I know he loves me.

I just had to follow up the last post with some insight to my firstborn son.
S was the baby I worried about. No expression most the time.
I worried the lights were on and no one was home with him. I don't worry so much about him now. He is the quiet one in the house for the most part. His brain is working though. He knows if he stays quiet enough he can slip away and get out of "family" clean sessions. Mom's 30 thing pick up sessions.
He is the one that says, "You know Mom, if you got up and made lunch, it would be ready for me when I was finished with this and then I could go play afterwards." Yeah, like that was going to happen. I was grading papers and helping his sister with school work.
He is also the one who travels with dad to hockey games. He gets on the phone with me..
"Having fun?"
"Yes."
"How was the game?"
"Good."
"Miss me?"
"No."
"Want to talk to Dad?"
Okay, he's a man of few words.
Well tonight Dad called him from work and got a taste of it.
He tried to ask him about the game. Got one word answers and then "want to talk to Mom?"
So it is not just me.
I learned something new about hockey gear. These little things you put on skate and they prevent rusting. Very cool. The very practical mom thinks these would be a good thing to get, they'll help keep the skates in good shape. "Want some?"
"I don't know?"
"You want to go to the pro shop?" I get a shoulder shrug!
At this point, another mom kicks in and says, "Hey S, when your mom asks if you want to go to the pro shop to buy something, you say sure! Take the opportunity while you can!"
Hello! Ring a ling a ling! Some interest in this now. On our way down the hall to the shop, I try to chat with him. One word answers, we get to the pro shop and I ask, "Are you going to talk to me now?"
"No."
I could only laugh.
I know he loves me though. Every night he makes sure he hugs me good night. He likes to treat me to Hershey Dark Chocolate Bars. The nut free candy bar I can eat without endangering little bro. He'll treat me to QT drinks as well. He splashes me when we are at the pool. And every once in a while he'll talk to me.

An A for effort?

It's late. The house if finally settling down. D was sick yet again tonight.
Mike will be home soon.
So my mind is wandering and I wonder, "Do I get an A for effort tonight?"
I took S to hockey tonight.
But before, I managed to wash all of his uniform but his jersey.
I had him disinfect his bionic man pads, cause that is the kind of mom I am.
He did afterall get sick while wearing the stuff.
All loaded up, and on the road early.
I hear, "7 minutes Mom."
He's my task minder....
"Son, you don't have to be on the ice till 15 after."
"I don't?"
I go through the schedule..."715 on this night, 600 on this night 615 on this night."
(look of disbelief on his face....mom actually knows the times without looking at the calendar tonight.)
Whew. Survived that one.
I ask if he can borrow a spare jersey and then I begin the horrible job of tearing tape off his stick. Cause the men didn't think to do it after the last practice when he threw up on his stick and everything else. (where's that eye rolling smiley when you need it). Of course the tape is on so tight, Dad always does it with his pocket knife. Good thing I have one on my key chain. All done.
In the meantime, I successfully call the Dad and tell him yes there is a game tonight.
So, watching the game. Chatting with another mom. Dear ol' dad comes along to say hi. S is on the ice.
I don't know the positions on the ice. I do know that my little guy plays defense and plays it well for being such a lightweight.
"He's playing offense!" says Dad. That is new. I am watching.
I start to get after him. (Of course he can't hear me, cause I am inside the warm area of the rink watching.) "What are you doing?" "S, get in there!"
Mike very gently informs me, "He's doing what he is suppose to be doing."
Oh.. "Well it looks like what he always does and he is playing offense, not defense."
Sweet other mom next to me says, "Best leave the coaching to Dad and the S."
So I wonder do I get an A for effort?

12 days of Christmas!

So I left off with 4....
4 loads of laundry.
5 healthy but puny children.
6 sets of linens need washing.
7 hoping for no more illness this winter.
8 more loads of laundry

yes more laundry... I am glutton for punishment. The last time we were sick when Mike was out of town. I did 30 loads in one week. Yes, 30! During the winter I average 12-15 loads a week. We have a huge washer even. I invested in a great big monster this last year when our original just went kapooy. I even got the extended warranty. As the kids get bigger so do their clothes. The younger ones are especially big on creating laundry. They can't stand a damp spot on their clothes and the 3 yr. old is still potty training. Flutter Nutter also likes practicing undressing himself.

Mundane Mondays

I wonder what one of those would be like.
Today I returned a friend's call. She immediately asked me what's up. She could hear the fatigue in my voice. A quick recital of my earlier post and she laughed and said, "never a dull moment in the Clark family."
A crazy start to our day indeed.

However, I am blessed

• with a 3 yr. old who quickly grasped how to get to the toilet or trash can quickly. I can't say that for all of my children.
• with a husband, who after 13 years (almost 14), just calls into work "sick" which he can do when his family is sick.
• with intermitten naps for mom and dad
• with a somewhat leisure drive to the auto body shop to pick up our suburban (a whole other story).
• Our Flutter Nutter tucked in sweetly at home, so that our 12 yr. old gave us permission to come home late. We did some birthday and Christmas shopping. We are almost done. Just a couple more tid bits here and there.
• Fun family banter when we got home.
• Dinner.
• I managed to clean and de-clutter just a little bit more.
• 7 loads of laundry washed, dried and folded. Some of it even put away.
• 4 happy kids playing Wii and coloring.
• Dad and S went to hockey and had guy time.
• A 3 yr. old who decided he was tired and put himself to bed. We had to go looking for him. Isn't that sweet!
• Christmas music playing.
• A Christmas tree lit and twinkling in the room with me.
• Soon dear Husband will be home with medicine for N and medical tape to redo M's splint, then we will snuggle and watch a movie.

Praying all the disinfecting will mean noone else will get sick. I wonder what will Tuesday will bring?

I wish for once my hunch was wrong!

Doctor's office called this morning. The Ped's office looked at M's x-ray and her thumb is officially broken. "Smushed it really good," dr. said. The line on the x-rays I asked about was the break, the dr. on Friday thought it was her thumb nail. She will definitely loose her nail the doc said. Worse part is he now considers her thumb to be an "open" fracture. We have to watch for infection. He disagreed with Friday's Dr.'s instructions to put holes in the nail to relieve pressure. SOoooo....

On the first day of Christmas we have a broken thumb,

On the second day of Christmas we have 2 sinus infections, 2 tired grumpy parents,

On the third day of Christmas we have 3 up all night, (D has a stomache virus....he is quite good at getting to the toilet or trash can in time now.)

On the fourth day of Christmas..........(4 taking naps??? I guess we will have to wait and see, maybe it will be loads of laundry)

New Family Pictures!

So dear hubby was working at Bingo tonight, I got to try the Wii.

First I had to make a Mii. That was so much fun, I just had to make one for the

Big-o-Daddy-o!
That was so much more FuN ! !

Can you hear my devilish laughter!

Here's my Mii. Isn't she cute and cool all at the same time!

She had to have shades!


Here's us with our 3 olders. We'll add the other two after Christmas!
Why? Cause maybe they'll get to play the Wii then too......??......
Now you olders if you are reading this ~
ZIP YOUR LIPS OR YOUR CHRISTMAS IS OVER!