Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
7 quick takes
1- I know that They Might Be Giants is not everyone's cup of tea. But an accordian + clever lyrics = my cup of tea.
2 - The reason Birdhouse in Your Soul is in my head is because of my latest post at Virtuous Planet, Virgin Mary Nitelite. I pretty much always associate nitelites with TMBG's song. I'm sure I'm not the only one! Also, if you need a good reason to read the post you may be interested in how I pretty much call a bunch of people snobs. I hope no one takes it personally.
3 - Hey! Exciting new! Kate Wicker is coming to the Behold Conference as one of our keynote speakers! I was able to speak with her on the phone today and she was just wonderful. (Of course all three of my kids woke up from their naps during the conversation, and while I was trying to speak with her and sound intelligent I was holding James and trying to keep him quiet and happy. But she's gracious enough to overlook that.) Anyways, it's going to be a fabulous conference and I hope you can join us on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at the East Peoria Embassy Suites.
4 - Tomorrow morning we have family pictures with Travis' siblings and parents. It'll be really nice having a new family pic since we haven't had any since Lydia was a baby. I also look forward to some really cute pics of the kids. I'm not too thrilled about having my fat self photographed, but maybe I can stand behind Trav or always hold James. Maybe.
5 - I am half way through the 5th season of Lost. I am taking suggestions for a new show to watch.
6 - I have a daughter who wants to be held. I need to go.
7 - Have a good weekend, everyone! God's blessing be upon you!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
puny hubby
Travis: We need a new lawnmower.
Me: Why? What's wrong with our old one?
Travis: It just doesn't cut it anymore.
Me: bwahahahahaha!
Travis: Why are you laughing?
Me: Why? What's wrong with our old one?
Travis: It just doesn't cut it anymore.
Me: bwahahahahaha!
Travis: Why are you laughing?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Lydia's First Holy Communion
"Can I have a little white cookie?" Lydia has asked this question frequently. We have explained that she needs to have a better understanding of what that little white host is - Who it is - before she can have one for the first time. We explained that she needed to better understand her faith before she could have her first holy communion.
Cut to the other day we were driving past a Catholic church and, like we usually do, we crossed ourselves and said, "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!"
"Why do we say that, Mommy?" my bright little 3 year old asked.
I explained what it means to praise someone, and why we call Jesus 'Lord' and 'Christ.'
"Now that I know that can I have the Eucharist?" It seemed she thought her formation was complete.
I asked why she wanted the Eucharist. "So I can be like you and Daddy." Not a bad answer but not the best so I dug a little deeper asking how she wants to be like us. If she said she wanted to love Jesus like we do or grow in holiness or be a good Catholic then I would have considered talking to the priest.
Instead she said, "I want to be able to pour my own cereal."
Nope. Not ready for Holy Communion.
I want to instill in my kids a deep love of God. I want them to understand and appreciate the salvation He gained for them, the Sonship He has given them, and the Love He continually pours out to them. I want them to know Scripture and believe that when Jesus says, "This is my body," he means it. I want them to honor and worship that Body. They Body which saved them. I want them to know that "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man you have no life within you" and I want them to have eternal life.
The Eucharist is a big deal to me. I want It to be a big deal to them, too.
So you can probably imagine how upset I was when I found out that Lydia had her first communion on Sunday.
The story goes like this: Attending Mass with my parents, Lydia got into the communion line with her arms crossed. With my mom right behind her she got a blessing from the person distributing the Sacred Host. She then walked over to the person with the cup. Our parish rarely distributes from the cup so I'm not sure Lydia even knew what was happening. My mom, thinking Lydia would receive a blessing, let her go. The man leaned down to her, my 3 year old daughter with her arms across her chest - the universal signal of "I can't receive - give me a blessing", and he said,
"Do you want a sip?"
Whaaaaat?!!!? This man is either poorly catechized, poorly trained, or both. It's probably both. The lack of reverence for our Eucharistic Lord is shocking and sad. I'm upset that the man disreguarded her size and crossed arms - he should have known that she was too young to have communion.
So I called the church where it happened so they retrain the extraordinary ministers or something. I also called my pastor, which I'm really glad I did. He told me not to get really upset. He merciful towards the man who had messed up (a good example for me) and he explained that while Lydia had partaken in the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ, and it had chronologically been her first communion it was not her First Holy Communion. Father R. explained that since the intention of the priest and Lydia was not for it to be her First Holy Communion it didn't, in some ways, count. I should have realized that since intentions do count.
I'm still upset though.
Cut to the other day we were driving past a Catholic church and, like we usually do, we crossed ourselves and said, "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!"
"Why do we say that, Mommy?" my bright little 3 year old asked.
I explained what it means to praise someone, and why we call Jesus 'Lord' and 'Christ.'
"Now that I know that can I have the Eucharist?" It seemed she thought her formation was complete.
I asked why she wanted the Eucharist. "So I can be like you and Daddy." Not a bad answer but not the best so I dug a little deeper asking how she wants to be like us. If she said she wanted to love Jesus like we do or grow in holiness or be a good Catholic then I would have considered talking to the priest.
Instead she said, "I want to be able to pour my own cereal."
Nope. Not ready for Holy Communion.
I want to instill in my kids a deep love of God. I want them to understand and appreciate the salvation He gained for them, the Sonship He has given them, and the Love He continually pours out to them. I want them to know Scripture and believe that when Jesus says, "This is my body," he means it. I want them to honor and worship that Body. They Body which saved them. I want them to know that "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man you have no life within you" and I want them to have eternal life.
The Eucharist is a big deal to me. I want It to be a big deal to them, too.
So you can probably imagine how upset I was when I found out that Lydia had her first communion on Sunday.
The story goes like this: Attending Mass with my parents, Lydia got into the communion line with her arms crossed. With my mom right behind her she got a blessing from the person distributing the Sacred Host. She then walked over to the person with the cup. Our parish rarely distributes from the cup so I'm not sure Lydia even knew what was happening. My mom, thinking Lydia would receive a blessing, let her go. The man leaned down to her, my 3 year old daughter with her arms across her chest - the universal signal of "I can't receive - give me a blessing", and he said,
"Do you want a sip?"
Whaaaaat?!!!? This man is either poorly catechized, poorly trained, or both. It's probably both. The lack of reverence for our Eucharistic Lord is shocking and sad. I'm upset that the man disreguarded her size and crossed arms - he should have known that she was too young to have communion.
So I called the church where it happened so they retrain the extraordinary ministers or something. I also called my pastor, which I'm really glad I did. He told me not to get really upset. He merciful towards the man who had messed up (a good example for me) and he explained that while Lydia had partaken in the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ, and it had chronologically been her first communion it was not her First Holy Communion. Father R. explained that since the intention of the priest and Lydia was not for it to be her First Holy Communion it didn't, in some ways, count. I should have realized that since intentions do count.
I'm still upset though.
Friday, October 21, 2011
7 quick takes
1. Happy listening!
2. The song I was going to use this week was Wir Sind Heldon's Gekommen um zu bleiben but I wasn't able to embed the video. If you are in the mood for some good German pop music, click on the link. It's a cute video, too. Oh, and I have no idea what the song is about, but give me credit for knowing that "wir sind heldon" means "we are heroes."
3. My latest post at Virtuous Planet is about things I'd tell myself if I could go back to when I was engaged. A quote: Travis thinks it’s hilarious to catch crickets and put them on floating pieces of toilet paper so they’re waiting for you when you need to go to the bathroom. Watch out.
Go read the post and leave a comment sharing what you would tell yourself - or me! - if you could go back in time.
4. Another post at VP had this line in it: My only concern was how to hold on to my opinion of the war and still be a good Catholic. That floored me and made me wonder how often I do the same thing. I'm a pretty proud, stubborn person and so I hate being wrong. I'm sure there's all kinds of situations where I find a loophole or excuse so I can maintain my views and still consider myself a good person, Catholic, leader, mom, wife, whatever. If you want to read the whole post, go here.
5. In other news: James has taken his first steps! 13 months old and the little boy is on his way to walking! He has also started waving. I know that most babies do that much earlier but I'm the kind of mom who is unaware of milestones so when I was asked at his 12 month check ups if he could wave I thought to myself, "I guess I should work on that with him." Oops!
6. I've been grumpy lately. We could even say bitchy. Travis and my friend Tonya would both nod their head in agreement. So would my kids. Not that they know what "bitchy" means, but Lydia keeps yelling at me that I need to 'get happy!' Maybe if we all slept through the night and didn't wake up until 9am I could work on it.
7. In a nearby town there is an old mental institution; supposedly it is haunted and super creepy. They are having a haunted house there through the end of the month. None of this would bother me except that a relative of mine lived there for awhile, back in the day when nursing homes were only for the very rich and she need constant care. I can't tell if I'm over-reacting, but I don't like people going there, trying to find a ghost. Sad things happened there and, from what I've read, people's dignity wasn't always respected. I'm sure there are some not holy things going on there though I don't believe my relative is haunting the place. But I'm still disapproving of people trying to get a cheap thrill at the expense of the people who lived there.
What do you think? Am I over-reacting?
2. The song I was going to use this week was Wir Sind Heldon's Gekommen um zu bleiben but I wasn't able to embed the video. If you are in the mood for some good German pop music, click on the link. It's a cute video, too. Oh, and I have no idea what the song is about, but give me credit for knowing that "wir sind heldon" means "we are heroes."
3. My latest post at Virtuous Planet is about things I'd tell myself if I could go back to when I was engaged. A quote: Travis thinks it’s hilarious to catch crickets and put them on floating pieces of toilet paper so they’re waiting for you when you need to go to the bathroom. Watch out.
Go read the post and leave a comment sharing what you would tell yourself - or me! - if you could go back in time.
4. Another post at VP had this line in it: My only concern was how to hold on to my opinion of the war and still be a good Catholic. That floored me and made me wonder how often I do the same thing. I'm a pretty proud, stubborn person and so I hate being wrong. I'm sure there's all kinds of situations where I find a loophole or excuse so I can maintain my views and still consider myself a good person, Catholic, leader, mom, wife, whatever. If you want to read the whole post, go here.
5. In other news: James has taken his first steps! 13 months old and the little boy is on his way to walking! He has also started waving. I know that most babies do that much earlier but I'm the kind of mom who is unaware of milestones so when I was asked at his 12 month check ups if he could wave I thought to myself, "I guess I should work on that with him." Oops!
6. I've been grumpy lately. We could even say bitchy. Travis and my friend Tonya would both nod their head in agreement. So would my kids. Not that they know what "bitchy" means, but Lydia keeps yelling at me that I need to 'get happy!' Maybe if we all slept through the night and didn't wake up until 9am I could work on it.
7. In a nearby town there is an old mental institution; supposedly it is haunted and super creepy. They are having a haunted house there through the end of the month. None of this would bother me except that a relative of mine lived there for awhile, back in the day when nursing homes were only for the very rich and she need constant care. I can't tell if I'm over-reacting, but I don't like people going there, trying to find a ghost. Sad things happened there and, from what I've read, people's dignity wasn't always respected. I'm sure there are some not holy things going on there though I don't believe my relative is haunting the place. But I'm still disapproving of people trying to get a cheap thrill at the expense of the people who lived there.
What do you think? Am I over-reacting?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
making peace with attachment parenting
Before I was a mom I was pretty confident that I would be an ap (attachment parenting) mom. My babies would be in slings, I wouldn't have a nap schedule, we'd probably co-sleep, and I'd do "time-ins" instead of "time outs." All of this builds confidence in children and promotes "peaceful parenting", as ap-ers would explain.
And then I gave birth.
I quickly learned that my kid did not like slings, wraps, or anything else carrying her that wasn't my two arms. I also learned that if I didn't schedule my day - including time for a nap - and have everything at roughly the same time every day my kid would not thrive and I would fall apart. It didn't take long to realize I did not sleep well with my baby in bed with me. In fact, I don't sleep well with my babies in the same room as me! And when I am mad at my child the last thing I want is for anyone to talk to me or touch me. A time out is beneficial for me, probably more so than my kids.
What I learned is that I don't like a lot of physical touch, something that ap seemed to be pretty big on.
I did not see any of this coming.
For awhile I tried to fight myself, convinced that what the attachment parents were saying was true: my children would be stupid, hoarding, serial killers if I didn't wear them in slings, co-sleep, homeschool, never force a nap time, never let them cry for more than 2 minutes.
Of course those weren't their exact words but the tone and body language of most ap moms I knew made me feel like a horrible excuse for a parent and a complete failure of a mother because what worked for them and what nature clearly intends for children to need in order to thrive didn't work for me.
See what I mean? That language, "what nature clearly intends for children to need in order to thrive;" was some exact words - or variations of - and so of course the ap movement made me feel like crap! I was very, very hurt. I was struggling in my role of motherhood and I was especially troubled because I thought it would be so easy. Yet the very way I was told to parent - the way I was told Nature (and therefore GOD) wanted us to parent - was not how I wanted to parent. It wasn't working for me. I became angry and resentful towards a lot of those women, especially when they'd post a link to some study on Facebook, citing how moms who let their kids cry for more than 5 minutes are raising damaged monsters.
Honestly, I think I got hit harder with all of this because I'm part of two groups (natural-family-planning-practicing Catholics and home birthers) that are a lot more ap then other groups I've encountered, in part because of the big emphasis on breastfeeding.
Trying to do "peaceful parenting" made me exhausted and worn thin. So much so that when things didn't go well I would scream my head off, punch the walls, and curse at my kids. When I tried explaining this to ap-ers I was told to do a "time-in" with my kids, hugging them instead of sending them to time out. They didn't seem to get it. And my life, home, and parenting was anything but peaceful.
It took me awhile, but I finally figured out what I need to do to parent my kids successfully. We have a schedule. Quiet time/nap time happens at about the same time every day. I will keep my kids up a little bit longer so all three nap at the same time because I need quiet time, too. I nurse my kids in a chair in the middle of the night - not in bed. I introduce a bottle fairly early so I can go out and be by myself.
I'm sure to some I sound like a horrible, monster of a mother. But I really need to not touch my kids all day long. I really need a good hour break in the middle of the day when no one talks to me, hugs me, kisses me, sits on my lap or comes close. Having these breaks allows me to give plenty of physical affection to my children during the rest of the day. Maybe it's the introvert in me coming out; whatever it is, it's the way I need it to be.
I am a better mom for it. Those breaks are my sanity. Seriously.
In the end it was figuring out what "peaceful parenting" looked like in my home that made me let go of a lot of the hurt I felt towards the attachment parenting people I know. I also started telling them how their language made me feel belittled and unfairly judged. I started discussing with them my experiences in parenting. And suddenly they started apologizing, empathizing, and explaining things in less polarizing ways.
Of course there may have been a few fights I picked on Facebook along the way, but I'm pretty embarrassed about those now that my anger is gone. If you were on the receiving end of my pettiness, I'm sorry!
I do not consider myself a "peaceful parent" - not in the way the attachment parenting movement would explain it. But I would consider myself a good mom, and so would m thriving, happy, healthy kids. And that's what matters.
And then I gave birth.
I quickly learned that my kid did not like slings, wraps, or anything else carrying her that wasn't my two arms. I also learned that if I didn't schedule my day - including time for a nap - and have everything at roughly the same time every day my kid would not thrive and I would fall apart. It didn't take long to realize I did not sleep well with my baby in bed with me. In fact, I don't sleep well with my babies in the same room as me! And when I am mad at my child the last thing I want is for anyone to talk to me or touch me. A time out is beneficial for me, probably more so than my kids.
What I learned is that I don't like a lot of physical touch, something that ap seemed to be pretty big on.
I did not see any of this coming.
For awhile I tried to fight myself, convinced that what the attachment parents were saying was true: my children would be stupid, hoarding, serial killers if I didn't wear them in slings, co-sleep, homeschool, never force a nap time, never let them cry for more than 2 minutes.
Of course those weren't their exact words but the tone and body language of most ap moms I knew made me feel like a horrible excuse for a parent and a complete failure of a mother because what worked for them and what nature clearly intends for children to need in order to thrive didn't work for me.
See what I mean? That language, "what nature clearly intends for children to need in order to thrive;" was some exact words - or variations of - and so of course the ap movement made me feel like crap! I was very, very hurt. I was struggling in my role of motherhood and I was especially troubled because I thought it would be so easy. Yet the very way I was told to parent - the way I was told Nature (and therefore GOD) wanted us to parent - was not how I wanted to parent. It wasn't working for me. I became angry and resentful towards a lot of those women, especially when they'd post a link to some study on Facebook, citing how moms who let their kids cry for more than 5 minutes are raising damaged monsters.
Honestly, I think I got hit harder with all of this because I'm part of two groups (natural-family-planning-practicing Catholics and home birthers) that are a lot more ap then other groups I've encountered, in part because of the big emphasis on breastfeeding.
Trying to do "peaceful parenting" made me exhausted and worn thin. So much so that when things didn't go well I would scream my head off, punch the walls, and curse at my kids. When I tried explaining this to ap-ers I was told to do a "time-in" with my kids, hugging them instead of sending them to time out. They didn't seem to get it. And my life, home, and parenting was anything but peaceful.
It took me awhile, but I finally figured out what I need to do to parent my kids successfully. We have a schedule. Quiet time/nap time happens at about the same time every day. I will keep my kids up a little bit longer so all three nap at the same time because I need quiet time, too. I nurse my kids in a chair in the middle of the night - not in bed. I introduce a bottle fairly early so I can go out and be by myself.
I'm sure to some I sound like a horrible, monster of a mother. But I really need to not touch my kids all day long. I really need a good hour break in the middle of the day when no one talks to me, hugs me, kisses me, sits on my lap or comes close. Having these breaks allows me to give plenty of physical affection to my children during the rest of the day. Maybe it's the introvert in me coming out; whatever it is, it's the way I need it to be.
I am a better mom for it. Those breaks are my sanity. Seriously.
In the end it was figuring out what "peaceful parenting" looked like in my home that made me let go of a lot of the hurt I felt towards the attachment parenting people I know. I also started telling them how their language made me feel belittled and unfairly judged. I started discussing with them my experiences in parenting. And suddenly they started apologizing, empathizing, and explaining things in less polarizing ways.
Of course there may have been a few fights I picked on Facebook along the way, but I'm pretty embarrassed about those now that my anger is gone. If you were on the receiving end of my pettiness, I'm sorry!
I do not consider myself a "peaceful parent" - not in the way the attachment parenting movement would explain it. But I would consider myself a good mom, and so would m thriving, happy, healthy kids. And that's what matters.
Friday, October 14, 2011
crazy Bonnie
My new post at Virtuous Planet is like one from the good ole days. It's a "I'm a crazy, stressed-out mom" post!
So if you need to feel some company, check it out!
So if you need to feel some company, check it out!
Monday, October 10, 2011
a couple things I've loved recently
Happy Columbus Day! Over the weekend I came across a few things which I thought were worth sharing. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
First, Jen has a great article over at the National Catholic Register blog on aprons. I have two aprons and I LOVE them. Both were gifts and are wonderful. Lydia actually has a couple of aprons and together, decked in our apron of the day, we cook, bake, clean, and look cute. Go check the article out!
Second,
I love this song! I have no idea what it's about, but make it part of your soundtrack for the week.
Third, this article about how annoying it is when people use two spaces after a period is annoying. (Please note that I used two spaces just now.) But the comments are awesome.
They are, of course, awesome only because I agree with them, and if I didn't I'd think the article is awesome and the comments annoying. But I don't care. Being a snob about how many times people hit the space bar at the end of a sentence makes you pretty ridiculous. If you're gonna be a snob about something at least pick something respectable, like wine or cheese or literature. ;)
First, Jen has a great article over at the National Catholic Register blog on aprons. I have two aprons and I LOVE them. Both were gifts and are wonderful. Lydia actually has a couple of aprons and together, decked in our apron of the day, we cook, bake, clean, and look cute. Go check the article out!
Second,
I love this song! I have no idea what it's about, but make it part of your soundtrack for the week.
Third, this article about how annoying it is when people use two spaces after a period is annoying. (Please note that I used two spaces just now.) But the comments are awesome.
They are, of course, awesome only because I agree with them, and if I didn't I'd think the article is awesome and the comments annoying. But I don't care. Being a snob about how many times people hit the space bar at the end of a sentence makes you pretty ridiculous. If you're gonna be a snob about something at least pick something respectable, like wine or cheese or literature. ;)
Friday, October 7, 2011
7 quick takes
I'm on Season 4 of Lost. I am additcted to this show now, though I'm not liking this season as much. But for all those people who love Lost, I dedicate this song to you. I have not been able to get it out of my head.
--- 2 ---
New post at Virtuous Planet! This one is on Halloween. I know the holiday is still a few weeks away, but I wanted to give us all time to think about it and share ideas. I'm specifically asking readers to share how the keep the holiday in thier own home and if they have any great saint costumes. Come join the fun!
We are having a heat wave and I don't know if I like it. What about you? I want jeans and cardigans but instead the kids and I are all wearing shorts again. This is October - I want it cool!
But maybe I should just shut up because Travis told me he heard some hard news about this winter from Brian Williams. Supposedly, the weathermen are suggesting that the Chicago area will have the coldest and hardest winter in the country. We're supposed to get double our normal amount of snow. Fortunately I live 3 hours south of Chicago, but I'm still thinking we may have a few more snow days this year.
--- 6 ---
Okay, it's time to stop blogging. My house needs to be vacuumed.
What should you be doing instead of reading this? :)
\For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
A Mother's Love
A Mother's Love- Healing Retreat After a Pregnancy Loss
If you have suffered any type of pregnancy loss and are looking for healing, please join A Mother's Love group for our semi-annual healing retreat. The retreat will take place on October 22 at St. Philomena Church. The doors open at 8:30 AM, and the retreat goes form 9-3. There is no cost, and lunch and snacks will be provided. Please e-mail amotherslove2@gmail.com to register to help us get a count for food. There is also registration available the day of the retreat. Contact RyAnne Carr if you have any questions at 309-253-0314 or at the e-mail above.
Please help spread the word about this retreat day! You can submit the above to your church bulletin, post it on Facebook, or tell mothers who have lost a child in pregnancy about it! This type of ministry is so needed in our Church!
Also, if you are interested, A Mother's Love meets the second Monday of the month beginning at 6pm at St. Phil's in Peoria.
If you have suffered any type of pregnancy loss and are looking for healing, please join A Mother's Love group for our semi-annual healing retreat. The retreat will take place on October 22 at St. Philomena Church. The doors open at 8:30 AM, and the retreat goes form 9-3. There is no cost, and lunch and snacks will be provided. Please e-mail amotherslove2@gmail.com to register to help us get a count for food. There is also registration available the day of the retreat. Contact RyAnne Carr if you have any questions at 309-253-0314 or at the e-mail above.
Please help spread the word about this retreat day! You can submit the above to your church bulletin, post it on Facebook, or tell mothers who have lost a child in pregnancy about it! This type of ministry is so needed in our Church!
Also, if you are interested, A Mother's Love meets the second Monday of the month beginning at 6pm at St. Phil's in Peoria.
Monday, October 3, 2011
blue and red lights on a Saturday night
There I was sitting on my sofa in my pj's, pink robe, and slippers. James was down for the night in the next room over and I was watching How to Tame Your Dragon and sending some emails. Travis, Lydia, and Bennet were all gone for the night.
All was good until I heard a noise. Unsure of what it was, I told myself that James had just snorted/snored rather loudly. But then I heard it again, the sound of a ping pong ball dropping on a hard floor and then bouncing across it. POP pop pop pop pop pop.
My heart started to pound. I was afraid someone was trying to break into our house, having come through our cellar door (which is twice locked) and then up the basement steps (the door to the basement is also locked, and blocked by a large toy. Hear that, bad guys?!! You can't get in!) My other thought was that a mouse was in the house and had knocked over a toy.
A mouse is equally terrifying as a robber in my book.
So I called Travis because if it was a robber and he attacked me then Travis could call 911 and tell them where I was. I mean, if I'm being attacked I can't tell a dispatcher my address and emergency, can I? No.
Seeing that all was still in the kitchen and with Travis safely on the phone I walked into the downstairs bathroom, continuing my investigation. The bathroom smelled bad, and there was smoke right above the sink.
If there's smoke there's gotta be a fire. I was afraid it was coming from the outlet - there was nothing else that could have caused it and it smelled metallic.
If my daring husband had been home he would have had me go to James and quickly done some investigating. But he was on the road, driving home from Wisconsin with a friend and so I was on my own. I hung up the phone, got James, and sat in the mini-van to call 911.
I knew that if I called 911 they would send all kinds of people. I was right. I police officer responded right away. I heard his siren and saw his lights before he turned down my street. I was impressed with his bravery as he went into the house. A county cop then showed up and went in, too. He was calling for more people on his shoulder walkie-talkie.
In the end there was a full-sized firetruck, 3-4 fire and rescue trucks, and 3-4 cop cars parked around my house, all with their lights on. A bunch of men stood around in my yard, shooting the breeze. More men walked around my house and I thought, "I don't think there's any underwear laying around upstairs. I'm so glad I cleaned the kids' rooms and the bathrooms." I was standing on the sidewalk in my bright pink robe, holding a confused and sleepy James. I knew all my neighbors were looking. I felt like an idiot.
And the problem? It was a lightbulb. The lightbulb had short circuited or something (they showed me the burn marks on it) though the bulb wasn't busted and the light fixture itself was fine. The cone-shaped lightbulb-cover thing shot the smoke down, which is why it hovered over the sink and not near the ceiling. They checked for radon and called it good.
I apologized for them having to come out because of a lightbulb but they all reassured me that I did the right thing. Many of them had been at night our house the night James was born and they were happy to see him. One of the firefighters, a man named Dennis, I actually remembered from James' birth. He held my hand while they worked on James, something I thought was incredibly kind. I thanked him for doing that and the other men looked at him with little grins on their faces.
So that was my Saturday night. I hope yours was less eventful!
All was good until I heard a noise. Unsure of what it was, I told myself that James had just snorted/snored rather loudly. But then I heard it again, the sound of a ping pong ball dropping on a hard floor and then bouncing across it. POP pop pop pop pop pop.
My heart started to pound. I was afraid someone was trying to break into our house, having come through our cellar door (which is twice locked) and then up the basement steps (the door to the basement is also locked, and blocked by a large toy. Hear that, bad guys?!! You can't get in!) My other thought was that a mouse was in the house and had knocked over a toy.
A mouse is equally terrifying as a robber in my book.
So I called Travis because if it was a robber and he attacked me then Travis could call 911 and tell them where I was. I mean, if I'm being attacked I can't tell a dispatcher my address and emergency, can I? No.
Seeing that all was still in the kitchen and with Travis safely on the phone I walked into the downstairs bathroom, continuing my investigation. The bathroom smelled bad, and there was smoke right above the sink.
If there's smoke there's gotta be a fire. I was afraid it was coming from the outlet - there was nothing else that could have caused it and it smelled metallic.
If my daring husband had been home he would have had me go to James and quickly done some investigating. But he was on the road, driving home from Wisconsin with a friend and so I was on my own. I hung up the phone, got James, and sat in the mini-van to call 911.
I knew that if I called 911 they would send all kinds of people. I was right. I police officer responded right away. I heard his siren and saw his lights before he turned down my street. I was impressed with his bravery as he went into the house. A county cop then showed up and went in, too. He was calling for more people on his shoulder walkie-talkie.
In the end there was a full-sized firetruck, 3-4 fire and rescue trucks, and 3-4 cop cars parked around my house, all with their lights on. A bunch of men stood around in my yard, shooting the breeze. More men walked around my house and I thought, "I don't think there's any underwear laying around upstairs. I'm so glad I cleaned the kids' rooms and the bathrooms." I was standing on the sidewalk in my bright pink robe, holding a confused and sleepy James. I knew all my neighbors were looking. I felt like an idiot.
And the problem? It was a lightbulb. The lightbulb had short circuited or something (they showed me the burn marks on it) though the bulb wasn't busted and the light fixture itself was fine. The cone-shaped lightbulb-cover thing shot the smoke down, which is why it hovered over the sink and not near the ceiling. They checked for radon and called it good.
I apologized for them having to come out because of a lightbulb but they all reassured me that I did the right thing. Many of them had been at night our house the night James was born and they were happy to see him. One of the firefighters, a man named Dennis, I actually remembered from James' birth. He held my hand while they worked on James, something I thought was incredibly kind. I thanked him for doing that and the other men looked at him with little grins on their faces.
So that was my Saturday night. I hope yours was less eventful!
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