Sunday, July 27, 2008

The Good News is...


I was excited to sit and blog tonight before heading off to bed, then I read Emilee's and Angie's blog. Now, I am not excited to sit and blog about NOTHING. They both had a lovely post about camping and hiking, sleeping in tents, and enjoying the summer. The most exciting thing for me to blog about is the fact that I have strep throat. When I say exciting thing, I am being totally serious. I cannot even remember the last time I went to the doctor for a problem and had them say such wonderful words such as, "oh, yes, your strep test is positive". I almost started cheering. Infection = antibiotics = getting better fast. I had a horrible sore throat a few years ago, I was sure it was strep, I thought I was going to die. I went to the doctor 3 times over the course of 10 days, each time sure the previous doctor didn't swab my throat quite right. The point is 10 days to kick a virus, 2 days with antibiotics and I am almost cured. So that is the good news.

The bad news is that I am back to the fertility doctor this week. Another round of shots and I am sure we will talk about doing the insemination again. That scares me. I wasn't sure if I should go back or not. Part of me wants to believe if it is supposed to happen it will, while the other part of me worries that maybe it is supposed to happen, but for whatever reason, I need some help. I keep seeking advice out from everyone I know (advice and comments are always welcome). I was told this week from a family member of mine with one child to keep trying and do what it takes. This means a lot and made me feel like we were on the right track with going back to the doctor. So Friday it is.

Here are a few highlights of the last few weeks.

Owen and I went to Kayak Point Park and had a wonderful time. We walked in the water, threw rocks in, saw little baby crabs, watched boats come back from crabbing, touched a big crab that someone was throwing back, played on the playground, and sat on a log and ate a peanut butter sandwich. Owen wanted to leave because he said I forgot to bring him some Cheetos. He wanted to go get some and come right back and sit on the log. He fell asleep before we were even close to the store. Cheetos for sure next time.





We went to dinner with Mitsugu, Rosa, and Sasha and anyone who knows Gu will appreciate this... Owen was asking all of their names, Gu told Owen to call him Tiger. Later Gu and Owen were outside together playing in a sandbox, Gu asked Owen what his name was, Owen of course said Tiger. He told me for days he had fun with his new friends, Rosa, Sasha, and Tiger. It was great to see them and spend some time together. We ate yummy food at the Beach Cafe.

This isn't really a highlight, but a major part of the week.. I was watching tv around 1:00 am. I notice a slight movement on the wall behind the tv. I look over and the world's biggest spider is crawling down the wall. "AAAAAHHHHHH", I scream. "Greg, are you awake? Greg wake up, I need your help!". Imagine a snail moving along the sidewalk, well Greg was slower than that. "um, would you mind hurrying up a bit, the spider is crawling faster than you are moving and if he gets away, I will be devastated, but of course, thanks for waking up and helping me". (I figured I shouldn't be mean to the only one who is actually going to kill this spider for me). He attempts to hit him with a shoe, the demon runs away. Greg swears he sees him so we spray the area with bug spray. I am sure the monster is free and watching me now as I type, waiting for his moment.

Owen and I met up with Kristi, Robee, Felix and my dad at the Silvana fair. I cannot give this fair justice by explaining just how small it really was. You really had to be there. You could basically visit every booth, every animal enclosure, every food booth and sit down to rest all in about 30 minutes. Owen ate kettle corn, fries, a snow cone, a honey stick, licorice, and a bag of cheetos. He had fun.

I am still not convinced that he really has fun riding ponies at these events....

I do know however, that he LOVED sitting on the big Lawnmowers. In fact, he told me that lawnmowers are his BEST. (his way of saying his favorite)


Owen and Ben ended the week by mowing the lawn together.





Friday, July 25, 2008

Is it Honesty?

I bought this new shirt at Target. It is a cute little black tank-top. A little different than other clothes I have, but I was quite happy with my purchase. Owen was watching Little Einsteins, I got dressed and sat at my computer. A few minutes passed and he turned around and looked at me and said with his nose all scrunched up, "mommy, why are you wearing that?". "Because it is my new shirt, do you like it?" "NO!". "You don't like it? Why not?" "Because it looks funny and you should wear a different shirt, I will go find you one".

The amazing part of the story comes now.. I am sitting here thinking, well, maybe he is right, maybe I should change my shirt. Hmmm, do I really look funny. Wait, he is 2, he has no idea what he is talking about....maybe I should just head over to the mirror for one last check, just to make sure. I should have left the tag on.

What absurdities lie within this story!! He is 2, almost 3, what does he know about what shirt looks cute on his mom, but yet, I am now and I am afraid I will remain, self-conscious in my so cute new shirt. I will now continue to ponder, throughout the day and I am sure at times in the days to come, if perhaps he does know what he is talking about and he is the only one brave enough to mention it.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

I Will Eat My Bread if I Want To

"Mommy, I want some bread"

"Owen, I want you to eat a taco first and after you eat your taco, you can have a piece of zucchini bread".

He marches over to the counter and reaches up to get the bread anyway.

"Owen, I do not want you to eat bread before dinner"

As he is picking up the bread, Greg takes the bread and puts in on top of the fridge. Not be stopped, Owen slides over a chair and reaches with all he has up towards the top of the fridge. The bread is still looming at the top and he says he really really wants some bread.


"You can have some bread after dinner".

He looks around with a plan in his head. He glances over to the counter. Greg is making tacos with various supplies and ingredients. If I could read his mind, I am sure it would say something like this... "so I can't reach the bread, I really want this bread, I really want to do exactly what my mother doesn't want me to do, I must figure out how to get that bread down. let me see, ah ha... the CHEESE!

I will stand on the cheese!! Brilliant!".

He still couldn't reach, but figured he was onto to something. He grabbed a bag containing squash and zucchini and placed the bag on the cheese. Greg didn't want his lunch for tomorrow to be used as a stool so he gently persuaded Owen away from this potentially life threatening line of reasoning.

He ate his taco, forgot about the bread, took a bath, snuggled with his mom and was asleep at 7:45.

I should have just given him the bread.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Free At Last

I did it, I canceled my gym pass. Why, you ask? Well, for starters, I haven't been in about 10 months. Yes, that is right, I have been paying 27.00 per month to have a gym pass in my purse. It isn't whether I actually go that is the driving force of my justification to keep the silly thing, but rather, holding on to the idea that I can go. And for that, I have continued to pay 27.00 per month. I always believe this week will be different. I have no idea why I feel that after teaching yoga 4 days a week, and trying to find the smallest amount of time to get my ever piling work done with Owen constantly asking me to play with him, that I will suddenly find 2 hours in my life to attend the gym (which is 30 minutes away, hence the 2 hours (no, I do not work out for 2 hours)).

So, I finally decided it was time to admit defeat. I am not going to use my gym pass. The freedom of ability to go must be taken away. This is how it went... Attempt 1: Dial number, listen to recorded message say, "if you are calling to cancel your membership, please call your local club". Hang up phone, open Internet to get number, pass through msn.com on my way to the number, read article, get up from computer make Owen lunch, forget all about gym pass. Attempt 2: Notice deduction on bank statement that allows me to call 24 hour Fitness "my gym". Open Internet, look up number, call number to make sure I still call the local club. Confirm what I already knew. Call local club... "hello, I would like to cancel my membership", "uh, uh, ok, uh, you need to talk to a manager but can you call back in 15 minutes". "uh, I guess". Hang up phone, forget all about gym pass an eternity of 15 minutes later. Attempt 3: Notice deduction on bank statement for the prison that I like to call the gym. Call local club..."hello, i would like to cancel my membership". "Uh, ok, you need to sign something, so you need to come in". "oh, that is weird". Immediately plan day to make it to the gym to win this battle titled "Do not let that girl out of her membership under any circumstances". Drive to gym with Owen, go in.."hi, I want to cancel my membership", "oh, ok, let me do that... ok, here is your receipt" "is there something for me to sign?" "no". "Owen, don't get a gym pass." "Mommy, why didn't you tell them that you don't want to ever go in there anymore".

The gym, or perhaps the idea of the gym, and I are no longer. I am a little lighter now than before. I realize now that the pass in the purse, and the monthly deduction are constant tortures to myself. Constant feelings of guilt that I chose to go to bed rather than get in an 11:00 pm workout. I am freed. Now I can replace the feelings of guilt and torture with the idea that I don't go to the gym because I can't. No other reason. Ahhhh, peace at last.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Busy Busy

There always seems to be so much going on, every day there are many "blog" moments. I have a million pictures to post and a million things to write about. Then, with each passing day that I do not write, the moments pile on each other and if I were to write about all of them, the post would be too long to hold anyone's attention (it may be anyway). I will try to pick and choose the highlights.

Working backwards...

Yesterday (Saturday):
Greg and I went out to dinner last night to Red Lobster. I can honestly say that we have only been to dinner without Owen a few times (if that) since he was born. We just don't do it. In any event, he went to Noni's house (he calls her Non). He has been looking forward to going over there for a week. I told him yesterday that he finally got to go to her house last night. He said, "it is Saturday night?". He has been waiting for Saturday night. He said goodbye without any problems while they made themselves a peanut butter sandwich. An appetizer before the pizza. Greg and I had a nice dinner and the salmon I ate was delicious! We stopped by Old Navy on our way back and we (or some may say I) couldn't resist buying the pink jelly flip flops. I love Jelly Shoes! Angie of course got a pair for her heroic efforts to watch wild child. We got back a mere 2 hours later and Angie, Steve, and their friend Beth looked exhausted. They read books about lawn mowers, they tried to add eyes and hats to the little balls she bought, (of which they said the glue sucked and no one can figure out why you would sell a kit that has absolutely no chance of working), they stamped, they played with his toys he packed in his Thomas backpack, they sang songs and threw the little balls with no hats or eyes at the window and laughed, they ate pizza and bread, they played hide-and-seek with a stuffed dog, they rolled up in a blanket like a burrito and then ate each other with a fork, they ate cheese at Owen's request to help his tummy stop hurting, and they pretended that Angie's 4 inch gnome was the Giant from his favorite Little Einstein episode. Angie did not disappoint!! Thank you for taking care of my little friend and loving him the way you do. The hats worked just fine for Owen

Friday, July 4th.
We had a nice day hanging out together. We headed to Everett with Angie in the afternoon, it was a nice cool day (sorry to those of you in the heat) with nice music, and a bit of food (not enough to keep Greg and Steve there very long). We headed back home and had a BBQ with everyone (now Greg and Steve were happy). We finished eating and headed over to the Duck Dash. They usually put the ducks in the river and the winner wins $5,000. We went to see the ducks float down to the end (it is quite a site) and claim our winnings. We are 0 for 2. The river was too high so they took the ducks, placed them in a field and blindfolded someone who went out and picked the winning ducks. No swimming ducks. Then someone else won. No winnings. Owen asked me on the way home if we went to the Duck Dash. I told him we did. He looked confused and said "No we Didn't." He was right, it isn't the same without 7,000 rubber ducks floating down the river. We came back and had a lovely firework show after a rough go at getting a fire going. We didn't have any firewood, but no worries, it is only 11:00 pm, we will just get out our trusty chainsaw and make our own firewood.


It wasn't enough, no worries still, it is still early, Ben can just chop up some wood for the fire.



The fire was going, now Ben could put on the show.


Ben had the fireworks all set up and ready to go.
We ate smores, although, Angie and I did not. Our 30 days of no sweets is still going strong (even after a small discussion to give us a holiday on a holiday).

The next day, Greg and Owen went out and loaded up the extra wood in Owen's lawn mower. Owen was so proud to realize that his lawn mower was functional.

Wednesday and Monday:

I went back to the doctor on Monday for updates on the fertility tests we had been having done. Things seemed fine. I had an ultrasound to check the size of the follicles. They weren't big enough so I had to come back on Wednesday (I am not even sure I know what they weren't big enough for). I brought Owen with me on Wednesday figuring it would only take 2 seconds (which it did). I wanted to take him so we could go play at a park and make my 45 minute drive be for more than 2 seconds. He had a toy to play with while I had the ultrasound (which is similar to a yearly exam - not on the outside). He barely noticed what was going on, the nurse distracted him and it was done in 2 seconds. He was very good. The doctor left and I said let's go. He said, "the doctor make your bum all better?". "Uh, get your toy and let's go find some lunch". Luckily that was the end of that. That was scary. I was informed by the doctor that the follicles were big enough for a "trigger shot" (to force ovulation). They gave me a shot that hurt for days. I have three booster shots to give myself over the next week. I wasn't even sure I wanted the shot, but it all happened so quickly. It may be time for a break from the doctor.



Tuesday:
Greg gave me this band to go with my ring, HOORAY!!

July 1st was our 5 year anniversary. We have been together 10 years!! It seems like just yesterday I went over to Greg's house to hang out with our mutual friend Clint. We were all friends in high school but Greg and I had an interesting relationship. We did have a lot of fun together, but I remember thinking at one time as I shook Greg's hand as he boarded a plane to Panama - we have nothing in common, I am sure I will never see him again. I had been talking to Clint over the summer and was about to move to Provo for law school. He had asked me to come and see him before I moved. I called over there and Greg answered. He was Clint's roommate. He told me that while Clint wasn't home, I could come over and wait with him. Kristi and I were in town together so she dropped me off. I went in and Greg and I started talking, we waited for Clint. We kept waiting and talking. Eventually it started getting late and Clint still wasn't home. Greg said he would take me back to Centerville. We drove home and talked. We sat outside my house in his car and talked some more. He came inside and there we were. This was weird and yet it wasn't all at the same time. It had been a long time since we sat there together. There was no denying that we were going to kiss. It was obvious, it always was. We did and we never looked back.

Greg, I love you more now than the day I married you. You are everything I could ever ask for or want. I will keep loving you forever. (even if you did cuddle with Steve at the baseball game..)

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Okay, I Will Play

Here are some questions that Owen answered.....

1. What is something that Mom always says to you? Lets go outside (I think he was confused by the question. I imagine he thought I said, What do you always say to Mommy
2. What makes mom happy? Daddy
3. What makes Mom Sad? Ben (HA HA HA HA, Ben was sitting next to Greg and it was the logical answer since Daddy was the answer for the last question)
4. How does Mom make you laugh? Say HI BEN
5. What was Mom like as a child? (The other answers were hard enough to get, I am not even trying on this one)
6. How old is your Mom? 2 (and he informed me that Ben is 2, Daddy is 2, and he is 2. He was very pleased that we are all 2)
7. How tall is your Mom? THIS BIG!
8. What is her favorite thing to do? Play in my room
9. What does you're Mom do when you are not around? Stay home
10. If your Mom becomes Famous what will it be for? (Again, not even trying on this one)
11. What is your Mom really good at? Drinking (ha ha ha again! He looked at the water cooler when he answered this)
12. What is your Mom not really good at? Driving (That is even more funny, nothing around here that would make him say that, hmmmm?)
13. What does your mom do for her Job? Work
14. What is your Mom's favorite food? Chicken and Fries
15. What makes you Proud of your Mom? Play in my room
16. If your Mom were a cartoon Character who would she be? June from Little Einsteins
17. What do you and your mom do together? Watch Little Einsteins, go outside, and I like to ride my bike and my lawnmower
18. How are you and your Mom the same? (He ran away)
19. How are you and your Mom different? (and yet still gone)
20. How do you know that your Mom loves you? Play in my room

As you can see, he loves to play in his room. In FACT, he is gone now. He told Ben he really wanted to play with trains in his room. I heard Ben say that he couldn't go downstairs because he had to go out to the barn. Then suddenly they were both gone. He is so persuasive.

Ben was holding Owen and eating a plum. I told Owen to try the plum. He licked it to start. Then, he took a small bite. Mmmm he said and Ben put him down. He walked up to Ben a few seconds later and informed Ben he would just try the plum. He took it away from him, took a big bite and then told Ben there were more plums in the fridge if he wanted one.