So she says mom can't interpret forever

Our 'Parents as Teachers' lady came today. We again had the "the-boys'-speech-is-not-where-it-should-be talk". We had this talk 10 months ago or so, then they 'caught up'. Now here we are again.

At this age, which is 32 months 17 days to be exact, children progress at warp speed - where improvement is needed things often just fall into place, and other times a little guidance is needed. Again, as we did 10 months ago, we wait. Wait and see what progress they do or don't make in the months ahead then re-assess. As a mom I can't help but ask myself what am I doing to help...or hinder...the situation. I'm doing my best, but I can't help but wonder is my best good enough? I know I shouldn't put this on me...they're triplets, it's common...they're boys, again it's common...I just hate it when things are out of my control.

But as it seems with most everything, you worry and worry, and things just have a way of working out. Our PIT had a good point, she said, "Just when you get seriously concerned and take action, they get it - and you wish they would just STOP TALKING. haha"

Not because I'm a mom. I just like classy.

We get it people! You're skinny!

This drove me nuts when Janet Jackson lost all that weight, now we have to go through it with Britney Spears. It is possible to look skinny without going around half naked. It is possible to look SEXY without baring it all...or without your boobs pushed up to your chin (that's a Janet-thing).

Because you know what, Britney? You may be skinny, but you still look like trash.

Could they be any cuter?

Me (to AR): I'll take the snacks, let's go get your brothers.
AR (grabbing my butt): I'll take your bobo, mommy.

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SJ (to SA): Holding tissue up to SA's nose...Blow, SA.
SA: blows into tissue
SJ: Again. (copying how I do each nostril by applying pressure to the other)

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SA: As I'm changing his diaper... Bye-bye poo poo. Bye-bye!

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AR: I'm sad, Mommy.
Me: Oh, AR, why?
AR: You sad, too.
Me: I am?
AR: Yes. Reaches over to give me a big hug...squeezing really hard.
AR: I better, mommy.
Me: Oh good!
AR: You better, too. Big smile.

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SA: Pointing to rear of man who came to fix our shower door. Nice bobo. Man bobo.
Me: Searching this guy's face for any sign he heard what my crazy, adorable child just said - luckily finding none.

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SJ: I stink.

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Me: I walk into AR's room to find her completely naked, poo all over her bed. GASP!
AR: Mouth falls open, mimicking my gasp...What did I do?!?!

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Me (to SA): How old are you?
SA: Two
Me: How old am I?
SA: Old

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Me: I farted.
AR: Pointing to my rear...Mommy poopy

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Me: I fart once again.
SJ: Mommy, you stink. Yes, I have a gas problem.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween was a blast! SA was a monkey, SJ was a chicken, and AR was a ladybug.

It was hilarious...all night they were referring to each other as their characters - "Hey monkey, come here...Get back here, chicken." It was their first go at trick or treating and they caught on real quick.

I have to say though, candy is evil. Other than the damage it's doing to my hips, it's brought out Bad Mommy. AR was having a raging tantrum on the floor. There was nothing I could do to calm her down. Lightbulb..."AR, want a piece of candy?" Fit over. I'm so bad.

First Day of School

The kids started preschool yesterday. Amazingly, they did great! I don't know why I was surprised. I guess I just didn't know what to expect. They gave us a kiss and sent us on our way. They ran to the craft table as soon as we entered, so watercolors win over mommy every time. ;)

SJ gave them a little trouble at naptime, but AR and SA went down immediately. Their teacher said not to expect such a happy experience everytime. She said in her experience the second and third week is always harder on the new kids, because by then they "get" that mommy is leaving for a few HOURS.

For now, I'm happy, they're happy, all is good. I had some reservations going into this - worried that I was starting them too soon. After seeing them playing and interacting with the other kids, I know this will be a great experience for them. I think this much-needed me-time is going to do mommy good, too!

Heaven Help Me

I truly believe God gives mothers super human powers - powers that keep them from strangling their children on days like this.

Bloody awful. My children have been bloody awful. One more awful than the others. AR. What happened to my sweet little girl? Sure my kids do some highly-annoying two-year old things, they act up, they scream - but they're two, it's expected. But overall they are really good kids. They say please, thank you, they give each other kisses and hugs throughout the day. They mind...most of the time.

Now they're starting school in two days, and some sort of evil spirit has taken over my daughter. This has been one of the worst days I've had in a long, long time. She has been hitting her brothers all day - sometimes with her hand, other times with a hard toy. She threw her crayons off the table as a signal she's done; tossed her food off the table as a signal of her disapproval of meal choice. I've taken toys away, she marches - no, skips - to time-out, I've spanked (something I do only when at the very, very end of my rope), nothing works.

Then *WACK*, she hits SA over the head with a plastic bird house. What do I notice in her other hand? Her most-prized possession - her Dora doll. Finally a toy she really cares about. I've got something now. I swipe Dora out of her hand, stoop down to tell her what she did wrong...blahblahblah...then put Dora in AR's crib - where she can't reach her. "Dora is going to bed because you've been mean. She's staying there until you go to bed. Which will be early the way we're going."

This was about 30 minutes before bedtime, and she repeatedly kept asking for 'My Dora.' When I would say no and explain again why Dora was sleeping, AR would reply, "Ohhhhhhhhhhh," with her bottom lip out. I can't describe exactly, but she did this so cute, I was thankful to have something to laugh at finally.

Now the boys are sleeping and AR's still in her bed screaming her lungs out. I'm so done. What a long, awful day.

Thank you, Lord, for the powers you have given me.

On a scale of 1-10, I'll give it an 11

That scale being the Cheese Factor.

I'm talking about the "Grey's Anatomy" MUSIC VIDEO that played after tonight's episode. You don't get more cheesy than that. THAT BEING SAID, yes I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even teared up not once, not twice, but THREE times. I am truly, truly a dork. What can I say? I haven't loved a show this much since "Sex and the City" - may it rest in peace.

Feeling Randy

Okay...so I haven't exactly been posting regularly as promised, but I do have an excuse! Maybe not a good one, but I do have one. Since we are carrying two mortgages - thank you by the way to the people who have labeled us as brave, I think RD and I would probalby choose another word - we are cutting back wherever we can. Even the little things - like Internet service. Obviously, we still have access, but we have just the basics; meaning, painfully slow. It makes it painful to browse the Internet, much less try to post anything. I've even been by many of your sites, but have given up on trying to post comments until it stops resulting in my wanting to throw my keyboard out the window. So for now, I'll just post a bunch of random crap.

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As you can see above, we still have not sold our 'other' house. Interest has picked up, so we haven't thrown ourselves into total despair just yet. One couple keeps showing up at open houses, making appointments with their againt, and have gone as far as to take measurements...yet still no offer. We need someone like me and RD to come look at the house - someone who takes all of an hour to decide this is where they need to be for the rest of their life, or the next few years anyway - and make an offer. *sigh* Keep wishing.

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Since we're on the topic of our house, or houses rather, I have been forced to "chill the 'F' out" as I've been told many times. When we moved into our last house, I swore that we would never buy a house any bigger because it was already too much to clean. As you may or may not have read in prior posts, cleaning is a bit of an obsession of mine. To give you an example, I've even rubbed off on one of my sons. If he spills some food, he immediately starts screaming, "Mess! Mess!" until someone cleans it up. Sick, I know. I think we all could use some sort of therapy. No my children are not neglected by my obsession, so you can spare me the hate-mails telling me I need to stop cleaning and start spending some quality time with my children. I save most of my cleaning for nap time or for after the kids go to bed for the night. Besides, doesn't Oobi count as quality time if mom needs to get a few things done. ;) Anyway, the house we have moved into is about 900 square feet bigger than our last house, which was already more than I could manage. But instead of driving myself mad trying to keep Swiffer in business, I've finally said, "Fuck it." Yes, for those who know me, I really did just say fuck. Gasp! I can't possibly keep up unless we hire a cleaning service, which we obviously have no money left over to do, so that's right, fuck it. I actually went almost two weeks without mopping our floors. Really! Look out world, she's carefree and she won't even care if someone stops by unannounced before the lunch dishes have been cleared. We'll see how long this carefree-attitude lasts.

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The kids...my wonderful kids. They just keep getting cuter and it just amazes me how much they are learning everyday. Our Parents as Teachers lady came by the other day. Based on her observations and screenings, our three are all where they should be now in the area of speech. This was a concern of our's for awhile, but it seems they have really made great progress since her last visit. I was anxious to hear what she had to say, because it's hard to make an accurate judgment when you're with the kids 24/7. It was nice getting her feedback after she went a couple months without seeing them. They start school in a few weeks. Not really school, but they'll be in a program called "Noah's Nook," which is a Mother's Day Out program, two days a week. As excited as I am for them to start - excited for them to learn - excited for ME TIME - I know it's going to be hard for me. I know the kids will have a blast minutes after I walk out the door, but AR in particular, is going to have a complete meltdown when it's time for me to leave. I can already see myself bawling in the car after I drop them off. It's a big step for all of us.

You know you're a Mom when...

www.noggin.com

I'm sitting all alone, flipping through the channels and stop on Oobi when I quickly notice, "Hey! I haven't seen this one before!"

Buckle Up! It's going to be a b-b-b-b-bumpy ride!

My weight is a roller-coaster ride on crack. You may see me one day and think, "Damn, she's lost a lot of weight...looking good," then a month or two later think, "What the hell happened to her?" It's a neverending cycle with me. I get fed up with my weight. Fed up with nothing in my closet fitting my fat ass, so then I, for the zillionth time, get back to my Weight Watcher's diet...lose a lot of weight...start feeling good about myself...good enough to feel like it won't hurt to have a burger or two...then before I know it I am right back where I started. Then I get fed up and the cycle starts all over again.

I was doing so well with exercising regularly, then I got a cold, got off track, and never went back. Bye-bye firm thighs. Okay, so my thighs weren't exactly firm, but if I were to jump up and down, there definitely were fewer jelly jumps. Now...I don't even want to talk about it. I'm disgusted with myself.

One of my biggest problems is finishing up whatevever the kids don't eat. And let me tell you...these kids love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but so do I, and they always leave just enough for me to get my peanut butter fix. I'll eat my healthy turkey on wheat sandwich, then polish off their pb&j's.

I need an intervention.

We're In!

We've been in our new house two weeks now. It's amazing how fast it felt like home. Maybe because we were never surrounded by boxes. This house is only two streets up from our old house, so we didn't "pack" anything; we loaded up extra-large Rubbermaid tubs with stuff, came and unloaded everything, then took the tubs back to be filled again. Talk about an easy move! Maybe it's because, already living in the neighborhood, we never had that "new family on the block" feeling. Whatever the reason, I think we're going to really like it here. We now have a nice, big yard for the kids to play in, and overall I like the set up of this house better. I loved our other house, but this house just seems to be a better fit for our family.

Speaking of the other house...it still has not sold. eek! We have had SO many close calls. So many potential buyers that I just *knew* were going to make an offer...then nothing. I'm still optimistic that it will happen, I just wish it would hurry up already. It sure would be a big load off our backs. As much as we love this house, I don't feel like we can enjoy it until that house sells. It's definitely going to make for a hard year, but we both agreed that ten years down the road (Lord, let's hope sooner), we will look back and know that it was the best decision we could've made. This is where we're meant to be.

Enough of the house drama. The kids. They sure grow fast, don't they?! Let's see....I don't even know where to start. They've grown and changed so much since I wrote of them last. Their speech is definitely improving. They're all three speaking in sentences, though it's not exactly "conversation-style" yet. AR is right where she should be, or at least close. The boys, mainly SA, are very hard for other people to understand. I can understand most of what they say, but other's for the most part have difficulty understanding them. But they are definitely making progress.

Now that we're all settled, I should be more regular again. AND, more importantly, I can finally catch up with everyone else! Whew!

New House

We are now the stressed out, freaked out owners of two houses. Do you feel sick? I do.

We closed on the new house this past Monday.



It's big, beautiful, gorgeous...it's everything I've always wanted - my dream home. BUT...until we sell our current house, I don't feel like we can enjoy it. We would have written a new contract with another contingency on the new house, but there was another couple just waiting for our deal to fall through so they could get the house. So we knew if we really wanted this house, we had to go for it. So now we're carrying not one, but two big mortgages. Now for the task of cutting back.

We had planned on getting a new van next month when the current lease would run out, but have decided to extend the lease on the one we already have. At $288/mo., that can't be beat. We switched over our phone, tv, and Internet service to AT&T. It's amazing what deals you can get when someone REALLY wants your business. And of course just your everyday stuff. So long to my exciting trips up and down the aisles of Target. I think it's best that I just stay away from there for awhile. Until we sell this house, it's back to basics. That place is dangerous for our checkbook.

In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that we sell SOON!! *sigh*

Been Awhile, eh?

I know I've been gone a long time. I've been under much stress lately and just couldn't find the energy to think of a post to write. Dramatic enough for you?

There is so much to say, but it's late and again, have no energy, but I promise I will be writing again soon.

To give you a snippit, we are getting ready to move. YES, AGAIN. Once all the details are figured out I'll pass them on, but for now...if you're reading this...THANKS FOR COMING BACK!! I'm looking forward to getting caught up with with all of you!

Mind of a Man

RD: My shoulder hurts. I need a blow job.

Me: A blow job would help your shoulder?

RD: You wouldn't understand. sigh

LATER THAT NIGHT...

Me: How's your shoulder now?

RD: Better...but I think I might need a couple weeks of therapy.

Happy Mother's Day!!

I hope all you mommies out there had a wonderful day! I had a pretty good day. The morning started out a bit crazy. We went to my sister-in-law's for brunch this morning, so I was rushing around trying to get the kids (and myself!) up and ready then get dessert made...all on my own because RD worked late lastnight, so I let him sleep in. Just once I'd like to sleep in on Mother's Day. sigh

My friend, P, called to wish me a Happy Mother's Day, and I told him that it's not so much a day for relaxing as it is a day for moms to showcase their true abilities at multi-tasking. That said, I do have a wonderful day of pampering ahead of me - RD...I mean the kids...got me a "Mom's Day Away at the Spa" package. It includes a waterfall massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, hair wash and style, and lunch somewhere in between. Ahhhhh...finally a day just for me! You can bet my cell phone will be OFF! Okay, maybe not off, but on vibrate. I'll let RD know he's only to call in the event of a true emergency. Meaning, what channel is Noggin on and where are the wipes are not true emergencies.

Totally off topic...did any of you watch "Grey's Anatomy" tonight? WOW! I swear that show always has the best last five minutes of any show ever. Love it. LOVE that show!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see the finale tomorrow night!

I hope everyone had a great day!!!!

You know you live in Missouri when...

You have the a/c on downstairs and the heat on upstairs.

Damn my kids are cute

AR directing SJ where to put puzzle pieces:

AR: Good! Good! Here...here...ok, ok...here...Good!!! Pats his hand then claps.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Well-Educated

We try as parents to make the best possible decisions for our children. Then once we make the decision, we question ourselves on whether or not it was the right one. In this case, only time will tell.

Pre-School.

Well, it's not so much pre-school, but a Mommy's Day Out program. The kids will be attending two half days a week. After many calls and many referrals, I toured and observed classes at two schools. One is a Methodist church in the area that comes highly recommended by a good handful of neighbors - and might I mention at a modest price. The second is this amazing, impressive, nationally-recognized facility for those who expect the best out of life and don't mind paying the equivalent of three car payments for two HALF days a week. This second place also comes at the recommendation of many neighbors as well.

My mistake was looking at the second school mentioned FIRST. I walked in and breathed in and thought, "Wow." Everything about this place was simply amazing. It definitely gave me that feel-good feeling. The problem was it cost more per month than the monthly mortgage of our last house...for TWO HALF DAYS!! I came home and gushed to RD about this place (he was home watching the kids). He looked slightly sick when I told him the cost, but said if I felt this was the best place for our children, we would make it work.

I did a small victory dance in my head, but knew it would take some serious sacrifices to make this place doable. Are the sacrifices worth the Mercedes-Benz of pre-schools? Is it really THAT much better?

I told RD I had to at least go look at the other school. It was a quarter of the cost and had raving reviews from many of the parents in the neighborhood. Even with this school's praise, I felt guilt as I was driving, thinking, "How sick am I as a parent to try to get a deal on my children's education." I know...I know...you're rolling your eyes saying, "This is pre-school, lady." I agree, but isn't it natural to want what's best for your children?

I let out a sigh and reluctantly walked through the door, already noticing the glitz and fanfare that was missing, what was shouting out at me at the last school. I was immediately greeted by the Director, and within minutes I felt my premature judgment fading away. I spent about two hours there, asking questions, observing classrooms, watching the relaxed parents dropping their happy children off for the day, and we ended our meeting with me registering my precious three for Wednesday and Friday mornings starting in the Fall.

It's a decision that we can't truly appreciate until the kids start their classes, but right now I feel really good about the choice we've made.

Now excuse me while I have a moment.

Kids just grow up way too fast. My babies...

Monday Mash

I was looking forward to Spring and Summer so we could get out of the house, and so far, the season is not disappointing. We've had birthday parties, BBQ's, outings with the kids, and projects in the yard galore. It's been great, but damn I'm tired!

We took the kids to the circus Saturday morning. All in all I would say it went pretty well. We left at intermission, only because it was cutting into lunch and nap time, but I think we stayed for about as much as three two-year olds can take anyway. AR was mesmerized the entire time; pointing out and naming all the animals. SA clapped and (happily) screamed the majority of the time, until he decided he needed to take some laps with dad around the arena because he had his fill of staying in one spot, no matter how exciting the view. SJ...SJ...oh SJ. He didn't care for the whole experience. He was excited up until all the lights went out and the show officially started. Then it didn't help any when people started clapping and cheering. He had enough. He wanted to go home. We kept offering him pretzels and juice in efforts to bribe his compliance, which helped just enough to make staying until intermission worth the occassional meltdown.

I had my second laser-tattoo removal treatment this past week. Kind of glad they didn't mention at the first visit that they would be upping the energy with each treatment. Did I mention there could be up to ten of them? YIKES! Well...the Betty Boop on my shoulder now looks like a monkey tripping on acid, so I don't think I can stop now.

I have a busy few days ahead of me. Tomorrow morning I am touring and observing classrooms at a daycare/pre-school in my neighborhood. They're not ready for pre-school, but I'm wanting to enroll them in some sort of "Mommy's Day Out" program. I think it would help them with their speech and interaction with other kids, as well as give me a much-needed breather. It's only two days a week, 9-1, but still quite pricey. I'm still not sure I can sell RD on the idea, but I'm going to see what they have to offer anyway.

Speaking of money - and spending it faster than it comes in - we're getting two bids from irrigation companies this week. RD spends an unbelievable amount of time in the yard watering - a job I have to do when he's working long hours (which is quite often), and we've decided it's worth the chunk of change to have a sprinkler system put in. I CAN NOT WAIT.

Wednesday I'm getting my oil changed and while I'm there I'm going to test drive a 2006 Honda Odyssey. My lease is up soon (2004 Odyssey), and I need to decide between the Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna. I've been really happy with my Honda, but the Toyota has several options I'm wanting that the Honda doesn't (moonroof, rear passenger windows that go up and down, etc.).

Okay...it's starting to storm pretty bad here, so I better get off the computer before I get zapped, or even worse, lose power and lose everything I've typed! eek!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Home Improvements

We've been touched by Spring Fever and we've been making additions and changing things up around the house. Here are some pics...


New tables, lamps, and framed print in living room


New chair in living room


New lamp and art in family room


New swingset


New fence

We've done some landscaping and got more furniture...but my camera battery pooped out on me. I'll get the battery recharged and load some more pictures.

I had a garage sale this past Saturday and made $346.00!! WOO HOO!! Quite exciting considering the last garage sale I had only four people showed up. Not kidding! I'm putting it towards some new furniture for our bonus room. We have this huge entertainment center that I can't stand, so we're replacing it with a small t.v. stand, and our huge, ugly desk is falling apart, so we'll be getting a new desk as well. I'm going to Garden Ridge this afternoon to see if I can find some art to put above the couch. Once I've started...I can't stop!

Easter Recap

This is a little late, but who cares, right? We had a great - and VERY busy - Easter. We had RD's family over Sunday morning for brunch, and everything turned out wonderful. The preparations were a bit chaotic to say the least because RD had to work late the night before, but I somehow managed to get everything done.

Saturday night, I was pretty miserable. I had a buttload of cleaning to do, a casserole to make (Sausage and Egg Casserole...had to sit overnight....YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was downright amazing. Let me know if you want the recipe!), and eggs to color. All this had to be done while I limped around with fat-old-man's disease. Gout. I had gout on my left big toe. It's still sore, but has healed up quite a bit. The pain was excruciating. By the time I got everything finished, it was past midnight. I was beginning to question why I get so excited at hosting parties, but in the end, it's all worth it.

I got up at 7:00 a.m. and ran to Walgreen's to pick up a bag of shredded cheddar cheese. I ALWAYS, ALWAYS forget SOMETHING. Thank heavens for Walgreen's being open on holidays! Whew! I got home, took a shower, then ran downstairs and popped the casserole in the oven. Then 8:30-ish, I got RD and the kids up and dressed. I dressed the kids, RD dressed himself. ;) Then while RD made the kids breakfast, I made company potatoes and monkey bread (Whoa! Another YUMMY YUMMY recipe! I could've eaten the whole thing!).

Everyone got there around 10 a.m. and we chowed down right away. Everything was wonderful. I got a Honeybaked Ham, Petit-Fours from Susie G's Bakery, RD's sister brought fruit salad and his mom brought croissants. We were stuffed silly.

Then it was time for the egg hunt. It was so much fun. The kids had a great time. We really didn't think the kids would get the whole egg-hunting thing, but they picked up on it immediately. They would get so excited with each egg. They'd gently put it in their basket and run off for the next one. So sweet.

So even thought it was a lot of work, I'm glad we did it. It's always a plus having it at your own house, because as soon as naptime hits, we just take them upstairs. There's not the usual rushing home to beat clock.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter...or weekend if you don't celebrate Easter. Off to break up a fight! These toddlers can be vicious!

What's the rush?

What is it about being ''the mommy'' that always has us in a hurry? It seems everything I do is rushed. Gone are the days when I can do whatever the hell I want at my leisure.

I rush through grocery shopping so that I can make it home and get all the groceries put away before the kids get up from their naps. I do this when RD is home, so you think I could take my time, but I can always count on two to three calls at a minimum while I'm out, "Are you almost done? The kids will be up soon." The same goes for any other errands to Target or wherever.

Let's not even get started on trips out with the kids. Just getting out the door is a big production. There's diaper checks, loading of the diaper bag, socks, shoes, sippies, snacks, and depending on the weather, jackets. During this entire process there is usually one, if not two, of them forcing me to play a game of hide and seek. As soon as we get in the van, the requests for Elmo start. I usually *treat* them with a video on the way home if they've been good, but that doesn't stop them from chanting for it the second they get in the van. Then the ERRAND. Running errands with the kids...HELL. What happened to my well-behaved children? They used to be so great when we went out. I would see moms with screaming kids and think how lucky I was to have these awesome kids that never fussed...HA! Those days are long gone.

Even cleaning is rushed. If the kids are up, I'm rushing so that I can get back to them, or at least sneak peeks at them to make sure they're not starting fires. If they're sleeping, I'm rushing through so that I can get to the "me time." Thoughts of, "I WANT TO SIT DOWN. I WANT TO SIT DOWN. I WANT TO SIT DOWN." are rushing through my head, urging me to get through the task at hand as fast as humanly possible.

Want to hear something really awful? I tell RD if he has any hopes of getting some action, he better move fast, because any hesitation on his part and he can forget it - I'm out. Give me too much time in bed to unwind, and it's snooze-time for me, baby.

And things are just getting started. I can't even imagine what it will be like with three kids in school...all the sports, projects......and so on...and so on.

*Deep breath*

Hey...isn't Mother's Day coming up? Hmmm....a day to put my feet up! Oh wait...no. That's not right. We get to get together with the family and wait on "OUR" mothers. Aw geez.

Okay, I'll stop bitching now.

I am such a dork

I have been trying UNSUCCESSFULLY to post for days now. I've been searching the "help" articles with no luck whatsoever. Why? Because they don't have any articles titled, "Click here if you are a dumbass and are entering an invalid username and password."

I thought I was having technical difficulties, but no, I was just totally clueless to my own stupidity.

Anyway...here's the post I was trying to enter.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Don't Feed the Animals

We've had quite the day so far. Our plan was to go to Grant's Farm to let the kids pet the animals, but once there we discovered they don't start their season until TOMORROW. ugh. Oh well. We got back on the road and headed for the zoo.

Due to our re-routing and already-late start, we didn't have much time, so we headed right to the Children's area of the zoo and let the kids pet the animals. THEY LOVED IT!!!!! SJ went from goat to goat, making sure he pet each one; AR went from goat to goat shouting, "GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAT-ah!"; and SA jumped up and down squealing with delight, and even took time to kiss one surprised goat right on his rump! I got a lot of fun pictures. It was a great time. I love that the kids are getting older and we're getting to go out and do a lot more activities. They're finally able to participate, as opposed to sitting in their strollers watching from a distance.

Maybe we'll try to hit Grant's Farm next week. SA's got a lot of kisses left!

Absentee Blogger

I know I've been a bad blogger lately. We've just been so busy - and I imagine it's going to stay busy for awhile. I don't even know where to start.

Things are going well. I'm...dare I say...happy right now. The weather has been wonderful, so we've been spending a lot of time outside with the kids. I've made such wonderful friends in the neighborhood, so I'm keeping busy. It seems someone's always here or I'm there. Though the kids are included, having a social life in any way outside of the kids had been missing for awhile. On the downside, now RD's feeling left out. He likes my new friends...but has yet to meet the husband's. He's going through a bit of what I was going through before - yearning for a life outside of (work and) the kids. I keep urging him to call some of his friends to get together, but guys are just wired different than we are. It seems he'd rather just sit around and mope, waiting for the phone to ring. Men.

On a not-so-happy note, the kids Ped and Parents as Teacher lady have both recommended the kids make an appointment with a speech therapist. Not totally unexpected - speech delays are fairly common in multiples. Now we're going through the endless paperwork, trying to figure out what all is covered by our insurance and figuring out how far we want to go. They're only mildly behind. They're not at the point of being eligible for any of the state-funded programs. They know an endless number of words, but almost all are not understandable to anyone but me, and they're not putting words together to make sentences. They make some progress almost every day, so who knows, maybe by the time we get all the logistics worked out they'll be talking.

As many of my blogs end...I smell poop, so I'm off to change a diaper. Hope all is well and I'll try not to be such a stranger!

We've got to talk

That's what I told RD when I called him this afternoon.

For the past several days I thought I was pregnant. REALLY thought I was pregnant. I told RD, "This would be horrible." I had been urging him for months to consider taking on the responsibility of putting an end to the growth of our family - you guessed it - SNIP SNIP.

So why was I so sad when I started my period this afternoon? Not the relief I was looking for, but truly sad.

Oh RD...we need to talk.

Plug this

I'm always falling in love with different products...AND FOOD...so I thought I'd share! It's been awhile.

Weight Watcher's Snack Cakes - These are so good AND if you're counting, they're only 1 POINT each! My favorite is the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. DELICIOUS!! They come six in a box and I usually end up eating a box at a time...so even though they're only 1 point each, it's usually a 6-point snack for me. eek!

Healthy Choice Zesty Gumbo and Fiesta Chicken Soups - Again with the WW points, they're great tasting soups and they're each only 2 points a can!

South Beach Diet Peanut Butter Cereal Bar - No, I'm not on the South Beach Diet, but I have tried several of their food products, and I've liked all of them so far. My favorite is the Peanut Butter Cereal Bar (WW = 3 pts.). It comes in chocolate as well - also yummy!

Elizabeth Arden's Prevage - Very pricey ($150 for 1.7 oz. bottle), but well worth it if you can afford it. I started taking care of my skin way too late in life, but better late than never. I've been using this product a little over three weeks and have already noticed considerable changes in my skin. I started using it after I saw my MIL's results. We had her over for dinner awhile back and I noticed how great her skin looked. She honestly looked ten years younger. I asked her if she'd been doing anything different and she mentioned this product. I'm so glad because I love it!

Method Products - I couldn't find a link to any of their products. I think they're a Target-brand, but I'm not sure. That's the only place I remember seeing their products. Two of my faves are their leather-cleaning wipes and their stainless steel wipes. Whether it's cleaning everyday messes off the couch or getting little finger prints off the fridge, their wipes work wonders. And it's so easy! I also like their marble-cleaner for the shower. It's the only all-natural cleaner I could find that I knew for certain wouldn't harm our marble. I just bought a lavender plug-in air freshener for our masterbath and am loving it so far.

Half.com - I read one or two books a week and it sure can get expensive. One of my friends directed me to this website. It's affiliated with Ebay, but it's not run as an auction. You can buy USEDUSED books for as low as 25 cents or books like new for just a few dollars. I've bought many books from them and have had all positive experiences.

Family Fun Magazine - I just recently subscribed to this magazine. I've kind of grown tired of Parents magazine, only because about only a third applies to me right now. Most of it is baby stuff, then the rest older kid stuff. What I do like in Parents is the craft and game ideas. That's what this Family Fun Magazine is all about. Front to back it's all fun craft, game, and recipe ideas for all ages. I would say I have about 80% of each issue dog-eared so far. Great mag for parents!

That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure I'll think of many other things while lying in bed tonight. If I do, I'll post them tomorrow.

Have a great night! Remember...chant with me now...SNOW SNOW GO AWAY! (okay...the snow is gone, but it's still damn cold)

Winter Blues

It's the first day of Spring and wouldn't you know this morning we were greeted with three inches of SNOW. blech.ugh.glach. I'm itching for Spring like you wouldn't believe.

Now I know I shouldn't complain. We had quite an easy winter. A few snows - just enough to get my snow-fix. Only one snowfall did I have to shovel the driveway...and I probably could've gotten away with not doing it at all. I was just that bored. Hard to imagine, isn't it? There were many days this winter that we took the kids for a walk, ate out on the deck, played outside. Maybe that's why I'm yearning so bad for the Spring. So many little teasers.

Last week we had the kids out in the yard playing on the new swingset. I made excuses to run to Lowe's just so I could check out all the new plants and flowers they're setting out. RD and I have been circling the yard, exchanging ideas for what we'll plant where. It hit me - that rush of excitement I get every year at this time. I was cleaning out drawers and closets. Doing something with all the crap (mostly pitching) I had stashed away when we moved in, not knowing what else to do with it. I started cleaning out the basement, making way for the play-area we're going to set up for the kids so they can run in and out during nice days. I painted the laundry room a nice sunshine-color and RD put up cabinets - making it feel like an actual room now. And while doing all this, I had the windows open, breathing in the fresh air, listening to all the kids in the neighborhood playing outside. I'm ready. Loving the projects. Taking in the energy a new season brings.

Then snow. NO!NO!NO! Snow, snow go away! How quickly I fall back into my winter slump. I tell ya I'm getting cabin fever being cooped up in here like this. I want to feel the warm sun on my skin (gooped up with sunscreen of course because I'm a walking Melanoma waiting to happen). I want to run with the kids. I want to go to the park. Have a picnic.

I'd like to come on here and talk about how wonderful everything is instead of bitching. Oh wait. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. sigh. Patience never was my strongsuit. Spring will come. Until then, I think I'll kick back with some hot chocolate and sit by the fire. Might as well make the best of it.

Stay in the game

Going to parties just isn't the same when you have three two-year olds in tow. It's so much work we sometimes find ourselves asking each other why we bother going out in the first place.

We went to a birthday party Saturday (first of two that day - joyjoy) and of course the kids wanted to play outside with all the other kids. The other kids ranged in age from three to ten. Our little toddlers thought they could do everything the big kids did - this kept RD and I on our toes intercepting one fiasco to the next.

As we're taking turns minding the madness, sweat beading up on our brows, it's hard not to wish we were back in the comforts of home. It's always easier on the hometurf, right? But that's what you do. Stay in the game I guess. Reach out to all friends for that small chance of adult interaction. Throwing out reminders that we're still among the living. Don't forget us, we hint! Yes, our kids can be terrors, but we're still fun!

Of course other parents are more than eager to point out that three is harder. "Just wait," they say, "You think it's bad now, wait until they're three and talking back." "Bring it on," I say. It's not the attitude that challenges me when out at parties, it's the constant supervision that a two-year old requires. Correction - the constant supervision that THREE two-year olds require - three two-year olds going in three different directions. I know the supervision never really STOPS, but you can let a three year old play in the backyard and watch from the deck. You have to physically be IN the yard when the two-year old is out playing. You have to be ready, always ready, always ready. I just want to relax. I can't wait until I can let them out to play and be able to turn my back for even a minute. Sigh. I can't wait to go to a party and actually eat an entire plate of food while the food's still warm. Okay, that might be years off maybe, but it's got to get a wee-bit easier, right?

But there will always be challenges. Once you get over one hurdle, there's a new one to face. Ah...the joys of parenting.

Spanx Me

If you like my body and you think I'm sexy, c'mon baby let me know. dadadadadadada. If you really need me just reach out and touch me...

Okay, I'll stop now.

What am I singing about now? Spanx. Yes, Spanx. What is Spanx? Glad you asked! I could get into all the details on how it's made, what it's made out of, who made it, but let me just sum it up for you real easy - it's something that makes you look SUPER SKINNY! Lovin' it!

At my girls' trip to the lake last October (or was it November?) my cousins were going on and on about this new girdle that doesn't feel like a girdle and works wonders and hides your love handles and conceals your cellulite and pantyline and makes you look all svelte and beautiful and...and I forgot all about it once I got home. Then watching The Ellen Show, she was raving about it all week. Glad to have the reminder, I went right to the computer before the invention called Spanx once again escaped me. I bought the "Higher Power" panties - one in nude and one in black.

My package arrived today and I rushed to the bathroom to try one on. Lookin' goooood, girlfriend!

So if I'm looking extra svelte, sshhhhhhhhhhh, it's our little secret! ;)

How do you use your Noggin?

You've heard this all before. I might as well go back to an earlier post and copy and paste to save me some time.

Life.... Life.... Life is just crazy. The house is a mess, there's laundry in piles in nearly every room, the kids are out of control, there is cat puke stains EVERYWHERE, we're almost out of diapers but the thought of dragging these three crazy toddlers to the store right now is enough to make me break out into a sweat. SERENITY NOW!!

I'm stressed. I'm tired. So why does everybody keep commenting on how amazingly calm and relaxed I always am? Things aren't always as they appear, dear friends. It's either put on a brave face and bottle things up or risk acting out on these emotions raging inside and face the possibility of being locked up in a very small cell. "Your house is always spotless," they say. It's spotless because I'm constantly cleaning during every spare moment because when things spin out of control like they do today, my efforts to catch up might just be the straw that breaks me - so I do little bits each day. I have not the time nor energy to spend a day or more catching up on what I've put off in the days preceding.

Some days I feel like Superwoman - thinking I am truly awesome to accomplish what I do each day. Then other days I think I'm not only fooling everyone else, but I'm fooling myself. It's so hard to keep up. So hard to stay focused - focused on what really matters. I'm just so drained...and I CAN'T GET LAURIE BERKNER'S SONGS OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!!! I just can't stop singing these damn songs. I'm a Googlehead. Shake your Noodlehead. I'm a Googa-Googa-Googa-Googa-Googlehead, too.

Yes, folks, I think I might have officially lost it. Deep breath. I may have temporarily gone a wee-bit insane, but I promise I'll be back on track tomorrow. Okay, maybe not tomorrow, but surely it'll happen soon, right? I can't stay like this forever. Can I?

I'm not perfect. No, I'm not. I'm not perfect, and you know, I like it that way.

Blippity Blab

Due to my total procrastination in getting my butt to the pharmacy, I have been off my happy pills for over a week now - and boy does it show. Poor kids. I even scare myself. eek! Let's move Go to Walgreen's to the top of the list tomorrow. Wait...I don't have a list. First up, make a list.

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I have been one gassy broad lately. I don't know what my deal is. And it's not just little let-em-slip farts, these are the stankiest things I've ever smelled. Even I think they stink, and that's saying something. I've almost driven poor RD out of the house. Anyone ever try that Beano stuff? Does it work? Maybe I should try Maalox or something. I better try something before I'm living in this big ole' house alone.

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I'm pleased so far with the tattoo-removal process. You don't get immediate results with each treatment; the tattoo fades progressively during the weeks following the treatment. Black is supposed to be the easiest color to get rid of - most of the black outlining has disappeared. Unfortunately the colors most difficult to treat are green, yellow, pink, and purple. Wouldn't you know Betty Boop is wearing a purple nightie and holding a rose with a looong green stem, and the daisies are purple with yellow centers. Of course. You know I think the hardest part of the whole healing process is what the adhesives from the Band-Aids are doing to my skin. YAACK! My tattoos don't look irritated at all, but the skin surrounding the tattoos are red, swollen and starting to blister. Ah...the price one pays for the comfort of sleeveless shirts.

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Our yard is becoming a more kid-friendly zone. Our fence was installed today and their new swing set is being installed the week after next. We were planning on waiting awhile to get the swing set, but Rainbow was having a big sale last month, so we thought we better jump on the pre-season sales while they lasted. I was thinking we better wait awhile before we let the kids go at it - thinking they're too young yet - but I've been told time and time again that I'd be surprised at how fast they figure it out. Big Sigh...let it out... I keep seeing visions of trips to the ER...let's hope it's just my overactive imagination and not a taste of tomorrow's reality. Fun times. Fun times.

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There are four homes for sale in our subdivision. Our subdivision is just a bit over a year old! I guess it's fairly common. I know the one on our street has been relocated to Florida, and the others are the build-to-sell houses. People that build then sit a year and sell to make a buck. I don't see how they do it. I HATE, HATE, HATE moving - to do it as a job. Ugh. That takes some drive. The good thing is that these houses are asking $100,000+ over the original sales price. We're not planning on moving for quite some time, but it's good to see the property value rising. Well let's hope anyway. I guess I should wait and see if these houses actually go for these high dollars.

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The diet's going well for me. I've hit a plateau at 7 pounds, which doesn't sound like much, but I'm definitely seeing results. Even though I haven't lost a whole lot, I've gone done two sizes and people are finally starting to notice. Woo hoo! Maybe I'm gaining muscle from working out...maybe my weight's just shifting...I don't know. Either way I'm hanging in there. Our anniversary is this month and we're going away for a night. I've been talking pretty big about our night, so I better keep working out if I want to have the guts to stand behind all this big talk. teehee

No Pain No Gain

YOWZA!!!!!! I'm not one to dish out unsolicited advice, but lend me your ear if you will. If you wish to get a tattoo, you better be damn sure it's something you're going to be happy with for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Let me repeat...THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!! When people questioned me at eighteen years of age on whether or not I would like Betty Boop when I'm say...oh, I don't know 32, my answer was, "Of course!! I looove Betty Boop!!" Well, I'm now 32 and could give a rat's ass about Betty Boop. I could also give a rat's ass about the ugly purple daisies on my right ankle. That's why I had my first round of laser-tattoo removal. Everybody say it with me now, "PAAAAAAIIIIN." The woman said it would hurt worse coming off than it would going on. She said it would be intense. The woman did not lie.

This was excruciating pain. My only saving grace was that it goes super fast. She lasered both tattoos in under 10 minutes, probably 5 really. The kicker is that it will take up to ten treatments or more to totally get rid of them AND I need to wait six to eight weeks between each treatment. I need six to eight weeks to get the courage to go through this torture again. But it will be worth it. I haven't worn sleeveless shirts for years because I hate this Betty Boop tattoo so much.

The cashier at the grocery store, noticing all my x-tra large bandages said, "Someone get hurt?" Always one to share my every personal detail to anyone who will listen, explained what I was having done. She seemed genuinely surprised that I would do such a thing. Why...she has Eyor (sp?) on her back and she's quite sure she'll never tire of him. I smiled at her innocent 18-year old face and said, "I'm sure you'll love Eyor forever."

*Little Disclaimer for all tattoo-bearing folk: I have nothing against tattoos. In fact I have one on my foot that I am keeping that I still really like. So spare me the slams. ;)

Guess what Dorothy's thinking about today

Okay. I've gotten excited over some pretty silly things, but yesterday my complete giddiness was probably a bit over-the-top. I was standing at the t.v., remote control in hand, waiting to see what Oprah was about. If it didn't catch my fancy, the kids win, they get to watch Elmo. Mommy won.

What was Oprah about? Faces behind the famous names. Who's face was I so excited about seeing? Kevin Clash. Yep. The voice of Elmo. How pathetic that a grown woman would get so excited over seeing this guy.

Just as Kevin predicted in his interview, I expected to see a little, wirey, white man with glasses. It was a tall, 45-year old black man - with a deep voice no less.

So silly as it sounds, it made my day to find that he was a nice guy. Heaven forbid mom doesn't like the face behind Elmo. That would just be awful.

Speaking of Elmo...who do you like better - Mr. Noodle or Mr. Noodle's brother? For me...Mr. Noodle's brother hands down. Yes, I'm bored today.

It's been awhile, eh?

It's been a stressful few weeks to say the least, but things are starting to settle down. We got a call a few weeks ago that Grandpa was going downhill fast, and he passed on the 19th. We've been busy with the funeral, family gatherings - and on a more positive note - the kids' birthday party.

My little two-year old Princess (TWO?! Where has the time gone?) is wanting up from her not-long-enough nap, so I've got to tend to her now, but I promise to be back SOON.

Thanks for checking in on me!

This is the song for the lonely*

GRRRRRRR...so frustrating.

I'm starting my sixth week of Weight Watchers and I've lost only 5 pounds. I'm not so much bummed about it being only 5 pounds, but I'm bummed that I didn't lose ANYTHING this past week. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I have a weird pattern going on...First Week - I lost nothing, Second Week - I lost 2 pounds, Third Week - Nothing, Fourth Week - 3 pounds, Fifth Week - NOTHING. I sure hope this means I'm in for a loss of two or more next week (I weigh myself every Wednesday). I'm not going to let it get me down. I know. I know...be patient. My clothes are getting looser. My jeans are falling down. I'm still mushy, but I am smaller. It's just that I feel like I've lost more, ya know? Oh well. As long as I can see and feel (if that makes sense) progress, I guess that's all that matters.

*If you're wondering what the heck my title has to do with my post...it's a line from the Cher song in the Weight Watcher's commercial - which by the way, my kids love. I'm not sure if it's the big ladies or Cher, but that commercial stops my kids in their tracks every time.

Boring Play-by-Play

Nothing too exciting this weekend. RD and I planned on having a few friends over, but everyone we called already had plans, so it was just the two of us. I didn't really care because I'm not a football fan, so SuperBowl parties are usually just a bad excuse for me to eat a bunch of fattening foods, so no loss here.

While RD watched the game I went upstairs and did my Billy Blanks Boot Camp video. Don't laugh! It is a good workout, and like the box promises, I got results in seven days. Can't beat that!

Friday night was fun. I went out to dinner with some of my new friends from the neighborhood. We were at the restaurant close to four hours gabbing away. The waitstaff was circling our table, wanting to close down our section. We didn't care. It was a great time and I'm really happy that I've made some great friends.

I was supposed to take the kids over to K's (neighbor) today, but SA woke up with a fever and he's all congested, so no playday today.

Speaking of the kids, I've got a rumble to break up.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Tuna...is that chicken or fish?

SJ was flipping through my Us Weekly that was sitting on the floor. He came to a picture of Jessica Simpson and said excitedly, "Mommy!" Then he carried the magazine over to my mom, pointed to the scantily-clad Jessica and said with great happiness, "Mommy!"

Thanks, kid! Hey, I'll take what I can get!

Bad Mommy

I've given in to Teletubbies - and quite frankly, I just might leave the dang t.v. on all day. I just don't feel like asserting myself today. You know those days you would wake up and just not want to go into work? Even though you feel totally fine, you want to find a reason to call in sick? Well today is one of those days. I'm not crabby, feel fine, just a bit tired and not wanting to do anything.

I folded two baskets of laundry that had been sitting in the laundry room for three days, and that took every bit of energy I had in me. They would have continued to sit there had RD not asked me if I knew if they were clean or dirty. He knew they were clean. That was his attempt-to-be-subtle way of telling me it's time to do something with the damn clothes already.

Yawwwwwwn. Can't wait 'til naptime. Mom needs a snoooooze.

Photos of....well...not much

I said a while back that I would post some pictures of the kiddos, so here goes. I don't feel comfortable posting pictures of their faces...privacy reasons...all that...might be silly...but anyway, this is the best I can do. How exciting can shots of the backs and tops of kids' heads be? Well, the answer is not very, but here they are.


AR, SA, and SJ


AR...looks real safe playing like that, huh?


SA getting into trouble. BTW, those are MY Elmo slippers in the background. We had a problem with the kids all in a battle to get them off my feet, so they've been put away for awhile.


SJ - I think this was Christmas morning.

Thumbs Up

Because I can't think of anything else to say, here are a few movie reviews - some old, some new.

Walk the Line - Pretty good flick. The acting was amazing and the story very interesting. I had to go to the bathroom about ten minutes into the movie, but was sitting in the last seat of a long row with only one exit. There was no way I was stumbling over a long row of people unless I was about to lose my battle with my bladder, so I held it till the end. I guess it goes to show it's a good movie when I could go several scenes without thinking of how uncomfortable I was. And Joaquin Phoenix...mmm-mmmmm. I don't normally find him very attractive and never found Johnny Cash attractive, but Joaquin AS Johnny Cash...yummy. Out of a 10 I would give it a 9.

The Family Stone - I heard mixed reviews on this so I didn't know what to expect. It probably helped that I didn't go in expecting a great movie. Being a die-hard Sex in the City fan, I think I was hungry for some Sarah Jessica Parker. It was way predictable and had several roll-your-eyes-like-that-would-ever-happen moments, but all in all it was good. Out of a 10 I would give it a 7.

Taking Lives - Older movie, but new to me. Bleh. Way too predictable, but I was extremely bored and there was nothing else on, so I made it to the end. I was more focused on how gorgeous Angelina is and how huge her lips are more than the actual story. I really don't want to like her, but I got to hand it to her, she is beautiful. Out of a 10 I give it a 5.

War of the Worlds - Mmmmm...I liked it. Didn't love it, but thought it was pretty good overall. I can't stand Tom Cruise and I sometimes have a hard time getting past that when watching a movie, but I got over that about 30 minutes into the movie. *SPOILER ALERT* I did think there were a few ridiculous scenes, but what do you expect for a sci-fi movie? You can't exactly expect it to be anywhere near realistic. When the madness first started and Tom was rushing around watching the streets crumble, his kids were back in his house. No mother would leave her kids by themselves while she was outside checking out the aliens. Wouldn't happen. But this was a movie. And his son? Of course we all knew he would be alive and well waiting for them in Boston. How did we know that? Duh. And when they got to Boston, it looked like it hadn't been touched. His ex-in-laws looked like they were dressed in their Sunday best. But again, I know I'm overanalyzing. It's just a movie, right? Out of a 10 I give it a 7-1/2.

Husband's Say the Darndest Things

The other night my husband said, "I don't see why we can't have sex everyday."

Now, someone please tell me, how did he make it through four years of college, four years of med school, and four years of residency and come out saying something stupid like THAT?

Random Rubbish

First I want to thank all my friends here for all your thoughts and prayers for my Grandpa. I've really "met" a lot of great people out here in BlogLand.

Grandpa...well...it doesn't seem right to say he's better really. They said he'll probably make it two to three weeks as opposed to the original few days to a week prediction. The end result is still the same, so I guess all we can do is be thankful that we have a few more days with this wonderful man.

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I'm not wanting to make a big deal about it, because making a big deal of something has seemed to have set me up for failure in the past...but...I'm doing Weight Watchers again and so far I am pretty happy with the results. The scale isn't so impressive - in three weeks I have only lost two pounds, but my clothes are all fitting better. And...didn't I hear Oprah say once that you shouldn't go by the pounds lost but by how your clothes fit? And she also said you shouldn't weigh yourself the first two months of a diet. I'll go with what she said. :)

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I'm getting out two nights in a row...then again this Saturday. Stand back! This woman's wild! Tonight I'm going to a Pampered Chef party down the street. Yes, another one. I don't know that I could possibly fit another Pampered Chef product in my kitchen, but I'm excited to get out nonetheless. Then tomorrow night I'm going out for dinner and a movie with a few of my cousins. Saturday night RD and I are going out to dinner. I left a message with our regular sitter down the street, but haven't heard back from her. No worries though, my mom, crazy old bat that she is, was kind enough to offer to watch if our sitter can not. So we've got a date! Woo hoo!

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The kids? They're doing well. Cute as ever. Mischievous as ever. They're sitting around in a huddle eating Cheerios off the floor as I type. They're growing so fast. I do believe I owe y'all some pictures, don't I? I'm sure I have plenty of 'anonymous' shots of the kids I can post. I'll to see what I can dig up.

I might not be around for a few days

My grandpa is being moved to a hospice today and they don't expect him to last much longer than a week. I'm just not in the mood to gab on here right now.

I'll be back soon.

Five Weird Habits I Have

The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits I have" and people who get tagged then write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don't forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says you have been tagged? (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours.

1. I type what people are saying 'in my head' as people are talking or while I'm watching something on television. Sometimes my fingers will be going through the motions while my hands are resting on my lap. It's very strange and I have no reason why, it's just a weird thing I started doing years ago. Maybe that's why people are always telling me what a great listener I am...little do they know I'm transcribing what they're saying in my head.
   
2. While I'm trying to get to sleep at night, I'll usually play out some event that's coming up in my head (e.g., holiday party, some random get-together, etc.). And usually, no always, in this play-by-play fantasy, I'm prettier, much thinner, and dressed to kill.
   
3. Now this I shouldn't share. It's gross and weird, but weird IS the point of this whole thing, right? I like the smell of my own gas. But...doesn't everybody? Not mine I mean, but their own.
   
4. I always salt my food before tasting it. I love salt. LOVE IT. This frustrates RD to no end that I won't at least taste it first, but I can't not do it.
   
5. When reading a book, before I get into it, I have to have a face for each character. It sometimes takes me awhile to get started because I'm trying to find the right face for the characters. I have to have a mental picture of each person. I usually use famous actors or actresses, but more recently I've used neighbors or friends.

I tag Christine , Mommy D, Girl, Terri, and Grace.

I married a good man

Just a little sweet something I want to throw RD's way. One thing I really love about him is that he doesn't hesitate to tell me he loves me while he has an audience.

When he calls me from work I can hear the hustle and bustle going on around him, but he always tells me he loves me. Not softly, not in a whisper, never holding back.

It may seem silly, but that little something really makes me smile.

Mommy's turn to say no...

...and why is it so hard?

Never in a million years would I guess this would be a hard thing for me to do. My whole life I've dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom. Now I'm living my dream and...on most days...enjoying it. So why do I get a pang of sadness when my old workplace calls and offers me a job and I have to say no?

I miss adult conversation. That's number one. I miss having a reason to get dressed in the morning. A reason to fix my hair. Getting out of the housePERIOD. And I really liked my job. I didn't like it right away. I came from a great workplace where I had great friends, but I was burned out - and my job performance showed it. I just didn't care anymore. I had no respect for my "bosses" and I wasn't challenged in the least. I looked at work as a place to gab with my girlfriends, not a place to climb the corporate ladder. I just didn't care anymore. So when I went to L, it was quite a change. I worked on my own. No bosses hovering over me to make sure I was doing my job. The first year was pretty blah. It was a new position, so when I asked for my job description, what was a typical day, they would look at each other and shrug. They didn't know. All they knew was that the big shots of the company wanted an assistant. What this assistant was to do, no one knew, but what they did know was that these guys wanted someone at their beck and call. That's where I came in. It took awhile for me to feel comfortable in this role, working for these men that everyone else in the company felt incredibly intimidated by, but it didn't take me too long to find my niche. These guys with the big bucks put their pants on the same way we do every morning, what's the big deal? By not showing fear, by not being a 'yes-person,' I earned their trust and respect. I grew to love my job and love the people I worked for.

So my old boss (HR-VP...the big wigs paid my salary out of their pockets, but didn't want to be my go-to person for all the little crap) called me this morning and said she wanted to offer me a job. They were looking for someone like me, a stay-at-home mom that would be interested in working 15-20 hours a week. It wouldn't be doing what I did before, I know that much, and we didn't get into details since I felt it was pointless. I knew I couldn't do it, so why bother. But now I feel a bit of sadness wishing I could have said yes. Why does that make me feel so guilty?

Silly, I know. I couldn't wait to "retire," and now I'm sad I can't go back? I would like to work part-time eventually. Maybe when the kids start kindergarten. I'll want to do something at that point, but right now it doesn't make sense. I'd have to find daycare for the kids for what? I don't need the paycheck. We're fine if I never went back to work again, but that's not the point. Ugh.

I'm rambling. Probably not making much sense, I just needed to vent. Thanks. GrumbleGrumbleArgh

Let me guess...

No?

Everything, and I mean everything out of our kids' mouths lately is no.

"Do you want your milk?"

"No."

"Cover your mouth when you cough."

"No."

"Come here."

"No."

"Lie down like a big boy."

"No."

"Do you want more?"

"No."

"Give mommy a kiss."

muh-wah!

Thanks for throwing mom a bone!

"Let's go upstairs."

"No."

"Give that back to your brother."

"No."

"(To AR) My goodness you are the cutest thing ever."

AR nods rapidly in agreement with big smile.

Damn I love my difficult, challenging, authority-phobic children.

Bathroom's Done!

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's really hard to tell what the color looks like in the picture, but you sort of get an idea. They plastered it first, so there's a nice texture to the wall. It looks khaki in the daylight, then at night you can see an olive tone to it.

I finally have my sanctuary back! The overall experience sucked so bad though that RD has sworn to never hire anyone else to do something for us again. We're big do-it-yourself people, but thought we'd hire out for this one. In hindsight, not the best decision. We are happy with the foyer, and in the end we are happy with the bathroom, but it was just not a pleasant experience.

First the bathroom turned out awful. I should've taken a picture to show you the yuck on our walls that he called Venetian plaster, but it made me sick to even bother. Then when he drops this girl off to apply the plaster (for the 'do over' job), she starts asking me if it looks okay because she's never done this before and isn't sure what it's supposed to look like. Mmmmm-kay, so you're telling me we're spending a totally unnecessary large chunk of money to have this so-called professional do something that we could've just as easy of done ourselves? Irk. Gack. Damn it. Hind sight...it's a bitchbitchbitch. Oh well. It's done. It's over. We're happy. So glad it's finished.

Week in Review

I know I've been MIA. Even though the holidays have passed, it's still been busy around here.

My birthday came and went. I swear as soon as I hit 30, birthdays went downhill for me. My 30th birthday I was in the hospital with the flu, pregnant, while RD was in Denver for a wedding. My 31st birthday RD worked and the kids and I were sick. This year RD worked AND didn't even remember it was my birthday until the day was half over. Nice. Real nice. He did bring me flowers when he got off work, but hating to be such a "girl," it really hurt that he forgot. He didn't seem to think it was a big deal, but then I'm the one that gets all crazy excited over birthdays and holidays; he could care less. But since I care so much, isn't that exactly why he should try harder? That's my theory anyway. He doesn't seem to agree. Boo hoo. Oh well. Moving on.

My birthday gift...LOVE IT. Before the hubster gets slack for what he got me, let me first say that he didn't ask me what I wanted, I told him what I wanted AND went out and bought it before Christmas because I just couldn't wait until December 27. And the 20% off coupon I had expired December 26, and who wants to go shopping then? Not me! I got the Dyson DC14 Animal vacuum. The first night I had it I vacuumed at 10 o'clock that night because I was so excited. What does that say about me? All I can say is...whoa. RD got off late that night and when he came to bed he said, "Our carpet's amazing. I didn't even turn the lights on and I could feel it all fluffy under my feet." Yea. We're both sick.

New Year's. Eh. RD had to work at 11 p.m., so nothing planned. We made prime rib for dinner. It was delicious. 6 pounds was the smallest size Sam's had, so we've been eating prime lib for lunch, snacks, breakfast, you name it. We just finished it up lastnight.

Christmas stuff is down. It was actually hard for me this year. I don't know if it's the new house, the kids, or what, but I hated doing it. Not the actual act of it, but hate it being gone. This is strange for me because in the past I was always one who wanted it all down, all sign of Christmas gone December 26. This year was different. It just seemed to come and go too fast this year.

One big thing...for me anyway...is I've been catching up with an old friend. Someone I hadn't seen or talked to since my wedding. It deserves a whole post in itself, so that will have to wait for another day.

Well the kids are screaming, so naptime's over. I hope everyone's week is going well!