October Update

Maybe I should just retire from blogging. Finding time to sit down and jot down my thoughts seems impossible. Instead, they just swim around in my head, hoping to jump onto "paper" but after getting the kids to bed, I end up sitting on the couch, curled up with my blanket, to catch whatever show comes on at 9 p.m. and then I fall asleep. Mike calls it "assuming the position".

Since I don't have a lot of time, I will try to quickly list the happenings in my life over this past month. Since the majority of the time was spent working, helping kids with homework, getting them to bed, and sleeping, I will leave those off the list so the list should be very short.

1) I got a ticket driving the wrong way on a one-way road in a construction zone. I NEVER go this particular route because the road is closed going one direction but I was sort of forced to turn this way one day so decided, "Just this once." Ughhh! And there he was. I needed to turn right onto a street and he was making a left (going the correct way)...right there when I was breaking the law! But he was really nice and I actually wrote him a letter letting him know how much I appreciated him. It probably seems strange that I would write a letter thanking an officer in this situation but I was thankful for the example he gave to my children, especially after the violence my niece experienced at the hands of a police officer and the effect that situation had on my family. That's another story...

2) Nathan learned how to take off his diaper for easier access to Little Willie. The other day I found him sitting on the couch, diaper off, hand "there", watching TV. I thought, "This looks familiar!" What is it about boys/men watching TV with their hand resting "there"? Things that make you go "hmmmmm".

3) Nathan's language is coming along but I can't WAIT until he can say "truck", "walk" and "fork" without it always sounding like F@!#. The Parent's As Teachers lady suggested, when he mispronounces a word, that I state the word the way he just said it and then say the proper word like this..."Do you mean mit or milk?" That way he can hear the difference between his pronunciation and the proper one. In most cases, I have been doing that but when it comes to the words above...well...I can't for obvious reasons. I would never hear the end of it from the other kids. Anyway, it's a little embarrassing when we are in public and he is walking around saying "Mama, f@!#".

4) Grace finally lost both of her upper front teeth. THAT took forever. Her last tooth was just hanging there. I told her once that she looked like Nanny McPhee. So, she pushed her tooth forward so it was the only one hanging out of her mouth and said, "That's enough now!"...which is a line in Nanny McPhee. I laughed so hard. Anyway, she would NOT let me pull it. It was driving me crazy! Confession...I even snuck into her room when she sleeping just to try to wiggle it! I didn't get it but it fell out the next day. So, now she is a cute little 7 year old with no front teeth. She is soooooo adorable!

5) Ryan continues to be totally obsessed with Pokemon cards! Is this normal? He's like a Pokemon junky. I think I am going to need to do an intervention and soon before I lose him to this other world.

6) Ryan also lost a tooth. In fact, last night he wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy. It said, "Instead of money, please leave me three packs of Pokemon cards." See what I mean? Junky, right? He wrote two notes before that. One said, "Dear Tooth Fairy, I will only accept $10". The second note read, "Dear Tooth Fairy, I will only accept Pokemon cards." We explained that making demands of the Tooth Fairy was probably not the best way to get what he wanted." So, he changed the note and got $3. The next morning he ran over to me and showed me the money and said, "The Tooth Fairy didn't give me Pokemon cards but she gave me money so I can go buy Pokemon cards!"

7) Mike, Cheryl and I went to the hockey game last Friday. I had sooooooooo much fun but I barely watched the game. Sarah Palin was there to drop the puck. The reaction from the crowd was amazing. Most people cheered...I being one of them. I happen to really like Sarah Palin. What I didn't get were the people that booed with such hate and vengeance and banged on the glass as if Sarah Palin single-handedly killed everyone in their family. Get a grip! Anyway, we spent most of our time talking to friends. I spend so much time in my "mommy world" that I forget what it's like to actually go out and socialize. I was energized for three days after.

8) We went to my sister, Annica's, baby shower last Saturday. It was a lot of fun. I love those little shower games, especially the dirty diaper one where they put different things in a diaper and you have to guess what it is. I won that game, btw. But there was this other game we played and I completely pissed off one of the other guests! When we arrived we were each given a necklace with a little plastic pacifier attached. The rule was if anyone said the word "baby" and you caught them, you got the necklace. Whomever had the most necklaces at the end, won a prize. Anyway, there was this woman...I didn't know her at all...whom I decided to trick. This had worked for my sister earlier in the evening so I thought I would try it. I asked her, "Hey, Where is Annica registered?" She politely responded, "Babies R Us". I smiled and asked her for her necklaces. Ohhhhh, she was not happy! So much for fun and games. For some reason the person next to her took her necklace and said she heard it first. I wasn't about to get in a brawl over it so I just let it go. When my "victim" left she said that it was nice to meet everyone except for me. :-( Boo hoo. Actually, I don't really care. It was only a silly game and she was a poor sport!

9) Ryan and Grace had a fall festible (that's how Grace pronounces it) at their school. That was fun! There were games, prizes, cheap food, raffle baskets that I didn't win, etc.

10) On Saturday we are going to a Trivia Night. If we win, it will NOT be because I contributed anything! I love to go to trivia nights but I benefit the team best as a member of the cheering section than anywhere else.

Well...looky there....I actually found some time to write something. But don't expect anything for awhile. Now that the holiday season is approaching, I am sure I will be busier than ever!