Happy Thanksgiving

Yeah a week late but hey, I've been a little busy.

Last week Mom headed down to Arkansas to stay with her "boyfriend" for the holiday.  Frankly we were at each other's throats so it was a good idea.  She is planning on driving back up tomorrow, honestly Hubby and I could do with a couple of more weeks as with her gone our stress level has decreased significantly.  It's not only the lack of privacy we miss it's the constant explaining of things, because she is much like a kid - "why are you doing that?, What is that?  I don't like that.  (knowing she's never tried it before)"  Some of it is because she has tended to live a pretty sheltered life, some of it is because frankly she can't remember what you told her last week.  It gets old constantly explaining everything you do, and who everyone is with every conversation.  I worry about her driving the long trip back alone, but she made it down there.  The GPS always tries to route her through Chicago, and while it's possible that route is 5 miles shorter the traffic is always nightmarish and it ends up taking quite a bit longer time wise.  We shall see, I suppose if she can't figure out how to program the GPS to take her the correct route (which is highlighted on a map for her) she can fight Chicago traffic.  That's the hardest part for me, I realize the last thing she needs to do is drive three states away alone, but she is determined she is capable of such feats.  She has done it, but I wonder how stressed and lost she becomes when she gets off the interstate for gas and bathroom breaks.  The funniest thing is that she swears she doesn't go through any tolls for the trip when we know darn well she does.  I expect to find tickets in the mail after this trip since she has Wisconsin tags now.

The nuclear family went north to the in-laws for the holiday.  Hubby spent the weekend on his knees in his mother's bathroom repairing the bathroom floor.  Mother-in-Law is selling her house and moving into Grandma's house.  MIL has a good offer on her house but it was contingent on getting the soft flooring around the toilet fixed.  I hope it all goes smoothly for her, if so it will go down as one of the easiest house sales I've heard of in the last five years.  Of course while up north we visited with Father-in-Law.  He is going downhill pretty quickly now.  FIL has officially ended chemo and entered hospice care now.  It seems they have changed his pain meds and have given him some pretty tough stuff.  FIL declares it doesn't work too well, however I watched him take two doses on the day of our Thanksgiving meal and within 10 minutes he was sound asleep on the couch despite 6 kids running around, LOUD conversations (so Grandma can hear) and general chaos of a large gathering.  Currently they are managing his care from home, but when he needs full time care they have a facility in town he can go to.  Despite the pain and his obvious decline FIL is in good spirits and still his usual joking self.  FIL declares he will make it until Christmas but I worry a minor cold will be the end of him as he now weighs only 107 lbs.

Last week and this I've been babysitting 8 week old Miss K.  She's a sweet little thing, but OH BOY did I forget what it's like to have a tiny baby in the house.  Overall she's really a pretty easy child, even when she's fussy she is easily soothed and it's pretty easy to figure out why she's fussing.  It's certainly gotten me a baby fix.  The boys are enchanted with her as neither can recall ever being around newborns.  Next week Miss K will start attending her regular daycare, I had simply volunteered to watch her for a couple of weeks to help ease the transition and to protect her from colds and what-not a little longer.  I have given thought to being her full-time sitter but honestly I'm really enjoying having a few hours of child-free time a day while the boys are at school to get the shopping done, go exercise and do a few chores without having to stop and referee or with a baby feed and change and soothe.  Besides babies soon turn into toddlers and I'm not up to the major baby proofing that requires and the constant vigilance as an 18 month old moves around the house in a constant state of trying to commit suicide.  Don't get me wrong, if God puts a baby girl on my doorstep (are you reading the blog God?) I wouldn't return her, I'm just not going to sign up for somebody else's child.

For the most part things are moving along well.  This weekend we'll put out the Christmas paraphernalia.  I've picked up a few gifts for the kids here and there but still have tons of shopping to do and no ideas of what to buy.  Sonny Boy has started wrestling, Igor is in short swim lesson session so Monday and Wednesday nights are a little hectic as they are at the same time.  Monday Hubby has surgery on his nose to have a deviated septum corrected.  I'm sure it won't be a happy fizzy party for him but hopefully it will help with the constant sinus drainage he suffers in the dry winter months and the snoring I suffer with year round.  The doctor also wants to remove his uvula to reduce the snoring however after doing some research Hubby is opting out of that and honestly I don't blame him as that sounds horrid.  Either way the weekend will be busy and early next week I'll be playing nurse to a 6'2" 200 + lb baby.  Wish me luck!