snowed in

we are having quite the winter. nothing like last winter with ice storms and lost power. but today is our fourth snow day in the past week. it's beautiful and we have learned how to function inside everyday, with an occasional burst of outside time. i am coming to love the simplicity of it.

snow day or not, there really is no rest for a PhD student, just trying to study at home instead of the library. or like yesterday - when most people were off of work, and what schools were opened decided to close - you have class in your professor's office.

lots of coloring, forts, movies and comfort food...we've been overwhelmingly thankful for our abundance. for good friends to go play in the snow with, for a warm house to come home to, for jackets and mittens and beanies.

but it feels a little like the calm before the storm. it's a big week in the godshall home next week. we have one turning 5 on tuesday, one turning 6 months on thursday and one turning 3 on friday. here we go!

back by popular demand

well, that may be an overstatement...'popular demand'. but it was a request, and recently i began (again) saving those nuggets of crazy speech that come out of my kids.

say what?! wednesday

i hate to admit it. i swore that it would never be this way. but unfortunately, mommy and daddy's room is the last room in the house to get clean. and the way life is right now, that means it pretty much never is clean. keeping up with the rest of the house keeps me plenty busy.

well i had enough one day and decided if nothing else got done that day - that would be fine - as long as our room was clean at the end of it. it happened, and as i was at the last step vacuuming the room, alaythia ran in, stopped in her tracks and proclaimed,

'mom! you're a genius! you cleaned your room. good job mom.'

8 inches

we had to get out and play. isaiah and alaythia decided to climb the hill.

mommy had to get some pictures of our backyard.

alone

when i was in high school i remember sitting in a movie theater with friends and watching this woman walk in alone. she sat down in the row in front of us just slightly to the right. i was so embarrassed for her. i remember thinking it would be better to not go to a movie than see one alone. at the time, that equaled serious humiliation.

once i was in college and early married, my embarrassment for people turned into compassion. i just plain felt bad for them. sad that they didn't have someone to watch with, sad that they were alone.

today, one of my favorite things to do is go to a movie alone. i love it because it's so opposite of the reality of my everyday life. there is no one to monitor. no one to talk to. i am responsible for nothing. no interruptions. i go and get lost for a few hours. i don't have to worry about it being too loud or too scary or too much skin.

now, don't get me wrong, i like going to movies with my husband. but at this time in our lives, it doesn't make sense. first the whole babysitter thing. but let's just say we did get a babysitter, the last thing i would want to do is go sit in a dark theater and not talk to him while we had time to ourselves. time to be able to finish a sentence - a thought - without getting interrupted.

i wonder if the young girls in the theater feel bad for me when they see me walk in a sit down alone. they have no idea it's a sweet reprieve - it's just the way i like it.

p.s. mom is doing better - if you want to see pictures of the time over there you can click here.

a look

itiswhatitis...a look at what is going on in cambodia.

they saw over 100 people the first day of the clinic. the last 5 patients of the day (thursday) she started to feel hot. she's at the hotel sick with chills/fever and home from the clinic (friday).

growth

i remember when isaiah was newborn it was a major accomplishment when i got my teeth brushed before matt got home from work. i remember having to use the restroom and holding it almost all day until i had the opportunity to go...by myself.

while the days of privately using the restroom are long gone, i've been thinking about those early days and wondering how in the world that was true of my life. why didn't i just carry him along with me...like i do with my third now?

as i was brushing my teeth the other day, baby in arms, i was pondering all the different things i do now with arms quite full.....

-put away clean dishes
-load dirty dishes
-switch laundry
-wipe other people's bottoms
-vacuum
-email
-scrub a toilet (this was a first for me a couple days ago...)
-talk on the phone
-brush my hair
-pick up toys
-put other people to sleep

and that's just off the top of my head.

i am in no way discounting those who have one child and have a hard time keeping up. it's normal and it is hard. i guess it's a learning curve. i'm not saying i have it figure out...but i guess just observing how i've grown. grown into this life - as everyone does.

not sure if you saw this

but my mom posted a comment on the previous post. i thought i would copy it so that you could see it...

i am well and sitting in the hotel lobby rested and ready to head out for the day..i think we all have adjusted to being ahead a day. heading to a clinic to orient this am and then see the holocaust museum/prison this afternoon. meeting with other agencies here. feels like a convergence of sorts. thanks to all of you for sending me out with such great strength. i feel your prayers and support.
love donna