Sunday

No church drama today to report. I keep finding out problems people there have with me. In a sense I say who cares and keep doing whatever I do, but in another sense I did not move across the country for two people at one church in all of SoCal to ruin my husbands ministry.

I felt like I really tried today. I smiled. I talked. I even went into the service at the end and had a conversation with the woman who I have been trying to avoid this whole time. Scary stuff.

Anyway, tonight the work week starts again. I'm not ready. I wasn't home much at all these past two days so I didn't get anything done. I was supposed to make the girls Halloween costumes but then my friend at work said she had some they could borrow so hopefully she brings them tonight. If not, I'll have to throw something together.

Shaun has to work and its times like this when I would LOVE to have a friend with kids who would go with me to take my kids out. I don't think anyone in my neighborhood does anything for Halloween.

I'd thought a few weeks ago about having some sort of party here for the kids that we know but it didn't work out. Next year I'll have to start thinking earlier about it.

I had so much fun Friday night!!! I felt like I didn't get to talk much but I plan on going out to party before I have this baby so we can hang out more then.

Today is Tuesday

I am so very thankful for my Sunday nights of work!!!

They aren't giving out any extra hours but somehow I got some. :) Its a huge peace of mind for me to know I have some extra coming in.

So last night was the womens get together at my neighbors house and i couldn't go. Well, it turns out I could have because Shaun got home at 7 when it started but my day was done. I got a lot of cleaning done then I took a shower and put on my pj's so I was not going anywhere until 11:30 that night. :)

I realized after posting my last blog that I forgot the end of my pumpkins story.

She didn't send them!!! We called to tell her thank you and she said she didn't want all the candy to melt so she just sent the clothes and other stuff.

Thats okay, though. Once pumpkin season is over, it will be time for eggnog which I am equally excited for. :) :)

Mycah forgot her homework folder yesterday and my mother bear instinct is in full gear.

Her teacher doesn't seem like the nicest woman and I'm afraid she will be mean to my kid. I just don't put up with that from people. I consider myself to have a nice handle on my kids so I don't think its anyone else's place to say anything. Even when they are just being kids or acting up either Shaun or myself is right there to put a stop to it.

She knows she will have to sit out of first recess to do her work and thats okay with both of us, but she said one minute her folder was there and the next it was gone so hopefully they find it and she can do her work and turn it in. I would think if it was a big deal the teacher would have given her another paper but then again, not from what I've seen living here.

No offense to those born here who read this.

Just like in FL, theres a race of white trash and then theres a race of regular middle class folks, here there are thinkers and non thinkers and you are in the thinker category.

When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, I somehow checked out two library books and I got a note to go talk to the librarian. She basically yelled at me telling me she didn't know how it happened because there was no way to even check out two books. I remember for the rest of the day my legs were shaking and I felt like I was in trouble at every turn because I was so painfully shy and, well, we all know librarians don't yell for just any reason. I found the book and turned it in without saying anything to my mom for a few weeks and when I finally did she was livid that I was spoken to that way. She said it wasn't my fault and the librarian is supposed to keep track of the books borrowed so its more her fault than mine. I remember how good that made me feel about myself that she stood up for me, and I intend to do the same for my kiddos.

I really think its no big deal about her folder but I'm on guard in case the need arises, is all I'm saying.

so, yeah...

We got a package from my mom today. Well, we probably recieved it yesterday but were not aware of it until today.

She sent the girls some clothes and there were pajamas for Jake, among other things. They love to get packages from Nana. :)

She also said, when she was giving me the breakdown of what was coming, that she had "those pumpkin things that are like candy corn" I was able to reply "oh, yeah, they like those" while screaming with excitement inside my head. She has no idea that those things are like my boyfriend. Not that i have one, but I have a love for those things that almost passes my lifelong obsession with Reeses peanut butter cups.

I don't know if its just cravings or what but in several dreams I have been eating them or have a bag of them somewhere. i know, I have weird dreams. But they are just so good and I only get them once a year.

While we're on the subject of wonderful food, lately I have been wanting either ice cream or something to dip in milk. Cereal, pop tarts, cookies, donuts... all of that comes to mind, and we have none. Luckily this week is pay week.

I was telling the old hubs that I am going out with friends on Friday and he is worried about money so I siad if we go out to eat I will just get dessert... if I heard someone say that I would want to buy them food so they could eat, but have no worries about me. I NEED some good dessert. i have plenty of regular food at home to eat when I get back.

We have had times in the past when it seems like everything we do revolves around having the money to do it and these past weeks have been no different. I really don't like thinking or talking about money but I do like having it and making it and I guess you can't have one without the other.

I really feel like I deserve a night away from this place and from my kids (sorry, but its true) and I work plenty to afford dinner and a movie and a good time so I'm going and thats that.

And, since I know you read this, I know you didn't mean I don't deserve it but I'm just saying...

Anyway, I was looking up how to make your own halloween costumes and Mycah wants to be a spider and Sage wants to be a peacock. I'm going to try to get everything this weekend so I have time to make and fix everything. Jake has a costume from last year that he will wear.

And, because its Sunday, I have to add a church update. I went, not willingly at all. There are some people from a church that we used to go to that have started coming and everytime I see them I think they are what church people should look like. They seem so normal, not trying to be our parents, no advice, I talked to one for a few seconds and she was so much like someone I would want to be around it almost made me sick to my stomach knowing that we are stuck there with people who think we are little kids who need their guidance all the time.

I don't think they understand that we came out here to attend seminary, not to be church members. They expect that we put them first in most things and if we're not completely happy every Sunday they think we need a meeting and we have all these problems in our marriage.

I watch Jon and Kate plus 8 a lot and i really agree with what they say, when they argue in public, etc, they say they don't have time to be polite when the kids are running around and they are trying to get somewhere, etc. While I try not to yell across stores at my husband and stuff like that, it makes perfect sense to me because we have lived it. Not with 8, but with three which is plenty when they are small.

Anyway, so, I know we will not be there forever which I am so glad about but it is definitely the one place I don't care if I ever go back to. Its a shame when I'd rather be locked in Target for 6 hours a night than go to church for 2 hours a week. Just saying.

lots of news

I had another appointment yesterday with my doctor.

I had to take my three kids which I was not looking forward to but they were actually perfect so it ended up being fine.

I wanted to cancel the day before because of having to take them but thanks to time warner we didn't have internet or phone all week. It was really annoying.

Anyway, so at my appointment 3 weeks ago, Karli was measuring 19 weeks instead of the 22 weeks that I was, this time she was right on track at 25 weeks. I asked about how high she was laying, because when I lay down she kicks me in the belly button which is kind of painful, also you can look at my stomach and see how high she is. The doctor actually grabbed her and squeezed a little and said she is laying head down, with her bootie right under my belly button.

On another note, I lost 4 pounds!! Woohoo! It wasn't so much a goal to lose weight as it is to gain a whole lot. My appetite hasn't increased much until this point so I was making myself eat during the day which I'm usually too tired to do to make sure I was getting what I need. Now I don't know what to do but I know that every pregnancy is different and I weigh plenty so she is not starving in there lol.

I only have about 12 weeks left. I can't believe how fast it is going! I will see this doctor one more time then start going to the doctor who will deliver the baby, which I'm excited about. I can't believe at my next appointment I will be 29 weeks, my third trimester.

I have been really leery about spending money on maternity stuff so I was so excited at my bible study wednesday when someone brought in tons of maternity clothes that were my size!! I got two shirts for me, a crib sheet and two outifts for Karli and a dress for Sage. All free. It was great.

Another Sunday update

Thankfully, no drama today. Shaun and I agreed that I could just stay with him the entire time, that way if anyone says anything to me he will be there to defend me.

I did have to take Jake in to the service before it started to get a drink. Stupidly forgetting there is a water fountain in the classroom. I walked in with my head down and didn't speak to anyone or look at them.

After church I tried my hardest to stay with Shaun and help him reset everything for school tomorrow but the kids were playing in the church so I was torn between my duty to take care of them and my overwhelming desire to help Shaun so we could get out of there.

I did go in there because someone told Sage to ask me if she could have a cookie. I let her get one then checked on Jake and Mycah, then I saw the very person I was trying to avoid coming in my general direction looking like she wanted to talk to someone so I squeezed through the crowd and got out of there.

So, it was a thankfully uneventful Sunday morning.

In other news, my father in law is not coming at all this year. I was worried that he was going to come after the baby was born and I didn't want that. Its different if my parents or my mother and step father in law were to come. My mother in law might as well be my own mom. I feel extremely comfortable around her and I like that. Shauns step dad is the same. They are both down to earth people who I would feel completely comfortable telling that I needed a nap or I didn't want to go wherever they wanted to go that day, but let them take the kids haha. With Shauns dad it is different in that he expects that if he is there everyone is going to go with him and have fun no matter if you did just have all your insides moved around and a 7 pound baby taken out of you.

I made chicken salad last night and just finished it off today, so now we are out of meat. What a weird feeling to be out of meat. Wow. I can't tell you the last time that happened.

We are not near to starving, though. We have plenty of other food. :)

Tomorrow school starts back. Having the girls off was fun but without school the week went by a lot slower.

tomatoes

I think I have eaten at least one tomato a day for the past two weeks. And, no, I'm not sick of them. We have a pack of grape tomatoes right now that are very tempting but I have to wait for Shaun to get home and eat some salad before I can finish them off. ;)

Shaun made chili Wednesday and put those whole tomatoes in it, the peeled canned kind, so every time I got a bowl I made sure to get four or five of them.

Today we went to Lombardi ranch and it was a lot of fun. We didn't do anything you had to pay for because this is rent week as far as checks go and with three kids everything adds up. They are open until mid november so I think I will try to take the kids myself before they close.

We also went to the 99 cent store today. I have a friend who has a family of four and they only spend 35 dollars a week on groceries. She homeschools her kids so they don't have to have snacks and she said they buy produce at the 99 cent store so we had to check it out.

We bought fruit and pudding and stuff like that and spent 30 bucks, so I'm really intrigued how she can feed all of them on that small amount. I understand people have different priorities but I think I'd rather go to work than have to budget that tightly.

I was also amazed at how patient she is with her kids and how happy and well mannered they were. I think I have a lot to learn from them and I'm glad her and I are getting to know each other.

I loved being out today in the fall weather! I love bundling the kids up and turning the heater on in the van and everything. I think the seasons are more pronounced here than in Jacksonville.

exciting times (lol)

First off I have to say that I love fall weather!!! Theres a lot to be said about it being less than 100 degress every day. I pulled out the cold weather clothes and some will be in the closets and drawers as soon as I finish blogging.

So I was coming home from work this morning and I was behind this semi. Actually, he pulled rather quickly in front of me but not near to cutting me off so I figured he must have a problem but couldn't be for sure.

So we pulled onto the exit ramp and his back tire was running through this wet stuff and it was spraying my windshield. No biggie, since the car needed to be cleaned, I thought...until he turned the corner and I saw that it was gasoline pouring out of his truck. That was pretty scary.

I didn't know what to do since I was going to sit in the car wash at 6am when it was pitch black outside, even if I had the money on me to do so. SO I told Shaun about it when I woke up and he said gas was a corrosive so I washed his car for him with our squeegie. :) His car is a lot easier than the van to wash like that and I miss washing cars anyway, so it wasn't a total sacrifice.

Today is the last day of fall break and I am going to miss it dearly! I totally spoiled myself by coming straight home and going to bed. Didn't get as much cleaning done as I wanted, though. Oh well.

I've been going back and forth about how soon i want to leave work before the baby is born. I think it depends on how much I can get done before January. Thats my cut off to have everything bought and cleaned and in working order. Its a good thing that the two weeks before january are school break weeks, too, because I predict thats when most of the work will be done.

I have it all worked out in my mind how I want it to be but its just a matter of finding time to get it the way I want.

The subject came up again today of the woman at church. I'm glad i don't go to these meetings but would rather also not be discussed at them. Oh well. I deleted the earlier post about her because I decided that it is slander and I don't want to be guilty of that. I don't like not being allowed so to speak, to not like someone, so I guess I will just give her the cold shoulder and maybe she'll get the hint and stop talking to me and I'll be home free.

I was kind of diappointed at Bible Study wednesday. Its hard for me to listen to people talk on the subject of loving your kids when its obvious that they have decided to spend their whole lives devoted to their children. This woman has 8, so although I tried not to have a preconcieved notion I couldn't help but think right away that I would probably disagree with a lot of what she said.

I have my own philosophy, I believe everyone needs time to themselves and that it doesn't contradict the Bible to want it or need it. There were other things that made me cringe a little but that was the main thing that stuck out.

Anyway, in the great scheme of things it doesn't really matter, but I am hoping for some really good teaching this week. I feel like I need it, but moreso about the relationship between husband and wife than mom and kids.

This week will be our test, speaking of kids, to get Mycah to pass her reading test. I found the website online that is included in the book and played a few of the games they have designed to help the kids remember the story. I think it will help her learn the vocabulary and do a lot better.

The teacher said they were going to start doing that in the classroom but I guess from Mycah's last test that she changed her mind or it is just going to take Mycah a little longer.

The reading book only gets sent home on Thursdays which is the hardest day for me because it is the end of my work week and I am exhausted and it also takes Mycah longer to do her regular homework on that day.

She had really easy teachers for kindy and 1st but this teacher seems more strict which is good, but her and Mycah don't mix as well because Mycah is a free spirit and yes she does work slow as the teacher pointed out but she has always been the way she is now. I have no idea how to get Mycah to move faster. Yelling only makes her nervous and she doesn't have anything special I can take away or threaten because she just does....whatever...

I think it takes all kinds and I want her to be confident in who she is.

My (really long) day without the internet

It started out fine. The kids are on fall break this week so I was able to go straight to bed when I got off work.

I woke up around 10:30 and told them to get breakfast (something I'm really going to miss when the new baby comes lol) Then I made a list of lots of things to accomplish and got started.

I cleaned the kitchen, put away lots of clothes, washed two more loads, had Sage and Jake wipe down the tables...etc.

At about 11:30 (kind of backtracking here) the cable and internet went out. My first thought was did I pay the bill but about an hour after it happened the truck came and the people were working on it. It was weird because the cable came back and the phone came back which runs through the internet...but no net. No email, no wasting time browsing through things...it wasn't happening.

I was glad to have the phone back because I was supposed to call my mom at a certain time. Well, we were chatting about whatever when Mycah asked me for a drink and I told her to get one. All of the sudden I hear a huge splash and she has dumped almost the whole huge container of Gatorade on our (gas) stove and floor.

I understand that spills happen but I sent her out of the kitchen because she was so flustered then in a break in the conversation with my mom I called her in and gave her a towel to clean it up with. It was only two or three minutes later and most of the drink had pooled where the carpet meets the tile. I told her to put the towel down and step on it and wipe it back and forth. She has spilled enough to know what I was talking about, its the same instructions every time. Instead, she threw the towel into the middle of the kitchen floor.

Okay, now I'm annoyed because she didn't listen. I made her pick it up and start to clean it, but she was just acting like she had no idea so I sent her back to her room and had to finish it myself.

During this whole time Jake was on the porch playing. He likes to wipe stuff off and say he's cleaning so I sprayed a rubbermaid that we keep out there (more on that later) with windex and gave him a paper towel. While talking to my mom I noticed him coming inside and spraying more windex and I didn't think too much about it, even though it was a waste to continue to soak a wet paper towel... So, after I cleaned the gatorade, I noticed that the windex was gone from the counter where it was so I went to check on Jake and he had spilled the ENTIRE bottle onto the top of that rubbermaid. I was so mad! Why is it that I cannot even talk on the phone without some mess being made???? So I sent all three of them to their room without the tv on. And I shut the door and told them not to make a sound.

I felt bad for doing it to Sage because she was out here with me working on a paper in one of her school books, but I know her and as soon as her brother and sister are out of the way, she becomes really clingy and I was too frustrated to deal with that.

So I left them in there for 30 minutes with no tv, then I made the two who were in trouble stay there and let Sage out since she hadn't made any messes.

I also poured the windex with vinegar onto the porch floor hoping it would drain but no such luck. So now our porch smells like vinegar. Too bad it doesn't rain here.

So, concerning the rubbermaids... we have four that stay on the porch tucked in this little corner. I thought I had them mapped out:one of Christmas, two of girl clothes, one of boy clothes.

I was very wrong.

I had one of Christmas, that one was on top, then I had one and a half of boy clothes, which, I didn't know I kept that many, then I just had a few girl clothes in the bottom of one of those.

And the fourth. I'm still wrapping my head around this one. All last winter, I was tearing the house apart looking for some winter clothes that I knew my girls had somewhere. The blue hooded sweater, the indian print very warm looking jacket my niece gave Mycah... but to no avail. Well, I open the fourth rubbermaid to find, not newborn girl clothes, but ALL of those winter clothes!!! And most in there still had the tags on them. I could not believe it! Is it possible that I never looked in the rubbermaids??? I guess not, but...I don't know...it seems like it would be a very obvious place.

The good news is that all the clothes will still fit them, even though most might be too small for Mycah she will still get some things out of there. And the big thick jacket that she was so excited about will keep her tiny body very warm this winter. :) And between all of those clothes and the seven vacuum bags of winter clothes we don't have to buy them anything except maybe during the after season sales for next year.

This really intimidates me lol

We are doing this thing on Wednesday nights called "30 husband encouragement challenge for wives" I don't disagree with the idea of encouragement, especially for my husband, but here are some of the suggestions for day one:

thank your husband for choosing you above other women. okay. what if you didn't give him a choice? well, I did, but it was more like choose me now or else? I don't really see how it applies to my situation. It also says do it first thing in the morning and we are never together in the morning.

I had to laugh at another suggestion that included "if your husband...refuses to work" encourage him in other areas. Maybe if he was a billionaire and had worn himself out getting there.

Anyway, I don't have that problem so I can laugh about it.

The overall idea is to not say anything bad to or about him, to him or to anyone. Sometimes that is really hard, especially because he is the one I feel most comfortable being honest with about my feelings.

I feel like overall we have an open relationship as far as things like that, although he seems to speak more in general terms than I do.

Of course, right now I'm supposed to be cleaning the house. I think that would be more of an encouragement than anything.

kid's got good taste

I am obsessed with A&W root beer!!!

Most people have margaritas with mexican food, I have root beer.

When we do get soft drinks, we have to get two root beers because all my kids love it as much as I do. Turns out, our little newbie is no different. He/she kicks like crazy when I drink the good stuff.

Speaking of... Monday afternoon is our ultrasound to find out what we are having! I am so excited and I have numbed myself to any notions of which one it will be.

Still no drama going on. No one to put in their place, for those of you who are keeping up lol.

I did hurt my finger SO BAD last night at work!!! I had two carts that were stuck together and I went to pull them apart and somehow my little finger was in there and now I have a huge bruise on my fingernail. I hurt for about 10 minutes really bad then it was okay.

This week was my first five day week in almost a year and it was so hard at the end! Wednesday and Thursday are what I call my sleepless days because it is impossible to find time to get good solid sleep. I think on Wed Shaun was even home in the afternoon and I laid down for about two hours but it was not good sleep, then after lunch at work I was so slow and could not will my body to move any faster. I am so glad that my boss knows I have kids and its hard some days to rest. He is very understanding of things like that.

yesterday and so far today

Everything has been fine. No one has said anything to make me be mean.

Its a good thing, really. I've had a peaceful two days.

Today I thought about "forgetting" my appointment with the nutritionist at my doctors office, but guilt made me go because in truth, I remembered exactly that I was supposed to be there, but she didn't show up so it wouldn't have even mattered. I couldn't get mad at that because it wasn't the usual receptionist that made my appointment so she didn't even know I was coming in, if she had she would have called me.

The day wasn't a waste, though. My boy and I went to see about sending him to preschool at our sports center, then he played on the playground for about 45 minutes. I've heard really good things about that preschool and I hope he gets to go. I need to call the person in charge.

Anyway, so thats my update. I have about 30 loads of laundry to do today, homework with the girls, and if I'm lucky, some sleep before work tonight!