First Family Meeting--Day One

It took a historic snowstorm to get our family together, finally!  All activities were canceled and although the power kept going on and off, we had our chance to have our first family meeting, kicking off our experiment to create a more supportive, fun and healthy family group.    Our very unpredictable (as usual) first family meeting went a little something like this, more or less : 

In attendance:   Mom, Dad, and our children (nicknames below)
Jay- our oldest son, 15
                                                       Kenny-our second oldest son, 13
                                                       Liza-our daughter, 11
                                                       Joey-our youngest son, 8

Trick or Treat Snowstorms

Here are some pictures from our first snow which came only two days before a historic snowstorm in our area.  Both storms were quite a surprise!

Does This Sound Familiar to You?

        So this is the kind of busy for which I can soooo empathize and it's the catalyst for the dream I had the other day.  Does this kind of busy sound familiar to anyone else but me?  Early last week, I walked my youngest son down to the bus stop at the corner. My neighbor (who shall forever remain unnamed) and her children come running out of their house as the bus pulls up to the stop. My neighbor's hair is wet. She's frantic, but laughing. Most days, she is completely dressed and ready for work by this time. I know something is wrong.

Typical Morning Schedule

Family Weekday Morning Schedule

(in Note Form):

5:45a.m. Youngest son comes downstairs awakened from alarm clock.

6:10a.m. Get youngest son back to bed.

6:10a.m. Wake up oldest son for school.

6:10a.m. Husband tells me that he has made arrangements for me to have the car today. (Our other car is broken down in the driveway until we have enough money to get it fixed). He has already arranged a friend to drive him to work if I can drive him halfway. I explain that oldest son needs to be at bus stop by 6:45 and how am I supposed to get him to said friend before oldest son (who is needed to watch younger kids) gets to bus stop? He shrugs his shoulders. “Aren't you happy I thought of you today? I thought I was doing a good thing,” says husband. 

Last night, I had a dream...

October 8, 2011

      Last night I had a dream. In my dream, my family and I are vacationing at my grandmother's house. My grandmother isn't there, but her presence is felt. Everything is neat and clean as always. There is no dust. The curtains have been newly washed. In the middle of the kitchen table, there is a little container with pink sugar substitute packets and napkins for meals. Something though seems a bit out of place. There is something eerily wrong with the details of the kitchen. The table seems a little bit too cartoonish, almost like in a video game. My guard is up. Who will I encounter in the kitchen? A Packman? An ALIEN??? Wait...am I a Black-Op? I am ready for anything...