Totally toddler

Totally busy.

Totally mischievous.

Completely cute!

my new adventure

About six weeks ago I received a very pretty cherry red legal sized envelope in the mail. It stated that the University of New Mexico was happy to re-admit me as a student for the Fall 2009 semester.

Since then I have been spending a lot of time getting the financial aid ready, talking with an advisor on campus, finding someone to watch Katie (thanks Stephanie), convincing work that I would not be available to work very much, and figuring out where to park (thanks Bishop Schaap!!). And I must not forget to mention all the time I spent registering, buying books, and my school supplies (that part was fun).

My new adventure starts Monday.

I am excited. I have always wanted to finish school, but often our circumstances made it very difficult. This time we are not going to let circumstances stop us. I. am. going. to. school. I. will. finish.

Financial aid will be my friend. Pell grants will be my best friend. It might have to pay our bills. We will make it work.

It will take me three years. Sadly they are not accepting to many of my Ricks credits. But it is only three years. It could be four, or five. It could be worse.

After all the struggles and stress I will become a high school teacher. I will be home with my kids during the summer and winter breaks. Home after school and available weekends to participate in their soccer, golf, baseball activities. Brandon won't have to work two jobs to make ends meet. Our family life will be better.

Only three years. I can do it. I am looking forward to it. Go LOBOS!

the FIRST day of school

Today is the day. It finally came. The first day of school. Not that I didn't enjoy my kids being home for the summer, but it was getting harder and harder to entertain them and the fighting was getting bad. In short, they were bored.

Here they are all ready to head out the door for the bus. I have always taken them to their first day of school, but this year neither of them wanted me to take them. I was disappointed, but I guess that it is good that they are so independent.

Eric claimed that he was not excited to go to school. I don't really believe that, I am sure that a part of him is excited to go. He was very reluctant to get his picture taken though! Despite that isn't he a handsome kids? SO grown up! He started the 4th grade today. We met his teacher last week and she was very nice. She said that she is not that big on homework as long as the class work is finished. Eric always finishes his class work and so I am very excited to not have to much homework from him!

Josh was super excited to be in the 1st grade. He is just too cute! He was very anxious to get out the door and onto the bus. He was the one pushing to go by themselves. We met his teacher last week and she seems very nice and very patient. That is a good thing for Josh. They will get along well.

So it is just me and Katie chillin' at home, at least until next week. That is when we make a big change around here. More to come on that later.

Our summer fun: ITZ

One Friday, a couple of weeks ago we had another fun family day for FREE, courtesy of our favorite local radio station!

This time it was at ITZ and we had never been there. What a great way to check it out!

It was an awesome place for the boys (including Brandon), but Katie was still to small to participate on very many of the rides or video games. Not that she didn't have some fun!

All of the kids enjoyed the bowling. Just their size!

The boys (remember, this included Brandon too!) had a great time on the bumper cars and this other ride that spun you around in the air. Katie really wanted to ride that one, but she was too small.

She was just tall enough to ride this little train roller coaster, so Brandon took her. She was very excited until it started. Then she was very scared!! The ride operator had to stop the ride and let her off, she was that scared.
So she settled for a few of the kiddie ones.

And then the boys hit the video games. Truthfully, I do not understand the attraction of the video game, but they enjoyed them!

Afterwards... yummy Dions for lunch. It was a great morning!

Five days. I have lost 5 days.

I hate getting sick. My clean house and other projects have gone to pot over five little days. I have goals and a date to achieve them by. And now, that may not happen.

And the thing is... I don't really feel that much better. I have to medicate myself to sleep and medicate myself to get out of of bed in the morning. I even called into work. That never happens.

Today I went for my walk with Renee. She had to take it easy on me because my lungs are gunked up from my sinuses draining and this nasty cough I've had. yuck yuck yuck

On a positive note. I am getting better. Just more slowly then I would like. I prefer the illness where you feel crappy for one day and then wake up feeling 100%. But not this one. I am hanging in there. And maybe, maybe by the end of the week, I will be feeling 100%.

introducing the iron bladder

DAY 3

She woke up too early.

Stayed dry all night.

Sat her on the potty, did not go.

Finally went about 3 hours after she woke up. I was in the shower because we need to go somewhere (okay, I needed to go somewhere). She became upset, stripped and climb in the shower with me. That is when she peed. (is this to graphic for some of you?) This was about 9:30am. She was still agitated after the shower and she wanted a diaper on. I had intended to take her out in her panties, but she didn't want to. After we came home she was still dry but refused to sit on the potty.

Wanted her panties back on.

Drank her brothers Gatorade, ocean water and a cup of milk.

Took a nap.

Woke up dry.

Refuses to sit in the potty, but still dry.

At this point I am getting worried. Who could drink that much liquid and hold it for that long. My concern drove me to make a quick call to the pediatrician. She said that she was probably fine, just exerting control over the situation. (great, like I need another child that is a control freak!) I felt better, but still hoping, praying that she would pee tonight after she went to sleep. A 2 year old with a UTI? Doesn't sound fun.

Ate dinner.

Went to take a bath (she made herself a mess today).

Got her undress and she looks at me and says "pee pee."

Sits on the potty, pees, and gets into the tub.

Time between pees: 10 hours. No joke.

Katie: fine

Mom: very stressed out.

Needless to say, I am more then thankful that this day is over. Writing about it is helping me relieve the stress that comes from trying to potty train. I will be back tomorrow.

potty mouth

I decided that Katie was ready to be potty trained. We had been practicing weeks with no success of catching her at the right moment, but I was confident that I could do this. Not only was a sure that I could do this, I was going to do this in just a few days. Never mind that she is much younger then the boys where when I started with them. She was showing all the signs of being ready, so why not go for it, right?

DAY 1

I came back from walking in the morning, took off her diaper and put her in panties. That was it. I asked her to tell me if she needed to go potty and I would take her every 30-45 minutes. I gave her some fun drinks (limeade & capri suns -- healthy, I know!) We had a couple of accidents, but not to many. It was very evident that she was holding it. I laid her down for her nap, in her panties, and when she got up I was waiting. I got her to the bathroom and she started to pee! SUCCESS!! But not really because it became clear that she was scared to pee in the potty! That had never occurred to me! She did try a couple more times time that day, but nothing really. It was clear that she was stressed out over this, but wanted to hang in there. We ended the day in a diaper for bed. I don't really believe in pushing night training. I'd rather let her relax. She was happy and I was satisfied with the days results.

DAY 2
She got up right as I was coming home and I could hear her asking to go to the potty. We tried, but nothing. She did wear panties for a couple of hours. I had her sitting on the potty when she started to get upset. I tried to get her back into her panties, but she was too frustrated. She took them and "hid" them from me! I took this for what is was and offered to put her in a diaper. (I will admit that I was disappointed that she was not wanting to potty train, but I'd rather her be happy and do this when she is ready.) She was much happier after that. Since she was happy and in a diaper I took advantage of it and we all got out of the house!!! It was really nice for me get out and I felt much better when we got home. After we had come home she asked to go to the potty. I checked her diaper and she was still dry!! So we went to try again and this time she went!! She was still a little scared, but not as much. After this we had lunch and went down for her nap in her panties. Once again she stayed dry! I was starting to feel like she was going to get this after all! She did have some accidents getting to the potty, but oh well! I will take it. Then finally it happened this afternoon... she peed without crying in fear!!!!! She gets it! She likes it!! Hooray!

Here's to day 3.

Santa Ana golf clinic

This past week Eric participated in a golf clinic at the Santa Ana golf course. Each day they taught the kids one of the golf swings and techniques to teach them the sport or to help them improve their game (in Eric's case). On the last day they had a tournament where the kids competed against those in the age group. They received points based on how well the used the skills they were taught. After everything they tallied up the points and ERIC was the winner for his age group!! He won a very nice Nike golf bag for his clubs. He was excited to have won and we are very proud that he did his best! Way to go Eric!