A Typical Day…at Our House

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28.1.11

A Typical Day…at Our House

Last weekend, when I spent some time with my mom in Dallas, we were trying to analyze why I don’t seem to have a lot of spare time. To tell you the truth, I couldn’t really pin point what I do all day besides clean up kitchen messes and straighten up ..and pay bills..and teach school..and blog of course (in my spare time whatever THAT is).

This morning I got up unusually early at 6:00 am…but I don’t know why.  I guess I had a little too much hot tea the night before. I finished my post about the aprons that Rebekah and I had made the day before, got ready for the day, and Jacob and I headed out to the college in the rental car I’m driving while my Neon’s bumper is being replaced.  It was a really gorgeous day..crisp..clear..and cold.

Poor Jacob was pretty anxious because we didn’t get out the door quite as fast as we needed too. I’m driving the SPEED LIMIT..because I’ve had TWO warnings in one week. Add two fender benders in TWO weeks (I wasn’t involved either time)..and I’m like a cat in a room full of rockers. So late or not..I’m taking it easy. :o) 7:56 a.m. I dropped Jacob off for his Biology class and lab at the gorgeous new college campus that has been built only 15 minutes from our house. He had good reason to worry. The professor locks the door for safety reasons at 8:00am on the dot.  I’ll be so glad when Jacob gets his license!

hem pants

I realized, about half way to the college, that I had left the suit bag that my son, Andrew wanted to borrow to use on his trip to his interview in Oregon,  in the truck back home. Rebekah was supposed to drop it off the day before while in the neighborhood but forgot. So after dropping Jacob off, I drove back home, grabbed the bag, and headed back to Magnolia still trying to be VERY careful about my speed. :o)

Why all the way back to Magnolia (45 min. drive) ? To alter those suit pants I mentioned earlier this week, of course. Andrew had to buy a new suit for the interview but he couldn’t find pants that really fit. It costs a LOT to get suit pants altered. I think that’s silly. It took me 30 minutes to do a perfectly decent job.  Thank goodness, I had already altered some men’s dress slacks for someone at church, so I had some previous experience. It is quite a job to understand how to change the seat area of a pair of pants.  He was leaving in just a few hours for the airport, so it was today..or never.


lena in tub

I didn’t get to start sewing right away though, because my granddaughter was sick when I arrived at 9:00am. Andrew was on the phone with the pediatrician trying to figure out if Lena was reacting to the sudden lack of steroids she had been taking for pneumonia or was it a bug (Mom confirmed that the other kids at nursery had the bug too so it was probably a bug.). I went to get Lena, the 2 yr.old who had been sick all night.  We gave her a bath as she was still a little messy from the night’s mishaps. Andrew, Mr. Casual Mom, said, “You can sew now Mom—just leave her in the tub. She loves playing in there.” Ok..I’ve never done that myself, but I’ll try it. Next thing I know, she’s frantic. We had a little ‘accident’ in the tub. 

Andrew was still on the phone with the pediatrician and Ebeth, so I got her all cleaned up (Ebeth was at her morning college class), cleaned out the tub as best I could, and got Lena dressed. She was asking for food, so I tried a little apple sauce.  She didn’t want me to put her down..because she was feeling so sick. So I left the sewing machine, and held her for awhile.  She threw up on me, poor thing, but I was prepared with a large towel and a small bowl.  ( I had a feeling that applesauce wasn’t going to last too long!)  Andrew got her set up watching a Veggie Tales movie. She NEVER gets to watch movies and she was just mesmerized! She’s such a cutie!

Andrew and augy

That freed me up to sew Andrew’s pants…  It was a little embarrassing..even if I AM ‘Mom”. But he was pretty stoic..we had to get those pants pinned one way or another. I guess if it has to be anybody, it might as well be Mom as some stranger. Ha! Eventually,  I had to leave Andrew with the babies, because Jacob would be out of class at 10:50. I felt so bad leaving him with all of this, but he seemed quite content and confident. Amazingly..our kids really do grow up someday!

Off I went to get son #4 leaving son #2 very grateful for his altered suit pants. I had forgotten my cell phone, so I parked and went to wait for Jacob in the atrium seating area. When he came down the stairs, he hooked my arm with a grin and said, “Hello Mom! What’s up?? “  He gave me a big hug as we walked out the door of the college to the car. Of course, he wanted to drive me, but I wasn’t sure that was ‘kosher ‘with the rental car, so I didn’t let him that time.

We got home as quick as we could, had a long discussion with Dad about some family issues..which I won’t go into –Ha! Then I gave Jacob his promised hair cut which was very important for a debate tournament. He was getting ready to leave for Dallas at 4pm with another Mom and her daughter and it was now 1:30pm. I tried getting back to school work with Christian but Jacob got a call from the recruiter saying..”Where was the finished application for the Texas Army National Guard?    This online form is MILES long! My grammar lesson with Christian was constantly being interrupted with, “When did I start high school? Where did we live in 1994? Have I ever been x-rayed..(yes)..who was my doctor?” Where have we lived for the last 15 years… (Shall I start counting?) OMGoodness!! I thought I was going to lose my mind!

Jacob on computer


Here he is trying to get ready for a weekend debate trip, and he hadn’t finished this meticulous application. So the questions begin.. “Are we closely related to any foreign nationals? Yes, my daughter-in-law, Elisabeth from Germany. Have we left the country? Yes, Germany. What dates?” You should have seen me scrambling for ticket stubs from our Germany trip, test papers and transcripts, old addresses. Jacob had to call just about everyone we knew trying to get addresses, references, and dates.  But I’ve been through this before..with Matthew. It’s all about security. I don’t think we need ever worry about our nation’s security at least as far as military servicemen are concerned. They literally leave no stone unturned!


Christian with microscope


All afternoon, Christian, my 16 yr.old, was peppering me with a whole different set of questions…” Mom--how do you spell inordinate?  Mom can you come see this Daphne—It’s eating the rotifers..Eeew! Yuck! Hey mom, I think we need to feed the rotifers and bacteria in my fish tank. They’re eating each other all up. I’m going to lose the whole colony! (There are no living fish in it at the moment, so Christian is growing bacteria instead.) I’m not kidding--For real. I suggested pond fish food..so he ran off and happily ‘fed’ the bacteria. He’s also growing mold on cheese on a plate in his room. I’ve offered several pieces of molding cheese from the fridge, but he keeps rejecting them. He wants to grow his mold HIMSELF.  I’m convinced that all school labs need a fridge. It’s the absolute perfect environment for growing mold!

At 5:00 pm, Jacob finally has to leave with Tim who is on the A/C committee (financial church committee) and meets at 6:00pm before the once a month men’s meeting  which starts at 7:00pm  in Magnolia. Between Jacob, Tim, and my friend Peggy, we get a coordinated meeting time and place I45 about 40 minutes away and finally two more family members are out the door. 


rebekah in car

In the midst of all the chaos, I couldn’t help thinking about my daughter and what she was doing at that moment. Rebekah was at my friend, Laurie’s lovely home, having ‘tea’ and planning a flower garden. Sigh.. She would be spending the night at Laurie’s and then go straight to work as a hostess at Chili’s the next day. It’s only five minutes from Laurie’s house. Tea…gardening..sounds so lovely right about now…
Suddenly, the quiet sets in. It’s 5 pm. Tim and Jacob ate snacks before they left, but I need to have dinner ready when Tim get’s home which will be late. So I start beef stew…but I have no interest in eating. Whatever in the world is wrong with me? I assure you this is NOT normal! We do some chores and get things tidied up. I never really got ANYTHING on my to do list done today, except the haircut and the pants mended.
  
Then I start feeling really cold. This doesn’t make sense. I’m pretty certain that I’m pre-menopausal..so all I EVER feel is HOT. I’m hot natured in the first place and 72 is almost always too warm for me. We keep the temp at 72 in the winter. Our house is poorly insulated, so if we turn it any higher..we pay through the nose! I turn it up to 74…and still shiver.  I feel so blahh…   Christian is quietly playing a computer game. I go ahead and finish tomorrow’s post, way early…just because I don’t feel in the mood to do anything else. Which is so strange…I smile even though I’m so tired because the comments were so sweet. :O)

percy on couch

By 7:00pm my energy level gets even worse. Usually I’m getting things done right  up until 10pm when I either watch a movie with family or write a post. Now, I try to watch a movie with Christian just because I don’t seem to have the ummph to do anything else...  Castaway--Wow—this is NOT what I want to see…cold..miserable…stressful..then hot. I can’t even relate to the hot part. LOL! I put on slippers, and socks, and a warm long-sleeved shirt and wrap up in two quilts on the couch. Oh..gee..I finally get it…I’m sick and have a fever….and then those familiar cramps start up.

I’m supposed to babysit the grandkids the next two days in the morning..but I think I’ve caught that flu bug from them. I call Ebeth about 9:30pm and tell her the bad news. She’s very sweet and encouraging. Calling her early gave her time to find a substitute. And then I conk over on the couch and just lay there. Dear Christian, who has a heart of gold, brings me more blankets, EmergenC drinks, aspirin, etc. He has such a servant’s heart. There is no chore or task he will not cheerfully do. He takes care of me for the rest of the evening. Good boy!

By the time Tim get’s home at 10:00pm, I’m feeling a little better due to the medications kicking in and we all snuggle on the couch and watch half of “It’s a Wonderful Life” together. Percy is laying in my lap keeping me warm and enjoying the rare privilege of being on the couch (on a blanket) because he’s normally banned from  it. Finally..I go to bed, because I’ve had it—we’ll have to finish this movie tomorrow.  It’s so funny and heart-warming, that I go to bed dreaming sweet dreams.  Tomorrow, now, that's another story! I KNOW I have the stomach flu..so I guess I’ll be on the couch all day…still…

It really is a wonderful life…

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14 comments

Anonymous said...

You are blessed to have duties that are really not duties...but blessings instead!

The time that you do have is for your family. They need you and you need them. I love to feel needed. I love doing things for my "men" and my little girl. Others get quite a bit of me also :)

But truly, the joy that I get is double fold. I don't consider my time to be for me...it is really for everyone else - and that in itself fills me with joy!

Rejoice in your life dear friend...you are truly blessed! :)

Maria.

Unknown said...

I'm sorry you were sick Donna. This bug seems to have hit every family in the church by now. Yuck! Hope everyone is feeling better soon!!

GlorV1 said...

Oh my goodness Donna. What a hectic schedule you have but how lucky your family is to have someone like you who is always there for them. Donna, Donna, Donna, you are definitely an ANGEL. I do applaud you. Oh my goodness, I got so tired reading this post, I think I'm going to go lay down on the couch with a blanket and my family pet member who is actually still asleep on my bed under her own blanket. ;DDDD take care and hope you feel better.

Grace on the Narrow Path said...

Oh my goodness I am voting for you for "Mom of the Year"!!! LOL
Do you ever stop?
Get better my friend.
Blessings,
Bren

Donna said...

I do love helping my chicks..whether they are still in the nest or not. Starting to feel truly better tonight. Just a teensy bit queasy. :o) I'll hit the ground running tomorrow, I'm sure!

Thanks for the well wishes. :o)

xo
Donna

nanasknoll said...

praying you feel better soon.
We will wait on your chatting with us when you are feeling better.
Take care of yourself.

nanasknoll said...

I remember days like that over and over it seems.
It was hard when the nest was empty and I was not use to so much free time.
After awhile I adjusted and now I actually like my slower pace and time for myself.
For everything there is a season.
The Lord is Good.

Donna said...

Nana...I am beginning...just barely... to see that empty nest over the horizon. We are having whole days or half days where everyone but Tim, my son,Christian and I are home. It's making him as nervous as us. It's so quiiiet!

When it gets real quiet...I almost feel lost. I used to get stressed over all the needs, but then I learned to be more flexible and just 'go with the flow' and do my To Do list when there was some time. It isn't that hard to do. But when the kids are gone...I'm afraid it won't be as easy to adjust as I thought.

I told Tim we will just always have to have a parakeet so I can hear some noise in the house. :o) I always thought I'd have no trouble adjusting because I love doing so many things. But really...things are not people. For a type A like me, it's quite a testimony that I finally embraced the people side of life over the project side. :o)

I'm counting and enjoying every moment. I could care less if the TO DO list ever gets done. :O) I'll keep up with the basics and work at my 'back log'...but the family comes first. There will be PLENTY of time for the rest...one of these days. :o)

Thanks for reminding me.

Gloria, Maria, and Christi, Grace, Thanks so much for your good wishes and sweet comments. But of course, you know there are a million moms out there just like me. It's just our 'season of life'. If you have a big family..well...it just builds over time. All of us moms, regardless of family size,...are heroes...if we give our children our best. :o)

xo
Donna

Kim Hanauer said...

Hi Donna!
I`m your teacup partner and so looking forward to swapping with you! I am in Gatlinburg traveling and finding a computer has been challenging! I love tea and sipping it from lovely teacups. I`m finding so many lovelies here and I hope you like the package I`m sending. I`ll be shipping yours Monday.
Loving your blog....
Blessings new Teacup friend~
Kim :0)
xxoo

Kerrie said...

You poor little Mama! Take care of yourself and chill for awhile! I remember so well when all the kids were in the house and so much to do! And Mama's don't really get a chance to recuperate as there is always too much to do. I remember having flu one Christmas when the children were small and I was teaching part time at the elementary school to boot! I got out of bed for the family picture by the tree and then went back and collapsed in bed-LOL! Will pray for you to get better ASAP!

Caroline said...

Glad you are feeling better. Our bug didn't involve tummy issues but the fatigue is just lasting and lasting...

I suppose you can't do a post on altering pants, hmmm? I guess the photos you would use wouldn't really be appropriate to share.

Hope you feel well enough soon so that your busy days are once again a joy!!

Breathing In Grace said...

So sorry you've been sick, Ms. Donna....what a life!!! Do you meet yourself sometimes?!? :) I know you wouldn't have your life any other way, though!!! You're so blessed!!!

Donna said...

I need to do a post about altering pants but I'll have to find a willing model. The pinning is the awkward part. I REALLY am dying to do a post on that.

Ah..my hubby will let me do this. He's so sweet. I'll have to promise him not to mention who the 'model' is. :o)

I've gotten so good at altering dresses, skirts and pants. I really need to do this soon. :o)

Thanks for reminding me Caroline.

Ky said...

Wow you are a busy little bee. No wonder you came down with the stomach flu. You're poor little body is exhausted! I'm exhausted just reading this post. The things mums do for their kids.
WE ARE AWESOME!
I really hope you are feeling better today Donna. I really hope you get to do something fun for yourself today too. Even if it is just sitting quietly while having a cuppa and reading something.

“There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.” ~ Margaret Sangster

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