Wednesday, October 24, 2007

house arrest

I pride myself on getting out of the house with all of the children at least once, every day.

Yet for the past three days, we've been stuck inside. We haven't been able to open the doors or the windows because the smoke and ash are still bad. The television has been running almost constantly with the news and we've transformed our family room in to an indoor playground. Although it might seem that staying inside would be a relaxing change of pace ... I am completely exhausted. I don't remember ever being this tired. Except for the moment immediately before I lost consciousness when placed under general anesthesia.

From the time the kids wake up in the morning, I am counting the minutes until they go down for their nap and when they wake up from that, I am counting the minutes until they go to sleep for the night. In unprecedented fashion, I've been taking naps when the kids nap. Which makes me even more tired.

I feel like I'm running in quick sand and my head is in a fog.

I'll spend a few minutes getting the kids started on a project that I hope will keep them entertained for an hour, and they'll bore of it within five minutes. I will then spend 10 minutes cleaning it up and preparing the next project. And the next. And the next.

Puzzles. Forts. Books. Playdoh. Crayons. We've done it all.

It really makes no sense to me how they can do all of this ....


And yet, I'm the one that looks like this.

16 comments:

  1. Smiling as I look at your pics -- Tau is equally hyper at the moment. And needy. Has been for the last three days as we packed the car, spent a night in a hotel, another with friends and finally came home. We thought he'd be happy to crash in his bed but it took a LOT of story reading and softie snuggling and reassurance to get him down tonight.

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  2. WOW! I don't know how you are surviving...I think I would fall over (much less gracefully than you did) if I had to stay home for days on end. Yikes!

    Although I suppose better to be cooped up in the house than a hotel room - although at least at a hotel there is maid service...

    hang in there!

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  3. Ha ha--great pictures!

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  4. oh god...it's so much easier to break up the day by going out!!!

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  5. sorry! dont forget about their amazing love for the shower!!! mine will stay in there for hours (if i'd let them)...but atleast a fun little 30 minutes or so should keep them contained and having fun@!
    hope it gets better REAL soon

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  6. Ah Motherhood. Relax for this too will pass only too soon.
    MOM

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  7. Jen, sending you very best wishes. *hugs* Stay safe, stay SANE!! And a belated happy bday to the trips :)

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  8. LOL you crack me up. Those pictures are priceless. MY folks had nine of us and had a brilliant idea to have no tv plus no friends could come in and we couldn't go out on Saturdays. We had the most fun after we figured out what to do for "different" entertainment. They look like they are having the same kind of fun. Forts are so cool. Moms laying on the floor is so cool too. Glad you took Henry off for the shot!:)

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  9. Too funny. We live in North San Diego County (Valley Center) and have been out of our house since Monday. We left Monday because I was alone with 3 kids and needed some adult reinforcements. Tuesday, they evacuated the rest of the area. I know how you feel. I have not been sleeping well and we have 5 adults, 8 kids, 2 dogs and a bird stuck inside a 1600 sqft house. I just want to be able to send them outside! Thankfully, our house is okay. I am thinking of heading to the indoor mall just so the kids can run around!

    Hang in there.
    Christine

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  10. we have that same slide too and during the winter it is inside and my kids love it! I love it too...it gives them the opportunity to jump around on it, climb to their hearts content and help keep me sane when we are pent up inside because of ice/snow...it was a super handy thing last winter!

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  11. We took a trip to Target and I let me kids stroll the aisles for Christmas list stuff; then we hit the library. Today we are doing the B&N school book fair.

    A few ideas, but none really practical with multiple toddlers. Hang in there (((((sending some calgon vibes))))

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  12. I hear ya, Jenna. I don't know how people who live in areas of long snow seasons do it. I tried offering the boys watercolors today . . . lasted 10 whole minutes. I'm running out of ideas....

    -Debbie

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  13. Oh Jenna...you never cease to make me smile! I was expecting a picture of you like that at the end!

    Looks like you found a camera?!?!

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  14. I'm boorred. Aaahhhh. We've baked pumpkin bread and done crafts and watched movies... I feel like I've been at the gym all week. I'm sore and achey from doing nothing. Weird. I think my brain has turned to mush from fire coverage overload. Check your skinny self out Jenna. Keep that boy latched on. Ahh good memories. The nursing the thighs and butt off diet.

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  15. stoopid fires!

    Hope you get outside soon :(

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  16. Oh my goodness. I'm so glad you are okay, but oh my goodness. I can't imagine being stuck in the house day and night like that. I'm sure I'd find a way out!!! No fire is too hot or too high, LOL!

    Glad you are all okay though. Very glad!

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