More laughter...

...to add to your day. I will preface it now by stating that I am very aware that getting to be annoyed by my healthy children is a gift of it's own.

I am sitting at the computer (my new best friend) with my glass of freshly poured bottled water. (The water in Fargo/Moorhead is gross right now. It stinks and tastes bad.)
Kate dips her hand in my water and starts wiping something.
Me: "Did you just put your dirty hand in my drinking water?" I start drinking it as I am thirsty
Kate: "Well I had some ear wax on my hand I had to get off."

More to add

Here is what happened in a 15 minute span about an hour ago:
--began browning meat to make sloppy joes
--notice Brady getting wiggly in his Bumbo (Olivia and I just fed him) so I pick him up.
--feel that his pants are wet
--remove pants and smell poop
--walk upstairs and suddenly feel poop smearing all over my hand
--neglect meat and strip him down
--spend some time getting all this smeary poop off of him
--start a tub and ask Kate to sit with him in the tub while I finish the now burning meat
--walk to start the tub and hear glass shattering and Olivia say, "Mama come here."
--get Brady in the tub, go down to see Olivia dropped a large glass candle on the floor. She is walking around it.
--calmly get her away from glass, sweep it up, and put it in garbage.
--turn to flip over the charred meat to hear Kate say, "It's borning watching Brady in the tub." Uh...sorry chicka, get back there!
--Finish meat, make the bbqs, go up to Brady, clean him up, get supper ready, and eat.
--Breathe a sigh of relief that Ryan is at a birthday party (he can be a pill), I can sit, and we can watch HSM 3.
--Oh wait: realize I have 100 loads of laundry to do and put away, switch my bedding, clean the kitchen, and play with Brady when he wakes up.

Olivia and Brady are my current form of glue. Brady is getting the hang of sitting up!

Ryan returning home from a day playing "flooded yard hockey" with a bunch of boys from hockey.


Olivia helped me feed Brady...you can see he is wearing a lot of it



Kate has been fighting a sore throat and fever for a few days. The strep test was negative, but she had a 103 fever at the clinic. Poor girl.
Then, I was once again put in my place by reading MckMama's blog. Her baby is having a tough day. I can't imagine to begin to grasp the amount of pain, frustration, fear, anger, and desperation she must being dealing with--all while trying to stay strong for her baby. If you are so inclined, please offer support on her blog.

A non flood related post

Our family is safe. We are not at risk for flooding. We are as far away from the river as you could be living in Moorhead.
That said, we are dealing with our own issues at casa de Stafford.

1. The kids are bored. You can only be inside for so long. It's not been warm enough to play outside so they are getting stir crazy. Everything is closed. Even the library which would be a perfectly decent place to take the kids is, you guessed it, closed.
2. Kate is sick. I finally brought her in today for a strep test. It came back negative, but she feels very miserable and has a high fever. Poor kid.
3. Brady is no longer a good sleeper at night. I am ready to scream. He wakes up at least twice a night these days, and the only thing that will appease him is moi. As in my milk. As in only this one person and this one body can make it better. He gets very upset when I put him back to bed. It's taking more and more trips to his room at night to get him to sleep.
He is becoming more averse to his crib. I am not sure what to do at this point. All I know is that I am tired.
4. We miss Thad. He is working many hours these days. In typical child fashion, they are taking everything out on me. I am the bad parent, I am the mean mom, and I am the bad guy. I love how they blame everything on the present parent. Sheesh.
5. We have no school all week. I was prepared to hop a flight to AZ to be with my friend's family, but ultimately I didn't feel confident that I could do it alone with two hands, four kids, and one who relies solely on me for everything.

So here we are, grateful for good health (mostly), a safe home (that is becoming a disaster), and close-by loved ones (except for daddy), and the ability to complain about things in life that really don't matter. Thanks for letting me vent!

I'm officially scared

Thad came home tonight looking rather grim. My husband is not one of those types of people by nature. He told me that we (I) need to have an evacuation plan. If the river rises as much as they say it will, we could likely lose power. That puts us in a situation where we just can't stay here. As in we would have to leave Moorhead.
We do not have a lake home to go to.
We do not have family near by.
We do not really have anyone that has room for the five of us. (Of course Thad can't leave to be with us.)
If I were to go to a hotel, how can I do it all?
I know I am not losing my home to a flood.
I know that my family is healthy.
I have so much to be grateful for.
But, damn I am getting frightened. The only roads open to leave Moorhead are Hwy 10 or I94.
Please, if you are so inclined, say a prayer. Say it for people fighting for their homes, their pets, their lives.

This Flood

This flood is a pretty darn big deal. Yesterday I had a lot of students in class, because so many hadn't heard that they would be excused to sandbag. Today a very small number are here. Those who are are doing nothing. I am also watching some other classes so people can sandbag. I feel so guilty that I can't go help. I want to. I did it in 1997.  The work, camaraderie, and feeling of being of help was fulfilling to me.  With Thad on 12 hour shifts through the weekend, however, I am unable to assist. 

What I want to do is help somehow. If any of you know of people who need food brought to them, please let me know. 

Again?

Ah the joys of technology. I think I have it figured out. I don't have time tonight, but I will need to post another picture tomorrow. It's a great organizing one, so I have to show it! But, isn't it great??????????? I love, love, love it! The kids and I have been great about keeping up our share of the work. It really doesn't take long to get things in a healthy habit. I am so excited. Again, I will say thank you to Amy and Melissa!

Due to the impending flood, Thad is working 12 hour shifts this week and is back on patrol. He isn't patrolling per se, but he is needed within the city, not doing investigative work. All this week, it will be the kids and me. We will have lots of time to bond, bicker, snuggle, heck, you name it.

The rain is pouring down again. I pray that things go well for the residents up and down the valley.

If you have the time and are inclined to offer support or prayer, McMama can use your prayers.
Her baby Stellan is not doing well. My heart breaks at the thought of anyone going through this.

The new look!

I have tried entering this several times today unsuccessfully. Tonight I retook pictures & IT STILL WOULDN'T WORK. GRRR. I am so excited to have a house that feels more homey. Thank you to my two guardian angels Melissa & Amy for their tips, purchases, and redecorating. They have some big plans for their future, and when I am able to share I will.
For now, I am going to enjoy these changes.......
On another note, the flood is looming in Fargo-Moorhead. Because of the ice show this weekend and Thad being on-call, we weren't able to assist anyone. For the sake of the many families in need of sandbagging, I hope that many of my students get excused to take care of business for our residents.
Coming up tomorrow: Kate's & the ice show. Well, if it works.