Puke & fever.

So today was a pretty crazy day. But it didn't start out that way. We got up at a decent time, around 8:30 or 9am. After everyone had showers & was dressed, we chilled for a little while until we went to Speech Therapy. We left the house around noon to get Joe's hair cut before therapy. As we're driving there, Nate started coughing a little so we stopped at Hardee's to get him a drink. A small pop was $1.69 with tax!! That's CRAZY!! I pulled up a bit in the drive thru and then reversed and told them I wanted to cancel the drink. We then went to get Joe's haircut. On the way there I realized that we didn't have any cash for a tip. I decided that the haircut would wait until after therapy.

We turned around, stopped at the bank for some cash, stopped at McDonald's to get a $1 small soda (turns out the large are also $1, oh well -- Nate still loved it!) and then headed to the hospital. We got there about 1/2 hour early but went on inside. One the way in, Nate threw up just a little bit on the sidewalk. I probably should have told someone about the mess but didn't think about it. We went towards the cafeteria. Low and behold who do we see... Uncle Bob! He was eating lunch so we sat with him. FYI--credit cards are not accepted at the hospital cafeteria. Bob said to get what we wanted for Nate & that he'd get the tab. I got Nate a banana & some goldfish crackers. We sat with him for about 10 minutes or so but Nate didn't want to eat anything.

Nate was fussing a lot and not wanting to sit still so off to therapy we went. After checking in, we waited in the lobby. Therapy was fine but Nate didn't want to say ANYTHING! He was very persistent in that! We go back again next Monday @ 1pm. I was hungry after therapy so we stopped at the cafeteria again. I got 2 burgers & 2 sides of mashed potatoes, and since they don't take credit cards, I charged it to Bob's bill. He said it was fine and to do it whenever I wanted. I won't do that, but it's nice to know that if I needed to, then I could. We ate in the car and then headed back to get Joe's hair cut.

We had a $10 gift certificate to A Cut Above. It's by the licensing office & in the same area as the old theatre. Missie Haynes did a really good job. They do pedicures & manicures so you may find me out there sometime!! Bob called to tell me that Mom was at the hospital with my Aunt Ruthie. I called Mom & told her we'd swing by to visit with Aunt Ruthie but first we had to stop at WalGreen's for some tylenol for Nate. We get to the hospital, get a great parking spot, & head up to the 3rd floor. By this time Nate was still fussy and had a small fever. We got to the 3rd floor & found Mom. Joe was holding Nate & before Joe knew it, Nate threw up all over him! His shirt was covered as well as the chair they were sitting in. I got as much cleaned up as possible.

Ah... down to the ER we go. We got him all checked it at close to 3pm. He was very quiet and didn't move around. He had to get his temperature taken in a very unpleasant location. He weighs 30.6 pounds. The doctor finally came in after forever and said that Nate had an ear infection and that's why he was puking & had a fever. One of the males nurses/doctors gave Nate a grape popsicle and Nate loved it!! When he was almost done with it 2 other nurses came in and each gave him shots in his upper/outer thighs. He screamed for a while and then just cried a whole lot and very loud! One of the nurses called in prescription to Wal-Mart for us. He finally stopped crying and fell asleep at about 4:45pm. We finally left the ER at 5pm. I had to be at work at 5 so I called in and said I'd be late.

We got his medicine and then headed home. Nathan was awake but not very active. I got to work at about 5:50pm. It was pretty boring most of the night there. It was raining a lot after work. Silly me, I forgot to wear a coat so I got soaked. I stopped at Wal-Mart after work to get a few things. Joe had to help me with the groceries. I ended up making popcorn topping it with Molly McButter and we watched Changeling with Angelina Jolie. It was a pretty good movie. I'm now writing this and wanting to fall asleep.

No pictes as something is meessed up.

I'm thankful for brothers that help out their sister.

Tuesday.

Not much happened today. The middle of the night was a different story. When I got home, Nate was already asleep. We went to bed around midnight. At about 1:30am Nathan was us screaming so Joe put him in our bed. I tried to get him to go to sleep but nothing worked. Nate climbed over me so that I was in the middle of the bed and he was on my side of the bed. He then proceeded to scoop down towards the foot of the bottom in between the sheets. Next thing I hear is him puking all over the in between the sheets. Of course I get a little on me too. It was so gross.


Aerial view of rental backyard

We finally get him cleaned up but of course he doesn't want to go to bed. He gets off the bed, finds the can of Pringles, and climbs back in our bed in between me & Joe and starts eating them. I think he had a few in him before I realized what he was doing. I got them taken away but he was already wide awake. Joe took him downstairs to try to get him tired so he would go to sleep. I threw pj's down for him so he would at least be warm. Nothing worked. He brought Nate back upstairs and when I tried to hold him he only screamed. He didn't want anything to do with me. Joe wanted me to take Nate so that Joe could try to get some sleep. He got really mad at me as I was still half alseep and took a few extra seconds to comprehend what he was saying.


Gina the Goat

By this time it's probably clost to 5am. He yelled a little (really it was a lot but I'm trying to be nice) and went back down with Nate and slammed the door. I went down to try and calm Nate. As I should have known, he still didn't want me. I finally got him to take some liquid Tylenol. We put a movie in for him while Joe was going to rock him. As soon as the movie started, Nate passed out. WHEW!! We brought him back upstairs and layed him in his bed. He was finally out for good. We went out too.


(Nate took this picture)

Just before 10am Nate woke up but this time he was happy. We didn't get much done today as we were super tired from being up most of the night. We went to Wal-Mart to get my prescription refilled and then drove by A Cut Above to make sure they'll be open on Wednesday. We're getting Joe's hair cut tomorrow (now today on Wednesday.) I went to work at 2pm. I covered 3 hours for my friend Ashley. Just as I was leaving, Joe & Nate left for Monroe. He dropped Nate off at Mom & Dad's and then he went to do his side job working on a farm.


(Nate took this picture)

I took Charlene home after work and Ford had a couple big burritos ready for me to take home. We popped in a movie, Taken, and had our burritos. Both were really good. Here I am blogging, Joe is downstairs on his computer until I give him the ok to come up for bed, & Nate is in bed. He's been out since about 8pm-ish so we really hope he sleeps until at least 8am-ish. We'll see.

I'm thankful that I was able to pick up some extra hours today.

What a weekend!

I haven't been on here for a few days so I'm not really in the mood to blog right now. I know I need to tho. The internet on this computer is also going super slow. We'll see how much I get blogged.



I had such a busy & awesome weekend. I went on a Cursillo (kur-see-yo) at Quincy University. I didn't sleep much and I ate WAY TOO MUCH!!! But I did learn a lot that I hope will help my marriage, family, and spiritual life grow. I met a lot of new women and I hope to be friends with them for quite a while. The weekend wasn't anything that I had planned. I didn't want to go on the weekend but Joe really wanted me to go. I'm glad I went.



Joe was super busy this weekend as well. Joe, Dad, & Mike worked very hard to get the rental backyard cleared out. Mike ran the Bobcat. They had 6 dump truck loads, 3 or 4 truck loads, & 3 or 4 trailer loads were taken to the free city clean-up!! It looks so much better over there!! Nathan had a few babysitters while I was gone. Mom watched him Friday, Jack watched him Saturday, & Dad watched him on Sunday.



Nathan started his Speech Therapy today at the hospital. Today was more of a "get to know you" session. He played with some toys and was able to get comfortable with the therapist. We go back on Wednesday at 1pm. We will be going every Mon/Wed at 1pm for 30 minutes each session. I'll keep you posted. Joe also has a side job that he will be doing in Monroe for a guy that he worked with. He'll be doing some farm work and bringing in extra money. It will definitely be needed! I will also be changing my work schedule around so I can work more hours. I'm not really looking forward to that but I know it needs to be done. Joe also said we'll try getting pregnant once I start working more hours.



I'm so pooped. I'm working a really long shift tomorrow. It will be for 8 hours. It's not long for most but it is for me. I guess I should get used to it.

I'm thankful for everyone in my life that I love so dearly!! I have the best family & friends!

End of work week.

Joe was mad at me this morning because I wouldn't let him sleep in. Oh well... I got up & it was so beautiful outside -- perfect weather! Nate & I had cereal and then I made some Amish Friendship Bread. (I'm never gonna run out of this stuff. Ugh.) Of course I messed up with it again and forgot to add the cinnamon sugar to the top while baking. It was still pretty good tho.

I really wanted to go to the park and play ball with Nate. We were getting ready to go while Joe was doing homework. He ended up taking a little longer than expected so I made the last batch of Bread. This time I think I got it all right. I made 10 little tiny loaves and 2 a little bigger loaves. I froze 9 tiny loaves and 1 larger one. We'll have enough bread for awhile!!

We ended up going for a about a mile walk or so down Chestnut & Hope Streets. It was really nice and Nate loved it! When we got back we chilled on the porch for a little bit. Nate tried to help sweep the porch but Joe shared his pop with Nate. I was finally able to sweep the porch without help! Nate took over the soda and thought it was funny when he "let" us take a drink, but then took it back as soon as we tried getting our drink! Little turkey!!!

I took a few shirts and a pair of crocs to Ian at work. One shirt was red, tie-dye with trombones. When I first saw it, I thought he would like it. He did! Work was super slow most of the night. It was so super boring but it was fun to talk to everyone. We had a really good night. Since it was so super slow, they made 4 10pm people leave early. I said I did't wanna go. Well there were only 4 10pm people so I had to clock out early. Only 10 minutes early but it's cool. I had to hang out til 10pm cause I gave Charlene a ride home.

Once I got home I started the Stir Crazy popcorn popper. We watched Juno. It was really good and makes me want to have another baby. This is joe since Donna keeps faling asleep. Also since Donna is sleeping there will be no pictures tonight.

(I'm back to say what I'm thankful for.)
I'm thankful for my husband who is just amazing!!

Decision day.

Mom & Dad came up this morning with wheelbarrows. We were going to scoop all the shingles into the wheelbarrows, dump them into the Bobcat scooper thing, and then dump them from the Bobcat to the dump truck. By the time Mom & Dad got here, the roofers were already doing it so we didn't have to!! I ended up making the Amish Friendship Bread (it tasted a bit funny cause I forgot to add the pudding -- I'll try again tomorrow with another batch.) and Joe went out to help Dad in the rental yard for a little bit.



I didn't get any sewing done today but I'm ok with that. I did, however, have my yearly Papsmear & IUD check today. Joe & I have been talking about getting the IUD removed (well I talk & he ignores) and we (mainly I) decided to have it removed. It doesn't mean we're trying to get pregnant, but we will probably start trying soon. We've got other means of protection for the time being. Now that it's out, I look at Nathan differently. I see him as a big brother. Of course he's not yet but he could be soon. It's weird & exciting! My doctor even said it's time since we want 3 or 4 kids. We may rethink that number once we have another one!!



More roofing going on today. Joe said they're done though. I assume they are since they've been paid. I told him he needs to get into roofing. $1000.00 for 4 days of work!! He did have 3 others helping that will get paid but man that's good money!! It looks really good!! I'll try to get some completed pictures tomorrow & post them.



I'm thankful that we can start trying for a baby sometime.

Sick day.

Today was just a regular ol' day. After we showered & got dressed, we went down to have breakfast. (I'm trying to remember what we did today but this computer makes some unhealthy noises so I'm having a hard time thinking....) I worked in the sewing room for awhile and found some more cool fabric in the basement. Joe & Nate played with his new (from Luke) dumptrucks in the backyard. While they played, I added some inches to the bottom of a shirt as well as some trim to the sleeves. I feel kinda weird wearing it but at least I did a good job on it. Everyone at work liked it so that's pretty cool.

We still have the roofers here & today they started on the roof in the front. There are old shingles EVERYWHERE!!! That's aiight tho cause we're getting a new roof!! Today was day 11 for the Amish Friendship Bread. I was supposed to make it on day 10. I'll be making it on day 12. I'm sure it'll still be good. Joe said Nate went to sleep at about 9:30pm and that he went down very easy. After work we popped in a movie. We watched "Get Smart" with The Rock. It was pretty good and very funny. I recommend watching it. Nate just started crying in bed a little and I pray e doesnt wake up.

Tomorrow, I have my yearly visit for my IUD. I really hope Joe & I decide to have it removed but we'll see. I'm sure we did other stuff but I can't remember anything. I had a pretty bad cough & sore throat at work tonight. I had to get couch drops from the boss. I coughed so much and didn't think I'd ever get the snot from my nose. (No pictures today as I can't get them to upload. I'm also getting so I'll post them tomorrow. Good night!!

I'm thankful for tissues with aloe that I have at home.

I'm cold.

We got up in plenty of time to make it to church on time (it's a rarity.) I showed Nathan's towel that I made to a guy there and I think he may want to get some made for his 3 girls. I'm used to making things for nothing & I would feel uncomfortable quoting him a price. After church it was pouring down rain so we went to Wal-Mart to get some supplies. Back home for lunch & then we went to Quincy for more supplies. (I like the term "supplies." I think it sounds cool!) We went to Joanne Fabrics, KMart, Shopko, Wal-Mart, & Deter's (for frozen yogurt.) I got 4 colors of thread, 9 towels, mint chocolate chip sundae with hot fudge, and other stuff that isn't too much fun.



We came home & chilled. It was nice to just relax. I cleaned up the sewing room (dining room) a bit while Nate played in there. Joe finished him homework & during breaks he played with Nate. I also went down Nate's slide a few times. No pictures tho! I started mending stuff that needed it. Then I started working on letters for Natalie, Bre & Ava. I just finished cutting all the letters (plus 2 layers for backing.) All the letters are pinned together and in a ziploc bag waiting to be hemmed. Then they will be sewn to the towel. I will be busy, busy, busy!

Joe finished his homework, I finished the letters, now we're upstairs & my toes are freezing. I've been cold most of the evening but I won't turn the heat on. I really want Spring to get here and stay here.

I'm thankful that I found something that I really enjoy doing!!!

Being sick sucks.

At 6am, Nate woke up coughing so Joe put him in bed with us. At 6:40am he threw up a little (on Joe's side of the bed). Joe decided it was time to get up & shower. (The alarm was gonna go off at 7am). While they were in the shower I went thru some summer '09 boxes of clothes for Nate and found most of the summer clothes that he'll need. We had hoped to leave by 8am but we didn't leave until about 8:20am. The game started at 8:30 and we got there about 8:45. We were told he did much better in the 1st half but that'ok; he's only 6 1/2.

After the game, we went back to Mom & Dad's for a little bit. It took forever to leave but we finally got out of there shortly after 11. Nathan threw up a tiny bit on the way there & I fell asleep for a bit too. We got to Lisa's just before 1pm. Neither of us wanted to start packing but it's what we went to do. After lunch (pizza) I cleaned out/refolded/restacked the linen closet. Mom went yesterday and today she cleaned out the pantry. Laura was with Lisa working in the garage.

Nate, Logan, Beau, & Natalie were outside most of the time. Nate fell so they all came in. Nathan definitely needed a bath so Logan & Beau decided they needed one too. After they were clean we all did more cleaning. We wanted to leave Lisa's around 4pm-ish but didn't leave until after 6pm (I think.) We left & had to turn around because I forgot my contact/glasses case & contact solution. We got that & were finally on our way. Hed finally got tho sent ouf ot's way.

On the way back with Ate trew up again. We finally gt showers & oko they watch the eafle omething. Good night.

I'm thankful for everyone who is friends with us.

Loved the day!!

There was a loud noise that I kept hearing over & over again this morning. I wasn't sure if it was in my dream or real. I kept sleeping & then Joe put Nate in bed with us at about 7:30am-ish. At about 8am Dad called to say he was on his way to Hannibal. Then shortly after that I realized what the noise was... the guys taking the shingles off the back half of our roof!! New roof day!! Mom & Dad picked up Joe to go buy the shingles. We paid for them but it was a hefty chuck of change; $1,005.48. But at least they're paid for and we don't owe Mom & Dad back for them! They did loan us the money for the labor but once we get the check back from the hail damage, they will get the majority of it.



When they got back we had breakfast and then Mom & Dad headed home so Mom could go to Columbia. Nate & I went out back & watched them work on the roof for a bit. After I showered & Joe bathed Nate, I decided that I was gonna go to Quincy. I invited my friend Ashley to go with us. It was a girl's day out with Nate!! We had a lot of fun. We went to Joanne Fabrics (I got thread & now Ashley wants a sewing machine), the resale baby store (I got the CUTEST roller skates/blades for Nate that fit over his shoes & extend for when he's older), Bed Bath & Beyond (didn't get any towels as they cost too much)& Sam's. I think that's all the places we went to. Nate ran around Sam's as much as he could. We even got 3 pizzas for $3 each!!! Someone ordered & never picked them up. They were gonna throw them out so I got 'em! I took Ashley home. Grandpa was at our house when Nate & I got home.



Joe said he wanted to go on a walk so we wen tto Mark Twain Elementary school & played on the Big Toy playground. Joe & I had more fun that Nate as we started swinging. Not only did we swing but we jumped off the swings like we were kids! I jumped about 5 times. We were trying to get pictures of mid-air jumps & Joe never could get my mid-air shot. I think he just wanted me to keep jumping! We were at the park for prolly 45 minutes or so and then we walked back home. Dad was still there when we got home so him & I took a tour of the rental house while Joe & Nate came back inside to play some more. Dad left shortly after our tour and I came inside to be with my guys.





We cleaned the house, had dinner, did laundry, packed for the weekend (Nate & I are going to Lisa's house with Laura, Logan, & Beau), played with Nate, & then Joe rocked him to sleep. We were thinking of watching a movie but didn't. Too much other stuff to do. I prolly won't blog tomorrow as I'll be in Hartsburg.







I'm thankful for friends to spend the afternoon with & just hang out and do girl stuff!

My Friday.

Today was almost a great day as well. We got up at a decent hour (9am). I showered by myself & used all the hot water. Joe wasn't too happy but oh well. He waited to take his shower. I stripped our beds and Nate helped me bring them downstairs. He also helped me wash the sheets. On Nate's Superman sheets that the elastic in the corners is losing it's elasticity. Can you guess what I did to fix it?? BINGO!! I sewed more elastic in and they're great now! Joe started laundry while I fixed the sheet.

After lunch we went to the park on the South Side. It was so fun & Nathan had a great time! There were a lot of slides & he played with the rocks. A creek is also right there at the park and Nathan loved standing on the bench to watch the water. We stopped at Wal-Mart after the park to get my Aunt's medicine. We also got diapers, grapes, animal crackers, & some heartburn medicine. I'm pretty sure we came home after that.

Mike & a friend of his stopped by the house. The friend got on the roof and put in a bid to fix it. And well, he'll be back at 6am to start taking the shingles off the roof and he'll start putting them back on by 9am-ish. We have to send our insurance check for the hail damage last year to Chase Mortgage. Once the endorse it and send it back to us, we get to endorse it, cash it, & give it to my parents.

Work was super boring & slow most of the time. While I was at work, Joe told me that he thinks it's about time we do something with Ruso. He scratched Nate across his right cheek, just below his eye. Maybe we'll look into getting him declawed but I'm not sure. Nate was out by the time I got home. Joe was sad/upset about all the bills we have and all the money we DON'T have. We were going to watch a movie but Joe decided againt it. We had cereal in bed & m frosted shredded mini wheat was so good!! I'm super tired so I'll talk to ya'll later.

I'm thankful that my husband & son love me unconitionaly.

Gorgeous day!!

Today was pretty much an awesome day. We got up, all clean, had breakfast, and then chilled for a bit. Joe went next door to clean up under the back proch area and Nate & I looked at fabric in the basement. I went next door & picked up all the cans I could see. We will recycle them. After a little while we had a family outing. We went to Breadeaux's and had some awesome Cheeseburger Pizza with pickles!! It's awesome!! Then we went to the Kitchen Store & I got a cool trivet. After that we went to a religiou store that also sells homemade jams, jellies, & salsas. I bought some Strawberry Rhubard Butter. (It is so good with peanut butter toast!) Then off to the park for a while to play.



Mom & Dad came over so left the park and went home. Dad & Joe were outside and Nate & I went to the front porch to play. Mom was on the computer. I had to go to work from 5-10pm. While at work, Mike & Cindy & kids came over and everyone got Domino's pizza. After everyone left, Joe said Nate went to sleep within minutes. After work I came upstairs. I haven't been doing much but chatting with friends. I brought old denim up so that I could cut out some letters. I also brought the same stuff last night. No letters were cut last night or tonight.



I'm thankul to my parents who just celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary!! I love you Mom & Dad!!!

Monday/Tuesday

I've been pretty tired the past few days. I've also been sewing a lot. I'm not sure what all we did yesterday so I'll try to remember the best that I can. We didn't do much since it was raining. I sewed some on letters for Nate's towel. I worked 5-10pm. Joe had Nathan in bed when I got home. That gave us time to watch "Marley & Me." It's a very good movie & I recommend watching it if you haven't already.



Today we had our WIC meeting at 10:45am. After the meetin we took a little drive & then went to lunch and then to Wal-Mart for WIC. I also finished sewing Nathan's towel. It's pretty awesome if I do say so myself. Work again from 5-10pm. I gave Charlene a ride home after work. In exchange, Ford gave us some White Chicken Chili. It was so good!! This is the shortest blog ever but I'm super tired!! I'm so tired that I'm falling asleep as I type.

I'm thankful I have friends that give us such good food!!

Happy Easter!!

This weekend was pretty busy. Aside from being Easter weekend, I was sewing, A LOT! I sewed 3 towels: 1 for Beau, 1 for Logan, & 1 for Kyi (nephews "step-son"). They all loved them & are ready to go swimming (or take a bath)! I was up until about 2:30am-ish this morning and then had to get back up at 6:45am to be at 8am Mass. We had planned going the night before but my nephews Mike & Pat made their 1st communion today. Mike, Cindy, Little Mike, Pat, Frank, & Logan all headed to St. Louis to a Cardinal game. It was a really good day!

After Catholic Mass we came home & I made eggs & toast. Mom, Dad, & Sarah stopped by so they ate too. I did a bit more sewing after breakfast and before Presbyterian church. After church, Joe dropped me off so I could do a better job at stitching the letters of each kid's name to the towel. Him & Nate went to Wal-Mart & ended up not buying anything. Then they stopped at County Market for baked beans & a pop.

(This was started last night but Joe told me that I fell asleep at the computer. Here I go again... if I can remember.)

I finished the towels, Joe picked me up, & off to Monroe we went. I made Beau get off the computer for a couple minutes so I could give him his towel. He loved it! Of course he knew who it was from. Later on Jay, Kiri, Kyi, & their friends Josh & Marika arrived at Mom & Dad's. I showed Jay & Kiri Kyi's towels and they loved it. Kyi (& Kiri) were VERY shocked to receive it. Kiri & Jay have been going out for awhile now and Kyi is her son. He's about 6 years old.

We had an awesome Easter Egg Hunt & the Easter Bunny came to visit!! Nate did great! He had the front yard all to himself. The older kids got the sides & back. He filled his bucket full, got LOTS of candy, AND .85 cents! Most of the kids only got about 25 or 35 cents! (Mom can't do quarters as there are way too many kids participating in the hunts.) Dinner was great. We ate most of the day and didn't stop for long.

Logan & Frank were at the game so the Easter Bunny had to come back so Logan wouldn't miss out on seeing him. He came back for about 15 minutes. Nathan was fine with the Bunny from a distance but he did NOT want to get too close to him, let alone smile in a picture with the Bunny. I wish Joe could have been there to see him and it would have been nice if he could have been in the picture. **wink**

We finally got home about 9:30 pm-ish. I was pooped. Joe put Nate to sleep. I'm not sure what I did, but I eventually came to bed and fell asleep while typing. Joe had to help me get ready for bed once he got upstairs.

We slept in just a little bit today but not much. We didnt do a whole lot today. I did some sewing & I'm trying to clean up the sewing room but it's not looking so hot.

I'm thankful for my friend Vanessa as she if as he puppy as is going Kim Vaness as e is a faithful store.

Quincy

After my shower, I was lucky enough to clean Nate's room while him & Joe were downstairs eating breakfast. Once we left the house we went to the bank, dropped off fruit roll-ups for Brock, and then left for Quincy. We stopped at the bank to pay Sarah's mortgage & then went to Denman's Medical Supply store. I was looking for a pillow for my tush as my tailbone always hurts when I sit down. Then we went to Joanne Fabric where I got some fun colors of thread and a cool pink Sidewinder!! The Sidewinder is a small machine that enables you to wind your bobbin without having to stop sewing. It's cool. I'll take a picture of it tomorrow.

After Joanne's we went to KMart. We got Nate a new pillow for his bed and just a few other things but I'm not sure what. Steak 'N Shake here we come!! Nate ate all his fries but would only eat the grilled cheese AFTER I dipped it into ranch dressing! Joe & I both had fish. Then to Wal-Mart for some serious shopping! I got 4 towels for the name towels, 2 basketballs, and not sure what else. Somewhere along the way we went to Big Lots & we got Nate a bucket for his Easter basket. Off to home we go.

We had a box of new phones waiting for us when we got home!! We are so excited to finally have some good ones! We got them charging and then left. That way we didn't feel compelled to start playing ahead of time. We went to Wal-Mart so Joe could return a RedBox movie then went to Mike & Cindy's. We hung out for a bit and then we all went to dinner. Little Mike & Pat ate at Yen Ching and the rest of us had Gran Rio. Again, no meat today. Made a very quick trip to Walgreen's and then back home for good.

We got all 3 phones for us activated and then finally got to start playing on them. My touch screen phone is really different compared to what I'm used to. Nate went to bed very easy again. He's been asleep since just before 10pm.

I'm thankful to have new phones that work really good!! (I'll post pictures of them tomorrow.)

3 days in a row.

Joe took Nate downstairs for breakfast while I showered & folded about 5 baskets of laundry... only 2 baskets left!!! I left the laptop upstairs again so I wouldn't be on it all day. I use Joe's computer but not very much. He likes his "domain".

Today was the 9th or 10th day for my Amish Friendship Bread. I couldn't remember if I was supposed to make it today or tomorrow so I went ahead and made it today. 5 mini loaves (about 4 inches long -- thanks for the pans Lisa) and 1 small loaf pan (smaller than regular size loaf pans). It was so good!! I had Joe take 1 of the mini mini loaves over to the old owners. I was being nice. I also took the larger loaf to work. It was very good & everyone loved it. Or I hope they did.



YEA!! The old owners of our rental house have been back 3 days in a row now to get stuff out. And today they were there twice! I'm so happy. Dad wanted me to tell them that he (dad) wasn't able to get a saw from the basement but he (dad) still wants it. Old owner said no problem. I also mentioned that if they didn't want the old sewing machine that I'd take it off their hands. He's gotta talk to his wife but we'll see.

It was a pretty boring day. It was cold and then rainy so we didn't do much else. Joe did the dishes and all of the silverware (thanks Babe). The kitchen is a mess cause Nate helped Joe with dishes (by that I mean got all his toys all over the floor.) Nate went to bed without a fight tonight. 3 nights in a row!!

For anyone reading this, in the paragraph above, does the period go inside or outside the parenthesis?? Please let me know.

I'm thankful that Joe did silverware & that the neighbors are getting more stuff out of the house.

Wednesday.

Of course I slept in again today. Dad came up again today. Joe went out to help work in the yard. Nate & I went to the basement to look thru fabric. I found a bunch of cool, boy fabrics to use with the denim letters. The only way I could convince Nate to stay in the basement with me without fighting it (I shut the garage door so he couldn't go help Daddy & Grandpa) was to give him a popsicle. He loved it but then he face turned orange from it!



I made lunch and then started working on the letters. I finished cutting all the letters for Beau's name. The old owners even came over to get more stuff from the house. At least they came back! I also ordered new phones today. I was on the phone with Sonya from Sprint for about an hour. She granted all the web prices and the phones should be here within 2-5 days. Vince is more excited than me, and I'm pretty excited!



Work was aiight. I took popcorn to share. Erin brought me "seeds", aka kernels. I think she's expecting popcorn more often!! We'll see. I got home from work and shortly after I put Nate to bed. He didn't make a sound and went right to sleep in his own bed!! I'm loving this; 2 nights in a row!! Joe & I had a voice call with his Dad on MSN messenger. He's trying his new webcam. I also told him he needs to get a facebook account cause it's cool. We'll see about that too.



Joe & I then watched a movie. It's the first movie we've watched together downstairs in quite some time. We watched "Never Back Down". No clue who the actors/actresses were but the main guy looked a lot like Tom Cruise. It was a pretty good movie. I really enjoyed being with Joe. We had honey nut cheerios and now he's asleep and I'm blogging. I'm going to try and read a few chapters in "Plum Spooky." I hope I don't fall asleep. Good night!



I'm thankful that the previous owners have been getting stuff out of the house 2 days in a row!

Boring Tuesday.

Joe set his alarm for 9:30am. Not sure why because we usually hit the snooze button a couple of times. Nate was in bed with at about 9ish. I'm not sure because Joe got him. Nate didn't fight Joe or yell or cry when he had to take a shower. I was shocked. Joe was getting dressed and heard Dad downstairs. Nate stayed uptairs with me while I got ready & Joe went outside with Dad to start working on the rental yard.

Dad backed the long trailer in between the RV & the fence. They lined the sides with old pallets & hand-loaded a HUGE pile of wood onto it. Then Dad positioned the trailer in between our driveway & the rental yard and they hand-loaded more wood onto it. The pile on the trailer is now about 4 feet high. They will add more boards to the side so they can pile a couple more feet onto it!



Nate & I searched for fabric for a little bit but didn't find much. Then I realized that I have a bunch of jeans that have been cut up for pot holders that are not being used. I'm now cutting letters out of the old jeans. I will be sewing a piece of fabric about 1/4 inch bigger than the denim letter and sewing it together. Then I'm going to repeat it with another piece about 1/4 bigger than the last piece and sew that together as well. Once the letters are sewn, I'll sew them to a towel. Once I finish one, I'll post a picture. It will make more sense & it will be AWESOME!!



Ava came over just before 5pm as Mike, Cindy, & boys went to a Cardinal game in St. Louis. I left for work as Cindy dropped her off. Joe said her & Nate were fine. When I got home at 9pm they were watching a cartoon movie. Ava wanted a sucker so they both ended up getting one. (Can't give one to one kid at not the other!!) Just before 10pm the tv was turned off & it was time for bed. Ava wanted to sleep on the couch. She was out within about 10 or 15 minutes I think. I brought Nate up to his bed. I layed him down, gave him a kiss, covered him up, & walked out. He never once made a single peep!!!! YEA!!!!

Vince told me the Cardinals won the game... 9-3. Mike & Cindy are on their way here to get Ava. I cleaned up the front room & made sure all the toys are past the columns in the playroom. Now I'm checking out phones because we really need to get them ordered.

I'm thankful that Nate went to sleep so easily! I really hope this will happen a lot more!!

Busy again.

I need to blog but I'm tired and looking for new cell phones.

We had our First Steps meeting today. Before they got here, I made chocolate chip banana muffins & bread. The meeting lasted just over 2 hours. Basically we just went over everything. Nate will be in Speech Therapy 2 times a week, 3o minutes each session. The Speech Therapist will hopefully call us later on in the week. (Now that's a quick way to wrap up that long of a meeting!)

I made 3 big batches of popcorn with my awesome Stir Crazy popper!! Nate loves watching it pop!! (He's so cute!!) I didn't do any sewing today and that's cool. Off to work at 5pm. It was a pretty boring night. I was on the Internet and only had 3 phone calls. Dan got mad at me cause I logged off my phone to give Beth some popcorn. Oh well, it wasn't too probable that in the 3 minutes I was off that I would have received a call.

Once I got home, Joe was putting Nate to sleep so I didn't have to do that!! Thanks Babe! I started cleaning out the pantry to add new stuff. I also went thru the bathroom closet. I had to come upstairs to take my contacts out. Now I'm looking for new phones as Vince is rushing me. That's good tho cause it makes me get it done. And it really needs to be done. Our phones SUCK!!

(edit -- I tried to add a picture of the banana bread that I made today but I can't upload it. Oh well, it was good.)

I'm thankful that Nathan will get to start Speech Therapy; hopefully soon. I'm also thankful that Joe was able to put him to sleep tonight since I worked til 10pm.

Visiting everyone.

I was the first to shower so I got to use as much hot water as I wanted. Joe didn't like that idea as he didn't have much. I'm sure Nathan didn't mind as he didn't have to shower. We got to Presbyterian church just as it was starting. Nathan had a lot of fun in the Nursery today with the other kids. We talked to a few people after church & then headed home. On the way home, Laura called & said that she miscarried. She was 2 or 3 weeks pregnant.

(Notice the shiny pocketknife by Nate's left hand! Grandpa gave it to him to play with so he'd sit still. It didn't work.)

Joe finished his last quiz for school & then we planned on going to Monroe City. As he was taking the quiz, I called Mom & she said that Dad was gonna come to our house. So we decided to stay home. Then Mom called & said that Dad didn't feel good; we ended up going to Monroe. When we got there, Mom & Cindy were making tenderloins. They were very good!! I printed some stuff for Mom and then for Dianne. Once they left for their meetings, Nate & I took off to visit Aunt Ruthie.

Nate fell asleep on he way out there. I'm lucky that he stayed asleep when I took him in the house. He slept the whole time Aunt Ruthie & I were visiting. I had a few hard boiled eggs (thanks Julian), a few chips, & a couple glasses of tea. We cruised her basement for a bit and I got to see their new shower. Apparently, they've had it for about 5 years. Apparently, I need to visit more often! We loaded up the car & went to see Grandpa (Nate's Great Grandpa). We also showed Gready Grandpa Nate's new pillowcase. He thought it was pretty cool! It took Nate a while to get comfortable there. We stayed about an hour & then headed home.

We stayed at Grandma & Grandpa's for about another hour before we came back home. Of course, Nate & Grandpa had to listen to all the motors & engines before we could leave. Joe & I had baked potatoes. Once we got home, Joe unloaded the car while I got Nate. He didn't want to sleep in his room (of course). He cried & whined for about 30 minutes or so while I hid on the floor between the bed & the wall; under the windows. I made a run for it to pee. When I came back, he was still crying, I got Nate, the pacifier, his cup, & his pillow. He threw them all over the gate into our room. Within about 2 minutes (not exageratting) he was asleep in our bed, with his pillow. It's now 12:17am. Ugh.

My goal was to have all 25 chapters of Plum Spooky read by tomorrow so I could give it back to Tina. I'm still only on chapter 3.

I'm thankful for my Grandpa. Without him, no of my family would be here. I love you Grandpa!!

Seems like forever...

... since I lasted blogged. I've had a busy couple of days. Yesterday we stayed home all day. Nate & I helped my Dad outide. We took apart the deck & stacked the boards, Nate put all the horseshoes (about 10 or 12) in a bucket, & I found the material to make a pillowcase for Nate. While I had Nate outside & in the basement, Joe finished almost all of his homework. We did good & didn't eat meat ALL day long (usually we forget & eat meat)!! I made tuna casserole & Joe ate 2 bowls of it (he doesn't like tuna, but was trying to be good for me, even though he's not Catholic).



For the rest of the day I prett much worked on the pillowcase for Nate. I had Joe put Nate to sleep so I could keep working on it. That lasted about 15 minutes or so then I had to take over. It took me almost an hour by then time he was asleep, I got his bed made & me back downstairs. Just after midnight I had a turkey & cheese sandwich. (It was then Saturday so I was ok.) Joe waited up for me & I finally finished the pillowcase at 2am! It's so cool & turned out pretty darn awesome! I love it!!




I was going to get up & go to the indoor yard sales in Palmyra but Laura was sick so I went back to bed. GOOD -- More sleep for me! Joe took Nate downstairs around 9am & I slept until about 10:20am. By the time I took my shower & got downstairs it was close to 11. Dad came up again today so we all went out to help in the yard. Joe helped more than me & Nate, but we tried. It was such an awesome day outside & that was the main reason we were "helping". We also flew the kite a little bit!!

I asked Vince if he wanted banana bread or muffins. He answered with "both." Nate tried to help by peeling the bananas & adding them to the bowl but they were still pretty cold as they hadn't thawed out all the way. He had his step stool in the laundry room so he could watch Daddy & Grandpa working outside. He loves looking out the windows in there!! By the time the first loaf of chocolate chip banana bread was baked, Lisa & Frank pulled up. They had just taken a load of stuff to Mike's new shop to store. They were ready for banana bread but it wasn't done yet.



I took Lisa on a tour of the rental. She was shocked at how bad it looks & she says she now doesn't think her house looks too bad! We came back & I made 24 mini chocolate chip banana muffins & then a smaller loaf of it for Vince & Lori. They also got 10 mini muffins to take with them. I made all this for them but somehow most of it got eaten by other people! Vince & Lori came up with a load of Lisa's stuff & then dropped Lori off at our house & took Frank to unload it at Mike's shop. When they got back, we took Vince & Lori on a tour of the house. They thought the same as Lisa. They didn't stay long but remembered to take the bread & muffins. Dad also left the same time they did.



Lori brought potato soup from Mom (Vince wanted it so Mom made it.) Nate was fussing a lot so he didn't eat his soup or sandwich. I finished my soup & took his sandwich. I made popcorn while Joe & Nate were watching Braveheart. (Nate was eating the popcorn while Joe watched the movie.) I started to read more of the book Plum Spooky that I'm borrowing. My goal is to finish it by Monday. I'm on chapter 3 of 25.



When it was time for bed, we didn't know where a pacifier was. While Joe & I were looking, Nate was rolling his pillow/new pillowcase up the steps. I followed behind him with no pacifier. Of course I tried to put him in his bed but I knew it wouldn't do much good, especially with no binky. After about 15 minutes (and a pacifier that Daddy found), I put him in his bed and then I hid on our floor next to the bed, under the windows. He was out though very soon after I put him in hid bed (maybe 2 minutes!!!!) When I'm done blogging I will read more.

I'm thankful that we had such awesome weather & were able to get outside today to work in the yard.

Such a boring day.

I'm going to try to make this blog not last forever. I borrowed a book (Plum Spooky) from a friend & she'll be here Monday so I'd like to give it back to her.

I guess Nathan was coughing quite a bit really early this morning so Joe put him in bed with us. If he threw up, we'd know it. I had my alarm set for 9am but that didn't happen. We got up at about 10:15am. I called the clinic to see if we could get Nate in. She asked what symptoms he had; I told her. She said there's a GI Virus going around and to give him Pedialite for 24 hours. We did and now he seems better.

It was pretty cool outside so Dad didn't come down to work on the house. I didn't do much today. It was a pretty boring. I went to Wal-Mart for supplies. Of course, I ended up spending too much money. I did use some gift cards so that helped. I also made a ery quick trip to Aldi's. Joe helped me unload everything & Nate carried the bag of salad from the front door to the kitchen. He's such a great helper!! After lunch we watched an episode of Wife Swap. It was one of the more calm episodes.

I was going to make popcorn for work but I ran out of Canola oil. :( Work was pretty boring. (Popcorn would have made it better.) I started out on Customer Service & then switched to Internet. After work I went back to Wal-Mart. I'm there way too much & I'm really beginning to hate that place. But I did get Canola oil for popcorn. I already have requests for it for next week. If I bring it to work, I get seeds in return!! Nevermind.

Joe & Nate were upstairs when I got home & I was really hoping that Nate would be asleep. He wasn't. I was super-duper quite when I got up there. I sat on the at the door to our room for about 5 minutes. Nate wasn't crying or hurt so it wa ok. Then he started really crying so I went to him. I layed in bed with him & pretended to be asleep. At first he didn't fall for it but after almost an hour (gulp...) he conked out. I went downstairs & cleaned off the majority of the kitchen bar, fixed a bowl of cereal, then came up to blog.

See, I told you it was boring day. Sorry, no pictures. I'm super tired & need to start blogging a little bit earlier so I'm not so pooped. You deserve pictures & I'm sure want to see them.

I'm thankful that Ava & Meagan are ok.

Day off.

This will have to be quick as I really don't want to be blogging right now. You'll see why.

We stayed in bed super late!! We finally got up just before noon. We stayed in bed & watched PBS & Look Alike on the TV Guide channel. I made eggs, toast, & juice for breakfast. Dad came up to work on the rental house so Joe went out to help him. Nate & I went outide too and looked thru the fabric. Mike came over, got on the Bobcat & filled up the dump truck. Dad & Joe cleaned up by the front porch a little and then Dad mowed. It's amazing what a Bobcat, John Deere, & gloves will do! It looks a LOT different so far!



Joe & Mike got the 2nd couch out of the big room downstairs. That room is looking better too!. I made spaghetti & garlic bread for dinner. Me, Joe, Nate, Dad, Bob, Mike, Cindy, Michael, & Pat ate at our house. And there weren't many dishes to be washed as I remebered to use paper plates! (Note to self & others: paper plates don't work the best for spaghetti.) Joe took Michael & Pat to CCD class and then he went to his church meeting, Bob & Mike went to Bob's house, and Dad was leaving. This left Nate, me, & Cindy to look at fabric in the basement.

As we're about to go down there, Cindy got a phone call and raced out the door. As she was running to the van, she said her sister had a car wreck. The story is that she was driving too fast around a curve in the road & flipped the car multiple times before landing upside down. She was not wearing a seat belt and her daughter was not in a carseat nor even buckled up. The daughter has lots of scratches & the mom went to the hospital in the ambulance but is going to be ok. The mom also doesn't have a license. Oh boy.



I picked up the boys from church & brought them to our house. I showed the boys all my new fabric but I don't they cared too much. We watched Bones, I helped Pat learn to play Hearts, & I made chocolate chip milk shakes for everyone. Cindy & the daughter came for the boys right around 10pm. (I'm tired.)

I'm thankful to have plenty to eat when people come to visit.

So tired.

Last night I said that Nathan woke up about 4 or 5 times.. well it was probably 7 or 8 times!! He would not stay asleep. I wasn't able to put him in his "bed" (he's been sleeping on a bed made of a really giant pillow (about 3 ft x 4 ft) along with other pillows surrounding it.) until almost 2:30am. By 6am he was in bed with us. Just after that Joe took Nate to the front room & turned on the tube. They layed on the couch with a cover. I went back to bed & at 9:30am I awoke to the phone ringing. It was Tina from Parents As Teachers. Our appointment was at 10am!! After I got off the phone with her, mom called saying that dad was on his way down & he should be here by 10am!! I went to inform Joe of this to find out that he's passed out on he big couch & Nate is out on the small couch. I took a super fast shower & got ready; complete with contacts & clean teeth! Joe got changed up, out of his pj's & into clean clothes and then took a shower. It's just not his normal bed and he knows it.

Our visit went very good. We took the yearly assessment test and he passed in all areas except speech. Once the visit was over, we found Dad working next door. Joe went down to help him with stuff while I had Nate. I made Amish Friendship Bread & it's edible. Me, Joe, & Nate left the house for about an hour to get something to eat. When we got back, Joe paid a couple bills & then went back to helping Dad work next door. I worked from 5-10pm tonight & I really wanted nothing more than to go home. Oh well. I did, however, get a friend to join Facebook. I'll have another Scrabble opponent even thought I haven't played much recently.

We are now back to sleeping uptairs. Thanks to Bob & Dad for putting tar on the roof above our bedroom & thanks to Joe for putting out bed back together AND putting the sheets & cover on!! So far he's doing better being back up here. Joe brought him to bed a little before 10pm as I didn't get off work until then. He sent me a text asking that I don't come upstairs as Nate was still awake. He was NOT happy! I took over for Joe. I got him calmed down by showing him the first 169 pictures on my phone. I would have shown him more if needed, but we stopped on a picture of him & Joe sleeping in the toddler racecar bed. I put him in there & he went out.... Or so I thought! I turned the lamp on for a minute & Joe brought pillows to bed & then he got up. I ignored him as best as I could for about 15 minutes or so. Then I had to pee & brought him to our bed. He was out -- for real this time -- within about 5 minutes!!!!

Joe brought me cereal, put Nate in bed (he's still asleep) and then came to bed. And here I am, blogging away..... (Now I have to go back to the beginning & continue writing it. I decided to write about Nate & his recent sleeping patterns first.) I'm way too tired to add any pictures tonight.

I'm thankful for nice weather today and hope that it continues.