And so we have yet another ear infection.  Poor Lydia has really narrow ears and tear ducts which means she can’t drain her nose like a normal kid and thus every little thing turns into an ear infection.  So in two weeks if her ears have cleared up we will set a date to get tubes put in.  ARG.  It is not fun trying to keep a 6 month old from nursing or eating for 12 hours.  We had to get tubes for Madelyn when she was 13 months old.

Me, my husband, two males cats….and after 6am two little girls usally find there way in too!

I was reading an artical on Co-Sleeping and wondering Do you Co-Sleep?

When we moved here Madelyn was only 6months old and she didn’t take the move well.  With the stress of moving and taking on a new appointment (job) we just co-slept with her.  I really liked it, until the girl started rolling so much that I put a bed rail on our bed…then I came to my senses and kicked her out (well, not really we slowly transitioned her into her own room).  But I must say I enjoyed having my little one snuggling up to me.  I would wake up to her breathing so softly and her little hand holding on to my hair or her nursing (it was amazing how should could find the boob without me even noticing it).  However with Lydia I didn’t want Madelyn wondering why Lydia could sleep with us and she couldn’t, I also didn’t want to have to go through transitioning her out of our bed.  So Lydia has always ha her own bed.  I must say keeping married relations is much easier when you don’t have little ones in your bed! ;-P

What do you do?

So today was not that enjoyable, some days I hate being a boss so much that I think of firing everyone and just doing it all myself, that way I wouldn’t have to deal with people 10 to 20 years older than me acting worse than toddlers. AHHH. 

So while I am listening to an employee explain just why she didn’t do her job yesterday (the correct answer would have been, “captain I decided to take the day to sit on my duff while you were out of the office” but she made up some other sad sob story….Didn’t work she will be written up) I found out that one of our teens is pregnant.  I am so mixed about this.  It makes me disappointed, sad and increadibly angry.  I am disappointed that she is dating a man 10 years older than her (she is 17), I am disappointed that she chose to engage in sex outside of marriage.  I am sad that the baby will be born to a mom that is immature and not ready, that it will come into a broken home, and live a life on my dollar.  I am angry that her parents have encouraged this relationship and behavior and that society seems to think all of this sex and sexuallity is okay.  Arg.  I go to work day after day and have people coming in our doors needing help and it seems that 90% of the time it stems from immoral behavior.  Am I wasting my time? Will anything we do make a difference?  After days like today, I think I am wasting my time…maybe we should jump on the band wagan.

And that ends my RANT.

You all are such a breath of freash air.  Thank you for sharing a few hours at my house every week.

Don’t forget Tomorrow is Tuesday.

10:30 – mom’s group at St. Clares

3:30 pm – mom’s group at Katrina’s Crib!

Any and all are invited to both groups.  If you need directions please post a comment below saying that you need directions and I will email you them.

See ya tomorrow.

Our oldest is 2.5 years old.  Most of the time I like 2.  She is always doing something, saying something and figuring stuff out.  Saturday we spent a couple hours learning how to peddle…who would have known this could be so hard?  But we have figured it out (that is a great weight lost program. Bending over to help move feet, running trying to coach at the same time is very tricky).

We are also working on reading and memorizing.  We love the letter “M” (M for Madelyn and Mom and M&M).  We look for letters every where and we spell words all the time.  So far we can spell “potty, mom and dad”.  She can do two Bible verses (with help).

But with all of that fun stuff can I say that I can’t stand the lack of listening.  I miss the little one that does what you ask when you ask.  I am tired of repeating and repeating…boy we will be in a lot of trouble when we turn 16!

I miss the little baby bundle that sleeps all day and you can hold, but at the same time there is something fantastic about holding a conversation with a 2 year old.

 

***Sorry for my spelling and gramer, I am horrible at both*****

Here is more info on the clothes (I cut and pasted it from my press release, sorry it isn’t pasting right):

In order to help meet these needs, The Salvation Army of Wausau is again partnering with the Wausau Center Mall to collect donations of new clothes.  Donors can come to the school bus in the center court of the Wausau Center Mall in order to give to the Clothes For Kids program, where they can pick up an information card with the current sizes and needs of a specific child and then later drop off the new clothes at the same place.  The booth is staffed by volunteers from 11:00-2:00 and from 4:00-8:00, but there are also instructions for donors who wish to participate in the program at other times.  The Clothes For Kids Campaign runs from August 11 until August 22.  Donations may also be brought to The Salvation Army at 202 Callon Street in Wausau.

****Please leave your info on a card so I can have the kids write thank you notes, they need to learn manors and that life isn’t just hand outs….so I insist on them writing thank yous.***

Well as many of you know I have been claiming that I (Katrina, not Tara!) am “busy” a lot lately.  But you may think…what does she do?  Of course you know my husband and I are in charge of the local Salvation Army.  This means we are in charge of a store, a family services center (that is where all of the $$ aid happens) a church and a shelter.  We are both ordained pastors, so on top of being bosses, managers, workers we are also pastors.  But what is keeping me so busy?

Well just a three small things!

1. We are hosting a “block” party on Saturday the 23…come and check us out and win a lot of cool stuff and get free food (12 noon to 5pm at 103 s. Second Ave).  

89 Q

Applebee’s

Associated Bank

Cedar Creek Cinemas

Lodge at Cedar Creek

Coca-Cola

Cold Stone Creamery

County Market

CoVantage Credit Union

Culver’s

Days Bowl A Dome

Domino’s Pizza

Etco Electric

Family Video

Gander Mountain

2. Back to school clothes drive at the WC Mall.  Come down to center court and pick a child to buy a back-to-school outfit for.  These are kids who wear the same 2 or 3 outfits every day of their life…in fact some of them are wearing pants that now look like shorts…but should be pants.  One frustration is that people don’t think the 12 – 18 year olds should benefit from this program, but let me tell you the kids we pick are working on top of going to school and the money they make goes for family rent and other family bills.  They are in need.

3. We are doing a back to school party for the youth in our program and who recieve the aid.  Lots of fun and lots of work.  But the kids are worth it!

Not to mention we are indeed already working on the Christmas Kettle fundraising campaign. AHHH where did the summer go?

Here are some pictures of our cuties!

I think blogs are one of the coolest things out there.  They are really a lot easier than a lot of people think.  We have a family blog where I try to keep family members up to date with what we are doing, and how Finn is growing.  It’s really great fun and I’m using it as a detailed baby book so I have my pictures and comments to remind me of all the great memories we are making.  I really recommend you try it! 

Post your link to your blogs if you have one and would like to post it!  Also when you leave a comment and put in your name there is a spot for a web page…if you put your blog info in at that spot then your name (when you leave a comment) is a hot link to your blog.

Our family blog is http://onebrowndogandababy.blogspot.com

Starting next week (Tuesday the 18th) we will meet at my house around 3:30ish and can go to about 5:30 (at which time my 2 year old will be eating the kitchen table!).  I am so excited as this will hopefully work for the working moms.  Come at whatever time you can in that window of time.  And in a few weeks we will have to grill up some meat and have dinner!

If you need my address just let me know.

 

See ya Here in a week!