My Head is Swimming -Katie Bean deSouza

12:04 am - Tue, Jun 18, 2013: 1 note

When was the last time you spread out a pallet (meaning a stack of quilts/ blankets and pillows) on the living room floor, popped a big bowl of pop corn and watched a movie? My sister and I spent almost every weekend camped out on a pallet in our living room.

Yesterday, I realized my kids didn’t know what I was talking about when I ask, “Do you want to make a pallet?” So on my quest to try new things with my boys, enjoyed the afternoon spread out on our living room floor watching Cars 2.

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8:38 am - Thu, May 30, 2013: 2 notes

More wee-wee talk. - Conversations with PreSchoolers

Boys in the shower and one tries to hit the other one near their privates.

Me: You do NOT hit, slap or touch anyone one else’s wee wee. And you don’t let anyone else hit, slap or touch your wee wee. EVER. (I’ll have another talk when they turn… uh? 18 :)

E: That’s right. Because it’s our job to touch our own wee wee not anyone else’s job.

Me: Sure, that’s your job.

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12:26 am - Mon, May 20, 2013: 1 note

Weekly Gratefulness. Week 1

Last Monday, I started a 31 day challenge to show appreciation to someone in my life everyday (in a concrete way). Learn more about redpepper’s 31 day challenge here.

I decided that Sundays will be my time to reflect on all that I’m grateful for and I will post a series of photos and thoughts to share my appreciation for all that God has given me.

So, here goes…

I’m grateful that my kids are loved by so many wonderful teachers at their school. Bottom left “One last hug.” Yes, there is a teacher in the middle of that kid huddle.

I’m thankful for the opportunities to experience naming sessions like this… And I’m glad this 3-week project is coming to a close soon. :)

I appreciate my husband’s silliness. I’m grateful that after 10 years together he still makes me laugh and let’s me take photos of our silliness.

I appreciate good friends and their blessings from God that give me an excuse to shop for cute things like this.

I’m grateful to have two excited little boys and I enjoy living through their joyful exploration.

I’m grateful for summer and the happiness that summer foods bring to our household.

I hope you see the reasons in your life to be grateful. What’s one think that you are thankful for this week?

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8:50 pm - Mon, Apr 1, 2013

Lack of Sleep and Making “The List”

A recent study says that 64% of women with small children don’t sleep through the night.

I can relate to “the list” Sarah Jessica Parker describes in this clip. Sometimes this is me… but most of the time I get out of bed and work, read, watch tv, or research random things.

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8:00 pm - Tue, Oct 30, 2012

Let’s Go on an Adventure Together

My greatest adventure is motherhood… makes me smile all the time.

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4:38 pm - Thu, Oct 18, 2012: 1 note

I Like to Work

Yesterday, I had lunch with a friend and He ask me what I like to do. I started laughing and said “I like to work… I mean I like to spend time with my friends and family, read, write, take photos and travel… but other than that I like to work”.

Not long ago my husband was complaining that when I’m not working - I’m still working… I make shirts and paper cuttings that I sell in my etsy store or sometimes I design invitations or take photos of friends/kids. He says I need a hobby. I tried to explain those are my hobbies. He says - yeah, but it’s frustrating to you… and you never sleep b/c you take on too much. Sometimes you are disappointed when you get orders or when you take on a side projects. And he is right - sometimes I am disappointed… mostly in myself for not being able to focus and get everything done and at the quality that I want it done.

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11:58 pm - Thu, Oct 11, 2012

The Day I Thought I Lost My Uterus

This is a story about the day I thought I lost my uterus. I know it’s not like losing a pen, your phone or keys but here goes…

This story is continued from these other entries 1 and 2 but you don’t have to go back and read it now.

Early the next morning, I woke up to the sound of hospital machines - some that beeped but mainly the one that was pumping air into my lungs. I realized rather quickly and frantically that my wrist were tied to the bed rails and that I could not speak b/c something was connected to my mouth/throat maybe even my nose. I was still a little dazed but clear enough to think - “get this thing off of me”.

I made enough noise with my hands on the rails of the hospital bed that a nurse did come check on me. She tried to tell me where I was and what was going on with the breathing machine. I remember she said they left the ventilator in to make me more comfortable. I don’t remember anything about that machine being comfortable.

I made a motion to write with my hand. She got me a pen and clip board and freed my right hand from the bed. All I could think was hysterectomy, but truth said, I am not a great speller and I was afraid I wouldn’t spell it correctly. I wrote “uterus - still there?” in a scribbly hand writing. I think I had to write it twice. She read out loud.. Uterus - still there? She said, “no, you came in for a hysterectomy… remember?”

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10:35 pm

My Biggest Fear (before the boys)

Many years ago at a birthday dinner my friend Holly ask for everyone to share their greatest fear. Mine… Having a hysterectomy before I was able to have children. This fear was so great it could take my breath away at the thought. - It actually, still can take my breath away and I have two beautiful boys now.

I recently heard that a friend from college who has 2 children has to have a hysterectomy and I almost broke down in tears over it. She said, it wasn’t that big of a deal and that she didn’t want anymore kids anyway. She had the choice of chemo or hysterectomy. She of course choice the hysterectomy, and it was the right choice - I just felt some flashbacks of my old fears.

My fears stemmed from my personal experiences… when I was 25 years old I found out that I had 2 fibroid tumors on my uterus. In my initial examines we realized the tumors were pretty large and would need to come out before I ever tried to have children.

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2:45 pm - Tue, Oct 2, 2012

I want to be the kind of mom, wife, person that my kids look at and realize they can do anything.

me

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3:27 pm - Wed, Sep 19, 2012

Appreciation for Children’s Hospital

(I’m WAY behind but will still post my appreciations when I get a chance).

When G got sick I and I finally decided to take him to the er, our Doctor’s after-hour line suggested we visit Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital (even though we have a great little hospital less than 3 miles from our house).

Thankfully, we did go to Children’s Hospital. Griffin sickness isn’t serious but being in a hospital that is set up for kids and siblings… and well, parents too made such a difference in our experience. The staff was amazing and as far as hospital stays go… overall it was a good experience.

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