Do you not know what causes that?

Baby Ocho Updates

Okay I know you've been asking me for Ocho updates. I don't really have any to give you yet.  But I have set up a twitter account so that you can follow Ocho when the time comes and a bit before that as well:

http://twitter.com/babyocho

You can also find the links to my journal and other types of info there.

Over my head...

My friend Marci and I share a love of reading. I'll admit she often does more intellectual reading than I do but we do share a fair bit of taste in similar titles. So when she recommended a "fun" book, The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde, I figured it sounded like fun. This pregnancy must be wiping out every brain cell I own. It took me forever to read about 10 pages and I'm not sure I understood most of it.  It's early days for a book, but I'm thinking I may have to put this one away until my brain cells come back. *sigh*

My Husband is Driving Me Bonkers

Okay so even though I'm able to intellectualize the fact that most of this is about the new baby, it's driving me bonkers. Here are some examples of his asinine behaviors:

• He's going to the grocery. That's all he says. I ask if I can give him some things to add to the list. He says fine. So I print out the list. He's mad. He wasn't planning to go to Kroger. Okay, I never said he had to go to Kroger and I can't think of a thing on the list that he couldn't get at the grocery he wants to go to.  But all of a sudden he's yelling because he's unhealthy and going to die all because of my grocery list. 90% of the list is fresh fruit. The few "bad" things on there are to make a yogurt pie for a picnic we're going to today. So why couldn't he have a) gotten the items at the one grocery; or b) gone to two groceries like he expects me to do?
• Yesterday he asked me to pick up some face masks so that he could clean up in a room we're having mold inspectors in. Now this is a room that he spends hours every night in playing video games but the mere act of cleaning will make him ill. So I buy the masks - no big deal. I come in and hand them to a kid to give to dad. They don't make it. He wants them now. Fine let's go find them. I say, "They are in a box this big (shows dimensions) and it says like 'surgical masks.'" Well that's it!  He didn't want surgical masks and how can he find that box in this house? Um, hello, the same way I will be finding it?  It was sitting on the kitchen counter and thank goodness it didn't really say surgical because that was NOT what he wanted at all and WHY would I buy THOSE types of masks.
• After sleeping all night and working for about 2 hours, he needs a nap. I let him sleep because he's always bitching that I don't let him nap. Finally I wake him up at 2, knowing we need to leave at 3:30 for a party. He's mad when I ask what he wants to have for dinner. I remind him that he's known for weeks about the dinner and he of course doesn't remember that. So I also remind him that we have a party at 3 p.m. the NEXT day and he can't remember that either. He and I had a lengthy discussion of what he should bring being a vegan.  But now he's mad about that too.
• When we get home form the first party and are cooking dinner, I have to have dinner on the table in about 45 minutes because someone over has to eat for medical reasons. He knows what I'm cooking, but apparently he's ticked because not only do I have THE pan he wants but I'm using the one big burner. (Remember I'd asked him multiple times to plan ahead for this and he slept all afternoon.)

It just drives me nuts. He can eat what he wants but I still need to cook for the kids. They really don't want to eat a raw vegan diet.  But my vegetarian "crap" is making them fat. (Despite the fact they all have normal BMIs.)

Oh and did I mention that next weekend he's going to Tae Kwon Do camp with Hilary, Isaac and Lilah, leaving me with a newly unmedicated Benjamin and all the little girls? Oh and he has no clue what the sleeping arrangements are for our 16 yo daughter.

It's going to be a long day...

Ada got up at 6:30 a.m. (Go summer vacation!) Seeing as Kevin thought it would be fun to stay up until 2 or 3 a.m. and play video games on his computer I decided to take the high road and get up with Ada for some one on one time. Shortly after we came downstairs, Clara and Owen followed.  Then a few minutes later Lilah and Isaac.  The loudness quickly followed.  I found myself - before 7 a.m. mind you - saying, "If you're not quiet it's almost bedtime!"  Ouch. It's going to take some time here...

Benjamin's Graduation

Okay I'll admit it. I cried like a baby at the very end.  I was so overwhelmed with how far Benjamin has come.  The ceremony was nice and Benjamin waited patiently as a W. He did cover his ears a few times but managed to stay in his seat and behave very nicely - hard for any 8th grade boy. He picked his own clothes out yesterday. He promised to wear the tie to his wedding (sorry future wife).

Jana came and thankfully brought her camera as I couldn't find mine. This was a quick snap with my phone as Jana had a film (???) camera. Then off we all went for lunch but Panera was out of soup (???) so we had CPK! Yum. Now I get B alone for the day...

Red Riding Hood: You're safe!

We were riding in the car and talking to Owen and Clara about the new baby. When Clara asks me about a complication of homebirth I'd never thought of: "What if a hunter were to come into our house and try to shoot the new baby?"

"Well, Clara, I'd never thought of that one..."

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

Today Benjamin turned 15 today.  He started off being driven to Bob Evans by Hilary (I was co-pilot) and we went the long way! After shoveling plates of hotcakes and eggs in his mouth he was all smiles. When he got home Lilah, Isaac and the little girls decorated the door to his room with birthday cards. He went with the family to services while I took Lilah to the pediatrician for a rash (Fifth Disease).

We spent the afternoon hanging around and enjoying each others company. He wound up taking a walk and playing in the back yard. By evening we met his friends at Lazer Blaze and played a few rounds. Then off to Skyline Chili for a birthday dinner and we were joined by Ashley.

At home we had a vanilla cake, with vanilla icing and vanilla ice cream. (We did offer mini M & Ms on the side for the adventurous.) Then presents!  He got a SIGG water bottle, in red with a sports cap.  Then a shakeable flashlight and a really hard puzzle.  He was thrilled.  Now we're finishing up watching North by Northwest with Hilary.

Spring Sing 2008

This year Ada's class sang a bunch of sun related song, while Owen and Clara's group sang bedtime songs.  This was Ada's 1st year and Owen and Clara's last...

Telling on Myself

So being the good teen he is, Benjamin has yet to bring home the official end of year graduation info for 8th graders.  So I called the school to ask what time.  They asked me: "What team is he on?"  I thought about it a second, with the answer "It's some bird." on the tip of my tongue. Before I could answer she said, "Eagles or Falcons?" 

Crap.  There went my brilliance as a mom. I madly trying to picture the sweat shirt he wears nearly daily and can't discern the type of bird...

I finally do what all mothers do, I guessed "Falcons."

This provided me a time, who only knows if it's the right one.

Mother's Day 2008

It started at 4 a.m.  At least that's when Ada woke up.  I was the only one that heard her pathetic cries, "Someone open my door..."  that said through a slurpy, tongue filled mouth.  Thankfully she laid in bed with me and fell back asleep. At least for 15 minutes...

By 6 a.m. Owen had joined the mix, quickly followed by Lilah and Clara.  I held them off as long as I could but they were itching to start Mother's Day.  I was actually amazed at the fact that they had held off on their gifts since Friday's close of school.  By 6:45 a.m. I was surrounded by paper and drawings, tissue paper corsages, and hand prints.  It was really sweet and friendly.

Kevin was still mostly asleep despite four little girls jumping on the bed.  They really wanted to make me breakfast in bed and I was really tired of laying around waiting.  So I tried to rouse Kevin. He eventually started heading that way. I got up and got dressed to run to the grocery quickly. There I enjoyed 7 minutes of peace and quiet on the way to and form the grocery.  I was back upstairs and in bed very quickly.  Where the girls brought me, drum roll please - a biscuit.

I ate it and then ran back downstairs to bake a cake for a baked Alaska for grandma, her new fav.  After several attempts it was really cooked through and through. I grabbed a shower and dressed everyone. A few stragglers and pouters, mostly the older two.

We managed to get to the synagogue for the brunch.  Kevin's mom, sister, brother-in-law and daughter were meeting us for our second annual brunch here.  It was nice.  Though someone we know came up and congratulated us on the new baby, he said, "The word is out..."  I looked at him and my MIL right next to me and said, "To everyone but my mother-in-law...."  The poor guy was a bit embarrassed, but I told him he wasn't in trouble.

Isaac and Lilah helped serve food.  The little girls sat mostly with friends at the table next door.  We sat with family and friends and ate a yummy breakfast/brunch. Alyse liked her gift cards for restaurants. And then it got to be nap time and we came home after rounding everyone up.

So everyone was napping and I was making homemade frosting and interior goo for the baked Alaska. Finally we got everyone back up and out the door, but K wasn't paying attention and went to my mom's nursing home first, while I took my van to grandma's. We all got there. Grandma's neck hurt and I brought her a rice sock. She was excited by her pillowcases and particularly the baked Alaska.

Given how fickle grandma can be I was pleased. The kids had fun with her. They sang songs and begged for more cake. LOL  Ada did pronounce that she didn't like it. Oh well, her loss.

Grandma and I had a small argument over whether or not I should see mom. Mom has an eye infection grandma was worried I'd catch. Grandma had mom leave me a phone message saying that I shouldn't come over that she was "secure in my love."

Kevin wound up going home early. He wasn't feeling well. Benjamin and Owen went with him. I drove over to the nursing home. Hilary went in and dropped off cake and goodies. I called Juliet and found out that Barbie was visiting. The girls were impressed that Juliet knew Barbie. I tried to explain that it wasn't THAT Barbie. I tried to tell them that Barbie was a doctor.  "No mommy, Barbie is not a DOCTOR!"

Home to finish homework, clean up and have dinner. Hilary and Kevin are watching the Birds and I'm watching Dude Where's My car....  Not sure which one of us is suffering, but we're making BOTH our older kids happy at the same time, which rarely happens.