It Was a Dark and Storm Day

I still can't find my camera. It is really bothering me too. Yes Amber, when I find that black hole, I will check for your stuff too.

Yesterday Mom had us over for dinner. She made split pea soup, watergate salad, and green water. Mmmm. It was good. Nora is becoming quite a collector of other peoples' things. She picked up Dad's flashlight last night and it didn't phase her a bit when I made her go take it to him and tell him that she was sorry for taking it. She crammed some thin mints in her mouth later on because she knew she wasn't supposed to have anymore and ended up choking on them. I wasn't feeling too sorry for her at that point. She had to sit in time out until she was ready to apologize to Grammy. She wouldn't do it until she thought that we had all left her when we went to put stuff (and Tori) out in the van. I just don't know what to do with her.

There is a reason why I don't like toddler potties. Olivia has one out right now so that she can be encouraged to use it (which isn't being very encouraging, seeing as how she hasn't used it or anything). Tonight I went upstairs to put kids to bed and smelled something bad. I found that someone had used the potty. Not today either. I asked Caleb and Nora and Caleb admitted that he had done it, but he quickly added "but that was when I was four!" It didn't help him any. He still got a spank and sent to his room. Oh, should I admit that? I am a terrible mother. I spanked my son today.

I love my job. I never thought that I would say something like that. I never imagined myself working outside the home. And the idea of working would make me cringe. But here I am. Working and loving it. Does it have something to do with the fact that I have 5 kids under 8? Could be. Do I like getting away for a few hours? Perhaps. Is the extra income nice? Maybe. Is it all of the above? Absolutely. But I do have to say that the past two days have been soooo long! Mary C. and I went recruiting to Mt. Zion yesterday and today. If you don't know Mt. Zion, it's a very nice town just outside of Decatur, to the southeast. There are a lot of upscale homes and middle class homes there, and not many rougher places. If you know what I am getting at. Head Start is for the less privileged families. Like ours :) So we went and sat there at the pre-k screening from 8:45 - 2pm yesterday and 8:45 - 12 pm today doing nothing! No one was interested in putting their darlings into pre-school with the less fortunate. It's a little amusing to me to see this. Especially since I have two in the program. I have to say that I appreciate all that Nora and Caleb learn from school, including diversity and to see people for who they are on the inside. They don't see the color of skin or the clothes, but the personalities. Anyway, it was so boring! And even when we got back to the site, there wasn't anything to do. Here's hoping for crazy chaos tomorrow...but only at work, not at home.

Okay, I am off to bed. Sean is working again tonight, so I am going to go snuggle in bed and watch a little tv before going to sleep. Sorry again for my lack of pictures. My blog feels so naked!

Maxey Mahem Mixes with More Messes

Yeah, I don't know what that is supposes to mean. I just don't like coming up with a title. I have a wonderful friend who has this wonderful "journal" and the titles are completely random. I am just not funny. Funny things happen to me. I laugh at funny things (Sean isn't one of them, so don't ask). My kids are funny looking (ohhh, just kidding little thunder chunk...).
As I sit here and enjoy the peace and quiet I think, man, I am lucky. It's Friday night and Caleb isn't here to wake up the two little ones at 6:30 in the morning! I get to sleep in! It has been a long time since I could do that! Sean has been asleep all day and is still sleeping. I probably will go sleep on the couch so that I don't disturb him. Poor guy. He got food poisoning early this morning and ended up driving himself from work to the er and puking the whole way. He tells me there is some on the door, but I think I will just go with his word on this...
I was sick yesterday. It started with a migraine the night before and I guess I caught a 24hour bug to go with it, but it was not food poisoning! Mom and Sara took the two little ones shopping with them after I came home early from work. After they were done, Mom came over with the two and helped around the living room and kitchen, fixed dinner, and put kids to bed! She's amazing!
I know why I have a hard time sitting down and writing things. I write too much!
We kept Mom on the run today too. I got to come home early today because there was nothing at the office to do, so I cleaned out a fish tank (and somehow lost a frog in the process) and Mom made a transformer cake. Caleb is so excited for his party tomorrow night! It was nice to spend time with Mom and Sara today. It's been awhile.
Caleb turned 5 on Wednesday. Sean had to work, so we opened presents when I got home and before he left. Caleb asked for corn, beans, juice, and turkey for his birthday dinner. Today he informed us that he didn't like turkey. Saturday he just wants corn, beans, and juice. I will have to post more pictures later. I am falling asleep as I type.

Busy

I am tempted to do what my friend did and put my stuff in several different blogs, but it's 1:15 in the morning (thank you Tori!), so we'll do this the quicker way. I haven't even had time to sit down and do this earlier, so here I am, doing this now while most are asleep.

Sean had to work on Valentine's Night, but he sent me flowers at work (after my manager thought that some birthday flowers for Peggy were for me. I laughed at the idea of Sean sending me flowers, so she made sure that I gave him a hard time. He felt the pressure and thought he had better send them :) ). They were beautiful! Even if he felt compelled, I was still so excited that they actually came. And I think he put the compelled act on just for show :) Tammie talked to her husband and mentioned to him that my husband sent me flowers and he told her, "Tell her to give you one!"

Since Sean worked that night, Sara invited us over to Mom's for dinner (which she fixed). It was delicious! She made Saucy Hearts and broccoli and cheese, Mom made a pink jell-o salad, and we had rolls. After we let the food settle, we had pie and ice cream too! Mmmm good! Thanks Sara for the wonderful meal!

Friday I did home visits with Caleb's assistant teacher. Mrs. Sandy wasn't able to go and their FSW (Family Service Worker) was sick, so Cozette asked me to go. We tried 17 homes and made 9 visits. It was a real eye-opener. I am glad I got to experience that and hope that I don't have to do it next week. But Mrs. Bonnie is really great and I was so glad to get to know her better. She also did my home visit for Caleb while we had some extra time.

Friday night our kids went to the Sterling and Sean and I went on a date! It's been a while, so it was exciting. We went to the mall and voted on our favorite boo-boo quilt. There was a record 47 quilts there and they were so beautiful! We did a little shopping and then went over to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. We got there around 8:30 and still had to wait about 25 minutes. It was packed! But the food was wonderful (Sean wasn't as pleased, but still went away satisfied). We picked up Tori and then went home and went to bed! The other four camped out on the Sterlings family room floor in sleeping bags with their cousins. It was so cute.

I would have slept in, since most of the little people were gone, but Saturday was Make a Blanket Day at the mall. Dad took Mom and I over and we got there around 8:30 am to find a good spot and set up. There are more and more people every year, so we had to make sure we could get a good place. Sean and the kids stopped by to see the quilts (Isabelle wanted to see Mommy's quilt). I did have to give a disclaimer to everyone on all the girls hair. The all had quite the bed head. :)
When blanket day is at the mall, there is paper piecing to do. Mom and I enjoy putting the blocks together and we like getting a bunch and doing them all together. We didn't have enough plugs to plug in two sewing machines and Mom's travel iron, so one person sewed while the other ironed, lined up pieces and trimmed. It was a lot of fun. All together we made about 16 blocks. With each block that you do, you can try for a prize. They use a ping pong machine and if you get an orange ping pong, you get 10 extra tickets for the special prize drawings. If you get a yellow ping pong, you get to pick a prize off of the door prize table. If you get a white one, well, thanks for trying and here's another block :) Mom is really good at getting the colored balls, so I made her do most of it. She ended up with 2(?) door prize ping pongs and 6 or more special prize tickets ping pongs. She's amazing! She got the first one right away and picked up a kit to make a travel sewing bag with things to go in it. She happens to have one already and it also just so happens that I mentioned to her that I wanted one like that, so she got it for me :) She is so sweet! I got my name called first thing for a door prize and picked up a pair of snippers for rag quilt snipping. I was really excited about both! She also picked up a pair of snippers with her second ping pong ball prize. She got a snuggly scarf when her name was finally called for a door prize. The great thing about Project Linus and this chapter of it is that they are so good to their volunteers! Mary and Cheryl really know how to make these days so wonderful! We sat by our friend, Judy Brumaster. We got to know her at the November, 2006 Appreciation Breakfast and have enjoyed her ever since. She is a wonderful lady with an amazing memory. I saw her at the Feb. make a blanket day in 2007 and she asked when I was due. When I saw her in June, she said she had been keeping an eye out for our birth announcement in the paper and was excited to find it at the end of May. This picture of her is when she won one of the special drawings. We cheered loudly for her. We didn't win any of the special drawings, but the very last drawing that they did, was for a $900 Baby Lock Sewing Machine that was donated by Baby Lock and Stewarts. Those who pre-registered got to enter the drawing and when we put our names in, I told Mary that if Mom won, I got the machine. We all laughed and Mom explained that my machine just broke a few days earlier. I never win any of the big prizes, so I was busy sewing and not paying much attention. When they called my name I freaked out! Mom and I just kept hugging and we were almost crying. Mary had said that every time that they give a sewing machine away, it always seems to go to someone who really needs it, and this time it was no exception. Mom whispered to me, "Oh! I was hoping you would get it! I have been saying a little prayer all day that you would get it!" I love that woman! I am so grateful for my new machine! It truly is a blessing to me! I have already sewn my travel case with it and I love it!!
Mom and I were on the front page of the local section! And my name is at the very end of the article for winning the machine.

http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2008/02/18/news/local/1030159.txt


This is Mary Balagna. She is the Vice Pres. of the National Office for Project Linus and the President of our chapter. She is an amazing woman. I can't believe all that she manages to accomplish. Cheryl Hughes is the Vice Pres. and is wonderful at helping her. I guess that's how Mary does it. Between them and all the volunteers, each Project Linus event is amazing.

Lastly, my mother-in-law came Sunday afternoon. Sean and the four older kids went to Champaign and picked her up. They were so excited! It's always wonderful to have Mamaw here. She love to help and to spoil. I have a video of Livy and Mamaw playing and then I think I might be done. I am ready to go back to bed now that Tori is quiet. I hear Sean sleeping away and my eyes are getting heavy again. One more picture before I go... Nora won't leave Tori alone! Here, she doesn't seem to mind too much :) Yeah, I should have done this in several different blogs. Sorry it's so long!