Hi there...

I know, posts have been few and far between lately. My posting as I am sure you have noticed seems to wax and wan...for I am sure obvious reasons.
The boys were on fall break this past week. Our original plan of going to San Francisco was canceled so that was a bummer. But we did head out to NC to visit our friends who just recently moved. So that was nice, the boys were relatively well behaved and we had a good time visiting. The boys are currently up past bed time playing the Wii while I surf around the web. Nothing exciting...

Super Sunday Sixteen

1. My grandfather (Pappy) was diagnosed with bladder cancer this past week. Some extra prayers for him would be very much appreciated. I will post more when I know more

2. Robert and I are making plans to build a boat, just in case this nonstop rain doesn't really ever stop.

3. I got out my Halloween decorations yesterday...though it just doesn't seem to make sense that it's nearly that time of year.

4. I have had lots of sessions lately...a great deal have been referrals or repeats which is a awesome compliment and makes me feel great :D

5. Robert played a prank on his parents yesterday and fill their bathroom with balloons while they were at work. Listening to him giggle about it was quite cute.

6. One of these days I will get back to scrapbooking....

7. Jakeb has made 100's on every spelling test this year. That's awesome!

8. Robert is going to be home for the next 2 weeks...I am beyond stoked about that! Dinner at the table as a family, him helping with Zachary's soccer. Awesome!

9. We took the kids to see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" yesterday. Cute movie.

10. I wish we could go to San Francisco for fall break like originally planned but we are sticking to the budget and hoping we can swing it at spring break.

11. I have a book I need to get back to the library...it's just a wee bit overdue. Bad Rachel!

12. My mom is in Florida visiting my grandmother. I am jealous!

13. I am ready for fall.

14. I really need to go shopping for new clothes...but surpisingly the shopping for clothes idea is just not taking over. I have gone I walk around and look and just don't feel up to it.

15. I hate the overwhelming feeling I get when I think about all the things I should be doing...that need to be done.

16. I REALLY need to clean my car, my bathrooms, my kitchen floor.....

Bookworm

I can attribute a great deal of my blah-ish mood I have been feeling recently to my obsessive reading I have been doing. I have seriously been reading nearly non stop for the past 2 weeks...and have breezed thru the entire 9 book Sookie Stackhouse serious in um 2 weeks. With the majority of the books having been read this week. I read so much that I began to walk around in a daze. I am pretty sure I was confused about what was real or fictional. I even had difficulty sleeping, certain fairies or werewolves were going to launch an attack at any moment. No wait, that was only in the book. I am pretty sure I have supernatural powers (they are just undiscovered of course). Most of the books I have read lately are pretty sci-fi/super-natural-ish...and I have read A LOT over the past 6 months. And because of this, naturally I have found myself quite certain I am telepathic or have certain untapped talents or a special relationship with nature or even that I can time travel. I keep having to remind myself that this is more than likely not the case. I mean after all it's just fiction...or is it?

301...

Just noticed that my previous post was my 300th post. Neato schmeato.

The blahs

That pretty much sums up how I have been this week. I am virtually positive that this is solely due to the lack of sun my body has seen in the past...oh 132342 days. Granted I did get a little peeky of sunshine this morning that put a little extra pep in my step for a good part of the day--I actually left the house and took Gavin to play at Discovery Center. We then walked around the mall and had lunch. He really is a different child when his brothers aren't around...so flipping sweet and cute it's ridiculous. Unless of course he has just woken up then watch out.
We got a phone call today from the school nurse...guess who got hurt at school? Yep...I knew it was going to happen, I warned them..Zachary fell coming in from the playground. Smacked his head on the concrete, poor guy. They said he cried right away and seemed fine but they wanted to call and let us know. I am glad they did that, though I really wanted to rush up and check him over and give him hugs. He was fine when he got home and of course I already had a good suspicion as to what side of his head this new injury would be, because after all the last one did just heal. For some reason lately his choice spot to smack his head is on the right side of his forehead. This is where he has a scar from when he was 1 1/2, also a scar from another incident. Seriously it's strange. I even googled it...apparently it's just ironic but I must admit I am beginning to worry. I mean really how much banging can one spot take? It can't be good, right?
Jakeb is completely over the flu. Mildest case ever. Fever was never over 101 and some change, and didn't last more then 60 hrs. He was back at school on Thursday but technically could have gone back on Wednesday. He still seems a little sluggish but he's been that way a lot lately.
Fingers crossed for some cooler weather and sunshine!

Pig Flu

When all things started flying around about this "new flu" my first reaction was that the media was making it way worse than necessary. I mean if I read the facts people die from the flu every year thousands of them actually. Then the more it got going the more nervous I started feeling. After all I have a asthmatic 3 year old, a 7 year old that was asthmatic when he was younger, and a 5 year old who has asthmatic tendencies. They fall into a different "risk group". So I called and I did my research, saw dozens of people on my facebook come down with it and decided I would rest easy as it seems to be much milder than originally portrayed for most, nearly all cases. Friends children have had it and are back to school after 5 days or so.
Though the rumors are nearly humorous...my favorite from an unnamed source...that the CDC will come quarantine. Thank you media. Job well done. Americans are terrified. And not just of President Obama.
Every single thing I read says to treat it like the regular flu, treat as usual. Motrin, Tylenol, tamiflu if you can get your hands on it. Though good luck because it's flying out the doors before they can get it on the shelf.
Now having said all this Jakeb has the flu. It's here. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. Nervous for all 3 of them, though Jakeb --who is currently playing the Wii--seems to be pretty a-ok provided we keep him doped up on Motrin. Gavin's breathing issue bring another concern but we'll keep close tabs on them.
And for the record Jakeb can return to school after 24hrs of no fever--as is the rule for any illness. We are not quarantined by the CDC, Zachary is at school, and we have had to call over town to find Tamiflu. And Robert gets to stay home from work.

Where's the Manual?

As the kids get older I am realizing the various issues we will face...and the task of handling each one the best way possible is just a wee bit daunting. Jakeb is now 7, 7 and a half in fact. He is and always has been a serious, worrying, old soul, sort of kid. He isn't happy go lucky like his brothers, he is introspective and thoughtful. Flighty and silly. Serious and sensitive. While at first glance it would appear I am not proud of these traits my oldest possesses. However I very much am, though the problem lies not with how proud I am of him but with whether or not we meet his personality needs appropriately. As he gets older I find myself worrying more and more about him. And because he is the oldest I do not yet know if this is because he is the oldest and it is my first time dealing with these sort of issues or the worry is warranted. It is reassuring to see upon a google search of "moody 7 year olds" I find articles like this one .
I had a conversation with him today about his friends at school and he told me he doesn't play with them on the playground, when asked what he does he told me he just sits on the side and doesn't want to play because he's tired. This to me is slightly alarming, but then again is it or is it just part of being a moody 7 year old? He as a toddler was funny about things, didn't like loud noises, fast movements, certain textures of things. Etc. So he's always been a bit "different" and I have probably always worried more about him than is necessary. Or do I? Am I making things worse saying certain things to him? What are things we can do to help him deal with his differences better...are they even that different? Questions I ask myself a lot lately. Some days I am convinced he needs more than I can give him and some other support and others I think I am overreacting. I just want them to be what every parent wants for their child (or at least what they should want)....well adjusted, happy, healthy, etc etc. My family isn't full of "happy" people. We are cynicists, pessimistic claiming to be realistic, often grouchy, snappy, but oh so fun loving people. I should probably just realize that and let it go. He gets it honestly...or is something else going on? You see the dilema here....the things that start to show up as they get older is stressful. Didn't see that coming.

Marketing at it's best

I believe I have mentioned on the past my distaste for how much we are marketed to...however, I do find it pretty humorous the amount the kids soak up from TV or ads they see. Guess it works.
Yesterday as I was getting ready to head out to my favorite store of all time and telling the kids bye Jakeb asked me where I was going. I told him I was going to Target. His response: "What? Don't go to Target, go to Walmart so you can Save Money. Live Better." A few weeks ago he asked me "Do you know how much money you could be saving if you switched to Geico?" and a few weeks before that I told Zachary we were going to go grab lunch at Subway--his response? "Oh Subway..Eat Fresh!"
I swear they don't watch that much television.

Um yeah

For anyone who read my last post...ignore that--those of you who didn't be glad. I hit "publish" before re-reading and once I did, I immediately chucked it because somehow it came out completely differently then how it was in my head. I think one thought flowed as another thought did and it come out a complete jumbled mess of nonsense. Nonsense that made no sense to even me...the author. Therefore it had to go. I know what I was trying to say but as I have previously said I am not a writer, at least not a remotely good one...so trying to eloquently word a few paragraphs on how I am not very sociable...came out sounding...well sounding very much not the way I intended. So excuse the hiccup.

Disgusted

I have to say I am just downright sick, sad, and disgusted to see the debates flying all around the internet regarding our Presidents speech to children. Seriously, I don't even know what to say about it, Other than I am just disgusted. Bravo American's, Bravo.
I don't really follow politics, honestly I don't follow them at all. But either way I have respect and a bit of admiration for the President. Even as a kid when they were showing ME speeches that various Presidents made...I knew to respect them, to listen up, and saw them in awe. Afterall it's The President. I am sad to see that apparently it's no longer important to teach our children these things.

Family Project Schmaject

It has begun...how quickly I forgot. The family projects of Kindergarten. When Jakeb started school we were told we would have family projects to do with him every month. After the 1st month I knew I wasn't going to love these "family" projects. Because honestly there isn't much family involved in it...it's more of a Mommy project, though I do recall Robert helping Jakeb once or twice. This very first bit of mommy homework is due tomorrow. This one is to do a poster of pictures of said student and his/her family...including aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc etc. Do they not realize in the day and age of digital that most families do not actually have any pictures they can stick on a poster. Can't I just send a digital slide show on a CD...because I promise that is soooo much easier for me to do. Instead of spending an hour scouring thru files upon files of pictures to send to Walmart's 1hr photo so I can rush up and snag them. Then rush home and start arranging them on poster board...I could just quickly slap them on a disk with a cute little program and send him on his way. Do we see why this is a Mommy project?...because Zachary cannot find the pictures, print the pictures, then cute, paste, and assemble them on a poster. I promise you the end product will be less than acceptable. My neurosis wouldn't allow such a catastrophe. After all the child is only five years old. Yes he will help me--when he gets home from playing soccer at the park with Daddy. But in the mean time I am preparing his project...matching it up with cute scrap book paper, of course. I probably will have a few stickers he can stick on it. I promise you his will be the best one in the class...I just know it. Not that that's the point or anything but I am just sayin'.

Just to prove it to you check out Jakeb's from his kindy year....I mean really, am I wrong?

The idea behind this (which I take no credit for as it wasn't mine) is that it's on 4 12x12 pages and can then be pulled off of the poster and stuck in a scrapbook. Viola 4 pages done. Thank you for the homework kindgarten teacher.

That stung

I realize the last several posts about any of my children have been relatively negative...and nearly every post at some point or another mentions something of Gavin's unruly behavior. Please understand that while I do love my children they drive my absolutely nuts at times and if I didn't vent my frustrations that I won't actually say I am nuts...I will be. Truth be told they are pretty darn good kids and I do know this. However Gavin knows each and every button of mine to push and he pushes them on a daily, even hourly basis.
As previously mentioned the latest trend going on with Gavin (aka the "let's see how I can piss this person off, boy") is that he has taken to voicing his frustrations about not getting what he wants by telling me he doesn't like me or calling names...yesterday I was told I was a "butt head" because I wouldn't give him a waffle. Which incidentally he was punished for...and for the record HE gets spankings (I know, I know horrid right? yeah well you deal with him and then tell me what's horrid...and for another record I at one time said I wouldn't spank) . Then last night after I let him stay up later watching TV with me because he had had a late nap AND then let him get in my bed to sleep...he says "I don't love you anymore". At first I shrugged it off but after days of being told by your 3 year old that he doesn't like you, to get away from him, etc etc. Him finally saying "I don't love you anymore" is almost too much...while I 110% know the kid doesn't have a flipping clue what he's saying and know that he in fact does love me (very much I might add), it's still not exactly what you want to hear. So then as he is telling me to get away from him yet again and rolling away from me, I snapped. And yelled at him that if he doesn't love me, doesn't like me, and can't stand me around him to get out of my bed and go sleep in his own. Then realized how ridiculous my conversation with my three year old little boy sounded. He did stop and after a few seconds begrudgingly snuggled his self next to me and fell asleep sniffing his blanket with his head on my shoulder and slept that way nearly all night long. Only to return to his behavior this morning.
Part of the problem is that he misses his Daddy very much while he is gone--and he's been gone a lot lately. Yet he takes his frustrations out on me...and am d-o-n-e with it. Thank god it's Thursday...Robert will be home in the morning. He can deal with the monster.
He is reason enough to stop at 3 kids, yet again maybe a younger sibling is what he needs to put him in check, because he certainly reigns and wears his "I am the baby" crown proudly.

So I kinda cheated...I had this post already in my head...and partially written and then stumbled upon THIS BLOG and thought I would join in...and how perfect it was that my 3 year old is such a...such a....well you read the post, and the post before it, and before it, you tell me. In any case it roughly fits the "prompt" to tell of a time I was "wrongly wronged".

Baby Baby

I was going thru some old photos recently and found these...
When Jakeb was born we were shocked to see he had lots of dark hair, not so shocked that as he grew older he had brown eyes. As I have brown eyes and all. We have always heard that Jakeb looks just like Robert or just like me, depending on the person looking at him. So we gather he's a good mixture of the 2 of us.
Then Zachary was born with yet again a good bit of dark brown hair, he now has dark green eyes quite a bit like both sets of his grandparents...to me Zachary has always looked the least like Robert or I of the 3 boys. Til I found this picture of Robert when he was 5. Which to me looks like a skinnier version of Zachary...not exact as Robert had blonde hair but their smiles and face shapes. I dunno thought it was pretty neat to see.
Then along came Gavin looking just like what we expected all our kids to look like...bald! I was bald, bald as a baby. Though following 2 dark hairy brothers it was a surprise. Except Gavin has Robert's fairer skin and blue eyes. However then I found this picture...and did a double take as I thought this was Gavin for a split second. It's my brother Robert (yes my husband and brother have the same name) at about the age Gavin is now. Even the boys thought it was Gavin at first look. And then there's me with my big brown eyes and chubby cheeks...I don't see a single bit of me in them when I look at my old pictures.

It's funny how genetics work. All 3 of us (my brothers and I) have different looks, yet we do look related. We all have different color eyes (brown, green, blue) and our parents both had green. Yet Robert and his brother look quite similar. Dirty blonde hair and blue eyes and both very similar builds, however his parents are not built like them at all and both have dark brown hair and green and brown eyes. Go figure. I am curious to see how our 3 grow to look.

Some favs...

So I am in.love.with.iTunes. I listen to my tunes nearly all day long when I am home...playing around with various artists and making playlists. All of this was before. Before the computer...crashed and burned. But before you gasp in horror do not fear I had almost everything backed up on disks and my external hard drive. If you don't do this, stop what you are doing and do it RIGHT now. Anyway so becuase of this loss, all of my hard work and itunes organization is gone.gone.gone. It's nearly devastating, seriously. Every single one of the CD's I had added to my computer is still here but when it's added into Itunes it doesn't list the artist, just the song. Not good, not good at all. I can't organize and group in anyway when I don't know who sung the song...seriously do you know how many "Hello" songs there are!? Anyway this was not at all my point to this post...the only thing I was going to say here was to list a few favorites to share. Since I have been messing with my music a lot lately it's on my mind and all day I have been listening to various artists thinking, Man I just LOVe this.
So here are some favorites--some new loves some old....
"Death Cab for Cutie"
"Kings of Leon"
"Regina Spektor"
"Spoon"
"Jack Johnson"
"Green Day"
"Guster"
"The Killers"
"Red Hot Chilli Peppers"
"Maroon 5"

So what constitutues making it to my real favorite lists you ask? Well if I can listen to the entire CD/album without having to go "Shut up already..." and skip to the next song. I hate when I get something and only 1 or 2 songs on it are any good. So there you have it...my recent playlist :) I am sure I could tell you more but well since everything is a big ole clustered mess I can't bleh.

I take that back

So in a previous post I ranted a bit about Gavin and claimed his horrid behavior was a result of the steroids he had been on. So yeah I take that back...apparently it's just Gavin. He's told me numerous times today he doesn't like me. I tried telling him that's not nice and it hurts peoples feelings--though I honestly could care less that he is saying this because I can tell he's just doing it to be a stink pot. And he doesn't care one eensy weensy bit. He's told me he wants to be mean and that he likes being mean. Lovely just what you like a 3yr old to tell you.
Though reports from preschool teachers today, tell me he's "such a sweet boy" and is very good. Either he's got a split personality or he's one tricky character and likes to be extra special just for me. I thinking the later is true.