Back on the Flylady wagon again!

Yesterday, I did the cleaning in the Living Room Zone that Flylady suggested.  My living room is very small not what you'd expect for a family of 10 and it's a real pain sometimes when we all get in there with snacks and games and books etc.  Especially books when we're homeschooling.  That does us in so many times it's not even funny.  Anyway, because it was the zone, I took down the Christmas decorations in the Living Room yesterday, did the zone clean and a bit more.  room looks fairly good now.  Today, was grab the clutter and so I did it in 5 min flat!  Go me! lol.  My little man helped me and is now happily reading a book.  I'm working on reminding my family that they must take whatever they bring into the living room... back out.  Sigh... Biggest offender?  HUBBY of couse!

My girls are lugging the garbage to the street which normally isn't a big deal, but since the town decided to completely plow us in with 3 foot high drifts.  I do mean COMPLETELY!!!  Sidewalk, driveway totally except that my sons shovelled a tiny little hole at the end of our walk so we could get in and out.  Now,  our car is plowed in again this year and I am SO sick of it.  Everyone else had a driveway last year, we did not.  They made us one this summer.  Now, it's winter and they have plowed in the driveway!!!  Everyone else has theirs cleared immediately by the plows, so why not ours?  GRRRR.  Have to call and complain because there is NO WAY my boys or husband can shovel all that snow away from the car.  It's just too much!

Hubby decided I needed to eat so he sent me a plate with 2 pieces of toast, bacon, and an omelet.  I sure hope I can eat it all!  I'm not very hungry in the mornings.

Today's anti-procrastination day on Flylady and so I'm going to clean my room after all the holiday shoving the kids did with laundry and books and other things when we were on the go for the past 2 weeks and then I've got to pick up a table from the church and the year end papers and sort, file and whatever else needs doing.  Sigh... I want to get on it though while Derk's home to keep the kids on the straight and narrow and send me food and drink lol.  It works better when I can just focus on MY work for a day or two... maybe a bit of scrapbooking thrown in there as well.

Just saw my girls through the window.  They have big red cheeks!  It's not super cold, only -15 but the windchill is making it more like -21 so it's cold for them.  They are such troopers!

Well, time to see what I can eat of this omelet!  Thank you hubbykins!  Luv ya!

The Journey back to ROUTINES

Today there is a south wind blowing but it's making the temp feel like -30 out there.  Not fun for sending kids to play so I guess we'll have to begin the process of cleaning up after Christmas Festivities and try to get some of our routines back before the New Year hits.  We took a rather long break prior to Christmas in order to prepare for the Church concert and other thing, but  now with my due date anywhere from April to June depending on what happens and how many are in there... plus Josh's grad to plan, we need to get things done earlier and work hard.  I usually take January and February anyway and push the school, longer hours, harder at it, so that while the kids are not playing outside due to the cold and dark hours, we work hard inside and once the warmer weather arrives, they can then slack off on the books abit and enjoy fresh air.

Right now, my oldest boys are still in bed!  Josh doesn't usually sleep in so late, but we stayed up last night and he does have to work at 2pm.  All the younger ones are up though and Derk's decided to make pancakes for breakfast so he's at it in the kitchen.  I am pretty sore still from that shopping trip, but at least I can move!   So I'm going to work on making up some charts for the kids so that we can do flylady's system a bit better this year.  We have renovations that need finishing too so we've got a long way to go in the next 5 months, but with baby steps and doing things 15 min at a time or even an hour or two (renovations or other projects) we will make it!

Well... here I go... wish us luck!
My timer is my friend in 2010.... now I just have to get a new one lol.  The microwave or oven is not convenient.

Boxing Day

It's Boxing Day already!

How quickly time has flown by this holiday season.  It all began around noon time Christmas Eve when Kyla-Dawn showed up very much earlier than expected and never called to say she was on her way.  So here I was, worried about the roads and weather all morning and she was in that weather on those roads but thank God she left when she did and God bless he work staff who decided to send her on her way earlier.  The roads were pretty bad when she was on them and got far worse later on.

Derk also texted me around 10 am and told me he was getting off at noon instead of his normal 3:30 time and so by 12:30, everyone was here but Josh who worked till 3pm but was in town at least.  During the afternoon things got worse and worse outside, snowing constantly and blowing everywhere.  A blizzard.

Once everyone was home, Derk made his famous homemade pizza trying out his new pizza stone or our new pizza stone I guess... a present from the church and we declared it a success.  Desserts and munchies and then relaxation after we opened the presents.  We always open them on Christmas Eve.  Dispells the santa myth quite nicely for our littles!

Christmas morning, we all got up and were quite lazy even though we were still baking some things.  Later in the day we opened our stockings, made pies and things and just lazed around for most of the day and evening.

Today, a different story lol.  I made the kids do their chores, then sent them outside and Derk went too.  First thing though, Josh had to work at 7am just till 10am and he got stuck at the corner and so Derk went and helped get him out.   Then the snow plows came through later on and we had to move our van and KD's car.  now, our road is terrible with the plows making a half-hearted pass through it and leaving tons of snow for us to deal with some how until they get around to doing a proper job!

So now, all the kids are outside except Kyla-Dawn & Josh who went for coffee, and Charlotte our female dog who has been out but has been let back inside again.  Derk's out there with them and hopefully his foot doesn't hurt too badly.  He has plantar faschitis in it and it's causing him a lot of pain.

Not too sure if KD and I will brave the trip to the city afterall.  I've not felt well the entire holiday and especially not today.  I'm going to lie down now and see if I can get some energy back and shake this thing.

Tuesday, December 22nd - Halfway Point

The halfway point!  Yaaay!
140 days gone, 140 left to go.. well according to my due date anyway, doesn't really MEAN that for me though you could add up to 15 extra days on there possibly and still be on time. sigh...

Today I'm resting on my bed, feeling kind of icky, stuffy nose and clogged throat, feeling faint and feet feel like sticks instead of feet so... good day to get the girls to help me fold laundry and clean up my room after ransacking it for play props, dumping laundry that there wasn't any time to deal with, and the presents and aftermath of wrapping everything.  I'm almost completely done getting the presents for everyone and then stockings and that's it.  I'll be done.

Michael's cleaning his room and back hall which is our laundry room and hopefully the littles are not ransacking the downstairs too much while Larissa cleans the kitchen.  Josh has baked and taken his second order and has tons more to finish up tonight.  I'm so super proud of him and his little baking business that's getting going.    Jenaya is helping me in my room now.  I really feel light headed at the moment so will cut this short today.

Monday - The Morning After!

It's over!  WHEW!  Now, just to clean up the mess left in my home from the last minute cooking, baking, furniture taken over to use as props, dishes either from home that were left undone due to the lateness of the hour and the tight schedule we had going yesterday or were used at the church during the dinner to serve and now are at MY house... dirty of couse.  All the props we took over had to return but nobody was in any condition to put everything in its proper place last night when we collapsed around 9pm.  Sooooo that means we get it ALL today.  I'm so sore I can hardly move and so that's really hampering the process, Michael STILL isn't out of bed at almost noon although he's been called many many many times already today and rooms that he takes care of are messy.  Some of the kids are wanting to help but some are still cranky or giggly due to the stressful weekend we had and so that means they are either goofing off together or at each other's throats!  SIGH.  AND... Josh has to work after lunch so I won't have any decent help for four hours or so and even then, hubby's going to be worn out having had to get up this morning and get to work for 7am so not too sure how much we'll accomplish today, but we'll keep plugging away at it.  We have to deep clean for Chistmas too in all of this so it's not just surface cleaning and putting things back in order.

The sun's shining and although it was -20 this morning at 9am, it's now up to -14 and I've heard going to -8 yet today.  Bring it on!!!  I want to send these guys out for some sun and fresh air later on.  Just a few minutes peace and quiet for mama to recharge HER batteries!

last night was so exhausting I couldn't even eat at the church and asked hubby to sit later than everyone else left in the peaceful now quiet chuch that had just been cleaned because I couldn't face going home to my noisy sugar filled kids and messy house.

Tomorrow is the halfway point and I'll be officially 5 months on the 23rd.  Getting bigger too.  Sigh... forgot to get a pic of me in my black lace maternity dress!

While I type this, Audi is using q-tips and toiletpaper along with water to "practice being a doctor" on mom.  Before this, she was combing my hair with water and a comb getting more in my face than anything, but still, she's having fun and ministering to her mama even if it's kinda bizarre lol.

Time to get a few kids who aren't doing anything moving!!!

Concert Day!

Well it's here folks!  Our annual Christmas Concert and we made it through a successful dress rehearsal this morning and hopefully a good concert this evening as well.  I'm already exhausted!

Hubby cooked Sunday Dinner for us today.  Roast Chicken, potatoes and veggies and I'm totally ready to chow down!  I'm Starvin!!

After lunch there are more rehearsing for our own family  to be done and then getting ready for the performance this evening. yaaay.   I'm wearing my new black maternity dress for the first time and I'll be 5 months on the 23rd so basically I'm 5 months now.  I can't believe my girl is coming home in just 4 days!  So much to do... but after the concert stress has ended, then the rest of the work will be more fun!  last minute baking, shopping, cooking and all that stuff.  i really wanted the concert last Sunday but due to other issues, it had to be postponed.  I'm really hoping next year we can start even earlier and be ready earlier.  But, I won't be pregnant next year so that will make life easier!.

Ahhh Dinner's ready!  Listening to Vinyl Cafe an old tradition.  Feels like my teen years lol!

Panic Day - Afternoon Rechaging Mom's Batteries

Today has been a total waste of time as far accomplishing anything on my part.  I feel exhausted and totally burned out.  Panic attacks and feeling frustration and smothering is how the morning went, but this afternoon, I sent the kids outside to play in the snow and Michael my 14 yr old has taken the 6 youngest (including himself) to the dike to go sliding.  Josh has just walked in the door, home from his job but for about 15-20 minutes it was just me and the dogs.

I went searching for some way to re-charge my batteries as I'm quite frankly burned out with homeschooling after doing it since 1993 and graduating one child in 2007 and having one graduating this year, so that means seven in school and one on the way!  Whew!  I found several sites that are very encouaging and helpful.  Now Josh is home and wants to talk so... here I go lol.

Panic Day.... I mean Friday!

Today is one of those days where I feel awful everywhere you can name on my body.  Blurred vision, puffy fingers, upset stomach, (will discuss more on that one in a second) and itching eyes.  Blood sugar was 4.6 while still in bed with nothing to eat or drink this am and haven't tested it since coffee, diet coke and chocolate cake, eaten because there's nothing else but oranges here.  Seriously nothing else.  Today's payday and I need to see where we are at moneywise.  I lent money to Josh so he'll be paying me back.

About the upset stomach.  This pregnancy is totally different from any other!  I was sick for 4 months which only happened with my twins.  The rest were 3 months.  However, I have a gag reflex that is so sensitive that if one of the kids doesn't flush the toilet or the dog stinks or someone tells me something gross, that's all it takes.  Last night it was the toilet and although I tried to overcome it by opening the window and getting cold fresh air which usually works, it didn't and I ran into the bedroom while hubby went in and flushed for me, and then once I got on my side of the bed, my morning coffee was sitting there and one whiff of that and I started gagging so badly that I couldn't stop and almost lost the sub sandwich hubby'd just fed me an hour earlier!   Crazy!  Only by trying to think of other things, sipping diet coke and hubby removing the offending cup of coffee did I regain control over myself.  This is NOT normally me at ANY time, not even during pregnancy!  Even when I am in the throes of morning sickness (or night sickness as it was this time another first!) I have to MAKE myself get sick.  Not this time around!  Nope!  Totally different.  Also only feel flutters not really much movement although once or twice there were kicks that moved my stomach. I really don't know what to think.  My ultrasound isn't till the 4th and I really can't wait to see what and how many are in there!  It's different that's for sure!

Well, Derk and Josh are both at work today and will get home within an hour of each other.  I need them and am NOT getting much help from the rest of the kids and I'm literally too exhausted to even yell at them.  I woke up every hour last night to Derk pulling off his mask and so my sleep was not a good one.

My back is sore, I'm itchy all over today and with the gross feeling and exhaustion all added in, I'm a mess!  On the day I CAN NOT be a mess!  Tonight we have a LOT of work getting ready for the concert on Sunday and of course it's all up to my family to get it done.  Only one person has offered and stayed to help one night out of all the nights we've been there working and she's an elderly lady who stayed to help us paint the last of the murals for the backgrounds of the play.  MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

Josh has taken on the food, I've got the props and logistics of the concert plus programs and everything else.  Our family is doing most of the acts in the concert as usual.  Two ladys are going to read poems for us and that's great news.

Oh well... I just needed to vent a little!  Somehow I'll get through this.  Just let one person complain about my prego belly showing too much in my new black lace dress though or that black lace is slutty or something and I might deck them rotfl.  I FINALLY found a long sleeved, long (mid-calf) maternity dress but it's a black lace over cream fabric and has a vee neck that while not too low, will be filled in by me.  It's snug to my body though not a tent like we all used to wear and I'm sooooo super sick of so I'm pretty sure someone will complain about that.  TOO bad rotfl.  I feel like a queen in it.  Will post pics after Sunday.

Time to get something going here.  Washer water pipes are apparently frozen and so now we've got no washer OR dryer.  sigh....   so the laundrymat it is!  Got to get the kids gathering the laundry up for Josh to drive over when he gets home, and then some cleaning needs to be done.  ONce that's taken care of, they need to practice their parts and I need to make a few more things for the play and then we'll be good till tonight when we go over and clean the church and set things up properly for Sunday night.  So much to do... so little time!

Here I go!  Wish me luck!

Thursday, Week 19

Got my ultrasound appointment finally!  Had to call them and book one myself basically.  It's set for Monday, January 4th at 2:45pm but am also on the cancellation list for the days hubby has off between christmas and new years.  We'll see.  It'd be nice if it'd happen then because he would be off already.  If it's January 4th, I'll be about 22 wks I think so it certainly will help pass the time by!  I think January is going to be long with my doctor's appt on the 13th then nothing really more to wait for until my February appt.  No appointments, nowhere to go, I'll feel it then lol.

Went shopping with Josh yesterday for stuff for play and lunch and also to finish his christmas shopping which he nailed down in 10 minutes lol.   By the time we got home, I was absolutely exhausted, ate supper, had a bath and sat getting my hair braided into a million little braids all evening.  When I take it out, it's going to be huge lol.  I only meant for Larissa to maybe do 4 or 8 but I think there's at least 20 there ha ha.

The sun is shining and the temp was -13C this morning.  It's -11 now with a windchill of -18.  So still pretty chilly but waaaay warmer than before.  Maybe it will be nice enough later to get my kids outside for some fresh air!

I'm going to rest most of the day on the couch.  Hubby said my eyes looked like they'd been punched and he is concerned about me overdoing it.  Well, I'm trying to be good but this week and last, there was so much to accomplish before the concert which will be held Sunday night and then I can basically collapse until Christmas Eve when Kyla-Dawn comes home for the holidays and Derk and Josh are off work for a few days.  Then they all can pamper mama lol!

I need to get my kids going on their chores.  Apparently chores to them mean playing with huge handfuls of soap suds!  Since I'm not supposed to be doing anything, I have to keep them going or else the house would fall apart totally!  Well probably is in places because nobody cleans like mama right?  (or Josh). lol

Oh well, I have plenty of computer work to accomplish so, guess that will keep me occupied for much of the day.

Tuesday already? How time flies!

We woke to beautiful sun shining in the windows and on the white sparkling snow outside but oh my is it cold!  No hot water again today because we forgot to leave tap running last night.  We've got the heater tape or whatever it is, plugged in on the pipe in hopes of thawing it out quickly.  They have promised warmer weather is on the way but not until Thursday and we definitely need that water before then!

Kids are not in a very co-operating mood this morning and I'm finding I'm exhausted at every turn.  Worn out, breathy and my vision isn't so great.  Pretty blurry.  I guess I'll have to mention this to the doctor next time I see her.  The good news is, the issue with my backside (spine, tailbone whatever it is) seems ALOT better this morning. Sitting around with my feet up all day yesterday seemed to really help so I think I'll try to do more of the same today too because I won't be able to rest much for the remainder of the week until Monday and I can guarantee that I'll be on that couch come Monday!!  After the concert and all the stuff that goes with it and before it?  Ohhhh yeah!

So I had a guy call here last night.  He barely comes to church these days and suddenly shows on Sunday and then last night calls about using the church for a birthday party.  ON FRIDAY!  I couldn't even believe he'd ask!  Our Dress Rehearsal is Saturday night and we still have things to do in the church all this week to prepare for that and the play on Sunday night.  There is NO WAY I'm letting a bunch of people who never clean the church anyway even when on the cleaning list, in there on Friday night so I can spend another 4 hours cleaning up after them.  Nope.  Sorry.  Isn't going to happen.  In fact, nobody is doing ANYTHING in the church except Sunday Services until January.  I've cancelled all extra activities for December anyway and we are planning on painting the sunday school room between Christmas and New Year's bright cheerful colors instead of the flat primer drab white it is now.  This has been planned since late November and we've taken Children's church to the sanctuary for the week in between Christmas and New Year's so that we can leave the room torn apart until we're done.  Then... we'll let everyone in there and voila!  It'll be all fresh and pretty!  Lots of work, but it's all fun!  Not that they'll let ME paint... sigh.....  the prego thing again.

Anyway, that's how life is going to go if all goes well for the rest of the month church wise anyway, and family wise?  Well... our oldest gal is coming home for Christmas for a 4-day stay and we're looking forward to that!  I've given the two oldest a choice, either they get a gift from us, or a shopping trip on Boxing Day to buy clothes or whatever they want with money instead.  They both chose that.  I figured they would and it sure does make life a LOT easier!

I've pretty much done all my shopping.  We don't get much for Christmas anyway so it wasn't all that hard and we did the shopping on the NO TAX day at Superstore.  That helped!  I sure wish they'd have another one before Christmas, but guess I shouldn't get too greedy right? lol.

Well, it sure feels nice not to have so much pain in my backside right now and to be able to stand from sitting without screaming and gasping for air so guess I'm on the mend.  Let's hope it stays that way for awhile!  One or two days bedrest?  Sure.... that's fun!  Permanent?  Well I've never been on strict bedrest but I think it'd be awful.  Even though I was sort of on house arrest with the twins because it hurt to walk anywhere or get in or out of vehicles, it wasn't something that was DOCTOR ordered and enforced and I was just told to REST.

I'm anxious to hear when my ultrasound is scheduled for.  Haven't heard anything yet.  I'm 19 wks tomorrow!

Almost 19 wks!

Well, I finally figured out my password.  Not sure what was going on, but I could NOT get into this blog!  Oh well... it's been quite the wild ride the past few days or more.  Not sure when I last wrote, but 18 wks was memorable by my doctor's appointment, a frozen car so hubby had to drive me and Josh, hearing at least one heartbeat, right where everyone said the baby is, but there's movement on the other side too and she said don't rule out two.   Josh had an ekg and now has cream for his eczeema which is brought on by washing so many dishes at work, and a ventolin puffer to see if his breathing improves when he runs and hopefully the feeling of hot blood splashing across his chest will stop.  If not, then more tests on the heart will be necessary.  yaaay.  Asthma runs in the family so we aren't too shocked that he might have it.  He tends to take after me healthwise and I have it and got it at 18. He's 17.

Thursday was pretty much uneventful except hubby was home all day too.  Then Friday morning I woke around 3am with a band of gas pain around my middle chest front and back and hubby had to rub my back for almost 40 minutes before I could sleep. The other thing that happened sometime in there was a trip to the bathroom where I went in just fine, but came out not hardly able to walk for no apparent reason!  That set the day going just fine!!!  I had to be ready by 8am to travel to Winnipeg to go shopping for christmas and groceries on Superstore's NO TAX day.  I made the presents part then spent the rest of the time reading my book in the deli chairs while hubby shopped.  As soon as he was done, we got through the till, loaded it into the van and after a quick dollarama stop, one at Wendy's for food and Co-op for gas, we were headed down the #1 to Kenora where my daughter was anxiously waiting for our arrival.  More shopping there and me in so much agony and gasping for air because of the pain everytime I sat down or stood up!  Dinner at her place with me putting on the happy face and grimacing my smiles through the pain, then I had to drive Josh's car now, her's before, home for a 3 hour 10 minute trip through blowing snow on two way highways.  Not fun and we white knuckled it for the first half of the trip.  We made it and I couldn't hardly get out of the car!

Saturday was me sitting on the couch, barely able to move but slightly more mobile than Friday and it seemed to be on the right side of the tailbone instead of my whole lower back.  Saturday night I had to drive in to the city with Josh on a whirlwind trip and back then head straight to play practice when we got home.  After it was done, which was almost 8pm by this point, Josh drove all the littles home and the girls friends and Derk went home to make lasagna for supper while Michael and I started to paint the background murals for the play.  We were so proud of how much we got done!  Then Josh picked us up and we ate yummy lasagna and went to bed exhausted and sooooo sore!

Sunday morning was play practice again and I lugged my tired sore body to the church.  Sunday evening, we had a more relaxed service with dvds from a missionary and CFC to show and then cake and drinks in the back room afterwards.

Today?  Oh my... what a start!  Or NON-START as it really should be written.  Derk's van wouldn't start, so he lost 3 hours at work.   The rest of the kids are just in slow motion in reverse.

I'm hoping to get moving myself in a few minutes and see what I can do with my painful body today. Last night we stayed and Derk and a lady from the church helped too and we got the murals all done so that's a huge load off my back.

Tuesday's Trials

Well, we are some of the frozen chosen this morning!  Literally.  Our house was down to 63F this morning.  Our "fixed furnace" obviously is NOT working!  Sigh... we've already put plastic on the front porch, girls bedroom and one small living room window that is always cold and those are the worst windows and should make a real difference but... it's not!

Last night we washed clothes, then it went down to -23 C and guess what that means?  Yup pipes froze.  No hot water, a tiny trickle of cold, washer frozen, running a heater in the crawl space and another in the living room and our fireplace electric heater is going full bore, both switches!

Josh woke up to a major bloody nose and was trying to deal with children, bloody nose, cold house and trying to make coffee by the time I got dressed and then the town called wanting someone at the church to read the meter which meant JOsh had to go since he was the only one up and dressed.  His nose still trickling slowly on one side.  sigh... poor guy, and the lumina was frozen solid as of yesterday.  Low gas, freezing temps taking us by surprise and not plugged in meant it was going NOWHERE!  sigh....

Sooooo I'm sitting here dealing with some emailing and things and then once this blog is done, there is a bin of towels waiting on me to fold them.  The house has warmed to 64F now, after an hour of heating it with other methods, and we all have extra clothing on except Zachary who refuses to put warmer shirts on. 

Ember looks silly.  She has tights, boots, two skirts on (yup they are the same type of skirt and FULL lol,) with the bottom skirt which is teal caught in the waistband of the pink one so it looks pretty silly and then two tops on with a night shirt which is really an old tee of mine, overtop of that all and it's partially tucked in to the pink skirt.  Honestly!!!!  It was good for a laugh which was MUCH needed around here lol.

Well, on to housecleaning with no water and chilly cranky kids who would rather huddle in front of the fireplace than clean, but the cleaning needs doing and they need to get their blood moving so....

once all this is done, then we have to practice for the play.

Tonight is lessons for Michael and I really don't want Derk to go anywhere!  sigh...

Okay.... I'm having a baaaaad day!

Monday

Another FREEZING COLD day here in Manitoba!  Cold outside and inside too.  We're not too sure why our house doesn't appear to be heating properly since the furnace was just fixed but it's not and it was 66 degrees in our house this morning!  A shocking way to meet the new day that's for sure!

Hubby is off to work and my children are kind of antsy and pesty today.  They want to fool around, bug each other more than help me get things organized and planned for the coming weeks ahead.  That's not a good thing today!!

I feel icky.  Nose is stuffy, stomach feels all messed up, tired and my eyes are soooo itchy.  I sure hope this goes away soon!  Four months, 1 week and counting and still feel sick at times.  Not that much movement either.

Got to go out tonight and do some things.  Not looking forward to that!  My jacket already barely zips and sitting down with it done up is terrible! lol

Friday - Pay Day means lots of work and things to accomplish

Friday and Derk should be here, but he's not. He's working hard slaving at the dumb plant and I'm really upset about his "new" hours for the 3rd time in as many days. This is the worst yet.

Our house is quite chilly this morning and we aren't sure why that is. It should'nt be this cold but there is a lot of cold air blowing in the windows. If we can't figure it out after changing the filter and putting up more poly, then we'll have to get a new thermostat.

Time to get back at it I guess... nothing more to say at the moment.

Thursday Already?

How fast time flies by!  It's already Thursday which normally would be hubby's last day at work for the week, but now that he's switched back to 8 hr shift and 5 days a week, it isn't anymore and our lives have changed.  Soon they will change yet again and he'll go on afternoon/evenings bringing another huge change into our lives.  It's going to be really interesting.  I'm already thinking maybe our main meal should be at noon if he's going to do this.  It just might be easier on us all.  Right now, Supper can go back to 4:30 instead of 5:30 or later.  That will make a huge difference in our evenings.  Actually although supposedly we had more time together with the Friday's off, I found we often were so exhausted we wasted much of the day just trying to get moving so what was the point!

For the time being, I'm hoping till January at least, he will go for 7:00 and get off at 3:30 and be home by 4pm.  So today, I'm making a new schedule for our family that will reflect that vs the later times.  The one thing it might ruin is playtime for the kids.  It gets dark at 4pm and we often let them go to a friend's place at 3;30 till 6pm and then because it's dark, they are then in for the evening.  I don't let my young daughters walk the streets after dark not even four houses up so their brother's go get them.  It is much safer that way.  Even in a small town.

Today, I feel tired, itchy, have a headache sort of, and nothing I've eaten feels right in my stomach.  I can't seem to see well again.  Very blurry.  I sure have a "bump" now days and it's hard to hoist myself off the couch already!  I'm only 17 wks!!!  Much more to come!

Change is good... Right?

I sure hope this all is for the better!   I just told my son's drum teacher he won't be coming back after the holidays.  Looks like Derwin is going to straight afternoon shift monday to friday and that means there won't be anybody to look after the kids.  I can still do the art lesson since that's later, but not the drums.  It's going to be interesting, but I think with the drums gone, it'll be alot easier to accomplish.

The wind has picked up here like they said it would and it's starting to blow the big hunks of snow off the trees.  There's an evergreen across the street and it's just loaded with thick soft snow but it's all going to blow off now and not look near as nice!  Last night we kept looking for a car outside because it was so bright out due to the snow!  Very pretty!

Well, I'm not going to worry about all these changes.  God knows what we need and when we need it, so I'll just say this is for the best and we'll adjust as we always do.  Hmmmm does this mean twins though since the last time Derk worked shift work, I was pregnant with the twins!!

Wednesday's Woes...

Wednesday!   Should be a good day but so far... hubby's laptop is acting up, Jenaya and Larissa need to take the garbage out, but don't have boots.  I'm sure theirs are back there somewhere but they can't find them and Jenaya who is supposed to do the garbage can't find her shoes and wants to borrow Larissa's.  Honestly.  These kids have like two pairs of shoes.  HOW can they lose them all the time?!  sigh... so they are bickering over the shoes and have ended up grounded for the whole day since they want to fight over taking out the stupid garbage!  grrrrr.  So that's how my day is shaping up!

Josh is home today and its a good thing.  I woke up with my left side killing me.  That silly round ligament pain thing.  I've been feeling kicking on both sides of my stomach and not sure if this is one fast baby or more than one, but won't even see my doctor till next Wednesday.  Sure hope it's not as snowy then!  I have to drag the entire bunch of us to that appointment because I went and made an appointment for the two oldest boys along with mine.  Silly me... no babysitter now!

Our life is flip-flopping big time right now and I'm not sure how its going to land!   For starters, Derk now has to work Monday to Friday instead of Monday to Thursday and 8 hr shifts instead of 10.  So... good side, he's home earlier and goes to work work later, but now has to work 5 days instead of 4 so not that great either.  THEN... he's been asked to work the afternoon shift maybe and his boss is thrilled that he said he would do it.  So not sure if or when that starts or if it's straight or on/off type of thing.  That means he'd be home during school hours and could help with the littles and with the kids when they don't want to do their work etc... but also for my dr's appts as well.  Also, it means that if Josh can't switch his days off to Tuesday  instead of Wednesday, then I would have to drive Michael to lessons.  AND... I'm getting more and more prego by the day sigh...  not good for ME because I'd also have no sitter since Josh works most Tuesday nights and therefore would have to drag the entire family along!  YAAAY!  NOT!!!  Nope this won't work out for ME at ALL!

SIGH... something has to give and I'm not quite sure what that something will be yet.  Oh well.. .God will work it all out somehow I guess.

Time to get this day hopping.  Some of the kids are doing their chores but we've not eaten yet so need to get that going and drag my 14 yr old son out of bed as usual.  Hopefully this day will turn into something better than it has begun!!

SNOW for my Twins 6th Birthday

This morning I awoke to white frosty snowy branches for the big tree in my yard showing in my dark bedroom and a white glow out the window pane. I didn't even have to lift my head!   it was beautiful.   Upon going to the bathroom and opening the window, mild temperatures of -2 C and softly falling snow on an entirely white world.  It was an awesome moment.  Everything is pretty, white, clean and soft looking. 

Today I remember how cold it was 6 years ago while I sat waiting for my doctor's appointment to arrive and my parents to arrive so I could go to it.   I remember shivering as we drove to Winnipeg to the appt and how we waited from 4pm until 7pm  before we got to see him only to have him send me across the street to the hospital for ultrasound and them to keep me.  I remember the fear adn excitement I felt when the doctor told me sorry, you need the c-section after all and we'll do it soon.  I remember Derk calling the kids to let them know we'd be staying and then the kids got on the internet which was dial up at the time and so that meant when he tried to call home we couldn't even tell them the c-section was happening in a few minutes.  Next time he got through, I had two beautiful little girls in my arms!!!  What a shock for them!

Today has been a very slippery and awful day on the highways and probably worse on Derk's way home.  He had to stop and help a couple who drove into the ditch right in front of him!  Scary!

Josh and I are talking Christmas this morning, then I need to get some housework on the go and get my kids in school.  Josh works this afternoon.  We got paper yesterday to make murals and things for the play at church so that should mean several hours of painting but it will be fun!

I need to figure out the costumes for each child and make sure we have them ready to go.  So much to do and so little time, but it's all coming together at least!  Working on some songs and things too and we should have a good concert.

I also need to find some clothes somewhere for my poor prego body to wear!   I'm outgrowing everything!

Derwin and I are planning on attending a conference and I need clothing plus need to make sure everything is prepared for us and kids.  So more stuff to do.

Time to get started!