Sleep Walker

I have never done it, my DH has never done it, but it sure was a scary surprise last night when my daughter did it. It was around 9:30pm last night. My DH and I were sitting in the living room (me pumping of course), watching the b-ball game he had recorded while we were out eating dinner, when I heard a noise from the kids' hallway. I look and there is KD. She is making a little whimpering sound. I ask her, "What's wrong, sweetie?" and watch as she walks through the kitchen instead of towards me. I look at my DH and ask him what he thinks is going on and the next thing we hear is the "beep" as the door to the garage is opened. DH jumps out of his chair and goes to get her. He is asking her, "What did you need?" and she is making some mumbling sound. She is talking, but so sleepily, that we cannot understand her. He sits down in his chair with her and I look at her face - she is sound asleep!!!

I pray this is a one time occurrence, I just know that I did not sleep well last night for fear of hearing another "beep" in the night.

Thanks for the Memories.........

This post is in celebration of my 8-year wedding anniversary, which is tomorrow. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HONEY! LOVE YA! **kiss**

Okay - now that I have everyone gagging over my mushiness, on to the details about our weekend. Since the actual day is on a Tuesday this year, my dear mom and step-dad took our kids Saturday night until we met up with them on Sunday for lunch. So, when you have 19-kid-free-hours, what are you to do???

I'm not giving you those details, but we did have a night of memories: 1) wardrobe malfunction, 2) dinner out with friends, 3) dancing at Groovy's (and me in my 5-inch heels kicked it up pretty damn good, 4) drinks at Louis' on the Lake, 5) home

You are still thinking - wardrobe malfunction? How is that memorable? Well, let's just say that if I didn't have a tank underneath my shirt, it would have been like a Janet Jackson half-time show (only I had on a new kick-ass bra, not pasties). Yes, my shirt ripped. I just bought it that afternoon and told the girl I was concerned that it was a little snug across the top, but everything else fit perfectly, so she talked me into it. I even bought a new necklace to go with it. I was stylin' and profilin' when my DH picked me up at the mall from having a quick mani-pedi. As I went to buckle my seat belt, I glanced down and saw it - or really what was left of it as the top split in the middle along a seam. We made a mad dash to the store I bought the shirt from (3 minutes before they closed), found another shirt, another tank, new earrings and necklace to match and were finally on our way to Bricktown for our dinner reservations with only 17 minutes to get there from Norman. We made it on time too. Yes, this is my husband driving. Thankfully the girl at the store was able to switch out my torn shirt and tank for the new ones, and we were only out the cost of the new jewelry.

Dinner was at The Mantel with 2 other couples: Lanie & Dirk; Christina & Sean. My DH surprised me with having had delivered 2-dozen long-stemmed red roses and a love note. The display was already waiting for us at our table. After I tucked the card into my purse, the waitress took my roses to rest in their chiller while we ate. After dinner, they were waiting by the front door for us. What service! The food was really delicious and I really want to go back again to try something else off their menu. There were so many appetizing selections, it was very difficult to choose just one.

After dinner, I tucked myself into the suburban to use my breast pump (Aah.... the joys of a mom with a baby), while the rest of the crew went to check out a club. Finding no table to sit at, they got their cover charges returned, and we went to Groovy's off of NW Expressway. We were finally able to get inside after a wait (and it was only 10:00 pm), and had a good time dancing. Well - really it was only us 3 girls dancing. And yes - I did have on 5-inch heels. We left close to midnight, as we were tired of getting over-crowded on the tiny dance floor (and I was afraid I was going to get knocked over in my heels), and we headed to Louis' on the Lake for drinks. I had a couple of martinis, then we finally headed home.

If you know me really well, you would be surprised to learn that I made it well past my pumpkin hour! We made it home after 1:30am. I won't tell you what time we finally made it to bed, but of course, I was up at 9am the next day pumping again.

Thanks for the memories of a great weekend and wedding anniversary celebration. I had a blast - wardrobe malfunction and all!

Another rental, but not stinky!

Yes, I am in another rental vehicle. This one was provided by my dealership, so thank goodness it is clean (and doesn't smell like a stinky feet gymnasium van)! My daughter even likes how clean it is and says we need ours to be like this. Seeing as how she is the one that makes about 70% of the mess in my van - I'm impressed. I had to take the van in last Saturday for an oil change, routine check, etc. I thought the power steering fluid was going out of my van, so I needed them to fix that as well. I was going to do it earlier this month, but just thought it would be easier to do it after our trip to Disney World. Why fix something to sit for over a week - right? As it turns out, there is a problem in my steering column, they had to order a part (which should hopefully arrive today), so I am in a newer Honda minivan. There is no DVD player inside (oh my children are suffering for having to actually look at the outside world - *sarcasm dripping from my smile as I type this*), but I have forgotten how smooth the van is really supposed to drive. Now if I can only get the dealership to detail my vehicle before I pick it up - I will be an extremely happy little girl. hee hee

Ponderings

Have you ever driven around town doing errands, or what-not, and thought to yourself, "What do all of these people do for a living?" I'm finding myself doing this more and more of late. Maybe because I am one of these people driving around on a Monday afternoon when students are in school, and you would presume their parents are at work. But as I drive by mall at 10:30am and find the parking lot rather full. Not to mention that Target always seems to be busy, no matter what the time of day is - I am wondering where all of the cars are coming from and what are all of these people doing to afford to run around during the day? Now I know, I am driving around a town where there is a university and a lot of these cars may belong to college students avoiding their classes and/or dorm rooms, but not every one of these cars belongs to a young person, or even to a retired one. There are people of different ages, genders, and cultural backgrounds driving around doing "their business" for the day - so again my question arises, "what do they do for a living?"

Family updates

I have been so busy of late, that I really haven't had anytime to post a blog. Well, besides the fact that we did spend 8 days this month in Disney World, my time is just running by rather quickly. I have had so much going on in my mind, just never a computer when I need one.

So for family updates......... KD is doing great at her school. She really enjoys her music class and all of the teachers (one of them who is a professional musician herself) keep singing praises at how well she has developed and the musical talent she is exhibiting.

JT is being himself. We were moved to another gymnastics class this last week because the coaches said that he is just too athletic. The coaches knew that KD would follow along with whatever group he was assigned to, so we tried it out. JT still says he is bored, but not as much as the other gymnastics class. I keep him in gymnastics since it is year-round and really helps to develop his balance and coordination, so it fills in his time in-between his other sports.

Ry-Ry is growing too fast, and I am now having to admit it that he is 8-months old and can no longer be cuddled and held all of the time. He is a mover and a shaker with 4 teeth. He does crawl - it just isn't a typical crawl. I would say more of a slither across the floor. He never really gets upright on his hands and knees. He does get into that position and rocks a lot, but then plops down on his belly to pull himself from one side of the room to another. He does love to stand and I really feel that he will be a walker, not a crawler. He finally began eating in a high chair in restaurants when we were in Disney World, he had his first taste of Cheerios yesterday, and today he was standing in his crib when my DH went in this morning. **sniff, sniff**

Anyways...... I am considering finding a part-time job in the evenings. I really want to go back to work, especially next school year, but I am really disappointed by the outcomes of the daycares. I am also very concerned about what job opportunities may be out there. I do not want to find myself in another position where I am just miserable and my kids are miserable in their schools. It just isn't worth it. So I may be changing my mind yet again for another year and staying home. Thus, the desire to look for something else in the evenings. I am in desperate need for adult contact, and not just those that I have over the phone for my husband's business. Plus I really just want that extra money to go into savings. I don't need the money - I just want it. I would feel more secure about things if it was there.

For those who have been asking - Disney World was amazing as always. We are looking at going back - Jeff thinks sooner than I. We have friends that are looking at going in December, 2010. I was wanting to go again in the next 4-5 years when Ry-Ry is old enough to enjoy the rides. JT was a little more timid about things. He has such an over-active mind that it went into overdrive on things. He would get himself worked up whenever we were waiting in lines for rides, that he would freak himself out. Not to mention the fact that he had to go potty every time we got into a line for a ride, even if he went to the bathroom right before we got into the line. KD loved everything, wanted to do everything, and was really pissed off when she found out she was too short to ride Space Mountain. Next time, baby girl. She did go on the "Haunted Mansion" ride with me. I love her fortitude. She was so curious as to why the house looked the way it did, and why the guy's picture in the attic had his head, then didn't, then did, then didn't, etc. She understood that things were not "real," and really was wrapped up in the presentation of things. Ry-Ry loved the attention he received from the characters. We also got a better look at his preferences for girls. We always knew he was a very big flirt. He is just a friendly baby, no matter what. But, he sure did love the Disney Princesses. He would smile at the blondes, want to touch the brunettes, and he LOVED Mulan. He would not even look at the camera when Mulan was around. He would only look at her and stroke her face. We went to only 3 of the parks - skipping Animal Kingdom this time. If we had only 3 more days, we would have definitely made it to that park and done a lot more. The food was not as wonderful as we remembered it from 8 years ago, but still good. We must also be spoiled since eating at Craftsteak in Vegas. My son's favorite food was Teppan Edo (Japanese in Epcot), and my daughter's was Mexican (also Epcot). I preferred the breakfasts - especially Cinderella's Royal Table and the Princess Storybook Breakfast in Norway in Epcot. My favorite ride is still Rockin' Rollercoaster featuring Aerosmith - although Space Mountain is a classic. I remember riding that so much when I was younger.

Well........ my DH is wanting his laptop and I guess I should get back to my wine and Oscar watching. This just makes me want to go to the movies again. It has been too long since my last GNO.

SAHM: Loving It and Hating It

I am technically a SAHM. I do work part-time for my husband's business, but if I have access to internet (either through my phone or computer), and a phone line to make/take calls, I can do a majority of the work for him without having to step foot into the office. Although I know I haven't been in the office for a while, I do know that there is pile of paperwork looming for me and that needs to be filed (not to mention finishing packing up the 2008 items and getting 2009 fiscal year ready). I am not necessarily avoiding going into the shop that is dirty from the work crews coming in and out. I just can't now that the baby is no longer content to just laze around in his infant carrier. DH or some other body needs to be in the shop to hold and entertain him while I file, file, file.

So that is why I really can consider myself a SAHM. I'm loving it - and hating it at the same time. I do love not having to be awakened early in the morning to the sound of an alarm clock chiming my hour of doom when I would have to arise, dress, and scurry myself and the children out the door for another day of work. Instead, I awaken usually to the comfort of one of my children crawling into bed with me, if I had not already risen naturally on my own to pump the morning meal for the baby. I do love that there are some mornings where we laze in our pjs until 10:30am, when I then make the kids get ready for the day (after I have had the chance to do so myself without any interference), before fixing lunches and getting the kids out the door for school. The perks of Pre-K and younger. I love that I am home at 3pm every day with my children for us to unwind, play, and enjoy each other's company before making dinner, having our meal, and then getting through the bedtime routine. No rushing around to shove food in their faces and then hie their little hineys off to bed because we didn't get home until after 5pm.

But I hate not feeling like I have any other accomplishments for myself, except managing the phone, hauling children around, and feeding and cleaning up after them continuously day-after-day. I do feel a great sense of accomplishment when I do get into the shop to complete my filing tasks. But those times are very few and very far in between.

I would love to have another job where I could go out on my own, even for 2 hours a day at the very least, work in an atmosphere where I am able to get to work, get it done, and then go home. My work would not benefit my children, but myself. Well, I guess they would benefit some - a happier mom who appreciates more of the time she spends with her kids, while feeling as if she has done something for herself as well.

I have talked to DH about this often and I know a lot of you are thinking - get a part-time job at night. The only problem is my DH's business is the sole bread-winner of this family. His business has run our family's lives for many years now. Because of this, I cannot rely on having him home at a set time every night. He tries. Really he does. There have been some evenings when I have gone out to do other things and he has been home with the kids. But I have been late to everything because his business makes him late. I don't think a job would like me for that reason.

Oh well.... I guess I will just continue to love the ease and freedom that this year has allowed for me. I am now having to consider going back to work next year, which is fine since the oldest will be in kindergarten and the early morning routine will need to begin again. I just don't like the idea of having to put the other two in daycare. I don't feel as if I can truly trust another place to care for my children, not after my last daycare experience. I just hope it is not back to the grind when I do start back to a full-time position. I think we all suffered more with this type of lifestyle.

Come on Monday!

I did get my wish to have a Super Bowl Party last Sunday. My DH smoked a turkey breast and a small brisket. He made his baked beans, and those that attended brought other dishes and drinks to share. MMmmmmm good! I got a chance to eat, talk, drink, and have a good time without caring about the football game. Just what I wanted. Thanks Mom, Bryan, Lanie, Dirk, Jane, Tim, Steph, and kiddos for making my Sunday night an awesome end to the weekend!