Friendship - It's a Vivas Thing!

Oct 29 2009

Lemon Squares

I know I already posted today, but I actually had time to do some reading today, and I happened upon a blog that is posting about joy this morning. And I thought to myself, "Do lemon squares count?"

I'm not sure, but I'll try and explain. See, this week's been kind of tough. But I don't like to always share about that. Instead, I prefer to post on the good things that happen. I guess you could say that It's a Vivas Thing is about the real me, the me I want to continue to be. Sometimes, I feel like there are two of me. There is the real me; the old me…and then there is this other, newer me, that keeps trying to come out. And frankly, I don't like her so much, but she forces me to continue to fight to keep the real me in me.

Gee, I just looked over that and thought, "They could place me in the looney bin for that sentence!"

(Those of you who know me personally can stop laughing now!)

So anyway, back to my joy.

It had been a long week; a very long week…and it was only Wednesday. And it just so happened, that I was on the phone with someone who was having an even harder time than I was. And so I listened. And then, I noticed someone wanted my attention, but really, it just wasn't the time. But there was a note:

"Fresh, hot lemon squares."

Oh, but you don't know how I love those lemon squares! I mean, I'm a chocolate lover, but those lemon squares make me have second thoughts about chocolate, especially when they're fresh! And this friend knows how much I love her lemon squares. She said she thought of me when making them and bringing me some tonight. See…isn't that cool?

And oh, what joy those lemon squares brought! Not only to me, but to B-boo, too. Apparently, she's never had one. (I think it's because she's too much like her mama and automatically goes for the chocolate!) And B-boo loved them, too.

And so, because of the lemon squares, we invited our friend (I think I'll call her the Lemon Lady) along with us on a speed shopping excursion. We had exactly one hour to purchase 26 prizes that teens will be willing to fight over and it had to cost less than $200. So we headed off to Wally World while eating the lemon squares and had so much fun. We were like maniacs, running through the toy section in search of Mr. Potato Head and other games and prizes! And we finished coming in at a grand total of $173.28! (And apparently, in our eagerness we actually purchased 29 prizes)

And then we headed back, picked up the little ones and headed home.

But not before grabbing some more lemon squares for the ride!

See, Lemon Squares really were my joy for the week!

Thank you, Lemon Lady!

(As a PS: I'm not crazy, really. I honestly did post another blog this morning, but apparently cyberland kidnapped it. doo do doo doo!)

Oct 24 2009

More on Sleeping

I don't sleep in. Really. Sleeping in for me is sleeping until 7 am.

I don't get a lot of nights where I'm not woken up, either, so when the Princess came in at 5 am with a nightmare, I just counted it normal. Finally, an hour or two later, when my arm couldn't take the pain anymore, I managed to get her back into her own bed in hopes that I could catch just a little more sleep. For the next amount of unknown time, I vaguely remember asking God to please make her stop talking and waking up her brother or at least making me unaware of what she was doing.

I guess He answered my prayers, because the next thing I knew my phone was going off. I'm sure I had not so nice thoughts of whoever it was calling me so stinking early in the morning, but then I noticed it was Punky…and it was 9:11 am! ( I do find that somewhat ironice!) Anyway, the texts went something like this.

Punky: "Hey, what do u got going 2day?"

Me: "OMG! Thank you! We all overslept! I got to get the Smart One to karate by 9:30!"

And then I ran downstairs, to find everyone still asleep. Except for the Talented One, who had bowling in 15 minutes. I asked him why didn't he wake us up. His reply?

"Mom, I thought you were up. You don't sleep in. I thought you were watching tv with B-boo or something."

A) I don't watch tv on a Saturday morning when we have to get three children out of the house by 9:30 am.

B) Hello, I don't watch tv on a Saturday morning and not make coffee.

C)This is exactly why I don't sleep in!

PS: As for Punky who was so nice to wake me up; well, she got to come help me organize my scrapbook stuff, craft stuff, and office stuff. Yah…she loves me!

Oct 22 2009

One of THOSE weeks!

Kristin over at We Are That Family is celebrating her 2 year blogoversary and has asked us to share a THAT Family moment. I thought of linking up the THAT Family Tree Society blog that made me part of THAT Family, but then I changed my mind. I do that. Instead, I thought I'd share one of THOSE most memorable moments!

Thursday & Friday:

It was a week to remember. A very long week. Hubby had been out of town and was finally in the air and on his way home. After a long day, I was finally able to jump in the shower. The Drama Queen, almost 2 at the time, was sitting on the carpet right outside my shower talking to me. When I got out, she informed me she'd just swallowed a penny. Ok. She looked fine. She was breathing. I started to dry myself off. She repeated that she had swallowed a penny…and it hurt. I placed my finger in her mouth and felt around. Nothing. But her eyes were huge and she demanded I take it out. And off to the ER we went, dragging along her then 10 year old brother with us. (The other children were gone that night.)

At the ER, vitals were taken and declared fine, so we were ushered off to a *closet* room so we could double check with an x-ray and go home. In the meantime, the Talented One had been picked up and taken to his Tia's home. I'd left a message on hubby's phone that we were at the ER but everything was fine.

Until they took x-rays. And the technician ran out of the room. Literally, leaving us standing there. And then he ran back to inform me not to move or startle her and that he was calling an ambulance.

NEVER do that to a mom!

The coin was lodged in her throat and she needed to be moved to a children's hospital for surgery, via ambulance. So, I called hubby again and let him know that it wasn't fine after all. And a good friend for prayer, who was wonderful and immediately came to wait with me at the hospital.

And the ambulance came and we drove off with hubby following behind in his car while the Drama Queen waved happily from the ambulance. And she had her surgery and the penny was removed and all was well.

For a couple of days. And then my other good friend went into labor and I spent Monday at the hospital with her.

Tuesday received a call from hubby just after dropping off B-boo at gymnastics. He asked me to meet him at the ER. Not funny when you've spent three of the last five days there. He was serious. The Talented One went back to his Tia's. I went to the ER. The staff there said we looked familiar. We explained we were the parent's of the coin swallower. They said they'd been wondering if it was a quarter. Nope, a penny. Hubby had a badly sprained ankle and so they did a half cast thing and wrapped him up. And I took him home.

Wednesday I woke up to an almost dead Chinese Water Dragon and a very upset son. What's a mom to do? I took the thing to the vet. He told me it was going to die. I cried. Yes, I cried over a lizard. I told him I'd do anything to help keep the little guy alive as we were having a very hard week. It didn't work; the little guy didn't make it.

Thursday we were up early as it was my turn to watch Tia's kids. Things were going smoothly, so the Talented One agreed to watch the little ones play in the yard while I managed to get hubby in the shower as he was starting to smell. We managed to get the splint off when we heard a blood curdling scream. A scream like that is never a good sign. I ran down the stairs with hubby hopping and screaming behind me. As I rounded the corner, the Talented One stood in the doorway with the Drama Queen held tight to his chest. It looked as if a bucket of blood had been poured over them. Oh…and the scalp on the back of her head was hanging down.

I grabbed her, a towel, the keys, and ran out quickly before hubby could see it. And off to the ER we went again. I can't tell you how I managed to somehow drive a stick shift to the hospital while holding pressure to her head and wiping the ants off of her. Not only had she managed to fly off of the swing backwards and land on a 2 by 4, but she'd landed in an ant's nest to top it off! (The swing set was removed from the yard immediately!) As we ran into the ER, they took one look and opened the doors and rushed us back. The conversation went something like this.

Me: "I need a doctor right away."

Nurse: "Ma'm, we need you to calm down."

Me: "I am calm, but we need a doctor right away."

Nurse: "Ma'm, it's not that bad. You need to calm down."

Me: "It's bad. I've seen it. I'll calm down when you get a doctor."

Doctor: "Let's have a look. I NEED A NURSE RIGHT NOW! THIS CHILD NEEDS TO BE SEDATED! WE NEED A CAT SCAN!"

I calmed down. 17 staples later, we headed up to the CT department. Poor little old lady was sitting half asleep on a chair outside the room because she'd been taken out of the machine because of my daughter. We're sorry. You see, we're just THAT kind of family and we were just having one of THOSE kind of weeks.

Oct 16 2009

Willing to do Anything!

Some people are willing to do anything to be on my blog!

I'm ok with that….cause it means I get free labor, lots of laughter, lots of fun! And pictures.

This would be Rice Crispie treat preparation for the Drama Queen's Birthday! B-boo reminds Punky how do it. Now they know what they are doing. Punky brags to Twin who wants to be on blog that she will beat him to it! (This would be the twin to the Talented One. Sometimes I get them confused.)

Yes, you have to be willing to smear butter on your hands and play with melted marshmallows!

So…what's a guy to do? He learns how to make rice crispie treats so that he can be on the blog, too!

Am a brilliant or what?

And then there are cupcakes…we can't have a party without them!

Notice thebrilliant colors and wonderful photography! I tried to convince her to become a food photographer…but they all laughed at me. I thought it was a brilliant idea…much better to take pictures of beautiful food instead of dead bodies. (Forensics and all that!) The party was a success…but that's another blog!

Oct 15 2009

Living the Dream

Do you ever look at your life and think, "I really had no idea I'd someday be living this life?"

How can we know, really, what we'll be doing? I look at my kids today, and I wonder how they'll turn out. I remember when my oldest was 8, he wanted to be a Forest Ranger. From there he wanted to be an Air Force pilot. Then he turned to Civil Engineer, and finally, he's nearing a degree in hospitality. He wants to manage a resort somewhere in the boon dogs. So, it's not quite a Forest Ranger, but close to his heart, still, because he loves being in the outdoors away from it all.

I wonder how my next son will turn out. He's got so much talent in him. And a heart for others. I remember when he was little, he would go up to strangers and ask them if they knew Jesus. There's so much out there for him, it will be interesting to see where it goes.

There's B-boo. From the time she was itty bitty, she made her own fashion statement! We laugh at her whenever she wears matching socks because she just doesn't normally. Things have changed for her so much in the past two years. She has a new passion for Forensics (and not the debating kind)…yuck. We laugh and tease her that she'll be the best dressed forensic scientist that there is! She's the one that seems to have it all planned out; it will be interesting to see what happens!

Next, there is the Smart One. The boy thinks too much. He can figure things out in his head. He loves to just sit and think things up; figure things out. I remember when he was four, we were working on our house. Hubby was trying to pop up tiles and having a hard time getting to them. The Smart One just watched him for a bit, and then said to Dad, "If you turn it around and move over here, you'll get them out easier." Dad did; and it worked. He was amazed at the common sense in such a young child. His fine motor skills are amazing. He can make the tiniest origami things I've ever seen! He says he wants to invent something. He loves math and science; and drafting. I wonder what he'll end up coming up with!

Then there's the Drama Queen. I wonder how long it will take her to figure something out! She has a passion to try out everything in life! She loves, loves, loves to sing! And to dance. And she talks of becoming a doctor. And she wants lots and lots of children. And she'll probably try to do it all!

My son once asked me if I was doing what I wanted with my life. I told him that even as a little girl, I always wanted a big family with 8 kids and a home to go with it. I don't have 8 children, but we're certainly close to it!

I had no idea I'd learn to cook around food allergies, research endometriosis, restless leg syndrome, Celiac disease and Reactive Attachment Disorder; become a nurse, doctor, vet, home school mom, chauffeur, foster aunt and much, much more!

I had no idea of the pain I'd feel when they hurt or the joy I'd feel when they smile.

Of the skip in my heart when I see hubby, even after years of marriage.

Hubby and I were talking last night about where we are. Sometimes we look around and think, "I didn't see it happening like this." We may not have fancy cars and a room for each kid, but God has definitely filled our dreams. We have the big family; the foster children, the loving home; wonderful children, great friends; joy. He's given us all we've needed and more. And that's what I look forward to for my children.