Here we go again

      Here we go again, school time.  For everyone except Iris. It is going to very busy around here.  I am also trying to do special things with Iris so she doesn't feel too left out.  The first week her sisters were in school she was upset because she missed them :(  Today her and I made chocolate chip cookies.  I'm told they taste great, I don't care for chocolate chip cookies. But most importantly she got to have fun and have some special time with me.  Both older girls are doing really good in school thus far. I was supposed to start Monday but the online portion of the school is down.  All my classes are online by the way. My teachers have all emailed my classes and gave us things to start on.  I'm not to concerned with my writing or psychology class but I don't wanna get behind or lost in math this early. 

VACATION!!!

Well we have decided on our family summer vacation.  I am excited.  We always go to the same place but I love it.  We are going to Disneyland!!!  We are going to go with my husbands uncle, aunt and cousin.  We are going to take their RV.  This way we will save on food and hotel, but probably end up spending some of what we save in gas.  We are going for a week.  That is by far the longest we have to Disneyland as a family. We may have told the kids prematurely though.  We were all talking, the adults, about when we will leave and come back.  They heard Friday mentioned so now every Friday they think we are leaving.  Guess it time for a count down of some sort that they can see. Now comes that panning.  What to take for entertainment on a 22+ hour trip.  We usually take my laptop, because it has a blu-ray player.  Last time we took Alice in Wonderland, Tangled, Despicable Me, Barbie and Bambi.  I think probably those again and maybe a few more plus some games since they will have a place to play them. I'm not sure if we will only take card games or try to a board game. Then comes how much clothes to take?  They have laundry facilities where will be staying but do I want to waste vacation time doing laundry?  Probably not lol. Of course we will need to buy luggage since ours got ruined, or maybe just use some of the 12 backpacks that we have in our house.  No I'm not exaggerating we literally have 12.  Don't ask why I didn't realize we had that many until recently.  Possibly from my oldest wanting a new backpack every school year.  We usually get her one and that leads to getting her sisters one too.  Of course nothing fancy or over $20.  I sure my youngest stops wetting the bed by then.  She has been doing well but if we don't go right before bed, like a minute, then she will wet the bed.  Hmm, maybe some night time pull ups???  She may not like that idea but I really don't wanna get peed on in the middle of the night, or sleep in a wet bed.  I guess just hope for the best.  Or maybe some chux.  Like the hospitals use, then nobody or bed gets peed on.  I know we aren't leaving till the last of August but I'm soo excited!  Can I skip next month???  Hehehe, well and still make money and pass my classes.

It just can't be!!!!

It can't be, my little girl is six.  It feels like just yesterday her stubborn self didn't want to come out.  It two days of being induced before she made her arrival.  Now my little sweet pea has lost six teeth and in first grade in the fall.   Yesterday we went to Wal*Mart and she picked out what she wanted as far as cake.  She wanted to make cupcakes instead of buying a store made cake.  So that's what we did.  She picked red velvet cake with strawberry frosting.  It sounds kinda iffy but turned out to be pretty tasty. She will be getting a copy of Wizard of Oz on DVD.  She loves that movie and wore out the VHS. She wants to have a bowling birthday party; I still need to set that up.  Yes I know, bad mommy. I'm sure her special day was great though.  She got a special dinner that she picked, spaghetti and meatballs with cheese toast. She played with her cousins and they always have tons of fun.  

Essays???

Oh my!  What a day of school work it was today.  We were assigned to write an analytical essay.  It had to be answers to questions that were given by the teacher. The catch for me was it couldn't be my opinion and on the president.  Ugh, trying to word it so it didn't sound like my opinion only took me six hours.  What a challenge.  I tried to do it earlier in the week but could not wrap my head around it.   Then to top it off I saved it and uploaded it to the teacher.  I kinda forgot that I had saved it "essay 3 analytical   I hope" and uploaded it that way. Oops hope the teacher finds it at least amusing.  I tried my hardest and hope I get a good grade :x

Respect

What ever happened to Respect?  I'm serious.  People today are disrespectful all the darn time!  From the neighbors setting off high pitched noisy fireworks at 1am to the bratty kids of the neighborhood.  I remember when I was a kid, if I would have even thought of doing some of the things I've witnessed lately I would have been a goner.  My husband and I teach our kids to be respectful.  If they don't like it too bad.  I have told my oldest on more than one occasion that you don't have to like so and so but you can't be disrespectful.  I have gotten many complements on how well behaved and well mannered my kids are.  I always say thank you but really they don't get a choice.  Today we took the kids to the pool at our apartment.  We were all having fun and so were all the other people at the pool.  Then came some pre-teens and maybe one kid was maybe sixteen.  Then things started to go down hill.  They jump in, fine by me, and start rough housing.  After a few dirty looks from me and a few others they stopped.  Then they pull out a football, not a Nerf football, a pigskin.  These kids start tossing it around and still I could care less.  Then it gets out of hand.  They threw it in to a lady's head.  She asked them nicely to stop.  They called her a b%tch, she didn't hear but I did. Then they started again with the football and hit a lady in the back.  I could hear the thud from across the pool.  She told them to stop and they of course gave her attitude.  Here is the part where my mother would have pulled us out by our ears and we would not have been swimming for a few days.  But these kids were unattended.  Which is against the rules that are posted, along with no horseplay.  So of course everyone is getting annoyed and the mood changes.  The kids continue to play with their football in the pool and almost take out a few kids, then start jumping in trying to catch the football mid air.  They almost landed on my youngest.  SO of course my husband tells them : hey you guys need to be careful, you almost landed on my kid".  Instead of " oh I'm sorry" like we would have done as a kid, they say " no I didn't"  ummm excuse me what?!!! My husband says "yes you did!! and if you want to play football go do it outside of the pool.  You can play football in the grass but you can't swim in the grass"  The oldest kid says to my husband" that's what I was telling them"  well since I don't speak Russian I don't know what he was saying, but I find it hard to believe since they went back to causing havoc in two or three minutes.  So I start watching from the side of the pool, waiting for them to mess up.  I have decided that as soon as the mess up again I'm going to make the management come out and do something.  I never did though because someone must have complained.  One of our maintenance guys that is Russian comes out talk to them in Russian says something about trespassing and they get out. After about five minutes they all leave and everyone goes back to having fun.  It just makes me wonder  where are their parents?  I assume they are at work but they shouldn't be there with out parents.  Kids under 16 aren't allowed with out their parents.  I assume that the reason being to make sure stuff like this doesn't occur.  What makes these kids think its ok to be disrespectful to their "elders"? In this sense I miss the days when I was younger when stuff like this was not stood for.  When the kid outside, who I saw scratch my car with his bike, wouldn't lie to me and say I'm a liar and he didn't.  That alone makes me want to punish these kids like their parents obviously aren't.  Is it soo outlandish to expect kids to behave, and show some respect??  I've seen on Dr. Phil and a few other shows where kids say things like you have to earn respect.  As in their parents should earn it.  Ah NO!!!!  In my opinion they should be showing respect from the get go and can earn it when they do things like get a job or do chores.  What the hell did these kids do that they think THEY deserve respect for??   Where did peoples parenting skills go so off track that a generation of brats are being raised?    Oh and a side not on the kids at the pool today, last year they got kicked out of the pool for using foul language and hoping the fence to get in, since you have to have a key they give residents to use to get in.    Oh I could go on about this subject of rude and disrespectful kids for hours but I'll stop here.  hehehe

We did it! We did it!!

No not that! Get your mind out of the gutter.  We paid of my van.  Yes it is a 1999 Dodge Caravan with a few dents and a crack in the windshield, but it is all mine.  Yay!!!  Hello extra $336 a month, nice to meet you.  You will be meeting my savings account.  We still had another year on our contract but we got the money together and now have the title.  I still need to go to the DMV and get it changed over but I have the title in my hands.  I haven't had the title to a car since 1997.  Yeah, you read right 14 years ago.  I had by far my favorite car. A 1970 Chevrolet Nova, it was my baby and I loved it. I spent a lot of time and money on that car.  I eventually gave it to my brother, because with a baby on the way I didn't have money to put into a car that needed a new engine.  Not to mention it didn't always start when you wanted it to.  It was temperamental like me. lol  My husband has had the title to a car in his name about 3 years ago but the transmission went out so it was done for.  Especially when it only Kelly Blue Booked for $300.  But now I have a van that is paid for and works well.  OK works well most of the time.  Hey its 12 years old it won't be perfect but I don't expect it to.  I know a few people who would run right out and trade it for a newer model but that makes no sense to me.  Yes it would be newer and everything would work right, but then comes more payments.  So now I plan to run this van  or "coupie" as Iris used to call it until it dies.  Of course my oldest want to do things like put in a dvd player and all this cool stuff.  Not me it runs and stops that is all I need.

A director in training?

I think I may have a couple of future directors in my house.  My two littlest girls have in my opinion, a odd way of playing.  They like to pretend like all kids, the difference is that they like to give directions.  I hear things like  " OK now you come through the door and pretend to be the teacher.  You are gonna teach us a song."  I didn't play like that is a kid.  I hear things like that from both of the younger girls all day.  It cracks my up.  The only time it isn't funny is when they disagree how to play.  It can get heated.  One girl wants to be a teacher while the other wants to be Rapunzel.  It makes me wonder if they will grow up to be the next Steven Spielberg and direct a great movie like ET.  Some days I try to get it on "film" with my digital camera but I'm never sneaky enough.

   

Summer is here =]

Finally summer is here. Yay! The sun was out and shinning, it was warm.  We loved it, including Noah.  Poor little pup is exhausted after playing in the sun.  He's snoring on the couch as I type.  We tried to swim at our community pool but fail it was closed for maintenance.  So we headed over to my husband's uncle's house.  They have above ground pool at their house.  It's something like 10ft by 30 inches so perfect for the kids.  We lubed the kids up with Coppertone baby sunscreen since the spray on stuff doesn't work.  We bought that Banana boat spray on 50spf in the spring during softball season.  Let me just say don't waste your money.  We spray our oldest and us with it and we all fried.  Basically useless.  The kids played and we visited with the family.  It was fun.  Noah really enjoyed playing with their dogs in their backyard.  Then we picked up Chinese food for me and pizza for everyone else.  Oh and by the way, I love Safeway.  I don't usually shop there but i happened to be across the parking lot and thought I'd see if they had something I had been searching for.  They did!!!!   I finally found E.L. Fudge cookies by Keebler.  I know what your thinking no big deal.  I have been to 4 different stores and they are the only ones in my neighborhood that carry them. I've already eaten too many.  The weather is going to be soo nice for the next week.  I'm excited to be able to have my windows open and not freeze.  It was almost 80 today and perfect :D  I can't wait to do tons of swimming and park time.  Maybe some picnics and definitely a lot of bbqing.  Summer is hear and since it is not a here in the NW very long we will be taking full advantage!

Again?!

Some days I feel like the kids and the Weimaraner have a bladder the size of a pea.  Generally I wouldn't mind, but days when we are out and about it seems like we are going every two minutes.  We ask before we go to Wal*Mart they say no.  We make it half way through the store and one of the kids has to go, so of course you ask who else has to go.  Of course everyone answers no.  Fine and dandy, until you are next in line at the check out scoping out the chocolate you should be eating and low and behold someone needs to go potty.  This isn't always bad mostly when you are the only adult shopping with three kids.  My oldest isn't quite old enough in my opinion to take herself or her sister to the bathroom.  Maybe 15 years ago but not these days.  So then the question becomes, do you try to go and make it back before its your turn?  Or do have them hold it and wait for the best?  Either option is a crap shoot really.   Then comes the dog.  I love the little guy, he gets treated like a actually child. We live in an apartment on the second floor. So taking the dog out is not just letting him out in to the yard.  I wish but houses to rent in our area are waaay over priced.  So I end up taking out our Weimaraner.  My oldest used to take out the dog out as well but he weighs twice what she does so if another dog comes along she gets dragged along for the ride.  So in order to take him out to do his business I have to lock the door and take my keys and then walk him, and keep an eye on the house.  Yeah I basically don't trust 95% of my neighbors.  I take him out four or five times a day.  That used to be all he would indicate that he needed but lately he wants out like every five minutes.   So at first we took him out when ever but now he just walks around sniffing the air.  Little bugger. So now its more of every few hours thing.  I'm just wondering about summer vacation.  Will we make to our destination with out a billion stops? Maybe I need to buy a potty chair
, just kidding.  Although I may buy some chucks for the car seats, in case we can't find a restroom in time.

Six Weeks Later

It has now been six weeks since my hysterectomy.  It feels like it has been six months.  I'm guessing all the restrictions make it feel that way, no lifting, no bending, no twisting and etc.  Basically don't do anything.  BORING! After the pain of surgery went away I felt soo much better.  Even better after the doctor's office realized they never gave me hormones to level out my imbalance.  I have way more energy, I sleep better and I don't constantly feel sick.  The kids are loving their "new" mom and of course so is my husband. We walk to the park to play; we bake and do fun stuff.  Stuff I never felt well enough to do before or had to force myself to do.  It's amazing how a uterus can cause someone soo much grief.

Of course I am sad that I will never have another baby of my own but I have three I can deal with it.


 

 
"It's alright to feel good. It's alright for nothing to be wrong."

From office 2010

Can I really blog from office 2010? Hmm, quite the interesting concept.

Too much coffee

Wait strike that not coffee coughy. It's a family joke. My younger ones couldn't say coughing so it turned in to coffee. So now the joke is they had too much coffee.
We have all cycled through what we refer to as summer colds. Yuck!! Every summer we a get one. Usually later in the summer. I think the not so hot summer we are having in the pacific northwest is what caused it. We generally get them at the end o summer when the cool down starts. Iris, my youngest, has the last and what seems to be the worst. We are on night 3 of coughing all night. Poor baby:( we have tried four different cough meds but none seem to work completely. My husband went and got some dylsem tonight. Tha fully it's working fairly well. It should it's twice the cough expectorant. That and a humidifier seem to be doing the trick. I was leavin the window open a tad but since we have a couple neighbors who smoke that's out the window. I don't want to exacerbate her coughing with second hand smoke. Hopefully this will end soon so we can all be well and make the best of the summer. You know when the sun actually comes out.

School begins

So this is the begging of my 2nd time going to college.  I already went to college in 2003 and became a medical assistant.  That was 7 years ago and I only had one kid.  I am only taking 11 credit hours and they are all online so that I don't have to find a sitter to match my class times.  I have the next two terms set up to be taken only online.  We will see where spring leaves me but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.  So far, only two days in, it is going good.  I have already gotten my work done and completed for my writing class.  Of course it was just an introduction, and a essay.  Hey I'll take it! I am also taking psychology, its required and sociology, my choice.  They both so far have required a lot of reading.  Good thing I'm a bit of a book worm. LOL  I have already read and taken notes on two chapters of psychology plus two articles.  Then since it is online you answer the questions in a discussion board format.  Thank goodness I spent all that time on iVillage. ;) The sociology I choose because as part of the pre requisites you have to take a humanities course.  I am always asking my husband things like " why on earth do people do that?" or " What makes that OK?"  Well now I am taking a course that will help me understand better. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is I have to volunteer some where for 8 hours.  I'm not whining.  I'm more than glad to give back to the community it is finding the time to do it.  With now school, work on the weekends, 3 kids and now a husband on graveyard.  I could go during the day, but my husband works til 7 am ,and by the time he gets home he has time for a shower then off to his class.  Class is out at noon so then he needs to sleep and do homework before going back to work at 10 pm.  So I'm not looking forward to impeding on his sleep time. It will get done but will definitely take some scheduling.  
  So here goes my journey into college once again.  I know I can do it.  I've done it before.    I will keep trying so I can better myself and my family.  I can live my dream <3

"

The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream."  311~ My Stoney Baby

 

Winds of Change

  Things are changing around here, and hopefully for the better.    First off I had a hysterectomy last week.  It should take away most of my  physical problems.  So far besides pain from surgery and being sore I feel better.  Although it hasn't quite sunk in that we won't be having anymore kids. I *know* we can't physically but I keep dreaming about being pregnant.  Funny right.  Maybe it's just the pain meds giving me these dreams.  I don't usually dream at all.
  Tomorrow is my first post op appointment.  Fingers crossed it goes well.  I still have one ovary so hopefully I won't need any hormone replacement.  We will see though.  My body doesn't like to do what it is supposed to.
  Another change occurring is I will be going back to school the end of June. This means both my husband and I will be in college.  He has been going the last two terms.  We are both going for a Associates in Applied Science for Nursing. All of my classes for the upcoming term are online.  That way I can still be home with the kids without disrupting the house too much.  Well that's what aiming for.  I will probably be doing all my work after the kids go to bed.  I plan to do as much of my studies online as I can.  So lots of big changes in our future but hopefully it will make our future brighter and easier.  All I can do is trust my gut and do what we think is best.

"You've got to trust your instincts and let go of regret, You've got to bet on your self now star, cause that's your best bet."   All Mixed Up .... 311

 

The Battle of the bath

It's becoming more and more frequent.  The battle of the bath.  It isn't only with Iris either.  Although my two battles are different they are both still challenging.    The battle with Iris is to get her to take a bath or shower with out screaming.  She wants soo badly to wash herself.  Hair included.  The problem is she doesn't get everything clean and, or rinsed out.  So she requires help.  Better have ear plugs in when you start helping her because cue the screaming.  Alot of yelling " I can do it myself" or the "noooooo!".   I always just keep washing and rinsing so we can get it over with.  I used to try to reason or even coax her in to letting me help but it always ended with screaming.    Now when I mention taking a bath she starts to argue right away.  We get in the bathroom.  Which now is a whole new set of challenges since she saw a tiny spider in there once.  She will choose a bath then say no I want a shower.  So I used to oblige her to hopefully make things go smoother.  It doesn't.  Once the shower gets turned on she cries for a bath.  That's where I draw the line.  She just gets a bath and a quick one.  Wham bam thank you ma'am we are done.    With Emily the challenge is to get her to take one.  You would think a fourth grader would have enough sense to take a bath or shower regularly.  Not mine.  I have to ask a few times a week if she has showered lately.  Most time she can't remember.  Which means she must need one. The weekend is especially bad since I work the weekends and she is on her way to bed when I get home.  Not too long ago I tried to get some fuzzy out of her hair and noticed the texture.  That of a greasy teenager ewww.  I think I may have to mark on the calender when she showers so we have some reference.   It would be much easier if we weren't on the go soo much.  There isn't time to shower after softball since we get home close to nine most nights.  With bed time at 7:30 we are already running late.  Showering before softball seems a bit silly since she will be getting sweaty and dirty.  We used to do it before school but she is soo slow to get going in the mornings. She gets it from me lmao. Seriously it takes her 45 mins to get dressed, eat cereal, and brush her teeth and hair.    So I guess the battle of the bath continues......

It Never Ends....

It never ends, the stories I mean.  My kids have this knack of making a two minute story into a fifteen minute speech.  The other day Emily was trying to tell me about how her friend was super hyper in class.  She couldn't sit still etcetera.  Instead of Mom today so and so was soo hyper she couldn't hardly sit still.  It went on for fifteen minutes.  I'll admit that I quit  really paying attention at about the four minute mark.  Not that her day isn't important. I just don't really want a 20 explanation that could have been done in five minutes.  Is it just me?  I know one of these days she won't tell me anything, because she will think she's too grown up.  Now her little sister has pick up this forever story telling.  I'm attempting to nip it in the bud.  I nicely ask what is she trying to say. Well on the other end we have Iris.  She never gives enough info. lol  She will say " Mom why don't you wear that shirt any more?"  Um ok which shirt?  The more you ask her the less info you get.  I know it seems weird. But she just keeps repeating the same thing.  You ask what shirt, she says you know the one.  Umm surrrre.  I guess this house needs some communication help.  Well at least the kids ;)

If twos are terrible, what's four?

I know kids go through the phase nick named "the terrible twos".  I seem to have a little one who doesn't want to come out of it.  Iris is now 4.5 years. When is the cut off?  Emily never went through "the terrible twos", and Annie just had a short stint of them.  Iris seems to be an overachiever. lol  Today she had temper tantrum over not getting to ride along to take the girls to school.  Honestly I was to tired to have her tag along.  Then there was the tantrum when she wanted Annie's toy and Annie didn't want to let her play with it. The screaming over the ball almost made me lose my top.  Iris felt the need to scold me at softball because  we didn't go to Burger King for lunch.  We went to Burgerville instead and she still got a cheese burger. When I don't cave she either starts asking over and over, or starts crying which turns to screaming.  Either way we all lose.  She still needs naps but of course doesn't want to take them.  When we make her lay down in her bed she cries, screams and then a high pitched shrieking. The shrieking might break glass one of these days.  I am consistent with this kid but she seems to think I am gonna cave every time.  Sorry, Not trying to raise a spoiled brat.  I know she will grow out of this phase but it can't come quick enough.  Just like she will be completely potty trained one day and stop having accidents.  Again can't come quick enough.   I just need to see past this grey sky.

Car shopping UGH!

 Today we finally bit the bullet.  We bought a second car.  We have needed one, well ever since 2009 when the Kia Sephia we had died.  It has been more and more that we need one lately.  Especially with softball three times a week and all my doctor appointments.  So after Brian had been looking for quite a while he sent a dealer an inquiry.  Of course they got back to him quickly, they want our money. lol  They got us financed again through the same loan company we currently have.  They aren't terrible but the interest is always high.  Of course that is due to our less than stellar credit score.   So we bought a 2000 Honda Accord.  It's nice especially for being 11 years old.
  The one thing I dislike the most about buying cars is the waiting. I am a person patience,but it really wears on my nerves.  I car sales time just a minute equals an hour.  I got to the dealership.  Brian walked over since they are real close to our house and I picked up Annie.  We get there and I am supposed to just sign a few papers and we can leave with it. HA!!! Try an about 70 minutes later.  My day doesn't have over an hour of free time to waste at a dealership.  The little girls of course were bored but hey so was I.  They have a playroom at this particular dealership, but I am weary of playrooms like that after Annie got sick playing in a hospital one.  We tried watching a movie on my phone but that literally lasted 7 minutes.  They had the super tall chairs where the legs are really tall.  The girls wanted to play on them instead of sitting.  Too bad, we don't have time for a car dealership and a ER visit today. hehehe   Iris started to get grumpy because it was past our usual lunch time.  We signed as quick as possible to avoid the impending Iris meltdown.  We finally got to leave with the car and the keys.   We went to lunch a  local fast food place called Burgerville.  Just barely missing a meltdown.  Now I have a happy husband! YAY!  Another yay I can put Iris to bed right after softball.  She really needs it today!! Someone is super cranky and it's not me.

                                         "

Patience and years will refashion what hours will undo." ....311

Intro

  Well I am new to blogging so let's give this a whirl.   I am a mom of three girls. I have been married for 11 years. I will be going back to school this summer to pursue my degree to be a Registered Nurse. I love to listen to music.  My favorite is 311.  Just a warning I will be quoting them quite a bit.  I watch entirely too much television and we have a beautiful dog named Noah.  I have insomnia quite often so I am up at odd hours.  My life isn't very exciting. We live in the Pacific Northwest and it rains too much for my taste.  Not to mention it is cold. We hope to move to a warmer climate once my husband and I are done with school. We love to go to Disneyland, but who doesn't?  That's really about it.  Told ya my life isn't exciting. hahaha


 Have a great night

              " Be positive and love your life"...311