So today just didn't start out well because I had to deal with Jay and his truck instead of getting done what I needed to get done. While sitting on the side of the road with Jay and his busted truck, we got a call that Tom spit on a girl at school and was being kicked out...again. Lovely. So, we picked him up and went home. Jay took my truck back out to his truck again and was finally able to fix it. Of course, then he had to drive home, get us, and drive back out to get his truck. But it is home and running.
Joe got off the bus with a big pouty lip. A sure sign that he did not have a good day at school. Oh boy, he sure didn't. He got in trouble for touching another student. He was tickling another boy despite the fact that the other boy asked him to stop. The gym teacher saw it, warned Joe about his behavior and then reported to his regular teacher about it. Well, his regular teacher sent him to the principal. I think it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Time and time again, he gets asked to leave other students alone, but he never stops. Joe got in big trouble and came home with a written referral and a letter from the principal. Great.
It was a day that I just have to wonder what I am doing wrong as a parent. I love my children. We do fun stuff together, we read together, we are nice and kind to our kids, we do timeouts when needed and reward all that we can. It becomes very frustrating when stuff like this happens. It makes both Jay and I feel as if we are doing something horribly wrong. How did we end up with the "bad" kids?
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Truck troubles...
So for the first week after Jay's accident, he had a really nice rental car. After that, we were on our own. We asked around the family and ended up with Jay's late grandfather's truck, better known as Pappa's truck. Pappa's truck is a small green 1986 Ford Ranger. It was never a daily driver, but was used somewhat regularly for a while. However, I've know Jay since late 1999 and Pappa had quit driving the truck long before then. His eyesight was bad and his wife had her own car that she drove (though she quit driving in '03 or '04). Anyway, the truck has not be regularly driven or maintained since then. It gets used by family sometimes to take things to the dump or haul mulch. It just doesn't get used much. Anyway, we borrowed it. Jay has worked on it every day since he brought it home almost 2 weeks ago.
Late this afternoon, I was planting some annuals along the front walk, when the phone rang. It was Jay, calling to say he'd run out of gas. I asked where he was. His answer: My usual place. Yes ladies and gentlemen, his usual place. He has run out of gas near the intersection of Routes 176 and 170 three times and in three different cars.* The last two times, he was very close to the intersection, but today he was right at it. Lovely. It's a really really busy intersection with no shoulders or anything.
I gathered my shoeless kids from the yard and grabbed a gas can. After a quick stop to fill the can, we drove out to him. I had to stop in a travel lane to give him the can and we sat for a couple minutes, until I just got to nervous sitting right where cars were having to go around us. I drove down to the 84 Lumber to wait on him.
The truck just wouldn't start. So, I had to go back to the intersection and use a rope to tow him to the 84 Lumber. We then went and got more gas for the truck. Still no luck. Jay tried to unclog the fuel filter. No luck. Of course, he is still dressed in his slacks and polo shirt from work. Not the best thing in which to be laying on the ground and working on a truck.
At about 7, Jay gave up. We came home so he could change, I could feed kids and he could go back out after a stop at the the auto parts store.
Of course, I am not sure how he will get two vehicles home if he manages to get the truck started again. I don't think that he is thinking through this whole idea very well.
I sorta thought we should get it towed home. Then at least, he could have worked on it in his own garage where he can have a light and everything. Instead, he's on the side of a dark street, trying to work on Pappa's truck.
*Jay is one of those people who likes to get every drop of gas out of his gas tank before refueling. He's run out of gas about 8 times since we've been married. He averages just less than 1 a year since we have been married almost 9 years. He ran out of gas several times before we were married and before I knew him too. Times that I have run out of gas in my entire life: NEVER!
He has ran out of gas at the same intersection three times now...once in his Dodge Neon, once in the Checker, and now in Pappa's truck. Geez.
Late this afternoon, I was planting some annuals along the front walk, when the phone rang. It was Jay, calling to say he'd run out of gas. I asked where he was. His answer: My usual place. Yes ladies and gentlemen, his usual place. He has run out of gas near the intersection of Routes 176 and 170 three times and in three different cars.* The last two times, he was very close to the intersection, but today he was right at it. Lovely. It's a really really busy intersection with no shoulders or anything.
I gathered my shoeless kids from the yard and grabbed a gas can. After a quick stop to fill the can, we drove out to him. I had to stop in a travel lane to give him the can and we sat for a couple minutes, until I just got to nervous sitting right where cars were having to go around us. I drove down to the 84 Lumber to wait on him.
The truck just wouldn't start. So, I had to go back to the intersection and use a rope to tow him to the 84 Lumber. We then went and got more gas for the truck. Still no luck. Jay tried to unclog the fuel filter. No luck. Of course, he is still dressed in his slacks and polo shirt from work. Not the best thing in which to be laying on the ground and working on a truck.
At about 7, Jay gave up. We came home so he could change, I could feed kids and he could go back out after a stop at the the auto parts store.
Of course, I am not sure how he will get two vehicles home if he manages to get the truck started again. I don't think that he is thinking through this whole idea very well.
I sorta thought we should get it towed home. Then at least, he could have worked on it in his own garage where he can have a light and everything. Instead, he's on the side of a dark street, trying to work on Pappa's truck.
*Jay is one of those people who likes to get every drop of gas out of his gas tank before refueling. He's run out of gas about 8 times since we've been married. He averages just less than 1 a year since we have been married almost 9 years. He ran out of gas several times before we were married and before I knew him too. Times that I have run out of gas in my entire life: NEVER!
He has ran out of gas at the same intersection three times now...once in his Dodge Neon, once in the Checker, and now in Pappa's truck. Geez.
Getting dirty
There is something very theraputic about getting dirt beneath my fingernails. I love preparing flower beds and filling them with plants. (I just don't like weeding them!)
We are trying to get the house ready to sell so I am filling flower beds with pretty annuals. I am also making some new beds. Next to the lower level deck is a blank space that used to have our deck stairs. Since we don't have the stairs, we just have a blank space between the lower deck and the sidewalk. Perfect flower bed! We purchased some annuals yesterday and will be headed back today for the shurbs. The problem has been to figure out what I would want to plant there. It is not the sunniest spot, in fact, I would class it as partial shade to full shade. It gets sun mostly in the late afternoon (like after 4pm).
I am still not completely decided on what I would like to plant. I will have to go back to the nursery and take another look at what they have. I guess perhaps, I could go to a different nursery, but I like the local one some much. They are just really limited on their shade plants.
We are trying to get the house ready to sell so I am filling flower beds with pretty annuals. I am also making some new beds. Next to the lower level deck is a blank space that used to have our deck stairs. Since we don't have the stairs, we just have a blank space between the lower deck and the sidewalk. Perfect flower bed! We purchased some annuals yesterday and will be headed back today for the shurbs. The problem has been to figure out what I would want to plant there. It is not the sunniest spot, in fact, I would class it as partial shade to full shade. It gets sun mostly in the late afternoon (like after 4pm).
I am still not completely decided on what I would like to plant. I will have to go back to the nursery and take another look at what they have. I guess perhaps, I could go to a different nursery, but I like the local one some much. They are just really limited on their shade plants.
Monday, April 26, 2010
A perfect storm of laundry
I usually do laundry about 4 days a week, with about 9 loads total a week. Since I was sick last week, have sick kids now and wasn't home yesterday, the laundry got a little backed up. This picture shows all but 3 loads of laundry (1 in washer, 1 in dryer, 1 waiting in laundry room). While I could wait on a few of these loads until tomorrow, I just need to power through and get them done. Everything on the floor or in baskets is dirty and waiting to be washed. The couch is currently holding most of three loads of kids clothes. I have nothing better to do today since I have two kids home sick.
All told, this will be about 14-15 loads. I know, you're jealous. You wish that you too could wash, fold and put away this much laundry.
(Please ignore the pile of boxes in the far corner of the room. That's just how we roll right now.)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The problem with multiple kids and my tire changing luck continues
Okay, here is the BIG problem with multiple kids. I feel it trumps all other tiny little things. ILLNESS. First,a kid comes down with virus A. Then a sibling gets virus A from the first one. Meanwhile, Mom has something different that one of the kids had already brought home and the third kid has stomach virus B. Etc, etc, etc.
I have spent most of the last week with some sort of killer cold. Thankfully, everything is pretty much gone except the coughing that is still really bad. Most of the week, Sam was also down for the count with a fever. His finally broke on Friday.
Joe and Jay stayed home today for some quiet time while the younger two and I headed to my mom's house. We were there for about an hour, when Tom suddenly sat down in a recliner, covered up and was quiet. My parents and I were still talking. Tom then asked us to be quiet so he could sleep. What? It's the middle of the day and my kids never take naps! I moved Tom to my parents' room and he slept for over 2 hours. By the time he got up, he was running a pretty good fever. Same sort of thing Sam had...fever and lack of appetite. I happened to call Jay around 7 to let him know we were going to be leaving later than planned. When I told him that Tom was down, he informed me that Joe was also down too. Joe had suddenly decided around 5 that he wasn't feeling well. This lead to a fever and early bedtime (by choice!). I think I will have to keep them both home tomorrow since they had fevers today. School wants them fever free for 24 hours.
Changing the subject to my tire changing luck. I know how to change tires on a car. Fairly easy, really. Until Jay took over car maintenance, I used to rotate my tires on my cars whenever it was needed. Despite the fact that I know how to change tires, I have NEVER had to change a flat tire. Now, I have had cars that have had flat tires, but every single time, I just happened to be with a guy or Dad who felt the need to change it instead of me. Women's lib aside, I am not going to argue over the need to get dirty while changing a flat. If someone wants to do it for me, I have no problem letting them.
As we were loading the kids into my truck this evening, my dad just happened to notice that I had a screw in my front tire. The tire wasn't flat yet, but at some point, I would have had to change it. I did have to put air in the tire last week, but hadn't noticed any problems yet. Of course, he's my Dad so he changed it for me before I left his house. (Thanks Dad!)
We made it home before the storm started with no problems and we all had a fairly relaxed day. Joe and Jay had hung out and did some father/son things. Sam dug and dug in the very large pile of sand my parents have in the driveway. Tom slept and watched tv. He didn't play with anything today (shows just how sick he is that he wouldn't even play in the sand!). I spent my time between the second recliner by the tv with Tom or on one of the front porch benches, watching Sam build and then smash little sand castles. Pretty good day over all.
Okay, I just have to add something here that has nothing to do with either of the topics listed in the title.
My parents live in a brand new community. The first builder actually backed out of the community because of the economy. The community is now on its third builder. The model home for the newest style of houses is open; my mom took me on a walk through it today. While, the layout nor the location on the Eastern Shore would suit us, I did feel envious of the nice new house. I've never really lived in a nice new house. My dad built our house when we were growing up, but it was lived in before it was finished and never really had that new, shiny feel. We were also the first owners on a house in Evansville. However, the house had been vacant for almost 3 years before we bought it. The builder had run out of money before finishing the house so the bank finished it. It wasn't great and had problems like broken and loose tiles.
Of course, a large part of me doesn't like the idea of a subdivision like my mom's (no offense Mom!). It was built in a corn field. I also don't like when large areas of trees are torn up and hills flatened to make row after row of house. However, just a small part of me gets a little wishful at a nice, new, shiny, decorated house.
I have spent most of the last week with some sort of killer cold. Thankfully, everything is pretty much gone except the coughing that is still really bad. Most of the week, Sam was also down for the count with a fever. His finally broke on Friday.
Joe and Jay stayed home today for some quiet time while the younger two and I headed to my mom's house. We were there for about an hour, when Tom suddenly sat down in a recliner, covered up and was quiet. My parents and I were still talking. Tom then asked us to be quiet so he could sleep. What? It's the middle of the day and my kids never take naps! I moved Tom to my parents' room and he slept for over 2 hours. By the time he got up, he was running a pretty good fever. Same sort of thing Sam had...fever and lack of appetite. I happened to call Jay around 7 to let him know we were going to be leaving later than planned. When I told him that Tom was down, he informed me that Joe was also down too. Joe had suddenly decided around 5 that he wasn't feeling well. This lead to a fever and early bedtime (by choice!). I think I will have to keep them both home tomorrow since they had fevers today. School wants them fever free for 24 hours.
Changing the subject to my tire changing luck. I know how to change tires on a car. Fairly easy, really. Until Jay took over car maintenance, I used to rotate my tires on my cars whenever it was needed. Despite the fact that I know how to change tires, I have NEVER had to change a flat tire. Now, I have had cars that have had flat tires, but every single time, I just happened to be with a guy or Dad who felt the need to change it instead of me. Women's lib aside, I am not going to argue over the need to get dirty while changing a flat. If someone wants to do it for me, I have no problem letting them.
As we were loading the kids into my truck this evening, my dad just happened to notice that I had a screw in my front tire. The tire wasn't flat yet, but at some point, I would have had to change it. I did have to put air in the tire last week, but hadn't noticed any problems yet. Of course, he's my Dad so he changed it for me before I left his house. (Thanks Dad!)
We made it home before the storm started with no problems and we all had a fairly relaxed day. Joe and Jay had hung out and did some father/son things. Sam dug and dug in the very large pile of sand my parents have in the driveway. Tom slept and watched tv. He didn't play with anything today (shows just how sick he is that he wouldn't even play in the sand!). I spent my time between the second recliner by the tv with Tom or on one of the front porch benches, watching Sam build and then smash little sand castles. Pretty good day over all.
Okay, I just have to add something here that has nothing to do with either of the topics listed in the title.
My parents live in a brand new community. The first builder actually backed out of the community because of the economy. The community is now on its third builder. The model home for the newest style of houses is open; my mom took me on a walk through it today. While, the layout nor the location on the Eastern Shore would suit us, I did feel envious of the nice new house. I've never really lived in a nice new house. My dad built our house when we were growing up, but it was lived in before it was finished and never really had that new, shiny feel. We were also the first owners on a house in Evansville. However, the house had been vacant for almost 3 years before we bought it. The builder had run out of money before finishing the house so the bank finished it. It wasn't great and had problems like broken and loose tiles.
Of course, a large part of me doesn't like the idea of a subdivision like my mom's (no offense Mom!). It was built in a corn field. I also don't like when large areas of trees are torn up and hills flatened to make row after row of house. However, just a small part of me gets a little wishful at a nice, new, shiny, decorated house.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Oceans movie review
So yesterday (Earth Day), we went to see the new movie Oceans. Joe has been asking to see this movie for months. Here are my thoughts on the movie.
Visually, this movie was great. Lots of very cool things to see. While we have seen many shows about ocean creatures, there were some things we'd never seen before. Couldn't be happier about the visual aspect.
Content and sound: It was loud at times. Very loud. The musical score they chose was great, but so loud. My kids did complain. Probably not the movie's fault, but the theater's fault. Or maybe the fault should be split. Who knows. Just personally, we thought it was way too loud. The verbal content that DisneyNature chose to include was light. There were comments about some things, but not about others. I was expecting more info like what each animal they pictured was and what it does or eats, etc. Very light on content in that sense. They gave a few new facts about some stuff, but it was really just a narrative about oceans in general while showing the ocean life.
Joe seemed to think it was about 20 minutes too long. At least, about 20 minutes from the end, he started asking when it was going to be done. And kept asking. Tom's only complaint was that it was too loud at times and scared him because it was so loud. Sam, well, poor Sam feel asleep about 1 hour and 10 minutes into it. He slept on my lap for the last 30 minutes. He still wasn't feeling 100%, and apparently it caught up with him.
Now, I would recommend this as a DVD rental for sure, but it's only in theaters. In our area, it is only at Arundel Mills, Columbia and someplace in Baltimore. So, we had to cough up for $40 for our 5 tickets. No candy, popcorn or sodas for us. Too expensive just for the movie. I probably would go ahead and recommend it as a fun day out activity simply because so few G rated movies are actually suitable for little kids. Be warned, a few animals do get eaten during the movie, but no blood is shown. Just a matter of fact, circle of life sort of thing. Oddly enough, there was a disclaimer at the end of the movie saying that no animal was harmed during the making of this film. Jay and I both wondered if how animals being eaten are not harmed.
Visually, this movie was great. Lots of very cool things to see. While we have seen many shows about ocean creatures, there were some things we'd never seen before. Couldn't be happier about the visual aspect.
Content and sound: It was loud at times. Very loud. The musical score they chose was great, but so loud. My kids did complain. Probably not the movie's fault, but the theater's fault. Or maybe the fault should be split. Who knows. Just personally, we thought it was way too loud. The verbal content that DisneyNature chose to include was light. There were comments about some things, but not about others. I was expecting more info like what each animal they pictured was and what it does or eats, etc. Very light on content in that sense. They gave a few new facts about some stuff, but it was really just a narrative about oceans in general while showing the ocean life.
Joe seemed to think it was about 20 minutes too long. At least, about 20 minutes from the end, he started asking when it was going to be done. And kept asking. Tom's only complaint was that it was too loud at times and scared him because it was so loud. Sam, well, poor Sam feel asleep about 1 hour and 10 minutes into it. He slept on my lap for the last 30 minutes. He still wasn't feeling 100%, and apparently it caught up with him.
Now, I would recommend this as a DVD rental for sure, but it's only in theaters. In our area, it is only at Arundel Mills, Columbia and someplace in Baltimore. So, we had to cough up for $40 for our 5 tickets. No candy, popcorn or sodas for us. Too expensive just for the movie. I probably would go ahead and recommend it as a fun day out activity simply because so few G rated movies are actually suitable for little kids. Be warned, a few animals do get eaten during the movie, but no blood is shown. Just a matter of fact, circle of life sort of thing. Oddly enough, there was a disclaimer at the end of the movie saying that no animal was harmed during the making of this film. Jay and I both wondered if how animals being eaten are not harmed.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Poor mom, poor Sam
So on Monday night, I started to feel sick. Really sick. Thankfully, no stomach issues, but headache, fever, runny nose, etc.
I pretty much decided I was done in yesterday around 5. Jay got home at 5:30 and took the reins for me. He made dinner, got kids to bed, etc. while I rested.
Then about 9:30 last night, Sam woke up crying. He stumbled out of his room, went potty and went back to bed, crying the whole time. I got up with him and helped him with everything. I fell asleep around 10, and Sam was back up around 11. Jay got up with him this time. Sam was crying about being thirsty. Jay gave him a glass of water and tucked him back in. At 12:30, I woke up to the sound of Sam crying, again. I went in to check on him and he was crying that his blankets were dirty. I asked why he thought they were dirty and he said he threw up. I turned on the light in the hall and sure enough, he had a mess all over his face, pillow and blankets. He was also burning up! I cleaned him up and gave him some meds to lower his fever. He slept in a bit this morning, but was still running a high temperature. Sam is certainly not his usual self this morning, but we think his stomach problem was probably mostly due to the fact he didn't eat any dinner last night. At least, he hasn't had any more tummy issues.
I, thankfully, am feeling much better today. Not well, but just much better than yesterday.
I pretty much decided I was done in yesterday around 5. Jay got home at 5:30 and took the reins for me. He made dinner, got kids to bed, etc. while I rested.
Then about 9:30 last night, Sam woke up crying. He stumbled out of his room, went potty and went back to bed, crying the whole time. I got up with him and helped him with everything. I fell asleep around 10, and Sam was back up around 11. Jay got up with him this time. Sam was crying about being thirsty. Jay gave him a glass of water and tucked him back in. At 12:30, I woke up to the sound of Sam crying, again. I went in to check on him and he was crying that his blankets were dirty. I asked why he thought they were dirty and he said he threw up. I turned on the light in the hall and sure enough, he had a mess all over his face, pillow and blankets. He was also burning up! I cleaned him up and gave him some meds to lower his fever. He slept in a bit this morning, but was still running a high temperature. Sam is certainly not his usual self this morning, but we think his stomach problem was probably mostly due to the fact he didn't eat any dinner last night. At least, he hasn't had any more tummy issues.
I, thankfully, am feeling much better today. Not well, but just much better than yesterday.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The pressure is on
Jay got an email from his boss's boss last week. Jay was asked to come visit him. The big boss man spent some time trying to talk Jay out of going to Australia. The big boss man seems to be worried that Jay will go to Australia and never come back. Though everyone seems to agree that foreign service is good for Jay's career, they are "grooming" him for big things apparently.
Earlier this week, the program manager approached Jay and suggested that he put off Australia until next January. The manager said that Jay is involved in some really important things here and should wait to go when he is not involved in so much stuff. Jay told him that if he waited until January, he would still be involved in a lot of stuff and nothing would be different.
We want to go and we are ready to go soon. Here's to hoping that some higher up doesn't say "no" to Jay going at all.
Earlier this week, the program manager approached Jay and suggested that he put off Australia until next January. The manager said that Jay is involved in some really important things here and should wait to go when he is not involved in so much stuff. Jay told him that if he waited until January, he would still be involved in a lot of stuff and nothing would be different.
We want to go and we are ready to go soon. Here's to hoping that some higher up doesn't say "no" to Jay going at all.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Heart 2 Heart Challenge
I just posted my next Heart 2 Heart Challenge on my new blog:
www.katescraps.blogspot.com
Please be sure to check it out!
www.katescraps.blogspot.com
Please be sure to check it out!
BUGS!
A huge thank you to Jessica for the awesome bug box! This little bug box provided hours of fun this afternoon and I foresee more fun in the future. While we have caught and released bugs before, it was more fun and interesting for the boys to each have a little box.
On a side note, I seem to be coming down with something...and I am not happy about it. I can feel a sore throat coming on!
On a side note, I seem to be coming down with something...and I am not happy about it. I can feel a sore throat coming on!
What have I been up to?
Yesterday, during an enjoyable birthday party, Jessica asked me what have I been up to lately. I thought for a second and then answered nothing really. Of course that bothered me just a bit so I was thinking about it some more last night. And the answer really truly is nothing.
For the first time since elementary school, I am not involved in lots of stuff.
I am not in the MOMS Club anymore. My membership ran out and with the upcoming move, I decided not to renew. Of course, had I known we'd be here for so long, I would have renewed ages ago. And now, it just seems kinda silly to renew.
I am not involved with anything at either of my kids' schools for the same reason. Don't want to commit because of the move.
While I am still a consultant for CTMH, I'm not selling because I have no clue how long until we move. I still have my webpage, but that's it.
I pretty much spend the day with the kids. I don't get much done during the day as I can't leave Sam unattended. (On a side note, today he dumped out a 1/2 full bag of sugar that I had left out on the counter. I was bringing in groceries from the car when he pushed a chair over the counter and dumped. I was gone less than a minute. Of course, he dumped it onto of the stove and the pans that were still sitting on it. Sugar all in the stove top and had to be vacuumed, etc.)
We play and then I try to do a chore or two during their quiet time. Really, I just feel like I am sitting around doing nothing. One would think that I would get to see my friends more now that I am not busy, but I really don't go out either. Gosh, I need a life.
For the first time since elementary school, I am not involved in lots of stuff.
I am not in the MOMS Club anymore. My membership ran out and with the upcoming move, I decided not to renew. Of course, had I known we'd be here for so long, I would have renewed ages ago. And now, it just seems kinda silly to renew.
I am not involved with anything at either of my kids' schools for the same reason. Don't want to commit because of the move.
While I am still a consultant for CTMH, I'm not selling because I have no clue how long until we move. I still have my webpage, but that's it.
I pretty much spend the day with the kids. I don't get much done during the day as I can't leave Sam unattended. (On a side note, today he dumped out a 1/2 full bag of sugar that I had left out on the counter. I was bringing in groceries from the car when he pushed a chair over the counter and dumped. I was gone less than a minute. Of course, he dumped it onto of the stove and the pans that were still sitting on it. Sugar all in the stove top and had to be vacuumed, etc.)
We play and then I try to do a chore or two during their quiet time. Really, I just feel like I am sitting around doing nothing. One would think that I would get to see my friends more now that I am not busy, but I really don't go out either. Gosh, I need a life.
New blog for me
I decided to start a new blog for all my crafty stuff. I aim to do and post a lot more crafty stuff in the future so I am starting my own blog to do that.
If you would like to join me on my new blog, here's the place:
http://katescraps.blogspot.com/
I imported the last two scrappy things that I made so that they are all in one place.
I am keeping this blog for following our life, though once we move, I will change it some. I mean, seriously, if we don't live in the 'Dena anymore, my blog shouldn't be called that.
If you would like to join me on my new blog, here's the place:
http://katescraps.blogspot.com/
I imported the last two scrappy things that I made so that they are all in one place.
I am keeping this blog for following our life, though once we move, I will change it some. I mean, seriously, if we don't live in the 'Dena anymore, my blog shouldn't be called that.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Who's fault is it?
I've always taken a two prong approach with my kids in dealing with things they can't have or touch, etc.
First, tell them no and take it away.
Second, put it where they can't get it.
'Cause really, little kids are going to touch if they can. I've never really had a problem with any of my kids getting into stuff UNTIL Sammy. Sam has gotten into everything from the day he could move around. He learned how to defeat every kind of child safety latch and lock. The biggest "oh no" that Joe and Tom ever did was dump the dog food on the floor or into the dog water.
It only takes Sam about 30 seconds to find something to get into. Even when I do a visual sweep of a room and think everything is okay, he'll dig through a closet to find something. (which is why we've had to call poison control twice!)
You name it, he's gotten into it: markers (too many times to number!), stamp cleaner (3 times he's dumped in on my craft chair), make-up, nail polish, nail polish remover (poison control), baby oil (poison control), cleaning products, latex paint (still no sure how he got the lids of the can, though he's done it twice with two different cans), food, and water. There's more but I am tried of naming them. He's eaten candles, painted floors, superglued books, wood-glued the table, covered the dishwasher with soap, and more.
Sometimes, I feel like it's a game to him, but to me, it's just plain frustrating. I frequently get told that I just shouldn't leave him alone. Most of the time this happens, I don't consider him alone. He'll be playing on the living room floor and I will go to the bathroom. I'm gone less than 2 minutes and I come back to find white paint all over the floor.
Today, I was cleaning the bathroom and had already put away the bathroom cleaner. Sam was playing in his room with Tom. I was cleaning the mirror with glass cleaner when the phone rang. I answered it in the kitchen because that's the closest phone. No, it is not a cordless. I had to take the call as it was one of the many insurance people we've had to talk to over the last week. I was only on the phone for less than 5 minutes. I had to give the lady Jay's work number and then take her number and name down. Done. I had set the glass cleaner on my dresser as I had walked through my room to answer the phone. When I returned to my room, Sam was back in his room with Tom, door shut. However, the 3/4 full glass cleaner bottle was empty and my bed was soaked. I had to then strip the bed before it got into the mattress (too late!) and start the process of washing all of our bed laundry. 1 load of sheets, 1 load with the plush mattress pad, and 1 load for the blankets.
At what point should I stop blaming myself for leaving things out? At what point will Jay stop getting irritated with me for leaving things out? When does it become all Sam's fault?
Sam did get a time out for his behavior, but it never seems to make a difference.
First, tell them no and take it away.
Second, put it where they can't get it.
'Cause really, little kids are going to touch if they can. I've never really had a problem with any of my kids getting into stuff UNTIL Sammy. Sam has gotten into everything from the day he could move around. He learned how to defeat every kind of child safety latch and lock. The biggest "oh no" that Joe and Tom ever did was dump the dog food on the floor or into the dog water.
It only takes Sam about 30 seconds to find something to get into. Even when I do a visual sweep of a room and think everything is okay, he'll dig through a closet to find something. (which is why we've had to call poison control twice!)
You name it, he's gotten into it: markers (too many times to number!), stamp cleaner (3 times he's dumped in on my craft chair), make-up, nail polish, nail polish remover (poison control), baby oil (poison control), cleaning products, latex paint (still no sure how he got the lids of the can, though he's done it twice with two different cans), food, and water. There's more but I am tried of naming them. He's eaten candles, painted floors, superglued books, wood-glued the table, covered the dishwasher with soap, and more.
Sometimes, I feel like it's a game to him, but to me, it's just plain frustrating. I frequently get told that I just shouldn't leave him alone. Most of the time this happens, I don't consider him alone. He'll be playing on the living room floor and I will go to the bathroom. I'm gone less than 2 minutes and I come back to find white paint all over the floor.
Today, I was cleaning the bathroom and had already put away the bathroom cleaner. Sam was playing in his room with Tom. I was cleaning the mirror with glass cleaner when the phone rang. I answered it in the kitchen because that's the closest phone. No, it is not a cordless. I had to take the call as it was one of the many insurance people we've had to talk to over the last week. I was only on the phone for less than 5 minutes. I had to give the lady Jay's work number and then take her number and name down. Done. I had set the glass cleaner on my dresser as I had walked through my room to answer the phone. When I returned to my room, Sam was back in his room with Tom, door shut. However, the 3/4 full glass cleaner bottle was empty and my bed was soaked. I had to then strip the bed before it got into the mattress (too late!) and start the process of washing all of our bed laundry. 1 load of sheets, 1 load with the plush mattress pad, and 1 load for the blankets.
At what point should I stop blaming myself for leaving things out? At what point will Jay stop getting irritated with me for leaving things out? When does it become all Sam's fault?
Sam did get a time out for his behavior, but it never seems to make a difference.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Heart 2 Heart Challenge, week 2
Here are the requirements for this weeks challenge:
This is a 1/2/3 challenge.
*Use 1 stamped image (not 1 set, but 1 image)
*Use 2 different patterned papers
*Use 3 embellishments - these can be 3 of the same thing or 3 different things
I had a little bit of a hard time using only 1 stamped image. I really wanted to use an alphabet set and spell something out, but that would be more than one image, im my opinion. So, I used the "Happy" stamp from March's A Little Everything.
Everything on my page is Close To My Heart, even the giant snow flakes.
I made this 12 x 12 page to go in a frame on the wall. I am making one of each of the favorite pictures I have of my kids. This one is of my youngest son Sam.
The patterned paper used is a preview of one of the new Summer packs. It is called Zippidee. The edges of one paper are torn to reveal the other paper. The edges of the cranberry cardstock is distressed using our edge distressor. The snow flakes are the CTMH Flurry Dimensional Elements. I sponged Indian Corn Blue ink on the the flakes and then painted them with our Create-A-Shade Pearl Paint. I love that it dries to a shiny finish.
I used foam dots to layer the snowflakes.
This is a 1/2/3 challenge.
*Use 1 stamped image (not 1 set, but 1 image)
*Use 2 different patterned papers
*Use 3 embellishments - these can be 3 of the same thing or 3 different things
I had a little bit of a hard time using only 1 stamped image. I really wanted to use an alphabet set and spell something out, but that would be more than one image, im my opinion. So, I used the "Happy" stamp from March's A Little Everything.
Everything on my page is Close To My Heart, even the giant snow flakes.
I made this 12 x 12 page to go in a frame on the wall. I am making one of each of the favorite pictures I have of my kids. This one is of my youngest son Sam.
The patterned paper used is a preview of one of the new Summer packs. It is called Zippidee. The edges of one paper are torn to reveal the other paper. The edges of the cranberry cardstock is distressed using our edge distressor. The snow flakes are the CTMH Flurry Dimensional Elements. I sponged Indian Corn Blue ink on the the flakes and then painted them with our Create-A-Shade Pearl Paint. I love that it dries to a shiny finish.
I used foam dots to layer the snowflakes.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Allergies strike
It's that time of year again. Pollen, pollen everywhere. Gosh, I really dislike it. It's wonderful weather outside, so we wanted the windows open. Now every surface in my house is covered with a fine green dusting. My eyes hurt. My head hurts. I sneeze. I feel miserable unless I am inside a pollen free, air-conditioned area, which doesn't happen much.
Allergy medicine either works great and makes me sleepy or doesn't work very well. I can't seem to find any that work, with no sleepy side effects. I supposed I could actually go see my doctor, but that becomes a real pain with dragging kids along or finding a babysitter.
I used to take allergy meds year round when I was younger, high school and early college. Later in college, I quit using them because I lived in a house that was fully climate controlled. The windows had been painted and nailed shut years ago.
AC ran from the first warm day until the last. I also worked full time, went to school full time and had to do 16 hours a week for my internship so I didn't seem much time outside. I did take care of the yard and the flowerbeds, but just an OTC medicine would cover me just fine for that.
I escaped from the house again last night for a little scrapbook time with Sherry and Jenn. I was able to get some layouts done and some relaxing time in as well. I am scheduled to go back to Great Scraps next Friday with Sherry, Dorene and Marie.
My diet has been going really well for the last almost 3 weeks. I haven't broken it once. I am down about 6 pounds and 1 clothing size. I am very happy with the results so far, though the pizza and candy at GS last night were tempting. I stuck to the plan though and didn't have anything. I had eaten at home before leaving so I wasn't actually hungry. It can just be hard watching everyone else eat yummy pizza while not having any. The pizza that they order for Great Scraps is really good when hot, but horrible when room temp. So by the time I was a little hungry, the pizza was 2 1/2 hours out of the oven and not really a temptation anymore.
We are hoping to run the kids into the ground this weekend. They are just too wild and no amount of outside time this week has settled them. We going to try to change that this weekend.
Allergy medicine either works great and makes me sleepy or doesn't work very well. I can't seem to find any that work, with no sleepy side effects. I supposed I could actually go see my doctor, but that becomes a real pain with dragging kids along or finding a babysitter.
I used to take allergy meds year round when I was younger, high school and early college. Later in college, I quit using them because I lived in a house that was fully climate controlled. The windows had been painted and nailed shut years ago.
AC ran from the first warm day until the last. I also worked full time, went to school full time and had to do 16 hours a week for my internship so I didn't seem much time outside. I did take care of the yard and the flowerbeds, but just an OTC medicine would cover me just fine for that.
I escaped from the house again last night for a little scrapbook time with Sherry and Jenn. I was able to get some layouts done and some relaxing time in as well. I am scheduled to go back to Great Scraps next Friday with Sherry, Dorene and Marie.
My diet has been going really well for the last almost 3 weeks. I haven't broken it once. I am down about 6 pounds and 1 clothing size. I am very happy with the results so far, though the pizza and candy at GS last night were tempting. I stuck to the plan though and didn't have anything. I had eaten at home before leaving so I wasn't actually hungry. It can just be hard watching everyone else eat yummy pizza while not having any. The pizza that they order for Great Scraps is really good when hot, but horrible when room temp. So by the time I was a little hungry, the pizza was 2 1/2 hours out of the oven and not really a temptation anymore.
We are hoping to run the kids into the ground this weekend. They are just too wild and no amount of outside time this week has settled them. We going to try to change that this weekend.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
A squished car
Almost every time the phone rings between 5 and 5:30, it is Jay calling...usually to say that he is going to be later getting home than expected. I took a chance this evening and started making dinner before he got home. The phone rang at 5:25. My first thought was that it was Jay, he was going to be late and that dinner would be done before he was home. Well, I was right, sorta.
Jay was slowing down to the in the long line of cars that were waiting to turn left onto Magothy Bridge Road from Route 100. He happened to glance up in the mirror and see a mini-van flying down the road, with no chance of stopping. Jay tried to speed up to get out of the way, but he just didn't have enough time. Jay was probably doing about 10 mph when he got hit by the van going over 60. Jay was spun around and went through the right lane and thankfully off the right side of the road. He didn't hit any other cars and no other cars hit him. Everyone was okay, though Jay is starting to feel sore now.
Jay's car was a little car, a two-door hatchback. The trunk space is compressed down to pretty much nothing and the backseat got shortened quite a bit as well. The booster seat behind his seat got pushed way up against his seat. The driver's door was also stuck shut since everything got pushed a bit. Jay climbed out the window in order to get out.
Of course, his car is worth very little and will probably be scrapped. The problem becomes that we have no idea how long we will be stuck in the States. What do we do about a car? We don't really want to buy another one and then pay to have it registered, etc. Our third car is in storage and is not really up to running daily. The motorcycles aren't road ready either. We can't afford to rent a car for an unknown period of time. We are hoping to try to borrow one, but we don't know if the couple of spare cars that are floating around Jay's family are registered or anything.
The most important thing is really truly that no one got hurt. A car is just a car and we'll figure something out. I will be sure to update more as we move through this process.
On a strange note, Jay had his blackberry from work in its clip on his belt. Somehow in the course of the accident, it disappeared. Who knows where it is.
Jay was slowing down to the in the long line of cars that were waiting to turn left onto Magothy Bridge Road from Route 100. He happened to glance up in the mirror and see a mini-van flying down the road, with no chance of stopping. Jay tried to speed up to get out of the way, but he just didn't have enough time. Jay was probably doing about 10 mph when he got hit by the van going over 60. Jay was spun around and went through the right lane and thankfully off the right side of the road. He didn't hit any other cars and no other cars hit him. Everyone was okay, though Jay is starting to feel sore now.
Jay's car was a little car, a two-door hatchback. The trunk space is compressed down to pretty much nothing and the backseat got shortened quite a bit as well. The booster seat behind his seat got pushed way up against his seat. The driver's door was also stuck shut since everything got pushed a bit. Jay climbed out the window in order to get out.
Of course, his car is worth very little and will probably be scrapped. The problem becomes that we have no idea how long we will be stuck in the States. What do we do about a car? We don't really want to buy another one and then pay to have it registered, etc. Our third car is in storage and is not really up to running daily. The motorcycles aren't road ready either. We can't afford to rent a car for an unknown period of time. We are hoping to try to borrow one, but we don't know if the couple of spare cars that are floating around Jay's family are registered or anything.
The most important thing is really truly that no one got hurt. A car is just a car and we'll figure something out. I will be sure to update more as we move through this process.
On a strange note, Jay had his blackberry from work in its clip on his belt. Somehow in the course of the accident, it disappeared. Who knows where it is.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Heart 2 Heart Challenge, week 1
Okay, so I love scrapbooking...well, all paper crafting really. I tend to let life in the way and don't get to enjoy my hobby as much as I would like. I also don't share on my blog much about my hobby. Well, perhaps that will change. This week I decided to participate in the Heart 2 Heart Challenge. The challenge is to use the specified colors to create something using Close To My Heart products. It doesn't have to be all CTMH, but what I created today is 100% CTMH.
This is a Luau invite that I am helping my mom make. This is my first run and she will have to approve everything, but it works for this challenge. This week, we had to use Sweet Leaf (green), Sunflower (yellow-orange), and Chocolate (brown).
Here's how I created my card.
Supplies needed:
Colonial White card base,
Chocolate cardstock, 1 x 4 1/4
Colonial White cardstock, 3 x 3
14 inches, hemp
Surf's Up stamp set
Foam dimensional tape
Sunflower, Sweet Leaf and Chocolate ink
For the background I used just a plain Colonial White card base and random stamped the base of the pineapple using Sunflower ink. Sunflower ink is actually the color of the surfboard, but I used a technique called second generation stamping.
To do second generation, simply ink the stamp. Then stamp once on a scrap piece of paper. Then, without reinking, stamp the image on your project. I used second generation Sweet Leaf on the tops of the pineapples.
The surfboards were stamped on the 3 x 3 cardstock and cut out. I chose to do one of the surfboards in Sunflower and Chocolate and the other in just Chocolate ink.
I used an edge distressor on the piece of chocolate cardstock, but the edge of your scissors will also work. I tend cut and tied the hemp and placed in on the card. I used the foam tape to raise up the surfboards and then stamped the Luau in chocolate ink on the card.
That's it. Pretty simple. But I like how it turned out.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Our Spring Break
We had a really great spring break. We rode bikes every day that it was nice. We'd head out every morning just after breakfast and ride for about an hour before coming back from the school.
Wednesday night, I stole some time out of the house to go to a movie with my friend Brandi. She doesn't get a chance to get out much either. We saw the movie "Green Zone" and I really liked it. Two thumbs up!
We dyed 30 eggs on Thursday after bike riding and we had a lot of fun. The boys can get pretty creative sometimes.
We went to Patapsco State Park on Friday for a hike and picnic. We did the Cascade Falls Trail which is a 2.2 mile steep trail. We had a really great time. We ate a picnic lunch in the car (all the tables were full and I forgot a blanket). We walked the suspension bridge a couple of times. We finished the afternoon with some time on the playground before leaving the park. I snuck out for a few hours to scrapbook with Angie and Sherry, but I wasn't out long and was home in bed before 10 pm.
Saturday, the boys spent the entire day outside helping Jay pick up piles of brush to haul to the dump. We lost several pine trees around the garden area during the snow and they all had to be picked up and hauled away.
Sunday, we packed up the new bikes and headed over to my parents' house for Easter. We did an egg hunt in the back yard and then decorated the bikes after lunch for the Easter parade. Last year was the first parade for the neighbor and Sammy didn't know how to pedal. The boys loved it this year, partly because it was much warmer than last year. Sammy was also able to keep up with everyone this year.
Today we went to the National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. It is located out next to Dulles airport, so it is a bit of a drive. We really had a great time today seeing all the airplanes. I also took the boys to an IMAX movie about fighter pilots. We left around 2:30 for the 1 1/2 hour drive home...and it took 3 hours! At one point, I really needed gas so I picked the first exit to get off on. It turned out to be a residential area and I had to go about 5 miles down the road before I finally saw a gas station. Then I had to pay $3.20 a gallon! Cripes! Of course, then I had to drive 5 miles back up to the creeping beltway. Ugh.
I posted pictures of our spring break on my facebook account. Loads of fun was had!
Wednesday night, I stole some time out of the house to go to a movie with my friend Brandi. She doesn't get a chance to get out much either. We saw the movie "Green Zone" and I really liked it. Two thumbs up!
We dyed 30 eggs on Thursday after bike riding and we had a lot of fun. The boys can get pretty creative sometimes.
We went to Patapsco State Park on Friday for a hike and picnic. We did the Cascade Falls Trail which is a 2.2 mile steep trail. We had a really great time. We ate a picnic lunch in the car (all the tables were full and I forgot a blanket). We walked the suspension bridge a couple of times. We finished the afternoon with some time on the playground before leaving the park. I snuck out for a few hours to scrapbook with Angie and Sherry, but I wasn't out long and was home in bed before 10 pm.
Saturday, the boys spent the entire day outside helping Jay pick up piles of brush to haul to the dump. We lost several pine trees around the garden area during the snow and they all had to be picked up and hauled away.
Sunday, we packed up the new bikes and headed over to my parents' house for Easter. We did an egg hunt in the back yard and then decorated the bikes after lunch for the Easter parade. Last year was the first parade for the neighbor and Sammy didn't know how to pedal. The boys loved it this year, partly because it was much warmer than last year. Sammy was also able to keep up with everyone this year.
Today we went to the National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. It is located out next to Dulles airport, so it is a bit of a drive. We really had a great time today seeing all the airplanes. I also took the boys to an IMAX movie about fighter pilots. We left around 2:30 for the 1 1/2 hour drive home...and it took 3 hours! At one point, I really needed gas so I picked the first exit to get off on. It turned out to be a residential area and I had to go about 5 miles down the road before I finally saw a gas station. Then I had to pay $3.20 a gallon! Cripes! Of course, then I had to drive 5 miles back up to the creeping beltway. Ugh.
I posted pictures of our spring break on my facebook account. Loads of fun was had!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Quick Australia Update
Well, April 1st came and when without much happening. Boeing managed to not sign anything, but did extend the short term contract for 3 Northrup people until the beginning of May. So, people have been recalled from Australia and pulled off the job here. The guy that Jay has been talking to about all this told him there's no way that Boeing will wait until May to sign. He says that it will take us about that long to get there, settled and Jay ready to work...so there is no way that Boeiing can wait. Jay answers that Boeing has already missed a payment, missed the end of the contract, and still gets to have 3 Northrup people until the end of the month. We were supposed to be there in January, and we weren't. We were supposed to be there mid February, and we weren't. We were supposed to be there at the beginning of March and we weren't. We are supposed to be there now and we aren't. And so, we wait.
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