The struggle to actually get to church on time is sometimes overwhelming. It doesnt matter if church starts at 8:30am, 11:30am, or 2:30pm. I will be late!
But, this past Sunday it was actually going to happen. We were all wearing outfits that didnt require any ironing. The bag was packed, everyone had eaten. Shoes were on, just one last thing to do. Put the cat in the kitchen. If you all dont remember my cat, she is a piss machine. She will pee on any part of the carpet and doesnt really prefer her kitty litter.
I lift up the cat, Skeeter, start walking towards the kitchen and she pees on me. Yes, she lets it all go right directly on me. Warm cat urine runs all down the front of my dress, down my leg and into my shoe.
I had to undress, take a shower, scrub in the shower and then somehow find another non-ironing outfit in my closet. We were 1/2 hour late to church that day, nothing unusual, thats how late we usually are. Just another typical Sunday.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Portland or Bust
Just a tidbit of advice. Business trips should be left only to the individual that is directly involved in the business at hand. Under no circumstances should the spouse and kids agree to tag along for fun. Because people, let me assure you, there is no fun to be had in this situation.
Initial Conversation:
Steve: Hey, I have to go to Portland for a meeting would you like to come along?
Jenny:How many days would you have to work?
Steve: All of them.
Jenny: What would the girls and I do for 3 days?
Steve: Explore Portland.
Jenny: (with warranted hesitation in my voice) Hmmm, I don't know.
Steve: The hotel has an indoor pool.
Jenny: Sure, we'll go.
We planned on leaving 9am on Sunday morning. We knew that would never happen but it's always fun to live in a ridiculous fantasy world every once in a while. Typically we leave 1-2 hours after our proposed time. Our reason for leaving early this time was to be able to get a glimpse of Mt. St. Helens from the observatory. Unfortunately, it was a typical Seattle day of complete overcast and rain so we didn't rush ourselves and we took our time getting out the door. Steve did a little more behind schedule relaxing than the rest of us, he was actually able to squeeze in an entire Pro football game and pull out a pair of pants, underwear and a shirt for me to pack. He was working hard. Everyone (the girls and I) was ready to go, shoes were on, bags were packed. He assured me repeatedly, only 3 more minutes left in the game, which in actual game time lasted a entire 47 minutes! Finally, late afternoon, we were off. We actually had to stop to eat lunch before we even left Kirkland. That's okay because we stopped at Kidd Valley which has enormous super yummy cheeseburgers with real Cheddar cheese instead of plastic American cheese.
Once we actually get on the road everything was going just fine. Kids are watching a Garfield DVD, I am reading my book (no, I do not get car sick, aren't I lucky?). That's when the weekend officially began. The sun began to miracuously peek through the clouds right into my eyes and I reach down to grab my sunglasses, and I just kept right on reaching because they were gone.
Jenny: "Where are my sunglasses, they were right here in the front pocket of my backpack, where are they?"
Steve: "Oh, I thought you knew, they fell out of your backpack into the parking lot as you were getting into the car, I thought you knew."
Are you kidding me? Did you just verbalize that sentence? Why would a person not say anything, why would the assumption automatically be that I have super human hearing that while my children are yelling at me from the back seat, my husband is talking to me, traffic is less than 100 yards away and I am carrying 30 pounds of DVD's, jackets, snacks and toys that I would be able to hear a small pair of $30 plastic sunglasses drop to the pavement in the parking lot?
Im one that gets irritated and annoyed when people state the obvious, but I guarantee, in this instance, I would not have been upset, because whether you realize it now or not, that would not have been stating the obvious! We have since agreed to disagree about this situation.
We pull over into a gas station to use the pay phone because as you might remember my cell phone was sent through the wash, rinse and dry cycles of our washer/dryer in the cargo pocket of Steve's shorts and Steve's cell phone is AWOL. We get new ones this Sunday we are both very excited! I had to beg the clerk not to force me to buy a pack of cheap gum in order to get change and then proceeded to the public phone where I placed my clean cheek on a germ infested handset of a phone at a highway gas station to call the office at our Townhome complex and ask the underpaid nice man answering the phone to go out to the parking spaces next to the garbage can in the dark pouring rain to retrieve my $30 plastic sunglasses which may or may not still be there.
Update: They were still there, crushed into 3 pieces, most likely by our own vehicle as we pulled out of the parking space on our way to our fantastic weekend in Portland.
The rest of the drive was primarily uneventful, we listened to Garfied and Elmo from the back seats and attempted to ignore our children as they made ridiculous requests and comments.
The next day Steve leaves for work and it is my first day in Portland with my girls, what are we going to do? Eat a yummy glamorous continental breakfast downstairs. Mistake. I should have ordered room service. They offered french toast, cereal, oatmeal, fruit, eggs, biscuits, gravy, potatoes, bagels, toast, muffins. My girls want a Micky Mouse pancake. We leave with our bellies filled with the following. Avrie ate ice, Cailin ate 1/4 of a Belgian waffle, and I had the rest of her waffle, cold and some cold potatoes. Avrie cried almost the whole time, and fell out of her highchair once.
Oh, I forgot to mention. Both my kids are sick with colds!
Okay, that didn't go very well. Breakfast buffets are not meant for a mother alone with 2 kids.
Lets try something new. We decide to ride the free streetcar downtown. We found a fun toystore. The kids wandered around forever. Cailin bought 2 stuffed animals with all of her allowance to add to her already ridicuously large collection. But apparently this horse and penguin are different and much better than the ones she already has. What better way to learn about the value of money than by wasting it on crap.
Next we have to go to Whole Foods to buy meds for the kids. Halfway between the toy store and the grocery store Avrie began crying and didn't stop for another 3 hours. The grocery trip involved a scene of myself running frantically around the store screaming Cailin's name with Avrie in the sling and my breast half exposed (Avrie had been nursing in the sling) pushing a completely empty cart around with me for no reason at all. That's when a woman comes walking up from the exact opposite of the store with Cailin in hand. She was in the bakery looking for me. I've almost set the record for how many times in a 6 month period I can lose my 4 year old child for 15 minutes or more. I'm so far on quite a roll.
So, I hurriedly grab our meds, some snacks, my heart in the produce section and my breath in the snack aisle and leave. It's always good to end on a high note.
Unfortunately by this time it is lunch time and I am obligated to feed and nourish my children on a regular basis. Its in the contract.
So, we stop at Baja Fresh. Avrie by this point has discovered the homeopathic meds we bought and is completely obsessed with trying to open them. By the way, she still really hasn't stopped crying. By the time the food is ready the crying has escalated because of her frustration with the twisty contraption the pills are trapped inside of. I whoof down my food at great speeds, shove a chicken taco into the mouth of my compliant 4 year old daughter, look around to make sure there aren't any gypsies around to tempt me. (I could have made a few bucks with Avrie) and made a dash for it to the nearest streetcar to take us to our temp home.
Ahhhhh, a nice dip in the pool and hot tub and once again I am manipulated into thinking this pseudo vacation will be fun.
The next morning breakfast ended with Cailin wanting Lucky Charms (which they dont have) Avrie eating ice and one bite of waffle, Cailin eating again 1/4 of a waffle and I actually ate warm food this time. A little better than the day before.
We decided to take the street car downtown one more time to go to Hannah Anderson, a ridicuously overpriced but cute children's clothes store. Cailin loves to try on clothes (what girl doesn't). It ended in disaster. Avrie cried from the moment we stepped foot into the store. They had toys and a train table but any time I stepped even 3 feet away from her she would dramatically throw herself to the floor, smack her head on the tile and then wail in misery. Happy -happy-joy-joy. We left quickly. Poor Cailin, she is such a good sport.
The next series of events is by far the highlight of my trip.
We jump onto the street car because we have to meet Steve back at the hotel for lunch. Avrie is crying before we even get on but I figure I can distract her or nurse her or cast a magic spell on her. None of the above work. Instead, she actually throws herself onto the nastiness of the floor of the streetcar, refusing to let me even touch her. She just lays there and screams on this crowded public transit street car. People walk over her, around her, almost on her. They pretend like its not happening, some give me a look of disapproval, others offer their condolences with their eyes. It is definitely my crowning glory as a mother. Then I start getting a glare from an irritating older woman sitting behind us who begins to offer annoying moth ball ridden old lady advice.
Irritating old woman: "Do you think she would stop crying if you gave her this rootbeer candy to suck on? Its sweet."
Me: " Sure, it will have immediate effects and shut her right up, and then I will just dislodge it from her windpipe when we reach our destination."
Irritating old woman: "Maybe she is hungry, do you have a bottle?"
Me: "Oh, what a good idea, why didn't I think of that. I thought it would be better and easier if we all just started throwing bits of bread and rotten vegetables at her, she's liable to find it amusing and maybe ingest a little as well."
Irritating old woman: "Have you tried holding her?"
Me: "Oh no, once you hold them that's all they want from you, human contact. I make it a strict policy to only drag my children around by their ankles when we go places."
Irritating old woman: I'll just sit here with my fingers plugged into my ears in an obvious manner while I scowl at this horribly insane mother, maybe that will shut her damn kid up.
Me: Go shove your rootbeer candy up your ass.
About 10 minutes later as the bus cleared of its passengers (total of 20 minutes) the screaming subsided to whining which quieted to moaning and then silence. Yes folks, my beautiful blue eyed, porcelain skinned, blonde hair baby cried herself to sleep sprawled out and face down in public transportation shit.
And that my friends is why the next time someone asks you to accompany them on a business trip, with courage in your eyes and surety in your voice, stand up and say, No, No Thankyou, I think we'll just stay home.
PS. If you ask Cailin what her favorite part of the trip was, she will tell you..."The spinning office chair in the hotel room." Oh, to be 4 again!
Initial Conversation:
Steve: Hey, I have to go to Portland for a meeting would you like to come along?
Jenny:How many days would you have to work?
Steve: All of them.
Jenny: What would the girls and I do for 3 days?
Steve: Explore Portland.
Jenny: (with warranted hesitation in my voice) Hmmm, I don't know.
Steve: The hotel has an indoor pool.
Jenny: Sure, we'll go.
We planned on leaving 9am on Sunday morning. We knew that would never happen but it's always fun to live in a ridiculous fantasy world every once in a while. Typically we leave 1-2 hours after our proposed time. Our reason for leaving early this time was to be able to get a glimpse of Mt. St. Helens from the observatory. Unfortunately, it was a typical Seattle day of complete overcast and rain so we didn't rush ourselves and we took our time getting out the door. Steve did a little more behind schedule relaxing than the rest of us, he was actually able to squeeze in an entire Pro football game and pull out a pair of pants, underwear and a shirt for me to pack. He was working hard. Everyone (the girls and I) was ready to go, shoes were on, bags were packed. He assured me repeatedly, only 3 more minutes left in the game, which in actual game time lasted a entire 47 minutes! Finally, late afternoon, we were off. We actually had to stop to eat lunch before we even left Kirkland. That's okay because we stopped at Kidd Valley which has enormous super yummy cheeseburgers with real Cheddar cheese instead of plastic American cheese.
Once we actually get on the road everything was going just fine. Kids are watching a Garfield DVD, I am reading my book (no, I do not get car sick, aren't I lucky?). That's when the weekend officially began. The sun began to miracuously peek through the clouds right into my eyes and I reach down to grab my sunglasses, and I just kept right on reaching because they were gone.
Jenny: "Where are my sunglasses, they were right here in the front pocket of my backpack, where are they?"
Steve: "Oh, I thought you knew, they fell out of your backpack into the parking lot as you were getting into the car, I thought you knew."
Are you kidding me? Did you just verbalize that sentence? Why would a person not say anything, why would the assumption automatically be that I have super human hearing that while my children are yelling at me from the back seat, my husband is talking to me, traffic is less than 100 yards away and I am carrying 30 pounds of DVD's, jackets, snacks and toys that I would be able to hear a small pair of $30 plastic sunglasses drop to the pavement in the parking lot?
Im one that gets irritated and annoyed when people state the obvious, but I guarantee, in this instance, I would not have been upset, because whether you realize it now or not, that would not have been stating the obvious! We have since agreed to disagree about this situation.
We pull over into a gas station to use the pay phone because as you might remember my cell phone was sent through the wash, rinse and dry cycles of our washer/dryer in the cargo pocket of Steve's shorts and Steve's cell phone is AWOL. We get new ones this Sunday we are both very excited! I had to beg the clerk not to force me to buy a pack of cheap gum in order to get change and then proceeded to the public phone where I placed my clean cheek on a germ infested handset of a phone at a highway gas station to call the office at our Townhome complex and ask the underpaid nice man answering the phone to go out to the parking spaces next to the garbage can in the dark pouring rain to retrieve my $30 plastic sunglasses which may or may not still be there.
Update: They were still there, crushed into 3 pieces, most likely by our own vehicle as we pulled out of the parking space on our way to our fantastic weekend in Portland.
The rest of the drive was primarily uneventful, we listened to Garfied and Elmo from the back seats and attempted to ignore our children as they made ridiculous requests and comments.
The next day Steve leaves for work and it is my first day in Portland with my girls, what are we going to do? Eat a yummy glamorous continental breakfast downstairs. Mistake. I should have ordered room service. They offered french toast, cereal, oatmeal, fruit, eggs, biscuits, gravy, potatoes, bagels, toast, muffins. My girls want a Micky Mouse pancake. We leave with our bellies filled with the following. Avrie ate ice, Cailin ate 1/4 of a Belgian waffle, and I had the rest of her waffle, cold and some cold potatoes. Avrie cried almost the whole time, and fell out of her highchair once.
Oh, I forgot to mention. Both my kids are sick with colds!
Okay, that didn't go very well. Breakfast buffets are not meant for a mother alone with 2 kids.
Lets try something new. We decide to ride the free streetcar downtown. We found a fun toystore. The kids wandered around forever. Cailin bought 2 stuffed animals with all of her allowance to add to her already ridicuously large collection. But apparently this horse and penguin are different and much better than the ones she already has. What better way to learn about the value of money than by wasting it on crap.
Next we have to go to Whole Foods to buy meds for the kids. Halfway between the toy store and the grocery store Avrie began crying and didn't stop for another 3 hours. The grocery trip involved a scene of myself running frantically around the store screaming Cailin's name with Avrie in the sling and my breast half exposed (Avrie had been nursing in the sling) pushing a completely empty cart around with me for no reason at all. That's when a woman comes walking up from the exact opposite of the store with Cailin in hand. She was in the bakery looking for me. I've almost set the record for how many times in a 6 month period I can lose my 4 year old child for 15 minutes or more. I'm so far on quite a roll.
So, I hurriedly grab our meds, some snacks, my heart in the produce section and my breath in the snack aisle and leave. It's always good to end on a high note.
Unfortunately by this time it is lunch time and I am obligated to feed and nourish my children on a regular basis. Its in the contract.
So, we stop at Baja Fresh. Avrie by this point has discovered the homeopathic meds we bought and is completely obsessed with trying to open them. By the way, she still really hasn't stopped crying. By the time the food is ready the crying has escalated because of her frustration with the twisty contraption the pills are trapped inside of. I whoof down my food at great speeds, shove a chicken taco into the mouth of my compliant 4 year old daughter, look around to make sure there aren't any gypsies around to tempt me. (I could have made a few bucks with Avrie) and made a dash for it to the nearest streetcar to take us to our temp home.
Ahhhhh, a nice dip in the pool and hot tub and once again I am manipulated into thinking this pseudo vacation will be fun.
The next morning breakfast ended with Cailin wanting Lucky Charms (which they dont have) Avrie eating ice and one bite of waffle, Cailin eating again 1/4 of a waffle and I actually ate warm food this time. A little better than the day before.
We decided to take the street car downtown one more time to go to Hannah Anderson, a ridicuously overpriced but cute children's clothes store. Cailin loves to try on clothes (what girl doesn't). It ended in disaster. Avrie cried from the moment we stepped foot into the store. They had toys and a train table but any time I stepped even 3 feet away from her she would dramatically throw herself to the floor, smack her head on the tile and then wail in misery. Happy -happy-joy-joy. We left quickly. Poor Cailin, she is such a good sport.
The next series of events is by far the highlight of my trip.
We jump onto the street car because we have to meet Steve back at the hotel for lunch. Avrie is crying before we even get on but I figure I can distract her or nurse her or cast a magic spell on her. None of the above work. Instead, she actually throws herself onto the nastiness of the floor of the streetcar, refusing to let me even touch her. She just lays there and screams on this crowded public transit street car. People walk over her, around her, almost on her. They pretend like its not happening, some give me a look of disapproval, others offer their condolences with their eyes. It is definitely my crowning glory as a mother. Then I start getting a glare from an irritating older woman sitting behind us who begins to offer annoying moth ball ridden old lady advice.
Irritating old woman: "Do you think she would stop crying if you gave her this rootbeer candy to suck on? Its sweet."
Me: " Sure, it will have immediate effects and shut her right up, and then I will just dislodge it from her windpipe when we reach our destination."
Irritating old woman: "Maybe she is hungry, do you have a bottle?"
Me: "Oh, what a good idea, why didn't I think of that. I thought it would be better and easier if we all just started throwing bits of bread and rotten vegetables at her, she's liable to find it amusing and maybe ingest a little as well."
Irritating old woman: "Have you tried holding her?"
Me: "Oh no, once you hold them that's all they want from you, human contact. I make it a strict policy to only drag my children around by their ankles when we go places."
Irritating old woman: I'll just sit here with my fingers plugged into my ears in an obvious manner while I scowl at this horribly insane mother, maybe that will shut her damn kid up.
Me: Go shove your rootbeer candy up your ass.
About 10 minutes later as the bus cleared of its passengers (total of 20 minutes) the screaming subsided to whining which quieted to moaning and then silence. Yes folks, my beautiful blue eyed, porcelain skinned, blonde hair baby cried herself to sleep sprawled out and face down in public transportation shit.
And that my friends is why the next time someone asks you to accompany them on a business trip, with courage in your eyes and surety in your voice, stand up and say, No, No Thankyou, I think we'll just stay home.
PS. If you ask Cailin what her favorite part of the trip was, she will tell you..."The spinning office chair in the hotel room." Oh, to be 4 again!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
My parenting strategy...to the funny farm with you!
Quick post! I have to go in a minute because a member of the Bishopric is coming over in a moment to offer me a calling at church. Hmmmm, Im very curious. The only calling I would turn down on the spot would be anything dealing with cubscouts. Ethically, I just couldnt accept that job. Anything else that has absolutely nothing to do with tying knots, making little wooden cars, rubbing sticks together and any type of badges or ceremonies, Ill consider wrapping my brain around.
But, the reason for the post. Last night Steve put his foot down at dinner with Cailin. We fight her every single night at dinner to eat. Some parents have no problem with kids that pick around their plate, and eat tons of snacks before and after dinner but we do. Im trying to teach my child healthy eating habits, the importance of sitting together at dinner as a family and to not waste. Steve informed her that tonight she will get 1 warning and if her whining continues, no dinner. She immediately broke into sobs and declared..."You just want me to DIE!!!" This comment stemmed from us repeatedly telling her the reason we eat food is so our bodies can grow and we wont die.
So, now that I have properly screwed up my daughters perception of life and priorities. I now wonder, as an adult will she be attending therapy only once a month or have I just escalated her to weekly sessions with the local shrink?
But, the reason for the post. Last night Steve put his foot down at dinner with Cailin. We fight her every single night at dinner to eat. Some parents have no problem with kids that pick around their plate, and eat tons of snacks before and after dinner but we do. Im trying to teach my child healthy eating habits, the importance of sitting together at dinner as a family and to not waste. Steve informed her that tonight she will get 1 warning and if her whining continues, no dinner. She immediately broke into sobs and declared..."You just want me to DIE!!!" This comment stemmed from us repeatedly telling her the reason we eat food is so our bodies can grow and we wont die.
So, now that I have properly screwed up my daughters perception of life and priorities. I now wonder, as an adult will she be attending therapy only once a month or have I just escalated her to weekly sessions with the local shrink?
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Cailin's Preschool adventures
I have a few minutes to give an update while Cailin is at school and Avrie is picking up the massive amount of shoes that my children own and putting them in the enormous basket from which Cailin dumped them all out looking for flip flops. Keep in mind its been pouring for 2 days, therefor flip flops are pretty much not going to keep her feet warm and dry. We settled on tennis shoes.
Cailin started school on Friday with 1/2 of her classmates, the other 1/2 started on Thursday. We had the cameras all charged and ready to go, daddy came home from lunch to see her off. The bus pulled up, it picks her up directly in front of our door. I walk her onto the bus to strap her in. Yes, there are seatbelts on this bus, not only are there seatbelts but there are also harnesses that resemble a carseat. You flip down the seat cushion and voila, there is a built in car seat. Cailin refuses to ride in that. Anyways, I walk her on to strap her in and she notices another mom riding the bus with her daughter. Steve and I were actually going to drive and meet her at school to say goodbye but once she saw that other mom her attempted brave independence was shoved into her pocket for the moment and she wanted mommy to ride with her. No problem, Steve was home. So we get on the bus together. 1/2 through the trip, after 3 other kid/parent pickups, I look down and realize I am still wearing my apron from breakfast. Slightly embarassing but not too horrific. They probably just thought my fashion sense was a little skew.
The teachers pick up the kids right at the bus, unstrap them and walk them all in a line to the classroom. Cailin did not want me to stay and told me she was going to be happy, and she was!! She loves school. She loves the painting, the music, stories, especially the playground (she does the monkey bars the whole time, she is obsessed and actually really good at them), she loves the play kitchen, the teachers and their pet tartanula named Linda.
I miss her during the day, but she is having so much fun. Avrie has been taking a nice long nap during the time Cailin is gone so I have about 2-3 hours completely to myself. Unless you count our little 4 yr old neighbor Luke who comes in a couple times, hangs out on our back porch and yells stories and jokes at me through my sliding glass door. "Jenny, do you want to be WonderWoman?" Hmmmm, Ive never thought about that.
Oh no!!! Just looked down, Avrie is nursing and is starting to fall asleep again. No, no, no, not at 3:15pm, I dont think so. Gotta go distract and make happy. Ill finish later.
Cailin started school on Friday with 1/2 of her classmates, the other 1/2 started on Thursday. We had the cameras all charged and ready to go, daddy came home from lunch to see her off. The bus pulled up, it picks her up directly in front of our door. I walk her onto the bus to strap her in. Yes, there are seatbelts on this bus, not only are there seatbelts but there are also harnesses that resemble a carseat. You flip down the seat cushion and voila, there is a built in car seat. Cailin refuses to ride in that. Anyways, I walk her on to strap her in and she notices another mom riding the bus with her daughter. Steve and I were actually going to drive and meet her at school to say goodbye but once she saw that other mom her attempted brave independence was shoved into her pocket for the moment and she wanted mommy to ride with her. No problem, Steve was home. So we get on the bus together. 1/2 through the trip, after 3 other kid/parent pickups, I look down and realize I am still wearing my apron from breakfast. Slightly embarassing but not too horrific. They probably just thought my fashion sense was a little skew.
The teachers pick up the kids right at the bus, unstrap them and walk them all in a line to the classroom. Cailin did not want me to stay and told me she was going to be happy, and she was!! She loves school. She loves the painting, the music, stories, especially the playground (she does the monkey bars the whole time, she is obsessed and actually really good at them), she loves the play kitchen, the teachers and their pet tartanula named Linda.
I miss her during the day, but she is having so much fun. Avrie has been taking a nice long nap during the time Cailin is gone so I have about 2-3 hours completely to myself. Unless you count our little 4 yr old neighbor Luke who comes in a couple times, hangs out on our back porch and yells stories and jokes at me through my sliding glass door. "Jenny, do you want to be WonderWoman?" Hmmmm, Ive never thought about that.
Oh no!!! Just looked down, Avrie is nursing and is starting to fall asleep again. No, no, no, not at 3:15pm, I dont think so. Gotta go distract and make happy. Ill finish later.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
School & Cannibalism
Okay, like all my blogs lately this one is going to be quick.
Cailin got into Preschool!!! Yippee!!
It sounds so silly but since Preschool here in Seattle in free in the public schools and is also on top of that...amazing, there are limited spaces. So, they take the kids that either have the most problems or special needs or the ones that just need it the most. Its all done by a point system. So, of course, in my attempt to gain as many points as possible. I described Cailin's personality exactly, not leaving out a single angelic detail, and did not tell a single white lie, yes folks, its all true!
They actually called a couple months back to do a follow up on her application. They asked questions about her constant fragile emotional state, her bossiness, and her "Atlas" complex. (For those of you who don't know, that is one of our little nicknames for Cailin, she always walks around as though the wait of the world is on her shoulders). Hmmm, would I rather have a child nicknamed Atlas or Hannibal? Well, guess what? I have one of each!
We also gained some needed points since she just moved away from 7 first cousins, 4 grandparents, 10 aunts and uncles and 2 very good friends.
I got a call this morning, there is a spot available for her...do we want it? Hell YES!! So, in a couple weeks, Cailin will be in school 4 days a week, for 3 hours.
While my sister and her girls were recently visiting us here in the great Puget Sound, my Hannibal Lector (17 month old Avrie) bit my niece. No, not just an, "Im a little angry Im going to nip you on the shoulder" NO, this was a full fledged flesh wound, on the jaw, bleeding, crying, neosporn, yes that correct, ointment had to be applied, and a bandage!! My daughter, my little hellion of a child, attacked her sweet, loving, older cousin. Oh yes, Ashey is a full 6 years older that Avrie, the culprit. Age, strength, and pure maturity was no match. I am still completely embarrassed that a child of mine caused an injury that will actually need time to heal. Ugh! Well, Avrie is sleeping and I need to pee! Talk to y'all soon.
Cailin got into Preschool!!! Yippee!!
It sounds so silly but since Preschool here in Seattle in free in the public schools and is also on top of that...amazing, there are limited spaces. So, they take the kids that either have the most problems or special needs or the ones that just need it the most. Its all done by a point system. So, of course, in my attempt to gain as many points as possible. I described Cailin's personality exactly, not leaving out a single angelic detail, and did not tell a single white lie, yes folks, its all true!
They actually called a couple months back to do a follow up on her application. They asked questions about her constant fragile emotional state, her bossiness, and her "Atlas" complex. (For those of you who don't know, that is one of our little nicknames for Cailin, she always walks around as though the wait of the world is on her shoulders). Hmmm, would I rather have a child nicknamed Atlas or Hannibal? Well, guess what? I have one of each!
We also gained some needed points since she just moved away from 7 first cousins, 4 grandparents, 10 aunts and uncles and 2 very good friends.
I got a call this morning, there is a spot available for her...do we want it? Hell YES!! So, in a couple weeks, Cailin will be in school 4 days a week, for 3 hours.
While my sister and her girls were recently visiting us here in the great Puget Sound, my Hannibal Lector (17 month old Avrie) bit my niece. No, not just an, "Im a little angry Im going to nip you on the shoulder" NO, this was a full fledged flesh wound, on the jaw, bleeding, crying, neosporn, yes that correct, ointment had to be applied, and a bandage!! My daughter, my little hellion of a child, attacked her sweet, loving, older cousin. Oh yes, Ashey is a full 6 years older that Avrie, the culprit. Age, strength, and pure maturity was no match. I am still completely embarrassed that a child of mine caused an injury that will actually need time to heal. Ugh! Well, Avrie is sleeping and I need to pee! Talk to y'all soon.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
I miss him!!!
Here is my heart felt apology for being absent for so long. But I have been in mourning. Recently I lost a dear, close friend. Since moving to the Seattle area, we had become so close. We communicated often, spending long hours together, usually in the late afternoon between the hours of 3pm - 6pm. But one day when I needed my friend the most, I was in desperate need, I called and called and called but I received no response. After further investigation it became a sad reality to me. My car horn had died!! It doesn't even make a slight squeak. All I need, at the very least, is a muffled cough, just to satisfy my own intense anger and frustration and whichever insanely slow and stupid Seattlite is driving in front of me, but it wont even give that to me...nothing!!! I feel so alone and vulnerable on the roads, backstreets and freeways. Im praying that my friend will one day come back to me. My car is due for an oil change, maybe something can still be done. Ill keep you informed.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
At last they are tamed
Steve left this morning to get his hair cut. In the past he has always bravely (as I say) sauntered into a 'Great Clips' or 'Cost Cutters' or some other place that minimally requires a 4 hour video course certification and your word that you haven't killed anyone in the past 6 months, most specifically with scissors. He usually goes on a Saturday morning, right when they open. He walks in, puts in his name, asks the wait, and if it's longer than 20 minutes...he bolts. Too much precious time waiting reading hair magazines and staring at all the other waiting men's shoes. Maybe if the odds of him getting the cute girl he might up the allowed time to 25 minutes, but that's pushing it. He has to weigh the perks (no pun intended), is it worth the extra wait to be able to legally stare at voluptuousness as she cuts the front of his hair. And what if he gets sweaty, stinky hair grease dude instead. Hmmmmm, what a decision. Should he take the chance?
His pre hair cutting ritual- he has to take a shower before going, let the earth spin off its axis if he actually has to pay extra for them to wash his hair. And, he has informed me that no man, no respectable man, would ask to have his hair washed before cutting. Apparently that is absolutely ridiculous.
Well, since moving to the greater Northwest, our lives have changed in many ways.
-I've been sick for almost the entire 4 months.
-Cailin has found a friend next store that likes to yell "F!!! off" towards her through our sliding glass door when he doesn't get his way.
-Our kids wont go to bed until 10pm because the sun is as bright as it is at noon.
-And the jumbles in the newspaper are amazing.
But, the biggest change...okay not the biggest but a pretty good perk. Steve has actually started going to an actual hairdresser. Yes, you read correctly, not a person wielding scissors who can somewhat cut a straight line. An actual person who went to school, knows about thinning hair, razor cutting and washes and massages, no extra charge.
But today, he came home, and guess what she had done? She trimmed, she tamed the webs of wiry hair that pertruded off of his brow, right above his eyes. Some people call them eyebrows. Steve's had gone beyond that description. They, at any moment could have reached out and attacked. "They"? Well, actually "It" because it was slightly connected in the middle (I won't use the dreaded word) but I would find myself gently pulling one or two small hairs from the middle as he was in his deepest sleep. (He has no idea, shhhhh). I am so excited!!! His crazy, dark, bushy, loooong, untamed brows, have been tamed. So handsome!!! Now if we could only get him to a cosmetic podiatrist. (Is there such a thing?)
PS POST
Things you thought you would never have to say to or about your children...
"Avrie, dont kick the squirrel, it could bite you"
"I think Avrie just fell off the dining room table...again"
"Stop playing with the electrical outlets"
"You have to take off your clothes before taking a shower"
"Please stop playing with my moles!!!"
His pre hair cutting ritual- he has to take a shower before going, let the earth spin off its axis if he actually has to pay extra for them to wash his hair. And, he has informed me that no man, no respectable man, would ask to have his hair washed before cutting. Apparently that is absolutely ridiculous.
Well, since moving to the greater Northwest, our lives have changed in many ways.
-I've been sick for almost the entire 4 months.
-Cailin has found a friend next store that likes to yell "F!!! off" towards her through our sliding glass door when he doesn't get his way.
-Our kids wont go to bed until 10pm because the sun is as bright as it is at noon.
-And the jumbles in the newspaper are amazing.
But, the biggest change...okay not the biggest but a pretty good perk. Steve has actually started going to an actual hairdresser. Yes, you read correctly, not a person wielding scissors who can somewhat cut a straight line. An actual person who went to school, knows about thinning hair, razor cutting and washes and massages, no extra charge.
But today, he came home, and guess what she had done? She trimmed, she tamed the webs of wiry hair that pertruded off of his brow, right above his eyes. Some people call them eyebrows. Steve's had gone beyond that description. They, at any moment could have reached out and attacked. "They"? Well, actually "It" because it was slightly connected in the middle (I won't use the dreaded word) but I would find myself gently pulling one or two small hairs from the middle as he was in his deepest sleep. (He has no idea, shhhhh). I am so excited!!! His crazy, dark, bushy, loooong, untamed brows, have been tamed. So handsome!!! Now if we could only get him to a cosmetic podiatrist. (Is there such a thing?)
PS POST
Things you thought you would never have to say to or about your children...
"Avrie, dont kick the squirrel, it could bite you"
"I think Avrie just fell off the dining room table...again"
"Stop playing with the electrical outlets"
"You have to take off your clothes before taking a shower"
"Please stop playing with my moles!!!"
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