Ponytail Evolution

When Noel was born, she didn't really have enough hair to put a ponytail in, but I did put a little bow in the front for her blessing (it is a bit hard to see, I know).

When she was 7 months old, she finally had enough hair for me to put a bit of a ponytail with that bow.  She rarely went anywhere without one, and she left it alone.

I was so excited when she had enough hair for two ponytails about a year later!

By the time she was two, she had started to take them out.  On some rare occations I would acctually get a picutre with some kind of ponytail in there.

By her fourth birthday, she mostly would just put a comb through her hair and leave it at that.  I would get her hair put up in some way for church, but it wouldn't last through primary.  Sometimes she would get into the hair stuff and put baretts in, but not much more than that.

She has now decided that she will now do her own ponytails (yes, this is how it was done on Sunday too).

What Do You Do on a Warm February Afternoon?

Get your Lightsabers out of course!

Down to One Car and a Motorcycle

This time last year we had 4 cars (three of which were running) and a motorcycle. If one car broke down we had a spare. That was great! Over the summer John sold his Explorer. (I can't find a picture of it.) We were then down to 3 cars (two of which were running) and a motorcycle.

I really wanted to get my old car running again so that I didn't have to spend so much on gas with the van (not to mention the fact that the van hadn't run in the winter for a few years and my back up was now gone). After working for a few months, we were able to get a new engine put in my car and I didn't have to drive the van that was on its last leg anymore.

Two months later my car started to burn oil (let me tell you how excited that did NOT make me feel). The decision was made to get the van running well enough so that I could drive that to work while my car was being fixed. After getting my van back, I drove it for about a week before it decided that it wasn't going to hold antifreeze anymore. The diagnosis was a blown gasket (oh, joy). We decided to let the mechanic junk it and put the money towards fixing the car. (It is a lot harder to find pictures when you actually want to.)

Now, here I am. John and I have to share his mustang (which only has 4 instead of 5 seat belts). My car is at the mechanic's. My van is gone for good. The Explorer was sold to some poor kid that didn't know what he was getting into, and poor John had to ride his motorcycle to work today because his battery died. When my car gets fixed, his will go in for a tune up. Until both cars are done, we will be sharing one car. that means that I have to walk to take Sean to school and pick up the boys in the afternoon (something I didn't mind when I wasn't sleeping most of the day and when it was warmer outside). Hopefully, we will have two cars that run very well by this time next month. (I can hope, right?)

(Hey! The van and Explorer in the background!)

Racing Stripe

My wonderful son decided that my car needed a racing stripe a couple of weeks ago.  I haven't washed my car yet because I wanted to blog about it.  Yes, that is mud.  The day the stripe was put on my car it went from bumper to bumper.  I even had to squirt the windshild and run the wipers to see out the windshild to go to work.  I like to promote creativity, but this may be a bit too much creativity on Eric's part.  You may not be able to tell, but the mud is caked on the top.  I guess it is a good thing that this car is so old.  (For those of you who knew me back then, yes, this is my high school car.)

So Proud!

Eric was baptized yesterday (and I got pictures to prove it)!

His Uncle Asher got to have the honor of baptizing him.

Our family was all there.

So were Gandma and Grandpa Crumpley.

The proud baptized boy.

The Wrong Way

I am really not doing very good at this. I snack most of the time I am at work. Not the best, I know. Last time I got snacks on the way to work, I tried to get some more healthy snacks. I know it is still not good to snack the whole time, but maybe with them being a bit healthier it will help. Who knows? All I know is that I am not mentally ready to do as good at this as I was last spring. I wish I was because I am fatter than I have ever been in my life. It is so depressing to know that, and a bit embarrassing to admit.

Last Week

Last week proved to be more difficult than I had planned.

Monday was Martin Luther King Day. That means the boys had no school. The good part: all of the kids watched PBS until 12:30 allowing me to sleep until then. Then bad part: I didn't get to sleep after that time. I was a tired mama.

Tuesday wasn't too bad. At least nothing sticks out in my mind from that day.

Wednesday, Eric and Sean each had an awards ceremony. Eric's was at 8:45am (meaning I got about a hour and a half of sleep before creeping into the shower). Sean's was at 2pm (because he isn't in school in the morning). I slept as much as I could between allowing time for making lunch and getting Sean to school. Going to see my boys get awards was fun, and I want to support them when I can. Since I didn't have to work that night, I knew that I could sacrifice a few hours of sleep to see them get their awards. The difficult part came between the awards. Poor Eric threw up in class around 10:45. He was sent to the nurses office. The school then tried to call me. My cell phone had been not working great because I washed it REALLY well in my pants pocket the week before. The house phone was also not working for some reason. There was not a way for them to get a hold of me even if I wasn't too out of it to answer the phone (I usually do answer the phone in case of things like this). They ended up calling John at work, and he tried to get a hold of me through email, voice mail, Yahoo messenger, and any other way he could think of. In the mean time, Sean's teacher tried to waive me down as I dropped off Sean, but I was too out of it to notice. John was finally able to get off of work and rescue our sweet, sick boy from the health room at school. Eric ended up waiting for someone to pick him up for 3 hours. Poor boy!

Thursday went by with no big problems. Eric got to go to his first pack meeting. He had a lot of fun and was actually good for most of the time we were there.

Friday, I decided to go work out in the morning because Sean wanted to play in the play-place there. We went grocery shopping after, getting something Sean and Noel could eat in the car on the way home so that Sean could get to school on time. Then, I had my doctor appointment. That was the WORST experience I have ever had at a doctor's office! I am not just saying that because I am used to Kaiser getting me in and out either. I had an appointment set for 1:25 for a thyroid check as a new patient. I got to the office at 1:10 and waited for 5 minutes before I could even check in. I didn't think that was a big deal. They were busy at the front desk setting appointments for other patients. After checking in, I filled out all of the necessary paper work for new patients and then waited for 20 minutes to be called back (no big deal, right). By the time the nurse was done with checking my blood pressure, weight, pulse, and re-asking the family history and allergy questions I had already answered on the papers I had filled out, it was a little before 2:00 (again, not a huge deal). Then, I sat in the room with a bored 4 year-old until 2:40. At that point, I decided that I really couldn't wait any longer because I needed to be back in Lochbuie to pick up my boys by 3:20 (it takes about 30 minutes to get to Lochbuie from just about everywhere I go). The nurse freaked out and begged me to stay for just a bit and the doctor would be right in. I told her I only had 5 minutes at the most before I needed to leave to pick up my boys. I told her I needed to get back to Brighton (more people know where Brighton is than Lochbuie). She just told me that I should be able to make it (she obviously didn't really understand where I was heading). The doctor came in and apologized and said that she wouldn't charge me to come back, but she wanted to take my blood before I left. By this point I was so frustrated, but it doesn't take very long for someone to take just a little bit of blood. Right? Wrong! When the nurse passes it on to someone else, and they have a hard time finding your veins (thank you Dad for the small veins, by the way), it takes another 5 to 10 minutes. When I got back into the car, my alarm on my IPod was going off (it is set for 3 on weekdays so I can make sure Noel and I are up to get them). My poor boys ended up sitting at the school for about 10 or 15 minutes after they got out of school until I was able to come get them. I couldn't even call anyone to get them for me because of the well-washed phone. I was tired before I went to the doctor's office. I was exhausted by the time I got the boys home. Then I had to make dinner and go to work (it is hard to work a 6pm to 2:30am shift after a day like that).

Satuday wasn't too bad. A friend from work was baptized, so I had to get up earlier than I would have liked, but it was for a good cause. When I got home from the baptism, I had to spend the rest of my day doing the homework I didn't get done over the week. That meant no nap for me. Again, I went in for a 6pm shift very sleepy.

Sunday, the kids decided to play loudly in the hall around 8 or 8:30. Eventually, John made them play in their room and closed our bedroom door. I got up close to 10:00 and got myself and the kids ready for church. We got there late meaning another Sacrament Meeting spent in the foyer. Eric got a car out (yes I am one of THOSE moms) and played on the floor. Noticing that the knees on his pants were getting thin, I told him not to scoot on his knees too much. He of course didn't listen, and ended up tearing holes in the knees of his pants (that is after Sean spilled jelly on his chruch clothes and having to wear jeans). I was so glad to send them to primary and get some peace and quiet for a bit. I don't know if Relief Society gets out late every week or if primary get out early (I'm voting on Relief Society getting out late), but Eric always seems to find his way into the gym to play before I get out and plays (he has been told not to play in the gym on Sudays). This time he had taken his shoes off and thown one up and got it stuck up high. Luckily, Melissa (my firend) was able to get her husband and a few other ment to get a ladder and get it down. I got home, watched John play his PS3 game a bit and decided to lay down until it was time to make dinner. Noel decided afer I had been sleeping for only 20 minutes that she was "starving." After letting myself wake up a bit, I made dinner. She ate maybe 10 bites before she decided she was full. Then, I got ready for work very exhausted mentally and physically from the week, and headed out for my 8:30pm to 5:00am shift.

So far, today has gone better. I can only hope that the rest of the week will follow.

Starting Out Slow

Last year, I really pushed myself hard to lose weight.  I changed a lot all at once.  It was hard to keep up with.  This year I am starting off a bit slower.  I am starting to work out again (see last post), and I started adding more water to my intake last week.  I am also starting to eat less junk.  Now that is not to say that I don't still eat junk.  I do.  I just eat less of it.  There is no way I can completely take it out of my diet. I would miss it too much.  I am just being a bit smarter about it.  When I get these things to a point where they are regular, I will do something else to help me lose weight.  I really would like to be able to fit back in my swim suit by the summer.  That is my main weight goal.

My Trip to the Gym

My sweet mother-in-law gave John and I a one month gym membership for Christmas because I thought that it may help me with my depression.  I went for the first time today.  It was GREAT!  I don't know why I waited so long to go. 

I didn't do a whole lot because I felt a bit out of place on the wights (I haven't been to a gym since I was 20, and the machines have changed a bit).  I did go on the treadmill for about 20 minutes, the weights for about 10 minutes, and then the eliptical for about 20 minutes.  I felt awesome when I was done.  I would have stayed longer, but I had to go pick up my boys from school.

I plan to go back tomorrow afternoon and try to talk John into going on Saturday.  Then membership includes childcare, so we can go as a family (kind of)!

I am so glad that I get to finally do something about my weight again.  Hopefully, with working again, I will be motivated to eat better as well.

Can He Really Be 8?

I was told when I was getting close to my tenth wedding anniversary that it made me sound old to hear that I had been married tthat long (for those of you who don't know I was only 20 when I got married).  I got to thinking today, does it make me sound old to say I have an 8 year-old then?  I do have an 8 year-old now.

Eric turned 8 on Sunday.  He got a dual-bladed light saber, jammies, Antz, scriptures with his name on them, a scripture case with a compass, and scout stuff.  Eight is an exciting age.  He gets to be baptized and start scouts all in the same month.

He gets to start scouts tonight!

Eric will be baptized January 30.  I'll get some pictures posted of that when it happens (knowing me at least with in the month of it happening).

Ideas Needed

I am writing an essay for school bout husband and wives sharing household responsilities.  It needs to be 2 or 3 pages long.  I have almost 2 pages.  I nees some idea on how to extend it a bit.  It is due tomorrow, so quick responses would be nice.  Here is what I have so far:

Household chores have to be done. Traditionally, women were the ones doing all the chores around the house such as making dinner, washing clothes and dishes, and nurturing the children while the men went to work and provided financially for the family. Now, many women are going to work to help provide for the family as well as the men. This makes it harder for women to do the work around the house as well. Therefore, husbands and wives should take an equal share in all household responsibilities.


With more than one person doing the work around the house, one partner won’t feel more overburdened than the other. Both husband and wife can feel more productive and have equal personal responsibilities. While not every day will husband and wife have the same amount of work to do around the house such as washing dishes, doing laundry, picking up and dropping off kids, and making dinner;”the bottom line is that sharing these responsibilities also means sharing a certain way of thinking about chores as a whole.” (Sharing Responsibliities Around the House, 2007)

Dividing this burden can help a couple grow closer together. The cleaner and more orgainized the house is, the less chaos and tension is felt in the home. When deciding who is going to do what, good communication is very important. Arthur Lee suggests, “Discuss these (things) together, but do not make it confrontational.” (Lee, 2009) Lee, also, suggests making charts and lists while including even the youngest of family members in doing things like emptying the dishwasher or taking out the trash. Another good way to divide the chores would be on a lottery basis. All chores could be put in a jar and pulled out at a specific time to dictate who does what. Of course the best way would be for each person to see something that needs to be done and just do it. According to Gregg Hall, “Not only does sharing these responsibilities prevent resentment but it also gives the couple an opportunity to work as a team which strengthens their bond.” (Hall, 2006)

Allocating liabilities around the house will help with equality in the home. When the husband and wife both work, they are away from home about the same amount of time. That means they are also home for about the same amount of time. Therefore the division of work should not be gender based. “While married couples in many inadvertent ways continue to live life with certain tasks being associated with male or female; they now have to introduce thoughts into their mental make-up that makes the picture of mom in a gown hanging laundry with clips a thing of the past!” (Lee, 2009) No longer should only the wife do the dishes and laundry. As well, no longer should the husband be the only one to be doing household repairs. By having an attitude that the chores are not gender based, the couple would be more likely to help each other out when the burdens get to be too heavy.

When carrying an equal burden that means there is more time to have fun together as a couple. When chores are done faster, there is more time to go out to movies, parks, and restaurants. There is also more time to play games together and spend time together at home.

In today’s world both men and women work, meaning they share the responsibilities of providing for the family. They should also share in other obligations around the house as well. When husbands and wives work together, there are many benefits such as less resentment towards each other, less stress, less chaos around the house, and more time to spend together.

 

References

Hall, G. (2006, July 21). How Talking And Sharing Responsibilities Makes For A Happier Marriage. Retrieved December 21, 2009, from Enzine Articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Talking-And-Sharing-Responsibilities-Makes-For-A-Happier-Marriage&id=249078

Lee, A. (2009). How to Share Household Responsibilities with a Spouse. Retrieved December 21, 2009, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/how_2305854_share-household-responsibilities-spouse.html

Sharing Responsibliities Around the House. (2007). Retrieved December 21, 2009, from Professor's House: http://www.professorshouse.com/family/relationships/sharing-responsibilities-around-the-house.aspx

Snag

On Monday, I was sick.  For some reason I couldn't stand or even sit for very long.  Needless to say, I spent most of my day and night lieing down either in bed or on the couch.  That means no laundry was done.

Tuesday I was feeling better, but I had a killer headache and no energy.  I ended up sleeping all day again.  I did eventually get the energy to get one load of laundry going and go to work, but not enough laundry to make up for my illness on Monday.

Wednesday I did get two loads done (yay me).  I have figured that is about how much needs to be done daily in my house.  (Who ever said that one load a day will do didn't have very many kids.)

I guess what I am saying is, despite my efforts I think I will come up short on my goal this week.  I have yet to fold anything that I have washed since Saturday when I made this goal, so I have already failed in that aspect.  Hopefully, I will get the motivation up today and tomorrow to make up for what I have lacked the rest of the week.

Phone Manners?

I know that I am slightly stealing this idea from Tera, but I feel I must remind people that not only do they need manners while in the check out. They also need to have some consideration when on the phone. This is my list of reminders for the not-so-phone-savvy folks out there:

1. Turn your TV down. You are talking to a real person on the other line. I get that you are trying to watch TV. I work in the TV business. I don't want to have it blaring in my ears however (especially if it is one of those pay-per-views).

2. If the baby/toddler is crying, either go to another room or wait to call. I do get that children, especially babies, cry. I am a mom to three children myself. They are loud. If you are calling to trouble shoot you can't hear me, I can't heard you, and my ears are hurting in the process. Calling while they are crying is not going to get something fixed any faster. In fact, I may get more frazzled and lose my train of thought. That will just make the torture last longer for me, you, and the little one in the background.

3. Don't carry on other conversations while on the phone. It is just plain rude!

4. Follow instructions. If you are calling me because something doesn't work, it is my job to do trouble shooting before I can send out a replacement or tech. Don't keep me on the phone for 20 minutes telling you to push the same button if you are just going the push whatever button you want especially if you have already decided that because I am a woman I don't know what I am talking about anyway.

5. Watch you language! I am not calling you at 2 am because I "forgot" to pay my bill for two months now I don't have service. You are calling me for that reason. I am not calling you every name in the book. I would like it if you would not call me those names. I am a real person with real feelings. I may be on the verge of tears by the time I get off the call, and the next customer doesn't deserve that either.

6. Don't eat on the phone. I get irritated when my kids eat too close to my ears. Why would I want to hear some slobby adult eat?

7. Don't use the bathroom while on the phone. I know we all have to go, and it is a natural function. Please, use the bathroom, then call.

8. If you want answers, be quiet long enough to get them. I am not allowed to interrupt you. Don't go on and on about every problem you can think of and then get mad that I am not resolving your issues or answering your questions. Shut up for even 1 minute so that I can do something it.

9. I DO NOT work for a phone sex line! If you call expecting that, you will be transferred to my supervisor. He is a man. He doesn't put up with his agents being treated that way.

10. Hang up the phone when we are done. I don't want to hear your fight with your boyfriend/girlfriend/children. I have handle time goal that I need to meet. Waiting the required 2 minutes of dead air raises my handle time, therefore reducing my chances of getting a bonus. I know that sounds selfish, but deal with it.

11. Speaker phone sucks! I know it makes things more convent for you, but it also picks up other noises, so I can't hear you as well.

I really do like my job. It is fulfilling most of the time. If people calling in would realize that the person on the other line deserves some of the common courtesies that all other people get, it would be even more enjoyable.

Now for my disclaimer so I don't get fired.

This doesn't reflect the views of Dish Network or its employees.

Goals

I realized while showering today (the best place to think) that I need some goals.  Not just because it is a new year, but because I really like working towards goals.  It makes me feel like I am accomplishing something.  I would like to make some kind of weight loss goal, but that takes a lot of determination.  I don't know if I want to put that much work into it.  (Is that pathetic or what?)  I do have some financial goals, but that is a bit to personal to blog about.  I am accomplishing my school goals (A's in all my classes).  My work goals are too boring to blog about.  I guess that leaves me with cleaning goals.  My goal for this next week will be to get caught up on laundry (washing and folding).  I want to get through the week without my kids asking where their underwear are and not having to seach a big pile of clothes in the living room to find them.

Christmas Pictures (better late than never)

OK. I know I have been really bad about blogging lately. It is almost like the more I tweet, the less I blog. Sorry. I will try to do better. 
Now for what you really want to see:

Christmas morning was exciting.

Not just for the kids.

A Dora scoot and a Dora helmet.  What more could a 4 year-old ask for?

Of course a red Hot Wheels scooter is a bit more exciting to an almost 8 year-old boy.

The blue one puts a smile on the face of the other boy.

A Big Difference

As my house gets cleaner, I have noticed a big difference in my moods. I am not a slob by nature, but my house has getting worse and worse since I started working. It has been mostly the kids stuff, and I just had given up on trying to get them (especially Noel) to pick up after themselves.

Last week my good friend, Melissa, introduced me to Chore Wars. At first, I thought it would just be a fun way for her and I to compete. As I looked at it more, I found it would be great to motivate my kids help out around the house. My boys spent a lot of the morning running around cleaning today. I woke up to a clean dining room (they even cleared my decorations off the table to make sure it was clean), the back door was free of dog prints, the front of the oven was clean, and the entertainment center dusted. The best part is, the boys are cleaning up the dog poo in the back yard (YAY)!

I don't know if my better mood is because my body is starting to get used to my meds or the house being cleaner or just the fact that they kids are letting me sleep (they are just too busy cleaning to bug me). No matter what it is, I am glad that I am feeling better the last few days.

A Decision Made

Eric has had a big decision to make the last few months. He had to choose who would be baptizing him. This was not a decision that he took lightly. At first, he was afraid that if he picked one person over another it would hurt someone's feelings. After all, only one person could be picked. Then, he took inventory on how many people the candidates had baptized. Finally, a few weeks ago, he had narrowed it down to two of his favorites, Grandpa and Uncle Asher. Today, while leaving church, I let him know that the decision needed to be made soon. He will be baptized in about a month and a half. That means not much more time. Also, I will be meeting with the bishop next week to talk about the event to make sure that everything can be taken care of properly and at a time when I can attend without having to run off at the end. Again, he considered the number of people that I knew the candidates had baptized (not counting in the temple). In the end he chose Uncle Asher because Grandpa had plenty of chances already. I am so proud of him for making such a big decision on his own!

Chore Wars

Want experience points for doing house work?  Join me:


http://www.chorewars.com/invite.php?id=ec2ab374ef21

Struggles

I have been having a hard time metally lately.  I was put on some new medications about a month and a half ago that totally screw with my hormones.  The wacky hormones have put me into a depression most days.  According to the doctor everything should even out after being on these meds for about three months (only a month and a half to go).  I honestly have days where I just don't think I can live like this for that long.  Luckily, John and I are in a good spot in our relationship and I am able to just tell him that I am having a bad day and he will let me just snuggle up to him for a little while.  Sometimes it is just good to know someone cares. I hope to be back to normal soon.  Until then, I will try to do my best at blogging at least once a week, but I won't be doing any kind of exercise challenges (in case you hadn't guessed that already).

Awards

Ok.  I honestly have to give John credit for both awards.  He takes Eric to school every morning and gets me out the door at night.  It is cool that we both got an award for the same thing though...right?

Lochbuie Snowplow

The town of Lochbuie has waited for days without plowing the streets.  Today, they sent out the...um...plow? (Sorry about the quality of the pictures.  I took them from my back door and cropped out the swing set the best I could.)

A Bit of Catching Up

I know it has been a long time since I have written, but I have had a busy couple of weeks.  There have been things here and there that I have thought would make good blog enties, but time escaped me, so am going to do my best at condensing them into one post.  Please bear with me.

First off, Tanksgiving week was pure torture for the mom who works all night.  The boys were out of school all week, and Eric is not used to the rules of the morning since he really only has to deal with them on Satudays when John is home to help keep them quiet and busy so that I can sleep.  That means that the mornings were loud.  The afternoon was filled with friends because that is what the did all summer and expected to be able to do again.  The good news is that the kids rooms got cleaner.  The bad news is that I got in trouble at work for sounding tired on the phone.  I will have to figure out something else for Christmas break.

The next thing I wanted to write about was something I saw that was actually quite sweet.  A few days  ago, I had been having a difficult day with the kids.  The last thing I wanted to do was go to the school to bring my almost 8 year old clean pants.  I was at the end of my rope.  Then I witnessed a simple sweet act of kindness:  a little girl in Eric's was given a hand made hat with mittens to match.  She was so excited.  After she left the office and went back to class, I heard the explainations.  The little girl lives in a home with a large family and all of the kids come to school in handed down coats with no hats of gloves every winter. There were bags of hats and mittens donated by a local grandma for the kids at the school who needed them.  Just seeing the look on that little girl's face made me have to hold back my tears.  Hearing about the generousity of the annonymous grandma made it even sweeter.

I had other things, but I will leave it on a sweet note.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Noel Is 4

Noel turned 4 yesterday!  Is it really fair for my baby to be 4 already?

Cold Medicine?

I have a cold.  It is something that is going around at work.  I knew that I would get it because all he germs at the call center seem to get to me since I have been home sheltered from such germs for so long.  This particular cold is the kind where my head feels like it is going to explode.  Last night it felt even worse while I was at work because I had a headache from my lack of sleep from yesterday.  I didn't have any cold medicine, but I usually carry some Advil in my backpack to work for the days when I get these headaches.  I reached in my backpack to find there was nothing in that pill bottle.  There was, however, one more pill bottle in there.  It had been in there since I started work basically.  I had some Pamprin.  Yes, I know what it is supposed to be used for, but since I couldn't ask around to see if anyone else had something I could take because we were all on the phone (I know...strange in a call center).  Desperate, I took two of the pink pills from my bag.  The amazing thing was, IT WORKED!  Who knew that a medicine meant to calm those female problems would work so well for a congested head?

Glow-In-The-Dark

Last night, I sat down with the kids to help them make their wish lists for Christmas (I know it is not Thanksgiving yet, but we have to start now).  They had no problems coming up with ideas.  At one point, Sean said, "I want a glow-in-the-dark fishing pole.  Then I actually want to go fishing someday." Ok.  A bit random, but Sean is my most random child.  I wrote it down.  Then, Noel had a turn to name something.  "A swimming pool that is Sleeping Beauty and glows in the dark."  I write down her made up item calmly while trying not to laugh.  She then turns to Sean and says, in a way only a little girl can, "You're not the only one getting something glow-in-the-dark."  I had to laugh at that one.

Exercise...Really?

It is that time.  Time for everyone to check in.  I am going to have to admit that I didn't do so good.  I got the jumping jacks done 3 times and the push ups twice.  I guess I should go hide in a corner now... How did you do?  If you don't want to admit it on here, just say so in your comment and I won't publish it.

Now for the new challenge...50 jumping jacks (because lets face it, I was winded after that) and 20 squats.  If you do some other kind of exercise, I may give you extra credit... Who's in with me for this week?

Bragging Moment

I know I am usually bragging about Eric's writing, but today it is about my own. I wrote an essay for school about my mom's and brother's death and how it affected my life. The assignment was to write a narrative essay about a significant even that change me in some way. I turned it in November 7, and just hoped that it was good enough (I have never seen myself as a good writer). This is the comment that I saw from my teacher when I went to check my grade today:

"Your paper is the only one in our class that earned a perfect score. Your essay is just wonderful, Rosa. The writing is clear, precise, and well-constructed. The paragraphs are focused. And the paper as whole is seriously deep and engaging. I'm sorry for your loss; your brother and mom would be proud of how well you write, I guarantee. Take care, and keep up the great work."

So, I guess I need to share my essay to really finish my bragging. Before you read it I want to warn you that it is a bit sad. I didn't write it to get sympathy. It is the easiest topic for me to talk about considering the assignment.

"I had always identified myself as the second child in my family. I had a mom and a dad like most kids. My brother, my sister, and I often talked about what we wanted to be when we grew up. We laughed together. We fought with each other. We protected each other. One day my happy bubble burst. My mom and brother were suddenly gone. I could no longer call my mom to ask her to call me in for this class or that class at school. I could no longer joke with my brother about my boyfriend being better than his girlfriend. That was all taken away from me the day my mom’s roommate fell asleep at the wheel.

I had said upon starting my senior year of high school that it was going to be a year I would never forget. That became true only a week later. August 30, 1996, was the day half of my family was killed in a tragic car accident. I will never forget that day or the impact it has had on my life. I have lived my life doing normal things that most women look forward to sharing with their mom alone or with my sister. I have given birth, gotten married, and celebrated 13 birthdays since then.

August 30 started off as a typical school day with one exception; my brother’s obnoxious dog was at our house until my brother and my mom were to return from their fateful trip to Arizona. I went to school complaining about how loud that dog was and how I didn’t get any sleep. I proceeded with the mundane task of going to my first three classes of the day. Then, I was called down to the office to see my dad. I could never have even imagined what happened next. I walked in and saw the heavyhearted look on my dad’s face. He took me into a small room with my sister and told us the news. “Mom and Anthony have been killed in a car accident.” My heart fell into my stomach. I was beyond feeling. Wasn’t I just talking to my mom the night before?

My mom had looked forward to many things about the future. The December before she died, she had come to a choir concert for my sister and me. Since it was a December concert, naturally it was very Christmas oriented. At the end the highest choir in the school invited all alumni and parents of the students in that choir to come on stage and join them in the Hallelujah Chorus. My mom loved that song. It may have been her favorite, but she wasn’t able to go up that year because I wasn’t a good enough singer to be in that choir. The good news was that my sister, who was a sophomore at the time, was on track to be in that choir when she was a senior. My mom was so excited that in two years she would be able to not only go up and sing that song with my sister, she would be able to sing alto with her. When my sister was a senior and they invited the alumni and parents up, I went in my mom’s place and we stood there and tried to sing, but mostly cried, as we remembered my mom’s simple dream of singing this special song with her youngest daughter.

My brother and I were friends growing up. Even as teenagers, we had some of the same friends and enjoyed being around each other. My junior year of high school he was in the group that I went to prom with. We had planned for three or couples to get a limo together and go to a nice restaurant together and then head over to prom. The limo reservations didn’t work out, so we all showed up separately in the nicest cars that our parents’ had; me in my dad’s, him in my mom’s. We had fun laughing and joking with each other. We had planned that the next year we would get a limo with another company and go together again. The next year, I still went in a group with my best friend. We both had different dates. There was still no limo. There was also no Anthony.

I grew up expecting that my mom and brother would be a part of my life for a long time including my wedding, the births of my children, my milestone birthdays, my joys and my sorrows. They died when I was the tender age of 18. They didn’t get to share these things with me. It is amazing how one day can change so much."

Good for Something

I have a really good friend who is posting something she is thankful for every day this month on her blog. For those of you who remember, I followed her in doing so last year (not this year do to time constraints).

Yesterday, I was so honored when I read her blog. Her entry was titled, "You've got a friend...well, I do, anyway." I was totally expecting another post about how her husband had done something wonderful for her (admit it, Jami, you do that quite often). Instead, it was an entry about ME. Yes, you read that right. I have a friend! lol She even gave me an award.

I am not writing about this to brag, but because it made me feel so special!

Exercise Challenge

Ok. Here it goes. My first challenge. I am going to start of easy because I am so out of shape again, and I know that so are the people that may join me. (hint, hint)

Let me start with the rules. Since some of you live in another state, you can check in with me through my email or the comments on my blog. I need you to check in by noon every Thursday. I get to decide on the challenges and prizes (it won't be anything big because of things hopefully needing to go through the mail). If you want to sign up, you can do so on a weekly basis. If you sign up one week, you do not have to sign up the next. If you didn't sign up one week you can sign up for the next. Once you say you are in for the week, you have to do the challenge. The person who complete the challenge the most is the winner. The person who does the least is the loser (we are all old enough to handle that word...right).

Now for the challenge:

50 Jumping Jacks

10 Push-ups

REMEMBER: These are to be done daily (between 12am and 11:59pm). Try to get them done more days than anyone else that would sign up.

Fundraisers

I HATE school fundraisers with a passion! Basically what they do is bring all the kids into a room, show them all the cool prises they can get, and send them home with stuff to sell. In all reality, it is the parents that have to sell the stuff. It is the parents that have to feel like crap when the kid comes home upset that they didn't get the prizes that they expected.

Offering kids a pig race is a cool idea, if they were the ones that actually earned it. I forked out a lot of money this year so that Sean could get the opportunity to be in the pig race since Eric was able to do it when he was in Kindergarten. I couldn't bring the fundraiser to work like a "good" parent because there are rules about such things. John only works with a few people, so bringing fundraisers stuff for two kids and expecting people to buy isn't all that fair either. My parents live in Indiana and John's parents were in Oklahoma for a funeral when the fundraiser was going on. My sister bought some stuff from Sean feeling the same as I did, Eric already got his chance for very similar prizes. I had to buy the rest of the crap to qualify Sean to get a pig for the race (a pig they got to bring home after the race was done).

Again, Eric got his chance two years ago when he was in kindergarten. Now, Sean has a better pig than the one that Eric got, and Eric's doesn't work due to a bath it was given before Eric had had it for even a year. Now I get to feel like the worthless parent that doesn't care about her kids because of one stupid little pig that wouldn't even be an issue in the first place if our schools were funded properly (don't even get me started on my feelings about the fact that the state keeps cutting the K-12 budget while it seems that their salaries aren't even changing).

Thundercats?

As a kid I loved watching Thundercats, but I haven't thought about the show for years. That is until today. I went to pay my water bill, and when I got out of the car I saw this on the hubcaps of the car next to me.

I know. I looks a lot like the Thundercats symbol.

Being a Thundercats fan in my younger years, immediately I figured that the driver of that car must share my love. Upon further inspection of the car, I realized that it was a Mercury Cougar. That really has nothing to do with the beloved show of my youth.

Dr. Visit

Yesterday, I went to the doctor's office for an over due visit. (Yeah! I have insurance again!) I was given some not so great news and some good,but expected, news.

First off the good news. I am not pregnant despite not having a period since July. It turns out the cross-your-fingers method does work in some cases. (Don't worry. I will be getting a more reliable method today.)

Now for the not so good news. OK. Two pieces of not so good news. What is the first thing that they do when at a doctor appointment? Take your weight. Well, I found out that I have gained 20 pounds since John and I were separated. I knew I had gained. I haven't been taking my meds because of not having insurance, and I haven't been exercising much or eating very well since I started working. I know these are my fault, and only I can change them. I will be getting back on my meds today. I am also thinking about trying to start some kind of friendly contest. I haven't decided if it should just be something between John and me, or if I should do it with a friend or two. This is the heaviest I have been not pregnant, and I don't want to see the numbers higher!

The other piece of news that I got is that I may have PCOS along with my thyroid problem. I guess for me this isn't quite as bad as it would be for those of you who are trying to have a baby because I am done having babies. I just don't like that my stupid genetics have possibly caused me to have yet one more problem.

Writing

I have a hard time writing for a grade. Writing for a blog isn't as hard because no on is judging me on my punctuation or how descriptive my words are.

I am taking a composition class right now. It is HARD! The last few weeks my teacher has complimented me on how well I have been writing. This week, however, I am not so sure I will get such compliments. I had to write a descriptive paragraph for my essay. I was very hard. I can vividly picture the day I want to describe in my head, but getting it down on paper is another thing. Hopefully, the paragraph I wrote for his week's assignment is what he is looking for...

August 30 started of as a typical day with one exception; my brother's fluffy, cute, obnoxious dog was at our house until my brother and my mom came home from their fateful trip to Arizona. I went to school complaining about how loud that dog was and how I didn't get any sleep. I proceeded with the mundane task of going to my first three classes of the day. Then, I was called down to the office to see my dad. I could never have even imagined what happened next. I walked in and saw the heavy hearted look on my dad's face. He took me into a small room with my sister and told us the news. "Mom and Anthony have been killed in a car accident." My heart fell into my stomach. I was beyond feeling. Wasn't I just talking to my mom the night before?

What do you think? Does it describe the day or just give a general idea what it may have been like? I already turned it in, but your feed back would be helpful for my revisions for next week.

A Present for Me

Upon arrival of my home this morning, everything seemed nice and peaceful. The dog was in her kennel sleeping. The house was quiet. The lights were off (other than the porch light that John leaves on for me so that I still feel welcome when I get home). The kids were all in their own rooms...sleeping? Maybe not.

I went to my bathroom and got ready for bed. Something seemed off (you know that mom feeling that you get sometimes). I looked around the room before climbing into bed. I looked down the hall to Noel's room. Her door was open. That is not a normal thing because we always close the kids' bedroom doors when they go to bed even if they get up for some reason and have to go back to bed. The kids' bedroom doors are always shut.

I decided to investigate. Who knew, maybe she had gotten up to go to the bathroom or climbed into my bed late at night with out John knowing and didn't close her door. I looked into my bed. No Noel. I went into her room and looked in her bed. No Noel. I was about to go look on the couch when a startled Noel looked up from the floor in front of her dresser...NAKED.

I asked her what was going on. She said that she threw up on my pillow and needed clean jammies. After asking her some questions, I found out that she had only thrown up that one time all night and only on my side of the bed. I felt...loved? Hmmm...I'm not sure how to feel about that.

I can laugh about it now, but I had to sleep on the couch this morning because I was just too tired to deal with it. (I know that is gross, but that is just me.)

A Night/Morning From H###

Last week I went through tech training (meaning if you were to call in with a remote or receiver or wiring problem, you could be transferred to me). Last night was my first night on the phones taking these calls. First of all, they suck!

I am used to having an average call time of about 5 or 6 minutes. I think most of the calls I took last night were more than 20 minutes. That totally raises my average. UGH!

Most of the people that call in either don't understand simple instructions like, "Press the TV mode button until all of the mode buttons light up," or they are just too lazy to even try something like unplugging the receiver to reset it. Then there are the people that have just enough information to make them dangerous. They call in already having done a lot of things that sometimes are not even necessary and could even prolong the process. When one problem is fixed they seem to somehow cause another problem. (Like I said, it sucks!)

My problem last night wasn't just the tech calls that I barely understand myself. I also had regular customer service calls that were just plain ridiculous. A pay-per-view call that I ended up having to transfer to my coach because of his "stories." A billing call where she was actually calling to accuse us of setting her up for failure. A man from Puerto Rico that had talk to rep after rep trying to get programming that is just not offered there (he kept me a half hour late after I had already stayed for an hour of overtime). The list goes on.

Sure there were the easy calls that were straight forward for regular customer service and tech calls that didn't last long and were solved quickly. I did have a call that took a while, but I felt good about it in the end. It is just that those were few and far between. We had back to back calls all night.

***Now the disclaimer that I have to add.***

My view do not reflect the opinion of Dish Network or its employees.

***Wasn't that fun?***

Grocery Shopping

Thursday is my errand day since I get to sleep at night on Wednesday nights and Thursday nights which make the need for sleeping in the afternoon a lot less essential. I have learned something in the last few weeks. Grocery shopping with just one child isn't that bad. Yes, Noel does get squirrelly after a while, but when it is just one kids jumping on and off the cart (or climbing in and out of the "car"), it isn't as stressful. It is also a lot easier to say, " I can just come back another time." When I know that I only have to deal with one kid rather than three. I do still love my boys, but I am SO glad that I don't have to bring them to the grocery store anymore!

My Schedule

OK. First off, I would like to say I am only pointing this out because there are people out there that think that just because I am home during the day, I can do all of the stuff that I was doing before I started working. That is not so. I am home during the day, but I am asleep a lot of the time. Since I work the graveyard shift, I am WORKING while most normal people sleep.

I work from 8:30pm to 5am Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. On most Fridays and Saturdays I work 6:30pm to 2am. (I say most because this week I have been in tech training, so I work the 8:30 to 5 shift all the days that I work.) Yes, that means that my "weekend" is Wednesday and Thursday. That part sucks a bit but isn't too bad because I do get to go to bed a few hours earlier Saturday and Sunday mornings, so I can still spend the days with my family on the real weekends.

So you may be asking when do I sleep. Well, the answer is I sleep in shifts (in a way). I get home from work about a half hour after getting off of work. On the week days, I sleep until about 7:30 at first. I make Eric's lunch, say prayer with my family, and put a movie on for Sean and Noel as John and Eric head out the door for school and work (John drops Eric off at school and goes to work). Then, I head back to bed until 10:45ish. I get up, take a shower, make lunch for Sean and Noel, read them a book, do some homework, and take Sean to school. Then, Noel and I sleep until about 3ish. We then pick up the boys from school, and I try to fit in all the "good mom" stuff (homework, snack, etc.). Then, I try to fit in all I can as far as family time, hubby time, cleaning, and cooking before I leave for work again. Since the kids go to bed around 7:30, they are in bed when I leave most nights. They only have to go to bed without me being here 2 nights a week.

I know some of you are cringing knowing that my kids are here in the morning awake while I am sleeping. First of all, let me say that a few years ago I would have been right there with you. Second of all, they can come get me if they need. I don't sleep very soundly, and haven't since Eric was born. Noel comes in and gives me pictures that she has colored and just comes to talk to me a lot in the morning when she is bored. For a few weeks, she got into EVERYTHING (lets just say we have no more Vic's, and that was in the medicine cabinet). I did check into daycare for her, but daycare just for Noel would be a third of my paycheck. (Tara, I don't know how you do it.)

I am tired some days, but I figure I am getting more sleep than I did when the kids were newborns. I can handle it.

1978

I always wondered what I would have looked like if I were in high school the year that I was born...OK, maybe not.

The Gambler a la Noel

Yes, Noel is indulging in my song as well.

Ignore the strange lady in the background.

While in the Shower

When I got out of the shower, I found Sean and Noel playing in Noel's room with her kitchen set...jut not in the usual way.

Bees

Yesterday, when I picked up the boys from school, Sean asked me a bit frustrated, "Why do the bees keep following me?"
I told him, "Because you smell so sweet."
His response, "Mom...I don't smell good. I look good."

Camera Catch Up

Eric started 2nd grade, August 19.

Sean started Kindergarten, August 24.

Sean turned 6. His birthday was September 25, but we had to wait a few days to celebrate. Yes, that is a Sham Wow behind the Legos. He was just as excited about getting that as he was the Legos.

Finally!

Eric finally lost his first tooth yeasterday!

Cough Medicine

Sean informed me today that cough medicine tastes like a dead spider.