3 Cups Interrupted Sleep

2 Tablespoons Mistakes (my own)

2 Cup Selfishness (my own)

3 Tablespoons of “Misbehaving” children

1 Teaspoon of the General Public

4 Tablespoon of Messy House

A dash of Lateness

Stir well until you can’t breathe or the twitch in your eye won’t stop, whichever happens first.

I started this post earlier today and recounted every single hard and ridiculous thing that happened today – but I just deleted it all.  It didn’t seem so bad in hindsight of now telling the story.  But it was bad, probably the most trying day in my entire career as a mother, but putting words to it didn’t do it justice so I stopped.  Have you been there?  For example, when I started to describe to John what had happened, I felt silly with some of the stuff I was describing that was SO HARD in the moment – I couldn’t even describe it. It’s crazy how emotions and lack of sleep can magnify EVERYTHING!

So right now, I’m thankful for God’s mercy to moms that He thought of naps and thankful that tomorrow is a new day.

What’s your recipe for a bad day?

Although, the weekend is a ton of fun, it’s rather exhausting too – must be the country air, or trying to catch up with the boys,  but this year it was Emma.  It was a hard year for her to go because she is just into EVERYTHING in the cabin and outside she is not so steady on her feet yet.  I think I said, “No Emma.”  about a million times!  She got a good scrape across her nose from falling off the cabin front porch steps and then a rug burn from falling down some of the cabin’s inside steps – I was maybe a foot away from her each time!

The owners of Hinch Creek, Sam and Nora, raise goats and while we were there were several pregnant goats.  A couple of the mama goats gave birth the day before we arrived so we were able feed these sweet newborn goats.   It was really neat and way different than Grants Farm – they aren’t trying to knock you over to get to the bottle.

Here are some highlights of the weekend…

Exploring the Farm & Playing in the Creek

At Meramac Spring State Park

At the Farm with the Goats

important definition you must know before the story…

“butt-butt”(noun) – a word used in affectionate teasing between the Peel brothers.

JJ’s 7th birthday is today and we went to Steak and Shake for dinner and then onto the Boy Scout Talent Show.  As we were on our way to the talent show we passed our street and Henry whined, “Where are we going again????”

John: “To the Boy Scout talent show.”

Henry complained: “Why are we all going to the Boy Scout talent show??”

George says, “Because we are a family,  butt-butt.”

Seriously, where did he get that from?!? It was totally unexpected and hysterical -preach it brother George.

I would say John hates how much I plan and look ahead.  He is very good at living in the now and resting.  I think my planning stress him out at times.

With the conviction of my obsessive planning, I worked on being present in the downtime we have today.  I lie when I tell myself that I am good about being in the moment.  I am not.  Especially with my boys, I’d rather watch them play or let them play with each other than to be fully engaged with them.  I do play with them, but it’s really challenging for me, I think of what’s next or what I need to do.

I keep coming back to questions like, where else do I really have to be?  What else do I really need to be doing? What is more important than right now? For instance, digging through a bizzillion Legos to find just the right piece? To me – honestly I can think of a lot of things, to Henry it was the most important thing right then.  It was showing him love to help him find the piece he needed and that’s what I really needed to be doing above all else.  So, coffee in my hand, we rocked out to an 80s station on Pandora and sifted through the tiny plastic pieces.  And it actually felt good, no need to plan, no where else I needed to be but just right here, right now at my kitchen counter.

First, we were down the middle with what sex we were placing our bets.   Henry and I are betting that it is a girl and JJ and George are betting that it is a boy.  Easy enough.  You could tell JJ was thinking about what he would bet right away. Asking all sorts of questions what would count for a bet, weighing his options, but never sealing the deal.  This is SO JJ he is a thinker and is nervous of making a bad decision -  poor guy unfortunately this is a genetic trait.

George and Henry both decided that eating out qualified as an experience, which I signed off on, and George decided he wanted pizza if it was a boy and Henry wanted McDonalds if it was a girl.

JJ was still undecided. Some of the wagers he was weighing were extra video game time -or- that he didn’t have to clean up for a week -or- that he could “order” Henry and I around for a full Saturday morning.

While he was still contemplating I announced my wager if it’s a girl— that JJ and George would have to wear “button” shirts to church the Sunday after we found out.  A little background, my boys HATE button shirts.  A button shirt in our house is an oxford or a polo.  They know I only ask them to wear them on Easter or if they are in a wedding and even those occasions I have to prep them weeks before that they are going to have to wear a button shirt soon. (and even then they find comfort in the fact that their superhero t-shirt is under the button shirt)

Right away JJ stammers, “I can’t bet.  I’m not wearing a button shirt.”  (I told you they hated them!!)

So then I go on to explain what if it’s a boy, then if you don’t bet then you can’t win and explain the big concept of risk.  He then decides he is going to bet that it’s a “half-boy half-girl”.  Oh, Katie and Brian – I am so sorry!  But I explained that he can’t do that- he’s either in fully boy or fully girl or he’s out.

He asked for clarification on the parameters of how long he had to wear the button shirt – just for church, could he take it off right after?  After much debate, I told him he could have a couple more days and we’ll close the bet on Sunday night.  I’ll keep you posted!

2/25/2011 UPDATE JJ did bet on a boy finally and he chose a favorite dinner option…don’t remember what it was now because he lost.  Aunt Katie is having a girl – so fun!  JJ and George both had to wear button shirts to church that Sunday…although JJ found a loophole and wore his Boy Scout shirt – still a button shirt he said.  I couldn’t argue I didn’t specify which button shirt.

…that the weather is fantastic.  I’ve seen people in shorts, car convertible tops down and people with a skip in their step.  For me, it’s like the part of a movie when you get a glimpse of hope that everything is going to be okay.  Winter is not eternal and the hope of Spring is in air. Whoo-hoo!

…the yummy recipes I’ve tried lately and have turned into favorites, like the Broiled Tilapia Parmesan and the Ham Tetrazzini.

…that my new car has yet to wear off it’s novelty and has made me actually want to go run errands – which I normally avoid at all costs.

…the pockets of time I’ve been finding to read and do stuff I’ve been procrastinating like patching the boy’s jeans.

…what I have been learning about community and encouragement through people, reading and just life right now.

Then I took a minute to actually pay attention to their game and saw that Henry was Penguin and JJ was Cat Woman. And that’s how they were communicating.

1. George’s 3rd Birthday. Man is he getting big.  He is still the comedian.  He loves recounting moments in our recent history by saying, “Hey mom remember that one time when…” this could have happened a week ago or an hour ago.  Justice is important to him. He never goes a day without out saying, “Hey mom, how come Henry/JJ/Daddy/Emma got this or that and I didn’t” always in a low whine with a martyr-like huff at the end.  He loves to jump over anything and from anything he can – his favorite is to jump on top of a pile of brothers.

He loved his birthday.  It was all about Cars and Superheros.

2. Lots of Snow. This has been fun.  But not anymore, I am over it.

3. The Pinewood Derby. 3 weeks to make the car of JJ’s dreams.  The same 3 weeks  that our van broke for good and John’s company was moving.  This made for little time for the Pinewood Derby and lots of stress. We were prepping him during this time on how to deal with not placing in the race.  This was our first PWD – we had no expectations BUT he got 5th Place – which means he gets to go to Districts!!!  I was blown away. This is the car during construction and then at the race.

4.  Battlestar Galactica.  I’m hopelessly addicted.  It is my crack and I stay up way too late watching it.  Friends have been worried about why I’m so tired and I have to have to fess up.  It’s ridiculous.

5. The Penguin Parade.  Our zoo, does a Penguin Parade during the winter months on Sundays at 2pm – as long as the weather is below 50 degrees.  I have to admit I was a skeptic – but it was so cute!  Tips: Go Early, Stand by the Exit of the Penguin House under the sun.  It doesn’t last long because they don’t force any penguins to parade – so it’s whoever wants too.  The zookeepers said it’s always the same two penguins ready to go out the door.

7.  My New Wheels. My van’s transmission went out on the way home from having dinner at Happy Joe’s for George’s birthday.  It sucked.  So I spent a week getting cross-eyed looking on the internet for what kind of car I wanted next and finding one to buy.  I ended up getting a 2006 Toyota Sienna.  I feel like a princess, my old van was a 1998 – so the perks are amazing to me.  My favorite is the 8 passenger seating – I can fit 2 non-family members legally now.  Wow. And true confession – as I headed out the door to run errands for the first time in my new ride – I actually wore make-up because the car is so fancy.

8.  My Gift.  John’s company moved offices which meant he worked over a weekend and he spent several long nights getting everything just right.  Last Friday, he came home with a wrapped gift for me from his employers.  It had a sweet note saying how they appreciate my patience and lending my husband to them.  It was an iPad.  Let me repeat.  It.was.an.iPad.  And it is fabulous.  And I love it.  They just moved up to one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in my book.

9. Emma is walking. So she’s up to about 10 steps and it is so cute.  This is not a picture of her walking, just an adorable one.

10. Passing Time. Like I said it’s been a long month with long days.  We’ve been doing all sorts of random things to pass the time.  But this is my favorite.  Emma on the Roomba (our robot vacuum).

]]> http://peelosophy.thepeel.org/2011/02/02/see-ya-january/feed/ 1 http://peelosophy.thepeel.org/2010/12/29/santa/ http://peelosophy.thepeel.org/2010/12/29/santa/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:28:19 +0000 jill http://peelosophy.thepeel.org/?p=1661

By the look of this picture, you would have never thought the kids were looking forward to seeing Santa – more like he was holding them at gunpoint.  JJ and Henry actually made pictures to give Santa describing what they wanted so he would remember.  George has been talking for a month about seeing Santa so he could tell Santa he wanted a the Bat Cave.

All through line they were fine.  We got up there, Henry and JJ basically threw their picture at Santa.  Then George, looked at him with the same glaring grouch face he has in the picture, and growled “I want a Bat Cave”.

There is also a petting zoo with animals that may have been in the stable, camels the wise men came in on, etc.  Inside they have a Lego nativity and a Christmas tree room with lots of different decorated trees.

We usually all take separate cars, but this year Gramie and Pops rented a 15-passenger van for the 9 adults and 6 kids.  We started at Imos for dinner and we sang Christmas carols on the way to the lights…all very fun until the kids melted and made the 15-passenger van seemed like a  Ford Fiesta.  The kids had fun though and that’s what matters right?

Here are some pictures….

My sister Lara and my Mamama for the Imo’s pre-party….how cute is Mamama?

JJ and Henry riding the camel…

Emma loving the stable animals and Henry ready to feed them…

Fun pictures in the car….

Our attempt to calm Emma with the iphone — doesn’t it look like she knows what she is doing!