Happy Birthday to me!

I love being a mom on my birthday...

Woke up with shrieks from the kids to "go back to bed!" - So. I did. :o)

When I *HAD* to get up and get Abby changed and bathed, etc., I poked my nose out, asked for permission to leave my room, and was escorted to the nursery and then bathroom. I was NOT to peek in the kitchen or livingroom. Okie dokie. After that, they walked me back to my room, where my bed had been made for me, pillows fluffed, etc. I got breakfast in bed, a la Adam. Eggs. (*note to self: Adam needs more egg-makin' lessons... these were rather blackened) Liana made the coffee. While I ate, the kids put on a puppet show for me.

I also got to open presents from the kids... three homemade crowns (had to alternate wearing them.), and lots 'o crayon drawings, folded up and sealed with at LEAST three rolls of packing tape. lol!

Then, after breakfast, I was escorted down the hall to the kitchen, where my kids wowed me with their cleaning capabilities. My kitchen, which was trashed last night, was spotless. Floors done, dishwasher running, counters washed. Liana and Aleksa the whirlwinds struck while Adam cooked up breakfast... (it sure pays off in the longrun to teach your kids how to clean!)

And THEN, in the middle of all the festivities, my brother called to wish me a happy birthday and to tell me that he is BUYING MY PARENTS' HOUSE!!!! Talk about a happy Shelly!!!

Then, last night, when John got home, he surprised me with a firepit! A perty one! And! He bought me a DQ ice cream cake! (I mentioned that I didn't feel like making a cake when I had leftover cupcakes my sister brought me Saturday). And! He bought me candles for the cake! And! He bought me a wireless router for Dad's computer (which he had left to me) so I can get it all hooked up to the internet. And! No blenders or vacuum cleaners or whatevers! Talk about comin' through! :o)

We had been planning on going to the park for a picnic, but since I had a firepit and an ice cream cake, I wanted to stay home. We had SUCH a fun night of gathering sticks and burning sticks, and eating bagel sandwiches, and feeding the baby ice cream cake, and having everyone getting sticky from cake and sweat and smellin' like smoke, and needing showers/baths because of it, and taking turns on the rope swing, and watching Abby in her swing, and sitting on our park bench, and enjoying the beautiful weather, and, and, and, and....

Very nice day. Loved every minute.

PS.. Abrielle cut her first tooth on Saturday! No fussin' or anything! Shocked us to death! My only hint (seeing in retrospect) was that she had had extra-poopy pants for a couple days... Very good baby. :o)

Goings on

John went shopping for my birthday present tonight! I wonder what he got me!!! I'm thinking he went today because a few days ago I announced that it was "Only 9 more shopping days 'til my birthday!" and I have been counting them down (sometimes rather obnoxiously) ever since. He prolly wants to put a stop to that by just shopping now instead of later. Hmph. I can always use stocking stuffers, can't I? Oh yeah, it's not Christmas time. Bummer.

I think I only have a mole hill of laundry instead of Mt. Everest as of tonight. Feels good, though I still have a ton of ironing to do. Hate that. Since we've moved, our laundry is now in the basement... haven't ever had to deal with "basement laundry" since living with my parents. I have been spoiled all these years and didn't know it. It was much, much easier doing laundry when it was on the main (only!) floor. Takes me forever now, and I've had to shake off my fear of wrinkles and deal with letting the dryer stop (for a long time) before I can get to the clothes. Doing lots of ironing now. Not my favorite task in the world, as John can attest to since he's been scrounging for shirts with the fewest wrinkles to wear to work as he waits for me to get around to ironing the rest. *sigh*

So, having a *much* bigger house has it's pluses and minuses... Harder to keep clean (uff da is there a lot of vacumming and dusting now!) I constantly feel behind, but I need to remember that I have FOUR kids, and will be behind for the next I-don't-know how many years. I will feel better though, when I can wake up and know that there is a good routine already in place and I don't have to fret about it. I'm a frettin' type of a soul sometimes. But oh, am I loving that I can send the kids to a different living level to get out their squirmies. Or outside to a fenced yard. Such an enormous relief to not worry about where they are or what they're doing.

John put a seat on the rope swing tonight. We've been hearing complaints of the knot in the rope hurting people's fannies. John kept tellin' 'em that the knot was for their feet, but they weren't havin' it. So, since we care so much about the fannies around here, they can now sit in comfort as they swing through the trees...

We've had some really busy weekends lately. Family gatherings, and also getting back to Dad's house and doing some cleaning up and cleaning out. Hard stuff. I had a melt-down last weekend going through Dad's house and worrying that things were just going to be stuck in a dumpster. And also thinking that "my home" was being dismantled never to be reassembled. Kind of like saying good bye not only to my dad, but also to my mom (again), and then to a whole childhood of memories. It was the only house I ever knew. Talk about compounding my loss. Uff da.

Speaking of my parents' house, I commissioned my nephew, who is a studio artist to sketch and paint it for me. It is FABULOUS. Who better to do the job than someone growing up seeing it also... He "crazy quilted" the different eras of the house into one sketch. The old bushes were brought back. The handicap ramp was ditched to reveal the steps and the rail that used to be there. The new shed was left, and Mom's rock garden was brought back. The impression of long grass was kept as well. (Dad hated to mow, and the neighbors just loved him, I'm sure!) The original color of the house was kept, and while there were no squirrels in the yard as I grew up, there have been plenty in the past ten years or so, which Dad fattened up rather well on corn cobs. There's a rather portly squirrel in the pic. I can't wait to get this on my wall... It will be one of my most prized possessions for years to come.

Hope you're all having a good summer... It's been the best worst summer of my life. Best because of the new house, and worst because of the loss of my dad, which is rehashing the loss of my mom, and the loss of my life-long "home."

Four Miracles

Had the sweetest thing said to me this weekend... After meeting my Abrielle for the first time, she thoughtfully said, "Oh, so you're a mom to FOUR miracles now!"

I like that.

Rope Swing!

Well, today was a dream-come-true kind of a day for John. (Feels funny to call him John - I always call him "Fisher.") (I don't know why. Just do.) (Maybe because my brother's name is John?) *shrug*

Anyway, back to the dreamin' and stuff.

Fisher put up a rope swing for the kids tonight! I'm glad I was inside when he did, because when I took a looksie outside to see it, I about fell over seeing how high he had to have climbed to get that thing up there! It's a humdinger, lemmetellyawhat.

He's been dreaming about a rope swing for his kids ever since we were married. It is so fun to have our dreams realized so fully and in so many directions... Great kids - and a bunch of 'em! Great house (have I mentioned the closets?) Great yard -and now we even have a rope swing. What more could we ever want? *bliss*

Happy Fourth

We took a trip up north this weekend. We were going to hit two "parties" but got too late of a start Friday morning so it wound up only being one... (So sorry, Uncle Wally, we really did want to come this year!) Always so nice to "get away" by going up north. Those north woods and Grandma's kitchen are always a balm to the soul. Or somethin. ;o)

Speaking of Grandma's kitchen, I got to play Tom Sawyer! I noticed that Grandma's wallpaper in the kitchen was still not hung (it has been half-torn-down since Christmas), and so I asked Grandma if someone was going to put it up. She didn't know who or when or if it would ever get put up, so I said, "Hey, Cara, (John's sister) you wanna put up Grandma's wallpaper?" And she said, "Sure!" And then I stood back while she and a bunch of cousins finished ripping down the rest of the wallpaper, and then I said, "I wonder how we'll get the wallpaper up around those hinges on the cupboards," and suddenly the guys were taking down cupboard doors and John's mom was scrubbing them down. And then the next day when we started I said, "Ya know, I'm really short. You should get those high places, Cara." And so, she got those. And then the baby kept getting hungry. And fussy. And tired. And so I had to get called away several times. Or, I got to sit back and say, "Wow, am I getting tired, John, you should go get us a Caribou Coffee," and he did. And then I got a big "attagirl" for the wallpaper getting put up yesterday. Aren't I nice? :o)

It was nice to get away though, and sort of leave the trauma of the last few weeks behind. Unfortunately, we're back to Kansas though, and we get to start up "normal" again tomorrow. Or try to.

Settling in

Long day... Long week! ;o) Been trying to figure out where things are yet (we're still unpacking over here from our move!), and trying to settle in. Hard to do, but everyone will be a lot more relaxed and "happier" when their stuff is out and put away right. While it was a hard move, I'm so thankful we moved in the middle of the month instead of the end. Can't even imagine how Nutso I'd be right now if we'd have done that...

So thankful the kids are at a good stage too. They're such sweet kiddos. Really, they are. If all this had happened two years ago, I'd be pulling my hair out! lol! Several times since this weekend, Adam has put his arm around me and said he was sorry that my dad died. As much loss as he has endured in his own life, it amazes me that he goes so out of his way to comfort others when they are sad themselves. Great kid, that Adam.

Anyway, not much to say. Just wanted to check in. Thank you again, everyone for the kind words and thoughts...