Moving in slow motion, or not at all

Sparrow keeping a hand on Douglas last week, when he was feeling cruddy one night and ended up in our bed too. I’m lying in bed sick, recovering from some kind of bug yesterday that involved fever and puking, thankfully mostly during the night though.  My boys brought me a snack in bed this morning, which stayed down, and my husband got home in time to take over for the rest of the day, so glad for that!  I’m starting to feel human, and the house is quiet as they just left for the library. 
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Laying Down My Wand Day ... is today!

Bridget has declared it so, and I like it. 

A day when we all kick back and appreciate that we are doing our best and that more often than not, our best is good enough. A day when we acknowledge all of those around us who are doing the same. One day a year where we proudly wear the crown of best wife, mother, daughter and friend. One when guys can be the best husband, father, son and friend. A day when we all make a secret pact to be happy with who we are. (And if we aren’t, we’ll promise to do better.)

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I hate the mirror ...

Douglas with his first design… and I’m not talking about the one hanging over my bathroom sink, though I don’t often love what I see there either.  I’m referring to that thing that happens when your mood, no matter what it is, is reflected by your kids.  It’s like taking a bad mood and amping it up x10, because that’s what seems to happen.  It’s not just a reflection, it’s an explosion! I get frustrated and speak sharply, or yell, and they start fighting with each other, whining, and talking back.  And then there’s the real wince when I hear my own tone, that harsh and nasty tone, coming right out of my son’s mouth.  I hate it when that happens!
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I forgot my son's chess class today ...

A Cool sculpture at the Bring To Light festival we went to this past weekend. I think fall has stolen my brain cells, I swear they’re leeching away as the sun gets lower in the sky!  It wasn’t until two hours after D’s chess class started that I noticed last week’s class in my planner, and realized I never wrote it in for today!  I’m not feeling badly about it and am thankful that he was at the library with his dad at the time, so by the time he got home he didn’t care all that much about it.  Mom forgot, plain and simple!
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Q of the Week : How do you record your kids' lives?

Fynn’s party over the weekend, where I’m betting he’ll remember the dueling Hex-bug gifts and the balloons longer than anything else. Perched on top of the highest possible point on a friend’s roof last night, carefully not stepping into the skylight and watching a myriad of fireworks, Fynn asked me if I’d brought the camera.  I’d left it at home, and told him he’d have to take mental pictures instead, hinting that those were the best kind.  Sometimes I just don’t want the bother of the camera, and as ours isn’t working well I deliberately left it behind.  One less thing to worry about, especially when climbing ladders to rooftops that were not really meant to be climbed on by anyone, let alone excited 5-year-olds. 
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Some Great Reads and a Worthy Listen too : Roundup a la Wednesday

Didn’t get to these on Friday, then found some more this week that just have to be shared, so here we are.  It’s beastly hot here, spent the day near the park sprinklers, then came home and set up the little wading pool in the back.  Boys are spent, and I’m not far behind as the heat drains me, especially in the first few days of swelter. 

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Q of the Week : How's your laundry situation?

The piles as of Sunday afternoon …I just added a contest at the bottom, don’t miss it!

I hate folding laundry.  Hate it.  I don’t mind running the loads through, though I’m pretty haphazard and fast about it all.  My husband will be glad to tell you I suck at really getting things clean, and it’s true that I overload the machine just to do fewer loads, and everything gets washed hot and rinsed cold.  Except the handwashing, which gets done about every 6 months.  Michael wished he had his special hand-decorated dress shirt clean to wear to a party on Friday, but alas it’s been waiting to be hand washed since it’s inaugural wearing many months ago. 

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Q of the Week : What are your Dreads and Delights this week?

At least I’m not dreading cleaning up Lego this week, I can shut the door on it and not have to see it for once :). (Dreading finding a new housemate for that room? Whole other story!)I became aware this afternoon, as the light faded and dinner responsibilities approached, that my enthusiasm was waning and my shoulders were hunching a bit in anticipation of the week’s responsibilities.  I then realized that the same feeling arrives every Sunday night.  Like clockwork.  I dread Mondays. 
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Is Parenting Feeling Hard? Maybe You're Thinking Too Much (Guest post by Gina Osher)

On occasion, I want to tear my hair out, toSometimes I can’t wait for the day to be over. Yes, I said it. Sometimes I am just trying to kill the seemingly endless hours between the crack-of-dawn time that my kids wake up, to the can’t-come-soon-enough hour that they go to sleep. Perhaps this feeling stems from the really intense phase our daughter has been going through in which she needs to be in control of everything. And when she’s not allowed to have her way, holy Mother of God…watch yourself! Or maybe the recent four month long phase where our son was using me as a human pacifier and waking every two hours to ask for a snuggle is what makes me feel that the days are, at times, interminable. Or maybe it’s because my husband had a heart attack two months ago and I am trying give him more time to relax on weekends (hello, Saturdays on my own with the kids). Or maybe this tense feeling comes from micro managing every quarrel and crabby interaction my kids have in a misguided attempt to teach them to get along.
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