Wednesday, September 30, 2009

He woke up THREE!

Oh, the joy. I went to bed last night with a 23 month old angel.

At 11:45am, that angel came crying into our room "mommy, mommy, mommy". See his daddy had decided to cough up both lungs and maybe even a spare one out of the bedside table. After Ep's 10 minute coughing fit, it wasn't surprising that we had a little crying visitor in our room. Heck, I would run to my mommy's room too if it sounded like barking monkeys were in my closet (which is directly behind our closet and near Ep's side of the bed).

I got a milk bottle and snuggled down with him. He couldn't get comfortable. Finally, he let out his own little bark...out his hind end. And then a monstrous burp from the top end. Ahh..maybe, we can sleep now? Nope, suddenly our bed had needles in it or something. He insisted to go back to his bed and mommy had to come too. He tried to pull me out of my bed by my big toe. No lie. He did.

At 3:45am, I returned to our bed. Then it was my turn to cough and try to get this mess out of my body. Ugh. Finally, sleep...sometime around 4:15am. That lasted 45 minutes until a crying boy once again entered our room and crawled into bed. He wanted more. The only thing he could be wanting more of at that time of night is milk...so I told him that DADDY will go get his milk. By my count, we all settled back into bed and fell asleep. However, its quite possible that Ep never returned to bed and was out dancing on the roof between 5-6am.

At 6:30, my loving husband woke me to ask if I wanted to take a shower before he left. I managed to get out of bed to enjoy a shower that didn't involve little hands going everywhere. Of course, Kale slept through it all and was still snoozing when I crawled back into bed with him, wet hair and all. I didn't fall back asleep, but just rested until he woke up around 7:30am.

Note to all: do not let him sleep that late. He wakes up being three years old and not so much of an angel. Or at least acting like it. And he peed the bed. Do not buy Huggies overnight diapers. Stick with the Pampers overnight diapers. Back to the instant three year old. He needed baberries. No not baberry oose. Bababerry bbmmmooooo (strawberry milk). Ok fine. Now, he is dressed and has two choices for strawberry drinks. As I got myself dressed, he managed to read a book that belongs to me, a book that belongs to his daddy, sort through a folder of material that belongs to his daddy, and take inserts out of my tennis shoes. That was all in 3 minutes.

As I work to get us out the door, he willingly takes his medicine. Thank you God. He likes the taste of amoxicillen. But then we hit the wall (not literally, but I thought about running myself into one).

I recently ordered him a set of Sesame Street Jibbitz. Those are the cool little things that go in his Crocs shoes and give him some toddler bling. When they arrived, we looked them over and oh my goodness I think I hung the moon because he was that excited about them. Ernie and Cookie and oh don't forget ELMO! I split them up between two pairs of crocs. So, no matter which pair he is wearing, he can have some of his friends with him. I intentionally put the Elmo with the helicopter one...as most days he insists on wearing his hecicaca. As I put those shoes on him this morning, I wondered who put tacks in his shoes. Because I barely got them on and he was pulling them back off. He wanted to wear the other pair. Fine, wear them. Nevermind the fact that you are saying you want to wear the Ernie pair (which is also with Elmo and the helicopter) but you are insisting to put on the cookie/oscar pair. Oh my goodness folks.

And then it was back to baberries. He had to have both cups, which were identical (way to confuse the kid mommy!) and he couldn't decide which one to drink and I thought he was going to have a melt down until I showed him which one had the baberry milk.

As I dropped him off at school, I told them that his pants are too long so they need to roll them at the waist and that he woke up being three today. His teacher was in the midst of getting everyone to try to potty and she wanted Kale to "try". She asked him if he wanted to try to potty. As I neared the door, I heard her laugh because apparently he told her no. She told him he was going to try anyway and it was time to take off his jacket. I left. Maybe by the time I pick him up, he will go back to being almost two.

For the record, I know that two are terrible. But I also know that three is worse than two! So, I will take two for now please. :)

Note to Mema: Ep picked him up from school yesterday and reported that he asked for you about four times on the way home. He asked me twice for you since....so you ARE missed!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Old McDonald...again

Well, this morning on the way to work/school, Kale requested Old McDonald (eieieiei). I pushed play since it had been days or maybe even, gasp, a whole week since we had listened to that cd. This is the repsonse that came from the back seat. I just happened to have my flip video camera in my purse...grabbed it, turned it on, and pointed it at Kale....all while driving. Don't gripe at me for that one...or there will be no more videos for you!


Friday, September 25, 2009

Please, anyone?

Ok, I need help today. Let me raise both my hands and say oh me, please pick me, when someone sends the help wagon around. I NEED HELP! Ok, just saying that to the entire web universe (or maybe just the 5 people who read this) helps.



I haven't slept all night, all week. During the day, Kale is happy with either mommy or daddy. At any given point, either of those will do. However, come nightfall he becomes my boy. As we cuddle in bed at 8pm and he drifts off to sleep, this is a wonderful snuggly thing. At midnight, 2:24am, and 5:45am....not so much. Ep was given one night this week to take care of any middle of the night calls. When the first call came in, Kale landed in our bed with his bottle. So, yeah, after last night's my bed, his bed, my bed, his bed--Kale showed his true Fletcher blood and decided it was time to be awake at 5:45am. I gave him strawberry (baberry) milk and hoped he would drift back off. Nope, instead he clunked me in the head with the tv remote control.



The highlight of my morning was when Ep told me he figured out the awful smell in the garage and it was all his fault. For a moment, I wondered how a dead mouse/frog/whatever had died in there could be his fault. Then I see the mess in the floor around the freezer. Now, we haven't lost electricity recently, so why has the ice cream melted and oozed out of the freezer? Everything then happens in slow motion for me. My first assumption is that he forgot to fully close the freezer door, but when was the last time he opened the freezer door? No, its better. He tells me that he turned off the electrical switch that controls the outlet for the freezer. Yes, this outlet has its own breaker switch. Its on the garage wall. Its been there since we moved in. I don't think either of us has so much as touched it since we moved in. All I can say is why. Why? Please give me a good reason because now all that food is ruined and there is a mess to clean up. Most of that food was bought dirt cheap with coupons when things were on sale and some of it was even bought by other people. It was a great stockpile so please tell me WHY the switch needed to be turned off. Oh, well, he saw the switch was on and just decided to turn it off. At that moment, every obscenity I know was trying to bounce its way out of my mouth, but it didn't for the pure fact that our son was standing between us and looking up at me. But oh how I yelled. I still want to yell. I will still want to yell this time next week. So I repeat it back to him...you see the switch is on and you turn it off---did you stop to think about what might be getting power from that switch? Well, no. I think I levitated I was so mad. I think my blood pressure rivaled the levels it saw on 10/20/07 right before I had an emergency c-section. And then I found the words to say this: That makes about as much sense as me getting a knife and cutting slashes in your boat cover. And yes, I seriously thought about going inside and getting the knife to do just that. I had decided to wear a hog red shirt today...and at that moment, I am pretty sure that the color of my face matched the color of my shirt. I went to the freezer and looked inside...and then slammed the door. Frozen vegetables, brats, at least 10 pizzas, meat, ice cream, popsicles (ok, those can be saved), and I am sure some other things that I missed. Seriously, I was trying to understand what drives a person to just walk over to a switch that they haven't ever bothered for 4 years and just turn it off and NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE GETTING POWER FROM THAT SWITCH WHEN A FREAKING STAND UP FREEZER IS LESS THAN 3 FEET FROM THE SWITCH!!!!!!!! Someone, anyone, please help me grasp this. I think I tried to explain that when I have a hard time trusting him, its because of these moments...when he does things that have no explanation and there is no reasoning behind it. Things that baffle me and can't be expected, predicted, anticipated, or anything. Just BAM, let me sideswipe you with this thing that you didn't see coming. I told that since he thought it through so well, he could be the one to clean up the mess and buy the food to replace everything that was ruined. Ep retreated out the door. I know he said something about being sorry and that he loved me...but thats about it. And then he left for work while I consoled our son who had just fallen on a toy at my feet. So I did what any responsible mommy would do. I consoled him and then picked up the toy and threw it as hard as I could across the span our our enclosed garage. Luckily, its a hollowed out toy that catches air, so I didn't smash itself or anything. Yep, great choice of action there mommy. Oh well. If anyone would have offered a time out option at that point, I would have gladly taken it. But instead, there was medicine to give and bags to carry to the truck and....it goes on.



So here I sit, still fuming. Wanting to let this go, but seemingly can't. I need a reason for that kind of action, and in this case there is none. If my co-worker shows up today and acts like she has for the past week or so...I might seriously go to jail today. So have your bail money ready.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Old Stupid McDonald on CRACK!

I sent an email to my mom this morning, just to let her know that Kale woke up in the middle of the night asking for her. She replied. At the end of her email, she was talking about finding all the animal toys that are making noises at her house...apparently they are mooing, clucking, and all making all kinds of noises when she isn't looking. When she seeks out the noisemakers, they seem to go silent. My response to her? I think all things related to Old McDonald's Farm have taken a hit off the crack pipe!

Out of the blue this morning, Kale dumped out a small toy basket in his room. Its a basket that he hasn't so much as even looked at in months. Well, you would have thought he hit a freaking gold mine! If he could speak in sentences, it would have come out something like this: "look mom! I found an Elmo, turtle, and cow!" but since he is a one/two work kind of fella...it came out like this: "Emmo, tuddel, bbboooooooo!" and then he found the mini see/say set to old mcdonald's farm music. He was so excited. Like wouldn't let me get him dressed excited! These toy finds were so monumental that we couldn't leave the turtle or see/say at home. They had to go with us in the car. He hasn't yet discovered that he can take toys into school, so the toys stayed in the car as he went in to school.

Apparently, he left the see/say between his car seat and the toy basket beside his seat. Every single bump I hit from school to work, I got to hear the into to old mcdonalds farm. Every once in a while, it would cycle all the way through and get to the end....meaning I got the serenade of the cow, sheep, or whatever crack smoking animal it landed on. It took every bit of momma sanity I had to not throw it across the parking lot at work.

So, between the see/say and the animals at my mom's house....yep, Old McDonald's entire Farm seems to have taken a hit off the crack pipe!

Swagbucks

Ok, I just want to fill you in on my latest addiction. Its called Swagbucks. You use it to search the web and you get points. Swagbucks uses google and ask.com for its searches, so you will get the same informative and helpful results just like when you search through either one of those search engines. I've been doing it for about 10 days and have around 42 swagbucks. Its easy to do. They also have other ways you can earn swagbucks, but you can learn more about it at the website. If you are intested, I would appreciate you clicking to join through this link, so I will get credit for referring you. Also, it means that when you get points for web searches, I get a point too! Yea! Help me out. You know you search the web, so you might as well do it through Swagbucks and earn free stuff!

Here is the link:


Search & Win

Go check it out! Its free, no spam is involved, and its a great way to search the web!

PS...I have been using the toolbar and it makes searching even easier...

Monday, September 21, 2009

Monday already?

Ugh. Monday. Ok, back to the grind we go.

Mema is headed home because she has declared that she is not contaminated with this thing Ep calls the "Kale special".

Kale went to school and tried to cling to me when we got to his classroom. I spent some book time with him and his classmates and then was allowed to leave. He hasn't been there in a week, so the clinging didn't surprise me.

Ep and I are both at work.

Over the weekend we claimed our DDG money and leftover items, after standing in line for a long time with a bunch of clucky women. Oh my. I could handle the wait and the sun beating down on us...but oh the clucking in that line. Too much estrogen in one place for me!

The Hogs somewhat let us down. I don't even know how to explain that game. Too many factors I suppose. Before the game, Larry tried to fall out of our house and during the game he tried to kill the ceiling fan. Then Ryn learned the hard way that Kale will repeat words, especially when its a fun word like "crap". I have been trying to tell everyone to be careful what they say around him....

Ep made me think the sky was truly going to fall because he forgot to make his weekly picks for our ESPN college game....yes, the game that I had to earn my way into playing with the boys and the game that Ep has won every season (except one) for many, many years now. He got a big fat zero for the week. Fishing got in the way. I scored 47 points and am in fourth...but there are only 3 points between me and first place. If I am ever going to win, this is the year because I don't have to worry about beating Ep with his big fat zero! Bring on more college football!!!

Thanks to Mema, Ep, and Miss Vivian (teacher)....Kale can say most of his abc's. He doesn't say them (or sing them) by himself and he doesn't necessarily know the order. But if you ask him to repeat a letter to you, he will. And I am wondering if he isn't catching on to the order because when I was asking him to say them this morning, he got bored with not wanting to say a certain letter and moved on ot the next letter in line...so maybe he is getting that part down as well.

Ok, back to that Monday grind....

Friday, September 18, 2009

Good Morning Elmo

This morning, the first thing Kale did after getting out of bed was run (yes, run) to the living room to get his Elmo costume. Apparently he now thinks wearing an Elmo costume is a top of the morning activity. Of course, he also thinks that eating a cookie for breakfast is a good idea. To my knowledge, he hasn't had a cookie for breakfast in a couple of weeks. However, that doesn't stop him from asking for one EVERY SINGLE MORNING! He will even stand right in front of the panty to ask for it, just in case that while you were sleeping you might have forgotten where we keep the cookies. So, this morning for Kale it was a trip to get Elmo and then drag him back to the kitchen so the cookie request could be given. Somewhere between "no you can't have a cookie" and the offering of other breakfast options, Elmo went to rest somewhere else.

After another visit to the pediatrician, we concurred that Kale does not have the flu and that its just a virus. His fever continues to subside and is currently non-existent. He seemed to have more energy today. Ep, however, is a different story. He has what he is calling the "Kale special" and yesterday had a brief conversation with Kale about bringing home all this crud from daycare. I think Kale's response was "ueggh?", which is the response that he give us when he has no idea what we are talking about or when he just doesn't want to do/say what is being asked of him. Back to Ep...I love my husband, love him with all my beating heart. I do not love low-riding Honda Civic's with the funky exhaust pipes that make them sound like they are actually missing an exhaust pipe and that Kale confuses with the sound of a helicopter. Last night, I am certain that Ep was trying to give any good low riding Honda Civic with funky pipes a GREAT run for its money. I mean, he was doing such a great job that no cars even showed up to challenge him. Now that is some amazing snoring folks. Like, even the dog barked in applause of this snoring. I conceded my spot in our bed and left him to snore and wallow around our king size bed all by himself. Tonight, he will be taking Nyquil. He can have the choice of taking it by himself or being forced to take it.

I am good at giving medicine to a sick patient who is being stubborn about taking medicine. Seems Kale has finally learned that you can fight taking medicine. Who taught him this? What do you mean he discovered all by his stubborn and strong willed self? Hmmph. Lesson learned...do not try to give Kale medicine that is cherry or berry flavored. Grape and Bubble Gum can pass by his lips, but don't you dare try to slip that cherry or berry flavored mess into his mouth. Thank God he hasn't yet learned he can actually spit it back out. Yet. Thats a key word. I know he will eventually try. How? Hello, have you met his parents? Enough said.

Mema is my current canditate for President. Mema for President. She has also been banned from returning home until everyone is sure that she is not sick and is not carrying this junky funk that Kale is passing around. Mema has been sleeping with Kale, caring for Kale while we are at work, going to doctor visits, and just generally being a rock star. Mema for President!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Elmo and Cars attacked Kale!

Well, if this doesn't make you smile, then there is just no hope at all for you!


PS...yes, he is still sick...


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Sick, again.

Is there a song for this? Sick, sick again, oh yeah, dooowhop, sick again...ok, maybe not.

Ah, the daycare crud...Kale has it. I got the call yesterday and wasn't surprised when the phone rang. I knew it was coming. The clingy boy with the glassy eyes was a HUGE hint. I knew he wasn't feeling good and since he wasn't biting the heck out of me, for once I knew it wasn't his teeth bothering him. To prove we aren't the only household getting sick lately, the pediatrician's office was booked solid all afternoon. Not just Kale's doctor, but the whole dang clinic! So, we took the next best option and Ep got him scheduled to see a doctor at the afterhours ACH clinic. Its not everyday that you have a doctors appt at 8pm! However, I have to give them lots of props! Our wait time was minimal and I was shocked at how fast we went from taking vitals to seeing the doctor. I am talking less than 5 minutes folks! Incredible! We were there less than an hour and that includes the 15 minute wait for the strep test, which came back negative.

Kale was lost in the foggy place of "I'm already supposed to be in bed and instead I am riding down the road in the dark and its raining." Yet, he refused to nod off on the way home. He chose instead to whimper once and I held his hand...and that seemed to suffice. He chose last night to get picky about what pajamas he would wear. Nope, not the ball pjs...not the snowmen...not those either mom. Cars. Car pj's. Ok, fine, whatever works. Ep arrived with the milk bottle and we could not get into his bed fast enough. Yes, we. He has a full size bed, so sleeping with him is an option. I wasn't going to leave him alone in bed and I wasn't taking him to our bed...simply so Ep could get some sleep.

So we crashed. Until the stupid weather alarm went off at 12:15am....for a flood warning. Ya think? Its been raining off and on for 3 or 4 days. I have lost count. Its supposed to rain for 3 or 4 more days. I am pretty sure our rain gauge stops at 6 inches and wouldn't be surprised if it is running over at the moment. Flood warning, ya think? Good thing we live on a hill. I heard Ep turn off the siren and then appeared a wonderful vision. Mema! Yea for Mema! Kale stirred and allowed me to crawl out of bed and Mema to crawl into his bed. Yea for Mema! Mema for President! Yea for Mema! We are sooooo spoiled and blessed. Soooooo much! We are aware of this.

I went to bed, but set the phone alarm for 3:15am for the next dose of Motrin. And then about 30 minutes later, Kale decided to have a late night party. He decided he was done sleeping. Mema took him to the living room and got a dvd started for him. When I got up to shut our door, she was lounging on the couch and he was crawling up to join her...while the dvd played.

When the phone alarm went off for medicine at 3:15, they were back in his bed...the medicine was given and off to sleep we went. At 5:30am, Ep kissed me goodbye and I was oh so very thankful that I got to go back to sleep for another hour or so...until the stupid weather radio went off AGAIN for a new flood warning (seems the previous one expired). I decided it was time to get up and get my day going.

I will leave work early today to go indulge in something that only happens twice a year. The duck, duck, goose sale...I can start shopping at 4pm. I might be a zombie, but I will be there!

Oh, and the patient at home with Mema didn't have a fever this morning. Hopefully, it will stay that way!!!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Some new words and a potty

Kale is picking up new words daily...his latest are:
Diaper--iper
Hammer--ammer
Banana--neenee
Noney--Noney
Chicken--icken
School--cool
School bus---cool us (I also think there is school car...as he has also been saying cool car)
Bees---bzzzz
Poopoo and peepee are separate words, but apparently he can't say one without saying the other

Anything that looks white and creamy is ice, as in ice cream. He isn't so pleased when the "ice" turns out to be sour cream.
Ice is also, well, ice.
Rice comes out ice as well.

The moon and stars are "up abo abo abo so igh"

Another moment that I don't want to lose...I bought Kale a potty at a consignment sale. When I brought it into the house, Kale immediately knew what it was and wanted to set on it...fully clothed. He then hopped back up, ran over to get the portable dvd player that his cousin was sharing with him, and came back to the potty. Of course, he sat down (still fully clothed) and put the dvd player in his lap. Oh yes...he is his father's child. I can say this little "habit" belongs to Ep because we recently stayed in a hotel that had a tv in the bathroom....which Ep HAD to turn on every time he went in there. It must be a guy thing...

Oh...and we haven't yet officially started the potty training and haven't tried one bit at home. However, school is a different thing and he is learning a lot about it there. So...we will soon start trying at home. God grant us patience, because we are soooo going to need it.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Kale and Fletcher

Fletcher was being nice and playing with Kale.

Can you see the look on Kale's face in the first pic?
That look screams "I am about to do something bad!"
And in the second pic, he is pulling Fletcher's hair.
Third pic, Fletcher rightfully tossed Kale to the floor.
Fourth pic, showing his cousin love, Fletcher still let Kale sit on him again
(and yes Kale pulled his hair again).
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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Back to normal, or not

Last week, Ep and I took a little getaway while Kale stayed with Mema. We had a great time. We relaxed. Ep played golf and I got to see an alligator up close (I stopped at about 20 feet away to keep Ep from yelling at me). We generally enjoyed ourselves and were happy and excited to come home to our boy. He got his revenge for being left behind and promptly gave us a stomach bug which got passed on down the family lines when Wendi, Brian, and Fletcher came for a quick visit. Grandaddy and Noney should be soooo happy they sat out that visit! Kale had the virus for probably 10 minutes and the rest of us had it for 36 hours and have been trying to regain our strength ever since. We still aren't back to the land of feeling 100% but we do feel much, much better. We feel alive, versus feeling like death on Monday.

I returned to work after being on vacation for a week, having a holiday on Monday, and then needing to use a sick day on Tuesday. So, yeah, back to work on Wednesday....which was when we were told that the VP of our area team was fired for stealing money through false expense report activities. Right now its at 5 digits...my guess it will end up being 6 digits. My employer is seeking restitution for these funds. I mean seriously, like my head wasn't still spinning from bieng sick? Ugh. Ok, yes, I knew this was probably coming, but I just wasn't prepared for the level of theft or the reality of it all. This will bring change, and hopefully it will be good change. Our team sure needs it!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Razorback Gameday 9-5-09

9-5-09
Pics from Razorback Gameday.
We didn't end up tailgating, but we had fun anyway!

Go Hogs Go!
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