October 2008

October 08

There and Back Again...a REALLY long post...

So I guess I need to rewind a bit.  Getting ready for our trip was a long process, that would have been made easier had Elijah and Grace not gotten sick.  I don't know where they picked it up, but they had a fever and cough and runny nose and it was annoying.  Then the day before we were to leave, Jerry got sick.  Sigh.  I was a little more annoyed.  But fortunately, I didn't get sick.  ANYWAY, before we left, this happened:

That's right, Miss Grace decided that she would sit up a little bit (long enough for me to get the camera and take about half a dozen pics!  It's still the tripod sitting thing, but it's still a big step!  She's excited about it, being able to reach things and whatnot!

Okay, moving on...lots to cover.  We left Thursday morning.  Jerry and Elijah slept until 8-ish (and only because I woke them up.)  So we got on the road around 10.  I was super paranoid about the car trip.  Elijah has just soooo much energy and for him to have to be in a carseat for 6 hours = not so much!  But he did really well, as did Grace.  I have to say that the ride up was helped with this.  It kept Elijah busy for at least 1.5 hours of the trip!  Best of all is that as the pictures dry you can reuse them.  And if anything spills its just water!  LOVE IT!!!  (at least on the way up... but that's for later...)

So we get to my folks house and Elijah is immediately excited to be there and had my folks off and running.  Of course, Grace captured everyone's hearts as well.  So Elijah played and then we ate and then watched the VP debates.  Gotta say... not really impressed by Palin... never was to begin with, but that was her time to shine, and not so much.  Do love Tina Fey's SNL sketch of it though!!!  Then went to bed.

Friday we got a slow start.  My dad was on jury duty pretty much the whole time.  Jerry and I took Grace and met Leah at Barley's for pizza lunch.  Elijah went to hang with my mom at WWC.  We came back home for naps and dinner and then Jerry, Grace, and I went to the homecoming BBQ.  We just went for friendship not for food this year (good thing, since I heard they turned people away that didn't pre-register!)  It was a good evening.  I caught up with lots of friends.  It was really fun.  (side note: we left Elijah with my folks knowing that we would be really late.  So I left them with a movie (a rarity and special treat) thinking that Elijah would fall asleep... ummm, not so much.  He watched the WHOLE freakin' thing! ha!)  After the bonfire was lit, we decided to head up to the theatre since they were having a reception at 10 (at night!!!!!)  Grace had fallen asleep for about 2 hours in the sling, but she was WIDE awake!  So we went up for a bit and it was FANTASTIC!  I love that theatre.  It made me miss the stage (something that I haven't felt for quite a few years now).  I came across this picture in the lobby...not as young as I used to be for sure... I'm the one in the middle by the way:

This is from a (very little known) play called "Film is Evil, Radio is Good".  It is a very odd play, but it was really fun!

So after a late night Friday (for everyone!) we thought the kids would sleep in on Saturday...not so much!  We got up rather early, but dragged our feet for a bit and ended up on campus around 11:45.  We walked around a bit with Rebecca, Patrick, and Dane.  It was interesting to be on the campus and really look around.  It's changed sooo much since we were there as students.  We hooked up with Leah on the soccer field and watched the soccer games, bounced with Elijah in the bouncy houses, hung out with friends, and ate ice cream.  We left for a little rest period.  While we were at home my folks gave Elijah a BIKE!  You would have thought that the world had stopped!  He was soooo freakin' excited.  He jumped on the bike and was off.  He could have cared less when we left to go back to a casual, fun dinner that Katie had put together!  It was amazing what she did!  There was music later, but we were beat, and I really couldn't ask my folks to deal with Elijah two nights in a row (especially since he had had no nap that day.)  So after catching up with more friends at dinner, we went home.

Sunday, I went in to church with my folks and Jerry got the morning off from everything.  Elijah was still clingy and after Sunday school with my mom, had a bit of a melt down, so after I sang the anthem with the choir, I went and hung out with him.  After lunch, I brought the kids home and we relaxed.  At 2, Obama spoke to a crowd of 28000 people in Asheville so we watched on TV.  I was amazed that he was there.  It was REALLY cool!  Katie met me for dinner and then came over and hung out a bit.  It was so nice to see her and just sit and talk.  It was (as always) as if we hadn't really been apart from each other.  I miss her so much!  There are days it seems everything remind me of some inside joke we shared.  I was thinking about my days at WWC and I think that the friends I had there are the best I ever had (exception with Laura and Katrin... knew them outside of WWC and I include them in best category!)  I have very good friends here.  I haven't known them as long.  But my WWC friends (and the exceptions!)FREAKIN' rock.  After all, I did meet Jerry there...

Monday mom and I took the kids to the lake to play and walk around.  It was a nice day and Elijah learned about Geese (or gooses...hehehehe!)  And Grace learned that sand is oh so fun to play in.  We had a picnic in the park on the way home and then relaxed around the house.  I made dinner for my folks (turkey meatloaf...sooo yummy!) and watched HEROS!

Tuesday was a rainy day.  Elijah wanted to play, so my mom took him out for a bit, but it was a little chilly.  Dad finished his jury duty around 2:30 so Jerry and I went out for dinner on our own and walked around the mall (meaningful since we got engaged there...hehehehe!)  Then came home and watched the debates...another blog entry...maybe...  I stayed up WAY to late trying a new pattern on circular knitting needles.  I have been scared of them, but mom had this pattern for a grocery bag and I wanted one, so I tried it (must say that it did not turn out right, but I'm no longer scared of circular needles...still don't really like them, but not scared....)

Today we drove home.  It did not go well.  We were all tired, and Elijah didn't get that he couldn't get out of the car and play with the toys on the playground below my folks house...for the WHOLE ride home...sigh... he cried for my folks the whole way...no nap... just whining and crying.  That's not true.  He had periods of clam playing, but not a whole lot.  He kept waking Grace up and it annoyed me...but I was crabby too.  I didn't want to leave and I know now that we have the challenge of trying to get Elijah potty trained while Jerry is home until next Wednesday.

Sorry this has been so long, but I haven't blogged in a long time and this week was so much fun!  I miss the mountains soooo much and I need to write this stuff down to remember.  I'm going to post some pics to an album to match!

October 16

Alone again

during the day anyway.  Jerry went back to work today and he is going to start working through lunch.  This means I'm on my own with naps.  So I tried since Monday to put Elijah and Grace down on my own.  It worked Monday and that was it.  But today wasn't so bad.  We have finally broken the habit of rocking Elijah to sleep for nap.  He gets to watch Curious George, take a truck with him to bed, play for about 15 minutes and then he has to at least be quiet in his room.  We had a little bit of a struggle, but both kiddos are asleep for now!  WAHOO!

So since we got back last Wednesday we have been working on potty training.  I swear I would rather go through natural labor again than deal with this, but I am determined.  Yesterday was a major success in that Elijah stayed dry all day...well I should say that he kept his undies dry all day.  We put him in a diaper for nap and night and both were soaked, but it is the small victories that keep me going.  We are rewarding for EVERYTHING right now.  He gets a sticker for trying to go, a sticker and one skittle for peeing, a sticker and three skittles for pooping, and for staying clean and dry all day he gets to have a glow in the dark bracelet to take to bed.  He was super excited about the bracelet last night. I got a few packs at the dollar tree.  I think I'll have to go back and stock up.  He quasi pooped in the potty once, but I made a HUGE deal out of it, so I'm hoping that he'll go again.  He is however, trying to use the whole "I gotta poop" at naptime to avoid going to sleep.  Not okay with me.  And I let him know that today.  I hope that he gets this soon.  I am refusing to go back to diapers.  We have training pants and vinyl covers, so we are set.  He did have an accident at the park today, but I think it was my fault.  I really think he was trying to get my attention to tell me, but I was trying to sort out Grace and didn't respond immediately.  He did however, tell me he had gone pee...so that's a step in the right direction.

Okay, now... the f!#$ing washer.  They came to fix it three weeks ago.  The motherboard they brought didn't work.  So they ordered one from Kenmore and put it in yesterday.  It didn't solve the problem either.  However, for some reason we ended up having to pay for the part.  Sigh.  ANYWAY, so we go to do another load of laundry and the knob is broken.  We call the appliance place and they can't send someone out to fix what they broke until today between 10-12.  Well, that didn't work as I was going to be gone and Jerry is at work.  So we have decided we are going to buy a used machine and save up for one we like.  However, apparently this isn't a malfunction of just our brand.  Apparently this happens quite often with many front loaders.  Sigh... I don't like this solution, but if we spend even just 70 more bucks on this machine (which is what it would be just to have someone from Sears come look at it) it's the same price as another machine.  It's all rather annoying.  I mean our clothes are SOAKING wet since there is no final spin.  I have been wringing out each item into the washer and then throwing it into the dryer, then running a drain cycle to get rid of the water.  What a pain.  So I'm letting it go.  We'll hopefully something reasonable on Saturday and maybe we can sell this one for parts.

Okay, that's it for know.  The girl child is up and trying to pull my lip off....hehehehehe.

October 20

The Weekend

This is just a short post.  I am in the process of writing a longer one that will (hopefully) be my last political blog for a bit.  But in the meantime...

The potty training has taken a fabulous turn!  Elijah goes when we ask him without (as much) complaining.  He has stayed dry since Friday and as a reward gets a glo-bracelet to take to bed with him each night (thank you Target for offering 15 for a dollar!!)  He gets a M&M candy for each pee and 5 for each poop (which has yet to happen, but at least he's waiting until the nap or night diaper goes on...sometimes...  I understand the pooping is a little harder of a concept.  I'm a little worried about constipation now though.  He is holding the poop.  We try to let him do it his way, but...well, we'll see.

Grace has started solids officially.  Well, bananas anyway.  We will move on to better things just as soon as I get off my butt and make them.

We threw in the towel with the washer.  We went Friday evening to a little whole in the wall used appliance place and purchased a used Whirlpool top loader for 150 (including delivery and installation!)  Much cheaper than having to hire someone else to look at the washer and charge some insane price to fix it.  The guy that sold the washer also gave us the name of someone that might buy the front loader off of us!

So Saturday was spent doing 138927407 loads of laundry.  I still have some to do, but most of it is done, folded, and put away.

Sunday was spent weed whacking the jungle that was our back yard. It still needs to be mowed down, but it looks much better.  Now to kill all the ants that think our backyard is prime real estate for their multi-level condos!  And to do so massive black widow killing (killed three yesterday and I know there are more hiding...Dear Black Widows, there are perfectly good woods right next door...move there or face the wrath of my shoe!!!)

Today we finally got rid of the chair that was with Jerry for many many years.  It's been sitting in our garage since we moved in.  Today the trash people agreed to take it for us!  Tonight someone is coming to look at the exercise bike (that has been out there for almost as long!) and since we took the recycling earlier last week, our garage is looking like, well, a garage!  For some reason this gives me a since of calm.  I mean there is still a lot of organizing that needs to happen out there, but I feel like I can move around and deal with it better.

Okay, Elijah has been really quiet now for a bit, he has either 1) decided that mommy is right and he needs to rest quietly in his bed, 2) up to no good, or 3) taking a poop (finally!)  Whatever the choice, I will go check on him and then get back to work (I am working for a company called ChaCha!  totally crap pay, but the work is really really easy and I can work for 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there.  If I can make a little money, the the daunting-ness of paying for college out of pocket next fall seems a little less, well, daunting...)

October 23

quick update

just have to say that elijah is doing great with the potty training.  yesterday after rest time (not sleeping...sigh) when he is in a diaper and told me he had to poop...he could've gone in the diaper, but he took off the diaper climbed up on the toilet (the potty seat and chair are soooo last week) and with a little trepidation pooped in the potty voluntarily!!!!  i was so happy i almost peed my pants!!   today at the park he peed three times and had no accidents!  i know this is probably not of any interest to anyone, but honestly when we (re)started this process i told jerry i would rather go through natural childbirth again twice than deal with this.  i'm glad we stuck with it.  i knew it was happen, it was just a rough few days.  he's even starting to realize when he has to go pee on his own!

the not sleeping at nap thing is bugging the heck out of me!  jerry and i talked about it and we think that it's just his pattern.  when he learns a new skill he just doesn't sleep as well.  i have taken to putting the gate up and ignoring his whining.  but he wakes grace up and that pisses me off.  i just don't know what to do.  i end up being a total grouch because i'm tired from dealing with them.  when grace doesn't get her rest she doesn't sleep well at night.  i don't need a lot of sleep, but elijah comes to me in the middle of the night and wants jerry, so i have to wake up and take him in there to him.  then come back in and settle grace back down.  and then try to get back to sleep.  i guess my tiredness is my own fault.  i'm exhausted by the end of the day, but i just can't go to sleep.  i feel like i haven't seen jerry in ages (though we did watch indiana jones the other night...not a good movie...but nevertheless...)  we did get to go out for dinner when we were in the mountains.  and i haven't had any time away to myself since i got my hair cut when grace was 2 months old.  this is going to need to change fairly soon i think, or i am going to go crazy.

jerry just came home.  he's early.  i am guessing that he thinks maybe i need some help with the crazy boy child...and he's right, but now i have to go make some dinner.

October 28

No rest for the mommas

The one thing I don't like about being a mom is that you can't call in sick.  I came down with a cold or allergies or something.  I'm not snotty, but I have a scratchy throat and am sneezing like crazy.  No fever... but exhausted.  Nevertheless, my day simply has to start.  I did cancel plans with a friend yesterday and we didn't go on our preschool groups field trip today.  But we will get back into the swing of things starting tomorrow.

Elijah is still boycotting his naps (for the most part.)  I'm not keen on this at all. (yes, i said keen...move on...) but I don't know what to do.  I was making him watch Oklahoma with me (with Hugh Jackman...that man can sing!)  but that only got us through a day and a half.  I have tried sending him to his room and putting up the gate... works for all of 15 minutes.  Today we fought and at 3 he fell asleep.  I woke him up at 4 since that's our house rule.  We'll figure something out.

I have decided that I'm not going to post my political blog.  One, it's waaaaaayyyyy long and not even finished and two, it's not going to change anyone's mind.  It's just going to annoy me.  So, I leave it to this: The Daily Show!