A lot of families travel by car during the holiday season. Especially over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Here are a few situations:
Vehicle maintenance - Make sure your vehicle is up to the task. On the drive home, we saw at least 25 RVs at the side of the road. Most were attempting the climb up the mountains. Most were hauling ATVs of various sizes. Make sure to check your fluids (radiator, oil, battery, brakes). It's a quick check at the beginning and at your destination that'll most likely prevent a breakdown. There was even one SUV that needed a jump-start when he stopped to fuel up! Additionally, check the towing capacity on your vehicle. You might have purchased an additional ATV that makes the total haul above your capacity (especially up tough terrain).
Vehicle entertainment - Make sure to bring enough entertaining items for your little ones. Based upon your children's age it might range from rattles and stuffed animals to video games. Be double sure to bring additional batteries or an AC adapter plug. I decided to bring our laptop on the trip. The stand-alone battery power is only 2 hours. So I decided to play it on the 2nd leg of our 6 hour trip. The kiddos could watch one movie. On the drive to my folks it was a HIT! Unfortunately, my son was mystified when we turned it off about 45 minutes before we got to our destination. We ended up buying an adapter at Best Buy for $80!!!! My hubby said it was an investment to make future trips more managable. On the drive home, the kids watched both movies that I brought.
Eating - Make sure to bring enough to eat and to drink. Yes, there are rest stops along the way. But WHO in their right mind wants to exit when you're doing a quick 80 mph down the freeway? A variety of munchies and drinks does the trick. Also, make sure to pack a couple sippies for those little ones who like to toss their drinks when bored or impatient. Fortunately, I did this and it prevented me from crawling behind to search for my son's sippy in the dark.
Clothing - This is always an issue. Make sure to check the weather forecast of your destination. With little ones it's always safe to pack 1 1/2 times the number of days you'll be at your destination. What makes it easier is if you can stay within some basic colors. I don't pack "outfits". I do a lot of mix-n-match. This gives me the flexibility to ust pull an additional shirt or bottom when needed. With my son, I did blue (denim), red, & white. With my daughter, I did blue, pink, & white. I even do the same with my own outfits. Brinign more clothes than you think you need for the kiddos saves a lot of aggrevation.
I hope that everyone had a wonderful trip out to see family. It's amazing how quickly the weekend passes when nothing goes wrong. Make sure you really THINK about your car trip for Hannukah or Christmas. Really planning it out (meals, bathroom breaks, refueling, etc) helps out, especially when you've got little ones!
We actually had a playdate in the morning. We went to *M*'s house. *M* is the Princess' favorite friend who is a girl. I had a nice time getting to know *M*'s mom better. When we drop the kids off at school, it's not easy to stand around and chit-chat. She's got a one-year-old and I've got the fiesty almost two-year-old. So it was nice to sit and talk. I found out a lot more about the history of the school and the kids that attend it.
Before we left for the playdate, I prepared pb&j's. Once we got home at , I put the sandwiches out and had the kiddos eat a quick lunch. I then put on a movie so I could finish up packing. Once I finished up, I was able to throw all the bags into hubby's truck (Ram 1500 extended cab). I even put the Princess' carseat in. All we needed was for my hubby to get home!
We left around (Pacific time). The Bear fell asleep shortly after we got onto the freeway. The Princess' fell asleep about 30 minutes later. What's funny is that the Bear woke up about 2 hours later. The Princess' woke up when we were rolling into our fuel-food stop. It's a little over 3 hours drive from our townhouse. It's also the halfway point on our drive. We fuel up and then we get out and eat. We generally eat at the McDonald's and stay for about 30 minutes. That's enough time to eat, go to the restroom, and let the kiddos burn some energy.
I fired the computer up once we got back on the road (about 20 minutes outside of the city). The kids watched "Finding Nemo", which is a favorite. They both sat quietly through the entire movie. It was HEAVEN! My hubby was so happy that they were both so settled. He said "I'm glad I thought of it!" When the movie was over and the battery was just about dead, we had to turn the computer off. The Bear complained because he didn’t understand what was going on. He finally settled down and both kids fell asleep.
We rolled into the driveway about (Pacific Time). The Princess was able to wake up to give my folks and younger sister hugs & kisses. The Bear was disoriented and didn’t know what the heck was going on. We quickly got him changed & into the crib where he quickly fell back to sleep. About 20 minutes later we had the Princess tucked away in bed.
Thursday
I woke up and got in a shower before the troops woke up. I gave both kids baths and changed for the day before my hubby even saw the light of day. Actually, both kids were already fed before he finally awoke from his slumber. We were going to spend the day up at my older sister’s house, so I had the diaper bag set with extra clothes, a bib & sippy cups. Once my hubs had showered, we were on our way.
I had the kids in coordinating outfits because I wanted to have our Christmas card photo taken. I put them both in bright yellow shirts. The Princess had a denim overall dress over her shirt. The Bear had some denim pants. Both my hubs and I wore blue jeans. I had a plain black t-shirt while he had a medium blue polo shirt on. My older sister took about 5 photos of us four. I took a couple of the kids with my hubs. Then there were a couple of just me with the kids. Thankfully, two of the five group photos turned out REALLY nice.
Anyway, we showed up at my sister’s place about . The official mealtime was schedule for , but she told us to come early so we could catch-up. Also, we wanted the kids to have time to play with their cousins! My sisters’ and her SIL’s kids all love playing with my two younger ones. They all ran around in the backyard. My little guy tried hard to keep up with the older ones. It was so funny watching him trail everyone else. At one point, they gave him a small bat & ball. He went to town playing with that on his own.
I had a blast eating the Thanksgiving meal. There was SO much food! Plus, no one made a fuss if you went back twice or even THREE times. All of us stuffed ourselves. Hey, it’s tradition! After the kids ate, they headed back out into the yard to play. The adults stayed inside and chatted and watched “Around the World in 80 Days.”
We got back to my parents house about and got the kids in bed. About 10 minutes later, my parents and younger sister arrived home. Before I went to bed, my sister and I made plans to go hit a couple stores (Target & Toys’R’Us) around .
Friday
How did my shopping go? Well, I didn’t get up until . By then my sister had left. Why didn’t she wake me up to go? Because the little boy woke up crying around 3am. He wouldn’t let me put him back into the crib. So I ended up lying down with him to get him to relax. He was endlessly twirling my hair between his fingers. It took him a good while to get back to sleep, which meant I was also sleep deprived.
Once we were all awake, my folks, my younger sister, and my clan all went to IHOP for breakfast. After we finished eating, the girls went off to Home Depot to check out prices. My parents want to fix up their house in the next few months. They’re either going to sell it or stay there for a bit. They say they’re waiting for my younger sister to get a job before they make their final decision. Whatever!
We looked at countertops. She seems to be drawn to the solid countertops – Gibraltor & Corian – because each brand can incorporate a sink with a seamless appearance. We then looked at cabinet re-facing supplies. Then off to plumbing fixtures. Finally, we checked out flooring – carpet & the newer linoleum. My Mom now has a better of idea of what things cost. All she and my Dad have to do now is to prioritize the things they want to do and see what’ll fit into their budget.
Saturday
I went out shopping with my Mom and the Princess. We didn’t go to one of the big malls. We stayed close to home. For the Bear: A bat with balls, a lacrosse set, a Magna Doodle, an electronic alphabet toy, two turtlenecks, and corduroy pants. For the Princess: A large Magna Doodle, two LeapPad Writing books, and two ruffled turtlenecks.
We met up with my hubs & the Bear at Fins. The two of them went to the mall to walk around. What was funny about this place was that at the next table were some regulars with their two kids (they had Fins plastic cups). Anyway, the little boy (15 months old) was making frustrated grunting noises in our direction. Apparently, we were sitting at their regular table. Right next to our table was the wall mounted fish tank. I guess MY little guy was too close to the fish tank for that other little boy. I couldn’t help at how territorial that other little guy was acting.
My older sister and niece were at my parents when we got back. But we didn’t stay long. My older sister wanted to look at some houses for sale in a nearby community. Her job is about an hour commute from her current home. My BIL works about 45 minutes away too. So if they were able to find a home further south (closer to work) then they’d be happier. So I took off with my two sisters (NO KIDS!) and we spent about 2 ½ hours looking at open houses and model homes.
The first home we looked at was BEAUTIFUL! It was a “For Sale by Owner”. The gal had the house decked out with Christmas decorations. It definitely would have been something my hubby would have liked. It had wood shutters. It had stainless steel appliances. But I just about died when I saw the asking price.
The next house was smaller but had a nice layout. The staircase entry was from the back of the house. The upstairs wasn’t open to below, so it was very private and isolated. There was a loft landing that they decorated as a hangout area. But it only had a 2-car garage so my BIL wouldn’t want to even look at it.
Next, we looked at some model homes. I liked the first model. It had a greatroom (no formal living or dining), kitchen, 3/4 bath, & den (optional bedroom) downstairs. The master & 2 additional bedrooms (with a jack-n-jill bath) were upstairs. None of us liked the second model. Both my sisters liked the third model. It had a 3-car garage for my BIL. The kitchen had a HUGE island that would be terrific for the kids to do their homework or for buffet dining. There was a ¾ bath next to the den (optional bedroom). Upstairs, the master was in the front of the house with a walk-out balcony. The upstairs also had 3 additional bedrooms with walk-in closets, plus the laundry area. I think my sister is going to show my BIL the plans and they’re going to seriously consider it.
Sunday
We didn’t venture out. We hung out all day until we had to drive back. The drive home was uneventful. My hubby bought an adapter on Friday afternoon, so we were able to run the computer for about 4 ½ hours.
It was SO nice being able to spend time with my parents and my sisters and our extended family (my BILs side). The kiddos had a great time playing with their cousins. Even my hubby had a relaxing time. Next year, we'll be spending Christmas with my family. Hopefully, I'll be able to fly out a few days early with the kids and then ride back with my hubby. Yeah! It's going to be fun!
Suddenly spreading your hands out to your sides like you're a referee saying SAFE and saying "SHOW!!!!" in a sing-song voice.
This is the way that the Bear tells me he wants to sing. Sing anything? NO! Sing excerpts from "Blue's Big Musical"
He likes for me to sing the "You Can Be Anything You Want to Be Show" song followed by the "Bee-Bop-Bay" song. He'll chime in the words (along with hand movements) that he knows in the correct places.
My family was in hysterics when they witnessed it. I told them about it but they didn't believe how much he enjoyed this activity until they saw it in person.
Me: Shooby-Dee-Day
Bear: Bee-Bop-Bay
Me: Hey-Hey
Bear: Hey
Me: I can't say where it comes from but when you sing
It was an AWESOME spread at my sister's house. Everyone contributed to the feast. As an out-of-towner, what did I contribute? Sodas & ice. But hey! At least I did something!
It was a big group of us. Me, my hubs, and our two kiddos. My folks and my younger sister. My older sister, BIL, and their three kiddos. My BILs folks. My BILs younger sister, her hubs, and their two kiddos. My BILs cousin. How many is that? 12 adults. 7 kiddos. It was GREAT!
There were two fried turkeys, one spiral ham, mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, yams with marshmallows, green bean salad, rolls, pancit (Filipino spaghetti), lumpia (Filipino egg rolls, steamed corn, & fruit salad. Needless to say, I had about 3 plates of food. I stuffed myself silly.
What was for dessert? Puta (Filipino dish), Filipino flan, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and ice cream! We all took an hour break between the main meal & dessert.
Hey all! Just wanted to let you know that I won't be around for a few days. We're off to visit my family until Sunday! Woohoo! Bring on the food! It'll be three full days of stuffing myself. Fantastic!
Yes, that's right. You read that correctly. 2 o'clock in the morning. Normally, I'd say that I was asleep. Last night? I was wide, wide, WIDE awake.
Why? I don't know. I consumed no caffeine after noon. I ate dinner at my regular time. I had no snack after dinner. I went to sleep at 10pm like we shoot for every work night. That's right. I lay there for FOUR hours!My mind was just thinking about things I need to do. Things I need to NOT say when we visit my folks.
Ahhh...I guess that's a crux of it all. My folks. My disappointment that they haven't done one thing with their house. Not one thing to that house. That means they are THAT much further to selling it.
So what DID I do at 2am? I got up and rearranged our walk-in closet. Yup! I switched my hubby's work shirts to the top bar. Put his casual shirts on the bottom bar. The Bear likes to play with what's hanging on the bottom bar. We don't mind him playing with the casual shirts because those things don't need to be ironed.
On my side. I placed my shorts into a far recess of the closet to free up more space for my fall/winter attire. I pulled out my long sleeve shirts & jackets to a more convenient bar.
My hubs was mighty surprised to see his stuff different from when he'd seen it last night. But mighty please too.
I just hope there's not another night of tossing and turning tonight! Bring on the caffeine please!
I've got to pack the stuff I need for 4 days. I've got to finish up the kiddos bags (I already got their clothing situated). You know, throw in their toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, lotions. I've also got to throw everything into hubby's truck.
But first we've got a playdate at the Princess' best girlfriend's house at 9am. Since the kiddos aren't in school tomorrow, we thought we'd get together anyway. This way it won't seem like FOREVER before they see each other again.
My largest task for tomorrow? Getting rid of some hair. This evening I tackled my eyebrows. They were a HUGE mess. I hadn't plucked in a week. It was a hideous site. I really should go in to get a quick wax job, but I don't have the time. Maybe it's just that I don't have the patience to haul my two kiddos into the saloon.
Whatever the reason, I had to spend 15 minutes going at them. You know how it is. You brush them up. You figure out a few to remove. You pluck those. You brush them up. You pluck some more. It's a tedious task. But one that you DON'T want to screw up. I'd rather take less hair out than have too much missing. We've all seen the results of that mistake. Courtney Cox & Jennifer Aniston have some nicely shaped brows. Ohh...to have regular eyebrow maintenance like actresses...only a dream!
I also have to do a major shaving job. Since the weather turned cold. Since I'm wearing full length jammie bottoms. The hair on my legs have grown! GROWN! I took my first real look at them after I finished up with my brows. There's hair all up my calves. It's terrible. I'm going to have to break out a fresh razor to get the job done. Thank goodness my hubby hasn't had a chance to check out my legs in recent days...
Now why am I going to wait until tomorrow? Because the plan is to have the playdate. Come home for lunch. Put the Bear down for a nap. Pack the truck. Take a SHOWER! Then relax until hubs gets home. I am NOT going on a six hour drive without freshening up after a playdate. I know I'll be hot and sweaty after chasing my Bear all over the place.
The Bear and I headed to Kmart to browse around while the Princess was in school today.
Right at the front of the store they had ALL the Christmas decorations. Big trees. Little trees. Wreaths. Lights. Ornaments. Garland. Snowmen. Santas. Wrapping Paper. The WHOLE works. I ended up picking up a 3 foot lighted tree for $26 and plopping that into our cart.
We continued to walk around the place. I suddenly remembered that tomorrow would mark the deadline for contributing to the package the Princess' class was sending to the Persian Gulf. Her teacher, Miss B, has a son that is stationed out there. He came home recently because he was injured. He didn't stay long. He had to go back.
The moms in the Princess' class got together and decided to get a "thank you" box pulled together for the holidays. It wasn't really gifts per se. It was stuff that the guys would all appreciate. Basics really.
As the Bear and I walked through Kmart, I decided to pick up a few items. A couple packages of pens. A six pack of legal paper. A couple boxes of envelopes. (They need always supplies to write home) A package of white socks. A package of black socks. (You know how quickly socks get worn out) A pack of disposable razors. A couple travel size tubes of toothpaste. A couple travel size bottles of shaving cream. I even got a couple bottles of lotion. (They always need personal hygiene products) A package of hard candy. (This helps them clear the taste of sand out of their mouths) And finally, a couple bottles of baby powder (those of you who go to the beach know it's easy to get the sand off your body if you put powder on it).
You know what happened at the end? I put the tree back on the shelf. I had selected so much for the box that I didn't have enough cash with me to also get the tree. I figure that I can go back any ole time to pick up that little tree. I needed to get those supplies into the box. I didn't want to let that box get sent without our contribution. I appreciate those guys too much. They deserve a few essentials. I don't NEED that tree.
What're you doing this season to let folks know you appreciate them?
Watching my son run past me. In his arms, his dirty clothes. It's bathtime! He's putting his clothes in the laundry area. He's only got a diaper on. As he runs past me, I notice his left butt cheek is totally exposed. Yes, he's got a wedgie on the left side of his diaper. Full butt cheek exposure. I just had run over to him and squeeze it!
We went away to my ILs (to celebrate my FILs birthday) yesterday. We came home an hour ago (Sunday). We found a business card stuck in our door. On the backside of the business card, it said "Heater fixed".
I'm sure the only reason it's fixed is because my husband called the rental office with our plight. The rental office is different from the maintenance office (who subcontracts jobs for the heaters, air conditioning units, swamp coolers, and such).
Hubs: "Look, my wife know all the timeline of all the communication regarding the heater. Unfortunately, she's too upset to talk about it. Plus, we've got a 22 month old who's just getting over a bad cold."
Rental office gal: "Ohhhh.....I'll be sure to tell the maintenance office that you've got a sick child."
Like that should make any difference?
Anyway, whatever was said...our heater is now fixed. Thank goodness! We've got a winter storm headed our way. We may dip down into the high 30's tonight! BBrrrr....
Me:Hi, what's up? [I'm thinking about a good time for him to come by for the install]
Repair Guy:Upon further inspection of theequipment, we're going to need XXX also.
Me:Okay.
Repair Guy:That means we won't be able to install it until Monday.
Me: [I'm thinking...What the hell!]
Repair Guy:I apologize for the inconvenience. We're got XXX piece ordered.
Me:So where is XXX piece coming from?
Repair Guy: It's coming from AAA (which is two hours drive). The delivery truck that comes already left today.
Me:So when is XXX piece supposed to arrive on Monday?
Repair Guy:Around noon. We get our deliveries by noon every day.
Me:So we'll be without heat another 3 nights?
Repair Guy:Yes. I apologize again for the inconvenience.
So many things are wrong with this entire situation.
First...I don't think he had an 8am appointment on Thursday. Then he didn't even show up when he promised at 9am. He showed up at 10:30am!
Second...What repair guy doesn't have a fuse in his on-hand supplies? It's not like he doesn't service the rest of the units in this complex. Shouldn't he have basic supplies for our heating units on-hand?
Third...I don't think he needed a fuse to determine what was wrong. I told him the unit was making a funny sound, then the funny smell. A blown fuse wouldn't make the assembly make strange noises.
Fourth...Why didn't he pull the equipment out when he came out at 10:30am on Thursday? If he had then he could have ordered the needed supplies and it all could have been delivered at noon today and installed today.
Fifth...Why did it take all day to get back here to finish the job? He said he'd return around mid-day, but didn't show until 5:30pm.
Sixth...Why didn't he and his sidekick look closely at the assembly last night so they'd be sure to order all the right equipment? Did he really think that the cursory look they did last night in the semi-darkness was enough? If they'd taken the time to thoroughly look at the assembly last night, they could have ordered all the repair supplies this morning. Then the items would have been delivered by noon and could be installed today.
Seventh...We'll be without heat for 5 full nights (Wednesday through Sunday)...and it's about 45 degrees at night!
I'm so pissed out of my mind. It's already 1:30pm and I'm still so mad I feel like my head is about to explode.
I don't want apologies. I want results. If he'd been more professional (on the ball) then we'd have heat tonight. Not 3 nights from today.
Once the heat is fixed I'm going to make calls to the property management and the heating company. I'm going to let them know how unprofessional their representatives have been in this situation.
Yesterday morning it was making a strange noise. When I got up out of bed I really listened to it. I then smelled a strange smell. You all know the smell. Kind of like burning hair. I knew it was bad. So I immediately turned the heater off. What I feared was that something would catch on fire.
At 8am, I called the townhouse maintenance department. I left a message about what was wrong. They called me back at 10am. I told the gentleman what happened. He told me that the Heat-Air Repair guy would be calling me. About 2pm the repair guy calls me. I told HIM what had happened. He asked me what time I'd be available on Thursday, as he was all booked for the rest of Wednesday. I said
Me: [Explained what had happened, including the smell]
Repair Guy:What time are you available tomorrow (Thursday)? I'm all booked for the rest of today.
Me: 8 o'clock?
Repair Guy:In the morning?
Me:Umm..yes.
Repair Guy:Well, how about 9 am?
Me: That'll be fine. I'll see you at 9 tomorrow morning.
Fine and dandy, right? When the hubs and I were about to get the kiddos ready for bed last night, he switched on the heater. Nothing happened.
Hubs:Uh-oh. Looks like it's totally gone.
Me: Luckily I called the maintenance guy then, right? We've got an appointment set for 9 o'clock tomorrow morning.
[Yes, this was a dig on my hubby. He noticed the strange noise when he was getting ready for work. But he did nothing about it. What did he think? The noise was going to go away on it's own? Oy!]
Hubs:Well, I guess we'll dress the kids with extra layers on tonight then.
We had no other source of heat. We never set up a natural gas account, so we couldn't start the fireplace. We might be in Arizona, but it gets down to the mid-40s at night. So it was a chilly night for us all. I gave the Princess the extra comforter. We put an extra blanket in the Bear's crib. Both kiddos had socks on too. Brrr.....
At 7:45am, I called the repair guy. I wanted him to know that the heater was more far gone than I'd explained the previous day. I wanted him to know that the heater was not kicking on at all. This way he'd be prepared and possibly have more repair items handy.
Me:Hiya! This is ME, your 9am appointment?
Repair Guy:Oh hi!
Me:Sorry to call so early, but I wanted to tell you that the heater didn't turn on at all last night. It would click but the motor didn't turn on.
Repair Guy:Okay, I'll take a look at it when I get there.
At 10:30, he shows up. Yes! He was LATE! He goes to the thermostat and tries to fire up the heater. No go. He hears it click but nothing turns on.
Repair Guy:I'm going up to the roof to check things out up there.
The roof is where the actual mechanics are located...
10 minutes later.
Repair Guy:Well, you've got a blown fuse.
Me:Okay. [Thinking...Pretty much what I figured]
Repair Guy:I've got to go pick up a fuse. It's on the other side of town.
Me: Okay. How long is that going to take?
Repair Guy:Since I'll be on the other side of town I'm going to visit some of the other calls I need to make. I'll be back about mid-afternoon.
Me:Okay. We'll see you this afternoon. [Well, what else was I going to say?]
Now why the hell didn't he have a fuse in his repair supplies? Didn't he hear me yesterday when I said there was a smell? Yes, I know that heaters normally have a smell when you first start using them. But I explained that it was a singed kind of smell. When I called this morning, I explained that the heater didn't turn on. Why the hell didn't he have a fuse with him? Shit, shit, shit!
Why did I bother to call him & explain it to him?
[Twittling my thumbs waiting...]
Around 3:30pm, I call the repair guy's cell phone.
Me:Hello, repair guy? It's ME. The 9am appointment from this morning?
Repair Guy: Oh yeah. Hi.
Me: I was wondering if you were going to be able to make it back here today.
Repair Guy:Yeah. I'm making my way out there. I'll be there by the end of the day.
Me:Okay. Bye.
Now what would you get from that conversation. He said "I'm making my way out there." Would YOU think he was on his way right now? That's exactly what I thought. You see...to me "mid-afternoon" (which he'd mentioned that morning) is around 3pm so that's why I called to verify that he would be returning.
Guess what time this guy showed up?
Go ahead and guess....
5:30pm! That's right! We were already getting ready to eat our dinner when this wiseguy & another dude showed up at our door. I was too ticked off to even go to the door. I had my hubby chat with them.
The two guys went up to the roof. We could hear them walking about and doing something. About 5 minutes later, the repair guy comes back to the door. I happen to be walking across the room and see him. I open the door. What do I see next to him? A piece of equipment. I wave my hubby over to the door because I know it's not going to be good news.
Repair Guy:Hi there. I just wanted to show you why you won't be having any heat tonight.
I walk away in disgust and let my hubby deal with it. The two guys were gone by 5:45pm.
Here's what my hubby told me the guy said.
Repair Guy:Well, you see this piece here is cracked. Then the turbine is all broken. We're going to have to change out this entire mechanism. We don't have the parts with us. When I came by earlier, I couldn't turn on the unit because I couldn't get any electricity to it because of the blown fuse.
First of all. No electricity to the unit? If you'd had the fuse in the truck then there wouldn't be an issue with that. Especially since I'd mentioned that the unit would no longer turn on.
Secondly. When he was there earlier, why didn't he check the machinery to determine if he needed additional parts? It only took them 10 whole minutes to get on the roof and take out the piece that was broken and bring it down. Like he couldn't have done that earlier?
Thirdly. We're having a second night without heat. Oh fun!
Gymboree is a fun time for all the kids. It's a place to explore. It's a place to laugh. It's a place to run the Moms, Dads, & Grandparents ragged, too! There are things to climb on. There are obstacles to go under & over. There are tunnels to crawl through. There are also skirmishes regarding balls, rattles, & hula-hoops. Skirmishes? Yes. There are skirmishes.
Yesterday was a normal day at Gymboree. We were about 15 minutes until the end of class. I'm about 8 feet away from my Bear. Standing behind Bear was Blaze (another regular in class). All of a sudden I see Blaze push Bear in the back. It wasn't an accident.
Once the Bear got his balance, he turned around and looked Blaze in the eye (the two are the same height). What happened next? Blaze put his two hands on the Bear's chest to push him again! You know what Bear did? He stepped forward. He wrapped his arms around Blaze's neck. He then sat down on his bottom, which pulled Blaze down with him. The Bear then laid down on his back and rolled to his left. Then he was on top of Blaze. He had pinned Blaze under him! Oh my gosh! It happened in a blink of an eye.
I was flabbergasted! I was amazed! I was SO proud of my boy!
Why was I proud of him? Because he didn't push Blaze after he'd been pushed the first time. He didn't retaliate. He showed restraint. He turned and looked at Blaze. My Bear only defended himself once Blaze was obviously going to push him a second time. Then my Bear took the kid down! He did it softly too. He wasn't rough. He just wanted to show Blaze that if the was not going to be nice then the Bear would definitely defend himself.
I was right there to pull my Bear off. Blaze's mom was across the room chatting it up with someone. So she didn't even discuss the pushing business with him...because she didn't see it! Oy!
I find it annoying when a parent lets a child run rampant. Allowing a child to push other children. Allowing their child to take toys away from other children. Allowing their child to think he or she is the "king of the world!"
People, you need to control your children! No matter where they are at. You need to be consistent in disciplining them. Showing them boundaries. I don't care if your child is only 18 months old. You need to start setting down guidelines of behavior when they're young. They might not be able to understand you at first, but they will understand if you stay consistent.
Yesterday, we drove to our new neighborhood. We'd called earlier and found that they'd poured our slab. They're letting it set for a few days. We drove by our lot and the footprint of our house is down! My hubs took a gander at the slab and said it looks nice and smooth. No cracking anywhere. It looks funny with all the pipes coming out of the slab.
We stopped by the sales office and they said we're on the schedule to get the framing started THIS week too. This particular builder has one crew frame the entire house. This way there's consistency and no confusion as to what needs to get done.
The sales associate showed us the landscaping plan. The lot we're on backs up to subdivision landscaping. We'll have view (iron) fencing along our back wall. But folks won't be able to really see into our back yard after a few months. The builder is putting about 5 trees along the edge of the subdivision landscaping. So we'll see trees and bushes when we're sitting under our back porch instead of block fencing. What's great though is we can determine what views we'll see out of our windows.
They told us that the first family to move in will be closing the day before Thanksgiving. Lucky! They'll have that LONG weekend to get a bunch done. Our home is on a different street than the first lots that were sold. But we found out that the builder is going to have a "block" party sometime in January so the neighbors can get to know one another. How many builders do that?
I'm sure that in the next couple of months I'll be letting you know all about what's being done to the h
I'm a bit melancholy. I'm a bit sad. The sadness is from my heart. A heart that remembers a moment. A moment not so long ago. Five years ago.
It's Sunday. I'm at the airport once again. Waiting for my flight out to NC. Another week away from my hubby. But work is work and I've got to go. One last visit to the bathroom before I board.
What's that? Blood? Only a little.
Give my hubby one last kiss before I board. The flight is uneventful. I get to my hotel.
Hmm...a littlemore blood. Okay. Don't freak out. It's that old dark looking blood. It's not bright red. Don't freak out.
I go about my work like I normally do. But there's a shadow each minute. I try not to think about what might be happening. But it's lingering over my every move. I can't help but feel anxious. I'm afraid. Wednesday morning. There's red blood.
No! No! This can't be happening. I have to go home. I have to go home today!
I call the airlines frantically.
I need to get on a plane home today! It's a medical emergency. Please!
Thankfully, I'm able to change my flight from Friday to Wednesday. Same flight...different day.
Honey, I'm coming home. There's something wrong. Pick me up at the normal time at the airport.
First thing Thursday morning I call my OBs office. I explain to them what's been happening. They schedule me into a slot 30 minutes later.
I go into the office by myself. My OB asks me to explain what specifially has been happening. He then examines me. He calls down the hall to the ultrasound place.
I go down the hall to the ultrasound office. The technician performs an internal ultrasound since I'm still in my first trimester. I see the sack. And that's all I see. The technician doesn't say anything. I don't ask.
I walk back to my OBs office. My OB is waiting to talk to me. I'm in my 11th week of pregnancy. The embryo is only measuring 7 weeks. It stopped growing. There's no heartbeat.
I'm numb. I'm alone. My little baby has died. It died four weeks ago and I didn't know it!
My OB explains that my body seems to be having a natural miscarriage. He tells me that he doesn't want to intercede in what my body seems to be doing naturally.
It can take a few days. It can take a few hours. He wants me to be prepared. It might hurt. Here's a prescription for a pain killer. Go home. Stay off your feet. Call us with any questions. We're so sorry.
I go home. I cry. I tell hubby. We hug. We wait.
Friday before lunch I feel pain coming on. Not aching. Real pain. Oh no! It's happening! I don't have any pain meds! I rush to Walgreens. I hand them my prescription. It seems to take them a million years to fill it. I want to scream. I want to tell them to hurry up.
I'm having a miscarriage here people! Give me the drugs!
I rush home. I take the meds. I sit. I wait. A couple hours later. It passes from me. My baby. I catch it in a piece of toilet paper. It's so little.
It's over.
I'm numb. I stay numb. My hubby comes home. I tell him it's over. We hug.
No one knew we were trying to get pregnant. We were going to start telling our families that Saturday. Once I hit the 12 week mark. We never told anyone we had that miscarriage. Even 5 years later no one knows of that first pregnancy.
I know my hubby doesn't contemplate that loss anymore. He concentrates on the two kids we have now.
Every year I wonder. I wonder if that baby was a boy or a girl. I wonder what type of personality that child would have had. I wonder what that child would have looked like. I wonder so many things about that baby.
I hope that baby we lost knows that I still love it. That one day we'll be reunited.
You are not just a memory. You are a piece of my heart little one.
So you all know that we're living in a townhouse until our house is finished being built. We feel very fortunate to have found this townhouse, but I still feel pangs of angst that we're not in a house.
Here's the floorplan of the townhouse. You can see it's a 3 bedroom 2 bath unit.
Things I like:
Large greatroom concept -- the living, dining, and kitchen are one huge space
The place is 1200 square feet with vaulted ceilings & lots of light -- 2 skylights in the greatroom & one skylight in each bathroom
Each kid has a bedroom all to themself -- both can be noisy sleepers so it's best they stay separate
The master bedroom is on the other side of the unit (but close enough to hear the kids at night)
There's a washer & drier in the unit -- no laundromat visits
There are tons of kitchen cabinets (compared to other rental units I've seen)
No shared walls with anyone -- each unit is a stand alone building
Small enclosed backyard
Things I don't like:
We have less than half the square footage than our house
No garage -- one carport spot
Small closets -- the kids have all their clothes but I've only got some of mine (the rest is in storage)
Only one sink in master bath with carpet underfoot & no door separating it from the master bedroom
We have our large formal dining table & chairs in the dining space taking up room (my MIL wouldn't let us keep it at her house & there was no more space in our storage unit)
There's carpet in the dining area so we have to eat at the kitchen bar area
The kiddos and I only have one room to play in
There's ONE tv with basic cable
No grass in the backyard -- its all rock
We've got only a few pots/pans and none of our real dishes & appliances (except the toaster & coffee maker)
The fridge is SO small
We don't have room for real dressers -- we're using our nightstands to hold underthings & the shelves in the closet for tshirts/sweaters
There's no space to get away
I'm in a bitchy mood because I'm sick. I'm very anxious to get into a house. I want my privacy. I want my space. I need room to spread out. I want all my stuff out of storage. I want everything in its own place. You see, I'm the one who has to constantly deal with the small living space. I'm the stay-at-home Mom! My hubs gets to leave every workday. He gets to go off into the world and talk to PEOPLE! I get to stay with the kiddos and try to figure out what they want. He may be tired when he gets home from work...but I am emotionally and physically and mentally exhausted after dealing with the kiddos all day long. When do I get a break?
Truthfully, I'm ever so thankful that my husband was able to get the job of his dreams. The job he's wanted since he graduated college. But that meant that we'd have to move from one temporary unit to another. This meant extending our temporary living situation from one month to twelve months. This meant we'd have to move to another city that none of us had ever even visited! This meant leaving all our friends. This meant starting from scratch.
And we all know that it isn't our husbands who end up dealing with building from scratch. It's the Moms who find the playgroups. It's the Moms who find the good parks. It's the Moms who find out where the libraries are and when they've got storytime. It's the Moms who find out what places have developmental classes. It's the Moms who find the organizations that do sports, cheerleading, gymnastics, and dance. I'm TIRED of doing this stuff...or am I just tired? I'm talking generally speaking here so you Dads who do all this stuff!
My left shoulder aches like a bitch. My right ear feels like it's pushing out. My head feels all...fuzzy. There's laundry still to throw in and some to fold. There's a snacktime coming up that I've got to put out. Oy! The weekend doesn't mean rest...it means more work.
Okay, okay, okay...enough with my ranting. I'm sorry to be complaining. I'll hopefully feel better later or tomorrow. I'll try to put something up more positive! Think positive! Think positive! Think positive! Did I convince you? I'm just trying to convince myself. Need Tylenol now!
It amazes me how much joy comes out of a child when you let them just RUN!
I know with my kidlings they get this look of peace. They run with mischevious grins on their faces. They giggle as they gasp for air. They relish as their hair flops back as their legs move them forward. It's like they relish in how their bodies feel as the air moves past them. They feel their arms pumping. They feel their legs pushing against the ground. They see their world move past them. At their own speed.
My hubs sometimes gets irritated when the kiddos get loud as they run. Why? I don't know. Maybe he's not used to the intense decibel levels that the kids can muster up.
I just let the two run. I love to hear them laugh. I love to watch the two race each other. I especially love when they both flop on the ground for a "break" from the action. My Bear inevitably tries to climb on top of his sister as she's gasping for air as she's laughing from the excitement of running.
Today when the Princess and I went to pick up our pizza dinner, she had to run. I could see it in her eyes. We were in a strip mall with empty sidewalks. She glanced down to the right and I could see this longing in her eyes. She wanted to run ALL the way down to the end of the strip mall. When she turned around back to me. I stopped. I looked at her and said "On your mark. Get set." She looked at me and said "Oh!" She got down in a runners ready position. Can you believe it? "On your mark. Get set. GO!" She ran all the way down to the end of the strip mall. When she got to the end she stopped. She turned around. She got back into her runners start position. I yelled "GO!" And she came on running back.
Yes, it's true. She had that look of glee on her face. She enjoyed feeling the air rush past her face. She felt her hair billowing behind her. She had a HUGE smile on her face. It only took two whole minutes to make her evening that much more sweet.
What do your kiddos like to do? What puts a smile on their face?
Yes...I've got the sickness bug. I've had a hacking cough for a week and a half. That kind of cough where it feels like you're about to catch your throat in your hand. Where you end up with greenish gerbils coming out in the morning. I've had the accompanying sniffles. I've had a throbbing headache for two days. I never get headaches unless I'm really sick.
I know that my hubs would be laid out in bed. Half-coughing. Asking me for juice. Moaning for Tylenol & cough medicine. Sleeping up a storm.
Now, did I receive any help whatsoever during sickness? Ha! Of course not! I've got no time to be sick!
So is the plight of a stay at home Mom who doesn't have family in the area....
It's the middle of the week. All the kids are out of school. Why? Because it's Veteran's Day.
I haven't thought about the folks that serve our armed forces as of late. There was a time when every day I was praying for someone that I loved that was serving our nation.
My father served 25 years in the Navy. My FIL served in the army as a medic in the Vietnam War. All but one of my FILs brothers also served in the Vietnam War. My BIL served 21 years in the Air Force. My older sister's BIL served 10 years in the Marines. Even my hubby served as an officer in the Navy for 9 years. Now my cousin (the only first cousin that I know) is in Japan because of his service in the Army.
Yes, a lot of the male members of my family haved served in the military.
When I was little, we used to pray for my Dad every night. He would go away quite often on the air craft carriers. This left my Mom to bring up us three girls alone. But we grew up to be strong girls. My Dad brought up in a strict environment...kind of like WE were enlisted into the military. We grew up with "Yes, Sir" and "No, Sir". We'd run home and find him if we heard him whistle down the street. He'd often wake us up on Saturday mornings whistling "Revele". Can you believe it? But we grew up respecting our elders and obeying the rules.
As time went on, my father had retired from the military. He got a civilian job. But this didn't stop us from being surrounded by the military. We lived in a military community. We attended the chapel on the military base. So there were uniforms around me throughout my years. Whenever there was a conflict in the world, we'd feel the repercussions in our neighborhood.
Then I met my husband. We were still dating when he went on his first deployment. We were married by the time his second deployment rolled around. His 1st deployment, the air craft carrier wasn't equiped with email service. We had to rely on snail mail. Luckily the ships had email by the 2nd deployment. The technology they have now. It's like your loved one isn't on the other side of the world! I can't imagine what it was like for the men who served in WWII or Korea or Vietnam. Sometimes mail wouldn't get through for months on end! The longest time I didn't hear from my hubs was 7 weeks. I kept myself busy when I didn't hear from him, but he was always in the shadows of my thoughts. The folks from the earlier wars really had to rely on the love in their hearts to get them through the rough times. That truly amazes and puts me in awe. It really does. How a single photo. A single letter. One book. Just something small would inspire these soldiers to continue on through the dark days.
You can safely say that I appreciate all the folks who serve in our military forces.
I appreciate the dedication that these men and women have to serve our country. I appreciate those who serve during times of peace and those who serve during times of conflict. I appreciate those who join during peacetime and don't complain when a conflict arises. You don't join the military for a paycheck and a free ride. I appreciate that these people realize their training means to protect our citizens. I am in awe of those people who join the military because they feel it's the right thing to do (like Pat Tillman). I appreciate the sacrifices the families of military personnel make when their loved ones are in training and are deployed.
Thank you to all those who are serving, those who have served, and those who have passed while serving this nation.
If you haven't heard it, take a listen to "American Soldier" by Toby Keith (link to song & lyrics). The video always make me teary & proud of our military.
Thursday nights my hugs brings home take-out. Why? Because Thursdays used to be BIG tv nights where neither one of us wanted to clean up after dinner. It's something that started when we first got married and we've continued doing it after 8 years of marriage.
I'm starving already & it's only 3:35pm!
What's on tap for tonight? Rubios! Those of you from California know exactly what I'm talking about. I usually get the beef bowl with pinto, extra rice, no cabbage. But tonight I'll be having a shrimp burrito with chips. Yummy!
He had been online for a while. I heard him chuckling to himself. He got off the computer. Then I got onto the computer.
Me:"So what were you looking at that made you chuckle?"
Hubs:"Oh, I was reading something dot com."
Me:"What's that?"
Hubs:"It's a political blog. Do you know what a blog is?"
Ha! You should have been inside me. There I was on the computer logging into MY blog. Hmmm..do I know what a blog is? What should I say?
You see, he doesn't know I blog. He doesn't! Why should he?
For those of you who've been reading a while, you know that I vent here. If I have a bad day with hubs (here's an example) then it's on here. If I have something not-so-kind to say about my ILs (here's one on them), then it's on here. If I need to say anything nasty, it's on here. Why? Because I tend to hold back a bit so that all out war won't be called. This is my way of gtting things out of my system. It's my healthy release.
Anyone else blog without their spouse knowing it? Why do you keep it secret?
My hubs and I watched a scary movie last night. I know HE would never have rented it but I thought it would be an interesting one to watch.
What was it? Dawn of the Dead (with Ving Rhames)
It had an edgey filming technique compared to the smooth streamlined movies we often watch. Kind of like the beginning of Saving Private Ryan. You know? The shakey camera. The quick scene changes. The grain-y texture of the film.
If you didn't know...this movie has zombies in it. DUH! But they're like the zombies of 20 years ago. It seems that there is a new definition for zombie. Fast. Lightening quick. Strong. And...butt ugly!
I think the first movie of recent years that put the new spin on a fast zombie was Resident Evil (with Mila Jojovich). Just this year, they released the sequel to Resident Evil. I'm waiting for it to be released on DVD. The second movie that I saw with the new zombie was 28 Days Later (an English movie).
I do believe both the films (Resident Evil & 28 Days Later) were released the same year, but I'm not sure which one was first. Both focus on a disease that is spread through bites or cuts. So, Dawn of the Dead also follows this scenario. What's interesting is the we never find out what exactly is the source of the outbreak in Dawn of the Dead. At the beginning of the other two movies, we see how the disease is released out into the public.
Can you believe I watch these kind of movies? Yes, I do! But I DO wait until the kiddos are in bed. No need for them to see any of these crazy ass bloody images, eh?
This means our house is going to progress visually now. They've had the underground piping done for a while now. They had the footings in place. They just had that stuff inspected last week...so they're pouring today!
Once the foundation is fully dry and inspected again, then they'll start with the framing! Then our house will begin to take shape.
What does THAT mean? This means weekly visits out to the house-site. I'm SO excited!
Right now I feel like the worst mother in the world. I feel like I let my kids down.
I felt out of control. I yelled! BIG!
Why? My Bear was being clingy. I couldn't leave his side. I'd walk slowly to go to the kitchen or to the bathroom and he'd fly after me crying hysterically. Oh!
Then my Princess wasn't acting like a princess. She was acting rotten to her brother. She wanted the little football my hubs had gotten him for herself! She was acting selfish. Then when she didn't her way she pouted and stomped. Argh!
What to do? What to do?
To top it off, I started to feel sad. Depressed that this was my life. That I'm a worthless case pretending to be a good Mom.
Then I come to find out right before dinner that...I started my period. Yeah, I know. Too much info! But maybe that's why I felt so lost and sad about my day.
I just received either Parents or Parenting magazine. I took a quick glance in it. There's an article in it about yelling. Can you believe it? I know what I'll be reading after the kiddos are in bed tonight!
I can only hope tomorrow is a better day. One where I can be more in control. Where I can see the bright side to any situation. A day that I can look back upon and smile about....
It was a beautiful day outside. Here are a couple shots from this morning about 10am. It was about 60 degrees. Hardly a cloud in the sky.
And for those of you watching, Dream House on HGTV...I took a shot of the house that they're showing this season. I don't drive real close to it so the photo is kind of grainy, but you get the idea....
Walking back down the stairs to the kiddy play area. Hmmm...Those bathrooms didn't look that bad.
Look left. I'm sure the boy will enjoy this place.
Look right. Where is that kid?
Walk further. Hmmm...he was just here.
Look left. Okay, he's not at the swings.
Look right. Okay, he's not at the slide where I left him.
Heart begins to beat more strongly. Breathing gets a little shallow. What the fuck?
I say his name loudly. Then listen. Where is he? Where is he? I don't see him!
Run to the other side of the building. My eyes scan the baseball field as I run. He's got to be right here. He's got to be!
Stop. Scream his name. Slowly scan from right to left. Keep the eyes looking far then near. Far then near. He can't have gone far. He's quick but not that quick. Or is he?
Run back to the other side. Look towards the bigger kids play area. Okay, he's gotta be right in this area. It's the only place I haven't looked.
My eyes scan the area. He's not there! Oh my God! He's not there! My baby! My baby! I've lost my baby!
I turn around. I look at the picnic & bathroom area. Where else do I look? My baby! Did someone take my baby? But no one is at the park!
My eye notices movement on the left of the building. My head jerks to that point. Oh my God! Oh my God!
I run. I run so fast. Oh my God!
I crouch down. I scoop him in my arms. My baby! My baby!
My legs are weak. My arms feel numb. My eyes begin to fill with tears. I feel like I'm about to collapse. Oh my baby! My baby boy!
He's all smiles. He doesn't realize what just happened. He only knows that Mommy is hugging him like she does every day. He doesn't realize that there are tears in my eyes. He doesn't realize that my heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest.
I release him from the hug. He looks at me and smiles. I can't help but smile back at him. My sweet boy.
He takes my hand. He pulls me to the swings. I put him in the swing and push him. I keep on pushing him knowing at that moment he's safe. Thank you God for keeping my baby safe.
I've got one of those coughs that's going around. My throat is itchy-scratchy. I cough throughout the day. Not bad. But not fun either.
Last night I sucked on a Sucrets before flopping into bed. Did it help? For a few minutes. I started coughing intermittently after my hubby fell asleep. E-gads!
What to do? What to do?
I decide to push my pillow to the top of the bed and sleep flat on the bed. Did this work? Incredibly, it did! Can you believe it? No more coughing. No more itchy-scratchy. It was a flat out miracle! I slept ALL night. I sure needed it too.
What's your best/latest simple cure for what ails you?
To hear the sound of a diaper waltzing across the bedroom. The bedroom? Not just any bedroom. The Princess' bedroom.*
The diaper sound came from my Bear walking across the room.
The next thing I know he's on me. He's in my face. He's saying "HI!"
Oy! This is NOT the way to wake me up!
I hadn't slept well in my daughter's room. My hubby decided to send the Bear into his sister's room to wake me up. Ummm... Honey, you know she despises her brother in her room, right? Of course, the Princess woke up pissed off because her brother bothered to wake her up out of a sound sleep (at 7:15am). Horrors!
Honey, couldn't you have walked into the room and whispered to me that you needed to head out to work? I would have gotten up quietly so the Princess could sleep another 30 minutes. I would have given the Bear his breakfast. But that didn't happen this time.
The result of this horrible wake-up? A PO'd Princess....AND a PO'd Mommy.
* I spent Wednesday night in my daughter's bedroom. Yes, she has a cold/cough. She woke about 12:45am coughing up a storm. I ran across the townhouse and got her some water. She drank it and wanted me to lay with her. Not wanting her to be upset (since she wasn't feeling well), I pulled the comforter out of the closet & plopped into her bed. She snored up a storm since she was congested. It wasn't only on the inhale...it was on the exhale too!
Remember how I mentioned that my hubby's cousin finally got engaged recently?
Turns out that the wedding will be held May 2006. Yes, 2006! A year and a half away!
What's even funnier to me is that they've already got a website set up for the event. I'm sure this will facilitate communicate with all the family and friends that will be invited to the event.
What strikes me funny as well is that they've already got the church reserved for that date. They've even got the time of the wedding ironed out. They've also got a reception site lined up. Yes, that's right! The two BIG decisions that a bride makes (other than the dress) have already been taken care of.
Then there's the wedding party. The bride-to-be has her maid of honor and her bridesmaids decided upon. She's got 7 girls in her party. Yup! They are already listed on the website. The grooms party? NADA! The poor guy must be thinking "Who am I gonna get? Who am I gonna get?"
But I seriously do want to attend. This is a wonderful cousin. He's always been easy to get along with and we're SO happy that he's found someone to live the rest of his life with.
