Bliss and more bliss...complete with lots of crap!

Well it's Friday again already. How does that happen? Yesterday was the Zoo fieldtrip that we had been waiting for. Zac had a calendar both at home and at school with the countdown to the Zoo! We were all worn completely out last night. I think that was the first time in a LONG time that I fell right to sleep when my head hit the pillow....bliss! Anyway, we went with all the preschoolers and got stuck with the 2 that I didn't want to be with. My neighbor, Kristen, the one with the twin hellions, went on the trip as well, and brought her baby, so we got stuck with HER. So she was trying to watch 3 kids to my 2, so I was the backup everytime one of her idiots broke free, which was about every oh.....2 minutes. I absolutely HATED my day by the time afternoon rolled around. I literally couldn't stand the sight of those kids...and I have NEVER said that about ANY kids before. After the fish pond fiasco, I am just done.

I had a LONG talk with a very smart friend of mine late last night and she suggested the mother of all advice. Tell Kristen that I can't hang with her, do favors for her, or allow our kids to hang out because of ME....and all that I have going on and......... fill in the blank, but make it all about me. That way, when Kristen's childish side comes out to fight, there will be nothing for her to fight about, because I will not have said that she's a horrible parent or that those kids need way more than public education and an ass swat, or that they are living beyond their means (stalking us!) and that it really pisses me off that they can get away with it while the rest of us really have to WORK for what we have, etc etc etc. She is a funny person to talk with...she can make you laugh about anything, but really, that's about all she has to offer. And that's not enough if you wanna be in my life.

Back to the Zoo...we had a checklist of animals to see, and the kids thought that was oh so cool. They even listed a kangaroo! Funny, there are no kangaroos at our Zoo....so we couldn't check off everything on the list, but it was fun to watch the kids when they saw an animal. We saw a bunch of peacocks and this one was watching the kids eat cotton candy (the dentist will LOVE me next week for that!) and then it started "talking" really loud...the kids were laughing so hard I was expecting cotton candy to come out of their noses. Way cute!

We then came home and Zac and J had to clean out the fish pond next door. Mr. Keith had them bury a fish that they killed (at first, I was a little upset by this, but then realized they truly learned a lesson!) then he handed them ALL the rocks that they threw in and had them reorganize them, then he had them mulch the entire flower bed. GOOD JOB MR. KEITH! He then took them to hose off their hands, where they both apologized again (at Mom's request) and Mr. Keith shook their hands, said he accepted their apologies and he hoped they could still be friends and to ask next time they wanted to "see" his garden pond. End of fiasco! Kristen and I stayed out there talking with Keith about their adoption process etc and while we were doing that, guess what the twins did next? They snuck into MY house and ate Lillie's chocolate bunny....or what was left of it. I didn't know this until they had gone home, so I certainly called over there to "tattle" on them....the little brats. After the day at that Zoo watching them not listen and run off and just have no respect for anyone or anything around them, they do this. Sealed the deal on "no more playing with J & M!"---I can't wait to implement it.....again, BLISS!

Recent pics!

A police report!

After yesterday's charade with throwing rocks into the pond/garden next door, Zac didn't get the chance to apologize. His bedtime came and went and the neighbors still weren't home, so we figured we would catch up with them today to say SORRY! Anyway, they weren't home when Zac got home from school, so I ran over to see if they had "fixed" their pond and put it back in order. What do I find? A note on the windows saying they don't need any help with their pond and that whoever comes in their yard and messes with it again will be prosecuted! WHAT?!?!?!?!? I ran home, called the Mom of the other boy who helped Zac do this and decided that I would put a note on their door to call me or stop by when they got home today. I felt sick to my stomach knowing that these poor, but VERY nice people were so upset about this. I know I would be too, if I hadn't known it was two 5 year olds who did it. I ran some errands and come home to see the Mom of the other boy outside talking with them. So Zac got his chance to apologize and it was like pulling teeth! He was super shy and wouldn't say what we had rehearsed a million times since yesterday. He is going over later today to help fish the rest of the rocks out of the bottom though. Anyway, after expressing to embarrassment and apologizing myself, they told me they had filed a police report. WHAT!!!!!! They thought it was the older kids of the neighborhood that did it, so they filed one just in case they could catch them. Now that they know it was Zac and his friend, they aren't going to pursue it, but still, my child caused damage that resulted in a police report!!!! Actually, Zac's story goes like this:
J (his friend) walked over and decided to start throwing BIG rocks into the pond and when Zac went over to see what he was doing, he invited Zac to join him. Zac decided to only throw little rocks, while J threw a big candle that caused the fencing to come down, then picked a flower and threw that in and then kept throwing rocks. I'm not saying that Zac is innocent, but he really didn't cause the damage that J did, but of course, he's getting roped into it equally. Guess it's my turn to learn that life isn't fair! I have decided that only my children are allowed in our backyard for now unless we personally invite other children over and their parents are there 100% to watch them. Everytime Zac is with J he does things that he normally would never do. You'd think I'd learn my lesson about now! UGH!

Mortified doesn't even describe it!

After countless talks with the neighbors about kids playing within their own yards (and preferably not in mine!) I have now become "one of those parents." Most yards around here do not have fences...it's a brand new community, so it's understandable. Anyway, there are always kids walking thru our backyard, coming over to play on our playset (without an invite!) or even RIDING THEIR BIKES in my yard, but Terry and I have had enough! We have started yelling at kids in our yard, and our own kids know not to stray from the imaginary (soon to be a real) fence that surrounds our yard. But today of all days, I am disowning Zac. He crossed the boundary and then did the unthinkable. He caved to peer pressure!!!!!!!! Our neighbor, who shall remain nameless, was over in another neighbors' yard throwing rocks, hand picked flowers (courtesy of his own hand-picking) and even large rocks and a citronella candle (bucket) into their brand new koi pond! I was the first adult on the scene. It was horrible....the floating candle, the wood fencing floating in the middle of the pond, the large rocks at the bottom....water had even splashed up onto their family room window. And guess who helped this neighbor boy? ZAC!!!!!!!! Zac, the child who doesn't ever leave his own yard, until today. I was speechless when I found out he helped dismantle this work of art. To top it off, the neighbors aren't home, and Zac is waiting to apologize in person, along with this nameless boy across the street. Terry and I can't even think of a good punishment for him (remember, it needs to punish Zac only, so Lillie and Mom can't be involved with whatever is taken away from Zac)---I am totally embarrassed to have become one of those parents. The weird thing is, we (parents) were all right out of eye's reach---the boys had gone in the backyard to play on the playset and the girls, both aged 3 were still our front, so we stayed out front with the girls. The boys have been alone playing in the backyard countless times, so why was today ANY different? Even Lillie is ashamed of Zac and keeps reminding him of what he did. Well, I'm off to work soon, thankfully! Terry might have to take care of this mishap, for once! LOL!

Cancellations and Playland and Court!

Today was to be a joyous, happy day for all. The kids were planning to go to Otterville for 3.5 hours (ish) and lunch and then afterward we were going to head to my friend Bobbie's so she could show us the YMCA pool (indoor) with a cool slide. The kids were SOOOO excited today when they woke up. So was I, I must admit. We get to Otterville, play for an hour or so, order lunch, eat and play some more and about 15 mins before we were to leave, my cell rings. Bobbie isn't feeling well and must cancel. At first I was ok, and then I realized my kids would be devastated. They have not been swimming since last summer and they LOVE water. I started asking questions and found that Bobbie had since hooked up with another friend although not feeling well, and the two of them had decided no pool. Once I laid the guilt trip (which I would normally NOT do, except imagining my kids crying faces made me do it!) she then told me we were going swimming afterall. I then declined asking what exactly was wrong with her....stomach ache? No. Headache? No. She had no answer for me, other than "not feeling well." I finally tell her to forget it....she has cancelled on me at a rate far more than normal and I had 2 good friends sitting at Otterville with me shaking their heads in disbelief. So I hang up, break the news to the kids, promise to buy them a toy at the toy store on the way home (which we RARELY do, so this ended up being a special day, even with no pool) and even go as far as to say something REALLY stupid. Wanna know what that was? "We should go to Playland for dinner!" YAY!!!!! What was I thinking? I guess the fear of crying upset children all day long while Terry worked late tonite was far more than my brain could handle, because I promised the Hell of all Hell. McDonald playland on a Friday night, while it's raining outside. I guess it could be worse....I could have said Chuck E Cheese.

That said, we went to playland as promised and had to leave rather abruptly. What is wrong with parents today that they feel a structure made of metal, wrapped in a pool noodle, is an acceptable babysitter? I wish I could take a book and read, or my laptop and catch up on emails or even a nail file and make my nails all one length, but NOOOOOOOOOO! Instead, I have to monitor my kids...those little people that run around all day and rely on me for basic needs...those little people that need to be reminded to wash EVERYTIME they use the potty...not just when the stool is available....those same little people that can't make good decisions all day long even inside a playstructure. And not only that, but I seem to have to monitor all the freaking kids in playland. The ones that are screaming their heads off, the ones that are spitting at others, the ones that are jump kicking my son, the ones that are hitting Lillie with their feet and not letting her pass to the slide. Do I get paid for that? No. Instead I get a crying 3 year old who gets face paint all over my brand new and "still white after I wore it all day long" shirt. And I get to explain to my kids, who were not being bad to begin with, that we need to leave playland, because there are too many unruly kids there. I know that I am teaching them in some little way that things won't always go their way....there will be cancellations, there will be mean people, there will be short trips to fun places rather than the expected long visit....and that's LIFE!

On a totally different note...our courtcase has been decided on. We WON (we still owe $203, but not the $3k he was asking for--so that's a WIN in our eyes)!!!! Our old landlord is not getting the money that he sued for, didn't win the first time, appealed and now didn't win the second time. We are keeping our fingers crossed that he doesn't take it out of small claims and up to the First Court of Appeals (this would require an attorney for both sides and more likely lots more $$ on his part to file it)--so, keep your fingers crossed for us! Don't you love LIFE sometimes?!?!?

Mud and Baseball

What else is there other than mud and baseball? Zac had his first ever baseball practice last night and he is not shaping up to be the natural I thought he would be! WINK! He was all dressed in his baseball pants and tee shirt and hat and we took his bat and glove. We get there and it's MUD CITY! Lillie wore her new sandals...white sandals, and the mud was squishing in her toes. Poor girl. She hated that, but sat very patiently through the hour and 15 minute practice. Zac gets there, and the first thing he does is start goofing off with one the other boys. The poor coach...a saint actually...just rallied them back to attention to see what they were to learn first. Zac hit a ball or two, tried to catch a ball and then when he was fielding, we look out and he's talking away to another little boy, his glove is in one part of the outfield and he's in another! His coach hollered to him to get his glove and get ready (nice way of saying get your ass in this practice!) and Zac replied "I don't know how to put it on!" Mind you, the child had it on while fielding rolling balls at the beginning of practice and for most of the fielding of flying balls and NOW he doesn't know how to wear his glove? Gotta love the funny child! A few minutes before practice ended the Mom in front of me looks out in the outfield and to her horror, her little boy and another (not mine, thankfully) are fighting over a ball. Rolling on the ground and all. I thought it was cute the first few times that EVERY boy ran to get the ball, and then Caoch explained that only ONE of them needs to go after it...if they are closest, they get it. Most of them caught on. Zac accompanied some of them, you know, in case they needed backup or a travelling comedian! Overall it was a very fun evening for me. I met some other Moms and got to see Zac "do his thing" while he forgot I was watching. He has no problem whatsoever with social skills....I think I have the class clown or "most likely to be in Stand-Up" on my hands. Oh well, I always have Lil!

I guess I should change the name of this....

to Julie's bitch session! Goodness! Yet again, here I sit...I have been shopping for Zac's baseball stuff, shopping for more painting things and then came home from that, did two whole walls of painting and am now going to start a third, with NO HELP from Terry whatsoever. I just asked him to move the furniture out of the way for me, and he gets huffy. Oh no, you don't get the chance to get huffy Mr....you have sat around on your ASS all day long...off work to boot, and watched me do all this while you played XBox. Can you write "XBox" as your reason for divorce? I wonder.

Anyway, I am going to paint the last wall, and then they all will need a second coat, so I was hoping to do that tomorrow, but I have an ENTIRE house to clean and Easter dinner to host on Sunday, so I am thinking one coat is it for now. I did play outside with the kids for a few hours this afternoon....while Terry sat inside and watched a movie. He also entertained a neighbor while his kids were coloring easter eggs and baking easter cookies with me and Zac and Lil in the kitchen. Wow, that's work! Do you see a pattern? I realize the man needs time off, but he came home from work last night and went fishing until 11pm. Isn't that time off? When do I get a full freaking day off? NEVER!!!!!! NEVER!!!!!!!! NEVER, I tell you! He gets every Saturday night from 4pm-730pm alone in this house while I take the kids to Sunday school. Do you know the last time I was alone in this house? It was never, and I mean that. He took the kids out for 6 hours in September (yes, I remember the exact date!) and I threw a baby shower here, and the guests overstayed the alloted "baby shower" time, so I was not alone for more than 20 mins before T and the kids came home. I JUST WANNA SIT, STITCH, and HAVE NO ONE HERE FOR 2 HOURS--oh and a husband that will do stuff around our house to make it nicer....without me asking him to. Ok ok I went too far with that last request. I can ask him to help, but he has to do it willfully and HAPPILY! Haha...too far again! Oh well....off to paint!

Did I miss Spring?

We seemed to have jumped from Winter straight to Summer here in Ohio! The kids are outside sweating in shorts and t-shirts and I know since I haven't bought sunscreen yet that they will get burned (bad Mom, bad Mom). Don't get me wrong, the fresh air is soooo nice in the house, but I certainly don't want to have to turn the air on anytime soon. We are just recovering from those winter heating bills!

Took Miss Lil shopping today. I realized that I am a skimping Mom when it comes to clothes. Last year, Zac fit into almost all his clothes from the summer before, so I barely bought the child anything. This year, however, I go to dress him for school and more than half the shirts I pick out are like "belly" shirts on him now, and the shorts that are 2t and 3t will NOT go on his 5t body. Hmpf! So Lillie and I went shopping for play clothes for brother while he was at school. He doesn't get excited about sales like Lillie and I do. She sees signs now and immediately knows that means SALE! So she asks if she can have this and that and everything with a sign. I did manage to get Zac some play clothes, but really, boy clothes are no more fun to buy than fat clothes. So I took Lillie to the little girls department where I could go NUTSO, if my bank account would allow it. She picked out some really cute things and even got some sandals, since NOTHING from last year fits her. Zac could always get away with wearing at least a few things from the previous year, but Lillie either REALLY grows, or I shrink everything in her closet. I don't know what to believe, all I know is I could do broke clothing her...in a fun way of course. She is wearing 4t and 5t in some things (WOW!) and Zac has moved on to the BIG BOY department....FINALLY!!!! He's a 5/6 in most things, but shorts he can still wear 4t and 5t.

Then I found some things for me....after all, I outgrew my clothes too! LOL! Not most of them, just the ones I like. The diet, however, is going well. I am down 4 lbs in 2 weeks time, so maybe I will get into those clothes after all...even if it IS the end of summer.

Off to watch the kiddos play on the playset. I had to put it together today...Zac was literally hanging on the ropes of the swings (we took the swings down for winter and stored them out of the elements) and thinking that was fun. Um, no! One more ER trip waiting to happen is more like it. So up went the swings, teeter totter and slide. They are outside playing army men on the platform, soaking up the rays. Can't wait to get some myself!

Why

Why Why Why? Why don't my days ever pan out the way they do in my head? I imagine a perfect day, outside gardening while the kids ride their bikes, a quick jaunt to the playground and then a nap for good ol' Mom for ONE HOUR. That's a dream. Here's how the day really went.....get Zac from school, get home and make lunch, sit the kids down for the first time to eat. Sit down to relax while they eat, yell for 45 mins for them to get back in the kitchen, back to their chairs to eat. Threaten the park visit....again and again. Finally they are ready to leave. Go to Home Depot, where they are in and out of the cart so much that I just abandon it and get the baskets and flowers and carry them myself. Meanwhile the kids have NO IDEA that I am ticked. Go to Sherwin Williams...get a few cans of paint (for Zac's room) while the kids decide to have a game of "walking" tag. I tell them twice to stop, then entice them to the counter with candy. Give them each a quarter and buy myself a full minute of quiet time to talk to the man mixing our paint. Go the park (this was actually nice) and all went as planned. Kids left when I said so, no fussing or fighting. Get home to Mom's nap....and no go. Kids play and play and run and play some more. Mom gets no sleep, yet again. Not surprised, but really, I need it. Go outside to mulch the yard, kids decide it's now ok to ride their bikes in the street with the big kids of the neighborhood. Get them out of the street and send the big kids away and my kids go down to the empty lot and start playing. How much trouble can 2 kids get into, right? OMG, I look over and see a HUGE cloud of dust...they are throwing sand, dirt and gravel to make clouds. Wonderful! Into the house we go for showers and bath....and lots of head scrubbing. Fun for Mom all around! Get done with that, look outside at my newly mulched flower beds and realize....I forgot to mulch around the tree. Why?

On a Zac note...did you know that babies are put into your tummy by God? And did you know that it's a bean when it's put there (we're not really sure how God gets it there, but he does!)? And then when it's ready to come out, the Mom goes the hospital where they open her tummy, take the baby out and "work" on it...for a few hours or days, depending on the baby. Then when the baby is ready, they sew the Mommy's tummy up so she can go home. Did you know that? Well that's how it is! Where do kids hear these things????

Easter, video games, and other stuff!

Easter is in less than a week away now. And rather than going to Easter dinner at someone else's house, we have decided to have it here. Good idea? Maybe not, but at least I know I don't have to leave the comforts of my own home, and Zac and Lillie will have plenty of entertainment. My Mom calls this morning to ask if I have invited my uncle, aunt and two cousins. Um, no! I thought Grandma was taking care of that, and I didn't think they were coming. Add 5 people (one cousin has a boyfriend that comes to ALL family functions---none of mine were ever allowed, but hey, who's counting?) so that makes 13 for Easter dinner. Terry called to tell me he could get a rib roast. What planet is he on? Easter means HAM, and HAM only! HELLO! Oh, he means along with a ham....yeah, cause we need that much meat at the table. My family is so old-fashioned/conventional about meals...anything other than ham won't be tolerated, much less eaten. Try telling that to a Chef...where nothing is conventional. He hates when I volunteer for family meals...my family doesn't go outside the comfort zone, and with a Chef who will try anything, they just never meet in the middle. I also told him that's all we have to make...everyone else is bringing the side dishes and desserts---I think that's awesome. He's mad. He wants to make everything....heck, he even wanted to "ham" his own ham. Another thing my family just wouldn't go for...we like it already "hammed" and ready to eat. We don't want to see how it started and go through the process...we just want the end result.

Fast forward...Zac comes home from school, goes STRAIGHT upstairs and sits on our bed to play XBox. The kid is ADDCITED! At 5! (Brief break for lunch) And he just got it taken away...for being a brat during lunch, so I guess I can get off this soapbox....I still hold the power. I am about 2 seconds away from ripping it out of the wall and throwing it in the attic where no one will ever find it. Terry included....that's ALL he did this weekend when he was here and awake...play XBox. Zac even told me when I got home from church that "Daddy won't share the XBox with me or let me play"--how sad is that? A 5 year old tattling on a 31 year old!

We are off to the Post Office, Walgreens (my fave!) and possibly the grocery store....too bad it's not the liquor store! LOL! After the lunch we just had...I could use something stronger than a Diet Coke.

My new favorite store!

I had to go birthday shopping today for my younger, unemployed sister's birthday (which, btw is TODAY! I'm last minute this year!) and my Mom told me that she really wanted to plant some flowers in her garden, but was going to get seeds since she can't afford rent, let alone flowers. I buy flowers every year at this store, but have never really gotten into the store itself since we weren't homeowners until last summer. In case you are wondering, I went to HOME DEPOT! I could spend the WHOLE day there....never thought I'd be saying that, but I am. I walked in at 10:30, just to get some flowers to plant, and walked out 2 hours later with a deck plan, paint supplies (remember, new houses=no paint and I have been promising the kids there would be color on their walls soon!) and lots of garden stuff for my sis, along with about 50 things on my "to buy later" list. I found a glider for my front porch (a MUST have this summer if I expect to sit outside and stitch while the kids play!) and of course our decking materials...can't bbq or watch the kids on their playset without a deck! We need to paint every room in this house. I would love some storage shelves in the playroom, a bathroom caddy/over the toilet stand for our master bath, curtains for our dining room (I'm thinking Penneys for this!) and lots of gardening stuff for our own house. I wish I could say I married a "handy" man, but I did not. My Dad will be helping with the deck (more like doing it, with my help and 500 questions!) and everyone I know is expected to come help us paint (LOL!)--we need to seed our yard, over the sod that was put down so "shoddily" last year--we need to organize our garage like nobody's business. I bet Terry could park his truck in there in the winter if we just perged and organized.

So, with all this newfound love for Home Depot, I wondered why I never got like this last year? I am thinking it's because it's Spring (and we didn't move here until Summer)! And with Spring comes joy in all that is new, all that is fresh. I wish I had a "Martha Stewart" garden or a "Bob Villa" deck, or the organization of one of those TLC shows, and by the Grace of God, I might just get a touch of all that this Spring! One thing is for sure....I will be headed back to Home Depot, and soon!

Did you pull Lillie's hair?

Zac: Um, yes.
Me: WHY?
Zac: because she had a toy and needed to put it down......because it's time to go....and she wouldn't.
Me: So next time you won't eat your green beans or corn, I can pull your hair and you will do it?
Zac: oh.......

Funny how things can get put into perspective with the use of a daily occurence in our house....

And one more thing I noticed today....we went to the park (for a brief, chilly time playing out in the wind!) and while there, the entire time this Mom of a toddler was talking on her cell phone...gossip talk, not earth-shattering news talk. Anyway, as I got to looking at her, I realized I had GROWN UP with her and we went all through our education together, until college. We weren't friends after elementary school, but as I was sitting there realizing who she was, my friends were both sitting there talking about her talking on her phone while her child played in the sand alone. It felt weird to say I knew her, but then again, I guess I really don't. Got me wondering about high school and all those people I knew that I don't keep in contact with....what are they doing now? Weird how a day can take a turn like that.

Pics!

Here's a few recent pics of us! There's Terry and me, after our date to see Tara, our local actress, in her most recent play, Book of Days. We had a great date night! And then here's Miss Lillie...she went to SCHOOL today! She went to get evaluated on speech and socialization (you'd think a child of mine would have no problems with social skills!) and had a BLAST! Didn't play with or talk to anyone, but this "girl" sat next to her at a table....hmpf, the nerve of some people! And then there's Zac, pushing Lillie at our greatest new find...a cool park close to home! It has walking trails, fishing, a skateboard park (which Terry and I decided it too dangerous...even 10 years from now---we saw EVERY kid there without helmets on--ugh!), a nice playground with a big picnic area and CLEAN bathrooms (every Mom's dream!) and lots of places to run around, kick a ball and fly kites. So Zac decided to be nice for a few minutes so I could snap a pic of him....guess he will use this one day to get a badge for cub scouts! LOL! Helping others......

Side note...Lillie is into dressing herself, so I was the Mommy at the park with the cutest little girl wearing all sorts of things that day. What can you do---3 and independent can be pretty wild! And Zac has dodged the haircut trip for 4 weeks now...he's starting to look like an elf!

So, there will be no other news today as I feel like shit. I have a cold, with a throat so big that it's hurting my tongue to talk and my ears hurt with every swallow. Good times.....

And she's off (this will be boring, just letting you know!)

I have decided enough is enough. I lost 30 lbs last year on WW and have gained back all but 10 of it, and it's almost summer!!!!! So, I joined a totally free (which means I do all the work and set myself up to fail!) online program called SparkPeople and am starting it today. For the next 2 weeks, my simple goals are to drink 8 glasses of water a day, NOT eat in front of the TV, and do some kind of excercise while watching TV for 15 minutes per day. Doesn't sound like much, but I like it. I also have to keep count of what I'm eating, and I have to start excercising. The part I can't get is the 8 hours of sleep....unless you count the afternoon I am trying to take once a day (maybe getting an hour to two hours) added to the almost 5.5 hours I am getting on those nights that I work. I guess I will just have to attempt to get as much as I can, right? So one of the goals is to journal about it, so why not do it in my blog? I won't even tell you how much I weigh right now, but my target healthy weight needs to be below 136---WOW! Can't remember the last time I weighed that, and I wasn't heavy until right before I got pregnant with Zac, which was only 6 years ago. So with that said, there goes the weight! Wish me luck!!!!!!

Now, onto the post of my weekend. All was nice...Terry and I took the kids to this cool new park I found last week and fished yesterday. It was so nice to be doing family things. The night before, we had the worst night with Lillie though. How can one little human being stay up for SOOOO long and then scream, and I mean scream her little head off--where does the energy come from at 11pm? Her and Zac have been managing about 10 hours of sleep per night, and they need more. They just play in their rooms when they go to bed, but lately, Zac has fallen asleep and Lillie stays up, goes to the playroom, doesn't listen to us and plays the night away. So Saturday night, we kept putting her back in bed and finally when we put her back for the millionth time, we yelled at her and shut her door. We won't ever do that again, unless we are TRYING to wake the whole town! She got herself so worked up that we have never seen anything like it. I had to take her downstairs and rock her to get her to go to sleep and we haven't done that in over a year. Maybe she's upset that she is going to preschool tomorrow for observation and her big bro Zac won't be there? Or maybe she's just testing us? Or maybe she's just plain tired? Who knows...all I know is, I was happy to be at work last night, rather than battling Lil at bedtime.

Poor Terry too...the cat has managed to puke two times on the carpet this weekend...one of which was last night. What does T do? He wipes it up with a damp towel and leaves the stain for ME to clean up today. I guess it's my job to clean the puke stains out of carpet? Says who? Geesh! Just once I would like for him to do what I do...just once!