Fruits of my labor

After laying in bed last night thinking about all I wanted to do this weekend, I decided the girls' closet was one thing I wanted to tackle.

Here it is before:It was a total disaster: clothes that no longer fit, TONS of hangers, random things that really belonged somewhere else, and a whole bunch of stuff that is now in the trash!

So, after some re-organization, here's what it looks like:
But then I still thought it would be nice to have some sort of a "door" or way to close off the mess if we didn't feel like looking at it. So I went and bought a tension rod and a curtain panel to kind of finish it off.I'm not 100% sure I like it... I may go and get another panel and some cute tie-backs to dress it up a little, but at least I feel like I made a little progress.

Aaaaaah it feels so good to be able to get some things done!!

Insomnia

I can't sleep.
I can't sleep because I don't want to waste a single minute of this weekend!

See, Ryan took the 3 older kids up north to see Grandma and Grandpa "Shipoke" this weekend, leaving me here with only Ben. Only 1 child!!! Do you know what this means? It means that the toys I put away after the kids left today will actually stay put away. The floors that I plan on sweeping and mopping tomorrow will not be littered with little people footprints 5 minutes later! I don't even have to cook if I don't want to! I won't need to refill sippy cups, referee an argument or remind kids to flush the toilet and wash hands ALL. WEEKEND. LONG.

Now, I suppose I am sounding like a mother who doesn't enjoy her job, but that is not the case at all. I am just reveling in the uncommon feeling of "ME-ness". What do I want to do with my time? How would I like to fill my day? To be honest, it's almost overwhelming. I feel almost schizophrenic in the possibilities... should I get some good cleaning done? Some weeding and yard work caught up? Or would I rather drink coffee on the porch and read a book while Ben naps? What about the scrapbook I meant to start but never did? (Or maybe tackle the closets I mentioned a few posts back! Ha ha!) I just can't stay focused on one thing at a time because I'm already thinking about what else I'd like to do.

The funny thing is, is that no matter how much I enjoy myself this weekend, I am absolutely positive that come Sunday night, I will be aching for my crew to come home. I know I will be waiting anxiously in the living room looking out at each passing car hoping it's them. And as they bound into the house with their muddy shoes and backpacks full of "stuff" to be put away and clothes to be laundered, I will be so thankful to have all of it back. All of THEM back.

Prayer Time

Our prayer time before meals is getting longer, and longer and longer...

Now that we have 3 children that can talk well and can understand what it is to pray for someone, our prayers are getting quite lengthy. It starts out innocently enough: In the name of the Father.... but wait, we went too fast for Emily!!! So we start over again.... V-E-R-Y slowly so everyone can keep up.

Bless us, Oh Lord and these Thy gifts... "Pray Aimee!!!!" Mason shouts.
"Yes honey, we can pray for Aimee in a minute."

Which we are about to receive... "I'm going to pray for you Mommy!" Emily wants us to know.
"Thank you Emily. Just a minute."

From Thy bounty... "But I was going to pray for you Mommy!" Sam cries.
"You can pray for me too Samantha. Hold on."

Through Christ our Lord, Amen. Whew! We made it!
"OK, everybody, now who would like to say something?"

"Pray Aimee!" "Bless Mommy..." "No, Emily, I was going to say that!"
"One at a time guys."

And so they go around one at a time praying for friends, family, pets, and sometimes even their blankets. Sometimes they start out saying they are going to pray for one person and then midway through, decide that that person doesn't need their prayers and they start all over praying for someone else. I get prayed for alot... haven't quite figured out if it's because they love me that much, or if they seriously can see how many prayers I need!

They may start out praying that their friend will stay safe and it turns into an entire story about how they hope God will let their friend go camping and have a campfire with s'mores and maybe they can even build sandcastles on the beach after they go swimming with their new swimsuit on.

So we sit and let them pray while our food gets cold and congeals on our plates. I think once Ben can talk, we might even have to start prayer time BEFORE dinner is even ready!

But that's OK. I don't imagine God is tapping the toe of His foot waiting for it to be over. I imagine Him looking down on our little family gently nodding His head thinking "It is good." :)

Case in Point

Tonight Ryan and I were talking about our lives and about how stressed out we are. We were discussing the stresses of our jobs and then the stresses of home life and how we just can't keep up lately. Let me give you a rundown of some of the "projects" we have going on around here:

1. We have a hole in the bathroom wall from repairing leaky plumbing behind the tub.

2. There is a hole in the ceiling in the downstairs bathroom due to water damage from the leaky plumbing behind the tub.

3. The drain in the tub that belongs to the leaky plumbing behind the tub simultaneously refuses to hold water OR let water drain out. So there's always just this annoying inch or two of water in the tub while you're trying to shower -- unless you've mastered the "stand-on-one-leg-like-a-flamingo" maneuver in which one foot is used to hold the lever down that lets the water drain. Conversely, if you would actually like to have water in the tub, you have to stuff a wash cloth into the drain to keep the water in, or it is a slow leak and the kids are soon sitting in a tub of bath toys and no water. This is fun stuff.

4. We have a dug up, muddy rectangle next to our garage that was meant to be a vegetable garden this year, but has quickly turned into a "weed garden" because we simply never had time to plant anything. However, the kids do find it amusing to go dig in this dirt from time to time, so I suppose there is some positive to this.

5. Next, let's talk closets, shall we? The boys' room closet is used to store my wedding dress that has never been dry cleaned and still sports a fine black ring around the bottom signifying the great time I had out on the dance floor that night, along with a multitude of bridesmaids dresses. It also holds a few dozen blankets we've acquired over the years that never seem to emerge from the closet. However, if on some blustery winter night our furnace goes out, I've got us covered!!

The girls' closet is full of books, dolls, barbies, jewelry boxes, and oh yes, a few dresses that do actually still fit.

Anyways, Ryan and I were discussing all we have to do and commiserating with each other on how "we will get through this together" and "one thing at a time honey" when from the kitchen we hear "Mom!!!!!! Come quick! Mason made a mess!!!!!"

Apparently the cute little munchkin pumpkin honey bunch was thirsty and had attempted to pour himself a glass of milk. However, Samantha said he had filled the glass too full and was trying to thoughtfully put the milk back in to the jug as opposed to taking too much and then wasting it of course. Long story short, there was nice soggy puddle on the kitchen carpeting for me to clean up.

Case in point. And who says you shouldn't cry over spilled milk?

Getting Some Air

So, for those of you who are not on Facebook, I wanted to make sure I shared this with you too because I think it's worth at least a giggle or two.

First, let's note that it is HOT here today... the kind of hot where just sitting still in my house was making me sweat.

Enter the box fan. We positioned it at the entry way to the living room to try and draft some of the cool air from the air conditioner into the room.

So, I was temporarily out of the room and when I walked back in, I saw Mason -- butt naked -- bending over with his little rear end pressed up against the fan.

I guess he was a little hot too.

Cleaning Day

So, Thursday. Technically my "cleaning day". Otherwise known as my own personal mission to see if I can get the vacuuming in before too many toys hit the floor. I've been known to leave the kids stranded in the kitchen with their cereal bowls while I make a mad dash for the carpets. I realize that may sound completely OCD to some of you, but seriously, it makes my life so much easier not to have to vacuum around cows, babies, balls and blocks.

Today, the cleaning got me thinking: Why is it when you want your children to help you clean up (ie. pick up their toys) they will grumble incessantly, but when you DON'T necessarily need their help (ie. scouring the toilet) they insist that they really need to help? I mean really. Can it be any more fun to try and clean a small area like the bathroom with little people constantly under foot? And by the time the kids are truly old enough to do any good, I am 100% positive that their desire to help will be a thing of the past.

Although I do have to say that Ryan and I have mastered the art of "Help Enlistment Tactics", otherwise known as HET (pronounced heat). Here's how it works:

Without applying HET:
M&D: Kids, can you please pick up your toys and bring your shoes into your room?
KIDS: (in unison) I don't want to. But I'm tired. I didn't make that mess. (my personal favorite)

With HET applied:
M&D: Who wants to pick up these toys and put the shoes away?
KIDS: (in unison) ME!!!!!!!!!!

Our kids are still young enough to think that if we start a sentence with "Who wants to" that it's definitely something they want to be a part of. Who wants to help mommy fold laundry? ME!!!! Who wants to pull weeds? ME!!!!!!! Who wants to give mommy a back rub? ME!!!!!!!!!!!

Admittedly, HET does have its drawbacks. Sometimes there just isn't enough "work" to do to make sure everyone gets a "turn". If one child gets to pick up daddy's dirty socks, there had better be a dirty shirt and a dirty pair of shorts to go with them! But in a house of 6 people, there generally is not a shortage of work to be done if one thinks long enough.

I'm just wondering how long we have until the kids can't take the HET?

The Blue Folder

Do you know that I have an entire folder dedicated to filing articles about activities, games and crafts for the kids and I to do together? I have this strange obsession with clipping articles from magazines entitled "5 Ways To Reuse This Magazine", "Moms Bag of Tricks", "Keep 'em Busy Fun!".

And do you know that I have never once successfully used any of these articles? I rip it out, file it neatly into my little blue folder and then tuck it back into my nightstand, positive that the next time the kids and I have a free moment, I will remember the really great windsock you can make with a toilet paper roll.

Now, in my defense, I have tried a few times to actually do some of these crafts. But each one always requires one essential craft supply that I just don't have on hand. Toilet paper tube: check. Glue: check. Twenty 10" strips of 1/4" ribbon. Doh!

I mean, who has this stuff on hand? Is there some basic Mom Rule that I am missing about keeping styrofoam balls and rick-rack on hand? (Gee, now that I think about it, my mom always did have those things in her sewing kit.....)

Each time I haul out the blue folder, I can see the girls' eyes widen with excitement. "It's the blue folder! The fun blue folder!" their expressions clearly say. But then when I lamely have to explain that "Mommy doesn't have googly eyes for the Pine Cone Critters" I just know that settling for making cut-out butterflies out of paper plates doesn't quite compare.

So, tonight as I head to bed, I will surely glance at the little blue folder and once again promise myself that "I am going to purchase some staple craft supplies next time I am at the store, for crying out loud!" But as for tomorrow, the kids and I will be at the table, still trying to think of something fun to do with all the popsicle sticks we've been saving.

Into the Mind of Mason

Lately, Mason has taken quite an interest in using the potty. Of course we are exploiting that to its fullest value! But, most recently, he has figured out how to exploit us right back!!

We give Mason a treat if he actually goes on the potty. He can't just sit, he has to actually go. Well, the little stinker has figured out that he gets more treats if he only goes a little bit at a time -- multiple times -- as opposed to letting it all out at once. So, he'll sit down and go, exclaim "Canny!!!", eat the Tootsie Roll, and no sooner than he's done chewing will he announce "Potty! 'gain!" And so it goes until his bladder is completely empty.

Right now, I'm indulging in his little game and letting him think I don't know what's going on, but I'm "so" on to him. I'm just taking a little time to strategically plan my next move. :)

I have to be on my "A-Game" all the time with this one. The other day, I noticed he had blue dots all over his leg from a marker. Knowing full well he put them there himself, I said "Oh-oh, who colored on your leg?" He rolled his eyes and said "Emmy." So, I call Emily into the room and giving Emily a wink I say, "Mason, who colored on your leg?" He pauses and says "Sammy." So, I proceed to call Samantha in to the room. I ask Mason again, "Who colored on your leg?" At this point, I expect him to say "Ben" and know that if he does, I won't be able to keep from laughing. But Mason is one step ahead of me again and he knows that Ben isn't big enough to commit this offense, so he sighs, looks at me with those big blue eyes, shrugs and says "I don't know Mama."

Although hours later, when I scrubbed at those little blue dots, he looked at me again with those big blue eyes and said "Sorry Mama."

4th of July

So, despite the rough start, we actually ended up having quite a fun weekend. On Friday night, we were originally going to go to the Appleton fireworks, but because of Sam's surgery, Daddy went and bought some fireworks for us to do in the yard. We got everyone in their jammies and headed outside with the necessities: blankies, stuffed animals and a snack. Mason was a little "scaywed" at first, but he eventually warmed up. Even Ben stayed awake to enjoy the show.


Then on Saturday, after a day of yardwork, we asked the kids if they would rather go see fireworks or have a campfire in the back yard. They chose to have a campfire and s'mores! As you can see, Mason really liked them!

And although Samantha wasn't able to have a s'more, she did get her share of roasted marshmallows! :)

Samantha's Ordeal

Well, we've had quite the week. Samantha was having some trouble with healing from her adenoidectomy/tonsillectomy and it finally came to a head on Thursday night.

She was having her 3rd bleeding episode and this time we just couldn't get it to stop. So we called the Dr. and he said that he would meet us at the ER. I think by this time it was 8:oo at night and Ryan, Samantha, Ben and I all head to the hospital. (Mason and Emily stayed with Grandma and Grandpa.)

Once in the ER, he took a look at it and said aloud what Ryan and I suspected: she would have to go back under and get re-cauterized. This is what we were trying so hard to avoid, but despite our best efforts, we just couldn't prevent it. Samantha was so scared, but was trying really hard to put on a brave face. She didn't ask alot of questions -- which is rare -- but I think it was because she didn't really want to know. As if we didn't talk about it out loud, it really wouldn't happen.

At first, they wanted to get her IV started in the ER. I quickly put a stop to that. Surprise, surprise, but she doesn't respond well to a strange man grabbing her tiny little arm, holding it out straight and probing for a vein with a needle in his other hand. So, they agreed to bring her right up to the OR and we would put it in up there. She got to take a ride in the wheelchair up to the surgical floor and I tried to ease her fears by driving the wheel chair myself and threatening to pull a Mario Andretti on her. I don't think she laughed once.

We got up to the surgical floor and had to wait for the on-call anesthesiologist to arrive. After she arrived, we talked about the possibility of getting the IV put in after Samantha was "put out" with some laughing gas first. Because Samantha had eaten within the last 6 hours, this was not an option. Samantha would have to be awake for the IV. Ryan and I knew this was not going to be easy for her, so we talked about the possibility of giving her some "happy juice" like she had received on the day of the original surgery to help relax her. The anesthesiologist said that would be fine and Samantha said she would drink it.

But when push came to shove, Samantha wouldn't drink it. And the more we pushed, the more she resisted. I don't blame her. Looking back on it now, she had a doctor, 3 nurses, a mom and a dad all hovering around her, talking to her at once, trying to get her to drink a cup of stuff that tasted horrible. Add in her fears about what was going to happen and there was just no way this kid was going to drink it. So, as Samantha sits on my lap crying, I hear the anesthesiologist say "It's time. We can go without it."

And so begins the most difficult thing I have yet to endure as far as parenting goes. Here I have my little girl on my lap, who is so, so scared and I have 2 nurses pulling her off of my lap while I feel her little arms gripping me around my neck. I see her face crumble as she starts yelling "Mommy! Mommy! I want you Mommy!" as she is wrenched from her arms. I remember saying "You guys are going to make her bleed!" and then of course the vomiting starts. When Samantha gets very upset, she throws up. And so this, along with blood in the stomach do not make for a pretty scene. I will spare the gruesome details, but let's just say they were going to need a janitor to come in and clean up the mess.

I suddenly know that I can't "stay strong" any longer and rush into a corner with my back to Samantha and burst into tears. What's done is done and the quicker they get this over with, the better. Except that I realize I am holding her little blankie. The one thing that when she scrapes her knee can comfort her and dry her tears. She needs her blankie!!!! I whip around and reach out to give her her blankie at the same exact time she vomits blood again and I see the blanket go red. Her mouth is full of blood and all I can do is cry and whisper "She's bleeding." They take her out and I fall into Ryan's arms and cry.

During all of this, Ben has been content to sit in his car seat and sleep... thank you God!!! But now that Samantha is gone, Ben starts to cry. He is hungry. So, I nurse my little baby and as I feed him, I pray that my baby girl is being strong. I knew she had to face getting the IV all alone.

The whole procedure only took about 30 minutes and soon they were telling us we could go up to her room on the pediatric floor. We were talking to the nurse about how to get up there when I see them rolling Samantha into the recovery room and she's moaning and crying saying "Where's Mama?" I know she's still a little out of it from the aneshesia, but I couldn't help still wanting to rush to her side and comfort her. But that would have to wait. Ryan and I went up to her room and waited for about another half hour before they bring her into her room. She's fully awake and I hear her ask for me again. "I'm right here sweetie" I say.

The nurses get her situated, check her vitals, and then leave the room. In the darkened room, there is the steady churning of the IV machine and I lean over my little peanut. She opens her eyes, looks right at me and says "I'm sorry for making you cry mama."

Ugh. My heart just broke for her. I literally felt my heart just ache. Here she is apologizing to ME when I feel like I wanted to apologize to her that I couldn't somehow save her from everything she just had to go through. We cried together and I held her little hand.

It was a long night, but she did really well when all was said and done. We're back to square one in terms of the abstaining from regular food and any activity so that will be the hard part now. The doctor said it is extremely rare for anyone to have to come back a second time for re-cauterization so we're feeling very optimistic. The weekend will be a calm one, full of -- hopefully -- lots of rest for all of us. I think we are all pretty beat.

Worthwhile moments

So, it's day one and we already have "material" for the blog!

The afternoon ended in quite a flurry of activity again today. We had just gotten home, Ben was crying in his car seat, Mason was "hungeeeeeee" and Samantha was complaining that her tonsils were hurting. Upon further examination, yes indeedy, Sam was bleeding.... again. That poor kid! It's been 6 days since surgery and she's had 2 bleeding episodes since then. Thankfully, it stopped again on its own without a trip to the ER.

And my poor dad! I called him both times and made him come and sit with me while we got it under control. As a 31-year-old woman, it still feels good to have daddy come to the rescue! :)

Dinner time brought a welcome laugh to the household. Emily, Mason and I were sitting at the island eating and they each decided they needed to sit right next to me. Like RIGHT next to me. So "next to me" that each of them pushed their plates so they were touching MY plate and their stools were touching my stool. Every couple minutes, I'd feel a head (or 2) resting on my arm. Needless to say, I had no room to actually pick up my own fork and eat, but it sure felt good to be so loved.

And so in all the crying, craziness, yelling, and refereeing THOSE are the moments that make it all worthwhile.

Off we go!

OK, so I'm starting a blog!!

I'm not really sure what I am going to talk about or that I even have anything profound to say, but I like to write, I LOVE talking about my kids ;) and I thought it would be a great way to keep family and friends updated on the lives of the "Hansen Half Dozen."

Ha! That name for our family... Ryan thought of it and I thought it was quite clever. Not that I think we are all that interesting to warrant such a name and join the likes of "Jon & Kate Plus 8", or "Seating for 12", or "Octomom" for that matter. But, it's cute and clever, and it's a lot shorter to sign cards with this name rather than Ryan, Rachelle, Samantha, Emily, Mason and Benjamin. :)

Anyways, Ryan is always telling me I need a hobby, so I've decided this is going to be it! I figured it's as good as any, right? It's free. It's portable. And it will always be there for the next time I have time for it!

Most of it will probably be writing about the funny -- and maybe not so funny? -- things the kids do, but who knows what it will morph into. We'll see where the road leads.