Oh my goodness! Has it seriously been almost 2 months since my last blog? Well, needless to say it has been a busy and overwhelming couple of months. The final weeks of my pregnancy were almost more than any of us could handle. We spent the weekdays in Orange County at my mom's house for fear of me going in to labor at any moment. School (homeschooling, yay!) started on August 24th, but I wasn't able to do a whole lot with the kids while I was on Baby Watch.
FINALLY, Baby Jane was born on September 2 (Wednesday, hooray! Now each of my children were born on a different day of the week!) weighing in at 9 lbs 7 oz. Still just under 2 weeks early. She managed to break her left collarbone on her way out of the womb. However, she is the most agreeable, placid, calm baby on the planet. This is good, since she's still almost more than I can handle. She only cries if she is hungry or dirty. The rest of the time she is asleep, or calming staring off into space. Whew!
Now that she is 2 weeks old, and my body is well into recovery... we are starting to get into our new routine. Even though we are homeschooling, I still find that we are quite busy. Derek is attending preschool (love Mrs. Edwards!) so we are up and out by 740ish on Tuesdays and Thursdays to drop him off. Hattie's musical theater class (they are performing a play called BUG-Z) meets Tuesdays at 1050 - 1150 and Derek has to be picked up at 11. Lots of driving around on Tuesday mornings. Jason's Learning Center class is on Friday at 940 - Art with a Story... But I do enjoy the chance to sleep in (a bit) on Mondays and Wednesdays. And I like not having to be as concerned with Hattie's strict bedtime since our mornings are not so early.
Homeschooling is a struggle as I am forced to fight with Hattie every day. However, I must admit it is better (or the same) as the homework fights we used to have. We're learning and adjusting together. I like to think it will get better. Or at least that some days will be better than others. Surprisingly, I have found that I enjoy having the kids home with me all of the time. I even regret when I allow them to go to their friends houses to play for hours on end. But I am not quite ready to be hosting their friends yet. Haven't quite gotten ahold of having 5 kids and keeping house and all of that. Not that I was much for house-cleaning before Jane, but I'm still trying to get better. I think it's working.
Post-baby is going well, also. The first week or so was really difficult, but I feel that I'm recovering pretty quickly now. The weight is still falling off - but I look forward to the time when I can start working out. If I can figure out a time for it. I'd LOVE to get back in the gym... I'd love to lose 30 or 40 pounds (again)...
Rick is now working in LA. Driving approx. 80 miles each way every day. No fun, but he's sticking it out hoping for some prevailing wage work in Orange County starting up soon... Luckily he got our neighbor a job working with him, so they have been able to carpool the past week.
Not sure what's up with the house yet. Still waiting for word. But we haven't been kicked out yet, so that is a blessing.
Baby is crying - it is rare so I'd better pay attention - so it's time to sign off. Until next time...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
If I was a good mom...
...my daughter would never have to clean her own room.
...my kids would do crafts and have fun and not watch so much TV.
...I wouldn't hear "I hate you" and "I hate being in this family".
...my house would be clean, and all the clothes would get put away.
...the babies would nap, instead of being little nap-dodgers.
...I wouldn't feel overwhelmed so often.
But we take the bad with the good. Last month of pregnancy is always a struggle. I welcome any suggestions for coping.
...my kids would do crafts and have fun and not watch so much TV.
...I wouldn't hear "I hate you" and "I hate being in this family".
...my house would be clean, and all the clothes would get put away.
...the babies would nap, instead of being little nap-dodgers.
...I wouldn't feel overwhelmed so often.
But we take the bad with the good. Last month of pregnancy is always a struggle. I welcome any suggestions for coping.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BFF
Having Shawna around and having my new BFF Laura has motivated me to get a ton of things done around here. Last week Shawna and I cleaned up the front room completely. This task included re-organizing and re-bagging up the "too small" clothes and taking them to the DI trailer (approx. 15 white "kitchen" bags became about 9 black "outdoor" bags). Then, the same day, we cleaned out Rick's side of the garage and piled up the recyclables. We haven't gotten the recyclables to the Recycler yet, but we'll get there! Talk about PRODUCTIVITY! Today, Laura came over and decided (for some reason?) that we needed to paint. She even brought paint. So we painted the staircase. Well, the walls along the staircase anyway. Makes a big difference, especially as the paint covers the dirt, fingerprints, and marker drawings that were all over these two walls. Amazing. And I found our old paint from when we originally painted the walls and she did some "touch up" painting of marker drawings downstairs. So nice. So so so nice.
Now I'm tired, but Laura has taken Jason and Hattie with her to play with her kids. So Shawna and I just have the babies for a little bit. Nice little break. Sorry we let Breanna nap earlier. That would have been even more perfect. :-)
Now I'm tired, but Laura has taken Jason and Hattie with her to play with her kids. So Shawna and I just have the babies for a little bit. Nice little break. Sorry we let Breanna nap earlier. That would have been even more perfect. :-)
Monday, July 6, 2009
Random Thoughts, Some Days...
I don't even know how to start this. I spent this morning "motivating" the children to clean up upstairs. Their rooms got cleaned (twice now in a week!) and vacuumed, the hallway upstairs and the playroom also. Then Shawna and I moved the playroom furniture back into the playroom - reorganized to block off the portion I intend to use as a classroom. Rick will be building a wall (soon) so that the classroom is a real room and can be protected by lock and key. Until then we will have to make do. I am feeling exhausted and sore but accomplished.
Still have to head to the store and get a few little supplies to get things set up on the most basic level. Still feeling optimistic.
My next dr appt is tomorrow morning. 30 weeks. Can hardly believe I am almost there! Feels good though. And 5 definitely feels like a LOT!! haha...
Oh well, better eat something before I make my trek to the store. Luckily babies are down for naps and I can leave them with Shawna. Only two more weeks left before Shawna heads home. What will I ever do without her? :-)
Still have to head to the store and get a few little supplies to get things set up on the most basic level. Still feeling optimistic.
My next dr appt is tomorrow morning. 30 weeks. Can hardly believe I am almost there! Feels good though. And 5 definitely feels like a LOT!! haha...
Oh well, better eat something before I make my trek to the store. Luckily babies are down for naps and I can leave them with Shawna. Only two more weeks left before Shawna heads home. What will I ever do without her? :-)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Homeschooling, etc.
I am following through with enrolling the children at Julian Charter School for their Home Study program. Just need to complete the enrollment paperwork and get moving. Now I struggle with where and how to set up the classroom and when I can/should get started. Summer is quite busy in general, but I guess I'll have to learn to work around life and "stuff" at some point... Plus I'm deciding whether or not to keep Derek enrolled at a separate preschool. There are definitely pros and cons. I welcome opinions...
Seriously??
I slept really well last night. I had a nice hot bath, and then my lovely husband was kind enough to painfully rub the "walnut sized" knot out of my shoulder before I zonked out. His willingness was fortunate for me since it was already almost 11 when we crawled into bed. I am so grateful because it allowed me to relax enough to get a thorough night's sleep - and THEN the children all slept in. Well, Breanna did wake up at 5, but I (which this never ever ever happens with her!) was able to get her to fall asleep in my bed. Then she slept until like 7:30. Seriously! And Derek didn't come in to wake me up until 7:15! So I felt like a queen this morning. Good thing. It was a long day.
First off, Wednesdays are always long because Rick goes sailboat racing every Wednesday now. Usually the day is broken up by Hattie and my singing lessons in the evening and "the babysitter" will feed, bathe, and put the children to bed before we get back. Makes it not so bad. However, our singing teacher is on vacation this week and, therefore, we were all on our own today. Jason did have a Dr. appt, for which we got a sitter, but that was at like 3pm - no help at all with bedtime.
Sooo, since I slept so well and woke up in a pleasant mood, I thought I might take the children down to the Edwards movie theater for the "free kids movie". Today was Hotel for Dogs, which we haven't seen, and I wanted to see... I also decided to invite some extra children on the theory that they would keep my children happy in the movie and I could take care of the babies. Well, after the ordeal of getting everyone up and dressed and out by 845ish, I got to the children's friends' house and had to wait for them to get ready. Once we got to the movie theater they were sold out. I think this depends partly on the popularity of the movie, since in years past I have shown up last minute and still gotten seats. Or maybe there are just more people catching on...
No movie, I decide to take the children to the park. This, however, turned out to be a brilliant idea since they ended up playing PEACEFULLY at the park for over 2 hours. They could likely have continued that way until this minute if we didn't have to go feed them lunch and take Jason to the doc. Jason, it turns out, which I already figured, has a cyst on his back. The doctor said we could leave it or cut it out. Hmmm, my 5 year old voted for leaving it, so we'll just let it be for now. If ever we decide to, we can always get it removed. No biggie. Good to know.
By the end of this it is hot and I am tired and the evening activity (dinner, bed) is looming. Now I have barely survived all of that and have not yet heard from my husband. Usually I get the "I'm on my way call" about now. But his dad and brother are supposed to be on the boat with him today, so that could be distracting him from his wife-call. I will refrain from further comment.
My children were particularly annoying AND particularly adorable today, so I will take the good with the bad. Now that they are sleeping, they are all my favorites and I can get ready for a new day. I hope Daddy calls soon, since the call usually means another hour and a half before he's home.
First off, Wednesdays are always long because Rick goes sailboat racing every Wednesday now. Usually the day is broken up by Hattie and my singing lessons in the evening and "the babysitter" will feed, bathe, and put the children to bed before we get back. Makes it not so bad. However, our singing teacher is on vacation this week and, therefore, we were all on our own today. Jason did have a Dr. appt, for which we got a sitter, but that was at like 3pm - no help at all with bedtime.
Sooo, since I slept so well and woke up in a pleasant mood, I thought I might take the children down to the Edwards movie theater for the "free kids movie". Today was Hotel for Dogs, which we haven't seen, and I wanted to see... I also decided to invite some extra children on the theory that they would keep my children happy in the movie and I could take care of the babies. Well, after the ordeal of getting everyone up and dressed and out by 845ish, I got to the children's friends' house and had to wait for them to get ready. Once we got to the movie theater they were sold out. I think this depends partly on the popularity of the movie, since in years past I have shown up last minute and still gotten seats. Or maybe there are just more people catching on...
No movie, I decide to take the children to the park. This, however, turned out to be a brilliant idea since they ended up playing PEACEFULLY at the park for over 2 hours. They could likely have continued that way until this minute if we didn't have to go feed them lunch and take Jason to the doc. Jason, it turns out, which I already figured, has a cyst on his back. The doctor said we could leave it or cut it out. Hmmm, my 5 year old voted for leaving it, so we'll just let it be for now. If ever we decide to, we can always get it removed. No biggie. Good to know.
By the end of this it is hot and I am tired and the evening activity (dinner, bed) is looming. Now I have barely survived all of that and have not yet heard from my husband. Usually I get the "I'm on my way call" about now. But his dad and brother are supposed to be on the boat with him today, so that could be distracting him from his wife-call. I will refrain from further comment.
My children were particularly annoying AND particularly adorable today, so I will take the good with the bad. Now that they are sleeping, they are all my favorites and I can get ready for a new day. I hope Daddy calls soon, since the call usually means another hour and a half before he's home.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Bananas
I seriously love that we call Breanna "Bananas". I think it's adorable and hilarious. And she responds every time. I had every intention of her nickname being Bree. I did. But I guess this works just as well, if not better. This will now forever be her pet name. And that is a good thing to have.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The House
So I called Chase AGAIN yesterday to see what is UP with our loan modification. We were supposed to be moving forward in this program starting in April, but I haven't seen any paperwork YET. I've been calling every two weeks and they've been saying, just wait, the docs could take up to 45 days. Really???? So I've been waiting. Finally I get a hold of someone yesterday and find out that we've been put back into foreclosure and our mod was canceled - WHAAAAAATTT??? Who are you people?? The girl I talked to was very nice. She REqualified us for the program and (HOPEFULLY?) sent out the paperwork. We should get it within the week. If not, I may lose my mind.
So, the new Obama program puts our payment down where we can afford it. And as long as we make the payments, we get to keep the house. After three months of making the payments we roll over into a permanent modification (from the trial period). So it is all looking pretty good. Still have to work out taxes and insurance, but that shouldn't be too hard considering all we've already endured.
At the very least, it feels like a relief to know that we can keep our house. As soon as we get the paperwork, I mean. Then it will feel like a relief.
So, the new Obama program puts our payment down where we can afford it. And as long as we make the payments, we get to keep the house. After three months of making the payments we roll over into a permanent modification (from the trial period). So it is all looking pretty good. Still have to work out taxes and insurance, but that shouldn't be too hard considering all we've already endured.
At the very least, it feels like a relief to know that we can keep our house. As soon as we get the paperwork, I mean. Then it will feel like a relief.
Wednesday
Okay, so some days you just wake up ready to take on the day. Today I was awake (not UP, but awake) at 5am, mind-reeling with all of the many things I could accomplish. The homework struggles have re-ignited my desire to homeschool the children, so I've taken on a new task of researching my options. The playroom is currently cleared out, so I'm trying to get rid of the hockey table so that I can set up a classroom in there. However, FEELING motivated and actually being able to accomplish anything are two separate things, so I am sitting here overwhelmed and discouraged. Not by the homeschooling prospect (which still feels like a great idea) but by parenting in general.
Getting up and getting ready for school has been a challenge all its own in our house, and I recently charged Hattie with the responsibility of getting herself up and ready. Today she decided to sleep in and I tried very hard to not get involved. At about 7:05 I reminded her that maybe she should get dressed and ready. (We usually leave for carpool at around 7:20 and school starts at 7:40) She dawdled and dawdled and ended up at about 7:17 with no shirt, no shoes, no breakfast, no lunch. With a great deal of yelling we managed to get her set up with clothes, shoes (way too small! sorry!), breakfast and lunch and out the door at about 7:33. It was ugly. She did, however, calm down by the time we picked up her friends and dropped them all off at school. She even told me she loved me (whew! quite the contrast to the many "I hate you"s I've heard lately). Oh my gosh, so much for my positive outlook on the day.
Just now we all got to listen to about 20 minutes straight of Derek screaming and crying. I'm not sure why he's decided this is the most effective way of communicating, but he's become quite proficient at it. Part of his problem this morning was that he wanted someone else to search for toys for him to play with. The playroom is all packed up in the "baby room" so the toys are piled in bins. I kept telling him he had to find his own toys, but that was not sufficient. Oh my goodness, the CRYING AND SCREAMING! I will myself to ignore it, but it still wears me down!
Jason's obsession/addiction to computer games has also been part of my inspiration to get moving on homeschooling. I can't keep letting him wasted hours playing on the computer. As easy as it is for me, we have to find a more constructive way of doing things around here. Plus, Hattie is capable of so much more than she is accomplishing at school these days. The Final Report they've been assigned seems to be way too easy for her. So she is having trouble getting motivated and I'm having trouble dealing with it all. She won't include things in the report because "everyone already knows that". Duh. That's the point of writing the report. But I sincerely believe she needs to be challenged more. She just found out she gets to move up to reading 5th grade books. For a second grader, I think that's pretty good - and she's the only one in her class!
So, my plan is to get this "classroom" set up over the next week or two. Then start school July 7 and see how things go. If I can start Hattie on a 3rd grade curriculum and Jason on Kindergarten and some sort of preschool for the babies, then we should all be busy and entertained enough. And we'll have a good month or so to see how it goes. To ease into it before public school starts and we can make a permanent decision about SCHOOL then. I'm a little concerned about making the investment, but I think it'll be worth it. And I've thought about homeschooling so many times that I don't know how long I'm going to be able to put it off anyway.
Getting up and getting ready for school has been a challenge all its own in our house, and I recently charged Hattie with the responsibility of getting herself up and ready. Today she decided to sleep in and I tried very hard to not get involved. At about 7:05 I reminded her that maybe she should get dressed and ready. (We usually leave for carpool at around 7:20 and school starts at 7:40) She dawdled and dawdled and ended up at about 7:17 with no shirt, no shoes, no breakfast, no lunch. With a great deal of yelling we managed to get her set up with clothes, shoes (way too small! sorry!), breakfast and lunch and out the door at about 7:33. It was ugly. She did, however, calm down by the time we picked up her friends and dropped them all off at school. She even told me she loved me (whew! quite the contrast to the many "I hate you"s I've heard lately). Oh my gosh, so much for my positive outlook on the day.
Just now we all got to listen to about 20 minutes straight of Derek screaming and crying. I'm not sure why he's decided this is the most effective way of communicating, but he's become quite proficient at it. Part of his problem this morning was that he wanted someone else to search for toys for him to play with. The playroom is all packed up in the "baby room" so the toys are piled in bins. I kept telling him he had to find his own toys, but that was not sufficient. Oh my goodness, the CRYING AND SCREAMING! I will myself to ignore it, but it still wears me down!
Jason's obsession/addiction to computer games has also been part of my inspiration to get moving on homeschooling. I can't keep letting him wasted hours playing on the computer. As easy as it is for me, we have to find a more constructive way of doing things around here. Plus, Hattie is capable of so much more than she is accomplishing at school these days. The Final Report they've been assigned seems to be way too easy for her. So she is having trouble getting motivated and I'm having trouble dealing with it all. She won't include things in the report because "everyone already knows that". Duh. That's the point of writing the report. But I sincerely believe she needs to be challenged more. She just found out she gets to move up to reading 5th grade books. For a second grader, I think that's pretty good - and she's the only one in her class!
So, my plan is to get this "classroom" set up over the next week or two. Then start school July 7 and see how things go. If I can start Hattie on a 3rd grade curriculum and Jason on Kindergarten and some sort of preschool for the babies, then we should all be busy and entertained enough. And we'll have a good month or so to see how it goes. To ease into it before public school starts and we can make a permanent decision about SCHOOL then. I'm a little concerned about making the investment, but I think it'll be worth it. And I've thought about homeschooling so many times that I don't know how long I'm going to be able to put it off anyway.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Catalina
We survived another Catalina race this weekend.
Friday we (Shawna and I) took the kids to Wild Rivers. We were invited via Facebook and a casting call to participate in filming their newest commercial. So keep an eye out over the next couple of weeks for my kids smiling wet faces on your TV. It was freezing cold and miserable, but hopefully they got some good footage of my adorable crew. :-) We made it, and even (eventually) had a little fun.
Saturday Daddy left for his Catalina race and we drove down to the Welk Resort for some Day Use of their facilities. Much better than Wild Rivers - no cameras, but at least the pools were heated and the sun came out for a bit near the end of our stay. All in all, it was a fun day - and Jason managed to do some real swimming without his floaties. Also, I learned that Breanna is a little fish and cannot wait to learn to swim herself...
We even made it to church on Sunday - ON TIME - so needless to say, I was physically, mentally, emotionally EXHAUSTED by the end of it all. Sunday night Rick and Shawna cleared the family room and the playroom so that the carpets could get cleaned this morning at 9am. What studs! And now we have clean and beautiful carpets. All is well with the world.
Today, I barely survived a supremo meltdown from Hattie around homework time. Seriously, it was way up there on the richter scale. But somehow, we survived. And we all had homemade pizzas for dinner. YUMMY! I love WinCo. It is my new favorite store. I could spend hours shopping there, and still only spend $100. The best!
Well, it's only 9:30, but it feels like 11. So I'm going to wrap this up until next time. Probably go take a bath and see if I can con my husband into finishing the foot massage he started this afternoon... Wish me luck.
Friday we (Shawna and I) took the kids to Wild Rivers. We were invited via Facebook and a casting call to participate in filming their newest commercial. So keep an eye out over the next couple of weeks for my kids smiling wet faces on your TV. It was freezing cold and miserable, but hopefully they got some good footage of my adorable crew. :-) We made it, and even (eventually) had a little fun.
Saturday Daddy left for his Catalina race and we drove down to the Welk Resort for some Day Use of their facilities. Much better than Wild Rivers - no cameras, but at least the pools were heated and the sun came out for a bit near the end of our stay. All in all, it was a fun day - and Jason managed to do some real swimming without his floaties. Also, I learned that Breanna is a little fish and cannot wait to learn to swim herself...
We even made it to church on Sunday - ON TIME - so needless to say, I was physically, mentally, emotionally EXHAUSTED by the end of it all. Sunday night Rick and Shawna cleared the family room and the playroom so that the carpets could get cleaned this morning at 9am. What studs! And now we have clean and beautiful carpets. All is well with the world.
Today, I barely survived a supremo meltdown from Hattie around homework time. Seriously, it was way up there on the richter scale. But somehow, we survived. And we all had homemade pizzas for dinner. YUMMY! I love WinCo. It is my new favorite store. I could spend hours shopping there, and still only spend $100. The best!
Well, it's only 9:30, but it feels like 11. So I'm going to wrap this up until next time. Probably go take a bath and see if I can con my husband into finishing the foot massage he started this afternoon... Wish me luck.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
June!
Finally I feel like I have something I can blog about. Rick's sister arrived yesterday evening and I can already feel the relief! Shawna is 16 and lives in Montana with her mom and stepdad. She's the youngest of Rick's sisters on his mom's side, and the last one left at home... (on his dad's side the youngest is Jason's age! haha.) So now she is going to stay with us "for the summer" and my life doesn't seem so, ummm, well, overwhelming.
Only a couple more weeks of school left. Jason's "graduation" from preschool is on the 19th and Hattie's last day is on the 24th (Daddy's birthday!) so we are starting to count down. It will definitely be more fun (and more manageable) with Shawna's help! It is so nice to have someone else around to help with the kids while I am trying to clean up. Although I realized this morning that I am a little limited to how much cleaning I can do in one swoop. I cleaned up the kitchen and then I passed out on the couch, totally exhausted. Gotta figure out how to balance that better.
Not June but July I will be singing again at the MERC theater in Temecula.
http://www.temeculalive.org/countryatthemercsite/countryatthemerc_home.htm
I sang on May 30th and had such a blast. I'm stoked I get to sing again before the baby is born - I am performing on July 25th @ 7pm.
Oooh! We're getting the carpet cleaned on Friday. I have finally decided it is time - regardless of whether or not we end up keeping this house!! Rick apparently spilled milk on the carpet in front of the couch and didn't clean it up properly. Now all I can smell is stinky carpet. Gross! Doesn't help that I have pregnancy nose and can smell EVERYTHING. Blech.
So, I've officially entered the 3rd trimester, and boy can I feel it. Too much activity is cumbersome. So glad I will not be alone for the next couple of months. Allows me a chance to really look forward to having this baby and enjoying a newborn again. Not that I ever really enjoy newborns much. Hahahahaha... But all of the sudden I am starting to feel positive about the next few months, and that is a good thing.
Only a couple more weeks of school left. Jason's "graduation" from preschool is on the 19th and Hattie's last day is on the 24th (Daddy's birthday!) so we are starting to count down. It will definitely be more fun (and more manageable) with Shawna's help! It is so nice to have someone else around to help with the kids while I am trying to clean up. Although I realized this morning that I am a little limited to how much cleaning I can do in one swoop. I cleaned up the kitchen and then I passed out on the couch, totally exhausted. Gotta figure out how to balance that better.
Not June but July I will be singing again at the MERC theater in Temecula.
http://www.temeculalive.org/countryatthemercsite/countryatthemerc_home.htm
I sang on May 30th and had such a blast. I'm stoked I get to sing again before the baby is born - I am performing on July 25th @ 7pm.
Oooh! We're getting the carpet cleaned on Friday. I have finally decided it is time - regardless of whether or not we end up keeping this house!! Rick apparently spilled milk on the carpet in front of the couch and didn't clean it up properly. Now all I can smell is stinky carpet. Gross! Doesn't help that I have pregnancy nose and can smell EVERYTHING. Blech.
So, I've officially entered the 3rd trimester, and boy can I feel it. Too much activity is cumbersome. So glad I will not be alone for the next couple of months. Allows me a chance to really look forward to having this baby and enjoying a newborn again. Not that I ever really enjoy newborns much. Hahahahaha... But all of the sudden I am starting to feel positive about the next few months, and that is a good thing.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Catalina
You would think my husband has had enough of that place!!
There is a race to Catalina once a month for the next few months. Seriously? I thought last weekend was bad. I'm guessing Rick will at least skip the September one. We WILL have a newborn after all. Oh my goodness. Since when did the tables turn on me. Used to be I was the one who was going out all the time and leaving my hubby home with the kids. Why does he get a life all of the sudden? Something is wrong with this picture...
There is a race to Catalina once a month for the next few months. Seriously? I thought last weekend was bad. I'm guessing Rick will at least skip the September one. We WILL have a newborn after all. Oh my goodness. Since when did the tables turn on me. Used to be I was the one who was going out all the time and leaving my hubby home with the kids. Why does he get a life all of the sudden? Something is wrong with this picture...
Friday, May 15, 2009
Friday
Aha! I've returned, and it's only been a week. Yaay me!
It's been a busy week. Rick's "first week home" did not go as smoothly as one might have hoped. Finding his way straight home has been a challenge for him. First there was a trip to the mechanic to figure out what's wrong with my brother's truck. (Finally we got it fixed and can get the dang thing smogged so he can register it already!) Wednesday was a race on the sailboat, and Thursday was extra work after work. Fun times. Today he went in at 4am, so although he'll be home within a couple of hours (Hooray!) he's gonna be sooo tired that it isn't even reasonable to expect him to be good company. And then he leaves tomorrow morning for a sailboat race to Catalina Island. Very exciting for him, but what a pain in the butt for me since he'll be gone all weekend. Don't think I'm going to forget this "sacrifice" any time soon!
Alright, I guess that's enough whining for now. Big news is we got our computer back! Just have to get Quicken re-downloaded so I can figure out how much money we really have in the bank. Back to the real world. It will be a relief to be able to budget again.
It's been a busy week. Rick's "first week home" did not go as smoothly as one might have hoped. Finding his way straight home has been a challenge for him. First there was a trip to the mechanic to figure out what's wrong with my brother's truck. (Finally we got it fixed and can get the dang thing smogged so he can register it already!) Wednesday was a race on the sailboat, and Thursday was extra work after work. Fun times. Today he went in at 4am, so although he'll be home within a couple of hours (Hooray!) he's gonna be sooo tired that it isn't even reasonable to expect him to be good company. And then he leaves tomorrow morning for a sailboat race to Catalina Island. Very exciting for him, but what a pain in the butt for me since he'll be gone all weekend. Don't think I'm going to forget this "sacrifice" any time soon!
Alright, I guess that's enough whining for now. Big news is we got our computer back! Just have to get Quicken re-downloaded so I can figure out how much money we really have in the bank. Back to the real world. It will be a relief to be able to budget again.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday... again.
I am constantly thinking about things I could be including in this blog. While I am driving the carpool, or folding the clothes... I am formulating clever and eloquent discourses about my trials and tribulations. However, once I sit down to actually write, I am at a loss. So frustrating.
#1 good news is that it looks like Rick is home now at least for a few weeks. He is having to drive out to UCLA, but at least they are starting at 6am and not at 4am. Probably not great for driving home, but at least he's not leaving at 230 in the morning. We'll see how the commute goes. Today is his first day. I'll be happy to have him home by 5, much better than Thursday... :-)
Hattie just finished her Ancestor Report this weekend. It included a report from an interview with an "ancestor" (my mom) and a family tree which we took back to her Great-Grandparents. It turned out pretty cute, and it definitely helped her to understand the whole family history concept. The amusing part to me is that she decided not to include "step-parents", only the actual parents of everyone. It was also overwhelming to see how much divorce and remarriage permeates our family. ALL of Hattie's Grandparents and Great-Grandparents have been divorced except ONE set!! Anyway, she decided it was just too complicated to report on everyone's re-marriages and stuff. For some reason I liked that. How refreshing.
My pregnancy is still going well. I'm getting huge, but that is to be expected. Now that Rick's home maybe I'll take some pictures of the belly to post of FB. Entertaining for all, I'm sure. We had our ultrasound on April 29 (can't remember if I've posted since then) and it is officially a girl. Even though I figured already. So that's our final count 3 girls, and 2 boys.
I can hardly believe Jason is starting kindergarten this year. He's doing great in preschool and understands all of the basic "school" concepts. He'll be reading in no time. I think if we pushed him a bit more, he'd be reading already. He also has figured out finger adding and subtracting (up to ten, duh) which impressed the heck out of me.
Derek is lucky he's so cute because he is a stubborn little bugger. He has this sweet sweet face, but boy when he isn't getting what he wants it is UGLY. The terrible three's have begun, and I'm grateful he's been such a saint up until now. He's taken Jason habit of sneakiness to a new level.
As my mother pointed out this weekend, Breanna is a little DIVA. She is the Miss Priss so far. She likes to be cute, wear dresses and church/princess shoes. She DOESN'T like being dirty or wet (although it doesn't really stop her from spilling on herself, just causes more of a ruckus once she realizes she's soiled...) Also she likes to get her way and screams like a banshee when she doesn't. Therefore, I hear a lot of screaming these days.
Well, it's 12:00 and if I keep writing I will miss any relaxing solo quiet time because the children will awaken from their naps. Before I know it the carpool, etc. will be upon me.
Happy Mother's Day (yesterday) to all you "mothers" and wanna-be mothers out there!
#1 good news is that it looks like Rick is home now at least for a few weeks. He is having to drive out to UCLA, but at least they are starting at 6am and not at 4am. Probably not great for driving home, but at least he's not leaving at 230 in the morning. We'll see how the commute goes. Today is his first day. I'll be happy to have him home by 5, much better than Thursday... :-)
Hattie just finished her Ancestor Report this weekend. It included a report from an interview with an "ancestor" (my mom) and a family tree which we took back to her Great-Grandparents. It turned out pretty cute, and it definitely helped her to understand the whole family history concept. The amusing part to me is that she decided not to include "step-parents", only the actual parents of everyone. It was also overwhelming to see how much divorce and remarriage permeates our family. ALL of Hattie's Grandparents and Great-Grandparents have been divorced except ONE set!! Anyway, she decided it was just too complicated to report on everyone's re-marriages and stuff. For some reason I liked that. How refreshing.
My pregnancy is still going well. I'm getting huge, but that is to be expected. Now that Rick's home maybe I'll take some pictures of the belly to post of FB. Entertaining for all, I'm sure. We had our ultrasound on April 29 (can't remember if I've posted since then) and it is officially a girl. Even though I figured already. So that's our final count 3 girls, and 2 boys.
I can hardly believe Jason is starting kindergarten this year. He's doing great in preschool and understands all of the basic "school" concepts. He'll be reading in no time. I think if we pushed him a bit more, he'd be reading already. He also has figured out finger adding and subtracting (up to ten, duh) which impressed the heck out of me.
Derek is lucky he's so cute because he is a stubborn little bugger. He has this sweet sweet face, but boy when he isn't getting what he wants it is UGLY. The terrible three's have begun, and I'm grateful he's been such a saint up until now. He's taken Jason habit of sneakiness to a new level.
As my mother pointed out this weekend, Breanna is a little DIVA. She is the Miss Priss so far. She likes to be cute, wear dresses and church/princess shoes. She DOESN'T like being dirty or wet (although it doesn't really stop her from spilling on herself, just causes more of a ruckus once she realizes she's soiled...) Also she likes to get her way and screams like a banshee when she doesn't. Therefore, I hear a lot of screaming these days.
Well, it's 12:00 and if I keep writing I will miss any relaxing solo quiet time because the children will awaken from their naps. Before I know it the carpool, etc. will be upon me.
Happy Mother's Day (yesterday) to all you "mothers" and wanna-be mothers out there!
Friday, May 1, 2009
May, my favorite month!
Holy cow, has it really been almost 4 months since I have last posted anything to this blog? I suck. It has been a busy 4 months though! Rick was out of work for a few weeks (ick) before he found a job on Catalina Island. He would travel there each week, leaving Monday and returning on Thursday. Single, pregnant mother of four. Didn't really leave time or energy for trying to blog. This was officially his last week in Avalon, so he is back (*fingers crossed*) for good. It will be an adjustment of it's own, but it is definitely good news. Mom and Dad do not do so well when we are apart. We thought we had communication difficulties BEFORE we were limited to the phone! Ugh!
Today is Friday and I am finally taking Jason in to get his shots and physical for kindergarten. Thrilling. Derek is getting his 3 year checkup too. Only 3 months late... Whatever. They are relatively healthy children. I can't complain. Today. Plus Rick and I have a date tonight and I am totally looking forward to it.
The pregnancy has been going surprisingly well, considering the circumstances. I have only gained 10 pounds so far (20 weeks) and have given myself a limit of 15-20 more. Still improvement for me since I gained at least 40 with each of the first 4 pregnancies. We found out yesterday that it is another girl. I have had a gut feeling all along that this was a girl, so it came as no big surprise to me. A little overwhelming (3GIRLS??) but I know it will be wonderful. I am excited to be DONE having children. haha. :-) Just starting to feel some consistent movement (not quite kicks yet) and the ultrasound on Wednesday was all clear. I go back on the 28th for a fetal echocardiogram. Since Derek and Breanna both have bicuspid aortic valves, we figured we'd check early with this baby. Plus I take those 2 in for their Echos next Friday. Whoo hoo. But I don't really anticipate anything surprising. Just routine.
Well, I just looked at the clock and realized that I should probably finish up here and jump in the shower. I have lots of nothing to say, so I will try harder to get back on track with the blogging soon.
Welcome to May - Mother's Day, my birthday, and now Breanna's birthday too! She'll be 2. I can hardly believe it!
Today is Friday and I am finally taking Jason in to get his shots and physical for kindergarten. Thrilling. Derek is getting his 3 year checkup too. Only 3 months late... Whatever. They are relatively healthy children. I can't complain. Today. Plus Rick and I have a date tonight and I am totally looking forward to it.
The pregnancy has been going surprisingly well, considering the circumstances. I have only gained 10 pounds so far (20 weeks) and have given myself a limit of 15-20 more. Still improvement for me since I gained at least 40 with each of the first 4 pregnancies. We found out yesterday that it is another girl. I have had a gut feeling all along that this was a girl, so it came as no big surprise to me. A little overwhelming (3GIRLS??) but I know it will be wonderful. I am excited to be DONE having children. haha. :-) Just starting to feel some consistent movement (not quite kicks yet) and the ultrasound on Wednesday was all clear. I go back on the 28th for a fetal echocardiogram. Since Derek and Breanna both have bicuspid aortic valves, we figured we'd check early with this baby. Plus I take those 2 in for their Echos next Friday. Whoo hoo. But I don't really anticipate anything surprising. Just routine.
Well, I just looked at the clock and realized that I should probably finish up here and jump in the shower. I have lots of nothing to say, so I will try harder to get back on track with the blogging soon.
Welcome to May - Mother's Day, my birthday, and now Breanna's birthday too! She'll be 2. I can hardly believe it!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Tuesday Again!
It's only been a week, so I'm not feeling too bad about being a blogging slacker this time. I made it to the gym all week last week (M - F) and have successfully gone both days this week as well. Whoo hoo! Success! I haven't successfully gotten myself to stop eating, but the sweets seem to be disagreeing with me these days. Should make it easier to at least eat BETTER, if not LESS.
I've started reading some parenting manuals to help me govern my household a little better. Actually just to help me manage (and raise) the children. The first one is called "Between Parent and Child" by Haim Ginott. The second one is "Children: The Challenge" by Rudolf Dreikurs. These books have given me lots of insight into better relating with my children, and suggestions on how to "lead" more effectively. A little strange (and VERY difficult) but I am starting to see some improvement. Although sometimes it seems like the extremity of certain situations maybe heightened, the problems seem to be resolving themselves much more quickly.
One chapter I read today suggested that a parent should NEVER interject themselves between fighting children (assuming there is no potential for fatal injury), and I thought this to be fairly shocking of a concept. For a parent it is so hard to NOT say "Share" or "Take turns" or "Be nice" or "Apologize" when we hear our children quarreling. So, I plan to take this suggestion to heart. Actually I have already started and although 20 minutes ago I was ignoring a deluge of screaming and crying, right now my house is silent. All four children are calmly playing and/or watching television peacefully. Jason was even the one who figured out that Breanna was actually crying because she caught her finger in something. Brilliant, I tell ya!
When I hear the THUMPING of my children beating on each other (yes, it happens!) my stomach turns in circles. I want so badly so stop it. But until there is first aid to be administered (without judgement, of course) it is not of my business. I honestly feel really good about it so far. I know I can remember doing (and receiving) my share of thumping when I was younger...
My newfound skills have given me newfound confidence, and now only increased my desire to grow our family. I HAVE always wanted 5, after all.
I've started reading some parenting manuals to help me govern my household a little better. Actually just to help me manage (and raise) the children. The first one is called "Between Parent and Child" by Haim Ginott. The second one is "Children: The Challenge" by Rudolf Dreikurs. These books have given me lots of insight into better relating with my children, and suggestions on how to "lead" more effectively. A little strange (and VERY difficult) but I am starting to see some improvement. Although sometimes it seems like the extremity of certain situations maybe heightened, the problems seem to be resolving themselves much more quickly.
One chapter I read today suggested that a parent should NEVER interject themselves between fighting children (assuming there is no potential for fatal injury), and I thought this to be fairly shocking of a concept. For a parent it is so hard to NOT say "Share" or "Take turns" or "Be nice" or "Apologize" when we hear our children quarreling. So, I plan to take this suggestion to heart. Actually I have already started and although 20 minutes ago I was ignoring a deluge of screaming and crying, right now my house is silent. All four children are calmly playing and/or watching television peacefully. Jason was even the one who figured out that Breanna was actually crying because she caught her finger in something. Brilliant, I tell ya!
When I hear the THUMPING of my children beating on each other (yes, it happens!) my stomach turns in circles. I want so badly so stop it. But until there is first aid to be administered (without judgement, of course) it is not of my business. I honestly feel really good about it so far. I know I can remember doing (and receiving) my share of thumping when I was younger...
My newfound skills have given me newfound confidence, and now only increased my desire to grow our family. I HAVE always wanted 5, after all.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Tuesday
Two days in a row. Here I go! Not sure I have anything to say, though.
We made it to the gym (again) this morning. That, too, has been two days in a row. Whoo hoo. Getting back on the elliptical (as it were) isn't quite as fun as it was the first time around. But I am determined to take some weight off before my membership expires in February. Only about 5 weeks to go.
Tonight we are going to The Old Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton. Which may very well be my favorite restaurant of all time. Apparently they are celebrating their 40th anniversary by rolling back prices to those of 40 years ago. I am SOOOO there!! And Rick just happens to be working in Anaheim this week, so it all works out. We will meet him (and my Dad and Stepmom, who kindly called to let me know!) for an early dinner. I'm excited. Especially since my new exercise routine is including a drastic cut in calorie intake. So I'm looking forward to dinner because I have forbidden myself to eat anything until then. That's what I get for eating that greasy quesadilla for lunch! Shame, shame!
As soon as Hattie gets home (about 10 minutes) we'll be off to meet Daddy in the OC.
Hope your Tuesdays are treating you all with kindness!
We made it to the gym (again) this morning. That, too, has been two days in a row. Whoo hoo. Getting back on the elliptical (as it were) isn't quite as fun as it was the first time around. But I am determined to take some weight off before my membership expires in February. Only about 5 weeks to go.
Tonight we are going to The Old Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton. Which may very well be my favorite restaurant of all time. Apparently they are celebrating their 40th anniversary by rolling back prices to those of 40 years ago. I am SOOOO there!! And Rick just happens to be working in Anaheim this week, so it all works out. We will meet him (and my Dad and Stepmom, who kindly called to let me know!) for an early dinner. I'm excited. Especially since my new exercise routine is including a drastic cut in calorie intake. So I'm looking forward to dinner because I have forbidden myself to eat anything until then. That's what I get for eating that greasy quesadilla for lunch! Shame, shame!
As soon as Hattie gets home (about 10 minutes) we'll be off to meet Daddy in the OC.
Hope your Tuesdays are treating you all with kindness!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Peace
I have a brief minute before Rick gets home from work and Hattie, Jason, and Derek all come home from the neighbor's house. Breanna is peacefully watching TV downstairs. Terrible babysitter, I know, but Hattie did explain the "water cycle" to us the other day after having learned it on "Blue's Clues". Seriously, that made me feel so good about allowing them so much TV time. Rationalizations, I know.
So I like to think I'm making up for the lack of blogging by posting 3 times in one day. Is it working? Anyone? Maybe I'm trying to make more of a habit of getting myself onto the blog more often. We shall see. I always say that and I rarely follow through.
Oh yeah, and yesterday my car battery went dead (the joys of young children who like to leave on lights in cars) so we had to jump it. But it was so dead that it would not go into neutral (for us to push it into the driveway next to Rick's car). Therefore, we literally had to clean out the side of the garage to fit Rick's car in and then jump the van. Hilarious. Think if we'd have known it would only take 10 minutes then we would have cleared a space for Rick's car weeks ago?? No, I didn't think so either. But at least there's a spot for another car in there. How cool is that?
I just heard a child bound through the front door, and I'm sure the other two are not far behind. Ah yes, here they are now. Hattie comes in screaming "Derek, you scared the crap out of me!" Uh oh, wonder where she learned that from??
So I like to think I'm making up for the lack of blogging by posting 3 times in one day. Is it working? Anyone? Maybe I'm trying to make more of a habit of getting myself onto the blog more often. We shall see. I always say that and I rarely follow through.
Oh yeah, and yesterday my car battery went dead (the joys of young children who like to leave on lights in cars) so we had to jump it. But it was so dead that it would not go into neutral (for us to push it into the driveway next to Rick's car). Therefore, we literally had to clean out the side of the garage to fit Rick's car in and then jump the van. Hilarious. Think if we'd have known it would only take 10 minutes then we would have cleared a space for Rick's car weeks ago?? No, I didn't think so either. But at least there's a spot for another car in there. How cool is that?
I just heard a child bound through the front door, and I'm sure the other two are not far behind. Ah yes, here they are now. Hattie comes in screaming "Derek, you scared the crap out of me!" Uh oh, wonder where she learned that from??
Update
We did, however, get a new water heater and we've been enjoying the hot water. When we had foster kids (a couple of years ago) they - the State - made us keep the water temp at 120 degrees. Holy cow. That is not hot enough, people...
Rick has not gotten a new car yet, but we hope to acquire something within the next couple of months. The insurance company did repair his little Altima, though, so he is not without transportation. Also, he is still working, and that is good!
Christmas was good. The children got spoiled and obnoxious. Isn't that just the tradition?
Better get going for reals now. The gym is calling and I also need to swing by AAA before I take Jason to school.
Happy New Year!!
Rick has not gotten a new car yet, but we hope to acquire something within the next couple of months. The insurance company did repair his little Altima, though, so he is not without transportation. Also, he is still working, and that is good!
Christmas was good. The children got spoiled and obnoxious. Isn't that just the tradition?
Better get going for reals now. The gym is calling and I also need to swing by AAA before I take Jason to school.
Happy New Year!!
Back to School
No, we still have not gotten the oven fixed/looked at anything.
Trying to get out the door and get myself back to the gym. 20 lbs are mocking me each and every time I look in the mirror.
Just wanted to note that Derek is still cracking me up with his mispronunciations.
He usually says a "c" instead of an "s"... This morning he said... "I have a sock..."
Why, yes, Derek. Yes, you do...
Have a great Monday!
Trying to get out the door and get myself back to the gym. 20 lbs are mocking me each and every time I look in the mirror.
Just wanted to note that Derek is still cracking me up with his mispronunciations.
He usually says a "c" instead of an "s"... This morning he said... "I have a sock..."
Why, yes, Derek. Yes, you do...
Have a great Monday!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Merry Christmas
I cannot believe how close we are getting to Christmas. We just went to get a tree last night. We totally copped out this year, going to a tree lot with a bunch of cut trees already in stands. I wanted to do the flocking, but we couldn't rationalize the expense (plus we would have had to wait until the rain stopped in order for them to do it!!) So we have a tree sitting downstairs. No decorations. And it's spot in front of the window is not even cleared out yet. We do what we can.
I'm trying harder to appreciate the little things about the children and staying home with them. Hattie is such a big help, and we are really enjoying our farms on Facebook. I actually let her have an account so that she can have a "farm" and a "sea garden" of her own. It's fun to watch. Jason is so full of energy and always getting into something. Not sure if I can truly appreciate that yet, but I'm trying. He always wants to play video games or at least "kid games" on the computer. I'm hoping it will encourage him to learn to read quicker. Derek is finally (mostly) potty trained. (Hooray!) He even stays dry most nights. I've been very impressed. He talks a lot and I get a kick out of his mis-pronunciations. He usually says "p" for "f" and "l" for "r". So his froggie pillow becomes a ploggie pillow. I think it's hilarious. Finally, Breanna is such a joy. She's an extremely contented and happy baby. Although she is as headstrong as her siblings. If she wants something, she will let you know with her most authoritative voice. Who would have thought that an 18 month old could be sooo authoritative!!??
I will be writing and sending Christmas letters as soon as I find the stationary I bought last month. Hopefully I'll get them out by January! We shall see!
I'm trying harder to appreciate the little things about the children and staying home with them. Hattie is such a big help, and we are really enjoying our farms on Facebook. I actually let her have an account so that she can have a "farm" and a "sea garden" of her own. It's fun to watch. Jason is so full of energy and always getting into something. Not sure if I can truly appreciate that yet, but I'm trying. He always wants to play video games or at least "kid games" on the computer. I'm hoping it will encourage him to learn to read quicker. Derek is finally (mostly) potty trained. (Hooray!) He even stays dry most nights. I've been very impressed. He talks a lot and I get a kick out of his mis-pronunciations. He usually says "p" for "f" and "l" for "r". So his froggie pillow becomes a ploggie pillow. I think it's hilarious. Finally, Breanna is such a joy. She's an extremely contented and happy baby. Although she is as headstrong as her siblings. If she wants something, she will let you know with her most authoritative voice. Who would have thought that an 18 month old could be sooo authoritative!!??
I will be writing and sending Christmas letters as soon as I find the stationary I bought last month. Hopefully I'll get them out by January! We shall see!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Slideshow
Holy Cow. I just spent well over an hour trying to get that stinking slideshow up and running. I THOUGHT I was computer savvy. Apparently I am not. Whew!
Blogging
I wish I was more consistent with my blogging. Maybe if I were as consistent at blogging as I am at checking my Facebook. That would be something...
Soo many things happen that I could be documenting. And now I sit here and cannot think of a single thing. Well, I guess that's not true. Here's what's new:
We are officially off track. Okay, I'm lying again. Jason has school today and Friday. Then we are official. Except it feels official already since I'm already over it. January 5th cannot come too fast. Partly it's tough just because the normal routine is all messed up.
Our oven does not work (no, I still haven't called the repair guy) and the water heater is broken. That means no baking. And we have to keep restarting the water heater to get the water to heat up. It's a pain. But I guess if it didn't work at all we might have gotten it replaced already. It's just been so busy.
Rick got into a (very small) car accident last week. It was enough to render his vehicle un-drivable and it was NOT his fault. We're still dealing with the aftermath, though, of getting the car fixed and hassling with insurance. Suck.
We're looking forward to Christmas. Even though we're already spending too much money, and there will be no baking :o( and it looks like we may be getting Rick a new car. Well, not NEW new. Just new. :-) Anyone have a VERY CHEAP pickup truck??
The babies are both sick. Mostly Breanna and she is miserable. She cried for like 5 hours straight this morning. Now she is not quite asleep for her nap yet. I should probably stop typing so that she can sleep in peace.
If anyone reading this wants to get together in the next couple of weeks, then let me know. We're free until January 5.
Soo many things happen that I could be documenting. And now I sit here and cannot think of a single thing. Well, I guess that's not true. Here's what's new:
We are officially off track. Okay, I'm lying again. Jason has school today and Friday. Then we are official. Except it feels official already since I'm already over it. January 5th cannot come too fast. Partly it's tough just because the normal routine is all messed up.
Our oven does not work (no, I still haven't called the repair guy) and the water heater is broken. That means no baking. And we have to keep restarting the water heater to get the water to heat up. It's a pain. But I guess if it didn't work at all we might have gotten it replaced already. It's just been so busy.
Rick got into a (very small) car accident last week. It was enough to render his vehicle un-drivable and it was NOT his fault. We're still dealing with the aftermath, though, of getting the car fixed and hassling with insurance. Suck.
We're looking forward to Christmas. Even though we're already spending too much money, and there will be no baking :o( and it looks like we may be getting Rick a new car. Well, not NEW new. Just new. :-) Anyone have a VERY CHEAP pickup truck??
The babies are both sick. Mostly Breanna and she is miserable. She cried for like 5 hours straight this morning. Now she is not quite asleep for her nap yet. I should probably stop typing so that she can sleep in peace.
If anyone reading this wants to get together in the next couple of weeks, then let me know. We're free until January 5.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Naps
I think Jason is finished taking naps. Now, I always say this and then find him taking another nap on another day, but today I think he is done. Again. He was really only taking them on Tuesdays and Thursdays anyway. (MWF he has preschool.) This is a very sad day for me, because it means NO FREE TIME on the days he is home from school. And soon that will be every day since the kids go off track after next week. Well sort of. Jason goes back after Thanksgiving and Hattie does not. Hattie is off from November 21 through January 5. Holy cow that is a long time. At least there is no homework so there will be no fighting! Well, no fighting with me anyway. I'd better start making plans for those days otherwise my children will begin to rebel. I never know how I'm going to make it through off-track. And then I do... Such is life. Same is true for Jason's new "lack of nap" time. Ick. I will survive.
Overall, things have been going well. I've been cleaning every single day (WHAT!!??!!) and the house has actually stayed clean (believe it or not!) Now my only dilemna is that feeling of "Is this IT?" As in, "Is this what my life has come to??" It's all dishes, and sweeping, and vacuuming, and laundry, and diapers and children and... You get the idea. So I ask... Is this it? Is this who I am? The constant struggle of a stay at home mom.
Overall, things have been going well. I've been cleaning every single day (WHAT!!??!!) and the house has actually stayed clean (believe it or not!) Now my only dilemna is that feeling of "Is this IT?" As in, "Is this what my life has come to??" It's all dishes, and sweeping, and vacuuming, and laundry, and diapers and children and... You get the idea. So I ask... Is this it? Is this who I am? The constant struggle of a stay at home mom.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Before we know it.
Before we know it, Halloween will be here. It's already October 15. This weekend is the church Halloween Trunk-or-Treat Party and Chili Cook-off! Fun times. Except I still need to get costumes for possibly two of my children.
Before we know it, Thanksgiving will be here. Are we making tamales this year?
Before we know it, Christmas will be here. Some good friends may be coming to town for Christmas this year and going to Disneyland instead of presents. I love this idea and may be implementing it in our family. Especially if they do come to visit. Less likely if they do not. Otherwise I think we are gift exchanging in all families. I like this idea too.
Before we know it, it will be next year. Seriously?? How did that happen. I swear this year has been the fastest ever. Maybe it was Reno. Or Texas. By the way Rick is probably going to start working 12 hour days in San Diego. Lots of overtime, but looks like they'll be putting him up in a hotel because of all of the travel time. Single motherhood must like me.
Before we know it, the children will wake from their naps and disturb my brief moments of peace. Such is life. I hope I have a bit longer. I do want a shower today.
Before we know it, Thanksgiving will be here. Are we making tamales this year?
Before we know it, Christmas will be here. Some good friends may be coming to town for Christmas this year and going to Disneyland instead of presents. I love this idea and may be implementing it in our family. Especially if they do come to visit. Less likely if they do not. Otherwise I think we are gift exchanging in all families. I like this idea too.
Before we know it, it will be next year. Seriously?? How did that happen. I swear this year has been the fastest ever. Maybe it was Reno. Or Texas. By the way Rick is probably going to start working 12 hour days in San Diego. Lots of overtime, but looks like they'll be putting him up in a hotel because of all of the travel time. Single motherhood must like me.
Before we know it, the children will wake from their naps and disturb my brief moments of peace. Such is life. I hope I have a bit longer. I do want a shower today.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
October
Here's some pictures of the kids. From September 13, 2008:
Yes, we have entered a new month! I am feeling like I should add something to the blog (since I've been requested to be more diligent at it) but I am not sure I have anything to add. No news is good news?? Ha ha... For those of you who know secrets, you know how amusing that statement really is. Just hanging out playing the waiting game.
Rick's been rocking the side work lately. Nice for the slight boost of income but not so fun to have him gone in the eves. Days in San Diego and then eves on side work makes us all miss having Daddy around!
I'm still trying to stay committed to my gym attendance (doing pretty well I think) and my eating habits (comes and goes!!) to keep my weight down. It's working so far even though I've stopped LOSING. Guess we'll always have another 10 lbs to go!
Yes, we have entered a new month! I am feeling like I should add something to the blog (since I've been requested to be more diligent at it) but I am not sure I have anything to add. No news is good news?? Ha ha... For those of you who know secrets, you know how amusing that statement really is. Just hanging out playing the waiting game.
Rick's been rocking the side work lately. Nice for the slight boost of income but not so fun to have him gone in the eves. Days in San Diego and then eves on side work makes us all miss having Daddy around!
I'm still trying to stay committed to my gym attendance (doing pretty well I think) and my eating habits (comes and goes!!) to keep my weight down. It's working so far even though I've stopped LOSING. Guess we'll always have another 10 lbs to go!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Garage Sale!
I came home from dropping off Hattie at school today and my neighbor was having a Yard Sale. Cars were driving up and down the street like crazy, so I decided to drop everything and put some stuff out to try to sell. Not an easy task with 3 little kiddos running around. I called one of my friends (actually I called several but I had to keep calling until I found one available) to come help with the children while I tried to find things to put out and also sell what I could.
Turns out, I did pretty well overall. Made over $80 in less than 5 hours with NO PREPARATION whatsoever. Whoo hoo! Yay me! Now I felt kind of dumb when my neighbor told me he made $400 yesterday, but oh well. I'll still be able to pay for Bunco tonight and probably even our date tomorrow (yes, my dad is taking all 4 of the children overnight tomorrow)!
Time to shower up (hot and sweaty from garage saling! Blech - It was like 95 degrees out there!) before I get moving on the carpool!
Turns out, I did pretty well overall. Made over $80 in less than 5 hours with NO PREPARATION whatsoever. Whoo hoo! Yay me! Now I felt kind of dumb when my neighbor told me he made $400 yesterday, but oh well. I'll still be able to pay for Bunco tonight and probably even our date tomorrow (yes, my dad is taking all 4 of the children overnight tomorrow)!
Time to shower up (hot and sweaty from garage saling! Blech - It was like 95 degrees out there!) before I get moving on the carpool!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Catching Up
Ah yes, it has been FOR-EV-ER since I've written. Sorry to leave you all out in the dust. I'm not really sure if there is much to catch up on so I'll just start where we are...
Today we drove to OC to visit grandma (and sell her things). Yes, Hattie's school has started their annual fundraiser! (Email me if you'd like to buy something, I'll send you a link!) So we bombarded grandma's office and forced everyone to buy cookie dough (and even some Mary Kay!). Who can resist cookie dough (certainly not grandma's office, ha ha!!), and then we made grandma take us to lunch. We are very sneaky like that. It was a very nice and exhausting day for us.
When we got home, Jason wanted to take a bath (??? don't ask, I have no idea - I think it may be because he was wearing that Spiderman costume all day and it tends to be SWEATY!) SO all the kids got into mom's bathtub. Actually the boys got in while Hattie was homeworking (Hooray for the new system of doing homework in her room at her desk!) and then Breanna decided she'd dive in head first before mom could remove her clothing. Fun times. When Hattie finished her work, she joined the rest of them in the tub until mom couldn't stand the splashing and screaming any longer. So they didn't get cleaned per say, they mearly got rinsed. Still better than nothing.
Tonight Daddy will be home late because he has a side job (hooray!) putting in a ceiling fan. Bummer for us, but nice because we can always use the money. Just gotta figure out what to make for dinner... Any suggestions? Top Ramen anyone?? Just kidding. Rick hates Top Ramen (even though the kids LOVE it.) Usually we save it for babysitter nights...
I hate driving into OC because the children miss their naps. Naptime is sacred in this house. You might notice I USUALLY get my blogging done around that time. Not lately. However, although it isn't currently naptime, it IS TV time which is almost just as good. Almost. At least all of the children are being quiet. :-)
Today we drove to OC to visit grandma (and sell her things). Yes, Hattie's school has started their annual fundraiser! (Email me if you'd like to buy something, I'll send you a link!) So we bombarded grandma's office and forced everyone to buy cookie dough (and even some Mary Kay!). Who can resist cookie dough (certainly not grandma's office, ha ha!!), and then we made grandma take us to lunch. We are very sneaky like that. It was a very nice and exhausting day for us.
When we got home, Jason wanted to take a bath (??? don't ask, I have no idea - I think it may be because he was wearing that Spiderman costume all day and it tends to be SWEATY!) SO all the kids got into mom's bathtub. Actually the boys got in while Hattie was homeworking (Hooray for the new system of doing homework in her room at her desk!) and then Breanna decided she'd dive in head first before mom could remove her clothing. Fun times. When Hattie finished her work, she joined the rest of them in the tub until mom couldn't stand the splashing and screaming any longer. So they didn't get cleaned per say, they mearly got rinsed. Still better than nothing.
Tonight Daddy will be home late because he has a side job (hooray!) putting in a ceiling fan. Bummer for us, but nice because we can always use the money. Just gotta figure out what to make for dinner... Any suggestions? Top Ramen anyone?? Just kidding. Rick hates Top Ramen (even though the kids LOVE it.) Usually we save it for babysitter nights...
I hate driving into OC because the children miss their naps. Naptime is sacred in this house. You might notice I USUALLY get my blogging done around that time. Not lately. However, although it isn't currently naptime, it IS TV time which is almost just as good. Almost. At least all of the children are being quiet. :-)
Friday, August 22, 2008
Hattie's 7th Birthday
Hattie turned 7 on Wednesday and we took the whole family to Knott's Berry Farm. She LOVES roller coasters. She LOVES thrill rides! So it was a very fun adventure. We decided in the beginning that Daddy and Mommy would switch off taking Hattie on the rides/babysitting the little ones. So first, I took her on Ghostrider. I immediately realized (once I got on the ride) that was a terrible idea. Seriously! I am NOT a big fan of roller coasters. This one was so big and so fast. Of course Hattie LOVED IT. She got off the Ghostrider passionately saying "Oh my Gosh, I loved it, that was the best ever. I loved it I loved it I loved it!" I was grimacing the whole way. Ick. Next it was Rick's turn and they went on Bigfoot Rapids. The line took an hour! (Did I mention we practically walked onto Ghostrider?) After they got off I KNEW that we had started in the wrong order! Next they went on Perilous Plunge (I was NOT going to handle going STRAIGHT DOWN full speed into a big pool!)
Screaming children call me away. Guess I'm not going to finish this today.
I forgot to post this so I'll post it now...
Screaming children call me away. Guess I'm not going to finish this today.
I forgot to post this so I'll post it now...
Monday, August 18, 2008
Beach Party
We arrived at the Beach Party on Saturday at 4:30pm. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to start at noon, but I'm pretty sure we were right on time. The weather was perfect because the sun was far in the sky but not quite going down yet. The kids immediately started to dig in the sand (very dirty, fine, sticky sand). Breanna was so hesitant. I love watching babies try something new. (This is a new love of mine, usually I hate watching babies get dirty because that means I have to clean them up! But for some reason it was very cute this day...) They dug and played until they couldn't stand it anymore, and then they BEGGED Daddy to take them into the water. Well, Hattie did. She loves the water and the waves. So Daddy took all three of the older kids into the water. It was very brave and strong of him, but just about gave Mommy a heart attack to watch. He could only really hold two kids at a time, so Hattie was on her own - for the most part.
I sat back and followed Breanna around until she realized that there was an ocean nearby. She made a B-line to the water and I caught her up before she got her dress wet. Yes, the wrestling match getting her into a swim diaper and swimsuit was legendary, but worth every second. I let her run down to the water again and she went straight into the waves. She kept crawling and walking further and further with no fear. She even got knocked over by some waves (they were at my ankles, mind you) and she was not affected one bit. Fearless! About this time, Daddy (and Hattie, Jason and Derek) made their way back to us. I traded Breanna for Hattie (a totally unfair trade, since now he was stuck with the three babies, and I got the one big kid) and we all went out to get wet. After another baby swap, I ended up with Derek and Rick had the other three. The waves were quite big and we were not playing it safe one bit! I was amazed at how well all 6 of us were doing! Wave after wave came and this went on for about 10 or 15 minutes. Each one had me terrified that one of the children would get pulled under, or trampled, or scared by a wave. I'm pretty sure Rick did NOT have a hand on Hattie. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and decided it was time to head in to the beach. We let a few more waves hit us and then were able find our way back. Hattie and Jason both made very strong attempts at body surfing. Even Jason, believe it or not, did a great job going under the water and finding his way back up.
It was all smiles as we headed to our towels (too bad we only brought three!!) Derek was shivering soooooo badly! Daddy grabbed Breanna and headed for the van. I let the children devour chips and capri-suns until he arrived for us to get loaded up! Then it was drying and changing and drying and wiping off sand, and finding pacifiers and capri-suns and seat belts. I looked at the clock as we drove away and it was 6:30pm. Seriously, two hours. It was the PERFECT beach trip!
I sat back and followed Breanna around until she realized that there was an ocean nearby. She made a B-line to the water and I caught her up before she got her dress wet. Yes, the wrestling match getting her into a swim diaper and swimsuit was legendary, but worth every second. I let her run down to the water again and she went straight into the waves. She kept crawling and walking further and further with no fear. She even got knocked over by some waves (they were at my ankles, mind you) and she was not affected one bit. Fearless! About this time, Daddy (and Hattie, Jason and Derek) made their way back to us. I traded Breanna for Hattie (a totally unfair trade, since now he was stuck with the three babies, and I got the one big kid) and we all went out to get wet. After another baby swap, I ended up with Derek and Rick had the other three. The waves were quite big and we were not playing it safe one bit! I was amazed at how well all 6 of us were doing! Wave after wave came and this went on for about 10 or 15 minutes. Each one had me terrified that one of the children would get pulled under, or trampled, or scared by a wave. I'm pretty sure Rick did NOT have a hand on Hattie. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and decided it was time to head in to the beach. We let a few more waves hit us and then were able find our way back. Hattie and Jason both made very strong attempts at body surfing. Even Jason, believe it or not, did a great job going under the water and finding his way back up.
It was all smiles as we headed to our towels (too bad we only brought three!!) Derek was shivering soooooo badly! Daddy grabbed Breanna and headed for the van. I let the children devour chips and capri-suns until he arrived for us to get loaded up! Then it was drying and changing and drying and wiping off sand, and finding pacifiers and capri-suns and seat belts. I looked at the clock as we drove away and it was 6:30pm. Seriously, two hours. It was the PERFECT beach trip!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Bowling
We took the kids bowling last night. It was so much fun! We spent way too much money because we ate dinner there (diet blown!!) but it was really great.
The kids had never bowled before, and Jason seems to be a natural. Well, he enjoyed it the most, anyway. Hattie is highly competitive and couldn't stop complaining that she was losing. Daddy helped her figure out how to get a little more control of the ball, and that calmed her a bit. Plus Jason was very supportive. It was two thumbs up for everyone! Derek would not bowl because he didn't like the sound of the pins dropping. He walked around most of the time with his hands covering his ears. It was so cute. And whenever we would ask him if he wanted a turn he would say "No!" with his hands over his ears. Hilarious! Breanna just wandered around getting in everyone's way and practicing walking in her shoes. This is her new skill - well, she's working on it anyway!
It is so amazing watching Breanna and Derek both learning to talk. These are such fun years of development. Breanna is a screecher and a babbler. She will talk and talk and talk about nothing and screech all of the time - mostly in the car. Derek is much more deliberate with his speaking. He always has something to say. We can't always understand him - especially with that stupid pacifier in his mouth - but he is always saying something. "Come with me, Mommy. Let me hold your hand."
We're going to Oceanside today for the Ward Beach Party. We're already running late, but I'm sure we'll get there eventually. And our kids LOVE the beach. What a fun weekend!
The kids had never bowled before, and Jason seems to be a natural. Well, he enjoyed it the most, anyway. Hattie is highly competitive and couldn't stop complaining that she was losing. Daddy helped her figure out how to get a little more control of the ball, and that calmed her a bit. Plus Jason was very supportive. It was two thumbs up for everyone! Derek would not bowl because he didn't like the sound of the pins dropping. He walked around most of the time with his hands covering his ears. It was so cute. And whenever we would ask him if he wanted a turn he would say "No!" with his hands over his ears. Hilarious! Breanna just wandered around getting in everyone's way and practicing walking in her shoes. This is her new skill - well, she's working on it anyway!
It is so amazing watching Breanna and Derek both learning to talk. These are such fun years of development. Breanna is a screecher and a babbler. She will talk and talk and talk about nothing and screech all of the time - mostly in the car. Derek is much more deliberate with his speaking. He always has something to say. We can't always understand him - especially with that stupid pacifier in his mouth - but he is always saying something. "Come with me, Mommy. Let me hold your hand."
We're going to Oceanside today for the Ward Beach Party. We're already running late, but I'm sure we'll get there eventually. And our kids LOVE the beach. What a fun weekend!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Off Track/Weight Loss
I am totally loving off track. Sleeping in is in no way over-rated. Seriously, it is nice to relax in the morning! Even today, I had to be at the gym by 8:30, but it was NOTHING like having to get the kids to school by 7:40! Not to mention the pick-ups! MWF I am picking up and dropping off like crazy with preschool! Holy cow!
I had my last session (evaluation) with my trainer today (sniff!)...
The official count, after 6 months, is as follows:
I have lost 26 pounds and (overall) 23.75 inches (10.5 are from my waist and hips!)
I have gone from 34% body fat (at 173 lbs) to 26.7% body fat (at 147 lbs)!
Whoo hoo! Yay for me!
Now I am working on another 10 lbs and a flat stomach (then my life will be perfect - ha ha!)
I had my last session (evaluation) with my trainer today (sniff!)...
The official count, after 6 months, is as follows:
I have lost 26 pounds and (overall) 23.75 inches (10.5 are from my waist and hips!)
I have gone from 34% body fat (at 173 lbs) to 26.7% body fat (at 147 lbs)!
Whoo hoo! Yay for me!
Now I am working on another 10 lbs and a flat stomach (then my life will be perfect - ha ha!)
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Other Half of Today
Rick went sailing today with my stepdad, a couple of his friends from work, and an old friend of my dad's. They sailed to Catalina Island (Emerald Bay) for some snorkeling fun, and then sailed back. I know Rick had been looking forward to this trip for a while. Just the guys. A nice LOOOOOONG sail. (Too bad for them that there was a lot of motoring!) But, it seems like "the guys" had a great time and were very appreciative of the opportunity... I'm glad it all worked out!
Reunions
I love a reunion. Seriously, something about seeing people I used to know, catching up, hanging out - it is so much fun to me! Take today for instance... I took my kids (and my mom) to a "Flag Team" reunion from high school. That is, a reunion of people who were on the flag team at our high school, all kind of around the same time... Now, I was only on the flag team my 1st two years of high school, but I did make some very close friends (some with whom I am still very close) there and OF COURSE had some great times. But many of these are people I only knew through flags, did not really hang out with then or afterward. Do I really care where these people are now? (No offense anyone!) Maybe not, and I'm sure many of them didn't or don't care what my life became. But I LOVE a reunion. And I will tell you, I had a blast. I brought my kids (totally obnoxious of me since there are so many of them) and they got to swim (and swim and swim and swim and swim). It was kind of surreal. The voices were tripping me out because they were all so familiar, but everyone looked different (but the same too). And I got to catch up with people that I never would have imagined having the opportunity to catch up with... And I got to see people that I have been wanting to see and needing an excuse... And I got to develop new respect for people I used to know - seeing where their lives ended up and what they made of themselves. It was so much fun. And my kids had so much fun! (No really, Jason and Hattie swam for like 4 hours straight.)
Soooo... point is - don't knock a reunion, however small or insignificant it may seem. Choose to have fun and not judge. It can be quite enlightening. Seriously. And even if you're not enlightened, you should at least be entertained. It was so great to see everyone! That sounds cheesy, but it's true.
Soooo... point is - don't knock a reunion, however small or insignificant it may seem. Choose to have fun and not judge. It can be quite enlightening. Seriously. And even if you're not enlightened, you should at least be entertained. It was so great to see everyone! That sounds cheesy, but it's true.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday
A quick post to say that I wish I had more time for this. It's been a week already and I haven't been able to get on here again! Grrr...
Sometimes I will think about what I could be writing (it is very clever, mind you) but I just don't get the chance to sit and type. Even now I am cutting into my shower time in order to bust out a quick post!
Anyway, this is the last week of school before "off track". For those of you without the experience, off-track is both a blessing and a curse. It means sleeping in as long as you want - no getting Hattie to school by 7:40am! But it also means 4 kids 24/7! Holy cow!
This moring Breanna woke up at 5am. Fortunately, no one else woke up, so I just sat and rocked her back to sleep. As I held her I pondered the miracle of the sleeping baby. When the family drives in the car, I have a game I like to play with the kids. It's called "Mommy's Favorite". It's kind of like the "Mouse Game" or the "Quiet Game", if you are familiar with these... The gist is that "Whoever is sleeping is Mommy's Favorite!" So, they all pretend to be sleeping. It totally cracks me up. They cock their heads to one side, close their eyes and lay there with big grins. A little sick, I know, to have converted the mouse game into a competition for mom's love, but welcome to my children's world. My parents always told me that if your kids don't need therapy, then you've done something wrong. Hah.
Point being, I do love a sleeping child. They are so cute and sweet and vulnerable. And quiet. Can't forget quiet now, can we...?? Especially when they are little babies and they rest their heads on your chest. Breanna is 14 months now and almost out of that baby stage. ALMOST makes you want another one. ALMOST, but not quite.
Right now I have 2 kids at school and 2 babies taking naps. It is my "favorite" time of day. :-)
Sometimes I will think about what I could be writing (it is very clever, mind you) but I just don't get the chance to sit and type. Even now I am cutting into my shower time in order to bust out a quick post!
Anyway, this is the last week of school before "off track". For those of you without the experience, off-track is both a blessing and a curse. It means sleeping in as long as you want - no getting Hattie to school by 7:40am! But it also means 4 kids 24/7! Holy cow!
This moring Breanna woke up at 5am. Fortunately, no one else woke up, so I just sat and rocked her back to sleep. As I held her I pondered the miracle of the sleeping baby. When the family drives in the car, I have a game I like to play with the kids. It's called "Mommy's Favorite". It's kind of like the "Mouse Game" or the "Quiet Game", if you are familiar with these... The gist is that "Whoever is sleeping is Mommy's Favorite!" So, they all pretend to be sleeping. It totally cracks me up. They cock their heads to one side, close their eyes and lay there with big grins. A little sick, I know, to have converted the mouse game into a competition for mom's love, but welcome to my children's world. My parents always told me that if your kids don't need therapy, then you've done something wrong. Hah.
Point being, I do love a sleeping child. They are so cute and sweet and vulnerable. And quiet. Can't forget quiet now, can we...?? Especially when they are little babies and they rest their heads on your chest. Breanna is 14 months now and almost out of that baby stage. ALMOST makes you want another one. ALMOST, but not quite.
Right now I have 2 kids at school and 2 babies taking naps. It is my "favorite" time of day. :-)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to my first attempt at blogging. I've decided that it's about time to try this...
Life in general is rather ordinary at the moment. Hattie (almost 7yo now!!) just started 2nd grade (they have year round and she is on B-track, although they will be switching to a modified traditional school year next year...), Jason (4yo) is in his second year of Preschool, and Derek (2yo) and Breanna (1yo) get to spend all of their days with mom. We do hit the gym every morning for a couple of hours (school days only), so they get to play and mom gets in shape...
This week Aunt Sally is staying with us while she attends a soccer camp nearby. We are so excited to have her around (I'm pretty sure she'll be regretting it soon!). The kids are thrilled she is here to play play play with them, and mom is pretty stoked to get a bit of a break (and maybe run some errands ALL BY MYSELF, whoo hoo!!)
Daddy is working hard, preparing to take over as FOREMAN of his current jobsite. We're pretty excited about this "promotion" as he's been waiting for advancement opportunities FOR-EV-ER! He's actually getting a performance review TODAY, so cross your fingers for more $$$ along with the more responsibility... hee hee.
Well, that should just about catch you all up to date.
Until next time... (hopefully soon!)
Life in general is rather ordinary at the moment. Hattie (almost 7yo now!!) just started 2nd grade (they have year round and she is on B-track, although they will be switching to a modified traditional school year next year...), Jason (4yo) is in his second year of Preschool, and Derek (2yo) and Breanna (1yo) get to spend all of their days with mom. We do hit the gym every morning for a couple of hours (school days only), so they get to play and mom gets in shape...
This week Aunt Sally is staying with us while she attends a soccer camp nearby. We are so excited to have her around (I'm pretty sure she'll be regretting it soon!). The kids are thrilled she is here to play play play with them, and mom is pretty stoked to get a bit of a break (and maybe run some errands ALL BY MYSELF, whoo hoo!!)
Daddy is working hard, preparing to take over as FOREMAN of his current jobsite. We're pretty excited about this "promotion" as he's been waiting for advancement opportunities FOR-EV-ER! He's actually getting a performance review TODAY, so cross your fingers for more $$$ along with the more responsibility... hee hee.
Well, that should just about catch you all up to date.
Until next time... (hopefully soon!)
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