What's for breakfast

The Bear and I had toast and eggs this morning. Not anything unusual.

What was unusual was the relish in which the Bear tore into those scrambled eggs. He already had his triangle shaped pieces of toast in front of him when I placed a scoop of eggs on his tray. He looked at them. Pondered. Picked them up between his fingers. Then he promptly shoved that piece into his mouth. The rest of the pieces were gone in a blur.

Hhmmm...I guess he's in an egg mood.

I placed two big scoops in front of him. This time he mixed bites of the eggs with bites of the toast. He had slowed down but wasn't finished.

This continued until all the scrambled eggs were gone. I only had two small scoops of eggs. The Bear had the rest. I had made FOUR scrambled eggs!

I guess he was really craving eggs!

Hello?

The phone rings. I answer.

Me: Hello?

Hubby: Hey...

Me: [waiting to hear why he's called]

Hubby: Ummm...Hello?

---

I've been married to you for 9 years now and have known you for 12 years. Don't you think I know your voice? You answer my "hello" with "hey", so you know it's ME you're speaking with. Why oh why do you wait to start talking after you say "hey"? Do I need to say "What's up?" everytime?

Speak! Speak! Speak!

Fearless

Have I mentioned what a fearless kid I've got?

No, not my Princess. The Bear!

He is amazing. On Friday, I took him to the park. This particular park had one of those big climbing things with 5 different slides on it. It was our first time there, so I was pretty cautious about him climbing up and going down the slides.

My boy? He threw caution to the wind. He went down ALL the slides. The small 2 foot long barely sloping one (there were two of these). The medium sized 45 degree tube. The tall corkscrew one. The extremly tall and slightly curvy tube. Yes, he enjoyed them all.

My concern? His lackadaisical (yeah I know it's spelled wrong) effort about getting into a good sliding position. I helped him get his feet around and he'd grunt "UUhh" at me in frustration. Hey kid! I'm just making sure you don't tumble head over heels down the slides!

What added to my stress level was that there was some Mommy group at the park and their kids were running all over this play area. The kids that happened to be jumping/running/yelling throughout this section were from 3 to 5 years of age. MUCH bigger than my Bear.

What did my Bear do? He held his own. He didn't care if they were bigger. He tried to run WITH them! He tried to get on the slide when they were getting on them. He didn't care if it took him a minute to maneuver himself onto the slide -- which caused the older kids to wait. He had a blast just being around them.

My hubby: "At least he wasn't self conscious about being the smallest one there."

No, my Bear wasn't self conscious. He could keep up with them. It's just that he wasn't used to getting on the slides. He ran up the ramps and went up the stairs with no problems -- he went up as fast as those bigger kids!

It's amazing to me how physically advanced he is. Seeing him with those kids reminds me that he's growing up. And growing up fast.

Wonder & amazement

There's been a sighting of something that drew both children to point and smile last Saturday morning.

What was it?

As we drove out of the townhouse complex...

Princess: "MOM!"

Me: "What honey?"

Prin: "Look, look, look!"

Me: "Look at what honey? Where do I need to look?"

Prin: "Look up there on the left!"

I glance back at her and she's pointing to the left. I look to where she's indicating and there it was...A bright yellow hot air balloon! It seemed to hover about 10 feet above the highest trees.

Prin: "Is there anyone in it?"

Me: "Yes, I'm sure there is."

Prin: "Where? I don't see them."

Me: "They're in that brown basket hanging at the bottom."

Prin: "How does the balloon float like that in the sky?"

Me: "Hmmm... Hot air rises. Cold air descends. They've got this device that they use to heat up the air inside the balloon. They heat up the air and the balloon rises. Once the pilot gets the balloon to the height they want then they turn off the heating device. If the balloon starts to descend then that means the air is cooling down, so they heat the air back up."

Prin: [Thinking & absorbing the information]

Me: "So, hot air rises and cold air descends, okay?"

Prin: [Slowly repeating] "Hot air rises. Cold air descends."

We continue to watch the balloon as we drive the 2 miles to our destination. We arrive at the bagel shop and meet up my hubs and the Bear. The bagel shop is all glass towards the front of it. I glanced out the windows at one point and saw the hot air balloon. It was going to land in the park across the street!

Me: "Look kids! The hot air balloon is landing in the park!"

Kids: [Both their heads pivot towards the window] "Ooohhh!"

Bear: [Hops off bench & prances to the windows & points] "Bawoon!"

Prin: "It's landing right there at the Parks & Recs?"

Bear: [Stopping at different tables. Looking at the people. Pointing to the windows] "Bawoon!"

So now the entire bagel shop watches as the balloon descends upon the park. We all watch as they let the balloon deflate. It was an exciting sight on a bright, crisp Saturday morning.

My kids enthusiasm at seeing the sight transferred to everyone in that bagel shop. Luckily my kids were there so everyone could feel the simple joy of watching this unusual occurrence. Hopefully, everyone was able to remember what it felt like to be a kid and be in awe of something.

The Amazing Race!!!

Just read that The Amazing Race 6 will be starting on November 16th! Woohoo!

I really love watching this show. There are the scenes from the various countries they visit. There's the team conflict. There are the fun challenges they have to complete. There's the competitive spirit. There's the interesting way people deal with fatigue. There are the endless scenes of teams running through airports! I find it interesting which teams appreciate & relish in the experience, while others only think of beating the other teams. Did I mention there's the beautiful scenery from the countries they visit? I get to catch a glimpse of countries that I will probably never get to see in my lifetime (unless I win a HUGE lottery drawing!).

Don't miss it!

The Parking Space

Scene: Parking lot in front of drug store. One open parking space beside blue SUV. Second open parking space two spaces closer to drug store. Silver Civic speeds through parking lot and starts the parking maneuver. Confronted with an obviously harried Mommy holding crying and kicking toddler boy (who looks to be about 30 lbs) upside down as she's opening car door. Silver Civic stops and waits there in the middle of the parking lot, which would block any kind of traffic if it were near. The Mommy gets door open and unlocks remaining doors and moves to put child into back of SUV.

What would YOU do in this situation?

The Mommy is obviously trying to get the kid into the vehicle and leave the premises. The Mommy has a disgruntled child. How difficult will it be for her to strap the upset kid into the carseat? Do you stay there in your Civic and wait for her to strap the kid in? Or do you back up and park in the other open space a couple spots down?

This is the situation I was faced with this morning. Did I wait for the space? NO! I was the harried Mommy with the screaming toddler who didn't want to be strapped into his carseat! Argh!

I wonder if they're gonna move...

Some of you read from earlier posts that my folks were considering moving out here. Well, I STILL haven't gotten any answers from them. The last I heard, the two of them were talking about it and looking over at the options listing (new build) for a particular home they were interested in purchasing. It's been several weeks and I haven't heard one vote "yea" or "nay" about it. I hope they decide soon!

The reason I'm so anxious is because my hubby gave me some interesting news last night. Apparently, a client from his office is considering hiring for a part-time bookkeeper. This client apparently has a nice office a few blocks more east than my hubby's. It's also an office of just women! Additionally, this client supposedly pays her staff well.

Ohhh!!!! A dream job has just about fallen into my lap! But I don't have any kind of help with the kids. I don't want to leave them in daycare. I'd prefer they stay with family and we've got none here.

Is he gonna sleep or what?

Right now my little guy is whining away in his crib. I put him down about 10 minutes ago (12:04pm).

I fed him his lunch (PB&J & bananas). I washed his face & hands. I changed his diaper. I had him say "bye" to his sister and had him walk himself into his room. He sat in the glider sucking on his paci while I read him one book. You'd think he'd know what was coming next & not put up a fuss, right? WRONG! I picked him up out of the glider and turned to the dresser to turn on his music CD (this happens every naptime). The kid then decides to put a deathgrip hug on me. The arms around my neck and the legs around my torso. Oy! I peel him off of me and place him gently into his crib. I put his blanket down on the mattress and say "It's time for naps, buddy. I love you. I'll see you in a little while." Then I walk out.

It's now 12:18pm. I don't hear the whining cry from his room across the house. I wonder if he's finally given up?

---

It's now 12:25pm...and I've turned on the monitor....

The sweet sound of SILENCE! I only hear the music of his CD playing on the monitor. Whew!

I had to get that kid to nap. And not nap ON me! That's what he did yesterday. That's what he did on Friday too. What can I say? I had to break him of that insane habit quick.

---

There was just another "Mommy to the rescue" moment.

The Bear started crying again at 1:10pm. Why? He'd woken himself up and couldn't find his paci. Uh-oh!

I quickly got into his room. Found him lying on his tummy just started to push himself up. I located the paci & popped it back in his mouth. He lay himself back down on his tummy. I stroked his back. I watched as he whined a little and slowly started to relax. He fell back to sleep within 5 minutes.

Beautiful morning

It was beautiful this morning. Yes, it was cloudy but beautiful nonetheless. The way the puffy clouds were "kissing" the top of the mountains was amazing. It was only cloudy along the mountain range. The rest of the city was clear. You can see how the sunlight made "Tigger" stripes along the mountain range.

Here's a look at a normal morning view of the mountains. The Princess and I call the scene below a "Picture morning" because the mountains don't look real against the blue-blue sky. More like it's a photo than a real scene. It's so difficult to capture the greenery on the mountains!

Can you tell it's the same mountain range in both photos?

Move over!

The following is taken directly from the Arizona Bicycle Laws

A.R.S. 28-815 - Riding on roadway and bicycle path; bicycle path usage

A. A person riding a bicycle on a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except under any of the following situations:

1. If overtaking or passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.

2. If preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

3. If reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, or surface hazards.

4. If the lane in which the person is operating the bicycle is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

---

Where I live there are a ton of cyclists. It's a great area to be a cyclist too. There are a lot of rolling hills and a lot flat areas. Right now is the best time to be cycling. It's cool (low 60's) in the mornings and the warmest it's been getting is the low 80s, so it's perfect for riding. Most of the cyclists seem to be taking advantage of the terrific weather and are out in droves, especially on weekend mornings.

What drives me crazy is the fact that these folks don't really use the bike lanes that they've been given. According to the law above, they're supposed to stay to the right of the bike lane. They're given four whole feet of roadway to ride safely. But what do these people do? They ride right on the bike lane marker. What the hell is that about? I'm having to scoot my vehicle to the left of my lane and sometimes have to get into the next lane so that I can give these people enough room. Scoot your unprotected body over to the safety of your bike lane! Do you want to get hit?

To tell you the truth there have been a couple of cyclists who have died in the last month in this area. I realize that sometimes it's unattentive drivers that cause accidents, but come on! Use the bike lane people. Not the last inch on the left of the bike lane...use the center! Please! For your safety and ours!

Don't get me started

Ways to get me seriously pissed off:

Tell me you're coming home by 11am and come home at 12:45pm == When you tell someone you're going to be home at a specific time then you then you need to call and inform them when you determine you'll not going to make the promised arrival time. You don't wait until you're on your way to call them.

Don't pick up your cellphone when I call you twice in the morning (9am and 9:30am) == Why the hell would you have your cellphone on MUTE? Ummm..have you ever thought about the vibrate mode? What good is having a cellphone on if it's on mute???? Granted, I didn't leave a voicemail either time but you haven't called our cellular carrier to fix the issue that you've had with receiving voicemails. I can only ask you to get that fixed for so long (I've been reminding for only 3 months now!).

Call me at 12:30pm and ask if we want anything for lunch == Umm...I've got a 4-year-old. We're not waiting past noon to have lunch served. You shoulda called earlier if you knew you were going to pick-up food.

Break the one handle on my nightstand and somehow loose the one piece that we need to fix it == How could you lose one piece of it? You found the other two pieces. How could you lose it in the bedroom? By letting your kids run around while you're trying to locate it. Who knows where the thing is now?

Tell me that you have to call the storage unit people to set up traps for our storage unit == Why would you tell me that you saw stuff that looked like mouse droppings right outside our storage unit? Why? That stuff is supposed to be there until our new house is done in February. Now I'm going to be grossed out for the next 3 1/2 months thinking there are mice running around with our stuff!

Ask me "What's up your ass today?" == Did I yell at your any time today? No. Did I yell at the kids like a maniac? No. So why are you asking me that question? When you're in a foul mood I just try to leave you alone. Could you give me the same courtesy?

This all happened today. Yes today! I'm trying to let it go. I'm tired. But man! Would you be pissed?

Saturday to ourselves

The Princess and I have been running around all day so far (it's about 3:15pm).

Our day started as planned. The four of us had breakfast at Bruegger's Bagels. One of usually picks up the bagels and we eat them at home, but today we ate there. Both kids were in good spirits. I made sure to share my egg & sausage with them, as I know that they'll both need some fuel (other than bread&cream cheese) to get through today. My hubby and the Bear took off for his parents' house by 8:30am. So the Princess and my day alone without the boys had begun! Woohoo!

We headed out to Target first. It's like the only shopping open that early in the morning. We selected a pirate costume for the Princess for Halloween. She'd mentioned about 2 weeks ago that she wanted to be a pirate so I was ecstatic to find a girl's pirate costume on the racks. We meandered through the Halloween area looking at all the decorations. I'm already planning on visiting Target on Monday, November 1st, to pick up leftovers to pack away for next Halloween. We'll be in the new house next year, so I want to get goodies at the low, discounted rate.

We then headed to Old Navy, since they were having a 50% off specific merchandise. It was so weird being able to select clothing AND try the stuff on. When I'm shopping with the whole gang I feel rushed. With just the Princess, I feel more relaxed. She's old enough to wait patiently. She and I chatted while I was trying on the 10 pairs of pants I'd grabbed off the racks. I ended up with only two. I got a pair of pale khakis and a pair of dressier black slacks. I would have purchased a few more things but I didn't have the cash.

We then stopped by a pumpkin place. It was just a huge tent set up in an old parking lot but it worked just fine. There was no one else in there, so the Princess had a blast checking out all the piles of pumpkins. She selected one for the Bear, one for herself, and I selected the one for me and my hubs. We're not going to cut them up. We're going to draw on them with permanent markers. This way we can have them around for a while. I know that the cut up ones tend to rot pretty quickly & they also attract bugs (which we definitely don't want). She also picked out a couple small ears of colorful dried corn to decorate the kitchen.

We headed home after that. I wanted to check out times that certain theaters were showing Shark Tale. Yes, that's the one I decided to take her to. Luckily, we swung by the house so I could check on-line because the first show was at 11:35am! It was already 10:50am, so we just had enough time to swing by the bank to get more cash and drive on over to the theater.

We got to the theater and got a hot dog, popcorn, and some Punch (our lunch). We sat in the bottom row -- the handicap section. I didn't want to disturb anyone if she had to go to the bathroom. Also, that area had more space in the event that she got tired of sitting (which she did). She was able to walk back and forth along that open walkway. She enjoyed the movie & I hope she remembers this first movie experience with Mommy.

We then headed to Blockbuster to trade out the DVDs we'd rented on Tuesday. The Princess selected a Blues Clues video. There wasn't anything new that I wanted to see, so I picked out an old sci-fi movie. Right now the Princess is relaxing watching Blues Clues & eating a PB&J sandwich with milk.

We'll be headed out to my hubby's boss's house around 5:45pm. So our day is NOT done yet. I just needed a break from all our running around. I'm just tuckered out!

How has your Saturday played out?

Starbucks...they can be so nice!

The Bear and I visited a Starbucks on Wednesday after dropping off the Princess at preschool. We went in so that he could burn some energy. It was a newer Starbucks in our neighborhood. It actually had a drive-thru in it (there are only 3 drive-thrus in my city). Anyway, we went in and before I put in my order I happened to glance at the menu board. What the heck?

Starbucks guy: "Good morning! May I help you?"

Me (frowning): "Where is the Gingerbread Latte? You don't have it yet?"

SG: "Oh, the national launching is November 1st."

Me (pouting): "Oh no! I guess I'll have the Pumpkin Spice Latte then."

SG (looking at me with sympathy): "I've got the ingredients for the Gingerbread Latte...."

Me (looking hopeful): "You do????"

SG (whispering): "If you really want one, then I can make one for you."

Me: "Yes, I really need one."

SG (punching numbers into the register): "Hhmmm... they've already got it programmed into the register! That'll be $x.xx"

Me (walking away to find table)

SG: "Grace...garbled garbled latte!"

Me: "Thank you so much! Have a great day!"

---

Today there was another Starbucks moment. Yes, I visited it again today but I went to the drive-thru near our soon to be new house as the Bear was passed out cold in his carseat (I'll be giving more info on this later).

I placed my order at the speaker. I drove around & there were only 2 cars ahead of me. I finally got to the window. The gal gives me the total. I pay. She hands over the pumpkin loaf that I ordered & says "Your coffee will be ready in just a minute." I sit waiting. I sit some more. There are now 2 cars behind me. The gal comes over & hands me a slip of paper as she says, "I'm so sorry. Your order was put to the side. They're making it now. Since you had to wait so long your next coffee will be on us."

A FREE coffee! ANY size! Woohoo!

Sleep...sleep...sleep...

It amazes me that some of the largest issues most parents have with their children is about sleep. The Princess was actually a breeze. She started sleeping through the night at 3 1/2 months (she was BFing full time too). She napped well until she gave up naps right before she turned 2. As for my Bear???? He is not exempt from sleep issues.

As I'm trying to start this entry, he's in his crib (it's now 3:54pm) whimpering/crying because he doesn't want to be in there. Oy! Time for me to try to rock him to sleep...I'll be back!

I'm back! It's now 7:17pm & we're getting the kiddos ready for bed at 7:45pm.

Why'd it take me so long to get back on-line? Well, I ended up having to rock the kiddo to sleep. First, I held him sideways -- parallel to the ground. He didn't start to get sleepy for about 10 minutes. When he started to feel tired he moved and put his head on my left shoulder. I rocked and bounced him left to right until his head hung down heavy against my head & shoulder. I was exhausted by the time he fell asleep. At his 18 month appointment in July, he was 27 pounds. I can't imagine how much he weighs now, but he is VERY hefty.

I then held him while he slept. Why'd I do that? During the day if I try to lay him in his crib he'll wake up. I'm not very tall (not quite 5'3") so I have to get on my tippy-toes while I pull him up and away from me before I put him down. That last maneuver generally wakes him up. Anyway, I sat on the glider and let him lay over me. His head on my left shoulder. His arms spread to the left and to the right of me. His legs straddled over my lap.

I let him sleep for about an hour and a half. He could have slept a lot longer (he was a cranky cranky monster when I woke him) but we had to eat dinner. But at least he napped today so he's contentedly watching a DORA DVD with my hubby and the Princess.

Now why did I start this particular entry? To discuss the sleep issues we've dealt with as of late. Ah yes!

Wednesday morning at about 2:30am, our neighbor's dog started barking up a storm. I don't know why, but it did. I woke to hear the Bear crying. I grabbed my glasses and tore across the townhouse to his room. He was standing in his crib doing that scared crying. The dog had woken him up. He was alone in the dark and hearing a noise he didn't like. Poor little man!

I scooped him up and grabbed his blanket. I sat in the glider in his room, but could still hear the dog barking. Oy! So I got up and reclined on the couch in the family room. The kiddo wouldn't relax. His eyes were fully open as he played and played with my hair. At one point he heard my hubby roll over in bed and the kid got off the couch and walked into the master bedroom. "Bubba, get over here. Daddy is sleeping." Fortunately, he listened to me and came back to me. The last time I looked at the clock it said 3:45am. The kid was still awake.

I don't know what time he finally passed out. I don't know what time I passed out holding him. All I know is that I woke up at 5:30am. Why'd I wake up? Because the Bear rolled from his tummy onto his back. Ummm...and yes...he was still on top of me. I stayed still for a bit. I heard my hubby get out of bed. I guess he noticed that I wasn't in bed and came to look for me. That's when he found me. Reclined on the couch with the Bear on his back laying on me.

I decided that the Bear was fully passed out and it was time for me to put him back into his crib. But would it work? I pushed myself up off the couch and walked to his room. I guess it was divine intervention that got my little boy to roll over onto his back. All I had to do was to a flip off me and place him on his tummy on top of his balled up blanket. This is usually how he sleeps so he stayed in his turtle position as I creeped out of his room.

Now this morning? The Bear decided that 5:45am was wake-up time. My hubby was getting ready for work and got the kid out of his crib. What did my hubby do with the boy? He put the kid in bed with me! Oy! It was WAY too early. Thankfully the little guy laid next to me and played with my hair for a bit. I finally rolled my sorry ass out of bed at 6:30am. He's been irritable and cranky all day. Hopefully he realizes that he's not at his best when he doesn't sleep in to almost 7am. He's not at his best and neither is his Mommy!

So....that leads me to the reason I've been to Starbucks TWICE this week. Wednesday morning after the 2:30am disturbance. This morning after his pre-6am wakeup.

How are your toddlers sleeping? Any issues right now?

Changing family dynamics

Things are changing! Not in my household or family. It's all on my MIL's side of the family.

My hubby's godmother, my MILs favorite sister, just got laid off. She's known that her company has been downsizing for years, so as they say "the writing was on the wall." The last I heard about her is that she was contemplating moving near my MIL. Well, actually her son, his wife, & his two girls also live out this way. It would be a great new start for my hubby's godmother and her husband. All their kids are finally out of the house so they need to find a retirement home. I'm waiting to hear that they're finally going to make serious plans to move out of Chicago -- brrr...no more cold winters!

Hubby's cousin, who is only 8 months younger than my hubby, is engaged. He's been dating this one gal for about 4 years now. Since he's one of the older cousins on my MILs side there's been unspoken pressure on him to get engaged once he hit the one year mark dating this gal. No date has been set for the wedding as yet. I'm just wondering what has prompted him to get engaged now? I'm hoping the wedding won't be for another year or so. This way we can make plans to save some money to fly out and attend the festivities. He's a nice, quiet, reserved guy (like my hubby) & I'm so ecstatic for him!

Then there's the new pregnancy! My hubby's girl cousin (who is my SILs age) is pregnant for the 2nd time. Her two kiddos will be 15 months apart. Yes, that's right! FIFTEEN months apart. I guess an announcement was made at my hubby's grandparents' anniversary shin-dig last weekend. I asked my hubby if his mother asked his cousin "Was it an accident?"...pause, pause, pause..."or were you trying?" Are you in shock with that statement? Well...that's what she asked me when we announced that we were pregnant with the Bear. Yes! She actually said that to me! I almost hauled off and smacked her upside the head but I took several deep breaths in and out and let it go. Even though in my head I was screaming "BITCH!"

So kissable!

As I was editing digital photos this morning, I came to realize that my kiddos have the most kissable little lips!

Look at these straight teeth! This is the Prin's big smile.

Then there are her relaxed lips that the boys will want to kiss when she's older.

This is the Bear's attempt to smile -- check out the chip on his left tooth. That happened when he was 10 months old.

Look how pink the Bear's lips are!

Pajamas anyone?

Guess who spent the entire day in her pajamas?

That would be ME! It's not like I didn't want to change out of them. I just could never justify getting changed. It's not like I was in real pajamas. I was in a sports bra, a XL white t-shirt, and sweat shorts. So in reality it looked like I was dressed casually for the day.

No, I didn't venture out of the house on errands or anything. The kids and I had a "stay at home" day. The one day of the week we don't have anywhere to go or anything scheduled to do. That would be our regular Thursday routine.

I watched DVDs with the kids. I played in the backyard with the Bear. I gave him a "cool rinse" after he played outside (he always ends up with dirt in his hair, arms, and legs). We fixed & ate lunch. I colored with them. Then the day seemed over. My hubby came home with our regular take-out Thursday dinner.

It's really nice having a casual at-home day when we seem to be running around all the time. Even the weekends are out and about, so we deserve a day in. Now, I just have to be sure to really change in a real outfit nex time, eh?

Moments of tenderness

Last night I thought about moments in my day that I adore:

Laying in bed with the lights off with my hubby holding hands while we talk before we drift off to sleep.

Spooning my hubby once we get too sleepy to talk. [Yes...I'm the spooner...he's the spoonee...]

The look on my daughter's face when she rounds the corner from her room when she first wakes up in the morning. I say "Prin!" She says "Mommy!" as she runs into my arms for our first hug of the day.

The look on my son's face when he hears his sister. He says "Sissy" and then looks at me as if to say "Well, where is she?"

How I can lay in bed trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep while my son lays next to me playing with my hair (while sucking on his pacifier).

How I get to give my Princess the last hug and kiss before she falls asleep at night.

Holding the bear in a hug as we're cheek to cheek & start going "MMMmmm..." off and on to a rhythm together.

The feel of my hubby's warm lips kissing my forehead before he leaves for work while I'm sleeping in bed.

---

Did you notice that it's all about kissing & cuddling? Oh... those bits & pieces of my day are just the best.

She's almost done!

I spoke with my younger sister yesterday afternoon and guess what? She's basically done with getting her masters. She finished up doing the changes that her advisors recommended that she complete on her thesis. She got her 2nd signatures yesterday. What does she need to do now? All she has to do is make an appointment with the dean and have him read her thesis. Then it's all done! She won't get to do the graduation ceremony until June but once the dean signs off on the thesis than she's done! Woohoo!

She doesn't have a job yet. She's going to continue doing her internship to gain more experience while she's applying for jobs. Turns out that she's got a part-time paying gig with someone, but the hours are going to be sporatic. Her supervisor told her that she should hook up with a private investigator to gain even more hands-on experience.

All I know is that I'm happy she's almost done. She's a very intelligent young lady. She has to put herself out there and try to make it in the working world. She's been in school long enough. She has to test if she can handle working and possibly making it on her own. Yes, she's still living with my parents. They're her safety net. She's the most spoiled of us daughters. My folks have given her everything she's ever wanted. She's never been without anything.

She's the only one of us four girls that didn't bolt. My oldest sister ran off & got married when she was 18. My 2nd sister got married a year short of getting her college degree. I moved out when I was 24 & bought myself a condo. It's now my youngest sister's turn to get out there.

Girl Time

This Saturday will be GIRL TIME!

What? Girl Time? Yes! My daughter and I will have a whole day together.

My husband and the Bear are driving up to visit my ILs. Actually, my hubby is dropping off the Bear for my MIL to watch. My hubby is going to go out and watch a daytime college football game. He's going to be so red when he gets home! Why red? Because he doesn't think he needs to wear sunscreen when it's in the high 70s/low 80s. The sun will be beating down on him from kickoff to the end whistle. Yeah, he's going to have a red face when he gets home on Sunday.

What's the plan for Saturday? Well, once the Bear wakes my hubby will take down his crib & throw all the pieces into the back of his truck. We'll get the kiddos dressed and we'll drive separately to our local bagel shop. We'll eat breakfast together and then we'll SEPARATE! The boys will start their drive up to my ILs. The Princess and I will start our day.

What have we got planned? Hmmm....

Visit the library and grab some books.

Go to the mall and really look around. I'll actually be able to try on clothes!

Buy a Halloween outfit for the Princess.

Go to a matinee. Should we see Shrek 2 or Shark Tale? We'll grab some hot dogs, popcorn & lemonade for lunch.

Visit a pumpkin patch. Buy some pumpkins. Decorate them at home.

Go to a party. Yes! My hubby's boss is having a small gathering. The Princess and I will be attending.

Sunday morning we'll be having breakfast at IHOP!!!

I can't wait until Saturday! It'll be so good just to be alone with my little girl.

Almost made it!

My hubby is flying home this afternoon!

The kiddos & I have to get through breakfast, some sort of morning activity, a Bear nap, lunch, a birthday party, and then we're headed for the airport. Woohoo!

Now he'd better NOT act like he's exhausted when he gets back. That'll definitely get me in a horrible mood. He's had an opportunity to get FIVE -- yes five whole nights -- of long sleep. Sleep is his favorite thing to do. If he was able to get 12 hours of sleep a night he would! Anyway, he better be ready to give those kiddos some attention tomorrow because I want to get a nap and/or sleep in.

Walking down the feminine care aisle

Who knew that a trip down the Feminine Care aisle would be so confusing?

I remember 20 years ago when there were only a few feminine products. You had maybe three manufacturers who carried a pantyliner, a mini-pad, & a maxi-pad. Then there were maybe two tampon manufacturers. Not much to choose from but you knew the selection & it was simple.

Today? Oh my gosh! There are tons of products on the shelves. When I've got the kiddos with me all I do is grab the same packages I used the last time. I didn't have the kids with me on Sunday, so I had time to actually look at what was there. Oy!

Maxi Pads, Long Maxi Pads, Maxi Pads Overnights, Maxi Pads with Wings, Long Maxi Pads with Wings -- all these seem to come in regular and ultra-thin thicknesses -- but then there's also the regular versus super absorbency -- then there's unscented versus scented! The combinations seem endless! Then you still have to figure out which brand you're going to purchase -- Kotex, Always, & Stayfree.

There's even confusion when you check what's available as a basic pantiliner. Some gals use these everyday. Some gals use these for light flow days. Some gals use these as a tampon backup. But there are a wide array of selections on this front. Carefree used to have one basic pantiliner that came in either scented or unscented. It now has a regular absorbency and a "fluid lock core". They offer long pantiliners. Then there's the "Perfect Fit" ones that are ultra-thin and are flexible. They even have overnight and thong pantiliners! Even Kotex and Always have as many choices on the pantiliner front.

What amazes me is how many female products there are out there. We have to buy pads & tampons to take care of our menstrual cycles. Some gals use douches. Some gals use deodorant sprays. Some gals use the lubricants to stay moist. Some gals need to take meds for menstrual pain. Then there's the stuff for yeast infections!

Men have no idea the things we females have to deal with monthly and yearly to stay healthy. I can see so many men cringing at the thought of having to have to do that exam where they have to "bend over and cough". You know which test I'm talking about? Well, what if they had to have a doctor open them up and take a swab sample of them every year? We don't complain about having to do that, do we? We do it because we know we need to get checked, right? Some of us do it so we can get birth control -- the pill (the many varieties & strengths), the IUD, the Patch, the Ring, Norplant, Depo-Provera, etc.

Then there's the whole different ballgame when we get pregnant! Oy! How many different doctors, nurse practitioners, midwives, and nurses did YOU see when you were pregnant? My OB had a practice that had 3 other doctors and one nurse practitioner. I got to see them...let me correct myself here and say that they all got to see me by the time both kids were born! By the time I had my c-sections, I really didn't care WHO saw my netherlands. Just get the kid out, okay! It's amazing how your sense of privacy and space gets thrown out the window when you're in labor (but that's a story for a different day).

I have to say that the walk down the feminine care aisle really got me to thinking about all the decisions we women make for ourselves in our lifetime....

Would you have called?

It's 5pm and I've just got the kiddos into their shoes. I had called for some pizza and we were headed out to pick it up. Wouldn't you know it? The phone rings! Who is it you ask? It's my SIL. Oy!

SIL: "Hi, it's SIL! How are you doing?"

Me: "Fine"

SIL: "Have you had a hard week by yourself?" [remember my hubby is out of town]

Me: "Oh, it's been fine. We've been keeping busy." [the Bear is pissed & crying on my left hip]

SIL: "So what are you guys up to?"

Me: "The kids and I were just about to step out and get some dinner."

SIL: "Oh, is my brother around?"

Me: "No. He's not getting back until tomorrow night."

SIL: "Oh! I didn't realize he'd be gone so long."

Me: "Yeah...."

SIL: "Ummmm.....I wanted to ask him for some financial advice. Just let him know I called. "

Me: "Well, why don't you call his cell phone? He should be available." [I'm thinking...DUH!]

SIL: "Oh yeah....can I have that number?" [my hubby emailed everyone our new cell #s when we got our phones]

Me: "It's ###..."

SIL: "Thanks!"

---

Couple of questions for you...

If you were email'd a family member's cell phone number, wouldn't you immediately save it on your cell phone and/or write it down in your phone book?

If you called someone and they had a crying child, wouldn't you get to the point of the call quickly?

If you needed financial advice, would you call a family member at 5pm on a Friday?

Guess what she wanted?

My hubby called about an hour ago. I found out that he did get a call from his sister last night. You know why she called? She wanted to find out how she could lower her monthly payments (car, student loans, etc).

What? She's still got student loans that she's paying? She took out student loans when she was getting her bachelor's many years ago. She's 33 years old now! Hasn't she paid those off yet?

She graduated with her bachelors degree in Psychology when she was 24 years old. She tried to get into graduate school in Psychology but she didn't have the grades. She knew she wanted to get further with her Psychology studies but didn't try hard to get good grades. What is that about? If you know you want to get into graduate school, wouldn't you really concentrate and do your best while getting your bachelors?

When she graduated from college, she ended up working in a MRI office. Doing what? She was their receptionist. That psychology degree really did her some good, eh? I know that's not a nice thing to say, but could have worked harder at learning office programs (Word, Excel, etc) and gotten a much higher paying job. But no... she wanted an easy job that she could just leave at the office. Didn't do her much good.

My hubby helped her figure out her life plan. He told her about a program in the navy that would pay her to get her masters degree and provide her with a job once she graduated. He helped her get her application to school together and helped her apply for the navy program. He continued to counsel her (& continues to guide her).

Anyway, she worked through her masters degree and graduated. Then the navy placed her in a job on the East Coast. This job had her supervising enlisted people. My SIL supervising people? What a joke! I can't imagine what a mess that was. What an embarrassment for the military to have a person like her leading others. I shudder at the thought.

The entire 3 years she was gone she didn't make any close friends. I know that when I was consulting out in the Bay Area for 10 months, I clicked with my co-workers. We did lunch together every day. We went to dinner every now and then. I still communicate with a couple of them even now that it's been 6 years since that project. One guy got married and has 2 kids. One gal started her own business. Another gal was engaged for a couple years and just got married this year. It's a natural thing to make friendships, especially when you're working so far from home. But did my SIL? Nope! You know what she did? She bought a dog. A large & ugly dog too....

Now she's back in home since her stint in the navy is up. She started a new job - one that I can't believe they've hired her. I hope she can live up to the expectations they have for her. She's not the most responsible person in the world. Her judgement isn't the best. She's one of those people who still thinks & lives like she's in her mid-20s. She still has the same hair cut and color that she's had since I met her 11 years ago. She still calls her mother & father when something goes wrong. And she calls my husband when she needs advice. Still...

She bought the vehicle she's got 3 years ago. Why she didn't pay it off in 3 years (since she's single), I don't know. It's not like she had any major payments to hinder her paying off the vehicle. Then there's the student loans. It's been 9 years since she graduated with her bachelors. Isn't that long enough to pay those loans off? I know I paid the loans I had before I bought my condo at 29!

So she's got these things she wants to pay off now. Did she save ANY money while she was getting that decent officer's paycheck from the navy? NOPE! Not a dime! Apparently, she was living the high life. She didn't set aside one dinero for post military life. She could have saved up for a nice down payment on a house AND could have paid off those debts in 3 years. But like I said...she doesn't have the best judgement or life planning. That's what she's got my husband for...

I mean, it's not like my husband is years older than either of his siblings. He's 18 month older than his brother and only 36 months older than his sister! But the two of them still ask him for advice. When are those two going to stand on their own two feet? They're adults for crying out loud! Make your own decisions for your life!

I wish he'd lay down the law to them. But he's the good first son. He's always there to give advice. And he gives advice to all of them...even his parents! Oy!

Favorite Movies

I was thinking about this last night. Why? I think because one of my all-time favorite movies was on recently. There are some movies that I can watch over and over again and never get bored. If it's on television, then I watch it. Funny thing is, I don't have any of my favorites on video or DVD! We're not much into collecting these things.

The Shawshank Redemption: Wonderful movie! He was put in jail for a crime he didn't commit. He endured some tough times alone. He casually befriended some guys. He made good with the guards. He kept going on with a little secret - his escape route! I always get so sad when Brooks gets out. He can't believe how much the outside world has changed & ends up killing himself. Also, when Tommy (Gil Bellows) gets shot -- so unfair!

Miss Congeniality: Love Sandra Bullock. Benjamin Bratt looks good in this one (my hubby thinks Ben's neck is way to long & feminine looking). It's funny to see the comedic chemistry the two have in their second movie together (Demolition Man being their first). I laugh so hard each time as she's going through her transformation in the airplane hangar. The tweezing, the waxing, the coloring & conditioning of her hair... I'm still waiting for the sequel to come out at the theaters.

The Matrix: This original is the best of the three. It brought the amazing feats that can be accomplished with wire-work to the mainstream audience. The world that they brought to film was different than any I'd seen. It's like how The Terminator affected sci-fi films in the 80s.

Aliens: I liked this second in the series much better than any of the others. It had more of an impact. I love it when she tears back into the hive and gets Newt out. I cringe every time I watch the queen detach from her egg laying system. Give me the heebee-geebees!!!! Bill Paxton was too funny as the wimpy Private. "We're toast!"

Groundhog Day: Oh my gosh! I can't believe I'm listing this one. I couldn't believe I sat in the movie theater to watch this. But I did and I'm glad I did. I watched this the first year my hubby and I were dating. Every time I watch this I'm reminded back to the time when we were first dating.

Jurassic Park: Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, & Sam Neill were great in this one. They gave it a quirky & funny edge to a "scary" movie. I love it when they're in the jeep trying to get away from the T-Rex. "You must go faster, you must go faster..."

Twister: The tornadoes were too close to people to be realistic but it's an awesome sight to imagine. I've never been near a tornado, but that movie was close enough. I could feel the tension between Helen Hunt & Bill Paxton, they were great together. Poor Jami Gertz as the fiancee. I can't forget that scene where she overhears the two of them talking and Dusty is trying to hold the umbrella over her to protect her from the rain. It's so sad!

Armageddon: Ben & Bruce saving the world? Gotta love it! The unassuming group of men out to do a job to save the world. The special affects and the music work wonders for this movie. I get sad every time Liv Tyler says "good-bye" to Bruce Willis. "Dad, Dad, no, don't go..." Breaks my heart!

There's Something About Mary: I can't believe I love this movie. Again, this is one that my hubby dragged me into the theater to watch. The "mousse" scene still gives me the creeps, but I love the singing through the movie. The fact that all these guys love this guys' girl...she doesn't even realize how amazing she is!

Enemy of the State: This technology probably already exists. At least they portrayed it pretty realistically. The fact that they couldn't identify Brill because he didn't look up. But can one agency have that much power without any checks & balances? What's funny is how many male stars are in this movie! It's like the modern version of The Outsiders! Barry Pepper, Jason Lee, Gary Busey, Scott Caan, Jamie Kennedy, Jack Black...

What are some of YOUR top 10 favorite movies?

So far it's been okay

I'm surviving my time alone with my kids so far. My hubby will be home Saturday evening, so I have almost two full days left of "single parent" time. What's been the worst thing is that I haven't been sleeping well. I'm tired (that's for sure), but I've been restless. Every time I roll over I end up waking myself up.

There's one thing that I started this week that I think I'll continue to do. I've been setting my alarm for 6am and getting myself organized. I get my face washed and start the coffee. I get whatever dishes & utensils that we'll need for breakfast out. I get a sippy and glass of milk ready for the kiddos. Then I sit and drink my coffee and try to watch whatever I've taped from the previous night.

Of course, I have had to yell at the kids since Monday. Yes, I do yell. Luckily, I'm not one to yell and yell and yell. We all have seen that happen in public. It's only when the two are not listening after I've told them to stop whatever activity. The Princess has been jumping and walking all over the couch. It's NOT the best example for the Bear -- who isn't the most careful. Then there's the wrestling ON the couch. Then there's the need to squelch the sassy talk that comes out when the Princess is tired.

Tomorrow is a preschool day! I'll have a few hours alone with the little guy. We'll be headed out to his Movers & Shakers class after dropping the Princess off at school. He always ends up so exhausted after the class that he ends up falling asleep. That means I'll have to put him down for a late afternoon nap. No worries...just as long as he gets some sleep.

But let me tell you that the Bear is sporting a new buzz cut. I had them use the clippers and buzzed his hair off. It's so short but the poor stylist was having such a time trying to cut the Bear's hair. The little guy kept on moving and crying...it was a big old mess. Of course, he quickly recovered once he was out of my lap and walking around on his own. He definitely looks like a BOY rather than a baby.

I just wanted to check in and say that I am surviving the time alone. Can you believe that my hubby hasn't called me every night to check in on us? I know that he's relishing in the quiet of his hotel room and getting to bed early (he told me 8:30pm!!!!) every night. Well he'd better relish in the quiet now because when he gets home he's not going to have any right to complain!

Favorite Baby Things

As my little guy is moving quickly into "boyhood" I wanted to take a look back at some of my favorite baby items.

My daughter is still comfortable in this Cosco Alpha Omega Elite 3-in-1 carseat. The crossover lap belt thing works better now that she's older & knows how to keep still. We have an older model that's in my hubby's truck that has independent clip-ins that worked better when she was smaller & more fidgety. Anyway, we like this one because it's got a forward facing limit of 40 pounds (she just turned four & only weighs 31.5 pounds). Then it's got a 80 pound limit when used as a booster! So this thing'll be with us for a LONG time. Now, my Bear is in a Britax Marathon. It's got a forward facing limit of 65 pounds, where the Britax Roundabout had only a 40 pound limit. We got him the Britax because we had to transition him into a large carseat when he was still young. He was a BIG boy so he quickly outgrew the baby carrier. I'm sure we'll end up putting him into the Alpha Omega, since it can be used as a booster (and since we've got two of the Alphas). When the kids were babies though, I did adore using the Baby Bjorn to carry them around. This way I had a free hand to do stuff with. Both kiddos were clingy until they were about 3 months old, when they finally learned that the crib was a GREAT place to spread out and nap comfortably.

Then what do I use when we go out? I use this "Un-Diaper Bag" from Babystyle on a daily basis. I've got it in black. It holds a sippy for each kid and a bottle of water for me. I keep my sunglasses, keys, & cellphone in the side pocket that has a flap for easy access. The inside of the bags holds a LOT of stuff. I end up having to clean out the bag because there's room for WAY more than I need. I know that when it was just my daughter I used the Lands End Deluxe Backpack Diaper Bag. I think I'll go back to using it once I get it out of the storage unit. It should have enough space in it now that the Princess doesn't need anything but a snack when we go out. Also, it'll be more "manly" looking for when my hubby helps out on weekends. Plus it's made of that tough 600-denier fabric that wipes clean. Of course there's the multiple uses of baby wipes. We don't have any favorite brand on this one. Then there's the Playtex sippy cups. They're easy to clean and the insulated ones keep drinks cold. Then we're pretty loyal to Huggies diapers. It worked for the Princess and it's working fine for the Bear. We use the regular Huggies during the day and Huggies Overnites before putting him to bed (he's got lots of pee-pee at night & these really hold up for him). The Pull-Ups work just fine for potty-training too. I keep this Chicco Caddy Stroller in my car. It came with a rain cover and a carry case. It also has a strap on it so you can carry it when it's folded. What I like about it is that it folds really easily, you can bend the sun shade forward or fold it back, maneuvers easily, and it's SO lightweight.

The Bumkins bibs are the BEST! I just handwash them and they're dry by the next meal. I like this first shaped bib for every day use at home. Note how this style covers the shoulders? We use the one with the sleeves when we're out at a restaurant. This helps keep his outfit clean. Then there's Portable Placemat by Kiddopotamus that we use when we go out to eat. We like it because we can stick it to whatever table and put the Bear's food on it. No plates! The little gutter thing that hangs off the table catches most of his mess. But I'm also thinking that the Press'n'Seal wrap might work too. Might be handy to keep one of these rolls in the car for unexpected eating out!

I breastfed both kiddos and the Avent Isis Breast Pump worked well. I didn't have to purchase any replacement parts the entire time. Yes, it was a manual pump but I could control the strength of the suction (which I couldn't figure out on the electric pump). Our Boppy Pillow lasted through breastfeeding two babies. I also used it to give the kids a different perspective. I'd lay them over the bottom of the U so they'd have elevated tummy time. When they got a little stronger I used it to help them sit up.

They both got a kick when they'd sit in their Tiny Love Gymini. The Princess used to lay beside the Bear when I had him in it. I would attach other toys to it so they'd get different visual stimuli. The Sparkling Symphony Gym was also a favorite. I liked the fact that it had a long-play mode (I did however have to put tape on the speakers to soften up the sound). Then when the kids were older I moved the colored keys into the horizontal mode so they could play it like a piano.

Then there's the Baby Einstein videos/DVDs. Both my kids love the entire series. They're simple & amusing & hold my kids' attention. I love that the kids are exposed to classical music. I love the fact that the toys they show are low-tech. I love the images of the animals too. We had a really inexpensive bouncy seat that we loved - it looked similar to the one pictured below. It allowed the kids to sit up when they didn't have the ability to do it on their own. We were able to eat dinner when the kids were in the bouncy seat (vibrate mode ON!). I was also able to shower & get ready for the day with them in it. It was some of the best $20 we spent! Then there was the Evenflo Exersaucer Walk-around that I bought at a second-hand baby shop. The Bear loved walking around and around. The Princess loved pushing him around and around too!

What are some of YOUR favorite baby items?

Look what happened!

Yesterday, this is how I found the Bear when I came home from picking up the Princess from preschool. Apparently, the kiddo didn't want his shoes removed when his daddy was changing his diaper. Once he had a clean diaper, my hubby put his shoes back on. But that didn't stop my little guy from being crying mad at the situation. He bolted, while still crying, for his room to make sure my hubby knew he was still upset. My hubby said he heard the boy crying for 2 minutes then all was silent. He thought the Bear had finished up his tantrum and was paging through some books in his room. 5 minutes later, my hubby went to look in on him and found the Bear sprawled out on the floor. I guess the tantrum took it out of him. He stayed there for almost an hour and a half before we saw his smiling face emerge from his room.

Plans for the day

Here's my basic plan for the day:

Wake up before the kiddos I woke at 6am

Get the coffee brewing Got it on at 6:10am

Get the breakfast stuff out. Get a sippy of H20 and a glass of milk ready. Bowls out. Cereal ready. Drinks in the fridge!

Drink some coffee. Oh yeah!

Get the Bear out of his crib, change his diaper, and get him started on his cereal. He got his mix of Cheerios & Fruit Harvest with some wheat germ in it.

Drink some coffee. Yup!

Get the Princess cereal poured into her bowl. She got Apple Jacks today

Drink some coffee. I was sipping away

Get the dishes into the sink. I washed as they finished

Wash up their hands, brush their teeth, and get their clothes changed. Yes, yes, yes

Start a Baby Einstein video. I actually started a Blues Clues tape

Drink some coffee. yes

Get myself ready for the day. I actually did this while they ate breakfast

Drink some coffee. Still working on that coffee

Lounge about for a little bit & drink some coffee. Almost done

Drive out to Gymboree Play & Music. It was a quiet drive

Give the kiddos a snack after I've loaded them back into the car after class. It was Apple Nutrigrain Bites today

Stop by Target to exchange some shoes that the Princess got for her birthday for a larger size. Ha! I actually did this!

Get the oil in my car changed. Uh-oh...didn't make it here

Arrive at home & make some lunch -- cheese sandwiches, Vegetarian Alphabet soup, & blue chips. Yes, yes, but it was regular tortilla chips

Get the Bear down for a nap. He went down without a fight after lunch...[doing the happy dance]

Color or play a game with the Princess while the Bear naps. We played a memory game & started watching "Day After Tomorrow". I also painted her toenails a shade of blue/silver!

Start a video after the Bear wakes from his nap. We skipped this

Give the kiddos a snack (sliced nectarines & cheese) Only nectarines today

Run, tickle, & play with the kiddos until 4:45pm We played!!!

Fix dinner (Spaghetti with Italian sausage with garlic bread) It was regular spaghetti, garlic bread, & salad - the kiddos were really hungry too

Wash the kiddos up. Wash the dishes. Wipe down the counters. Sweep the floor. yes yes yes yes

Veg with the kiddos after dinner. I started a Blues Clues DVD. The kids watched for a bit & then did their wrestling & running.

Get the kids ready for bed. Got them tucked in by 8:10pm

Take a shower after the kids are in bed. Finished showering

Fall asleep after my hair dries. Hair still wet...but I'll probably surf the web for a bit....

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Can you see how the details get more vague as the day goes on? Oh...I wonder how close (if even) I'll get to my plan???? I can only dream that it works out as smoothly as it looks on paper. Note that I didn't put in any meltdowns, any yelling, any fighting between the kiddos. Hmmm...if the day starts to get away from me I may just have to stop by the drive-thru Starbucks and get...more coffee! Ha!

So the day didn't go as badly as I'd anticipated. No major blowups. Just some reminders to be more gentle with each other & to sit on the couch (versus jumping and walking on it). Hope tomorrow is as smooth! [Crossing my fingers & toes]

Open your eyes!

Oh my husband! Why is it that you cannot search for things thoroughly?

I'm sure I'm not the ONLY one who's got a husband who performs the cursory search. You know what I'm talking about. When he's trying to look for something and does a once over. His head is moving around but he's not really seeing??? It's so annoying!

Then there's the other issue of asking me where things are. "Honey, where is my comb?" "Hon? Where is that blue button-down shirt of mine?" It's YOUR item, why don't YOU know where it is?

Okay, okay, sometimes he'll be looking for something else. "Honey, where is the bottle opener?" It's in the knife drawer where it always is." "Ummm, I don't see it." [I pull open the drawer. Look all the way in it. Pull out the bottle opener. Hand it to my hubby] "What was it doing all the way in there like that?"

The latest example of his shoddy searching skills occurred on Sunday and yesterday. His training class is up in Salt Lake City. It's a little cooler up there than it is down here in Tucson, so my hubby had to unpack some "winter" clothes on Sunday. He opened the two large packing boxes we've got in our bedroom in search of clothing. The one box was marked "Winter Clothes" in his writing. The other box was unmarked. He opened the first box and pulled out what he needed. He then turned to me and said "What's in this other box?" I thought to myself, how the heck am I supposed to know? It's unmarked! I just shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. He opened the one side (since it was taped shut) and peered in. "Oh, it's houseware stuff" and put the box back up against the corner. I'm thinking houseware stuff? I would have unpacked it if it was houseware stuff because if we didn't need it then the stuff should be in storage....

Yesterday, my hubby got all his stuff packed. His flight wasn't until 3pm, so he took the day off so he could get some last relaxing moments in before he was away from home. We left the house about 1:30 to get him to the airport. As I was strapping the kiddos into their carseats, he turns to me and says "I forgot my leather jacket!" He does an about face and walks back to the townhouse. The kids and I waited for what I felt was a long time before he returned empty handed. I thought "Where the heck was the jacket?" He got into the car and said "I think I left the jacket is in storage." I thought he'd unpacked the jacket and that it was hanging up. Oh well!

Well today I looked into that 2nd box -- the one that was not labeled. I actually pulled back both flaps of the box and looked inside. The "houseware item" he saw was the base of the computer monitor. What was under the monitor? CLOTHING! The first layer was some of the Bear's sweats. The rest of it my hubby's stash of jackets. Yes! His leather jacket was on top!

I'm hoping REAL hard that it's cool as heck up in Salt Lake this week. I hope that dork freezes his tooshie! If he'd only taken a real look into the box he would have seen that it was full of HIS crap. That's what he gets for not doing this thoroughly! HA!

Big feet

Have I ever mentioned what big feet my Bear has? They are some chubby-wubbies! They are meating up on top of his feet. They're also WIDE. His toes seem to all line up in a row (well pretty much)! We call them "Barney Rubble" feet.

Anyway, I always have to buy wide shoes for him. I've been trying to get him some Nike Picos (photo below) but I couldn't find them. So, I ended up having to order them on-line from Famous Footwear. They should arrive sometime this week.

I happened to be in Target (love that store) this morning looking for a birthday gift. The Princess and I are going to her best friend's 4th birthday party this Saturday. Anyway, I was browsing around like I normally do and found the cutest little shoes for my Bear! They look like the photo below. I got them in a deep chocolate brown. What's great about them is that they're slip-ons - easy on and easy off!

He's already got these fantastic soft leather booties from Buskins, which we've nicknamed his "Texas shoes". Aren't they the cutest?

So my little boy will have some rugged looking shoes to add to his "all boy" wardrobe. He's got lots of red, white, and blue in his clothes, which he looks fantastic in. So all his shoes (yeah...all 3 pair) will coordinate really well with whatever he's wearing.

Let me just say what inspired me to write this is that when I went to try the shoes on him when I got home, he hasn't let me take the new Target shoes off. He's strutting around in them. Yes! He's strutting! After he's walked around them for about 10 minutes, he stopped in between my hubby and I. He bent over, touched his shoes, and said "Shoes" Clear as day! That was the first time he's said that!

"Uh-oh!"

My Bear is the funniest little guy. He is now in that stage where he says "uh-oh". He uses the phrase in the appropriate manner - he doesn't just say it nilly-dilly. He says it when he's dropped something. He says it when something falls down. He says it when he knows he's done something wrong. Yes, he's learning that business of right versus wrong.

It's amazing how some people never seem to learn that lesson. I rented "The Emperor's Club" this weekend. It's a movie about a boy's school and how one young man ends up cheating during a contest. His instructor doesn't rat him out though. Turns out this young man grows up and seems to redeem himself...but then falls back to his cheating ways. He never learned the difference between right and wrong.

I'm sure a lot of folks have their own perception of what's right and wrong nowadays. Seems that back decades ago everyone had a specific code of ethics and morals. It was when folks were more the same than different. Most families attended church. Most kids did chores. Most moms were homemakers. It was a simpler time. I'm sure it was complicated back then. I'm sure everyone had their personal traumas and dramas, but for the most part as we look back it was simple.

In the 21st century, it seems that people define their own standards. We've got a nation of diverse ethnicities. We've got people who believe in very different religions (if any that is). We've got parents who don't get their kids immunized. We've got adults who think adultery is okay. We've got a whole slew of the nation who has their own way of thinking.

Don't get me wrong...I enjoy the fact that people have different views. But it makes being a parent difficult when I want to bring my kids up with certain ideas of what's right and wrong. There are so many ways my kids are exposed to inappropriate behavior. I can only shelter them so much. Now that my daughter is in preschool I know that she's exposed to a lot of other kids who've been brought up differently. She's now having to decide on her own what's right and wrong.

I don't let them watch any of the kids networks (Cartoon Network, abc Family, Nickelodeon, Disney) because there is horrible behavior in so many of those shows. Cartoon characters that talk back. Sassy talk and sassy words (stupid, idiot, hate). Yes, I expose my kids to these words but my daughter (who is 4) knows that we don't use those words in our house. When we're out and about and we overhear someone using a "not so nice" word, my daughter will oftentimes look at me. I'll raise my eyebrows and she'll nod and shake her head. She knows it's a words we don't use and she acknowledges it. That's how we distinguise right and wrong for our kids. We explain that other people might say certain words or do certain behaviors, but "we don't do that in our house."

Yes...the phrase "uh-oh" is just the beginning. This business of right and wrong takes a lifetime. I feel like I've got my daughter on a good path so far. Now I've got to work on my little guy. Hopefully he'll watch his sister and learn. I know that it's a long hard path trying to steer these little ones into decision makers that we can be proud of.