Prayed Over!

I called my cousin the other day to see how things were.  He answered in his normal voice.

"How are things"... I asked?

"Really good! The doctors can't believe how well Johnny is doing.  He may get to go home tomorrow!" he told me, happiness oozing thorough the phone.

I told him how happy I was... etc.  He told me how he couldn't believe it.

I told him that it must have been all those prays being sent his way!

He laughed.

Just shortly after Johnny was in the hospital and I had talked to him, I told him about all the people that posted that they would send prayers for them.

I could hear him getting flustered.  

"I don't really like talk of prayer etc." he said... I could hear his pain.

"Ujjal, people pray to do something they believe in and makes them feel like they are doing something.  It isn't really about you... it is just a gesture.  And hey, what if God is there and listening?"  

I just let it go with there are people that are thinking of you.  Just pass that on to Johnny.

How much  he must have been hurt to get so agitated.

I am so thankful to all of you that prayed.  

I am so thankful for the extra time they have been given.

I am so thankful that God is a God of mercy and love.

Thank you!

Whites...

Just a question...

Do you hate doing the whites of your laundry?

I separate the clothes, keep putting the whites in a pile and let the whites collect!

When I have no choice, I put the white in.  Yet I HATE folding them.

I have had to wash the white again... many a time because I left them there too long.  Ewww...

So I have this thing about dealing with the white clothes.

I think because it is just all whites... no beginning or end.

Weird... I am weird right?  

Oh fine!

Ready or Not... Here High School Comes!

Last night we went to Sammy's high school grade 9 orientation. Wow, what a lot of people!

Lots of people and smells confined to hallways with no air flow! lol

Now I know why they say no perfumes due to people with allergies!

My nose is still complaining.

I have never been through a public school system. So I was overwhelmed by size of everything.

I am glad that Sammy seems excited and not too overwhelmed.

I am so glad that he has his friends in his classes, some of them and can get lost together. :)

Just little things like working his lock (that is what this picture is of)... eating... apparently it isn't too cool to eat... and I know that snow boots, hats and coats are not the things to wear either!

I am sure it is all good. I am kind of excited for him. I hope his high school years are full of happy memories and few of the yucky kind.

Tuesday, I will drop him off at a friends house and they can walk together.

I don't suppose I can sneak in on the pretense of visiting my friend that works in the library... eh? lol Probably not.

Last night I told him I had volunteered in the yearbook club to help with the pictures...

His reply was "I'll drop out of school!"

It is all good. Bring it on...

Mars... For REAL!!!

OK... I am writing this with steam coming out of my ears and other places...

My husband has really pushed my buttons today.

Remember how I said that I banned the boys from our bathroom?

So I went in early this morning and the seat was up. When Sanj came in from the gym, I said

"Sanj, could you not just put the seat down in this one bathroom... "

In 15 years of marriage and parenting, I have never once bugged them about putting the seat down. I figured this cuts down the chances of me seating on a wet seat.

Well... my annoying husband goes off on a tangent. How come men have to put the seat down? How come women can't put the seat up when they leave?

Really is this necessary?

He didn't shut up either... as he full well knows that he is annoying me. I had to give him the finger to show him my true emotions at that moment.

Oh yah, be sure that he is going to comment ... rant and rave with big words that you may require a dictionary to understand his reply. Blah blah blah!

Men are so from MARS!

Bathroom Laziness!

Since my post about bathroom issues... I have closed off my bathroom to the boys.

I have a hard time sticking to things... but I have remained firm. If my older ones try to sneak in for a shower... I have decided to charged $10 the first time, $20 the second time... etc.

I am so pleased. This morning as I peaked into their bathroom, I KNEW it was coming.

"Mommy, can I PLEASE shower in your bathroom? Ours is so messy!"

"Mommy, can I Please brush my teeth in your bathroom, I'll clean it up after I am done..."

NOPE!

So I divided up the bathroom...

Max... pick up the clothes and toys.

Jordan ... wipe off the toilet and sink.

Tyler... hallway stuff.

Soon it was done. Cleaner than it was half an hour ago and usable.

I feel good. It is a lot of work nagging and then follow up nagging... but at least it is getting done... and not by me. Yah!

Arrrrrrrrrrrgh!!!

I am not sure how to scream with letters that would accurately describe my feelings today!

There is so much laundry everywhere... which I keep neglecting so I can go and play with the boys... yet I have set a deadline of Friday for it to be done and put away!

There is the house that needs constant cleaning... where does dust come from??? I think dusting brings more dust!!!

But Zachary is intrigued by the toilet cleaner and brush... so hey, cleaner toilets... check!

There is a bit more shopping to do and then there is still the playing.

Beach tomorrow after noon, Warsaw Caves on thursday and Ontario Place on Friday for our last hurrah!

I feel the need to be organized for Tuesday (our first day of JK, grade 2, grade 4, grade 6, grade 8 and high school!!! Yikes... my heart is racing.

Plus I am almost done the book I am into which I am enjoying and wondering how the story is going to end like I think it should when there isn't that many pages left?

Tomorrow is Open House for Sammy and his fellow grade 9s. Thursday is our Meet the Teacher for the other boys.

I feel like I am on the cusp of something huge. After having a little one to be with for the last 14 years... I am letting the last one go into the big world. Tyler is beginning his last year at Rhema. I can't even image him graduating because I can still see his tears rolling down his cheeks as I hug him goodbye in JK. Soon he is going to be leaving this safe haven...

Then there is Zachary who seems like he should still be in SK... yet he is venturing into Grade 2!!! Then there are my two, Jordan and Max, that are moving along and it seems like everything is going to fast!

Wait! I am not ready for summer to end! Another week would be good... please?!!

And then there is the issue that I keep smelling vomit. I don't know what the heck I am smelling but it is really disturbing me!

So I sit here stalling... I really need to take up Yoga... and learn how to breathe in deep and release the stresses.

Right now we are off to see a cute Audiologist to get some of the boys hearing checked out. They seem to talk TOO LOUD!!!

So I best end this blog ... but I will tell you the funniest thing I saw while driving back from the dump... There was a herd of sheep all running together towards something... and then I see a sheep running with the pack but with a bucket on its head! It was so funny!

Tug Of Love!

I blogged about the frustrations of parenting my 14 year old. My cousin, my sweet, smart cousin, Cynthia, wrote a comment in response to it saying... " it doesn't help to know that 14 is when they are struggling to separate their identity from yours either ... or that it is especially crucial for boys to separate from their mothers at this age. "

I forgot. Over the years as I watched Sammy and Sanj battle it out over hair styles, clothing and friends... I always worried about what would happen once the teenage years were upon us.

I never dreamed that I would be the one that was the target for his de-funk.

Here is a quote from Karen Vincent of Elite Life Coaching"

Often times mothers feel this pulling back more than fathers do. This is because mothers are generally seen as the nurturers and the caretakers (although not always) and therefore sons need to push their mothers away in order to begin to create their independence. This is obviously very concerning for a mother who may try harder to reach out to her son in an effort to increase communication and to remain actively involved in his life. This, however, is actually not helpful and can create and increase in opposition, isolation or family discord. Understanding the reason for the behavior can be helpful for mothers so that they do not take this pulling back personally and can allow their son some space to begin to develop independence. Sometimes this pulling back is not so obvious with fathers, however, it still exists. Sons may connect with their fathers around other things (playing sports, a game on the TV, a project in the house) while maintaining an emotional distance during this time of developing independence.

Boys more often than not will isolate and avoid confrontation when possible. However, that is not to say that boys do not display strong, negative emotions towards their parents which can be scary and very problematic. Yelling by adolescent males can be very aggressive and threatening in nature and at times the anger turns physical which can result in their throwing things, breaking things and at times even lashing out physically at a parent. As is already stated, this can be very scary for both the adolescent who has likely grown in size and strength and for the parent.

Can I say... well la tee da! Hum... how many diapers did I change? How much I suffered while trying to master the art of nursing... ouch! OK... it is a phase. I am a grown up. I am suppose to be well adjusted and handle all these changes. But you want to know the truth? I am ill equipped.

Maybe I should have taken up golf or hockey? Or maybe I can just relax a bit. It is on Sanj. Have fun with the bonding and all that stuff. I guess I was lucky enough to have the last 12.5 years of being loved. Oh yah, I still have 5 others that still show their love.

Guess if and when Tyler goes through this next year, I will be better prepared.

Do other parents go into this ... the teen years knowing all this stuff? How did I miss it? I am so good about reading and understand the phases of childhood. I must have read "What to Expect When Expecting" 7 times! If there a version I missed?

OK... I am not complaining. Thank you so much Cynthia, for pointing that out. I missed it. I was so busy taking it personally.

By the time Josh comes around for the ride, I will just check out and go backpacking in Europe! Yahoo! I can't wait!