Time Out

I found out this morning that maybe, just maybe, the concept of time out is becoming clear to Ian. Whether or not its actually changing his behavior is another story. I walked into the living room and he came running toward me and said, "Mommy, Mommy, cars are on time out." And sure enough, he had turned all of his Cars movie cars over with their faces into the ottoman, so they couldn't see him. (Brett started the whole face to the floor for time out and I really like it, it makes it so Ian can't see all the action going on around him). We will have to see if Ian's cars are learning anything from their time spent on time out.

Happy Recovery, Flaming Kitchen

So apparently, Brett thought that since I was feeling better and about to actually start doing dishes and laundry again, that I needed a big project to do...

Tuesday night, we were going to try cooking something new, Jagerschnitzel, a german dish that is to die for. Anyway, Brett will tell you its my fault that this happened, cause I "made" him mad and he was distracted, but that's really not the case. We actually don't really know why this time the oil in the pan burst into flames, but it did. It happened so fast and I was thankful we were in the kitchen at the time and saw it happen, cause if we were in the living room like we normally are, we wouldn't have a kitchen. Also, if we hadn't happened to buy a fire extinguisher on clearance at walmart, we wouldn't have most of a house.

It went from, "umm brett, its on fire" to Ian screaming and running into the other room and the house billowing with 4 feet of smoke with the smoke alarms blaring in less than a minute. Luckily, Brett actually knew how to use the fire extinguisher, cause I was squeezing the wrong lever and was a bit ditracted making sure Ian and Corban weren't freaking out (really more like, I was freaked out and would have been the idiot running to hide in the closet in the darkest hallway in the house, rather than out the door in to the party in all those third rate horror films). So while Brett, was our own personal firefighter, the boys and I huddled outside on the back porch.

After all the excitement was over, we waited for the smoke to clear a bit, opened all the widows and then packed our smoke smelling family into the car at 8:00pm and headed to our favorite little mexican restaurant in Draft and finally fed our children dinner.

Yesterday, I spent all day cleaning counters, walls, and doing 6 loads of dishes. Everything inside the cabinets has a film of smoke and fire extinguisher crud on them. So every cabinet is being emptied and scrubbed down. Cause, really I needed to do this level of spring cleaning when I have 5 loads of laundry waiting or me upstairs and dirty kleenexes strewn across the living room. But such is life. Hopefully, today, everything will be done, except the repainting and I can go back to normal cleaning. Also, we have to go to Target and get a new fire extinguisher, so that I can see if my stove works. I'm not turining it on until I have a way to put out another fire! So, Happy Recovery to Me!

Sicky Sickos

We are in a house of grossness! It started last week with Corban. Wednesday night he scared the daylights out of me when his lips and toes turned blue and he was limp and lethargic. He was breathing just fine, but I was still ready to throw naked Ian and the entire family into the car and go to the ER. But I called my doctor first, who immediately (within 2 min of calling her answering service) called me back and calmed me down. She said he most likely had a fever and was still just cold after his bath a half hour earlier. She walked me through a few other things, but the most important thing was his fever. It was 102.5 and explained a lot. We had a rough night because his fever climbed to 104.5 and he could not sleep. I took him to the Dr, the next morning, just to make sure his ears were okay (another story, but the short version is that we are currently on the wait and see if either boys ears ever get better so they don't have to go to the ENT next month) and to make sure this is just a virus. His ears actually looked good! YAY!! But poor little guy really didn't feel good and wouldn't let me put him down at all. So my arms got a bit more buff on Thursday and then on Friday I woke up with a 102 fever. Corban still had one too, but was feeling a little better and actually played a little on the floor, while I tried to stay conscious enough to make sure my children were safe and alive. Brett was able to come home early at about 5 and luckily had the weekend off. So he spent the weekend taking care of gross sick me and sort of gross Corban. He and Ian went to church yesterday and apparently Ian was a perfect angel during sacrament and just listened while he sat next to his daddy. He also wanted to wear a tie like his daddy. Anyway, I am now in the process of getting better, meaning I don't have a fever, but still feel like I've been hit by a bus! This virus is a weird one though, because not only did it start with a cough, get slammed in the middle by a high fever, somewhere during the second day you end up nauseous as heck, but starving to death, and have ow-ie stomach pains that are somewhat reminiscent of appendicitis. So, hopefully Ian's mellowness today does not mean fever tomorrow and hopefully Brett doesn't get it either. Also since we're hoping, I hope Corban and I miraculously feel so good by tomorrow that we could do jumping jacks in the rain we're supposed to get!

I'm back again

Okay, so its been quite awhile since I've actually blogged. But I think I'm back. I was so frustrated with our old computer and its stupid keyboard and not enough digital memory of something like that, that I finally gave up trying to do anything on it. Now we have a hand me down laptop that has its own issues, but its so much better than what we had. So I will try to be better, not that anyone will actually read this, but at least I can count it as keeping a journal. So quick update, my boys are getting so big. It amazes me how much language Ian has. He walks up to me and comes out with this complete sentences that just amaze me. Corban will be 10 months on wednesday, I can't believe it. He also took his first steps last week. He hasn't done it again, but it won't be long. I can stand him up and let go and he stays standing for a little bit. I just can't believe how fast it goes. I mean everyone says that, but its really true. As soon as I get this comp to let me upload pictures from my camera, I will post some and maybe a video of my boys. But, that is if I can get the comp to recognize the camera cause of course I don't have my software anymore!

My New Free Piano

Okay so everyone always teases me about being addicted to craigslist. I do admit I check our two cities daily (usually more than once), and then cause I've done that I check out April's, and Wilmington's, and even occasionally Gainesville's. But my addiction has paid off! I was the first to call about a free piano listed in harrisonburg. It is a Brewster upright grand piano built in 1910. I went to see it expecting it to be really beat up and maybe not playable, but its beautiful and has now been in my living room for 4 hours. Ian thinks it is a cool new toy, and I wish he wasn't sleeping so I could play with it more. I do admit it is huge and takes up a lot of space, but it was free. All it took was $6 for piano dollies, a tank of gas, and a wonderful friend with a truck, a trailer, and some muscles to help my wonderfully buff husband get it here! We are so excited to have it. Now I need to get motivated to practice and be a better piano player so I can play songs for my kiddos!

I haven't forgotten my blog, I just have more of a life!

Okay, okay so those of you who keep asking for more, though I'm not sure why, here it is. WE HAVE FRIENDS!! I know i'm a little excited, but it is exciting. and i'm going to use our friends as an excuse of why i haven't written in two weeks. I'm getting a little more adult interaction in during the days and so i'm a little less of a frazzled mom. Also, our nights are getting taken, for example, last week was my birthday and jake and emily watched the boys and we actually went out for a nice dinner without small children. Thursdays are now basketball nights, and the girls are actually trying to convince me to play when they start again in jan. I have tried to tell them they really don't want me, but they don't seem to believe me when i tell them about my lack of eye hand coordination. Mom/April I made need one of you to send a note to make them believe me. So then last friday we got to play games (with our friends) and sat hung out with my beloved Chels, and sun brett was of course working so I went to our friends' house. See, I have a lot less frazzled mom time and it is wonderful. Oh I forgot to mention Tues is now soccer day. Brett had his first soccer game and didn't have a heart attack, YAY!, but did bang up his knee pretty badly. Right now its about twice its normal size and pretty bruised underneath the huge crusty scabby part, but he had fun :)

So having friends is pretty much the highlight of the last two weeks, also actually starting Corban on solids, and Ian pooping in the potty for the first time today (we hope he makes it a habit)! Its the little things in life that make me happy!

6 minutes

This week has really been a target widow week. Brett goes in before 7 and hasn't been home before 8. What really stinks is that tonight, he has no idea when he will be home and the next 3 days will be the same. Add into this equation that we are in the middle of potty training Ian, are supposed to start solids for Corban as per his GI, and we are having Target people (including Brett's boss) over to our house either Friday or Saturday and so I have been painting trim all day with both boys either crying, throwing up, or peeing all over the house. Its been a little rough. Ian is finally having dinner (a microwaved corn dog) right now (8pm). I am considering making broccoli too, so don't think I don't feed my kids veggies.

I guess I'm really writing right now, not because of brett being gone, but because of what happened today. The crowning moment of today, which just makes me mad, well I guess bitter is a better word, or hostile towards, was a relief society skit practice. First off, I said yes when asked to participate before I knew this ward didn't offer a nursery at big things like a visiting teaching conference. So I have to go and I have no one to watch the boys, because everyone I would ask will be there and Brett will be at Target. So I'm a little upset because I'm stuck, and then they wanted to practice this week. I let them know that would be fine, but I would have the boys. No big deal according to them. So after painting all day, Ian and I hop into the shower to clean off, and I leave a few minutes later than I wanted to. Well my phone rings when I'm about a minute away from church and its 6:06. Its the person in charge of the skit wanting to know if I am on the way, have I left yet, when will I be there. I was very nice and told here I was turning into the church. 6 minutes late, really that's not that bad. Its not late enough to call and track down someone is it? I mean really there is a big huge spot of paint in the middle of my hallway carpet from a toddler, there are crunched up stomped on goldfish on my living room floor, in my life 6 minutes late is on time. I walk into the gym ready to practice, put Corban in my wrap and I'm ready to go (6 min late!). Apparently bringing my kids threw everyone off but me though. Who cares if I have to read my part while me finger is in Corban's mouth and ian is trying to climb up my body to get on the stage, its not a distraction its how I live. So lets move on get this practice over with so maybe I can feed my children. Anyway, the whole 6 minutes late things really just set me off. I'm doing all I can and trying not to back out of the skit, since who knows where my children will be, can't you cut me 6 minutes of slack?

Anyway, tonight I am hoping to be able to hop into my huge tub (one of the reasons we bought this house) after bedtime and drowning my sorrows (or in actuality soreness, spit up, and pee) away. Calgon please please take me away!