Synnove...Will You Be My Valentine?

As Adam and I helped Synnove get her Valentine's Day cards ready for her preschool party last week, Adam says something like..."some little boy is gonna save one of these little cards for a long time." And I said something like..."nah, I doubt it."

The next day, as all the parents were gathering their kids up to leave preschool, Joshua's mom (Heidi) asks if Synnove could stand by him for a picture. Then Heidi told me a little story about Josh and how he didn't want his mom or his grandma to be his Valentine...only, you guessed it, Synnove! Unbelievable! I guess little Joshua talks about Synnove quite often at home. *big sigh* Too cute.

The Day Just Didn't Start Off Right

Sickness is lurking in the house. Both the kids are stuffy and coughing and the bug has finally bitten me. I haven't been sleeping well since Adam left for Georgia on Saturday night, and I think my immune system has suffered. Anyway, I awoke, as usual, to the kids at 7 AM sharp begging for food. There is no food in the house. I have some cereal and milk, a half a loaf of bread, and a handful of past due clementines. I was feeling quite awful. I didn't fall asleep till around 3 AM, I had a splitting headache, my nose was stuffy, and my throat had a small fire in it. I gave the kids some cereal and headed back to bed.

I did not want to get out of bed. Synnove has had a ravenous appetite lately, and kept coming in to ask for more food. Usually, there is some granola bars or crackers or SOMEthing that the kids can get themselves to eat...but like I said before, the cupboards are empty. I allow her some fruit snacks. A bit later she comes in again begging for food. She eats what's left of the clementines. I'm tapped out. I need to make the trip to Longview to go to Winco, but the car is not sounding so good. I wish I had a better car...I'm really wishing that today. I'm wishing HARD. I'm wishing $10,000 will fall down from heaven. I wish I would have won that beautiful white Camry at the fair last year! *sigh*....I digress. By now it's 10:30 and I finally decide that I can no longer stay in my bed. I know...I'm a terrible and neglectful mother.

My head is aching pretty badly. I make some eggs so that I don't have to take medicine on an empty stomach. Synnove devours half of them and asks for more. It's almost lunch...she'll have to wait.

I head downstairs to get some clothes for Soren. I check out Synnove's room first...still a mess after her so-called cleaning yesterday. I hate a dirty room....but I guess the time is coming that I just have to let it go. It's her responsibility now. I can nit-pick till I'm hoarse, or I can accept that her version of clean is not mine. ANYway, back to Soren's room. I walk in to find the entire contents of his closet on the floor. In a somewhat ticked, yet exhausted voice, I ask Synnove..."what happened here?" Synnove replies, before even entering his room, "Soren did it." Oh really? Right. Anyway, I call down Soren who is 99% honest 99% of the time and ask him what happened. He says, "I didn't do it, Synnove did." Then, the blame game continues for a minute or two. I've caught Synnove lying quite a few times in the past several months, and it's so disappointing and frustrating. I'm trying not to sound too angry (not really working), and ask Synnove SEVERAL times not to lie to me and to tell me if she did it or not. She eventually says "Soren and I did it." Oh really? Right. Either way, Synnove lied, so she had to get punished. I won't go into detail...but disciplining Synnove always ends worse than it begins. And that is always more frustrating than the original offense.

I'm just too tired and in too much pain to try to get the kids to participate in cleaning up the mess, so I clean it up myself. Under the mountain of clothes I find one of Soren's favorite Christmas gifts crushed. That only adds to my building emotion. What next?

When the closet is finally clean, I calmly call the kids down to complete some simple clean-up tasks. I find that Soren has put on plastic underwear (he's been wearing them over a diaper at night lately) inside out (plastic side to the skin) under his pull-up. Uhh...ok? Goodness. So, I tell him to take them off and put only his pull-up on. This is something he is quite capable of doing, so I go into the other room to do a bit of clean-up. Not even a minute later, Soren comes up to me and says "I peed." I say "what do you mean, you peed?" He says, "I'm sorry mommy." I say, "what do you mean you peed??" He goes in and points to his closet. Let me just tell you that his closet doesn't go to the floor...the bottom of it hits my thigh...so it's kind of high up. ANYway, I say "you peed in your pants? or you peed somewhere else?" He says "I'm sorry." and points to the inside of the closet. There is pee all over the inside of his closet, on some of his clothes, and some of his stuffed animals. I cracked. I was done.

I could not help myself. Soren was covered in pee because his plastic pants were inside out, yet there was a huge puddle in the closet. How on earth did this happen? I angrily send him upstairs to the tub. I'm already frustrated with Soren, as he has been peeing his pants several times a day, every day for the last month. I'm wanting to scream. Instead, I sob. I sob hard.

When I'm done with my little breakdown, I decide to write a blog about it (this blog). The kids are upstairs watching a movie. I'm almost finished when I hear them venture downstairs. I go into the bathroom to see what they are doing. Soren is naked, and Synnove has no pants on. Both of them have just gone to the bathroom and I notice that the training potty is smeared with poop and they are attempting to wipe Soren's bum. POOP! Back to the tub they both went. While in the tub I notice that Synnove's leg has a bunch of black marks all over it. I ask her if it's marker. She says "no." I try to wipe it off thinking it's dirt, or heaven forbid, poop! It doesn't wipe off, and I say..."what is this?" Synnove replies sheepishly..."marker." Lie #2 for the day. My kids are on a roll.

The day has only just begun. It's Winco or bust....busted car, busted head, busted bottoms!! I'm praying it's not "bust."

5 Already??

I know it's a little late, but I've finally found some time to blog about Synnove's 5th birthday. Of course, she's been excited to turn 5 ever since she turned 4, and has been talking about her next birthday theme for an entire year. She's very much into Hello Kitty and all the Disney princesses (Snow White especially). We decided to use the birthday princess/fairy topper from my 5th birthday and make it a princess party. She had picked out a crown while doing some Christmas shopping a while back, and has been saving it in a safe place for wearing at her birthday party. It's very fun to throw a party for a very excited little girl!

Her actual birthday (the 27th) fell on a Wednesday, and she had preschool that day. She woke up bright and early ready to put on her birthday attire. She wanted to wear the Hello Kitty dress/outfit that she got for Christmas from Grandma Patty, but I told her that was reserved for her party. She was a bit disappointed until I told her she could open her present from Mommy and Daddy. I had scored a killer outfit (also Hello Kitty) with a matching doll! I was so excited to give it to her. Of course, she loved it, and wore it to preschool that day.

I was snack helper for her birthday and we had cupcakes. She was happy to be the star for the day. The kids all signed and helped decorate a card for her.



We had her actual party on Sunday. Jeremy and Jessica and their two kids came for the weekend (like they did last year), so that made for an extra special time for all of us. Jessica and I worked till late Saturday making the cake and getting the house ready. Jessica did a wonderful job decorating the cake! Thanks Jessica!

The party was a PACKED house! Synnove was showered with an overwhelming amount of stuff! Princesses, dolls, makeup, My Little Ponies, clothes, and Hello Kitty were reoccurring gift themes. All the guests knew our little princess well!

I had to take this pic because everyone was matching! Fuchsia and black!

Synnove and her "best friend" Jailey

I couldn't get this pic to load properly...but it's soooo cute! Halle, Michael, and Tay. They were so patient during gift time...trying their hardest not to dig in and help.

The cake was super yummy!

Here's Synnove after her party: Her face is covered in REAL makeup (courtesy of Aunt Alice and Fi Fi), she has on her Tinkerbell jammies on (courtesy of Aunt Faith), her new restored mini hutch in the background (courtesy of Grandma Patty) that is now FULL of various gifts. She even got two more Hello Kitty water bottles to add to the one she already had (and she carries all 3 all over the house)! Can we say "spoiled??"

My January Jobs

Do you ever get tired of hearing the phrase "I've been sooo busy!"? Well, I'm getting tired of saying it. As I've said before, my life is in transition. Aside from being "mom of a preschooler," I've added part-time barista, part-time remodeling consultant, part-time beauty consultant, substitute teacher, and disgruntled root canal patient to my list of January jobs. It's been one of those months when I've wished that I didn't live out in Svensen. The constant driving is wearing on me. Fortunately, the kids are at the age now where naps aren't necessary. However, it's also UNfortunate that the kids are at the age where naps aren't necessary! I'd like to say that I miss the lazy days of staying at home spending a leisurely day with the kids...but, for now at least, I don't. I'm loving the many opportunities to get out of the house and interact with "big" people.

So, what exactly have I been doing??...I'll tell you:

Mom of a Preschooler/Substitute Teacher:

I suppose this is fresh in my mind, because in the span of one week (this last week) I've attended the monthly board meeting, subbed for Miss Kara, and was snack helper for Synnove's birthday. Aside from driving, that has accounted for about 7 hours of my time over the span of 1 week. And, seeing as I'm not in preschool, that's quite a bit of time. However, roughly 3 of those are paid!

Part-Time Barista:

As you all know, my sister owns the Wheelhouse Coffee Company in Astoria. I help out there from time to time, but haven't really done much in the last handful of months. This month, Elise needed some extra help because her husband had knee surgery. So, I worked for her for a couple of days. When my dad isn't around, it's hard to juggle the kids around. Sometimes, they end up spending a good part of their day hanging around the shop while I work. This always makes the day a bit more difficult. Grandma Barb ended up watching them one of the days, and they had a blast with her! They even made cupcakes, which was something I remember doing often at her house when I was a kid. My time at the shop is always a good break from the kids...and that's enough payment within itself.

Part-Time Remodeling Consultant:

For some reason, I am the "go-to-gal" for advice on cosmetic home improvement. I suppose I'm known for giving my honest opinion and giving good reasoning for "why." My mother especially appreciates my opinion and often takes me on her many shopping trips. ANYway, since my parents' house got damaged in the freeze, they have been frantically shopping for new carpet, counter tops, flooring, lighting, paint, and tile. Not only have I been "hired" as remodeling consultant, I've also been "hired" as the mediator between mom and dad...lol! I guess dad trusts my judgement...seeing as he actually admitted that my painting the precious raw cedar in my basement was a "not bad" decision!!!

Part-Time Beauty Consultant:

Even though I wish I were busier in my business, being a new beauty consultant is work. I knew it would be work, and I'm happy to take it on....one step at a time. I'm enjoying every minute of it. I'm overwhelmingly surprised at how much I love sharing a product that is...well...awesome. There is no lying, fudging, or insincerity involved. And, my favorite thing to say in this business is..."if you don't like it...PLEASE return it!"

ANYway, beauty consultant business has been good. People love it. The hard part is getting people to try it. They think I'm out trying to "get" them with my crafty sales tactics and they ignore me, don't return my messages, or give me a large handful of excuses. The most popular one is..."Oh, I tried that once and it broke me out." What they don't want to hear is that the formula has changed over the years, AND, there are like 6 different formulas to choose from! Fortunately, I'm the QUEEN of breakout and can feel their pain.

Ultimately, I have the experience (have tried MANY products over the years), I have a bit of knowledge (still have LOTS to learn about MK), I have the skills (I'm a fairly competent individual)...the only thing I lack is confidence. Each time I pick up the phone, my hand shakes. Each time I write an email, I say a prayer before pressing send. Yes, it's about making money! Of course, why would I venture into business if I didn't want to make money?? But really, as I've tried the products, I'm finding I just want people to experience the reason why Mary Kay should be in their bathrooms! I don't want them to buy it to help me out...I want them to buy it to help THEM out!!

I digress. So, I spend much of my days with Mary Kay on the brain. I've attended meetings, went to a conference in Seattle, and given coupons and facials to a small handful of people. It's not much, but it's a start.

Disgruntled Root Canal Patient:

Long story short: my crown fell off in December and has fallen off at least 4 times since. It was re-glued with temporary cement 3 times, the 4th attempt was very unsuccessful. I have spent most of January chewing on one side of my mouth waiting for my dentist to return from not being well (I heart my dentist, btw). My dentist's son is also a dentist and has done most of the re-gluings. I have seen him 4 times this month. I have rescheduled my root canal 3 times, with 2 out of those times being because my dentist has been ill. Dr. Smith (my dentist) finally returned to work and attempted my root canal this last Tuesday. He proceeded to numb the entire left side of my face over the span of at least an hour, only to find that it wasn't enough. There is much more to this story, but I'll just end it here. I now have a half-drilled permanently glued crown awaiting root canal-age from a specialist.

The Clincher:

Add 2 young children, a husband (who makes life easier most of the time), and a dirty house to everything above.

What Faith Can Do

So, we're in the car today, just Soren and I, and he randomly says "Faith can do that." and I say "what did you say?" He says "Faith can do that." and I say "Faith can do what?" He says, "Faith can climb on the castle." and I say, "oh, are you talking about little Faith that came to your birthday party?" He says, "yes, she can climb on the castle." I assume he's referring to the large stump behind our house when he talks about the castle. I thought what he said was pretty random and said "huh, well that's nice Soren." and left it at that. A few seconds later I realize the song playing on the radio..."That's What Faith Can Do" by Kutless. Ha ha!

Oh, and just so you know, Soren knows pretty much all the words to that song (his own version, of course), and it's sooooo stinkin' cute when he sits in the back of the car singing. I love it. So much.

A Random Story to Fill the Blog Void

Lately, blogging has become a chore. I used to have lots of free time during my days as "mom" to sit at the computer while the kids played. Blogging helps me to fill my day with some sense of accomplishment that does come with the usual dinner making or laundry folding. It is a chance to express myself, reflect on happenings, and document the life of my family to those that care to listen. Unfortunately, blogging requires brain-power that I'm having a hard time mustering these days.

As much as I like to say that I hate it, I really do enjoy writing. I often took pride in my many, MANY assigned essays...always scoring A's and B's. Most...*ahem*...ALL of my papers included thoughts from the evening before, or from the wee hours of the morning on the day it was due. It was rare for me to start a paper a week before it's due date...even if the paper was required to be 10-20 pages long. I remember one paper in particular. It was freshman year and I was in Lit of the New Testament with Mr. Tim Orton. He was a great guy...hard professor. Though an adjunct, he knew his stuff and had taught this particular class on several occasions...enough occasions that the required reading was a roughly binded "book" made of a stack of printer paper an inch thick and plastic rings written by a Mr. Tim Orton (go figure). Like all college classes, we were expected to read huge amounts in short amounts of time and had to know minute details by next class. And, in most classes, this requirement could usually be "fudged." In Orton's class, this was certainly not the case. Each class started off with a quiz 10 questions long. And each quiz counted towards a large percentage of one's final grade. Ugh...it was horrid, as these quizes were NOT easy. I was drowning weekly in a sea of C's, D's, and F's and I wasn't so sure my lifelong streak of being an A's and B's student was going to survive much longer.

The only hope of ever making it in Mr. Tim Orton's class was to do well on the essays (I think there were two, but I can't remember). Before assigning our first essay, he gave us a lecture on how hard of a grader he is. Great. The essay only needed to be something like 500-800 words (short), but the pressure was on. Of course, in typical Nicole fashion, I procrastinated. I didn't begin writing till the night before...which was usually the case anyway. I pulled out my refrences (fortunately, I DID get those in time) and began to think. The "thinking" phase of my writing usually ends up lasting till around midnight. By that time, I have written and rewritten my introduction and thesis about 6 times...as well as chatted on ICQ, had a hall dance party, and migrated to Nattie's room at least 3 times to see how far she's gotten (we were in the same class).

By 1AM, I'm on a roll. I've got the intro written and the rest always goes by much faster. By 2AM, I'm banished to the hall so that my roommate (who DOESN'T procrastinate) can catch some uninterrupted Z's. And, by 4AM I'm finished. I wasn't happy with the final paper and felt it needed much more tweaking for Mr. Tim Orton to be satisfied, but I was out of steam, out of ideas, and just plain exhausted. A few short hours later, we turned in our papers. Failiure was just one short week away....when we would recieve our scores.

It came time for us to get back to our papers, and I was literally sick to my stomach. Mr. Tim Orton started to go on and on about how he never gives out A's and that he was very impressed with a couple of papers that were turned in, one in particular. In my head I'm thinking..."great, I've surely failed, cause I'm certainly not the one out of 50 that got an A...my paper was horrible, and done with too little planning and thought...suppose I should try starting my papers the week before they are due...getting a C on my final report card will be devistating!!" He finished his shpeel and decided to give special recognition to the star writer by handing hers back first. My stomach flutters as I grab the paper that he hands me. 98%! (If I remember right, I think Nattie was the other A paper...am I right Nat?) For all he knew, I spent 2 weeks on that paper!

What was the point of me even writing this story?

Proof...

...that Soren and Synnove belong to Adam and I...LOL!