A New Outlook

Sometimes, when you are looking for a new outlook, all you need to do is clean your viewer off. For me, this means eyeglasses, monitor, car windshield, and TV screen. When you are looking through children's gooey smudges and fingerprints, kitten noseprints, and dirt & grime all the time, you get used it. When you clean your viewer, your world doesn't really change, but how you look at it does. I look at this time of my life, being a mother of young children, as a wonderful opportunity. I don't sit around and wish it were over. I don't sit around and wish my children were away at school, so I can *do something* with my life. What I am doing right now is what I was meant to do. Helping these children learn and grow to be strong and healthy in all ways is a monumental task that I do not take lightly. During the last months of serious activities and heavy world events, I have reminded myself time and again to lighten up & stop taking everything so seriously. I remind myself to smile & laugh, & to play with kids & my husband. There will always be hard things to go through & to watch others go through. The days of sickness will end soon. Spring will come. Flowers will come. But even in the dead of winter, there is much to be thankful for, and much to look forward to. If you are like me and tired of trying to squint around the smudge and grime, just go find your Windex and start washing. There is a lot to see beyond our own four walls.

New insight....when you have a little one with a very runny nose and you give her a white powdered donut, it is best not to wear a black shirt. I can see it now: CSI Mommy's House. We have a lot of forensic evidence for this one. Black shirt, white smudges, shiny patches similar to snail trails. Wait, we have a new development. Apparently the culprit is ready to turn herself in with a proud, "I did it!" No fifth amendment for her. She is proud of her work. Moral to the story, plan ahead, if you are passing out powdered donuts, just wear a white t-shirt.

What did the dog say to the bone?

Well, the last handful of times I have tried to post on my blog, weird things have happened, especially with the layout. Everything previews fine, but when published, everything looks helter skelter. Anyway, it looks like we will all still be sick for New Year's. So again, we will be staying home, and also quarantined. This morning we will be taking both girls to the doctor. Last I had to get out the nebulizer to give Dancer Girl a breathing treatment before bed, which really stinks because I thought everyone was getting better, and she was the one with the least amount of symptoms. All of a sudden before bedtime, she started the barky, croupy cough. When she has had a cold in the past, it has gone from that to different sounding coughs, but all eventually lead to the doctor's office, and breathing treatments. On a silly note, Dancer Girl came up to me yesterday and said, "What did the dog say to the bone?" me, "I don't know." her,"I dig you." Very cute.

For Aunt Sandy

This is for my Aunt Sandy, my dad's sister. She wrote to tell me she could hear a pin drop in the blog silence of kittenyarn and motherkitty. This is from dancer girl....
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from little sister...
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From me....one good thing about being sick for christmas is that christmas will last longer. We will get to leave the tree up longer. We will be able to visit grandparents and celebrate christmas long after everyone else is done with it. We will still be opening presents in January.

Other good news...I called to find out the balance for my gas bill (because we thought we were going to be late), and I found out that we paid our bill already. Woo Hoo! Alright, you may scoff if you like. Who forgets that they paid a bill? Well, if you have had a month like we have had, you would forget lots of things, too. Anyway, it is good to know someone is thinking of you. Thank You, Aunt Sandy. I Love You.

merry christmas

I am glad You came to earth to see what it felt like to be a man. I am glad You came as our Messiah. I am glad You loved us so much that You spent Your life loving people, helping people, healing people, & feeding people. In Hebrews it says that if we want to see what Father God is like, all we have to do is look at your life. I never heard or read about You killing people, making people sick, or letting them go hungry. Thank You for Your Love and sacrifice for me.

I'll Be Home for Christmas...

Well, one thing I like about Christmas songs is that they are good to have floating around in your head all day long. In case there was going to be any doubt to whether we'd have to stay home from Grandma's, etc. because of runny noses and coughs, Little Sister tossed her cookies all over me right after her nap today. And, no, they were *not* chocolate chip. Part of me had this little glimmer of hope yesterday afternoon when the little one's nose cleared up, and everyone was feeling great and happy. I thought, "Maybe we will get to go, after all...." Well, no. I don't know about you, but a certain line is crossed when the puking begins. I don't care if it is an accident, a fluke, or a virus. Throwing up is just gross, and when it happens, everything else usually comes to a screeching halt. So I spent the better part of the afternoon on guard, ready in case *it* happened again. And it did. 4 times, I think. And, I wasn't ready. Oh, well. After a while, I just gave up doing anything but keeping everyone calm, cool, and collected (that meant me, mostly). I remind myself that this is part of parenting. I am not having a pity party. I am just facing reality. Helping children stay calm and well can be exhausting, and well....I am exhausted. So, I guess I will go see if we have any Hershey bars left. I am only really glad that this song is running through my head, because it really is rather funny....

I'll be home for Christmas......(now you make up your own lyrics if you are me)

Here's a Song for You

http://www.reuters.hu/card_dom/index_content.html


My friendKris sent me this. Little Sister & I laughed all the way through it.

Witty Schmitty Pretty Kitty

I know most of my posts lately have been short and not very witty. Well, it has been quite a roller coaster around here, so I have mostly posted short cute things. This is mostly for myself, of course. It is a way of keeping one foot on solid ground, and not disappearing entirely. Some people have asked me why not keep a private journal, why blog? I don't know. I like the spontaneity of it. I like the idea that I can write what I want, and my friend and family can read it, as well as random visitors. I like getting my thoughts *out there.* But if you really want to know, here goes.....(read at your own risk)

• I don't like cleaning up bird guts
• I found a squirrel tail on my porch, don't know where the rest is
• I have been washing my hands 10,000 times a day in between wiping ooey gooey Little Sister's nose. As a result of her not feeling quite up to herself, she has been wanting to nurse more lately. Also, with a stuffy nose she is not resting well, hence no real nap for her lately. Last night she slept half the night half sitting up laying across my chest (no kidding)
• Yesterday, Dancer Girl woke up with a cough (striking fear in me after previous years bouts with bronchitis and almost pneumonia, breathing treatments, etc etc)
• Today, I woke up with a cough. That means all out war.
• My mom is getting over something called mycoplasma pneumonia, which she apparently had at Thanksgiving but she didn't know. As a result, Long Hair Daddy got sick, and slept at his office most of the month to keep us from getting sick.
• We were very thankful to have a wonderful new to us van for approximately 3 weeks before the transmission fell out. Ok, not really, but it is currently at Transmission Hospital waiting for the ok to do the $2,000+ transplant. Let's just say that that was *not* in the Christmas budget.
• Over the last 2 years I have had to talk about death a lot to little Dancer Girl after our pretty Ashley kitty got hit by a car. We were crying in bed last night missing her and remembering how she used to take naps with Dancer Girl in her little toddler bed.

So, in conclusion, I have decided not to bore you or anyone else mostly with the negative junk that happens, unless it is very funny. Let me try to think of some things I am thankful for....

• A wonderful, loving, helpful husband
• A terrific, supportive family
• Beautiful, strong, healthy daughters
• Electricity, heat, warm water, tv, dvd, computer, etc
• Hot tea
• Bathtubs
• Paved roads
• Cell phones
• Baby Jesus
• Instant messaging
• A good God who takes care of us
• Good friends
• Telephones
• Pizza
• Our beautiful cat Ashley, who is in Kitty Heaven

Ok, I'll stop there. How 'bout you tell me 5 things you are thankful for.

Here's My Present

Isn't she cute?

Christmas Kitty

Click the Pretty Kitty

Little Packages

I am sure there will be a picture on Motherkitty's blog first, since she is the one with the digital camera, but my little Dancer Girl was in her first Christmas production today. All the the little 3 and 4 year olds were decorated as Christmas presents. Dancer Girl chose a green striped wrapping paper with Christmas trees for her box. She had a pretty blue bow on her head. They were all soooo cute as they sang, "Good things come in little packages....just like me!" Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Brent, and Dada and Little Sister were all there to cheer her on. I think if I had let her, Little Sister would have been right up there singing and dancing too. She really wants to do everything her big sister does. I really like Christmas-time. It is a good time to get together with family and show each other love. Oh yeah, and we did get our Christmas tree up this week. Dancer Girl and Little Sister put up almost all the ornaments. So, if you come to our house, don't be surprised if all the ornaments are on the bottom half of the tree. Little Sister, who will be 2 years old in March, put hers up in little constellations, 3 or 4 on one branch. I really love Christmas carols, and I am so happy that both my girls like to sing them too. We have been singing every day. I am so glad God gave me two little packages: my 2 girls are more than good things in little packages to me. They are 2 of the best gifts I have ever gotten. I am thankful that He chose them for my family.

Little Sister's Tree

Happy Newlyweds

1969 Tomas Muse & Motherkitty, my brother in belly, he was born november 1969

Feliz Navidad

This is a Christmas drawing for Grandma & Grandpa from Dancer Girl. You will, of course, notice the bowl of guacamole on the left and the bowl of tortilla chips on the right. I drew the angel, as requested.

Quick to Listen

You haven't heard from me because there is much on my mind but nothing much to say. I am learning that even if you have an opinion or thoughts, maybe right now is not the time to voice them. I am learning to become quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry. I will send a chocolate bar to the person who can tell me where that is from.

Wednesday Update: Chocolate Bar being sent to Motherkitty. Good Job. The answer is James 1:19, from the Holy Bible.

Good Night, All

I hope everyone had a good day. It is time for bed here, even a little past. We are going to go read books, and snuggle up for the night. Hope everyone sleeps well. Sweet Dreams.

Quiet Day

Hopefully today will be a quiet day at home, a day to get caught up on laundry, a day to relax. A day to finish the Christmas newsletter, to get out the Christmas decorations, maybe. I was really stressed out when I woke up, thinking of all the things to do. Once I gave myself permission to stay home and take my time getting things done, then I felt much better. I don't have to go to every party, and do everything on a special timetable. The whole idea of preparing and giving gifts has more to do with love and patience than hurrying and scurrying. Rushing around and putting pressure on myself and others to be places at certain times adds a lot of anxiety to my home. I may still have my pajamas on at lunchtime, but I would rather be peaceful at home than add to the anxiety of shoppers out there.

Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife. Proverbs 17:1

http://www.honeybeecentre.com/about_honey.htm


Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Proverbs 16: 24

Christmas Wishes

I agree with Motherkitty, but will also add that I want her and Long Hair Daddy to get well and never get sick again. http://motherkitty.blogspot.com/ see Dear Santa. I think I am tired of my loved ones getting sick, and being able to do nothing about it. Since Motherkitty has been sick, we have not been able to see her because she doesn't want to make us sick. Same goes for Long Hair Daddy when he was sick last week, but in some ways it was worse because he slept at his office to keep us from getting his yuck. In some ways, this whole thing has left me terribly drained and feeling helpless. When you have little ones, it keeps you from helping sometimes. Spent recent times trying not to worry, trying to find more patience for the little ones, and trying to stay warm. Hopefully, there will be no icky spiders in the Christmas decorations this year, and I can put them up. It has made me very sad to think about what would happen if everyone was still sick for Christmas, and we would all have to stay home. Well, so much for staying positive. Well, maybe, everyone will get well very soon, and we won't have to worry about it. Life is draining sometimes. I guess it is time for a refill. I think I will try to find fun things to do with the girls today, and not worry about all the things out of my control. More Christmas Carols, I say. Thank God for water. May all His children have plenty. http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/water/problem/drought/five.htm
http://comp.uark.edu/~sskinne/SPhotographyTemplate/Nature.htm

From Dancer Girl

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Great Grandmothers

Well, if all goes according to plan, we will be visiting both of Long Hair Daddy's grandmothers today. They live in the same town, so the plan is to go to Nana's for lunch. Later in the afternoon we will go to Granmomma's. And then, after that is the highly coveted visit to the great Chuck E. Cheese restaurant (with play area). It will be a busy day, but a good one.

Snowball

I can feel it already. The gravity-pulling, quickly accelerating snowball of Christmas-like activity. I took one look at my calendar and said, one week to get that done, Motherkitty party here, birthday party there....It feels as if Christmas is tomorrow. Well, it is not. And, I am going to spend the month enjoying getting ready for it. I will teach my daughters Christmas carols, we will send out a newsletter, we will buy gifts in honor of the Christ-child's birth, set up our nativity set. As a personal Christmas tradition, I will get out my music, guitar, and keyboard and "practice" Christmas carols. I guess this is mostly for myself right now, because even though I am a trained musician (oboe), guitar and keyboard are challenges for me. Anyone who sings along with my strumming and plunking has to sing verrrry slowly. O come, all yeee (pause....strum) faithful....etc. etc. Well, I don't care, one of these years, I will figure it out, and maybe practice these songs more than November and December. (Click the music to go to a page where you can print your own Christmas carols to practice.) Anyway, Christmas is about the celebration of the birth of Christ for me. I look at all the wonderful things in our world that we have as a result of his birth and I am thankful. Christ has been a very positive influence in the world. You will note here that I am not including people who have called themselves followers of Christ, but have been nothing like Him. They will be accountable to Him for their own words and actions, as will I. Christ is the Messiah, He was a perfect man and God, and I am glad that He was born. Anyway, I look at the beautiful lights and think of the Light of the World. I think of all the gifts bought for others, and I am thinking that He doesn't mind us celebrating His birthday this way, thinking of others. Thinking of others is exactly what Jesus did His whole life, and that is what He does now. He is thinking of you and me. I will buy you a gift and think of Him.

Tis the Season for Tchaikovsky

Can anyone say Nutcracker?http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/46550.html

here's the guy who wrote it...http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/tchaikovsky.html

Long Hair Daddy and I are feeling very brave and are taking 4 year old Dancer Girl *and* 20 month old Little Sister Girl to a local dance company's performance of The Nutcracker on the local college campus tonite. And, we decided to take the girls to Chuck E. Cheese's on Sunday afternoon. Now all we have to do is put up the Christmas tree to officially be ushered into the joyful holiday frenzy.

Carrots & Celery

My four year old daughter just asked for celery and carrots with her lunch. Somebody pick me up off the floor. After the breakfast fiasco, this is a miracle.