The monkey is 11 days old. He is growing AND eating like a wild man. Usually during the night he nurses for 45 minutes and still wants more. We purchased a finger feeder with the boy the first time around and finally broke it out last night. I tried using a bottle but the monkey was having a hard time. I think we are slowly getting into a routine. The monkey only got up officially once last night but stayed up for over an hour cause he was hungry.

One problem...He sleeps on me at night, we are transitioning to the bassinet during the day which helps and starting today I am going to keep him in the bassinet at night, I may move to the bedroom upstairs to give hubby a bit of reprieve before he goes back to work on Thursday.

All in all the monkey is doing well, he doesn’t go to the doc until next Tuesday for his two week checkup but I can tell he’s already gained weight. I should hope so…if his eating pattern is any indication...The monkey will be on solids within two weeks at his current rate of consumption.

Here is a pic of ‘My boys’…LOVE THEM!



Back on the ‘working out’ front...I’m starting a challenge among friends next week that will go from July 1st through July 31st. I’ve already lost 17 lbs of the prego weight. I’m going for getting back in running shape and soon, I miss it so. Walking starts in the AM tomorrow, I think it will be good for me and the monkey.

I am toying with the idea of running the Houston half in January but I’m not signing up until October, if I can’t get in…I’ll figure it out but I do want to start training in September, if not sooner!!

Also, since the pregnancies are over I’m challenging myself to really get serious about my body and change the look of it with hard work. I’ve never really committed to doing this fully, half-ass yes but not fully. This blog is no longer a ‘mommy blog’; I have a blog for each of my sons for that. That’s not to say I won’t mention the boys here but I’m not going to document day in and day out the poop, sleeping patterns and boob stories here. Well…perhaps the poop and boob stories cause they sometimes make for interesting reading.

Watched the Olympic Trails this weekend, I get jazzed for the Olympics. I was home for the 2004 Olympics with the boy. The trials was a good introduction to those that will be in Bejing representing the US. I was watching the diving trials and the boy was captivated. I enjoyed watching him more take it all in for the first time more than I did watching the actual event.

Wimbeldon started...Whooo hoo!! That is another Summer staple for me that dates back to my childhood. Something I would share with my Dad, it got me through the Summer in Russia and it will get me through this Summer as well.

Speed Racer...literally

Here comes speed racer…speed racer…here comes speed racer. Yes that is the song that served as background noise while I was being driven the hospital (45 minutes away) at 110 mph while during with contractions 2 minutes apart and my four year old in the backseat watching ‘Speed Racer’ and telling mommy everything was going to be ok.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Wednesday, June 11th, 2oo8

My plan for today was to begin wrapping up the odds and ends prior to taking Friday off and beginning my maternity leave on Monday. I went in to work early to stay out of the way of our housekeeper and I planned on finishing up Father’s Day prep and knocking some things off my to do list in the afternoon. I am having contractions but since they are irregular I figure they are Braxton hicks. I didn’t have these with the boy but I did some research on the internet and I felt sure those were they. Plus I was going to see the doc Thursday and she would clue me in as to what I was feeling. Thursday’s doc appmt would never come.

During lunch the girls had a diaper shower for me. It was just what the family needed. There wasn’t much we still need because we kept everything from the boy…I mean everything, nauseatingly so. What we didn’t have were diapers…wha la…we gots diapers. There was a ton of food. Kim made her heath cake and Kim J made peach cobbler from peaches she picked in an orchard we found out was nearby. It was a very nice surprise and each and every diaper will be put to good use covering my son’s hiney hoo.

As the night went on I kept having contractions but again they were not regular. While I was sleeping (yeah right) they started coming more frequently but still not with any sort of pattern. Until…4:15 ish, 20 minutes apart and at 4:30 the mother load hit. We were hoping to make it until 6, when the boy’s school opened but his brother had other ideas. After the whopper at 4:30 they started coming fast and furious. Thankfully all of our stuff was pretty much together and the hubby got the boy up and dressed and off to the hospital we raced…literally.

Not even halfway to the hospital the contractions began coming two minutes apart. HELLO…THIS WAS NOT THE PLAN. Do you know what I do for a living…I plan. Thankfully big brother was occupied by ‘Speed Racer’ and the hubby was focused on NOT delivering this baby in the car and I was doing anything and everything I possibly could to get through the pain.

We finally arrived at the hospital and a barrage of nurses swarmed in to get me in the OR for my C-section ASAP. Could they ask any more questions? In labor over here…Actually the nurses were stellar and things were happening so fast. The hubby and I called the doc on the way to the hospital because we both knew there wouldn’t be much time. My doc is out of town so Dr. Westmoreland, one of her partners took over.

When I got settled and they discovered I was more than 7 cm dilated. I did hear they bumped someone out of the OR for me since I was to have a C-section and the monkey wasn’t waiting. They gave me meds to slow the contractions. THANK GOD. Holy cow, those are not fun. I have the up most respect for woman that go through the birthing experience without drugs but I am not one of them. I am sure if I wasn’t having surgery it would have been to late for drugs.

The anesthesiologist asked if I wanted a spinal or to be put out all together and thankfully I knew what to expect and opted for the spinal. That anesthesiologist is now my best friend in the entire world. All was right in the world about two minutes after he gave me the meds.

I was sad the hubby couldn’t be in the OR with me (he was on boy duty). We did call Jodie to come get the boy and take him to school. Jod and Nic are my BFF…and I knew they would come through for me. But they were woken up and with traffic they were easily two hours away. So hubby sat with the boy. A nurse did grab hubby shortly after the monkey was born and brought Dad in so he could see the baby. It was a far different experience then the first time with the boy. I was aware, looking around and listening to the doc’s talk and intently listening for that first sign of the baby entering into this world with a cry. “I see an ear” the doc said and shortly after I heard the cry. Then my beautiful son appeared over the curtain for a quick peep.

Sage Logan Wayne made his appearance at 7:13 am June 12, 2008, weighing in at 5lbs 11ounces, 18 ¾ inches. 20 days before his official due date and 6 days before scheduled surgery.



The monkey is very healthy and handsome. Hubby got to bring the monkey into the recovery room where the boy got to meet his little brother for the first time. I wish I could have seen the look on this face. The hubby said he had a look of awe on his face.

Jod and Nic made it to the hospital while I was in recovery and took the boy to school. They were a blessing and took an entire day off work to help us out and visit with me. THE BESTEST FRIENDS EVER. Oh…I called my boss and told her I wouldn’t be at work, LOL…she about fell out of her chair that I was calling. When Jod and Nic came back to the hospital they were baring gifts, preemie clothes and diapers, LOL…we so needed those; didn’t plan on the monkey being that small.

The hubby called his mom, who lives in California, to let him know her grandson couldn’t wait until next week and if should could come in sooner. She was able to get on a plane that day and be in Houston by 11:00 Pm. So the hubby picked the boy up from school and took him to dinner to spend some time with him so he wouldn’t feel lost in the shuffle. I stayed at the hospital by myself the first night but didn’t have any problems and everything went smoothly.

The hubby and Mema stopped by Friday morning after dropping the boy off at school. The monkey and I survived the night and thankfully the nurses left us alone. No coming in every 3 hours to take vitals, we actually got to sleep. Very NICE!

Dr. Richter, the other partner came in and mentioned I could prolly go home on Saturday instead of Sunday since I was a model patient and had no issues. YAY…that would be awesome.

The monkey and I hung out, watched a lot of crappy daytime TV and took naps. The hubby came back after the boy was taken care of and settled in with me and the monkey for the night.

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Death by Mayo

Saturday Dr. W stopped by early and said I could go home that afternoon. The hubby was still sleeping on the couch and didn’t even stir when the doc came in. She let us know she was prepping for the circumcision and would be back in ten minutes. Hubby wanted to be there so I attempted to wake him to let him know to get dressed. “Babe…Babe…SCOTT…BABE...” This went on for what seemed like five minutes and the man was not moving. I looked around to see what I had to hurl his way to get his attention and all I could find that ‘wouldn’t leave a mark’ was a package of mayonnaise. I should mention the hubby absolutely HATES mayonnaise anything that has or may resemble mayo. So…I launch the package of mayo and it hits the mark, on his chest. He immediately wakes up and is like what the heck and digs out the package of mayo impaled on his chest and looks at me in horror. I then find out the reason he couldn’t hear me, he had gotten up earlier that morning and put his earphones on. We laughed and I laughed so hard it hurt…which wasn’t hard to do since I had been cut open 48 hours before.

The hubby left again to get the family together to trek back up to the hospital and get me and the monkey to go home.

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The Elevator Disaster

We finally were able to leave the hospital, with me and the monkey in the wheel chair, the hubby filming, the boy directing and Mema bringing up the rear. We get to the elevators and the boy slides in just as the doors were closing WITHOUT US! The nurse makes a half ass attempt to stop the door from closing and fails miserably. At this point I loose it!! My four year old son is in an elevator by himself and I just picture him getting off on one of the 6 floors in the hospital because the doors open. The hubby takes off downstairs to the first floor to intercept him and we’re waiting on the second floor just in case he comes back to us all the while pushing buttons hoping. We actually hear him at one point going up, past our floor crying. I’m tearing up just typing it all out. Finally, the boy shows up on the first floor with a man standing at the back of the elevator pissing his pants knowing what to do with this crying child. Dad was there to rescue him and they make it back upstairs and I try to gather my composure.

We get into the two cars and caravan home. The monkey did great on the way home, slept all the way. It was great to be home and start our routines.

The first night home was a bit challenging. The monkey ended up sleeping on my chest so we could all get a bit of sleep, instead of 15-20 minute increments. It’s working so far but I may be experimenting with some other methods, like perhaps the car seat in the bassinet. He doesn’t like his hands to be down at his side so I will be doing some creative swaddling.

The days since have been one of getting to know each other. Hubby and Mema have been a HUGE help, running errands and taking care of big brother which takes a lot off my mind.

So…that’s our story. Plan…plan and deviate from the plan…in a big way. I should have expected as much. The boy didn’t go with the plan either. That’s ok. All my boys are with me and I love it.

I just want to thank everyone for the love and support during this life changing endeavor. Especially Jodie, Nicole, Tim and Karen and Mema. We couldn't have done this without you!

Cold Stone VS. Marble Slab

During this pregnancy I can’t recall too many cravings, except for sweets. I would also say that I didn’t hit my ‘ice cream’ craving stride until about 7.5 months in. Then...everything changed. To keep it short, let’s just say I even stooped to programming my GPS for to find the closet ice cream vender after a doctor’s appointment and who knew 2.2 miles away a little piece of heaven was there waiting for me with open arms.

Now, I purposesly didn’t mention which ice cream vendor because I didn’t want to ruin the outcome of the experiement in the first paragraph.

In the beginning…the earth cooled and the dinosaurs roamed…I digress. Fast forward a few eras…my ice cream devotion as always been to Marble Slab. Why you ask, and even if you didn’t, they had what I liked and it tasted the same no matter what Marble Slab I vistited. Sweet cream with Strawberries. I know…I know…the craziest concoction you’ve ever heard of. That’s just what I do, in the wise words of my four year son. I’m the fly by the seat of your pants kinda girl…conforminty be damned. Now back to the ice cream.

When visiting a Marble Slab my order is as follows: ALWAYS…sweet cream with strawberries and sometimes, when I’m feeling really crazy I may ask for reduced fat sweet cream and always in a cone.

Here is where Cold Stone enters the picture. Near my home there is a Coldstone and every now and again the fam would take in dessert at said Cold Stone. I attempted to recreate my creative concoction by asking for sweet cream with strawberries and every time I was disappointed plus I absolutely hated their cones, I tended to find them a little obnoxious with the big ol sweeping top plus..their strawberries are so NOT THE SAME as Marble Slab’s, they needed to soak a little and get good and ripe. I was so bent about the cones I started asking for cups. What was the point? If you can’t already surmise I am very picky about food, combining food, food touching, yes, ice cream is thrown into that category as well. I tried to convince myself I would learn to love it and I failed miserably.

One day I was feeling cheeky and I talked myself up, went to the counter, did a quick scan of the available flavors and knew this time was going to be different. I placed my order…are you ready for this…STRAWBERRY ice cream with now settle down…I know you can’t even begin to fathom what is coming next…with…STRAWBERRIES! Wait…I’m not done yet. IN A CHOCOLATE CONE! ROCK ON! I gently reached across the counter and politely picked the servers chin off the cold surface before it got stuck. They were so impressed with the creativity of my selection they asked if they could name the selection after me. If you go into your nearest Coldstone and see something called The Red Daisy speak of me…and speak of me highly.

That day…I hit paydirt and Coldstone and I became pals, friends even.

Let’s summarize before we move one. In the category of ice cream, Marble Slab is still my first choice.

Now to the cones and the ever important portability of ice cream and the ease of eating while driving. I mentioned earlier I prefer my ice cream in a cone from Marble Slab and in a cup from Coldstone, that is until I discovered the yumminess of chocolate dipped cones. To begin I communte a little under an hour each way to and from work and there just happens to be a Coldstone on my way home and I have frequented there a time or two or twenty and a few times went out of my way to find a Marble Slab. During one experience at MS the ice cream rocked but for whatever reason…say the fact that it was hotter than the face of the sun that day or 150% humidity (which I know is not possible but if it was…that day it was 150%) BUT it started melting before I even left the shop and the bottom of the cone sprung a leak. Needless to say it was a bit cumbersome to eat, and drive and I was not able to enjoy the experience which is key. By the time I got home my steering wheel had a smattering of stickiness all over it and I had to change my shirt to get rid of the remnients that had deposited themselves on my shirt.

Quick recap…In the Coldstone corner…Big o opening and a handy little cup to cover the bottom to keep all the ‘drippings’ in. Now that’s eating ice cream on the go efficiently. More of the ice cream in my mouth and less on the steering wheel, protruding belly, lap, seat belt, window, floor board. I think the picture is pretty clear.

In the MS corner…rockin ice cream but the cone design is lacking.

An the winner is…and it’s a shocker…Coldstone. Duhn…duhn…duhn. EEEEKKKK

I know I’m shocked as well…but the facts don’t lie. Right now…I eat ice cream more in the car than I do sitting in a shop and by that fact alone I would rather have it all in my mouth then all over the front seat of my car. If they were right next to each other I would prolly have to go with MS.

So…really everyone is a winner.

8 Days and Counting

I love the half days, did I mention that? I’m getting so much done and with most of my work stuff handed over my days are not too pressing, I come in, get some stuff done then it’s time to leave to be productive at home and get a bit of rest, which I’m not getting much of lately, not for more than a few hours anyway. As of next week...welll...someone elese will be making sure I don’t get more than a few hours of sleep at a time. No worries…it will be what it is. And I will have another man in my life to love!!

This weekend was another productive weekend. I HAVE A DINING room. Now that I think about it...I thought we purchased one with the house and I thought we had even bought a new table and décor a couple of years ago but it seems it went missing…for awhile. Lo and behold…we found it this weekend. We took it back from the mess and clutter and what nots and proceeded to spread the mess and clutter and what nots around. I don't know about you but I consider that progress. A couple of eBay auctions, a trip to Goodwill and the mess and clutter and the what nots will be someone elses problem. I am so happy we found the missing dining room, even though it is a room that I have never once eaten in or a table that I have never once sat at but by god we have a dining room.

It would also seem the hubby and I have finally decided on a play yard for the boy’s birthday. We found one that we think would be perfect and about 500 bones cheaper. BONUS. We are just waiting on agreement on the final config (by each other) and measurements to be sure it fits.

Yet another resolution, the popping sound from our A/C; SOLVED. It scares the bejesus out of me every morning around 2a or so. The hubby scheduled the A/C peeps to come take a look-see and when the hubby told the ever so customer friendly, educated person on the other end of the phone what our problem was the person asked if we changed the filters. The hubby let the person know we had, without fail, changed the filters, even recently and the noise was still there. The A/C person replies “I reckon I don’t know what the problem is then, normally the filter is your issue in a situation like that.” The hubby then had to turn to me for a translation as he doesn’t speak ‘redneck’ as fluently as he remembered ; whereas I responded…the filter done did broke and he there don’t know how to fix it otherwise.

With that bevy of knowledge we decided to do some ‘troubleshooting’ with the filter. Basically we took it out. PROBLEM SOLVED. For whatever reason that vent does not like the filter we use, either it is too loose or heck…I don’t know. All I know is last night…at 2am and 3am and 4am…no freaking popping noise, just the melodic sound of the hubby snoring.

The boy and I spent a lot of time together this weekend, mostly at the pool. We laughed and played, of course the playing was not enough by the boy’s standards. I’ve read a couple of places that when a child turns four something magical happens and the tantrums stop, the whining stops and they begin maturing into normal human beings. I think we may be there. The last month and a half has been great, quite enjoyable. For instance we went to dinner, AT a RESTAURANT Saturday night and we had a nice family experience. The hubby and I had a conversation or two and the boy chimed in every once awhile with his two cents. No one was being threatened, or being nagged to GET DOWN OFF THAT TABLE and I MEAN NOW. It was all quite enjoyable. The best part…Cold Stone for desert. Eight days from now, the dynamic all changes. Are we a glutton for punishment? I like to think of it as a growing opportunity as a result of the challenging time that is ahead for all of us.

BTW, I will be blogging about my extensive research on the difference between Cold Stone and Marble Slab I personally conducted during this pregnancy. Stay tuned.
Now I’m off to home to gain paper shredding experience so I will be able to add it to my resume.

OH! Jod brought me my running shoes from our gym locker, I haven't seen them in over 9 months and I believe I teared up a bit right after I hugged them. Glad to see a couple of old friends again. I'll be seein ya real soon!

Week 36 Doc Update

Lookin good…189 and holding. The monkey looks absolutely fabulous, 1cm and a fingertip dialated.

The doc started the ultrasound low to measure the head in order to determine approx how much the monkey weighs. The hubby remarked…he’s that low and before he could get low out of his mouth I’m like “YES”! All I can say…is thank goodness for alternative methods for birthing because seeing that big o head just made my va jay jay go…WHA.

So to the good part, he is still a boy, got a pic to prove it and he is measuring curently ~6.7 lbs and she expects him to grow to 7.5 to 8 lbs, no worries…the boy was 7.7 so I guess I can give Jo her premie clothes back. The doc said he looked beautiful. We weren’t able to see his face because it was buried in my uterus (and because he is my son I will absolutely not make a comment regarding men and their facination with that area).

I did get authorization to work ½ days up until I go on leave. (I’m trying to get through to my disability provider as I type…good grief I HATE electronic messaging crapiola, I just want a person! I real person, not the pissy “I don’t understand your request” seriously…

Whatever…it’s done!

Breathe in…breathe out. Cleansing breaths. I’m good now.

This morning I officially started my ½ days, 10 – 2. It is glorious. I got to sleep in an extra hour or so, took the boy to school, signed up the monkey for his spot in the infant room, dumped our paper into a community recycling bin, got ready for work, started cleaning my closet, made myself breakfast and got to work on time. Holy cow…I am soooo freaking productive. Now I just need to figure out how to do that after I come back from leave. Yeah…don’t see it happening.

Off to continue my productive day. PEAS out!

This weekend was pretty good, low key but still productive, as the theme of the last few weekends have been. Saturday we ran a couple of errands in the morning after Taekwondo then cried mercy about midway through. It was FREAKIN hot. I grew up in Houston and I don’t care you still never become ‘acclimated’ or accepting of the heat and being 8.5 months pregnant just adds insult to injury. While in the midst of our trapcing we went to a Kid’s structure store to look at a playyard (swing set back in my day) for the boy’s birthday. We didn’t tell him where we were going and when we pulled up he exclaimed “We’re going HERE!” The hubby and I had to laugh. He was in hog heaven trying out all the different playyards. We’re still deciding and measureing to make sure it will fit. We will see.

My prize for the trapcing around in the ‘hotter than the face of the sun’ heat…a nap in my incredibly dark and cool bedroom before heading south to a friends house for the evening. I never understood the joy of naps until a few years ago. I process improvement at my job will be naps.

Saturday night the hubby had a boy’s night. I was really glad he could do this now…in a couple of weeks his ‘boys’ night’ will take on a entirely different meaning and the alcohol will be his coping method due to the loss of his sanity.

The boy and I meanwhile headed to Mel’s to celebrate her new job. She will be working with me…YAY!! She will do great! (You have a lot to live to Mel)! The boy had fun playing with the other boys and he was great. Very well mannered and used his listening ears. Good grief, especially in situations like Saturday night when he is the oldest by more than a year I see how grown up my boy is becoming.

Sunday the family went to the pool in the morning, I think we will make this a weekend ritual. It is so quiet and relaxing, for now. They boy and the hubby had a blast. It was nice to sit back and watch them and smile. They are such boys!!

The hubby and I watched “National Treasure” while the boy napped. I had never seen the movie but I always heard it was surprisingly good. It did not disappoint. Other than Nicolas Cage’s ridiculous toupee or wig, implants or squirrel on top of his head that was totally distracting it was a good movie. The hubby, true to form fell asleep, that’s just what he does.

After the boy napped we knocked out a couple of to do’s. My office/guest room in ready for the MIL and I set up the pack n play downstairs, we didn’t use it much with the boy but I’m thinking it will get more use now because we live in a two story. We will see, we have it…and I’m sure if it didn’t get set up and stored in the garage I will want/need it on day 5.

Not much else to report and not that any of that was exciting. We did finally finish Grey’s Anatomy last night, sad to see it go. Since most of the shows have ended this season that will force us to go back and catch up on 24 and Lost.

I hope everyone has a great week, I have my doc appmt tomorrow and we are getting an ultrasound. I can’t wait. I won’t have updates until Wednesday.

Stay cool...

Week 35 Doc Update

Another afternoon appointment…wasn’t happy about it but I treated myself to an ice cream afterwards…and it was totally worth it. Reporting everything is good. I gained a pound, which I’m supposed to be doing, I’m up to 189. Heartbeat was excellent and strong and I’m one fingertip dilated. The doc seemed surprised I was already dilating did the same last time and ended up with a C-section last time, she murmered to herself…”I’m not quick to section, do you remember why?” I thought to myself…um…aren’t you the doctor? Then I mentioned that I thought the cord was wrapped or something like that because every time I had a contraction the boy’s heartbeat would dip. Oh and I WAS THE ONE IN LABOR…like I know.

She looked back and after almost four years I found out the REAL story, I wouldn’t/couldn’t progress and the most likely culprit was my pelvis is too small and he was too big…evidently 7.7 pounds is too big for my pelvis. Ok.

I’ve been cramping the last couple of days and she told me to drink more water that I was prolly dehydrated from the weekend and it turns out she was right. I feel much better today in that regard. I so wanted to ask her to let me go on half day work days but I felt like a pansy. There are women out there that are truly having a rough go at this and I’m just being selfish so I talked myself out of it. We will see which voice wins next time.

I have my final ultrasound next week. I’m excited; it means I get to see the monkey one last time before I actually see him. I don’t recall them doing this last time but it may be new or something to do with my age…everything seems to do with age nowadays.

Last night I slept pretty good for about four hours, after I put my earplugs in then I woke up starting at 4a what seemed like every ten minutes looking at the clock thinking I wouldn’t hear it and oversleep. Normally it wouldn’t matter but I have to work like 26 hours every day this week to make up for the holiday plus get in my forty. It is a tall older especially since I’m FREAKIN TIRED and I don’t have much work on my plate so basically I sit and try to look busy and watch the minutes pass. I hate being bored.

Ok…done bitchin for now. Cruise on over to they boy’s blog. Oh man…he was a trip last night.

Everybody’s Free to Wear Suncreen

The boy and I made the first of many pilgrimages this summer to the neighborhood pool this past weekend. We went early and it was a beautiful day. There were only two other families there and it was nice and peaceful, because the boy is able to go off on his own with the help of my watchful eye I had a lot of time to reflect on ‘the boy’. I sat on the the edge of the pool and watched my boy and his lean body play on the slide, squirt water at some unsuspecting passerby and pretty much splash around in the water without a care in the world talking to himself. So young and innocent and mine.

A bit later we went in the ‘big pool’ and I had to hold him because he doesn’t know yet how to swim (which we are rectifying in July). He clutched on to me for dear life and I had to practically pry him off of me. I was trying to get him to lie on his back and float but he would have none of that. He kept telling me “don’t let go mommy.” And I would reply “I’ll never let you go son.” Of course me being the hormonal, emotional train wreck I am these days I almost broke down right then and there.

There is something so powerful in those words for whatever reason my thoughts turned to the sadness in that statement…that yes son…one day I will have to let you go and you will have to make your way in this big bad world of ours and I only hope and pray your dad and I have given you the tools you need to be happy and successful in life. Then he splashed me in the face and the impending tears turned to exchanges of laughter and joy that I placed in that proverbial bottle with the memories I want to last forever.

Here is something to for all to reflect on…a blast from the past... Will post Baz Luhrmann – Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) later tonight.

Memorial Weekend 2008

It is officially non-official start of summer. Friday I got a jump on my ‘chores’, that was nice and made a big difference on getting things done during the weekend. Saturday we went to Sam’s and the boy and I had an ok nap. He was figity and didn’t sleep long. I was soooo tired. Also, we have started having this popping noise from our a/c vent over the week and it is freakin loud. It has woken the hubby and I both out of a dead sleep. Well…I wouldn’t consider any sleeping I do of the dead kind. Perhaps a mild coma. Ya know…the kind where you can still hear everything but your eyes are shut. Yep…that’s me.

So anyway…Saturday the hubby grilled some BIG OL STEAKS and corn on the cob. We did our part to contribute to the statistic that Memorial Day is the biggest MEAT eating weekend in the U.S.

Sunday the hubby pressure washed the driveway and back patio while the boy and I went to the pool. We went early and it was nice. Hardly anyone there and the water wasn’t too cool. Needless to say we both spent a bit too much time out in the sun. Poor bug got a sunburn and Mom and one to match. After the pool we headed home for lunch and the boy was so tired he practically went upstairs to take a nap by himself.

The hubby and I watched “Before the Devil Knows Your Dead”. It was ok, I fell asleep. This one didn’t hold my attention. It was one of those where it told and retold the story from each character’s point of view. Normally I wouldn’t mind but I think I just didn’t have the capacity for a long drawn out movie. I like Philip Seymour Hoffman, but with clothes on. Marisa Tomei, I gotta give the girl credit…she looks good for her age, even without clothes which she was missing most of the movie. Ethan Hawke, he was just a pansy and I didn’t have the patience for him. Those are pretty much your highlights.

We went to visit Granny and Papa Boley Sunday night for dinner. It is always an adventure…especially when the hubby joins us; which he can only muster about twice a year. After some visiting I take the hubby and the boy with me to get dinner mostly to give hubby a break and we make our way to KFC, which I later discover no one likes but for whatever reason we ALWAYS go there when I visit. Nice. We place our $30 order at KFC, get to the window and wait about 5 minutes then the guy comes to the window and proceeds to explain the following:

KFC guy: “we have no wing, no breast and no tie”.

Me: “Excuse me, can you repeat that?”

KFC guy: “we have no wing, no breast and no tie”.

Me: “You have no what? Tie?”

KFC guy: “TIE” (because yelling at me is going to make me understand your broken English).

Me: “Oh…you mean Thigh. Um…ok…what do you have?”

KFC guy closes the window and talks to someone in the back for probably two additional minutes. Comes back to the window. “Nothing else”

Me: “You have nothing else? Do you know you are a KFC and you sell chicken?” (He just looks at me and tells me it will be 15 minutes)

Yeah…we’re about frustrated at this time. If they would have put the freakin chicken in when we ordered it and the time they took to explain and for me to understand they didn’t have any ‘tie’s’ the damn chicken would have been done. Good grief…I proceed to tell them to cancel the order and we go to Kroger and get better and cheaper fried chicken, no wings but we got plenty of tie’s. I mean seriously…this town that I grew up in is po dunk!

We make our way back home to eat our chicken and help Granny and Papa with their computer…they are almost 80…how awesome is that. No, they don’t know much but at least they are trying. The hubby is also greatful he won’t have to do this again until December. It will take him that long to recoup and be prepared for this years’ upcoming RenFest pix.

Monday was low key. Since we pretty much wore the boy out on Sunday we stayed around the house and watched movies most of the day and rested up for the week ahead. We finished the monkey’s room. Yes…I have pix!!

Everyone Poops...

I walk in the bathroom at work and I am just about overwhelmed by the toxic cloud lingering in the smallish area. Hey people that is what the downstairs bathroom is for…much larger space to disperse toxic clouds. I stuck my head in the anteroom and went in for a quick number 1 when the thought occurred to me if someone walks in they are going to thing I am the one responsible for the stank. Oh the horra…and just as I’m finishing up low and behold someone else walks in. That’s just great. I’m washing my heads and I hear the room spray being used AND see her spraying it in the stall I was just in. NOW it is confirmed she thinks I did it…not that she knows who I am. One of my fears was just realized. Not to mention someone came in right after that and she did see me.

Now I’m not so naïve as to think that no one poops…everyone poops…there was even a book written about it. But I am a responsible ‘pooper’ and I 1. go downstairs to the larger bathroom, away from everyone and 2. courteousy flush as to keep the smell from forming a toxic cloud over the bathroom stall. That’s just the kind of considerate girl I am and I am coming to believe I expect way too much from others in the expectation they be just as considerate. Oh well…yet another label I must deal with.

I just found out it was my friend that ‘sprayed me’ and she did think it was me stanking up the place. SEE…I didn’t perceive the situation incorrectly because I would have done the same thing. I’m carrying a sign in next time with the saying ‘it wasn’t me’.

Oh man…I’m still laughing.

Week 34 Doctor Update

So I drove 1 hour and 10 minutes to the doctor to spend all of 10 minutes actually in the doctor’s office then drove 45 minutes back to my house. Yeah…she is that good and well worth the drive I’m just pissed that I can’t get morning appointments for the duration so I’m going to bitch about it a little bit more.

No, the nurses did not morph into scary crotchety old women after noon and the doc, well she was still her ‘lovely’ self.

The weight, whooo hooo…I only gained 1 pound in three weeks, up to 188. The boy is measuring well and heartbeat was 161. I verified that was a good heartbeat and not too fast and the doctor said it sounded very healthy and the fact that it is able to fluctuate is a good sign of a healthy boy. YAY!

What’s on tap for the next three weeks? Next Tuesday I have my group B strep screening, even though I’m not planning delivering via the vi ja ja it is a ‘just in case’ I go into labor early. On the 3rd I have an ultrasound to check everything out and see how much the monkey weighs, the 10th I don’t remember what she said but I think it is just a prenatal visit but I did remember it was going to be with one of her partners since she will be out of town. The 17th I will get my orders to report to the hospital for blood work and on the 18th…we get to meet the new man in my life. So…I guess I’m really doing this. Ok…yeah…starting to get a little freaked out.

Oh…and the chocolate empire…BIG…BIG…BIG…BIG, bigger than big. I’m so proud of the hubby.

Week 34 (28 days to go)

I have a doctor’s appmt this afternoon. It totally freaks me out that I have to go in the afternoon. I’ve NEVER in the six years I’ve been going to my OB never gone for an appmt in the afternoon. I don’t know why it matters…but I think in the back of my mind everything changes after noon. The lights dim and the cranky and tired nurses and doctors come out. EEEEEEKkk…Don’t they know it is me…and I SHOULD GET SPECIAL TREATMENT. Actually I caught myself trying to justify why I needed my appmt in the morning, like they even care. Just make the freakin appmt lady. I reckon I’m fixin to start my weekly visits and I’m settling in for afternoon appmts for the duration. Oh well…three more visits…three more visits.

That’s all I got for today. Stay tuned…I’ll report on the doc visit tomorrow, y’all come back now…ya here!

Girl's Day and Making up for lost time

This weekend was again another productive weekend and not just with chores.

I had the day off on Saturday and it was wonderful. I headed out to Clear Lake in the AM leaving the hubby and the boy to their own devices. We rounded up the troops and went to a co-workers house warming. I was very proud of the 3 Daises for making an effort. This is a huge rung to climb on the social ladder. I would like to think a lot of peeps were pleasantly surprised we all took the time to ‘bless them’ with our presence. Seriously…

More than the social conquest was THE FOOD!! I have never in my life eaten at someone else’s house and felt like my family cooked all the food. It is hard to explain but for me you go to a cookout and there is always that one or two foods that someone prepares that you don’t care for or perhaps the food is cooked with or without some jack upped spices. Not here…everything was YUMOLICIOUS!! The brisket melted in your mouth, the chicken wasn’t dry. The ‘cup’ of potato salad had just the right seasoning without all the onions and celery mucking it up. The beans were barbaquey and sugary and don’t get me started on the punch bowl cake. I literally didn’t want to stop eating and ended up being miserable for it…and I would do it all again and twice on Sunday.

After our two hour appearance the other 2 Daisies ran errands with me, primarily because I was picking up a bookcase for the Monkey’s room and I couldn’t lift it. Then we headed back to Jodie’s house for a nap. Well…Nic and I anyway. Poor Jod had to keep Lan occupied. She was prolly the one pressing the horn on his car thingy and pushing around the popper. (You didn’t think I saw you but I did).

Originally the ‘girls night’ was to make more jewelry but we got side tracked and decided to go to dinner and visit with each other instead, it was nice. Dinner was good and dessert was better and the company and conversation were priceless. I came home and my boys were in bed. They themselves had a fun filled day doing ‘boy stuff’. I really enjoy my time to myself but I found myself most content when I’m in bed, with a sleeping boy upstairs and my hubby by my side, all is right in the world.

Sunday the hubby brought in bagels and I started planning the day, making up for taking a vacation day on Saturday. I started the laundry and then commenced cooking for the next four hours. In an effort to provide myself and my boys with a healthy meal for dinner and healthy lunches as well I decided to do all the cooking on Sunday. I’ve proven time and time again it just doesn’t work with our schedule to make meals that don’t come frozen during the week. Not enough hours in the day. So…I cooked and laundered and managed to squeeze in a nap with the boy…it was lovely.

After naps we preceded to the Monkey’s room for more organizing and making way for the book case the hubby was putting together. The boy kept saying…”hey…these are my toys.” I had to explain they were his baby toys and now the Monkey will need them to grow up to be a smart as he is. He decided he was ok with that explanation. I finished up the room and it looks SOOOOO good. It is not picture worthy yet because I have to hang the curtains I went ahead and purchased and hang a couple of ‘projects’ I’m working on that are expected to be finished this weekend. I’m so anticipating it all finally being done. I started the Monkey’s hospital bag and my bag is halfway packed. I won’t put them in the car until the first week in June, just in case. I work an hour away from my hospital and these are the things I must think about…again…just in case. Oh…and I guess we need to install the car seat. Good grief the list just keeps growing.

And finally…I know these long diatribes are often tedious but things are way more interesting on the weekend of late than during the week. So…I catch up. I haven’t reported on the Boy’s behavior of late and why do you ask…because he has been AWESOME. NOTHING like before, he is enjoying school, getting good reports and at home he has turned the corner as well. His Dad and I are soooo happy and relieved, we had one minor setback last week but honestly I’m not concerned because of the positive change in his behavior overall has been outstanding. The next month will see more changes for him…let’s hope for the best.

Labeled...

Before I begin I was working on posting yesterday but got busy so you get it today and kick it.

The three daisies had a very productive meeting with a person I will call ‘In The Know’ (INK). We had an opportunity to voice our concerns and get genuine feedback with a side of constructive criticism. It was just what I needed. I did find out that I did indeed have a label around the office and I immediately prepared to defend my actions. I could feel the heat rising as I sat there and listened but then I quickly simmered down when I realized it was true. My label, ‘tough’, that’s what they call me, whoever they is. So I ask…is that a bad thing? My answer I was given…yes and no. It is the yes part that I need to work on. Without going into too much detail I did receive clear perspective and I agreed I could be seen as tough and intolerant.

In an effort to be cognizant of my intolerance one of the daisies made this label for us three…something we can look to and remind ourselves that label could lead to ‘doesn’t work well with others’ and that is just dead wrong and unacceptable.

Week 33

Tired…tired and more tired. Other than that everything seems to still be movin along…at a snails pace if you ask me. I’ll talk more about the monkey’s room and mom’s day in my weekend recap.

My 4th annual Mom’s Day and another productive weekend

Sunday was great. I had all my boys with me and although everyday is mother’s day at my house, aren’t you jealous, it was nice to receive the hugs and kisses and be told I’m appreciated.

Sunday morning the boy ended up in our bed due to the storm that came through, truthfully when it storms like that I love when the boy is in bed with us, I feel safe and secure. The other good thing is Sunday’s are my day to get up with the boy so the hubby can have some time for himself in the morning. Thankfully ‘getting up’ means turning over and flipping the TV on for some cartoons while mom get’s another hour of shut eye. This Sunday, the boy’s internal alarm clock went off and at 7a he asked me to turn on the TV. Since he was in our room he had no idea the sun was up and I told him it was still early and he rolled over and went back to sleep for another hour. I love me some sleep.

Around 8 I turned on the cartoons and while I was dozing I felt the boy lean over and give me a kiss on the cheek and whisper “I love you mom”. I just wanted to take that moment, bottle it and stick it in my pocket with all the other memories I want to hold to and remember forever. It was the sweetest gesture and being mom’s day made it that much more symbolic.

The hubby came in a little while later and announced he would be making his famous French toast. My mouth is watering now thinking about it. It has to be the best French toast ever made and I’ve tried a lot. If he was going to make a signature dish for Gordon Ramsey this would be a good second to the chicken marsala. YUMOlishes.
After breakfast the presents were opened and the boys did AMAZING…as always. The monkey got a couple of outfits that had MONKEYS on them. They are SOOO cute. I received a subscription to Oxygen magazine. I’ve never heard of the mag before but it looks great. Not like Fitness Mag, which I love, a bit more hard core. This is perfect because I’m making plans to go hardcore after this pregnancy. I’ve made a commitment to myself to really push myself to see what my body is capable of doing. I’ve never done that…ever. I ran and finished a ½ marathon and I never thought I would remotely do that. So…I’m going for it. That leads to the cookbook the hubby got me from Hungrygirl.com. I didn’t know it existed until then and I flipped through the book. WHA…real like non gourmet recipes one can actually make without going to a specialty herb and veggie store!!

I’ve made my menu for next week and I’m going to the store tomorrow to prepare everything on Sunday. I figured what the heck…no need to wait until after the pregnancy to start eating ‘right’ again. I’ve kinda took the last 8 months off from that enjoying what my heart desired. Well…I no longer desire the junk I’ve been eating. I think that is contributing to the tiredness that I’m feeling more than just the pregnancy.

The rest of the day was pretty low key. I did make it to Babies R Us to purchase my bedding that I finally convinced myself I did indeed HAVE TO HAVE. I had it on my registry and noticed it wasn’t available online anymore and I was panicking all the way to the store thinking that it was discontinued. I do believe they are discontinuing it but I got it and it is PERFECT.



I let the boy pick out a bear for the Monkey. There is history behind this event. I picked out the boy’s bear and unbeknownst to me at the time that bear is his security bear, the one he can’t sleep without. So I wanted to give meaning to the Monkey’s bear. Hopefully it will be just as much a part of him as the boy’s bear has been for him.

Also, I ordered this diaper bag from L.L. Bean. I was VERY proud of myself for deliberating about the purchase for so long, about four months. I finally decided it was the right move when I pulled out the diaper bags we used for the boy. One was WAY too big and the other was more suitable for toddler use meaning containing ‘extras’ for those just in case times. So I pulled the trigger.

Saturday was a most productive day EVER; we started out at Taekwondo and did stuff around the house. After more than two years we put the finishing touches on our bedroom, hung some stuff we didn’t really know where to put until that day. The hubby hung some shelves in his office and during the boy’s nap the hubby and I began our art project for the boy’s room, ten months after we were going to actually start it. We finished it on Sunday but oh my gosh…it is so awesome. Here is the pic...



Jose, our lawn guy installed three more French drains in our lake…backyard. We’ve had issues ever since we moved in. We finally decided it would be nice to actually USE the backyard instead of watching the ducks wade through it after a significant rainstorm. They also tidied up all of our plants and made ready for the additional plants coming on Monday. I finally got my azaleas. Perhaps now we can get the boy a swing set for his birthday.

That evening we attended a graduation party at our neighbor’s house. They rented a moon jumper and it was a hit, although VERY warm. We stayed until about 9 and we were ready to leave. It’s funny, she had a lot of family and other friends over but it is not the same as our flamingo parties, even when the flamingo gang is there. We flock together and just talk, which isn’t a bad thing either. I was bummed I had to miss out on the jello shots though.

Friday the hubby took off work to work on his ‘to do’ list. The Monkey got his name and pictures of us as kids hung in his room. I am working on finishing up the curtains and hopefully we will get a book shelf this weekend and with one more ‘art’ project we should be good to go. I’m not stressing about it but I need to finish up my office before my mom in law…tick…tick…tick. Only four weekends left!

TGIF

It is Friday...whoo hoo! Here comes the weekend. What is on tap? A graduation party and I am sure what will be a delightful Mother's Day and SLEEP. Dang I am pooped.

Work is off...not sure what is going on or how to handle the vibes I and a few others are getting. Hopefully I will know more by the end of the week next week. BUT...I so don't want to think about next week when it is Friday. FRIDAY!! The best part of the weekend because it is the longest time before the start of a new week. Lovely. We did get some good news but I'm not at liberty to post it here...yet. ALOT of relief is on the way.

I was pretty productive today, I thought it would be slow but actually stacked up to be nice and busy. I wrote my first newsletter to my monkey. That was fun and put a smile on my face.

Nothing interstesting so I'll sign off now. Happy Mother's Day to all.

Be Safe!

I am in Leadership and Management training today. So far it is bareable...mostly because I'm sharing the pain with a couple of peeps I know. So far nothing I didn't learn in college but since that was...holy cow...10 years ago it is a good refresher.

Over the course of this week I've received several compliments that I don't look like I'm fixin to give birth in a little under six weeks and that I'm 'glowing' (whatever that means)perhaps the glare from the oil slick across my forward and cheeks is blinding their judgement.

Not much else exciting is going on. Trying to get through the day. Oh...the boy, you know the almost four year old boy that I make reference to almost everyday that I write on this blog...he woke up this morning and told me he could not go to school because he has a cold. (Really it was just a scratchy throat that was easily remedied with a glass of water) Seriously...YOU ARE FOUR! Who gave them their book of tricks? Did he find mine? This is so a glimpse of the future. Must...get...prepared.

Back to training...peace!

Week 32

I went to the doc today. Everything is movin along. Baby is measuring perfect and the heartbeat was 154. A LOT faster than last time but I attribute that to the Chi Vanilla Latte I pounded before my appointment. It was a rough morning and if I could have started it with a shot of tequila I so would have.

The doc made a comment about fast heartbeats and boys and she said her boy showed the same characteristics as the monkey and ended up being over 9lbs and two weeks early. This would concern most people but since I’m having a C section I’m like bring it on! Then she proceeded to say bigger babies sleep better. I’m like…seriously!! She responded casually…no…I made it up. I just look at her in disbelief...so you’re lying to me…now!! The pregnant one that has gained 32 pounds to date, that is having horrible back pain, the one sitting up here on the table that just had her feet in stirrups and your hand up her ho ha! She gave me a hug and said I just wanted to you to feel better. Uhm…thanks?

The boy had THREE meltdowns this morning THREE. I guess we were due but boy…when are you going to figure out mom does NOT do mornings. First we got dressed then it was time to turn the TV off, heaven forbid I turn the TV off in the middle of cartoons. I should be locked up due to the lack of consideration. So that was ten minutes I will never get back. Then…it was show and tell day honoring the letter G. Really, does G really need recognition? How about B, I have B stuff out the wazoo, today it HAD to be G. Is there NOTHING in our house that fits in a cubby that starts with a letter G? Ten more minutes of my life I will never get back and a wailing four year old driving to preschool and why am I not a stay at home mom? As I’m driving like a bat to get the boy to school so I can go to my doctor that is 45 minutes away (40 on a good day) I calm down and explain to my dear boy that ten minutes of a temper tantrum plus ten minutes trying to look for a G toy make for an upset mommy that becomes late for her doc appointment and he should try to be more considerate in the future. As a show of good faith and understanding he proceeds to have a meltdown outside of this classroom and doesn’t want me to leave. YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS! We just had the talk; you said you understood; we agreed; give me something.

Then and there I take a deep breath and kneel down to my son, wipe away his tears and give him a big hug. I tell him mommy is irritable this morning and it has been a tough morning for all of us and how about we start over. I say to him…”good morning” and he gives me this look like “WTF…I’m at school, we are dressed I’ve had three meltdowns…good morning??? Are you off your meds?” But I digress, I take him to get some breakfast in the café and he is rewarded with a pop tart. Back in his classroom I pull out his chair, give him another hug and kiss and all is right in the world, after the three shots of tequila I keep stashed under my seats for mornings such as this.

Breathe Deeply

Oh yeah my back was in spasms all day yesterday. I went to the chiropractor…the BEST chiropractor in the whole wide world and he attempted to fix me. I only visit when I need fixin, that’s part of my problem. He adjusted me but unfortunately this time I didn’t get the quick fix I so enjoyed last time. I was pretty much down for the count when I got home. Every time I tried to walk my left side would grab. You could find me at any given area in the house by the sound of air being sucked through my teeth from the pain. Evidently the boy was having chronic back pains too; mom couldn’t have ALL the attention, selfish.

American Chocolate Gangsta

This weekend was a good weekend. Busy, as I am sure they will be from here on out but productive. The hubby and I tag teamed projects and it really worked well. When we are on…we are on.

Saturday morning the hubby took the boy to taekwondo and allowed me a bit of time to work on the Monkey’s room. I took some stuff out of his closet to make room in my closet for when the hubby’s mom comes to stay. I covered stuff we won’t need for a while to be stored in the garage…utilizing our new state of the art storage facility. I proceeded to start the laundry, made breakfast when they returned home, cleaned the kitchen and had the boy help me paint letters for the monkey’s room while the hubby went to the grocery store. During the boy’s nap I started hemming the curtains for the monkey’s room then got ready for the two birthday parties we were scheduled to attend that afternoon and evening. I know detailing every minute of every day makes for boring reading I wanted to document awesome we are at getting stuff done.

Birthday party number one was for one of the boy’s old classmates at his previous pre-school. We didn’t tell the boy we were going because we wanted to surprise him. The hubby and I made a discovery this weekend…the boy doesn’t like surprises. No, I wouldn’t say he doesn’t like them he just doesn’t react the way you would think someone would act when presented with a super duper fun experience with a super duper fun friend you haven’t seen in almost a year. Yeah…you can thank me for that one. Two words…engagement and Russia.

We showed up at the birthday party and the adults were happier to see each other than the kids were. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, it took all of 15 minutes and it was like they were never separated. I did notice the boy didn’t necessarily know how to handle the ‘new friends’ portion of the show. It wasn’t all about him like back in the day. He still managed to have fun and boy howdy does he hate to watch another kid open presents.

Birthday party number two was for our neighbor; her 10 year old son organized a surprise party for her. It wasn’t a flamingo party but all the ‘flamingo’ neighbors were there. It was awesome to have other kids there and the boy just ran around with them the entire time. Oh…there was the cue ball incident but everyone was ok and the ball was returned safely.

Sunday was much more relaxed, as planned. The hubby and I ended up watching ‘Ame.rican Gang.ters’, well, to be honest we watched the first half and slept through the middle and we’ll finish it up at a date to be named later. The hubby’s business partner’s wife’s aunt’s grandmother’s sister’s daughter made a comment that the she and my hubby were the American Chocolate Gangster’s; instead of drugs they sell chocolate. All kidding aside, they are successful for a reason! But seriously there were a lot of similarities. My advice, if one of them comes at you with an empty sugar jar…I suggest handing over the 20% and walking the other way…carefully and slowly with your hands in plain sight.

On Reflection...

Happy birthday to me yesterday! I will be writing some of this as if it were yesterday because I wrote it on paper while I was sitting in the doctor’s office for FOUR HOURS. Yes…pen and paper, it is a bit antiquated but hey it works when you don’t yet have a laptop.

Today I am 36 years old and I have plenty of time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the potential of next year. Many do this in January but I think my birthday is unique to me and I choose to reflect on this date.

Out of character to me I find myself becoming more and more cynical and I don’t like it one bit. Society loves to pigeonhole individuals with labels. If you aren’t cynical in this day in age you are a Pollyanna. I would like to find a happy medium. Hmmm…I’ll have to think about how to find that happy medium.

Today gas is nearing $4 a gallon; you can find $3.47 on a good day. They (I really want to meet they) are predicting it will be $4 by the end of May…good times. With oil and gas companies reporting record breaking profits I can’t help but ask WTF? The companies explain it away as money for future exploration, research and development. Question…isn’t profit…uhm…profit. I would think a company would have an allocation for future R&D taken out of the cost of doing business. I guess I’m wondering why no one is asking THE RIGHT questions. They did a dog and pony show in front of Congress and I just think that was for the American people to ‘act’ like something was being done about it. My cynical side says of course gov.t isn’t doing anything; they have their dirty little fingers in that profit pot, allegedly.

The United States is at war with Iraq and Afghanistan for just over five years now. The media is reporting that we are making progress. I can only go on what they report. Honestly I am not really sure how things are going. I only hope and pray our men and women fighting over there are doing so for a good cause and the end is sooner rather later.

2008 is an election year. The Republican nominee is John McCain and the Democrats Barrack Obama and Hilary Clinton are duking it out for the democratic nomination. It is so not pretty. A couple of obvious observations Barrack is a black man and Hilary is a woman. Neither race nor gender has before been a viable candidate for President. My take, I don’t think the world is ready for either a black man or a woman as President of the US. The race card is already being thrown down and ‘whitey’ still keeping the black man down. Hilary is promoting a socialist economy and let us just ask Canada and France how that is going for them. This country is starving for a new direction. Obama is attempting to capitalize on that platform but he is not really telling us HOW he is willing to change direction and it sounds like he says and does he needs to do to get elected. I vote we CLEAN house. Everyone out…and start over. That’s laughable I know but with special interest groups, PACS and the overall corrupt crooks that are sitting in most of the offices now I don’t see anyone stepping up and representing me; thus leading to my cynicism. I may work on a letter to my congressman. Oh…he’s prolly working on becoming client number 10. Can I vote for none of the above in November?

I wrote much more yesterday about stuff going on at work but since then I’ve decided to sit back and sees how it plays out. I had way too much time to think yesterday and my thought process turned personal when it hasn’t really got there yet. The good thing is that I’m prepared if it does. Here’s hoping the next couple of weeks find clarity and balance.

I mentioned earlier I’m sitting in my doctor’s office for my four hour glucose test. That’s a fun way to spend your birthday but necessary. The nurses are very nice and they are sympathetic when they notice it is my birthday. Honestly the time has passed rather quickly. I’ve been reading the new David Baldacci book “The Whole Truth”. It’s interesting but several women brought their kids and I’m having a difficult time concentrating.

I’ll be a new mom for the second time in ~7 weeks. I’m excited and full of anticipation of doing and enjoying the experience this time around, especially since it will be my last. No, I’m not a sadist and looking forward to being up at all hours for feedings but I know, from experience, that it won’t last forever and one day he will be sleeping in a big boy bed, potty trained and eating normal food and asking me how I slept every morning.

My first born is almost four and it is hard to believe I was having much different feelings this time four years ago. I cannot describe how much love I have for this person. It is so much different than the love I feel for my husband and my friends and family. Being a parent has its challenges but the good days and the days we ‘live’ as a family are priceless and I can’t imagine not knowing how that feels. He wished me happy birthday this morning, second thing; only after he asked where Daddy was. That’s ok…you can be a Daddy’s boy, I get dibs on your brother. Last night he and his dad sang me happy birthday and the boy sat on my lap and helped me blow out my candles. He signed his name to my birthday card…it was the best birthday ever…with my boys.

The hubby ran all over town looking for a yellow cake with chocolate icing. Awe…he found a white cake with whipped chocolate icing. VERY YUM-O!! He bought me my book that I have been wanting from Heather Armstrong, we know her as dooce. I already put the book in the mail to her for her to sign. He also bought me a book about raising boys, something for the both of us. One has been challenging and any additional insight I can receive to help with the responsibility of raising a well rounded, productive man in today’s world I will gladly read it, and twice on Sunday.

Inside one of the books I noticed a bookmark, the hubby makes fun of me because I use toilet paper to mark my places in my books, yes I have book marks but toilet paper is so much more convienent and practical. If it’s a tear jerker I don’t have to use my sleeve or pillow case. If I have a runny nose…I’m good to go. I challenge anyone to find a fancy smansy book mark that will provide that service. Anyway, I’m like…look…a book mark thinking how thoughtful and I look at it closer and it is a ticket to the Neil Diamond show coming to Houston in October. Well…it’s a fake ticket since they haven’t gone on sale yet but nonetheless we’re going. HOW FUN!! We both love Neil Diamond, it was a staple in my family growing up and seeing him on American Idol this past week just reminded the hubby and I of all the songs we truly know and love. I’m looking forward to it…I just hope the blue hairs don’t start beating us with their walkers and snickering at us like the kiddies did at our last concert outing. Oh fun…Neil D. just started playing on my iPOD.

My big boy, this year has been mostly good, REALLY bumpy at the end of the year but he makes me so happy. We constantly bring up to each other how we almost weren’t and always ask the each other why we didn’t walk away when we had every reason and opportunity to do so. Because you are my lobster…and it is totally true. We are challenging to each other. Some times are way more challenging than others but we make a point to continuously learn about ourselves and we work at it. Working at our relationship is a lesson we both learned from our first marriages. We keep it interesting and that’s the way it should be.

There hasn’t been any huge development with me over the last year. As I look down at the belly sticking out into my lap I am reminded…yes, another addition to the Wayne family is on its way, that’s pretty significant. Workwise, I had a personal accomplishment with coordinating the ‘perfect flight’ in October with 10A. I really had an opportunity to test my skillz and they proved to be very affective. Now I find myself asking what next, still mulling that one over. The hubby and I continued our quest to learn and cultivate the necessary tools for discussing issues with each other, I learned a little bit more about myself as well. We got a taste of our first family vacation and although challenging it has left me wanting more.

The shows I am watching as of today:
The Bachelor – London Calling
American Idol – 7 season
Hell’s Kitchen
The Office
Grey’s Anatomy
30 Rock
Real World – Hollywood

Yes, I love me some reality shows and yes, I admit my guilty please is the RW. I’ve seen every season since the beginning and yes they are becoming more ridiculous and immature but for whatever reasons it validates that I am so in a good place in my life right now and I wouldn’t trade places for all the money in the world.

I’m blessed and I know it. I have a phenomenal husband and a loving son and looking forward to adding another loving boy to the mix. I love my boys.

Living…it is what I plan on doing more of this upcoming year.

Excerpt from Enya’s “Anywhere Is”

I took the turn and turned to
begin a new beginning
still looking for the answer
I cannot find the finish
It's either this or that way
it's one way or the other
it should be one direction
it could be on reflection
the turn I have just taken
the turn that I was making
I might be just beginning
I might be near the end.

Rock On!

Date Night 2008

The hubby and I had a date night on Saturday and we raved! Me and my 7 month prego belly wedged into a table at the Chi Lounge in the Woodlands, this is the second time we’ve been there and it didn’t disappoint from our first experience. I had a glass of wine…two weeks in a row, I’m a rebel. The food was delectable and the company was exquisite.

There was a couple sitting sort of next to us and the hubby and I were trying to figure out if they were out on a first date or not. Conclusion they were so out on a first date and the guy was so in over his head…not to mention she was about three head’s taller than he was. It just solidifies I’m so glad I’m not ‘out there’ any longer. The agony of first dates…several first dates, the creeps and freaks, thanks hon for taking me away from all that.

The hubby and I love to watch other people…we actually find great conversation with our observations. For instance we talked about our worst first dates ever. Mine…when the guy gave me a poem at the end of our date, THE FIRST DATE! Thankfully I had met him somewhere and he didn’t know where I lived. When I told him it wouldn’t work out he kept BEGGING to see me. I get chills just thinking about it.

After dinner we went over to Market Street at the Woodlands and had ice cream. Buzzfest was going on at the Pavilion and My Chemical Romance wafted through the streets. The weather was stellar and we sat and ate our ice cream and people watched. We are never at a loss for conversation and when there is silence it is always comfortable.

We toyed with the idea of going to see ‘Baby Mama’ but we were 15 minutes too late. So…we decided to pack it in and head home. I didn’t have a ton of energy this weekend and going home and getting in my jammies sounded way more enticing that staying out until midnight just because we could. Not sad…just practical.

The rest of the weekend was uneventful. It was rough for me in the fatigue department. Yesterday it took everything I had just to go to the bathroom. We kept the boy cooped up and used the TV as a babysitter…;yes, please nominate us for parents of the year. Nonetheless he really did great.

Week 30

Wow…how the week gets away from you if you blink. A quick recap of the weekend Saturday was ‘girls night’. We raged until the unheard of hour of 11pm. Five of us met at Nic’s studio and went to town making glass jewelry. I’m totally addicted. Even though it was low key it was nice to sit around with the girls, have a glass of wine and watch us all bring to the table our different creative inspirations. The sweet nectar of the wine was delectable.

I found myself the ‘square cutter’…sorry about all that glass I ruined Nic. I think I may have found a new calling and a need for service…once I get good at it of course. We will see…I want to do some ‘technique’ experimenting. I can’t wait until we get to the cold working process in order to finish and polish everything to make ready for sale. Nic should have a good lot come October.

Sunday became productive in the chore department. The hubby finished the plywood in the garage ceiling and we now have a ton of extra space. The boys and I worked in the backyard tidying up and FINALLY planted the lilies, I love progress.

This week has been a chalk full of activity. Work has been crazy with pre-flight prep. As of today I’m in good shape. Tuesday I got bad news regarding my glucose test. I freakin failed by 1 point and Tuesday was so not the day I needed that news. The day started out fine and I shrugged a couple of incidents off but then things just started piling on and on and on. I was done.

When I got the call I had to apologize for taking the news out on them, like it was there fault. I really don't have room in my schedule to give help more than half a day. I knew my diet has been crap this time around and I’ve been pounding a TON of sugary whatever I could get my hands on. I tried to cut back the day before my test but alas…I failed. I’m a failure and now I have the privilege of spending four hours on my birthday in the doctor’s office not eating, drinking sugary stuff and getting poked with a needle once an hour for three hours. Happy Birthday to me!

The rational side of me totally understands this is necessary and will protect myself and the monkey for the remainder of my pregnancy but the selfish side of me says “COME ON”!!

It is what it is and I’ll load up the IPOD with podcasts and bring a book and I will look on the positive side, our cleaning lady comes on Wednesday so I will be out of the house. I will just plan on spreading out what I wanted to get done that morning between now and then. Really…it’s all good and I’m sure I won’t have any issue with passing the next round but here’s hopin.

Update on the boy…he’s moving up to the next class at school. Thank goodness. They were supposed to wait until next week, well…what’s a few days early and I think everyone is happy about it all around. Initial reports are good, he’s adjusting perfectly and all is right in the world, this hour. In a month when the rest of the ‘misfits’ from his class get moved up we will be bracing ourselves for repeat offenses. I hope and pray not.

On that note, this weekend is officially by birthday weekend. The hubby and I have a babysitter and we’re going to dinner. I’m way excited. A new outfit and shoes are in my near future; other than that I will be working on some stuff on ‘my list’ to get done in the next seven weeks.

That's about all I got...wishing a couple of friends luck in their upcoming races this weekend. A Jod is doing a half marathon in Oklahoma and a Melyssa is doing a Triathalon in Louisiana. Mosey on over and wish them luck.

LOVE HIM!

The boy: “Mom…you look beautiful.”

One of those unplanned moments I will remember always.

Stripe 2

The boy had Taekwando last night and he totally rocked it. He is one of the smallest guys in his glass…perhaps by an inch or two, most are 5+ years old and he is the loudest. YES SIR!

Tiger testing is next week and they are trying to get everyone ready to move to the next belt, you have to have your three stripes in your current belt color in order to test to move on to the next belt. I don’t have high expectations the boy will master the third level on Monday, but I don’t count him out either. I watched a boy test for his third stripe and I’m like…holy punches and kicks batman. It was great to watch. Go lil man.

I have to note…when the older kids were getting their stripes (they go in belt color order) the boy was not happy. When his named was called his face just lit up. Oh man did he get my competitive nature. Now I have to explain you don’t get a stripe EVERY time you come to class now. Although if he wanted it bad enough…he prolly would try.

What’s on tap for the weekend? Workin on console late tonight; which I haven’t done in prolly 4 years now. Tomorrow we have a neighborhood BBQ. I’ll make a brief appearance then head out for a girls night at Nic’s house. She has an art studio and it is a wine and jewelry night. I won’t be partaking in the wine part…unfortunately but I sure am going to enjoy the girl time.

That’s about it…I’ll squeeze in planting some lilies that have needed to planted for sometime and perhaps some more organizing in preparation for the monkey. Gots to get my Disney stuff on ebay!!

Happy Friday to all and to all a good weekend!

Real Genius

The family met with the counselor yesterday afternoon and received a tremendous amount of coaching and encouragement. Our son is not a bad seed, we’re not bad parents, and we’re not screwing him up. Whoo…that’s all I needed.

Seriously, the boy was in true form yesterday afternoon. We walked into the doctor’s office and he sat in his own chair, he didn’t obviously feel he needed to be protected by his parents, and began answering questions the doctor asked him. He answered all of them very articulate and to the point. Then the doctor turned to us and asked who the intellectual was in our family. I immediately turned to the hubby and said it sure didn’t come from my side.

In a nutshell what was confirmed is that our son has advanced critical skills but is lacking socially. CHECK. He doesn’t like circle time because he doesn’t want to conform, he wants to lead. CHECK. The biting, spitting and hitting is a form of acting out because he is bored and not stimulated which frustrates him. CHECK. Taking TV away and sending him to his room is not affective at his age because he is unable to think abstractly and understand he did something 5 hours ago and mom and dad are mad and disappointed. The only thing that he sees is that we are disappointed and he wants to fix it and will say and do anything to rectify the situation at that moment. CHECK.

Solution: Look for a Montessori school. They tend to have smaller classes and focus on the child’s needs and skills. Also it was suggested that we get the boy into something to do with the arts; music, dance, or piano lessons in order to allow him to explore his creative side.

We gained some insight and we will try it out. The hard part is the Montessori school. There is one somewhat close to our house but the hubby and I need to decide when the right time would be for the move if we do decided to go that route. I’m thinking the fall since the baby is coming this summer and that is going to be enough of an adjustment for the boy.

I think the hubby and I need to sit and talk with Seth’s teacher and principle so we are all on the same page and perhaps can agree on some adjustments to make all of our lives a bit easier.

All in all I’m glad we took the boy in and received some helpful advice on how to handle behavior and adjustment situations; sounds like he is going to keep us on our toes for the next 18 years.

I can see clearly now…the rain is gone

So I’ve been working on something rather difficult the last few months, a letter; perhaps one of the most difficult and poignant letters in my life. I think I got it right. I’m not going to go into the gory details because it is not really something I’m proud of or want just anyone to know about me.

The high level summary: an ‘event’ occurred a couple of years ago and that event was dealt with poorly or should I say…never dealt with at all. I’ve struggled, put it on the back burner, sought professional help and hoped that the situation would rectify itself (sums up how I handle most difficult situations). I finally realized or accepted that this situation was not going to go away without action from me. Of course not any ole action would do, especially if I wanted to consider those that I care immensely for.

I prayed, sought advice, listened to what others had to say, internalized everything and finally I figured out what my problem was; I was focused more on how to ‘handle’ them instead of me. (Angels singing)

Once I figured out the crux of my blockage the clouds parted and I gained instant clarity. This ‘event’ is about me and those that I care about. The question I had to ask myself is “what actions do I need to take in order to move on for the sake of happiness and living a more fulfilling life?” “How can I make peace with all of this?”

FORGIVENESS

That is such a powerful word to me. It is a word I believe some people use to ‘sweep things under the carpet’. In my opinion many offer forgiveness but cannot or will not deal with the hurt, pain and disappointment to prevent a similar occurrence.

I thought about that, this event cannot be swept under the carpet but two things are key…1. I now know I am not responsible for other ADULTs behavior. 2. I cannot make ADULTs do things they are not capable of doing. Because I now know and accept this I can forgive because anger and bitterness just make you a victim and I refuse to become one.

I also pulled the ole “Dr. Phil” and asked myself how the current situation is working out for me…it’s not. I’m angry and bitter. A different path for me it is. I wrote a letter, voiced my concerns, and offered forgiveness in the purest form. I have made it clear that I don’t condone the actions that were taken and I still hope for some kind of recovery process but I do not expect it. It is up to them to decide to reconcile, not me. I’ve made peace with the fact that may never happen. If it does then we are better off that we all are now and we will take it as it comes with the well-being of the family in the forefront.

The best thing is…I didn’t cry when I composed the letter for the second, third, fiftieth time. That is so not like me. That could mean one of two things: 1. my heart is hardened and the bitterness has taken over (I don’t believe this for a minute) 2. I am doing the right thing and saying the right words because they are the truth, non-accusing and I am not seeking/expecting action and I’m ok with that. I’m choosing to own the power of happiness. (Dang…Tyra Banks is going to come around the corner at any minute yelling ‘panty party’.)

The clouds are still hovering because I haven’t talked the letter over with the hubby but I do currently have a sense of relief and a viable plan for possibilities if they chose to show themselves.

Lesson learned from all this. You are in control of your dreams, your happiness and well-being. There are obstacles that may get in the way but it is up to you to redirect your path in order to move forward toward a rewarding and fulfilling life. It’s never too late to redirect. Those redirections are what open our eyes and make us stronger.

Life, Love and Happiness…have a new meaning to me than just something you see and read on a wall décor plaque hanging in a store.

Updates: Me and the Boys…

The boy: Got into trouble AGAIN yesterday, spitting on a classmate. Seriously…I have no idea where he gets this crap. Wednesday cannot come soon enough. We are at our wits end. Defiance, sure, attention seeking, ok, no respect for the teacher, yeah I get it but DUDE…even those those are all things I understand could go on in a three year old I constantly ask myself, in our obsession with doing everything right did we do something to screw this kid up? I guess we will begin finding stuff out tomorrow.

The monkey: Already in position and uncomfortably moving around. Loves to play kickball with my ribs and I thought he was going to fall out entirely last night. Dude…

The hubby: Down 8 lbs but of course it looks like 15. Men suck when it comes to losing weight...they make it look easy. He has been working hard and I am very proud of him. Fixin fresh veggies, healthy dinners and lunches and cutting his portions down. Last night I asked him if I could buy two tickets to the gun show...hubba...hubba.

Weight: I’m up to 185 with 9 weeks to go, scary, the most I’ve ever weighed. I know I’m prego and I should just roll with it. Whatev, I still gotta loose all that crap AFTER the baby is born. So, I went to the store for lunch and got stuff for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, all organic, whole wheat and low sugar, pink lady apples, reduced sugar oatmeal and healthy nutty snacks. I can still eat but I’ve decided to make better choices.

Me: I said earlier I went to the doc today found out they FORGOT to give me the yucky sweet stuff on my last visit for my Glu.cose testing. I of course ate because I wasn’t instructed not to, so my prize…I get to come back on Friday. Whoo hoo!! I’m a bit frustrated because I have no vacation and I was reminded yesterday that negative vacation should only be used for emergency (I’ve been negative going on 8 of the 9 years I’ve worked here). I’m attempting to manage my time better but life has had other plans. I’ll roll with it and do what I can.

Oh…heard something on the radio this morning that was rather profound. “Stop DOING and start LIVING.” I know I’ve heard it before but for some reason it stuck this time. The statement came from a man that was saying he was old enough to be a grandpa and all of the things he wished he had done as a younger man such as pay attention to nature, take more trips, work less and worry less, enjoy more. Good words to live by in order to achieve a fulfilled life, IMO.

Cleaned out the medicine cabinet yesterday after work, the only reason I mention it is because 1. I can’t believe the amount of EXPIRED crap we had in there (about ¾ of the crap). 2. Need a band-aid…we’ve got Dora, Cars, Shrek, Scooby-Doo, Spiderman, Clear, Brown…small, medium and large…you got a favorite I’m sure we own it. 3. I rock at organizing. I wouldn’t say I have full blown OCD but maybe I suffer ~25%. I am way “Sleep.ing with the En.emy” when it comes to labels on cans and bottles. MUST FACE FORWARD, the beatings are only given if I have to remind the hubby more than once a week, it just makes since. I bought shelf stands for the cabinets and various sizes of take away tupperw.are and labeled them, magnificent work if I must say.

A little bit of crazy to go with your fruit loops…

From Jodie: “Sandy went in to labor, so Nicole and I went with her to the hospital. When we got there, we (nic and I) were telling the doctor that we'd been tired and were gaining weight…so he put us in beds by Sandy and gave us a shot in our foot, well, the shot was pictocin (sp?) and then Nicole and I gave birth to boys and Sandy had a girl. And I was thinking, dang no wonder I was so tired, I was pregnant. “

“So then we were like, oh man, we have to go let Mike Hurt know that Nicole and I will be out for maternity leave. So we came back to the office and they were going to make an announcement about gold badges, Sandy and I saw the list and it was 4 people, but not nicole! It was Tom, Tanya, Lamar and someone else, so we were trying to go warn nicole before the announcement. But then we had to take a test to see how much maternity leave we got…it depended on how much your baby slept and how much you had to nurse, so they only gave me 2 weeks off.”

LOL…I’ll have whatever she’s having.

Lucky Stripe

The boy got his first stripe for self defense last Thursday. Of course I’m the proud, competitive mom and noticed there is a boy that is older and started about a week or two before the boy and HE doesn’t have his first stripe. Don’t let me paint a picture of being that overbearing mom that only sees her son as an overachiever and he has to WIN at everything cause that’s not me…on the outside. I would only admit this to my hubby and my blog. BUT…you go son.

Week 29…Jeepers only 9 more weeks to go.

Friday the hubby and I took off work. We did a ton of stuff, our donations were picked up, I was able to take back the toy room and get it under control and as organized as it could be. The rest of the day was bevy of errands. It was nice to have the day and even though we were not able to spend ‘quality’ time together we made the most of it.

Saturday seems just a blurry. The boy and I went to his school for a couple of hours for the Spring carnival. It was nice, thankfully we went early because I heard it got crazy in the afternoon. As crazy as a day care carnival could get; I picture socs and the greasers challenging each other to a mean game of dodge ball. First rule of playground dodge ball…there are no rules. Heavy stuff…

After naps we headed down south to our friend Nicole’s BBQ housewarming. It was very nice; she even thought ahead and got a moon walk for the kids to keep them occupied. There were babies and food a plenty. It even got chilly out so we broke out the fire pit. We headed out around 10 but I heard they raved until 4. Yeah…I’m too old for that crap.

Sunday the boy woke up with a horrible cough and he and I had a jammie day. I was nice but I was a bit irritable as well…don’t really have a good reason why…oh yeah…I’m pregnant and that is a good enough reason. He and I slept a lot and tried to keep it low keep so he wouldn’t get full blown sick. This morning he seemed to have recovered nicely.

The behavior chart worked for a couple of days then he lost it on Friday. This weekend was ok…better than last but not stellar. Holding out until Wednesday, come on…have a good day today.

Doc appointment tomorrow.

The Soundtrack of My Life

Do you ever hear yourself saying...”That song reminds me of…” or if I had a soundtrack that song would be on it.

Well, I finally put it to paper. This is still a work in progress but I think I got a pretty good start. The last decade is way easier to put music to than the first 2. If I think about it music wasn’t a big part of me when I was young. I used sports to escape instead.

Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
I Say a Little Prayer For You - Natalie Cole
Take Me Home Country Roads – John Denver
Rocky Mountain High – John Denver
Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks
Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On – Mel McDaniel
Coward of the County – Kenny Rogers
Little Sister – Elvis Pressley
These are the Days – 10000 Maniacs
Sweet Dreams – Eurhythmics
Borderline - Madonna
The Chauffer – Duran Duran
Your Love - Outfield
Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
Sister Christian – Night Ranger
And She Was – Talking Heads
Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Tears For Fears
Blame it on the Rain – Millie Vanilli
Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
Crazy For You – Madonna
Lovesong - Tesla
Seventeen - Winger
Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin Another – Journey
Take My Breath Away - Berlin
School’s Out – Alice Cooper
Summer Nights – Van Halen
I’ll Still Be Loving You – Restless Heart
Argue- Matchbox Twenty
Hang- Matchbox Twenty
Beautiful - Flickerstick
Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash
Rest Stop - Matchbox Twenty
Angel – Sarah MacLaughlin
Independence Day – Martina McBride
Rocket Man – Elton John
The Distance - Cake
Stay – Dave Matthews Band (DMB)
Crush - DMB
Ant Marching – DMB
Dancing Nancies – DMB
Santeria – Sublime
Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Cindy Lauper
All By Myself – Eric Carmen
Anytime – EVE6
Telluride – Tim McGraw
A Girl Like You – Pete Yorn
Bright Lights - Matchbox Twenty
She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
Back in the USSR – Beatles
Burrito – Pete Yorn
Red Rain – Peter Gabriel
Anywhere Is – Enya
I Had the Time of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warner
Listen to Your Heart – Heart
2 Find You – Jewel
Major Tom – Peter Schilling
Do…Do…Do…Da…Da…Da – The Police
Chapel of Love – Dixie Cups
Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers
She’s Having A Baby -
Problem Girl - Rob Thomas
100 Years – Five For Fighting
Lose Yourself – Enimen
Everyday - DMB
Open Road Song – EVE 6
Surfing on a Rocket - Air
Fins – Jimmy Buffet
Undeniable – Mat Kearney
Balance Beam – Blue October
Camera One – Josh Joplin Group
Best In Me – Sherwood

It’s funny to look how mainstream my picks are until recently, I can thank my hubby for that. He totally should have gone on Rock N Roll Jeopardy, he knows EVERYTHING. Obscure crap, who sings what and if I had half of his knowledge I would be rich with all the money he bets that I would know an artist or a song. I’m like…huh. I have begun to share his passion for music and really enjoy when we can make it to a show every now and again.

Picasso I'm not...

Week 28

The monkey’s room is painted and it looks great, it took 2 men and 6 hours later…best 170 bucks ever spent. I scheduled Goo.dWill to come do a pickup on Friday so that put us in declutter mode. The hubby got a new desk and book cases for his office (he put it together…that won’t be happening again…manual labor and him do not get along). I have to give him credit he did well. His hands are sore but the office looks great.

I washed a lot of the monkey’s stuff, mostly left over from the boy. I also started putting things where they belong, not necessarily setting them up but just storing them out the open versus the garage or the monkey’s closet. I only have 10 more weekends and the next two are going to be packed pretty full. Next weekend we will go to a friend’s house warming BBQ and the following week another BBQ and girls night. Hells yeah I’m going to girl’s night. I will be my last for awhile.

Back to Goo.dWill the next big task to tackle between now and Friday is the boy’s toys. Holy cow there is so much. I was proud of myself for throwing away the Mc.Donald’s toys he got in our happ.y meal the other day. The toy room is overflowing and 50% is mostly crappy pirate, robot, whatever the theme for the week is toys.

Speaking of the boy, we had a rough weekend behavior wise and Monday did not bode to well at school either. So…we’re calling in a professional. The prof. already made the assessment that the boy sounds like he does not listen to people he doesn’t respect; totally true. Also he initially confirmed one of my concerns at this age that the boy can’t rationalize how his current actions are going to get him in trouble later on during the day. I thought that may be the case.

So, to try something different I made up a behavior chart for him (i.e., downloaded a free one online) we decorated it and we/he decided on what to work on for the week. Every two days that are full of stickers he gets a treat, that he picks and it can’t be a toy or something that costs money. The first round of reward he picked chocolate milk at dinner. We are working at sitting and listening during circle time, yeah…he just wonders. Dressing himself in the morning and at night, this will help when the monkey arrives. Practice writing his name at night, we send his chart and his name writing practice to school with him so his teacher can see.

The hubby and I have been so frustrated with him we’ve lost our patience with the entire situation more than enough times. The professional isn’t someone just for the boy it is also help for us to learn tools to deal with the unfavorable behaviors. I think, as most parents do, we expect a lot because the boy is smart and he looks older than he is. So...we’ve decided to stop the yelling, be more positive and teach rather than scold. Oh he still doesn’t get to watch his shows nor does he get to play if he has had a bad day but we now turn to talking about what happened, talking about the right choices and motivate him with rewards that he chooses. We see the professional for the first time next Wednesday. I’ll report back in.

I’m getting bigger by the moment it seems. Today the monkey was playing footsie with my ribcage, that’s always fun. I’m still tired. I have to take at least a small nap during the day to carry on. My concentration level sucks, I don’t want to do anything but sleep and bitch it seems lately. Oh well. Only 10 more weeks then it will all be over right…HA…I’m not naïve enough to believe that. But I do think I’m armed emotionally to handle what is thrown my way.