I think someone replaced my husband

And I'm loving it!!!!! This weekend he finished the drywall in the bathroom AND built me shelves. I have been hounding him for 18 months to do something in there and bam one day and it's done. We still have to mud and sand but that is my least favorite project so I'm not in a huge hurry. This morning I went to the dentist, when I came home I got to the porch and froze. Through the window I saw Robby with a broom, not harassing the kids- actually sweeping the floor. I rubbed my eyes and he was still sweeping, then I saw Saige run by so I knew I was at the right house. He even cleaned up and moved the table I asked him too- and I only asked ONCE!!!!! I have no idea what's gotten into him but I sure hope it's here to stay.

See, I married a slob. I am very anal about things being clean and organized (having kids has sure been a test to my will) Robby is the exact opposite. Yesterday I reached behind my seat in the car to get a toy for the baby and stuck my hand in a dirty greasy tupperware bowl. Open just laying on the floor of the car. I flipped out, totally repulsed. I deal with the constant cleaning of the house but leaving empty dirt food containers in MY car to rot and stink and get all over everything? Nothing like picking up the diaper bag and having unknown nasty food substance from the bottom dripping down my clothes. I draw the line there. The car is the one place that I expect to remain semi clean, I warned him if I ever found another moldy container open or not he would be riding his bike to work all year long, because I sure can't afford the gas for him to drive his truck everyday.

Maybe he finally listened.... or maybe he's buttering me up to ask for some outrageously expensive toy/ tool that he totally doesn't need. That is another sore issue, he doesn't take care of his things, he is like an 8 yr old.... nothing like spending hundreds of dollars on a saw just for him to leave it out in the rain :( He loses everything and he knows my thoughts on buying him anything when he can't take care of what he has.... so I get my ass kissed when he wants something new, after driving me nuts for months I usually relent, then regret it when I find it later in the yard- but the cleaning is a first!

Don't get me wrong I love him dearly despite his faults, lol. I do complain to him, but he just says sorry and continues to do whatever it was anyway. grrr. So by complaining here maybe SOMEONE will listen to me, lol.

The little guy is moving better by the day. We get our entertainment however we can, even if it means being a mean mom. He has an obsession with the dog food and will do anything to get to it- so I let him get to it and then as soon as he's there I slide him back across the room and make him start over. It keeps him busy for a while and his face when I slide (we have laminate floors and baby jammies are perfect for sliding) him back makes me laugh. I have no idea why there is a clicking noise through the whole thing, I'm thinking it must just be the camera. My video camera doesn't do that but I still have no idea how to get the videos on the computer. The camera is easy, they go on with the pictures. I did it once completely on accident, now they will play on media player when I plug it in but that's it. I should take a class on this stuff. Oh and I still don't know how to edit, or where to start, so it's a bit longer than I would have liked.

He avoids getting on his knees as much as possible- he wants to stand, he's starting to step when he's holding our hands. This is how he moves on carpet

Those little moments that make it worth it

Last night my dad brought Saige home, it was almost 9 and she wanted to come home. That NEVER happens, I asked her why she didn't want to stay at grammies, she said I only want to sleep there some days. Okay.

She must have been eating junk all day long, she was wound right up and my child who starts asking to go to bed around 7 was showing no sign of going to sleep in the near future at 9:30. So I let her go in RJ's room and watch Spongebob (is it me or is that show on one channel or another 24 hrs a day?) on the condition she tried to sleep. As I was settling her in her sleeping bag I asked why she wanted to come home. I was fully expecting an answer along the lines of grammie was mean to me and only let me have 30 pieces of candy. Instead she says I missed you mommy and wanted you to put me night night. Awww and she was asleep by 10.

Of course this morning her first question to me was could she have candy. I told her no we don't eat candy for breakfast here, and for mommy's sanity we don't eat much candy at all. She wanted to go back to grammies.

Cooler heads prevailed on canceling Dish Network. I came to my senses and realized there is just NO way I can live without the DVR. I let Robby think it's because he likes the science channel but truth is there is no one else to switch to besides cable and I have to stay if I want my DVR. But at least this way when I get pissed at them again I can yell at him and tell him HE was the one who wanted to keep it.

Although I am ready to quit watching tv. It seems like they cancel all the shows I watch. I hate investing the time to watch an entire season of a show just to have it pulled, especially when it's one Rob and I BOTH like. Jericho, I was so ticked when they canceled it last season... just to bring it back due to demand. We were thrilled when it came back. Now they say there just isn't enough people watching it and they canceled it AGAIN.

I suppose I should be thankful that "real" tv is back on..... I HATE reality tv. I have never seen dancing with the stars, or the bachelor, or American idol. You couldn't pay me to watch a bunch of pathetic women so desperate for a man that will compete on national television for one they haven't met before. maybe it's just me but gaining a husband shouldn't be a game show grand prize. So yet again, I am going to make an effort ( I failed miserably last year) this fall to NOT watch any new drama shows... in the event I might enjoy them and they will go away. Sooner or later all the shows I already watch will die off and I'll be free of the tv curse.

The weekend already?

This week went by pretty fast, despite the yet again yucky weather. We are all getting sick of being inside, Saige has been going out all week for short periods of time. To get completely coated in mud, come in track it throughout the house while I chase her and yell at her to take her boots off. She goes up to her room gets clean clothes, watches me race to clean up the mud before Rylan eats it, and wants to go out again, sigh. It's been better but still too cold for Rylan. Until today when I woke up to snow and sleet all day. I need spring. He's still not crawling, but getting around. He is trying to pull himself up but refuses to get on his knees... he just grabs hold and attempts to pull his entire body straight up until his feet are under him. He can do it on the laundry basket if it wont slide forward, he uses it to pull his butt up and then slide his feet back. Everything else he just gets mad and screams, lol. I can't wait to unleash him in the backyard. New scenery to explore.



Over on the right I added a Revolution Money Exchange thingy.... It's like paypal. Unlike paypal, if I am understanding correctly, it doesn't charge fees to receive money like paypal does. In fact paypal fees seem high anyway. I'm hoping everyone signs up and I wont have to take paypal for the few things I occasionally sell. So if anyone hasn't already and is interested (this means you RJ) they give you $25 for signing up and if you click my thingy I'll get $10. I like the idea of getting a profit, shipping is outrageous. I wonder he qualifies for media mail?

I asked Saige and she said "please don't sell him, I love him, can we PLEEEEASE keep him? He will get big and I'll tell him what to do so we can keep him" LMAO This is quite the change from the night before when she wanted him to go back. I had to ask where, back to where they teach loud babies to be quiet and cute so people in town can bring them home. If only there were such a place.

I hate when Saige goes to my mothers for the weekend. He is so hard to entertain with out her. He adores his sister and I don't realize how much time she spends playing with him until she's gone. He drove me nuts today. He wants to be picked up so I pick him up. Then he pushes and tries to pry himself out of my grip and off the side of the chair. He's a stubborn we did this ALL day long. Laundry was overflowing so I had to put him down and leave him 4 or 5 times and he was fine but the second I stepped in the room he went back to being a brat.

He let me sort through half of my 4 loads. He can be entertained throwing it around or trying to wear it while I fold the rest. I went down to grab another load and when I got back he clapping his hands and had somehow put on his daddy's undies. He was quite proud of himself, lol, he loves to get dressed and undressed, strange little boy. He also likes to put stuff on the top of his head, toys, blankets, clothes. He holds the remote up there like a trophy and shrieks. He pulls his little blanket over head to go to sleep. Occasionally he gets excited and picks up a hard toy and slams it on to the top of his head.... it's hard not to laugh at him. When we laugh... he starts to cry.

Time Warner Cable is the BIGGEST rip-off RANT

My weekly rant.... my kids have been so good, I should have known SOMETHING would have to piss me off sooner or later.

We have Dish Network, I am on my third DVR box thingy. They seem to burn out every 6-7 months and it's like pulling teeth to get anyone to help you. The last time we waited 2 weeks for them to show up, and then they refused to remove or wear anything over their muddy boots while walking across my 3 day old white carpet.
I have discovered that if you press the button saying you want to sign up for service you can save an hour on hold as opposed to pressing the # saying you already are a customer. This works for almost anything, since customer service goes completely out the window once they have you hooked. They all pick up really quick at the prospect of getting more money. Anyway once again my dvr has failed me. It stopped recording and all my timers disappeared. I called them, got a tech guy who informed me my bill was past due.
Okay.... I have not received a bill this months and I'm sure last months was paid. So I asked what I owe... 67 and change. I have the 19.99 package, we ordered a movie and pay a bit more for RJ's box, local channels and DVR service but still normal bill is 45. So I decide first I should talk to the tech guy about the DVR issue before I start swearing at him. He basically says oh gee that sucks we can't help you just go back and redo all your timers. I record 72 different shows through out the year.... that is a lot of work to set up AGAIN, but I'll do it. Back to the bill,

I ask the guy, surprisingly still in a pretty good mood even though I got no tech answers from the tech guy "Could you tell when it was due because I swear I haven't gotten a bill"

DN idiot- "umm it was due the 22nd"

Me- "well it isn't here yet, when did you send it?" I walked over the calendar and double checked toady is the 25th, wandered to the magazine pile to be sure I didn't overlook it.

DN Idiot- " well it mailed from us on the 22nd"

I stop here and take a few deep breathes trying to resist the urge to reach through the phone and kick him in the nuts. Finally I say "so the bill was due on the 22nd right?

DN Idiot- "that is correct"

"and I have a late fee because it's past due?"

DNI- "that is correct"

"and the bill was mailed FROM YOU ON THE 22ND?" still taking very deep breathes, I should not be required to talk to stupid people on the phone, my blood pressure can't handle the stress

DNI- "yes, that is correct"

"So you mail the bill the same day it's due and then charge me a late fee because it's not there on time? Do you have any idea how beyond incredibly stupid that sounds? Maybe I am misunderstanding does that make any sense at all to YOU?"

DNI- "umm well, umm ...."

Me in my fakest politest voice I can muster "can I PLEASE talk to someone with a brain who can reverse this?"

DNI "Well I can do that, I guess?"

"You guess or yes, you can do this? I have two kids who are currently being ignored while I am wasting precious time on the phone with you, I should hang up and argue with my wall"

DNI- "hold on" at this point if there was a cigarette around, I would be smoking again, I went outside afraid I would say words I didn't want the kids to hear. He comes back "well umm I can't reverse the fee, it's there because you didn't pay last months bill in full"

I was pretty sure I did but, maybe not. "How much was left over?"

DNI- "umm, umm, lets see...... 1.27"

"So I have a late fee for being short one dollar and 27 cents?"

DNI "Yes ma'am" if this wasn't going bad enough he kept calling me ma'am I am not even 30, I HATE the word ma'am. I must have told him 6 times please do not call me ma'am, call me Tara, call me Mrs Skinner, call me anything but ma'am.

"Are my 18 months up? because this is ridiculous... you provide crappy equipment, even crappier customer service, I want to cancel"

DNI "You have been a DN customer for 2 years and 18 days"

"Okay then... lets close this account I don't want your service anymore, I'll rig up some foil and rabbit ears to watch House or I'll sneak around and peep in the neighbors window while they watch House"

DNI " well I don't know if I can do that ma'am the account is in your husbands name...."

I hung up exasperated. I poured myself a glass of wine and sat down with Rylan and calmed down. I figured maybe I should call and see how long before Time Warner could come hook me up before I called Robby and made him call the idiots immediately. Good thing they didn't let me close the account. Over all I would rather deal with morons than be ripped off to the extent Time warner does.

With Dish Network I have 120 channels 19.99, plus locals which is another 5. I told the Time Warner guy I wanted the cheapest Tv package- 59.99 a month for 80 a month for 80 channels. I'm sure he thought I was a nut case because I just started laughing hysterically, finally I got some control and said "no really, whats the cheapest package because I thought you said 60 bucks BEFORE taxes and other fees that make no sense."
Nope I heard him right. I had to ask "do people seriously pay you that? do you know that both Dish network and direct TV are WAY cheaper?" This time he laughed at me, he thought I was kidding, apparently people really do pay that. INSANE Not me I'm (almost, lol) ready to say screw tv all together I can watch almost all of my shows online for free.

Now that I know how Time Warner rapes people for cable... I will be searching to find a cheaper comparable internet connection that will still let me keep Vonage... I love roadrunner, but I think I'm being ripped off, and now I'm having a hard time stomaching the idea of giving the greedy SOB's ANY money for anything. I'm not quite upset enough to go back to dial up though.... how do they get away with that?

I quit smoking, it wasn't that bad.... how sad is it that I go into a HUGE panic at the mere thought of quitting tv, now that all the shows are coming back? The question is am I more stubborn than scared.... I think I very well may be, besides all the shows I watch are network channels anyway. Time Warner says I can get just network channel for 15 a month....15 doesn't sound too bad compared to the 60, but I am really cheap, plus I know after taxes and stupid fees it will be more like 40. I can't bring myself to pay 15 dollars for something that is FREE. Better reception maybe but not worth 15 dollars.
I say I can't live without my dvr, and I think it may be true, it is entirely possible I will lose that last little grip I have on sanity without my dvr. I love putting the kids to bed and sitting down to relax and watch House or CSI... I wonder if I buy my own, if I still have to pay someone for the service? I have to find that out before I do anything too drastic that I will regret.

I think we've turned a corner

The past few days Rylan has been taking naps! Real naps, over an hour, without a fight. He's been going to bed without a single whimper and waking up in the morning HAPPY!!!!!

Today he is moving!
Finally!
YEAH!

Can you tell I'm excited? He's not exactly crawling, but he's getting where he wants to go, lol. He's dragging him self around with his arms though.... his legs look like a frogs. He will get up on his knees, but he can only crawl backwards. Or he moves sideways, first he gets his top half over and drags the bottom half and keeps going to where he wants all by himself! It's funny to watch because he is trying to go forward on his hands and knees. He gets mad and drops down and pulls himself forward. He really likes balls, every time it rolls away he picks himself back up and tries to figure out how to move forward, I can see the frustration as he gets further and further away. He looks at me like why do you keep moving the darn ball?

Of course now I have to find the baby gates and locks for the cabinets. I have made NO effort to baby proof yet, I figured why bother he doesn't go anywhere. I had the house baby proofed two months before Saige was even born, lol. With him I have been clearing out the center of the room and plopping him down. Lately I've been putting stuff around the outside that he isn't allowed to have in hopes it would entice him to move on his own. You know stuff like cords he could strangle himself with, Saige's toys that have marbles (he's supervised of course) that he could choke on... all the stuff that he really WANTS while his toys sit untouched. He was a bit upset when he actually got the cords and I took them away. Now I'll have hide all of her toys with little parts, only to be played with during nap time.

Easter

Happy Easter!!!! It was a busy day here, 3 egg hunts, 3 baskets, 2 dinners. Gotta love holidays!
Last year (had to post this since I started the blog late, lol) the bunny brought Saige the Whack a Mole game. I couldn't resist, she saw the commercial one day and came flying into the kitchen going "mommy, mommy, I wanna whack a ho for my birthday" She was quite capable of saying mole, but apparently she heard ho when she was watching the commercial and there was no convincing her otherwise. It was funny to hear say she wants to whack a ho so we asked over and over again, what she wanted, always the same answer, lol.

This year, I'm not sure what I, I mean that damn bunny was thinking, but he brought her a baby alive doll. It pees! and it cries (because there isn't enough of that already here). Now I have to make some diapers for the doll because I'll be damned if I'm going to buy diapers for a doll when I don't buy them for the living breathing baby. She carried it with her all day, and feed it enough water for 35 dolls, she was sure to demonstrate to EVERYONE how it pees. It was pretty funny, she wanted everyone to see, so she took off it's diaper so they could watch.... sure enough, it "peed" on her every time. Every time she got up and took off running like she had no idea that would happen. Every time I had to tell her- it's just a doll and it's only water, and no it doesn't stink, and it would dry no need to change her dress, lol. Despite all the time without a diaper, the doll still went through 8 diapers... the mean mom I am made her let them dry instead of throwing them away- because I'm cheap, lol.
All in all a good choice, she's still playing with it today, she is currently "feeding" it with her brothers empty baby food jar and spoon. She's been pushing it in her doll stroller, and swinging it in her doll swing. She want to know if she feeds it, will it poop, lol. I didn't want to spend hours trying to get peas out of the doll so I told her she was allergic to all food, lol. Saige's eyes got really big and she says "oh I wont never feed her then" Here's hoping her daddy doesn't help her change her mind.

Rylan sat quietly and watched Saige run around like a mad girl looking for the eggs, he slowly tilted farther and farther over and by the last egg here he was. Believe it or not the giant baby is wearing 12 months clothes and they are still to short. If he didn't look so much like his daddy, I would be sure they gave us the wrong baby, he's going to be taller than mom and dad before he's 8.

He was amazingly well behaved ALL day, and he's napping now ( I sure hope he's not sick) I don't think he cried a single time, with the exception of reaching for Saige's doll and she shoved him over backwards and he bumped his head, but he got over it quickly. We need to work on sharing, but just with Rylan, anyone else she is happy to share with. Now I'm thinking hard.... a whole day with no crying, I'm pretty sure that is a first! WOOHOO!!!

Poor little guy had an Easter basket full of spoons and cups, the bunny did order him a gift from walmart.com but mommy didn't get the pickup notice until this morning, the order was placed over 3 weeks ago, I should have just paid for shipping, the two things I ordered that didn't do site to store were here in 3 days. I'm not sure where Sharon Springs NY is but the rest of my order arrived there over a week ago. Apparently from taht point someone was walking it to the store in Rome. I knew Rylan wouldn't care, and he would have 2 more baskets... I was afraid Saige would notice and wonder why she got more than him (like she did at Christmas) but she was so obsessed with doll she didn't even look at his basket other than to tell me he got a bag of Robin's eggs (how did he know they were MY favorite?) and he's too little for candy.


Why does everyone else get candy, and all I get are my fingers?
His fingers are disturbing- he chews on them until they are red and scabby, and sometimes bleed. I don't get it- it has to hurt! Oh well at least he isn't biting anyone else- yet. All together I think they got enough candy between them to feed an entire third world country, mommy stuck 95% into a bag this morning and sent it to work with Robby to share, better them than my kids. I'm sure there will be some wives hating me tonight. There were TWO huge bowls filled with candy at the end of the night, made our Halloween haul look like a snack.

Saige was WIRED all day, but very well behaved until bedtime when she had to take off her dress with the bunny butts on it. That turned into a complete meltdown... daddy was trying to be helpful I heard her screaming and ran upstairs ready to yell at him. This time it wasn't him provoking her (yes, I am raising THREE kids) I finally wrestled her out of the dress and the tights that were caked with mud form playing football with the boys. She screamed like I was pulling her fingernails out with pliers, I told her to finish her tantrum and then come brush her teeth if she ever wanted to eat another piece of candy before her 18th birthday. I wasn't at the bottom of the steps before she was done and coming to brush. Daddy doesn't walk away... she will keep going as long as she has an audience, I just walk away. The tantrums end really quickly when she is ignored, but as much as I tell him that he still chooses to try to reason with screaming, red faced, snot nosed 3 year old. I think he's nuts.

The neighbors had to have heard her- I bet they think we beat our kids... we don't, there sure are days we would like too, but, truth is Saige has spanked maybe twice, and not since she's been out of diapers. Now if Rylan had some hair the temptation to tug his back so he knew what it felt like when he rips mine out by the handful might win out over the constant unraveling of it from his hand and saying no and the bald spots that are left on my head.

It's looking like spring outside but still too cold to enjoy the outdoors for more than a few minutes at a time. We are all eager to get out there. I want to rake (actually started to around the piles melting snow Sat morning) - if that is any indication of how sick I am of being trapped in here. Saige has just walked by me twice with a bowl full of water, and of course she is doing nuffin with it so.....

Long week

It already been a long week, and it's only Tuesday. I don't know if I'm getting sick again or my allergies are bothering me but I can't breathe through my nose. This drives me nuts... I'm guessing it drives everyone around me nuts as well, since I am constantly blowing trying to get some air in. I'm hoping for allergies... at least those I can't share. Not that I have good motives on that, I don't hope to keep it to myself because I don't want the family sick... I want to keep it to myself because one or the other has been sick all winter long and damn it I need a break. It will never cease to amaze me how no one notices when I'm sick, no one cares or is extra helpful (that's not entirely true, Saige is but sometimes her help is more work for me). Yet the second they get hit with a sniffle they all expect me to run around and wait on them. I say them but I mean Robby.


A rare smiling moment.
Sunday I told Saige to get dressed, she didn't do all too bad... she had on underwear, her favorite pink pants backwards and her velvety sparkly Christmas top. I handed Robby clothes and told him to get Rylan dressed. here's the result-

I usually put his pants OVER the tops that button at he crotch but... hey he was dressed and in less than 10 minutes.

This morning Saige hounded me and hounded me until I tore myself away from the computer and played hide and seek with her. The game goes something like this.

me "Ok Saige go hide... 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 ready or not here I come"

her (waiting until I get 10 out) "come find me I'm in the kitchen in the cupboard"

I go open the cupboard... I use to pretend to look for her but...

Saige jumping out of the cupboard "you never would have found me huh? your turn mommy, I'll count to ten, you go hide in my room under the blankets"

me "Saige, you can't tell me where to hide... that isn't how you play hide and seek"

her "whatever just go hide in my room in the closet then"

me big sigh... I go hide in the shower. I wait until she is up the stairs and run back to get through a couple more emails listening for her to come back down so I can run back to the shower when she comes back down run over to Robby and say that I don't listen. I mumble something about the pot calling the kettle black from the shower (which by the way was still wet from RJ-I need to do laundry I'm getting low on socks)

She runs in and finds me and says "my turn, you count I'll go hide in the living room behind the chair"

the game continued on like this for another half hour. She doesn't understand why I am the only one who will play it with her, or around her. She might be pretty good at it, but finds it impossible to be awake and silent for more than 5 seconds at a time.


Some may find this in bad taste but...
One of RJ's friends got him this in Japan.... it's a leather purse, he calls it a satchel, he can call it whatever he wants but it's a purse, lol. It says the killers at the bottom and has pictures of Osama Bin Laden, Hitler, Saddam Hussein, George Bush and a fifth guy we can't identify. I'm posting it in hopes that someone can tell me who the second guy in on the left holding the drumsticks is. Anyone? Please? Once I know I'll probably slap myself in the forehead and say duh, but in the mean time, it's driving me nuts. I'm weird like that.... little things will stick in my head for days and wont go away until I know the answer.