Hangin' Them Up

I think it's time to hang up the ol' snow shovels. These babies are not going to let me shovel snow this year. I feel like such a wimp. I remember shoveling snow at 39 weeks with 5 of 5. No problem. I mean my back would hurt, but it hurt anyway. This time, there is a lot I haven't been able to do. I get really crampy after a few minutes of vigorous activity. I ran until I was 26 weeks with 6 of 6. This time, It was hard to run, before I even knew I was pregnant. This time really is different. It's hard. It's making me feel old. So, I guess I will just take it easy. If I am struggling at 17 weeks, I am a little nervous about 27 weeks. And what about my lawn. I enjoy mowing the lawn as much as I do shoveling snow. Seriously. It's therapy for me. I can tune out EVERY thing. It's my quiet time. And after I'm done, It actually stays done (the lawn) for a few days. Unlike house work, that stays done for about an hr. So, here's to an eternal 5 more months....
Keep your eye out for an update on my ultrasound on the 5th. I'm not sure if I am going to announce that day, I may wait until I announce to family. I want to do something big, and the next time we get together will be the 9th.

Is This Odd?

I got this letter yesterday from the older kids' school. It made me laught. It made Trent mad. Then I thought, is this wrong?

Dear parents,
Tomorrow, Dec. 21st our students will be watching "Santa Paws". The PTA would like enough parent volunteers to sit with the kids so the teachers can have that time to themselves. If you are able to donate your time please come. Check in at the office, you will sit and supervise a group of children in the gym.


Then they give the times for each movie.
Ok, so is this wrong. Is it me, or do already pay taxes, that pay your salary, and now you are asking me to come so you can have some time to yourself? maybe after I come and do your job, you can come to my house so I can have some time to myself. I haven;t had any of that in YEARS. Don't you have over an entire week, starting tomorrow, for time with out my kids, for yourself? Don't get me wrong, I love my kids teachers. For the most part, I have liked all of them. They do a good job. But this just rubbed me the wrong way. And Trent took it a little differently than I did. He would also LOVE some time to himself.
Here's my suggestion. Next time, ask for volunteers to come watch the movie with the kids so you can do something school related. That will go over better. Especially since it's during school hrs. And for the record, I don't agree with all the down time the kids have the week before any major holiday, and the month when the teachers are done at the end of the school year, where my kids do nothing.

Wait For It....

I am waiting. But I am not hearing encouraging news about it's arrival. You know, that 2nd trimester burst of energy. I am still completely exhausted. I would LOVE to start exercising again. But I refuse to. If I exert that much energy in the morning, there will be nothing left for the other things I need to do during the day. I can barely keep up on my laundry and floors as it is. Maybe it's because my 15 month old is so busy undoing, that sucks the life right out of me.
It has been another busy week. Trying to get quotes on our fence has been hard, there are no vinyl fence co. out there. I have literally called 5 different places, and still only have 1 quote. Our 2 sections of fence are going to cost over 700$.
Then we had the whole bus fiasco. Some ex employee stole a route list, and sent smut to the families on the list. Then I find out that her afternoon bus, has no aid on it anymore, and she is the last drop off. I was not happy about that. SO when I called the transportation department, the head of the department was less than nice about my request for an aid. Assuring me there are cameras on the buses, and the staff is thoroughly back ground checked. Um real reassuring, since the person who sent out the letters was an employee. Then come to find out, when the school district police came to pick up the letter, the cameras don't work most of the time. I did call the head of the special ed. department to request an aid on her bus, and she was very nice. Needless to say, I will be picking up 4 of 6 from school in the afternoon. Which I am so not excited about, since her school is not very close. And I have a bunch of kids to load and unload once I get there. During nap time.
And last, did I tell you Trent was released from the Bishopric? It was a welcome change. I LOVE change. I love new callings. He had a nice 2 week break, and has now been called as the Young Men's President. He is so excited. It really is right up his alley. All I ask, is that someone else go on the camp outs in May June and maybe July.

New

It has been an adventure of month. Well, season, all of fall, something was happening. It all started with the pneumonia that ran through our house. Then the news of babies, which we put our car up for sale upon hearing heart beats. Then the car sold, before we were ready, so we have been with out a family vehicle for about 10 days. It is amazingly hard to find a 12 passenger van. 15's are everywhere, 12, not so much. During this 10 days our furnace went out for 3. It would start up here and there, but during the day, when Trent was at work, nothing. On Thursday, he picked it apart and made it work, and so far we have had heat about 2 days. LOVE to be warm. Then we stumbled upon this. a 12 passenger. made an offer, it was accepted. And now it's ours. Although, I am amazed at how much it cost to register. Right in the middle of December.
But, we are finally feeling like our feet are on solid ground. Knock on wood.

Letter From the Teacher

This letter came from 4 of 6's teacher this morning. We have been having a conversation about her wearing socks. I told her I put sock on her, she just waits until no one is looking, and takes them off. She says:
___ is quite a character!
That makes me laugh that she will wait for just the right time and pull off her socks, What a stinker! I have had a lot of students with Down Syndrome and by far ____ has been the easiest and nicest!
You really have done well with her. She is a joy in class. As for socks, no worries I will make sure she has some on for recess!
Teacher

So I guess I need to add socks to the stash she already takes to school. And maybe I should clarify to her that 4 of 6's behavior has no bearing on me as a parent. You can raise 10 of them all the same, and some are polite, some are roudy, some confident some shy. They come with their personalities. We as parents still have the job of teaching them to be honest, and the difference between right and wrong. But their personality is already with them. And their ability to sit still and follow directions is just part of their personality.
It really is nice to hear that a teacher enjoys teaching your child. I had reservations at the beginning of the year, after meeting her, because her first question was "does she run'? after I told her she had Ds.
So far she has been having a great year.

The Weeks

Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike these weeks. You know starting around week 12, going to about 15. Those weeks where you don't feel pregnant, and you don't look pregnant. So you wonder, am I really pregnant? it was longer with 6 of 6, she had an anterior placenta, so it was like week 11-16. I wish I had one of those doppler thingys.
There is so much to do. We got our tree on Monday, and it sits in our living room undecorated, because there is no time. Tonight will be no different, we have pack meeting. And we have someone coming to test drive the van.
And a new discovery, We have a bi monthly Costco budget. We go get kids snacks, garbage bags soaps.... the things we buy in bulk anyway. We decided last night to take that budget and go to Winco. We were able to get all the things we usually do, aat Costco, and still bring home grocerys. So we have decided to give up the 50$ membership (it makes Trent mad that we have to pay someone for the privilege to shop at their store. And none of them are ever smiling and friendly. They're a bunch of snobs) and start shopping at Winco. Anyway, that's our life. Pretty boring, just the way I like it.
Oh and on a good note, the car that went through the fence, is insured. Hopefully they will put in a new fence.

Blame It On The Snow

There are things this week, that we can most definitely blame on the snow.
Take for instance, Trent being late to work for the first time, in 3 years.
The limbs from the trees making a mess all over the yard. The chickens not getting food until today because they got snowed in. Having to spend 2 hrs out in the drive way shoveling 15 inches of snow, so we could get the kids to school.
This, however, was not the snow.
Yes, that is a truck in my back yard. And not our truck. This was courtesy of the drunk 14 year old, that plowed through the neighbors fence 2 houses up, then drove into our yard taking out the fences and a trampoline on the way. We were woken up to typical Saturday night noises, but these were a lot closer. Trent got up to look out the window, and saw this. The kid was running around our back yard looking for something to wedge under the tires, to get some traction. (he ended up trying to put buckets under the tires, brilliant)Luckily he landed where we are putting our garden next year, so he wasn't tearing up our grass. And also, luckily, he didn't run into the house he is about 10 feet from. By the time we got out there he was back in the truck and trying to get out through the fence he is facing, back into the Smiths parking lot. He eventually gave up and ran. Our neighbors, who's fence he entered through, saw the whole thing and called the police,they took off after him and pointed him out to the cops, so he got caught and taken to juvey. But, not before a call to the mom. One of his friends, the one who's parents car he had stolen came meandering through our yard got picked up too, for intoxication. He had his mom called to come pick him up.
So far, it has been an exciting winter.