She is no longer cute and little

Lola, the cute, adorable, tiny 6 lb pup is now 38lbs lbs growing like a weed with no end in sight. She is a pain in the ass.

Today was gorgeous, in the 60's and sunny. I spent it doing laundry, fun, fun. Anyway it was a perfect day to hang out the clothes and I took advantage of it. In the middle of taking it down the kids needed something. It's funny how they need nothing UNTIL I am in the middle of something. So I went in and tended to them. Five minutes later I went back out to the porch and grabbed a pair of jeans off the line. I turned to drop them in the basket... it was gone. Lola had it ripped to shreds in the dog yard and half a load of nice fresh clean laundry scattered everywhere covered in mud and most likely 'other stuff' as well.

Yesterday I went out and fished empty soda bottles, two measuring cups, a matchbox car, a chewed up full roll of toilet paper, and a fly swatter out of the dog yard. I'm not sure which kid is to blame but she isn't getting most of this stuff on her own. She was running around with a metal drip pan from a stove in her mouth. I gave up after a couple minutes of trying to catch her. I have no idea where it came from, I have a glass top stove. There are holes everywhere, attempting to catch her just resulted in a very sore ankle. There is no longer any trim around the bottom of the back door or the window... she has eaten it off, ripped out the small trees and a few chunks of the siding on the house. My house is really old, it's asbestos siding, that can't be tasty. She likes to play with rocks, she tosses them around and up in the air, half the time they come back down and hit her in the head. Her favorite toy seems to be hubby's sledge hammer. The thing is huge, and really heavy, she just runs around the yard with it. I keep telling him to put it away, soon it wont be an issue.

She is mouthy too. When Rylan cries, she half whines, half howls along with him. That part is pretty cute, the rest, not so much. She barks non stop at her shadow and her reflection in the glass on the entertainment center. One would think that by now she would have figured out that she IS that other dog, but no. Between her and Rylan it will be a miracle if I make it to my birthday without a breakdown. Her cuteness is fading quickly, a little bit with each new thing she destroys.

photo tag

Karen photo tagged me. I'm supposed to open the sixth folder in my pictures, post the sixth picture in that folder, and tell a little about what it is and why I took it. Then I'm supposed to tag 4 other bloggers.


I was scared, I have SO many pictures, and they are mostly all bad. But I guess it turned out okay. It's Rylan (surprise! LOL) sitting on the floor. Judging by the date, shortly before he started walking last summer. I have no idea why I took it other than he is cute and I take lots of pictures for no reason at all. Usually I spot the camera and say gee I haven't taken a picture in a while and start snapping away. I don't know who to tag, how about the first four to read this? If there are even four of you who read this that is, lol.

How to get in and out of the ER fast

Lightening speed actually. All you need is a Rylan. Actually, I have found his screaming tends to bring quick service across the board, and usually worth the stares of death that come with it.

He has an ear infection. He didn't sleep last night, after trip 210 I brought him in our bed. I know I will regret that tonight when he wakes up but... I really just thought it was his teeth, very slight fever, fingers in his mouth. I gave him some tylenol and rubbed his mouth with some orajel and he calmed down but sat up jibbering away in our bed most of the night. This morning he was fine. Then he napped, he woke up rather unhappy and with bad breath. So I called his doctors office and they said they could fit us in tomorrow afternoon. Made the appointment and sat down. That's when hubby said what's that stuff in his ear... it was oozing thick yellow nasty stuff dripping down his neck. Yuck.

So I called his ENT, got the answering service (are all of these people unfriendly?) Then he started crying, more screaming but there were tears. So I loaded them up and took him to the ER, we got out of the car at 1:34.

He was fine right up until the triage nurse stuck the thingy on his finger to check his O2. Then the screaming started, and it did not stop. Less than 5 minutes later we were in the back where the nurse (who was just wonderful and deserves a raise) checked his temp and his O2 again, this time on his toe and shoved his boot back on. She brought him a beanie baby, and one for Saige too, who was being so good. It did no good, he continued to scream bloody murder, kicking and slamming his head (this is painful... very very painful when you are short enough that his head matches up perfectly with your face). The doctor came immediately, no doubt half the hospital was well aware we were there. I held down his arms because he was hitting the Dr who was only trying to look in his ears (usually Rylan LIKES this part) making him REALLY scream. Two minutes later the nurse was back with stickers and discharge papers. He threw teh stockers back at her but stopped screaming the second we walked outside the doors.

I loaded them up, buckled them in and got in, it was 2:06. It was pretty busy in there, and I have waited HOURS in the ER when it was empty. On to the pharmacy. I don't know why I go to Rite Aid, it is almost never a good experience but they had the grand opening at the new store and Rylan was happier, I was curious we had had RX's filled there in the past so the info was all on file. The lady not so nicely informed me that my insurance no longer covers prescriptions and I would have to pay the $18 OOP. Okay no biggie. Then she said 30-40 minutes.... there were 5 people back there and no one waiting but still whatever. So we wandered and then we wandered some more and then we sat. 20 minutes in they came out and informed me that they didn't have the antibiotic to come back tomorrow afternoon. ugh

So we went to P&C. I never go there, I really don't know why, but I will from now on. The girl was friendly and nice, she tried my insurance card anyway even though I told her they just said it doesn't cover RX anymore ( I suspected this with our new $1500 deductible EACH but wasn't sure until the mean lady at Rite Aid) She confirmed it didn't worked, mentioned the evil insurance companies (did I mention I loved her?) and ridiculous premiums that cover nothing and said she would give me a discount. Sweet. It was $5.00 and took about 6 minutes all together.

The boy is now sleeping, but instead of thick yellow goo he is dripping clear bloody fluid. I was ready to take him back but called the BCBS nurse line, which is the ONLY good thing that they have going for them IMHO. The nurse told me it was okay, in fact a good thing as long as it wasn't gushing blood, straight blood, as opposed to bloody fluid and to just watch him, it looks worse than it is because of his tubes, and keep an eye out for a fever. Poor little guy.

Oh and he was quite happy with beanie baby once we got home and his sister tried to play with it, he's clutching it for all he's worth in his sleep. No doubt to be sure she doesn't try to touch it again.

Trouble

The terrible twos started a few months early. I swear this child is on a mission to give me a breakdown. Not that anything has been easy with Rylan but man, I start counting minutes until bedtime around 2 pm. LOL I got extremely lucky with Saige, there were no terrible 2's or 3's or at all. Not that she was perfect but probably as close as it gets. She takes pleasure in other peoples happiness with her. Rylan gets this devilish grin (that practically says look at me, I know I am not suppose to but HA HA) and finds his pleasure in driving others nuts. I will survive this right?

I thought we were past his bath time fear, I've been bringing him in with me, and got him in on his own the other day, but he refused to get in tonight and had a meltdown. Oh well his dad can do it tomorrow- it's his fault anyway, I washed him up with a washcloth and put him in his jammies. In fact I think Dad can do it everyday until he is okay with a bath again. I will of course supervise because I guess I need to have common sense for all of us. I need to buzz his head again, it's much easier to wash when there isn't much there. I hate doing it though, we waited this long for hair and now that he has some I have to shave it off. I only did it the first time to even it out, some was really short and he had odd spots in different places that grew in at different times.

Saige.... I got a phone call yesterday while she was on her way home from school from her teacher. The first thing she said was I can't believe I am making this call to YOU. I thought, uh-oh. Apparently Saige and a boy on the bus (who is also in her class) got out of their seat belts stood up and started screaming at each other. I'm shocked and feeling guilty. She is a very happy easy going passive child, and even though her attitude has grown in leaps and bounds since starting school, I have a hard time picturing this. Her teacher says she is sure that she was antagonized but had to call because they can't be taking off their belts and moving around. Understandable. She told me she had talked to Saige and she was not happy with her but wanted to let me know.

I feel guilty because I probably should have done something sooner. She has mentioned a couple times that he has been bothering her on the bus, but I kinda blew it off, they are 4, how bad could it be? The first time was a few weeks ago, she told me she didn't want to go to school because he bothers her on the bus. According to her he wants her to play games and when she says no he wont stop talking to her, lol. . From a child that can make your ears go numb, I laughed it off. Her bus ride home is over and hour and that is a LONG time for a four year old and I just assumed she was falling asleep and he wouldn't let her. Then this week she didn't want to go to school at all. I did send her to school, except for Mon because she was running a fever Sun and they ask you don't send them for 24 hours afterwards. Wed night when I was tucking her in she said she didn't want to go to school ever again, I asked why and she said because this boy annoys her. I told her she needed to ask him to please leave her alone and then if it didn't work she had two choices. She could ignore him or tell the bus driver, and if that didn't work I would talk to the bus driver.

She choose option C. It's taken two days to get bits and pieces out of her, she says she asked him to leave her alone, then told him to leave her alone and he got mad and started yelling at her so she got up and yelled back. How bad of a mom am I that while I certainly want her to be safe on the bus, and I certainly don't want her to be a bully, but I am bit proud she stood up for herself? I didn't tell her that, but her being a doormat has concerned me, like I said she is very passive. Not that passive is a bad thing, but it isn't always a good thing either. I try to explain the difference of not wanting people to be mad at her, and doing things she knows she shouldn't because she doesn't want someone to be mad at her. The only other time I have heard from school was when her "best" friend wouldn't get in line. Saige was trying to convince her she needed to get in line so she wouldn't get in trouble.... but in doing so wasn't listening herself.

I met the bus when she got here yesterday and asked the driver to please move her seat. The driver informed me that they constantly bicker back and forth 'like a married couple' (they sit across the aisle from one another) but she wasn't there the day before when it happened. She did agree to move her seat though. Saige heard me talking to the driver and thought she was in trouble and it took me 5 minutes to coax her off the bus. She cried for 20 minutes. I assured her I wasn't mad at her, and her teacher is not mad at her, and even if the little boy was mad at her, he will get over it. I have a feeling it's going to be pretty hard to get her on the bus Monday morning, I'll probably have to take her in so she isn't freaking out that her teacher doesn't like her anymore. I suppose now that the weather is nicer we will be picking her up a lot more often and spare her the long ride as well.

catchy

I have a great hatred of fish, I don't really like commercials, most are lame, and I am not to fond of McDonald's either but I LOVE the fish commercial. It's catchy and clever. I should hate it- I have good reason. I was a cashier years ago when that stupid singing fish came out. We were forced to have one on the counter and everyone that walked by just HAD to press that damn button. The manager insisted that we could not remove the batteries, or slap the customers who pressed it. It took about 1.5 hours for all of us employees to want that damn fish to die. It stayed on the counter for MONTHS.

Thankfully I worked for Nice-N- Easy who had no qualms about leaving young females all alone all night long 2 miles from the Casino where we got all sorts of fun weirdos. I was the lucky underpaid sucker who got the overnight job all alone for years. Thankfully the truck stop Sav-On across the street had FOUR overnight people and the guys came over and checked up on me, because Nice-N-Easy sure didn't care. I only had a half hour before the other 2 or 3 employees left and I could hide that stupid thing. The occasional day shifts were hell. The fish was a huge contributing factor to that being the worse job I ever had. The biggest being learning just how stupid people are, really, really, REALLY stupid.

Oh the stories I have, like the woman who insisted I give her $200 dollars because she removed the gas nozzle and pulled the lever BEFORE it was in her tank and it spilled on her skirt. I tried but I couldn't stop laughing at her (in case it isn't obvious dealing with idiots is not my strong suit) she called the cops, the cops of course told her that well the instructions are on the pump and pumping gas is not rocket science) She got so mad she jumped in her pretty new SUV and took off- with the hose still in her tank. I can't even describe how much fun it was when the same cops pulled her over and she was screaming that WE dented her new car when the hose snapped off and straight into the side of said pretty new SUV.

Anyway back to the fish... the first time I saw it I thought this is going to get annoying fast but yet I find myself smiling and bobbing my head every time I see it. Rylan gets a kick out of it too he dances (which means he jumps up and down- and he really jumps, with both feet of the floor) and screams fissshhhhyyyy. As long as it doesn't start singing take me to the river I wont mind watching it.

Great day

It's SO nice to be able to go outside. Oh how I have missed fresh air and sunshine We've had great few weather days in a row, right around 60 and another to come before Spring hits and we are back to freezing. 60 is perfection, not too hot, not too cold. I want to live somewhere where it is always 60, never under 50 and never over 70. The kids were thrilled to get out of the house without so many layers they can't put their arms down and I thrilled to get them out of the house and do some preliminary yard work. Unfortunately everything is still pretty wet so lots of mud to go with it, but that is okay. I'll take mud over cold any day. Although, I would happily choose cold over hot but it such a relief when the snow goes and I can reclaim my house and put away the bulking winter gear. I need a bigger house, or at least a much larger closet and a family who knows enough to put their stuff there. Rob started riding his bike although he MUST freeze coming home at night, he says it isn't to bad. I think I am going to sew his gloves to his coat so he doesn't have to waste 45 minutes trying to find them. There has no need for the furnace during the day. Those are both pretty exciting things for my budget, well at least until A/C time.

potty training

I have not even begun to think about potty training Rylan, beyond a we should get him a potty chair to let him get use to it thought here and there. We haven't done that yet.

A little while ago he went in and put Saige's ring on the toilet and pointed, I took it off and told him to get out of the bathroom. He put it back on and starting pulling off his pants. I figured what the heck, and put him up there. He peed immediately!!!!!

But it didn't end there, he wouldn't let me take him off, he was holding those handles for dear life and he pooped too!!!!!! At which point he wanted the whole roll of toilet paper, then got off flushed and grabbed his pants and said a dun, or all done in Rylan speak.

I'm still in shock. I had Saige come in so I could be sure it was really happening. It did. I guess I need to start thinking of potty training.

Problems.... inside and out

I have a mole problem, I noticed A tell-tale tunnel in the front yard last fall. It was confined to a relatively small area and I figured winter would freeze those suckers out. No such luck, the snow has finally melted, with the exception of the mounds around the mudpit that was the driveway. It revealed my entire front lawn covered in mole tunnels :(

Rylan loves bathes, he even likes them despite having to wear his earplugs. At least he did. Sunday he was eager to get up there, Sunday is daddy night to give the baths. I heard him crying and didn't think much of it, because it doesn't take much to make Rylan cry, tell him no, look at him funny, just breath weird..... I have not been able to get him near the tub since. He drops to the floor in hysterics screaming NO. I thought maybe he was having a fit over the earplugs since he wouldn't let me put them in, usually he loves that part. I set him in the tub without them. He just stood there crying begging me to pick him up.

So I asked Saige why he was crying in the tub, what happened. She tells me daddy showered him???? So I asked daddy what the hell does you showered him mean? He says "oh I told Saige to dump the cup on his head, I didn't think she would dump the whole thing".

Ummm what did he think a 4 year old was going to do? Not to mention dumping large quantities of water of his head is a bad idea for his ears. I think there is more to it, but no one is talking and I can't get the boy in the tub. I don't want to force him and make it worse, but the soapy washcloth is not going to be good enough forever. I really don't know what he is thinking when he does things like this. Saige happily ate her entire sandwich before daddy helpfully volunteered that you don't want crust, it's yucky. When you tell your kid that letting the water out of the bathtub is okay when the bath is over, you do not want your husband to offer, but hurry out so the monster doesn't suck you down too. Saige also slept peacefully in the dark until daddy suggested maybe she should leave a a light on so the boogeyman doesn't get her. ugh She is back to sleeping in the dark for the most part after months of being traumatized by the boogeyman. I swear I am raising three kids, at least I semi- understand the little ones.

I have no idea what could possibly go through his head when he says these things. he really just doesn't think things through. It doesn't occur to him on any level that what he takes as a joke- is taken quite seriously by these short people who worship him. Thank God for Santa. Santa fixes everything. Saige finally went back to lights out, (well she starts with them on and gets up and shuts them off when she is ready to fall asleep) because she thought maybe Santa would not come to see if she was being good if he saw that light and thought she was awake. Santa also works well for keeping the room clean, we wouldn't want him to trip when he stops by to be sure she is being a good girl and a quick mention of his name is usually all it takes to turn around a situation. I KNOW why parents love Santa almost as much as the kids do, at least why I do. Perhaps it is wrong to use Santa, but I am okay with that- because it works :)

On a good note, we replaced our water heater about 7 weeks ago. Rob wanted to just replace the filament (again, I relented last time) but the thing is as old as I am and I wanted something newer and hopefully cheaper in the long run. I got my way. Last months NiMo bill was $187, that only included about 13 days of the new water heater, and it was up 20 bucks from the previous month. It was COLD this month, the local news keeps doing stories on how National Grid bills are doubling and tripling for the month because of the heat. This is scary, not only do we have to bend over for Nimo month after month, we have fuel oil- I wont even get into what that costs for this tiny 140 year old house.

Anyway, after all the stories and the cold snap I was prepared for the worst. I opened the bill, holding my breath, full of dread and..... it went DOWN $80!!!!!!!!! woohooo!

My baby is going to Kindergarten !

Even worse she is going to be 5 next month, where did the time go? I got her registered for Kindergarten this week and registered for soccer this morning. My mom took her shopping and got her pink and black shin guards, pink and black cleats, a pink ball and pink socks. She is thrilled. The cleats are cool, I want sneakers like them, minus the cleat part of course. What I really need is a pair of mud boots, our driveway has disappeared and all that is left is a giant mud hole, same for the yard and well, everywhere. But that means Spring is on the way so I wont complain too much, lol.

Rylan talks more and more by the day, I am so relieved. His speech is getting clearer, not great but slowly improving. Rob had to work so it was just me and him today and it was nice. He is definitely behaving better, I think it's the sleep- for both of us. He is completely out of our bed, where he doesn't really sleep and neither do I. He still wakes up 3 out 7 nights but Rob deals with it. He has a magic touch. If I so much as open his door he is either leaving it with me or screaming non stop, and he can go and go and go with the screaming in an out of this world volume. Daddy however can go in and do whatever it is he does and Rylan lies right back down and goes back to sleep without so much as a whimper. It took a while but I convinced that getting HIS ass out of bed was the only way any of were ever going to sleep again, and I was right. So when he starts I just kick Rob and go back to sleep, it's so nice. Finally, it only took 20 months for a good nights sleep :)

it's probably just a tease

but I'll take it :) Mud season has arrived!
I woke up to chirping birds and it is a balmy 50 out there today!!!!!!!! Almost time to reclaim my house and put away 213 mismatched gloves and hats, soon I wont be tripping on big old winter boots, no more wiping up melted snow from the floors. I love being unrestricted from 15 layers of clothes and bulky winter coats.

Spring has to come soon right?

I am so sick of cold. I want to be outside without turning into a popsicle!!!!!

I married a hot chick

Rob gave the kids their bath tonight, when I went up to put an end to the fun past bedtime) Saige asked me if I knew daddy got sick, at least that's what I thought she said. I asked when was daddy sick, because I didn't hear him (trust me when he is sick I hear it and so do the neighbors 1.4 mile away) She says NO NOT SICK, DID YOU KNOW DADDY IS A HOT CHICK?

I have no idea where she gets this stuff.