Who said they could grow up?

Alright, I refuse to accept anymore of this growing up. I don't know who gave my children, all four of them, permission to get older, but it must stop, NOW! I haven't had enough time with them at the age they are. Brittney is - GASP - a teenager. And Alexis, well, she's working on it. How did this happen? And how did Mercedes get to be so big without me stopping it? Mason, well, 15 lbs of cute, cuddly baby that is growing so fast that he's going to be a man before I know it. Sigh, I miss them being small. I revel in each new achievement, I applaud every step towards independence, really, I do, but I miss cuddling them and holding them when they are small.

On the good side, I don't have to change diapers when they get older!

Philosophical

We watched Constantine recently and it got Derek into a philosophical mood. His question was: Isn't smoking a form of suicide? (This coming from the ex-smoker). And if so, then smokers won't go to heaven, right? Which launched us into a whole religous discussion which was very interesting, given the circumstances. And of course, no answer to Derek's question, however it is food for thought.

Had another trip to the ER last night, for Derek. No ambulance though. He's having servere muscle spasms in his back and abdomen. The doc gave him Flexoril and Vicadin. He's going to be in bed for a while I think. And it screwed up my good intentions to get up at 5 am and work out. I was exhausted. Plus I had to take Mercedes to school.

Are we beginning to see a pattern here?

On a good note, he got A's in both of his classes.

7/25/05

I thought I had it. but now I realize I need to do it differently. I was going to do the PhD program, but for $4000 a semester I am not sure my checkbook can hack it. It's not fair of me to add that kind of financial burden, at lest not until I talk to the Education office here and see what they can do to help. If they can't then I am goin to look at doing a MBA w/ a specia;ty in Knowledge Management. Oh joy!

One week! I am up at 5:00 am to work out (ugg), pump my breast, and just generally get back into practice. I don't wanna go back to work, and I feel guilty for feeling that way and guilty for having to leave Mason : (

Ow, ow, OW! Ok, getting up at 5:00 am was bad enough, but adding a workout on top is just horrific. And Mason just woke up. Sigh! So much for going back to sleep.

7/24/05

I have decided, I think. I am going to start my PhD in Knowledge Management. I would prefer something in psychology, but I figure I need to stick with what my degree and career is in. I expect it will not be extremely easy, but it's worth trying. I would be able to teach after I got out (maybe even before). I could have a job and become an adjunct professor or something like that. Then I would only teach a couple of days a week, and not worry about the rest.


You know, I have been thinking about having another child in the future (2 -3 years). Everyone thinks I am nuts, but I am not. People have an idea of what their perfect family is, mine has always been to have three children. A girl and a boy and the third didn't matter as long as they were all healthy. I never planned my perfect wedding or anything like that. I never actually expected to get married. I thought I would be adopting three kids to raise on my own, which I was fine with. I am happy to have my own though. I will love them whether they are biologically mine or not, just so long as I have three. I will get fixed after the last one, so there won't be the worry that more could show up, though with our household, more could show up at any time. I don't think I am crazy for wanting three kids, I don't think people are crazy for not wanting kids at all, or only wanting one two, or ten. It's just my vision of the perfect family.

Countdown

I DON'T WANNA GO BACK TO WORK! Really, I don't! I want to stay home and enjoy my son being little. I don't think I would really miss work that much, though work does offer some good points, you know, like a paycheck. The work is not the problem, I never have minded hard work. I just don't like being gone so much.

I ave a sunburn. My nose even blistered. Ouch! I really should be more careful. I was in the jeep and didn't realize how long I was out driving. Painful!

I have to give Mason a bath now. He's being all cute and playful, so I need to take advantage of it. He's so sweet.

Quiet

The house is quiet - somewhat - without the kids around. Yes, I miss the little turkeys but it's also kind of nice. I have been so exhausted from Mason's odd sleeping schedule (he's awake a LOT more these days) that I am just cranky and have no energy. I can't WAIT to go back to work like this (note the sarcasm).

Wow! I got the call from the laser eye center to have my eyes done. Unfortunately, since it has not been six months since Mason was born I can't have it. I am SOOO aggravated.

I have been reading a lot more. I have started the new Harry Potter book, but am trying not to read too much so I don't irritate Derek. We are going to get the book on CD so that we can listen to it at dinner as a family. Won't that be nice? I have been reading the latest Patricia Cornwall book, and I will probably be done today. I enjoy reading without guilt. It's a really nice concept!

Shoot! Gotta go get supper in the crockpot. At least it's an easy meal : )

Kids Say the Funniest Things

As I was feeding Mason last night, Mercedes was being her usual curious self. There was a baby picture of her in a frame on the table. She told us that it was Mason. Very cute. It also tells me how much the two of them look alike. Do you think that will bother them as they get older?

I think I have decided what to do about another degree (and when). I have GI Bill Benefits through January 2007, and I hate to let them go to waste, so I think I will start a PhD in Psychology this fall. Ouch! I also need to finish that class for my information assurance certification, but I think that will have to wait until next fall. The PhD will require a dissertation which I DO NOT want to do, but it makes me more marketable in the long run, and besides, I can be Dr Thiem. Isn't that a hoot?

It hit me this morning that I only have a few more weeks of leave left, then I have to go back to work. It's not that work is so bad, it's that I am so lazy. I work with nice people and don't mind the job at all, it's just nice to not HAVE to work every day. The realization that I would not MIND being a house-spouse has struck me several times over the last few years. I enjoy holding my babies for hours at a time. I like to be able to go to their events without any questions. I want to be involved in their lives. Plus, sleeping in is not a bad thing either. I don't see it happening though, so back to the degree thing. . . .

'Lexis gets her braces next month. It's cheaper than we expected, though still almost $5000. We are going to go ahead and do it since they are having a summer special, then once the custody paperwork comes through we are going to see if Tricare will pay some of it. The doctor says that she will have to wear them for two to two and a half years, so right before we leave she will get them off. I think part of that time will be wearing a retainer, so it's not all bad. She's resigned to it, though I can't blame her for not wanting them. The doctor says that her teeth and jaw will be painful later on if she doesn't have it, so a little pain now, or a lot later? A little now I think!

I think we are going to the Dayton Air Show this weekend. It sounds as if they are going to have a lot of really neat stuff. On the downside, it's a bit pricey. I didn't realize they were charging admission, I guess I was thinking it was like air shows on bases where it's open to the public. Oh well, it will be interesting, I think.

I need to give Mason a bath now. He likes baths, so it won't be too bad. I'm just hoping that he doesn't decide to pee on me again. I think he waits until I am being less than cautious and lets fly. He's got both arc and distance, though the aim is not always so good. And people wonder why I think little girls are easier. Sigh!

Our Weekend

You know, it's nice to see old friends. You know, the people who knew you before you were a spouse/parent/adult. They remind you of who you were and that you used to be a fun person. God we are all getting old. We've all put on a couple of pounds (some more that a couple), gotten some gray hair, and just generally gotten older. And you know what really matters? None of tht made a difference when we saw each other. We hugged and talked and laughed like it was yesterday that we had last seen each other. Oh, and the wedding was beautiful too.

It was a nice wedding. The plantation was gorgeous. Amazing how people really did live like that. And I am so spoiled, central heat and air, how would I live without it?

Speaking of friends, Christie and Pat are leaving - soon. It's a definite downside to military life. You find people you like and can get along with and they leave or you leave. I can only hope that the people who move in next are as nice as Pat and Christie. An added bonus would be a 10 or 11 year old girl for Alexis to hang out with. I don't know what she is going to do once Sami leaves.

Mason has his 2 month well-baby appt this afternoon. I think he's doing very well, but I will be happy to have the doctor confirm it. Yes, I am still hyperensitive. After all of the miscarriages and Mercedes incident I am probably overly concerned about my children, but hey, I'm a mother.

The wedding was beautiful, West Virginia, Pennsylvanie, MAryland, and Virginia are gorgeous states. Derek was not overly thrilled driving through the mountains although Alexis was enjoying tormenting him about heights. The mountains themselves were beautiful, though I think I prefer the beauty of wide open plains more. I think I would be a bit claustrophobic surrounded by a forest.

Derek had a ball talking to old friends and actually seeing people he knew. He also had fun showing his children of which is to be expected since none of our old friends knew we evenhad kids. I am wondering how much money changed hands when they found out we are still married. . . .

The hotel we stayed in was nice. Especially the King size bed. Oh yes, our next bed will be a king size bed. There was more than enough room for us and it was quite comfortable. The only downside I can see is finding homes with bedrooms large enough to accomodate the bed. Still, it would be SOOO nice!

I am glad the trip is over, though. Those long road trips are hard on everyone, paticularly the 4 year pold who is ALWAYS hungry these days. She does not always eat a lot, but she is ALWAYS hungry it seems like.

Well, it's bath time for Mason and I need to get Alexis up shortly to go to the orthodontist. Fun days!

Not Much Happenin'

It's been a pretty quiet week, not that I am complaining. We are leaving early on Saturday morning to go to a friends wedding in Virginia. That will be nice. It's been a long time since we've seen Amanda and I think we all deserve a little time away from home.

Tonight Mom and I have Bunko with the ladies of the neighborhood. I am looking forward to that. It should be a LOT of fun. I am not much of a Bunko player, but it's nice to sit and relax with other mothers.

Mason has been fussy off and on from the teething. The little white nubs are starting to show through more. Poor thing, there is NOTHING we can do to help him with the pain except cold stuff which he hates. He's slowed down on his growth too, I think maybe because of the teething. He has not been eating quite as much, although he's picking up on that again.

Derek is getting pretty close to being done with his business communications course. It's been a lot of work since he's had to write memos and papers every other day and he had a presentaiton a few days ago which had him stressed. I am guessing he will get an A though.

I guess I should go before my battery runs out even though I have more stuff on my mind. Maybe later.

Dedication For Mason

The dedication for Mason went very well. He was quiet and well-behaved throughout the ceremony and looked cute, cuddly and adorable. You can see pictures at the websites (use the links to the right). All of them are in the Kids album. Everyone looked nice and it was a quiet ceremony. I am glad we did it, but I wish we could have had the rest of the family wth us to share the joy! Mercedes was having trouble settling down so she wasn't in some of the pictures which is a bit frustrating but overall they are nice.

It's too early

Why is my child a morning person? Yes, I know I am a morning person, but not when I stay up until 1:00 a.m. and am awake once or twice during the night. No, I want to sleep in on those days. Just until 10 or 11.

By the way, I am trying to keep the kids blogs updated every week too, so if you read about the family, you can get slightly biased news from their blogs. Alexis will be writing more in her own, though she is not thrilled about it.

Derek is working quite a bit on his presentation for his Business Communication class. His partner was here for several hours yesterday. And they are going to do it again tomorrow. I hope Derek remembers that tomorrow is Mason's dedication. I will be quite irritated with him if he forgets!

I need to finish getting the pictures ready to send and the letters written to go in them. I am just too easily distracted. I guess I will go do that as soon as I am done with this, which will be now!

I'm So Happy

Well, except for the fact that we lost one of the two sets of Mom's keys in this house somewhere and the other set got locked in the car. $55 later and a visit form the locksmith and we have the car open. Now we need to have another key made and hope it doesn't happen again. Our guess is we will find the other key next winter when we wear some of our winter clothes, or when we move. Lovely. . . .

On the happy side, I can fit into some (not all) of my prepregnancy jeans again. Yes, they are a bit tight and it takes more work to button/zip them, but I can wear them! Yes, I can wear them! It gives me hope. Along with the 350 crunches on the AB Lounger, the pushups and the lateral thigh trainer, I might just get myself back into shape. In fact, I might be in better shape than I was before I got pregnant at this rate. If it would just stop raining, I could go for walks or bike rides. The bike rides are a bit rough as I found out a few nights ago. There are TOO many hills around here, and my bike has only one gear. Boy, that hurt. But I got a heck of a workout.

Derek is studying all day today for his presentation. He's very worried about it. He had a smaller version yesterday that he said was really bad. He does not do well with speaking in public. He's fine with the writing though and is doing very well. He also got a 109% out of 100% in his biology class, for a solid A. I sometimes wonder if he's in the wrong degree program. . . . He's hoping for an A in his Business Communication class so he can bring his GPA up. So far he's got a decent chance.

We've been plannnig 'Lexi's birthday party and we think we have a pretty good plan in place. We have started getting stuff for her too. There will be alot of games and stuff. She will be filling water balloons for days beforehand. : )

Mom, Alexis, and I found some truly gorgeous dresses at a little kiosk at the BX yesterday. Did we need them? No! They were not a bad price though and they were comofortable. We went back and got Michelle's Christmas present too. We think she will love them. We each got her something. Brittney might be getting something from there too. The clothing is distinctive yet pretty. And the colors are (sigh) wonderful. I found a deep green dress that I love. Alexis found a gorgeous dark blue and Mom found a fuschia. And the dresses are such that they could be casual to casual dressy. I like that. Of course, I like clothes.

I need to go get pictures into envelopes and addressed. Oh fun. I probably need to write some letters too. Sigh! It's going to be a busy day!