Whoah!

Yes, I know, time is funny that way. Thought I'd suck you back in with a lovely story of this past Memorial Day weekend. The weekend actually begins last week as the the kids and I have been suffering a horrible cold for at least that long. Add in the weather pressure yo-yo changes and it was moment to moment to see if at least I was Dr. Jekyll or Mrs. Hyde. Lucky Husband!

After a whirl-wind Friday of school, Field Day, tumbling, lunch and ballet rehearsal we jump started Saturday with Sweet Pea's first ballet performance! She looked so tiny and like a big girl at the same time!

Sunday was a a day of rest, literally, or so I thought. I gathered an appetizer for a family get together only to have my dashboard lights go out, on and off, on the way, most of which was the highway. The car died at our destination. Poor Husband had to travel back and forth to home after installing a new battery. My cold was at a high once again and limited my enjoyment capabilities......Although it was slightly alleviated by the bacon wrapped, marinated scallops. Delish Bro-In-Law!

Thinking that I'd gotten over the worst of things on Monday, I was immediately corrected. The kids were awesome, but 99% of the time, they are. They waited patiently while Mommy mowed the lawn and Daddy and his buddy tried to install a new alternator......After 2.5 hours, the attempt had been made to replace it, but the car had to be put back together as the necessary tools were not on hand. Of course, Mommy had asked Daddy if he wanted to go on-line pre-attempt to see if it was too difficult at home, but "No". .......Great....Call it stroke luck, guidance of God, or what, but a car repair shop was open and could fix the dang thing before they closed. $550 later, although our planned rib dinner was ruined, we enjoyed Mickey D's (well the kids did) and steak and chili relleno tacos, and my vehicle was fixed. Ribs were put on hold until Wednesday. During this alternator fiasco, I decided to improve my beauty with a large welt from the lawn mower bag on my shin. Additionally, the "dog Poop" bag decided to run into the mower, right by our patio. Lovely. Luckily I was slightly smart enough to stop the mower - I had to the bag was wrapped around the blades and choked out the motor. So now, I had to clean out the bag, clean off the mower and still mow the remaining 90% of the lawn.......oh what a long, long day.

There's so much more to tell, but I won't blow it all at once......

Cyclic Angst for Change

Having lived in my home for the past ten years, I typically am overcome with a wave of needing, wanting, spastically having to move at least once a year. It appears t be cyclical. I love my house (mostly), my neighbors, the school, but I can't get away from the pull of my home town calling me to come home. The call was whispering even when I moved into my condo with my Husband in the mid 90's. Husband's affirmation last year, that yes, we should've originally moved their when we moved from the condo was a teeth gnasher that I have yet to come to terms with.

With Husband recuperating from surgery, and half a million things off of his plate, we fell into the discussion of 'the move'. I, apparently, have many, many things to do before we consider moving. My list includes cleaning out all the crap out of the garage. There's plenty of it. All baby stuff, old toys, children's clothes, just a ton of things. I had a sale last spring and made $200. Not bad, but oh so much more now. Go through the utility room and purge much like the garage. Oh, and also go through the cabinets and purge. Also on the list is painting the living room/dining room, upstairs hall and hall up the stairs. Oh, and the trim and doors too. Oy!

Husband wants to carpet the living room/dining room, stairs and upstairs hall. Good bye tax refund. Also on his list is re-doing both upstairs bathrooms. Ugh. But of course he has to recuperate first. I think I can do it though. Floors, vanities, sinks and paint. Can't be that hard can it?! Did you miss the "S" on my shirt?

With finally dropping the hope for returning to school for now, I feel like a child who's sadness with one thing has had her attention turned to something bright, shiny and pretty in the form a new home. Even if we never move, at least we get the benefit of enjoying newer stuff.

I'm Here, No Really I Am

Well, I actually had to read my last posting to see where I left off. Turns out, I had a long list to do. I still do, but perhaps the want to move is waning. ::shrug:: It will be what it will be, or was meant to be. I forgot about that. In the many months since I've written the sliding door has been replaced and the kitchen, dinette area and hall have been painted and somewhat redecorated.

Husband is home for the next 4-5 months, I'm thinking maybe even more, but we'll see. He had a torn rotator cuff repaired early last month. Four weeks to the day in fact. I have more responsibilities added to my daily 'to do' list. (This means the classes that I signed up for have been blown away and I can't catch up if I tried - I blame myself for that one). That includes being a chauffeur to and from physical therapy, garbage woman, mostly cooking, cutting up food (if I have a lapse and forget he can't cut with a knife), picking up dog doo (oh wait, I do that already) and being a personal cheerleader. Add that to chauffeuring Sweet Pea to school, ballet on Mondays, groceries, Handsome gets tumbling on Fridays, and some other un-fun parts of having a Husband that can almost do what he needs to...but needs just a bit of assistance from wife (bathing - which when one thinks about it it can be VERY naughty....let me help you are here by saying it's not). I am grateful I can leave the kids with him to grocery shopping and to head out with the girls.

Speaking of which, I'm ecstatic to be part of my girlfriend's Dream Team Bridal Party. She purchased her dress a few weeks ago and I get to go dress shopping with the girls in April. Will keep you posted as to the activities when they occur. ( I know, right......) This is important to me because this is a wedding I was not forced to be in, such as my Brothers'. It's not the same feeling when you have to, or are automatically included, because it's family. I feel so chosen! Ha!

I'm assuming you're going to ask what my next step is and I've already started the Couch Potato to 5K running plan and I believe I am on week 4. After a bout of stomach flu and Influenza A, I lost 10 pounds in January and reached my goal weight! ........ and then gained back 5..... I could not eat for about a month. I'm blaming the gym for that one, but I am still going as now I have this all important wedding to shine up for.

Oh, big first fore me, I just learned how to insert a link! Weee!

Long Time No Blog

I wish I could tell you that I'm having a wonderful time, but the strangest thing happened to me today. The world felt like it was standing on my shoulders and I couldn't hold it any longer and tears flew. I do not cry easily. At work I haven't been feeling myself, which was unfortunately reflected in missing obvious clues that I should have seen in my work. While most of the time I feel like I'm at the top of my game, today was not one of those days. I missed three things that I should have caught in a report. I'm so disappointed with myself.

To add to my drama, Sweet Pea has been having potty issues. Always feeling like she has to go, and there's a lot more details that I can't bore you with. I feel so bad for her and it's so frustrating to not know the answers. Yes, we've tried Maylox, fruit, prune juice, ugh.....Dr. appointment is set for this Friday. I can not have my girl going to the potty 20 times a day and going to Kindergarten.

Handsome is in full blown potty training! Both a "Yahoo!" and an "Oh No!" at the same time. He's growing so, so fast! He's also doing an awesome job! He's sweet and funny and so, so proud of himself that he's almost potty trained!

Husband and I, well, we're in the thick of parenting and home owning. I'd like to go back to the time when we did things with just each other, at least once in a while, and I will breach that subject soon. I just don't want to throw it at him when I know I'm recouping from a less than stellar day. Priorities......

In brighter news, we've started the residential upgrades for a potential future migration. It would be back to my home town. I would prefer to be there now, but patience is a virtue right? The list of items is huge and my list is quite different than Husbands. Recently, we, well mostly he, has painted the family room, him 3 walls and the ceiling, me, the fireplace wall. The family room also received new carpeting. Too much $$ was spent on the carpeting, but it does feel so nice and we're always in here, so we just as well have spent it where we spend most of our time. Husband replaced some trim on the garage door which was vandelized by bunnies and also replaced the side door. Excellent job! We both painted the front door (which needed 3 coats), and I painted the trim and the new door.

My want to get out of our town is so high, I'd leave in a heartbeat, but the reasoning kicks in thankfully and we'll stick to the plan. The plan includes painting the livingroom/dining room, perhaps new carpeting in the living/room dining room, stairway and hall, and updating the bathrooms upstairs. The "have to" list also includes replacing the sliding glass door and a set of windows in the family room. It's costly, but will be well worth it. I've been eyeing a nice place in my old home town, but it will never be for sale by the time we're ready to buy. I'm aiming for Feb., Husband is aiming for July....I think July is too, too far away. He's nuts.

I am feeling way better than this morning and after hearing the news on the radio, I do have much to be thankful for and need to realize that I'm sweating over the small stuff. Sweet Pea's quirk could be a phase. I'm human and I make mistakes and just need to pay attention some more. Must focus.

Anxiety filled times

Well, let's just say I am not the brightest crayon in the coloring box. That Miller Analogy test was killer. My brain certainly wasn't ready after being up with Handsome for half the night prior, but I did it. I can, and will likely take the test again. I am too embarrassed to give my score, so I'm not going to.

I did take the Basic Skills Test on Feb. 13th and they say it was about a four week turnaround to find out my results. That is a test I must pass. Then I have to take a content area test. I'm giving myself a break to see how I've did on the Basic Skills. The house is in disarray at the moment. Husband is deathly afraid the school will be cutting back on his hours which totals quite a bit of money per year. That smoking habit comes to mind to eliminate some of that cost, but just as I had gotten over being worried and having the attitude of we'll deal with it when we get there and he throws what if I don't' have a job, we need 6 months of savings in case one of us lose a job. Well, I didn't have the heart to tell him that would be about $24K (that's if we both lost our jobs at the same time mind you). We certainly do not have that available in savings. I even took into consideration the cost of COBRA insurance, and I even guessed at $1000 per month for the family. Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach. Like many others for sure.

I keep holding onto the thought if my grandparents and his grandparents made it through the Great Depression, then we do what we can to get through this! We've got some strong genes for sure!

The only good side is that we're a bit busier than normal at work, so I've got some extra cash, albeit a little, coming in. I had told Husband that he'd have to get a weekend job if they took his weekend building checks a day. Otherwise I would have to find a job somewhere, and he would have to provide the Daddy Daycare. He just thinks I need to get back on full time pay ASAP. He quickly forgets that the money I'd make on full time, would ALL be eaten by the cost of daycare......oh how quickly we forget.

Husband took Sweet Pea and Handsome out after a 'good packing snow' and made a perfect snowman. No joke, check out this perfection!

Husband gets a gold ribbon for that afternoon! After a long day at work (due to the snow), I had to get soem work done at the library. Husband woke up Handsome, got both kids dressed, and made this object of polar perfection in 60 minutes! Bravo! They all need their egos boosted, don't they! ::wink:: I definitely want to make sure he'll do that again! Although he did snap off some branches of my walking bush for the arms! Grrrrrr!

So we've begun the plans for Handsome's 3rd Birthday Party! OMG! 3! He's just growing so fast! He so into Spider Man. I guess he just thinks he looks totally cool, because prior to Christmas, we never even watched Spiderman (which is a little too old for him and scares Sweet Pea to watch,.....or was it Scooby Doo that scared her with the ghosts.....).

In that respect, he's such a boy! Diego, Spongebob (I know, we're a commercial for Nickelodeon and Disney), oh, and there is a new show that he loves, can't think of the name now, but the little boy is called Geo. Oh, Team Umizoomi. It's a cute show. I think the voice of the robot is the guy from Blues Clues, not Steve, the other one, Joe. Whatever makes 'em happy right?

We are in the abyss of winter with spring taunting us from afar.....not really, but it just feels like it. I can't wait to get outside and play! Winter boredom has definitely set in. I could be a good mom and check the net for things to do, but by the time I do that, then I have to go and buy crap to do a new project. Not interested.

Oh, I still have to find time to read for my two classes that I'm signed up for at BYU....anyone want to help out with that!??!

Busy Times

Yep, another busy post. why is it that when I need to procrastinate the least is when I settle in, hunker down and want to blog about it?!

I'm anxiously awaiting my scores for the Miller Analogies test I took a couple weeks ago. Either I relax, a bit, or I really have to move my a$$ and get my classes done. I have realized, of course only now that I'm old, that in order to retain information I've read, I have to have the room completely quiet. No kids talking, no background TV, nothing. Perhaps this 'study style' would've helped me in High School.....perhaps.....we'll see how well I do with these two courses. I have that Basic Skills test coming up, so I can always perform crappy on that and be two for two on my test-taking abilities!!

I'm think of new projects for my week off next month, only to realize, I have no money. I've got a lot of ways to spend money, but not enough money to spend. That's another complaint at a later date. I've been hit with another tax increase to boot this month, either I spread it out, or I pay it up now.....What are the politicians doing with my money anyways?!?!? I've had to take pay cuts and such, what's with that?! When will they?! I'm irritated by the whole thing. I think I've decided to be an independent voter. Vote for the best candidate. I will truly try to not be politically pulled in one direction, although it is quite hard not to.

Today, I had lunch with some co-workers and a woman who's husband is a lot like mine.....he's a co-worker who wasn't at lunch, but I so hope I'm not like her in another 5 years. It was comical, but she also seems to have quite a crabby husband at home. I kept thinking, OMG! This will be me in 5 years! It was a moment that was a good teaching tool. I really don't want that to be me and Husband.

However I also remembered I saw a show last week that depicted the first half of marriage as lying in bed(after the honeymoon phase of course) you look over and say "Good God, you're still here?!" The second half of the marriage you look over and say "Thank God you're still here".

Paid Time Off

This week I am taking off work, granted it's only 20 hours, but there's a big to-do list. Mostly it's in my head of what needs to be done and the first thing on the list was washing the basement closet because, well, a tiny bit of mold had grown in it from the result of the flooding of the basement incident that took place last year. Having washed it down with a bleach/water solution, I can tell it smells better. I think the water main in the closet was not helping the situation. A little too much moisture. All seems to be well now.

I have read a chapter of my sociology book and am on the second chapter of my history book. I finished the first assignment for sociology, although I have no idea if the professor even knows I'm a student. I keep signing in and it brings me to the first page all the time. I sign in at my folks and it brings me to where I left off.

I'm definitely learning a lot already. It's just if it sticks or not.

Handsome had his routine ultra-sound for his hydronephrosis yesterday. He was a champ! It was non-invasive, but he was just calm and relaxed and it went really well. I have to pick up the disk with the report and schedule an appointment with his pediatric urologist, so I hope to get that done today. He's diagnosed as mild to moderate, at the lower end of the spectrum I guess.

I also hope to set up a chiropractic appointment (I'm a firm believer) as I missed the one I was supposed to go to after Christmas and haven't rescheduled as of yet. I think that my stress definitely flows into my neck......the more stress I have, the more pain I get.

I'm writing this as both kids are down in the basement with me. Sometimes they say the funniest things I've ever heard. Handsome is just like Uncle Du, always trying to make you laugh. I'm finally breaking Sweet Pea out of the 'no teasing' phase. Ever so slowly, but she's coming along.

Saturday we had the unfortunate experience of replacing our furnace. Ugghhhh. The people were nice, it was replaced within 12 hours of making the call....it's just that the money that was spent we had better plans for. Husband wanted a driveway and I wanted a new sliding glass door. He told me that he was sorry I wasn't going to get a new door. I told him he's sorry he must be mistaken. I insist on looking outside and seeing my backyard instead of seeing the 'fog' between the glass created by a broken seal. I am adamant about getting that thing replaced. It's embarrassing and only adds the white trash look.

Have I mentioned that I need someone to come in and help me decorate this house?! I've got a million plans, worth a million dollars, on a nickel and dime budget. I'll have to send my woes to all the decorating shows to see if anyone will bite. So I will appease my decorating angst by painting the basement closet. One item will be off my list......

I love being off with the kids, yesterday was a holiday and today, Sweet Pea doesn't have school. Four days in a row of no school, this is heaven. Speaking of school, once again, I've been told I don't want to be a teacher, by a teacher. How is it that teachers turn so crabby?! I don't have sympathy for them at all. They've got it good. Having probably not worked elsewhere, they don't get that it's always (almost always) something at work places: management, co-workers, owners, customers. It's how you view it and what you do about it......