make a Smilebox scrapbook |
By the way, for anyone who suffers from chronic car sickness (which I do) I have a solution. A good one too. These....
.JPG)
....are called "sea bands" and fight against motion sickness. I was soooo nauseous the last few days we were there (something to do with this bug and the twisty roads) that i wanted to hurl every time we were in the car. So, on the ride home I put them on and I felt awesome the whole time. I could even read. It was great. Rob thinks it is all in my head but to this I say......WHO CARES. He is constantly teasing me about them and thinks that if I put them in the trunk and tell myself that they will still help, then they will. Real funny, huh? Anyway, supposedly they can help with morning sickness too. I have had them for YEARS and have never tried them with pregnancy. I will have to try them next time. I'll let y'all know.
Goodbye days of summer bliss.....hello reality.
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