Stillness

It's an oddly relaxing afternoon. There are a few things I should be doing, but I'm currently camped out by my phone waiting for the unintentionally sadistic nurse from the boys Celiac screen to call me back (more on that).

We've been plugging along and keeping busy. I had my first Mary Kay party and it was fun but exhausting. I'm practicing determination in getting ahold of potential clients and making sure they keep their appointments. I have a personal color consultation with a friend from MOPS tonight and couple more next week. I even have a potential team member! I'm very thankful for this opportunity to maybe make a bit of money and definitely get me out of my comfort zone and into the social world. It takes a conscious and determined effort on my part which is definitely good for me. It will take work to form a social circle in India, especially since the safest housing for families with little ones is also the quietest and most removed from social life. That makes it great for babies, but will force us to put in the effort to get out and meet people. But, with the Italian, Argentine and French embassies next door, I don't think it will be all that much of a challenge... Can you say completely and utterly fascinating lifestyle?

Big events in the next couple weeks include a Cookie Exchange with some friends and, much more importantly, the family visits!!! I'm so excited. All of Johnny's immediate family will be here! The Thurows are absolutely amazing and I've missed them so much. This means free babysitting and plenty of cuddle time with my adorable little niece. Can't wait!

Story time! I called the University of Maryland Pediatric Center to attempt to procure earlier appointments for the boys' follow ups after their initial Celiac screen. I couldn't get one, but I also asked the nurse if their lab results had come in. She put me on hold to go look. She returned after a couple minutes to say that they had come back and she had read them, but she couldn't remember exactly what they had said. Their procedure is for the nurse to read them and pass them on to the doctor to read. The two of them either send them on to the parents telling them that they are completely normal and all is hunky-dory, or they write up a report telling parents what is wrong and the next course of action. It is then sent to the secretary who sends it to the parents. The nurse said that the doctor had done her write up and it was with the secretary. She said rather than keep me on hold she would find them and call me back as soon as she could.

AHHHH!!! So now I know that there is something wrong with one or both of my babies, but I don't know what and I've already been waiting nearly an hour to find out. Sigh...

On the plus side it's forcing me to take some time to myself instead of making business calls and such. Nap time is far too short these days.

In other news, it's cold. But I really shouldn't complain because it's far, far colder in good ol' Wyoming. hehehehe....I wish I could say I miss it, but I really, really don't. I do, however, miss my wonderful in-laws. Can't wait for Christmas!!

Let's Recap, Shall We?

What is a blog for but complaining?

The day started in pain. I somehow managed to pull or pinch something very painful in my lower back/hip. Every time I bend even slightly it's excruciating. This makes trying to pick up babies and bending over to pick up everything they drop, spill, and/or desecrate interesting.

The day continued in frustration. Zach got a hold of a bottle of sunscreen while I was in the shower and squirted it throughout a generous portion of the bedroom.

He decided that wasn't enough accomplishment for one day so he took my ring while I scrubbed my hands and flushed said ring down the toilet. He is an ambitious child, so I doubt he's done for the day.

Next, we progressed with defeat. I bundled up the boys to deliver my first Mary Kay order to a neighbor two houses down, but she was not home. We made our way back in the cold and the boys insisted on playing outside for a while. Gabriel's gleeful laughter allowed me to notice two big, white blisters on his tongue. So now we've moved to motherly terror. He had a fever for three days and seemed to have a headache and sore throat. I perused through google and managed to diagnose Gabey-baby with a wealth of deadly diseases. My mother called me down to earth pointing out that he just grew molars and could have been rubbing them with his tongue. The number and placement of the blisters suggests that this is completely accurate.

I capped off the morning by scrubbing clean the broiler which I had been battling for three days to defeat burned on yogurt marinade. Finally, a victory! There are many battles to come: I have 30 minutes remaining until nap time, some MK business calls to make, dinner to construct and and bed time to reach, all without the aid of caffeine.

I am mother, and I will prevail!!

Plans

It's nice when they start to take shape. There are now plans for language training, plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and plans for my little start-up business. Plans yield such a nice sense of purpose.

Johnny's family flies out for Christmas, which will be so nice! I'm so relieved that we don't have to go to Sheridan. I desperately wanted to see my wonderful family in-law, but the prospect of flying to Montana or Colorado and then driving to Sheridan with the babies sounded daunting. And the destination would have been Sheridan... As it stands I get to see some of my favorite people in the world and we all get to galavant around the city together without worrying about frigid temperatures or cribs. I'm very excited. I hope everyone else involved is equally so.

I made my first Mary Kay sale and booked my first facial! I'm so excited. I genuinely believe in the products I'm trying to sell, so that helps a lot. At least I hope it will.

The immediate plan is to cuddle with Johnny and watch the new Star Trek. I have low expectations. About the movie part, not the cuddle part....

Zach is Awesome

A Conversation Between Zachary and Johnny:

Me: I think he's on a growth spurt.

Johnny: Zach are you going to be 15 feet tall?

Zach: Yes.

Johnny: Are you going to play basketball?

Zach: Yes.

Johnny: Are you going to make millions of dollars?

Zach: Yes!

Johnny: Are you going to buy Mommy and Daddy a big house?

Zach: Yes!

Johnny: Can I get that in writing?

Zach: No.

I love my son.

Shameless Plug

For my Mary Kay business! I just started as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant and I am really excited. Please check out my website: http://www.marykay.com/athurow1/default.aspx

and let me know if I can help you with you skin care needs. There are products for men, too! Plus, with the holidays coming up skin care products make great gifts for lady friends.

Ok, enough advertising for the day.

We had a wonderful weekend. Saturday saw attempts to potty train His Highness, but to no avail. He's just not ready, I believe. We'll try again in a month or so. There was also a potluck with co-workers and a Gator game. I love Gator games, but I really don't like them at prime time. It's way past my bedtime.

We had a beautiful time in the city on Sunday just wandering around seeing the sights. The boys' favorite site was the WWII memorial; it had fountains. Sunday was also our "Date-iversary;" we've been "together" for 4 years. Time flies way too fast.

We're officially learning Spanish for our tenure language. Training starts January 4th. Once Johnny finishes training we'll head for India.

MOPS meeting tomorrow and vacation day for Johnny on Wednesday courtesy of Veterans' Day. Yay for pointless (for us) federal holidays!

Happenings

Not much is happening, actually. Life has settled back down after the general excitement of learning that we're moving to India soon.

"Soon" is an uncertain term. Johnny must complete his language training and rotation training. The Dehli post is requesting that he arrive ASAP, so rotation training will most likely be cut short. Dehli does not have a designated language, so Johnny can pick whatever language he wants to learn. He will pick it based on where we decide we want to be posted in the future. He is trying to decide between Spanish, French, and Russian. If he chooses Spanish we could be leaving as soon as April since he has already has a bit of Spanish training. Time will tell.

I've started learning Hindi. The language itself isn't difficult, but reading new characters is challenging. I've also started reading up on India in general. Hinduism intrigues me.

The boys are growing up fast. They're talking a little bit more, but I'm still the only one who can really understand them.

The big event of today is grocery shopping. Yesterday's adventure was dinner with Elisabeth, which was lovely. Tomorrow is the Gator game. We keep our days pretty busy now. Yes, I know one event a day doesn't sound like much, but just try it with two toddlers. I dare you.

Ads

Yes, I caved to the Ad bug, just to see if it makes anything. I somehow doubt it will. But, as a special favor to me, maybe click on a few when you visit?

Life updates later. I shouldn't be awake.

INDIA

Is where we're going! Holla!

It's a gorgeous day in Silver Spring, MD. We have a 3-day weekend thanks to Columbus Day tomorrow. There are plans to visit the Air and Space Museum. Zach should love that. Gabey loves everything.

I watched that Gators win last night. I hate prime time games. That's way past my bed time.

Gabey had a birthday. That was fun. He painted himself with chocolate.

Heather visited. That was also fun. I miss her so much. I'm not excited for Johnny's year long tour without me, but I am excited to live in Europe with Heather for a year.

I've been looking into going back to school. I'm just in the barest preliminaries right now. I sent in transcripts to UMD to get evaluated. I intend to have all the information I need on every front before I even consider enrolling.

We find out where we're going on Friday. I can hardly wait. I'm so excited to start learning the language and the culture.

This week I need to get winter coats for everyone and a tricycle for Zach. Also socks. I don't know how those boys go through socks so quickly. We also need haircuts and Celiac screens.

Gabey can walk, but he won't. We tricked him into walking across the room yesterday. He did so without so much a wobble. He's trouble.

The family visits at the end of the month. It's been a while since I've watched a game with me Dad. That will be fun.

Roasted feta and Greek burgers sound like a good menu options for dinner. I'm off to go look into that.

Ciao.

MOPS and Autumn

I really enjoyed my MOPS meeting today. I just love the ladies in my small group. Two, in particular, really seem to be kindred spirits. The speaker today was very insightful. She addressed 5 Big Points of life that are most useful for raising your kids.
1) You have Unique Abilities
2) You have a Direction
3) You have a Respect Need
4) You Have A Capacity to Love
5) You have Unique Vulnerability

The respect issue really spoke to me. She pointed out that you can't teach your children to respect if you don't even respect yourself. Self-esteem has always been a bit of an issue for me.
She also addressed the issue of Discipline vs. Punishment in arena of respect. Discipline simply means teaching. You teach your curious,, adventurous 2-year-old not to play with certain things. If an accident occurs, like Mr. Mischief knocks over a lamp in an area where he was not supposed to be playing, rather than punish you use more discipline. You teach him to clean up after himself and demonstrate the consequences for his actions. Rather than quelch his adventurous nature, teach him that it needs to be bridled.
Punishment should really only come into play if he is disrespectful. If he knocks over the lamp, you teach him a lesson and he is defiant regarding that lesson he is exhibiting disrespect. It is not the accident of knocking of the lamp that is the really serious issue, it's the need of a child to learn respect, not only for his parents, but for himself and everything/everyone around him.
Good concept.

The other important part of the meeting was learning that another family is dealing with Celiac. My new friend, Sarah, has a two-year-old diagnosed with Celiac. I am so thankful for this new network! She's going to introduce me to her pediatrician, take me on a grocery tour of Silver Spring and show me the best place to get the blood screen done. Praise the Lord!

In other news, Maryland decided to go Autumn today. It's sunny, breezy, crisp and cool outside. I'd find the weather beautiful if I had some jeans, but I'm waiting to buy them until Heather comes shopping with me.

Gabey's birthday is on Thursday! Heather arrives on Friday! Yay!! Fun week.

Career Decisions

I've finally decided definitely what I will do when I go back to school. I have about half a semester worth of credits left to get my bachelor's degree in economics. Although I will have to take another 30 credits just because I would be transferring to another school, but it's still the least work I would have to go to get a degree. Odds are I will go back to school when Johnny does his hazard tour.

After my bachelor's I will get a teaching certificate. My career moves will depend on what my boys are up to. I may homeschool them and simply tutor, or I will try to teach at a private school overseas and put my boys in that school.

Eventually I may get a Master's and apply with the foreign service. They have job opportunities for couple tandem jobs, meaning Johnny and I could work together. That's way down the road, though.

So, there it is, my 20 year plan. Babies, travel and uncertainty make this plan very sketchy, but that's the outline.

Somehow My Children Are Surviving My Parenting

So we've already gone through the saga of me allowing Gabriel to careen towards a mountains river; yesterday was another chance for me to qualify for the mothering Darwin Awards.

I left the boys in the kitchen while I walked out to grab the mail. I left both doors (one leading from the kitchen to the garage and one going out of the garage) so Zach could watch me. As I walked I chuckled to myself about how terrible it would be if Zach knew how to lock the doors. Next thing I knew:

*slam*

Zach shut the door coming out of the garage. I hurried up and tried the door. Yes, it was locked. I calmly knocked on the door and told Zach to unlock it. He jiggled the knob a few times and started to cry. He couldn't get it unlocked. Starting to get a little disconcerted I knocked again and tried to explain to him how to unlock it. He launched into hysterics. I immediately shifted from somewhat disconcerted to frantic. I pounded and yelled at him to please unlock the door.
I ran around trying all the doors and windows to no avail. I finally ran to the neighbors and called 911. By the time I got back Zach was quiet, which made me even more nervous. I managed to climb high enough to see inside the kitchen window. Zach was sitting at the table looking forlorn. When he saw me he started to scream again, which set Gabriel off. Zach climbed up on a chair by the window and cried and Gabriel crawled too close to the window for me to be able to see him.

The firemen finally showed up and each took a turn as they reached me asking me if any windows were unlocked. Had they not been my potential heroes I would have been annoyed. Yes, I realize I let a 2-year-old lock me out of my house, but I'm not completely dense. Did I mention I was still in pajamas?

One man then asked me the disturbing question: "If you had to lose a door, which would it be?" Fortunately, the very large lieutenant managed to force a window open by pulling it off its runners. He climbed in, unlocked the door and brought Gabriel out:
"I just grabbed the loudest one. The other one is still crying."

The captain then proceeded to lecture me about why I should give a key to a trusted neighbor. I guess they failed to hear me when I told them that this is not, in fact, my house. Oh well, I couldn't be too uppity, they did just rescue me.

Zach was easily calmed by the sight of the fire engine and the firefighters were completely charmed by him. In the end, once my heart rate dropped below 200, it wasn't such a bad experience. And it's a great story.

I blame the boys for my sharply dropped IQ.

New Chapter

We're settled in Silver Spring, MD! Johnny started his new job on Monday and he is loving it.

The boys were amazing on the trip. We had a DVD player set up in the car, via Johnny's stroke of genius, and that saved our sanity. The first leg of the journey was Sheridan to Sioux Falls. The day went without much event. The next day was Zachary's second birthday. Yes, I have a 2-year-old! Agh! We made it from Sioux Falls to St. Paul. We went to Chuck E. Cheese for his birthday, joined by the lovely Kirsten Lindberg. It was so nice to see her. The next day was spent in St. Paul with Johnny's sister, Carolyn, her husband, Jared, and my beautiful, adorable niece, Madeleine. Johnny's mom also made the trip out to say goodbye and to spend time with the Banks family.
We headed to Menomonie, WI the next day to visit Great-grandma Richards and finished out that leg in Bloomington, IL. From Bloomington to Columbus and from there to Silver Spring! Thus concludes my tedious recounting of the trip.

And I'm too sleepy to post anything remotely interesting, so more updates to come.

A Mother's Nightmare

If you've never had an adrenaline rush you have no idea about the exhaustion I'm feeling right now coming off of such a rush. Here's the story:

Ironically, Johnny and I discussed adrenaline rushes at dinner. We mentioned the fact that a mother can do just about anything when protecting her children. Why do we have conversations like this?

Johnny left after dinner to teach dance from 5:30-10pm. The boys and I shuttled off on our customary evening stroll. A bike trail runs behind our house and ends in a park on either side. The right edge of the trail tapers down a steep 20 ft. into the Little Goose river. It is a very pleasant half mile walk to Zachary's favorite park. We spent a little while there playing on the swings before taking the trek back home. As we crossed a foot bridge over the river (which is on our left heading home) we ran into a very friendly rancher yelling genially at his Yellow Lab to "git back over here." He explained to me that "Dude" is excited because he's a rancher dog and has never been into town.

"We never come to town."

We bade "Dude" and the large rancher farewell and headed on our way. The man crossed to the other side of the river and sat on a set of picnic tables while Dude continued to romp and sniff.
About 100 yards away Zach insisted that we stop at his favorite bench to sit and look down at some ducks taking a swim. We do this fairly often. Leaving Gabriel buckled in, I locked the double stroller and sat down beside Zach. I turned to check on Gabriel just in time to see a mother's nightmare coming true.

The stroller was careening, ever so slowly in my mind's eye, down the steep hill towards the river.

I can't really tell you what happened between the beginning of Gabriel's descent to the edge of the river. Adrenaline took over and I dove after him. All I know is that I slid down and grabbed the stroller before it slid into the water. There was a very small plateau at the bottom, just large enough for the stroller. It slowed the slide enough for me to keep my baby out of the water.
Gabriel was buckled. He didn't have a scratch. Zachary stood at the top of the hill the whole time. He didn't try to follow. The rancher and "Dude" came and pulled the stroller back up. The only injuries suffered were some minor scratches on my arm.

I cannot even describe my gratitude to God for rescuing my son. I see each little perfect detail as a miracle. You can call me a religious nut if you want, but you are not going to convince me that an extremely friendly Sheridan rancher (you have to live here to get why that's weird) who has never been into town just happened to walk by us, stop near enough to help, then cheerfully pull us out without a second thought, was not an angel sent for us. There was no one else on the trail to help. That's a miracle. A two year old doesn't stay put while his mother sprints down a hill and starts to cry at the bottom. That's a miracle. There was one small plateau at the bottom of that ravine were Gabriel, stroller and I landed. That's a miracle. There was not so much as a bruise on Gabey. That's a miracle.

Praise the Lord.

Quicker Update

Departure date changed to August 31st in the interest of spending time with Carolyn, Jared, and Madeleine. Depending on how long we stay in Minneapolis, we should arrive in Silver Spring between Sept. 4 and 6th.

Quick Update

The conversation during a lovely surprise call from my dear Red reminded me that I haven't updated my blog in quite some time. So, I'm using my customary 30 min. break at the beginning o nap time to do a very quick update. You'll understand why I'm so insanely busy in just a minute...

1. Johnny's getting laid off at the end of August due to a long, maddening story that I don't want to tell, because it always gets me riled up. Chalk it up to good ol' boy, small town politics. Obviously, this was very bad news, but then we found out....
2. JOHNNY GOT THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOB!!!! PTL!!! We're very excited. But, before he can begin he has to pass medical and security clearance. So, for the past week we've been rushing around trying to get the paperwork in. Since he must pass that before the job starts we do not have a start date yet. So, we had no idea when we would actually be moving until...
3. my Grandpa, with whom we are planning to live while working in D.C., called and said that he would be gone most of September and hoped that we could move in then and take care of the house. So....
4. We're leaving Wyoming August 28th. We'll stop in Minneapolis and see Johnny's sister and my beautiful little niece (and of course Red the Awesome) and we should arrive in Silver Spring, MD on September 1st, which means...
5. I'm running around like a chicken sans head trying to get things organized and packed because...
6. I'm having a yard sale on August 22, 23 to try to get rid of pretty much everything except clothes, some books, and various favorites. Suffice to say...
7. I am not dead, seriously ill, nor have I lost all my possessions in a tragic house fire causing me to be without communication. I am simply beyond busy trying to get things organized while working a part time job, taking care of my little ones, and trying to keep the house marginally clean.

Back to work.

Fireworks

I spent most of the day working and forgetting that it's already the 4th of July. Seriously, how is this year going by so fast and why are my babies about to turn 1 and 2??? Agh!!!

Anyway, the point is, it was hard for me to focus on the fact that today is supposed to be a day honoring the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the American colonies or that we became a nation 233 years ago today. I'm just too busy these days to remember holidays.

But Johnny picked me up from work at 7pm and we bustled off to his parents' house for a delicious steak dinner (it was heavenly but now I'm feeling the effects of red meat). We had some fun, quality time with Grandma and then headed out at dusk to see the fireworks.

I have not seen Zach sit still for that long...ever.

Watching the wonder in my little boy's eyes helped me sit back and think about the joyous holiday celebrated today. Freedom. Liberty. Triumph. Adventure. New birth. These innocent and imperative concepts danced in my Zachary's beautiful brown eyes while he sat ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the beautiful lights in the sky. And he sat there in warm clothes, well fed, loved and happy, because we are free. We are so blessed. Praise the Lord! Happy Independence Day!

Summer Days

Life has been pretty hectic the last couple weeks. I started working at Subway and I actually enjoy it very much. My coworkers are very nice and hard-working. It's a super easy job. I miss the boys terribly while I work, but it is nice to get out of the house and make a little money on my own. It's tough to give up what little time I have with Johnny, too, but it's just short term.

Gabriel is starting to crawl. He does the commando crawl and sometimes gets up on his hands and knees. He's become very chatty and he desperately wants to chase after his big brother.

Zach just seems to get smarter and smarter. He notices everything and figures out any device with short examination. I can't believe he'll be 2 in 2 months!!

We're waiting anxiously to hear from the Foreign Service job. They did contact Johnny's references last week, so we're hoping that's a good sign. We're praying to hear this week.

There really isn't much else to report. I'm trying to save for a trip to Florida. The weather has been beautiful. We're planning a trip up to the mountains tomorrow to see the flowers.

Working Woman

I took on a part time job. It sounds a little insane, but I really felt the need to gain a bit of independence back. With only one car, no friends nearby, and no way to make money from home, I was feeling pretty cloistered, really more like one of the kids than the adult. This was no fault of Johnny's whatsoever, just a feeling of helplessness I probably brought on myself. So, I decided to take a mindless job that would get me out of the house a bit and bring in a bit of extra dough. I chose to work at Subway, because it's a quick 5- minute walk from our house and require no real brainpower. I worked this past weekend on Saturday and Sunday. It was pleasant to meet new people, but I really, really missed my 3 wonderful boys. There are pros and cons to most decisions.

Gabey is trying to walk. He loves to clutch our fingers and tromp around after Zach. I can hardly wait to watch them chase each other around all day. They already have so much fun. Plus, bending over to let Gabriel hold my fingers is killing my back!

Zach is definitely on a growth spurt. He's been takig 2 1/2-3 hour naps and eating like a little piggy. He's finally starting to talk a little bit. I'm the only one who can understand him most of the time, but he's starting to enunciate a bit better. My baby is growing up!

We're anxiously awaiting news from the Foreign Service job. We hope to hear by the end of June. Lord willing, I'll be back to the east coast early next year! Please, Lord, give Johnny this job!!

Summer!

It's a gorgeous day! Life has been pretty sweet these days. We have a very set routine and follow it to the letter. Zach makes sure of that. Mornings start with juice, breakfast (usually eggs or cereal), next Zach makes sure my workout takes way longer than it should. Then we run around in the yard for a bit and come in for lunch at 11:30. Sometimes there's a movie thrown in if the morning is a bit nippy. Daddy usually comes home for lunch. Nap commence at 1:00 and I do my ChaCha work (which brings in around $190/month. Not much, but it helps). Naps last an hour, then we load up and go for a walk to one of two parks along the bike trail behind our house. We start dinner when we get home around 5 and Daddy make his appearance around 5:15 is there are no dance classes. There is an evening of play, then devotions, and bed at 8pm.

Zach initiates each step of the day; he never forgets a thing. Throughout the day he sometimes asks to go potty, read books, and brush his teeth. He's such a sweetheart.

Thursday, during our morning playtime, Zach scared a mother duck off her nest. He didn't mean to. She built her nest right by one of his favorite hangouts and he simply ran past. We waited all day, but she never came back. We picked up the eggs at nightfall, but they were pretty cold, so I doubt they'll live. We have them in a nest under a towel and a heat lamp.

Yesterday saw a trip to Billings. The boys got completely pampered by Grandma during a trip to Toys R' Us. It felt like Christmas as I spent the evening unpackaging everything.

Johnny comes home from his seminar in Jackson today!! Yay!! He'll be home until Monday morning when he leaves for his interview in D.C. I hope that's the last of the trips for a while.

This afternoon Gabriel goes to Grandma's for some Gabey-Grandma time and Zach and I will head to the pool. I am not brave enough to try to take both of them to the pool on my own.

Big Boy?

Gabriel had his weigh-in today. Last month he was in the 0 percentile for weight at only 12 lbs. 14 oz. He is a shrimp. We weaned him and he blossomed. Today he weighed 14 lbs. 3 oz. The doctor was very impressed. Gabriel is moving up in the world; he is now in the 1 percentile for weight. What a man.

Johnny is en route to Oklahoma. He's helping a friend drive his truck, trailor, and four dogs for a move. They are driving all night. Don't get me started on the poor judgment of that decision. No, it was not Johnny's decision. I say again, don't get me started. Johnny will fly home from Oklahoma City Monday evening.

Johnny also got a job interview in Washington, D.C. Two paid interviews in the past month. This is a pretty exciting job, too. We shall see. Unfortunately that takes his trip tally up to five in less than 2 months. Boo. Between his grandpa's funeral, the interview in Idaho, the Oklahoma trip, a seminar in Jackson, and the D.C. interview there is not nearly enough Johnny in my life. My quota is very high and it is not being met. He's mine; I'll be as possessive as I want.

I miss him. Gabriel's asleep in my bed, because I don't like to sleep alone. And Zach won't sleep in my bed. He gets too busy looking out the window and playing in the curtains. I might be a touch pathetic. Don't judge me.

Potty Training

Zach used the potty today! *cue Hallelujah Chorus* He started grunting so I asked him if he needed to use the potty. We made a beeline for the bathroom and he sat on it. He got a little panicked when he actually pooed and jumped up and sat on my lap. It was worth it. We flushed his specimen down the big toilet and he waved goodbye to his handiwork.

The rest of the day was spent reading children's books. Yes...ALL DAY. Zach is so interested in his books now. How am I supposed to say no to reading? So I read...over and over and over and over. But it was so cute. He's such a little doll.

Gabriel is rolling all over the place. He got himself wedged under his bouncy seat and also stuck against the wall. He'll be crawling in no time. I think he's also finally teething.

And he's awake...gotta go.

Questions Between Questions

Gabey woke me up at 6:30 and it's too light out to go back to sleep. So, I'm working on ChaCha and filling out this thingy while I wait for questions:

When you first looked into the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
- I haven't looked in a mirror today. It's not even 7 am!

How much cash do you have on you?
- None; my wallet is in the car.

Whats a word that rhymes with DOOR?
- More

Favorite planet?
- Earth

Who is the first person on your missed called list on your cell phone?
- Carolyn

What is your favorite ring on your phone?
- The one I have set for Johnny's calls

What shirt are you wearing?
- a brown tank top

Do you label yourself?
Wife and Mommy

Bright or dark room?
- Bright.

What were you doing at midnight last night?
- sleeping

What did your last text on your cell phone say?
-To my Mom: that's a long trip

Where is your nearest 7-11?
Heh...this is Wyoming; there is nothing so civilized here

What is a word that you say alot?
-No! (followed quickly by Zach)

Last furry thing that touched you?
My mother-in-law's dog

How many drugs have you done in the last 3 days?
A couple ibuprofen yesterday

How many rolls of film do you need developed?
None; this is 2009! Who has real film cameras? ;)

Favorite age you have been so far?
22

Your worst enemy?
Mice...stupid mice. They will all die.

What is your current desktop picture?
A pic of my three boys cuddling

What was the last thing you said to someone?
I love you

If you had to choose between a million bucks and to be able to fly, what would it be?
- million bucks for sure

Do you like someone?
Yes, very much. He's sleeping next to me.

What was the last song you listened to?
Whatever Ty Murray danced to on DWTS.

Are you afraid of losing the last person you talked to?
Yes, because I'm a paranoid mother and I have an unreasonable fear of SIDS

Whats the third text in your inbox say?
Good morning! I'm praying for you all.

Has anyone ever rhymed your name with another word?
Nope; and good luck trying

Are you satisfied with how things are going?
Extremely.

What do you think of smoking weed?
I think smoking in general is disgusting and stupid. But I don't think marijuana is any worse than tobacco.

Did you wake up in the middle of the night last night?
Yes; I drifted of at 11:30 and woke up whenever Johnny got home from the gym. But the boys slept through the night! woo-hoo!

Does someone like you right now?
I like a lot of someones

Are you looking forward to anything?
Yes; we're waiting to hear from a job.

Are you wearing any makeup right now?
- No

Do you give good advice?
Of course I do; I'm a mom

Did you laugh a lot at something today?
- It's 7 AM. No.

Any current problems?
There are always problems, but there's nothing major.

Does anything hurt on your body?
By arm hurts a bit from where Zach accidentally kicked my yesterday.

Would you share your drink with a stranger?
Yes, but then I wouldn't drink out of it again

Would you ever become a vegetarian?
No, I have enough trouble keeping weight on

Have you ever had a girl best friend?
Of course! Heather!

When was the last time you were told you were amazing?
Last night.

Do you believe in forever?
Yes

What was the first thing you thought when you woke up?
Yay! Gabey slept through the night!

Do you trust people?
- Yes, most of the time

Do you have strange dreams?
Sometimes, but my dreams are normally so much like real life I can't tell if I'm dreaming

Do you have a reason to smile right now?
I have many reasons to smile and my favorite three are sleeping peacefully

Have you ever been to a wedding?
- Yes

Is there a big difference between "i love you" and "luv ya?"
Yes

Who are your last four texts from?
My mom and Johnny

What are you doing tonight?
Cooking dinner and hanging out with my wonderful family

Do you always get along with your friends?
Yes

Ever wonder if you're someones everything?
No, I don't wonder; I know, just as he's my everything.

Have you ever kissed someone you werent dating?
I kissed Johnny on-stage, but I don't think that counts. Besides, we're married now, so I don't sweat it too much.

Which of your friends is the easiest to talk to?
Johnny and Heather

Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?
Johnny

Do you still talk to the last person you really liked?
As often as possible

Name one accomplishment you had this week?
Restarted trying to kick my caffeine addiction

Do you have a binder or a lot of folders?
No

What's one thing you keep misplacing?
Keys

Do you believe everything happens for a reason?
Most things, yes.

Have you ever broken up w/ someone, tried going back, and realized you and him were meant to be?
No

How many people have you kissed in the months March and April?
On the mouth; only Johnny; on the cheek: lots of people, probably 7 or 8

Do you believe that love lasts forever?
Yes, true love lasts forever.

Do you ever apologize first?
- Yes.

Have you ever regretted letting someone go?
No

What's going on between you and the last person you kissed?
Oh...lots...hehehe

How many people of the opposite sex have you cried over?
3

On average, what do you think you cry about the most?
I cry when I get angry. But I don't get angry often, so probably sappy movies

How are you feeling right now?
A little sleepy

How many hours of sleep did you get last night?
6ish

When did you last cry?
Over the weekend when I had the kids by myself, it was raining, I had no car, and all three of us has colds

Where did you sleep last night?
In my bed

When was the last time you were home alone?
It's been a really long time

Are you legal to drink?
Yes

Are you the youngest, middle, or oldest?
Middle

What are you wearing?
Jammy pants and a tank top

What color are your sheets?
Off-white

Do you straighten your hair?
- No, it's super straight already

Whats the closest black thing to you?
- my computer

What’s the last beverage you consumed?
- Water.

What do you hear right now?
Gabriel chattering

When is your birthday?
April 4

What are you looking forward to in the next 2 months?
Hearing from Johnny's latest job interview

Do you secretly love somebody right now?
- No.

If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Oh, dear; can I say yes emphatically enough?

Are you in a good mood right now?
-Yes

Do you need to say anything to someone?
Yes; I need to tell Johnny I love him again; and I will as soon as he wakes up

Who do you miss right now?
Heather

Does cuddling freak you out?
No, I love cuddling

What did you do today?
I woke up, gave Gabey his bottle, and started working on ChaCha

Do you get drunk a lot?
Never have

Do you and your best friend look anything alike?
No, not at all

What color shirt are you wearing?
Brown

What did you go to bed thinking about last night?
I love Johnny

Do you ignore people when you're mad/upset with them?
Yes

What were you doing last night at midnight and why?
- Sleeping; I love sleep

Last person you gave your number to?
The optometrist

What do the majority of people in your life call you?
Ari

Do you have a best friend?
Two of them

Who did you last pinky promise with?
No one

Why are you at home right now?
Because I live here

What's the most dominant color in your room?
- White

Ever stayed up all night on the phone?
Yes

What time did you wake up this morning?
- 6:30

Do you spend time with the same people always?
Pretty much

Do you always care what you look like?
No; not now, for instance

You're locked in a room with the person you last kissed, any problems?
Absolutely not; that would be super!

Could you go out in public, looking like you do now?
- No.

Have you ever skipped school just because you were tired?
-Yes

What was your last bruise from?
Zach's kick.

Has anybody ever told you that you have pretty eyes?
- Yes.

Do you always get along with your siblings?
No; one doesnt speak to me

Spring

The weather is finally cooperating! It was a bit nippier than May 10th should be, but at least the sun was shining. I even got to play frisbee for almost an hour this afternoon.

As holidays go, this wasn't the best I've ever had. I woke up with a headache, which is never a good start to the day. The boys and I played around and called Grandma and Great-Grandma and Johnny slept in. He had a rough couple days driving to and from Twin Falls for his teaching demo/second interview. Church was nice, but it was one of the worst music Sundays ever. Those Presbyterians needs a song leader! :)
Johnny and I made dinner for Johnny's parents. Johnny's giving his mom a dance lesson for Mother's Day.
The boys and I took naps while Johnny went to play frisbee, but i was feeling sicker and sicker. Once the boys got up I went to the park and Johnny let me play frisbee for a while. We got home and I promptly got even sicker in the bathroom for a while.
I got to talk to Heather for a bit, which always helps a day go better.
Johnny zonked around 6:30 and Gabey followed suit soon after. Zach was put to bed at 7:30, but went into hysterics and didn't settled down until I drove him around for a bit.
My headache finally went away so I decided I needed a nice Mother's Day evening. I had a bath with magnolia salts and I went to get a frosty and french fries. Now I'm watching "Man on Fire" and enjoying the quiet.

This was probably a really boring post. Deal with it! I'm relaxing.

Randomness and Speeding Time

Last night was amazing. There was a dance party at Johnny's ballroom and we learned the Viennese waltz! The seemingly bizarre Waltz frame finally made sense. Lots of spinning. We had to cut the night a bit short because Johnny had strained his calf muscle a couple days before and was getting sore. We came home and watched The Office (we watch episodes online the next day) and sat up talking for a while. During a lull in the conversation I asked Johnny what time it was, thinking it would be somewhere around 11:30pm. Johnny looked at his watched and laughed very hard. It was after 1 a.m. After stating that we should go to sleep we talked for another hour before finally drifting off. He is truly my soul mate. I am blessed beyond description.

I got a call from my darling Keri Bishop this evening. Along with the fantastic news that she'll be coming through Sheridan in June (YAY!!!!) she had the most random story to tell me. She bumped into Dr. Schleuter (a gov't/pol prof at the 'Dale) and during their conversation he brought up the subject of "a very promising student" he'd had a couple years ago. He said he always wondered what happened to her. Turned out it was me and Keri told him what did happen to me and he said to say, "hi." Talk about random. It was immensely flattering to hear, but equally odd.

Tomorrow brings church, Ultimate Frisbee, and possibly movie night with my amazing mother-in-law. It's been such a blessed weekend.

Trouble with a Capital Z

Zachary's latest accomplishment is unscrewing light bulbs. I made this discovery when I waltzed unsuspectingly into the bedroom with a basket full of laundry. Zach was standing on one of the night tables and holding the bulb from the reading lamp in his hand. He looked at me and, without even blinking, tossed the light bulb to the side and resting his hands casually at his side. The little weasel never even broke eye contact. The gesture said, "Hi, Mom! I'm being an angel; as always."

Let's see where the tally now stands:
1. Climbing on Counters
2. Turning on the gas stove
3. Plugging in electric cords
4. Turning on and off floor fans and heaters
5. Being able to turn on and operate the TV
6. Opening the bathroom door, toilet seat, and being able to turn on the bathtub faucet
7. Climbing over the couch onto the counter after the knives
8. Unscrewing light bulbs
What am I missing? Oh, right:
9. Complete and unyielding possession of his mother's sanity

Home Again

Heather's visit was wonderful! John's mom, the boys and I picked Heather up at the airport in Billings, MT on Tuesday. Wednesday was spent enjoying the beautiful weather. We even went out for a drink that night. First drink I've ever had at a bar. Yes, I am three weeks past my 22nd birthday. Yes, I am old before my time. No, I do not feel that I am missing out on the bliss of youth.
I got pretty homesick after dropping Heather off in Denver, CO and moped around for a bit afterward. Can't be the perky cheerleader all the time. It's tough to maintain my determined optimism when the end of April brings snow and I used to spend Christmas Eves on the beach. I'm still working on bolstering my brave front. Homesickness, begone!
I miss Heather tons again already!!

I recently finished a pile of books from the library. It only took me 2 months and 3 online renewals. Reading is a rare pleasure these days, as are lengthy blog updates. The highlight of the aforementioned pile was "Jane Eyre." I read the novel when I was 12, but dismally failed at getting the point. It's difficult to understand the turmoil of a lovesick heart until you, yourself, are in love. When forced to choose between two loves, the pain sears your very soul. I confess to neglecting my children for a few minutes to get through her refusal of Mr. Rochester. Compelling stuff.

I now have a pile of my dad's newer books to work through.

I also have a ballroom lesson from Johnny's teacher on Wednesday. I am very excited.

Rain and snow for the next couple days. Back, homesickness! Back!!

Not-So-Big Boy

Gabey-Landon had his 6 month check-up yesterday. The appointment was two weeks after his 6-month birthday because they neglected to actually save me a space with the doctor on the day that was originally set up for his appointment. No harm, no foul.
As always, my boy got glowing reports in development and looks. The doctor declared him "just so cute." Duh. He was impressed with Gabey's mad walking skills (he takes steps while holding onto fingers).
Unfortunately we had a bit of a weight crisis. Gabriel is 12 lbs. 14 oz which landed him in the 0 percentile for weight. He's smaller than Zach was at his 4 month check-up, although the same height Zach was at his 6 month. He's a bean pole. I am also a subject of scrutiny for being nearly 10 lbs. underweight.
The doctor said he's not terribly concerned, but he's unaccustomed to mother's complaining about losing weight after childbirth. He wants me to visit my doctor and to try to start weening Gabriel. We also have to bring Gabey back in next month to get weighed again. Poor, skinny little bugger. I don't get it; the child eats like a horse. He eats two jars of level 2 baby food and a whole bowl of rice cereal every day along with nursing every 2 1/2 hours like a clock.

Can't write anymore; have to go stuff two mouths full of food.

Birthday Blues

It's been awhile since I've posted! I intended to post the saga that was my birthday weekend some time ago, but just never got around to it, hence, I shall post it now.

Last Saturday (4/4) was my 22nd birthday. It was a much anticipated day, because my parents and two of my sisters would be here. I was excited to see them and to have babysitters on hand so I could enjoy a relaxing evening with Johnny. The weekend promised to be fun, laid-back, and free.

Alas, 'twas not to be.

Johnny's grandfather (Wilbur Thurow) died on Wednesday, 4/1. Although not sudden or unexpected it was very sad for us because we were planning a trip out this coming Summer so that Grandpa Thurow could meet the boys for the first time. I am very sad that he never got to meet his great-grandsons.
It was a mad dash to figure out travel plans and funeral arrangements and such. It turned out that the Thurow family decided to have the funeral two days later (4/3) in Wisconsin. This made it very difficult for the Wyoming Thurows to make it out. The decision for Johnny, his mom, and his brother to make it out was very last minute. They decided on Wednesday night and headed out at 6 am Thursday morning. Obviously I couldn't go because my family was here all the way from Tennessee. So, strike one against my birthday: no husband.

Saturday April 4th dawned, but didn't see it, because the sun was blocked out by a huge snowstorm. It snowed all day and all night; I believe the final tally was 15 inches. I hate snow. Strike 2 against my birthday: mounds of evil snow.

Strike 3 against my birthday: female troubles. I'll leave it at that for the sake of male readers.

It wasn't all bad. We opened presents, I gave Hannah a dance lesson, we ate at a really good Mexican restaurant with a gluten-free menu, and we played a really fun game of Apples to Apples. It was really, really nice to have my family there.

The next morning the family packed up in a bustling hurry and made it out the door by 9 am. There was a flurry of packing and lots of quick gathering, and in the hustle my sister forgot her crocheting. And a valuable possession was picked up...

The boys and I relaxed the rest of the morning and after naps I decided to take advantage of my time alone and completely free. We only have one car so I usually don't get it. It would be fun to spend the next couple days with freedom of transportation and not having to tell anyone where I was going and for how long. So, I packed up the diaper bag, loaded up the children, and reached for my keys.

Unfortunately, my keys were in North Dakota with my parents. Somehow they got scooped up in the hustle.

Now the story gets good. Y'see, my car trip wasn't all about freedom to explore; I had run out of items necessary for the aforementioned female troubles and I had to go to the bathroom pretty badly. I frantically searched for my keys; I tore apart drawers, dug through garbage, crawled through the car, emptied my purse and diaper bag, and then finally thought to call my parents to see if they had seen my keys.
Yes, they had. They discovered them in a random bag.

So, I quickly loaded the boys into the stroller and made a beeline for Wal Mart. Fortunately, it's only about 1/2 mile away. I got the product I needed and scurried toward the bathroom.

It was closed for cleaning.

I dialed Heather to tell her of my woes. She sympathized with appropriate best-friend empathy.

Then my phone started to die.

Then Zachary manufactured a stinky diaper.

I had forgotten the diaper bag.

So, I wandered around Wal Mart with a dieing phone, a stinky toddler, a full bladder, no keys, muddy shoes from melted snow, no husband, and soul full of tears.

Best birthday weekend ever!

The story has a happy ending; I went to the bathroom. I got home and changed the diaper and watched "Guys and Dolls" while eating an atrocious amount of gluten-free birthday cake. Johnny arrived home on Monday evening and all was right with the world again.

The End.

Bookishness

So, I got this off a Stewie note on Facebook. In an effort to hide my facebook note obsession from the world at large I'm posting it on my blog instead. I'd love for my readers to do it as well. It's a really interesting one.

You have received this note because someone thinks you are a literary geek. Copy the questions into your own note, answer the questions, and tag any friends who would appreciate the quiz, including the person who sent you this. Don't bother trying to italicize your book titles. We know you want to.

1) What author do you own the most books by?
Charles Dickens, because he was my childhood favorite, Bryan Davis, because he's my dad. :)

2) What book do you own the most copies of?
Hamlet. Between college classes and my Complete Works of William Shakespeare I have 4 copies.

3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Sigh...yes, because I am judgemental.

4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Marius from Les Miserables. So amazing.

5) What book have you read the most times in your life (excluding picture books read to children; i.e., Goodnight Moon does not count)?
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. This book is my all-time favorite. I have read it at least 7 times and don't even get me started on the best musical in the history of the world.

6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
Les Miserables. Yes, I read it when I was ten. I am a pretentious homeschooler.

7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
The worst book I started in the past year was Pillars of the Earth by Ken someone or other. I couldn't finish it; it was awful.

8) What is the best book you've read in the past year?
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein; this book is written from the point of view of a golden retriever and I cried like a baby for half the book.

9) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
Dracula. That is one of my favorite books of all time and every seems to think it's some bloody horror book. It's unbelievably fantastic.

10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?
Garth Stein

11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Raising Dragons. It's my dad's book and it would make a fantastic movie.

12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
Anything by Obama

13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I dreamed I was stuck in Moscow during Napoleon's campaign probably three nights in a row while I was writing my term paper on War and Peace. It was cold; I did not like it.

14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
The Bride, July Garwood. Yep, steamy romance novel. Guilty!

15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
Les Trois Mousqetaires. Yes, The Three Musketeers in French. It was so difficult, but my French skills skyrocketted. Go figure.

16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen?
Coriolanus

17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
French; they have Dumas and Hugo; what more do you need?

18) Roth or Updike?
Roth.

19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Sedaris.

20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Oh, Shakespeare, no contest

21) Austen or Eliot?
I really don't like either. But if forced to choose I would say Austen

22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
Probably the fact that I've read so little since leaving college. I plead the Baby Clause.

23) What is your favorite novel?
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. It is a true work of genius. My goal is to read it in French.

24) Play?
King Lear

25) Poem?
Psalm 23

26) Essay?
Human Action - Ludwig Von Mises


27) Short story?
Babette's Feast - Isak Denisen

28) Work of nonfiction?
When God Writes Your Love Story - Eric and Leslie Ludy

29) Who is your favorite writer?
Mark Twain

30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
The moron who wrote those vampire books

31) What is your desert island book?
Robinson Crusoe

32) And... what are you reading right now?
Lord of the Flies

Improving

The days are getting longer and warmer. The snow is nearly gone and the sniffles are slowly subsiding. Zach and Gabriel are still a little off, but they are definitely almost well. In my exuberance over my improved (though not fully recovered) health I practiced ballroom for an hour, did ab work, ran a mile, went out to lunch, went over to dinner at the in-laws, and various other activities... Consequently it was a wonderful day, but I can barely stay awake long enough to type this. Sooooo tired.
Church tomorrow, possibly a game of frisbee, and I've been promised another ballroom lesson. And it's supposed to be 60 degrees!!

Life is good.

Thanks for all the well-wishes. We really are feeling much better. Almost recovered.

Epic Fail

Allow me to enumerate the way this day has been an epic fail:

1) Zach, Gabriel, and I are all sick. Zach is a faucet nose, Gabey is coughing, and my throat is so sore I can barely talk.

2) It did not get above zero until noon. It is currently a balmy 2 degrees.

3) In my attempts to trim Zach's hair I clipped his ear, like the poor little sicky needed to be more miserable. It took me 15 minutes to get it to stop bleeding.

4) Seemingly in revenge, Zach took the lid off his sippy cup and dumped the entire cup of milk on the floor. He dumped the first half in the front hall and the other half in the kitchen.

5) There is a good 6" of snow on the ground.

6) Johnny isn't coming home today between work and dance. He left around 8:20 and won't be home until near 10.

7) I'm too sick to workout or sing..

I think that about does it. I'm neglecting my "To Do" list for today and pushing everything to tomorrow. On the bright side, this Saturday is supposed to be near 60! I might get to go for a jog if I'm well enough.

Maddy

I have a niece!! Madeleine Verdene Banks was born last night at 7 lbs. 6 oz and 21 inches. Maddy is the daughter of Johnny's sister, Carolyn. I haven't heard any other details, but I have seen pictures of the little cherub. She is a cutey, with very appropriately chubby baby cheeks. I think she looks more like her dad than her mom. The middle name is for Grandma Verdene Thurow.
Actually, I don't know if I'm even allowed to call her "Maddy." I seem to remember hearing something about disdain for nicknames. But I can call her Maddy on my own time; she is my niece, after all. :) It'll be fun to have a little girl to dress up. A daughter definitely isn't in the cards for my near-future, so a niece will suit me just fine. I can't wait to meet her.

Ugh, on a far less pleasant note, I fried potato pancakes for a dinner side-dish tonight. I never eat food that greasy and my tummy is rebelling. Blagh.

Ballroom

I went from mopy to thrilled yesterday evening at about 6:30 pm when we managed to acquire a last minute babysitter so I could attend the party at Johnny's ballroom. It was a blast. It was a decent turnout, but not enough to be over-crowded. I improved my frame and taught the ballroom owner's 8-year-old darling of a little boy how to single-step swing and cha-cha. The little gentleman actually approached me each time asking for a dance. Not a shy bone in that kid's body. I found myself seeing Zachary 7 years into the future.

Today found us at church, lunch with Johnny's dad, and a tour of Julio and Susanna's (ballroom owners/dance teachers) work-in-progress mansion. It is stunning. Not only is it located on ten acres of peacefull hillside with an incredible mountain view, it is equipped with an enormous ballroom, complete with a balcony for a band. They plan to throw frequent parties when it's finished. The Quintanas also seem to have it in their heads that we are permanent Sheridan residents. hehehe... Well, if that is in God's plans, it wouldn't be so bad. We have Johnny's parents here, ballroom dance, and it's a great town for children. If we stay I might even end up teaching a bit of ballroom myself. Although it would not be a bad life, probably even a very pleasant one, I'm still holding out for a much better location.

Sunday is ending and that is sad. Monday means back to work for Johnny and three long evenings alone. However, Thursday brings Ryan, Bart, and possibly Mikey into town. It will be a fun weekend. I also have Zach's doctor appointment to look forward to on Friday.

Belle Journee

It's such a beautiful day out! It's 55 degrees. I'm waiting for the boys to wake up from naps so we can play outside.

My back is feeling much better. I can walk without limping and lay on it without cringing. It really only hurts badly when there's pressure on it.

Yesterday I went to the Salvation Army in hopes of finding some shoes to go with my little black dress, which I plan to wear to the party at Johnny's ballroom on Saturday. I also needed to find some new pants for Zach, who has worn through his jeans. Both attempts were unsuccessful, but I did find a booster seat for $3. Hurray for small victories.

I auditioned for community theatre on Sunday. To put it as nicely as possible, competition in Sheridan, WY isn't nearly as steep as it is in Orlando, FL. Johnny auditioned last night and apparently the director told him I was amazing. I am not amazing, but that does bode well for casting. Parts will be posted on Friday.

Gabriel was fussy yesterday for the first time ever. He was very gassy, so I guess that was the problem. He fussed every time I moved more than 2 feet away from him. He's happy as a clam again today though. I think rice cereal may be the trouble. I just started him on it and he's fussy the day after he eats it. I've been giving it to him every other day, so we'll see how he does tomorrow.

Story Time!

The story of my back, for those who are interested.

This was a complete freak accident and even though I was in so much pain I almost passed out, I was laughing at how comical it was.

So, Zach has a tent set given to him by his Grandma Thurow. This tent set consists of a teepee, a rounded tent, and two tubes that connect these tents. The tubes are just large enough in diameter for me to fit through and are about 2-3" longer than I am. Zach, Johnny, and I had been running around playing tag and such. Johnny settled down at the dining room table to update his resume and perform other such mature activities.

***Before I go any further, I should mention that our heater system is run by water pipes running through the base boards, so these baseboards stick out from the base of the wall a couple inches and metal casings cover the vented areas. This is an important detail.***

So, with the loss of our playmate, Zach and I stopped playing tag and started playing hide and seek in the tent set. Zach ended up in one of the tubes, so I extracted it and started pulling him around the house. I eventually ifted it enough so that he tumbled out in a laughing heap. Next, I got the brilliant idea of pulling this tube over my head so that I was completely covered in it from head to toe. I used this method to play peek-a-boo with Zach. Sheathed in this tube I had no used of my arms and limited use of my legs. I kept pulling the top of the tube down and making Zach laugh.

Eventually, we noticed that Daddy looked way too serious sitting at the table being an adult, so I started inching my way over to annoy him. Of course, this tube reached above my head, so I could not see where I was going. I made my way over to Johnny by bumping into things and eventually getting right in front of his chair. I figured he was just ignoring me in and effort to get work done. I forgot that he takes a feindish delight in startling me. All of a sudden he jumped up and yelled. Unfortunately I jump when I'm startled, so I hopped back a little bit. Unfortunately, again, I had no use of my arms and limited use of my legs, so, completely without balance, I fell backward. My right Sitz Bone took full impact smack dab on the metal corner of the heater casing.

It hurt so badly I couldn't even tell Johnny what was wrong for a full minute. When I finally wriggled awkwardly out of the tube I managed to stand up and tell him what I'd hurt. The pain was so excruciating that I had to hold on to the kitchen counter to avoid fainting; I managed to inch my way to the couch while Johnny comforted Zach (he was very upset that Mama was hurt).
Once I got to the couch I started laughing uncontrollably. The situation was just so funny.

So, now I'm sporting a big, swollen, gashed bruise on my the lower right part of my back. It's not even an honorable story, but I hope it's an amusing one. I sure found it funny. Johnny doesn't seem to see it nearly so humorous. Ah, well; can't win 'em all.

Frosty'd!

People give you the oddest looks when you walked into Wendy's with a baby strapped to you front and a happy toddler in tow, but, what can I say? We wanted a Frosty and I didn't have a car. Wendy's is only about 200 ft. from my house; true, it's off a busy main road, but Zach is a pretty obedient kid and he loves to walk outside. I didn't want to deal with the double stroller, so I just strapped Gabriel into the front pack and held Zach's hand and we made an outing of it. Zach flirted shamelessly and Gabriel slept. It was a fun time. And it was out of the house. Yay!

I searched for the music I thought I still had for "Taylor, the Latte Boy," but, apparently, when I quit Singers I threw the music away rather gleefully. Can't blame me, it was a miserable chapter in my life. So, I have decided to sing "Home" from Beauty and the Beast. It shows of my range better anyway.

However, in the process of digging through boxes of unpacked books and miscellaneous, I discovered some unopened DVDs that Johnny bought right before we moved. These DVDs included "Mary Poppins." Naturally, we watched it and at "Steppin' Time" I was obligated to dance for old times' sake. "Old times" being when my brother and I were little and danced, jumped, and frolicked from sofa to coffee table to chair and back to that classic tune. Of course, Zach wanted to join in, so I danced the whole song holding him. I was too tired to get through my workout, but I think I'll be ok.

In other news, I am addicted to these ridiculous little surveys floating around facebook. Don't judge me.

You are not allowed to explain anything unless someone messages you and asks.

Answer True or False

Q: Kissed someone on your friends list? True
Q: Been arrested? False
Q: Do you like someone? True
Q: Held a snake? True
Q: Been suspended from school? False
Q: Sang karaoke? False
Q: Done something you told yourself you wouldn't do? True
Q: Laughed until you started crying? True
Q: Caught a snowflake on your tongue? True
Q: Kissed in the rain? True
Q: Sang in the shower? True
Q: Sat on a roof top? True
Q: Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? True
Q: Broken a bone? True
Q: Shaved your head? False
Q: Played a prank on someone? True
Q: Shot a gun? True
Q: Donated Blood? False

Just be 100% truthful

LAST PERSON.

1. You hung out with? Zach
2. You texted? Johnny
3. You were in a car with? Johnny
4. Went to the movies with? Can barely remember...I think it was the latest Bond movie
5. Person you went to shop with? Beth
6. You talked on the phone? Karina
7. Made you laugh? Zach
8. You hugged? Zach.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY...

1. Sun or moon? Sun
2. Winter or Fall? Fall
3. Left or Right? Left
4. Sunny or rainy? Sunny
5. Where do you live? Wyoming :(
6. Club or pub? Pub
7. Are there 1 or 2 people who you can always trust and rely on? Yes
8. Do you want to get married? Check
9. Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? Twirl
10. What time is it? 7:32
12. What is your greatest hope/wish? To be financially secure and adopt a little girl
13. Do you cook? Yes
14. Current mood? Content

IN THE LAST 48 HOURS HAVE YOU...

1. Kissed someone? Yes
2. Sang? Yes
3. Listened to music? Yes.
4. Danced Crazy? Yes
5. Cried? No
6. Liked someone you can't have? No

25 FIRSTS ...

1.Who was your first prom date? No one
2. Who was your first roommate? Courtney Yeutter
3.What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk the first time? Never been drunk.
4. What was your first job? Filing at my dad's office
5. What was your first car? '98 F-150
6. When did you go to your first funeral and viewing? It was someone from my church and I was very little; I don't remember
8. Who was your first grade teacher? Mommy
9. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane? Baltimore
10. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with? Never have.
11. Who was your first Best Friend?Anjali DeMarco
12. Who are your best friends? Johnny and Heather, but I have other very, very dear friends
13. Where was your first sleepover? the Hinely's house
14. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? Johnny
15. Who's wedding were you in the first time you were a Bridesmaid or groomsman? I haven't been one
16. What's the first thing you did when you got up this morning? Gave Zach his breakfast
17. What was the first concert you went to? Orlando Philharmonic
18. What was the last concert you went to? Hootie and the Blowfish
19. First tattoo or piercing? None
20. First celebrity crush? None
21. Current celebrity crush? None
22. First crush? Lado Chikhladze
23. Current crush? Johnny
24. First pet? Shoes, my kitty cat
25. Most embarrassing photo? Passport photo; it's hideous

Chillaxin'

Gabriel is sleeping, Zachary is playing with pots and pans, Johnny is teaching dance, and I am sitting on the couch, wiped out by sleepless nights and cleaning up after my three boys all day. :) There's really no news, so I'm entertaining you and myself with this pointless questionaire:

1. Who was your FIRST prom date? I didn't have a prom.

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? No

3. What was your 1st alcoholic drink? Gin and cranberry

4. What was your FIRST job? Filing at my dad's office

5. What was your FIRST car? '98 F-150 sigh...awesomeness

6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today? Johnny

7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? At 3 this morning when I was first awakened or at 7 this morning when I got up for good? Gabriel in the first case, because he woke me up; Johnny in the second, because he rolled over on me. :)

8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? My mommy

9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane? Baltimore

10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk? Anjali DeMarco; no, I haven't heard from her in ages.

11. Where was your FIRST sleep over? the Sonshine Club 4-H girls sleepover at the Hinely's

12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? Who can talk back? Johnny; but technically I talked to Gabriel first while I nursed him.

13. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time? Aunt Linda and Uncle Paulo. I was two and the flowergirl.

14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? Nursed Gabriel

15. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

16. FIRST tattoo? Don't have one

17. First piercing? None

18. First foreign country you've been to? Canada

19. FIRST movie you remember seeing? Beauty and the Beast

20. When was your FIRST detention? I've never been to school.

21. What was the FIRST state you lived in? Maryland

22. Who was your FIRST roommate? Courtney Yeutter

23. If you had one wish, what would it be? I can't tell you that! It won't come true!

24. What is something you would learn if you had the chance? Tap dance

25. Who do you think will be the next person to post this? No idea

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's been a lovely day. Johnny has been home since noon yesterday and will be home until Tuesday morning. Oh, I love useless American holidays. And I love Johnny. A lot. He even gave me a dance lesson today. =D
We really didn't do much of anything for Valentine's Day, aside from the dancing and other obvious activities. Zach was pretty whiny most of the day, but he chippered up for the evening at Grandma and Grandpa's. Gabriel was a doll all day. He's getting so big and strong. He's really working those abs, trying to sit up.

In other news I have made myself sick stuffing my face today. My size 5 ring literally fell off my finger in a restaurant bathroom yesterday; I'm glad it clanged on the floor or else I would have had no idea. I can also pull off size 2 jeans without unbuttoning them. Fortunately I will be attempting to wean Gabriel in less than 2 months, so I just have to stave off waifishness for a couple months.

Church and stirfry tomorrow. Life is good.

Stolen From Connie

1. YOUR REAL NAME:
Arianna Elizabeth Thurow

2. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:(mother and fathers middle names)
Elizabeth Allen

3. NASCAR NAME:(first name of your mother's dad, father's dad)
Francis Dan

4. STAR WARS NAME:(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Thuar

5. DETECTIVE NAME:(favorite color, favorite animal)
Blue Cat

6. SOAP OPERA NAME:(middle name, town where you were born)
Elizabeth Baltimore

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning)
The Yellow Icee

8. FLY NAME:(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Arow

9. STREET NAME:(fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie)
Cookie Dough Milano

10: SKANK NAME: (1st pet's name, street you grew up on)
Shoes Rock Springs (um...weird)

11.ROCK STAR NAME:(current pet's name, current street name)
Baby Coffeen

12.YOUR GANGSTA NAME:(first 3 letters of real name plus izzle)
Ari-izzle (hahaha)

13. YOUR IRAQI NAME:(2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, first two letters of your middle name, last two letters of your first name then last three letters of your last name)
Auelnarow

14. YOUR GOTH NAME:(black, and the name of one of your pets)
Black Calico

Happy

All quiet on the western front. The boys are napping. Zach doesn't usually take a morning nap, but I think he's on a growth spurt, so he's a big fan of sleep right now. He's plumped up a little bit and been eating like a teenager. That usually indicates an imminent spurt.

Today has been much better than yesterday so far. For some reason I was just miserable yesterday. I threw up in the morning and wallowed through a headache all day. But I'm perfectly fine today. Odd.

Sunday was Johnny's and my 3rd anniversary. It was absolutely lovely. Most people would laugh at the way we celebrated, but it was simple, cheap, and intimate, so bugger off! We dropped the boys off at Grandma and Grandpa's and headed to Wendy's for a sophisticated dinner of fries and frosties. Afterwards we went home and watch HIMYM for a bit along with some other activities. It's nice to just relax at home; you don't understand this unless you have babies. :) After that we went to a local Mexican restaurant for a drink. I had a strawberry margarita, which was quite yummy.
The third anniversary traditional gift is leather. I gave Johnny a keychain that said "When I count my blessings I count you twice." I also made him a cd with songs telling our story. He gave me a beautiful leather-bound memoir book. It has questions about your family and childhood, etc. You fill it out and can hand it down to your children. It's a beautiful gift.
It was a wonderful day. I can't believe we've been together for three years. It seems like it's flown by, but at the same time I feel like I've known him all my life. He is my soulmate I love him so much.

Zach is up, gotta run.

Shop Like a Miser

I've had a lot of requests for grocery shopping tips, so I figured a blog would be the simplest way to share my miserly-ness.
Keep in mind, this process took me months to perfect and I'm sure different methods help different people, but this is what works for my family.

1. Bye-bye Brand names
Wal-Mart is your friend. Unless Albertsons, Safeway, Publix, or Kroger (etc..) are having humongo sales, Wal-Mart will always be cheaper. Not only should you shop at Wal-Mart, you should buy Wal-Mart brands whenever possible (unless you have coupons). The only real difference between brand names and Wal-Mart brands is that Wal-Mart is cheaper.

2. Plan Ahead
Make a menu list, at the very least for dinners. Even if you don't itemize everything you're going to eat, make out a mental plan of it, including snacks. Really hard-core budgeters plan for a whole month and only make one trip each month. I do it weekly. Planning your food reduces the possibility of unnecessary purchases and wasted food. If you eat everything you buy you don't throw away any food. Throwing out food is throwing out money.

3. Cheap-cheap
Be ok with eating cheap. Home-cooked meals take much more effort than a packaged dinner, but are waaay cheaper. A casserole is not too difficult to make and doubles as the next day's lunch and dinner, plus it stretches out your meat supply. Beans and mushrooms are also great, cheap ways to supplement meat. Instead of couking a whole piece of meat. eat half with a pile of beans or rice and veggies. It's not fancy, but it's fillling and much healthier.

4. Drinks
Not only are juices and sodas expensive, they're calorie-packed. Drink more water and limit yourself to one glass of juice per day. And don't buy bottled water; get a Nalgene. Cutting out drinks makes the grocery bill plummet.

5. Lists
I love lists of any kind; I'm a little obsessed with them. After making your menu plan write a list based on the plan. Look carefully over your menu for each ingredient you will need and add it to your list. Once you get to the store, stick to your list like a Nazi, this will rule out impulse buying.

6. Bulk Up
Buy in bulk whenever possible. Unless there's a great sale on smaller portions, a larger portion is much cheaper. I buy the biggest package of chicken (or whatever) Wal Mart has. When I get home, I open it and portion it (2 breasts a pack for me and Johnny). I refrigerate what I will need in the next couple days and freeze the rest. This way I only buy meat a couple time per month at most. This can also work for milk, cheese, and other various perishables. Obviously, it's easy to store non-perishables for quite a while.

7. Stock up on Sales
Along the same lines, if there's a sale, buy extra. Again, the freezer is your ally.

8. Minimize Snacks
Snacks are bad for you anyway. Not only that, chips and candy are expensive. Limiting your snacks will save you big bucks.

That's all I can come up with at the moment. I hope it helps. And this took me well over an hour to write due to my precious little ones, so you'd better appreciate it. ;)

Montezuma

I don't know if it's food poisoning, gluten (no idea from where, though), or a virus, but Montezuma is having its revenge. Johnny was up all night and I was up for most of it. That makes me believe it can't possibly be gluten, because Johnny wouldn't be reacting. The point is, we're sick, tired, and in possession of two children who don't care. Fortunately, they're both being very well-behaved.

Johnny's apparently supposed to try to drag himself in to work at some point today and I don't know if he'll cancel his lessons tonight or not. Poor guy. I need to fit grocery shopping in somewhere.

I'm laying on the couch right now and Johnny is in the rocking chair, because Zach decided to dump an entire glass of water on our bed. It's gonna be a great day.

Trying to Keep Up

As another day comes to a close I sit, exhausted, on the couch and try to remember where I left my brain. Oh, right, in my room at Ivinson Hospital on August 31, 2007 (Zach's birth; try to keep up ;).
Zachary, the adorable, trouble-making, wonderful child whom I love very much, learns amazing new things every day. The child is so bright. This really is a blessing and I am very thankful to have a smart, energetic, healthy child. However, his enthusiasm and zeal for life leave me, his mother, on the brink of clinical insanity every day.
He has absolutely floored me the last couple days with how much he has learned and how much he understands and remembers. Yesterday he pulled open a door and today he opened a candy cane wrapper with absolutely no help from me (I had let him play with the cane thinking there was no way he could get it open) and when Johnny called from the road I said, "It's Dada!" The poor little guy ran to the front door thinking that I meant Daddy had arrived home. He knows the evening ritual so well.
But what really floored me today was when we were sitting in the front room of the house. It has large windows, so we sit there and play on sunny days to take advantage of the extra heat. We were all playing on the floor and Gabriel had just finished nursing. Gabey let out an impressive amount of spit-up and Zach reacted in a flash. Before I even had time to pick Gabriel up Zach was off like a shot. He returned seconds later with a spit-up rag from the bedroom all the way on the other side of the house. I couldn't believe it. The kid is so smart and so sweet. I adore him, but I sure am relieved for that 7:30 bedtime. :)

It wasn't just Zach that wore me out today. Saturday is supposed to be a teamwork day. I dont have to deal with the two little angels by myself. Johnny is here to help and we usually visit the in-laws. But Johnny is in Montana today and my mother-in-law is in Minnesota. I also picked today to do my grocery shopping. Wal Mart is actually a pretty easy job; I simply park by a cart return and strap Zach in the front and rest Gabriel's seat in the back. No problem. However I go to a small grocer who carries a good supply of gluten free items. They have no shopping carts; it's a very small store. So, I carry Gabriel, all the groceries, my purse and a diaper bag all while trying to make sure Zach stays somewhere near me and doesn't throw items on the floor. It's really very exciting. I don't know why I bother exercising on these special days.

I also, because I am crazy, took them both to the library this afternoon.

Johnny texted me and said the land is the most amazing thing he's ever seen. I'm so excited to hear about it!! He should be home between 11 and midnight and I will try galantly to stay up.

Watching the AFC Championship tomorrow with all the boys (Johnny, Zach, Gabey, and Johnny's dad). I'm sad to think that football will be over in two weeks, but I do love the Super Bowl.

Let the Good Times Roll

Life is truly beautiful. My days are long, but fulfilling. It's a good feeling to drop, very worn out, into bed every night and know you worked hard and served a good purpose all day. God has blessed me tremendously.

Zachary and Gabriel are growing so fast. This past week, especially, has seemed like a flood of development. Zach is a little boy now. There seems so little of a baby left in him, except for the occasional tantrum and the "Bottle Battle." He is going on 17 months and has, until now, refused to hold his own bottle. But, after two days of tantrums, whining and dehydration, I have cracked his iron will. He is holding his bottle willingly and only needs an occasional reminder to tip it upward. Along with this accomplishment he has learned to open doors, lift the toilet lid, and pull the plastic covers off electric outlets. This has made my barrage of "No, Zach," "Don't touch that, Zach!" and "ZACH, NO!!!!" seem to multiply exponentially. God made babies cute for the survival of the human race.
Gabriel might very well be an angel. He rarely cries and when he does it's little more than a mew. He loves everyone and acts like a smile from anyone is his reason for living. He holds up his head like a champ, sucks his fists, and reaches for toys. He's still very much the Mama's Boy.

Montana news is looking pretty good. Johnny and JH go up to the property on Saturday to check things out and the potential (and probable) investor will visit soon after. This is very good, because Johnny's current job is really starting to get to him.

My current endeavors include my French studies and never-ending housework. I'm really into learning French right now. I finished all 4 courses offered on livemocha.com, watch a movie in French every day, and have started a blog in French to practice. I intend to start getting books in French. I'll probably speak to the boys in French here and there, but not too much. They need to learn English first. :) Johnny will kill me if they speak French before English.

Et Comment!

So, I'm watching "Garden State" with French subtitles as my daily movie in French. And when Largeman says "f*** yeah!" the subtitle came up "Et Comment!" which literally means, "and how!"

Nothing life-changing. It just amused me.

That's all.

Flu?

So terribly sick. I was up all night with a headache, sore throat and nausea. I hope it's not the flu, especially because I got vaccinated.

Gators play for the National tonight! That will make everything better.

Blah

That is the perfect word to sum up today. It describes the weather, my tummy and current events.

It's cloudy and snowy with a light wind. It's supposed to snow about an inch tonight, but today it's just been sleeting on and off. Winter should go away now.

I must have eaten a bit of gluten somewhere, because my stomach has been off all week. Yucky. I hate tummy aches.

Not much happening today, tomorrow or yesterday. In fact, aside from regular daily duties, nothing at all will happen until the National Championship on Thursday. This is such a change from my old life of running every which way until I feel like I'm going in circles. Nope, now it's just bottles, diapers and chores.

I ordered my anniversary present to Johnny. It's hard to believe that next month I will have been married for three years. Time goes too fast.

Zach's awake!

Happy New Year!

We close out our little Colorado tour tomorrow morning. Right now I'm sitting cozily in an over-sized beanbag chair as Johnny plays Lego Star Wars in Ryan Rhodes' basement. The babies are deservedly zonked; they've both been fantastic throughout this 5-day trip.
We started on Wednesday morning, driving from Sheridan, WY to Ft. Collins, CO. I had my obligatory BeauJo's gluten free pizza (which was the whole point of the trip for me) and we celebrated a quiet new year with cranberry vodka and CatchPhrase. Of course, my drink was only one half shot of vodka in a whole glass of cranberry juice right after I finished nursing Gabriel for the night. My 21-year-old privileges have yet to kick in. I doubt they ever will seeing that I really don't like to drink...

Zachary's major accomplishment of the week was straw suckage. We bought sippy cups with leak-proof straws for his own, personal use. He seems quite proud of himself.
Gabriel also wowed the masses with his exceptional baby skills. He discovered his hands and has been sucking on them ever since. He also got so excited when I came to pick him up from a nap the he touched his knees to his head and let out a joyous squeal.

Thursday was spent in Ft. Collins with a trip to the mall and much Lego Star Wars playing. On Friday we headed down to Boulder, CO to visit Johnny's friend, Jason, who returned from Australia for the holidays. Jason, Ryan, and Johnny have all been pals since middle school. Johnny stayed in Boulder with Ryan while I carted the tykes back to Ft. Collins for bed.

Tomorrow we'll stop in Laramie to see Mikey on our way back to Sheridan. It's been so nice to return to civilization for a few days, but life is so much easier on me and the boys when we're in a strict routine. Carting around snacks, bottles, spit rags, wipes, diapers, nursing pads, changes of clothes, stroller, diaper bag, etc. really gets exhausting. It's just way too much to keep track of along with coordinating feedings and naptime with various vacational activities. Although the big downside to returning home means that Johnny goes back to work. Major sadface. This two-week vacation has been fantastic. I love having him home.

I hope you all had a fun New Year. 2009 promises to be even better than 2008. If thats possible.