Going to School

Lately, Kyra has been taking her dolls to school. School is held in Mommy and Daddy's "living room" (Kyra speak for bedroom). While at school, Baby's teeth are brushed, hair is combed and bottles are given. When Mommy and Daddy join in Kyra's school games, we are made to do exercises. Seems totally fair.

Bishop, has been using Baby as a pillow. Apparently he's trying to stifle Baby getting her learn on.

Case of the Creeping Cruds

I'm going on day 3 of the creeping cruds.

Its all in my throat and somewhat in my upper respiratory. My voice has been sounding more and more hoarse with every passing day. Think long time smoker, hoarse. Lisa called me yesterday, first statement out of her mouth: You sound sick.

Also, yesterday, Jeremy came home after 3 hours of work and proceeded to exclaim how tired and exhausted he was and showed it by laying in the supine position most of the day. He never noticed I was sick.

Today the boy has duty. He called after 6 this evening. The first thing out of his mouth: You sound sick.

To which I replied: Well, after three days of having the creeping crud- thanks for finally noticing!

Quality Father Daughter Time

He gets his tomboy:

She gets her dress up buddy:
They both can even fit in the same bed together:

I'm not certain where the new baby will fit into the equation. I'm sure when it's her time, she too will have her own fishing pole, princess get-up and place in the bed. I don't see Jeremy having it any other way.

Little Voice of Reason

So I was on the phone with one of my favorite people in the whole wide world and we got to talking about fast food.

Now I don't eat fast food all that often. In fact, its been months since I've been to a Burger King, Taco Bell, or anything less then a mildly healthy Subway in probably 6ish months unless I was more or less accompanying someone else. Or on vacation.

Anyway, so we were talking about fast food when the conversation of lunch came about and what each of us was making for our wee little ones. I was totally planning on eating at home until the topic of Taco Bell came up and how yummy a chalupa sounded. Or, maybe a veggie burger and coke icee from Burger King. Mmmm.... how my mouth started to water.

My thought process had completely changed by the time I got off the phone. Kyra and I were so going out for something unhealthy for lunch.

But then I passed the idea by Kyra:
Me: Hey, Kyra, do you want Taco Bell or Burger King for lunch?
Kyra: I don't wan'ta go out for lunsh.
Me: But you can go to Taco Bell and get a slurpee (the fruity frozen drink thing) or chicken nuggets at Burger King (seriously, the kid NEVER passes up an opportunity for chicken nuggets)...?
Kyra: No. I wan'ta sanwish at home.

Lunch today consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sliced apples and dried cranberries. With CranApple juice/water mix to drink.

She's like my little voice of reason who, not only saved us some cash, but saved my hips from expanding any further then the Fetus sees necessary. .

Summing Up the Weekend

Did you all ever expect blue jeans and cowboy boots from me? How about wearing them to church?

Yep. I did that today. Totally had plans to wear something more "Sunday appropriate" but I didn't have any black thread to hem my black dress pants and I couldn't wear my khaki pants because I only have open toe brown shoes to match but my feet are in some desperate need of attention and so I chose to wear a pair of jeans with my dressy, flat,close toe black shoes except that my pants are too long and I can't roll the cuffs and expect it to look any kind of good with dress shoes so that lead me to the conclusion of wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots to church. (how you like that run on sentence?)

Do you think any less of me now? I wore a dress shirt and dangle earrings, does that improve matters any?

Oh, and my inseam- 25 1/2 inches. Yep. That's it. Nothing long or lanky about yours truly. Didn't believe me when I told you way back when I had the shortest legs ever, did you?

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Jeremy took me on a shopping spree to find some maternity shirts. At 26 weeks I have finally come to the point where most of my regular shirts just wont due. That's like 10+ weeks later then when I gave up and bought maternity shirts for my pregnancy with Kyra. I'm totally proud of myself.

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What do you all think Kyra should be for Halloween? She's being pretty compliant about the picking choices here. Almost anything we hold up she is totally can completely committed to... until we hold up then next costume.

I'm set on having her choose her costume this year but she's making this process damn difficult.

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We saw the movie Igor this weekend. Super cute, though not quite at a 3 year old's level. Oh, and they said "Damn it" at one point which caught me off guard. But it was only once, and Kyra never seemed to notice, so I think I'm okay with that. But, seriously, they shouldn't be cussing in animated movies aimed at children. And I don't care how much they hear at home or on the playground.

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Kyra's hair is a dark blond. Like, sometimes it looks more like a light brown but then other times you can see the blond highlights shimmering and it's no mistake. Though, with her birthday pictures, everything with the white background came out making her look like we've bleached her hair but then the other pictures with a black background makes her hair look normal again.

Does that help out the confusion some of you had?

Better yet, here's a picture I took of her a few days ago:

See what I mean. Dark blond/light brown, blond highlights.

She was busy sucking on a Sonic Minute Maid Apple Juice Slush, and that shit- is awesome. It totally tastes like the apple juices you used to get for grade school lunches- the ones that were still half frozen and all slushy like. Yep, tastes exactly like that. Mmm... total throw back that makes my mouth happy. As well as Jer and Kyra's because I totally have them both addicted.

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Dear Sonic (or those who might be smarter then I),

Could you please explain to me why a Minute Maid Apple Juice Slush is listed as costing a dollar seventy nine on the menu, yet when my receipt is brought to me there is an extra ten cent charge for "Apple"? I have yet to find on your menu where you tell me I'm going to be charged ten cents more for a flavor that should already be included in the price.

Explanations. Anyone?

Jumping Jacks and Attacks

Jeremy taught Kyra the art of jumping jacks the other night and managed to actually video tape something cute and adorable. My favorite part of the video is when Kyra attacks Jeremy with a clothes hanger at the end. I didn't even have a hand in teaching her that one!

You All Would Warn Me If a Deadly Desease Were to Roll Through Town, Right?

Its been one of those days. You know the kind.

Like when you wake up on time for your kid's 3 year check up, make it to the parking garage 20 minutes before your child's appointment time, put the car in park at the exact same time your child is due to see the doctor, and finally get through the garage, hospital, and reception line only to be told you're 10 minutes late. But wait! We'll ask the doctor if they will see you.

Except no, the doctor will not see you because "if she can't make it to the appointment on time then she needs to reschedule for a time she can be here without delay."

HI! HELLO! This is me you're talking about, douche bag. I'm the one who is half wet because I parked in the only space available on the incline to the top floor of the parking deck. I'm the one who is gasping for air because not only did I run down 3 flights of stairs. I'm the one who ran through 2 hallways and waited for your receptionists to finish up with her 5 minute, detailed, conversation with the dude 2 people in front of me. Not only that, but I did all this 6 months pregnant with a 3 year old on my hip!

I totally held off my tears as I calmly grabbed Kyra's hand and walked away quietly answering her questions of "Why I not see my docker? But I wanna see my docker." with responses like "because we were too late, honey." and "because they don't understand that Mommy tried very hard to get you here but sometimes things don't always work out."

I totally wanted to scream and yell that I tried, that parking here sucks dirty ass and maybe I would have only been 5 minutes late if they had more then one receptionist to check people in. And that, DAMN IT! I TRIED REALLY REALLY HARD TO MAKE IT HERE ON TIME!

But I didn't say anything. Except Thank You and I'm sorry for taking up your time because I'm sure they've heard all the excuses in the world and mine would not have been any different, no matter how true they were.

What really made me upset wasn't the fact that I was turned away, but the fact that I was turned away when there was no one, NO ONE, in the waiting area. The two people in front of me were redirected somewhere else which left only Kyra and myself in the room. So I'm not sure exactly who we would have been holding up with our 10 minute tardiness...? And not only that, but seriously, when, in the history of waiting rooms, has anyone actually been seen on time? I mean, we're always there 15 minutes early and I tend to consider it a good wait if we are actually seen 20 minutes late.

I was told to reschedule. But I'm not going to. The way I see it, if a yearly check up was that important for the doctor to nonchalantly cast us away, then Kyra can just wait until she's 4 before we try it again. At another duty station. One with non retarded pediatricians.

Until then, someone give me a heads up if the Bubonic Plague comes rolling through the Mason Dixon Line, eh? She is no longer considered up to date on her shots.

3 Years Down

And many more to go.

Everyone around me seemed to think I wasn't ready for this day because I refused to say Kyra was "almost 3," "going to be 3," or "will be 3" in X amount of weeks or days.

I've always said I wasn't in a hurry for Kyra to grow up. I have never once said "I wish she'd grow up already," "I wish she'd learn to do this," "I wish she'd do that." I made up my mind the day she was born that I would never rush her to grow up sooner then she saw fit. And with that, I have never pushed the issue that her birthday was around the corner.

Today she turned 3. Not yesterday. Not two weeks ago. Today, I now have a 3 year old to boss me around in my daily adventures. And I wouldn't change it for the world.

Happy Birthday- Miss Sassy Pants!

Don't rush to grow up too soon. You'll be 3 for the next 365 days- and don't let anyone else tell you differently.

Love you bunches,
Mommy

A Present for Daddy- Or Not

This is a drum Kyra picked out for Jeremy as a gift to bring home to him from South Dakota. She now refuses to relinquish control of said drum. Can't imagine why she would do such a thing....

Newest Learned Fact

Sometimes it takes me a while to catch on.

Like when Kyra runs a random temperature for two days strait. And then off and on for the following week.

Or like when she suddenly can't seem to control her bladder, having accidents every day, several times a day, for a week.

Or, even when she's probably been scratching *cough* herself *cough* for days but I don't notice it until she says something.

I finally caught on a few days ago, when discharge was going on in the neither regions, that my kid is more then likely sporting a pretty good UTI.

But you see, we're still visiting friends in the Land of the CornHuskers and can't hop into her pediatrician for a quick treatment. In fact, when the UTI light bulb shines on my brain we aren't even in the Land of the CornHuskers but a hotel in a bordering state. What perfect timing her little body has....

For four days now I've been throwing Ocean Spray Cran-Apple Juice her way and offering her yogurt that she's refused for the most part. For two of those days, we've been accident free. Seems the cranberry fix has been doing some good for her little system.

I haven't noticed any more slight fevers, no scratching, and no discharge.

Who knew when a 2 year old gets a UTI they loose the ability to control bodily functions? Learn something new every day with this parenting gig, I guess...

Tornados, Coyboys and Weddings

As I type this, Kyra and I are currently in the Land of the CornHuskers with tornado warnings all around us. Fun times we're having here, I'll tell ya.

No, we're actually having a blast. Okay, so the tornado warning has put a slight damper on the fun times but that will be all right. I'm not all that worried. There's a brutal rain storm coming through. Flashes of lightning, high winds, small hail- all the exciting things I enjoy when thunderstorms roll around. I love the beat of the heavy drops on the windows. Quite calming.

Since leaving for the Land of the CornHusker on Monday, Kyra has run a fever for two days (Monday and Tuesday), found her first tumble weed of the year, which she insists is actually an umbrella:

Rode a pony called SnowBall:
Stalked this cowboy around as he told her all about the horses:
Who even went to find some hay for Kyra to feed the horse:

The two of them were a match made in heaven. I even taught Kyra to say "Hey, Cowboy." which was really adorable. The way I see it, Jeremy is hell-bent on Kyra going strait from Catholic School to the Convent and I'll make damn sure he at least has a good reason to send her there. Talking all seductive to cowboys 'ought to do it, eh?

I also took my turn on a horse. A 45 minute ride, out to the base of the bluffs and back with another cowboy who told us about how he met his stepmother when he was 7 and by the time he was 8 there hasn't been a day that goes by he hasn't wanted to stab her to death.

True story.

My girl friend, Joelle, and I were the only ones on this trail ride. The cowboy leading the expedition was a big'ol feller, vertically and horizontally. I have no doubt he could have overtaken the two of us with no problems. And my horse here:

Danny was his name, was quite fond of eating the tall grass, all along the way. He certainly wouldn't have been a very good get-a-way horse if the cowboy decided he didn't like Joelle or myself either....


We also went to a wedding for a bride and groom I have never met. Beautiful wedding, but the reception proved to be a bit on the funny, what the hell?, style. Like the boy here:

Who's parents clearly plucked him out of the yard, put him in the car and headed off to the wedding and reception. A sleeveless, number 28 jersey shirt, blue plaid pants, and black shoes with red lights that flashed on with each step.

Classy, yo.

He wasn't the only classy one, the head chef had apparently brought his son who was wearing a camouflage hat, sea foam green, over sized t-shirt and blue jean shorts with a dirty pair of shoes. It's one thing to bring your child to an event you're working, but then you bring him in his best play clothes? Maybe I'm a snob- but I just think that is ta-cky!

Oh, but the funniest, haha, moment was when the groomsmen attached a ball and chain to the groom for the couple's first dance. My pregnant bladder hardly held things together for that one.

Classic.

I'll try to update at least one more time before we leave. I make no promises, but I'll do my darnedest to tear myself away from all the fun times we're having to let you guys in on a good story or two.

While you waiting for me, why don't you fill me in on how you would have handled the Cowboy who wanted to kill his stepmother situation.... I'm still a little gaped mouth when I think about it.