Saturday, June 28, 2008

Almost missed the reunion!

Today was the annual Mathis-Darnall reunion in Marshall County. We've been going for the last 4 or 5 years. Usually we take Tim's Mom since it is her family and she no longer can drive herself. This morning we called her to see if she wanted us to take her and we didn't get an answer. At 11:30 (after about an hour trying to reach Mary) we got concerned and called her sister, who also happened to be in charge of the festivities. We found out that the reunion was from 12-3, not starting at 3 as we had been told. We made it just after everyone had settled down to eat, but our contribution was PB&J sandwiches and two cans of pringles. I had planned to do more, but sandwiches were the only thing I could think of that I could assemble en route to Draffenville. Call and confirm. Our new policy with all things. Yesterday it was a lifeguard that didn't show up at the kids' party, today we almost missed the reunion. I also have to remember to bring the phone in the house and not leave it in the car. That way when folks are trying to call you about family events, you can actually get the call!!

All tied up

Friday night we stopped by DQ for some ice cream. I ordered while Tim stayed in the car with the crew. We had decided to eat it on the way home as it was getting late. When I returned to the car Carter was crying and Matthew and Laurel were in a panic about him being trapped in his seatbelt. I didn't really think it was any big deal so I handed off ice cream to Tim and went to untangle him. Somehow the child had managed to twist the belt around his waist, retract the belt, and lock it. There was no slack to maneuver the belt and it would not unlock without retracting further. I got the booster seat out from under him, and still there was not enough slack to loosen the belt. I told Tim he was really stuck and he took over as I perused the owner's manual to see if there was any way to unlock the belt. We start discussing who we could call for help. Who would lend aid to a child tangled in a seat belt? The fire department? A tow truck? Sometimes you wish you had AAA. Tim decides that instead of focusing on untangling the belt, he would try moving Carter. He had Carter stand on his head and then he turned his body around the belt until he was able to get it untwisted (picture untwisting a corkscrew). Crisis averted. Another saga in the craziness that is our life. You would think stopping for ice cream would be fairly uneventful!

Friday, June 27, 2008

Kids' Party

Today was our annual kid party. We had a pool party on MSU's campus and fun was had by all. The kids really got into the "hosting" aspects this year. They helped plan, shop, prepare, and clean up. It was a great time and they enjoyed the time with their friends. I unfortunately forgot to take pictures!! I had my camera in our swim bag and forgot to take it out, bummer. Usually Tim reminds me but he was busy with Katey in the pool. Maybe it was my subconscious mind telling me not to be photographed in my swimsuit! Thanks to everyone who came and made this year's bash a good one! Next year I will remember to better document the event.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Amazing coverage

So Tim got home today and read the blog and disagreed with me. He told me that while Katey's mistreatment and milestone are worth documenting he didn't think that was the event that should have been posted. He asked me why I didn't post about the way we started our day. Frankly, I didn't want to relive it. However, with his suggestion I am persuaded to share. This morning Laurel was going to assist her sister with some applesauce to go with her bagel. Katey loves the "sauce" and Laurel has gotten pretty adept at serving food. She gets it from the fridge, removes the cap, pours it in a bowl, and goes to put the cap back on (which she had left near the fridge). En route she trips over a toy. The applesauce jar falls to the floor and amazingly enough the glass jar doesn't shatter (perhaps because the lid was not on?). That blessing is overshadowed however by the coverage reached by the contents within. The curtains, the ceiling, two walls, the cabinet, the floor, the vent, and INSIDE the duct work below- all splattered with "sauce". It took Tim, Laurel, and I working together for 20 minutes or so to get it all cleaned up (thank goodness for a tall husband who can reach 12 ft ceilings using a kitchen stool!). The curtains are still in process- rehung after washing, but wrinkled and in need of steaming. Laurel apologized profusely-even giving us a homemade card with an apology. It was a true accident, but who knew applesauce could go so far.

The fourth child

Today Katey felt the burden of being #4. We loaded up to go to town to go to the library and stop by the pool where we are planning a party for tomorrow. It was hectic. Finish morning school, hurry to the car, get back for Katey's nap and afternoon school. I was a crazy woman trying to get out of the house. The kids put themselves in the car, with Laurel helping Katey. I headed down the road and handed out some crackers to tide everyone over for a late lunch. As I glanced back at my little girl I realized she was still wearing PJs. Upon further examination I realized she also only had one shoe. I felt terrible, yet thankful I had realized it before getting too far from home. She is a pretty independent kid. She has learned to do her own thing. However, today I realized that I have to pay a little more attention to the littlest of us.

Okay, as I was typing the last sentence, almost ready to click "post" the following occured: Katey went in the bathroom next to where I was on the computer, took off her diaper, and went "pee-pee" in the potty-all by herself. She soaked the bottom edge of her dress in the toilet, and seemed surprised by all of us cheering for her, but she's just proved my point. Independent kid.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A good man

You have to give credit where credit is due. Yesterday I had a bad day with the kids. Chips were stolen from the food cabinet and crunched into a million pieces by the youngest two, flour was all over the kitchen after making homemade playdough with all four of them, crayon was colored on the walls, and finally a fight over the crayon box left crayons all over and under the table. By lunch I had a terrible headache and by 3:30 pm I was desperate. I called Tim and asked if he could come home. This does not happen often. I knew he had things to do but I needed a dark, quiet room and some sleep. I really didn't think I could make it another minute. He packed up his things and came home. I expected 45 minutes of rest, "just let me rest until dinner" I told him. He suggested taking the kids away so I could get some real rest. Grateful I helped him load them up and I went to bed. At 7 pm a friend stopped by to pick up something. I couldn't believe the time. I called Tim and found out he was on the way home. He had taken the kids to ride bikes on campus and then to McDonalds for dinner (we had coupons - no we are still not fans of the golden arches). My headache was gone and I was able to finish up our day. The kids had enjoyed some fun time and been fed, it was a relief to have that done for me. I am not good at singing his praises often enough so I thought this time I would make a point to share.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Carter in print


Carter was on the front page of the local paper on Saturday. He is in the background of a picture for a story about the summer in the park activities. He's the one with the solid blue shirt and shark swim trunks and the big smile. Cut and paste the link below to see the full story with a larger picture.


http://www.murrayledger.com/articles/2008/06/21/top_story/news01.txt

You've got to love small towns!

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Short and simple-enough said.

The kids had Mountain Dew at the Hooked on Fishing event. We took all four to Walmart to grocery shop. That is all I have to say about our Saturday. You can imagine the details, I am trying to forget them.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Kentucky Lake on Father's Day

We spent Father's Day with our small group from church. We had lunch, our devotional time, and then went out on the lake. It was a fun day and reminded me of how much fun I had growing up spending time on the lake. Below is a slideshow of some pictures taken by our friend April that day. I am so glad she had a camera to document the day! Enjoy and post a comment here if you have a chance- the kids love to hear what everyone thinks and I forget to share the emails with them! Papa aka "safety man"- you better sit down before you click play.


Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Frugality and dentistry don't always go together

So I visited the dentist today. Before I go any further I have to say that Drs. Fitch is are good dentists, both father and son. When they explained that I had 5, yes 5, cavities I wondered how that could have happened in less than a year. I visited a dentist regularly before we moved and had no cavities for several years. When I returned today for the first of several filling appointments I found out why so many cavities "appeared" on my first set of x-rays here. My former dentist didn't do regular x-rays because it wasn't covered by our insurance. I don't remember being asked, but I likely would have passed. I despise dentists who pad their pockets and tell people to do unnecessary things. We were happy with the quick visit to the dental hygienist - I never even saw the dentist, but I now know it has cost me. Often we have the "if it ain't broken..." philosophy around here. Turns out if you don't catch cavities early it can really cost you. I was nearly to the point of a $1500 bill today. My dentist was able to fill my tooth, but had just a little more time passed I would have had to have a root canal and crown or had that tooth pulled. Needless to say the x-rays are cheaper. My fondness for the cheap, do only what the insurance covers- dentist in Union City has faded. As I spend the next few weeks visiting the dentist, my lack of fondness may become frustration, but I have to share the blame. So open up folks, wear the lead blanket, and smile for the film (and floss, too). It might save you in the long run. I am certainly not enjoying my consequences.
To recover from the bad news I had to travel to Martin for a K&N Burger and root beer. Actually I had to take care of some business there, but K&N, a pretty day, and a Mom who couldn't talk well enough to teach made today a good day. I feel much better now. There is nothing like good food for dinner when you feel a little blue (and you couldn't eat for the last 4 hours or so). It was great to see a few folks- especially those we just bumped into! (You have to love a small town for being able to see someone you know every place you stop) It was a little sad to see how much baby Jentry had changed and how she cried when I picked her up!! It was good to see her and my friend and do a little catching up and some clothes swapping. Maybe we need to visit more often!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Potty humor in the house

My children have discovered the world of the whoopee cushion. Laurel was helping me buy inventory for our "treat box" in the 88 cent aisle at Walmart and saw one. She asked what it was and I told her "I won't tell you now, but get it for your brothers- they will love it". I am trying to remember boys like things such as this and allow it within reason. Matthew chose it out of the box on Monday afternoon after I whispered to him what it was. Carter was immediately jealous. It was coveted, begged for, and then broken. Whoopee cushions aren't meant for stomping. We have a new policy- break it and suffer the consequences. So Matthew lost his treat. There were tears aplenty- from both boys.

Carter has been begging for two days. "Momma PLEASE go to Walmart and get me a cushion". I put it off. I want them to understand the value of taking care of things you play with. However, for 88 cents two days proved the point so I picked up three today. The children showered, brushed, went to the bathroom, and got PJs on in record time with no complaining. Their reward: 5 minutes of whoopee cushion heaven before bed. Even Katey participated in the foray. I have promised to place them strategically around the house before I go to bed. Entertainment value well in excess of 88 cents. They can scatter them around the house and have a "blast" (sorry) with the potty humor for the next few days. Anyone who might come by in the next few days watch where you sit! Papa get ready- they are planning to bring them when they visit.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Grandma the CVS Queen

My Aunt called today to inform all of us CVS bargain hunters that my 81 year old Grandma is now the CVS queen. Apparently every time you transfer a prescription to CVS from another pharmacy (at least in her area) you get a $25 gift card. Grandma has some health issues so when her pharmacy closed she had 10 scripts to transfer. She did them one at a time. Do that math. She says we all need to make our Christmas list based on CVS inventory. She won't have to pay for toilet paper or toothpaste for a year. She and my Aunt are proud of their savvy CVSing and so am I. Especially since the only deal I could come up with this week was cereal for 1.32/box when you can buy it everyday at Walmart for 1.68- and I spent an hour working that out and printing the coupons required. I think I need to learn from Grandma!

Monday, June 9, 2008

A grouchy woman and a fly swatter

Just to let you know I haven't given up on blogging. Recent occurrences: a pretty bad sunburn on my back after taking the kids swimming, an hour long search in Walmart to find a fly swatter for Tim's Mom (I kid you not- 8:53 until 9:47), and a grouchy mood I can't seem to shake. Its hard to write something anyone else would want to read about when you're stuck in a funk. I'll try to shake it off and maybe we will have some excitement to share as the week progresses. Laurel would like to tell everyone in Murray to be on the lookout for the raccoon frequenting Dairy Queen's parking lot (and its trash bin). He was highly entertaining on Saturday evening and she is looking forward to returning and watching more of his antics.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

8 Skittles- I am off the wagon on day 1!

Today I started really trying to watch what I eat. I have been stuck at the same weight for about a year. It seems to have been irrelevant what I ate or did, my weight stayed the same. I sort of gave up, resigned myself to my size, and just ate the same things. However, thanks to a few too many Little Debbie cakes on vacation I gained 4 lbs and marked a new all time high non-pregnant weight. I have decided I have to do something before it gets any more out of control and I approach pregnant weight while NOT pregnant! I told Tim last night- I am going to watch it, so we are all on a diet. I eat when the kids stress me out so it can't be in the house or I will consume it - ALL of it. No Oreos, no candy, no whatever might sound good to a Mom seeking a sugar fix. It went well this morning. I made weight watcher's muffins for breakfast. I ate the kids' leftovers for lunch- instead of their leftovers and my lunch. Then we did our Science experiment. It was about natural selection. We used different colored skittles and construction paper to demonstrate how camouflage effects an animal's ability to survive in a habitat. They learned, had fun, but Mom fell off the wagon. In the course of cleaning up I ate 8 skittles. That is like 80 calories and of course now I am hungry. So I confess. I let all of you know I lasted all of 8 hours. It is going to be a slow process. Maybe by going public you all can keep me accountable. I don't really know how a woman with young kids manages to do the things needed to lose weight, but I have to figure it out. Hopefully I will do better with "Candy Math" next week!!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

10 years

Tim and I had our tenth anniversary on Friday. In some ways it doesn't seem that long, but in other ways it does. The days of living in the CSC (Christian Student Center on UTK campus-our first home together) seem like a long time ago. However it seems like just yesterday we were praying for babies and then rejoicing at bringing Laurel home as those prayers were answered. Tim summed it up by saying that our first ten years were about having kids, and the next ten will be about raising them.

We enjoyed a night out thanks to friends who did a babysitting swap with us. We had dinner followed by shopping at Walmart. It is bad to admit we grocery shopped on our anniversary date, but with four kids a trip by ourselves was actually a treat. The kids and a long list is torture- remember: kid friendly or no go!! We spent an hour in Walmart on our way to the beach for our honeymoon, so it was only fitting to go there again. Tim actually found a piece of furniture we have been needing since we had the time to browse. More on that in an upcoming post.

For those of you who have known us since the beginning (i.e. you Knoxville folks) reflect with us fondly on the days of JFG after church on Wednesday, Kerruso, the CSC, Tim's hike, parties at the house on Armstrong, and working with the AGAPE kids. Fond memories of a time that seems long ago. Thanks for checking in here to share our life today.