A little perspective

As most of you will soon realize this is not Kori writing this. You won't hear about what cute, funny or naughty things our kids have done lately. No pictures here either. I have never "blogged" before and I can't really believe I am doing this. I'm not much of a computer guy and don't have a facebook or myspace account. I think it's just a huge waste of time and am astonished by the amount of people who do this. Even my cousin Lance(his name has been kept the same to further make fun of him) is a facebooker. Really Lance? Seriously man, you always were the cool cousin, the older cousin who I looked up to. The gun shooting, animal slaying, cooking food on an open fire, mounting trophy bucks on the wall type of guy. What happened? I can just picture you now with your pinky finger up in the air holding your glass sipping an appletini or maybe even a cozmo! Why can't you just communicate like we did in the old days, send an e-mail dude! or if you want to go old school(thats what the kids say now) hop in your pick-up truck and stop for a visit. But anyway I digress. The reason I am writing is because recently I got some upsetting news. I have a hernia. Two in fact. While this isn't life altering, it is frustrating. While I had in fact suspected it for a while my better half told me to not worry about it. So I didn't, until now, and now I need to have surgery right away. Well guess what? That didn't work for me and I got quite upset. Upset at Kori for dismissing me ten months ago. Upset that Andrew's baseball team has just started practices and now(as his coach) I will miss several weeks. Upset that now I wont be able to finish the attic, which is Andrew's new room, until after the baby is born. Upset that in just a few weeks we could have our baby and I will be unable to help like I normally could. Upset that after nine months working on the same jobsite I won't be able to finish the biggest and hardest project I've ever worked on. So I went to work today upset, feeling sorry for myself and perhaps with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. The first person I ran into at the job was Bill, the site general contractor, the man who runs the whole entire project. I've gotten to know Bill pretty well these nine months so we chatted a bit and I remembered he had had a colonoscopy the day before. I asked him how it had gone, almost doing it out of politeness rather than concern. What I heard next was nothing I expected or was prepared for. With a bit of a wry smile he proceded to tell me that he had rectal cancer. The doctor told him that he would probably make it two more years, with extensive surgery, radiation and chemo. He would loose all of his sex drive and have a colostomy bag for the rest of his life. Two years. Two years. I looked at him and didn't know what to say or do. I told him I was sorry and just kinda stood there for a second taking in all that he had said and will be going through. And then he asked me about my hernia. My hernia, he's asking about my hernia. In four to six weeks my hernia will be but a memory and Bill will be going through his third round of chemo and he's asking me about my hernia. Even though nothing had changed, everything had changed. I can coach next month or next year. I can finish Andrew's room later, if we need to the new baby can sleep in the hallway. We have lots of friends and relatives to help us if the baby comes early. I was worried about all these little things that really don't matter a whole lot. It's all about perspective. I guess I needed a little perspective. I will no longer be so bothered by things that mean so little. I won't get mad at that driver who cuts me off and has to beat me to the next red light. I won't be so frustrated when dinner is burned, we all like frozen pizza anyway. It's all about perspective. Maybe you need a little perspective too. As you think about this today, pray for Bill. Bill has perspective, he just doesn't have much time left. Long after my hernia is healed and my baby is celebrating birthday number two, Bill's family will be burying him. I know there is one thing Lance and I will both be doing, we will both be hugging our kids a little tighter tonight. Pray for Bill and his wife today.

You have to check this out

Okay...following my last post with Kelli's comments about my expanding size...I may be sending my photos to this lady for some editing!! On the right hand side of this page under the links for Photography Inspiration, go to Ashley MacNamera's site and watch the video that is up (should be the most recent post)....It is unbelievable!!! There are butt cheeks, just want to warn you!

It's either laugh or cry...I choose laugh!

So two "kids say the darndest things" moments from Kelli this week....

#1...We are in Jewel, waiting for yet more prescriptions to be filled, and Kelli yells out..."Hey Mom!! Look over there!! They have crotches!!!" I look in the direction she is pointing and see she is talking about crutches!! "Emily, Look!!" she exclaims again, as I am trying to fight the laughter as to not crush her oversensitive spirit (wonder where she gets that from??)... "Crotches, just like the ones Daddy used to use!" I finally gain composure and bend down and say..."Kelli, its cr-uuuu-tches!!, crotch is another word you can use to describe your bottom!" Of course she was mortified that she had now yelled it twice...sweet thing!


#2...At dinner tonight I was giving Brian a recap of some of the talk radio I had listened to this morning. One segment talked about the taxes they are imposing on cigarettes and if it was fair to single out smokers, and wouldn't people just try harder to quit smoking if it was going to cost them more than they could afford and then the increase tax to fix our deficits would not be effective anyway. I still think they should impose the taxes even if it is for the sole purpose of giving smokers another reason to quit (because potential death apparantely isn'y enough of a reason) and then they should also charge a higher tax for foods that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup and Saturated fats, etc....maybe then people would quit eating junk and make healthier food choices. It is frustrating that it is so much cheaper to eat food that isn't good for you, than it is to eat fresh. And a nice conversation about what good food versus bad food does to our bodies ensued. Ending with the basic conclusion that if we make poor food choices we will get fat. To which Kelli then says...."Andrew you are not fat, Dad you are not fat, I am not fat." And then she looks at me and says, "Well, you are fat." and then she went back to eating with out skipping a beat! I burst into laughter, big belly shaking laughter, tears filling eyes laughter! Brian, bless his heart, explained that I was getting bigger because of the baby growing inside. I of course didn't argue that or give any insight on the food choices that I have made during this pregnancy that have added more than a few unnecessary pounds that are oh so easy to blame on eating for two!!

New chart is in effect....week 2!

As the arrival of Baby #4 approaches I have been thinking of ways to make life flow more fluidly in our home. I also have wanted to teach the older kids about responsibility and that there are some things they could be doing to help out the family. But I also wanted to do it in a way that is appealing to a 7 and 5 year old. And of course there is a selfish element...I don't want to do it all myself! =) As I was lying in bed a while back, trying to get my brood of pillows in to their perfect position for a good nights sleep, I had this idea....



First I made a list of all the chores they can do already and then thought of a few more that they can learn to do, and if not done perfectly will not drive me crazy, and then some bonus chores that were optional.

Then I took a picture to represent each of those chores and printed them out and laminated them after putting a brief explanation on the back of what the chore entailed. There are daily, must be completed chores (brushing teeth morning and night, make beds, room is picked up and vacuum ready). There are weekly chores that they swap each week (setting the table, clearing the table and wiping it down, vacuuming their room, vacuuming the living room, vacuuming the stairs, cleaning the bathrooms) and then the bonus chores (reading for 30 minutes, coloring a picture or writing a note for someone, memorizing a bible verse or doing an extra job for mom or dad).

The chart itself is just a piece of poster board, with mini clothes pins to hold the chore cards and two pockets, one to hold completed chore cards and one to hold their earnings...pennies. For each completed card they earn a penny at the end of the day.

The pennies are then used for tv and computer time. 5 pennies = 30 minutes.

So far this has worked WONDERFULLY!!! It has also been a great lesson as to what jobs we just do because it is a part of being a family. For example...turning a light off that someone else left on is not considered an extra job for mom or dad, but just a part of being a family...as is getting Emily in her seat, or getting a loaf of bread out of the freezer, or playing with Emily while mom makes lunch, etc...

I also like it because the chore cards can change as the kids get older!! Hoping it sticks!!

Thanks for voting!

Thanks so much for your help making this difficult decision!! The polls closed last night at midnight and Photo #7 was the clear winner!! I was secretly rooting for a picture of my sweet niece to win, so I will enjoy seeing sweet Teagan each time I go to my doctors office and am excited that she is doing some great advertising for me! I will be sure and take pictures of the finished product framed and up in the office to share with you!! Thanks again!!

I need your help!

Okay...I have the opportunity to do some advertising for Kori Mauch Photography in my OB doctors office. I am going to be doing an 11x14 picture in a 16x20 black frame. I just cant decide on what picture to use! SO below is what I have it narrowed down to...Cast your vote on the right hand side of the blog! Voting will close on Wednesday at midnight!

Photo #1


Photo #2


Photo #3


Photo #4


Photo #5


Photo #6


Photo #7


Photo #8

A Season of Sickness

For the past 2 months we have been back and forth to the doctor over and over again for one sickness or another....Strep throat...wheezing...coughing...ear aches...strep throat...pink eye...ear drainage...unexplained fever for almost 9 days...the list just goes on and on...And in the midst of all this Andrew has come home with notes on two different occasions that have stated that there was cases of lice in his classroom. A total of 6 kids have been sent home from his class! As of yet we have been spared, praise the Lord! I had to laugh the other morning when I took everything off the bread box to clean it...we have our own little pharmacy/healthfood store...I CANNOT wait for warmer weather to stay around! I want to open all the windows and let the fresh air chase out the germs and stale winter air that have accumulated! Until this week I had avoided all this sickness, but now it is my turn...It is amazing how a sore throat and pink eye can just wipe a pregnant woman out! I think it is supposed to be in the 60's early next week....spring just can't come quick enough!




Our pharmacy/healthfood store:
Acid controller and tums for my heartburn...with this pregnancy even water gives me heartburn

Omega Swirl Cod Liver Oil...my mom gave me some research that stated that women who took fish oil in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy had babies with less incidences of childhood asthma...since I have 2 with asthma, I thought I better give this a try

Sweet Echinacea for Emily

My flinstones and folic acid (prenatal vitamins make me sick!)

Emily's vitamins

The KZine are digestive enzymes that I give Emily every morning...she has had some reflux and this has seemed to help

Vit C and Echinacea for the older two

teething tablets for Emily...workin on her 2 year molars already

Vitamins for the kids

Andrews Inhaler and singular that he takes every night to control his asthma

and ear drops for Emily's nasty draining ear

Brians Vitamins

I don't even want to add up what all this costs???!!!

The Belly!

Well I finally got around to asking Brian to take some photos of my ever expanding belly! 27 weeks this week, officially in the 3rd trimester! It is going SO fast!! I change my mind almost every day as to whether I think it is a boy or girl! The kids are getting excited and have begun suggesting names for their new brother or sister...so far they haven't suggested the ones we have selected! =) Brian has been faithfully working up in the attic getting that room ready for Andrew and I have been rearranging the house in my head and on graph paper to try and figure out the best arrangement for all of us to be most comfortable and for family life to flow as smoothly as possible after the little one comes! For the first time yesterday I had a glimpse of excitement about this being my last baby. It was short lived, but at least it happened! Emily has had a fever for 6 days so she was sleeping in (after being up for several hours during the night) when we took these...I will be sure and get some with her when she is better!

She reminds me of Andrew...

Not only do they look alike...they act alike...I can remember calling Andrew a monkey all the time when he was this age! Today Emily, even with her 102 degree fever was drinking her water in the dining room while I was cleaning the kitchen and I came in to check on her and this is what I found! After taking a few pics, removing her and explaining she can't climb on the table I spent the morning continuing to remind her that she can't climb up onto the table as I took her down over and over again! =) Little stinker...like her big brother! They keep me on my toes!!!

Can't believe it has almost been a month!!

Boy do I feel behind! I can't believe that Feb 10th was the last time I posted! We have been busy, but really just enjoying life together! Things have started to slow down a little (at least as far as my commitments) and I hope to just be home more and taking it easy as I get further along in the pregnancy! I am 25 weeks...can't believe how fast this is going! I am doing good for the most part...having some tailbone discomfort, but am going to the chiropractor and have been helped immensely! I have been having some contractions, but since this is my 4th baby, that is to be expected, and my doctor is comfortable with the amount I am having. So we will just keep truckin along! Brian has continued to work on the attic and it is going to be the most awesome room, especially for a 7 year old boy!! We are hoping to have that wrapped up within a month or so! Kelli is spending a few days in Freeport with her grandpa and grandma and we will join her there tomorrow to celebrate the birthdays of two of my sweet nieces! Today was such a beautiful day and it was great to spend the afternoon outside. It was especially enjoyable to watch Emily discover the great outdoors! She was fasinated! Hope you had a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather as well!! Come on Spring!!!