Today a Firefighter made Hunter's day!

After Jason and I signed my surrogacy contract this morning, we decided to run into Lucky's the grocery store to pick up a few items that I forgot to grab the last time I was there. It was right next door to the Notary so we walked over. I picked out the items we needed, and noticed out of the corner of my eye, the Firefighters from the firehouse across the street were also shopping for some food to make their dinners. I made a mental not that there was probably a Firetruck outside and that I needed to point it out to Hunter on our way to the car. We got to the check out line and the firefighters were behind us. I turned around and said "Excuse me, but are you a firefighter?" He smiled and said "Yes I am." and I said "Is your truck outside?" He said "It sure is.." and I looked at Hunter wide eyed and said "Buddy there's a firetruck outside!! We can see it as we walk by to the car ok?" After I said that the firefighter said "If you'd like, he can come over and sit in the driver's seat!" I probably would have cried if I wasn't positive he would think I was nuts. That would mean the world to Hunter!! I couldn't wait to get out there and show my little buddy the truck! Daddy took Hunter over to the truck while I unloaded the groceries and carried Emma over to meet them. Hunter, my tiny Hunter was so small up there on the driver's seat, but he had the BIGGEST smile on his face. He was literally in Heaven.

He was oblivious to us as he sat up there, that is...until the firefighter asked if Hunter wanted to try on the helmet and firecoat. Oh boy...as if it couldn't get any better!! Hunter looked like he was swimming in that jacket, but he was so happy.

He wouldn't stop talking about it all day. I don't know if that firefighter will ever realize just how much that mean to my little Hunter. Today was awesome.

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Why I don't have my $h&% together..and it's perfectly ok.

Tonight I made Shepherds Pie for dinner. It looked PERFECT. I snapped a quick picture and put a filter on it to brighten it a bit, and the background was my stove. The crust of the mashed potatoes were a golden brown that would have made the spirit of my 1940's housewife Great-grandmother proud! It certainly showed nicely. (Tasted good too,) but let me tell you what you didn't see in the picture. My sink was piled high with dishes from yesterday's dinner and midnight snacks. My floor was littered with a couple potato peels that my 9 month old daughter was "practicing her small motor skills" on (as pinterest would put it.) My 2 1/2 year old son was sitting at the table eating an entire bowl of cous cous with a banana peel balanced on his head, the kitchen counter was stacked with unopened mail, don't even get me started on how long the wet clothes in the washer have been there, and I'm pretty sure the TV had been on all day. But my golly did that shepherds pie look perfect!!

Sometimes I am floored by how simplistic and perfect my life looks according to the posts I have on Facebook. You would think that my children slept peacefully through the night from 8pm-8am, and that every morning I am greeted with "Oh hello mommy!!" and a big hug. (OK that part is usually true..unless he's peed through his diaper and I have to change sheets..then it's more like "Mommy I wet!!") Facebook has allowed us the mask of perfection, and pinterest is what sends it viral. I started posting pictures of my messy house on an Instagram hashtag called #reallife, where I let everyone see the behind the scenes of those "perfect" photos. Did I just post an adorable picture of my smiling son? Yes. Did you see the puddle of spilled sippy cup milk that he was sitting in slowly drain into the recesses of my leather couch never to be seen or heard from again? No.

Confession: I do not have my proverbial $h%# together...and that's ok.

Don't get me wrong. I love pinterest with it's many recipes calling for "only 5 ingredients!" or the post about how to turn random furniture crap into chalk boards (why do I want to accidentally scratch my nails on that again?) But it's time for women to stop comparing ourselves to each other and start showing the realities. Guess what...I wont judge you for posting a picture of your playroom with dumped toys everywhere. That's what a playroom is supposed to look like!! I laugh when I go to peoples houses and they have designated special boxes for cars, and special boxes for stuffed animals, and special boxes for blocks. Really? You make your kid sit there and sort all of that? Or do you just do it for him? In the words of Sweet Brown "Aint nobody got time fo that!!" I cant sit here and sort my son's army men! I need to go rescue my daughter from eating the foam letter my son just peeled off of one of his toys! If you find time to clean your house, cook immaculate dinners that are hot when your husband gets home, bathe two kids, feed them and have them dressed for bed by 8pm every day you my friend are a rarity. If you do all of those things AND work a full time job, you're a freaking GOD.

So to the women out there who put Mickey Mouse on while they cook dinner, who play with their children on the floor and smother them with kisses instead of washing those dishes right away, I applaud you. We are doing the best we can, and that is ok. Our kids won't remember the dishes in the sink, or the mail strewn about the counter, but they will remember that story you read, or that night where you let them snuggle in YOUR bed for 30 mins as a treat. Those are the memories that will last a lifetime. Your house can be clean when they move out to college...those days are coming faster than we think.

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Gratitude..joy...disbelief.

I have been truly humbled by the grace and love of friends who have come to assist Jason and I as we seek to afford Jason's recovery time after surgery. There are not many occasions where I have been rendered completely speechless, but tonight I sat with my hands over my mouth and tears in my eyes. We have not met our end goal.. but 900.00 will still help out tremendously and we are grateful for every ounce of help we receive. We are blessed. Thank you. Thank you...Thank you.


http://www.gofundme.com/4rtz0w

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Crying down Highway 237..

This morning I packed the kids in the car to head to Thursday morning work shop at church. Thursday morning workshop is a group of ladies young and older who gather as a supportive bunch to talk and chat while working on various crafts. We happen to be in high gear getting ready for the Annual Craft Fair we host every October to raise funds for the United Methodist Women. I enjoy going every Thursday with the kids because it's a chance for me to sit and chat with my Aunt and Grandmothers, and all of the other women I have to come to know in my lifetime of growing up at FUMC. So this morning I packed the diaper bag, made sure I had three diapers for each kid, re-stocked the Marine corps cami print diaper wipes case, threw in a couple Gerber Grabbers for Emma's lunch, prepared a bottle for later, grabbed leftover mac n cheese for Hunter's lunch, his water, changes of clothes for each kid, my phone, car keys, and buckled the kids in their car seats. The drive to Sunnyvale from Fremont is about 30 mins, and I usually play "Elmo Song" or "More Elmo song!" for Hunter since that's all he ever asks for, but today he asked for "Mommy's song!" So I put the CD I own of my songs I have written and recorded over the past 7 years. Each song has a very special meaning to me, and was inspired by events in my life, or emotions I went through at a season of my youth and because I attribute emotion with music, hearing songs again usually bring up the emotions I felt at the time of writing them.

A song I wrote after my brother's return from Iraq came on. That song is extremely emotional for me because it is a mourning for the small child like innocent brother I knew growing up as I see this new war hardened man before me. I was immersed in the song as I drove down 237 when I heard Hunter AND Emma chiming into my consciousness like little bells.. They were singing whole heartedly and with abandon to my song...MY song! My children....little beings that I created with my husband in love were now enjoying and singing a song that was already very emotional for me, but now this new layer of JOY was painted over this song of grief that I had written many years ago. It was poetic and beautiful and I wept as I drove down the highway. I wept because I was so happy to see my children enjoying something that meant so much to me, and because of the new memory I could tie to that song.

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Today..I wrote my Congressman.

After reading this article today...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/8/shutdown-leaves-families-killed-soldiers-no-funera/

I could not remain silent. I cried. I cried for all of the families who not only have to suffer the loss of their loved ones, but who now suffer further pain because of this Government shutdown. I wrote the following letter to my local Congressman. I don't know if he will even read it...or how much good it will actually do, but short of storming the castle this is as much as I can do right now as a voter.

Here is my letter:

Mr. Swalwell,

My name is Corinne Oestreich. I am 26 years old and a mother of two small children. I have been married to my husband, a combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps for over 4 years and have been a Democratic voter since 2004. I am beyond heart broken at recent events in our Government. I am a supporter of the Affordable Care act. I understand its importance, and I understand the problems the Act has and agree it needs some reform at a future time. I can see where Tea Party Republicans are upset and desire change but I cannot understand why Tea Party Republicans who claim to be avid supporters of our Military and their families condone and allow this Government shutdown to continue when it results in families of our fallen Marines and Soldiers denied their Grievance pay. I am in tears. A very very close and dear friend of mine lost her husband in Aug 2011 in Afghanistan. I remember having to watch her suffer the loss of her husband while she was 5 months pregnant with two other  small boys under the age of 4. It was a very very hard time for her, and she depended upon that pay after her husband passed to get all of his funeral things in order. She was able to afford her flight to see his body carried off the airplane upon landing back in his country. She was able to have at least some ease on her mind that financially she would be supported as she sorted out how her new life would go. This Government shutdown is HURTING Americans...hurting our military families in their time of pain and when they need our support most of all. Not only are our hero's families forgotten in this time, but families who depend on WIC to feed their babies, or even our Veterans who depend on the GI bill to pay for school, or active military who rely on tuition assistance. I can't help crying at how wrong this all is. It makes me angry to know that members of Congress are protected financially by the 27th amendment when our Gold Star military families suffer not only emotional loss but also the pay that is needed to get them stability in their time of grief. Please. I cannot beg you enough. Please represent me, my family, and the friends close to my heart who have lost loved ones over seas. Tell Congress to end this government shutdown NOW. I can tell you one thing, if action is not taken immediately I will not be voting in any constituents in the next election.

Sincerely,
A concerned Combat Veteran's wife,

Corinne Oestreich

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