Social Media Doomsday

I need to take a social media break I think.  For me what it once was has changed into something I don't desire.  It use to be a place for me to stay connected to friends and family.  I used it as a means to get advice on parenting to help keep me sane.  It was simple and it read simple.  I just need a break.  So I return to my little blog.  I have to have somewhere to write it down. 

What to do when your neighbor kid keeps pulling his pants down?  I'm at a loss here.  If it happens one more time I am going to talk to his parents, but I have a sneaky suspission it won't matter to them.  His sister pulled her pants down in my front yard last summer and went potty, infront of all the kids.  I'm trying to teach my kids the ways of the world and they keep giving me great explanations of how not to behave.  Its hard because Charlie really likes playing with this kid.  I feel guilty when I think to myself that I don't like this kid, he's only 6. 

Network

Scratch that last post.  I spent the afternoon yesterday calling Doctor's offices in search of one that was accepting new patients and gives immuniztions.  Side note: How can a doctor's office call themselves a Pediatrics office if they don't do immunizations?  I found one, made an appointment, and felt accomplished.  Then the mail came and in it was my new insurance card.  Instead of the green logo that was there before now a blue one is in its place.  Small detail that changes everything.  Our new doctor is not in our network  and I have to start all over again today.  How can our network change without notice?  I will not be defeated, I will find a doctor.  I had a brief meltdown but now I see it as a challenge, a challenge to be one step ahead of my insurance.  The only bonus is that our copay went down. 

Happy Shots

I made the kids a Dr appointment today.  Charlie needs to get school ready and Abbey needs her 3rd year checkup.  Why are shots always due on thier birthdays?  Happy birthday kid, here's a shot to celebrate.  Then all day they're sleepy and crabby.  In an effort to not make Abbey dred her birthday I made thier appointment for the day before.  Subtle, but it makes a difference to me.  I'm excited to see how much they have grown and what thier percents are.  I'm hoping Abbey has thrusted out of the 20 percent but I really doubt it.  I'm guessing she's at 20 percent for her height and 60 percent for her weight.  I'm guessing that Charlie is the opposite.  My tall skinny boy, I bet he's at 20 percent for his weight and 90 percent for his height.  Its funny how my kids mirror me and Brian. 

Punishments

The last three weeks, give or take, Charlie has been having a hard time making it to the bathroom when he has to poo.  I really think its because he's busy playing a game or with legos and he doesn't want to take a break so an accident happens.  Last night was the last straw, so I'm trying something new- he's grounded.  A bit harsh for a five year old?  Maybe.  But he's going to be in school in the fall and he has to be able to take care of this stuff on his own.
  Its bizarre going through the thinking of what punishment if any to do.  When you're a kid you think your parents have this set of rules and punishments in thier heads, that they always have the answer of what to do.  Its only when you become a parent that you realize thats not the case.  It has me wondering if my parents ever look back on thier punishments they instilled and thought, man this is crazy?  Like when I got a C in gym, I had to do a mile every night on the treadmill until I brought my grade up.  Kinda crazy, kinda not crazy.  I just know that I'm entering the cause and effect part of parenting and I really want to do the right thing.  Maybe I'm not strict enough?  I am the timeout queen. I wonder if they realize timeouts aren't that big of a deal.  Maybe they're onto me.

CareBears

The new CareBears tip on the annoying scale.  Abbey loves them so we must watch them.  I find it disturbing that there is a Me Bear who stares at herself in a mirror, shouldn't that make thier care meter plumit?  I need to refamiliarize myself with these Carebear rules.

Potty

Yesterday I got to go shopping by myself.  It was heaven.  I walked around Target in a daze trying to figure out why it takes so long with two kids to get one item.  This also got me thinking that I find myself hanging out in the bathroom for much longer than neccesary.  I do believe its because somedays its the only time I get to sit down.  Sometimes its because its the only time I get to myself.  Its rarely ever because I need to clean the bathroom.  I think if I were to go run errands by myself more I wouldn't lock myself in the bathroom as much.

home

Everytime when we go to my mom's hometown we drive around talking about whom lived where and what is different.  This last weekend I went home and found myself doing the same.  The funny thing was as mom and I were driving around she was giving me directions.  I had to remind her that I use to live there and that Knox isn't that hard to navigate through.  But much of nothing has changed in Knox and yet everything has.  Its still a place where on coming cars wave as you pass, not because they know you but because they just want to say hello.  I can still go into anywhere and know at least two people.  Now though people squint and pause.  They look at me as though they know me.  They think it through, and they finally - yeah, its that McDonald's girl.  Its funny being known as a McDonald's girl.  Thats the only place I'm known for what my dad and brother do and not for what I've done.  Sure yeah, there was a time when I was known for what I did there but that's all faded now.  I'm once again the daughter and sister of the McDonald's people.  One thing that hasn't changed, everytime I run into someone they tell me how much I look like my mother.  I do.  It catches people off guard when I say that its a good thing she's good looking. 

Waterfall

Today we found a waterfall and it was infact magical.  No leprechauns though, but Charlie searched high and low for them.  I don't know where he got the idea that on St Patricks day you have to capture leprechauns.  He had his mind set on getting one to grant him his wish of getting a new lego set.  A wish.  What would I wish for?  Happiness to spand an eternity.

Scewed Grading Scale

There are days when if I was grading myself in parenting I feel like a C, somedays a B.  I wonder if other parents feel this way.  Mainly I wonder if my neighbors consider themselves an A.  I wonder if they just don't realize being parents mean being responsible for your children.  Maybe they don't consider knowing where thier kids are a big deal so in essence they are an A.  I just know if there were five minutes of the day that I didn't know where my kids were I would give myself a F-.

Mrs. McTwitter

Here I am, babysitting the neighbor kids again I guess.  They're great kiddos, my kids love to play with them.  I'm annoyed because I had no idea that they were going to be here, again.  I haven't had to watch them in weeks, I haven't talked to thier mom in weeks either.  When they knocked on the door they asked if they were suppose to come over today.  The eldest child asked to call her mom.  I could hear her mom ask her where she was.  This is becomming very bothersome to me.  Especially since the police were at thier house yesterday because they haven't been going to school.  The littlest girl told me the police told thier mom if they miss anymore school her mom is going to go to jail.  Part of raising children is being responsible for them.  What in the world is going on over there?  Its a rainy day and thier kids were locked out after school.  If Abbey hadn't fallen asleep we would have been at the store, what would they have done then?  God forbid I have something to do.  This is a rant I know, but I'm really fed up with this situation. 

Bulbs

Today is the kind of day that if we were back in Gfield I would work on my bulbs.  I bet I would be cursing the rabbit right now for stealing my Gladiolas.  It makes me wonder if the new tenants will enjoy my lillys and glads.  I wonder if they will cut them back.  I should have dug up the glads last year and put them in a brown sack in the garage like you're suppose to.  Really though they survive either way.  Putting them in bags help keep diseases away.  Anyway if I were to have dug them up in the fall I could have brought them here with us.  And my burning bush, I wonder how its doing.  Each year I have to put a little more soil on its roots because of that stupid bunny and erosion.  I hope they will take good care of it.  I guess I'm having sort of a missing day.  The kids and I loved to watch our flowers grow.  I'm going to have to get a planter here I think but I also wonder if they would survive my neighbor kids.

To or not to

Baby fever is a particullarly strange mental rollercoaster.  Last week I took the kids to the park where we met a beautiful blue eyed baby girl.  I just wanted to pat her tiny booty and pinch her cheeks.  This started another conversation between Brian and I about the possibility of another baby.  My initial reaction is always sure why not.  I mean our kids are the light of our lives, why wouldn't we want to add another.  We watch Parenthood and talk about how awesome it would be to have a table full of our kids and thier kids when we're older.  But in order to have another baby I would have to become pregnant again.  Pregnancy, schew, a tiny shiver just went down my spine.  I keep questioning myself if I'm strong enough, mentally that is.  Late night turning into early mornings filled with poopy pants and puked on shirts.  Then I smile, yeah, poopy pants puked on shirts, early mornings.  I really think if we didn't have to relocate this past year we would have already had another baby.  Life happens and we put that on hold.  The move is starting to feel more like everyday life as we're settling in.  So the question returns, to have another baby or not.  I told Brian last night if we were to have another boy I want to name him Buckeye and call him Bucky.  You know, our Ohio baby.  I also told him we should wait until May or after so we don't have a winter baby.  So the question and thought is out there.  I probably shouldn't have gotten rid of my highchair.  One does what one has to during a move though.  Also having a another baby would change the dynamic of our family.  Having a third creates a "middle child".  A family of four turns into a family of five, an odd number.  It means we would have to look into a van, could I pull off a van?  I also told Brian if we do have another that before I get preped he has to tell the nurses that my blood pressure freaks out and to have the wierd orange drink on hand and the doctor's number.  I would definately go into it expecting to pass out again.  And I'm freaked because I watched a delivery on The Doctor's.  Why did I watch that?  But the question is out there, to or not to.  We shall see.  I'm not getting any younger and the timing would mimic my family abit and his.  There's five years between my older sister and there's five years between his oldest sister.  We shall see.  we shall.

Pilates

All pilates workouts are not created equal.  I've been doing the same dvd for about a month now and decided to check Netflix for a new one.  I found several that are available and picked one to do yesterday and today.  I realized fast within the first flow that the dvd I was doing was a bit wimpy compared to this new one.  Several times within the workout I found myself saying "you want me to do what?".  I use to deem my belly as my weakest area, now I know for sure its my arms.  I can clasp my hands behind me but then the nazi pilates girl wanted me to lift them towards the sky they moved about two inches.  My armpits even hurt, how did that happen?  Brian doubts the effectivness of pilates and questions how I know it really works.  He said "look at that lady, I doubt she has ever been overweight in her life".  He's probably right, the lady looks pretty chizzled.  He's a needs results right away kind of guy.  I'm not looking for a miracle though.  I do my workouts because everyday they help me feel a little stronger.  Almost every muscle in my body is sore right now, thats how I know its working.  I like the controlled movements of Pilates it really echoes the control you need in ballet.  I even heard Lou Ann's shrill voice in my head saying "rotate!  rotate!".  So I'm giving it a chance.  What could happen really?  It makes me feel a little better knowing that I'm trying to get stronger and what could the side effects be, loosing weight? 

June the Picture Month

Who just booked another wedding?  Yep that would be me!  June is turning out to be a picture month!  Father's day weekend I'll shoot Laura's wedding and the following weekend I'll shoot Kasi's.  I'm on cloud nine!  Two more weddings to add to my portfolio.  I think that week I'll just set shop up in Knox being that two trips home seem very uneconomical.  Maybe I could book some family portraits too, who knows?  It should be great outside then.  I'll probably stock my family aka the Boldt kids.  But I'm so very excited!  I really really need to make business cards.  That will be my goal for the next few months.  I've looked into it but I just can't commit to a design.  I have to say that I'm confident in my photography but I suck at editing it.

Battle Ship

Board games are usually used in the house for anything other than thier purpose.  If you want to play Checkers just check Abbey's purse.  Dominos suddenly become one with the legos that fear me when I turn on the vaccum.  So when Charlie asked to play Battleship tonight I shrugged him off.  I did the lazy thing and told him I didn't know where it was.  When he opened the closet and pointed to it I said it was to high for me to get.  Daddy came to the rescue and I felt myself give him an eyeroll.  They moved to the table and begin a game of Battleship.  Brian explains the game effortlessly and Charlie picks it up fast.  Shinanogans have only been called once.  My son and his father are sitting at the table playing Battleship and I doubted my son really wanted to play.  I was being a "no" mom, feeling like a mess was only going to be made that I would have to clean up.  When did I become a "no" mom.  I really know that I'm not, but tonight I was.  The funny thing is if it was Playdough he wanted I wouldn't have paused a moment.

Blah Rain

Please let the sun come out again, this rain is really beginning to tick me off!  Bethie is getting upset!  I'm finding it extra hard today to get motivated to do anything.  I really need to get back to my schedule but frankly the last three days all feel like Saturdays.  The bonus to this weather is that I get to wear my hounds toothed rain boots, that is if I go anywhere.  Maybe I should venture out just so I can get some use out of them and show the world their gloriousness.  Or I could have a fingernail painting day with Abbey.  Hum.  Decisions decisions.  Fingernails it probably is. 

Lego phone

Legos surround Charlie's ear.  He made an ear phone so he could talk to his "gang" aka the Scooby Doo gang, via hands free.  I guess talking to them normally was interfering with playing with his legos.  Big news though, they found a clue and are going to the lab to inspect the ghost witch.  Earlier the ghost witch was responsible for loosing Abbey's blue Tinker Bell pen.  I wonder what that witch is doing now?

Tiger Blood

I'm beginning to feel horrible that I like 2 1/2 Men. 

The Devil

My backyard is screaming with all the kids from our street.  Its amazing how being able to play outside changes everything.  During the cold months we sit and play inside without a knock at the door for months.  When the temperature reaches 40 my door bell is ringing off the hook!  Charlie and Abbey have quite the mix of friends, they definately are a group to behold.  Right now Ariyanna, the cute girl Charlie has a crush on, is telling the other kids in an earth shattering conversation that "the devil lives underground everywhere."  Charlie, the earth knowledge base he is, asks "with all the magma?"  Then all the kids ask whats magma and Charlie tells them its lava under the earth.  Two things come to mind, man my kid is awesome and boy we need to go to church!  I'm not to sure Charlie knew what she meant when she was talking about the devil.  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?  We talk about God all the time; he thinks that God lives in the clouds.  But when do you introduce the devil?  I think CCD covered that for me when I was a kid.  But it really makes me think I need to get back into Church to help cover all questions we would have. 

Locked Doors

Why must the kids always lock these impossible doors in this house?  In an effort to be ruthelessly mean to his sister Charlie locked the bathroom so she couldn't use it.  This is the third locking of doors that requirs a screw driver and someone thats good at puzzles.  Being that it is my third time one would think I'd be the go to girl but I can't figure it out.  The backside fell and now there's just a pokey out thing.  Perhaps its a girl thing that I'm getting really frustrated and determined to solve this before Brian comes home and does it in one swift motion.

7 month countdown

Let the 7 month countdown to kindergarten begin.  7 months to prepare, prepare me that is.  Charlie would have been fine to go last year.  He did go to preschool for a year, but because of the move he had a year off.  They do all day kindergarten here, which I think will be great for him.  But what will I do without my Charlie during the day?  My days are full of Legos, Batman, StarWars, Spiderman, well you get the picture.  Abbey is a girly girl, she plays with her kitchen and dolls, but Charlie usually wins the what to play debate.  So this fall our home will have a small adjustment during the day.  I have to say I'm excited to have a day full of princesses and kitchen play.  But in a month Abbey will turn 3.  What does that mean?  For most kids that means preschool, for miss abbey that means she'll be old enough for DANCE CLASSES!  Thinking about putting Abbey in dance class has been on my mind since she was born.  I have to say I will cry if she doesn't like it.  But let the fall bring my big kindergarten boy and my tiny dancer.  So let the 7 month count down begin.

Lego Day!!

Its Lego magazine day!  Its Lego magazine day!  We signed up for it about four months ago and today we got our first issue.  Charlie immediately grabbed his lego tub and is trying to build the space center that is featured in it.  I'm guessing this Lego magazine is going to bring days of fun.

Mommie will do it

Last night our family room was converted into a pirate adventure.  We turned off all the lights, Brian made popcorn, and put in Pirates of the Carribean.  The movie was almost over when Abbey suddenly got her second wind and began playing again.  My mommie radar was off for the night so it didn't occur to me that she needed to go potty.  After Captain Jack Sparrow was ate by the crackin we turned off the movie to head to bed.  Brian reached down to pick up Abbey and she began her "mommie will do it" freak out.  This means usually one thing, and I was right, she had poohed.  Looking at Brian's face I could tell that his heart was a little crushed, I tried to get her to go to him.  She entered a level 5 tantrum, so I took her upstairs.  Sometimes it gets frustrating that the kids demand me for things like this.  Daddy always gets the "chase me" demand, while I get the poopy pants and juice demands.  Last week Charlie came in from playing with his scooter outside and told Brian he didn't have to put it away that "mommie always does it".  But this time for some reason, as I cleaned Abbey up, I found myself smiliing ear to ear.  It feels good to be needed, even if it is to wipe a booty.  Thats a fact of mommie hood that you can't really explain to non parents. 

Music

Yesterday we opened our old computer to retrieve some music and pictures we wanted.  I decided to add some of Brian's music to my ipod incase he wanted to listen to it. I have to say I had no idea how much Grateful Dead he owns.  I mean I knew that the Grateful Dead is his all time favorite, but now my ipod is half full of them.  I never really listened to them, my music taste doesn't usually sync with his.  Until we met I didn't know that Shade of Grey was a Dead song, and I still don't know why Shake Down Street is called Shake Down Street.  He rolls his eyes at me when I call those bears Deady Bears.  What are they called?  He's had this stuffed Garcia doll since before we were together and when we recently moved he gave it to Abbey.  I played it cool pretending to know thats what it was. 
Music has always been an uncompfortable topic of conversation for me.  When you first meet people they often ask what kind of music do you listen to.  A better question for me would be what is in your cd player right now.   It was recently pointed out to me that I hold special meaning to music.  When a song comes on the radio I'll say I've danced to this, or this reminds me of a certain place or a certain time.  When it comes down to it why do we like the music we do?  As I look at my ipod I think do I really like Dan Seals or do I have it on there because I remember listening to that CD with my dad.  Truth be told I have no idea. I know I'm in no way a music snob. 

Strawberry Shortcake

During cleanup yesterday contraband was discovered in Abbey's room. She smuggled in markers from her brother and decided to color her tummy pink.  Her two year old tantrum began when her daddy found her, markers in hand, looking for another spot to color.  She thought she was in trouble and began her desperate mommie cry.  After I finally got her to calm down I asked her why she colored herself pink.  She yelled "I am Strawberry Shortcake".  I take a deep breath and realize I really need to get her more dress up clothes.

The Antenna Group

Last week it was brought to my attention that my posts on Facebook were monopolizing the feed.  In the spirit of that begins my blog, Mommie in Training. 
I call myself a mommie in training.  Being a mommie brings with it a new rule book to life, one of which is constantly being rewritten.  Its unlike other titles that I've let define me.  I rarely know the correct answer or the correct thing to do.  My day is full of unknown situations that have no owners manual.  I find myself calling upon my parents advice thats helped me through life thus far, but somehow now bring an entirely different message.