The Turkeys Trotted

I didn't realize that Abs had her tongue out because I was focused on Em scowling.  They weren't amused that we were out of bed that early in the morning.

Gunner pushed Junior and listened to Abs complain the entire 3.1 miles walked/ran with Abs.  I ran with Em, for the first 100 feet, then when she wanted to quit, I convinced her to run/walk, although she wanted no part of running.  Of course being the competitive person that I am, I wanted to run the entire thing and beat my PR, but Em and I had a good time, and I spent more energy motivating her than if I ran the whole way.  She did great though!!

Junior would not sit still after being cooped up in the stroller the entire race. 

We finished and then they had a drawing for turkeys. Junior won one, and wanted no part in anyone touching it.

Abs got the second one.  (no idea why this is in blue).

I guess we'll have turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

We had intentions of hitting the Pioneer Museum for their Christmas celebration, but we got sidetracked on the way home, and never made it there.  Hopefully they will have another one that we can attend.

Em is off to a birthday party and to see the movie New Moon.  Abs and Junior are holed up in the basement playing legos.  I've got a house to clean and homework to do before my mom gets here on Tuesday.  Gunner was passed out on the couch. 

A few random thoughts:

I ordered a new roomba after mine went crazy and would only go backwards.  I can't wait till it is here.

Junior is still struggling with potty training.  It may just never happen.  Just trying to keep it real.....As I was writing this he popped up from upstairs to tell me that he exploded.  I quit.  I sent him to the bathroom to change himself.  I went back there to find him flipping the lights off and on instead.  I asked him why he wasn't changing and he said he couldn't.  I folded a towel for him to sit on until he was able to change his clothes and clean himself up.  Trust me, this doesn't phase him at all.  Bribing didn't work either, I'm at a loss.

Abs started OT & the Listening Program.  Visual Therapy starts on Monday.  PT begins next week. 
 
I signed up for a few other things in the upcoming weeks, that I can't wait to try out.  More on those later.

I just went back to check on Junior again.  He was sitting there nicely.
Me:  What are you up to?
Junior:  Just sitting in my explosion.
Me:  Why don't you clean yourself up.
Junior:  I think I'll stand.
Me:  If you aren't going to change, then you need to sit down, no standing. 
Junior:  It's not much fun to sit in my explosion.
Me:  Maybe you shouldn't do it.
Junior:  Maybe. 
Me:  Let me know when you are clean.
Junior:  It will be a while. 

I hear Gunner pulling up in the driveway.  Perfect timing....

My name is ABW

and I spend all day cleaning.

I put Sammy outside so I could sweep the floor without him trying to eat all the crumbs I swept up.  I ended up with this.

So I took him into the bathroom thinking since Gunner just bathed him on Friday that everything would be under the sink.  It wasn't.  Of course I didn't discover this until I had him in the tub and wet, with mud everywhere.  I tried rinsing him with a small red cup.  It didn't work too well, so I left him in the tub with orders to stay, closed the door, and then ran to the kitchen to find something bigger.

I returned to find him out of the tub, mud everywhere because he had to shake all the muddy water off, all over the bathroom.

I loaded him back in the tub, bathed him, and then spent the next half hour drying the pup so he wouldn't get sick. 

He's not allowed in the backyard again until it is dry.

I then ran to get Junior from school, and found out that he had two accidents.  He was out of clothes so they put him in shorts.  I loaded him up feeling like a horrible parent, and ran to the car to take him home and change him.

Then we had swim lessons, and I was able to squeak in some time on the stairmaster and the weights.  We got home and started homework.  Em got moved up in math, so I spent an hour tonight trying to catch her up.  They should have listened to me 13 weeks ago when I told them she was in the wrong class, but then what do I know?

We got The Listening Program today, and I set it up so Abs could do her listening assignment.  It's basically classical music that is set to work different parts of the brain, and it has had amazing results.  For the price tag, it should!  She came out relaxed and in love with the program.  She already loves classicall music, and then was just music to her ears...literally.  Hopefully we will see positive results.

I cleaned the majority of the mud off the bathroom, worked, and am now ready to retire for the night.  I'm exhausted.  Tomorrow I signed up for a spinning class.  I loved the classes in Texas, and will hopefully fall right back into it, although it has been a while.  Maybe I will even try yoga too.  We have a turkey trot this weekend if Gunner can find 5 minutes to run over to MWR.  Em wants to give it a try, so we are taking the whole family.  Should be interesting at least!  Em's also mentioned that now that she is getting better at swimming, she also wants to try a triathlon!  How can I say no to that? 

Sweet dreams...of anything other than mud, dirt, and cleaning.

The price you pay

I jetted away to Texas on Thursday.  I arrived in Houston just as my mom and sister were pulling through the pickup line at the airport.  We hopped in and went to my uncle's house where I had enough time to change clothes and then head over to the church for my grandmother's viewing.

My mom is one of 7 kids.  Imagine 7 kids with children and grandchildren.  Some have procreated more prolificly than others have ever even thought about.  We spent the night with my brother and then the next day headed to the funeral.

My grandmother was a military wife, during WWII and Korea.  My grandfather would leave for years at a time, and correspondance was shotty at best.  She used to venture down to the post office twice a day with my mother in tow, to check for a letter from him.  They also listed those that had been killed, in the newspaper and you would have to check there as well.  I can't even imagine.

It was great to see my immediate family and my extended family and my mom and sisters and I headed back to Georgetown Friday night.  We had Mexican for dinner, and then for lunch the next day.  I could have eaten it every single meal.

While I was basking in the beautiful weather in Texas, Gunner and the kiddos were freezing in Colorado.  They got about 6-8" of snow.  While I was wishing I had brought sandals, he was bundling them up in their snow gear to go sledding.

While I was waiting to board my flight on Sunday, TSA was all over our gate.  They started doing random searches, and everyone was giving the other passengers a once-over to see if anyone looked suspicious.  We finally got out of there late, and I used my drink coupons to have a glass of wine on the ride home.

When we arrived in Denver, the ground was covered in snow.  I finally made it out to my car, which was buried under the snow.  The doors were frozen shut.  Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less.

I pried open two doors, and turned on the car, found Gunner's ice scraper, and then loaded my luggage into the trunk.  As I was going back for my second suitcase, I slipped on the ice and fell.  I hit my butt, whacked my head, and slammed my elbows into the ground.  I started to cry.  I laid there for a few minutes whimpering and realized I was out at the far end of the parking lot, it was dark, there was snow, and no one was going to care, so I got up.

I wiped my tears, loaded the last suitcase, and started shoveling the snow off.  I finally got the car in a driveable condition and headed home.  My windows were frozen shut and fogged up, and the car never got warm.  Time to check the radiator fluid.  I made it home almost three hours later (from the time my flight landed).

Before Gunner arrives home after a deployment, a TDY or field time, I scrub the house from top to bottom.  Apparently he didn't get that memo!  So although the house was a mess, the kids were happy and tucked into bed.  They had a great time with movie nights, sledding, trying to make a snowman, and just hanging out.  I'll clean the house, after all, he did keep them alive!

This morning when Junior got up he had thrown up in his sleep.  Lucky me.  It looked like he just did it once, and he seemed fine, so I called Gunner to see if he was acting sick at all.

Me:  Junior threw up sometime last night.
Gunner:  Really? (total surprise)
Me:  Yeah, was he acting okay last night?
Gunner:  Yep.  Although did I mention he at an entire tube of toothpaste?
Me:  Are you kidding?
Gunner:  No, I sent him to go potty, how was I supposed to know he would eat a tube of toothpaste?

So Junior is fine today, the sheets are cleaned, and I'm locking up the toothpaste.