I don’t think that I would feel so badly for her except that it is virtually impossible to get medicine down this child. She vomits when you even come near her with the medicine, even baby Tylenol and Orajel. The last couple of nights have been almost pure hell because she is in pain and can’t sleep. Last night my poor husband and I were up until almost 4 am with her, taking turns holding and cuddling her. If you know my daughter you would know that she is probably one of the most anti-cuddling children that I have ever met. She is so independent and wants so badly to be grown. (Or at least bigger than she is) So yesterday we knew that it was getting pretty bad and she had to be absolutely miserable when she was sitting on my husbands lap and she fell asleep. We tried to put her in bed but she wasn’t having that so I took my turn to hold her and she fell asleep on me for a very short while. I think that I can recall the last time that happened and it was when she was in the hospital for several days, almost a year ago.

Poor baby.

Then to top it off our oldest child is very sick as well. The only upside to having Alex sick is that he can tell me what is wrong, where it hurts and if what I am doing is making a difference where as the baby cannot. So he I believe is coming down with a sinus infection because when I pressed on his sinuses he complained of pain. In addition to that he has congestion in his chest, a cough as well as a mild fever. So he is miserable as well but at least he will take his medicine with out too much of a complaint as long as he has something to wash it down. (preferably Apple Juice

I get so frustrated when my children are sick because I feel so helpless to fix what ails them. I am sure that most parents feel this way wishing that we had a magic wand that would make it all go away. Even if I had to deal with what they are going  through instead of them. Just something.  I am afraid that I am going to get what Alex has because when he is sick all he wants to do is sit with me and cuddle or hang all over me. I am not complaining about it I just wish that I wasn’t going to get it. It just seems like the kids get sick then me and lastly my husband, but then the kids get it again and the cycle just keeps on going. I feel like I am going to go crazy sometimes when we just pass an illness around and around and around, over and over again.

It is just hard sometimes because if the kids are sick even with a runny nose you are not supposed to send them to school which is fine for us because I am a stay at home parent. But then since some of the laws have changed in Oregon if your child misses more than one or two days of school ( I believe it could be more days than that) and you don’t bring in a Dr.’s note then they can call Child Services on you. I understand the purpose of the law but who takes their child to a Dr. every single time that they catch cold? I just feel that if your kid is sick then you have the right and responsibility to keep them home and seek medical attention if it gets worse, but for a stuffy nose and a light cough seems a bit over board. So what do you do? It feels like it is a catch 22, damned if you do but damned if you don’t.

Well the baby is quiet for the moment and Alex is I believe watching a movie in his room so this seems like the perfect opportunity for a little mommy time, so I am going to be headed for the shower and bed. I hope that you have a wonderful night and a great day tomorrow.

It started that her child went to play at her friends house down the street. She had a set time that she needed to check-in by and then to be home by. No big deal we all have those stipulations on our children, nothing new. I know that I at least had those rules when I was her age (11). So her daughter did not check in, so my friend tried to phone the house and no one answered. My friend then decided a short while later that she should go over there and bring her daughter home because of the rule breaking.

When she arrived at the house she found out the the other little girls mother sent the two 11 year old girls down to a store about 3/4 of a mile away by themselves in the dark. NOT OK!! So my friend decided to stay and chat with the mother while waiting for the girls to arrive. The girls arrived about 10 -15 min later, and my friend was instructing her daughter that she needed to come home now because she was not doing right.

Well being that she is a willful young girl she refused to go home. She is not abused and is rarely grounded for more than the day so realistically she was just giving her mother a hard time. I can’t imagine any tween or teenager that has not done the same. I know that my children have and they are much younger than this child. So the friends mother being intoxicated decided that she would tell off my friend about being such a bad mother etc. she apparently called her many, many derogatory names, and was very violent towards her child as well as my friends daughter calling her some very bad names. Things that you just wouldn’t say to another woman or adult let alone to a child.

My friend told her daughter that it was time to go home and that he father was home and if she wanted to she could go home and cuddle up with him on the couch to watch a movie or something. This little girl was crying and very upset that she had just been called the worst name you can call a woman. So they started to leave.

This other mother (the abusive one) said that she was going to call the police because an 11 year old should not be allowed to cuddle with her father. I personally think that this is ridiculous because even as a grown woman I still cuddle with my father, why is that wrong? I would hope that my children would be close enough to their father to tell them anything as well as sit together to watch a movie. Really what is the harm in that. But this mother believed that it is sexual abuse to sit with your dad on the couch, for some reason which is totally absurd.

So as my friend was walking home the other mom called the police and tried to have the father arrested. She also alleged that the child was being abused physically and mentally which is not the cast. When the police arrived they talked to my friend and daughter as well as the father, it was determined that no crime had been committed but still, how horrible would it be to have the police show up at your front door all because of something completely stupid and false.

This morning at school her daughter was still a bit shaken because she feared that her father was going to be jailed even though he was cleared, (she just didn’t understand) and the little friend that she went walking with was telling the school and all of their friends that her mother was a lesbian (untrue) and that her father was a child molester (also untrue). So when my friends child asked the other girl about it and why she would say something like that, the other little girl called her a (word that shall remain unsaid) and my friends daughter slapped her. Of course the other little girl got off scott free and my friends daughter was suspended from school for a week.

Some one please tell me where the justice is in that. I have to say that if someone called me that name I would probably have slapped her too. Now don’t get me wrong I am not condoning school violence but I think that there was a mistake there. Now I don’t believe that the suspension was necessaraly the wrong thing but I think that BOTH girls should have been in trouble.

I just want to know why people feel the need to be cop callers just because they are unhappy about something stupid. I consider this action to be along the same lines as the people who call 911 because a fast food joint got their food wrong. I just really wish that people could grow up and act their age some days. It is so pathetic that it had to come to this. It was such a minor thing in the first place that should have never been blown into a situation having the police called. I guess that people just don’t realize that the father could have been jailed and the child taken into protective custody. I am just thankful that they had kind and understanding police officers that responded to the call. Thank you Salem Police Department.

I have been asked by several people about why I don’t get angry when he plays his game. So I have decided to use this post to clear up any misunderstandings about this.

First of all it happens to be a great stress reliever for him. After a really long and especially difficult day working from home or when he just needs some time to him self, I have found that this is more of his “man-cave”, and it seems to do wonders for him. It seems to be a way for him to express himself via an online source that is not his computer which he stares at what seems like all of the time.

Secondly I do happen to enjoy watching him play. I don’t really know why but it helps to relieve some stress for me as well. I have just begun to play Call of Duty; Modern Warfare, and don’t get me wrong I SUCK. However it seems to helped me to get over some of my motion sickness. Which is excellent, I did not used to be able to watch let alone play. I am able to sit on my bed and watch and learn. We have conversations and it is a good way for us to be together while both doing things that we enjoy, separately.

Thirdly; how can I complain when he works from home and is willing to stay home most evenings. Don’t get me wrong he comes out and spends some very quality time with our children during the day and after work. I just look at some of my friends and family whose husbands are out all night at the bar, gambling or god knows where else. How fortunate am I that my husband works hard all day, provides very well for our family, as well as having something that can entertain him when he needs to blow off some steam or just wants to play. With out having to worry about where he is, what he is doing, etc.

I am not saying that I don’t want for him to go out and do things because I encourage those things, but I just discover new ways that I love him even more every day. He is so patient (especially when I am not), he is so kind (hardly ever raises his voice, and never out of anger), he works soooo hard (which is something is so hard to find in a mid twenties man these days), he provides for his family in this tough economic time and he doesn’t complain when I don’t feel well and didn’t get something done.

So really I want to know, why would I be so demanding and horrible to take away his major source for stress relief? I just hope that maybe there will be a better understanding about this subject, not that I should have to justify anything in our marriage to anyone.

I know that I am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and that I would hope that if I had a hobby, or an activity that I did once my children were asleep for the night that someone would not take that away from me. It is one of those don’t take my iPod with my Millionaire game and my Tap Tap Revenge 3 away. I don’t think that would be pretty.

I just wish that more people could discuss things without the feeling of judgment. I don’t think that it is fair to anyone involved, even the by standers near by. So when talking to your friends and family about life if something doesn’t make sense to you it does not mean that it is not the perfect solution for another person or family.

Well lets give a family update;

Shaun, My dearest husband. He got a new job. (Well in January of 2009) It is so neat, and I couldn’t be more proud of him and the work that he is doing. The company is a very small one in Northern Washington, and he has the ability to work from home which has been a blessing. I believe that there are only 7 people in the entire company. I remember when he started that I was really apprehensive about the change from a salaried person to an hourly wage. But it has all worked out wonderfully. He is finally being appreciated in a way that makes him enjoy his work. which is something that he was missing at his previous employer. This company is a very interesting one, and they do some very unique things which is a positive. The couple that are the owners of this business are deeply religious and very sweet. I do not believe that the wife (Maryann) has a mean bone in her body and is just a wonderful person, cook and mother. I have visited there with Shaun once for a Christmas party, and it was amazing, Just the simplicity of their lives and how at peace they are amongst the chaos that is most urban lives is just amazing. I wish that I could live like that. (sometimes)

However, with this new job have come new challenges as a married couple. Shaun is working from home now in our bedroom/office, so we are together all of the time. Even though we are together so much in the same house, we don’t really see him during the day. Unless he is hungry or is running low on nerd fuel. (Mountain Dew Code Red) I have to say that I really enjoy the time that he gets to spend with me and our children. It is so neat to think that even though he works himself to brain mush some days that he gets to see our children grow and learn things just about as much as I do.  I believe that we are so very fortunate in that regard and they don’t even know it. I guess all children are that way in some aspects. I am glad that they have a dad that is so involved in their lives. If they have a problem, want some Dairy Queen in the middle of the day right around break time or just need a hug from their dad he is always available. I love it, and so do they.

Our oldest child, Alex was asking me why all daddies couldn’t stay home and work. It was a tough sell to explain that there are different jobs around the world and mommies and daddies have to do them. It is just one of those things that he doesn’t realize about. I can’t complain about the comprehension of the workforce at 5 years old though. Lol

On Friday February 5th I have Alex’s preschool conference to discuss his transition into Kindergarten. I have to say that I am kinda nervous about this transition. Since Alex is autistic there are lots of challenges that must be over come on a daily basis and I am afraid that this transition will be quite difficult for him as well as us. For anyone who lives with autism everyday change is not too fun. I am so glad that he has completed a year and a half of preschool. I think that it has created some very wonderful progress for him especially in the area of speech. I can’t believe that just over 2 years ago he had about 20 words and how he has a wonderful vocabulary. Learning new words and pronunciations each day. White is my favorite word that he says now. He was saying wipe instead of white so now when he says it he says WhiTTe, with a ton of emphasis on the T. It’s great.

Our middle child Caitlin just turned 3 a few months ago and is doing very well. She is dang near fully potty trained. (Yay 2 down 1 to go.) It is such a nice feeling not to have to purchase two sizes or types of diapers. We are still keeping her in a pull up for night time and some times during naps. But I can’t really complain. It surely makes a package of pull ups last much longer. I can’t believe some times that she is only three. She is such a well behaved child. For the most part she is very soft spoken and loves everyone as well as everything. I think about what she will become as an adult some times, she is so intelligent like her father that I hope she becomes rocket scientist or cures cancer or something of that nature. But who knows and we will be proud of her no matter what she does or accomplishes. I just hope that it will be something great.

The baby in the family Brinley, boy oh boy is she a handful. I have to say that she keeps all of us on our toes. She like her sister is very smart and she knows it. I know that she is only 22 months old but she is getting herself undressed now (even when I don’t want her to) and she can count to 10. I was in shock the first time that she did it. I do have to say that she is truly my child, very outspoken, loud gosh is she loud and stubborn. But she is also very much her father’s child. She loves him so much that there are days that I am totally jealous because it seems like I am just chopped liver with onions. But I would feel horrible if she didn’t have an incredible relationship with her father. I do know however that she can operate my iPod better and more efficiently, she can operate a computer, send text messages via cell phone, and if it wasn’t for her I would have never discovered how to turn the subtitles on my television. She just hacked the cable box and got me to where I needed to be. I couldn’t believe it. I almost wonder if she will follow in her father’s footsteps and be a developer or something related to computers. She just loves them so much.

We are now living in a beautiful home in Keizer and are out of the flats of West Salem. (thank god) So Shaun has an office/bedroom where he can get some peace while working during the day. Our back yard has a fountain and pond, and we live right with a park right behind us. It is so wonderful and peaceful here. We live on a small dead end street with wonderful neighbors. There are no wild parties, no one is obnoxious or anything. Couldn’t ask for more, especially since we have a large beautiful kitchen with massive amounts of cupboard space and counter tops. The icing on the cake for me was that we have a large bathroom with walk in closet, linen closet as well as a very large SPA TUB!!! How wonderful is that? A spa tub. This house is so perfect for us that I can’t believe that we fell into it so perfectly. The only thing is that we are renting but the owner of the home is a very neat man and has taken care of anything that has come up during our tenancy no matter how small. I love it.

Living in Keizer has been very neat especially that there is Keizer Station so close. So nice in fact that my good friend just moved in across the street. She is expecting her third child in early April so we are enjoying that we are so close and can help one another out with out having to depend on our parents and grandparents. I think that it has helped us both as mothers since we can be so honest with one another about things that are going on in our lives with out fear of judgment from anyone else. It’s nice, and I really enjoy having someone that I can depend on and relate to so close. I am starting to work on her baby shower since she is having her first boy, and her husband says that their son cannot allow her baby boy to wear pink. I suppose that is a valid argument.

Well it is after 11 pm and I should be headed to bed here shortly, so I am going to go and utilize my spa tub so have a good night, and thanks for being patient with me after such a long dead period.

Well it is finally over. Like it or hate it Obama is our new president. Lets just hope that he can keep his word on all of the things that he said he was going to do as our president. If he can do them then he may just be what this country needs, but if not I am afraid that everything is just going to get worse. But hey on a better note the voter turn out in the country was quite impressive.

2. The husband

Tomorrow morning I have to get up at like 3:00am to take my husband Shaun to the airport. He has a business meeting in Northern Washington (state), so he is hopping a commuter flight up there. He will be back in the evening but still no fun. I thought about making him just drive himself up there but decided that he is going to be exhausted and I don’t really want him driving home after all of that. ( I have seen him after the one day flights and meeting things before it is not pretty. )

3. The baby

Brinley has had the worst ear infections since she was about 5 weeks old, so we have an appointment with the ENT in the morning as well. (Hubby at 0330 and baby at 0900) Thrilling.  I am going to be so exhausted tomorrow it’s sick. But oh well you do what you have to do right? I can’t let her suffer with her ears because I am tired that just doesn’t seem fair. You are probably wondering why I made the appointment for that day, well when I called this afternoon she says your in luck I have an appointment in the morning, or you can wait for the next appointment which is mid December. Great rock meet hard place because those were about my only options.

4. Dinner

Sometimes after I go grocery shopping I wonder why it is so hard to figure out what I want to have for dinner.  Like tonight I stocked the cupbards ect and have absolutely NO idea what I want for dinner. It makes me kinda sad when I think about it.

I have decided that I am not going to share my political views on my blog because I don’t think that it is the place for that so I am not going to say which candidate it was but it is still frustrating.  Kind of a reach if you ask me but I do agree that we should involve our children in such things in school or at least educate them enough to make their own informed decision.

Just because they can’t vote at the moment doesn’t mean that they will never be voters, so I say that we should teach them now how to take the information and become informed, but I don’t think that it should be shoved in their faces like it is ours as adults. I could understand if it was fox news or something like that but Cartoon Network? I don’t like it or think that it is appropriate.

Oh well have a good one, I am going to go watch a movie at least there are no political ads there

My boss however has become very abusive towards me in the last week or so. He makes me cry almost on a daily basis at least once. Then Monday evening he called me screaming and cursing me out about absolutely nothing that makes sense. He says that he is just stressed and fighting with his wife. (We would be fighting too if my hubby spoke like that to me)

I don’t really know what to do. I can’t quit my family won’t survive if I do but I guess in the mean time I am just looking for something else. Any suggestions??? I guess my point it that he does not pay me enough to deal with his crap.

For example about a week and a half ago he dumped a garbage bag full of receipts and things on my desk and told me to do last years taxes. Nice to know that they were filed on time. I have never done taxes for a corporation before and I am just expected to get them done by the end of the day? He has absolutely unreal expectations. For instance… I had to install and input data from the last 6 months of work into Quickbooks. 6 MONTHS worth and he expected me to have zero questions about what he spent and what on, and to get it done in a matter of hours. Well it took me longer than he thought that it should and he was screaming and yelling then too. Isn’t he lovely.

Well I guess that is enough about that subject I just don’t understand why I end up with such creeps for employers.

Have a good night my hubby and I are going to take the kids to the pond to fish and feed the geese and ducks. My father-in-law wants us to go with him. Could be interesting……… I will let you know how it goes when we get back. I am nervous…….

I have hit the add media thing for pictures but is is throwing some error that I just don’t understand. Oh well I guess that is why I married someone in IT. So until I can get him to fix what ever my problem is with this silly thing I will have to go on with no pics. I am very sad about this revalation because I took one of the cutest pics of Brinley this morning.

I decided that since it was such a nice day that I would go down to a local park and walk with the kids and my cousin and her kids. We thought that we would be slick and let them “burn” off some energy. But two of them got sick because of the heat and the Baby (Brinley) was just miserable. I think that it was a big mistake.

We have an A/C unit for the house but it is not large enough to do any “real” good. It is bringing the temp from almost 90 to just about 80. I wish that we could afford another one but this is what we have to do for now.

Do any of you have any suggestions to keep a new baby cool? I have tried to use a cool wash cloth to keep her cooled off but I am having trouble with things like that because she just got her first cold and ear infection. She is just miserable and I feel so bad for her.

I know that I have other kids and should know what to do for her and them but it is early enough in the year that I am not completely prepared, for all of the heat.

Just since I started this post about 10 min ago the temp has risen to 99 degrees. Well I think that we are going to go out on to the patio and try to play in the kids pool. It’s not much but what can you do……

Have a good day and keep out of the sun.

I appreciate the anti nausea pills because I am tired of throwing up and I need to be all rested for Sunday. I was sitting in the hospital room and the nurse comes in to tell me that she ordered my pill, it just so happened that I asked her what kind she ordered and it was one of the one’s that I am allergic to. Nice…… Do they even look at the chart? Sometimes I wonder what the point in having bright red notices that say allergic to on them.

So now I am sitting in my bed eating what seems like everything in site because I am starving. I’m trying to relax and just get some rest, but that seems almost impossible some days. I have so many things that need to be done.

Such as

• Put the laundry away
• Dishes
• Vacuum
• Finish organizing the nursery
• Just clean up in general
• Mop the kitchen

There are just so many random things that I would like to accomplish before Sunday and I have to go to the hospital that I am not sure where to start. So for the moment I am sitting in my bed watching “Super Troopers” in my pajamas stuffing my face. I almost feel guilty, (like I said almost but not quite)

I am afraid that I am going to get up and do all of the things on my to do list and I am going to be warn out before I have to deliver on Sunday, and my body is going to stall out of who knows what. I am just paranoid.  I think that on some level I am just scared of the induction process.  The contractions are so much more sudden, strong, and intense than a natural labor, according to what I have heard and read on the internet. I was induced with the other kids so I don’t even know what a natural “normal” labor is even like. It is not like I haven’t been here before, so I know what I should be expecting I think it is just the fear of the pain. Who knows since every baby, and labor is so different.