Big Brother - Kadin

Sometimes it amazes me how well my children get along . . . and sometimes . . . how much they fight. I've learned that my kids go through phases similar to a married couple. They will get along great for awhile and then they will fight like cats and dogs for awhile. I guess that's just how relationships are be it with a spouse or a sibling.

I digress . . . .

Kadin has been the greatest big brother the last few days. I have watched him do things for Bella that just make you stand back and go . . . "Awww . . . that's so nice!" I had one of those "awww" moments yesterday.

It's early . . . the alarm just went off and there is still a slight darkness in the room. Brian is already in the shower - me of course, I'm still in bed (I'm NOT a morning person!). I can hear that Kadin is up - he's using the bathroom, and I can hear Bella chattering away in her room.

Kadin goes to Bella's room and they exchange pleasantries . . . and then I hear him ask her if she wants to get out of her crib. (keep in mind she gets uber excited whenever he wants to do things for her) She lets out an enthusiastic "Yes!" and he's off to try and hoist her over the side of the crib.

I don't know how exactly he got her out and frankly I think it's best I don't know. I did overhear the conversation that took place between the two of them:

Kadin: Ok Bella, put your legs over the bar like we did last time ok? (Last time???)

Bella: Yes!

Kadin: Ok, do it . . . . . . . . . . . do it Bella. Put your legs over the side.

Bella: Yes!

Kadin: NO BELLA!! Put your legs over the side you silly! (ok, what she actually threw over the side I have no idea - again don't want to know!)

Bella: Grunting . . .

Silence.

Then the two of them walk into my bedroom and Bella is all smiles from ear to ear.

Now you'd think that was cute enough but oh know . . . . the helpful big brother didn't stop there. He proceeded to change her diaper - yup that's right people . . . my 4-year old changed my 2-year old's diaper AND he picked out her clothes for the day.

We should've known from the first time he held her . . .

that there would be many "awww" moments.

New Look

So I've given my blog a bit of a facelift. I was getting bored with it so I decided to give it a change. What do you think??

Most of the stuff I put on here has been pretty easy to do, but changing the background was a bit more challenging. When I brought the new background over I basically lost everything on my sidebar . . . so for the last half hour I've been putting my blog back together. I guess I really could've changed things up a bit, but I'm boring . . .

Do you like?

One Of Those Weekends

Did you ever have one of those weekends? A weekend where you actually look forward to going back to work?

I'm not exactly sure what it was . . . I know there were moments of fun mixed in with the crying and whining, but it seems like the crying and whining just overshadowed the fun.

On Saturday we had my company picnic. It was pretty cool, they had lots of stuff for little kids to do. They had a big inflated jumping castle and games they could play. They also had face-painting - Kadin got a rainbow on his cheek and Bella got a sun on hers.

There was also a tent full of prizes. Kadin got to pick which prize he wanted to try and win (he picked a bike). Then when it came time for them to draw the names, he didn't get picked. That boy actually cried - I'm talking cried real tears because he didn't win that bike. Keep in mind Grandma just bought him a brand-new bike that's sitting in our garage, but apparently it wasn't as good as this bike. Uggghhh!

The kids spent most of their time in or around the giant jumping castle. Of course when it was time to go Kadin decided to throw a whiny fit in front of my co-workers (good thing no one really knows me yet). So, I thought I'd be nice and tell him he could have one more turn in the castle since I knew he was having a great time. Not two seconds later I hear him calling the boy behind him a loser and pointing his finger in this kids' face.

I'm not exactly sure what the heck happened there . . . or why that occurred. I am assuming he was copying what someone else said - regardless his turn in the castle was cut short as we escorted him screaming to the car. Sigh . . . At that exact moment, Bella decides that her brother is stealing her thunder and she no longer wants to walk to the car - she wants to pout and stand in one spot.

By the time we got those kids to the car, they were both crying and screaming - and continued to do so all the way home.

Sunday was no exception - Kadin was in fine form. I swear we yelled at that poor kid more than we talked to him. He just whined about every little thing the ENTIRE day long. It was like the movie Groundhog Day where the same crap just kept repeating over and over.

To top it off . . . now both kids have contracted some kind of cold/allergy thing. They are both sneezing a million times and Kadin keeps complaining that his throat itches. Oh yeah and Bella is still nuk-less.

Need I say more??

My Baby Lost Her Nukie

I'm sorry to say that the time has come to ween Bella off the nukie. We've been very good about not allowing her to have her nukie during the day, but she was very attached to it during car rides and when she slept.

Hmmm . . . did that just sound like we made the decision to take away her nukie??? Perhaps I should tell the whole story . . . . .

Brian calls me at work on Wednesday morning and tells me that he is taking Bella to the dentist. So I'm thinking . . . ok, why in the world would he be taking our 2-year old to the dentist.

Bella likes to stand on the toilet seat while Brian is getting ready in the morning. Her job is to squirt the saline solution over Brian's contacts before he puts them in. She takes her job very seriously and every morning takes her post on the toilet. (can anyone guess what happened????) Yup, she slipped and fell directly onto her two front teeth - SMACK on the counter. After some slight whimpering (yes, my daughter is TOUGH!) and some blood, Brian realizes that her front tooth is loose.

The dentist tells us the good news is the tooth will most likely heal itself BUT the bad news is she cannot have her nukie for 3 weeks. Ugghh as Kadin would say. (that's his new phrase for some reason). No more nukie - are you kidding me?????

All day I sat in fear at work dreading coming home and having to put Bella to bed with no nukie. I got home to a whimpering baby girl . . . who was dead tired because she wouldn't nap without her nukie and by the time it was time to go to sleep - she was so tired she just passed out. Not a cry, not a scream, not a peep.

Of course I'm thinking . . . . . this is great! Why didn't we get rid of that thing a long time ago??!! Well, I'll tell you why . . . . watch this . . .

Now, in Bella's defense . . . I don't think her meltdown was ALL due to the fact that she had no nukie. Once again she didn't nap today so she was a little zombie by bedtime. She was so tired that she fell asleep on the floor watching cartoons . . . with her sippy cup of water still in her hand . . .

Yeah, don't ask about the frilly dress . . . she was wearing it when I got home!

Guess Who?

Becca - this one's for you!

History In The Making

Do you live near a park that's on a body of water? Did you ever wonder what it would be like if that body of water was gone? Would the park be as fun? Would it look as good?

It was a historic weekend in our little town . . . it was the first time in many, many years the Wisconsin River was drained down to almost nothing. Yup, you heard me correct - they drained a small section of the Wisconsin River over several days to do some repair work on a dam.

I'm not going to address whether or not I think draining a river is a wise decision. I'm not going to preach about the effects on the environment and wildlife when you go and mess with mother nature like that. I'm not going there . . . . . . . I'm not.

Regardless of my personal opinion, of course I had to go see this. I mean if we're making history here I need to document this in photos so I can show my kids when they are old enough to care and appreciate it. So on Saturday we loaded the kids in the car and went to the park.

I have to say that if something happened and one day the river just dried up - that park would never be the same. It was very strange to go there and not see the water. First of all it was stinky . . . almost like wet moldy leaves and a nice breeze was coming off the river - or mud pit - and blowing the stink right in our faces. A park that was once filled with ducks and geese - didn't have a bird in sight. There were people everywhere - it was a tourist attraction . . . people with cameras, people walking out onto the mud to look around, people carrying little treasures they found. - ewww by the way!

Surprisingly there wasn't as much garbage as I thought you'd find at the bottom of a river. There were a lot of glass bottles and we found one really old brick. There was a bunch of rusted pieces of metal that were unrecognizable - We saw what we thought was a hub cap and a bike frame. The river bed was covered in twisted & tangled up pieces of wood and the thing that was strange was it didn't look like trees, it almost looked like lumber from a house or building.

It certainly didn't hit me like seeing Lake Delton . . . perhaps because I know in a couple more days the water will be back. At least I got a little piece of history.

The Summer Blues

Have you ever had one of those days, weeks, months . . . where you just don't feel great about yourself? This summer has been tough on me and I'm sure it has to do with several things.

First is my new job. I spend more time there than I would like. I put in about 45 hours a week and I know that during month-end I have to work on Saturday too. Let me explain how much I DO NOT LIKE working on the weekends. Weekends are time for me to spend with my family and friends. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking about making plans, but having to remember that I can't make plans on certain weekends because I will have to work. Now I know right now some of you are saying "oh, poor baby . . . I work weekends." Yes, this is true . . . . I guess I've just been spoiled to have jobs where I've never really had to work weekends.

Second, of course because I work more I feel guilty about not spending enough time with the kids. This summer Brian has been home with them and although he complains a little about the bad days when the kids drive him nuts . . . I know he likes it. Not to mention he is great at it! If I had to spend every day home with the kids I think I would need to be committed. I am NOT a stay-at-home mom by any means. With that said, it doesn't mean I wouldn't mind seeing them for more than three hours a night.

Third, I haven't had a day off all summer. We haven't gotten to go anywhere or really do much because I can't take of from my new job. Brian wanted to take Kadin to Manitowoc to see the cool submarine they have there, but never got around to it - partly because he knows that I would like to go along and obviously couldn't this summer.

Fourth, Kadin is starting school this fall. I'm very excited for him, but I have to admit that it freaks me out! He still seems so small to me and I can't imagine him being somewhere on his own. We just got his paperwork for orientation and his school supply list. My baby has a school supply list!!! It's just unreal. The paperwork was talking about the things we'll do on orientation day and one thing they discussed was hot lunch. I can't even picture Kadin carrying a whole tray of food across a lunchroom. He has a hard time carrying his milk to the kitchen table!

Fifth is working out. Since getting our YMCA membership I have been working out at least three times a week and my clothes are STILL TIGHT!!!! I feel like there is no purpose . . . why do I bother when I haven't lost any weight. Perhaps it's because I eat like a pig . . . and my love of ice cream doesn't help either!

Woah . . . what a downer I am huh? I think I'll pull the pity train into the station for the night. Thanks for listening!

The Joke's On Me

Back when I used to have to travel back & forth to Iola with the kids, there was a time when the car rides became unbearable. Trying to entertain two little kids in the confines of a moving vehicle all while trying to watch the winding country road for deer and other animals was near impossible.

I spent many a trip home playing eye spy or singing songs. I started thinking about what else we could possibly do to pass the time. Let's be honest, eye spy in the dark, in the country was quite boring. Seriously there were three colors you could spy - red tail lights from the cars, white headlights from the cars, and black everywhere . . . I digress.

So I came up with knock-knock jokes. Now, there were several problems to my logic on this one. First of all, Kadin was three . . . he didn't understand what knock-knock jokes were. Second I didn't even really know many knock knock jokes. So, I thought I will just make up some completely ridiculous knock-knock jokes to try and make the kids laugh. Now when I say completely ridiculous I mean completely stupid . . . here's an example of one of my knock-knock jokes . . .

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Bear
Bear who?
This car ride is un-bear-able!
Ha, ha, ha, ha . . .

See, you get my point. Well, I failed to realize one important little detail about this game. Kids are sponges . . . . and all they want to do is learn new things. So, much to my surprise, Kadin was really picking up on these completely stupid knock-knock jokes . . . and the worst part was that now he thinks this is really the way knock-knock jokes are supposed to be because essentially this is what my made-up game has taught him. Sigh

Now that Bella is older she has begun to indulge in the knock-knock game as well. The kids and I were eating dinner a couple of nights ago and Kadin & Bella started in with the knock-knock jokes. I took a mental note of the jokes that were told . . . . they are too hilarious . . . .

Bella to Kadin:

Bella: Knock knock Kadin.
Kadin: Who's there?
Bella: Apple
Kadin: Apple who?
Bella: Applebee's

Bella: Knock knock Kadin.
Kadin: Who's there?
Bella: Apple
Kadin: Apple who?
Bella: Apple pee-pee blblblblblbl (she literally made that sound - it's not a word, just a sound)

Kadin to Bella:

Kadin: Knock knock
Bella: Who's there?
Kadin: Orange
Bella: Orange who?
Kadin: Knock knock
Bella: Who's there?
Kadin: Orange
Bella: Orange who?
Kadin: Knock knock
Bella: Who's there?
Kadin: Banana
Bella: Banana who?
Kadin: Ummm . . . . . . . aaaaahhhh . . . . I didn't say orange!

Keep in mind they didn't just say these jokes once. They had to repeat them several times - and as you know, the jokes just got more funny each time. Ok, so I'm lying!

I think some day my kids will be stand-up comedians.

Kid Conversations

I overheard this conversation between Kadin & Christina as they were playing on the swingset . . .

Christina: We are going to Sunset Lake today.

Kadin: Oh.

Christina: The lake is called Sunset and the beach is called Sunset. Actually the whole city is called Sunset.

Kadin: Uh, huh.

Christina: You have to follow the sun to get there.

Kadin: Why?

Christina: Because it's Sunset.

Kadin: Oh . . . sure, that makes sense.

Poo-Poo Talk

Just recently Bella went poo-poo on her little potty. It kind of happened by accident - she told me she had poo-poo and wanted to be changed. I went to change her and noticed that perhaps she wasn't finished (I won't go into details here - just use your imaginations!). So I plopped her down on the potty chair. Keep in mind she had been "going" on the potty chair for awhile now. When I say "going" I mean sitting down and having nothing happen. I figured this time would be no different.

To my surprise she actually pooped in the potty - and when she realized what had happened - she got totally freaked out and started to cry. Of course Kadin and I were just hootin' and holerin' with excitement and there was little Bella crying like someone just stole her nukie.

Two days ago Kadin, Phillip, Christina & Bella were all playing outside. Bella disappears and I find her by the door telling me she has poo-poo and needs to be changed. So I take her inside to change her and again - I didn't think she was finished. In my head I'm thinking that perhaps she purposely tried to hold her poo because she knows she should go on the potty - yeah I know I live in a dream world, but just dream with me for a little bit.

So we go round 2 with said potty chair, but this time she starts crying immediatly when her bare bum hits the seat. So I start "the poo-poo talk" which went a little something like this . . . .

Me: Bella, what's wrong?

Bella: Me scared.

Me: You're scared?

Bella: Yes.

Me: Oh Bella, you don't have to be scared. What are you afraid of? Are you scared of going poo-poo?

Bella: Yes!

Me: You don't have to be afraid of going poo-poo. Everybody goes poo-poo.

Bella: Kadin?

Me: Yup, Kadin goes poo-poo, so does Mommy.

Bella: Daddy go poo-poo?

Me: Yup, Daddy goes poo-poo too. Daddy, Mommy, Grandma . . .

Bella: Gramma go poo-poo. Grampa H go poo-poo . . . BIG (with her hands spread far apart).

Me: Laughing - Yes, I guess Grandpa could have big poo-poo's.

Bella: Yes, Grampa BIG - me tiny (with her two little fingers pointing together)

Me: If you go poo-poo on the potty, do you remember what we do with your poo-poo when you're all done?

Bella: Yes, bye-bye poo-poo! (her hand waving)

Needless to say she didn't go on the potty. I put a new diaper on her and five minutes later it was full - with you guessed it - poo-poo.

2008 Memory Walk

I am participating in the 2008 Memory Walk for Alzheimer's. I've added a link to our team web page on the right.

Go to the website to learn more about Alzheimer's and the fight against it. Every 71 seconds someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's - perhaps it could be someone you know.

I have set a personal goal to raise $300 before September 13, 2008. If you would like to help me reach this goal, click on the link to the right. Click on my name to get to my donation page.

Let's fight Alzheimer's together!

Thanks for your support!

Blogging Block

Ok, so it's been almost one week since my last post. Lately I've been having such a hard time coming up with stuff to write about! I feel like my life really isn't that interesting anymore - not that it ever was for that matter! Ugghh! It's very frustrating for me . . .

So, as I sit here - wondering what to tell you guys about - my head goes into work mode. So I haven't talked much about my new job. I will have been there two months on August 9th. How has my first two months been?

My old boss sent me an e-mail asking how everything was going with the new job. I didn't reply to him because I didn't really know what to say. So, then he wrote me back again asking why I hadn't answered him . . .

I like my new job . . . maybe. My official position is "General Accountant." Apparently the word "general" means that I may perform many duties that have absolutely NOTHING to do with accounting. Basically my first two months have been spent downloading financial history from one system to another. I do the same thing over and over and over . . . it's kind of like working on an assembly line at Hillshire Farm, minus the hair net and big rubber boots. In a nutshell - it sucks.

The only remotely accounting related function I've done is post some journal entries - which I might add - were already done for me I just had to POST them. Yeah, rocket science people. I think any one of you could POST a journal entry - that's how easy it is. (not to imply that you are not as smart as me)

Ok, ok . . . I have done some other things . . . hmmmm, let's see I've done some filing, alphabetizing, made some simple spreadsheets, cleaned my office once (because the "board" was coming), made address labels and file folder labels(I'm now the go-to person for that). I've also done some web surfing.

It's Sunday night and I'm not looking forward to another week of all those things. I keep telling myself that it will get better - that at least I'm not still at JP.

I just want to do what I enjoy - is that so much to ask??