Holiday happenings

Christmas is all ready over? I feel like it really didn't even happen. We spent Christmas eve with Al's family, which is always a good time. There is always plenty of food and laughs. This year it was missing something. That something was Tanner. We let him go to his mom's for Christmas early this year. He is always here for Christmas eve. It just didn't feel like Christmas without him. We have yet to have our little family time and watch our kids open their gifts. I am not sure when that will happen, perhaps New Years Eve. We will be celebrating the holidays with my family on New Years Day. I am looking forward to that.

I was eating healthy and loosing weight and decided against making a bunch of tempting goodies. Someone in my house must have complained, because we received 4 different huge batches of goodies. All of which where way to tempting to pass up. And it was all very delicious. My mouth thanks all of you who brought the goodies. My waist line is not as grateful.

Wednesday night, a good friend of ours turned 21. Al has known him since he was a little tyke. He was always hanging around the garage, and when he was old enough, he started coming in the pits with us. He now races and proudly carries on Al's family number, 88. After all, he is like family to us. I knew there was no making excused why I could not attend his party. I figured I could be the DD. I am glad that I switched a day of work with my boss, because Al kept me up most of the night. I think he thought it was his 21st birthday, and he was not doing so hot. He paid dearly yesterday. I hope he is much better today.

After being mother hen and tending to my hubby, I had to tend to Colter. Yesterday, Al had given Colter a cookie, and while he was eating it, he fell and started choking on it. Al yelled out that he was choking and I panicked for a millisecond and thought call 911. I bent down and started hitting his back, but nothing happened. I am not really sure what was going through my mind or what my plans really where, but I scooped him up from behind. I had my arms wrapped around his tummy and I gently gave a quick thrust. He threw up all over the floor and started screaming. I never thought I would be so happy to hear him scream. After it was all over, I realized what had just happened. I was so grateful that I was able to act instead of react. I hope that I never have to again.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. God bless!

Christmas Day

Merry Cristmas to all! I just had to take the time to post this very short video today. It is wonderful.

I am not a huge fan of snow itself, but I love when it does snow. I guess its the nostalgia of it all. Its even more magical when it is on Christmas day. The snow that is coming down right now, is so beautiful. Big, beautiful perfect snow flakes.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Well hello stranger

Howdy everyone! I thought I would do a quick post since I have a moment to breath. Since I have been working days, I find that I am much busier than before. Probably because people are actually awake and needing assistance during the day. I suppose once I start to get comfortable with the new schedule, things will seem less hectic. And perhaps I will find more time to post. (I heard that groan!)



We will not be doing any traveling over Christmas. We are spending Christmas eve at my mother-in-laws. My family will be celebrating on New Years Day. My sis-in-law nominated my house for the festivities this year. She is lucky, because I am actually excited that I now have the room to host it. I have had all of my shopping done for a while now, with the exception of my parents. I have an extra week to worry about them though. I even managed to get something for Al. Starting early really pays. This is the first year that I have not felt like my kids did not get enough, or that I wish I could have got them more. That is a great feeling.



I have much more to talk about, but I said I would keep it short. I know many of you have left or are leaving soon for Christmas. I hope you all have a safe trip and enjoy being with your family & friends. Merry Christmas to you all!

15 Months

My baby is 15 months old. He had his 15 month well baby on Monday. As usual, it was a good report. He was 26lbs & 32ins long. The doc did express a little concern about that the fact that he has decided he did not like walking. He encouraged us to practice practice practice over the next month. This is difficult, because Colter just wants to drop to his knees when you grab his hand. If he is not walking in the next month, he wants me to call him so he can set an appointment up with a specialist. Just to make sure there is nothing he is missing.

I am really not that concerned. I think he is just being a turd nugget and doesn't want to walk. He has done it before. He walks along the furniture. He pushes chairs, toys, etc all around the house. He climbs on the couch. He jumps all over the couch like a mad man. I really don't think he has any problems, other than mental. :O) Hopefully he will walk soon!

Have a great weekend ya'll! To those of you celebrating Christmas this weekend, drive safely & have a super time!

Wash day horror

It was a tuesday afternoon. A huge pile of laundry had been staring me down for days. I knew it was time to tackle it. I knew that I could defeat it. I dug in, clothes flying everywhere. I was a mom on a mission. I washed load after load. Reds, whites, darks, jeans, socks, towels, bedding. If it was there, I washed it. When it was dry, I folded it. If there was a quick fold contest somewhere, I would have won it. Nothing could stop me. Not even those infamous missing socks.

By late afternoon, the mile high pile had dwindled drastically. A sigh of relief had escaped from my mouth. I could relax, but only for a brief moment. The moment was up and I knew that I had to keep moving. I headed straight to the dryer like nobodies business. Unload dryer. Load dryer. Start washer. Add detergent. Add softener. It was the same old routine. I could have done it in my sleep. Heck, I was very much in a comatose like state. All that was left was to dig through the pile to gather up the next load. As I turned to the pile, something happened that has changed me forever. I came face to face with this..........

The sock monster. How could this be? I thought that he was just an urban legend. An urban legend made up by some fool who did not believe the myth that the washer and dryer had been eating their socks. That fool must have come face to face with him too. Why didn't that fool put it on snopes to warn others? May be it was because the sock monster ate him!

I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what he would do. Would he attack, would he eat me, would he walk away? I was froze in my place and I didn't say a word. I prayed he had bad eyesight and couldn't see me. Then his mouth opened and he let out a deep belly laugh.

It was then that I realized I would live. The sock monster just wanted to help me with my laundry and play with my socks. That is all he wanted all along. Someone to understand his strange obsession and love him any way. So, I let him help me with the laundry and play with the socks.The end!

Do you know where your socks are?

Is it bedtime yet?

What is that? Is that silence I here? Did you know that 2 1/2 hours with a 1 year old can be exhausting? I love this kid, but some nights I am glad that he insists on going to bed at 7pm. Wow, he was a fussy boy today. I am sure that teething is the culprit.

When I picked him up from the sitter today, I noticed he had finally got another tooth on top. After a bit more exploration, I realized there is another one almost through. Runny diapers, sleepless nights. I would like to think that some day I will catch on.

After supper and a diaper change, Mr fussy britches decided he wanted to put his own pants on. His patience was non existent and he ended up carrying on about his lack of success for what seemed like an eternity. It was comical for about a millisecond. By this time, my patience had dwindled.

Tanner is staying with a friend tonight, so I basically have the house to myself. I am going to try to enjoy it, however I am sure I will be out cold in another hour. 20 year old me would be kicking this old fogies behind. Fast asleep by 8:30 on a saturday night? Sad.

I hope you are all enjoying your weekends!

Still here

Hi all. I am still here. Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been host to a holiday bug that is using all of my brain power in an attempt to spread holiday cheer. I know I am not alone. There are others out there, somewhere.

Now that I am a responsible adult, (huh-hum) I figured that this year I would make the season a little less stressful by not waiting until the last minute. So far, so good. I have most of my christmas shopping done, which is huge for me. I am usually a last minute shopper. I am one of those dummies who is trying to buy presents on christmas eve. My regards to those of you who still are. I have a few people left, and I would like to get a few more things for my kids. I have been keeping one eye glued to the ads for that great deal. The one where the clouds part and a beam of sunshine comes down and blast out your eardrums with loud music.......

While on one of my great deal missions, I was pleasantly surprised to run into a very good old pal from high school. I had not seen her in 8 years and we had a nice short visit. There were no strange moments and it was if we have never been apart. Well, other than the fact that we both have more kids, different jobs, etc. :O) The fact that two people can be such great friends one day, and then not see each other for years, baffles me. I loved her then, and I still love her now. I am glad she is doing well.

The madness that resides in my house has not changed, it just multiplies. Colter has helped his dads sock trail double in size. The food fight between Colter and the dogs has recently recruited Dad. Tanners "things" are still always left in the most inconvenient spots. The laundry basket in the bathroom, mysteriously fills up the same day I empty it. The dogs still have to go to the bathroom every two hours and the shoe fairy that my husband says visits me, has been leaving many pairs of men's shoes in our back porch. I think its time for a new fairy.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cheese!

I am still up to no good, still drooling & still one good looking kid!

Hey lady, I'm talking to you

Happy Friday Everyone!

Over the past week, Colter has started to say many things. Actually, mom has just finally wised up and figured them out. He has started to wave and say Hi. This is much preferred to his bye bye wave. That is only reserved for special people I guess. Don't feel bad if you don't get a bye bye. I don't even rate good enough for that.

Other words that are in frequent rotation are Sadie, daddy, kitty, puppy, sticker & pudding. Sticker & pudding are not very clear, but he is definitely trying to say them. He says momma, but I he doesn't seem to relate it to me. It is usually only uttered when he is mad. Okay, may be it is meant for me. Baby is another one he uses a lot. He pointed at his binky while saying it yesterday, so I think that is what he is trying to say.

Right now, Colter thinks the coolest word on earth is uh-oh. He was only using it when someone dropped something. That was not enough, so he started purposely throwing things so he could say uh-oh. Now, he just says it because he can. And he can say it over and over and over and over and over.................... He was even saying it in his sleep at 4:30 this morning.

I am still amazed at how smart they really are and how fast they change. A few days ago, I saw him heading for the back porch. I had the door latched so he couldn't get back there. Soon he was crying and I went to try to redirect him. It was obvious he was thirsty because he was pointing up at the clean sippys on the counter. I proceeded to search like mad to find his sippy while he sat there screaming bloody murder while still pointing. I could not find that darn thing any where. I looked over the gates, in the toy box, in his diaper bag, in the christmas tree and even in my coat pockets. I thought may be it is in the back porch, after all that is where he was trying to go. No luck. I finally decided I had tortured myself and him enough and just got him a new one.

After Colter recovered, I was still being tortured by the where abouts of that elusive sippy. I was not looking forward to what mysterious science project it may hold when it shows up a month from now. I knew I had to find it. I continued to search for what seemed like an eternity. I even tore the back porch upside down. I finally found the darn thing shoved in between the vacuum cleaner and a cheese tray that Colter had been playing with. IN THE BACK PORCH. Where Colter was trying to go prior to his break down. It is obvious that I am not smarter than a 1 year old.

Have a great weekend ya'll!

New Do

I have much to say today, but it is just to much for one post, so I will spread it out over the next few days. I have been so busy with all the holiday hustle & bustle as I know we all are.

I have had very good intentions of getting in to see the new hair stylist in town. I finally made it in to see her on Monday. She gave me a glamorous new cut and I love it. It is exactly how I have been trying to get my haircut for the past couple of years. I had Al take some pics of it, but for some reason, they didn't look that great. I am going to have to try again so you can all see it.

Due to the fact that I have been living in a cave for the past couple of years, I am a little rusty on my styling skills. I also threw out some much needed styling tools when we moved, so now I have to replace them. Isn't that how it always goes?

Anyhow, thank you Kerrie for a fantastic hair cut! I will be sure to pester people into trying your services. :O)

Black Friday

I am sure that some of you ventured out to the shopping establishments to take part in the "Black Friday" festivities. You are brave people, or just plain crazy. I have never gone shopping on black friday, and I don't ever intend to. I have serious issues with crowds. I can not even stand going to Walmart on a regular day. If your not up for watching a major horrific meltdown, then do not ever ask me to join you on black friday.

Despite my hate in the day, I still wanted to get in on the good deals. Last year, I was informed by a friend that you could go online and get the same deals. So I thought what the heck. Why not get some good deals on christmas presents. Hmph. FYI, there are crazy people shopping online too. I got up at 6am and went to walmart.com only to find out that the main purchase I wanted was all ready sold out. When I arrived at work, I checked again to see about the other items I wanted. Everything was all ready sold out. So much for my brilliant idea. I think next year I will just forget the whole thing even exists.

I hope those of you that did brave the sea of people, made it out alive.

Friday all ready?

Can't time just slow down a little. It all ready seems to just fly by, but throw in the holiday season, and its like we are moving in warp speed. Crazy I tell you.

We had a wonderful thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for, but the most important thing is that I did not kill my family with my first official solo thanksgiving dinner. It was just the four of us. I am sure the rest of you are thankful for not having to be them yesterday. I nominated them as my taste testers, for which I am not sure they were very thankful for.

My taste testers were forced to eat turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, beans & pumpkin pie. All of these items were made from scratch by me with the exception of the pie crust. I did feel a bit sorry for them, so I had a few edible items on the table too. Boxed stuffing, lefse and dinner rolls. There were certainly thankful for that. :O)

I must say, everything turned out pretty darn good. I did call a tip hotline a couple of days in advance, so that probably contributed to my success. I have never made mashed potatoes, gravy or pie prior to yesterday, but you would never know it. I can not believe that I thought that these simple things would be to hard for me to figure out. I may not need that cookbook for dummies after all.

I hope you and yours had a super thanksgiving and that ya'll gained a couple of extra pounds. If you see my hubby somewhere, be sure to ask him if he got the christmas lights up yet. Thanks for your help! :O) Have a great weekend!

Happy Turkey Day!!!

My first hair cut

This & that, take 3

There is not to much going on at our house this week. I have been trying to pick up a few christmas decorations and presents here and there. We are usually last minute kind of shoppers, which puts a real strain on the pocket book. Every year I proclaim that I will be on top of it the following year, but I am a huge procrastinator. This year I have actually bought both of my kids one gift and picked up a few decorations. Yeah me!

Now that we have a bigger house, we can actually have a big tree. Not one of those tiny things you set on a table. I have been wanting to get a nice big artificial tree, but I am waiting for that good deal. I think I just may get it tomorrow. I am also excited because we actually have some bushes to put lights on and some other great places to put christmas lights out side. I have been trolling the christmas isle since they started putting the stuff out. For what ever reason, I have this stupid rule that you cannot bring the christmas decor out until Thanksgiving night or after. Perhaps some year I will rid myself of this silly thought.

We do not have plans yet for Thanksgiving. We usually alternate between my family & Al's every year. This year though, no one is doing thanksgiving, so I am not sure what we will do yet. My uncle usually has something at his place and I think my parents may be going there. May be I can convince Al to go. Or may be we will just have something with the four of us at home. I really don't care as long as we are together.

There is not much else to say except have a wonderful day!

Christmas shopping

I wish christmas shopping could be this easy.

Little hunter

My weekends are now Mon-Wed. So on monday, I decided to go along with Al to see his dog hunt. It just so happened that my brother and nephew were also going out, so we teamed up with them. I took my camera, in hopes of getting some great shots of the dog. Instead I got some shots of this little hunter.

He is pretty darn good. He got quite a few birds, not pheasants, birds. He only had a licence to shoot birds. The licence for shooting birds is much different. It is actually on a shirt. I am glad that I had this little guy along to protect me from all the wild animals, and the dirt mounds that have eyes.

This sport can take a lot out of you. Its best if you have a caddie. One that will carry your gun & piggy back you back to your vehicle when you get tired. One that can handle all of your demands. Preferably, if you get yourself a caddie, please don't request aunt Miah. She is on vacation for the rest of the season.

Happy Thursday ya'll!

Veterans Day

To all veterans, past, present & future.......Thank you. I am so amazed by your courage and sacrifices, that I can not even find the words to express my gratitude. A simply thank you is all I can do.

9 years ago today, my grandpa Ambrose passed away. I thought it was very fitting, considering he was so proud to have served in WWII. He was a Navy Seabee.

At the time of his death, I was 22 years old and still very much full of myself and did not understand of the importance of anything. I regret that I did not take the time to visit him more and learn more about his life. I never felt as though we had a close bond, and I often wondered if he even knew my name. He was not a man of many words. But he did not have to be for me to know that his veteran status was a very important part of his life. That was one thing I was certain of. And from that, I learned about pride & honor.

I regret that I never thanked my grandfather or shared in his enthusiasm, but I know that he is looking down on me and knows just how proud I am to have him as MY veteran.

Thank you veterans!

The new addition

I survived the night, and I allowed Al to live another day. Al brought "Lucky" home yesterday. Real original name, huh?. Apparently, he was named Lucky because he was the only pup that survived from his litter. I personally think that he was given that name because a higher power knew he would be living with fabulous me one day. :O)




Al wasted no time taking him out to check out his hunting abilities, and was apparently very impressed. Al & Lucky got their limit in a little over an hour. When I got home from work, Al made sure I saw a few of Lucky's tricks. He seems like a very well behaved dog and he is absolutely beautiful.

I am not a huge fan of dogs living in a kennel. Al plans to build a kennel and cut a hole in our garage so he can go in and out. The garage is heated and Al is always in there, so I feel much better about the situation. Plus, he has always been outside, so I guess he is used to it. I have a feeling that Al will take him every where. He will probably be treated better than the rest of us. :O)

I am not thrilled that I have to look at a dog kennel when I am sitting on the deck, but I guess I can "decorate" it. That will be interesting. May be I can dress him up in a pink tutu when I am out there. This is going to be fun. Mwwhhaaahahahahah!

Have a super Saturday!

Hunting partner

For the past couple of days, my husband has been relentless in his efforts to convince me that he needs a new hunting partner. Every year, when hunting season rolls around, he gets the wild idea that he needs a hunting dog. Not just any dog will do. He wants a German short hair. Every year, we have to same discussion. It always ends in an agreement, that when our big dog goes to doggie heaven, he can have his hunting dog.

Now, let me give you a little insight to this thing I call a husband, and who some of you call Al. He is a wheeler dealer bargain grabbing machine. He sniffs out great deals and can not pass on, so he snatches them up. Regardless of whether or not he all ready has 10 of the same item. This is unfortunate for me, but even more unfortunate because his most recent deal sniffing has resulted in the finding of what? You guess it. A German short hair. Not just any German short hair, a trained hunting German short hair that is too good of a deal not to pass up.

This "once in a lifetime" deal, (I have heard this before) is causing my husband to pester me too death. Seriously. He is like a huge thorn in my butt that cannot be removed no matter how hard I try. It has become infected and is so irritating that it has driven me to the edge of reason. I caved. I finally agreed, for my own sanity, to let him get the dog. He is bringing it home today.

Tune in to tomorrows episode to find out if the lady of the house ends up in a straight jacket or if her husband mysteriously disappears.

Happy friday ya'll.

Antiquities

My son. He is as hard headed as his mother, if not worse. He is not going to do anything you want him to do. He decides. Needless to say, he did not do so well on the day of the photo shoot. The photographer only managed to snap about 5 pictures. This was a good thing, though. Everyones pictures have turned out so nice. If he would have cooperated, I would have gone broke buying all of the pics. Instead, there were only two pics that were good, so my mother-in-law and I split the cost and got two of the poses. And here they are.....drum roll please........Perhaps the next Beethoven?

Lost

This daylights savings time has really thrown me for a loop. I think it is a combination of things, but I will gladly take the extra hour along with the rest of the stuff.

The past week has been interesting. I started working days, which is going good so far. I felt strange being part of the "real" world again. I had a few extra days off in between the shift change, so I tried to accomplish many things. I didn't really get much done, but I did get some sleep. I have been in bed every night around 8:30. Pathetic, I know. My excuse is that I am trying to make up for the lack of sleep from the past two years. It makes me feel better anyway. :O)

We all had a good time on Halloween. Colter's magical dragon suit helped him take his first independent steps. I was shocked. Needless to say, once the suit came off, he has not walked. He is pretty darn good at walking on his knees though.

During my extra days off, I got to attend the Al B show. Its kind of like the Red Green show on PBS. On the show, Al demonstrated how to make old school storm windows out of caulk. At least that's what he claimed. It was more like, fixing the old windows and plastering the bad spots with the caulk. I am not sure when the show will air, but I am guessing it will be some night after Gold Fever on the outdoor channel. :O)

Not much else to report tonight. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Also, good luck to Kerrie tomorrow! I will be thinking about you. And to those people who smashed our pumpkins, you missed some. The rule is, you must take them all so I don't have to get rid of them.

Halloween

Pumpkin Carving

Last night Tanner and I carved our pumpkins, with little help from Colter. It took all evening but we had a good time.

Yeah, I know I'm looking hot. Please do not stalk me now. Gut buster there. I will post more after this evening.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

A Beautiful Fall Morning

My tumor

Meet Chopper. She is a dramatic diva, tap dancing princess, food addict, heating pad, vacuum cleaner, doorbell, furniture critic and a tumor. She has a huge personality which seems to fit well with her large build. Just look at her. She is so huge, she takes up one whole corner of the couch cushion. The fact that she is 1/2 pomeranian &1/2 minuter pincher must be the reason she is so large. At least that is what you would believe if you had to sleep with her. Did I mention she is also a bed hog? You would think that since I almost always have the bed to myself, I could sleep in the middle and roll all over. Not so. In my queen bed, Diva chopper allows me to have about 10 inches of mattress. The rest is hers. I suppose if I ever become as large as her, I will just have to get another bed.

If you happen to be staying over, you may also want to bring an extra blanket. She likes to help you use HERS, but even a queen size comforter will not be enough for her. You may wake up in the night half uncovered because she has mastered the tuck-n-roll move. You should also be ready to retire for the night before she does. If not, you might have to sleep on the floor, because she moves for no one.

Annoying? Yes. Worth never having pets over? NO WAY!! Funny how pets are such stinkers, but some of us couldn't live with out them. Kind of like husbands. KIDDING!!

Here is to everyone having a fun loving friday and a wonderful weekend!

I have been wanting to post some pictures, but the batteries went dead in my camera. The pictures I wanted to post were on the internal memory and not the memory card. Hopefully, tomorrow I will remember to get batteries! So until then, I leave you with this........

Tomorrow is my last night shift! Woo-hoo!

Have a super day folks!

Sick boy

I have a sick little boy on my hands. Colter came down with a cold sunday. Thankfully, he still seems to be jolly enough, so I am taking that as a good sign. He barely slept Sunday night, and was not doing so well Monday night. I could tell he was bushed, and I felt so bad for him. I had Al high tail to the store before closing time, to pick up a vaporizer. I had no idea that those things were such miracle workers. I am so glad we decided to try it. He managed to get a full night sleep and hopefully is on his way to feeling much better.

I don't think I will ever get over being amazed by the little things Colter does. He has recently started to shake his head no when I tell him no. It is so stinking cute, I can hardly stand it. Cute for now, anyhow. I keep wondering if he is trying to say things, or if I am just thinking he is. I probably will not be sure until it is blatantly obvious. You know, like he smacks me in the face and says "Mom, I am talking to you." I could swear he is trying to say the dog's names. He has also started to wave bye bye more. He eats things that shock the heck out of me, like supreme pizza. Cut into small pieces of course. I hope that means he will not be a picky eater.

Colter recently discovered the tattoo on my back. When ever I lay on the floor with him, he has to lift up my shirt and point to it. He has even tried to taste it. He is my kid, what do you expect? The other day, I think he was trying to tickle me. He pulled up my shirt, touched my back, and then looked at me and laughed. Okay. So may be he was laughing at my roll, but I have to tell myself something.

Everyday, he seems to do something new. I look forward to each and every day. How could life get any better than this? What more could I ask for?

Enjoy your Wednesday!

I love the Dr!

Yesterday was my annual Dr appointment. I am a lucky gal, I know. I sped all the way down to Sioux Falls, because I just couldn't wait to get in there to see my doc and have her see me. ***Sarcasm detected*** I would have much rather taken a cheese grater to my arm, but I couldn't find it. Its still in a box somewhere. :O) Anyhow, I knew I had to go if I wanted my drugs refilled. So I tried to be as enthusiastic as I could be.

Most of you will be happy to know that my Dr decided to keep me on my "crazy pills." For those of you who did not know, I was diagnosed with PPD (postpartum) about 3 months after Colter was born. My thoughts and understanding of PPD were much different until I actually experienced it first hand. My Dr had warned me prior to Colter's birth, that I was at high risk because of my high risk pregnancy. I thought the signs of PPD were not wanting to be a mom, feeling worthless, etc. I didn't have any of those symptoms. But apparently, wanting to bash every ones face in with a shovel is a sign too. :O) So with that, I apologize to all of you who felt the wrath of Miah during those three months. Especially my mother, who seemed to be the bulls eye on my target. Sorry mom!

Al will not be so happy to know that they did not up my dosage. He thought perhaps I should ask the dr to, so that I would not nag at him, ever. I think he wants me to be comatose. I did tell my dr his thoughts, but her eyes seemed to roll back in her head, and then she uttered, "may be we should get him on some happy pills." That's what I have been telling him all along. :O)

Mom, if your wondering, my blood pressure was normal. They also checked my hemoglobin and it was in the very bottom of the normal range. I am going to live!!! No need to worry until next time. ;O) XOXO

Happy Tuesday!

Conferences

Last night we had Tanner's conferences. All I can say is wow! I had know idea how different things would be once he got into middle school. Obviously, I knew it would be some what different. I guess I was just not sure what to expect.

Tanner had to give the conference, and then his teachers would come in and talk to us. I thought that the kids received grades for every 9 weeks, but apparently it is ever 6 weeks. Instead of 4 nine weeks, its 6 six weeks, with the ending grade being based on the average of all of the 6 weeks combined. Say what? I must be getting old. It is hard for me to accept these kinds of changes. :O)

I was very happy with Tanner's grades. He had all A's & B's, but of course I had to tell him that they should have all been A's. I want him to keep trying to do his best. His teachers all had good things to say about him. One said he is always smiling, which makes me smile. I am so proud of him.

When we first arrived, he had to show us some pictures of the kids in his grade. They had a picture of each class, and their "class name." The class name, had to start with the teachers first letter of the teachers name. Example, Miah's miracles. Well his class were the "bikers". Which according to Tanner, it was the "Big Bad Bikers." I laughed so stinking hard at these pictures because everyone stood there so nice for the pictures. And then there was Tanner and his friend DJ. Tanner was flashing some kind of sign and trying to look like he was "bad". His friend DJ was standing there with his chest pushed out and his nose in the air. It was hilarious. If you knew my Tanner, you would know that he is harmless and has a super tender heart. He doesn't have a "bad" bone in his body. Judging from the picture, I would have to say that he may just be the class clown. I have no idea where he gets it. ;O)

Have a super weekend ya'll!

Autism fuss

I am sure a lot of you have heard all the talk about autism recently. It is driving me mad. I don't know the actual stats right off the top of my head, but its something like 1 in 150 kids are autistic. Boys seem to be affected more, with a rate being close to 1 in 90. That is some crazy stuff.

Colter will be receiving his MMR shot in a few months. I have been trying to read up on all the articles about whether or not there is a link between autism and the MMR shot. I want to be sure I feel I am informed and make the right decision. I feel a bit sorry for our ped & his nurses. They will be interrogated hard at the next appointment.

On top of all this, the news has been talking about a website with a video library that demonstrates signs of autism. I am telling you, I think this is going to cause a lot of parents to freak. It has certainly caused me some anguish. I have watched most of the videos, and some of the things they show as signs, Colter does. I have never thought that there was anything wrong with him, however, after viewing this website, it has put a hint of doubt in my mind. I think it is an unnecessary. I am not telling you the link if you do not all ready know, because I think everyone may be able to find something on those videos that you can relate to your child. It should in no way be used to diagnose your child. I can see mass hysteria in the near future.

On a happier note, the sitter said Colter said "Hi there!" to her cat again today. Why does everyone else get in on all the fun. I guess the cat is more exciting than poor old mom. :O) Any how, I sometimes find it hard to believe, but today I was shocked when she told me. Every morning, I say to Colter, "Good morning. Hi there. How are you." And after every nap, I also say "Hi there." So he may have indeed said that. Perhaps he will say it to me one day.

That be all for today. Have a terrific Thursday!

This & that, take 2

All though this past weekend was dreary for most, it was darn exciting for a few. I am so happy for my BFF Paula and her family. They made a huge purchase that will change their lives immensely. They purchased a house! Its a four bedroom, two bath, in a little town about 15 minutes from Sioux falls and it has a large yard for the kids & dog to play in. It is a picture perfect family home. The only thing missing is the white picket fence. They are finally getting out of the big city trailer court and into a great community for their children. I am so proud of Jake & Paula. They have both come a long way. I am tickled that they have a great place to raise a family and make some great memories. Congrats to them!

That was my excitement for the weekend. They purchased the house via an estate auction, and as soon as I heard it was theirs, I jumped in my vehicle and burned rubber all the way there. There was no way I could just sit at home and be happy. I had to get there ASAP to give her a big hug, and of course, see her new home. I had hoped to head into Sioux Falls afterwards to find a Halloween costume for Tanner, but I was tired and decided to just head back home.

On Monday, Al wanted to go to Sioux Falls to look at guns so I decided to tag along in the hopes of finding Tanner a costume. For those of you who do not know, my husband is a gun collector. Sigh. I do not know exactly how many he has now, but I think it is too many. I am sure he has way more than I even know about. He "forgets" to tell me of his purchases from time to time. He tries to smooth over his new purchases by saying they are for the kids. I am not sure how many guns a 12 year old needs, but lets just say Tanner has more than enough. I told Al I didn't think he needed any more for a while, so his most recent wanted purchase, he said was going to be for Colter. He does not have any guns yet. Not sure what my 13 month old will do with an AK47, but you never know. I am sure he will have more than his fair share too. Mmmm, I just had a light bulb moment. Al will eventually need another excuse to buy more guns, so perhaps he will need to have another child. ;O)

I did manage to get Tanner a mask at the halloween store in the mall. There stuff was not exactly cheap. I really wanted Colter to be a monkey, but the monkey costume they had was $30.00, and it was just cheesy., The material was very thin, etc. I decided to head over to old navy and what do you know. Their costumes were 50% off. I got him a dragon costume for $12.00 and it is no where near cheesy. I also got some great deals on clothes for myself. I bought 3 pairs of pants for work, and 3 tops, all for under 60 bucks. That is unheard of, to me any way. I never see deals like that. I was super excited. So if your in Sioux Falls, check out old navy.

I have one other thing I wanted to share with you. Someone left some magazines at work and one of them is called All You. I love it! It has some great tips for cleaning, hair, makeup, etc. It has some great recipes and coupons too. I have never heard of it or seen it before, but I am definitely subscribing to this magazine. Ladies, you should check it out.

That's all folks! Have a happy wednesday!

Walkin' with my truck

Last night, I was going 90 folding clothes and picking things up. I kept hearing this noise of Colter moving something across the floor. After I finished folding my clothes I turned around to see him pushing his truck all around the house. I was so excited that he finally figured out what he was suppose to do with it. I bet it won't be much longer before he braves it on his own. I have a short video of the big event. I used my camera because that was right there and handy. The quality is pretty poor, but oh well!

Hope you all have a great week!

This is the title

Caution: This is going to be a very random post. You may experience confusion, dizziness, nausea and a decrease in brain cells. Reader discretion is advised.

Since nothing earth shattering has been happening, I don't have anything really juicy to talk about today. But, I am an addict and need to blog so I will bore you all with random tidbits and thoughts for the week.

Encyclopedia boy has returned. I sometimes have to slap myself when I realize that I am arguing with a 12 year old. I made taco's monday night, and Encyclopedia boy (Tanner) informed me that he did not like the kind of lettuce that I had. He only likes the shredded kind of lettuce. I told him it was the same thing, just cut differently but he was not having it. Shredded lettuce comes from a certain kind of lettuce and it is not the same. I thought you should all know. Don't be fooled by impostor heads of lettuce saying they are the shredded kind. It could happen. Another quick note, almost everything you see on cartoons is a fact, or real.

The paper boy/girl? The one that my babysitter and I were convinced was a boy?. Its a girl. Last friday, we were standing on the step when paper boy/girl came and I notice that it looked like it was wearing a bra. My babysitter said something to paper it, and it answered back in a femme voice. We decided may be it was a girl. Then this past week, there were pictures in the paper of all the carriers with their names. Turns out paper boy/girls name is Misty. Definitely a girl.

The house progress? Nada. Al has been working on getting the garage done, because we will be needing it to work on house stuff when it gets cold. We will need heat, etc. Its a good excuse for him to get his garage done, but I am sure his motives for completing it are not 100% because of the house work. I am guessing more like 15% house, 85% tinkering.

Hopefully, in three more weeks or so, we will be able to pick up the pace on the house. After today's shift, I will officially have two more weeks of nights and then I will be going to days. I am sad and happy. I am sad because I will miss my friend whose shift I will be picking up, and because I really do enjoy working this shift. However, I am so glad I will be going to days because it means I will have more time with my family and Al & I will actually have days off together. Its been a busy and rough year, trying to juggle our schedules. With a new baby, new house, and us hardly seeing each other, it will be a much welcomed changed. I may actually feel like I will have a social life again. And people will not have to worry about having a shotgun shoved in their face when they wake me up during the day. :O)

Ya'll have a super fantastic weekend, ya here!

Domesticated?

I have not posted much this week because it is killing me to sit here. Have you ever had your hip out? If you have, then you know how much fun it can be. I managed to throw mine out again on Monday evening. This is by far the worst it has ever been out. I did go to the bone crusher Tuesday morning, and I can actually walk now, but I think I am going to have to go back for more.

I bet you have had thoughts or are wondering how I threw out my hip. Well, get your mind out of the gutter people. I can't believe I have to admit this, but I was doing laundry when it happened. I threw my hip out picking up a laundry basket. Not too exotic, is it? Unless, you are one of those freaky deaky's who have a bizarre love affair with your washing machine & its spin cycle. If you are, then I got news for you. You are a PERVERT! You need to register on some sort of list.

Enough about that. Not much has been going on lately. I am almost positive that Colter has said a few words. Ball & Hi. I told him to get the ball about three times in a row, and after each time he said bow. I have also thought that he has said Hi to me before, but was not sure. Today the babysitter said he said hi twice to her cat. He is still not walking, just cruising. He loves to climb on things. I often catch him trying to climb the gates. Luckily he can't, but I did see him standing on one of his toys the other day and he was trying to nose dive over the gate. There is never a dull moment. Other than that, not much else to report.

Have a great Thursday!

My Trainie

Just be glad I am not YOUR kids aunt!

Attempts to be sneaky

Why do men try to be sneaky? Don't they know that mom's are all knowing? Don't they know I have eyes in the back of my head? Don't they know that I have a super human memory when it comes to naughtiness. I love the look on Tanner's face when I call him on something. It's one of amazed wonderment and it is priceless.

Normally, Tanner is the one trying to pull the wool over my eyes. I guess Al did not want to miss out on all of the fun. The other day as I pulled into the driveway, I happened to glance up and see this.

I know you are all thinking "Yeah, so?" That would have been my thoughts to, but if you take a closer look, you can see a statue up there. This is a fountain for my yard. It has a little boy & girl on it. Your still saying "Yeah, so?" Well take a closer look at the picture below.

No, this is not a little boy wearing a dress. Its a headless girl making it appear that way. The poor little girl has been decapitated. Her head laying in the filthy pond below. Who could do such a thing? I had a pretty good idea.

I waited a few minutes, and then I approached my husband and asked him casually what happened to the little girls head. His look....priceless. He immediately made a confession, however he stated that it was an accident. He never meant to hurt her. (That's what they all say.) He hid the evidence in the the attic of the garage, with the intentions of gluing her head back on in the hopes that I would never find out. He honestly believed that I would not sense anything was wrong. Well, I guess I showed him. He will be serving a fairly long sentence for this one. :O)

Have a fantastic weekend ya'll!

Father Son Bonding

A great way to bond with your son is to teach him how to change the oil in vehicles. Hopefully, the end result will be that you can pass on the duties to him, right Al?!

Yesterday afternoon, Tanner got the honors of doing his first oil change. Under the close supervision of dad or course. I guess my vehicle was their guinea pig. I have to make a trip to Sioux Falls today, so we will see if Tanner was successful.

It seems so crazy that Tanner is big enough to learn things like this, yet he still seems so young. I must face the fact that in 2 more years, he will be able to drive. SCARY!! Okay, well may be I will try to face it in another year or so. I don't want to think about it now. I find myself thinking he is still a little boy and trying to protect him from everything. I know he still needs guidance, etc, but I think I could loosen the apron strings a little bit more. But I probably won't. :o)

Tanner also attended his first "social" (dance) last week. He was so worried about not having a date. 6th grade people. I told him he did not need a date and he should go with his pals. He finally decided to go. They attended the homecoming game afterwards, and he had a great time. I am so glad he did.

I never did post Tanners school pictures, so here you go.

I think they turned out pretty darn good.

Attack!!

It seems every time I get my camera out these days, this little munchkin attacks. He is always ready for his close up, and if he can't get it, he will knock you down and crawl on top of you. You have been warned!

Parade

This past weekend was a relaxing one and it was much welcomed. As most of you all ready know, our annual parade was on Saturday. I was excited to take Colter but unsure how he would react to the sirens and sitting in his stroller the whole time. He was so good. He just sat there staring the whole time. I took him out of his stroller once, and he got fussy, so I put him back in and he was fine. This was his basically his first parade. I did take him last year, but he was only a month old. I can't wait until next year when he may actually be able to participate in the candy gathering. Well, may be I can.

I was a little disappointed with the parade this year. It seemed there were hardly any bands and the floats were nothing special. It looked like they just threw them together a 1/2 hour before the parade started. Sad. I think next year, I am going to throw together a float and show them what a float is suppose to be. Perhaps it could be the blogger mom float. LOL!!! Yes, I am crazy.

Other than having a glorious cold, not much has been happening. I am planning on getting to Sears to pick up Colters pictures on friday. I have a birthday party to attend on Saturday and I thought it would be nice to get much of my family their pictures then. Then I will have less to mail. So hopefully this next week, the rest of family will be receiving their pics. As long as I don't forget. I still have CRS.

That's all for now. I hope you all have a great Thursday! I leave you with a few pictures of parade day. Enjoy!

Deep in thought

Cousins~ Chase, Brayden, Colter
Ah yes, brotherly love.

Oh Schnikey. I almost forgot. Yesterday was my nephew Chases 2nd Birthday. Happy birthday buddy! You are Aunt Miah's Favorite 2 year old. Love ya!

Your madlibs!!

I was going to just use so many of every ones answers, but how could I do that? You all get to read your own mad lib. I was going to finish Jamie's for her, but I didn't think it was fair since I all ready knew what the mad lib was. You can still finish it if you want to, or we can do a special one just for you! Any way, you have all re-written the lyrics to the song "I will survive". Here are your versions of the song...........

~~Paula's~~

First I was crabby
I was jumped
Kept thinking I could never lick
without you by my toe
But then I spent so many staplers
thinking how you did me wrong
I grew runny
I learned how to get along
and so you`re back
from outer bathroom
I just cooked to find you here
with that old look upon your scalp
I should have changed that stupid sock
I should have made you kick your key
If I had known for just days
you`d be back to throw me

Go on now go eat the door
just turn around now
`cause you`re not hairy anymore
weren`t you the one who hugged to hurt me with goodbye
you think I`d crumble
you think I`d lay down and push
Oh no, not I
I will drag
as long as i know how to love
I know I will stay brown
I`ve got all my sponge to live
I`ve got all my love to build
and I`ll drag
I will drag (hey hey)

It took all the beavers I had
not to read
kept trying hard to mend
the pencils of my broken armpit
and I spent oh so many staplers
just feeling sorry for myself
I used to sleep
Now I hold my eyeball up high
and you see me
somebody new
I`m not that chained up itchy carpet
who fell in love with you
and so you felt like dancing
and just expect me to be shiny
now I`m saving all my protruding
for someone who`s protruding me

~~Erins~~

First I was scared
I was walked
Kept thinking I could never leap
without you by my elbow
But then I spent so many cars
thinking how you did me wrong
I grew juicy
I learned how to get along
and so you`re back
from outer bathroom
I just hammered to find you here
with that long look upon your eye
I should have changed that stupid underpants
I should have made you spray your key
If I had known for just 5 to 7 days
you`d be back to hop me

Go on now go shout the door
just turn around now
`cause you`re not nasty anymore
weren`t you the one who yawned to hurt me with goodbye
you think I`d crumble
you think I`d lay down and bite
Oh no, not I
I will carry
as long as i know how to love
I know I will stay sweet
I`ve got all my cup to live
I`ve got all my love to wash
and I`ll carry
I will carry (hey hey)

It took all the skunks I had
not to draw
kept trying hard to mend
the dice of my broken neck
and I spent oh so many cars
just feeling sorry for myself
I used to talk
Now I hold my lips up high
and you see me
somebody new
I`m not that chained up dry toilet
who fell in love with you
and so you felt like grabbing
and just expect me to be crusty
now I`m saving all my spitting
for someone who`s spitting me

~~Lori's~~

First I was sad
I was tired
Kept thinking I could never run
without you by my arms
But then I spent so many books
thinking how you did me wrong
I grew heavy
I learned how to get along
and so you`re back
from outer home
I just raided to find you here
with that light look upon your legs
I should have changed that stupid shirt
I should have made you see your key
If I had known for just 1 week
you`d be back to feel me

Go on now go taste the door
just turn around now
`cause you`re not bigger anymore
weren`t you the one who waited to hurt me with goodbye
you think I`d crumble
you think I`d lay down and go
Oh no, not I
I will hit
as long as i know how to love
I know I will stay taller
I`ve got all my store to live
I`ve got all my love to take
and I`ll hit
I will hit (hey hey)

It took all the cows I had
not to slept
kept trying hard to mend
the toys of my broken face
and I spent oh so many books
just feeling sorry for myself
I used to sit
Now I hold my head up high
and you see me
somebody new
I`m not that chained up small school
who fell in love with you
and so you felt like walking
and just expect me to be smiley
now I`m saving all my talking
for someone who`s talking me

Mad libs

Do you remember these when you were a kid? I always had to get the new one as soon as it came out in the scholastic book order. My friends and I had a blast with these. We would laugh so hard, our belly's would hurt. I don't know if they would be as fun now, but I am willing to give it a shot. With the help of my blogger pals of course.

I need 33 words, so you are all going to have to give me more than one. Once we get all the words, I'll post the finished mad lib. Here we go..........

1. emotion
2. verb ending in "ed"
3. verb
4. body part
5. noun (plural)
6. adjective
7. place
8. verb ending in "ed"
9. adjective
10. body part
11. article of clothing
12. verb
13. time span
14. verb
15. verb
16. adjective
17. verb ending in "ed"
18. verb
19. verb
20. adjective
21. noun
22. verb
23. animal (plural)
24. verb
25. noun (plural)
26. body part
27. verb
28. body part
29. adjective
30. noun
31. verb ending in "ing"
32. adjective
33. verb ending in "ing"

TGIF!! Have a great day!

The cool kids

I am not really sure how or where to start this post. I really do not like to do downer posts, but this is weighing heavily on my mind this morning. Last night, while I was napping before work, Tanner had a pretty serious Q & A session with his dad. I know his dad probably gave him some great advice, but I still feel the need to put in my two cents. So this meddling momma will have to bring it up over supper this weekend.

Tanner is apparently being picked on at school by the "cool" kids. He has never really been into athletics, but he will try to play on the school yard with them. The "jocks" are mean to him and tell him that he sucks. He thinks that if he goes out for sports, then may be he will be "cool".

We all know the drill, because we have all been there before. Whether you were one of the "cool" kids, a "nerd", a bada$$ or a floater. We all know what a click is all about. As much as I wish this would end, I know that it never will. I have wondered about Tanner's "social" status at school from time to time, but I do not let it consume me. I know how he feels, and I my heart aches for him. But I absolutely do not want him to try to be something he is not, just so he can fit in. I know right now it will not matter much to him, but I happen to think he is a pretty cool kid. To me, cool is what is on the inside. Not how much your bike cost, how many gadgets you have, or how many sports you can play. If you don't have soul, then what good are those things?

Of course I want my children to have more than I did. We all do. But I do not want my children to be materialistic jerks who only think of themselves and how they can top what so & so has. I want my children to have compassion, integrity, self respect, etc. I would rather have my child be a dork with a heart who is respected, than a self absorbed arrogant a$$.

All of our possessions will not matter one bit when we leave this world. They will be sold off, or given to family. Sure, they will think about you when they spend your money, or bump into your old stuff, but that is about it. What happens when the money & stuff is gone? Will you still be remembered?

Instead of being remembered for what I did or didn't have, I would want to be remembered for the things I did, the lives I touched, the kindness I shared, my wonderful :O) personality and perhaps the awesome chip dip I made.

My dreams for my children are that they have a lot of great qualities to fill there sole, not a lot of possessions to fill there garage. I want them to be happy and live fulfilling lives. I hope that I can instill great values, and give them the confidence they need to be okay with who they are.

I am here to tell those "cool" kids and the world, that my Stepson Tanner is one of the coolest kids in the world. If you can not see that, then you better take a step back and perhaps re-evaluate your life. Because you are truly missing out.

God bless you all,
Momma Bear

The incredible shrinking bum

Why is it that the one thing that I don't need to be shrinking......is. I know that I should be grateful that I am obviously making some kind of progress, but come on! I have no bum to begin with.

I am not sure if my mushroom cap is getting bigger or what, because according to my LYING scale, I have not lost any weight recently. Yet, I continuously have to hike up my pants. Will someone please tell my bum that I am not interested in being a plumber. And please explain to me how it is possible that your pants can feel tight, yet you have to wear a belt to keep the backside from falling down. Could it be, my dreaded mushroom cap is pushing my pants down its little stem? How does one rid there self of this disgusting fungus?

I have heard a lot of mom's complain about their hips and bums, but I have never heard of one with my problems. I know I am an odd ball, but why oh why do I have to be all alone too? Right now, I feel like I would rather be shaped like a pear than a mushroom. At least a pear is sweet, and desirable. Mushrooms are just a fungus.

There is a humongous fungus among us.

Oh Happy Day!!

Colters 1 year pictures

I know some of you have been waiting patiently for me to get Colter's pictures done. Well, we did it today. So be checking your mailboxes in a few weeks. I just wanted to share them with you. He did not cooperate to well, but sears did manage to get a few good ones. Enjoy!