Wednesday, February 27, 2008

How inconvenient.

Well, changes have happened in J's office. We were blessed for a period with him working 4-10 hour days and having 3 days off most weekends (he did have to work a few Friday's). Well, changes have occurred in his division and they now have a new GM and have been moved back to 5-8's.

I'll be honest I'm not to happy. Our spring weekend plans will have to be reevaluated, b/c they will require vacation time. Maybe they will change it back someday. Right now I can only hope.

Both Grandpa's are at the hospital (UPDATED)

Okay, the Grandpa from yesterday has a little blockage behind a stint, but they will probably let him go around 5 and they will schedule a stress test to see if they need to do more to fix it.


I just got a call that my other grandfather passed out and was in the ER at Norman. The guess is that his blood pressure meds made his blood pressure to low and he passed out. I'm not sure.

UPDATE

Grandpa T (the one who passed out) was almost kept, his sodium was a little low. When his doctor was contacted he said to release him and that he'd take care of it. Grandpa T went home, changed clothes and went to El Chico. Mexican food-a good source of sodium. I wish we had an El Chico here.

Grandpa O should be out of the hospital in the next hour and a half.

R.I.P. Bill Buckley Jr.

I was first exposed to Bill Buckley in college. He was mediating a debate that was telecast to the Oklahoma State campus. Even as a mediator he was more interesting and intelligent then either of the debaters.

He was a man of the type intellect that you honestly don't see very often. Whether you agree or disagree with his politics (even I don't always), if you ever have the opportunity to see any talk he has given it is worth the time just to hear is gift of the English language.

He will be missed.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Prayer Request

My grandfather was taken to Norman Regional Hospital. I'm not sure what is wrong. They thought it was a heart attack, but the EKG wasn't showing anything (I think). This is all I know from my dad, so if you can throw a prayer up for my Grandpa O.

For love of Scrabble.

Okay, so I'm a geek. I love me some Scrabble. I play on Facebook, so I play a game virtually for about a week before it ends, but I never play my husband. We have good reason, he won't play me online and we have 4 kids and 2 under the age of 2. Imagine the mess of tiles from a well played game. I know it couldn't be left for a moment, or all would be lost. I needed a solution.

I found a bought the solution.



We went to bed the other night and played on the bed laughing. We come up with some pretty stupid stuff. We can close the game and save it for later. It's just SCRABBULOUS!

I love politics,...

...but this election season is getting on my nerves. I usually love the election season (maybe it's just been going on too long). I guess this goes to remind me that it is the politics and issues I love not the people. Maybe I'm not into it, because there is no one who really stirs a fire in me. I'll be glad when November is here and we can have the election behind us and get back into policy. I'm just tired of listening to them slam each other, as they don't really say much about their plans and policy ideas. I need more then catch phrases, rhetoric, vagueness and dirt. I'm just needing some depth and more substance.

Blogger Spell Check

Did anyone else have issues with blogger's spell check not working lately?

It's up and running again.

Ya, I'm glad.

I lucked out.

Jonathan was supposed to be gone overnight last night. He went to Wichita to meet with Cessna. He finished up about 4 o'clock , so he drove a little over 2 hours to come home last night and drove out again this morning.

I can handle the kids when he's away, but it is just so nice to have back up at night. I'm so thankful he came home.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Ha! Ha! Ha! (UPDATED)

Babystepper just posted this comment under my Um ya... post:

"No wonder you've been a away for a bit! You have always had amazing amounts of energy."

I'm sorry Babystepper I laughed. The only reason I'm functioning lately is the kids are sleeping until 9 and I'm being lazy and sleeping until then too. Yes, I am sleeping 9-11 hours a night, because I am absolutely wiped out. I also went from drinking very little caffeine to consuming 2-5 Dr. Pepper's or cups of coffee a day. I've hit the wall.

UPDATE

For the record this sleep pattern has only been going on since everyone has been sick. I honestly think it's what has kept me from catching the crud.

When I grow up I want to be...

... a carbon copy of what I see in women's magazines.

Scratch that I want to be me and comfortable in my own skin.

My friend/family over in the Babystepper household had a great post today. Go ahead...read it...I'll be waiting here when your done.

She's an excellent writer and makes great points, but this one is one that has struck home with me around Christmas and it's nice to know I'm not the only one.

I rarely buy a magazine outside of Family Fun (for some random craft or an easy pirate ship cake) or recipes from Rachel Ray. I found I don't have time to read them and I’m not going to execute most of the ideas and suggestions they had. They aren't me, they don't fit my budget and I have better things to do.

Reading about the article that frustrated Babystepper reminded me of a conversation Jonathan and I had about V before Christmas. Jonathan had taken V to Toys R Us to look and give ideas of what she would like. Every "girly" thing she looked at she expressed interest in and then thought about it and said, "That's neat, but I really don't think I'd play with it." V did not request a Barbie, a baby doll, kitchen stuff, or dress up clothes. The one thing she really wanted was a lightsaber. Needless to say Jonathan got bummed. He thought he was losing his little girl.

I had to explain a few things to him. I asked these questions and I answered them for him:

"What are girls expected to play? House, dress up/princess, dolls/mommy"

"What do I do everyday? Clean house, cook, and take care of babies/kids, married (to my prince)"

"Those imagination play things are the daily activity in our house and she's bored with it. She knows it's not all fun and games. Let her go beyond and be an astronaut, a pirate, or buy her some K'nex to build what she imagines. Let her not be conventional, because she's not. Neither was I at her age. At 7 all I wanted were Transformers and G.I. Joes (I only got 1)."

This brings me to what Babystepper was talking about. I am a person who is content to be alone. I have few female friends, but we are all unconventional in what we find fun and funny. Going to the garden center with goody bags would just be weird. Normal for us would be karaoke, working on a musical or play, inflicting pain on each other at the YMCA, or being messy and helping paint a room. Spontaneity reins supreme and it's just doing what we like and acting like big kids (who can have an intelligent conversation) together.

I want my daughter to know that different is good, life can have its conventional (wife, mother, student), but you still get to be whoever and whatever God made you to be.

I like to embrace my weirdness and I hope V will too.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

America's Next Top Model

I really don't watch TV so I haven't seen this show, but a girl from where I currently live in on the show. Out of curiosity I looked at the web site to see her picture. She looks like Mila Jovovich.

Wow!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I admit it I love Daimond.

Neil Diamond that is.

Yes, it's hard to admit, but my mother is a huge fan and has past it down to me (I'm the only 1 of her 3 who is). It's strange element in my music style. I like rock, alternative and metal as my standard (I like most stuff in some form). Right now I really want my mom's old records and a record player for a little Neil. Maybe it's because I have so much house work to do (because I'm lazy, people have been sick and home renovations), it seemed to be the standard stuff mom played while we worked. It was peppy and made for some silly dancing on mom's part as we worked.

Ya, maybe I need to go to Hastings and see what they have.

Friday, February 15, 2008

I smell poop!

I hope this makes you laugh. If it makes you ill I'm sorry.

O and A are both cutting teeth. They are usually normal babies having 1-2 BM's a day. Right now they are teething and we have increased to 5-8 a day. All doctors will tell you teething doesn't cause diarrhea, but it's happened with all 4 of my kids EVERY time they cut teeth (even 6 year old molars-sorry V). I would love to be believed by a doctor, but this proves my point, they call it medical practice, because if they knew what they were doing they'd call it something else.


I usually buy a big box of diapers every 2 weeks, but I've had to buy 1 box a week for the last 2 weeks. That's 94 diapers, that is almost 7 diapers per kid per day. That's like the number you go through with a newborn. I just want it to stop.


Also be warned 100% grape juice and diarrhea stains their rear end. It's like perminent marker. You have to scrub and scrub.

Now that I've grossed you out, have a great day. I just had to share a mommy moment.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Is it bad...

...that I could care less about Valentine's Day. My primary love language is acts of service. Going out for an over priced meal and getting more "stuff", because it is certain day doesn't do anything for me.

Don't get me wrong I enjoy being treated and appreciated and I like a good gift, but I like for it to be J's idea. I'm not anti-Valentine's Day for everyone, just me. I like making cards for the kids Victoria knows, with her (it makes a fun art lesson), and I enjoy an excuse to buy a little candy.

When I knew Jonathan was looking on the computer to buy me a gift I told him, "Buy me a gift and I'll punch you in the throat. If you feel the desire that you must do something, bring home dinner so I don't have to cook." It's a wonder I ever got married with my attitude at times.

I can skip Valentine's Day I will take a random act of service done in love any day.

In other news J has no desire to eat he’s so sick. He ate ¼ of a Caesar wrap from Camille’s and is in bed in a sweatshirt, bundled up and chilling. He missed work Monday and was going to make it up tomorrow and I told him if he felt bad at all he wasn’t allowed to go in. He must feel bad, because he didn’t argue.

Um ya...

...so it's been a while. Jackson didn't get a "My baby turned 4 post". Life happens. The babies, though normally easy to care for and good natured, have started channeling the devil (not really, but we've had ear infections for a month). I also noticed they were each cutting at least 2 teeth. As it stands I am the last man standing at home. I'm the only one not sick and I hope to stay that way.

The babies have hit climbing mode (no not stairs, that’s old news and normal). I don’t remember this with V and J, but O and A climb tables, cabinets…whatever. Nothing is sacred. I have had at least 1 new full box of Cheerio’s dumped and a full pitcher of Kool-Aid. V’s home school assignments have been written on. I left briefly one night and Jonathan left them alone for 3 minutes. I came in and busted them on the kitchen table with V’s markers (washable) writing on things and each other. Say it with me class…FUN!

Here we go on the Jackson front. His 4th birthday my mom, sister's, Michelle's boyfriend and J's parents came to B'ville. We ate pizza at a place that no one can argue has the best pizza...period...no you can't argue until you've tried it...stop now...you can't convince me. Then we unloaded "THE GIFT" (a SQUARE 13 foot trampoline). Michelle and Steve picked it up at Sam's. It was in 2 HUGE boxes (I think coffins are smaller) and it was heavy. I used to sell appliances at Lowe's (I've loaded refrigerators with no issue and these boxes I thought had anvils in them). If you look at the box for the enclosure and trampoline (14’ round) at Wal-Mart those 2 boxes together are smaller then 1 of these.

The boxes were set in the kitchen and we brought Jackson in. He looked and said, "I wanted a robot!" Hmmm, we didn't think about the fact that he'd never been on a trampoline before. My mom did buy him a Transformer, so we were saved. It was very cold out so I threw on my coveralls and we assembled it. Did I mention this detail...it was cold. He now loves it.

We have been very busy since we got the trampoline. Other neighbors have the swing sets with the forts and play houses, but we have the ONLY trampoline. We are very popular now. The boy next door (Matthew, he's 12) likes to play with V and J. We know some of his friends (they wanted to help when we moved in) and he's brought them over to see if they can play. It's been fun, but busy.

Other recent activities have included, a foot of snow (a huge fort and snowman) Jackson started speech therapy and we gutted V's bedroom down to the studs and are in the process of remodeling it. We've been busy.

So far in V's room we have removed over 2000lbs of plaster, and unknown amount of lathe and trim. We have rewired which required some attic tear up (we still had a little knob and tube wiring), we have insulated the dinning room downstairs with blown insulation from her room and we've added rolled insulation to her room. Her room has been sheet rocked, taped and had a coating of joint compound put on. 2 more coats of joint compound sanding and sanding will leave the walls ready for me to paint. We also have patched her closet floor, now we need to sand and varnish. Then it will be down to the details like trim (which J builds) and me finding what I want for curtain material so I can make them. V is sleeping in the laundry room (no it isn’t as weird as it sounds).

There is your update from the land of the R family. I hope this finds you well, warm and not windblown.