Monday, I Don't Like You

Well, we survived Thanksgiving. But not all intact. Turbo is sick. His eyes are puffy and oozing and he is just not his usual high energy self. We are hooping Bruiser doesn't get it. Turbo gets an all expense paid trip to the doctor this afternoon. Not exactly how we were hoping this Monday would go.

This truly has been a Monday. Bruiser was up at 4:30am, so guess who else was up? He didn't really go back to sleep so neither did I. It makes me crabby and I really have to watch myself so I don't get snappy with the kids and Nick. Monday struck again when Nick made his tea cause the tea bag exploded and he had to start over.

It remains to be seen if the rest of today gets better or worse. It being Monday I don't have high hopes.

Here's hoping Monday goes up from here, not down.

Thankful for the Little Stuff

This is just a list of some of the things that I am thankful for this year.

1. My family. Nick, Turbo and Bruiser are wonderful. My husband is my partner, best friend and (shh, don't tell the kids) lover. Turbo is a great kid who constantly keeps us on our toes. We are still getting to know Bruiser but what we've seen so far says he's pretty cool too. I'm thankful we are all healthy(I know I just jinxed it), and together this year.

2. My mother. She watches Bruiser and Turbo(when needed) while I work part time. She saves us untold amounts of money and keeps Bruiser out of daycare. I still get the guilt trips on occasion(they never forget how to do that do they?), but mostly the arrangement works out well for all of us. I'm thankful she is willing and able to give of her time this way.

3. My job. I was laid off from the consulting job I had the same day I went into labor with Bruiser. Three months later I was able to get another job that also used my geology degree. It pays about half what I was making but in today's economy I'm happy I'm working. It is interesting and I get my own office. I'm thankful to be working.

4. My home. I'm thankful that we own our own home. Well us and the Bank. We did not get caught up in the housing bubble and are not in trouble as so many are. I'm thankful our house is not bigger than we need.

5. My in-laws. I have the greatest in-laws. Nick's folks are great. His mom is sweet and kind and his dad is great with the kids. They live close so Turbo gets to spend lots of time with them. As soon as Bruiser can walk he will be spending time with Papa too. I'm thankful we get along with them and they with us.

That's a lot of things to be thankful for. I'm sure there are more but these are the ones this year. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Random Tuesday--Thanks again

Well here is my second go at Keely's random Tuesday fun.

Is it just me or are the stores getting a bit ridiculous for Black Friday. Kohl's will be opening at 4:00am. Who needs to shop at 4:00am. I feel for the sales associates who have to be there by 3:30am to get the store up and running for this madness. I know how that day goes, I worked at J. C. Penney's for two years and the Black Friday craziness was no picnic. And that was 13 years ago. I am thankful the retail phase of my life is over.

Moving on, I'm thankful for afternoon naps. Bruiser still thinks being up in the middle of the night is great fun. Well since he cries until picked up maybe it's not all fun for him. But once picked up its party time. Mom and Dad are not so much on that boat. I'm thankful they are only little for a while, but also regret that some of it goes by so fast.

I'm thankful for spontaneous hugs from Turbo. They make my day. He spends his time hovering on the cool boy side of things but every now and then the little boy gains the upper hand. He's so big now. Six and a half going on sixteen.

Also thankful for the times I get to watch Turbo and Bruiser interact. Turbo tries really hard to play with Bruiser and last night they played next to each other on the kitchen floor while I cooked and it was one of those moments when everything was going right--no yelling was needed, no warnings, no cautions to be careful. It was a great look at the times to come as they both grow.

In other randomness I am getting ready for the Christmas movie season. I have been resisting since the beginning of November. I think the programmers want us to think Christmas as soon as the last trick-or-treater is out the door. I know the retailers do. I have been strong and resisted the lure of The Grinch and all the movies they put on Hallmark and ABC Family. After Thanksgiving I will be ready--maybe.

Anyway go check out the randomness that Keely heads up, you won't be sorry--maybe even a little bit thankful.

One Thanksgiving

Well to start the week of Thanksgiving off, the first thing I am thankful for is family close by. Since our families are all here in Laramie we don't have to travel any further than down the street. It makes things convenient for us and easier when there are small children around. Literally, we have to go two blocks down the street for Thanksgiving dinner at Nick's folks.

Our families mostly get along so we all get together, well Nick, myself and the kids and the grandparents--Papa and Nana(Nick's folks) and Grandma (my mom). My brother is a whole state away and will probably work and Nick's brother is going to school at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. So I guess the family is scattered but together if that makes any sense--probably not. Anyway, I'm thankful we don't have to divide our time and do two Thanksgivings or travel a long way.

This is Bruiser's first Thanksgiving and I know he will enjoy seeing the people and demanding things off my plate. The grandparents adore their grandsons and are looking forward to seeing them. Turbo was six months old for his first Thanksgiving and Papa got a kick out of letting him taste whipped cream and Papa is looking forward to doing the same for Bruiser. Turbo just likes going to Papa and Nana's house because he can pretty much do whatever he wants. And what kids doesn't like that?

Nick and I are going to enjoy not having to lift a finger to make any food. Or do cleanup, Papa and Nana are particular about their kitchen and Papa is a bit hyper about dishes and will have everything done before we can offer to help. We just get to chase kids around--it's a deal we just can't resist. And this year when the baby gets cranky we can just go home. Wonderful.

So much to be thankful for. Stop back by for more thanking as the week goes on.

Sleep, Momma Needs More Sleep

Anyone have suggestions for getting a nine month old to believe sleeping at night is a good thing?

Bruiser has never been a good sleeper. He doesn't sleep well or for long periods without stirring some. We have tried cry it out and various other methods to get him to sleep but nothing that sticks with him. The kid is stubborn and can cry forever. My problem is that if the baby is awake then mom don't sleep.

I was spoiled by Turbo. He slept fine after a couple of cry it out nights. He was never one to wake up all night. Now he walks in his sleep but that's another story. When he was a baby sleep was never as elusive as it is with Bruiser. There are times when I just want to cry, I'm so exhausted. I know things will get better(they have to get better) but the getting there is tough.

The kicker is that Bruiser always wakes up so happy in the morning. It's all smiles and giggles at 7:00am. Those smiles make it easier to start the day, I'll admit that.

All done but for the party.

My husband did it! He completed his Master's of Geology. Yesterday he defended his thesis to his committee and they had nothing but good things to say. He has some minor revisions and additions but overall he is done. We had a celebration with his folks last night, steak and stuff--yumm! Then we went home like good parents and didn't do much else. Nick broke with graduate student tradition in that he was not stumbling drunk by 5:00pm. I guess we are getting old cause that just sounded painful not fun.

Dec. 4 he will walk through graduation ceremonies and be hooded and then the party is on. we have two other friends that are graduating at the same time and we are hoping to get together.

I am so proud of my husband. It hasn't been easy for him. He hates the hoops and politics involved in the process but he got through it and I couldn't be happier for him. He is the first person in his family to acheive a Master's degree. I think that is pretty cool.

So cheers for Nick and congrats all around!

Too cute

Here is Turbo being his usual active self on the tire swing at Papa's house.



Here is the bruiser looking too cut for words. Just thought I'd put him out there for all to see.

Trying on some random

Well even though I'm new to the blogging thing I thought I'd try the Random Tuesday that Keely throws on Tuesdays. So lets see what random I've got today.

Snow is great but ice sucks. We have lots of ice around here right now. I have come close to going down on my butt but have been able to save myself so far. It's only a matter of time.

New carpet is wonderful but the smell not so much. We got our living room carpeted because it needed it so badly. We had hardwood floor around the edges(about two feet worth) and the rest was unfinished pine. What do you do with a floor like that? We had a rug over the middle but with a crawler and a six year old who likes to lie(lay?) on the floor we decided to just carpet the whole thing. It looks great. Smells not so great. Although, if we ever move and the new owners go to pull up the carpet they will think wow hardwood until they pull up more and see the middle, and by then it's to late to put the carpet back. HAHA!

We put the baby gate up and Bruiser like to stand at it and lick the bars. Not sure what he's going for there but it seems to work for him. He spends a lot of time at the gate wanting out while the rest of us want in the sit down. The grass is always greener I guess.

I think thats all the random I've got for now. Go see Keely for more.

Snow, Snow, Snow

We have snow here. I am amazed as always what a layer of snow can do for the landscape. It hides all manner of problems and ugliness. It also brings out the kid in my husband and me. There is something about the fresh expanse of snow that just begs for tracks. This year we have had lots of snow already and I must admit if it's going to be cold I prefer the snow to the dead brown grass and leafless trees.

Turbo can be out for hours in it without complaint. He loves snow angels and making snowmen. He also just loves to lay in the snow and he makes up games that are comprehensible only to him. By February I expect that Bruiser will be walking and be able to be out in the snow. It is always fun to show little kids about the snow.

When Turbo was about eighteen months old I taught him to do the snow dance. It was just a few made up movements that we would have him do before a storm was coming. the most magical moments were when it would snow over night and we woke up to white stuff on the ground. His happy face and "My snow dance worked!" made any amount of snow fun. He is now looking forward to teaching Bruiser the Dance and carrying on the tradition.

The finder

I'm new at the Spin Cycle but thought I'd give it a try. So here goes:

I live with a bunch of losers. No not losers like awful people but losers in that they lose stuff all the time. I have become the unofficial finder in the house. I find all sorts of things--library books, bakugon toys, hot wheels cars, shoes, pacifiers, socks, wallets, glasses, hats, sunglasses, remotes, etc.

Some of these things are lost by Turbo or Bruiser, namely the toy oriented things, but the rest are lost by Nick. The man loses everything. I think mostly he doesn't remember where he last set it down, took it off or used it last.

So when he needs it he wanders through the house looking for whatever he lost. He doesn't look systematically or well, he just checks the nearest flat surface. Sometimes this method works but most of the time what he's looking for is under or behind something else or in a completely different area of the house than he's looking in. When he can't find it he askes me if I've seen it anywhere. Usually I can tell him where to find the desired item, sometimes I have to look for it but I can almost always find it. Sometimes I find in a place he already "checked, but it's not there". Other times I find things in places he swears he didn't have it. I guess the gremlins are moving things on him.

End of the School Days

My Husband Nick has been working on his masters thesis for a year now but taking the classes for the last six. He has worked full time as the Coal Geologist for the Wyoming State Geologic Survey, and been a wonderful husband and dad during that time. I can safely say that he is sick of school and is really looking forward to being done.

Next Wednesday he goes before his committee--three professors--and presents his thesis to them and who ever comes to watch. He then answers questions about his thesis and spends some time with his committee privately to hear what they may want changed or edited. Than they hopefully sign off on it and he is done save for the final edits. He is nervous but excited to be this close to being done.

He has stated that he is not going near another class for a couple of years at least. I can say I blame him. He has been taking classes since 2000 when he went back for his Bachelor's in Geology. We both already had degrees but they were in things that weren't very practical--my first was History, his was Journalism. After a series of well paying construction jobs that kept him consistently out of town we decided that for the health of our marriage he needed to work smarter not harder. This started us on the journey to where we are today.

I am so proud of him and have my fingers crossed that all goes well next week. Then we have the celebration of graduation on December 4th. Party time for all!

Here I am again.

Well, I'm not doing so well on this blogging thing. I think I am a serial lurker. I really enjoy reading the blogs posted by other people but am having a hard time thinking that any one would want to read about my family and me. Anyway here goes.

Nick is going to be defending his masters thesis next week. Can we say nervous wreck. He is getting a bit more freaked each day as it gets closer. I hope all goes well for him. And I hope we survive the stress in the house until he is done.

Turbo lost a tooth on Friday which necessitated a Tooth Fairy visit and wouldn't you know the tooth fairy almost forgot to come. Thank goodness Bruiser is still getting up to eat at 4:00am cause that's when the Tooth Fairy remembered that an exchange must happen. Amazing how much the Tooth Fairy looks like Nick.

Bruiser is not only crawling but also pulling up to stand now. He started this on Friday morning. Now he Can do it almost anywhere. And he's fast. He looks like the windup crawling babies but boy can he cover the ground. He is so proud of himself when he gets around. He has also discovered the joys of splashing in the dog water dish. Fun for all.

And then there's me. the only girl in sight around our house, just trying raise boys the one day will make me proud. I think I'm doing OK so far.

Hi, I'm new here...

Well, after lurking around the blogging world for the past few months I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm not sure how interesting my life is but you never know what people will find interesting.

A little about me and my family. The man I'm married to is a geologist and all around great guy. My oldest son is six and we don't call him Turbo for nothing. My baby is nine months and is our Bruiser. Oh and then there's me. I am a part time stay at home mom, part time working mom, a geologist, reader, scrapbooker and I love to cook. We live in a, well, large town for Wyoming but a small town in the rest of the world. We are close to the outdoors and mountains and we get out quite often to enjoy them.

So come and see what we have happen around our house. I promise the crazy doesn't rub off.