Day one down, many to go

Yesterday I left for some much needed alone time. When I returned 5-6 hours later, I was told by Bon that Ty shouldn't have his paci anymore because his teeth are all funky. So I take a deep breath and say okay.

Before bed, I search his room and find two paci's on the floor. Stick them in my pocket and as I rock him, he asks about his "sa-sa". I lie and tell him they are lost, but I'll look for them. I lay him down and didn't hear him the rest of the night. Today at church was a little harder because he was whiney and loud and Bon had to take him out twice because we couldn't hush him up by shoving a 'sa sa' in his mouth.

Nap time he whined for them and again I lied and told him I'd look for them. I layed him down and he screamed and hollered and cried for a good 15 minutes. Then he slept until loud Ryan woke him up.

And now bedtime again. And again with the lie. But only minimal chatter from him and no crying. So here's an end to the 'sa sa' phase. It makes me sad that my "baby" is growing up. And I'm hoping that all the 'sa sa's' I can't find right now will be found by me and not Ty.

Things that annoy me

I have a lot of things that annoy me, but the annoying things usually happen when I'm driving or away from my computer. So tonight's list is short because I'm going from memory and y'all know how well *I* can remember stuff.

1. When you're in the line at a drive thru and people think that 6 feet between their front bumper and the car in front of them is sufficient space. It's a drive thru! Move up moron! Is anyone really going super fast through that line that they might actually do damage if there happened to be a fender bender?! I mean, really?

2. People who use the self-checkouts at stores that have absolutely NO IDEA how to scan items. I'd just love to be in their heads as they try to figure out that the barcode must pass over the scanner. "hm, maybe if I press the label of my soup on this red line, it'll scan. Nope. How bout the top of the can. Nope. Maybe the bottom of the can. Nope. Oh, I get it, I get it. It's the back of the label." beep "Sweet!" Next item. "I bet Cap'n Crunch's hat has the secret code on it. Nope. I bet it's this maze game on the back. Nope. I bet it's the bottom of the box." beep "Score!" And so on. Holy crap people. Get a clue!

Wow, I sound like a completely horrible person, but I swear I'm not. Much. Really!

3. This one has to do with my sweetie. I love it when I make a new recipe and you don't eat it at all. You taste a tiny bit of sauce with your finger and decide not to eat. Makes me feel great!

And a whine. Bon has had a stressful week at work, which has meant long hours for him. Well, it's been long hours since we moved really. He leaves here at 7:45ish and then most nights will return between 6:30-7. Last week really sucked because after we would eat, we'd get the kids to bed and he'd fall asleep with them. So I hardly saw him. That's how it's been this week too, except for falling asleep, which he's only done once this week. But oh well. I hope that once this stressful thing is over, maybe he'll be home earlier. It's not like his job saves lives or is something so vital that it can't wait for tomorrow. At least, that's how this grumpy wife sees it.

A Paul Revere moment

Bear with me.

Christmas is coming!!
Christmas is coming!!
Christmas is coming!!


ACK! Why is it that the days seem to go by faster when it's closer to Christmas?! Oh, maybe it's because it's dark at 6:00 pm. But seriously. I don't think we have one thing for Christmas purchased yet for anyone! That's kinda stressful! I started a list of things we can get for people, but I lost it. That adds to my craziness I'm sure.

Anyway. I just wanted you to all be aware that Christmas is coming. To see if you'll be stressed out like me. Aren't I nice?

6th picture 6th folder

Jeanette tagged me. I kinda secretly like being tagged. I'm selfish that way.

so 6th picture from 6th folder is


Wow. So artistic with the angle and messiness of it. This was obviously taken by Ryan, who loves to take many, MANY pictures with my camera. Some are suprisingly good. Others? Um. Not so good.

Okay, so I tag Dorshan, Green Girl, Amy A., Lisa, April and Heidi.

Halloween!

My husband told me the other day that he found my blog by searching for "my retrac family". Uh, why were you looking for my blog? (not that he's not allowed, I just didn't think he was interested.) He was thinking that I might have Halloween pictures up.

Oh. Well. Maybe if I was a good mom I would have. ;) So without further ado, here are our kids in all their pre-sugared glory.



Reagan started out being Fancy Nancy, but decided to be a princess instead. Ryan was a "dar-wook Ninja!" (dark Ninja) And even though I'm anti-vampire, Ty was the cutest Dracula alive!

Ha, get it? Play on words there. I'm clever today, keep up.

He would go to people's doors and they would just smile and say how cute he was. Cause he was totally cute.

The kids got a lot of loot. And glow in the dark necklaces at one house which they thought was awesome!

There ya go, Hubster. *smooch*

Things I've done

I saw this on Lee's blog, who saw it on Alissa's blog. I wanted to see how many I could bold. You try it and let me know!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band(band in high school totally counts, right?!)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a Meteor Shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a Mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a Lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke(Rockband and Singstar 80's and 90's!)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Cause the last one's not working

After one month of being in the south

http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q210/beboretrac/Reagan/?action=view¤t=100_3798.flv

Some evidence that we're real

The kids enjoyed decorating Daddy's cupcakes. Reagan felt that all the ones she decorated should have a little bit of every sprinkle on. Ty didn't care quite so much. See that cupcake on the left with like, one shake of yellow sprinkles on it? Ty.

And since I did my make up today (for my dumb NC driver's license) I thought I'd try and get a good picture of Bon and I.

(Excuse the zit on my chin. Make up wouldn't cover that thing.)

First attempt. I said, "Look happy!"



I didn't mean *that* happy! We laugh.

Try again.



Ha! Seriously now! C'mon. I give him a little slap on the bum.


Now he thinks he's all that. Who knew I married such a comedian?! ;)

Okay. For real this time.


Ahhhh...that's better.

Happy birthday hubby.

Even though I don't think you even read this blog. Today I'm going to try and get the house clean. That's your present. I know. Totally what you've been waiting for. I'm also going to try and get my nc drivers license. Because you were totally mad that things didn't work out for me to get it yesterday. That's how much I love you. To be brave enough to take the boys with me while I take a test and smile and sign my name for an ugly piece of plastic. (And that's if I pass!)

Love you Bon. And thanks for all you do for us and me. :)

Beth Anne would be so proud

My cousin Beth Anne is a born and bred Arkansan. Has a southern twang that Texans admire. She's also the cutest thing (and single, in case any of you sahm's reading this care). lol Here's why she'd be proud.

Reagan was running a fever on Saturday. I was laying beside her asking her if she hurt anywhere. No, just her head. Where at on your head?

On my ah.

Your EYE?

Yeah. My eye.

You see...moving down here, my mother-in-law was hoping that the kids wouldn't pick up on the southern drawl and start saying things like "hankerin" and "ain't". And so far, things have been pretty normal.

Of course, the boys are stuck home with me all day, Bon sits at an office with English and French people with a slight twist of southern.

But Reagan. Poor Reagan. From 8-2 she is being taught by a couple of teachers with drawls and probably hears a lot more twang in one day than I do in a week. So each day when I pick her up from school, I wait to hear her words. And I do hear a change sometimes. However, it's usually faded by the time we make it home.

So, Beth Anne....be proud. And be lucky she's cute like you. :)


And some cute things Ty says:

k-bob = ketchup
poopyhead = well...poopyhead. He loves to say this. Over and over and over. Like "No I not, poopyhead!" or "I love you mommy, poopyhead!" Bon tries to tell him to stop, but me? I think it's hilarious and have to hide my smile/laughs everytime he says it.

Our realtor said

It never rained in the Carolina's. Hm. The two or three times that we came down to check out houses, it rained. Since we've lived here it's rained at least one day a week. Sometimes two. Apparently it does rain. Lots. I guess North Carolina is not in drought conditions any more. So glad our moving here could help the entire state. :P

And then there are days like this

Waking up at two in the morning from a bad dream. Checking on the kids to make sure they were still okay and spending extra moments memorizing their faces. Telling your husband about the bad dream, only to have the visions in your head. So real. So sad. Much crying before 7 a.m. Still having the heartache of loss. Empty arms, someone missing. The longing for more. Nothing a store could ever sell me, but more of us. Knowing that with more I become a person I don't like to be for 3 months.

Sometimes I wish time would rewind. We could push the minute hand back and set the pendulum swinging. Start over where we were last happy, where haunting visions didn't creep in, where laughing and feeling joy weren't so tiring.

The worst book I've read in a while

It has great reviews, however, not from me. I was so bored reading this book that I would skip chapters that weren't relevant to the book. It's a work of fiction told from the viewpoint of an autistic boy. I have nothing against those with autism, but man, this book was slow! And boring! I even asked some mof's (my online friends) if they had read it, just to see if they could tell me what happened. They hadn't. So I had to finish reading it so I would know, but it was painful. I would not recommend this book.

Ever have those days?

Do you ever have those days where your kids are throwing out one-liners like crazy and you think "I should totally blog about this!"??

But by the time you finish your day and tuck your angelic kids into bed, you forget everything?

Yeah.

Me.either.


I wasn't nearly as productive today as yesterday. I managed to go to the school for the Ident-A-Kid thing, then schlepped over to the post office. The boys were doing quite well and the lady was asking me if I needed any more stamps, etc. Ty saw they had Mickey Mouse stamps and exclaimed "Mickey Mouse Cubhouz!!!" really loud in that tiny post office. The people in line chuckled and the po worker laughed and said, "And we also have Mickey Mouse stamps." lol I think everyone in the building heard Ty. He was really that loud.

Then we went to the library. Which in this town is just a branch of the bigger county library(ies?). So it's pretty tiny. But I have discovered two new authors that I like. Joan Hess and Diane Mott Davidson. Joan has Claire Malloy series which I've read two of so far and they're pretty good. They both write mysteries.

We also found a kids book that I love and the kids loved!

You must check it out!

I think that's all for the night!

Said today

This morning I was telling Bon that I had a weird dream.

"You know those twins from Antique Roadshow that know everything about furniture?"

"yeah. Were you macking and then they'd switch and you didn't know it?"

"what? NO! (that's gross!) Anyway one of them and another lady were at my grandma's house. The lady asked me how long I'd been married and I couldn't quite do the math in my head, so I figured it out to be close to eleven years. Then they guy asked me how old I was and I paused because I couldn't think of it right away. He said he was 38. Then I told him I was 29. Then I woke up."

Weird. Then somehow the topic switched to Chippendale furniture, except Bon was thinking Chippendales, the kind that wear a bow tie and not much else and proceded to make the proper bow chicka wow wow sounds. If I only had some dollar bills....

Ty is exploding with his talking. He talked before, but now he's talking in full out paragraphs it seems. His favorite thing to say lately is "no ur not!" Like I would say "I'm going to change your diaper now!" "No ur not!"

Wow, it's almost been a month.

I swear I post more, but I guess not.

We are now moved, in case you haven't talked to our family since July and didn't know that we sold our house, bought a new house and trekked down to North Carolina.

Reagan started kindergarten on Monday. And on Wednesday she got to ride the bus in the morning. The afternoon ride would be almost 2 hours long! And she lives 5 minutes from the school! So I'll be picking her up in the afternoons. She is enjoying going to school and it's a lot quieter around here without all the arguing between her and Ryan. Bon and I do feel sad though, because she has said that so far this week no one has played with her at recess. Yesterday she just walked around. :( That was heartbreaking to hear. But today she told me she helped a boy named Cody find kids to scare. lol I have no idea what that means. I was trying to figure out if the kids he was scaring were playing with them, but she told me she wasn't playing with them, just helping Cody. Ok...whatever!

The boys get along fairly well while she's at school. Ryan wants me to play with him all the time. I need to break him of that! lol We have some trees behind our house and I sent them out to the "woods" today to explore. They looked so cute out there with thier walking sticks. I really hope there isn't poison ivy out there. (i know, i'm a great mom!)

Bon worked from home on Monday, but since has gone into the office. I dropped by some cookies yesterday. His boss bought his lunch Tues. and Wed. and said that if he works through lunch, she'll buy. I laughed out loud when he told me and said "did you tell her you ALWAYS work through lunch?!" He chuckled and said he didn't. He's gonna get fat with all this food...since his normal diet is no breakfast, maybe a peanut butter sandwich for lunch with doritos and an occasional good dinner. Now he still doesn't eat breakfast, but eating lunch and so far (yeah, all 5-6 days) we've had good dinners. *gasp* I know it's a total shocker that I can actually plan ahead and cook! It shocks me too.

We had a coupon from our realtor for two free hours of handyman services. So some guy came yesterday and was able to hang blinds in the whole upstairs. Yay! We can finally use our master bathroom! Bon took a shower in our shower this morning for the first time. We've been using the hall bathroom. (we aren't completely gross!)

Well, the kids sound like they are getting into lots of trouble downstairs without me. I better check it out.

Another good conversation

The following conversation actually happened while coming home from Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Ryan: Mom, are grandma and grandpa married?
Me: (giggling a little) Yes.
Ryan: Then why don't they have any babies?
Me: (giggling a little harder) Because they already had all their babies.
Ryan: Did they all die??
Me: (full out laughing) No. Daddy is one of their babies.
Ryan: (with total confusion in his voice) Daddy?
Me: Yeah, Daddy was one of grandma and grandpa's babies.

We thought it was so funny, that even though we had just spent several hours there, Bon called them and re-told the conversation to them. Ryan is our weird question asker. And his favorite joke to tell?

Why do gorillas have big holes in their noses?

Because they have big fingers!!

Or the ever popular knock knock joke...

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Cargo.
Cargo who?
Cargo cargo.

Although I'm pretty sure in his mind it's "Car Go". And if you couldn't tell, it's completely made up and we follow with the "ah ha ha ha" fake laugh because it's really not funny at all. We're such good parents! ;)

Tomorrow (well, actually today since it's late) I'm dropping the boys off at grandma's house and taking Reagan shopping for school shoes/clothes and to lunch. I've been so worried about her starting school late. She'll almost be a month late in starting and I really hope it's not an issue. There were too many unknowns to register her in Miamisburg schools, which looking back on, I would've done. We've been in this house for a month now and will be here for another week and a half. But as the saying goes, you live and you learn. Or hindsight is always 20/20. Whichever makes more sense.

What you hear during an 8 hour car trip...

A four and five year old repeating this conversation over and over and over...

It's Theodore.

Feodore.

No, it's Theodore.

Feodore.

Theodore.

Feodore.

No, Theodore.

--getting the picture yet?

You'd also hear this from my husband.

"I don't get the mortgage song."

Huh? What?? Mortgage song? Oh, you mean Chasing Pavements by Adele. It's pavements. With a v. Not payments. Silly boy. lol

I wonder what treasures we'll hear on our way back to Dayton.

Another busy week

As if I'm not stressed enough. lol

To catch you up...The week of July 4th, we put the house on the market. Can be shown after July 8th. Get a call on July 8th "can we show your house tomorrow at 10 am?'. Look around me and see the contents of my house basically thrown up in the living room. Um...sure. Freak out. Call my good friend Liz and beg, I mean ask if she could watch my kids while I clean. Clean for 4 hours or so. Go to pick up my kids only 1/3 done on the house. Get the kids in bed and stay up till 3 a.m. (Did I mention that Bon was in Alabama on business??) Up at 7:30 to finish up. (yeah. my house really was that messy!) Gather up the kids and head out for a couple of hours. The house was shown and they offered! Holy crap. So now we have a contract on our house. After one showing. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being really stressed, I'm at a 13. lol (this paragraph was extremely long, sorry!)

Anyway. This week.

Monday: Clean the whole house. As we were going to bed last night, Bon said it was unfortunate that "we had to clean the whole house again." I laughed and paused and said that "we and again" don't really belong in the same sentence. He laughed and agreed and bowed down and kissed my feet.

Just joking.

He didn't bow.

Tuesday: All three kids have their check-ups. I'm a horrible mom and haven't gotten their check-ups on time for a couple of years. And Ty is behind on his vaccs. I know! Horrible. Reagan is worried about getting a shot. But I think it will go okay. Then in the afternoon an inspector is coming. Hence the cleaning today.

Wednesday: A follow up appt with my Ob/gyn. Other than the lightheadedness, I think I'm doing better. Just really still stressed and overwhelmed. But I'm not horribly angry at my kids/life/situation anymore. So that's better, right?

Thursday: nothing planned.

Friday: I'd like to go to Charlotte area and start searching for houses. Bon is going to see about childcare, so I have to wait on him before I plan too much. Having no home is a big stressor for me right now.

So that's it. My little update. I feel better about getting of the computer now, knowing that you all know my schedule. lol