Bored to Death

For the past 2 weeks I've felt that I've been working a full time job. I still leave at 3:30 but I go in early and take a ton of work home each night. I didn't do a job share to take on 70% of the work, which is what I feel I've been doing lately. Between calling parents, setting up conferences, filling in data spreadsheets, doing student comments, entering and posting (and reposting and reposting again) grades I've felt more like a teacher than a mom. I'm not ok with that because being a wife and mother is always my TOP priority. But today was the deadline, the end of the grading period. I have everything in that needs to be in and the rest can wait until next quarter. It hasn't hit me yet that I don't need to do any school now for 3 weeks. Next week we have parent conferences, which is a chill work week. Then we're off for our 2 week Fall break.
On top of not having any work to do I'm also being a bachlorette tonight. No hubby, no good TV, no work, no book to start. I could clean if I really felt motivated but I don't. I guess I should relish the fact that I don't have any piles of work to take care of because that was getting old...fast. So I'll sit and be bored because I'm tomorrow will be hectic all over again and I'll be wishing I was sitting at home, bored.

Silence

When Rob called to check in on my day I told him it was boring. The house is too quiet, too clean. My inlaws left today and now it seems empty. I tried, to no avail, to talk P into going to the park just to get out of the house. There was nothing for me to do since my wonderful MIL had worked her fingers to the bones during her vacation with us. I appreciated it while she was here but now that she's gone I don't know how much I appreciate it. My days off are usually filled with cleaning and errands but because she helped so much with both while she was here I now just sit here, contemplating on what to do. P is in bed, the house is too quiet (Have I already mentioned that?) and I'm not ready for bed. So I guess I'll draw a hot bath, iron my clothes for tomorrow and read my People mag. Oh, how I wish the family was all here so there'd be noise and laughter filling the room. Every time I spend time with my inlaws I realize how blessed I am to have married into such a wonderful, giving, loving family. I don't take those blessings for granted even for a minute! We had a great time together and made memories to last a lifetime. Now if I could only get them back here.......... ;)

Today's the Day!

8 days ago Rob and my father in law took off with the truck loaded, ready for their Colorado elk hunt. Luckily, Mom Herrington stayed behind. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with her and she has been a HUGE help (It's so nice to have a clean house, no dishes and very little laundry 24/7)!! Without her here, this week would've been even more lonely. I'm used to Rob being gone for work so I didn't think of him being gone for a week as a big deal. However, the difference is when he's gone for work we still talk a lot. He didn't have cell service in the remote area where they were staying so we talked once a day, twice if we were lucky. He'd call at night to report about his hunt and say goodnight. We didn't talk more than a few minutes, making me miss him more than usual. Unfortunately, they didn't get close enough to any elk and it was a lot harder hunt than anticipated but they had fun. I can selfishly say I'm glad the week is over and my hubby will be home late today or early tomorrow. I can't wait to wrap my arms around him, fall asleep next to him and talk more than a few minutes a day!!

San Francisco

Wow! It's been almost a week since the last time I've blogged? I think that's a new record! Forgive me for the lapse in communication but I've been having too much fun. My wonderful MIL is staying with me while Rob and the guys hunt this week. Wanda (my wonderful MIL) is from the South so she hasn't experienced a whole lot out West. When she came for her visit the only thing she asked was to go to San Francisco. So how could we not do that?
I haven't been to SF for a few years and I can honestly say I've never experienced as much in SF as I did this trip. Here's my big plug.....GO TO THE SF ZOO if you have the chance!!! It is the best zoo I've ever been to and we could've stayed there all day, still not seeing everything.

OK, I digressed so let me get back on track. We got to the City Sunday evening and walked around Pier 39. I wanted Wanda to get the full SF experience but, between you and me, I was a nervous wreck. My wonderful 2 year old isn't a fan of his stroller anymore, but is definitely not a fan of staying close either. He was running all around and I had a fear of him getting snatched up or slipping through the slats and into the Bay. Laugh if you want but those fears kept me from truly enjoying our sightseeing...only on Sunday.
Monday we crammed almost every SF experience that I know of into the day. We started the day at the Golden Gate Bridge, where I got some pics I'm proud of.
From there we spent several hours at the zoo. P was exhausted from all the fun so he slept while Wanda and I went down the "Crookedest Street" and drove around Nob Hill. Once P woke up we rode the cable cars. Since neither Wanda nor I know the cable car system we ended up waiting more than riding and walking more than everything else. But it was a lot of fun when we did ride the cars, especially on the way back, because I got to stand on the outside just like in the Rice-a-Roni commercials.
After all our walking we ended the day with a healthy dinner...a hot fudge sundae from Ghiradelli Square. Come on, we had worked hard for it and how can one visit SF without going there?
Tuesday we decided to end our trip with a visit to the Aquarium by the Bay. P was not overly impressed because he didn't like the dark fish tunnels. On more than one occasion he said, "Fish dark. I scared. Go home" and would take off running. At an older age I have no doubt he'll love the place though.
After the aquarium we enjoyed a DELICIOUS bowl of clam chowder, watched as P rode the carousal and visited the sea lions on a much less congested Pier 39. By the time we got in the car to head back we were happily exhausted. We had ate well, stayed at a nice hotel, shared many great memories and had seen what the City has to offer. I'm so glad that Wanda made the suggestion to go there because it was awesome!!

Colorado Bound

Mom and Dad Herrington arrived at 1am Thursday morning. Rob and I had to work Thursday but we played hookie at lunch to spend time with the Herringtons. Friday we both took the day off and enjoyed a whirlwind day of Scheels, mini golf and Texas Roadhouse. Yesterday Rob and his dad packed up Rob's truck and took off for Colorado. They're on their way to enjoy a week long elk hunt with Jay and a couple buddies. As jealous as I am that they have this opportunity, I'm also excited for them. I'm also happy that Mom Herrington and I get to spend the week together. Yesterday we went to P's gymnastics class in the morning and to a 2 year old's birthday BBQ in the evening. This morning we're going to church and this week we're going to the Bay Area since Mom has never been there. I'm excited about the fun we're going to have while the guys enjoy their time in Colorado!

Rainy Day Naptime

I look forward to P's naptime every day, whether it's so I can get work done, read or take a nap myself. Today I was really looking forward to taking a much needed nap myself.
Just when I put P down it started to rain and I thought, "Perfect! I love to fall asleep to the rain falling!" It didn't turn out to be so perfect after all. The rain scared P (probably because it's a rarity in these parts) so he crawled into bed with me. Snug as 2 bugs in a rug, we had just started to doze off when a clap of thunder scared us and Ruby, who was lying by the bed. Once my heart slowed down I started to drift off...until a fly swarmed my head (what is it with me and bugs when I'm trying to sleep?). Then Ruby had a scratch that she attacked with full vengeance, all the while rattling her collar. I took that off, determined to get some sleep.
But, alas, 2 telemarketers called, dashing my hopes of a nap. So I decided to make lemonade out of lemons by taking some pics and enjoying a cup of java. Here are a few pics from today's storm (and one from last night's storm...I think this has been the wettest year in NV history!)

Recap

The past few days have been full of drama, decisions, doctors and a date. Sunday morning I was in the shower when I heard a snarl followed by a scream. Soon P was pulling back the shower curtain, crying that Holly Girl hurt him. I don't know exactly what happened but I'm guessing that P came up from behind her and it scared and/or hurt her, at which point she snapped at him. The bite was more superficial than anything and scared P more than actually hurt him I'm sure. Needless to say, I was going to postpone a birthday brunch for a friend because he was so traumatized and wanted his mama. But, it worked out for me to go when Rob got off work much earlier than usual. He took P and I was able to enjoy some girlfriend time for my friend's 40th.
When I got home Rob and I had to decide what to do about Holly. We talked about several options and decided to try to find her a good home that doesn't have young children. But yesterday we decided that no one will probably want her because of her age and health problems. So for the time being we will keep her as an outdoor dog, only letting her in the house once P goes to bed at night. Once Winter comes we'll face the next decision about what to do with her. But for now we're happy to keep her as part of the family since neither of us could handle parting with her.
Sunday afternoon my parents came to town to hang out with P while Rob and I enjoyed a date night. We used a gift certificate and enjoyed a delicious dinner at Outback. Then we went to the Gary Allan concert. Rob had me laughing because before the show started he was saying he hoped that the CONCERT wasn't too loud and that people didn't yell too much. I tease him that he's the oldest 35 year old I know! The concert was decent but it wasn't one that I was wowed with. The artist had lost his wife to suicide so a couple of his songs, coupled with the fact that it was 9/11, were pretty sad. But overall we had a fun date night and were happy to take a break from being parents and enjoy being a married couple!
Yesterday I actually got to spend time with my folks, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Lately when they've watched P we've made the switch then I've left with P and they've gone their way. But yesterday we took P to gymnastics together then went to Scheels and lunch. After spending a nice morning with them and saying goodbye, P started screaming and holding his ear. He finally cried himself to sleep, all the while telling me his ear hurt. Once he woke up from a short lived nap I took him to see the doctor. It turns out his ear was hurting because he has the start of an ear infection. So, surprise, surprise P is on antibiotics once again. I spent the afternoon doing a doctor's visit and a pharmacy stop so by the time I got home I was worn out...without getting much done that I had planned to do. But, P is on the mend so some days I need to learn to be more flexible.
Today will be a day of cleaning, groceries and errands in anticipation of a visit from Rob's parents. Then it's my "long" work week so if you don't see a blog for awhile that is why.

Where Were You?

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

These lyrics are from a country artist, a beautifully written song that describes so much about that fateful day 10 years ago. I remember when I was younger and we'd visit my Nana and Papa. When we'd go to my mom's old elementary school she'd point out where she was sitting when she'd heard that JFK had been shot. I always thought, "How does she remember that when it doesn't directly affect her?" but now I understand. I understand because I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard about the attacks on the twin towers. I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting ready for work. I had turned on the news as I rushed around. When I saw the images on TV I thought it was some kind of joke. It wasn't until I watched in horror as the buildings collapsed that it became a reality. I wanted to call in sick, curl up in bed and mourn those that I never knew. But I couldn't. I had to get to work and tell twenty 3rd graders that everything would be ok, even though I didn't believe it at the time.
At school I had imploring faces staring me down and all I could do was cry. That day was a blur of lots of questions, lots of concerns, lots of tears and lots of hugs. I remember one student in particular, Sebastian. I remember him because he came into the classroom, knowing so much more than the others about what had taken place. When students had questions he had answers. At the time I was mortified that his parents would let him view all that had transpired. But, in hindsight, I guess it was a turning moment for all of us. That same student is now a young man and just completed his basic training to become a U.S. Marine. He is now one of the many brave men and women fighting for my freedom.
So, as I reflect on that horrific day 10 years ago, when the world stopped turning, I realize that not only is the U.S. still standing in tact but it's stronger than ever. Individuals have endured their worst nightmares and have become stronger. New Yorkers have witnessed horrific hours and days and have become stronger. America has survived and because we will never forget we have become a strong nation, continuing to enjoy our freedom after the day the world stopped turning that September day!

we will never forget

where were you on that fatefull day of september 11, 2001? i know exactly where i was. i was on an oil rig, about 120 miles off the coast of galveston,tx. i woke up at 10 a.m., was getting dressed to start my tour, when i turned on the tv and saw all of the smoke. i figured something like a gas leak, or something of that nature had started a fire. i never in a million years would have ever though that my country, the U.S.A., could ever possibly have been attacked by terrorist. that kind of thing doesnt happen in our country. well, it did. it did and thousands lost their lives, loved ones, friends, co-workers. i went to ground zero a couple years ago. all of the footage i saw on tv, i thought of the people in the twin towers, the folks on the street. however, i didnt think of the folks in the buildings next to the world trade center that were eye level to all of this. the buildings are so close together and i cant imagine what it was like to be eye level with all that was going on. this day will forever leave our hearts and minds full of the image of those planes flying into the world trade center. if there is a silver lining in all of this, our country came together. i cant remember a time when i felt and saw so much pride in our country and nation. everyone was ready to fight, everyone was quick to cover their heart with their hat when ol glory waved. i was then and am now mighty proud to live here in the U.S.A. although our government is screwed up, AMERICA is still the greatest nation in the world. so, when you lie down tonight, think of those that are doing the same, but without their husbands, wives. tomorrow when your kids come in to wake you up, think of those that will lie there knowing their kids will never come wake them up again. WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

Forever Long

I am blessed to work part time, spending the majority of my days caring for P and our home. It's weeks like this that remind me of my blessings! I only worked 2 days this week but, due to lack of sleep, it seemed like my work week was forever long. Last night I deceptively thought P would sleep through the night. Rob was watching the Packers game and was teaching him the fundamentals of the game. P would "go fast, fast, fast" then Rob would "packer" (ie tackle) him. They did this for about an hour, long enough to wear out a lil man. He went right to sleep at bedtime and I, foolishly, thought for the night. Wrong! He woke up twice during the night and was up for the day a little before 5:30AM. I had bought him this nightlight a few nights ago that illuminates fish on his ceiling. I told him he couldn't come to our room if he could see the fish picture. As brilliant as the plan sounds, it failed. He realized he could come to our room any time he wants...and by golly he does. So, thankfully I only had to work 2 days and thankfully they were fairly easy. It makes tiresome weeks like this one ok because it makes me appreciate my blessings that much more!

Life With a Newborn

Rob and I have been trying to get pregnant for a year now. Some days I'm frustrated it's not happening and other days I'm thankful we don't have a second child at the moment. Today is one of those days I'm thankful that we only have 1 child to demand our attention. For the past week and a half P has woken up 1-3 times a night, coming into our room and waking me up. Once I gave in and let him sleep with us because I was too tired to take him back to his room but every other time I get up with him, carry him to his bed and tell him he can't get up til the sun wakes up. Last night was the worst and I have a feeling I'll be reeling all day as I did when P was a newborn. P woke me up 3 times within 45 minutes last night. Once he finally stayed in his own bed I couldn't sleep because of the moths in our room. I fell asleep just in time to be woken up by Rob's alarm. Then I got a few more minutes of shut eye before P woke me up at 5:15, ready to start the day. I've put a nightlight in his room to no avail and I'm encouraged to hear that this is a common phase for toddlers. I'm just hoping this phase passes soon because this lack-of-sleep-like-having-a-newborn phase is taking its toll on me! ZZZZZZZZ..............

Class Clown

I think it's safe to say that Rob and I will be at the Principal's office a lot when P is in school. I've noticed it for awhile but today it hit me like a ton of bricks that P LOVES to be the class clown. If he can make someone laugh, smile or clap at him he's happy. At gymnastics today he was behaving until he tried a "big kid" move on the trampoline. The parents clapped so he tried it again. By the third time the parents stopped clapping so P stepped it up by trying to be silly. A couple of them chuckled at his antics and that set him off for the rest of class. He did everything in his power to get anyone and everyone to laugh. On the way home I turned up a new CD I had just got. P had his snack cup full of teddy grahams when I noticed him laughing uncontrollably. I turned the song down and asked what was funny. He said, "Bears dancing!" He proceeded to shake his snack cup, teddy grahams flying everywhere. When I started laughing that got him going even more. Then he started putting toys in his cup, making them "dance". After his nap he started in again, wired higher than a kite. While looking for some paperwork this evening I came across the last letter my Papa had written me right after my 26th birthday. I came out of the room, crying, and P did all he could to make me smile. It was a sweet gesture but it made me cry even more because I wish my Nana and Papa were still alive so they could enjoy P as much as we do! We are so blessed to have such a sweet, fun loving boy...even if it means we'll be on a first name basis with his principal!

Just Keeps Getting Better

Every weekend I think, "This weekend can't be better than the last one." but it is. This weekend was the perfect combination of quality time with friends, fun family time, productivity and relaxation! Our weekend started with our annual Ribfest that we have with good friends. We make a quick rib run to avoid the crowds downtown, then we take the ribs to our friends' house, where we do our own rib tasting. As always, it proved to be fun. The only downfall is that P got bit several times by fire ants when he was playing on a mound of dirt. Luckily, Rob was quick thinking and decided we needed to get Calamine lotion ASAP. Between that and the Aveeno bath we gave P, you couldn't even tell he'd been bit by the next morning.
Saturday Rob had to work and P hadn't had a good night so P and I laid low. I hit a sale to get P some Winter clothes and I went for a long walk with a neighbor friend in the afternoon. Other than that, I tried to catch up on sleep and relaxed.
Yesterday was rather busy because we went to church in the morning then stopped by a friend's to pick up a piece of furniture. Our afternoon was relaxing, which was nice, since last night was a late one for P. We took him to his first minor league baseball game. He loved it and was well behaved!
The tickets I had were supposed to be for the lawn seats but the lady at the ticket window let us upgrade to the third base line for free. A guy right behind Rob caught a foul ball and we had hoped he would give it to P but he wanted it for himself. After singing one of P's favorite songs, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", during the 7th inning stretch we decided to call it a night, much to P's dismay. He was having so much fun and wanted to stay but he had started showing signs of being tired. As soon as we got home and put him to bed he was out.
This morning we woke up to a little rain, some wind and a beautiful sunrise.
Since Rob had the day off we went to VC for breakfast and some park time. Then Rob hung out with P at the house while I went down the hill to run a few errands and meet a friend for sushi. It was nice to catch up with her and be able to get things done without having to bribe a toddler. This afternoon we worked outside to get some things done. Then we topped off the weekend with burgers on the grill.
It was such a perfect weekend! September is going to be a fun, yet busy, month so I have no doubt we have more outstanding weekends in store.

Fun Pics

Although I've been taking a lot of pictures, I've been itchin' to get behind my dad's camera and have some fun with it. This afternoon I wanted to go on a "fieldtrip" but wasn't motivated to actually go anywhere. As luck would have it our neighbors came out to play with P so I used the opportunity to snap some pics. Enjoy!

Special Dates

My lil man and I do a lot of fun things together, especially on days I don't work. He's at an age where he soaks up everything and I love to expose him to different things in life. Even though we do a lot, our favorite thing is our frozen yogurt dates once a week. We usually go the first day he's at school for that week because it's his longest day and I feel he needs that special 1:1 time after school. I pick him up with anticipation, knowing he's going to ask to get a big treat. Then we make our way to one of 2 shops we frequent. But, no matter where we end up, his order is always the same.....vanilla frozen yogurt topped with M&Ms. I use this time to teach him colors. He asks for the Thomas M&Ms and I tell him they're blue. He asks for Percy and tell him that's green. After filling our punch card at Yogurt Beach he still hasn't mastered his colors. But that's ok because it means more frozen yogurt dates in our future. Oh, how I love those special after school dates with my lil man!