Oye!!

Have you ever had one of those days that wasn't necessarily bad but didn't go as planned? Well, that sums up my day. It started great and ended great but was chaotic in the middle. This morning I took P to school (even though I didn't work) because I had to go to DMV. I had never received my registration renewal in the mail and when I got online to check about it yesterday it flashed in big red letters that my license had been suspended. WHAT??? I'm the girl that schedules the appointments because I have better things to do with my time than to wait at DMV all day. But I didn't do that today....and I paid the price. After getting my Yukon smogged I headed over to DMV only to find out that there were 113 people in front of me. The numbers were moving fast so I figured 1 1/2 hours would be plenty of time to be seen, get everything taken care of and still make it to my dr's appt. WRONG! I left the DMV, raced over to my dr.'s appt (which went well by the way) and then raced back to DMV. I walked in the door only to find that my number had been called only a few minutes beforehand. I begged, borrowed and pleaded to sneak up to an open counter but the lady was a typical non-sympathetic DMV employee. She handed me a new number and told me to expect a 1 1/2-2 hour wait. That wasn't happening so I left, grabbed lunch and headed down to the DMV in Carson. I thought because it was smaller that it would be faster but smaller also means there aren't as many employees. I probably would've waited 2 hours there but some nice gentleman gave me his number, which was 39 before mine. I finally got up to the counter and found out I had to take a new license picture. So, on top of everything else, I had to lose my "cute" DMV license picture and instead have a typical DMV picture that I'll be embarrassed to show people. Thinking I was done with chaos, I got on the freeway to come home since P was already napping at school. The new freeway wouldn't allow me access off so I had to drive it all the way back to Reno just to hop onto another highway to get home. Once I picked P up from school all was good again. We ended the day doing our annual ribfest with our friends....always a great time! Now I'm relaxing, getting ready to call it a day, and being thankful that I don't have to deal with the DMV again any time soon!

A Heart of Gold

The duck is to P's right but you can't see it in the shadows of the tree.

 

Being a parent is one of the biggest blessings in the world! And it's one that we don't take for granted in the least. But, being biased, I think we have the sweetest, most amazing kid in the world. Rob and I are constantly impressed with P. One thing that amazes me is the empathy that our 3 year old possesses. This morning is a perfect example. I took him to the park with a couple of his buddies so we could feed the birds. One duck limped out from under a tree to see what all the commotion was about. I explained to P that the duck had a hurt foot so P promptly left the flock of birds, went over to it and started feeding it all of the bread he had. When he saw that the duck couldn't come out any further, P climbed under the tree to hand feed it. I overheard him say, "I'm sorry you hurt your foot. My bread will make you feel better." in the sweetest, most compassionate voice. He melts my heart every day!! I am so proud to be his mama and hope that his little brother can be at least half the kid P is!

Nature Calling

OK, so I guess I've had a lot bottled up to share (3 blogs today!!) but I wanted to show you the cool finds Rob and his parents discovered while they were here. Just down the road a ways from our house is an alfalfa field with probably 50 deer! If you go down the freeway a little further you'll find TX Longhorns! I love that we get to see a variety of animals so close to our home. Here are a few (unedited) pics of what we saw......

Failed Artist?

As parents, I feel like Rob and I have exposed P to many things in his early life....travel, a variety of animals, nature, photography, hunting, sports (OK maybe just baseball and NASCAR at this point), books.....but one thing I feel like I haven't exposed him to in the least is the artistic side of life. When I've taken him to community play rooms in the past few weeks he takes an interest in dressing up like a dragon or playing with dinosaur puppets. Every year I say, "This Winter I'll make more time for arts and crafts and "dress up"" but I never do because I hate the mess it causes. Do I want him to be a flamboyant artist when he grows up? Not particularly but I want to expose him to everything possible so he can make an educated choice when he gets to adulthood. So my over-halfway-done-with-the-year resolution is to provide him with more opportunities to do artsy/craftsy kinds of things. And, yes, we will take him to an UNR football game and monster truck races, etc to balance it all out. But, like I said, I want to expose our young son to as many opportunities as possible!

Maternity Photo Op

 

When my friend, Amanda, first announced she was pregnant she made an off-handed comment about me doing her maternity pics. Well, several months later I had the privilege of taking pictures of her. This weekend we got together and I was able to capture her beautiful pregnancy glow on film. I had so much fun with her and her wonderful (and helpful) husband! Here is a sneak peek....

 

Meet Easton William!

 

Yesterday we had the privilege of not one but two 3D ultrasounds. During the first ultrasound we found out that we are, indeed, having another boy! People have asked several times if I wanted another boy or a girl and quite honestly I didn't care one way or the other. But knowing that I have a little (He currently weighs 11 oz.) healthy boy growing inside me makes me love him that much more. P is so excited to meet his baby brother, Easton, and tell him all about life. So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Easton William who will make his big debut in early January!

 

 

Fun Times

The past couple days I worked so I came home exhausted and was not much company to those around me. However, today I was off and we made the most of it! I gave the Herringtons several options and asked what they wanted to do for the day. They love Tahoe (Who doesn't??) so that's where we ended up. P played on the beach, chased ducks, built sand castles and used my little camera to take pics. Then once he was worn out we went to a lake front restaurant and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. It was close to P's naptime so we decided to head home. But once we got back to the valley I decided to take them to Genoa, a small historical town. Mom and Dad Herrington got a kick out of watching the deer on the golf course and visiting the oldest established bar in NV. We had a blast sightseeing and enjoying the day together. Here are a few pictures from our adventures today....

P took this picture withou any help and I didn't even edit it. Very impressive!

Just Checkin' In

Too tired to write much tonight. The Herringtons flew in yesterday so we just spent the day relaxing around the house. Today, however, was a different story. After some play time at the park, I left to meet a friend for lunch then to meet Rob at a truck dealership. The lunch was fun. The truck dealership wasn't. In fact, I left the dealership, thinking the negotiations were over since neither party was budging. But Rob called me once I got home to say that they chased him down as he was leaving and met our price. So Rob has a new truck! There's a lot of stuff I really like about it and it's hopefully more durable than his Chevy. He's super excited about it!
On a side note, while I was cooking dinner tonight I almost burnt the house down. All of a sudden one of the stove burners caught fire. Luckily my MIL was standing right there because I panicked. She asked for baking powder and was able to get the fire out without causing any damage. The lasagna finished baking and after a rushed dinner I took my inlaws to the casino to have some adult fun. Rob, P and I went downstairs to the arcade where P had a blast playing some games and winning a "spider". Now we're home and I'm one pooped puppy. I'm praying that the stupid bluejays leave me alone for one more morning so I can get another good night sleep like last night. G'night all!

One Would Think...

One would think it's Christmas around here with as excited as P is this morning! You see when we moved Rob decided that, due to my allergies and all the dog hair, both dogs would be outdoor dogs. Every night-or at least the nights that are cool enough-Ruby is allowed in to sleep in P's room. Although they're the Dynamic Duo and get into more trouble together than imaginable I feel more comfortable having Ruby downstairs to protect P. Well, for 2 nights P slept in his room without Ruby because she stunk so bad. Last night Rob promised to bathe her so she could sleep in his room. But when he took her collars off to give her a bath he noticed that her collars had not only rubbed her neck raw but infection had set in. We decided that it would be best for Ruby to stay in the house and keep the infection from getting worse until we can get her into the vet. So P woke up this morning, running around showing Ruby all his toys and where everything was downstairs. He then proceeded to tell me that he wanted a waffle for breakfast but that Ruby wanted pancakes. I informed him that he was welcome to a waffle but Ruby would be hard pressed to get me to make pancakes for her. After breakfast he asked if I'd put Ruby on the couch with him so they could watch Curious George together. When the answer was no again he asked if I'd give him water in a bowl like Ruby and put it next to her temporary water bowl. He's excited to see the "Doggy Hospital" but knows that once she gets better she will no longer be an indoor dog so it's bittersweet for him. Until that moment comes, he's enjoying every moment he can with his partner in crime!

One sheep, two sheep.....

For the past few years I've struggled with insomnia. Fortunately it's not every night. But, lately it's been often enough that I can barely function the next day. Yesterday was no exception. The night before I had only gotten 2 1/2 hours of sleep and then I worked a long day yesterday (as in I worked 8 hours at a frantic, no break pace the entire time). By the time we all got home last night Rob and I were practically playing "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to see who had to do what to get through the rest of the night (He was exhausted from the back breaking labor that he did back on his old crew). I took all precautions to ensure a good night sleep last night. I took a warm bath, gave myself a foot rub and read for awhile before shutting my eyes. I'm happy to report that it worked! I got almost 10 hours of peaceful sleep and today I feel like a new person!!! Now if only I could continue this good sleep...

Sorry if the swear word offends you. I just couldn't stop laughing when I saw this.

Fabulous End!

I've gotten to where Sundays are my favorite day of the week. It's the day I slow down and just enjoy life. Today was no exception. After church and a quick trip to Walmart this morning, we drove out to drop off Rob's antelope meat to be processed. When we got back to the house my intent was to read while P napped but I was more tired than I originally thought because I, too, took a short nap. Upon waking we saw dark clouds heading our way.
I've loved Summer storms since moving to NV but I really like them this Summer because it means the house cools down a few degrees. Rob cut up his antelope loin and threw it on the grill for dinner. I've heard mixed reviews about antelope meat so I was hesitant to try it but I really liked it! Rob, never having cooked antelope before, overseasoned it a bit so the meat was salty but other than that it was delicious! While enjoying dinner, the rain began. I quickly tossed the dishes in the sink for later and took P outside to enjoy the rain, thunder and lightning. Life is too short to sit inside while it rains so we splashed, ran around and oohed and aahed over the lightning strikes. To top off the night we watched one of our favorite shows, "Army Wives". It was a fabulous end to an equally fabulous weekend!

Cantaloupe, er Antelope

Yesterday we packed up after a short day of work and headed East to Elko. We got there around dinner time so we ate at one of our all time favorite restaurants. Then we enjoyed the hotel pool afterwards. Rob and I were both impressed with how brave P was in the pool. With his water wings on he just took off, doing his own thing, only asking for help a couple times. He enjoyed taking a ride on Daddy's back to the deep end then swimming back to Mommy when they got closer to me. We turned in early because Rob had a big day ahead of him today. He had a cantaloupe to hunt!
This morning he got up at 4am to head out to his huntin' spot, claiming it before anyone else. I won't ruin the details of his hunt as that is his story to tell. But I will tell you that my gut feeling that he made fun of me for having was true. He killed a cantaloupe, er antelope! P was so excited that he kept calling the antelope a "cantaloupe". :)

Once Rob got back to the hotel P and I took off for the playground down the road. True to his personality, he made a new "friend" as soon as he got there. The 2 little boys had so much fun together and could've played all day but we had to get back to check out of the hotel. After visiting beautiful Lamoille Canyon at the base of the Ruby mountains, we made our way back home.
A few of the things we liked best? Sleeping in an air conditioned room last night, going to a great restaurant, seeing a couple friends today and Rob killing his first antelope of course. Although short and quick, it was a nice little getaway!

Dinosaurs, Frogs and Ducks

I'm trying to give P as much "Me Time" as I can before the baby comes. I try to find a balance between housework, errands and doing something he'll enjoy. So when I got a weekly email outlining fun kid events around Reno I jumped at the chance to take him to a dinosaur themed kids' museum. It turned out to be disappointing as it was more of a playroom or a parent supervised preschool setting. But he enjoyed himself while we were there and he even got to see his little buddy, Andy. The one thing he did enjoy was the dinosaur play area outside the museum. He wanted to climb on all the dinosaurs and then he talked to them, apologizing to them for not saving his salami snack for them. :) From there I took him to a pond where I had recently done an impromptu photo shoot for a friend. I knew the pond was slap full of huge frogs. Much to our delight we not only found frogs but a friendly duck and some fish. I think he enjoyed that more than the dinosaur "museum". To top off the morning we stopped for some chips and guacamole on the way home (His new favorite....much to my delight!). This afternoon has been filled with a nap, outside play and lots of mud sculptures. Other than the unbearable heat, it's been a great day!

What Was He Thinking??

After being in bed for awhile last night I felt the need to check on P. (I love our house but being upstairs while he's downstairs concerns me at times.) It was a good thing I followed my gut because much to my dismay I found a disaster zone downstairs. P had gone into his bathroom and had literally opened every bottle, tube, container her could find. He had vapor rub all over his walls and on Ruby's head. He also covered poor Ruby in Calamine lotion (She is still pink today) and then, I'm guessing to get it off her, she rubbed all over the walls and leather furniture. P also put his red toothpaste on her neck, giving her a beautiful red necklace that may become more permanent than temporary. He then proceeded to dump his body wash and/or lotion all over his carpet, which no amount of Resolve would fix. To top it off, he had the concoctions all over his body as well. After I told Rob about the incident this morning (he snored right through the fun last night) he voiced exactly what I was thinking when I was trying to clean P, Ruby and his room...."What would make him lay in bed and think 'It would be fun to get everything and pour it all over Ruby and my room.'?" Ah, the mind of a 3 year old boy!

Monday Morning Vent

I was told a few years ago about all the negativity that comes with a job share, that it's like a marriage. Sometimes it's great and sometimes you're put with a partner that you don't mesh well with. After a couple years with an awesome job share partner, we had to part ways in June (She was having her 3rd baby and desperately wanted to be a SAHM). Yes, she had her quirks that drove me crazy and I'm sure I had mine that drove her crazy but we would vent to our BFFs (our hubbies), confront the issue if needed and then move on. I didn't realize at the time how good I had it! Now I do. Over the Summer I got put with a different job share person to teach Kinder. My principal does not hire people I would hire but I guess since I am not a principal it doesn't matter. However, usually with a job share, the teacher already in place has some say about it. But, like I said, my principal doesn't work that way. So I have a brand new teacher to work with and I've forgotten what it's like to need to hold someone's hand throughout the first year of teaching. It's also made me realize why I don't want to be an administrator any time soon (I don't have the patience required). I dread my phone ringing and seeing her name on Caller ID. Although after ignoring her calls for a week, she hasn't called as much. I dread opening my email account and seeing her name in the "Sender" box. I dread my alarm going off on Monday and Tuesday mornings, knowing I have to go to a job I am not fond of. The sad thing is is that the kids and parents are awesome! If they were all I dealt with I'd absolutely love my job but unfortunately that is not the case. So, as much as I hate Rob going back to his old job where he travels all the time, I am looking forward to having his old income back where I can stay at home. My teaching partner is a nice enough person and means well. She has bent over backwards in certain areas to pick up my slack. But it's just not a marriage made in heaven. Are there people out there that have it a lot worse? YES! Can a sleep deprived gal (due to a toddler and some annoying bluejays....but that's a blog for a different time) with raging pregnancy hormones vent on a Monday morning before heading off to a job she isn't fond of? Absolutely! Thanks for "listening". I feel better now. Happy Monday y'all!!

Fun, Fun and More Fun

The baby is laying on "his" belly. The head is to the right and the spine is up top.

I don't enjoy the scorching heat of the Summer (especially with no A/C in the house) but I do love all the Summer activities. This Summer has been busier than most. Maybe because of the job Rob has/had. Maybe because of our "Archery Family". Whatever the case may be I have loved all the Summer memories we've created. Camping trips, swim lessons, hikes, a birthday BBQ, a concert, swimming in the lake, the water park, mini golf and minor league baseball games are just a handful of the fun things we've done. And the best part is that the Summer isn't over yet. Rob has some hunts to go on, Mom and Dad Herrington are coming for a visit and the Rib Fest is always a favorite way for us to end the Summer festivities.
My all time favorite activity that we've done? Watched the progress of our baby. I had a dr appt today. Originally we were only going to hear the heartbeat but the dr couldn't find it (She had the doppler machine too high) so we got an ultrasound afterall. When we walked into the ultrasound room, P excitedly announced "I loooooove to see my baby brother or sister!". My sentiments exactly! And by the end of the month we'll know if our baby is a boy or a girl, another exciting thing.
So I can endure the swollen feet and uncomfortable sleep at night due to the heat because of all the fun we've had. This is Summer living at its best!

So Proud!

As a parent I feel the 2 most important jobs I have are to teach P everything that I can and to teach him wrong from right. Doing that means shielding him from evil on TV, monitoring his friendships, taking him to church regularly and instilling the morals and values I find important. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing a good job or not, but know that regardless I have to answer for my parenting when I reach eternity. That being said, it's always nice to receive praise here on Earth. For the past 2 days, P's preschool teacher has stopped me and Rob to brag about him to us. We think he's close to perfect but to hear it from his teachers just makes me stand a little taller and prouder. Yesterday she told us that she was impressed with his letter recognition. She said that he's one of a few that recognizes the letters when the class plays Alphabet Bingo. Today she stopped Rob to tell him that it's rare to meet a 3 year old with such good manners. She said that he was trying to use the sink but a little boy was in the way so he politely said, "Excuse me. I need to use the sink." When the boy moved aside he thanked the little boy. Although we think he's smart and polite at home, it's nice to know he demonstrates the same skills out in public. He makes us so proud in every way possible!