Two things I forgot

Ugh. We cleaned the garage today. You know it is getting bad when you have a dream that your parents come over and clean it up. Since it is mainly my husbands domain, I usually just ignore it. But I am guilty of cleaning out the cupholders in the car since I park in there, and usually just put them where ever. Where ever being on the ground beside the car, because it was such a mess that there wasn't anywhere else to put them, but I digress.

So we spent the afternoon trying to make a dent in that mess. And honestly, embarrasingly honestly, it was horrifying. Think nasty old chocolate milks, teas, ice caps, beers, and pops. Not to mention the giagantic tool and car part mess, old oil, and greasy grime. I told Jeff that if we were being really quiet, I'd bet you could hear the fruit flies crying that we were taking away their sustanance. I really should have taken before and after pictures because the difference was pretty impressive. It's nice to be able to get the kids in the car without tripping over something nasty.

The other thing I forgot to post about was the horrible part II of the dentist. The first visit wasn't bad, and that was three fillings. So when I booked the second appointment, she asked if I cared which dentist I got. I said no, because it's going to hurt no matter who does it. Ha ha ha. The second visit was absolute hell. I don't know which school this "dentist" got her degree at, but I'm pretty sure that she learned everything she knows about dentistry from a web page. It was horrific. She froze my mouth, and then said she had to freeze my tounge too. WTF? Then she almost choked me to death with her stupid water pic. She must have given me at least five needles, and I could still feel everything she was doing. How does that work?? I couldn't feel my nose, but I could feel her drilling into my teeth. First trip - 3 fillings, half a cleaning, 1 hour. Second trip - 1 filling, other half a cleaning, 2 hours. Of sheer freaking hell. When I got up out of the chair after it was over, I was soaked with sweat. I cried when I got home, because that is just how big of a wimp I am. What a nightmare.

Party Lines

At least that is what I think they were called. I finished reading Clara Callan and it reminded me of the party line at my Grandma's house when I was little. My Grandparents lived on a farm, and they shared a phone line with a few other people in the area. Each line would have an individual ring, so they would know when a call was for them. I got busted listening in a few times, but how could you resist? It just amazes me how far technology has come in such a short time. From party lines at the farmhouse twenty or twenty five years ago, to internet now. It makes me wonder what our kids are going to see in their lifetimes.

These kids are driving me nuts.

It's been one of those weeks. Usually it's either one child, or the other. This week they have decided to work together to drive me nuts. I think I might have the world's youngest drama king. I am not sure if it is the teething, or the frustration of wanting to go somewhere and not being able to, but Daniel has been a grump lately. A cute grump, but a grump none the less. And I know he is being a drama king because he can go from crying, to laughing, and back to crying in about 5 seconds. If I sit by him, he will lunge himself at me. So I hold him, and he squirms all over. He just doesn't know what he wants. He's decided that he likes to bite my shoulder when I hold him, which hurts like hell. He was sitting on the couch this afternoon (with me right beside him, please don't call CPS on me) and the cat was right above him, on the back of the couch. I see him look up at the cat, and start moving his hand towards the cat's tail. I say "Ahhhhhhh!", and Daniel looks at me with his big blue eyes. So I say "Noooooooo" and shake my head. Daniel laughs hysterically, and then goes right back to Mission: Remove Kitty's Fur.

Jake is three. I don't think I need to say much more, but I will. He is being impossible. I took him to the zoo yesterday, thinking that maybe his attitude problem is a result of a lack of activity. He whined and complained the entire time. "My feet hurt". "My bum hurts". (why always in front of a crowd?) "I wanna doooooooooooooooo something". Ummm. We are doing something. And the whys. I think I got lucky with this, if I can say that, because he just started asking why a couple of months ago. Or maybe it was a couple of weeks. Long weeks.

So yeah. I'm sure my husband appreciates me hurling both kids at him the moment he walks in the door. At least he is kind enough to take them and send me into a tub full of bubbles. Someone tell me that the entire third year isn't so bad. Lie, if necessary.

Busy as hell

Whew. Jeff is on holidays, and instead of going somewhere, we decided to stay home and give the house some much needed TLC. We've painted Jake's room (bright orange), and I've got the bathroom all masked off and ready to paint tomorrow.

We did manage to sneak out for some fun though. We left the house Thursday morning not sure where we were going, just knowing that we were going somewhere. Thanks to Jeff's handy dandy pocket pc, I find a place to go hiking called Grotto Canyon. So we drive on down. It's about an hour or so away. Since we didn't know what we were doing, we weren't all that prepared. Well, the kids were, but we weren't. So we take a three hour hike with no water for ourselves, and I hadn't eaten anything all day except a delicious boston cream donut. So, our hike, via pictures:

First of all, this is the kind of terrian that we were dealing with. Slippery, unstable rocks. And, again, since I was totally unprepared, I was wearing my ever so stylish and sexy crocs. Luckily, my ankles are still intact. Although, with my coordination, they should have broken halfway in.


This is Jake almost knee deep in the cold mountain water. About five seconds after this picture was taken, he started freaking out because he was freezing. Note his specialized mountain footwear. Badmom.com. He kept calling the stream that was flowing through the slippery rocks the prickle. Instead of trickle. Every minute or so, he'd say, "Mom, where did the prickle go?" And I'd point and say, "It's right there, silly". And he'd laugh and laugh.


Two of the three beautiful men in my life. If there is anything sexier than a man that is not afraid to hike with their baby in a sling, I don't know what it is. Beans seemed to love the hike. Hell, I would have loved it even more if I was being carried around like a king. Errr...queen.


One of the reasons we decided to go here, a painting done by native americans (forgive me if that isn't right) about a thousand years ago. It looked like a buffalo, or a horse, but didn't turn out that well in the picture.


Jake met a new friend, a chipmunk whose name is apparently also Jake. He got a kick out of him at first, but eventually told him that he had to go home and see his Mommy, and Daddy, and his girlfriend. I wanted to feed him really bad, but Jeff wouldn't let me. Although he didn't look like he had missed many meals.


It is a tough life for an 8 month old. Really, getting carted around, eating strained pears under a waterfall, it is truly a hard knock life.


This is coming back out of the canyon, but we still had a bit of a hike to the car. It was at this point that Jake decided that he couldn't walk anymore, so I got to lug his butt up and down hills until we got to the car. I was pretty impressed that he made it as far as he did, and he didn't really complain at all. A promise of a popsicle helped him keep his sanity. He was disappointed when he found out I'd neglected to take a picture of the popsicle store.


So that was our little day trip. The kids did wonderfully, and despite our lack of provisions, we had a really good time too.

I didn't behave myself

I left Jake with his Grandma this morning, and that is what he said to me when he came home. Apparently he pitched a few fits. He said he missed his Mommy. Then he told her on his way home that I was going to be so sad because he didn't behave. I'm not sure what his problem was, he's been hanging out with her once a week since I was pregnant with Daniel, and this is the first time that he has ever given her a hard time. He usually saves that for me. So he walks in the door, and throws his sippy cup. I send him to the naughty corner, and he whips his cup again, and almost nails me with it. Of course, my mother in law is standing right there, watching the show. I asked her to remind me why I don't spank.

Tuesday was D day for me. Dentist day. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but I want to know why they have to use those big ass needles with the shiny silver handles for the novacaine. You'd think they could accomplish the same goal with a smaller, less terrifying looking needle. Anyway, they did about three quarters of the job, I still have to go back for the last filling and cleaning at the end of the month. After getting drilled on for an hour, I was ready to get out of there.

Other than that, the boys are good. Just trying to get out and enjoy the rest of summer. Jeff is on holidays next week, and I am looking forward to that. We haven't planned anything yet, so I am not sure what, if anything, that we are going to do. The lazy days of summer.

I am a big freakin' idiot.

Why, you ask?

*takes a deep breath, steps into the blogger confessional*

Because, after 3 1/2 years, I started smoking again. Yep, move over Costanza, a new king of idiots has arrived.

What can I say. It sucks, but damn, it's good. I'm really trying to keep it to a bare minimum, and have immediate plans to quit. But it has worked wonders on my stress level. I find I am so much more patient with Jake, and so much more patient with myself. But I just can't believe that I am right back here again. Arg.

/end confession

The kids have been wonderful lately. Daniel is just such a little sweetheart. And Jake is such a little man now. If you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he says "A ROCK STAR!" His Grandma taught him his phone number, and he knows how to answer the phone at work too. "Auto Value Forest Lawn, Jake speaking, should I help you?" So much a little boy. Daniel has mastered sitting, and is frustrated that he can't crawl yet. I can wait though, I like the fact that he stays where I put him.

In other news, the bank has managed to screw up all the paperwork that we just finished for the RESP. So the forty five minutes that I spent in her office wrestling Jake away from that candy bowl was a waste of time. We've decided to transfer the account to a company that actually has a clue.

Not much else is going on in this neck of the woods. Just trying to enjoy the rest of summer, and anticipate Jake's entry into preschool next month. I know he is going to have such a great time, but it's just another indicator of how much my first baby is growing up.

Some new pictures:

A water lily in the butterfly room at the zoo:


New teeth: