Diary of a Homemaker: Well Done!

 

Saturday:  I was on my own this morning when I woke...Not really.  John was just off to do a service day with the church.  My plans had been to meet him for lunch, but he made it plain there would be no lunch except at home.  I said I'd just go get myself some more flowers for the house, return those sparkly jeans and pick up his prescriptions.  Just an errand day all by myself.  That makes the third time this week I've been out all by myself.   I wonder if we're developing a new pattern of life?

Katie and Caleb were home.  It was clear that Caleb was in a very contrary frame of mind.  Anything he was told to do resulted in "NO!" from him.  I was a wee bit glad to leave home and go tend to my errands.

Before I'd left the driveway John had called to tell me he felt like he'd been overcome with heat.  I looked at the temperature on the car.  I asked a pertinent question or two and discovered he'd left home without bothering to eat anything, then helped himself to a donut at the church.  I told him I was pretty sure his blood sugar had shot up with that donut and his getting warm as he worked.   If I had known where he was, I'd have taken him something proper to eat, but I reasoned that he's a big boy and should know better than to think a donut was sufficient to keep him going.

I stopped first at Publix to get the prescriptions.  The cost of the prescriptions alone was breathtaking, but I reminded myself that at least two of those were 90-day supplies.

I went to Cato where I returned the pants.  I picked up only two thin and one nicer short sleeve tee that were on clearance.   And a purse.  I found a stunning satchel with removable shoulder strap. It's a very good quality faux leather and has a cutwork overlay of a lighter color over the calf brown.  It's pretty as can be! I'd made up my mind to wait another year or so before buying a brown leather purse.  

John called to say he was going home, having finished his day.  I told him I would pick up something for lunch and then head home myself.  I picked up Chinese on the way.  We haven't had Chinese in almost a year.  It was delicious and filling and reasonable for four.  We have a few leftovers, not many.

I have no further plans for the day.  John is wiped out.  Caleb is now in quiet time, Katie watching the game.  

Sunday:  Yesterday afternoon, Caleb and Katie went out to visit friends.  John and I were home alone...another thing that is becoming common.  I sense a changing pattern of life.

As always, I'm a little torn.  Often these changes are exactly what I was hoping for, but still there is a sense of bittersweetness to it.  I know that it also means a phase of life is slowly starting to fade.  Isn't it funny that it's always after I accept the previous change and settle into the routine of them that these things begin to change.

Off to church this morning.  I woke just before the alarm and actually slept really well. I'd hoped we would get the promised rain in the night, but none fell here.   However, when we got to Reynolds this morning the streets were wet.  The highway was wet all the way to Warner Robins.  

I was rather pleased with my outfit today for church.  I fit into a pair of jeans that were just a bit too small when they arrived!  That alone was enough to please me.  I'd had about a 2-inch gap in closing them but felt sure I could lose enough to wear them comfortably and I did!  It took me about 3-weeks.  I

With the jeans I wore an ivory sleeveless top with a rust cardigan over that which matched the top stitch on the jeans.  I have a chunky long necklace in rusts and silvery creams that I wore, my calf sandals and the new satchel bag I bought yesterday. I tied a pretty silk scarf in shades of navy, mustard, rust and ivory to the purse handle.  All but the purse and jeans were items I had in my closet and have had for years.  

We went to get haircuts and had lunch after church.  That was nice.  When we got to our hometown the produce man was on the corner.  That's the first time he's had boiled peanuts this year.  I asked John to please stop and get me some.  I'll probably stop once or twice more before peanut season is over if I see him on the corner again.  In my area, peanut season is as much a part of Autumn as pecans.

Caleb has been half wild all afternoon long.  I am very much looking forward to evening when he's ready to settle for the night!

Monday:  It's been a long day but a very productive one in so many ways.  I have always preferred to schedule appointments and such for the morning hours, but as I've gotten older, I find I get less and less done on those days because I am bushed by the afternoon.  Last week when the chiropractor was setting up the appointment for this week's adjustment, I opted for an afternoon appointment and I'm so glad I did!  

This morning I worked in the kitchen, getting quite a lot done.  Not only did I make breakfast, but I started two different entrees while I was doing that!  While those were in the oven, after breakfast, I went outdoors and got some of the planting done that I wanted to do.  I was about to clean out Caleb's water table which he calls The Lighthouse when I noted that something was swimming.  It was tadpoles!  There were at least a half dozen I think and I pointed them out to Caleb.  I told him we'd just leave them until they turned into frogs.  He kept telling me how cute they were.  I wonder if he'll still think so when they are froggies? 

After I'd watered the containers deeply, Caleb said he was done and so we came indoors to do housework.  John helped a lot today by making the bed and vacuuming the house.  Then I worked on the checkbook and got a few phone calls attended to and then I showered for the appointment, all before lunch!  

I was free to get ready to go during Caleb's quiet time, so slipping away from home was drama free for us both.  I was home again about the time he was supposed to be up.  The only downside to this is that my 'quiet' time was spent driving and being adjusted.

I took Casey's advice today and prayed about the appointment before I went in.  Not that the adjustment would go well but that my attitude following the adjustment wouldn't be so rotten...So far so good!  It's almost always the day after when I feel the full effects of the appointment, but I have to admit that today was an aggressive adjustment and I felt it pretty hard walking out of the office!  I was not in pain.  The doctor never hurts, though she may well put pressure on a painful area.  No, it was just that I felt every inch of the adjustment in a sort of tiredness and weakness of the body.

I was putting supper together this evening when I heard the backdoor quietly open.  I looked around the corner into the entry and there was Josh!  What a happy surprise.  He had come over to bring me his grandparents' day invite to the school.  I need to RSVP to that but wanted to talk it over with John first.

I'd gone back into the kitchen about a half hour later to check on supper and the backdoor opened softly once again.  I looked around and was a little confused...It looked like Josh, but something was different...Then I realized it was Isaac and he was wearing glasses just like Josh does!  He too had brought me an invitation to grandparents' day.  I don't need to RSVP to his.  Josh's includes lunch if you'd like to eat with them.  Isaac's is being held earlier than Josh's.

Caleb was beside himself.  He imitated every single move Josh made which Josh found as cute as I did.  He is after all 'older'.  When Isaac came in, Caleb was over the moon.  He LOVES Isaac with a passion.  He kept hugging him and they played running back and forth and with toys together for a few minutes.   Isaac has had a speech impediment for years now and at one point he said a word and doggone if Caleb didn't correct his pronunciation and Isaac followed suit and said it correctly.  I was pretty surprised at that!

And then just as he was leaving, Isaac said "Caweb is a devil..." lol I don't know why he said that nor why he would feel so.  Caleb ran up and gave him another big hug about then and Isaac stopped and said, "I love you, Caweb," and left.

My boys are growing up so very quickly.  And here's where I regret that I am a full-time caretaker for Caleb because I can't spend the one-on-one time with the two older boys that I'd like.  If they are here and Caleb is here, Caleb is so preoccupied with them and keeps them so focused upon himself that I simply have no time at all with them.  It's a minor thing.  In the end, the boys know I love them ALL and Caleb gets a better sense of family from having the boys and Millie about than he would have otherwise.

I said changes are afoot in my life.  Here I was out again for the FOURTH time alone in eight days.  That's got to be a record for me because I seriously doubt I've been out that often alone in the past four years!   Katie told me this evening that she and Caleb will be visiting friends more often on these weekends when Taylor's not here. That too will be an adjustment of sorts.  But we shall see how things go over the next few weeks.  This just might be a test, you know.

On the way home today, I saw a baby fawn by the side of the road.  It was completely unafraid of the car, but it was well on the side munching grass, not actively trying to cross the road.  It wasn't newborn but did still have it's spots.  

Golden rod and another yellow blooming flower were prolific all along the roadsides and coming down the hill towards the river, I could see the patchwork of colors appearing in the swamp forest. I noted in town that the Gingko tree outside the Women's Club house has changed colors to a sort of Lime tinged with gold.  I was so distracted by it that I very nearly drove over the curb at the post office.  Glad I caught myself in time and could correct my course.  Then here at home as I pulled into the carport, I noted a whole branch of golden stars on the Sweet Gum.  I sat a moment and just looked at the back yard and then down the drive towards the woods and it's definitely looking like a change of season.  Now if only the temperature would get the memo that a new season is coming and start to actually cool down.

Tuesday:  I slept late this morning, until almost 9:30!  However, I have to share that I woke with no hard pain and have felt pretty doggone good all day long today.  

I took Caleb outdoors after breakfast where I worked in the heat to clean off the front porch and patio.  I got too hot and even Caleb who was just wandering aimlessly around kept saying, "It's hot...It's hot!"  His little face was pink and damp looking.  I always make sure he has a filled water bottle when we go outdoors and encouraged him to drink.  I, on the other hand, foolishly went out without water.  I started sweating and soaked right through all my clothing.  I pushed through to finish the cleaning job I'd started but I didn't finish entirely.  The patio itself is clear but the stuff I gathered up is all sitting right where I left it.

Back indoors, I ended up showering and changing clothes and then I sat down with a glass of electrolytes to restore myself.  I made lunch at Caleb's urging.  He was apparently very hungry, but he didn't really eat.  He drank a Chocolate and Banana smoothie and polished off his soup but left the sandwich.  And no, it wasn't really soup.  It was broth from the roast I'd cooked on Friday to make sandwiches. I just poured up the broth for he and I to drink. John's idea of soup is something a whole lot thicker than plain old broth.  Caleb is after my own heart.  If it's hot and liquid-y it's soup.

After lunch, I made time to catch my checkbook up to date.  I'm ready to write checks tomorrow morning now.  And while I have an idea of how much money I have in the account, I just realized that I didn't write down a single figure, I just wrote down the ending balance!  Sheesh.  Maybe I drained my brain with all that sweating outdoors this morning!

The afternoon was peaceful and pleasant.  It was while supper was cooking that the end of day fussiness started.  It starts out as unusually high spirits with lots of bouncing and running and then disintegrates into out and out rebellious "No!"s to every single request made.  We get through supper with mostly begging or fussing at him to please sit down and eat.  When he hears his Mama at the backdoor, he runs to greet her then tells her he's going to bed!  That's it for us.  He then gives his Mama a merry run around for the next hour or so before falling deeply asleep and sleeping all night.  This part of our routine has yet to have any variance.  It's what we've been doing now for the past two years.

Wednesday:  It has been a challenging day thus far, sigh.

Our day began along about 6:30 when I got up to go potty.  I thought I heard Caleb bouncing about in his bedroom. What I heard next was a high pitch scream and "Papa! Papa!"  We went running.  Katie had to leave extra early and the room was dark.  I found Caleb standing atop the fold out mattress that Taylor sleeps on crying because the room was dark and the tv was off.  I calmed him down, took him to potty and reminded him that he can turn on the lamp any time he feels scared.  Normally Katie leaves him a light or the tv on but this morning she must have been in a hurry to get out of the door.

Caleb had soaked through his pajama bottoms and wet his bed.  So we got that stripped and John started laundry.  And from there the morning just went kaflooey and boom.

I will tell you something about the two male counterparts of this household.  They both have quick tempers and though Caleb is just barely 3 feet tall, the child can get mouthy.  So when he and John butted heads over something an hour later, it became a shouting match.  I stepped in to try to get both to step away and this led to harsh words between John and I. In the meantime, I admonished Caleb for running his mouth and then sent him outdoors to play while I finished up our breakfast.

John sulked.  I was peevish.  Caleb continued to be either mouthy or mischievous.  Multiple spankings occurred this morning and we had intense silence or snippy words all throughout the day.  I was the fairly calm one but the tension in this household today was wearing to say the least.

I mixed up a cake (Applesauce Raisin Spice Cake) and put it to bake then formed my Salisbury steaks and cooked those just to get a head start on tonight's supper.    

About this time I noted that Caleb's water bottle was not on the dining room table.  In his room I found the bottle sitting on the now soaking wet bed...Spanking number two occurred.  He did not get a spanking for spilling the water. He got one because I told him repeatedly NOT to take that water bottle into the bedroom with him because it will spill out if it tips over.  It was his stubborn refusal to do what he was told that earned him that spanking.

At this point, while John was hanging up the wet bedding to dry, I went outdoors, sat down on the porch and cried.  Then I got up and came back indoors and started preparing our lunch.

We made it through lunch unscathed and even through a shouting match between the males.  John repeated to Caleb what I'd said he should do and Caleb stomped his foot and said, "I'm busy!" and repeated it when he was told to stop shouting.  John held up pretty well during that altercation but before quiet time was well started, he'd earned another spanking and John's temper rose.  At this point, John is depressed and sulky.  I am done with everyone.  Caleb went to sleep which is likely what he's needed all along.

Lest you all think we are beating him senseless, a spanking in this house is usually a mere pop on the diapered bottom.  He's not being abused, and we typically do not spank as discipline but there are days when it's necessary because no other form of discipline is getting results.

I don't mind saying, I find it very emotionally draining to deal with a fussy child and I loathe spanking but sometimes it's just necessary.

Katie invited a guest over for dinner tonight but since the guest was meant to be hers and not ours, we ate with Caleb earlier in the evening and had him ready for bed.  We thought it the wisest thing to do given how the day went overall.

Thursday:  I was so weary last night!  Caleb's nap had been a restorative to him and he was suddenly all good behavior and so he stayed up, not going to bed until after Katie's guest left last night.  He watched a movie with them.  I figured he'd sleep in this morning but think again.

I had to rise extra early as it was Millie day.  She and Papa snuggled in his chair and watched an animated movie.  Caleb begged and plied and did all he could to encourage Millie to come play but she was having none of it.  This is about typical of every visit.  She will give him the cold shoulder for at least an hour.  Then she will screech every time he looks at her, touches a toy she thought she might want, or he speaks to her for another hour.  Finally, they will settle to play, but never until I remind John that we simply have to stop playing referee and let them sort it out themselves.  And then they will play and play and play until lunchtime.

Today, I had to separate them at quiet time.  I hadn't wanted to do so but one can only go so far with the constant cry "Gwamma!"  Once they were separated, I sat down in my chair, put my computer on my lap and promptly went to sleep.  I did feel weary but no clue I was anywhere near a nap!  I slept hard, too!

Once quiet time was over, we three played a silly game that involved stuffed animals, a set of measuring spoons and an empty box.  That went on until Sam came to get Millie and take her home.

It poured with rain the moment he and she left.  There was water standing all over the yard and then it was sunny once more.   But while it was raining so, Caleb asked to have the tv in his room turned on. I said, "No, it's playtime..." but little Mr. went to his Grampa and said "Papa, pwease, tv..."  I told John if he turned it on Caleb would go to sleep and sure enough that's just what he did.  He slept so hard that I couldn't wake him for supper.  Katie woke him long enough to change him and move him into his own bed.  He cried and cried and cried and five minutes later when he was back in bed, he was sound asleep all over again.  I guess his late night and the long day of play really wore him down.

I felt for him.  I might have had a nap this afternoon, but I am weary myself and quite ready to call it a day.  Tomorrow we are taking it in turns to go visit the boys for Grandparents' Day at the schools.  John will go visit Isaac.  I'll go later and visit with Josh in his classroom.  At some point in time, I really need to get a grocery list together and go shopping.  I'm out of just enough now to find it inconvenient and I'm lacking suitable substitutions for many items.  The trouble is I'm also finding it a bit inconvenient for finding a suitable time to go.  Tomorrow we're tag teaming the two boys for school visits.  Saturday I'd rather like a date day and not an errand day.  Sunday is Taylor's day and Monday I'm back at the chiropractor...

Perhaps I'll just do a minor top up at the local grocery tomorrow on my way back from the school...That seems the best time to attempt it.

Friday:  Up early again this morning after another late night.  I am weary and so is John.  This week is done, and frankly it was done pretty quickly. I do hope that this is not how sped up the rest of the year is going to be!  I would like a chance to savor the days ahead before this year is over and not rush headlong through it and into the next year.

This morning following breakfast, John went off to visit Isaac at his school for Grandparents' Day.  While he was gone, I do all the Friday chores on my own.  I just wanted them all done and finished though John told me he'd do his 'share' when he returned.  I told him I knew he would but I would just go on and get started. 

When he returned, he told me all about his visit and how Isaac had cried because John didn't bring him back home with him...This is the one thing I dread every single year.  The teachers tell the children they can go home with the grandparents and the grandparents must have permission from the parents...Often this hasn't been granted.  And yes, it's partly because the grandparents haven't asked.  Some like us are taking care of children full time and just want the break that school gives them.  I can't blame them in the least.  

Anyway, John and I talked, then I loaded up and went off to go visit Josh.  I mis-read the communication from the school and got confused.  I had read earlier in the week that visiting was 10:30 to 12:00 and then I read that grandparents could have lunch with the students.  They then listed the times of lunch for each grade.   I admit, it's been a tough week and I read poorly and did so more than once.  So, I thought Josh's class visit was from 12:00 to 12:30.  I didn't plan to eat lunch, but I had planned to accompany him to lunch.  

Now I arrived a few minutes before 12noon and went off to the classroom.  Josh kept hugging me and telling me how glad he was I had come, and he thought I'd forgotten.  Then the teacher told me he was upset and the people who were the little girl behind him told me how upset he'd been...I felt so bad!  In the meantime, the whole class was playing a computer game, including the teacher and everyone was shouting (including the teacher!).  I asked Josh if he wanted me to play the word search on his desk or answer the questions and he said "Nah... I don't really care about that stuff anyway..."  When they announced lunch, he told me "Bye!  Thanks for coming!"

Well, it was a less than satisfactory visit and I felt rotten altogether but there were no do-overs, so it was what it was.

I ran a couple of errands, tried to call John who didn't answer, went to the grocery and proceeded to walk up and down every food aisle.  I had made up my mind I was looking for the things I'd planned to purchase elsewhere.  I found all but two items I was looking for.  

Home to commiserate with John over my mistake with Josh's school times.  Then I put away groceries, grabbed something from the fridge to toss into the microwave to reheat for my lunch, greeted Fed Ex, straightened up something, then we had to do another load of laundry because Caleb wet Katie's bed with an overflowed pull-up.

The whole day has gone right along, boom boom boom without any let up.  One thing right after another.  It's only now I realize that I have not made bread for Shabat this evening...But I remembered to buy grape juice, so there's that.

I hope you all have had a wonderful week.  And that you have a lovely weekend!