On other blogs, and in a book that recently came out, I've seen people on their birthday write letters to an earlier version of themselves. So on this, the day marking the end of my 35th year, I thought I would do that as well. It was much harder than I thought it would be...
Dear 15-year-old Me,
You're fine, life is fine, 20 years from now. Your hair needs some serious taming, and I probably wouldn't get into that relationship you're about to embark on next year, but even that serves some purpose in your life down the road. Enjoy your high school years and hold your friendships close. These people are the people who help shape and form you, and you'll too easily let them go and then struggle to find them again many years later. Keep working hard, it's worth it! Every time you feel you can't play any more volleyball or basketball, push yourself further. You will realize you've learned so much more than sports by doing that. And love yourself. If only you knew twenty years from now what your body would look like, you would adore your body now. Be okay with it!
Love,
35-year-old Me
Dear 25-year-old Me,
You're fine, life is fine, 10 years from now. You're about to embark on THE singular most challenging thing in your entire life: marriage! Take it one day at a time, and pretty soon you'll be hitting double digit anniversary numbers and you'll realize that yes, it is all worth it. On top of that, you'll have the first of FOUR children (and yes, you really will be that old. I can't believe it either). Those children will become your life in a way that you can't even imagine. But first? Slow down a little bit, enjoy your time. Work hard, put in your time, but also slow down just a little bit to enjoy some of it, some of your own activities. Before you realize it you'll be in a whirlwind of activities that aren't your own and you'll wish for some of that time back. And love yourself. If only you knew ten years from now what your body would look like, you would adore your body now. Be okay with it!
Love,
35-year-old Me
Dear 35-year-old-me (what I hope my 45- or 55-year old Me will tell Me),
You're fine, life is fine, 10, 20 years from now. You did it! Your kids are all grown up and successful You weren't always the most patient, but you gave them the tools they needed to be kind, loving and successful adults. You will once again enjoy the travel that you loved when you were younger, and through that travel, your marriage is as strong as it has ever been. Work has always taken care of itself, with just the right opportunity, the right hours, the right fit for you coming along exactly when you needed it. And love yourself. Your body is strong and you will prove it by running a marathon along the way. You'll never have the perfect body shape or size, but it's perfect for you. Be okay with it!
Love,
The Future Me
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Nolan the Eldest
On Saturday Abby was with my mom, and then ended up spending the night, leaving me with the boys for church on Sunday morning. Nolan cried and carried on, like normal, because I was making him go. But once he realized there was no getting out of it, he was in fine form. In fact, I think he actually liked being the oldest for a little bit. He got to pick where we sat, he took Max to Kids' Church (Max's first time!) and held his hand and helped him the whole time, and was just in general a good example. It's funny, but I really do think that birth order makes a difference in how a person acts and grows up. Abby will be the responsible one, but it may just be because she's the oldest. Nolan acted completely different when he was the oldest for the day. This year we'll see if Max gets "responsible" as he'll be the oldest when the bigs are at school. It's amazing how those other siblings can just impact how you, yourself behave.
Happy long weekend! Or rather, happy end of a long weekend. We didn't have much going on, but it was good family time. Friday the kids finished their first "week" (or three days) of school and I made them ride their bikes to and from school. They were COLD when they got home! Then they just hung around, ate dinner and watched a movie. And I took a bath. :) Saturday Abby went with my mom to go shopping for a get together we were having on Saturday. I thought Abby was going to burst with excitement. As much as Nolan liked being the oldest, Abby loved being the only. She was ready for my mom to come earlier than she's ready for school, and kept asking when she'd get there. When my mom came, I didn't think Abby was going to let her in, she was just ready to go out to the car! They had a great time, shopping for prizes for games. Abby just loves to plan carnival type games, so they had at least six games set up where you can win prizes (think clothes pins in a jar, throwing a ball at a pyramid of cups, etc.) and some other just for fun games (tricylce obstacle course) and Abby was in seventh heaven with it all. She ended up staying the night with my mom and dad, the boys had a boys' night with Dave, and I went out with our old neighbor Jenny... always good conversation, food, and trips to Walmart!
What's so nice about three day weekends is that you can go out on Saturday night, and still have two days left! Sunday we went to said party and had carnival games and shrimp boil, and finally finished celebrating Abby's birthday, and also celebrated my nephew Cole's birthday. We hung out all day then started to project a movie outside but it started raining, so we moved operations inside to the basement. It worked perfectly, and I think all the kids loved it, even if my mom was probably exhausted by the end of the day!
In the midst of it all, Abby lost her first molar. We got home late last night, and Dave and I both forgot that the tooth fairy was supposed to come. Oops! When I got up, Dave had already warned me that we forgot, so I just looked at Abby and said, "Oh, the tooth fairy didn't come, did she?" When Abby said no, I told her of course she didn't, it's Labor Day. The tooth fairy doesn't work on Labor Day. Abby looked at me a little funny, then said, "Oh yeah! Duh! Of course!" It's like the elves at Christmas all over again. I wonder how long she'll believe, especially if we keep screwing up!
Today we woke up to a wonderful thunder storm. I really just loved it, first lying in bed listening to it, and then all of us gathered out on the porch and sang, and played and talked and listened to the thunder and watched the lightening and even the hail. (I think we've had hail at least four times in the last couple weeks, seems so strange!). It delayed our doing anything, and was just nice time together. After that, we moved Abby's bed into Ava's room, and now the girls are sharing, and Nolan has officially moved back upstairs with Max. So, we went from everyone in their own rooms to two and two and two (if you count Dave and me!). Hopefully it will go well. I really do like having both a guest room back in the basement and having a library/game room/study area room upstairs in Abby's old room.
Within all of this, Ava is also sick again. I think it's her teeth because she's had a molar trying to poke through for a week now, and it's just swollen and painful. At least, that's what I'm hoping it is. She's lethargic and feverish (103+ fevers, four naps on me in three days) and just crabby in general. I got to just sit around with her and read my book, which was nice, but I just feel bad for her. She's supposed to be using her new walking legs instead!
And there's my novel for the day. Back to school tomorrow, Dave traveling all week, and your regularly scheduled programming.
Happy long weekend! Or rather, happy end of a long weekend. We didn't have much going on, but it was good family time. Friday the kids finished their first "week" (or three days) of school and I made them ride their bikes to and from school. They were COLD when they got home! Then they just hung around, ate dinner and watched a movie. And I took a bath. :) Saturday Abby went with my mom to go shopping for a get together we were having on Saturday. I thought Abby was going to burst with excitement. As much as Nolan liked being the oldest, Abby loved being the only. She was ready for my mom to come earlier than she's ready for school, and kept asking when she'd get there. When my mom came, I didn't think Abby was going to let her in, she was just ready to go out to the car! They had a great time, shopping for prizes for games. Abby just loves to plan carnival type games, so they had at least six games set up where you can win prizes (think clothes pins in a jar, throwing a ball at a pyramid of cups, etc.) and some other just for fun games (tricylce obstacle course) and Abby was in seventh heaven with it all. She ended up staying the night with my mom and dad, the boys had a boys' night with Dave, and I went out with our old neighbor Jenny... always good conversation, food, and trips to Walmart!
What's so nice about three day weekends is that you can go out on Saturday night, and still have two days left! Sunday we went to said party and had carnival games and shrimp boil, and finally finished celebrating Abby's birthday, and also celebrated my nephew Cole's birthday. We hung out all day then started to project a movie outside but it started raining, so we moved operations inside to the basement. It worked perfectly, and I think all the kids loved it, even if my mom was probably exhausted by the end of the day!
In the midst of it all, Abby lost her first molar. We got home late last night, and Dave and I both forgot that the tooth fairy was supposed to come. Oops! When I got up, Dave had already warned me that we forgot, so I just looked at Abby and said, "Oh, the tooth fairy didn't come, did she?" When Abby said no, I told her of course she didn't, it's Labor Day. The tooth fairy doesn't work on Labor Day. Abby looked at me a little funny, then said, "Oh yeah! Duh! Of course!" It's like the elves at Christmas all over again. I wonder how long she'll believe, especially if we keep screwing up!
Today we woke up to a wonderful thunder storm. I really just loved it, first lying in bed listening to it, and then all of us gathered out on the porch and sang, and played and talked and listened to the thunder and watched the lightening and even the hail. (I think we've had hail at least four times in the last couple weeks, seems so strange!). It delayed our doing anything, and was just nice time together. After that, we moved Abby's bed into Ava's room, and now the girls are sharing, and Nolan has officially moved back upstairs with Max. So, we went from everyone in their own rooms to two and two and two (if you count Dave and me!). Hopefully it will go well. I really do like having both a guest room back in the basement and having a library/game room/study area room upstairs in Abby's old room.
Within all of this, Ava is also sick again. I think it's her teeth because she's had a molar trying to poke through for a week now, and it's just swollen and painful. At least, that's what I'm hoping it is. She's lethargic and feverish (103+ fevers, four naps on me in three days) and just crabby in general. I got to just sit around with her and read my book, which was nice, but I just feel bad for her. She's supposed to be using her new walking legs instead!
And there's my novel for the day. Back to school tomorrow, Dave traveling all week, and your regularly scheduled programming.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Twas the Night Before School
Twas the night before school starts
And in the Gawrych house
Even Max was quiet
As quiet as a mouse
The backpacks are hung
By the front door with care
And mom hopes the morning
Won't be a bear
The children are nestled
All snug in their beds
While visions of homework
Dance in their heads
And mom in her pjs
Quietly gives thanks
That tomorrow morning will stop
All fighting, bickering and pranks
But what's that you hear?
What's being said?
I think it's mom yelling
Just before bed...
Now bedtimes, now schedules, now breakfasts on time.
On homework, on school books, and bring mom some wine.
To Mrs. Pelky's, to Miss Biron's, to Mrs. Kasten's class
Off off you go, fast, fast, fast, fast, fast!
And in the Gawrych house
Even Max was quiet
As quiet as a mouse
The backpacks are hung
By the front door with care
And mom hopes the morning
Won't be a bear
The children are nestled
All snug in their beds
While visions of homework
Dance in their heads
And mom in her pjs
Quietly gives thanks
That tomorrow morning will stop
All fighting, bickering and pranks
But what's that you hear?
What's being said?
I think it's mom yelling
Just before bed...
Now bedtimes, now schedules, now breakfasts on time.
On homework, on school books, and bring mom some wine.
To Mrs. Pelky's, to Miss Biron's, to Mrs. Kasten's class
Off off you go, fast, fast, fast, fast, fast!
Monday, August 30, 2010
On the day that you were born
It occured to me the other day (or was it week? Month? Time is irrelevant lately. Except have I mentioned that SCHOOL STARTS ON WEDNESDAY??) that because I started writing about the happenings around our house after the three biggest were born, they may never know their stories. By the time they're old enough to ask, I may just forget! So today, on the eighth anniversary of my little ladybug (that being Abby) being born, I thought I would write out what I remember of her story.
Abby's story, like all of ours I suppose, begins before she was born. I found out I was pregnant in January 2002, and was pretty surprised. I knew it would be a little shock to Dave, so the day I found out we just happened to have a lunch scheduled, and I didn't tell him. I knew he wouldn't be able to go back to work, and he'd only been at his job for two months. Instead I waited until he came home that night, turned off a ballgame of some sort (basketball I'm guessing!) and then told him. I was right, he was shocked, but after a day or two, he was pretty excited too. (And speaking of jobs... I didn't have any. I didn't get a job until March. Nothing like interviewing when you're pg!)
Luckily, my pregnancy with Abby was really easy. I didn't even have the big ultrasound, never found out if it was a girl or a boy, and was just generally, fine. Her due date was September 26, but then on Tuesday, August 27 I went in for a routine checkup, and that's when it all went crazy. My doctor, Dr. Sims in Oconomowoc, was doing a quick ultrasound to check up on everything and realized my amniotic fluid was low. He wanted to induce me the next day and I said no way. Dave was in L.A. for work until Thursday, August 29, and I really wasn't planning on having a baby without him there. So Dr. Sims gave me until Friday, August 30 instead, I called Dave, and he made it home on the redeye that night. (The scary thing is, I didn't realize how serious this was, delivering 4 weeks early, until I was pregnant with Nolan and Dr. Sims asked me about when I was pregnant with Abby and I told him he induced me four weeks early and he said "Really? It must have been really serious for me to induce that early." Glad I didn't know that sooner!)
We made as many preparations that week that we could. Carpeting in the nursery, a crib (yeah, we didn't even step foot in the nursery for at least two months after she was born), Dave's parents came. I went to work the next two days to get things settled there, then just relaxed, organized my picture files, hung out. Meanwhile, Dave got the lawn in order (thank goodness those shrubs were cut!) and Dave's mom did baby laundry and ironing (those onesies and sleepers were the best looking baby clothes ever).
Friday morning came and I was up at 3 AM, taking a bath, trying to relax. I had to be at the hospital by 6, so off we went. We were well prepared with music and games and everything we might need. They got everything hooked up and then played Trivial Pursuit. The game was a close one, and I was the pink pie and Dave was blue. He won, so we were convinced it was a boy. (Tough guy, beating a woman in labor at Trivial Pursuit!)
From there everything just kept going. A few things I remember... Dr. Sims came in and asked how I was doing, and Dave answered (Hello! I'm right here, and no, it's NOT just fine!), and then they started talking about golf. I threw up a few times. I was mad that no one warned me that it might feel like the baby got the wrong directions, and is coming out the wrong path. While I was getting ready to push, Dave asked me what I needed and I said, "Three things... a cold washrag, something I don't remember, and Billy Joel." (The CD stopped and apparently I was really listening to it.)
Abby came out in 2 pushes, at around 4:24, and Dr. Sims quickly announced, "It's a girl?" He was shocked. He was convinced it was a boy with peeing problems and that's why I had low amniotic fluid. Then just when he thought maybe the baby had kidney problems and that was causing the low fluid, Abby peed on him. I guess that's fine too! She was a tiny peanut at just 5lbs. 8 oz., and 20-1/2" long (I think). They had to take her blood sugar everytime she ate because she was so little, and they had to do stress tests in the car seat carrier because they weren't sure if she would tolerate it. She did. In fact, she was perfectly healthy and came home with us just a day and a half later. Then she went back when they called us to tell us that they forgot to take her ID anklet off. Oops!
And here we are, eight years later. Maybe someday I'll write about years 0-6, before I started this blog, but maybe not. Mostly because I just don't remember!! I can't believe it's been eight years since my first child was born. I can't believe that I've had three more children since then! She's absolutely perfect for our family. The perfect blend of funny and serious, of responsible and crazy, of Dave and me. She stole my heart that day and I haven't gotten it back since.
Abby's story, like all of ours I suppose, begins before she was born. I found out I was pregnant in January 2002, and was pretty surprised. I knew it would be a little shock to Dave, so the day I found out we just happened to have a lunch scheduled, and I didn't tell him. I knew he wouldn't be able to go back to work, and he'd only been at his job for two months. Instead I waited until he came home that night, turned off a ballgame of some sort (basketball I'm guessing!) and then told him. I was right, he was shocked, but after a day or two, he was pretty excited too. (And speaking of jobs... I didn't have any. I didn't get a job until March. Nothing like interviewing when you're pg!)
Luckily, my pregnancy with Abby was really easy. I didn't even have the big ultrasound, never found out if it was a girl or a boy, and was just generally, fine. Her due date was September 26, but then on Tuesday, August 27 I went in for a routine checkup, and that's when it all went crazy. My doctor, Dr. Sims in Oconomowoc, was doing a quick ultrasound to check up on everything and realized my amniotic fluid was low. He wanted to induce me the next day and I said no way. Dave was in L.A. for work until Thursday, August 29, and I really wasn't planning on having a baby without him there. So Dr. Sims gave me until Friday, August 30 instead, I called Dave, and he made it home on the redeye that night. (The scary thing is, I didn't realize how serious this was, delivering 4 weeks early, until I was pregnant with Nolan and Dr. Sims asked me about when I was pregnant with Abby and I told him he induced me four weeks early and he said "Really? It must have been really serious for me to induce that early." Glad I didn't know that sooner!)
We made as many preparations that week that we could. Carpeting in the nursery, a crib (yeah, we didn't even step foot in the nursery for at least two months after she was born), Dave's parents came. I went to work the next two days to get things settled there, then just relaxed, organized my picture files, hung out. Meanwhile, Dave got the lawn in order (thank goodness those shrubs were cut!) and Dave's mom did baby laundry and ironing (those onesies and sleepers were the best looking baby clothes ever).
Friday morning came and I was up at 3 AM, taking a bath, trying to relax. I had to be at the hospital by 6, so off we went. We were well prepared with music and games and everything we might need. They got everything hooked up and then played Trivial Pursuit. The game was a close one, and I was the pink pie and Dave was blue. He won, so we were convinced it was a boy. (Tough guy, beating a woman in labor at Trivial Pursuit!)
From there everything just kept going. A few things I remember... Dr. Sims came in and asked how I was doing, and Dave answered (Hello! I'm right here, and no, it's NOT just fine!), and then they started talking about golf. I threw up a few times. I was mad that no one warned me that it might feel like the baby got the wrong directions, and is coming out the wrong path. While I was getting ready to push, Dave asked me what I needed and I said, "Three things... a cold washrag, something I don't remember, and Billy Joel." (The CD stopped and apparently I was really listening to it.)
Abby came out in 2 pushes, at around 4:24, and Dr. Sims quickly announced, "It's a girl?" He was shocked. He was convinced it was a boy with peeing problems and that's why I had low amniotic fluid. Then just when he thought maybe the baby had kidney problems and that was causing the low fluid, Abby peed on him. I guess that's fine too! She was a tiny peanut at just 5lbs. 8 oz., and 20-1/2" long (I think). They had to take her blood sugar everytime she ate because she was so little, and they had to do stress tests in the car seat carrier because they weren't sure if she would tolerate it. She did. In fact, she was perfectly healthy and came home with us just a day and a half later. Then she went back when they called us to tell us that they forgot to take her ID anklet off. Oops!
And here we are, eight years later. Maybe someday I'll write about years 0-6, before I started this blog, but maybe not. Mostly because I just don't remember!! I can't believe it's been eight years since my first child was born. I can't believe that I've had three more children since then! She's absolutely perfect for our family. The perfect blend of funny and serious, of responsible and crazy, of Dave and me. She stole my heart that day and I haven't gotten it back since.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Waterlogged
It has been a pool kind of weekend! First, we had Abby's birthday party Friday till Saturday. She decided to have her party this year at a local hotel where we got the poolside room (yes, our local hotel has exactly one poolside room). We've never done "big" parties before, just some kids over for the afternoon or a few for a sleepover, and this one was kind of true to form, just not at our house. She had four friends over, and I gotta say... it was nice to not have to clean our house before OR after the party! (Well, not true. It needed cleaning before, and it still needs cleaning after!!) The girls were great and were very respectful of the other guests at the hotel and of us. They spent hours in the pool, and I think they were exhausted. They watched a movie around 9:30, then some tv, and then were sleep before 12:30. Not bad! The only tough part was that they decided to sleep in the bed and pull out sofa, leaving me the floor. Ouch! I'm not as young as I once was.
Abby after we decorated the room, before her friends came. She's really into posing, apparently!
Ava, always a hit. Even when she's blurry.
Basic cake (or cupcakes, really), but it was perfect, and tasted great! We even had ice cream. The hotel is right next to Culver's, so I walked over there, ordered 8 kids meals, turned in all the coupons for kids scoops and got a quart of custard, then miraculously carried all 10 drinks, 8 kids meals, 2 adult meals, 12 things of ketchup and a quart of custard back to the hotel. Not bad! I put the custard on ice, and was perfect with the cake. Yum!
Reagan, Abby, Taylor, Holly and Riley.
Reagan has been at every birthday since kindergarten, and Holly all but one. I wonder how many will be at her high school graduation party?
Same girls, different order.
Max wasn't TOO excited to be in the middle of all the girls!
Ok, it wasn't ALL pool games. They also played baloon games out on the lawn.
And then there's little Miss Ava, swimmer extraordinaire. She just loves the water, and kept alternating between putting her face in and floating on her back. Silly kid.
THEN, after Abby's party, we came home and got stuff together and went down to Dave's parents' house. It was a while in the car, but the kids relaxed and it was a beautiful weekend for the pool. We just hung out and relaxed, got Giordano's stuffed spinach pizza (yum!) (I can't wait for school to start on Wednesday so I can go back to the gym!), projected a movie outside and let Abby open her presents (Heely's were a great gift!). Then today we spent all day in the pool again, this time with my sister and her kids, and were happy we could be there in this heat.
All in all, a busy, but great, weekend. Now starts the hard part. Dave is traveling nearly every day between now and two weeks from now. We have meet and greets at school, the bigs start Wednesday, Max starts next Wednesday, Abby's telling me she wants to be on swim team again, which starts next week, and a million other things are happening. I realized this morning that I completely forgot about a doctor's appointment for Max on Thursday. How am I going to keep from losing my mind??
