The Happiest Place on Earth

For the Happiest Place on Earth, I sure have seen a lot of crying children!! And some fine examples of parenting. Not that I'm the pillar of parenting expertise or perfection, but I'm pretty sure that smoking a cigarette in my child's face while screaming at her telling her to stop her "pissing and bitching because we're here to HAVE FUN, DAMNIT!" isn't the best choice. At 8:30 at night. And the child was probably two years old and obviously exhausted. And this was in the parking lot as they were about to enter Downtown Disney. Enter, not leave. Let's just say there are LOTS of people watching opportunities in Orlando.

We didn't even leave our resort yesterday, until it was time for dinner! We asked the boys yesterday morning what they wanted to do, and they both said go to the playground. So we did!

After playing at the playground, we took a boat across the lake and did some exploring. We played at the activities center for a bit, had an ice cream, walked around, then decided to rent a bicycle built for four! Jack was too little for a ride, so Chris started, rode back to our condo where I met them, then I rode around for a bit with the boys. I seriously want one of these bikes! It was SO fun.

After our bike ride, we all took a nap. That is so rare! Then we went to dinner, where Jack played several rounds of Peek-A-Boo.

We then went to Downtown Disney. David and Henry are obsessed. We rode the carousel - it was Jack's first time! We may head to the beach today. . . we have no plans!

Tuesday Twelve - The Photo Edition

1. We've been having a great time so far. Well, most of us. Henry keeps asking, "When are we going to just go home?

2. Jack is sleeping in the Pack & Play. In the closet in our room. He can't be where he can see someone else, so the closet was the best (read: better than the laundry room) option.

3. Henry had his hand on the elevator door today when it opened. He didn't take it off. His fingers got wedged in between the door of the elevator and the door frame. I hope to never hear the scream that came from his body again. He's fine -- swollen fingers, bruised pride. I hope this doesn't effect his future career of choice, which is "elevator man".

4. Jack is probably the happiest baby on the planet.5. David, playing with the Legos at Downtown Disney. "Disney Town" as Henry calls it.
6. D&H riding the train at Downtown Disney. This was their activity of choice two years ago when I was here with Julie, and it's no different this year.

7. Aargh! Pirate David at The Pirates House for dinner.

8. Pirate Henry!

9. Watching a big ship go by in Savannah.

10. Mobile potty break. Note he is still wearing his headphones so he doesn't miss a minute of his movie!

11. Happy Jack on the ride from Savannah to Orlando.

12. Clearly my children. Reading their magazines in the van.

Southern Tour, Days 1 and 2

vacation:

1va·ca·tion
Pronunciation: \vā-ˈkā-shən, və-\
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English vacacioun, from Anglo-French vacacion, from Latin vacation-, vacatio freedom, exemption, from vacare
Date: 14th century
1: a respite or a time of respite from something : intermission

2 a: a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended b: a period of exemption from work granted to an employee

3: a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation

4: an act or an instance of vacating

Let me tell you, in case you were unaware, there's very little about travel with three children under the age of 5 that could be considered "a respite or time of respite from something"!

We decided to leave a day early on Saturday and went to Savannah, GA. Chris and I had never been there, and both have wanted to. The boys did really well on the drive. Hallelujah for the DVD player! Jack is getting two teeth, which I discovered on the drive. He was a bit cranky, but was for the most part great. We got to Savannah and checked into the Savannah Marriott Riverfront. As you may gather from the name, it's right on the river. The boys LOVED seeing the huge ships going right by our hotel. Shortly after checking in, we ate dinner at The Pirates' House. It was cute, has a great history, and the food was OK. Not the best we've had, but far from the worst. The boys were exhausted by that point, so it was a pretty quick dinner. After dinner, we quickly changed our clothes and I brought the boys swimming in the hotel pool. David said several times, "I just love an indoor swimming pool!" David did a great job swimming immediately, and Henry took a couple of minutes to remember he knew how. Jack, as always, loved to splash, splash, splash. Chris took that opportunity to nap in the chair as I wrangled all three slippery children in the pool. Not really what I had in mind when I asked him to "help me bring the boys swimming"! Going to bed was interesting, as we were all sleeping in a room the size of our living room. We started with Jack in the crib, David and Henry in one bed, and Chris and I in the other. It was quickly apparent that wasn't going to work! I had to rock Jack to sleep in the desk chair while David and Henry played Quiet Mouse. That meant I had approximately 43 seconds to get Jack to sleep, and thankfully he cooperated! Then David slept with Chris and I slept with Henry. Surprisingly, we all slept until almost 7. That NEVER happens with our family!

Yesterday morning we all got dressed and checked out of our hotel, then went on a trolley tour of Savannah. The boys were thrilled to ride on the trolley, and Chris and I enjoyed the history of Savannah. What should then have been a quick ride to Orlando was slowed significantly by a two hour traffic backup. Yes, two. Hours. That's like 10 hours with three small children. David was unbelievably whiny, upset about everything, and almost got thrown out to hitchhike to Orlando. Henry was amazing - never complaining, crying, whining, or anything. He was perfect. Jack was very close to perfect. Two out of three is pretty good! We got to our resort, and the mood in the car quickly changed. It's amazing. David asked if we're going to live here forever. (Henry wouldn't like that, since he keeps saying, "I just want to go home to be with Gigi." WTH?) David was exhausted and, after exploring our condo, quickly changed back to his sour self. Henry and I ran to get some dinner and an ice cream for him, because he was such a good boy. Getting everyone to bed was a bit of a chore, but I was SO glad that David and Henry are not sleeping in the same room as us!!!

Today we're going to check out the rest of our resort and head to Downtown Disney. We have no plans for the week and are just going to play things by ear. The boys are already up and playing Pictureka (Thanks Briana for recommending that!) in their room.

Have a great day!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! We had a fabulous day. I was scared at 1:30 AM when David came screaming into our room excited because Santa had left a present underneath his tree in his bedroom. If he had seen the living room, it would have been a loooong day. Thankfully I was able to get him back to sleep. I have tons of photos, but am too lazy to post them right now. My children are snuggled in their beds with visions of Christmas overload dancing in their heads. We all got very spoiled and got much more than we need. And probably more than we deserved! One great gift my mom gave me was a printed, bound copy of my blog. Such a surprise, and so fun to go back to read it in a book form. Since we're leaving for vacation very, very early Sunday morning, we've already taken our tree and all of our decorations down, put everything away in the attic, washed the clothes we got for Christmas, and put all of the Christmas gifts away. It sort of makes me feel Grinch-ish, but I'm not coming home from vacation to a bunch of Christmas stuff to put away!

I'm going to hang out with Christopher and relax. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Not Kidding

David's not kidding, that is. About the "waundwy". He opened a couple of gifts he got in the mail yesterday. One was clothes. He. Was. Pissed. He also asked me today how Santa's elves make laundry. He said, "I fink they use that white stuff. You know, the stuff that grows in the fiewd near our neighborhood.". Um, that would be cotton. I'm pretty sure he's probably a genius.

Say What?

"I just want Santa to bring me toys for Christmas. That's my faborite. I don't want Santa to bring me laundry. Last year Santa brought me laundry for Christmas, and that fwustwated me." -David

He'll be thrilled when he opens his five boxes of clothes!

Sunny Vacation

I almost forgot to tell you . . . we're going on vacation! Or, as David likes to say, "a sunny bacation". It was totally a last minute decision, but we're going to Orlando shortly after Christmas. I can't wait!! Not because it's Orlando, but because it's vacation!

Snow Day

It snowed last week, and my children were thrilled. Me? Notsomuch. David and Henry wanted to play in the snow. We don't really have appropriate clothing for snow play. They used our only two pairs of mittens that night, and I didn't anticipate them wanting to play in the snow (or the snow still being there) the next morning, so the mittens were still wet. What to do? Don't worry -- they wore ghetto mittens. Socks on their hands.

Don't Call Social Services!

Had I been home today, my children would have been beaten. I got a phone call from my husband while I was at work. That NEVER happens. It's not an issue if he calls, but he doesn't. I missed the call, so I called him right back. I could tell he had had enough. Henry was being particularly ugly today. He was pissed and picked up a chair. And. Threw. It. What?! That child is a barroom brawl in the making. He then was mad at Chris for something so he stood on the couch. And peed. All over the couch. Yikes. I'm positive Chris was very pleased when the babysitter got there.

Then I got a call from the babysitter as I was driving home. (Just to put things in perspective, I work about 45 minutes from home, and I could still see my office from my car.) The following is the conversation that ensued:

Kayla: Kim, I'm so sorry to call you.
Kim: That's OK! What's up?
Kayla: Is there a key to Jack's room?
Kim: Um, what?
Kayla: (Sounding a bit more frantic this time) Is there a key to Jack's room?
Kim: I don't think so. What's wrong?
Kayla: David locked Jack in his bedroom so he wouldn't bother David. I can't get him out!
Kim: Um, oh my God! You can use a screwdriver and try to open it.
Kayla: I already did! Jack's screaming!
Kim: I'M GOING TO BEAT DAVID! Send one of the boys in to wake Chris up.

Chris got the door unlocked. With. The. Key. I didn't even know we had one.

Any ideas on an appropriate punishment?! I've never had to punish him really, other than time outs. And I don't really beat my children, although the thought has crossed my mind. A lot.

The Walker

It's official . . . Jack is walking! He took steps 2 at a time yesterday, and today is taking 6-8 at a time. How is this happening already?! He's so proud of himself, sitting down and clapping when he's done. I'll post a video soon. I have a ton of photos to upload, but my camera (or computer?) is acting foolish. I'm going to try uploading them to my laptop.

Do You Think?

Do you think that Starbucks planted all of their nice shrubs along the sidewalk line to intentionally block a driver's view of the line of cars at the drive-thru window? As you drive up to the Starbucks closest to my office, the shrubs line the whole exterior of the parking lot, obscuring the view. Had I been able to see as I was pulling up, I probably wouldn't have gotten into a line with 17 cars that wrapped around the building. I love some caramel macchiato, but I'm just saying.

Tuesday Ten

Yes, a Tuesday Ten. I only have ten today!

1. Would I be crazy to have all of my children share a room? I'm a big proponent of shared rooms. Even though I didn't share one until I went away to school, which is probably a good thing. Do you know my sister and me? Let's just say one of us would have been an only child had we shared a room. . . However, my own children (so far) share nicely. They will share a room until they ask not to. I am contemplating moving Jack into D&H's room with them and making Jack's room a playroom. That was how we had it before Jack was born, and I miss the contained mess. They would be sleeping dorm style!

2. Um, the wrapping? Still hasn't happened. I got all of the stuff out, realized I had no boxes or tissue paper, and put it all away. Where the hell are Santa's elves when I need them?

3. All I want for Christmas is David to sleep past 4:45. He wakes up, has to pee, and thinks that means that it's time to be up. For the day. He doesn't nap, so you do the math and figure out when that makes him turn into Satan's spawn because he's so tired. Right around 4:45 PM. Um, who goes to bed before six o'clock? My child. It's a vicious cycle.

4. D&H had their Christmas program at school last week. Which they were almost late for, because they had to be there less than 15 minutes after I got home from work. Supernanny had them dressed, coats on, ready to go, thank God. I was literally walking them up to the stage (while their classes were already there) in my work clothes and coat. Nice. David stood in the top row and Henry was in the middle row right in front of David. David vacillated between "participating" with his mouth clamped firmly shut while his arms were crossed and sticking his fingers in his ears when people clapped. Henry sang every song, did every dance move, and had a big smile. It was hysterical. I have some poor photos I'm going to upload later.

5. Should I be knocking on wood because Jack is not interested in the Christmas tree at all? I've literally had more issues with David pulling stuff off than Jack.

6. We went to two birthday parties over the weekend. At the second were our friends with their 4 week old baby. While the boys were eating cake, I gave Jack his bottle in the stroller and fed baby Joel. Jack was NOT happy. He kept pulling on Joel's pants and trying to take him. It was funny to see him like that.

7. Speaking of Jack, I don't think he's ever going to walk. Why should he, when someone can carry him? If he's standing holding my hands and I let go, he stands there for a second and then instantly sits down and starts clapping.

8. Why does December go by so quickly and so busily?! We have had two things to do every weekend since November, and continue to do so until January.

9. Chris, the boys, and I are all off for the last two weeks of December. I'm excited for us to be able to do some fun things together and also get some things done around the house. I asked them what they wanted to do when they were off from school and David said he wanted to go to Toots (which he's obsessed with and has never been there) and get two fluffy white dogs with red leashes. Um, he'll have to be OK with only accomplishing half of his list.

10. WTH is up with Henry wanting to wipe his own bum? Thanks, but no thanks. As much as I can't wait until I don't have to be the designated bum wiper, the mess that comes with him doing it himself is so gross.

Five for Friday

Have you missed me?

1. Jack developed an illness on Black Friday. A mystery illness. One involving a fever of 105 degrees for several days. It's a mystery no more -- an ear infection and Roseola. Nothing like a text message from the babysitter that says, "Did Jack have a rash this morning, or is this new?" Thankfully he's back to his shiny happy self.

2. We put our Christmas tree up on Black Friday, as usual. Unfortunately, none of the lights turned on at the same time. Um, what? After MUCH finagling by my handy husband, still no lights. Seriously, how long does an artificial tree last? And we're not talking the $88 pre-lit special from Big Lots. We've had it for six Christmases, and we had some issues with it last year. We chucked it and got a *gasp* real tree! Never fear, I'll be purchasing another faux at the end of the Christmas season when the prices are slashed.

3. David and Henry had their "gumdrop shop" at school yesterday where they can do their own Christmas shopping for $1 per item. I limited them to five gifts each. Why? Because it would have taken Henry the entire school day to select more than that. He's very thoughtful in his selections! Most of the things are wrapped in gift bags, so you know I looked to see what they purchased. The difference between what David purchased and what Henry purchased is hysterical.

4. Guess what I got at work yesterday? MY LAPTOP! I honestly felt like Christmas came early to me.

5. I was also feeling like Christmas came early yesterday when I realized that if schools are closed in the county I work in, my job is closed too. WHAT?! Love it.

Deck the Halls

David and Henry have a little Christmas tree in their room that they decorated yesterday. I think it's been redecorated about 9082375897234 times since. Somehow though, all of the ornaments seem to end up in the lower right portion of the tree! And the artificial tree that Chris and I bought six Christmases ago and paid a ridiculously stupid amount of money for now no longer lights up. WTF? We bought a real tree yesterday. We'll see how that goes. . . These pictures are, for the most part, horrendous but you get the idea!

Any Volunteers?

Who's coming to my house to wrap all of my Christmas gifts??

I Can't Make This Up

It's 5:17 and David has already said two hysterical things today.

1. Running out of his bedroom holding his belly, "Ouch! Ouch! My belly hurts so much!" I suggested he lay down and rest. You know, since it's practically the middle of the night and all. He replied with, "NO! I need to drink, and drink, and drink my face off. That's the only thing that will make my belly feel better." Trust me dude. Been there. It doesn't work.

2. Seeing a story about someplace dreadful that got lots of snow, "WHAT is THAT?" Um, snow. "Ugh. I HATE snow. Why would anyone want that?" He is so my child.

Gross

David came running into our bedroom yesterday while I was folding laundry. He was yelling, "POO POO! POO POO! LOOK OUT - POO POO EXPRESS COMING THROUGH!" He likes to go to the bathroom in our master bathroom. Why? So he can blow the hair dryer on the seat to warm it up. No, I'm not kidding. First he wanted to leave the door open. Thanks, no. Then, as soon as I came near him he wanted the door closed "for pribacy". He's normally fine with the door closed. No funny business, he just does what he needs to and comes out. Normally. He was in there for what seemed like a long time. Much longer than normal. I cracked the door and peeked in to see him "washing" the vanity with my freshly cleaned makeup brushes. Purchased decent makeup brushes lately? They're not cheap. I had cleaned them that morning and had them on the edge of the sink drying. I knew the vanity wasn't dirty, so I asked him where gross wet clumpy dust came from that was smeared all over the counter. "I just cleaned that dusty part of the toilet with this cleaning brush. It was dusty!" Right, that would be the part of the toilet on the floor. And the "cleaning brush" would be my Kabuki brush.

Tuesday Twelve

Twelve things I'm thankful for this Tuesday

1. I'm thankful that my parents and sister all live in TN now. I never thought when I moved here that my whole family would follow. And I never thought that I would so enjoy that they did!

2. My husband. He's fun, works so hard to take care of us, loves this crazy bunch we've created, loves me even when I act psycho, and makes me laugh harder than anyone else.

3. David. He's a mini-me in every single sense. He looks like me, he acts like me, he talks like me, he has my sense of humor. He is my guinea pig for how to be a mother. He's sweet and thoughtful. He's witty and silly. He's smart and imaginative. He's sassy and sneaky. He's perfect.

4. Henry. He's my mini-Chris! He looks just like Chris, has his laid back personality, and has the sneaky curiosity of my dad. He has the sweetest, most loving personality. He is the first person to give a hug or kiss if he thinks someone is sad. He's creative and has a fabulous imagination. He's the silliest of my boys and always makes me laugh. He's persistent and decisive. He is my special boy.

5. Jack. I can't imagine our lives without this chubby little baby. He makes our family complete. He is never sad, always happy, and has a smile that could warm the heart of the coldest stranger. He smiles so wide it looks like his face will crack. He has my dad's dimples on Chris' face. He is curious, friendly, and hasn't met a stranger. He is the perfect third child for us.

6. My job. I love my job. Everyday I feel like I'm doing well at my job and that I'm appreciated. My boss is fabulous. It feels good to have found the right fit.

7. Super Suppers. No, I'm not kidding. They will keep my family well-fed when I'm not home to cook dinner every night.

8. Our babysitters. They're amazing. They love my crazy bunch. They're so helpful. They're creative, and encourage my children to be. They're smart and like to teach our boys. They're loving and not afraid to give hugs and kisses to our children. They make the boys feel safe. They make it easy for me to go to work.

9. Publix. Thank you for building another store so close to our house. It allows me to not go to ghetto Food Lion anymore. Seriously, you don't know how thankful I am for that.

10. My friends. I have the best friends. I know everyone thinks that, but sorry. I really do. Whether they live close or far, I know I can always count on my girlfriends for a big laugh, an ear if I need to vent, someone to take my side, or help in any form. I love you girls!

11. My Blackberry. I know that's so foolish, but I love the little thing.

12. My hairdresser Chloe. Do you know how hard it is to find a stylist you love?? She is fun, funny, and I'm always happy to see her. She does a great cut, and I am so thankful I found someone I really like!

Is it possible for something to suck and still be really great, all at the same time? I know it is, because it happened last night. Jack and I are in Oklahoma with my sister and parents for Craig's memorial. He owned a restaurant and bar, and last night his partners hosted his memorial service. I hope Craig had any idea of even a small number of the amazing friends he had and lives he influenced. People literally flew in from all over the country - from California to Washington DC to come. There were hundreds of people there to celebrate Craig's life. There were musicians he loved playing his favorite songs. People from other area restaurants and bars worked the bar so none of his employees, who truly were another family to him, would have to. People shared great stories about him and talked about how he had touched their lives. The NPR station in Oklahoma City dedicated some of its programming yesterday to Craig and the tremendous impact he has had on the music and arts community in Oklahoma City. Last night was a perfect send off for Craig, and was just what he would have wanted. And he would have especially enjoyed seeing his Red Sox flag flying proudly outside the restaurant and the sea of Red Sox hats, shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, jersies, and t-shirts inside!

Shock

My dad's brother, my uncle Craig, passed away this morning. This is a total shock to my family and was completely unexpected. Please keep my family, but especially my dad and my aunt Carol in your thoughts. Rest in Peace Uncle Craig. We love you.

*Edited to add* Thank you for all of your thoughts. I really appreciate it!

Santa Baby

I am beyond less than skillful with the photo editing software. . . I scanned this into our computer. Notice anyone missing??? Check my rear end - he's just recently reemerged.

It's 7:13. . .

Jack is sleeping, David is in one corner screaming bloody murder interjected with screams of, "BAD MAMA! BAD MAMA!" and Henry is in another corner screaming and crying, all the while screaming, "I WANT TO HUG YOU! I WANT TO HUG YOU!" Let me remind you, it's not even 7:30 yet.

I want to go back to Knoxville. And you can bet your ass I'm telling Santa about this little episode when we go to see him. . .

Procrastination

I have to go out of town this weekend for work. I have a full-day training tomorrow in Knoxville. I will be leaving in two hours, and I've not even told my children yet that I'm going. I'm dreading it. It's one night, they'll be fine, but I don't want to go. I don't want someone else to put them to bed tomorrow night, even if it's my own mother. I want it to be me. This is the part about being a working mother that I abhor.

On the other hand, I'm psyched to sleep in a hotel, in a bed, without anyone waking me up in the middle of the night.

Don't miss me too much!

*Edited to Add* As with most things in my life, the anticipation over this trip was much worse than actually leaving. They really didn't care when I told them, and the promise of a trip to see Santa was the icing on the cake. I'm pretty sure David thinks we're headed to the North Pole tomorrow.

Five for Friday

Let's lighten things up around here. . . although I do love me some dramz!

1. Henry has had some *ahem* issues lately. His doctor has put him on a daily does of Miralax. Indefinitely. That stuff is no joke. . . his issue has been resolved. BIG TIME.

2. I'm listening to/watching Crossroads on CMT right now. It's Def Leppard and Taylor Swift. Bet you didn't know I have a secret Def Leppard love, did you? And, for the record, I'm LOVING Taylor's dress.

3. David, Henry, and Chris all fell asleep tonight in the living room, scattered about like drunks after a party. All of them were asleep before 7:15.

4. Chris is turning into Super Dad. While I was at work today, he brought all three boys to The Discovery Center by himself. And didn't turn the van around and leave when he saw two bus loads of children unloading. And stayed for three hours. Then brought them to lunch after! Chris has always been a very active parent, and we truly do split most of the responsibilities around here 50-50. However, I am so proud of how he has just stepped right in when needed since I've gone back to work, and he's been so helpful. We're very lucky to have him.

5. Did I tell you already that David told his teachers the other day during circle time, "Uh, Ms. F., Ms. S.? All this circle time stuff? When you do all that talking and stuff? It makes me bored with all that talking."? It scares me how much that boy's personality is like mine. I pray that he develops more of Christopher's traits!!! And I'm SO proud of his writing lately. He's doing a fabulous job with his letters. This is a huge accomplishment for a child with apraxia of speech. The same portion of his brain that was dysfunctional in relation to his speech is the portion that controls things like letter recognition, letter patterns, and the recall of how to read and write letters in combination. For him to be able, at 4 years old, to write a letter with me just verbalizing what I want him to write, not providing him with a written example, is an enormous celebration for us. Granted he makes his "s" backwards and thinks the "A" is connected at the bottom, but it's a process. We were so afraid that the apraxia would be a major issue again with his learning, but so far so good! I pray it continues!! He's been through so much already to come so far with the apraxia, we are really hoping that he doesn't require any further occupational therapies, etc. to help assist with his learning process.

Seriously?

Dear Keri,

I received your comment on my previous post. While I appreciate you reading my blog, I'm not quite sure why you do, as we obviously don't agree on things. I knew, when I clicked on your profile, that I had seen your profile before. When? Oh, right. The last time you left me a snarky comment. I didn't comment on what you had to say then, but for some reason I feel the need to now. Mostly, I think, because I sort of feel sorry for you.

The following is your most recent comment, in it's entirety:

The dress?? We are at WAR(a war my husband has deployed to THREE times), our economy is in the crapper, our nation is DIVIDED and you care about a friggin dress??

***shakes head in shame***

Never during this election, which I followed very closely, did I choose to comment about it on my blog, other than posting a McCain/Palin graphic. I didn't feel it was necessary. I don't think people read my blog because they care about my political affiliations. I've never tried to hide the fact that I'm a very proud Republican, nor have I ever felt the need to announce it. Until now.

Oh, no kidding, we've got some issues in this country? Thanks for enlightening me. Are you serious? I appreciate the fact that you've been a military wife and the sacrifices that your family has made for our country. I respect the fact that your husband was deployed to Iraq three times and fought to keep our country free. A country, might I add, in which we are very fortunate to live. Please don't think I don't understand that. I am a very, very proud American. Do you think that Barack Obama is going to end the war and get every single member of the military who is currently serving in this war back to the United States? I don't.

You also point out our economy is "in the crapper". The crapper? And Obama's suggestion that we increase taxes on wealthy individuals and families to reroute that money to poor people is going to help that? Whatever happened to working hard for your money and, oh I don't know, getting to freaking keep it? Why on earth would you want to tax wealthy people more? They already pay more than half of the taxes in this country. And do you know what else they do? Create jobs. You have to have capital in this free country we live in to open small businesses and invest in large corporations. What will they do when their tax burdens increase? What any smart business owner would do - find a way to lower their operating expenses. What does that mean? Layoffs, job losses, and moving companies and corporations to locations (ie: Mexico) where the cost of doing business is decreased. Boy, that's going to pull us right out of "the crapper".

Do you find it interesting at all that in the two days since Obama has been elected the Dow has plunged more than 440 points and that major indexes have lost nearly 10 percent? This has been the Dow's worst two-day percentage decline since October of 1987. I think that's significant. I also think it's significant that CEOs of major American business surveyed before the election thought that Obama would bankrupt this country's economy in three years.

And, if you've read this blog for any length of time, I'm sure you know my husband works for a major auto manufacturer. Right, because that's such a booming industry right now. I'm sure you also have read that I've recently gone back to work. Why? Because my husband and I had the foresight, when his company offered for the second time in two years to PAY people to quit their jobs, to realize that his income would be decreasing. Do I love my new job? Yes. Would I have gone back to work if I felt like it was a realistic option for me to continue to stay home? No. So please don't feel the need to point out so eloquently to me that our economy is "in the crapper". We're experiencing that first hand in our house, as I'm sure many families are.

So yes, I did care about Michelle Obama's dress. It was ugly. On what has probably been to this point the biggest night of her family's lives she wore a damn ugly dress. Why does that make you shake your head in shame? Because I didn't feel the need to spout my political affiliations and beliefs on MY blog? Why do you even care? I did my part as an American, and I voted for who I thought would be the best person to do the job. My "best person" didn't win. I can accept that. I can also accept that the world as I know it is not going to end because Obama won. I'm not happy about it, but it's not the end of the world. I will still keep my sense of humor, and keep informed. I hope you can do that too.

What the. . . ?

So about that election . . . I'm about as right-leaning as one can get, so you can imagine my discouragement at the outcome. Really, anymore leaning to the right and I would probably tip right over. Although, I do have to say that I am very proud of my fellow Americans for having the courage and open minds to elect a black president in an age when I didn't think it would happen. I thought it would happen some day, just not this day. Although I do have to say that, even though I'm proud of the country for electing a black man, I think it was the wrong black man.

Really, the bigger issue to me right now, is what the hell was that dress Michelle Obama wore last night??

What's For Dinner?

Monday - Chicken Pot Pie (SO good, and so easy to make)
Tuesday - Taco soup and cornbread
Wednesday - Enchilada casserole
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Salad and baked potatoes
Saturday - Pizza

Thanks Briana for posting about taco soup and cornbread on your blog -- it reminded me of how much we like that!

I'm assuming Saturday will be a pizza night. I will be out of town overnight for a workshop, so Chris will be on his own with the boys. You do the math!

HELP ME!

I'm with the boys right now at the bookstore, and they're playing on the train table. I was getting Jack's bottle ready, and the liner broke. Are you freaking kidding me?? 8 ounces of fresh formula, all over my jeans. I look like I just peed all over myself. Three children, and the first time a bottle explodes on me it happens in public!!!

Free Coffee!

Weekend

What did you have going on this weekend? At the Simpson house the weekend can be summed up into two words. Bowel. Cleanse. No, I'm not kidding. Let's just say Henry should be almost cleansed. . .

Trick or Treat!

We had a very fun time Trick or Treating Friday night. Julie, Darrell, JT, and LJ joined us, as is our Halloween tradition. Also, this year David's "little girl" Sophia and her family joined us as well. We had a lot of fun! My Little Jack-o-Lantern and LJ the cowgirlIndiana Jones and Thomas the Tank Engine (I love Henry's hat crooked like that!)

Our crew (minus Jack and Sophia's little sister). I blocked David's "little girl's" eyes out, because I'm not sure her parents would want her on the internet. She was adorable as Snow White. And David INSISTED she stand next to him!

Happy Halloween!

Ugh

When do you think I'll start to feel like a grown up? I mean, on a regular basis? I have three children and lots of responsibilities, not to mention a husband with graying hair who is on the business side of 40 - this should all add up to me feeling like a grown up. Nope, not yet. At least not until I have to do things like decide which new health care plan we'll choose. UGH. I hate having to make decisions that make me all responsible for things. Gotta go - I'm calling my dad to have him tell me what to do.

ETA: Apparently every a-hole at Nissan has his wife logged on trying to figure this crap out too, because I can't even get on the insurance company's website!

Pumpkin Friday

My husband is into carving pumpkins. I mean, seriously into carving pumpkins. He spent roughly four hours Friday afternoon carving them, and wanted to do more Saturday. He's crazy. David and Henry. . . notsomuch into scooping out the "goo" from inside the pumpkins. Or into carving them into anything resembling a cute pumpkin. They just wanted to hack the hell out of them because they were using something sort of like a knife. Then they mixed the goo around with a wooden spoon. They wouldn't use anything with a smaller handle, because they might have to touch the stuff! The boys and I tired of the whole process much sooner than did Chris, but he did a great job! Like Henry's hair? It stuck up like that for two days. It's not a shadow, I truly let him walk around in public with that mess. It's all about picking my battles. . .

Gross

Jack's favorite thing to do these days. So instead of stopping him, I take his picture! The line forms behind me to accept the award for Mother of the Year.

Wednesday Twelve

1. Why do the 7 hours between going to sleep and waking up go by so quickly?

2. Jack had his nine month appointment on Monday. He weighs 20 pounds, 10 ounces and is 28 inches long. All three boys were 28 inches long at their 9 month appointment, but he's the smallest weight. I think he weighs the least because he's the most active baby we've had.

3. I also think the shot they gave him had some secret serum in it to make him stay up all night and sleep all day. I want my money back.

4. Henry started tumbling at school yesterday. He got a stamp on his leg (I'm sure his chosen spot) when they were done, and it's "a boy dressed up for Halloween with a bunch of toilet paper wrapped all around he's body." Any guesses? I thought his description was pretty accurate!

5. I still think it's ridiculous that I work for a children's gymnastics company, where Henry could take a free class every day if he wanted to, and I pay for him to take tumbling at school. . .

6. Speaking of work, I got promoted. This happened several weeks ago, but everything is finalized now. Instead of running one location, I'll be a territory manager for three locations. We're opening our second location next summer, and the third in 2010. It's fast-tracked me starting to work full-time, hence the need for babysitters.

7. Henry is having some serious regression issues with potty training. He's been trained for over a year now, but he's started having lots of accidents. I'm wondering if he's nervous about the changes going on at home and it's coming out, so to speak, this way??

8. David has changed his mind on what he'll be for Halloween. . .no more James the train. Now he's going to be Indiana Jones. No, I'm not kidding. The child is totally obsessed with "Eddyanna Jones". He walks around the house humming the theme song. All. Day. Long. We got a costume (for $30, thank you very much) last night, but it's too small. I'm going to exchange it today at lunch. If I can pry the hat out of his hands. He also wanted to know why the costume didn't come with "a snapper fing". That would be a bullwhip. Just what we need.

9. Nissan has halted production on Fridays of this month, so Chris has had a three day weekend. When I came home from work Friday he said, "Do you think it's bad if the boys play video games?" He had them in the living room playing video games with him. "No, I don't think it's bad. . . " was my answer. Until I saw that they were playing GRAND THEFT AUTO. Hello! There are hookers and shooting in that. Let's wait until they're at least, oh I don't know, FIVE before they start hanging with the hookers.

10. His response to me not wanting to play that game (which, by the way, he totally agreed with - I have no idea why he let them in the first place) was, "They don't get it anyway." Riiiiight. Later that night David was upset and said to me, "Oh yeah?! Well if you don't let me, I'll put you in that shooting game Dada has and shoot you!" Awesome.

11. My mom brought us an apple pie over the weekend. It was SO good. There are some things that just taste better when your mom makes them.

12. The weather has gone from summer to chilly overnight. David and Henry have a total of two pairs of pants that fit them and five long sleeved shirts!!! Think I need to go shopping?

Tuesday Twelve

Fooled you, didn't I. I think the Wednesday Twelve is going to be my new thing. I'm too tired and have too much laundry to fold tonight to blog. I'll do a Wednesday Twelve tomorrow.

Accountability?

So, when "following" Weight Watchers, exactly which way is my weight supposed to be going? Oh, down? Oops. I must have missed that portion of the discussion. . . let's just say I need to refocus. And the apple pie in my fridge isn't going to help me do that.

Menu Monday

Monday - Beans and Greens, Cornbread, Apple Pie
Tuesday - Salmon Kabobs, Broccoli, Rice
Wednesday - Chicken Pockets with stuffing, Rolls
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Ground turkey mac skillet meal, Salad
Saturday - Going out for our anniversary!
Sunday - Pot Roast, Carrots & Potatoes, Crusty bread

Halloween Birthday Cake

This is officially my last cake order!