I blame the sun

I figured out why I am slowing down on my blog entries.  And since it is the longest day of the year, it fits. It's the sun's fault.  I get off work any time between 5 and 7 Monday-Thursday and when I get home the sun is still up and shining as though it is only 3.  So Since I know what is to come in several more months I feel that I should enjoy the time outside and have Elijah out there for a while.  Then once we are out for a bit a neighbor or two or three or four comes home and we hang out even longer talking to them about their day, week, weekend, or the kids across the street.  Then before we know it, it is 8 or so and we haven't even eaten dinner.  So we get in and make dinner then have to put Elijah down to bed.  By that time it is at least 8:30 and we need to do this or that and after I blink it is almost 10.  And I haven't even turned on my computer to check mail or facebook, let alone blog.  So, if the sun would not be up as long, I would blog more.  Unfortunately, I know that from here on to December 21, I get to watch the sunlight get shorter and shorter.  But on December 21, I get excited because each day gets longer and longer until today.  Wahoo! 

Reasons I love the Midwest

Humidity.  I love it in the summer.  To sit outside and pretend I am in a tropical area.  But in the winter it gets so cold all the crazy bugs die and it makes you appreciate the humidity.  Now most of my fellow Midwesterners do not appreciate the weather the way I do, however, it is okay.  I like enough for at least 20 people.  I don't care how my hair looks when I'm outside.  I love the way the air smells when it's humid and the way the flowers bloom the size of Frisbees.  I love sitting outside with a fire, or talking to the neighbors in the driveway. Humidity equals happy to me.  Sorry to all of you who do not like, just keep in mind that during the dog days of summer we get sick of the heat and love winter up through the end of December then we all want the humidity back.

Resolution update #2

Blog more (than 2010): Yup, Still up by 4, wait make that 5 blogs up through the end of this month.  I know, You're probably thinking if you keep slacking like this you will break your resolution.  I'm getting back to blogging after crazy birthday season is over. 
Eat less (sugar): Check.  Now that I have a new phone I can actually track the amount of sugar I eat daily.  I do believe I am eating less sugar even before I had my new phone.  I was real good and only eating one bite or one small piece of candy/dessert.  I'm not really even craving it as much.  But I still love it.
Clean more (during the week): NOPE.  I like to sleep and relax.  Not clean.
Watch TV less (decrease # of shows I follow): Yes.  Since getting a DVR, we record shows that we really want to watch when we are busy taking care of life and then when there are things that are not on, we watch what is already recorded.  I defiantly think I watch less TV. 
Save more ($$): Still working on that.  I still have 6 months right????
Weigh less (than ???):  YES!  Down almost 5 pounds from my heaviest weight.  How?  You ask, not by exercising.  I like to relax at the end of my day and when I get home at 7:30 two nights a week by the time I eat dinner and get Elijah to bed it is 8:30.  Then it's my bed time.  But my new phone app allows me to watch my caloric intake right down to proteins, sugars, and vitamins.
Work hard (at work):  YES, My caseload on the books is over 60% accuracy.  Wahoo!  Go Me.
Play harder (at home and on the weekend):  Yup, Every weekend we have another fun event planned.  We are spending lots of our evenings outside in our driveway with our neighbors.  Elijah runs up and down with Cole and all the grown-ups sit around and gossip about the rest f the neighborhood. 
Read more (books): been on a reading drought lately.  Recently just started Book Six of Harry Potter, after about 100 pages in I wished I would have started at book 1 but I don't think I have enough time before I want to see the last movie.  Oh well, at least I am liking the reading. 
Clean car (inside and out): Yeah no.

I think I'm doing better now.  I just need to stay on track even more for the the last half of they year. 

If only...

If only there was a video camera in my therapy room I could have my own sitcom.  Yesterday I had a kid burp in my face, then tell me he he burped, and it came from his mouth.  I practically peed I was laughing so hard.  Today I was sitting in my room at my table and working with a kid.  Every 3-5 minutes I would give him a break and he would talk though the world's most annoying mega phone.  During those moments my kiddo is completely unaware of me.  I spend those moments getting ready for the next 3-5 minutes of therapy.  During one of the breaks I am looking down and when I look up I see a spider hanging from the ceiling inches from my face.  I jumped so high, let out a yelp and practically fell out of the child chair I was sitting in.  After I gained my composure I look over to my kiddo who didn't even realize what had just happened.  I then had to kill the darn thing and continue on with my therapy session. 

Ahh...If only...

I got a birthday present early.

I got a smart phone.  I convinced BJ to get me my phone early because it would take me quite a while to figure it out how to use the darn thing.  It took me quite a while to figure out how to make a simple phone call let a lone send a text message.  But I am in love with the new thing. I have apps on it to help track what I eat, I have games for Elijah, I have facebook apps, and there are a million other things that I want to put on the thing.  Everyday I find something new.  The first day was the crazy ridiculous flashlight app.  Yesterday I figured out how to put my calender on it.  Today was the fit food program.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring.  So any good droid apps that I can add for Elijah?  I tried a talking giraffe but she is kinda spooky.  BJ and I had fun with her for a while but it is to complicated for Elijah to complete. 

The best part about the phone.  It has a purple case.  And it matches my wedding ring.  Wahoo. 

Cheat #3

I didn't die.  But I am so sleepy I can't get into the blogging mentality.  So in honor of someone else doing the work here is what we started with.  And hopefully there will be pictures of what we ended with.  Always impressive. 

http://renee-montgomery.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html

Bugs

I don’t like bugs.  I don’t like them in my house especially.  I can deal with them when they are outside but inside, not so much.  Lately we have had a HUGE ant issue in our house.  Since we live on a concrete slab they can get through the cracks and get into the house.  Well I don’t know the way ant brains work but apparently like teen age women, they travel in packs of 3 or 4.  They never travel farther than several millimeters apart but where you see one, you will be able to find 3 or three more.  What’s real weird is that they are in the middle of a wall, not at the door.  Why can’t the bugs just use the door?   Now I have to spray the entire house.  Boo to ants. 

Cheat #2

Here were my friday activities.  AKA during.  It counts for a blog post for me becasue Elijah, my mom and I are all pictured.  See  It's just like if I was to blog, but without all the brain power of typing and waiting nicely while the pictures up load. 

http://renee-montgomery.blogspot.com/2011/06/update-on-mega-garage-sale.html

Totally cheating

I am still here.  I do think about you when I am driving and almost asleep.  Therefore I will let you all see what I am up too but someone else will do all the hard work.  Here is the before. 

http://renee-montgomery.blogspot.com/2011/06/garage-sale-ready-for-donations.html

Memorial Day: by Elijah

Today was a special day.  It felt like a weekend day but Mommy said it was Memorial Day.  I celebrated with my Dino's.

Then my new friend Tessa came over and I shared my bucket of water with her.  Whoa, careful with the cow dino thing. 

Which one is your ride Tessa?  Oh that one?  Nice wheels!

 So Tessa, what do you do most of your day?  I like dinos and things. 

 Well thanks for the kiss Cow dino, thing.

 Even though I like dinos I don't like them that much.  I mean Yuck, have you ever kissed a cow?

 Then my friend Cole came home from her trip.  I was so happy to see her!

 HEY MOM.  COLE'S HOME.  WE'RE GOING TO PLAY IN THE PUDDLE.

 Look I can walk like a bear.  ROAH!

 Cole check out my bucket of water. 

 We're being good mommy.  We promise.  Right? That is what we were supposed to say?

 Missed you Cole.

 Glad your home. 

 Wanna go on a ride on my momocycle?  Vroom Vroom!

 Man I'm beat.  This has been a heck of a day.  I need some ice cream that will keep me up until 9:00.  I like this Memorial Day thing.

 Even Scuscu liked the day.  She was pretending to be a polar bear with her block of ice at the end of the day.

 P.S. Mommy says the next few weeks she will be super busy (it's garage sale time which means not a lot of time home.) She is sorry for the limited posts in the next few days.

Spoke to soon

Remember my dishwasher?  Remember the only thing wrong with it was that it was leaking a little bit?  Yeah...About that...Does not draining count as something not good?  I mean does that really matter?  It drained after the first load...what more can you ask.  So after we stood around looking at if for a while here is what we did.

JON HELP!  In comes Jon.  he stands and looks at it, scratches his head and says,  What's different since it drained.  BJ, Elijah and I all look at each other and shrug our shoulders, then scratch our head some more.  Jon then says, "something has changed."  Finally BJ remembers he put in foot boards...WITH A HAMMER.  Probably moved the dishwasher enough to kink the hose.  At this point Jon lays down on our floor and takes a nap.  I continue to make our dinner by stepping over him, Elijah climbs on him and BJ follows suit and lays down too.  Elijah feeling left out lays down.  However, now that I think of it they may have been looking under the dishwasher to see if it was still leaking.  But I don't really know. 

We will see if the slight move forward helps the drain tomorrow.  Let's all hope for dry.

I got a new...

DISHWASHER!!!!

Remember BJ broke mine last May.  Well we went out on Saturday to "look around" and get prices to start watching for sales and what not.  What did you find you ask?  Well first BJ found that dishwashers were more than a couple of hundred bucks.  Second we found a really big sale with an additional 10% off.  After an hour or so at the store completely looking at every part of the dishwasher, then several more hours at home researching it and calling other stores to get their opinion on the price.  BJ and then decided to go and get it, drive it home in our not so Semi Useless Vehicle (SUV).  On Sunday BJ and Jon installed it and now we have a new dishwasher.  It's quiet, it cleans dishes, and it only leaks a little bit.  It's wonderful.

Most Annoying Sound in the World

Let's set the scene will you please...

It's dark, it's 4:00am, everyone in the house is sound a sleep.  Got the picture?  Okay now set your spouses work phone to loud and have an annoying drunk man call.  And the ring tone to wake us ALL up...

WAKE UP!

Thanks drunk guy with the wrong number. 

A day with the ducks

Plastic ducks but, but still fun.  We headed over to the Grandparents house again today.  Last weekend we were here to power wash the deck, this weekend we were here to stain the deck.  Or at least a part of it.  While my dad and BJ did the deck Elijah played in a bucket of water for 30-45 minutes.  The formula for the fun was 2 jugs warm tap water, a bunch of water from the hose, three rubber ducks, and two cups.  Add them all together and get a ton of fun. 

 We threw Elijah in the bucket and he spent the next several moments scooping water with one cup and dumping it into the other cup.  Then he picked up ducks and put them on the edge of the chair, then putting them back into the bucket.  Endless hours of fun right there. 

During and After

I always think about taking before and after pictures after I have already started a project.  Just like our yard work, I didn't take a picture of the ugly plants in the ground.  Just after they had come out.  Tonight was another moment like that.  I went to clean the kitchen at 10:00 at night and I got a bit side tracked.  As I began cleaning I saw the giant box of fruit snacks I had hidden from Elijah (on top of the fridge, I know not a good spot) and thought I needed to find a new spot for them.  That lead me to wanting them to go up above in the pantry, but having to make space for them.  I started clearing out the shelves that had held all of the toddler dishes until we needed them (about 14 months ago).  I had been meaning to find them a new place for them but that was put on the back burner.  Once I cleared out all the dishes and found a new place for them I had two open shelves.  Wahoo!  Then it was to the food.  I emptied out all the food and as I turned my back it reproduced.  I was stunned how much food we had in our pantry. 

Please note the 3 bags of marshmallows (one bag has jumbo mellows I can't wait to put them on the fire), the bag of candy canes, the bags of the melted freezer pops, and random pieces of candy. 

After finding all the food a home and not really getting rid of much I still have a ton of room on my shelves for more food.  At 11:00 I had finished the cabinet but the kitchen looked the same as when I had started the cleaning.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day. 

Skip to the next song please

Remember back in the day when 9 million chain e-mails would go around?  One of them would ask you to answer a bunch of questions about your life, one would ask you to send to 100 people and make a wish.  You know the ones I'm talking about.  Well I have decided that I do not currently like the soundtrack to my life.  Who ever the composer is, I am really not digging these few tracks on the soundtrack.  I love the parts with the wheels-on-the-buss, and Old MacDonald.  I even enjoy the throw back 80's and early 90's music that plays while I drive.  The screaming, tired, crabby baby noise though.  That is the one I could do without.  Not sure what is causing my soundtrack to skip and keep replaying the same darn song a.m. to p.m. but I am getting really annoyed.  The only thing I am finding to solve the issue is unplugging the stereo, AKA putting the baby to bed.  So here is to hoping my soundtrack gets better in the next few days or else I might be looking for a good Gypsy family to help me out here. 

(you do all know I am kidding about the Gypsies right?)

Too many thoughts

I can tell that it has been way to long since I posted when I can't even pick one topic to blog about. So in true I don't know what to do fashion I see a list coming up.
1. My sister and I had a wonderful evening Saturday watching the royal wedding.
2. Elijah had the largest fever ever of 103, but I swear it was higher that that.  His skin was red. 
3. The weather here has been colder than December.
4. I don't remember what the sun looks like.
5. The wedding I am in is right around the corner and round is the best shape to describe my belly, what if my dress doesn't fit?
6. Between BJ and I we have something planned every weekend from her on out until August.  So much for camping.
7. I love the zoo.
8. I love the new landscaping in front of our house.
9. I haven't seen much of the cops in the hood but I think it's because it's cold out.
10. I can't wait for the garage sale.
11. Elijah has been super crabby all day today.

Mother's Day

Sorry it is a couple of days late but being a mother leaves you little time to get other things done.  But once you become a motehr it's like joining another another world...an animal world.  Hence one of the reasons we decided to go to the zoo.  The other reason, I love the zoo.  We had beautiful weather, we saw ALL the animals (except the elephants that were on vacation), and we even got in a nap for the baby.

We saw all the good animals during feeding times which was the best time to look at them all.  It was also warm enough for the animals to be out, but cool enough for most of the animals to be enjoying it.  The hippo was even out standing next to his swiming pool.  As we were walking up to the enclosure I thought he was a statue and became very confused about why they would put a statue inside the encousre.  Weird.    Then I got smarter. 

Elijah got to see his gerraffs and we even brought giraff with us to t he zoo to see his old family.  (My real thinking is if every thime we bring a buddy from home we won't have to buy one). 

Yard work: By Elijah

Mommy needed some things done around the yard so Daddy and I got to work.  Mommy wanted new plants in the front of the house so we ripped up the ugly old ones

and put in nice green ones. 

I helped Daddy do the digging.  I found lots of stuff in the dirt, but I didn't want to touch much of the dirt. 

I found my buddy "Worm" and a lot of rolly polly bugs. 

Mommy said the bugs were strong so I picked them up.  I even put Worm into the bucket and watched him make a tunnel. 

Mommy couldn't take a picture of it all done because it was too dark.  Trust me though it looks real good. 

Healthy Teeth starts with...

Elmo???

 Yup that's right first Elmo has healthy teeth, then Elijah has healthy teeth.  As Elijah gets more independent helping him get daily tasks done is getting harder and harder.  Brushing teeth is something I do not allow him to do 100% himself.  We have more of a 50-50 partnership.

My deal (weather Elijah sees it the same I don't know) Elijah gets to brush his teeth until I count to 10.  Then I get to brush his teeth until I count to 10 the he gets to brush again.  Apparently Elijah does the same thing with Elmo.  See...