Friday, December 16, 2005

A Tired, Grumpy Day

Baby MacKenna Elyse

My new little one (6 weeks old, now) is sick, poor thing, so guess who keeps waking up in the night? I am so exhausted today! We used lots of essential oils on her last night before bed, and so she slept fairly well until about 3 am. But by then her nose was so stuffed up, she scared me awake! (Breathe, baby! Breathe!) She doesn't have such a rough time in the daylight hours, but that means she is starting to get her days and nights backward. I'm working at nipping that in the bud before it becomes a problem!

So that was the "tired" part of my day.

As for the "grumpy" part, it has to do with the other seven children! When I handed out their job cards this morning, (nicely!) three of the seven started bawling, and everyone else sneaked away to hide or make mischief elsewhere. :-p It's now four o'clock, and no one has finished one chore yet. But I am determined not to nag! I will not pester! I laid down the law this morning and informed them all, calmly and kindly, that those who do not finish their chores will not be able to attend the ward party this evening. And I will stick to my guns, with a smile on my face and no "I told you so!" I am mother, see me parent! :-D

SO... eight shopping days left until Christmas Day. Actually, it's less for me, because we won't be here at home this year. We will be leaving town a week from today, and will travel up to Idaho-- a.k.a. "The Great White Frozen North." Do I miss the snow, now that I have lived in a much warmer clime these last few years? To put it bluntly, "Not for a minute!" If I didn't have family there, I don't know that I would ever go back. However, I am excited to see my family, as well as my husband's. Also, we will be blessing our little baby MacKenna Elyse on Christmas Day up in Idaho, because we know no one in our new ward. It will be a very special time. Now, if I can just remember how to survive in below zero weather. We may need to buy new boots and coats for all the kids-- and me-- since we haven't had to deal with an Idaho winter in quite a long time.

I may come back and read this tomorrow, and find that none of what I have written is coherant. No matter! I am off to "not-nag" my offspring, and possibly take a nap. Okay. I'll be realistic. I'm certain a nap will not be happening...

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The Idyllic Hearth...

This is the picture I used for my first blog header.


Hooray! Thanks to my wonderful husband, I now have a lovely picture at the top of my page.

I like this painting for a number of reasons. It looks peaceful and quiet and humble. It is just big enough for a family, yet it is not an imposing manor. Life appears to move very slowly there. I can hear the birds singing, and I imagine I hear the voices of children hiding in the trees, ringing through the air. There are clouds in the sky, but there are also patches of blue to indicate that all is well, and that the storms are not yet gathering.

Someday, this place will be my home.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

This is all new for me...

Dierdre, MacKenna, Bonny


Happy birthday to my blog! I am excited to begin this record of my life as a wife, mother and homemaker. Today, I had a couple of successes, and a few defeats. The kids and I baked and decorated Christmas cookies. Ta-Da! I bought the dough in the refrigerated section, but hey, we made some positive memories!

My 4 1/2 week old baby girl slept fairly well today, so I got some dishes done, started some laundry and ran to the store. My internet addiction is still going strong, unfortunately, and I think I may have exacerbated it today by creating my own blog. BUT I will also finally have a journal, and that can only be a good thing!

Speaking of my baby, (her name is MacKenna) she is now asleep in her baby seat at my feet, and so I should really be getting dinner done. Tacos tonight! That should make my DH a happy guy! :) Hmmm... said husband is late, and
the kids are fighting over which movie to watch. Ah, "It's a Wonderful Life." We'll see how long the 2yo sits and watches that!

Okay, I will now remove my rear end from this uncomfortable office chair and heat up the oil, defrost the hamburger, and prepare to nourish and nurture my family!


Welcome to my life...