a day in the life

Okay, so day two of this blogging thing.

I really should be in bed but this is way to fun.

I got my first comment as well! woo-hoo. Don't even know how she found me or how I find half of the blogs I've been reading of late but it surely is an interesting passtime. . .as if I have any time I need to pass

So today was quite interesting as most days are. It was also a rather quiet day (no place I had to be but lots I should be doing). The fact that it was 2pm before I stepped into the shower says a lot I suppose.

The baby (almost 14 months) thinks she should only nap once a day now for any length of time and I was so starting to count on twice a day breaks from her, hhmm, does nothing in this life last? She is truly turning into a pudgey little one these days. Considering she arrived 2 months early and spent a month in NICU, another month in and out of hospitals, labs, doctors offices, and then tied to a moniter by a very short 9 foot cord for the next 6 months, I should be prasing God she is healthy and growing finally! She's not quite on the charts size wise yet except her head (hehe, 5th percentile!) but she sure feels like she's gained 5 pounds this month alone. She's 17 pounds now and what a lug to carry around. Her big accomplishment is turning herself around and skooting off the couch/step/bed when she wants down. Not that she bothers to see exactly how far down that might be. . .she's been crawling up the steps for several months now (since 10 months~ all her sibs mastered them at 8 months so we are on target there anyway!) but hasn't yet figured out multi step down manuveurs just yet.

Oops, sorry, nothing about my day in that proud mama diatribe! Oh yes, the skipped afternoon nap.

Which led me to call the hubby and request a night out with middle 2 kiddos to do some returns, price adjust a table we just bought, try for yet a different "Cars" (cute flick by the way) Happy Meal toy, and order chairs for said table.

There was a bit of adventure in that 1) I got to go out without the 2 little ones 2) I did not have to prepare dinner (Daddy did pancakes I hear) 3) I found some clearance side chairs I was happy enough with for now ($39.50 for 4 chairs!! woo-hoo!)
4) the 2 Windsor arm chairs I ordered will be in on Monday (yeah!) 5) After speaking with 4 (no kidding) employees of table store who promised upon purchase of said table a price adjustment period of 2 weeks (for further mark downs) and then reneged on that promise big time I actually walked away with my rightful $72 dollar credit on my c.card! and last but not least 6) my 2 middle children got a night out and away from their sibling responsibilities as well. aahhh. . .

Upon returning home, the laundry fairy had not made an appearance, unfortunately, so that will be a first thing in the morning necessity if the 13 year old is to face his adoring public clothed properly and the rest of us would like clean undergarments! Also, the college age son will arrive at the airport shortly after midnight on Friday evening to begin his 10 day stay at home. More laundry for sure and I mean before he gets here. We had house company and they used his bedroom so now I must freshen everything up before he gets home and again once he leaves. Always, Always Laundry. . . not a chore I especiallly mind just an ever present one which is oh so rarely caught up.

And the evening ended (okay, almost ended) on a nice positive note with a chat (with the hubby) about family vacation (yup, 6 of us in a car for 12 days and 2500+ miles) and no real disagreements over places to go, things to see, money to be spent for once! Just waiting for some final details about specific dates and I can really get on line and start finishing up plans. We usual end up going some place were we are required to travel anyway either with hubby's work or this time college age sons 1-yr. graduation ceremony (1 year degree to be followed by on-line semester from home while he prepares for 18 months overseas internship) and then back to Minnesota for 4 year BA degree after that. (hard to keep that all straight sometimes) and "come help me pack up my apartment and travel home 1200 miles in this older vehicle" oh boy!

Back to vacation. Since we are traveling as far as MN, we have decided to go a day further and visit Black Hills of SD and see Mt. Rushmore and surrounding area. Probably head down to Colorado (Denver/Colorado Springs area) after that. Kids have never been further than MN one time and hubby and I have only flown over area on way to CA on buisness. Would love to hear travel tips for area or must do's .
We are born and raised East Coasters who understand fully populated areas, large cities, and driving up and down the coast but all this space with not much in it is very strange! Nature is great for an overnight family bonding camping trip or for hubby to hike or bike but it will be hotels and "attractions" this trip. My kiddos would be asking what they are suppose to see after the first 100 trees and the first true mountain range otherwise. So I admit it, we (I!) are not real nature people (except hubby and even he, as the years catch up with us, enjoys a nice comfy bed at night!) But museums are not a big fav either unless they are kid ones (and boy have we been to some great ones over the years) . We would all like to see a few "new to us" animals (that is anywhere but in my home that is, ) get the wow effect of the vastness of the midwest, and see things we can't see back home! All on a budget. oh boy.

We will meet up with college son to drive home together a week after we leave him to vacation. He will not be joining us as he is participating (best man in one) in three weddings that week.

Well, better shut it down for now. Want to finish 40 or so pages in a book I picked up off the clearance rack at Christian book store a few week back. It is what kept me from laundry today and just needs to be put to rest! Reading is definitely my escape from real life more often than not. This read was a suspense CIA/KGB kind of thing which intrigued me as one son has been to Russia 4 times and I always like to hear more facts surrounding any place I 've never been but know a little bit about.

aahh! time to go. Kim

1st attempt and Intro of sorts

Well, this cetainly feels a bit like space age technology to me, which of course, dates me from sentence number one of my newest venture, blogging!

I have enjoyed surfing around and even lurking a good bit on others blogs for several months now and admit to being blown away, amused, saddened, encouraged and yes, even enraged at what I've read. However, mostly I've felt connected and informed and fulfilled by what I've come across.

So without further ado, I enter a whole new world. . .

My e-mail buddies will think I've lost my mind, my family will wonder why I'm not spending this time on them, and I myself am feeling quite like I have nothing to say all of the sudden!

So perhaps I shall begin with a brief introduction which I admit could take several turns if it were all inclusive or sound terribly boring if I just listed names and places so perhaps a bit of both.

About my blog address ~ acrosstheboardandback ~ this sums up much about my life for now and in this place.

I am a Mom to 6. wife to 1. My children are grouped loosely in groups of 2's. 2 grown and mostly gone from the nest, 2 in the middle years, and 2 who I still refer to both of as babies.
On any given day I can be found lending my oldest our lawnmower, taking a cell call from nearly 1200 miles away from the next about some obscure question about life in general, arbitrating between an almost 14 year old and his younger sister of 11 about a friend, a phone, or a video game, all the while changing 2 sets of diapers for 2 very different size bums!

This is not an adventure I came upon in a planned sort of way (obviously! who would plan this?) or one that I am currently very fond of at the ripe old age of 43. I do love each of my children with what seems to be increasing fervor for each of them and yet I can't help but think of "what could have been" had I stopped at 2 or possibly even 4 total. So am I a bad person? No, just regularly overwhelmed by the responsibilities of my life!

My husband finds his life much unchanged with the passing of married years and the addition of family members. He gets up, goes to work (same stable job of as many years as our marriage), comes home, wants dinner(and sometimes even gets it!) and fulfills whatever husbandly/fatherly duties we place in front of him on a regular basis. Mind you I am not foolish enough not to appreciate this solid rock in my life of ever changing emotions and parenting crisises; however, there are times, I just long for him to understand more concretely what my life feels like to me personally!

I occasionally read a blog where the writer seems so in tune with what I am feeling in this area of "living life" I just want to shout "someone truly understands!" so I will share this with my husband who just truly does not get it at all! "where do you know her from ?" would be a standard comment! ey-yi-yi.

So here I sit trying to type out a few of my thoughts and doing less than a stellar job of it but enjoying a few minutes while my 1 year old naps, my 3 year old spills cocoa pebbles on the couch, my 11 year old tells my 13 year old how to clean it up, and my almost 19 year old calls once more to check his flight times home for a one week vacation before it is back to his 3rd semester of college life (yes, over the summer, the plan is a 4 year degree in 3 years including an 18 month internship overseas. . .).

Enough for now, I need to refill my cup with Diet Coke and lemon or lime and see if I can get a chore done before baby number 6 demands my time.

Anyone out there think I'm hopeless, helpless, or frighteningly normal? love to hear others are making the grind a bit more likable by sharing it with another somewhat isolated mom.

My first attempt, Kim