Family Vacations

I really love planning vacations. I like to find cool places to see and visit. My husband wants to go up into Tennessee and go on a boat ride in a lake under the ground. So today I decided to find out where and what it was. It took a little searching but I found it, The Lost Sea in Sweetwater, Tennessee. I think it would be fun to plan a camping/cavern touring trip and surprise my husband (if I can keep it a secret, he doesn't read my blogs usually.) I will have to figure out when we can do it and how I can pool the money together for it.

I am also planning a long cross country trip back to my parent's in Idaho. I have ordered travel packets from all the states we plan on driving through. So far we plan on stopping in San Antonio, Texas. My husband went to tech school there for the Air Force and would love to show me around. We plan on seeing the Alamo (although he says he wasn't impressed but I told him it is the historical value) and maybe going to a zoo for the kids besides touring the base and town. We also plan on the Petrified Forest National Park and Grand Canyon, both in Arizona and Zion National Park in Utah.

I love planning the vacations but sometimes they are not all that invision but they are still precious and form memories for us as a family.

Finally, PEACE!!!

Wow, it is just 8 pm and my children are both fast asleep. My daughter feel asleep just before 7 while she was in time out for taking toys away from her brother. My son, however, put up a good fight. He wiggled, he squirmed, he drank a little, spat it out, cried, whined, and finally lost the battle for the night. Now he is all tucked in. My husband is at his class for another hour and I have some peace and quiet. Well, not really since Lost comes on tonight but I will get to watch a show uninterrupted from diaper changes, crying, or juice/milk runs. I love my children and love my time with them, but boy do I value "me time" now I rarely get it.

Sinking into the depths

I created myself a schedule to help keep myself organized and try to get more done in a day instead of floundering around and accomplishing nothing. I don't adhere to it religiously but I do loosely. I start off the day with reading the scriptures and also reading to the children. Then I try to do some exercise, cleaning, and so forth. But today the schedule was thrown out since I watched my friend's kids this morning while she went to the doctor and now I feel like I am sinking beneath the depths of pressing issues needing attention. My ebay sales are piling up, my house has been traumatized by double the kids trampling through it, and my body aches from the lack of physical nourishment of exercise. Not to mention that absence of spiritual nourishment that calms my mind and keeps me in check during the day. My daughter has lost her pants and her hair has not been brushed yet. My son has animal crackers smashed in his pocket. Saving some for later, perhaps?

A Beachy Day

Finally a beautiful day and we headed for the beach. We went to the one on base and so it wasn't too crowded. The skies were blue, the sand white, and the waters...Okay, they were a little murky from the recent rains but still beautiful. Little T-man thought the shells made a great snack.

She-girl and T-man were having fun and dancing in the sand. She-girl doesn't like the feel of sand on her feet and so she wanted to wear her water shoes. T-man didn't care he loved it.

Mommy taught the kiddos how to write and draw in the sand. T-man liked to wipe everything.

She-girl learned to build sandcastles in the sand. Her daddy taught her how and she used a shell as a shovel.

T-man is just learning to walk so he was a little tipsy. He biffed it in the sand several times but just got back up and kept at it. He was covered in sand by the time we were done.

T-man decide he wouldn't just try the shells but the sand too. I don't think it tasted to good for him. It was a very fun and exciting day on the beach yesterday. The kids loved playing in the sand. The water was too cold to venture out in it but they are still getting use to the sounds of the ocean. We spent a little over an hour. We looked at some shells, played in small pools of water left by the tides, played in the sand, and walked along the beach. We definitely be making another trip out there in the near future.

Rain Update

It continued to rain well into the night. Most of the town of Lyn Haven is flooded. Several roads were closed last night and this morning. School is having a rain day. Most child cares are shut down today. Hundreds of parents are now scrambling to find child care today or calling in work. However, when I looked out this morning I was surprised to see small puddles in our yard and driveway, normal size for a normal size rain. The courthouse roof, which has been in need of repair for a few years, has pretty much given way to the last of these storms and workers were there all night mopping up three floors of wet mess. This morning is clear but another storm is due in tonight. The police has asked people to not drive unless absolutely necessary. I sent Ray to get some milk today during his lunch so we won't have to go out tonight during the storm. Ray's class last night wasn't cancelled but the instructor called to say he was just going to do a review since several students called in and so Ray got to stay home with us last night. So there is always a silver lining to every dark cloud.

Rain, Rain Go Away Come Back Another Day

I love the rain but it has been raining nonstop all day. At the 6 o'clock news they said we received over 4 inches already and now, almost 4 hours later, we must have doubled that. I looked out in our street and it looks like a river is running down our driveway and into the torrent running down the street. Some people said their garages were flooding, where there has never been any flood. We have had tornado warnings, flood warnings, and severe thunderstorm warnings. It took Ray almost an hour to get home today. He said on his way home a firetruck was headed one way with their lights and sirens going and a police car the other. The forecast for tomorrow? More of this lovely stuff with an added bonus of winds.

Weird Dreams

I have been plagued with unpleasant dreams of late. It started off with a horrifying Holocaustlike dream. Instead of Jews it was Mormons and so my family was carted off. My 3 year old daughter became separated from us. It was very cold and snowy. We finally found out where they kept the children that got separated from their families and my husband and I went to get her. Men weren't allowed inside but Ray came on in anyway. I told them her name and they went to a corner and picked up a frozen child and gave her to me. She luckily was still alive and so to help her my husband and I stripped off our clothes and put her inbetween us in our little sleeping bag we received as bedding. I just can't imagine what the real holocaust victims went through back then. My family wasn't separated in the dream but I know that they were in the real concentration camps.

Then the next night I had a dream about another World War and I was in the middle of it trying to protect my family. I don't remember to much of that one.

Then last night I had a War of the Worlds kind of dream where aliens were attacking the Earth. We were living back in Idaho Falls (where I lived when I met my husband) and we escaped the initial attack on the city. We had a beat up van and we were driving to Rexburg where the military had a strong hold. As we were driving we passed most people that were walking. Then we saw some military people headed the other way dressed in special suits. They knew they were probably going to die, or at least some of them, yet they were running into battle to protect their families, country, and freedom. We ended up having to abandon the car and started walking. I was glad when I woke from that one.

Whatever happened to having pleasant dreams of fun vacations and that sort of thing?

Did he make it up?

My husband found himself in the doghouse after Valentine's Day last year. I hated the V-day before I got married. I never had a boyfriend on that day. When I was younger I would see friends and other girls get flowers, plush bears, and candy from their boyfriends and parents. Me? I got diddly squat. Well, that is not all true. My granddad always gave us something on Valentine's Day. Then when I was 15 my beloved granddad had a heartattack and passed away that day. That is when I started to hate it.

When I got married I thought it was finally a time I could start to enjoy it. Then last year happened. My husband was in a three month school and would only come home on the weekends. He told me we would celebrate on Saturday. I thought that meant that we would go to dinner on Saturday but that he would still do something for Valentine's Day. I gave him his gift before he left that Monday. Valentine's Day came. Every time the phone rang, I thought it was a flower delivery asking if I was home. Nope! The mail came and nothing in it. I finally came to the realization that he truly didn't do anything for it and I was a mess. I bawled and bawled and bawled. When he called that night he heard an earful. A couple of days later 2 dozen red roses and chocolates showed up at my door.

This year my husband was a day early having flowers delivered to me. I think he's on his way of making it up to me. Although someday I would love a really big surprise.

The cake was my present to him, it is a Cold Stone Ice Cream cake.

First time to the dentist

We took our 3 year old daughter to the dentist for the first time a few days ago. She was fine when we got there. She sat at their little table and slowly worked up the courage to approach the other kids and play with the toys. We took her to a pediatric dentist so all the patients were kids. The waiting room was complete chaos. After 20 minutes of waiting they called us back. She went with me until we got to the door then she fell on the floor and refused to go. Daddy had to pick her up and take her back. Daddy held her while they checked her teeth. The dentist was great. He said as long as everything looked good that he would just count her teeth. It took all of about one minute. But you would think she was getting shots or something. She cried and fought until they brought her in a new toothbrush. Then she got to pick out a prize and a sticker. Let's hope the next visit will be a little less dramatic for her. I tried to get her to smile big while holding up her new toothbrush but this is what I got.

Are they playing nicely or getting in trouble?

That is the question I am currently pondering. My children are in my daughter's room with the door shut. Last I looked they were both playing on her bed. Most times they are playing nicely but other times they are tearing things up, writing on walls, or getting into everything. My daughter loves to play with her little brother in her room. They play in her kitchen or doll house. My son shoves everything into the cupboards, oven, dishwasher, and other little compartments on the kitchen. Sometimes if my son does not go in there willingly she will try to drag him in there calling out, "Timmy, play." I guess I should go see what the verdict is.

Little White Lies

Despite all the lessons we have learned to tell the truth everyone lies to a certain extent. Whether it be exaggerating the truth, lying through omission, or just outright lying, everyone has or will tell a lie at some point in their life. I try not to lie but I find myself doing so. Like at the dentist and they ask me if I floss every day. Well, I do about 3 times a week so instead of hearing the lecture that I need to daily I just say yes. My favorite time to lie though is when some telemarketer calls and ask for me. I say I am not available and take a message. If they can't pronounce my name I tell them no one by that name lives here. At first I felt bad about it but now I don't. I only answer the phone when I think it may be someone I need to talk to. I usually don't have time to hear about the new phone plan, or the protection for my credit cards, or to donate money to some cause. Now that may sound mean but I already donate to my church at least one tenth of my income and if I was a millionaire I would be happy to donate to all kinds of causes. I also love it when they try to guilt me into donating. But that is a whole other topic I can do a huge blog about. So in short I don't feel guilty at all lying in that sense.

Sick Again!

Ugh! I hate being sick. I have been sick almost once a month during the winter months; either with the flu or a cold or who knows what. Maybe it is allergies. I never had a problem like this until I moved South. Usually I know the culprit because my children give it to me and they usually get it from their playmates. This time I got it first. I woke up yesterday a little congested and had an itchy ear. Today it feels like my head is going to explode from the pressure. I have been warned though that once my children start school the first year they will be constantly sick and so will I. Great, something fun and exciting to look forward to.

The birthday party

My daughter turned three on Wednesday. We had a small party for her. Her grandma and grandpa came over as long with her friend William and Jessica and their parents.

Mommy made her a candy land cake that she saw out of the Taste of Home magazine a few months back.

She got more furniture for her doll house, a tea set for her kitchen set, a tractor (from her friend William) and her camera. The next day she got a nother present in the mail from her grandparents in Idaho and got a cooties game. She loved opening the gifts and trying to blow out the candle on her cake.

Glad I wasn't a wet blanket.

My husband was practically gone all day last Thursday and Friday (a week ago.) He worked all day, came home late, ate a quick dinner and then left for class that lasted until almost 10 each night. He usually has class on Tuesday not Friday but they switched it for a field trip. Anyway I had HAD IT with the kids by then. I needed a break. We had planned to go to Gulf World last Saturday but that Friday night I was about to tell my husband to forget it, to take the kids without me.

Well Saturday morning I woke up and I felt much better and we decided to go to Gulf World that afternoon. I am so glad I decided to go because even though my daughter whined the whole way until we got in the sea lion show (the one that was started when we got there) and the look and excitement on her face was well worth it.

Yes we were that close to Otto, the sea lion.

We saw Sea Lions, birds, penquins, dolphins, turtles, sharks, lizards, alligators, snakes, and frogs. They have shows throughout the day. We saw the bird, sea lion, and dolphin show. My daughter loved the sea lion show best and then enjoyes looking at the giant sea turtles and the snakes. My son just loved it all.

Busy, Busy, Busy

What a week! I didn't think it would end up being as busy as it became. I had several good blogs in my head, which I intend to still post some of them, but I never got a chance to really sit down and just type them out and download the pictures that go with them.

It was my daughter's third birthday this week. We got her one of those vtech cameras. She loves it and jeaulousy protects it. She left it on our bed yesterday so I holed up in our bathroom with the door locked and began to delete pictures. The camera is only supposed to hold 200, she had well over 500. I deleted over 250 before she came looking for it. My husband knew what I was doing and came to tell me that they couldn't find her camera and they were going to go look in her bedroom. I triumphantly called, "Here it is" a few minutes later as I entered her bedroom. She had taken a few good pictures. But most of them were of her bedroom floor and her feet or absolutely black.

My son is trying to walk. He now lets go of the furniture and walks a couple of steps before falling over. His first steps were on his sister's birthday right before his daddy got home from work. He did it again right as his dad walked in the door so he got to witness some of his first steps.

Pew Nightmare

My son teeters and totters as he is trying to learn to walk. My husband took my daughter out of sacrament meeting because she was acting up and needed a diaper change. My son was also very antsy and wouldn't sit still. I decided to make him a bottle to see if I could get him to calm down. As I was doing so he is standing up next to me in the pew and in one swift moment he tries to turn and sit at the same time and falls straight back in the pew hitting the hymn book holder on the back of the pew in front of us. I grab at him and formula goes every where. The guy sitting in front of us jumps up and comes around. I grab my son and run out. He is screaming. As I got out the door he calms down and acts like nothing happened. I break down into tears because it scared me to bits. The guy sitting behind me comes out just as my husband is headed back in and tells him what happened. At this time I come around the corner and find them. I am a mess but my son is fine. Just another day of being a boy.

Phone Scams

I just read an email from a friend that was a forward claiming about a jury notice phone scam fraud where someone calls saying you didn't show up for jury duty and that you have an arrest warrant. Then you freak out and say you never got a notice so they ask for your social to verify and use scare tactics to keep you on the defense. Being skeptical of the forwards I receive I checked out one of the FBI links and looks like it is legit. Although if they would have called me I would have hung up on them anyway. A few weeks ago their was a phone scam in the area using one of the local banks names. I heard about it on the news. Well, a few days later I get this phone call and they said, "Your benefits at such and such bank are about to expire." I hung up at that point thinking to myself "we don't use that bank, but I will ask Ray when he gets home if he ever had an account there." It was not the bank that was on the news. I then totally forgot about it until a day later when we were watching the news and they said another phone scam was going around using such and such banks name. Good thing I hung up on them. Although I hope I am smart enough to see the red flags when they start asking for my social security number or my credit card number. I did fall for a paypal spoof once but luckily I acted fast and got passwords changed and put a fraud alert on my credit report so nothing came of that.

How kids sleep anywhere, anytime.

I wish I were a child and could fall asleep in the weirdest places at any time. I don't put my daughter down for naps anymore or she tries to stay up all night but sometimes she falls asleep on her own somewhere, usually sitting up on the couch. But occassionally I find her in unsual spots. One day I was searching the house for her and I started panicking because I could not find her. Then I saw that the linen closet accordian door was not shut all the way. There she was, asleep, curled up in a ball on the floor but in such a way that I could neither open the door to get her out or shut the door (I wouldn't of shut her in there anyway.) I had to wait until she woke up.