Quintessential Housewife

I wasn't pregnant anymore, but I was certainly barefoot for the Father's Day's shrimp buffet I provided for my loving husband. For a girl who doesn't like seafood, this just shows how much I really love this guy. I made him shrimp cocktail, shrimp scampi, and coconut shrimp. The kids enjoyed the shrimp too, while I had tater tots for dinner.

Endings and Outings

May was a big month for Leah. Not only did she become a big sister again, but she graduated from Preschool and finished a year of Ballet!

Preschool Graduation, with Miss Carol and then with friend Julia:

Leah's Ballet Recital, pictured with Miss Jennie and Miss T (Tiare):

To celebrate the end of one season and the beginning of the next, we visited Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. There is something about that red window pane that lends itself particularly to photographing my not-so-little-anymore girl.

Now for a fun summer and then on to Kindergarten!

All in a day's weekend's work

This weekend we put together this:
















While the kids did this:

And resultantly fell asleep before dinner:

There was another one of Samuel reposing stark naked on the hall floor, but alas, it was inappropriate for Blogger.

I must say, experience has taught us much about working together peacefully. We worked for 5 hours in the hot sun and got most of the shed put together, stopping only to referee the kids. After dinner and putting kids to bed, we went back outside to work a little more in the daylight we had left. By then it was windy and chilly and buggy, and the pieces we were putting together got tricky. By 9:30, we were running the car headlights to see in the dark, and by 10:30 we were jump-starting said car by light of iPod. iPod doubling as access to jump-start instructions and flashlight. (What did we ever do before WiFi and portable devices?)

In a former life, this comedy of errors would have made us frustrated and contentious. As it was, we were really quite amused and cooperative. And spending all say in the hot sun doing manual labor makes one sleep like the dead, indeed.

Then and Now

How is it that such a tiny little person has turned my life so completely upside-down?

I used to fit into all the clothes in my closet. I used to have all my kids potty trained. I used to have an organized work and babysitting schedule. I used to get enough sleep at night. I used to be able to take a sleep aid and sleep even better. I used to take 15 minute showers at my leisure.
I used to have a perfect balance of anti-depressant and anxiety medications. I used to have an appetite. I used to enjoy playing with my kids and reading them stories. I used to feel loving and familiar toward my kids. I used to feel like I was in control of my life.

Now only half my clothes fit. Now I have a newborn using half a dozen diapers a day and a Samuel who's new nickname is Mr. Pottypants. Now I have a kindergartener and an infant and have to figure out a work schedule and daycare schedule all over again. And in the mean time, I'm not making any money at all. Now I am always tired and grouchy. I only get to take power showers and teaser naps, and I only sleep in three hour increments, if I'm lucky. Now I have to start over on finding a combination of antidepressants that is effective. Consequently, I don't enjoy food and my kids are always disappointed that I don't feel like playing with them. Now my kids are giants and strangers to me. I feel impatience and frustration toward them instead of love, and I feel like I have to reinvent my relationship with them. In fact, I can't remember feeling loving toward anyone or anything, not to mention feeling like laughing or smiling. I feel anxious that I have no control over my house and my children and my life.

Whereas I used to have life pretty much figured out, now I am starting completely from scratch.

Roller Coaster

This week I was part SuperMom, and part SuperGrouch. SuperMom is cheerful and on the ball, gets out the door on time, goes on walks, plays with her kids, and stays on top of the dishes and laundry. SuperGrouch is tired, grumpy, emotional, impatient, ingores the dishes and the laundry, makes frozen pizza for dinner, and yells at her 3 and 5 year old.

This week I cleaned out and scrubbed the fridge...
But I also impaled my three year old with a shopping cart and had his eyebrow glued back together. (What is it with my kids and shopping carts?) It turns out I could have saved myself a copay and fixed his face with neosporin and a bandaid.

This week I took my kids for a long walk and play at the park...
But at the park Leah got a bug bite on her foot and it was swollen and red and hot for 2 days.

This week we had a family outing to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point and had a blast and brought a picnic lunch and didn't buy any fast food at all...
But Samuel got a puffy itchy face from petting all the animals and on the way home we had to stop at Babies 'R Us and get a new carseat for Audrey because the one we bought last month was DEFECTIVE and already BROKE!

This week I vacuumed the carpet...
But its already dirty again.

This week I took the kids to story time at the Library...
But story time is on hiatus in May and we have overdue books and the kids have susequently been watching their Library movies for three days straight.

I feed the baby a dozen times a day...
But when she doesn't poop for 2 days, she is very fussy and that makes me very fussy.