A Day In the Life of....

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to live someone else's life for a day? Well, let me tell you about a typical day in my life then you may realize yours is fine just the way it is. This morning P woke up an hour before he typically does, which always starts the day off in a fun way. He was cranky so he threw some of his breakfast on the floor. After cleaning that up we played for awhile. Since we were visiting my parents, my dad woke up and offered to watch P while I took a quick shower. While in the process of shaving my legs, all of a sudden the shower curtain was pulled back. There stood P in all his glory. A second later I heard my dad come in the bathroom. Trying to quickly cover myself and thinking how weird it was that my dad and son were in the bathroom while I was in the shower made me knick myself with the razor.....on my butt. Yes, you read that correctly and there is no other description to give so I will continue. Fast forward to the car ride home. P was so tired that he fell asleep shortly after we got on the freeway. About a half hour later I had to go to the bathroom so bad I had tears in my eyes. I feared waking P when I stopped so I pulled off an off ramp (I would've had to get him out of the car, hence waking him if I had stopped at a rest area or gas station). I eased the door open and then found a nice patch of trees that I thought would hide me. As I was pulling up my pants, I heard a car approaching and I have no doubt that the driver got mooned as he/she passed. When we were about a half hour from Reno P woke up and started screaming. This continued for most of the way home because he thinks this is a great way to get attention (99% of the time I ignore it). We picked up Ruby at the vet/kennel and Holly growled at her most of the way up the hill.
After unloading the car I was hoping to relax. Wrong! Ruby had been in a kennel for 2 1/2 days so she had energy to burn. Somewhere outside she found water and/or mud and covered herself in it. Then she kept doing "drive bys" on the neighbor's chicken coop. This is while P was opening all the DVD cases, taking them out and throwing them on the ground. I finally put P down for nap #2 of the day when he kept pulling the Wii sensor off and flinging it around. Luckily, Ruby had worn herself out enough to lay down so I could get a much needed nap.
Once we all woke up, P and I went down the hill for groceries. It took awhile leaving the house because Ruby has separation anxiety. She followed my car down the road. So I had to turn around and come back. I tried putting her in the garage but that didn't work so I put her in the kennel where she proceeded to bark and whine as I pulled away. At the grocery store, P decided his screaming tantrum was fun and tried it out a few times much to the dismay of other shoppers. I ignored it and prayed that I'd never see any of the people again.
We got home and I started making dinner. I thought it'd be good to feed Ruby during this time so I could put groceries away while the pizza was baking. As I turned toward the refrigerator I saw P start grabbing food out of Ruby's bowl. She realized she had competition and started eating her food as fast as she could get it in her mouth. P tried to get a few handfuls but Ruby and I were too quick. Once dinner was ready I let Ruby out. Soon I heard the neighborhood dogs barking up a storm so I scrafed down the rest of my meal (cleaned P's off the floor) and ran outside to get Ruby. I called her back but she wouldn't come so I had to walk to the neighbors' and get her. When she came back in the house she mistook P's toys for her own. As I wrestled them away from her P decided that the Bacon Bits made a fun maraca while he danced. Somewhere halfway into the song he got a little too into dancing and fell, landing on the Bacon Bits container. He got a cut under his eye and it may result in a black eye. I got him cleaned up and then went back to wrestling toys from Ruby.
Even though P had had a good nap this afternoon I thought, for my own sanity, it'd be good for him to call it a day and go to bed. After reading a few books and saying his prayers I put him in bed. As I filled up the top part of his humidifier Ruby drank what was left in the bottom and P stood in his crib, throwing his stuffed animals on the ground. Ah, that is a normal everyday day for me. So, wanna trade your life for mine just for a day? Pretty please! :)

Happily Ever After

Monday we got home from a weekend with Rob. Monday night I unpacked and repacked. Tuesday morning we got up and drove another 100+ miles. This time it was to visit grandma and BobBob. We only stayed one full day but we made the most of that day. Despite the 100+ degree temps we made a trip to Fairytale Town. When we first got there P was into the animals, especially the cow and sheep. But then in the distance his eye caught something that far surpassed any animal. It was an old red train! He climbed on that thing and played for almost an hour. He got bullied off it one time by some big kids, at which point we went to the slides. But as soon as we went back by the train he was on it again in a flash! It amazed me that, although there were things to climb on and slide down, he was perfectly content turning the steering wheel on the train. I have no doubt that if mommy, grandma and BobBob hadn't been melting in the heat (We used all the extra water to douse him so he'd stay cool), P would've gladly stayed in Fairytale Town, on the red train, and lived happily ever after!

One Craziness After Another

I don't know what the deal is but for some reason P and I can't visit Rob without something crazy going on. This weekend was one crazy thing after another. We got there Friday and everything was fine. In fact, Saturday was fine as well....until dinner time. We decided to try a different basque restaurant in another town. I ordered pasta and Rob got the prime rib. Upon leaving we decided to take a little drive to see a different part of the state. About 15 minutes into the drive I asked Rob to pull over because I wasn't feeling well. I got out but nothing came up so we proceeded on our way. Although I still wasn't feeling well, I was coping. That is until we got back to the trailer. For the next several hours I was sicker than a dog. I couldn't even keep water in my system! Sunday morning I woke up feeling weak, but better. Unfortunately, I was kind enough to share whatever I had with Rob. He was super sick yesterday!
After he got off work (yes, he worked even though he was throwing up) we drove an hour or so away to get our new puppy. She is a yellow lab that was abandoned at the base of the Ruby Mountains. The vet that checked her over guessed her to be about a year. She is sweet, beautiful and gets along with P so we're very happy to add Ruby as a new addition to the Herrington household. (Holly's still out on this one as she has not warmed up to her quite yet) After we got back to the trailer Rob was still not feeling well so we all called it an early night. Lucky for me we did because I woke up with the worst migraine at 1am. I took migraine medicine at 3am but it didn't subside enough for me to go back to sleep until 4am. Even then I didn't really sleep much.
This morning I wanted to get an early start because I wanted to get home to clean, do laundry and get the dogs acquainted. Everything was going as planned....until my last load from the tailer to the car. I had left a few essentials in the trailer, such as my purse, the trailer keys and of course Preston. As I pulled the trailer door, it didn't give as usual. It was locked! I could hear Preston inside so I was trying to get him to unlock the door (something he knows how to do quite well when we don't want him to). I kept calling, "Preston!" and I'd hear his high pitched reply, "Yes?". I tried Peek-a-boo but he'd just look out the window and get all excited when he saw me. The first few minutes of the little game was fun but after a half hour or so I was getting frantic. I couldn't get any of the windows open and P was not helping with the door. So, I pulled my Yukon up to the trailer and used to climb up to the window P was at. He just smiled as I pulled on the window. I couldn't get it open quite far enough so I scrounged around for something to aid me. I found a hammer and used the end of it to wedge the window open just enough to reach the dial. I was able to squeeze my hand in and turn it until I got the window open. Unfortunately, I had to tear the screen to get in but it was worth it. P thought it was a fun game and even squealed and clapped when I landed face first on the bed after my last big shove through the small opening. All in all, it was a crazy yet memorable weekend. One, where although I questioned it at moments, ended on a good note.

So Surreal

I started thinking about life today during my down time at work. And I came to the conclusion that our life is so surreal. I was reading about a celebrity couple that's been together for 4 years, which by Hollywood standards is a long time. Then I realized that Rob and I have been together for 3 1/2. It seems like just yesterday we were meeting at Chilis for the first time.

Last year at this time P couldn't sit up or even have anything other than formula. Now he leaves the room when he has to fill his diaper because somewhere along life's road he's learned that's the appropriate thing to do. (He also bangs on things to cover up the grunting noises, which always makes me laugh) He's also learning how to use utensils when he eats...something that may take awhile to perfect but he's well on his way! He can also say 6 words and I'm sure he says more. I just haven't figured out what they mean.

Life seems to be happening in the blink of an eye. Pretty soon Rob and I will have gray hair (ok that's already happened but I mean a lot of gray hair), sitting on a porch swing talking about when P was getting potty trained or riding his trike (another thing he's learning to do). I want it all to slow down because, like I said, it's all surreal!

Mommy of the Year

Although I strive for "Mommy of the Year" every day, sometimes I fall short. Sometimes, like tonight, I fall flat on my face! Preston has been fussy lately because of his cold. The nights, after dinner, are the worst. Since he has not been outside much lately I decided to take him on a walk/run so he could get some fresh air and I could get some much needed exercise. When we left the house is was 71 degrees, according to the thermometer on my SUV. I figured we were ok because we were both in workout pants. When we got to our destination I put Preston's hoodie on him before putting him in his stroller, but he didn't have socks on. We set out, looking at the mustangs and dogs. By the time we turned the corner to head back to the car the temperature had dropped and the wind had picked up. Preston was crying so I started running, despite the little boy that had joined our walk. He was telling me every fact he had learned on the Discovery Channel in the past 9 years. Preston was crying and horses were running all around us. What a sight! I was getting cold so waved good bye and ran faster. That caused the wind to blow in Preston's face even more, causing him to cry even harder. When we finally got to the car the sun had dipped behind the hills, causing the temperature to drop 10 degrees in 45 minutes! Before bundling him up in his carseat I blew on his little ice cube feet to warm them up. We got home and once he saw his trike he forgot about being cold. He was a happy camper once again! As a parent some days everything goes perfect while some days nothing goes as planned. But, it's all part of a learning process and I learned that next time we take an evening Fall walk to look at horses I will be more prepared for cooler weather.

Getting Back to Normal

Friday I got a call from daycare that P had a fever of over 102 and needed to be picked up immediately. I was completely stressed because I was trying to get report cards finished despite many glitches with the new program. I also needed to get ready for parent conferences and prep things for this week. But, I dropped everything to go get our lil man and take him to the doctor's office. Our usual pediatrician was out so we got a different person, someone I was not impressed with in the least. This doctor informed us that it was a cold and his fever would go away within a few days. So, without any real answers that I liked, we took our sick lil guy home. Luckily, Rob was here to help out SOOOOOOOO much. I had a baby shower that I had to go to on Saturday so Rob had a father/son day. P wasn't feeling well so it was a day of cuddles and naps. P's fever fluctuated between 103 and 104 most of the day. We had planned to go to dinner but since P wasn't feeling well we decided against it. Now, for those that know me well, know that I have a guilty conscience. People can-and do-make me feel guilty for a lot of different things. However, no one but myself made me feel guilty for leaving P when he was sick. I guess it's a mom thing but I was near tears by the time I started up the hill (and was wishing we didn't live so far out). Yesterday was a lot of the same with P being sick and I was getting stresed. My teaching partner is on maternity leave and I'm covering for her. That means I'm responsible not only for teaching our class full time but for parent conferences and report cards, which started today. Rob realized I was stressed and graciously offered to call in a family sick day so he could stay home with P. What a relief! However, that relief wasn't present this morning when P got up and had the highest fever he's ever had. Rob immediately took over and promised me updates as I left for work. Once again the mommy guilt set in and I cried most of the way to work. PTL P got better as the day progressed. By the afternoon his fever had pretty much diminished and he was more like himself. When I got home I took him out to his swing set so he could get some much needed fresh air. Then he played in his play room and we had a dance party. All the playing caused his fever to return (around 101) so we settled down, took a bath and it went back down. After not eating much since Friday he ate 3 helpings of Mac N Cheese (something I'm getting tired of but I knew it'd get him to eat) and raspberries. It's nice that he's on the road to recovery and is getting back to normal! Thank you God for answering prayers!

Hodge Podge

I've wanted to blog all week but either a) I've been too tired or b) the Internet has been down or c) all of the above. My teaching partner went on maternity leave so I graciously- and maybe stupidly- told her I'd cover her leave so she didn't have to worry about a sub. Boy, has it made me REALLY appreciate my usual schedule. In fact, as the week progresses I love my usual schedule more and more, working full time less and less. I guess it wouldn't be too bad if a) it wasn't full or meetings, events or report cards after school or b) I didn't have a child to take of after I left my paid job. Either way, it sucks! I miss my play dates with Preston, having a clean house and the laundry caught up. But, I only have one more full day and then next week is minimum days and parent conferences. After that it's 3 glorious weeks off to relax, read, CLEAN and hang out with the P Man.
Speaking of him, I think our paychecks will now be invested in bubble wrap and helmets. It is amazing how many times one can hurt themselves in a week. We are currently on a daily basis and I'm not talking little things. Today he knocked his noggin on the play table at daycare and has a nice goose egg to show for it. The goose egg is on top of the scrape he got at my school the other night when he was running to play with the big kids (ie my 2nd graders). If he stopped walking like a mix between Bill Cosby (at the beginning of his shows. Maybe it's a dance??) and a gorilla I think he'd survive. As of yet, however, the jury is out.
Speaking of juries, we got bummer news today. Rob had filed a claim when he injured his shoulder at work. The company filed an appeal, that was granted. Rob then filed his own appeal and won. But, we got news today that the company is going to appeal the reversal. At this point, we don't know what that means as far as medical care for Rob. I pray that we get a definitive answer soon so he can proceed with medical care and get relief. He is in such excruciating pain, to the point where it even hurts to sleep at night.
Speaking of night, I guess it's time to get P out of the bath and ready for bed. It's now a battle to get him to drink his cup of milk at night so I start early and pray for the best!

Back to Reality

I've come to love Mondays because not only do I get to spend them with P, but because I can have fun on the weekend and still have Mondays to catch up on house stuff/errands. Not this week though. I had a friend come into town last Friday. We went into VC for pizza then hung out. Saturday was a mix between relaxing and being on the go. We went to yet another 1st birthday party...where P fell and banged up his nose pretty good. Then Saturday night I had some neighbors over for a Girls' Night In. We had Mexican food, relaxed and chatted til well past my bedtime. Sunday was a repeat of Saturday- a mix of relaxing and being on the go. We woke up and were trying to figure out what to do (I had forgotten it was Sunday or I would've suggested church). We decided we could still catch some of the hot air balloon races if we left immediately. That meant running a brush through our hair and one over our teeth, not thinking we'd really be in public. Joke was on us because we couldn't find a semi-private place to watch the balloons yet not be seen. So we went to the launch park, where there were still balloons taking off. There was one balloon that kids could ride, but of course, P is still too small. After we left the fun balloon festivities we went to my favorite donut shop in town. We called that lunch and then my friend watched a movie while P and I napped. Not the best hostess I know, but she's a friend that wouldn't expect to be entertained. When she left I got a call that Rob was coming to town. It was fun to spend a little family time together, although, as always it was too short. This morning I would've normally got up, started laundry and then cleaned in between playing with Preston. But, I am filling in at work for a couple weeks so that means full time for me. I had to do only one load of laundry when I got home and I decided to forgo cleaning until later in the week. This will be a long week and I am so thankful that I don't have to have this schedule permanently!

May We Never Forget

Nine years ago today, almost to the minute " A mighty sucker punch came flying in from somewhere in the back" and we all took witness. I remember turning on the TV to watch the morning news on Sep. 11 like any other day and was knocked to my knees by scenes of a horrific terrorist attack. In a daze I made my way to school, where parents and kids were crying out of fear. I can say it was single-handedly the worst day of teaching in my 10 year career. I was promising parents that I'd keep their child safe, not knowing if that would be possible. Third graders were asking questions for which I had no answers. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry but I had to be strong. That day, in part, caused me to question my teaching ability and ultimately take 2 years off from teaching. All because of some punks whose religion and views I don't understand. That one day changed a lot of lives, the way people view their own life and how our country was run. One day in history that may we never forget, whether it be the one year anniversary or the 100 year anniversary.

Baby Seal on Board

Saturday night I was lulled to sleep by Preston coughing. I figured it was from all the smoke at the RibFest but Rob said he was up with him until 1:30. (How I slept through this I do not know. Guess I sleep harder than I thought!) Sunday morning his cough was bad and his nose was a mess. It progressively got worse throughout the day and yesterday. This morning when he woke up he sounded like a baby seal. He's lost most of his voice so he croaks when he cries and tries to talk. As much as I love hearing him talk, the perpetual "inside voice" has been kind of nice today. I took him to the pediatrician and was told he has croup. Ordinarily he could be given a steroid and things would be better within a few days. However, with Preston's immune system the way it is, our pediatrician opted for the old fashion remedy. Whenever Preston gets to coughing a lot I'm supposed to steam up the bathroom and take him in there for as long as we both can handle it. I tried it this afternoon and it seemed to work a little. Between that and taking him out in the cool night air to open his airways, I was told I should see result within a few days. If I don't then we'll figure out Plan B. I may be the next baby seal as our pediatrician said I sounded hoarse myself and croup is pretty contagious within a family. "Ar...Ar....Ar....Ar...."

Laboring on Labor Day

Yesterday the US gave a lot of people the day off to relax and rejunivate. So, when I went to bed Sunday night I kept repeating to myself, "I will relax tomorrow. I will relax tomorrow." My intent was to wake up slowly, watch TV all day with a couple naps thrown in and never getting out of my PJs. I honestly did want to do that but for some reason I just can't. Sitting in front of the TV all day is what I think Hell would be like. Well, that or substitute teaching. I tried to just veg but then I started thinking of things I wanted to get done. Now, don't get me wrong it's not like I went out and started moving rocks and landscaping. OK, I did do that but not for long. I mostly did little things like water and laundry and vaccuum and get out Fall decorations. Then I did relax with my boys in the afternoon. We went to Scheels, the park and Walmart. It was a relaxing and fun few hours, even though Preston is sick. I really do need to learn how to relax and veg, which is hard for me if I'm not surrounded by a body of water. But, next year I vow to relax on Labor Day to celebrate its true meaning that's dated back to the 1800's......yeah right!

No Hurry

When I was younger I always tried to rush time, trying to get to the next season of life, wanting to be older. The past few years that's all changed. I've learned to be content in the here and now, counting my blessings and enjoying each moment God has blessed me with. That being said, I am wanting to rush time....only a few weeks. I am really excited about Fall this year. It's always been a favorite season....the beautiful golden leaves, pumpkins, many family/friends' birthdays, Apple Hill....but this year I'm really excited for Fall. I don't know if we'll be able to make it to Apple Hill due to my mom's and Rob's surgeries. And I'm not a big fan of Thanksgiving but I'm excited to dress P up and go trick or treating. I'm excited to wake up to cool mornings and a hot cup of coffee. I'm excited for the first snow. I'm excited for Rob to come back from BM. I'm excited about the beautiful change of seasons.So, this time I'm in a little bit of a hurry. In fact, I think I'll go put my Fall decorations up today! :)

And the Winner is............

Nowadays they give out awards for everything under the sun. Last night we went to the RibFest where each rib cooker proudly displayed their awards from previous events. As I fell into bed last night I was lulled to sleep by the sounds of P hacking away in the monitor. At one point I went in to rub his back, hoping it'd help him go back to sleep. This morning when I went to get him out of his crib, our snot nosed little toddler (and I mean that in the most affectionate way)was still coughing and hacking. He ate little breakfast and what he did eat came back up. I guess it's back to sucking booger for me. There should be a contest for this. All parents get in a room with their booger infested child and see who can get the most out. I bet at the end of the event they'd say, "And the winner is Jennifer Herrington!! And the crowd goes wild...................

Odd Day

For not being together much for two weeks, we didn't really spend much quality family time together last night or today. Last night we did our annual RibFest with the Pagnis/Cascis but Rob and I drove there serarately. We ate in shifts to watch P and then he played football while I talked to the ladies. This morning we didn't have our usual weekend breakfast. We sold the goats then P and I went to birthday parties while Rob went to VC to listen to a band he likes. When he got home P and I were napping. Then I went to get a pedi and Rob and P met me down the hill afterwards. We did spend family time together (although maybe not quality?) at the RibFest. We met our friend, Bob, there and walked around for a couple hours. I say "maybe not quality" because we spent most of the evening pushing through crowds. At the end of the night, I decided to spice things up. I fell flat on my butt in front of God and all of Reno! Rob thought someone was trying to start a fight with him so he jumped out of the way when I reached for his shirt to use as leverage. Bob asked if I was ok then nonchalantly walked away like he didn't know me. All I could do was laugh hysterically because at this point in life that's all I can ever do in situations like this. On the way home I almost hit a horse in our neighborhood. It's a black one and I don't see well at night, especially when there aren't street lights. But, I missed it and it's happily grazing on someone's property as I write this. All in all, it's been an unusual day. Fun, busy, but odd.

Seriously??

OK, this blog is going to be a vent so be prepared! Today was great. Tonight not so much. For some reason the goats stay in the corral all day but when I go to the window to make sure they're there or I go feed them then they suddenly decide to be escape artists. Our corral now looks "white trash" because of all the boards I've used to try to cover up the areas they're getting out. Last night was the final straw so I put them on Craigslist this morning. An older gentleman is coming to buy them Saturday...if they last that long. They got out 5 times tonight and every time I'd go to patch the area up I could hear Preston screaming in the house. He was grumpy because he chose not to eat dinner and was hungry and tired. I put him to bed early, ready to pay bills (another joyous thing that thrills me beyond belief) when the neighbors kids came banging on the door to tell me the goats were out...again! Them banging on the door and talking loud woke Preston up at which point I wanted to bang my head against the wall! I got the goats back in- hopefully til Saturday- and Preston settled down. I got the bills paid (At least we have plenty of money to pay them this month but it still is frustrating!). Just when I sat down to correct papers, which has been on hold cause I've had to do 12 loads of laundry and clean the house in the past two days, the phone rings and it's a telemarketer. Lovely...P is awake again! Seriously?????????????????

Prestonisms

The older Preston gets the more fun it is becoming! He has little quirks that are absolutely hilarious! Some are older quirks, while others have been developed just this week. One of my favorites comes to eating. If he doesn't like something I put on his high chair I make a big deal about it saying, "MMMMMM. It's yummy to my tummy." Then he picks up whatever it is, pretends to put it in his mouth (It really drops in his lap) and then he goes "MMMMMM". When I put him down after a meal he knows Holly gets let in to eat whatever he dropped on the floor so he's quick to eat whatever he wants off the floor. Gross, yes but it sure is funny!

A new thing is playing chase from the vacuum. He went through a period where he'd scream the second the vacuum was on. So I always had to wait until he was napping to vacuum. A couple months ago that changed and he was fine with it, which made life so much easier. Well, in the past week he's taken a different approach. As soon as I turn it on he runs in the kitchen or the bathroom and hides. Then when I'm done vacuuming a room, he'll run in and grab whatever toys/possessions he thinks the vacuum is going to suck up. As soon as he's moved the stuff to a safe place he runs back to the kitchen or bathroom to hide again. When Holly's in the house it really makes for a 3 Ring Circus as they're tripping over each other to hide from the monster! (I am going to make a video of this chaos and put it on FB soon)

Today I learned that Preston says yes. So, when I tell him no he follows it up with "Yes!". The stereo has become an issue because he likes it a lot louder than I do. I moved it last week, putting it up on a table out of his reach. This afternoon I turned it on and went in the kitchen to wash dishes. All of a sudden music was blaring through the house. I went into the living room to see Preston on top of my Wii board, using it for leverage to reach the stereo. When I told him no and turned it down, he climbed back on the Wii board, said "Yes" and turned it back up. It was too funny to be mad at him but I didn't laugh until he couldn't see me anymore.

His Prestonisms make my day...sometimes good, sometimes frustrating...but it was always makes my day!