Under Development

We've Moved!!!

2008-07-28T10:48:00.002-05:00

I've moved my blog to WordPress... just a lot easier to use it with LiveWriter.

The new address is http://stwdevelopment.wordpress.com/

Ready to Go

2008-07-26T22:23:00.003-05:00

I took Harley back to the vet's today for her boarding. She started to get excited the minute she saw the vet's office. We walked in and the line was three deep so we got into it. All of a sudden all the women behind the desk started saying "There's Harley, she looks so good". When it was our turn she was paws on the counter begging for (and getting) treats. They told me that they couldn't wait until Monday when one of the vet techs who really loved Harley got back. I guess this woman was practically crawling into her cage with her to let her know she's loved. That made me feel really good. I know she's in good hands and will be back to her old self by the time we get home.

After dropping Harley off I picked up Jim and Robert and we went out to lunch and ran some errands. This afternoon was spent packing and getting the house in order. I'm happy to say it's in a nice orderly fashion so we won't be returning to a huge mess. I also sprayed the yard tonight so hopefully if there are any more disease ridden ticks crawling around out there they will be dead by the time we get back. Unfortunately I got stung by a wasp when I was putting the hose up... I'm spraying for those next!

I need to get some sleep, we're leaving when Robert wakes up in the morning and that's usually around 5. He'll wake up, we'll get him dressed, give him his bottle and he'll go back to sleep and hopefully sleep most of the way to Wichita. Once we're there... it's zoo time!

New Favorite

2008-07-25T21:35:00.002-05:00

This picture makes me smile. I love the look in his eyes and how he's holding his arm. It's almost like he's saying "I dare you to take this spoon out of my mouth"

24 Hour Parole

2008-07-25T18:11:00.002-05:00

She's home!!!! Our wonderful, beautiful Harley got to come home for a night today!!! YEAH!!! Robert and I stopped by to check on her this morning. When she came into the room Robert was waving his arms and squealing. He was so happy to see her! And she was equally as happy to see her boy. She gave his face a good cleaning.

This afternoon the vet agreed that she was doing well enough to come home for the night since she has to go back to board tomorrow. They even gave her a nice bath before I picked her up so she's be nice and clean. She's not eating the canned food that I put out for her but she did clean up Robert's dinner plate and will eat treats. She's also drinking which is super important. I managed to get her pills down her. Such a willful dog... she'll hold them in her mouth forever! Jim is fixing her some rice and egg for dinner so maybe she'll eat that.

Tomorrow we've got a lot of work to get done so we can leave Sunday. I really want to leave the house clean so we don't come home to a mess!

Roller Coaster

2008-07-23T22:30:00.002-05:00

This is how life feels right now. I went to see Harley this morning and for the first time she actually pulled on the lead when she saw me, trotted over and laid her head in my lap. That's a good sign. The bad news is her platelet count is still low and she's still not eating. This afternoon they started her on prednisone to try to boost her appetite. I was hoping that she could come home today so that we could have a few days with her before we leave town. Unfortunately, she's not out of the woods yet. Now I'm thinking about skipping the Wichita leg of vacation. Jim would go and teach then come home Wednesday night and we'd leave for Arkansas on Thursday. It would wind up being the same amount of time in Arkansas. It's not like I can do anything for her right now, I just feel really bad thinking about leaving town while she is still sick. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

I have a grant that I have to finish up and deliver tomorrow. I have a few paragraphs left but am having a horrible case of "I hate everything I write". My goal is to sleep on it tonight, get to the office early tomorrow and pound it out while my head is still clear (or as clear as it gets right now).

On the Mend???

2008-07-22T20:40:00.003-05:00

I am so ready for this puppy dog to be home! I think she is too. I stopped by to check on her this morning. She had a bit more pep than yesterday. She's gotten her catheter out but was still on IV fluids. She had been on the medicine for less than 24 hours so even minimal improvement was a good sign for me. The vet tech said she also thought that Harley was perking up a bit. I certainly don't expect her to be fully bouncing off the walls for a bit since it's been two weeks since she's eaten. The original vet will be back tomorrow so hopefully we know then. I can't say enough for the vet and his staff. They have been so accommodating and you can tell they love my baby girl too. I'm really hoping tomorrow she can come home. Of course, she has to go back Saturday to be boarded for the week we're out of town.

Jim is in Chicago tonight. Robert finally went down a little after 8. I haven't eaten. I have a small head ache and I know it's tension from worrying about the dog. It's too quiet here. The cat thinks it's perfect.. just he and I stretched out on the bed. I'm really hoping that Robert has a good night so that I get some sleep. There is so much to do before we leave town Sunday and I have a full plate at work too. It will all get done, it always does. These back to back trips are a killer.

Lately I feel like I just don't have enough time to give 100% to everyone. If there are dishes in the sink I feel guilty about playing with Robert. But if he goes to sleep and I realize we haven't had any quality time together I feel guilty about that. I know I should be up cleaning and doing laundry right now but I'm just too tired.... and it's the season finale of Deadliest Catch followed by Flipping Out... yeah, I've got my priorities straight.

Our St. Louis Weekend

2008-07-21T20:10:00.003-05:00

Pictures from our St. Louis trip! Robert is an excellent little traveler. He did great in the car and never did get fussy... so nice!

There were 16 of us this weekend. Jim, Robert & I stayed at a hotel because I knew Robert would never go to sleep with that many people around to entertain. We had such a nice relaxing time. Dawn & Mark's house is in the country and has a lake and such a beautiful view. I could have sat outside and just stared at the lake and pasture for hours. I also had a great time getting to know Jim's family better.

Next week we will be in Arkansas at the end of the week with Gary and Sherry and will probably also see Scott and Nici there.

The bad news is Harley took a turn for the worse this weekend. The really freaky thing is I had a dream last night that I got to the vet's to pick her up and they told me something was wrong. Then I woke up. They called me before I got there this morning. She wasn't eating or drinking, was dehydrated and had diahrreah. Not good. They wanted to do some blood work and x-rays and would call me back. I got some things done at the office and then headed to the vet's. My baby was sick, she needed to know that I was still here for her. The tests didn't show anything really significant but her platelet count was down. She looked horrible. SHe did wag her tail a bit for me but she has lost a bunch of weight, was drooling and her coat looked horrible. While we were waiting for the vet she stood by the door with her tail between her legs looking at me like "take me home mama". While talking to the vet I remembered she had a tick on her a few weeks ago. All the symptoms point to Ehrliclia. A totally treatable disease. And if that's
what it is we've caught it in the acute stages. We started her on the dyocylene and hopefully when I go by tomorrow she will be showing some signs of improvement. They say it takes 24-48 hours to start working. For now she's still at the vet's. Further blood work showed that her liver and kidney function were fine so that's good. She is getting IV fluids to rehydrate her. I'm so worried. I absolutely broke down in the vet's office. I'm sure they think they're dealing with a total nut case. I was so afraid they were going to tell me that it was fatal. We're still not out of the woods but my gut is telling me it was the tick. Time will tell.

Exhausted!

2008-07-20T21:29:00.003-05:00

We are home from our weekend in St. Louis. We had an exceptionally wonderful time. The only downfall is Robert's schedule is now ROYALLY screwed up and we're paying for it tonight but other than that it was a lot of fun spending time with family and getting to know them.

Haven't unpacked a thing or downloaded pictures yet so here's a tag from Shari's blog.

1. Last Movie I Saw In A Movie Theater? Harry Potter 5
2. What Book Are You Reading? Currently nothing but there is a trip to Barnes and Noble in my near future -- I'm thinking Tuesday night when Jim's in Chicago
3. Favorite Board Game? Yahtzee
4. Favorite Magazine? Real Simple
5. Favorite Smells? Freshly washed Robert
6. Favorite Sounds? Robert's laugh
7. Worst Feeling In The World? Feeling you have let someone down
8. First Thing You Think of When You Wake? What time is it?
9. Favorite Fast Food Place? Wendy's
10. Future Child’s Name? My grandchild :-)
11. Finish This Statement—“If I Had a Lot of Money, I’d… buy a big house with a lot of land
12. Do You Drive Fast? Not usually
13. Do You Sleep With a Stuffed Animal? No.
14. Storms—Cool or Scary? Cool.
15. What Was Your First Car? 1983 Chevy Celebrity
16. Favorite Drink? Dr. Pepper
17. Finish This Statement—“If I Had the Time, I Would…get this house organized!
18. Do You Eat the Stems on Broccoli? I don't eat broccoli.
19. If You could Dye your Hair Any Other Color, What Would It Be? I'm happy with the color it is.
20. Name All the Different Cities In Which You Have Lived. Blue Springs, MO; Bates City, MO; Odessa, MO; Ft. Worth, TX; White Lake, MI; North Kansas City, MO; Shawnee Mission, KS; Kansas City, MO
21. Favorite Sport to Watch? Football
22. What’s Under Your Bed? Dust bunnies
23. Would You Like to Be Born As Yourself Again? Sure, I turned out pretty good.
24. Morning Person or Night Owl? Night owl.
25. Over Easy or Sunny Side Up? Scrambled
26. Favorite Place to Relax? The living room with my family
27. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor? Chocolate

Well, I hear Mr. Tank giving his Daddy a hard time so I better go rescue them. Hopefully pictures and tales of the weekend tomorrow.

17 years and Nine Months

2008-07-13T21:35:00.003-05:00

The big guy, Donald, turns 17 tomorrow. Today just happens to be the day we got together and celebrate as well as the day Robert turns 9 months. Robert is now 26 pounds and 30 inches!

We had a great time celebrating at Aunt Barb's. She and Uncle Ward put out a wonderful menu and it was nice to sit around and visit for a bit. We also snuck in a little birthday celebrating for my Mom.

Mom made the neatest basket for Donald. It had a "Mission Impossible" style note attached cluing him in to the fact that somewhere in the basket there was $50. It had Mt. Dew, Snickers bars, hot Cheetos, sunflower seeds, gummy treats, etc. in it. All his favorite snacking foods. Robert had a good time helping Donald with his presents and cards.

The cutest part of the day was when Uncle Ward was outside and Robert started playing with him through the window. Later on when Robert was playing over by the windows my Uncle went back out in the heat to play with him. He's such a special guy.

Harley is a bit under the weather right now. She's lethargic and not real interested in food. We went through this last year and after $400+ in vet bills we found out it was just a funk so I'm watching her and riding it out.

Our Big Helper

2008-07-11T20:54:00.004-05:00

Robert loves helping unload the dishwasher. He is so funny, he'll yank on stuff trying to get it to come out. Usually Jim will give him a spoon or a plastic plate and that will keep him busy for a while. He got another tooth today so it's now four on top and two on the bottom.

I'm so ready for the weekend. We've got so much to do this weekend to make sure we can get out of town next weekend it's not even funny. To add to the stress of the week Jim will be late getting home Monday and Wednesday and I'll be late Tuesday and Thursday.

That's My Boy

2008-07-08T18:19:00.002-05:00

I downloaded the camera today and found this picture. Not the greatest from a photography standpoint but a new favorite of mine nonetheless. It shows Robert in action with all his baby exuberance. He's actually climbing up my leg while I'm trying to take a picture of him.

Jim got home safe and sound. He said Harley tried to defend her actions last night but he told her he wasn't listening.

Got a call from UPS.. new camera will get here tomorrow but it requires a signature... ugh. So I'll have to wait until Thursday to get it.

I'm off to California Pizza Kitchen for girls night out!

Dog Tired

2008-07-07T22:54:00.002-05:00

Literally... dog tired. Tonight after I got Robert to bed I was putting out the trash when Harley decided to tour the neighborhood. Out the front door like a shot. The closer I got the further she ran. Of course, Jim's out of town. I loaded Robert up in the car and took off after her. I actually got her back to our yard when she bolted again. I took Robert inside and stood vigil in our drive way. I actually got her back to our yard. For thirty minutes she laid three feet from my front door looking in (I had a bowl of water and some treats right inside the door). But she would not come in. Finally she took off again. I'm back in the front yard trying to figure out where she went when my cell phone rang. My dog's been caught. They were two blocks away. I kindly asked if they could bring her to me since I couldn't leave Robert alone in the house. A few minutes later four teenagers in a small car with my big dog pulled up. I slapped a leash on her collar and offered them some money for their troubles. They flat out refused and said, "do something nice for someone else." They have no idea how much it meant to me that they caught her. It means I will sleep tonight... with her curled up at my feet nonetheless. Last time I checked on her she was already curled up asleep... after all, she's had a big night.

It's Almost Like An Illness...

2008-07-07T12:46:00.004-05:00

Since I'm getting the new camera I decided it was definitely time we got a gorillapod. I've wanted one forever if just for the name. I found them on ebay for only $19.99 (shipping included). So a new red one is winging it's way to me even as I type!

I'm starting to think about (worry about) our upcoming road trips and how Robert is going to do. The good news is I'll be able to be in the back seat with him so that should help with the keeping him entertained. I thought about getting a portable DVD player but he doesn't watch TV so I'm not sure that would hold his interest. I am going to pick up some new interactive toys that he won't see until the trip, that should keep his interest for a bit. We also have Sandra Boynton's Blue Moo CD that will be fun for sing a longs.

When we go to St. Louis in a few weeks the boys are going to the ball game Saturday afternoon while the girls (and Robert) go to the zoo. I'm kind of bummed that Jim won't be going to the zoo with us and I know he is too but he is also excited about going to the ball game. It will also give me a chance to have more time one on one with Jim's aunt and cousins so they can see that I really am a nice person.

The St. Louis trip will be four hours in the car. If he takes a nice morning nap it should go pretty smoothly. If not we've built in time to stop along the way and not be rushed. We'll get up Friday, get Harley to the kennel and then take off.

The end of the month when we go to Wichita will be three hours to Wichita... not bad at all. But when we leave there we are headed to Horseshoe Bend, AR. Probably another 6-7 hours. The plan is drive as far as we can Wednesday night then do the rest Thursday. When we come home from AR it will be 5-6 hours so we'll have to schedule some breaks. Apparently Jim wants to take his golf clubs so hopefully there will be room in the car with all of Robert's gear.

Jim left for Springfield this morning. Robert gave him the sweetest hug this morning when we left. I think when we leave work tonight we'll run through Target and then meander home so he can get dinner and hopefully go to sleep. He's been having rough nights lately and I think it's his teeth. He'll wake up all upset and do that two or three times a night which is so unlike him. We've also upped his Benadryl because his poor nose is just so stuffy. Hopefuly he outgrows his allergies.

End of a Long Weekend

2008-07-06T14:45:00.003-05:00

I'm so fed up with my current point and shoot camera. It's a Casio and whereas the picture quality is just fine and it is 10 mp, the shutter speed sucks. I've missed so many shots because of the little idiosyncrasies of this camera that I just can't stand it any longer. So I ordered this one. I had a cyber-shot before and just loved it. Plus, this one is red... how cool is that! I can't wait for it to get here! I also got a 4gig memory stick for it and an extra battery... we should be good to go on our trips.

Did a lot of shopping today. Robert got a new car seat. Needing something a bit more comfy for our upcoming long trips. I also picked up a new lightweight travel stroller.

We kept it pretty low key around here this weekend. Friday we went out to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants and then went and found some shoes for me to wear to the wedding. Friday night we hung out at home and tried to calm the poor dog. She actually ran so hard in our yard barking at all the fireworks that she wore through the pads on her paws. I kept trying to get her to come in and she refused. She's spent the past two days recuperating but she seems to be healing nicely. Last night we had Nick's wedding. It was a very nice wedding. We wound up leaving the reception before they served dinner. It was already 7:30 and Robert was sacked out.

Now that I've finished my shopping for today it's time to get some house work done. I was hoping that Robert would take a nap but so far he's going strong. Jim and I will have to tag team getting stuff done and watching him. I'm sure Jim will be more than willing to watch him rather than clean the bathrooms himself :-)

Tomorrow Jim has to head to Springfield and won't be back until Tuesday so tomorrow night Robert and I will be holding the fort down.

Four Teeth

2008-07-01T22:02:00.006-05:00

I finally got a picture of Robert that show all four of his teeth. I sure hope he gets his Dad's teeth.

Robert really loves his Gerber Wheels. He loves holding them and looking at them as much or more than he does eating them. But he is learning to chew more and more. He's willing to try ANYTHING and hasn't found anything he doesn't like yet. He really likes vanilla ice cream though. Tonight at dinner time he was biting the spoon and blowing in it. It was hilarious and I managed to get it on tape. The kid is a regular little bulldog, he does not let go!

The washing machine is fixed. The last repairman installed the new part wrong... genius. At first the new repairman thought he was going to have to order a new motor... I knew that would mean no machine until at least the 7th and I was not looking forward to going to the laundry mat. Luckily he figured it out and so far three loads in and it's running fine, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Jim had a bad headache tonight when I got home so Robert and I hung out and did some cleaning while he rested. After Robert went to bed I hopped on the computer and took care of ordering concert tickets for my nephew's 17th birthday. It will be his first concert to go to without an adult. I got him two tickets so his best friend can go with him. His dad went to a ton of concerts in high school so he's just carrying on family tradition.

I also got our hotel reservations made for St. Louis in a few weeks. Nice to have that taken care of.

Got a bunch of coupons from Babies R Us today, just in time. We need a new car seat that can be rear facing but where Robert is sitting up because he is HATING the laying back. We also need a different gate for the hallway stairs because the one we're using is just not working out... coupons for both in the flyer... yeah!!! I know where I'll be Friday.

Can you believe today was the halfway point to the year? 183 days behind us, 183 days ahead of us. And Happy Canada Day to our neighbors up north.

The Little Beggars

2008-06-30T21:53:00.002-05:00

This is the scene these days if I eat anything while sitting on the couch. Two little beggars both jockeying for position. Robert tries charm, whining, grabbing... anything he can to get a bite for himself. Harley just tries pushing herself in any way she can.

Raspberries!!!

2008-06-29T21:08:00.000-05:00

Robert's new favorite thing to do...

Weekend Fun

2008-06-29T19:56:00.003-05:00

Jim is recovering well from his recent surgery. He learned (the hard way) don't compare a vasectomy to a c-section... you won't win.

Saturday Northland Animal Welfare Society was having a dog wash so we took Harley. She loved all the attention and we got to try a Furminator brush. I had seen them in the store but the $60 plus price tag scared me off... no more, I will have one! It was amazing the amount of fur we got off of Harley in a very short amount of time. We also found out that Harley won the gift basket they were giving away which included a stuffed Moose that she loves. The moose has a squeaker in it so Robert will dance when she makes it squeak.

After we dropped Harley back at home we headed out the the Great Lenexa BBQ Contest. We walked around for a bit, had some lunch, ran into some people Jim knows. Robert was wearing his safari hat which is always popular with the crowds. He's so cute in it and he is at that stage where he smiles back and waves at people, quite the little charmer.

Last night he discovered a five iron that has been sitting by the wine bar for as long as I can remember. Why it was there I had no idea. Anyway, he thought it was the coolest thing ever and crawled all around the house with it until we decided it's probably not the best thing for him to have.

Today we shopped for wedding clothes. A kid I used to babysit is getting married. He's such an adorable guy. We needed sandals to go with Robert's white linen short suit that my Mom got him and I needed something to wear. We found the sandals for him at Baby Gap... for $6.00! Yeah! He also got a new Hawaiian shirt at The Children's Place. Jim and I put an outfit together for me at Coldwater Creek. He was so excited when I said I'd consider a skirt, which is what I wound up with. Now all I have to do is find shoes. Maybe I can run out tomorrow night.

The washing machine is broken again. I'm really not happy with the "repair' guy who came last time but we're stuck with them again until it's fixed. It's covered under our home owner's warranty so they have until tomorrow morning to call us. Hopefully they can get here by Wednesday because I really don't want to go to the laundrymat. Luckily one of the loads I got done was all of Robert's clothes and the other one was underwear.

Even though there is a total fireworks ban in Kansas City meaning there is nothing that is legal to shoot off, neighbors all around us are already shooting stuff off at night. This is driving little Miss Harley absolutely mad as she tries to "protect" her yard and family. I wouldn't mind so much if they'd do it just on the 4th and maybe the 5th but having to put up with it for over a week, every night, when it's illegal to begin with is starting to grate on my nerves and we're only about 4 nights in to it.

2008-06-26T19:57:00.003-05:00

Robert's new fun game... go to the sliding glass door and tease Harley. He could do this for hours, she's not quite as impressed with the game.

What a day. Started out with a 7am meeting... ugh! I had planned to work from home today and it was a good thing I was here. Robert woke up coughing a LOT this morning and his nose was still running so we had to go to the doctor.

His regular doctor wasn't in but our favorite nurse was. The doc wanted to draw blood to get a white cell count just because we've had so many colds. Robert is like me, he doesn't give up blood easy. After an unsuccessful attempt to draw it from his arm I was holding him comforting him and looked over and saw that Melissa was almost in tears. I'm assuring her that he's fine when I started to laugh and said to her, aren't you supposed to be comforting me. It's so great that she loves our boy so much. He is still the only picture on the bulletin board in the hall!

The washing machine repair guy came this morning (over an hour late) and then had to leave to get parts and wouldn't be back until "sometime this afternoon". Jim was scheduled to have his vasectomy today at 1:30 but it got pushed back to 3:00pm. Thanks to the washing machine he had to drive himself, luckily he was doing fine.

I'm happy to report at 8:00pm - Robert is asleep, the washing machine is running and Jim is doing well. Perhaps we'll all get a good night's sleep.

A big shout out to Kyra! I got my package the other day and love it! I promise I'll get your package mailed soon.

I'm Back!!!

2008-06-23T18:55:00.005-05:00

Wow! What a week. I've missed my blog!

The big fund raising dinner Thursday night ate up every minute of my existence from Monday morning on. The good news is it was totally worth the effort... we netted over $9700. When I went to bed Wednesday I was praying for $4500.

Jim was great taking care of Robert at night while I worked on getting things ready. Auction slips, programs, brochures, etc. Friday I called him and told him to feel free to go smoke a cigar or do whatever he wanted because I wanted some time with my boy! I swear he grew up so much last week. Both of his upper front teeth have broken through. He can chew food now. He is just so amazing!

Saturday we were up early to go to the zoo with the preschool parent's group. Robert was awake for the sea lion show and really enjoyed it. The rest of the time at the zoo he slept! Two hours of pushing the sleeping boy around the zoo.

After the zoo we ran home and tidied up the house a bit and then met up with Michelle. Michelle and I went to college together 15 years ago in Texas. She's in Colorado now. Her dad was a minister and their KC church was having a reunion so they were back in KC for that. We did some shopping and catching up and then went to the house she was staying at to have dinner with her family. Her parents remembered me and we had a really great time. Robert was charming as all get out. Everyone thought he was just wonderful. Her Dad invited us to be his guests at church the next morning so of course we had to say yes.

Then Sunday night we took our contribution to help serve dinner at Ronald McDonald House with my Soroptimist group. It was one busy weekend!

Robert is really into being naked and taking baths right now. He's so funny. He splashes and has such a great time. He's almost too big for his ducky tub.

What A Weekend

2008-06-15T15:48:00.003-05:00

What a weekend! The vet called about 11:30 on Friday, Cosmo came through his surgery with flying colors and will be good as new in a few weeks. Jim picked him up Saturday and he is now settled in to his new temporary home in the guest room.

Friday night after Jim got home I headed to Richmond about 40 miles away to the Super 8 Motel for a BBQ celebration that preceded the golf tournament Saturday. The group putting on the golf tournamet was CWA AT&T LU 6360. What a great group of people! Not only were they genuinely interested in the charity I represent who was the beneficiary of the tournament they were also very gracious in making me feel welcome. I hung out at the BBQ until about 10:30 and then turned in for the night. So for Brenda, Joe, Shawn, Nicole, Danny, Patti, Leigh Ann, Alan, Brad, Bob and all the others whose names I can't recall right now... thanks so much! You are the best

Saturday I was up bright and early to be at the golf course at 7am. From 7:30am - 2:30pm I was manning a beer cart. I had so much fun! Driving the beer cart has always been a secret wish of mine. I was teamed up with a woman named Brenda and we had a great time. I got a LOT of sun.

When we wound up the day they had raised over $6000 for Triality and everyone had a great day.

I ran by Mom's on my way home to pick up the baskets she made for my auction Thursday night and then ran to Hallmark to finish getting stuff for Jim for Father's Day. By the time I got home at 6pm I was exhausted! And I had a whopping headache.

This morning Jim let me sleep in and took Robert to the grocery store. After they got back I got up and we gave Jim his Father's Day present. He got two Dad t-shirts, a recordable picture frame, a book and cards from everyone. It wasn't the hammock or the I-Touch I wanted to get him this year but when the cat has $360 worth of surgery, it really whacks into the gift giving budget. Jim loved it all anyway.

The rest of the day has been spent resting and spending time together. I know every night this week will be late ones for me with all the stuff to do for the auction so I'm trying to get rested.

Just Wondering

2008-06-13T09:24:00.001-05:00

Cosmo was supposed to have his surgery around 7:30am and they thought it would take about 30 minutes. It's now 9:30 and I haven't heard from the vet's office. At what time is it safe to call without being referred to as "that crazy cat lady".

It stormed here last night and all I could think about was Cosmo locked in a kennel (which he HATES) and stuck listening to barkign dogs. Then it occured to me the tornado that came through a few months ago hit right over by the vets office. I was so close to going and "liberating" Cosmo more than once. I just want him fixed and home, where he belongs!

In happier news, Robert is 8 months old today. Where does the time go???

My Poor Kitty

2008-06-12T20:16:00.003-05:00

I came home tonight and was playing with Robert in the living room. Cosmo wandered in and was laying on the bottom of the coffee table when I looked over and saw something on his leg. Upon further inspection he had a 1" slit in the skin on his leg and I was looking at the muscle. No blood, he wasn't upset but this could not be good. He didn't mind when I picked him up or touched the leg. He had been running to the door when I came through it.

I got out the cat carrier and put him in it.. he hates the cat carrier. I picked it up, grabbed Robert and we headed to the vets office. On the way I called Jim and told him to meet me there. The doctor told me that it was over four hours old and generally they wouldn't suture it but since it was in a bendy part on the leg he wanted to sew it up. So, Mr. Cosmo is at the animal hospital tonight.... he hates being away from home. And tomorrow morning he'll have surgery. Then he'll have to have a bandage and take it easy for 10-14 days and wear a cone... he will really hate that. Hopefully he will be able to come home Saturday. For the life of us we can't figure out what happened to him. We've found no blood. Harley was penned up in the bedroom so it wasn't her. Cosmo is a strictly indoor cat so it wasn't another varmint.

I think for his recovery we'll make the spare bedroom his. He's not supposed to jump a lot or run so he's not going to have full run of the house. We'll make him comfy and give him lots of love. I'm ready for him to be back home.

Too Much To Do

2008-06-11T07:14:00.002-05:00

It's been a tremendously busy week and it's only getting busier. Monday Robert was sick and I had some car problems. I have a meeting tonight out at the retirement village my Grandmother lives at so I'm taking Robert along so she can see him. That's going to make a long day for him but he loves being out among people.

The auction is 8 days away. The caterer won't return my phone call. I'm waiting for sponsor checks that have been pledged for months to come in so that I can pay said caterer. I have a ton of photos I need to take today so I can do the slide presentations and the take away materials. Friday night I'm at the hotel with the golf group partying (ugh) and then 7am is the start of the golf tournament. Then I have about 100 miles of errands to do (at $4.00 per gallon). Father's Day is Sunday and I know what I want to make for Jim so that will probably be up late tomorrow night to finish. Is it the 20th yet???

Love this picture of Robert & Jim... Robert loves snuggling with his Dad.

2008-06-08T20:39:00.003-05:00

I swear he knows how to say "mama" and just prefers to laugh at me when I try to get him to say it.

We had a super busy weekend. Saturday Robert was up bright and early at 7am. So much for him sleeping in. While he was taking his morning nap Jim, Erika and I played in the pool. Of course, Harley had to join in the fun.

We finished our pool fun and it was time to start getting ready to go. After everyone was showered and dressed we headed out to the Legends for some lunch and shopping. Robert thought he should order off the big people's menu.

At about 3:30 we met up with my Mom, Donald, Bob, Sherry, Ann & Ward to bet on the horses and wait for the Belmont. We had some small wins but no real big winner. The building was HOT but we had a great time. After the races we headed over to Ann's for a BBQ. Robert was totally exhausted but woke up the minute he saw his Granny. He put on quite the show.

We got home about 8:30 and he was finally asleep by 9:30. Today he slept in until 8. Today was housework day -- yuck! But it has to be done. Of course, the minute I swept, vacuumed and mopped the hardwoods Harley went and laid down on them. Grrrr. The amount of fur that can build up in this house in a short amount of time is incredible.

The next two weeks at work are going to be incredibly busy. Next Saturday I have a golf tournament in a small town about 30 miles from here with a pre-party the night before so I'll be staying at the Super 8 -- yee ha. I hate that it will be time away from my boys but it's not economically feasible to kennel the dog, plus it will be too hot for Robert to be at the golf course.

I'm thinking of surprising Jim with a trip to a steakhouse an hour or so away for Father's Day. More on that later. Gotta go catch the rest of Ice Road Truckers... I love this show!

A Great Night

2008-06-06T22:51:00.004-05:00

I picked up my niece after work today. It seems like every time she comes to spend the night it's always crisis mode, she's had a fight with her mother and comes here to cool off. When you have no notice that you're getting a teen age guest for the night it's hard to plan fun stuff. Her brother generally plans better and we go and do fun stuff. Since we knew she was coming we planned a night!

First stop was Target, of course. Needed a whole slew of baby stuff as usual. Then we headed to Roxanne's Cafe for dinner (we let Erika choose). Then we headed to Parkville to play miniature golf. I forgot the the course, which is built on a hill, is all steps, not paths. So, we hauled the stroller up and down steps. It was quite a work out!

We finished up with the golf just in time to get to the gelatto store before it closed. Parkville has the best gelatto! Erika hadn't had gelatto before and neither had Robert... they both really enjoyed it! We got home at 9:15 and Robert who had slept in the car was wide awake. It took about 30 minutes to get him out again. The poor kid had only taken one hour nap today so I have a feeling he may sleep in tomorrow!

Tomorrow we'll go to the races and Erika will go home with my Mom who hopefully she'll spend a lot of time with this summer.. they both need it.

A Visit From the Grave

2008-06-04T20:11:00.003-05:00

Woke up this morning like any other morning and checked my email. Someone had left a comment on Robert's blog... it was one of dead MIL's friends. Her "best friend" - the one she fired from their job and said was worthless. This was not going to be a good day. How the hell did she get Robert's blog??? MIL and I did not get along to say the least. See posts from early January 2008 when she died. She was an evil, vindictive troll of a woman who played favorites among her children and grandchildren. She never got to meet Robert... because she couldn't agree to be civil to me... no one gets to the son without going through the mother. Not to mention there was no way in hell that someone was going to make my son feel inferior in any way whatsoever. It was a decision that my husband and I had reached together. So imagine my surprise when I open my email to see this:
"He's very cute. I still look at your blog even though Patsy is gone. I always checked it out so I could tell her about it. She really wanted to meet Robert and would come over sometimes to look at your blog on my computer."

I was sick, literally sick. And of course she didn't put an email. I was pissed. I felt violated. We never gave Patsy the blog address... she didn't even have a computer. I immediately blocked the blog and tried to decide what to do. I was also worried that nasty BIL had the blog and was reading it. I had posted things like where we were going and when since you really couldn't find the blog unless you knew the address.
1st reaction -- delete the blog permanently
2nd reaction -- delete all the posts in the blog and post a scathing opinion of my MIL and her friend

I knew that reaction 1 would hurt my friends and family who read the blog. Especially my aunt who absolutely lives for the blog, and Robert.

Reaction 2 was not possible because I have prided myself in OUR family has taken the high road through this whole ordeal. I was not going to lower myself to their level. And I also figured BIL would definitely find out then and that would bring a whole new rounds of phone calls and threats of lawsuits.

So, I quickly moved the blog to a different site and posted this message on the original site:
"I have moved my blog. Please leave a comment or email me to get the new address."

I know none of these people have the guts to confront me head on so all should be well now.

I figured out that SIL had to be the security breach so I called her. I asked her if she had showed her mother the blog and she said yes and then said, I knew I should have told you, I talked to a co-worker about this a few months ago. I assured her I was not mad at her I just needed to know how this woman got the site and that I post personal info about our happenings which is why I don't like people who don't like me to have access. I'm not near as concerned about a stranger happening across it. She understood.

Found out that Cousin Dawn is having a big gathering in St. Louis in July and had asked SIL if we would be interested in going... we are! Jim's aunt and uncle and other cousins will be there also. This is the family I wanted to marry in to!

46 Random Facts About Me

2008-06-03T23:42:00.002-05:00

Received this via email from a friend so I decided to post it here.

1. Do you like blue cheese?
Nope, I don’t care to eat science experimnents.

2. Have you ever smoked heroin?
Nope.

3. Do you own a gun?
Yes.

4. What flavor do you add to your drink at sonic?
Cherry to my limeade.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Not generally.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
Love them.

7. Favorite Christmas movie?
A Charlie Brown Christmas

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Starbucks Venti Mocha

9. Can you do push ups?
Probably a few.

10. Age?
37

11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
My wedding ring.

12. Favorite hobby?
Photography, scrapbooking and blurfing

13. Favorite Actor?
Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones

14. Do you have A.D.D.?
Some days I think so.

15. What's one trait you hate about yourself?
I smoke.

16. Middle name?
Elizabeth

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment:
What time am I going to get to sleep
Mental check list of things to do at work tomorrow
When do I need to return the home warranty information

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday/today?
Trash tags (damn KC rules); lunch at Chili’s; craft supplies at Michaels

19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
Dr. Pepper, Starbuck’s, Sprite

20. Current worry?
Getting enough donations for the silent auction on the 19th

21. Current hate right now?
Stormy weather.

22. Favorite place to be?
Anywhere with family.

23. How did you bring in the New Year?
Playing with Robert and snuggling with Jim.

24. Where would you like to go?
Ireland

25. Do you own slippers?
Nope, Harley eats them.

26. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
Yes, except they never wash up great.

27. Can you whistle?
Like a pro

28. Favorite color?
Red

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
I don’t sing in the shower

30. Favorite girl's name?
Rachel (if Robert was a girl he was going to be Rachel Elizabeth)

31. Favorite boy's name?
Robert (of course)

32. What is in your pocket right now?
No pockets in the pajamas

33. Best bed sheets as a child?
I have no idea

34. Worst injury you've ever had?
Concussion (several of them)

35. Do you love where you live?
Yes.

36. How many TVs do you have in your house?
Four.

37. Who is your loudest friend?
Renee

38. How many dogs do you have?
One, but she seems like six.

39. Does someone have a crush on you?
Oh yeah. And he’s snoring right next to me. The best thing is I have a crush on him too.

40. What is your favorite book?
To Kill a Mockingbird

41. Where were you born?
Kansas City, Missouri; Research Hospital; Second Floor

42. What is your favorite candy?
Peanut M&Ms

43. Favorite Sports Team?
Kansas City Chiefs (it’s a rebuilding year)

44. What song do you want played at your funeral?
I have no idea. Someone else will have to decide that.

45. What were you doing 12 AM last night?
Sleeping

46. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
What time is it?

It's Only Tuesday???

2008-06-03T21:22:00.009-05:00

Robert was jabbering up a storm tonight, until I got the camera out... then he decided he'd rather be behind the lens rather than in front of it.

Teething is really bugging the little man right now. Tonight he didn't get to sleep until almost 9pm and he was A-C-T-I-V-E!!! At almost 25 pounds he is a lot to wrangle.

Storms moved through our area again tonight. Luckily nothing turned dangerous. I can't remember a year when we have had so many potentially severe storms. It's just wild.

This weekend we got a pool. Nothing too fancy, when it's full it will be 15' in diameter and 3' deep. Big enough we can all get in it and cool off. Unfortunately the part of the yard that Jim thought was level enough isn't so he's going to have to drain it and work on that before it will fill correctly. That didn't stop us from playing in it some on Sunday. Robert is a water baby... he loved it. He especially loved playing with the hose.

The new Preschool Director starts tomorrow. We are so ready. She was actually the first director and left to take a position with a school district. She's back!!! We have literally been counting the days. I'm excited to see the changes she makes in the classrooms and am so blessed that she will be the director for Robert's first years.

Stairs... No Problem!

2008-06-01T18:45:00.001-05:00

Today Robert decided that the steps were no problem... he could conquer them. And he did, three times (we were close by in case he had problems). The third time we caught it on video. We are so not ready for this!

Now Showing...

2008-05-31T19:40:00.004-05:00

I finally figured out the video on the point and shoot camera, since we never seem to hae the camcorder charged and I can't figure out how to transfer it to the computer anyway. So without any further ado I present - Robert Crawling.

Now He Wants A Goat

2008-05-30T15:16:00.009-05:00

We had a fantastic time at the farm today. When we got there Robert was acting incredibly unimpressed. Then we got to the goats. He absolutely loved the goats. I think he would bring one home if I would let him. He got to feed them and pet them. We also spent a lot of times looking at the swans and ducks. He would watch them and just giggle. The Deanna Roase Farmstead is truly a great field trip. First off, it's free! What on earth is free these days??? You can actually see the animals and get up close enough to pet some of them. They had farm animals as well as a bobcat, a bald eagle on loan from the Department of Natural Resources who has an injured wing, a koi fish pond and a red tailed hawk. They are building a lot of new buildings and have a lot of activities that we will definitely take advantage of when Robert gets older like fishing, hay rides and pony rides.

Aunt Barb had a lot of fun with her little guy today too. They are selling bricks for a Kansas Walkway so I'm ordering one that says:

Robert loves
his Aunt Barb.
May 30, 2008

to immortalize our first trip to the farm.

After the farm we dropped Aunt Barb off at her house which is just block's from Daddy's office so we stopped by to say hi and have lunch with him. Then it was off to the county courthouse to stand in line for our tax receipt. Luckily it was moving fast and we were only there about 15 minutes. Of course this afternoon Robert is refusing to take a nap since he slept in the car. He's motoring around the living room seeing what sort of mischief he can get into.

We're Playin' Hooky!

2008-05-30T07:19:00.002-05:00

Thunderstorms are moving through the metro so things today will be wet but hopefully not as muggy as they have been. Rain should be gone by the time we get to the farm. Robert woke up in a rocking good mood, all smiles and giggles so he's ready for his field trip. I've got a pocket full of quarters for the animal feed and the camera battery is fully charged.... look out Deanna Rose, here we come!

Thank God It's Thursday!

2008-05-29T21:25:00.002-05:00

The tags on the Explorer expire Saturday. I would rather have a root canal than license a car. So, yesterday morning I ran in for the required state inspection. It didn't pass. $600 in repairs later, and being without a vehicle all day, it passed. Ugh! In Missouri we can get two year tags. Can I find my 2006 Personal Property receipt? Of course not. So, tomorrow Robert and I will have to go the the County Courthouse Annex and pay $1.00 to get a new copy of that (I however have 2 copies of my 2007 receipt... go figure!)

Tomorrow we are playing hooky from school/work. We'll pick up Aunt Barb bright and early and head to the Deanna Rose Farm. It's a cool little farm designed for kids with lots of petting opportunities. We're planning on being there as close to 9am as possible since it's supposed to be hot and humid tomorrow. After the farm Aunt Barb has a list of people's houses we have to drop by to show off Robert. She is definitely more of a grandmother figure in his life than a great aunt. Even my Mom says Barb is a better grandmother than she is.

Tonight Robert was determined that he wanted some of the scrambled egg I was eating. He was determined to take it by force or by charm. Neither worked, sorry buddy, you're still too young for egg. He was awake until 8:30pm tonight and wanted to PLAY! He's crawling all over the place and is a trip to keep up with. Tonight when I picked him up at preschool he hauled tail over to me, guess he was determined I wasn't going to leave the room without him!

End of the Holiday Weekend

2008-05-26T22:19:00.004-05:00

When I woke up this morning I couldn't find the boys. Finally I located them in the basement. Robert sitting as far forward as he could in his swing, swinging and laughing at his Daddy and the dog. Jim was ripping up carpet and getting ready to start laying the new tile in the basement. The basement has flooded a couple of times this year which has prompted up to move up our replace the carpet project by a few months for fear of mold. We have been vigilant about using the steam cleaner to clean the carpets immediately after each flood and by the looks of things that has paid off. No signs of mold underneath the carpet or on the walls hidden by furniture. He got about fifty tile laid today. His plan is to do about an hour each night until the project is done. Since we don't have anywhere to move all the furniture to while he tiles he is doing sections at a time. After that project is done we'll finish tearing the rest of the carpet out of the bedroom. Then it's on to outside projects, yee ha! Home Depot is loving us.

I ran to Kohl's today to pick up some new shirts for Jim since they were having a huge sale. He needed some new polos so I came home with five of those and a new silk camp shirt for him. I also ran to Babies R Us for a new top of the stairs gate. The extra gate we already have is too tall to fit under the top of the stairwell... of course. I also got padded guards for the coffee table and the hearth along with a bunch of other baby proofing items. Jim got the gate installed today and I got the padding on the coffee table. I'll get the hearth tomorrow night. At least we know Robert is a little safer motoring around the living room now. That kid has no fear of anything.

Talked to Mom today. She was pretty tired today and spent most of the day resting. Sherry was back out there today and made sure that she ate and didn't exert herself. It has been so nice having she and my aunt helping out with Mom so that Jim and I had the majority of our weekend uninterrupted since he was gone most of the week. I got my aunt an Ott lamp as a thank you and she said today that she and my uncle were swiveling it between the two of them and really enjoying it.

Going to be a short work week for me. I'm taking off Friday so Robert and I can play with my Aunt. However, the three days I am working are going to be really busy. Jim is working late on Wednesday so I may stay at the office a bit later. We really need to get Robert back on his schedule. Tonight he was up until 9:30! He's going to be a bear in the morning.

Peek A Boo

2008-05-25T19:49:00.004-05:00

This is becoming a common sight when I'm sitting on the couch these days. First two little eyebrows, then eyes, then a nose and then usually a big smile. I think the flash going off in his face every two seconds was distracting him.

We went out to Mom's today. She is doing great. We couldn't ask for a smoother recovery. Her friend Sherry was there and brought a delicious casserole, a huge salad and bread from Panera. Donnie and Erika dropped by for a visit and Erika and I ran to the Gap for a little shopping. It's a girl thing.

When we got home Jim took a nap while Robert thoroughly entertained me, truly living up to his King of Charm shirt. Tonight I've been picking up the house and getting some cleaning done that was neglected this week. It's finally cooled off a bit so Jim is heading out to mow the back yard. When he comes in we'll be installing another baby gate in the living room since little Mr. Robert is getting really fast and the last thing we need is him doing a header down the stairs.

Tomorrow we'll start ripping carpet out of the basement and putting in the tile. We're doing the basement in sections so hopefully in a few weeks it will all be done. We're also going to need to replace the toilet in the big bathroom. Home Depot is loving us these days.

I need to go to Babies R Us tomorrow and pick up some more baby proofing stuff and I'm also hoping to run to Barnes and Noble. Jos. A Banks is having a big sale so I think we might try to get there and pick up some pants and shirts for Jim. Oh yeah, I also have a briefcase full of stuff that I brought home that I need to work on tomorrow.

Puppy Love

2008-05-24T22:11:00.003-05:00

I don't know which of these two loves the other more. They are thick as thieves lately. I swear Robert learned to crawl just so he could keep up with Harley. She is so patient with him. He will grab her fur, her face, her tail and she just takes it. She does love licking him and makes sure his face is clean. She will walk by and he just squeals with delight and flails his arms.

Last night the weather man reported no rain this weekend. So of course it rained off and on all day. Between rain storms we headed down to the City Market to pick up some fruits and veggies. Didn't get any flowers for tomorrow, that was disappointing. But we did get some free range chicken and chicken livers so Jim could make pate for Mom. Robert loved being out among all the people. Eventually he wasn't happy in the stroller anymore so I lugged him around while Jim used the stroller as a shopping cart.

Afterwards went to our favorite little cafe for lunch. When we got home I took a nice long (five hour) nap while the boys played and cooked. Tonight I ran a few errands and then came home and baked the brownies to take tomorrow.

I talked to my Mom this morning and tonight. Tonight she was making dinner for my aunt... um, aren't you supposed to be resting??? I texted my niece and nephew today suggesting they give Granny a call. They both did and after she talked to them she took a nap. They are also going to drop by to see her tomorrow. I'm hoping it's not too much commotion at the house for her but she thrives on having her family around. They also need to see that she is ok.

Number One Grandson

2008-05-24T08:43:00.002-05:00

Robert is the number 2 grandson in the family. Number one is my dear nephew Donald who has so much of his Dad in him it isn't even funny. Mom talked to him Wednesday and told her about her surgery. She said he took it in stride and didn't seem real concerned but said to have me call him. Here are our text messages from yesterday.

Morning
ME - Granny is out of surgery and doing well. I'll be taking her home in a few hours.
DKT - How did it go?
ME - It went great. She will recover fully. She is giving the doctor a hard time.
DKT - Ha Ha She's going home today?
ME - Yes, after she eats something.
DKT - OK That's good.
ME - Call her tonight. Aunt Barb is staying with her tonight.
DKT - OK I will. I love you guys. (I cried at that one)

Evening
ME - Granny is home and doing well.
DKT - Good. She ok?
ME - She is FINE
DKT - Ok, I just worry.

That quiet concern like his Dad always had. His sister on the other hand who was beside herself when she heard has not responded to any of my messages or called.

My Mom is doing great. Her surgery only lasted about an hour. Her blood pressure which is normally high was low all day yesterday so we wound up staying at the hospital until 5. After getting her home, having some dinner and chatting with my Mom and Aunt I finally got home at 9.

My Aunt is staying all day today and tonight. Tomorrow our friend Sherry is coming to spend the night so I told Mom that we would come out for a visit as a family Sunday. She can't pick Robert up but she can watch him crawl. We also ran into a friend of the family (she is the mother of my brother's best friend since 3rd grade) and her mother had just passed away. When I told Mom about it when she got to the car she insisted on going back in. Stood up from the wheelchair, looked at the nurse and said "you're done with me" and headed back into the hospital. I cut the ignition and followed her. I've been detailed to make brownies and a fruit bowl to take out to them Sunday.

Robert was so happy to see me this morning. I got lots of smiles and cuddles. We're getting ready to head out to the City Market for some veggie shopping and to get flowers for the cemetery. Last night was the second night this week I've been with Jim. Both nights I didn't get home until 9... I'm ready to spend some real time with him.

Drumroll.......

2008-05-20T18:38:00.002-05:00

In an otherwise pretty dreary, miserable day, Robert was a bright spot as always. Today, are you ready for this, he pulled himself up into a stand!!!!!!!!!! My little boy, standing on his own two feet. He's just getting so darn big.

Slowly my body is turning back to a solid. Robert went to sleep at 6:30pm tonight, I think he knew Mommy needs some rest. I'm going to toss in some laundry and pile down in bed.

Two Words...

2008-05-20T07:55:00.000-05:00

Food Poisoning. Yeah, it's shaping up to be a real fun day.

Queen of the Doo Doo Heads

2008-05-19T21:41:00.004-05:00

I think it's the teething but the past few days Robert and I have butted heads. When we've been home it seems NOTHING I do is right. I swear he thinks I'm Mommy - Queen of the Doo Doo Heads. His schedule got royally off this weekend, combine that with Daddy being gone and his teeth bugging him and you have us right now.

This morning when I took him to his preschool classroom I swear he looked at me like "Thank God, rid of you for a few hours". First time I dropped by the room he wouldn't smile at me. The second time I dropped by the room he did actually acknowledge that I existed and flashed me this big grin. That mood held for a while. I picked him up at the usual time and we came home. We played for a while and then he had his dinner. He only ate about half his food and he hadn't eaten real well at school today either. After dinner he played with his tippy cup in his high chair while I got his bottles ready for tomorrow. I got two bottles done but had to leave the third one for a bit because he was getting fussy. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was beating him when we put on his jammies... he was just wailing. The only thing that made him remotely happy after that was the dog. They are thick as thieves lately. After a while we had our bedtime bottle and he went to sleep.. until I put him in his crib, then the wailing started again. We rocked, we walked, we cuddled. He'd get almost asleep and then start shaking his head or waving his arm - he was fighting so hard. Finally we just spread out on the bed and I let him crawl all over me until he finally wore himself out... after 8:30.

Jim had called when I was trying to get him to sleep. He had eaten and was back in his hotel room and wanted to chat. I had to cut him short because I still had laundry to turn over, dishes to load in the dishwasher and the trash to get out. By the time I was done with that he would have been asleep. He'll get a little taste this weekend of "home alone with the baby".

He's been home with Robert by himself before but never overnight and most of the time Robert is not the stressor it's everything else that has to get done and you're the only one to do it. Of course, Thursday I won't leave until the preschool bag is ready to go and Robert will probably be asleep (if he's back on his other schedule). Friday night he won't have to worry about prepping anything for the next day. I'm not sure if I'll be able to come home Friday night or not. Depends on if they keep Mom in the hospital or not. Saturday I'll definitely be out at her house and probably Sunday too.

Shopping!!!

2008-05-18T21:06:00.003-05:00

This little guy had a big day today! We picked up Aunt Barb this morning and after a bit of entertaining she and Uncle Ward we headed to the Legend's to shop. Aunt Barb is Robert's biggest fan. She absolutely adores this little guy. She loves spending time with him and I've even taken a vacation day later on this month so that we can go to the kiddie farm.

Sales galore! It is apparently dangerous for me to take Aunt Barb baby shopping... we bought a ton of stuff. She kept picking stuff up saying, this is cute. She wants him to wear the brown and orange outfit to the Belmont Party coming up in June.

We cleaned out Osh Kosh. Several shirts, a couple of hats and some shortalls. We also picked up several pairs of pajamas at Carter's and that cute blue outfit at the Gap.

We had a really nice lunch at the Saddle Chop House where Jim and I ate last time we went out there. I forgot how big their portions are. I had a third of my club sandwich for lunch and a third for dinner... that still leaves another third for tomorrow. Robert ate an entire jar of beef with vegetables and a container of pears for lunch. He sat right up at the table and chowed down.

We finished shopping about 2:45. Robert who was so busy people watching he couldn't nap fell asleep before we were five feet out of our parking spot and slept all the way home. We were home for about an hour where he played with Harley the whole time! Then we headed to Ronald McDonald house to serve dinner to the families there. When we got home from that he had his dinner and then wanted to play! He played with me for a while, then he played with Harley then he played in his play pen while I got his bottles cleaned and his school bag ready to go. I finally got him to sleep around 8 by rocking him. He should sleep through the night. I didn't get to sleep until after 2 last night so I am really dragging right now and hope he sleeps through the night tonight. Typed that too soon, he's crying so I better go check on him.

It's Been A Long Day

2008-05-17T23:23:00.002-05:00

Thursday I woke up with a migraine... ugh. Luckily Jim was able to take Robert to preschool so I could go back to sleep. Between my headache and sinuses I was miserable. I think if it was in pill form in our house I took it that morning... drug reaction be damned! I finally made it into the office about 2. We had parent group meeting that night so it still wound up being a long day.

Today I got up early to run errands and take care of stuff before Jim left town. I washed the Explorer and vacuumed it out. It really needed it. I also got everything out of it so just what needs to be in it can go back in. There was a lot of "Robert Stuff" piling up in the back seat.

Robert played with Daddy all morning and they had a great old time. After Jim left nothing made him happy. He's never like this. I was Queen of the Doo Doo Heads in his eyes. Finally we came to a meeting of the minds and headed to Chloe's party. Robert of course was charming the whole time we were there. We only stayed about an hour because he was tired even though he took a good nap today. He fell asleep on the way home and I put him to bed in his clothes, I wasn't risking waking up the bear. He woke up at 10 and we managed to get changed into our pjs before we had a bottle then he went back to sleep.

Jim did a lot of laundry this morning, he just didn't do a lot of folding. I'm halfway through my third basket but it might have to wait until tomorrow as I am fading fast.

Tomorrow we are picking up Aunt Barb and going shopping. Osh Kosh is having a big sale and I have an extra 20% off coupon. Then tomorrow night we're helping serve dinner at Ronald McDonald House. I need to make sure I'm up early enough for Robert to have breakfast and a bath before we leave and to bake cookies.

Tagged by Mandy

2008-05-14T19:46:00.005-05:00

o
OK, so she actually just tagged everyone who read her post but here goes my Ten Things Tuesday (even though it's Wednesday)
1. Last Movie Watched - Star Wars Episode IV (even though I still think of it as Episode I)
2. Last Song Heard on the radio - Not sure, Robert was fussy on the way home and I had a head ache so I wasn't really paying attention
3. Last Noise Heard at Work - My boss saying "bye Tank" to Robert as we left
4. Last Wish - That we can get over this sinus/lung crap in our house... we're sick and tired of being sick and tired
5. Last Funny Thing I Heard/Saw - My boss declaring if she didn't get food soon she was going pass out
6. Last Food I ate - Pudding cup
7. Last Picture I took -This one of Robert (of course)
8. Last Thought - I need to be uploading pictures to Walgreens and writing Robert's 7 month update for family who don't have computers
9. Last time I filled up with gas. -Saturday -- $70 to fill the Explorer -- ouch!
10. Last person I talked to on the phone -Aunt Barb

I got CS3 on my work computer today... whoo hooo!!! Definitely going to be bringing it home on the weekends to play around and learn some more. Also can now update the work website in real time... thank God!!!

The doctor's office called today, blood work was fine (yeah!) and I don't have strep (double yeah) and Melissa (our nurse) said to give Robert a kiss on the check from her. Love how they love my boy at our doctor's office.

Lucky Seven

2008-05-13T21:03:00.003-05:00

I can't believe this little fellow has been with us seven months! He's an absolute sponge right now soaking in EVERYTHING! He's getting more and more mobile. He LOVES to play. He weighs 24 pounds and is 281/2-29 inches long. He has his Mommy and Daddy totally wrapped around his little finger.

Jim and I are still mending. Last night since he was still worse off than me I wound up mowing the lawn. They were calling for rain today and our yard absolutely had to be mowed before it drove me crazy. The front was pretty easy, the lower back not too bad... the upper back yard damn near killed me. It's a 45 degree angle and there are very few ways to mow it that you are not on an angle... and it hadn't been mowed yet this year. I got it all done but it wiped me out for the rest of the night. I think we just need to buy some goats... better for the environment, easier on my abs.

The Best Mother's Day Ever

2008-05-11T14:01:00.003-05:00

I told Jim that for Mother's Day I would like he and Robert to make something for me and to plan a nice day for us. They first decided to go to the zoo but then we saw the weather was going to be less than cooperative so they decided to take me to the Carousel at Oak Park Mall. Unfortunately with Jim and I still being under the weather we didn't make it out.

However, Jim and Robert did make something for me. An original Robert Charles. Apparently Daddy's first thought was to do hand and footprints across the canvas. Well, our little VanGogh was having none of that and literally threw his body into his work. The really cool thing is one part really looks like a heart. I love this and will cherish it forever. They are also cooking a roast for dinner.

Robert decided 4am was a good time to start Mother's Day. He woke up and we brought him into our room where he delighted us with grins and giggles. The rest of the day has been spent doing laundry, etc. as we've felt like it. Robert took a nice long nap this afternoon (another great Mother's Day present). I'm feeling a lot better than yesterday but I am moving pretty slow. Jim isn't showing a whole lot of improvement. We'll give the antibiotics a few more days then it's back to the doctor for him! That's quite a collection we have going from the Target pharmacy, wouldn't you say?

Hope all of you out there who have ever mothered anyone had a wonderful day!

Didn't Dodge The Bullet

2008-05-10T20:25:00.002-05:00

Last night I woke up feeling like hell. 101.7 fever. Started pushing the tylenol. Got lucky this morning, called the doctor's office at 8:30 and got a 9:00 appointment. Our doctor was even the one working today... bonus! Sinus infection... allegra and high power antibiotics. Also had him look at a bruise on my back that showed up in January and has refused to go away. He ordered blood work, oh goody. It's not like I don't have the crappiest luck ever with blood work.

After the doctor's office I headed to Target to get prescriptions filled and get our weekly baby stuff. The numbers for the day:
Target Baby Stuff - $100
Target Pharmacy - $46
Doctor Co-Pay - $25
Tank of Gas - $70

So... over $230 spent in an hour and a half and I didn't even get anything fun... hmmmph!

Jim and I spent the day alternating taking care of Robert. He is a little better than me right now so he got the brunt of it but there were times when Robert wanted his Mommy. He is so funny right now. He's starting to make forward motion in his crawling, he's totally enthralled by the remote control and he really didn't think napping was a good idea today. He took a total of two power naps... one 30 minute and one 2o minute. He's now snoozing away and should sleep through the night. Hopefully tomorrow we are all feeling better. Jim & Robert have planned a special day for us but if we're not feeling a whole lot better it's going to have to be tabled :-(

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere

2008-05-09T20:23:00.003-05:00

Robert's teacher came to my office today with a three rose bouquet. She said Robert had talked to her and they decided to get me some roses for Mother's Day. She is so good to him, and to me. Today was her day off! When I picked Robert up from preschool he also had a potted miniature carnation for me. Then when Jim got home he came bearing a peace offering in the form of a sweet card and a huge bouquet of flowers! It was a sweet gesture.

Tonight Robert was all go, smiles and giggles. He is starting to figure out forward motion. He actually moved forward today and lunged into a bouncy seat at preschool... that's my kid, 90 miles and hour with his hair on fire. After a breathing treatment and some bedroom play time we had dinner then we all settled in the living room and Robert put on quite a show for us. On tap for this weekend - some major baby proofing! He's going to be all over the place before we know it so there are steps that need to be protected and shelves that need to be anchored. We are so not ready for this!

Jim told me they need a bit of time tomorrow alone to work on my Mother's Day gift and that Sunday they wanted to take me to the zoo but since the weather is not going to be cooperative they have moved to plan b and I need to wear a nice top and put on make up because it will involve pictures.

Mom called tonight to say she got her Mother's Day card. I'm so behind this year. I sent a donation in her name to a domestic violence shelter she does a lot of work for and her other gift is going to be photos of her other two grandchildren to fill their album . I'm the family photographer so I have all the photos I just need time to scan some pre-digital ones and upload the digital ones. Maybe tomorrow I can get some work done on that.

Work was good today. We got another sponsorship for our event in June so I now definitely have enough money to cover all our expenses. I'm projecting after expenses we will net between $7000 & 15000 for the kids therapy program. Now I need to concentrate on getting some great auction items. Next week I'm speaking the the Clay County Executive Women's group. I'm hoping to garner some donations there.

For now though I'm ready for a nice weekend with my family and some rest so Jim and I can get to feeling better. I seem to be getting what Jim had... I hope it doesn't get as bad as his and I can kick it with OTC meds and skip the doctor visit. If nothing else I think Melissa will call me out some antibiotics so I don't have to take off again to go to the doctor.

I Feel Smacked

2008-05-08T21:07:00.002-05:00

I probably shouldn't be blogging right now. I'm totally upset with my husband. He just got back from three days in Sioux City, next week he'll be in Amarillo. We were talking tonight and I asked when his flight was (he normally leaves on Sundays) he's leaving Saturday. I asked why Saturday... it's because one of the guys in Amarillo invited him to a bar-b-que on Sunday. I just felt smacked... excuse the hell out of me... you're leaving us a night early for food??? Because you thought it sounded fun???

Then in his defense he offered up haven't I noticed all the extra stuff he's been doing lately? The extra stuff he has been doing is turning in his expense records before I start harping on him that I have to pay bills since we have to front the money on his trips... and his cell phone, he's HORRIBLE about paying his cell phone bill. I'm the money queen, I have to figure out having enough money to front the trips and still pay our bills. I harp him about the expense account because a couple of years ago he screwed it up so bad we wound up paying about $900 out of pocket that we never recovered in late fees and interest. That's when I took over.

We recently found out there are some tax problems in his past... found out when they took our refund... ugh. And we're not getting the wonderful rebate everyone else is salivating over. We're on payment plans with the state and feds and I'm the one working on making sure we pay them both off fast so that we can not having this looming over our heads anymore. Of course, I'm the one who discovered this and worked to assure him we can take care of this. I figured out what happened.. he didn't file the year his first wife died, totally understandable - she died in February, taxes would have been the last thing on my mind too. This all after finding out his Mom screwed him out of the $45,000 she owed him for paying her mortgage off by leaving the house to Steve instead of him like was promised. Does he notice the extra stuff I'm doing??? Planning our big summer vacation to tag along with one of his business trips and then to be visiting his family in Arkansas instead of going on of the thousands of other places I had thought we could go with our rebate check? Taking time off from my job to get ready when his sister and her family came to visit? Taking care of Robert 24/7 when he's gone? There have been times lately when I feel like a single parent. Putting up with the fact that he's been sick so much this winter and the job always gets the best of him... he went to the doctor today and then back to the office instead of coming home and resting, we'll pay for that this weekend when he's tired and still trying to recover.

So, apparently for me the straw that broke the camel's back was him leaving on a trip 15 hours early. Maybe I'm being unreasonable but I miss him when he's gone. I consider weekends our family time. This week when he was gone Robert went from laying on his stomach to sitting up on his own for the first time, Jim finally saw it tonight... four days later. He tells me he misses us terribly when he's gone but then he jumps at the chance to go to a bar-b-que with a guy he sees a couple of times a year when he flies down to do trainings. He never does any guy stuff here in town. It's not like I don't encourage him to go to the cigar shop and hang out with the guys or find someone to go golfing with on a Saturday morning.

OK... now I've vented... I still feel smacked.

Wasn't Expecting That

2008-05-07T21:03:00.003-05:00

Apparently a few days ago Mom got a call that her biopsy had come back cancerous. I did not know this... apparently she doesn't want me to worry. I knew her follow up with the surgeon was today so I called her at noon and found out the appointment was 1:30pm. She told me to quit worrying and I told her to call me when she was done... I was ready to hear all clear and resume our regularly scheduled programming.

When she hadn't called me back by 4 I was starting to get pissed. This meant one of two things. It was bad news or she was showing me she doesn't have to call me back if she doesn't want to... she's the mother, I'm the child. Of course, she wasn't answering her phone either. Finally got ahold of her a little before 5, she was on her way home from Costco she'd talk to me later... "Mom, is it bad news"; "Yes it is and I'll discuss it with you when I'm not driving and I don't have to pee". So I waited by the phone. About 15 minutes later she called me.

The sucky news is it's cancer. The bright side is it's non-invasive, still in the duct and we've caught it early. She's opted for a "simple mastectomy". She felt radiation would be too much of an inconvenience and she wants this over with as soon as possible. She will have the surgery the 23rd. I'm taking her. It wasn't until later when I was talking to her youngest sister that I found out she found out about the cancer yesterday and was told her options. She apparently told EVERYONE but me. And told them she wasn't telling me. She's my Mom. She still thinks of me as "little". Like I think of Tank. And she would never think of burdening me with all of this. Ugh. This is the woman who wouldn't let my husband take me to the cardiologist last year, she had to go. I'm seriously thinking of next time I have something medical going on just not telling her and saying "I didn't want you to worry". She would absolutely kill me!

Her biggest concern when she talked to me, if I take her to the hospital does that mean I can't take the next Friday off to take Robert to the kiddie farm with my aunt. Oh for heaven's sake!

So, she's still my Mom... hard headed as ever, refusing to acknowledge I'm an adult and I can "take it" and part of me really loves her for that. (The other part is going to wring her neck).

Jim got home from Sioux City today and is sick. I don't sleep well at all when he's gone so the last good night's sleep I got was Saturday. He's coughing and hacking and I'm almost to the point of wishing he had just stayed in Iowa... I'm so horrible. Tomorrow he goes to the doctor.

Tuesday Ramblings

2008-05-06T20:14:00.003-05:00

Robert was feeling a lot better today. Almost back to 100%. He's getting really fast these days. This morning we were playing on my bed before work and before I knew it he was flying off the bed... he zigged when I thought he was going to zag and was gone. Luckily he was fine... I on the other hand about had a heart attack.

Tonight we played safely on the floor in his bedroom. I love his expression in the first photo. The second picture shows his tongue out. This is when he's concentrating.. it's so cute.

Jim called today and asked me to make a doctors appointment for him. His cough is back and he is absolutely miserable. He'll get home tomorrow night and has a doctor appointment Thursday morning. I am so ready for the boys to both be feeling better.. of course I'll probably get sick then!

Had a long talk with my Mom last night about my nephew. He's struggling right now. I guess he's failing everything at school since he's not applying himself and his mother instead of trying to get him to work to his potential is encouraging him to drop out and get a job... apparently the social security and trust money she gets for him just isn't enough (grrr!). I think Mom wanted me to step in and do something. That was my first reaction too. "Hey Donald, ya know those concert tickets I basically promised you for your birthday - forget it!" I finally explained to her that I'm not happy about decisions he's making but he's not drinking or doing drugs. If he drops out he will quickly find that his life sucks working to give his mother all of his money. When that happens he is welcome here rent free if he is pursuing his education. My whole goal right now is if I can keep him away from the drug scene I can fix anything else later. I can't be his parent right now. I have to be Aunt Susie... always that safe place to fall. My message to him will remain the same. I want a great life for you, I'm willing to help you get it when you're ready but above anything else... I will always love you for who you are. I just pray it all works out in the end.

May the Force Be With You

2008-05-05T22:48:00.003-05:00

Found this tonight blog surfing and thought it was pretty funny. This is not a big political statement on my blog... I just thought it was funny.

Robert has gunky lungs again. The good new is his pulse ox was 98 which is perfect - a huge relief. He is now on an antibiotic, a steroid and a new inhaler. He was a real hit at the doctor's office as usual. Doc says we have to get him well because his staff is very unproductive when Robert comes to visit. Four nurses total making over him tonight. We got done with the appointment at 7:30 and were home from the pharmacy by 8:45. Ugh! Then we had to do a breathing treatment, have a bottle and take our other medicine. I think I finally got him to sleep by 9:45... he fought it tooth and nail. The good news is he is not coughing as much so hopefully he's getting some restful sleep.

Of course, it's also trash night. I'm exhausted. Here's hoping tomorrow is a lot more productive than today!

The Ups and Downs of Monday

2008-05-05T15:22:00.004-05:00

Robert was coughing a lot last night. I made a mental note to call the doctor's office today and chat with Melissa, the nurse. She's the best nurse ever! She really loves our little guy and I was hoping she could give me some guidance... the Benadryl isn't working, the humidifier isn't working, the Pulmicort isn't working. For most of the day he's ok but night is a nightmare. Last night I finally got him up and we sat in a steamy bathroom. Didn't seem to help him a whole lot but my pores are now OPEN.

He woke up about 7 this morning babbling to himself. When I went to get him up he was on all fours smiling at me. Then, all of a sudden he pushed back, slid his leg under him and he was sitting up! YEAH!!! That's my big guy.

Got to work and at 11 the preschool called to say Robert's cough was getting worse and he couldn't keep his bottle down. Damn, I forgot to call Melissa. So, scrap calling Melissa and go straight to the appointment setter. We got in with our doctor... at 7pm... ugh. So we've been hanging out at home. He's not coughing as much and he kept his lunch bottle down along with some apple juice. I'm at my wits end with this cough. I'm hoping we can get it taken care of once and for all. I don't think he's as sick as he was in January... I sure hope not since Jim's in Iowa.

We've been having a lot of fun with this book today. It's a book of animals and the pictures are magnetic, removable pieces with corresponding pictures underneath... way cool. It was a gift from my friend Dianne.

Only three and a half more hours until our appointment. He's cat napping next to me right now and hopefully will stay asleep for a bit.

A Little Shopping

2008-05-04T20:24:00.003-05:00

Jim left at about 12:30 today on his way to Sioux City. Robert and I decided it was such a nice day we should head out and do some shopping. We headed up to the Shops at Boardwalk... a nice outdoor strip mall with some of my favorite stores. We ran into Hallmark and got Mother's Day cards to get in the mail to my Mom and Aunt.

We took a quick spin through Border's but didn't get anything. He loves Border's though. I think it's because there are a lot of things at his stroller eye level to look at and peak his interest. I also caught him flirting with a few women. He has this sneaky, shy smile that melts hearts.

Then we headed to Archivers for Cosmo Cricket black board books 20% off and I also picked up Stacy Julian's Photo Freedom book. I NEED to get these photos under control. I usually do one or two orders a month of new Robert pictures. I always order four sets of each print... one for me, one for my mom, one for my aunt and the fourth to be sent out to various relatives who don't have internet. My pile is out of control. I also need to get better about deleting pictures that are never going to be used. I just can't seem to delete any of them.

Then we headed to my favorite LSS to check out their sale, buy some more stuff and give Robert some more opportunities to perfect his flirting, he did not disappoint.

When we got home, the fur children, sensing the absence of their father decided to lose their minds for a few hours in an attempt to see if I would lose mine. First, Cosmo went "missing". I couldn't find that damn cat anywhere. His current passion is rushing the door whenever we enter or exit so I feared he had sneaked past me when I was bringing Robert in. I finally found that he had somehow gotten himself shut in the laundry room. He was not in there when I left. I have a feeling the dog may have somehow played a part in this.

Then I discovered Cosmo was out of cat food. Not wanting to go out again today I scoured for something he would eat. I found a package of lox in the fridge... his favorite! As I was cutting it up into kitty bite size pieces for him Harley decided it was unfair that she was getting a treat and she wasn't so she immediately lit into him. Their chasing, clawing, biting, meowing through the kitchen and living room, Robert's crying and I decide "Yes, I am definitely losing my mind". Their mission now accomplished, they both settled in for naps.

Robert had dinner and went to sleep around 7. TV is a barren wasteland tonight so I'm going to curl up with my book.

Our Day In Pictures

2008-05-03T20:21:00.003-05:00

Jim started ripping up the bedroom carpet today so we'll now have hardwood floors in the bedroom. We're doing it in sections so it looks really ghetto-fabulous right now. He leaves town tomorrow so it will look this way for at least a week. I guess eventually I'll get used to waking up with no carpet under my feet. The floors are actually in pretty good condition. There is one stain by the door that we will need to do some work on.

We took a break from the carpets to head to the Brookside Art Fair. We got this really cool blue dog clock for Robert's room. Saw some pretty neat stuff but just aren't ready to buy just yet. We also ran into our friends Bruce & Robin who we haven't seen in a long time. Robin hadn't seen Robert since he was 7 weeks... quite a change! Bruce couldn't believe he was only 6.5 months.

After the art fair it was a very productive/expensive trip to the Home Depot. We got half the tile we'll need for the basement... another flooring project that will be done in sections. We also got a Little Giant ladder. This should be all the ladder we will ever need! I noticed when I was out on the deck the other day that the gutters on the back of the house are clogged so we need to get that checked out. We also got a wall mount for the TV in the bedroom. It was sitting fairly precariously on the dresser and I'm afraid when Robert starts moving it would pose quite a hazard. Jim installed that when we got home.

When I spoke to neighbor Don yesterday I told him we have a chainsaw if he needed to borrow it to take care of the fallen tree in his yard. He came by this morning to ask to borrow it. Luckily Jim asked him if he had ever used a chain saw... the answer was no... he's lived in the city all his life and had no clue what to do. So he and Jim agreed to meet up at 5:30 tonight and tackle the tree together. Jim cut it and Don and his son stacked the pieces we can use for our fire pit in our yard. Jim also gave them twine to bundle the pieces that we can't use. It was a win win for everyone.

While they were taking care of the tree Robert and I worked on his sippy cup skills. So far his favorite thing to do is bang it on the tray and throw it on the floor... occasionally he gets something to drink from it.

Getting Cuter By the Minute

2008-05-02T20:47:00.003-05:00

The first picture is how Jim found Robert & I when he got home Wednesday night. He's such a great little napping buddy.

The other pictures are him tonight just playing on our bed. He is so expressive lately! He's babbling a lot more and has a cute little squeal. And the last picture are the closest I got to getting a picture of his two little teeth. I love his little expression looking down to see what the heck I was doing.

And Then The Storms Came

2008-05-02T20:41:00.002-05:00

All of these are within a three mile radius of our house. When I went to bed last night we had an all clear... nothing to worry about. Um, that changed about 2am. Of course, I slept through it all! Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning and turned on the news. We had no damage here thankfully. Our next door neighbors had a tree snap at the ground line and come to rest upon their house. Luckily it did no damage to the house. Today we have been very grateful that we weathered the storm along with all our friends and family.

Almost Friday

2008-05-01T20:49:00.002-05:00

All morning I thought it was Tuesday for some reason. Insane. It wasn't until I got to the preschool that they corrected me, it's Thursday! Yee ha! The weather was beautiful today... sunny and 85. Little Mr. Tank was in shorts with his chubby little thighs just begging to be squeezed.

Tonight Jim took care of Robert so that I could do some shopping A-L-O-N-E!!! It was heaven. I ran to Children's Orchard where they were having a sale... but $10 get a $10 store credit. So I now have a $30 credit to go back later. I also ran to Old Navy and found a few things. To reward Jim I stopped in at the cigar shop and got him some of the new Rocky Patel Decade cigars that were rated 95 in Cigar Aficionado. He was really happy.

Shortly after I got home the tornado sirens started going off so we retreated to the basement for a bit. Robert had a good time playing in his play pen. Luckily the storms have passed so we're back upstairs in comfort. The meteorologists in our area have been salivating all night. It's almost as if they want a tornado. Katie Horner is the worst. She drives me up a wall. She's so bad the other stations make fun of her in their commercials.

Tomorrow I have a 7:30am meeting. Jim will stay home with Robert until I get done with my meeting and come back to pick him up then he will head to work and we'll head to preschool/office.

Our email is screwed up at work right now. We can send it to the outside world but can't receive it from the outside world so I'm waiting on a ton of emails. Hopefully it's back tomorrow.

Ahhhhhh

2008-04-30T21:23:00.003-05:00

Tonight I decided to treat myself to a nice soak in the big tub with these bath salts. Unfortunately I wasn't able to crawl into bed after my bath because little Mr. Tank has all of a sudden decided he would prefer an 8:30pm bedtime rather than the 6:30-7:30pm we have gotten so used to.

It didn't help that he and I had come home and taken a nap while waiting for Jim to get home. Jim came in and found us in bed and did think to take some pictures. I'll post them later this week.

Looking at the calendar tonight our summer weekends have become INSANE. We don't have one weekend in June where we don't have something scheduled. In May we only have Memorial Day weekend. July is looking just as awful. One of the biggest problems is when Jim is teaching he leaves on Sundays so that makes going out of town for the weekend is tough.

Talked to Mom this morning. She was feeling fine. Apparently counting the minutes until 3pm when she would be medically clear to drive again. She couldn't sleep last night so she put together a chocolate basket to be raffled off to help raise money for a local young man who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. She's been asked to help with a pancake breakfast and last night decided she could do a basket and picked out someone to be in charge of selling tickets (who she called this morning to set that up). This woman just does not stop. She told me she did take the vicodin but really wasn't that uncomfortable.

American Idol contestant David Cook is from Blue Springs, which is where the hospital I was at yesterday is. The town is gearing up for a big celebration if he makes it to the final three. He's also scheduled to sing the national anthem at the Royals game May 9th.

Now it's Top Chef. I still really don't have a favorite this season. In past seasons I've always had someone I was rooting for.

There was a very good letter to the editor in the Star today:

In years past when people expressed concern about a possible recession or depression, I always said I could deal with it. I still remembered how to cook beans. But in the current economic situation, my old skills don’t help much.

I know how to make bread, but the price of flour is now beyond my reach. Making the family clothing is possible, but the cost of the supplies surpasses my budget. Macaroni used to be a poor person’s staple, but it changed its name to pasta and the price tripled. The same thing happened to cornmeal mush when it became polenta and the price zoomed.

Now I’m reading how funeral costs have increased. So, at the age of 82, I can’t afford to live and I can’t afford to die. Is there an alternative?

Imogene Lusher
Independence

I thought it was an interesting perspective. I've been thinking a lot lately about trying the 50 mile challenge with our food where we try to purchase the majority of our food that is produced within 50 miles of our house. I need to talk to Jim about it a bit since he is our resident chef. I know he'd love going to the City Market every Saturday morning. We do have a dairy within 50 miles of here that supplies local groceries. The milk comes in glass bottles so we'd have to remember to return them to the store... once again, that's a Jim thing. I think he's also planning on planting a small garden on the south side of the house if the daffy weather ever decides what it's going to do. It was 80 today... Saturday - supposed to be 59 - of course!

Did You Hear It???

2008-04-29T20:25:00.005-05:00

f
A big old gigantic sigh of relief about 3pm central... that was me. Mom's biopsy went fine. The surgeon didn't think it looked cancerous and said it was very small so on the off chance it is malignant we've caught it very early. We'll get the final word next Wednesday but I really trust her surgeon.

She will continue to be her cantankerous self. Cantankerous is how the nurse who came to fetch me to go to the recovery room described her. The surgeon also told me that she informed him that this needs to be done with because she is really busy the next month so she doesn't have time to be unwell. That's my Mom!

We got to the hospital at 10:30 and had her lab work done. Then they took her to the surgery prep area. When I got back there she told me she had talked to the anesthesiologist. I asked if she had told him that she had a stroke a few years ago. She had forgotten to.. said it just doesn't cross her mind. So I tracked him down. Luckily he had seen it in her chart and taken the necessary precautions. Then they took her to radiology to put in a needle to mark where they were supposed to be looking. She came back to the surgery waiting area with an old family friend.... the mother of my brother's best friend. Marie had heard Mom's voice in the hallway. So we spent some time catching up. Had to show her some pictures of Mr. Robert too. Of course the procedure was supposed to be at noon so she went back at 1:45.. she got bumped by an appendectomy. By the time they came for her she was more than ready.

Can I just say there were a plethora of people in the outpatient surgery waiting are who have no idea how to act in public. Loudly cursing and dropping the "F" bomb at will. The worst was the last group I got stuck waiting with. There were six of them and one of me. They were belching. Not burping, not trying to be polite about it, just openly belching. Then Mom, Aunt, Uncle and Grandma got into a discussion about one of the kids who got kicked off the bus for threatening to beat up a kid. The consensus they came to was he should just wait for school to end, find the other kid and "whip his ass". That way he wouldn't get suspended because "he's a really good boy" and "he's already had in school suspension too much this year." I swear somewhere several villages are missing their idiots.

We left the hospital at 4. Mom had a prescription for Vicodin but didn't want to get it filled. I insisted that we did telling her she'd be better off having it and not taking it than needing it tonight and not having it. Of course Mom had a ton of things for me to bring home. Bath salts, body bars, new loofahs and a picture frame for me. For Robert, a white linen short suit. Jacket, t-shirt and shorts. It's absolutely adorable. And he also got a Shel Silverstein book. Got her settled in and fed her and then headed home. I got home about 6:30pm. Ten and a half hours, 180 miles... I'm toast but totally relieved.

Any Way You Look at It

2008-04-28T20:08:00.003-05:00

Yes, he's just as adorable from the back as he is from the front!!! Now that two bottom teeth have broken through the gum he is teething harder than ever! I finally pried my finger out of his mouth long enough to get him teething duck, which he loves. It has a nubby little surface and it seems to feel really good on his gums. Of course, he has one sock off... that's typical of him these days.

Jim called this afternoon to tell me he was going out to dinner with his class (he's teaching this week but luckily it's in town) so Robert and I were on our own tonight. He really didn't like his chicken and vegetables at dinner time but he absolutely woofed down the apple, banana, strawberry mix. I think he would have eaten a second container if I had opened it for him.

It looks like May is going to be home improvement month around here. Harley has ripped the heck out of the bedroom carpet. Luckily after peeling back some carpet we have discovered the hardwoods underneath look to be in beautiful condition. I didn't really want hardwoods in the bedroom but Jim did so I guess he won this one.

We're also going to tear up the carpet in the basement and put down vinyl tile. It will be a lot easier to clean up if we continue to have water problems. We're also working on fixing the water problems. I think we've figured out where in the front of the house we need to build up to direct the water away. In the back we're going to direct the sump pump water into a rain barrel. It's currently just shooting out right by the foundation (brilliant whoever put it in that way!) If we do a rain barrel it will solve the problem with it being directed right back to the basement and also be environmentally friendly. We'll be able to direct it anywhere in the yard we want. I found a place that's doing rain barrel workshops in May where for $35 you make your own rain barrel to take home. I'm signing Jim up for the May 10th one and if it goes well he'll go back to another one later in May to do a second barrel to put under the downspouts. Going green and staying clean... that's our new thing!

Sunday Morning

2008-04-27T20:31:00.002-05:00

Boy was I tired this morning! Robert woke up at 6. Thank goodness Jim got up. I finally rolled out about 9. Jim made biscuits and gravy for breakfast and we all dove in. After breakfast it was a flurry of people packing and getting ready to leave. Doyle helped Jim move a china cabinet into the dining room from the garage -- yeah, things coming out of the garage!!! Of course, Cosmo had to do a complete inspection of it.

Deb & Doyle promised they would be back this summer... after all we do still have the World's of Fun tickets. We also talked about meeting in Omaha one weekend and going to the zoo there.

We're also going to have to find a weekend to go visit them. We love to go up there for Fourth of July but this year we have a wedding I cannot miss on the 5th.

After they hit the road all three of us took a nap. Actually make that five... Cosmo and Harley were napping too.

Saturday Night - Family Time and Tuckering the Dog Out

2008-04-27T20:19:00.004-05:00

When we got home from shopping Jim had prepared a delicious dinner (two hour rule). We had hand cut steaks, grilled corn, salad, asparagus and a broccoli with Italian sausage dish that was a huge hit.

After dinner Robert finally went to sleep about 8ish... once again he had to be in the middle of all the action. Once he was in bed I joined the others outside. Anna and Ella were playing with Harley and she was in hog heaven. By the end of the night she was absolutely exhausted.

Aaron built us a fire in the fire ring and we watched the kiddos play and talked. At 9pm we had fresh baked cookies (since it had been two hours since dinner). About 10:30 we all piled in to bed absolutely exhausted. Actually Harley curled up in a chair outside about 9:30pm. She looked at me as if to say "carry me inside". Those kiddos wore her out.

Saturday Afternoon - Liberty Memorial and WWI Museaum

2008-04-27T20:07:00.004-05:00

The Liberty Memorial is the only memorial in the US to World War 1. A few years ago it was renovated and they added a museum. We hadn't been to the museum yet and I have to say it was VERY impressive. When you enter there is a glass bridge with poppies about 10 feet below it that you walk across. Each poppy represents 100,000 dead. The museum displays are interesting and visually appealing. There is also a lot of interactive stuff. It held the attention of all the kiddos and was a great history lesson for them. Aaron is a history buff so he really enjoyed it.

You can go to the top of the tower. It's an elevator ride followed by 45 spiral steps. The tower is as skinny on the inside as it looks from the outside. So is the platform on top but the view is awesome! Deb, Anna, Ella & Robert chose to skip that.

When we got home we had a snack of fresh baked soft pretzels (of course, it had been two hours!) Aaron and Ella took a nap. I love the picture of them napping.

Deb, Doyle, Anna, Sarah and I decided to go shopping. Jim stayed home with Robert and the other two kiddos.

Saturday Morning - City Market

2008-04-27T19:49:00.004-05:00

Saturday morning started about 7am as everyone started rolling out. Jim made pancakes for everyone and we discussed the options for the day. We decided it was going to be too cool for a day at World's of Fun and we didn't want to waste our tickets by going and having to leave after a few hours.

Debbie took care of and played with Robert. Ella kept calling Robert "Baby Robert". Deb gave him a bath and his morning bottle and put him down for a nap. Doyle made the mistake of talking in the hallway and was quickly chastised by Ella, "Shhh Daddy, Baby Robert is sleeping!"

About 10am we finally had a game plan in place and everyone was ready to go. We took off for the City Market to wander the stalls for a bit. While we were there we took a moment to grab a bite to eat at Corrollos. They always have a grill going outside. Between the nine of us we had hot dogs, bratwurst, polish sausage and chicken wings. Thus began the running joke all weekend that it seems when we get together we have to eat every 2 hours.

Jim had a lemon lime soda and Robert REALLY wanted it. It was pretty funny.

When we left we were headed towards the Liberty Memorial. On the way we drove through the new entertainment district and past the Sprint Center.

Friday Night Birthdays

2008-04-27T18:51:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd spread the weekend over a few posts to make it easier to share some of the many pictures we took.

SIL and her family got here about 7:00pm on Friday bringing with them pizza. This was the first time they have stayed with us and I was hoping that they would feel at home and be able to relax. We always have so much fun when we go to visit them. The players are Doyle and Debbie (BIL & SIL) and their four children.... Aaron (15); Sarah (12); Anna (10) and Ella (4). Robert was not quite asleep yet and when he saw all these new faces he decided he wasn't going to sleep! He wasn't fussy but he sure wanted to be in the middle of all the action. We're a loud, fun bunch when we get together. After pizza we surprised Aaron, Sarah and Anna with a little birthday party complete with a little cake for each of them. Aaron's birthday is in May and Sarah and Anna both had theirs in March. They were really surprised and loved it.

The rest of the evening was spent visiting and catching up on everything and making plans for Saturday since it looked like the weather wasn't going to cooperate for going to World's of Fun.

Our house will sleep 9 people! Jim & I were in our room and Robert was in the nursery. Deb, Doyle and Ella had the guest room and the other kids took the couch, loveseat and floor in the living room. It was cozy but so much fun!

Totally Exhausted

2008-04-26T22:25:00.001-05:00

SIL and her family are here and we are having a blast with them but I am exhausted. Will share stories and pics tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a shot of Robert chillin at the City Market today.

Text Me!!!

2008-04-25T12:30:00.002-05:00

I'm busting through the rest of the housework. Getting the floors tackled. The dining room woods have been cleaned... love Murphy's Wood Cleaner. That stuff is fantastic. Also got the stairs vacuumed... cream colored carpeted stairs with two black furry children... not our best move. I have found that the Arm & Hammer Pet Hair carpet powder does make a difference though. It's not the Dyson vacuum I want but it's a help.

SIL called this morning. They should be here about 8 or 8:30 tongiht. They want Minsky's for dinner. I think we're going to bring it back to the house because Robert is generally asleep by then and I don't want to wake him up and take him out.

We're debating whether or not we'll make it to World's of Fun tomorrow. It would help if we could get two news stations to give the same weather report! So far today I've heard anywhere between 61 and 69 tomorrow... some say rain, some say no... that's frustrating.

Got a new phone yesterday. Went with the LG EnV. I love it. Love the orange color and the full keyboard. Now I just gotta find someone to text!

Spring Cleaning!

2008-04-25T00:21:00.004-05:00

Boy what a long day!!! Work was a breeze compared to tonight! Since I'm cleaning for company I've decided to combine it with deep spring cleaning. Literally from the minute I got home at 4:30pm I have been on the go! Jim got home and took over Robert duties while I ran to Target to get stuff for this weekend. I had a jam packed cart when I left. Got home and started cleaning the kitchen. All the crocks on the counter emptied and cleaned. Cabinets cleaned out. The entire refrigerator emptied, shelves and drawers taken out, deep cleaned and put back in. Then I tackled the drawers in the bedroom.

After that I went out to Sandford's (our hellacious garage) and did some moving around of stuff and got the mini fridge plugged in so we can use it this weekend. Hopefully in May we can get the bookshelves moved in to the house, the bed moved out to Mom's house, get everything else nicely sorted and stored so that we have a real garage again.

Jim was busy steam cleaning the carpets and folding laundry. He went to bed about 9. It's 12:30 and I'm about ready to head there myself. Tomorrow I'll clean the bathrooms, finish moving winter clothes to storage in the basement and do a final cleaning of all the floors. Thank goodness Jim's doing the grocery store because I have a feeling I'm going to need a nap.

The first pictures are Robert and Jim last night. I'm not sure which one missed the other more while Jim was out of town. They played together on the floor for the longest time after dinner before it was time to get Robert ready for bed.

Today Jim dressed him out in full surfer gear. I love the little Hawaiian surfing shirt Jim's sister got for Robert. Couple that with the tie dyed onesie and the kid was a 60s acid trip just waiting to happen.

Our basement is flooded again. Ugh! I'll be so happy when we get this carpet taken up and put down tile so it's easier to clean up. We need to relocate the sump pump dump spout, it's dumping too close to the house and overwhelming the pump... ugh! So now I need to add to my list of things to do tomorrow dry vac the basement and steam clean. Joy of joys.

Hump Day Ramblings

2008-04-23T21:24:00.002-05:00

It stormed hard here tonight so I went down and shut off my main computer that has the majority of my pictures on it. So here's an outtake from Robert's six month pictures. This is his, "Mommy, I've really had it but I'm trying to pull it together" face. He actually went on to take about 12 more pics after this, a couple of them were actually good. Poor little guy.

Robert was so happy to see Jim tonight. The minute Jim walked in the room Robert lit up and started smiling at him. After Jim got changed they sat down and Robert spent a lot of time "telling" Jim everything that happened around here last night. He really missed his Daddy.

I got some great pics of Robert and Jim playing tonight. I'm trying to get better about taking more candid shots of our life.

Today was meeting upon meeting... I'm meeting'ed out for a while! Tomorrow I have got to get my desk straightened around so that I can start making new piles. Taking off Friday to clean and get ready for our company this weekend. Going from three in the house to nine is going to be a trip. Tonight all the laundry that is done got folded and by Friday morning all the laundry should be done. Doesn't help that Robert went through three outfits at school today! That makes a total of four outfits for the day. If he keeps this up he's going to have to learn to do his own laundry.

We're dividing to conquer the shopping for this weekend. Tomorrow night I'll run to Target for the staples stuff while Jim watches Robert and Friday Jim will hit the grocery on the way home. Why is it that we can not go one week without a massive run to the Target. What did we do before they opened in KC??? I have absolutely no idea. I think if we didn't make it in there at least once a week the Target staff would send a search party.

First Tooth

2008-04-22T20:16:00.004-05:00

Got a call from Robert's teacher today. "Have you felt in your son's mouth recently?" Um, nope, skipped that this morning since I was trying to get ready for work, Jim was leaving, things were crazy... oh my... Robert must have a tooth! I hung up the phone and ran upstairs and sure enough... a very little tooth. Just breaking through the skin. Of course I can't get a picture of it because every time I try he sticks his tongue over it.

We're also back to the breathing treatments. He's such a trooper about it. He doesn't take the mask off and is very content to sit there and play with his toys while we do the treatments. Tonight it was Penguin Bowling.

Jim made it to Joplin and played in the golf tournament. He called me when he was on the way to the hotel afterwards to clean up so that he could go to the social hour and dinner... gee my heart bleeds for him this trip. At least it's only one night.

I'm trying to get some deep cleaning tonight but have gotten sidetracked by the Real Housewives recap. Hopefully afterwards I get back on track.

Not Now!!!

2008-04-21T19:28:00.004-05:00

I was talking to my Mom tonight, we talk nearly every day. We did the usual chit chat and I made sure she'd received the pictures of Robert. After we chatted a bit she asked if I was busy or if we could "talk" for a minute. OK... bring it, what's up. They've found a lump in her breast and it's going to have to be biopsied. The big biopsy where she has to go to the hospital and be put under. Anesthesia is a little scary with her since she had a stroke a few years ago. Now you have to understand with my Mom nothing about her health is ever a big deal. Five weeks before my wedding she got a call from her doctor that her hemoglobin count was dangerously low and she needed to get to the hospital for a transfusion, she asked him if it could wait because she was "really busy" right then. One day and three pints of blood later she came home. With the stroke we didn't even know for a few weeks that that is what happened. She just thought she'd gone blind in one eye. She's such a trooper.

Of course what she wanted to "talk" about is if I wanted to take her to the hospital or if she wanted my aunt and uncle or her best friend to take her. Um, how long have you known about this if all these other people have been notified??? Of course I'm going to take you.

The logical side of me knows this is going to be ok. We don't have a history of breast cancer in our family, she's fine. We'll go in, get the biopsy, it will be unremarkable. The emotional side of me is screaming "NO" so loud I'm surprised the neighbors can't hear it. In the past six years I've buried my dad and my brother. Mom is all I have left of my "nuclear" family. And I'm a mother now, I need her more than ever. Robert needs to know her.

So now I'm in limbo until Tuesday. Jim leaves for an overnight in Joplin tomorrow. The golf tournament starts at noon so he'll have to be on the road by 7:30 or 8:00 at the latest. After the golf outing there is a social hour at the hotel. My heart bleeds for him. I'll be home cleaning so his sister and her family have a warm inviting space as opposed to a disaster area.

One of the nine month old kids in the preschool has become the classroom "bully", crawling up to kids, taking their toys, getting in their faces. He messed with the wrong kid today. Robert put him in a baby headlock and put his head into the mat. That's my boy. It was pretty funny. No one was hurt and I doubt this kid tries to get in Robert's face again anytime soon. Not to mention Robert has about 10 pounds on him.

Dogs, Cats & Llamas - Oh My!

2008-04-20T21:05:00.008-05:00

We took Robert to the Pet Expo today. He was absolutely on the edge of his stroller the whole trip! He loved seeing all of the animals and got to pet (and be licked by) quite a few dogs. There were even llamas and a police horse there. We skipped the reptile section (ick!) They had a dock diving competition going on and we got information about signing Harley up for dock diving... I think she's be really good and enjoy it a lot. Yes, I worry that my dog does not feel fulfilled and self-confident.

Talked to Jim's sister today and they are definitely coming this weekend. She asked if we wanted them to stay in a hotel... HA! No way! It's going to be a house full! Four adults, five kids ranging in age from 6 months to 15, a dog and a cat. I started getting the house in order today. I started with my closet. Trying to get down to a manageable amount of clothing... how many pairs of jeans do I need? How many pairs of khaki pants? How many t-shirts for crying out loud. I'm really paring down.. trying not to be a slave to stuff. Got the new linens on the guest bed and the drawers of the dressers in there cleaned out. Also gathering up spare pillows and taking blanket inventory so the kiddos have bedding. Friday night I think we're going to do a make your own pizza bar and a group birthday party for their three older kiddos. We never get to see them at their birthdays. Anna and Sarah's were in March and Aaron's is coming up in May. I'm going to go to the store bakery and get three small cakes wit their names on them. We're hoping to go to World's of Fun Saturday if the weather is cooperating. Backup plan to that is the Nelson Atkins Gallery or the Harry Truman Library. A lot to do to get ready for their visit. I'm taking Friday off so that I can grocery shop, do last minute cleaning, etc. Jim is on the road Tuesday and Wednesday so that makes a bit more for me to do that evening.

Jim's been sick-ish this weekend. I finally sent him to a Take Care Health clinic today. He has an ear infection and got some antibiotics. I was just afraid he wouldn't be able to get in with the doctor tomorrow and then would be miserable on the road.

Marva came by yesterday. It was so great to see her!!! We cannot let so much time go by again. Myles (her 12 year old) is playing baseball in two leagues. I told her to get us his schedules and maybe we can come to a game or two.

Robert was in a wild mood tonight. Stayed up until after 8:30pm! So unlike him. I think it's because we turned on the air and the kid finally felt a little better. I fear he has allergies. Poor little guy.

It's Only Wednesday?!?!?!

2008-04-16T22:02:00.003-05:00

I swear it's been two weeks since Monday!!! Monday I worked 6:30am - 6:00pm - going in early and staying late to help promote the parent's meeting we've got scheduled for tomorrow night. We have 7 families attending... that's respectable. Of course, Jim called me about 4:00 on Monday saying there were some reps in town and they wanted to go out to dinner... which of course is important for his business so I told him to go and it would be fine. Got home and got Robert fed, played with and put to bed. Then I tackled laundry and the kitchen. By the time Jim got home at 8:30 I was wiped out. Tonight I had a meeting that I didn't get home from until 9. Tomorrow is the Parent Meeting so I hope to be home by 8 at the latest. Just too much in one week!

Harley (the Horrible) decided to rip up more of the bedroom carpet today. That dog... I don't know what gets in to her head sometimes. Of course Jim wants to rip out all of the carpet and see what condition the hardwoods are underneath... I see that to be a huge mess and hassle we just don't need right now... my solution, buy an area rug. We'll see how this one pans out in the next few months. Maybe Jim is baiting the carpet in hopes she rips out enough that I cave in... hmmm.

Of course, you can't stay mad at the mutt for long. She absolutely loves Robert, and he loves her. He's especially fascinated with her tail. She lets him pull on it and climb over her and she just lays there occasionally shooting me a look that says, "you'll pay for this later". A boy needs his dog and this dog needs her boy.

Saturday one of my best friends ever is coming over!!! I'm so excited. It's been a few years since I've seen her... that's horrible! We live in the same city just on opposite sides... about a 30-40 minute drive. I have vowed that this much time will never go by again.

Finally Portraits

2008-04-13T19:38:00.003-05:00

Robert was not overly smiley for his photo session today but we still got some great shots. The first one is my all time favorite. He just looks onery. In the second one I swear he's saying "oh no you didn't". Our experience at Portrait Innovations was so much better than Sears... of course that was not hard to beat. I really love the ones of Jim and Robert also.

Tomorrow I'm working 6:30am to 6:00pm... that's going to be a long day. And this week I have night meetings Wednesday and Thursday so it's going to be a long week. We lost a lot of time today trying to get the pictures done so I've got a ton to catch up on... but for now it's more Star Wars and maybe some scrapping.

Horrible Would Be An Improvement

2008-04-13T14:20:00.002-05:00

So last week I scheduled Robert's 6 month portrait at our local Sears studio. I know Sears not as good as a "professional" photographer but I'm on a budget this time (saving photographer for some fun summer family shoots) and just wanted a nice shot of him and a couple of family ones and the all important all shots on CD. I scheduled the appointment for 12:30... a good time of day for Robert. The studio called Friday to confirm. I was told we were the second appointment, gave a list of what kind of shots we wanted, etc.

Robert woke up in a great mood today. We had our bath, got dressed, looked nice, in a good mood. Got to the studio at 12:15. Family one had just finished up but there was another family there.. a walk in who got to walk in ahead of us. For 45 minutes we kept Robert entertained and reasonably happy. Finally at 1:00 we got in with the photographer, who had her toddler daughter with her being "Mommy's helper". I was not impressed. I'm sorry if she couldn't find child care today or whatever but her job is really not conducive to having a toddler butting in.

We started the session. She was impatient and had another family lined up outside waiting. She was too busy snapping willy nilly to wait for the good shots. Then she suggested we stand him leaning against a posing cube. I stood him up and she told me to come around to the other side and put my foot against the cube. The minute I took a step to do that she moved her foot causing the cube to shift and Robert to fall... and bump his head. Now, he didn't fracture his skull, he's not injured, I'm not suing but by this point, he is done... and so am I. He's scared and crying and not calming down as quick as he usually does. I told the photographer we were leaving. She asked if I wanted to buy any of the shots she has taken... um no. You have been rushing us through this after making us wait, I take better shots than you do and you caused my child to bump his head... I won't be paying you for this. I asked for the corporate number and her name which she wrote down for me.

We got Robert calmed down and to the car. I called Portrait Innovations and they can take us at 4:30 today. Then I called corporate to tell them of my horrible experience. All they heard was baby bumped head. Apparently there is a form the photographer is supposed to fill out because of the "accident". So now someone from Risk Management will be calling me tomorrow. If we feel a need to go to the doctor or hospital Sears will pay for it. (See above, I said he's fine) They also offered to send me some coupons for my next session... like I'm ever going back there.

At Grandma's House

2008-04-12T20:01:00.002-05:00

We had a great time out at my Mom's today. Robert had a few fussy moments but between his teeth and his vaccinations that was to be expected. Last night was rough for him and he woke up a few times just absolutely sobbing. It was so sad. He doesn't get that way very often so it's really hard to hear but we made it through.

My nephew is such a great playmate for Robert. He is great about getting down on the floor and playing with all the toys with Robert. He nicknamed Robert "Turbo" today.

A few of mom's friends stopped by to meet Robert and one of my high school teachers dropping off some information for Mom on a committee they are serving on came in to meet him. My aunt and uncle were also in the area so they came by. Robert enjoyed seeing his Great Aunt Barb.

Jim was in Unionville today trying to get the tractors moved. There was one he could not get started and luckily he was smart enough to realize that pushing it down a hill trying to get a rolling start was not a good idea. It would have been at least 6pm before I started getting worried about him not being back and trying to locate him three hours away in a town I'm not even sure how to get to. I think next time I'll go with him... or make sure his cousin Dennis will be home to help him out.

Robert's finally asleep tonight and we're piled down watching Star Wars. I need to be getting our clothes ready for tomorrow but I'm just too tired. Maybe I'll get my second wind.

Robert's Six Month Check Up

2008-04-11T21:02:00.005-05:00

Robert had his six month check up today. Healthy as a horse that little guy is, and almost as big! He weighed in at 23 pounds and is 28" long. Doctor said he was ready to start on Stage 2 foods so we loaded up at Target tonight, this should be fun watching him try new things. The nurses and staff all made over Robert at the doctor's office. Melissa his favorite nurse had to come and cuddle him. They also brought in a very pregnant intern to see Robert and get some "parenting advice" from me, of all people. Robert did great with his shots, calmed right down after I picked him up.. four shots, poor guy.

Tonight we did our usual Target trek. Along with all of Robert's new culinary delights we got a new inflatable duck bathtub for him... the beak quacks, I can't wait to use it tomorrow.

We ran to Marshall's and got new bedding for the guest room. It's a bright fish pattern. I'll have to post a picture when we get the bed made.

Concentrate!

2008-04-10T20:02:00.003-05:00

This is Robert's concentrating face. We see it a lot more often these days as he tries to figure out new things. This time he was trying to figure out how to get the mobile in his crib which is out of his reach.

Tomorrow he has his six month well baby check up. I'm excited to see how much he has grown. I'm sure he's pushing 24 pounds but I think his length has slowed up a bit. He's healthy, that's the most important thing.

Tomorrow is staff development day at the preschool so that means I have no child care for the day. I have a meeting first thing in the morning so Jim will stay home and leave when I get back around 9:30. Then I'll work from home until it's time for his doctor's appointment at 2:30. It's nice to have that option.

Saturday Jim has some business to take care of so Robert and I are headed out to Mom's for the day. I think my nephew is going to be out there. I know she's invited a few of her friends to drop by to see Robert.

We had the best fruit torte from The Pastry Goddess tonight. I picked it up for a brunch at work this morning and had half left over. It was sooooo good.

He is My Sunshine

2008-04-08T21:00:00.005-05:00

I did this layout last night while watching the game. The template is Miss Mint's Scrap Snap 2 pg. 4. Papers are from Carrie Stephen's Sunshine & Rainbows.

Tonight I put together this Drive! layout. The template is Heather Ann's Quick Fill #40; paper and embellishments are Micheline Martin's Room A Zoom Zoom kit

In other randomness, we watch a lot of reality TV around here. Don't tell my mother. Tonight was the Real Housewives of NYC. Can I just say Alex is one of the most pretentious bitches I've ever seen. I mean come on... your whole life is about "making connections"... um, excuse me honey, you and your clingy husband are users. You can't have real friendships because all you ever look for is how the other person can help you. BORING!!! And Ramona... oh my God get over yourself. You have absolutely no idea what class is. If your husband had any sense he'd divorce you immediately in hopes of you not totally ruining your daughter... who time and again has shown she has a heck of a lot more common sense than you.

On to Celebrity Fit Club... um, Dustin Diamond.. please tell me this is an act. Your just trying to be controversial to revive your non-existent career. Please tell me you don't really believe you are as powerful as you portray. Ugh!!!

Other current favorite train wrecks... Hell's Kitchen & I Know My Kid's A Star.

Rain Go Away!!!

2008-04-08T20:16:00.005-05:00

Look who is sitting unassisted for long periods of time. He's so good!!! He can't get into a sitting position by himself yet but once he's there he can sustain it for a long time. He can even pick up toys or play with his toes and go back to sitting up. Occasionally he gets a bit overconfident and winds up falling over but for the most part he's really getting it. He's just growing so quickly! I can't believe it's six months Sunday.

Today he was cranky in the afternoon at school. It's gotta be the teeth. He woke up once tonight already fussy and just wanted to be held (which I was more than happy to do!) I really think he's going to get two bottom teeth within days of each other. Wish there was something more than tyleonol or orajel we could do to help him.

He was pretty playful when we got home. I let him hang out in his crib while I restocked diapers, straightened the nursery, etc. Then we moved to the floor and he worked some more on his crawling. He's still going backwards but he's getting up on all fours more.

Today was rainy and cold. I am so sick of this weather!!! Tomorrow cloudy but a little warmer.. then more rain through Saturday... we're going to have to build an ark. The Royals did manage to get their home opener in against the Yankees today and they won. Friday is Autism Awareness Night at the K. I was thinking about going but it's going to be cold and miserable so we'll have to wait to take Robert out to the ballgame.

There is a robin who started building a nest in the tree outside by our deck off the bedroom last night. This morning I took a picture and tonight when I came home she was finished. I'm hoping to see baby robins soon. That would be really cool.

Sunday it's supposed to be lower sixties. Maybe we can get out and enjoy some sunshine after we get Robert's six month portrait done.

Happy Birthday tomorrow to Kyra. Hope it's a great one!!!

ROCK CHALK BABY!!!

2008-04-07T23:13:00.004-05:00

It's official. The Jayhawks are national champions. I was working on this layout throughout the game and actually with two minutes to go had changed "champions" to "finalists"... then I had to change it back.

Layout is Miss Kim's template Taylor. Papers are from Katie the Scrapbook Lady. ROCK CHALK font is from DDE's Jingle All the Way kit.

Busy Weekend

2008-04-07T19:04:00.005-05:00

Wow it was a busy weekend. Saturday we got our taxes done, a lot more pleasant than last year... can you say refund??? Cha-ching!!! I was so happy. I was sweating if we'd have to pay like last year. My friend Janie is our tax professional, she hadn't met Robert yet and he was totally charming!

We did some shopping on our way home. Robert got a new driving toy that he loves. He also got a new teething ring that lights up and plays music. Harley also got some new toys. The one in the picture is HEAVY. Takes a lot to heft it across the yard for her but she loves it.

When we got home Saturday we got the beds moved around and the new bed is FINALLY in the bedroom! Only took four months! It is so comfy. I absolutely love it. I have to look to see if Jim is in bed, I really can't feel him move.

Saturday night our friend Greg came by with his wine bottle opener. It's got a CO gas cartridge in it and is the neatest darn thing you've ever seen. We sat around drinking wine and watching the KU game. At 10pm the doorbell rang... our doorbell never rings! It was my nephew and his best friend. They had been out shopping and decided to stop by our place on the way home... of course, the night we're sitting around blazing through wine. Luckily no one was fall down drunk or anything. They got Dr. Pepper's and visited for about a half hour then were on their way. We wound up drinking five bottles of wine! It's been forever since we did that.

Sunday we took it really easy! A lot of playing with Robert and getting a few things around for this week.

Tonight we're geared up for the big game... Rock Chalk... I could usually care less but Jim is a HUGE KU fan so I'm trying to be supportive.

I'm a Bull Dog

2008-04-03T20:10:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Kyra I now know I'm a bulldog... I can live with that. Actually Bulldog was our high school mascot.

I'm absolutely loving Jen Caputo's new Photogrids. This is photogrid 2-1. So simple to do!!! The text is Jen Caputo's Text on Path #9; paper is from Chris Stone's Little Builder kit. Love being able to take pictures and then put a layout together the same night... maybe the mojo is back!

Mr. Personality

2008-04-03T18:26:00.004-06:00

Oh on rough days this little guy can totally brighten things. He has so much personality these days. I have to get the camcorder recharged so I can capture his little giggle... it's more of a tiny belly laugh. Soooo cute. You cannot not laugh when you hear it. He's also soooo talkative. He's working out the mechanics of crawling. Mostly he winds up belly scooting right now but tonight he spent a good amount of time with his little tush in the air trying to figure out what to do next. His teacher says she thinks he'll be crawling in two weeks. Then there will be absolutely no stopping him.

Autism Awareness

2008-04-02T19:11:00.004-06:00

Today is Autism Awareness Day. For those of you who don't know, autism now affects 1 in 150 children. Autism affects everyone differently and involves challenges in communication, social skills, and behaviors. If you’re worried your child may have autism — or feel something just isn’t right — follow your instincts. Don’t assume that your child will catch up. Share your concerns with your pediatrician. Look into your state’s early intervention program. Get a diagnosis. And seek support from community service and treatment provider.

Several Barnes and Noble stores are featuring the book Since We're Friends during story time in April. I've had a chance to read it and it's a wonderful story of two friends, on who has autism, and the bond they share. It's a great book for explaining to young children what autism is and what it is not.

Today was a horrible day at work. Therapy and preschool for children with autism and other disabilities is expensive to provide. Each year we have to fundraise in excess of $300,000 to be able to offer these services affordably in our community. As reimbursements dwindle that number grows. We're having to take a hard look at what we will and will not be able to continue. We're not stopping services yet, just having to take hard looks at things. We are the only provider in our community that can handle kiddos who are medically fragile - feeding tubes, oxygen, heart monitors, etc. The actual cost for these kids to attend preschool is approximately $500 per week... what parent can afford that! Let's face it, a lot of parents of a child with a disability are young, starting their careers and need insurance from two jobs to help cover the medical costs. These people need our services. From a business model it looks like hell on paper.. but some things don't translate in numbers. What price do you put on the kiddos like Hanna who came to us three years ago at 18 months. She was non-verbal and couldn't walk. Now she's trying to decide between playing soccer or t-ball this summer... and she'll tell you all about it.

Nothing Interesting

2008-04-01T20:06:00.004-06:00

Robert's smiling because Daddy is coming home tomorrow. He can't get back soon enough for me. I miss him so much when he's gone. He also must do a hell of a lot around here because it exhausts me doing everything myself. Jim is the "overnight" guy for Robert and when he's not home I'm so afraid I'm not going to hear Robert in the night if he needs me that everything wakes me up so I haven't had a decent nights sleep since Friday.

I got my grant done that had to be done today and in the mail, yeah!!! Always good when they're in the mail. I also made Robert's six month doctor appointment and an appointment to get our taxes done this weekend. I'm hoping this year goes better than last, either way I refuse to cry in the H&R Block office. (yes, it was bad enough I cried last year).

Debbie called me tonight as I was leaving the office to say she had stopped at Golden Corral on her way home for dinner and said Robert and I should join her since Jim was out of town. That was so thoughtful. We had a good time although I thought the food was subpar for the price... but it was a nice break in our evening.

Robert went down about 7 tonight. A little later than usual. He's started power napping at school. He used to do 1 to 2 hour naps, now it's 20 or 30 minutes. Last night he woke up at 10:30 for a bottle, 4am because his arm was stuck in the crib and then 5:30 hungry again. I had to wake him up at 7:30 to get ready to go to school. I'm hoping tonight he sleeps through the night.

Computer Genius

2008-03-31T19:44:00.004-06:00

Robert is fascinated by the computer. I'm the one to blame for that. I know he sees me on it a lot. I don't know what I'd do without the internet! I use it for entertainment, information, business, you name it. I also love digital scrapping. I still want to do paper layouts and keep buying the supplies to do Robert's pages. Digital is just so much more convenient right now. No supplies to haul out. I can do it in any room in the house and clean up is as easy as shutting the laptop up.

Today was busy. I have another grant I need to wrap up tomorrow and get in the mail so I was busy laying it out. Then the ceiling in my office started leaking due to an overflowing toilet upstairs... that was fun.

Jim's still in Omaha so I'm manning the fort alone. Robert was super tired tonight so he was out by 6. Basically we had a few minutes to play when we got home then he got fussy so we had some bananas and he was still fussy (but ate) so we put on our jammies, cuddled for a bit and he was out. I'm hoping he sleeps through the night. Last night he woke up at 4am because his arm was stuck then again at 5am hungry. Then he slept until 7. It's so much easier in the mornings when Jim is here.

Bedtime for me! Two more sleeps and Jim is home!!! This weekend I know we have to get the taxes done and do some cleaning around here but we're also going to take some time to RELAX as a family and just enjoy each other.

Warm and Cozy

2008-03-30T18:17:00.004-06:00

This is my little guy wrapped up in a blanket that one of my friend's daughters made for him. It's so soft and snuggly, and apparently tastes very good.

When my Mom saw the pictures of Robert "feeding" himself she was absolutely agasht. She really thought that instead of reaching for the camera I should have taken the carrots away. She thought I was plum crazy when I started explaining that this is such important brain building activity. Everything he touches and picks up creates a new "bridge" in his brain that will be so important for learning later on in life. He learned strained carrots are squishy and they are pretty good finger paint. Eventually this sensory input will lead to him learning his ABC's and math skills.

Robert stayed up to watch the KU game tonight. Then he was wired for a bit. We rocked for a bit and I got him pretty well settled and laid him down in his crib. After about 10 minutes he wiggled and goo'd himself to sleep.

I'm off to get his bag ready for tomorrow and clean up the kitchen. I'd really like to know why the kitchen is always a total wreck when Jim leaves town. We'll have to talk about that when he gets home :-)

Home Again

2008-03-30T15:37:00.004-06:00

Little Robert had a wonderful time visiting Granny and cousin Erika. He is such a little ham, flashing the big toothless grins. I love watching my Mom with him.

He was perfect for the babysitter. She got there at 5, he was asleep by 6:15. She said she kept checking on him every 20 minutes and he was just out. That's my boy. He actually slept until after 7 this morning.

The gala was nice. The sound system in the building is just so horrible that you can't hear what's going on which is really frustrating during the live auctions. We did win the Branson Getaway raffle. One night in a hotel and passes to three shows. I've heard of none of them. The free night in the hotel could be a nice stopping point on our way to or from visiting Jim's aunt and uncle in Arkansas. I didn't take any pictures at the gala this year. I can't believe it. I guess I was too busy showing pictures of the baby to people. Terry flew in from Baltimore yesterday and Robin drove in from Des Moines so they were both exhausted. Especially Terry, he's working so hard on his latest project I hope he doesn't wear himself silly this year.

We got home and Jim got packed to hit the road. He and Robert took one last nap together while I ran to the store... I hate the store but we had to have trash tags and kitty litter. Of course, I didn't get any food so there's nothing in the house to eat. Jim should be pulling into Omaha any minute now. I hope he had a smooth drive. Robert and I are on our own until Wednesday night.

Harley thoroughly enjoyed her time at Pete and Macs but seemed reasonably happy to see me when I picked her up. She had her nails trimmed, thank God, I hate trimming her nails!

Self Feeding

2008-03-29T10:45:00.002-06:00

Robert decided last night that he could feed himself, maybe not. He sure was cute though. Layout is Snap and Scrap 3 page one. Backgrounds are from ksharonk's For the Boys kit.

This morning I have taken Harley to the kennel... she absolutely loves it there, immediately runs to the attendants and could care less that I'm leaving, ungrateful dog :-)

Ran to Walgreens to pick up the latest pictures to take to Mom. Loaded the latest pictures on to the ITouch to show everyone tonight, packed clothes for all three of us and enough baby gear to stay a week (we'll be gone less than 24 hours).

Jim is loading the car so soon we'll be on our way!

Easter Layouts

2008-03-28T20:45:00.004-06:00

Debs spurred me on to get some scrapping done. Last night I actually fell asleep at the laptop saving one of the layouts. I didn't realize it until Jim told me this morning he woke up and put the computer away.

Thank God this week at work is over. I think the next two weeks are going to be insane and then maybe things will even off a bit. At least for one week! So many deadlines. I did a grant for a sensory integration project this week. I now know a ton about sensory integration and sensory integration disorders. I can tell you whether the sensory input is tactile, vestibular or proreceptory. Actually, it is fun learning new things. And learning early childhood development stuff right now gives me good clues on stuff that I can do for and with Robert to give him the best start possible.

Tomorrow night is the House of Hope Gala which means we'll spend the night with my Mom. Jessica is coming over to babysit Robert. I babysat her a long time ago. She joked tonight it feels we've come full circle.

So much to do tomorrow to get ready. A lot of stuff to pack for Robert!

On to the layouts. The Newborn layout is Heather Ann Designs quick fill #54 and Shabby Princesses' Our Little Prince kit. If I can get months 1 and 4 done in the next two weeks I'll be caught up!

The Easter Basket layout is Heather Ann's quick fill #40 and Michelle Underwood's Cottontail kit.

The Cousins layout is Heather Ann's quick fill page #42 and Michelle Underwood's Cottontail kit.

Scrappy Stuff

2008-03-26T20:40:00.005-06:00

I did manage to get two layouts done this week so far. With everything going on at work and being so tired at night I've just wanted to veg out with the laptop and try to be creative. The Bunny Boy layout was actually my second attempt. The first layout I tried just never came together. I'm still not thrilled with the layout but it's growing on me.

The Sing layout I love. I'm totally enamored by those pictures. I'm so in love with this kiddo. He is the perfect child for us. So low key and laid back. There are still nights that I'll go into the nursery and watch him sleep and just think to myself, "this is really real, this is my son in his room and he's going to be here tomorrow and next week and that's just so cool!"

He is so close to sitting unsupported and he's getting quite proficient at rolling over. Soon there is going to be no containing him.

The Sing layout is Heather Ann's Quick Fill page #25, paper and embellishments are Shabby Princess Silly Boy Nut Nut kit.

The Bunny Boy layout is by Jen Caputo, paper and embellishments are Shabby Miss Jen's Egg Hunt kit.

Sing Along

2008-03-24T19:02:00.004-06:00

Tonight after Robert finished dinner I started "singing" to him. Basically just different la's sort of to the tune of Jingle Bells. He started singing along with me. He was having such a good time. I asked Jim to grab the video camera and of course the batteries were dead so we had to settle for still shots. I'm kind of glad that we did because you can really see his expressiveness in these shots. Just imagine a deep little giggle along with them.

The days are supposed to be getting longer but it seems like they are getting shorter. It feels like there is never enough time to accomplish everything I want to do. We had a 2 hour directors meeting today right in the middle of the day. It seems like I got to work, did a few things, went to the meeting then had a few minutes to finish up the day before it was time to come home. Great when time flies by but not so great when your to do list is the same tomorrow as it was today... only with another meeting.

This weekend is the big House of Hope Gala in Lexington. My Mom is a founding board member and I've been to this event every year they've had it. Since it goes pretty late we usually spend the night with my Mom. Sunday Jim is on the road for Omaha so we'll need to get home in time for him to get going in time to get his classroom set up. A girl I used to babysit eons ago is coming to Mom's to take care of Robert so that is taken care of. Now I've just got to get all of his gear ready, and decide what Jim and I are wearing. Harley's reservation at Pete and Mac's has been made so that's another thing done.

It's going to be a long week.

Happy Easter!!!

2008-03-23T20:30:00.008-06:00

The Easter Labrador did indeed find our house and Robert loved everything about his basket! It was filled with plush sports balls and a plush Easter Snoopy. There were also a couple of chocolate bunnies for Mommy & Daddy (thanks Easter Lab!) He took everything out and tasted it. He also kept a firm hold on the basket with at least one hand at all times.

After playing with his basket and having a nap it was time to get into our Easter outfit and head to Grandma's house. At Grandma's he had to spread out his loot again for her to see. Grandma got him the Runaway Bunny (what an adorable story) book and bunny set for Easter.

Robert got to play a lot with his cousin Donald. Donald and I were thick as thieves when he was younger. Because of him I was the Cubmaster of a scout troop for many years. We also took several really great camping trips. He's 16 now... and taller than me! He is so good with Robert. He even put on the bunny ears to entertain him, although he was not pleased I was taking pictures.

I'm not sure who has more fun spoiling Robert, his Grandmother or his Great Aunt! I love how my Mom is looking at Robert in our family picture.

After a delicious dinner Robert & Donald laid down for a nap. You should have seen the look on Robert's face when he woke up and saw Donald next to him, he wasn't so sure about that. For dessert my Mom did a chocolate fountain... mmmmm.

Every holiday with Robert is a little more fun than the last as he gets more into things. His tooth still hasn't come in as I had predicted it would but he is really working on it.

She Came! She came!!

2008-03-23T17:32:00.003-06:00

Did she come to your house??? She came to our house... the Easter Labrador! She made sure Robert's basket was full and was so relieved that their were no eggs to be hidden, especially outside so that none of the other dogs in the neighborhood laughed at her.

Reason 156 I Love My Husband

2008-03-23T16:34:00.001-06:00

We were channel surfing yesterday and Old Yeller came on. Now I'm a sucker for an old Disney movie so I immediately perked up. I looked over at Jim and he was already teary saying "no" - during the opening credits! So we compromised and watched until it was time to mark the hogs and then quickly found something else to do.

Little Mr. Fix It

2008-03-22T19:33:00.005-06:00

I got this adorable plush tool set for Robert from Lillian Vernon. It's got a hammer, drill, saw, wrench and screwdriver all in a personalized plush tool box. Our future little Mr. Fix It.

Today it was gorgeous and in the 50s. Robert and I headed out to visit my grandma and aunt. He was totally charming the entire visit. Grandma even held him for a few minutes. For a lot of the time I would help him stand in front of her and he'd hold on to her fingers.

Jim ran up to Outlaw to get some cigars at their Oliva event. He said there were over 400 people there so he decided not to hang around. When he got home he mowed the yard and got the grills out of the garage. He also got the front yard mowed and some grass seed down since it's supposed to rain, if not snow, tomorrow.

Tonight he watched the KU game with Robert while I ran some errands for tomorrow. Had to pick up new pictures for my mom and my aunt and also some Easter goodies for my niece and nephew. They are 15 and 16 now so it's a bit harder. I just got them some different candies and put them in an Easter bag. Erika isn't going to make it out to Mom's tomorrow so I'll just send hers home with Donald.

Robert's schedule got all turned upside down today. He didn't nap a lot except in the car and then went to sleep about 5:30 only to wake up at 7:00. It's 8:30 and he's back in his crib but I can hear him moving around entertaining himself. Hopefully he crashes soon so he's not a bear tomorrow.

I still need to finish putting his Easter basket together and figure out what I'm going to wear tomorrow.

Robert at School

2008-03-20T18:33:00.004-06:00

I got a lot of pictures of Robert at school today. One of the advantages of my boss officing up there this week is I have to go up to get her signature on stuff, talk to her, etc. throughout the day and I also pop in and check on my boy. He wore his bunny ears today and everyone thought he looked so cute. He's getting so big in his actions not just size wise. He is starting to sit unsupported for a few minutes at a time. I'm also getting reports from his teachers that he talks ALL THE TIME. Tell me something I don't know! The woman in the second picture with him is Ms. Angela his lead teacher. I tell you this woman loves him almost as much as I do. It's so great to see her interact with him. She is pregnant, due October 31. She's hoping for a boy and I hope she has one too... I told her if it's a boy don't buy ANY clothes!

The boss has suggested a happy hour tomorrow night. Last time they did happy hour they shut Buffalo Wild Wing down. I ran to Target tonight to get a second car seat for Jim's car so that he can pick Robert up in case I'm out late tomorrow night.

I got a great package in the mail today from Kyra. The most adorable cards you have ever seen... she is so talented. I'll have to post a pic tomorrow. For now, I'm exhausted and it's only 7:30!!!

Boys Night In

2008-03-19T20:19:00.003-06:00

The boys held down the fort on their own tonight. I had my monthly Soroptimist meeting and I'm so ready to get back to being active again. It's so great that Jim is totally capable of taking care of Robert and looks forward to their time together so I can pursue things that I enjoy and not have to feel guilty. I also had to email Jim this morning that I have an early morning meeting in a couple of weeks so I need him to take Robert to preschool (which is way out of his way) and he was totally willing. Love that we're equal partners! Of course now I'm home and Robert is asleep I'm dying to go wake him up and snuggle with him but I'm showing great restraint.

Found out tonight at the meeting that my organization got approved for a $2000 grant... yeah!!! We give away grant monies in May every year and this year Triality will be receiving money to get another high capacity, front loading washer and dryer for day hab. This will give us two brand new sets, I shouldn't have to get more money for washers/dryers for ten more years!!!

A former co-worker called me yesterday to ask about our preschool director position. I insisted that she fax her resume over immediately. She has her first interview Friday. I think she'd be perfect, I've even got my boss really excited about the interview.

Work is so incredibly busy right now. There are so many new initiatives to pursue and so many grants that are coming due, not to mention newsletters and a brand new special event booked with three more in the hopper.