I can't believe it is February - ALREADY!!!! I swear, I just wrote the post in September and then all I've done since then is blink!
Needless to say, I have no idea where the time has flown. And my house is no cleaner. And the laundry is still never caught up. And I still go to bed with a "to do" list left to do.
So. Tomorrow is the BIG DAY. The one that my mother has been talking about for the past year and a half with an evil smirk on her face. I guess it's supposed to bother me that I'm turning 30 tomorrow. The Heathens have been commenting on it, my family has, my friends have. Even the local TV station was counting down to it, until the digital change-over date was altered anyway!
It really is just another birthday. I don't feel old. I don't think 30 IS that old anymore. 15 years ago, 30 was old. Today, 30 is normal. Amazing how perspectives change. I'm sure that at some point, I'll think being 60 is normal.
If the next 30 years are as good overall as the first 30 have been, I'll consider myself lucky. They haven't been an easy 30 years - heaven knows there have been some horrible, crappy days in there. But in the end, I can smile and say that I've survived and I have a good life.
I have a lot to be thankful for in these first 30 years. I have a wonderful family. Not only the one I was born into, but the one I married into as well. Yes, they drive me crazy. Yes, they make me want to scream on occasion. No, I couldn't live as happily without them.
The Asst. Zookeeper has made a world of difference in my life. It'll be 13 years in May since he stepped into the center ring. Almost half of my life. We love to joke about who we would get matched up with if we ever registered at a site like eHarmony. We know it wouldn't be to each other. But however, why ever, whatever - we work. Well.
The Heathens - I can imagine my life without them. How boring that would be. Imagine getting up in the morning and having no one complain first thing. Or drag their feet and making me late leaving the house. Imagine having no one to yell at after bedtime to "BE QUIET!!!!" and go to sleep. Imagine no shoes to trip over. No socks to find randomly around the house. No lollipop sticks abandoned beside the garbage can instead of inside of it. Definitely, not a life for me.
I'm so in love with my life. Bring on the birthday - I'm ready.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Met the New Principal
So I met the new elementary school principal yesterday. And it wasn't in the way I wanted to meet him either.
I received a phone call around 2:30 in the afternoon explaining that Heathen #2 was sitting in his office and had been sent there for yelling at the teacher when he became frustrated with something in the classroom.
All I could think of was my father sitting and laughing hysterically and telling me that deserved it. I did the same thing when I was in school, only I was in fifth grade when it happened, not first.
So I drove over to the school and found Heathen #2 sitting in the principal's office looking very small and very scared. And when I walked in with the "you are SO in trouble" look on my face, his little eyes got very round and teary.
We had a nice little chat with the principal, and then with the classroom teacher also. And they came to the conclusion at the end of the discussion that I matched exactly what I had told them when I walked in. Heathen #2 is a control freak and wants to be in charge all the time. He also has quite a temper that he has to learn to control. Then they both agreed that I really did know my child. Gee, you'd think I actually have lived with the child for the past 6 years, 5 months, and 27 days...
I received a phone call around 2:30 in the afternoon explaining that Heathen #2 was sitting in his office and had been sent there for yelling at the teacher when he became frustrated with something in the classroom.
All I could think of was my father sitting and laughing hysterically and telling me that deserved it. I did the same thing when I was in school, only I was in fifth grade when it happened, not first.
So I drove over to the school and found Heathen #2 sitting in the principal's office looking very small and very scared. And when I walked in with the "you are SO in trouble" look on my face, his little eyes got very round and teary.
We had a nice little chat with the principal, and then with the classroom teacher also. And they came to the conclusion at the end of the discussion that I matched exactly what I had told them when I walked in. Heathen #2 is a control freak and wants to be in charge all the time. He also has quite a temper that he has to learn to control. Then they both agreed that I really did know my child. Gee, you'd think I actually have lived with the child for the past 6 years, 5 months, and 27 days...
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Summer photos
I just wanted to post some of the photos of the Heathens from the summer!
One afternoon, the Heathens and I drove to Living Treasures Animal Park. It's about an hour's drive from the Zoo. The boys had a great time!
Both of the older two Heathens attended Cub Scout Day Camp at New Germany Grove for three days in July. The Asst. Zookeeper walked with Heathen #1's group, and I walked with Heathen #2's group. I was part of a campfire skit in this photo - which is why I have a banana on my head! :) Heathen #3 spent those three days in the "Tot Lot" playing with other younger brothers and sisters.
One afternoon, the Heathens and I drove to Living Treasures Animal Park. It's about an hour's drive from the Zoo. The boys had a great time!
We did alot of other things this summer, but the pictures are still on my camera. Once I have those downloaded, I'll post them as well!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
I've been TOO BUSY!
It's been three months (and a few days) since my last visit to this site. It's been three months of keeping up with the Heathens over their summer vacation from school. It's been three months of constant motion and movement - and I've LOVED every minute of it!
The Heathens and I did a lot of fun things this summer. We went Living Treasures Animal Park and were chased by crazed geese (with threatening attitudes). We went to Old Bedford Village - which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for Heathen #1. We went to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium and saw the two baby elephants. With the Asst. Zookeeper, we went on a 20 mile canoe trip at Kinzua Reservoir and camped at Hooks Brook. We also spent hours playing in the pool at my IN LAWS.
At the beginning of the summer, immediately after loosing my job, I was terrified of spending the entire summer with my children. Don't get me wrong - I love my children. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world (most days). But I wasn't raised with the concept of BEING a "stay at home mom" - I was raised that I could do or be anything I wanted to do. I was never taught to cook. The only cleaning I really did growing up was the few things on my chore list. I wasn't raised with those thoughts in my head. So to me, the thought of not having adult conversation all day long, every day, was horrifying to me!
But I've survived! And I will readily admit that I was sad to see the Heathens head off to another school year. This was the best summer to have stayed home with them. Heathen #1 is only 10 and just this year headed off to the middle school. Although he isn't a little boys any more, he isn't a teenager yet. He's starting to get THOSE looks on his face when I'm talking to him. But for the most part, he's still mine. He still wants a hug. He still wants a good night kiss. He still tells me he loves me. And I know that probably won't last much longer.
Heathen #2 is only 6. And while he drives me nuts most days because we are too much alike, he still can be incredibly sweet. He still beams with joy when you compliment him for something. And Heathen #3 is only 3 and we just mastered potty training this summer. He's still a little boy who wants to be held and cuddled.
I couldn't have asked for a better summer with my Heathens.
The Heathens and I did a lot of fun things this summer. We went Living Treasures Animal Park and were chased by crazed geese (with threatening attitudes). We went to Old Bedford Village - which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for Heathen #1. We went to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium and saw the two baby elephants. With the Asst. Zookeeper, we went on a 20 mile canoe trip at Kinzua Reservoir and camped at Hooks Brook. We also spent hours playing in the pool at my IN LAWS.
At the beginning of the summer, immediately after loosing my job, I was terrified of spending the entire summer with my children. Don't get me wrong - I love my children. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world (most days). But I wasn't raised with the concept of BEING a "stay at home mom" - I was raised that I could do or be anything I wanted to do. I was never taught to cook. The only cleaning I really did growing up was the few things on my chore list. I wasn't raised with those thoughts in my head. So to me, the thought of not having adult conversation all day long, every day, was horrifying to me!
But I've survived! And I will readily admit that I was sad to see the Heathens head off to another school year. This was the best summer to have stayed home with them. Heathen #1 is only 10 and just this year headed off to the middle school. Although he isn't a little boys any more, he isn't a teenager yet. He's starting to get THOSE looks on his face when I'm talking to him. But for the most part, he's still mine. He still wants a hug. He still wants a good night kiss. He still tells me he loves me. And I know that probably won't last much longer.
Heathen #2 is only 6. And while he drives me nuts most days because we are too much alike, he still can be incredibly sweet. He still beams with joy when you compliment him for something. And Heathen #3 is only 3 and we just mastered potty training this summer. He's still a little boy who wants to be held and cuddled.
I couldn't have asked for a better summer with my Heathens.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Rediscovering the Heathens
It will be two weeks tomorrow that my world was completely altered. On one hand, losing my job is nothing horrible. It happens to people everyday, everywhere. But on the other hand, that job was a big part of how I defined myself.
In the two weeks that I've been home with the Heathens full time, I have:
reseeded the yard
watered the grass seed a zillion times
made two WalMart trips
made one Giant Eagle trip
several bank runs
one trip for ice cream
planted two flower beds
made stepping stones
picked up the living room a zillion times
gone to the laundromat
purchased a dryer
AND...
I've actually woken up in the mornings and felt like I truly slept. No waking up and feeling like I've been up all night. No lying in bed and running through "to do" list for tomorrow. Just blissful sleep.
Needless to say, I've spent A LOT of time with my Heathens. The last two weeks is the most solid time that I've spent with them in the past four years when I left teaching and started at JAHA.
On one hand, it's been agonizing. The fighting. The bickering. The whining. The complaining. I'm constantly refereeing arguments and stopping one of them from doing something they KNOW they are not to do. By the time the Asst. Zookeeper leaves for work at 9pm, I'm just as tired as I was after working a full day at the office.
But, I've also just gotten to watch the kids play and interact with each other. I've gotten a million kisses and hugs that I would have otherwise missed. I've gotten to watch them enjoy making the stepping stones for the yard today. I've watched them be regular, old "boys" and dig in the dirt and slop in the mud and laugh while they were doing it.
I was really worried when I let the Asst. Zookeeper talk me into staying home with the Heathens this summer. I wasn't sure if I would maintain my sanity. And I don't know that I necessarily will. But I do know that this will always be a summer that I will remember. It's the last summer before Heathen #1 goes to the middle school. It's the last summer before Heathen #2 goes to school all day long. And it's the last summer of Heathen #3 being a "little" kid. They are all on the verge of making big steps in their lives - and I get to take the time to watch and enjoy.
Thanks to the Asst. Zookeeper.
In the two weeks that I've been home with the Heathens full time, I have:
reseeded the yard
watered the grass seed a zillion times
made two WalMart trips
made one Giant Eagle trip
several bank runs
one trip for ice cream
planted two flower beds
made stepping stones
picked up the living room a zillion times
gone to the laundromat
purchased a dryer
AND...
I've actually woken up in the mornings and felt like I truly slept. No waking up and feeling like I've been up all night. No lying in bed and running through "to do" list for tomorrow. Just blissful sleep.
Needless to say, I've spent A LOT of time with my Heathens. The last two weeks is the most solid time that I've spent with them in the past four years when I left teaching and started at JAHA.
On one hand, it's been agonizing. The fighting. The bickering. The whining. The complaining. I'm constantly refereeing arguments and stopping one of them from doing something they KNOW they are not to do. By the time the Asst. Zookeeper leaves for work at 9pm, I'm just as tired as I was after working a full day at the office.
But, I've also just gotten to watch the kids play and interact with each other. I've gotten a million kisses and hugs that I would have otherwise missed. I've gotten to watch them enjoy making the stepping stones for the yard today. I've watched them be regular, old "boys" and dig in the dirt and slop in the mud and laugh while they were doing it.
I was really worried when I let the Asst. Zookeeper talk me into staying home with the Heathens this summer. I wasn't sure if I would maintain my sanity. And I don't know that I necessarily will. But I do know that this will always be a summer that I will remember. It's the last summer before Heathen #1 goes to the middle school. It's the last summer before Heathen #2 goes to school all day long. And it's the last summer of Heathen #3 being a "little" kid. They are all on the verge of making big steps in their lives - and I get to take the time to watch and enjoy.
Thanks to the Asst. Zookeeper.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Redefining My Life
Sometimes, when you wake up in the mornings, you know exactly what you will be doing every minute of the day. Every thing is planned and prepared. Everything is scheduled. There will be no surprises. You know you will go to bed really tired, but that you will be content and satisfied with the day. That's how I felt when I got out of bed last Tuesday (May 27). I couldn't have been more wrong.
Around 2pm that afternoon, I was called to my executive director's office and told my position had been "terminated." Immediately. Hand in your keys. Clean out your office. Go home.
I'll readily admit to ending up in tears rapidly. I had put almost four years into the organization and I LOVED my job and I loved a lot of the people I worked with like family. I had left a teaching position for this job.
So instead of my day going as I had assumed, it was suddenly turned upside-down. Maybe "blown-up" would be a more accurate description of the feeling. I called the Asst. Zookeeper to come help me clean out my office - after four years, I had accumulated quite a bit.
The Asst. Zookeeper did exactly what I needed him to do that day. He walked into my office and gave me a huge hug and immediately told me that we would be okay with just his income. God, I love that man. We packed everything up and headed back to the Zoo. We had a regular evening of grocery shopping. it seemed very surreal to me - almost like I wasn't really in my body.
I made it through the rest of last week without too much trouble. I found myself sort of walking around the house and not doing a whole lot. But I'm getting better.
This summer, I'll be attempting something that I've always said I never wanted to do, something that I was incapable of enjoying, something that would drive me insane. I'm going to be a "stay at home mom" for the summer.
My fear has nothing to do with not loving my children. I wasn't raised to stay home. I was raised that I would have a job, a career, and that I would be out of the house and working. In my brain, I've always associated "stay at home mom" with "unambitios" or "unsuccessful." And I know that's not true. Now I'll be attempting to do it. And keep my sanity at the same time.
Around 2pm that afternoon, I was called to my executive director's office and told my position had been "terminated." Immediately. Hand in your keys. Clean out your office. Go home.
I'll readily admit to ending up in tears rapidly. I had put almost four years into the organization and I LOVED my job and I loved a lot of the people I worked with like family. I had left a teaching position for this job.
So instead of my day going as I had assumed, it was suddenly turned upside-down. Maybe "blown-up" would be a more accurate description of the feeling. I called the Asst. Zookeeper to come help me clean out my office - after four years, I had accumulated quite a bit.
The Asst. Zookeeper did exactly what I needed him to do that day. He walked into my office and gave me a huge hug and immediately told me that we would be okay with just his income. God, I love that man. We packed everything up and headed back to the Zoo. We had a regular evening of grocery shopping. it seemed very surreal to me - almost like I wasn't really in my body.
I made it through the rest of last week without too much trouble. I found myself sort of walking around the house and not doing a whole lot. But I'm getting better.
This summer, I'll be attempting something that I've always said I never wanted to do, something that I was incapable of enjoying, something that would drive me insane. I'm going to be a "stay at home mom" for the summer.
My fear has nothing to do with not loving my children. I wasn't raised to stay home. I was raised that I would have a job, a career, and that I would be out of the house and working. In my brain, I've always associated "stay at home mom" with "unambitios" or "unsuccessful." And I know that's not true. Now I'll be attempting to do it. And keep my sanity at the same time.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
In Memory of Memorial Day 2008
What a wonderful long weekend at the zoo!
I took off from work Thursday and Friday afternoons heading into the weekend and just laid around the house reading. I think I read a total of 7 or 8 books between Thursday and yesterday afternoon. What a delight!
Friday afternoon, the Asst. Zookeeper and I took a quick road trip to Ebensburg to take care of some errands at the scout shop. It was really nice to be able to hold a conversation in the car without the Heathens screaming at each other in the background.
Friday evening, the Asst. Zookeeper had to go out to work at 2am, but he was back home by 8am. We both laid around the house all morning and part of the early afternoon. Around 3pm, the Asst. Zookeeper's father and younger brother brought the backhoe down to the zoo so that we could finish regrading the back yard. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the dirt, then cleaned up the Heathens and went to run errands for the evening. Saturday we spent the day playing in the dirt again - it's amazing how much work goes into moving it around!
Sunday, we slept through church (oops - we had every intention of going). After we finally got moving, we ran to the dollar store to get decorations for the Heathens bicycles. Every Memorial Day, our township has a parade and has a bicycle decorating contests for the kids. Our boys LOVE it. Sunday afternoon was spent decorating the bicycles with BIL#2 and his wife.
Monday morning - bright and early at 7:15am, we were up and packing up bicycles to get to the parade. They start off by judging the kids' decorations and they give $50 savings bonds to the winners in each age group. None of my Heathens got a prize this year, but both my niece and nephew did!
Then the parade started. It goes about a mile from our middle school and ending at the flag circle in Grandview Cemetery. It is a very slow mile that is spent dodging little kids who don't know how to ride a bicycle. Some of them need more help that training wheels can provide!
After we arrived at the flag circle, we rode another mile back to where we had parked the cars to un-decorate our bikes. Then it was back on and another mile of pedaling to our local Eat N' Park for the breakfast buffet. And then ANOTHER mile back to the cars. The Heathens love to go for bicycle rides and really do a great job (they only whined when they were hungry - which is understandable!).
The rest of Monday, I spent raking dirt and removing rocks from my newly leveled yard. And I removed 10 or 11 wheelbarrows FULL of rocks. It was really hot and sunny - and it was WONDERFUL! I even got a bit of a sunburn. Then the Asst. Zookeeper spread the grass seed and we covered it with hay. By 5pm, we were done! And at 5:01pm it started to rain - perfect!
We had a really great weekend and so did the Heathens. It was a fantastic start to summer!
I took off from work Thursday and Friday afternoons heading into the weekend and just laid around the house reading. I think I read a total of 7 or 8 books between Thursday and yesterday afternoon. What a delight!
Friday afternoon, the Asst. Zookeeper and I took a quick road trip to Ebensburg to take care of some errands at the scout shop. It was really nice to be able to hold a conversation in the car without the Heathens screaming at each other in the background.
Friday evening, the Asst. Zookeeper had to go out to work at 2am, but he was back home by 8am. We both laid around the house all morning and part of the early afternoon. Around 3pm, the Asst. Zookeeper's father and younger brother brought the backhoe down to the zoo so that we could finish regrading the back yard. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the dirt, then cleaned up the Heathens and went to run errands for the evening. Saturday we spent the day playing in the dirt again - it's amazing how much work goes into moving it around!
Sunday, we slept through church (oops - we had every intention of going). After we finally got moving, we ran to the dollar store to get decorations for the Heathens bicycles. Every Memorial Day, our township has a parade and has a bicycle decorating contests for the kids. Our boys LOVE it. Sunday afternoon was spent decorating the bicycles with BIL#2 and his wife.
Monday morning - bright and early at 7:15am, we were up and packing up bicycles to get to the parade. They start off by judging the kids' decorations and they give $50 savings bonds to the winners in each age group. None of my Heathens got a prize this year, but both my niece and nephew did!
Then the parade started. It goes about a mile from our middle school and ending at the flag circle in Grandview Cemetery. It is a very slow mile that is spent dodging little kids who don't know how to ride a bicycle. Some of them need more help that training wheels can provide!
After we arrived at the flag circle, we rode another mile back to where we had parked the cars to un-decorate our bikes. Then it was back on and another mile of pedaling to our local Eat N' Park for the breakfast buffet. And then ANOTHER mile back to the cars. The Heathens love to go for bicycle rides and really do a great job (they only whined when they were hungry - which is understandable!).
The rest of Monday, I spent raking dirt and removing rocks from my newly leveled yard. And I removed 10 or 11 wheelbarrows FULL of rocks. It was really hot and sunny - and it was WONDERFUL! I even got a bit of a sunburn. Then the Asst. Zookeeper spread the grass seed and we covered it with hay. By 5pm, we were done! And at 5:01pm it started to rain - perfect!
We had a really great weekend and so did the Heathens. It was a fantastic start to summer!
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