Not gone....

Promise, I am around.  Just got a new laptop, figured out password and trying to understand all things new.

In the meantime, please look at this incredibly informative video regarding how children communicate!


happymommy

Saturday in Pictures and Video...

happymommy

House update...

A bout with acute sinusitis was how I spent this weekend and yesterday.  Went to doctor, was told to use a neti-pot and given antibiotics.  Fun times!  (I don't use neti-pots but I do take antibiotics, so I shall heal soon!)

We had a Lilly lead conference at Lilly's school today.  It was so great seeing how much she has grown physically, academically and personally.  Jeff and I couldn't be more proud.  Now, if she would quit rolling her eyes at me, talking back occassionally and not minding, she would be perfect.  Oh well, I must learn to cope.  Hard, but it must be done.

The house is coming along but it doesn't appear that we will be moving back in any time soon.

The kids new bathtub.  Not connected to anything, but it is there!

In the foreground you see the new laundry room.  Right behind it is the new master bath.  

The stairs from previously second floor, which is now the third floor, to the now 2nd floor.

There were some structural issues to overcome but those are now all fixed and work is moving forward.  I am excited about the progress.  We still have a ways to go, but at least we are moving forward at a good pace.

happymommy

Happy St. Patrick's Day....

I got the plague on Monday and am slowly recovering.  As many of my longtime readers, hi mom, know, I generally take to bed and whine for days.  This week, I only whined for one day, 24 straight hours.  I consider this a victory for all.

Today we celebrate all that is Irish.   However, 23 years ago my family lost a close friend so St. Patrick's Day always is a little bit sad.  I won't go into details, but every year we remember the loss and wonder what could have been.  We are sad, but life always goes on in tragedy, happiness and change.  So many people have suffered immeasurable loss lately all across the world.  Whether it be personal, or just seeing death and destruction from afar, it is painful.  

So today, while we celebrate our freckles, our heritage (made up or real) and new life, remember those who suffer.  Take heed of your own actions and always remember.

We are happy to announce the newest addition to the happymommy family in the form of a second cousin twice removed by  marriage, or something like that!

Welcome little CR to our crazy world!  We love you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the happymommy house!

Erin Go Bragh!

happymommy

Today was a day...

I started out the day stepping in a big ol' pile of dog poop.  The garage at our house is out to get me and so to avoid crashing the car into the side of the building, I sometimes ask Jeff to move the car for me.  Today, as I stood waiting for Jeff to deal with me and my fear of running through a wall, I stepped in poop.  I told Jeff to throw away my shoes and bring me new ones, which was met with a "are you crazy my dear wife" look.  I proceeded along my day, dropped the kids off, met a friend for a FABULOUS breakfast and then came home to work.

Took the dog out for a potty break which means I cleaned up after my dog.  Came back in the house and was met with a "we have to go get Lilly, there has been an accident."  I freaked out, was told to calm down and then I drove.

Thankfully my dad was already waiting at Lilly's school for her normal Friday afternoon with Opa and Grandma. Lilly sat in the nurse's office being entertained by Opa telling stories about my childhood injuries and how my sister pushed me off the porch when we lived in Kansas and how I had to get stitches on my head too.  Lilly's wonderful teacher came down to read Lilly's special SuperStar book to her while they waited for me to get there. 

I found this when I arrived...

I started crying, in an I am ok, but look at my child kind of way...

If my dad hadn't been there to ease Lilly's discomfort and my panic, it would have been worse...

Well this is about the saddest little girl.  Ok, not the saddest.  The saddest was the little baby who couldn't stop screaming because she was so sick.  Or, the mother who brought her child in via ambulance because he had a seizure.  Or the wife whose husband of fifty years had suffered his second stroke in three months.  Those were sad.

We are all good now.  Lilly has four staples in her head.

She is fine.  We are all fine.  I didn't even faint!

There are so many more that are not fine today.  Japan is not fine.  We owe it to our fellow humans to get out there and do something.  And to do something means GIVE MONEY!  Help!  This is a disaster that is unprecendented and the human loss in lives is unknown and growing every minute.  Step up my readers.  Give $5 or a $100.  We are all in this together.  Take a moment to realize the extent of this tragedy and give what you can.  We have family, homes and our lives.  So many have lost all of these.

happymommy

Superstar...

This week, Lilly is the "Superstar" of her kindergarten.  This means she is first in line, gets to take charge of certain duties and is THE SUPERSTAR.  She is having the time of her life and I, well, I am reveling in a bath of sadness.  I was not able to walk her in on her first day of being SuperStar or be part of the week in any way.

It breaks my heart to be a working mother.  I never understood the guilt involved in being a working mom.   Today, I do.  I am pawning Lilly off on people for playdates so I can have an extra hour here or there to send more emails or make more calls.  I had to give up my volunteer Wednesdays in Lilly's classroom because I have a standing meeting an hour and half from home on the days I should be the garden mom or the centers' helper.  

So many mothers, and fathers, all over the world deal with this guilt.  It is hard and unexpected to feel this way.  I am excited about my job, but at what cost is this excitement?

Lilly's Special Guest for SuperStar week!

I am thankful every single day for the help I have from my parents.  They keep this boat afloat!  I will either get over my guilt, or I will go back to being a full time stay at home mom.  There really is no better, or more rewarding job. 

For now, I am going to embrace this new career, and this opportunity.  I am lucky, blessed and empowered.  But still, I am sad.

happymommy

Well, um, hum, yeah, I got nothing....

While running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I realized I haven't blogged in many many days.  (Do all my posts lately start with some version of this excuse?)  So instead of writing about not writing, I am sharing with you a funny that made me smile and laugh out loud.

I make no secret of my absolute hatred of folded sheets.  No, I don't run around and pump my fist saying, "I hate folding fitted sheets."  I am not that crazy.  Really, I am not!  But, I will not learn how to do it correctly.  I am a fitted sheet folding rebel.  I refuse to learn no matter how much space is taken up in the linen closet!  My husband, mom and mother-in-law do it perfectly. 

Here, themanwifechronicles shows the correct way to fold a crazy fitted sheet.
Pure genius!

Pure funny!  Pure fact!

happymommy

No thoughts in my head...

Oh, I have many thoughts in my head, but most of them revolve around schedules, new job information and how to keep my husband and children happy.  My friends were right:  my blog is suffering.  Can't promise this won't be the case for awhile but I will try, I WILL TRY!

I am an avid listener of Rosie Radio on XM/Sirius Radio.  I find her charming, funny, surprisingly political and even more compassionate than I remember from her TV days.  I never watched The View so I have no point of reference for that time in her life.  If it weren't for Rosie, I would have no idea about what is going on in Wisconsin, and what is now happening in Ohio.  There have been other writings on the matter at airbornepress, but for the most part mass media has not covered this major issue and this history making issue at all.  Instead, they are focusing every bit of energy on the train wreck that is Charlie Sheen.  Let's not even talk about the unrest in Libya, our own war in Iraq and Afghanastan or even the fatal earthquake in New Zealand.  What is on everyone's mind? Charlie Sheen.  It is infuriating and symbolic of the current state of our country.

On Rosie's show today she read a post by Linda Holmes at NPR, and honestly, I was moved and ashamed and in awe.  Who have we become and why do we care?  Go read this.  It says it all!

Now for some fun, go check out this. (Dad, I know...)

Hey, look, it turns out I do have thoughts in my head!

happymommy