July 23, 2012

• How It Works Aroung Here

  Lots of people have asked me how in the world we can open our home to another family of five.  That’s four adults and six children (seven children, with our granddaughter here for the month of July) that live together in one house.

  First of all, my brother-in-law’s family is similar to our own family.  But, they’re also similar in that their children are used to chores.

                   
                                       Courtney has the foyer this week.

  If the children didn’t help clean (especially during the summer time, when everyone is home), it wouldn’t flow half as smoothly as it does each day.

  Everyone has a list of chores.  A set of rooms to pick up, dust, wipe down, and vacuum. 

  The chores are rotated each week, so no one has to do the dreaded “kitchen dump” more than once every 4 weeks.   

  The little children (Adrienne & Kathleen)  have a chore sheet they share.  It requires dusting hallway pictures, dusting baseboards, cleaning remote controls and telephones, etc.,  Little jobs, but necessary jobs.

     
                                         Kathleen making the bed in her room.

  After waking up and having breakfast, they start their chores.

  Except today.  Chores have been done and now they are surprising us adults with muffins for breakfast.  Ahhhhh, I feel like royalty!

  Jaiden (granddaughter visiting from Colorado) helps and other granddaughter, Janalyn, is here today while her mom works.  They’ll get the jobs of putting clean kitchen wash cloth and towel up in the kitchen and putting up a clean bathroom hand towel. 

  Kitchen person is supposed to empty the dishwasher first thing and all children are “supposed” to put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher all day.  Any pot someone uses to make lunch is supposed to be cleaned and put away by that person who cooked.

    
                                      Thomas on kitchen duty this week.

  My 3 girls also have chore lists to keep their bedroom dusted and the dresser drawers straight.  They are to straighten their closet and bring empty hangers to the laundry room and, once a week, clean out their purses, and their bulletin boards.

     
            Adrienne always wakes up early, does her chores, then lies down until breakfast. 
                                     She’s in charge of making the bed this week and,
                                                    as soon as she is done resting,
                                                             it will be made!

  The other news . . .

  I had to give Daniel away.  His jumping and biting was becoming excessive, leaving band aid covered wounds, and Jaiden and Kathleen were afraid to walk near him.  Each time they passed him, he jumped on their ankles and bit, drawing blood.  My arms look horrible (like shards of glass cut me) and I’m embarrassed to wear short sleeves.  I hated to do it, but the constant biting and chewing made it hard for me to bond with him. 

   

  I’ve NEVER had a cat like that in my entire life (which has been pretty long!!) and I found there are some animals that are simply animals and can’t be domesticated.  I have many questions for God about WHY I felt like he was the right cat, and I admit to not knowing the lesson I’m to learn from this.  (maybe letting go?)  At any rate, I’m looking for another cat (not a newborn kitten, but an older kitten) that’s been spayed already.  And, I hope to find him soon (in the next couple of weeks) because I will need his company.

  Why?

    
                 Rissy has the kitchen table, dining room table, & laundry room areas this week.

  Because I will have to undergo radiation treatment to my hip and hip joint, starting on August 20th.  And the bad news (at least to me), the part of my neck that hurts so bad has a small (very small) bit of cancer and that’s why they think my neck constantly hurts so bad.  It’s not just from arthritis.  I’m NOT looking forward to radiation in my neck.  I’ve already been told I’ll have a raspy voice and a sore throat.  (I’m thinking “yeah, how BAD of a sore throat?) and she continued on to tell me I will probably be on a soft or liquid diet.     So, it will be THAT bad of a sore throat.

  You know when a doctor tells you you’ll have a sore throat and be on a soft/liquid diet that they are being honest about the fact it will hurt REALLY bad.  And I also know that the radiation continues to burn after the 3 weeks of treatments, so I’ll be sore 2-4 weeks after they stop the treatments.  That’s a long time to be on a liquid/soft diet and a  six week sore throat???????  I don’t want to think about it.

    
                Annamarie had to be called back in to pick up OTHER PEOPLE’S blanket mess.
                 She doesn’t think it’s fair for her to have to pick up other people’s  stuff.
                       I explained I’ve done it for 10 years and I don’t like it either.
                                                But, sometimes, I have to do it.

    
  This picture is NOT meant to show you how beautiful my nails look, since I make my children do all the work around here (which they don’t  LOL !!!!); but, it’s to show you I’ve treated myself to a French manicure these past few months (and will continue to do so) because it  makes me feel good about myself.  Being one year away from 60 makes me want to grab anything I can get my hands on (for cheap) that boosts my self esteem a little!!!!  LOL

                                 ***********************************************

  I’m getting my caps put back on my front teeth, so I will be smiling big in pictures, again.  And my old friends, here on Xanga, know of my dental phobia.  I will take some tranquilizers, but they usually have no affect until I get home.  THEN, I relax and sleep.  So  pray for me this coming Saturday.  I’ll be at the dentist’s office having 2 minor fillings filled and the impression taken for my new caps.

                            ****************************************************** 

  Also, I’m enormously scared about the radiation to my neck.  I knew the radiation to my hips/sacrum would make me very tired and I’d be in bed recovering from the treatments, but I wasn’t prepared for the treatment to my neck and all the complications that follow. 

  I did the stupid thing and read on the Internet all the problems that come from neck radiation.  Mouth sores, dry mouth then cavities (oh yay! I get to see the dentist even more??!!!), horrible sore throat, swollen glands, dry mouth, and no taste buds.  Stupid of me to look that up,.  Stupid!  Stupid!  Stupid!!!!

  Please pray for me, those of you who think of me throughout your day.  Dentist is July 28th and August 18th.  The radiation will start August 20th for 15 weekday sessions.   Despite my dental phobia, the radiation part is really scaring me. 

  A piece of educational information:  After radiation treatments, you still “cook” for a couple of months. 

  I know.  Not a comforting thought, is it?

  Be Blessed  ~

  • 10:47 am
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