Still home with the sickies

No preschool today for the Princess. She slept with Daddy in the master bedroom last night. She was asleep from 8:45pm to 9am! That's right. She slept TWELVE hours.

When I went in to my room this morning, I saw her still snoring on the bed. I wasn't sure if she'd had a restless night of sleep, so I decided to leave her alone. I called my hubs at 8:30am and found that she'd slept fitfully ALL night. Huh... if she needed that much sleep than she was still in the recovery mode. No school!

I had the privilege (can ya hear the sarcasm?) of sleeping with the Bear last night. He was feverish by 8:30pm. I dosed with Tylenol & cough syrup. Poor kid. He was restless until about 1am. I didn't fall asleep until almost 2am. The kid was wide awake by 6:30am. So I'm moving through a hazy day doped up on 4 cups of coffee.

Hope all your kidlings are healthy....I'll probably be back tomorrow with a real post. MUST FIT IN A NAP TODAY....

Got the best news today

I spoke with Hubs earlier.

Me: Hi! The kids just ate lunch. Your daughter is drawing & sucking on a cough drop. Your son is hopefully settling down in his crib for a nap.

Hubs: Great! He needs to sleep. I've been thinking...

Me: About what?

Hubs: I think I'm going to hire some movers.

[happy dance...happy dance]

Me: What?

Hubs: I think I'll just hire some people to move the townhouse stuff to the new place.

Me: Okay.

Hubs: Turns out they can also get the stuff in storage (where we used to live - 2 hours away) and bring THAT to the new place too.

[more happy dancing]

Me: Okay. That sounds great.

You see...I've been dreading the move that's coming up. We've got stuff in a couple storage units in the city where we used to live. Then we've got the stuff here at our townhouse. It was going to be a logistical nightmare trying to get everything to the new place. Seriously! With two kids? I can't get ANYTHING done with the kidlings underfoot.

The thought of having professional movers get our stuff to our new place? PRICELESS!

Sickies have hit us

Thank goodness I kept the kids home on Friday. We were supposed to get together with one of the Princess' friends. The Princess woke up around 9am that morning (day off from preschool), so I knew she wasn't 100%.

Turns out that she ended up with an itchy-scratchy throat. The Bear developed one on Friday too. Hubs slept with the Bear in the Princess' bed on Friday & Saturday night. I slept with the Princess in the master both nights. We dosed both kids on Tylenol so they'd sleep better.

The Bear is in the worst shape. His nose is running (clear). He's got a deep cough. The Princess has a much milder version with a lighter cough. But she did wake up around 6am this morning coughing (it sounded like her lung was about to come out of her chest) and crying.

"Mommy...I'm coughing a lot. And my tummy hurts!"

xx Definitely not something you want to hear. But I got her some cold water. It soothed her throat. I rearranged her pillow and fluffed the sheets over her. I stroked her hair a little and she was out again within a couple of minutes.

Hopefully tomorrow is a better day. I won't have the hubs to help tag-team the duo. I'm thinking of keeping the Princess home tomorrow so she doesn't infect anyone at preschool. But she hasn't seen her buddies since Wednesday so I'm not sure how that'll fly with her. We'll see in the morning.

As for me? I've got a touch of the sickness. My throat has been killing me. I'm feeling a little tired. But that hasn't stopped me from monitoring and entertaining the kidlings. Along with vacuuming the house, doing 6 loads of wash, and doing some packing. Bleah....

I'm hoping to watch a bit of the Oscars tonight. My hubs HATES watching the awards shows. I just like to watch to see what people are wearing. AND to hear their acceptance speeches. Some are funny. Some are idiotic. Some are downright touching.

Hope you all had a good weekend. What did YOU do?

House Update

We dropped by the house today. Here's the latest on the outside!

Newly completed items:

• Painted exterior
• Painted interior
• Baseboards upstairs
• Closet doors installed
• Banister & railings up
• Wood flooring in place
• Cabinetry installed
• Electrical circuit board complete & labeled
• Lighting fixtures up and ON!
• Garage doors installed
• Exterior front lights installed

In the works:

• Baseboards downstairs
• Grouting of tile (all the tile is down)
• Backyard grading/leveling almost complete
• Roofing - they were working on this when we drove up
• Closet door handles
• Handles on all doors

Still to be done:

• View fencing in backyard
• Driveway still needs to be poured
• Front yard landscaping
• Polyurethane coating on banister/railing
• Countertops in kitchen & bathrooms
• Sinks & Toilets
• Interior door installation
• Vent covers for air/heat to be installed
• Property fence on left side of house (they've just poured the slab for the house nextdoor so I guess they needs the extra room to work)
• Appliances

We can hardly believe that all this has been done in two weeks. But we're thankful that it's progressing.

We couldn't get to the master because that would mean walking on a bunch of tiles (which we were told to avoid doing because there's no grout). You should have seen us making our way to the stairs. Hubs unlocked the front door. We hopped to the wood flooring (which was totally finished). We walked the length of the wood flooring. I was able get to the stairs only stepping on three tiles. Whew! We were able to explore all upstairs because there were no flooring issues. We're putting carpet up there. It's a bummer we couldn't explore downstairs. We couldn't check out the master bedroom, the master bathroom, the half-bath, and the laundry room. But we're sure they're getting those worked on.

Front door. Tile entry with wood in den & dining/living room.

Family room. No hearth on fireplace.

Kitchen & nook (view from loft).

Loft. Oak railing.

One detail that I really like is the transition we put between the front part of the house and the back part of the house. It's just a simple band of tiles (see below) but it's a way to delineate between the "formal" and "casual" sections of the downstairs. The transition band is in the same collection as the decorative backsplash in the kitchen & the entry medallion. It's the same color set of stones but in a different layout. It's a small detail, but I think it'll really tie the colors in the floor with our kitchen. A more cohesive look, you know?

I think we'll be able to move that last weekend in March. I'm secretly hoping we'll be able to close on the place a week earlier though. I can't WAIT until we're in the house!

Say what?

For the longest time (since October 2004) my daughter has been using this phrase that I have NO idea where she got it.

OH-LIMB-VIA!

It's something that she'd call her brother as she's running around him.

It always made me wonder WHAT the heck she was trying to say. Where the heck she got that word. WHY the little boys from her school were also calling THEIR younger siblings that (when we were at a birthday party).

Kind of makes you go "hmmm...." as a parent.

I figured it out! I figured it out!

There is a girl in my daughter's class. Her little sister is named OLIVIA...

Yeah...my girl and her buds were hearing the name wrong.

OH-LIMB-VIA! OH-LIMB-VIA!

What size am I?

I LOVE being able to hang out with my family. We always tend to end up telling stories about stuff that's happened to us. Here's a tale of a wayward lady looking for a new brassiere.

Location...Victoria's Secret

Sis#4: Mom, I need to get a couple new bras.

Mom: Okay.

Sis#4: Mom, why don't you get a new one too?

Mom: I don't know. I don't know what size I need.

Sis#4: Easy fix. Let's get them to size you.

Enter a Victoria's Secret sales rep.

VSR: How can I help you?

Sis#4: My Mom needs you to measure her for a new bra.

VSR: Alright.

The VSR commences to take my Mom to a fitting room & size her.

Sis#4: Thanks for your help.

Sis#4: Okay, so what's your size?

Mom: 34B

Sis#4: No way!

Mom: That's what she told me.

Sis#4: Mom. Come on. There is NO way you are a 34B. You've got nothing up there!

Mom: Ha!

My Mom (stubborn one there) goes through the store and finds a 34B style that she likes and purchases it. Without trying it on.

What happened next?

I came into town for my visit! We were sitting around my older sister's (Sis#2) family room listening to the tale of the latest bra purchase. I was rolling on the couch laughing hysterically at my Mom's purchase of a 34B. Let me tell you that she is FLAT. I mean FLAT! There is no way on this green earth that my Mom is a 34B.

I got up off the couch after I finished laughing. I wiped the tears from my eyes. I turned to my Mom and lifted up my shirt and showed her my 36B bra. I showed her how the darn thing kept my twins "high and tight". She giggled softly while Sis#2 and Sis#4 laughed even harder.

What's even funnier? She was wearing the bra that she'd purchased. She pulls up HER shirt and shows it to me. This got us even more in a tizzy.

Mom: See...it fits!

Me: Mom...it's supposed to fit against your skin. It's supposed to keep whatever you've got from sagging.

Mom: But I don't like it tight.

Sis#4: It's not going to be tight. It's supposed to just support you.

I'll give it to my Mom that the bra fit nicely around the circumference of her body. But the cups were TOO big. She'd purchased the kind of bra with the thick padding in it. The kind that can hold there own without anything in them.

Me: Mom!

Mom: What?

Me: The straps are falling off your shoulder!

Mom: I told you. I don't like it tight.

Me: The straps are supposed to fit snugly against your shoulder blades. They are NOT supposed to be sliding down off your shoulder.

I adjusted each side so they fit closely but did not cut into her skin.

Sis#2: Mom. You really should get a 34A.

Sis#4: I don't think she's even a 34A. Maybe an A minus.

We all start on another round of laughter with tears rolling down from our eyes. Thankfully, my Mom was laughing with us. She knows we're just trying to help her out. She's SUCH a good sport.

Making Mommy Laugh

Wake up with hair so jacked that you look like...

"He looks like a ROOSTER!"

That was a quote from the Princess' mouth when she finally saw him.

My son had played with his hair SO much during the night that almost all of the hair on top of his head was sticking up helter-skelter. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself when I saw him. It wasn't until my daughter laid eyes on her brother that I finally laughed out loud.

He DID look like a rooster!

Another DOA

Dang it!

I found another dead fish. It was one of the new ones I bought too!

I saw it at the top of the bowl and thought nothing of it yesterday. Well, I LOOKED at it this morning and it was disintegrating. YUCK! I don't know if it was a faulty fish. Or if the bowl had some icky germs in it. It was the same bowl that the other fish did a belly-up in. Needless to say, I've put that bowl out of commission.

I'm wondering how long it'll take my daughter to see that there are only two bowls with fish in it. Not long, I'm thinking.

I just had to go hmmm...

Got an email from my MIL today. It was addressed to my hubs, his siblings, my BILs girlfriend, and me.

I'm sure a bunch of you got the same email. It was about a young mother and her path in life. How her view of life changes as she grows older and brings up her children. It was a beautiful piece.

Here's what it said at the end of the piece...

" PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS AND SONS YOU KNOW....
MAY WE NEVER TAKE OUR MOTHERS FOR GRANTED."

Okay. This email was only addressed to the people above. My MIL is one of 8 children. She didn't address it to any of her siblings. Or their children. It's not like she doesn't know any other mothers. Why to just the group above?

Does she feel that she isn't appreciated? That she feels like we're taking her "for granted"? I wouldn't put it past her.

As I read it, I did reflect on my own mother. How nurturing she was as we were growing up. How nurturing she still is to us as adults. How nurturing she is to our children - her grandchildren. How kind. How selfless. How respectful she is of us with all our faults. I don't take her for granted. I love her with ALL my heart. I know that I don't need for her to see the email I was sent. Because when I see her (like this weekend), I show her how much I love her. I show her how much I appreciate her. And when I don't see her? I call her just because. Not because I'm expected to call her. I love my Mom.

Finally some renovations...

My parents. My parents!

I can't believe it, but they've finally got some renovations scheduled. They're one of those couples who has done NOTHING to change the inside of their home. They've lived in this particular house for about 20 years. Because of them, I can understand families that live decades upon decades without changing carpets, wallpaper, or anything. When we were growing up, my folks concentrated on working to make a living. They saved for their retirement. They didn't care that they had linoleum in the kitchen. It worked. That's all that mattered.

But I'm jumping for joy that they'll have some major changes in store by the end of March. What? They're going to have that darn popcorn (acoustic) ceiling scraped off in all the rooms. The living room. The dining room. The family room. The upstairs hall. The bathrooms. The bedrooms. Once the ceilings are scraped off, the same guy is going to prime the ceiling and get a nice off-white flat paint up there. Then this same guy is going to paint all the walls in the place. EVERY SINGLE ROOM! My Mom has decided on a mocha-taupe paint. I mentioned to her that she might want to use different tones of that particular color in each room. So there would still be a cohesive but varied color within the house. You know? Right now the walls are white in most of the rooms, so going with ANY color will be a huge step.

Once the ceilings and the walls are taken care of, the same guy will be tackling the cabinetry. He's going to clean and sand it all. The kitchen. The hallway linen area. The bathrooms. I didn't ask what color they'd selected, but I'm thinking it'll be a glossy white with brushed nickel handles. It's going to look glorious once that's done. They've had that dingy dark brown look for way too long. The wood is so grainy. Once my parents see that fresh glossy coat on everything, they'll be amazed at how nice it looks.

Then they'll be getting new carpet upstairs. They're putting Pergo down in the living, dining, and family rooms. I don't know what they've decided for the kitchen. I'd really like to see them put cork down. I don't think tile would be a good choice for them. I don't know wht they've decided for the bathrooms either. But any change would be nice.

When I go back and visit in June, the place will look SO different. I'm sure my younger sister will be taking digital photos of it all so I'll be able to see the changes. I can't WAIT for it all to happen. I'm SO excited for them!

Something to read

Subject: Reading Test

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer inwaht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt!

*****************

Were you able to read that blurb above? If so, were you amazed that you were able to do so? A friend of mine emailed it to me and I thought I'd share it (because I was shocked that I could read it).

Wonderful moments from our trip

With all the rain in California, I had the opportunity to see SIX rainbows. It was amazing to see so many on our three day trip. I haven't even seen that many rainbows in such a short period of time.

Who would have guessed there would be so many tiny purple flowers along the highway? Along westbound Interstate 8, there was a stretch that had tiny purple flowers hugging the highway. When I looked out into the open fields there weren't any flowers. Just along the highway. What was even more beautiful was seeing the tiny yellow flowers mingled in with the purple ones.

There was a sense of serenity as we drove down the freeway. That tap-tap-tap-tap sound above us...as the raindrops pelted the truck. The whooshing sound below us...as the rainwater splashed up against the bottom of the truck. We drove in silence - listening to the sounds around us.

Watching my kids run around giggling in my sister's backyard. They've got grass. It was overcast. But this didn't stop them from stomping barefoot all over the place.

The zoo was amazing. It was cloudy. There were a couple downpours, but that didn't damper our spirit of adventure. We trudged along happily -- even when it was raining. What was wonderful to see was that my niece and my daughter held hands the entire time we were there. I'm so glad the two are close - even though we don't live close.

Eating an amazing fish & chip (fresh!) lunch at the harbor. We ate at a tiny place nestled near the cruise ships. It was so nice to sit and eat and relish the atmosphere. Even the little pigeon that transferred from table to table looking for scraps.

Seeing how my oldest nephew (who just turned 11) reacted when the Bear came into his house. My nephew knelt down and picked my son up in a HUGE hug. I love that my niece and nephews love my kids -- and my kids love them back.

My son treats my Mom just like he treats me. I couldn't help but giggle when he'd run up to her. Grab her finger. And PULL her to where he wanted her to go. The kitchen. The garage door (to go outside). That meant he trusted her and wanted to be with her.

The unconditional love I saw in my Dad's eyes when the kids walked into his house. He was a strict father, but he melts when he sees his grandkids. I could see his face soften when he saw my kidlings. It was terrific to witness.

Almost gone

I'm sitting here surfing the web waiting for my hubs to come home.

Completed

I packed my bag.

I packed the kids' bag.

I packed the kids' long trip activity bag (Doodles, paper, crayons, markers).

I packed the laptop & 4 DVDs.

I got the hubs' and my pillows on top of the bags so we won't forget them.

I packed 3 days worth of snacks.

Still to do?

Put the just washed sippy cups in a plastic bag.

Grab the kids' bottled water from the fridge.

Brush my teeth & throw my toothbrush into my bag.

Have the Princess use the toilet one last time.

Change the Bear's diaper one last time.

Hubs to do

Change into casual clothes.

Put all five bags into the truck.

Then we're OFF!

P.S. Anyone see the unbalance in the tasks completed & to be completed?

Out of town

We're going to be out of town this weekend.

An impromptu trip to see my family.

We forgot that my hubs has got President's Day off on Monday. So I called my family and told them we're going to be invading on Friday night. Yes! We're going to take a 6-hour drive out on Friday evening. But it'll be worth it.

We're planning on going to the zoo on Saturday morning. Well, my daughter and I are going with my older sister and her family. My son? He'll be relaxing at my parents' house with my hubs. Come on. My hubby will be sleeping the day away while my parents entertain my son. I already figured that one out.

So I won't be around for a few days. I'm going to go through internet withdrawals. I know it. It's not going to be pretty. But at least I'll be keeping busy with my family.

Do you have Monday off? Are YOU doing anything special this weekend?

Irritations

What are some things that irritate you?

Here are a bunch of mine (in no particular order):

Stuff at home...

• When no one else in the house (meaning my husband) straightens the bathroom rugs.
• When no one puts a new paper towel roll on the holder. (Note: Leaving ONE sheet and then tearing open a new roll and placing the new rolls NEXT to the holder only makes the situation more irritating.)
• When no one else sweeps the kitchen floor. Especially when it's apparent that there are a TON of crumbs on it. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Anyone else noticing the sound?
• When no one else bothers to restock the diaper basket with more diapers and wipes. If you use the last diaper, you should go get more.
• When no one washes my insulated coffee container. Even when it's sitting right in the midst of all the other dirty dishes on the counter next to the sink. (Note: Washing ALL the other dishes and leaving my container just sitting there only makes the situation worse.)
• When you don't empty the small pot that you used to warm up your son's milk. (Note: Leaving the pan there for days on end only makes the situation worse.)
• When you take a shower and fail to pick up your dirty clothes off the floor and place them in the dirty laundry basket on the washing machine.
• When no one listens when I speak. Then I have to repeat myself over and over again.

Out and about...

• People who park in front of my house & have their car facing against the traffic. My BIL always does this.
• People who park crooked in a parking lot.
• People who park WAY too close to my vehicle in a parking lot.
• People who leave the garbage container (we've in a townhouse complex) open.
• People who don't pick up after their dogs - especially in parks & living complexes. (Note: No one wants to see or smell your dog's $hit!!!)
• People who stand too close to me in line. BACK OFF!

***************************************

Okay! I'm irritated once more. My hubs was packing his stuff for our 3-day trip. This JUST transpired.

Me: Honey, can you grab the kids' duffle while you're in the closet?

Hubby: Where is it?

Me: It's on that same shelf where you got your duffle.

Hubby: Nope. Don't see it. [he walks out of the closet]

Me: It's right there on that shelf where your duffle was.

Hubby: I didn't see it.

Me: It's up there. [I get up and walk into the closet]

.....

Me: It's right there! [I'm pointing up]

Hubs: This? [He grabs what I've pointed to. It was under an olive green duffle]

Me: Yes. This is the duffle that the kids always use. Is that my bag underneath that green thing? [I'm pointing once again]

...hubby pulls down what I've pointed to.

Hubs: This is a backpack! [He hands it to me]

Me: It's my duffle. Look at it! [I walk out of the closet shaking my head]

....

I took the time after dinner to grab outfits & jammies for the kiddos for the trip. Their stuff is sitting in plain sight in our bedroom. Now did my hubby take the time to throw the kids' clothes into their shared duffle bag? NO! NO! NO! He did not. The two duffles that he took down for me are sitting on my side of the bed. He only took the time to pack his stuff. Selfish? I THINK SO!

Replacement found!

The Bear and I went to PetSmart this morning and picked up a replacement Beta.

The Princess still has no idea that one of the fish died yesterday.

Turns out that we've been feeding them too much. Like WAY too much. The guy at the store said the fish only need like 3 nuggets of food PER DAY. I was giving them like 10-15 every other day. Yikes! So I picked up an identical (as close as I could tell) to the one that died. I also picked up a blue/silver one. I couldn't help it! I'm going to see HOW long it takes for the Princess or my hubby to realize we've now got THREE fish.

Waving back

Outside our townhouse complex when we drive out to drop my daughter at preschool, we generally see a teenage girl waiting for the bus. A couple months back, my daughter waved to her. The girl waved back. Now, when we drive to the entrance of the complex and see her, we wave. What a nice way to start your day right? Just smiling and waving at a complete stranger. A "regular" stranger to our routine.

Since my daughter started preschool, we've been driving this one particular route to school. We pass by a rural fire station on the way. The Princess (and now the Bear) have been waving to the fire station since we started this route. She thinks it would be a nice way to let them know that we've thinking of them. As we approach the station, the Bear will often say "Fiii!" My response is always "Yes honey. Let's wave to the guys at the fire station."

Like normal, we made our drive up that road. As we drove up, I noted that there were two fire fighters sitting at the front of the fire engine talking. I said "We're almost to the station guys!" The Princess starts waving BIG and smiling. I look to my right (where the station is) and see the one firefighter smiling and waving back. Halleluia!

My daughter was SO tickled that someone finally saw her. She chatted about how it made her happy to have him notice her. I'm hoping that her smiling face made that fire fighter smile. He definitely made her day!

Need a replacement

Turns out that one of our BETA fish has died.

I walked past the two bowls like I do every morning and tapped on them. The one in the smaller bowl jumped around like normal. The other? NO MOVEMENT. Uh-oh! I backtracked and looked. It was at the bottom of the tank. Sideways. I tapped again. No response.

Me: [ring-ring as I called my hubby]

Hubs: Hello?

Me: One of the F-I-S-H is D-E-A-D. [Yes...I spelled those words out]

Hubs: Oh. Does she know?

Me: Nope.

Hubs: Hmm...

Me: Just wanted to let you know.

Hubs: Okay.

You see, I haven't mentioned it to the Princess yet. I'm wondering if the hubs will pick up a replacement. I don't want to ask him to because he'll do it if he wants to. I don't really care if he does because...I'm the only one taking care of the fish. I'm the one cleaning the tanks. I'm the one feeding them. He supposedly wanted those fish for the Princess. But neither he nor she is helping. So I don't care if a "replacement" appears this evening. You know?

Making Mommy Laugh

The state cheerleading competition is on tv right now.

What's the Princess doing? Pretending she's a cheerleader.

She took out the pom-poms that she got at a football gave this past season. She's hopping around. Arms going this way and that. Legs and hips moving around.When the kids do a cheer? She's just making noises that sound like what the kids are saying.

It's the most ADORABLE thing to sit back on the couch and watch.

What's even cuter? She's only wearing her purple underpants...her clothes got dirty when she ate dinner...

Preschool Valentine's

Preschool dropoff was more fun today than usual.

Why? Because it's Valentine's Day!

The Princess got out of my car and I handed her the bag of Valentine's cards she'd worked on the other week. She skipped along the sidewalk all the way up to the school security gate. The Bear? He held my hand and tugged me along as he galloped towards the gate.

Inside, all the teachers were already in the classes. They had the kids' Valentine's bags all set up on a low table. I let the Bear roam and play in the roam, while I helped the Princess distribute the cards to the correct bag. Then, I had her hand each of her teacher's their card.

Miss L opened her card immediately while the Princess was still next to her. She looked at it in amazement, thanked my daughter, and gave her a big hug. Miss R saw the two of them and stopped by and opened up HER card from the Princess. This led to my daughter explaining to them that she made each and every card that she gave to everyone. I'm so glad that they were genuinely appreciative of the handmade cards. Those gals are AWESOME teachers!

It was SO cute watching the rest of the Moms get their kid's cards distributed to the bags. There was one Mom, who has the youngest child in the class. She also has a baby who is less than a year old. I heard her say "Okay honey (to her preschooler), let's put your cards into the bags!" She was attempting to sit in one of the little tiny chairs next to the table - trying to balance her baby and the cards. I walked up to her (since the Princess & the Bear were both occupied). I said "If he'll let me, let me take this little guy while you and "A" take care of those cards." She looked so relieved to be able to concentrate on her older child. But her little guy? The sweetest. Most lightweight little kid! I say this because my boy is a hefty one.

I think a handful of Moms stayed in the class today. Me? I definitely did not. There was going to be enough commotion in there already. I know my girl is going to have a fun time. I'm just wondering how much SUGAR they're consuming for snacktime!

Carrier: Fortress at Sea

I can't believe this show is on the television right now!

It's on Discovery Channel from 1pm-2pm today.

Why am I bringing this show up? Because it takes me back to when my hubby was in the military. He was actually on that air craft carrier (the Carl Vinson) when the Discovery crew was on board filming. No. He didn't get ANY camera time. But he is (right this very minute) watching the program. He's commenting on all the guys that he recognizes. I joked with him that he didn't get any camera time because he was probably sacked out in his bunk. That's what he used to do with his free time when he wasn't working. Sleep.

It's amazing how much time has gone by since they filmed that show in 1994. It's actually almost 11 years since they actually shipped out on that particular cruise. Wow! I didn't realize that until this moment. Amazing.

House update

We dropped by the house this afternoon and it now is looking like a HOUSE inside.

The last time we saw it, they had just put up the drywall and were mudding up the seams.

Today? They've got the walls all textured. They've got the baseboards in. They've installed the door frames. They've put the shelves and hooks in for the bars inside the closets & the pantry. They've put the front, rear, and interior garage doors up. They've covered the garage floors with paper. They've taped up some plastic film over all the inside of the windows. It looks like they're ready to paint! AH!

I'm thinking we'll be closing that week before Easter. I'm hoping we'll close sooner than that.

But I can't believe how much progress they've made since we last visited the house! Yeah!

Another possible kindergarten

Yesterday, I dropped by another school that might be a good fit for the Princess.

It's a charter school.

Key factors:

VERY good state testing scores

It's free! ....once the kiddos get into the 1st grade.

Full day kindergarten (8am - 3pm)

Small school population (next term they only want about 140 children. Total.)

Combined classes (K, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6)

Computers for each child in the classroom - they'll be overhauling the kindergarten class over the summer and have computers installed around the perimeter of the room

Required music time - they'll be spending time on the violin & the piano each week

An academic room AND an art room for the kindergarten class

Kids are allowed to accelerate to higher grade curriculum but stay with their age group (social development)

Short drive (6 miles) from new house

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I've got the application and will be filling it out. They'll have a "round up" sometime in March to meet the kids. The teachers want to interact with the kids to see if they're "ready" for school. Then, they'll make their final decisions in June on which kiddos will be attending.

It's a small school, but seems like a good one. The environment seems safe and cozy. All the teachers have MBAs. All of them have been fingerprinted. When I visited, they all seemed to know the kids by their first names. Hopefully, this works out at this school.

The other school we visited? I don't think we'll be able to afford the tuition. If I won the lottery, I'd probably put my Princess in there. But as of now? We don't have the cash. Maybe once my folks move out here and I get a job, we can send her there. But that's wishful thinking.

Hiccups

My daughter had a bout of hiccups this evening. It started just before we got the kiddos ready for bed. She hiccuped through brushing her teeth. She hiccuped through her bath. She hiccuped while getting her jammies on. She hiccuped through my reading her bedtime story. She hiccuped through her prayers. I left her to take a quick shower. Once I was in my jammies, I went to check on her. Can you believe it? She was still awake 20 minutes after I'd left her.

Princess: Mommy?

Me: Yes honey? [as I walk into her bedroom]

Princess: I've still got the hiccups.

Me: Okay. They'll go away once you fall asleep. Why don't you lay on your side? [as I lay down next to her]

She tried to get comfortable. About 5 minutes later she was snoring. Her hiccups gone.

As I lay there listening to her breathe, I recalled how she used to hiccup in-utero. She was one of those babies who'd get hiccup spells almost every day. Sometimes the hiccups would last a good 10 minutes or so. My husband and I used to laugh when we'd watch my belly move when she'd have one of these long spells. I knew that once she was born she would continue to hiccup. And she did. But what's funny is that she was never phased by her little spells. She'd been doing it inside me, so they didn't bother her. Now? She rarely hiccups. She's such a big girl now.

Bad witness

I was a BAD witness yesterday!

I went to pick up the Princess from preschool yesterday. I was walking around my car to get the Bear out when I heard a CRUNCH sound. We all know that sound. The sound of one car hitting another one. I looked up and saw a red truck had backed into a green Mustang across the street. I didn't think anything of it and continued to go to the Bear's side of the car. Next thing I hear the sound of dirt kicking up. The guy in the truck was taking off! He didn't get out of his truck or anything. He didn't survey the damage. He just took off. I was in shock. My feet were stuck in mud as my mouth lay open in amazement. I couldn't believe it. He just took off.

If I had been a good witness, I would have run over to the street and tried to catch his plate number. But like I mentioned...my feet were stuck in mud. The only thing I could do is write a little note to the owner of the green Mustang.

I saw a red truck with lights attached to the top of its cab bump the back left end of your vehicle at 12:40pm today. I'm sorry, but I wasn't able to get the license plate number.

You see, across the street from the preschool is some open dirt. It's a "NO PARKING" zone. I don't know who parks there. It may be kids from the high school up the street. It might be people who use the tennis courts that are up the street. I just don't know. So that's the note I left the driver. I didn't know what else to do. I did look at the Mustang and there was just a scratch and dent in the back left side panel. It wasn't a major crunch. But I still feel badly that I didn't get the license plate number of that darn red truck. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt.

Did you see Leta?

After reading a famous blog yesterday, I couldn't help but watch a nightly news program that I don't normally watch (we're eating dinner at that time). I knew the interview would be televised as one of the last stories of the night. I sat and was delighted to see the cute-as-a-button Leta on her mother's lap.

It was an interesting bit. I'm going to spout off a couple things that are just my opinion now.

I understand why that Kmart guy was fired. He blogged about confidential information. Sales information? Duh!

Then the flight attendant. She was in her uniform, so I understand why that wasn't appropriate. But it's not like she was saying anything bad, right?

But our girl? It's amazing that even when she didn't name NAMES that folks are still offended by her posts.

The snippet mentioned how having a blog isn't really private. I guess that's why so many of us don't use our real names. We give our family and our friends (our cast) role names. But there are those brave soles (like the gal who was interviewed) who use their names. AND put their photos online for all the world to see. Let me say. I am NOT that brave. Remember. My husband doesn't even know I have a blog. He's oblivious. Would he care? Uh. I don't know. It's not like I have any trade secrets to reveal. Even if I do start to write about things that occurred when I did work. What are they going to do? Fire me? HA!

Backlash

You might recall my happy dance a couple days ago about my son being pacifier free? Read that blurb here

Let me say it's been a trying couple of days since that bit of dancing. Wednesday morning and today, my son decided to wake up before the sun came up. Can you say 5:15am? Yes! That kid was awake both mornings by that time. Thankfully, my hubby is awake by 5am and getting ready for work. Yesterday morning, he plopped the Bear into bed with me in the hopes that the kid would fall back asleep. He DID NOT. This morning, my hubby tried holding my son to help him go back to sleep. He did. My hubby put the Bear back into his crib by 5:30am. The kid was complaining again at 5:45am. So, he wound up in bed with me. Both mornings the Bear has been happy to just lay there next to me. Playing with my hair. Twist. Twist. Twist.

What's been an irritation though? My son did not take a nap yesterday. I tried putting him down twice. I knew he was sleepy too. He almost fell asleep when we went to pick up the Princess from preschool at 1pm. We got home. I changed his diaper. Put him in his crib. He whined. Then he threw his crib friends out. How'd I know? I heard the metal blinds rattling. Yes! My son threw his sleeping buddies out of his crib towards the metal mini-blinds. After about 20 minutes, I went in there. He'd also thrown his two blankets out. He was alone in his crib. Crying. Well, I took him out. Relaxed with him on the couch. I put on a short video (45 minutes) in the hops that he'd wind down enough so he could nap after it finished. I put him in his crib. I walked out. He whined. He threw his friends out. He cried. Oy! It was a mess.

Right now? My son? He's down for a nap. He's been down for about an hour now. I guess waking up early for 2 days. AND not napping yesterday has caught up with him. He only half-heartedly complained when I put him down in his crib right after lunch. He ate a BIG lunch. THREE pieces of pizza. A 1/2 cup portion of strawberries. And about 5 tortilla chips. He was full. So hopefully he'll have a LONG nap. And hopefully that'll get him back into his regular sleeping groove.

[crossing my fingers].....[crossing my toes]

Evaluation

We've been out having my daughter evaluated. No it's nothing serious. Nothing to do with her health. It's a kindergarten readiness evaluation.

I dropped the Bear off at the hub's office, so I could concentrate on the task. I really had nothing to do at the school. But I wanted to have a quiet drive alone with the Princess beforehand. What did she and the head of admissions do? Basically, they sat on the floor and interacted.

• Identify shapes
• Identify colors
• Count as high as she could (she got up to 22 before skipping to 24)
• Identify numbers
• Identify letters of the alphabet
• Make the sound a particular letter makes
• Count the number of coins on the ground
• Determine how many coins there would be if there were two and two more were added
• Determine how many coins if there were four and she took away two
• Finish simple sentences. "At the zoo, I can see..." "ANIMALS!" "For breakfast, I like to eat..." "OATMEAL!"

While I was in the waiting room, I was asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding basics like "Does your child do tasks when first asked?" "Does your child take direction?"

I was pleased when the director of admissions told me there was no issue with the Princess' readiness for kindergarten. So, hopefully when all the kindergarten applications are evaluated (the deadline for applications is Feb 14th), we hope to hear that she's made it into the school. The only hitch is coming up with the tuition. But that's what we get for going the private school route. There IS a charter school down the street, but they are currently changing their cut-off dates (which would put the Princess out of the running).

Who knew getting into a school would be so stressful for a Mommy!

Looks like we're free & clear of the pacifier!

My son turned 2 in January. Yes. He was still using a pacifier when he'd go down for naps and at night. I'll admit it. I let it go on. But he was content. And he only used it when he slept.

Hubs and I decided that we'd let this last pacifier wear down and then we'd go cold turkey. Well, the pacifier didn't wear out. It was "lost".

Sunday night my hubby couldn't find the pacifer. The kid had thrown it out of his crib as a protest because he didn't want to take a nap. He put the little boy down into the crib that night without the pacifier. My son slept. I did hear him complain (low whining) a couple of times but no all out crying happened that night. He slept until 6:45am.

Yesterday afternoon, I put the boy down for his nap without the pacifier (which I found on the floor next to the window). I thought we might as well do the "no pacifier" thing now. Well, the kid didn't nap. Like normal, my husband put the boy down into his crib at the end of the day - without his pacifier. And he slept until 7am. I didn't hear any complaining at all.

About an hour ago, I put the little boy down for a nap without his pacifier. And you know what? He fell asleep. AND. He's STILL asleep. No complaining.

[doing the happy joyful ecstatic dance]

I think we've turned a major corner in our house. No more pacifiers! The only thing we've got left that's babyish are those darn diapers. Gotta get on that potty training business now.

Visited the house

We visited our house yesterday. It's DEFINITELY moving along.

They've got the drywall up. They were busy mudding up the seams upstairs when we drove up. We walked around downstairs to check the progress. They've got the drywall up on the walls and on the ceiling. So the rooms feel like ROOMS now.

We dropped by the sales office afterwards. We asked about the timeframe of stuff. Once they get the wall texturing up, we'll be about 30 days from the finish! Hopefully, we'll get the call that the texturing is up this week, so we'll close by March 15th.

12 years ago

Do you know what YOU were doing 12 years ago?

Alas, 12 years ago tonight....I met my husband.

The stars aligned and I met him. I say that because I wasn't supposed to be where I met him. I had finally got myself to a place in my life where my work was going well and I wasn't looking for a relationship. I was settled with the fact that my career was it.

That evening, I had scheduled a happy hour for a bunch of buddies from work. It was a group of people I'd initially worked with when I first was temping at the company. I hadn't had a chance to chat with them in a while, so I thought I'd draw them out with a happy hour.

It was fun. We ate appetizers. We drank some beer. But my one girl friend (GF) had to leave. She said she was meeting her husband at another happy hour. One of our long time sales associates was leaving the company. There was a BIG happy hour for him at a restaurant two miles away from our location. GF was taking the receptionist (a young girl looking for a boyfriend) because she wanted her to meet some of her hubby's friends.

GF: Do you want to go?

Me: I don't know. It's mostly going to be sales people...

GF: Come on. It's just down the road.

What did I do? I caved to peer pressure. Hey! It was Friday night and I didn't have anything better to do. Plus, there would be dancing! How can a single girl pass that up?

We caravaned to the restaurant. We walk in together. The place is already packed for happy hour. Thankfully, the group we were meeting had overtaken the upstairs seating area. We walked up and I finally met GF's husband. I also met the three buddies of her husband. Their names were a blur. It was a good time. I danced. I drank. I danced some more.

Around 9pm, I decided to head on out. GF and her hubby were also ready to leave. We walked out together. They dropped me off at my car and headed out. I got myself situated in my vehicle and warmed it up. I put it into reverse and was about to pull out...

[knock-knock-knock]

Me: Holy Hannah! What the heck?

There was one of GF's hubby's buddies knocking on my window.

Me: [rolling down the window] Hi!

Guy: Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to grab some coffee?

Me: Uh, yeah, sure.

Guy: Why don't we meet up down the road at that Denny's?

Me: Sure. I'll see you there.

We drive the 5 miles down to the Denny's. We sit down. I order a coffee. He orders milk. Yes! He ordered a glass of milk! How cute is that? We talked for a long time. What we talked about? I don't know. It's a blur. We finished our drinks and he walked me to my car.

Guy: So, I was wondering if you wanted to go out tomorrow night.

Me: Hmmm...I'm not sure if I'll be up to it.

Guy: Oh....

Me: I have to go into work tomorrow (Saturday). I'm not sure how tired I'll be.

Guy: I have to work too. Why don't you give me your cell number and I'll give you a call around 3 to see if you're not too tired.

Me: Okay.

The next day I went to work. I had TONS to do. But you know what question kept on cropping up in my mind?

What the HELL was that guy's name?

You've got it folks. I couldn't remember his name. You've got to remember that I was introduced to three of them the night before. The night that I had a bit to drink. I could only remember one name "Mark".

[ring-ring-ring]

Me: Hello?

Guy: Hi! It's me [insert my hubby's real name].

Me: Oh HI [insert my hubby's name]!

Needless to say, it was a meeting that I'll never forget. From that day on, we were a couple. A little over 3 years after we'd met, we wed. Now here we are with two wonderful kidlings. A chance meeting.

Homeschoolers?

Anyone out there homeschooling their children?

I was wondering what program/curriculum you use to homeschool your child/children. Why did you chose that program?

How many hours a day do you spend homeschooling?

Do you have a local support group to help?

Are there a lot of supplies that need to be purchased?

Any HELP would be appreciated!!!!!

Where oh where can they be? [update]

There we were with jackets and shoes on. I look over to grab my keys and [gasp!] there's NOTHING there.

Where the heck are my keys?

We had an at-home day yesterday, so I didn't touch them. The last time I saw them was on Wednesday. I dropped them in their usual spot next to the closet once we got home from preschool pick-up.

!$#%^!$^$!

I had to use my extra carkey. Then I had to drop by hub's work to pick up his house key.

I've looked in the dirty laundry. I've looked all over the kitchen. I've looked around my side of the bed.

Nada! Nothing! Zilch!

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I found them. Where? On the shelf above where I usually keep them. They were tucked behind the envelopes of mail. Whew!

February days off

So who has President's Day off?

Most folks, right? It's a normal yearly holiday. Even my husband has the day off for crying out loud!

You'd think the schools would synch up with the rest of the nation, right? Not here. Not where I live.

What?

The kids in her school district have Feb 24 & Feb 25 off (that's the Thursday and Friday after President's Day).

Why? What? Why?

That's what I was wondering. I brought this up to the director of her preschool, who laughed.

Her response? It's for RODEO DAYS.

I'm sure you're scratching your head as much as I was yesterday morning.

Apparently, the rodeo comes to town. It's a huge deal. They have a big parade in downtown and everything.

The most funny remark the director made? She said they used to have the ENTIRE WEEEK off from school.

Can you imagine? An entire week off of school because the rodeo came to town.

Weird dreams

For some reason I dreamed about my first boyfriend last night. It was so odd. I dreamed that he and I were talking - at 13 yrs of age. I dreamed we were talking about getting back together. It was so strange to have him in my dreams. But he was the nicest guy. So sweet. So handsome. So athletic. He was my first boyfriend. I was his first girlfriend. It was such an innocent time. Ho-hum.

Terms of endearment

I was watching my tape of "The Amazing Race" afternoon. I saw how Adam couldn't handle Rebecca calling him "baby". Of course, I loved her response "How about ass?" A thought came to mind after I saw the two of them.

Terms of Endearment

Now do you and your loved one have special names for each other? No one on the race seems to use anything other than "baby" or "honey".

We were out with some friends, who'd been dating a few months more than us, and they only called each other by their names. They still only call each other by their first names. Even now that they've been married 9 years.

It's weird to me. I know that once my husband I started dating, we came up with nicknames within 9 months. Somehow we just started calling each other these nicknames and they stuck. He's "Sweetie" - no explanation needed for that one. I'm "Bunny" - as in 'honey bunny'. Now, our kids have nicknames (Bear & Princess).

So is it just us that put nicknames to our loved ones? What are YOUR nicknames? Come on! SHARE!

Making Mommy Laugh

Oh my son!

Yesterday at his parks play class, my son claimed a riding toy (pictured below) when about 8 various ride-ons were set out.

Looks like your everyday ride-on toy, right? Well, he claimed it and wouldn't relinquish his claim the rest of class. He first rode it on the soft mat they put out for class, but he quickly ventured onto the basketball floor. The class is in a large open gym of a local park. They put a curtain up to separate the two basketball courts they've got. They put down a huge area mat where the kids have their climb-on toys.

Anyway, my son started riding on the basketball floor. It's flat. It's slick. There's definitely NO drag in comparison to carpet (which we've got at our house). He had a BLAST! He'd push it with his chunky legs and the thing would goooooo..... By the end of class he was pushing off with his feet and leaning his body forward. Then he'd lean back and pull his legs up in front of him in a spread eagle v-body position. His little hands would be holding onto the handle bars. And he was saying "Wwweeee!!!!" I was giggling so hard!

An artist in the making

I have to share the different outlets my daughter is using for her artistic side...

Example 1: This is a crayon drawing of my daughter (on the right) and her two best boy buddies. She also wrote their names, but I've edited those out (to protect the innocent - lest they get queried on the internet when they're 16 years old - ha!).

Example 2: This is her painting rendition of Simba (right) and his father, Mufasa (left), from the Lion King.

Example 3: This is her Magna Doodle drawing of me (right) and her (left).

I love the fact that she enjoys using all different kinds of art supplies. This week we're starting to make Valentine's Day cards. We'll need enough for her preschool class friends & teachers, my family, and my hubby's family. YIKES! I just realize that we're going to need more blank cards! Supplies? Blank white cards. Sequins. Beads. Foam hearts, triangles, squares, & circles. Plain Elmer's glue. Glitter 3D glue. That's it! She's made about 7 of them so far and each is unique. I'm going to write expressions in the inside like "Be Mine" & "Happy Valentine's" and have her write her name. Hopefully everyone enjoys them. She's had a blast so far making them!