Single-parenting

n8 is gone for two days again this week. The children like to choose these days to drain me of any extra measure of grace and patience I may have had.

The day starts out with me sleep-deprived (how could it start any differently?)—we went to bed around midnight and Hannah and Eli woke up about 2-4 times last night because Hannah has been fighting a fever at night and Eli needs to get up because he does not want to be left out. I’m not sure why—it’s not like we’re partying. Then Eli woke up at 7a.m. and decided to stay up. Generally when he gets up this early, he nurses then goes back to sleep, but not this morning. Additionally, he woke up his sister who then also needed to stay up (“Hannah’s awake, Mommy.”). At this point, I would sell my firstborn son to get a full, uninterrupted sleep cycle in per night.

Breakfast. In the middle of it Hannah decides she has to go potty and poopy. I pop her out of her chair, she does her business, and I clean out her potty chair. Meanwhile, she runs into the kitchen, trips over a cord I had strung just for breakfast so I could hear the radio on the kitchen speakers while we ate. The speakers crash to the floor, but not before they knock a quart jar of homemade applesauce onto the floor, which shatters… Hannah cries, and so does Eli because he is compassionate and feels for her. I settle the children, they resume eating, I begin cleaning up the mess. Hannah is still traumatized, which means she isn’t going to eat anymore, and Eli has finished breakfast as well. Both whine to get down. Glass and dark runny sauce still cover much of the kitchen floor and part of the hallway. I have had TWO bites of my breakfast—mini wheats—which have by this time sogged so badly they are just about liquid.

I got through breakfast with just about all of my hair in my head, but I lost a few brain cells, I think, and I swore very quietly once.

Bathtime. The kids were enjoying themselves so I decided to clean the bathroom, a much-needed task. I tend to not multitask so well when I am sleep-deprived, and this loss of this gift did not bless me today. Since I was paying less attention to Hannah Kairos, she seized the opportunity to do something she loves to do but is not allowed to: she began transfering the bathtub water to the floor. She started with washcloths she would “accidentally” dangle over the edge. It became more intentional. Then came the cups and funnels of water. That was when the glimpses and noises that had brushed my senses finally entered my brain. An entire bath towel later, the bathroom floor was also clean, and I badly needed to do laundry.

I dressed Eli in the kids’ room, then search the house for Hannah. Nakedness frees that child in a way I do not quite comprehend, and causes her to dash around the house as fast as she can, so dressing her generally involves chasing the exhuberantly bare two-year-old before I can add clothing to her. During this time, she pooped again (in her potty). I finally dress her, finish getting myself ready to leave for the day’s errands, then look for Silent Eli so we can go. I discover that Eli never left their room. He discovered a new “game”. He found the diapers in the organizer behind the crib and decided to pull every last one of them out. I had just restuffed (tightly restuffed) the organizer the day before, so I know he removed about 44 diapers. He also found the box of wipes, figured out how to open it and removed half of them. I lock Eli in a corner, then throw the wipes in the box so they don’t dry out, then dig under the bed and crib for lost diapers. We finally get out of the house at 11:30.

Eli decides the car ride would be a good time for a nap. Hannah does too, five minutes before we get back home. The “nap” is long enough to make sure neither of them will go back to sleep when we return home. Hannah probably would have, but she pooped on the ride back (AGAIN!) and fully wakes up while getting changed. I put them down anyway for “rest,” more for my sanity than because I think they will sleep. I try to nap and the phone rings. I give up.

The children get up. This time Eli is poopy. I change him, then Hannah calls me and I (foolishly) leave him alone in their bedroom for the second time that day. I have enough brain cells to put one foot in front of another, which is honestly not enough to operate the “fore-knowledge” center that would have beeped, telling me that I am setting myself up for a repeat of this morning’s activities, now that Eli has discovered this new fun.

Ten minutes later I realize that Eli did not follow me out to the living room. In terror I run into the kids’ bedroom and find he has repeated his performance from earlier with a particular encore addition: he took out EVERY SINGLE wipe from the box. He discovered that he could stick his little arm in and reach down into the container and grab each one. Until it was empty. All 87 of them.

At supper Hannah almost throws up, but I give her some sparkling “juice” in a desperate attempt to calm her stomach and make her feel better. After two sips she has been revived, but not enough to eat. Instead she plays with her food, dumping spoonfuls of rice into her “juice” glass, then dumping the contents into her bowlful of food, which means I have to throw the food away instead of reheating it later and feeding her another meal from it… And of course while I am tending to her, Eli gets jealous of the attention and commits to squish each and every one of his vegetables and before hurling them to the floor. At least I don’t have to worry that much about missing any pieces of glass. After the third washing of the day, I probably got every one.

It is now 10 pm and I have been sitting on the floor rocking back and forth, hugging myself and humming since I put the kids to bed. I’m not sure how single parents do it.

Pictures and movies

Hey everyone,

We really enjoyed the pictures that were posted.  It always helps us feel connected.  And it’s been awhile since we’ve seen many pictures of Tim, so the ship pictures were fun!

And James, we weren’t able to view the video, something about copyright outside the US.  Amazing how some websites can be protected like that.

We’ll be posting pictures of Machu Picchu pretty soon, and probably a blog too.  But you could certainly pray about our lost cameras.  Upon getting out of the taxi at the airport to leave for Machu Picchu, I left our camera bag with two cameras, about $200 in cash, my Peruvian Resident ID card, and all of our travel documents.  Fortunately for the traveling, we were able to get by without them except for the flying, and we’re working on getting a police report for lost items so that the airlines will reimburse us for the plane tickets we bought.  So we really only are out the cost of the cameras and the cash… and God is good, we’ve been given some extra Christmas money from a couple churches (Bethel CRC and Oxboro) and a couple of supporters.  It would be hard to be in Peru without a camera!

UPDATE: Final Music video

So the final music video is finally online:

http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/red_jumpsuit_apparatus/artist.jhtml

Go watch it. It’s the False Pretense video.

James

Tim sailing away

I just posted new pictures of Tim getting underway on the photo site.

James

No boy clothes?

Bett and Nate, I’ve decided that it’s a good thing Hannah came along first. That little guy is getting dressed in all kinds of girly clothes (see photos)! Poor thing. By the way, we love the photo of the kids and the pictures from Hannah. Please tell her thank you.

Finally…it’s coming out

At long last, my final music video of 2006 is being released. It will officially be released on Monday, Jan. 22. But you can get a taste at Who Killed Ronnie. Just click on the trailer.

James

Hannah quotes

George & Ruth left not long ago with a few items for James and Cindy. We tried to get Hannah to leave a message for Auntie Cindy and Uncle Jamey.

Mommy: Hannah, is there anything you’d like to say to Auntie Cindy and Uncle Jamey?
Hannah: Mmm-Hmmmm. I have a new trait.

I’m not really sure what that is aside from talking incessantly, nor am I really sure where she picked up the word “trait,” but there you have it, Cindy and James.

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“I’m picking my boogers. There’s so many boogers. Look-et my boogers! I cleaned dem.” Shows Mommy her Kleenex.
“Eeew! Lellow (yellow)!” –Hannah Kairos

Once again

Hi to all.  Thought it was time I added a post to this site again.  We had a great Christmas–nice weather, fun guests–but all too short.  Now we have COLD!!  This morning I woke up to -16 degrees.  I don’t think it got real warm today either–predictions were for the single digits.  It is supposed to be cold for the next week or so.  I hope it warms up a little for when the Thompsons are here.  We are really looking forward to them coming for a week.  Sure wish they would stay here the whole week or at least leave the kids here .  Dad is now into tax season so I’m home alone quite a bit although I’m selling tickets at ballgames 1-2 time a week.  I also got an offer for a job at an antique store downtown Bozeman.  Not sure if I’ll take it though. Have to see how flexible she is and also what the pay is.  Tim leaves this coming week on deployment.  Hopefully we will be able to talk to him before he goes.  We now have his car here but it is just sitting in the driveway. I’m still using the van.  Probably will use it until it dies.

It was good to read your blog, James and Cindy.  Can hardly wait to come to Peru.  Don’t know when that will happen though.  Hopefully next early next fall.

Have a good weekend and next week.

Love to all, Mom