Still sick

Sorry for not posting more, but I am still sick and today my ears are plugged up and I can not hear. Bummer for me - can not even hear the TV without turning it up too loud. Hopefully tomorrow will turn the corner. Still no shopping done but Mike reassures me it will be ok - gift cards work for family ok - but not for kids - can you see liam - toys r us card - what do I do with this - Mike may have to experience the joy of shopping - uggggh! Talk later.

Melanie's daily grind

I have what?

Ok - you know when you go to the Dr. you usually pretty much know what you already have, you just need them to diagnose so you can get your prescriptions, well think again.

Apparantly what I thought was a sinus infection - turned into Pneumonia - that's right - Mel has walking Pneumonia. Who knew. Well one Rocefin (sp) shot and an antibiotic along with blood draw and chest x-ray and I am home and stricken from work until Thursday. Mike is awesome - handling the kids and making dinner, cleaning up - amazing!!!!!!!!! What a guy!!!!!! He even came home from the store with a new pair of comfy pj's that were in his words "soft so your skin won't be irritated". I love that man!!!

Well - gotta go lay on the couch and do nothing. This is very weird. The down side - I really do feel rather lousy.

At least it is not on Christmas. Perhaps you noted my lack of preparation in my earlier blog - yeah tring not to think what this is going to do to those plans right now.

Talk when I can breath better.

Melanie's daily grind

Sinus infections and what not - HOHOHO - Merry Christmas

Well - it's that time of year again. We shop till we drop and then get sick all in time to see our pocket books drained and our houses full of stuff we could do without in reality.

This is how I was feeling recently. I am in desperate search and on a mission to teach my boys the true meaning of Christmas. How hard that is in today's culture of Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings. I want to say MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!! and I am going to. I have made it a point to teach the boys something new each day about our Christmas traditions and what they mean. I want to make sure that the celebrations we go to Liam knows are for Jesus' birthday. He calls it a Jesus party because he really understands birthday parties so that makes him ultra psyched. We are trying to emphasize the better to give than receive motto and he is doing rather well - I am actually shocked. We went to see santa and he only asked for a monster truck. Santa said - Is that all - Liam said - yep - a Monster Truck. And a racing truck for Noah - too cute. We also wrote our first letter to santa and mailed it to the north pole. It was too cute. I plan to write back and leave the letter on one of the santa gifts on Christmas.

We are also struggling as a family to identify our family traditions. The ones we will look back on and go - ahhhhh goood times. It is hard in a world of grandparents and extended family - but we are going to make our best efforts this year to do that.


I must say work is unusually busy this time of year - usually it is down time - but not now. I guess that is a great problem to have - too much work.

I had my house cleaned (try and do this once every 4 months) yesterday so I am back to square one with my maintenance. It is wonderful - I had to work 3 hours extra to pay for it - but well worth it!!!!!!!!!!!

Well - gotta go wrap presents for Gramps and Jeff - busy santa I am :)

We are going to rockwall tomorrow and Sat and then back here until Christmas day - back to Rockwall.

Did I mention it is Dec 14 and I have bought nothing for the kids for the holidays - not worried - I can power shop if I need to.

Have a wonderful day and remember - JESUS is CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

Melanie's daily grind

Parties and Pictures

Ok - Just had a college student take some pics of us for a christmas card. She had not really had that much experience with kids, so - just bare with us and the picture on the card - it is ok - not great. had great potential, but the kids did not take to it too well. I do not like any pictures of myself right now because I need to lose about 20 lbs, so after that - it will be fun again. well - college students are coming over tonight for mike;s office christmas party. around 12 students and the 4 of us - caserole is in the oven, rotel in the crock pot and mike is at the store with noah. liam is watching cars - ahhhhhhh peace and quiet (as quiet as it gets around here)

we have the outside lights up but nothing on the inside yet. that is such a metaphore for so many things - you know - all pretty and put together on the outside and empty and blah on the inside. Well - I will let you interpret what you want. I am trying to get focused on my christmas shopping, but you know how that goes - no time - will probably do it in one massive day like always.

Mike usually does his the day before or so, so i guess you could say he is rubbing off on me in our old age :) haha

I am really stressed at work right now - big push for a project tomorrow and thurs and not sure how they are going to get done - but i am sure they will - always seem to.

life at chez mccarthy is ok right now - noah is waking up at night and screaming his head off for no reason -no infection - a little eczema but treated - etc. it has been going on for a couple of weeks and i am loosing it in that department. we let him cry and 1 hr later - same story, so i go in there and calm him down and he throws a fit, so you try and console him - patting is not working any more - not sure why, so you pick him up - he likes that of course, but if you sit down to rock him - oh no - screaming again - the only thing that works is food and dring - a little snack and he will calm down and then if you rock him he goes back to sleep. well - that is obviously not a long term solution, so i am asking - HELP!!!!!! liam did not do this and i am lost - crying it out does not work with noah. he goes to bed fine at 8:00 - no cries, etc. beautiful - it is this 3:00 in the morning thing that is insane!!!!!!!! i am just loving going to my parents this weekend and having this happen!

well gotta go - party time!!!!!!!!

Melanie's daily grind

Thanksgiving - Gobble Gobble!!! Happy Turkey Day!

Well - it is now 7:30 am and the turkey is in the oven, the stuffing was made last night, the green beans two days ago and the potatos are ready to be peeled and cooked as are the rolls (cooked that is). It is Thanksgiving at the McCarthy's and it is just us this year. We are going to eat, nap and then go to Waco to Mike's mom's who is not feeling 100% today.

It is kind of nice to just have us. No pressure to make things perfect, etc.

However, I am a little sad that we are not eating with family. That seems to be so weird since I am eating with my most important family members of all, but you know what I mean.

Hopefully I will get to watch a little of the parade - I love that! Well, in the spirit of the holiday! Eat and enjoy your families - you never know what the year will bring - so Today is your time!!!!!!!!!!! God's blessings to you and yours!!!!!

Melanie's daily grind

I KNOW I KNOW -AGES SINCE I BLOGGED - TOO BUSY - NO - TOO SICK - NOT COMPLETELY - TOO TIRED - A LITTLE - TOO CAUGHT UP IN NOT LETTING MY FRIENDS KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON - PROBABLY - PRIORITIES PRIORITIES PRIORITIES.

WELL - I AM BACK BABY!!!!! WE ARE ALL FINE HERE - NOAH AND I ARE GETTING OVER BRONCHITIS THAT HAS HAD US UP AND DOWN THIS PAST 7 DAYS. WE ARE ON THE MEND.

MIKE FINISHED PAGEANT - YEAH - I HAVE MY HUSBAND BACK - HE IS NOW ONLY FULL TIME AT THE SCHOOL AND PART TIME AT THE CHURCH - COLLEGE STUDENTS ABOUND HERE AT THE MCCARTHY HOUSE.

I AM TRYING TO KEEP THINGS IN BALANCE, BUT IT GETS TOUGH WITH FAMILY, WORK AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

THINGS ARE PRETTY GOOD AROUND HERE - MIKE ACTUALLY HELPED ME WITH THE LAUNDRY THIS WEEK WHICH WAS HUGE BECAUSE I WAS SO BEHIND IT WAS LIKE A MOUNTAIN I DID NOT WANT TO CLIMB AND IT WAS ACTUALLY DEPRESSING ME TO SOME EXTENT (MILDLY). YOU KNOW - LIKE THOSE TASKS THAT SEEM SO HUGE THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO EVEN START BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO COMPLETE? THAT WAS ME ON THE LAUNDRY - LUCKY FOR ME (WHATEVER - LUCK - NO - GOD GAVE ME AN AWESOME HUSBAND) MIKE SAW THIS AND STEPPED IN AND HELPED ME IN A VERY LOVING WAY THAT DID NOT MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I WAS A TERRIBLE WIFE AND MOM BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THE LAUNDRY DONE ON MY OWN - HE JUST HELPED!!!!

OK - LIAM IS GOING THROUGH A STAGE RIGHT NOW THAT IS NOT TOO FUN - A LOT OF IGNORING ME AND THAT INFURIATES ME - WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AROUND THE MCCARTHY HOUSE AND IT IS GETTING OLD - OH WELL - THAT IS A THREE YEAR OLD FOR YA.

MIKE DID SOMETHING FOR LIAM THE OTHER NIGHT THAT WAS NOTHING SHORT OF GENIUS AND I WISHED I HAD THOUGHT OF IT MYSELF. LIAM WAS TRULY HAVEING A WHINNY DAY BEYOND BELIEF - SO MUCH THAT I WAS ABOUT TO SEND HIM TO BED STRAIGHT FROM THE DINNER TABLE. MIKE TOLD HIM TO GET DOWN AND COME AROUND THE TABLE TO HIM - LIAM THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE. MIKE ASKED LIAM TO LOOK AT HIM- THEN MIKE PUT HIS HANDS OVER LIAM'S FACE AND WIPED IT AWAY AND THEN CLASPED HIS HANDS - HE THEN TOLD LIAM TO CLASP HIS HANDS THE SAME. MIKE TOLD LIAM THAT HE HAD WIPED AWAY THE WHINNING AND HE HAD IT IN HIS HANDS. HE THEN GAVE THE WHINNING TO LIAM IN HIS HANDS AND TOLD LIAM TO GO INTO HIS ROOM AND HIDE THE WHINNING IN A SPECIAL PLACE. LIAM THEN RAN TO HIS ROOM AND HID IT! WE TOLD HIM IT WAS HIS SECRET AND WE DID NOT WANT TO KNOW WHERE IT WAS - TOO FUNNY BECAUSE LIAM HAD A COMPLETE 180! HE WAS AN ANGEL THE REST OF THE NIGHT - JUST NEEDED A LITTLE CREATIVE PARENTING! AMAZING

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY IN THE LORD!

mEL

Melanie's daily grind

Hand me downs!

Ok - today was fun- I think - still not over. I went to work and encountered a question that I can not answer - yes - this does happen - even to me. The jury is still out on this question - need help from one of the partners on that one. I did accomplish quite a bit and tomorrow looks promising.

The boys and I came home in search of three things. My bible, watch and Liam's winter clothing for Noah. Well score on the clothing front - but bombed big time on the others. Actually, I have been in search of these items for quite some time now and I am most bumbed about my Bible. Why is that when it is the easiest thing to locate and buy. Because it has those notes. You know - the notes you make during that particularly poignant sermon or quiet time or study. Those notes are priceless. So - take note - if you do not have your name and address or some form of contact info in your Bible - do so now. Because you do not want to be me - lost without my swoard. I have been using one of Mike's old ones and it is not the same. I have had it since 95 and it is actually in my maiden name. Too fun! I have faith it will show up one of these days. Darn if my memory fails me as to where it might be.

Anyway - back to the clothes. I was in the attic dropping storage bins to my children below when I had a thought. What if our parents did this too? I am sure they did, but at what point did they finally give it up and sell or donated the stuff. Have you asked. I am at that crossroads now - do I start to give away the boy's stuff that they have outgrown or do I hold on to it in case? That is a very loaded question - so I will not go there. Anyway - all is done and Noah has a few clothes to wear this winter - YEAH. I was hoping Liam and he could share some clothes. Thank the Lord for Texas and our relatively temperate climate.

Well - off to feed the kids and to Bible study - with my hand be down Bible and Noah wearing a hand me down shirt!

TGIF - I think!

Ok - i realize that it has been way too long since I last posted. I would love to say that I have been on a lavish vacation too far removed from the hustle and bussle of the daily grind - but far from it.

Ok - laundry list first:
Laundry - piling up sooo fast - can 4 people really have this much laundry?
Painting - yes - we are painting the master bathroom yet again - well I should say 90% mike ane Liam and I the rest.
Child dr. visits - Noah gave us a scare yesterday - Day care called and guess what - Noah has blood in his stool. Ok - rush out of a meeting I am leading - that was fun. Go to the dr. to find out that Noah has a kind of hemroid - you read correctly. I thought that was what pregnant women and old people get. So after searching all over TEmple for the be all end all of butt paste's we got home and applied it and - Hooray - his little toochie is getting better. He slept through the night for the first time in a week last night - so naturally I am more tired today than ever.

Let's see what else? Oh yeah - Wed night Mike took kids to choir because PBH (my work) had our open house and ribbon cutting for our Temple office - I am manager - so guess who had to be ther til 7 - it was successful. Yeah!

Tax deadline was Monday - Seriously! Who calls on monday to ask if we can do their taxes. They have and 10 months. Isn't there something to be said for being just a little early.

I have a 25 lb little man in my lap right now -so I will finish later with more of an introspective look at it all.

Love and rest to all!

Melanie's daily grind

Rained today - praise the Lord!

I am going to dinner with the best of old friends tonight. A blessed break from the daily grind :)

Work - play - etc. it is all good when it is for the Lord!

Liam quote for the day "So you are going to make mommy friends - because that's what mommies do?" - Yes Liam - that's what mommies do - make mommy friends :)

Noah has yet another bruise on his face - it has become the norm since he started walking - he is too precious but never the less - clumsy still! Takes after his mama I guess - just call me grace.

Well - did I tell you that my dad had some small cancerous tumors removed from his bladder last week - all is good now - the same as before (4th time in 9 years). No penetration in the bladder wall - that is good. Also caught very early - than God for follow ups. He may do treatment a little this time - very localized - inside the bladder - but will have to wait a few weeks to see if the doc is going to do that.

By the way - tip of the week - MAKE SURE AND GO THROUGH YOUR HUSBAND'S POCKETS BEFORE YOU WASH THE PANTS, ETC. BLACK PENS DO LEAK AND THEY DO PLACE DOTS ON ALL PIECES OF CLOTHING IN THE SAME LOAD - AND NO - IT DOES NOT COME OUT . Suggestions? So far I saved the clothes but not wearable - mostly whites (which I am going to bleach) but some light clothes - khaki's, etc.

Talk later-

Those friends

There are those friends! The ones that you hardly ever see and truly love - the ones that you know in a pinch would be there first - and would go above and beyond - the ones that love you for you - not the you that others think you are - the real you.

Well, today's blog is for those of you reading this (because you are the only ones that have my blog info).

I must appologise up front for not keeping in touch like I should have. There are no excuses - there are definately reasons - but no excuses. I am vowing today to be a better friends. Why? Becuase YOU deserve it. You are special to me and regardless of the miles that separate us, you are my closest friends.

Sure - I have friends here that I hang out with on a weekly basis, etc. but you are my true friends - the ones that I knew when I was a little less:
A Little less refined
A little less busy
A little less good at hiding my emotions
A little less at making excuses as to why I have not called in over a year - you know who you are - sorry!!!!!!!!
Just a little less self absorbed.

Today is a new day and I am trying to make a change. I am tired of thinking of all of you and not acting on it, so here it is. The reason for this blog is to let you in again. To let you in on my life - its ups and downs twists and turns. My prayer is that you will know me again and we can truly share in eachother's lives even if it is a thousand miles away - cause lets face it - there are only a few people that truly know us anymore and our husbands our one of those, so that leaves not too many others.

Think about it - who knows you that well? Sunday school friends - maybee but not too many.

High school friends - if you are lucky perhaps 1 or so.
College friends - maybee

Kids's friends parents - mostly just for the kids.

See - we have eachother. So lets do it - lets agree to reconnect. To make eachother a prioriry again (even if it is only through this thing called cyberspace - my hops is that it is not just that).

I MISS YOU~!

Ok - off my soap box or whatever that is - I feel like Jerry McGuire - this is not a mission statement! You do not complete me - the Lord does, but you are pretty important - important enough to do this!!!

Thank you for who you are in my life!!!!!! May God bless you and yours today!

Gotta run - Bible study tonight and the kids want to play (and lets be honest - I do too!!!! Hows that for mom of the year - :) JK

Love ya,
Mel
Phil 4:13

Sunday - day of rest

The sunday nap is always highly underrated. There is just something about coming home - getting lunch done and then laying down to nap while the kids do likewise. I used to take this time to catch up on the stuff of the weekend, but now - I nap. It is awesome. However, there is always the chance you wake more tired than when you laid down - today is that. Oh well - I will get moving and I will be fine.

Today's sermon was about families - Extreme Makeover forum - and Bro. Andy said something that Mike and I have been saying for a long time - Quality time is not = to Quantity time. Kids need time - and lots of it. 10 minutes of quality is not equal to an hour of quantity. It is just not - they want more. They need more. Point to ponder as I deal with a busy lifestyle here. We just take our kids everywhere - cool or not.

Last night we went to the concert and it was so much fun. I did not really stay in my seat too much. I wandered around with Mike because he was taking care of misc. stuff that needed to be done. That is why I was there anyway - to get to hang with my hubbie since he had worked so hard to get to that point. We both were like - if we see the concert that is great - but just knowing it is going well is enough for us. We are alike in that manner. The satisfaction is not getting to enjoy the outcome, but in the success of having made it there and knowing that others are enjoying. That probably makes no sense at all, but it does to us.

This morning liam had a rough time in Sunday school - not listening again! It has almost become a regular thing and we are really out of ideas to punish him. He has had every kind of restriction and punishment we can think of and it is getting pretty hard to come up with things that affect him. This time of year when Mike is away is particularly hard on us because Liam does act out in this way when Mike is not around constantly. This makes me so thankful to have a husband that comes home every night and is actively involved in his kid's lives.

This weel at work is going to be tough. We have a deadlike on Oct 16 - taxes so all of it has to be done!

Pretty daunting right now, but we will manage.

Well - gonna go spend time with the boys - my boys :)

Mel
Melanie's daily grind

New to me

Ok - this is my first official blog. Thank you Mar for spurring me on to do this. I have never been a journaler (sp- by the way - never check my spelling - it will be wrong - I am a math person - I use spell check on computers) so we will see how this goes.

Today is the Randy Travis concert at MHB and Mike has been gone since 6 am. Pretty standard this time of year, but it is even more so these past couple of weeks. Yeah it is over today. He is also officiating a wedding this afternoon in Lampassas, so he is really running crazy today.

Boys are napping and I am ignoring laundry and my hair long enough to create this blog and start expressing myself - is that what this is - ah yes - therapy for those who can not afford to see a real phychiatrist - jk. Anyway - I think I will like this.

As you might have guessed - I am a little scarcastic when no one is directly listening - not the true sweet Mel that we all know and love - but at last - honest.

Liam and Noah are going with me to the new Kohl's this afternooon. I am going to use a free gift card I got in the mail. Love those freebies.

Well- duty calls - I promise I will get better at this. Noah is calling - nap over - shift into high gear!

Talk soon -