Today I almost killed Chase...

but then I didn't.

It was an early release day, so I woke up Cassie from her (ridiculously late) nap and picked up Chase and his BFF, Dylan. I let the boys play outside w/o reminding them that muddy shoes need to be removed before they come in the house. I wish I'd taken a picture of my basement floor, but suffice to say, my decision to use ceramic tile in the basement was a good choice. I really need to buy myself a mop. But since I don't have a mop, the boys and I spent some quality time on our hands and knees cleaning up the mess.

Oh well, at least now I know that the floor is clean for Cassie to motor on, right?

Cassie also moved into the high chair today. I'd been hoping to avoid it and just use the booster seat, but Hercules managed to topple herself (and the chair) over backwards today, so that's the end of that. She's in the high chair until she's old enough not to do that! She kind of ate avocado tonight. Given her complete rejection of all solids other than pear & apple wedges, baby carrots, and apple wagon wheels--that's progress. :)

Time for bath!

Crack!

So we spent Oscar night at the ER. Mind you, halfway through Jon Stewart's opening monologue, he pissed me off w/his typical liberal nonsense. But I still wanted to see what people were wearing...

It was not to be. Jamie went to pick up Chase from Awana last night. Chase was in great mood, having completed the Skipper Badge and getting the first jewel in his crown. He was talking to Dylan, turned around, and got popped in the head by the power door on the new van. When the phone rang and I saw Jamie's name on the caller id, I knew it couldn't be good. He asked me what ER to take Chase to and explained what happened. Jamie was a wreck. Chase wasn't even crying but Jamie was a basket case. I told him where to go and tried to find a sitter for Cass. Then Chase and Jamie walked through the door. I packed up Cass and we all headed to the new Children's ER in a new hospital by us. I had a bad experience at that hospital w/all the rabies drama, but I wanted a pediatric ER for Chase and that was the nearest one. His Awana instructor had done an amazing job patching the wound, but I still didn't want to subject any of us to a 20-40 minute drive.

Our experience this time was great. I loved the ped, and she was able to glue/steri-strip the wound together, so he didn't need any stitches. YAY! He was a champ but it was a late night and I'm still wiped. He was a bit grumpy this morning (imagine that), but I sent to him school anyway. I emailed the teacher and gave her a head's up last night. I haven't heard anything, so I'm taking that as a good sign. And now Chase will have a little scar on his forehead to match Aunt Mikki's scar on her forehead...

Why I'm a Republican...

My friend Steve (who is actually a Dem) sent me this.

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father.

He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?" She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus, college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over."

Her father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the Republican Party."

But Mom, 10 + 10 = 20!

I don't think that we've ever doubted Chase's intelligence. Even when he was two years old and using sign language instead of words, we knew he was smart. Yet every once in a great while (the infamous "surprise face" comes to mind), he manages to blow our minds.

Today was one of those days. I should preface this by saying that for the last three days, we've had visitors. Two neighborhood girls are completely enamoured w/Cassie. So they've been coming over to see her. One lives across the street from us, I know her well and she's a sweet kid. In fact, I've often said I wish she was a bit older (she's 10) so she could babysit and am looking forward to when she's old enough to do just that. I don't know the other one as well, but she seems nice enough. She's also 10.

Now Cassie naps for a good 3-5 hours a day and these girls tend to come over either just before or during nap. So they'll play w/Chase while Cassie naps. But the minute Cassie wakes up, they're fawning all over her. This bothers me, because I think both of my kids are wonderful and amazing and adorable and worth fawning all over. So while I don't mind when they're over, I don't like how they dump one kid for the other. I was a young girl once and I get the attraction to the baby, but the big kid is pretty damn special and deserving of attention too.

I digress. As it was another no-snow-snow-day, they were over this morning before I'd so much as showered and brushed my teeth. Cass was napping and Chase was thrilled to bits to have the girls all to himself. Around noon though, I found myself getting a little stir-crazy. I could tell Chase was getting jealous of the attention they were lavishing on the newly awakened Cassie and I don't blame him AT ALL for that. Moreover, I needed to get some stuff for lunch, b/c while our cupboards weren't exactly bare, there wasn't enough to feed a bunch of kids, either. So I headed down to the basement and told the kids that we were heading to the grocery store. The girls offered to babysit. I politely declined. Chase intervened on their behalf, I declined again.

Later in the car, when explaining to Chase that if he EVER puts me on the spot like that again, the answer is an automatic "NO" w/o any consideration at all to what the request might actually be, I explained that the girls are very sweet, but that I don't think two ten year olds are old enough (or mature enough) to babysit my precocious six year old son and my (almost) eight month old daughter. Serious as a heart attack, he looks at me and says, "But Mom, 10 + 10 = 20! So together, they ARE old enough!"

If he can come up with THAT at 6, what are we going to be dealing with at 16?

Oh, and the pic above is off Cassie almost crawling. She's almost got it down. But in the meantime, she log rolls to get where she wants and nothing is safe anymore...

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Another fake snow day...

So it is another snow day for Chase, and judging by the radar on my 'puter, tomorrow will be a snow day as well. Too bad it is all sleet and ice and no real snow. Chase would like to go sledding, but is playing Legos instead. He said earlier this week that he wanted to stay home from school and play Legos all day--it looks like God answered his prayer. Jamie took the truck to a meeting early this morning and traffic was so heinous that he decided to work from home the rest of the day. I'm grateful his job allows him the flexibility to do that! I cancelled Cassie's 7 month pics and rescheduled them for Saturday. She'll be 8 months on Monday, so I really need to get them done this weekend.

Speaking of answered prayers, I may not be getting twin nephews from my sister, but I'm getting another a nephew. She had her 13 week ultrasound yesterday and it's another boy! That will be nephew #4 for us...

Monday, February 18, 2008

Happy W Day

Ah well, I still like the President, even if most of America doesn't. I mean, at least he's qualified to hold an executive office (8 yrs as governor of, arguably, the greatest state in the union), unlike a certain Senator from Illinois whose only accomplishment is his oratory skills. Oh, and plagerism, apparently. Perez Hilton did a lovely feature on that this morning (www.perezhilton.com). I hadn't realized that "change" meant stealing from someone else's several year old stump speech...

Friday afternoon, while I was waiting for Jamie to finish transferring the T&C to its new owners, I was listening to Hannity while Cassie napped in the backseat. He was conducting a "man on the street" interview. Of six Obama supporters, not one could name a single accomplishment of his. Not one. And yet people are voting for him to be the next POTUS in droves. Hillary makes my skin crawl, but at least she's had some foreign policy experience and more than a full term in the Senate. Oh, and she didn't threaten to blow up Pakistan. I mean, there is that...

I'm not thrilled about John McCain as my party's nominee. I was firmly in Thompson's camp, then Guiliani's, then Romney's. McCain is kind of like picking at the leftovers in the fridge a week after the party. But even McCain is better than Obama.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

We have TEETH!

Well, obviously Jamie, Chase, and I have an entire mouthful. But now Cassie joins the club, as her two center bottom teeth broke through this afternoon! Chase was nine months & one day old when he got his first two teeth, so I honestly didn't expect her to get hers for another month or so. Not to mention that she hasn't really been particularly fussy or crabby. My sister is right, girls do teethe much easier than boys! And Aunt Nina is right, Cassie really is (despite the distinct lack of DNA) starting to resemble my mom. The frowny face to the left? My mom and grandpa BOTH did that. Crazy.


I took the kids to STL Mills today b/c I needed to return something to Children's Place. Wow. I don't think we'll ever go THERE on a Saturday again. The lack of parking should have tipped me off, but it was the never-ending, never-moving line at Subway that did me in. I promised Chase Steak 'n Shake and took it over to dad's. Much better. I did manage to pick up a few things for Cassie in size 12 months (YIKES!) at Carters though. That stuff looks so big to me, but her 9 month stuff is getting small...


I'm off to make a bottle and feed the fam. Hopefully Jamie will be home w/dinner soon...

PS--The van is gone! Hooray! The drama-llama is detailed on Mikki's page, but the bottom line is, it is gone and out of my life and I didn't have to pay anyone to take it!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Chase's girlfriend and her little brother are over today--it is a snow day. I'm not as productive as I thought I'd be, I didn't even get Cass down for her am nap until 11am and Jamie said she was up early! But she was waaaaay too distracted by the big kids to sleep! The pic is Chase's girlfriend bonding w/her future SIL...

I figure if I can get the laundry done and keep the house presentable while juggling 4 kids under 6 today, I'm doing alright. Small goals...

ETA: Yeah--I didn't even get the laundry done. But the house is back together. And it appears I managed to sell the van w/o leaving the house...Dad let someone test drive it today and

they want it. So I'm driving it up to them as soon as I pick it up from Dobbs tomorrow. Hopefully it will get a new thermostat and be out of my life forever...

Monday, February 11, 2008

So this is why having a girl scared the crap out of me...

I suck at doing hair. The reason I've had some sort of variation of a bob since 8th grade (w/the exception of a few forays into layered 'dos that always result in me going back to a bob and swearing off layers for a few years) is because I royally suck at doing hair. This is not secret. So while many women (like my sister) are thrilled when their daughter has enough hair for bows and whatnot, I was making plans for Cassie's bob when she was in uetero. In fact, I kind of dug the "Brenda Warner circa 2002" short and spiky 'do that she was sporting upon her arrival. Because God, having a sense of humor, has given me a daughter with lots of hair.

Tonight, I attemped pigtails. And while we definitely need more practice, I think it turned out kind of cute! Cass also had her first bath w/Daddy and Chase tonight--and the resulting pics are quite funny.

We've had a bit more interest in the van the last couple of days, please pray it is sold by the weekend. I'm getting so tired of dealing w/it, I can't imagine how tired my Dad is of sharing his space w/it...speaking of my Dad, props again to Grandpa Bill who came over to reprogram the homelink on his car for our garage door and ended up babysitting for an hour and a half while I went to HIS house to show the car today. My dad is the best! Thanks to him, Cassie stayed on her nap schedule and all is right w/my world. My Dad is the BEST!

I'm off to feed my girl...

Friday, February 8, 2008

District Manager of the Year

So Jamie got the District Manager of the Year award tonight at his awards banquet. YAY Jamie! He gave a perfectly lovely (and brief) speech in which he thanked me for my support (you know, b/c I put up w/his long hours), thanked his Axa mentor Coach (who hired him), thanked his team, thanked his admin. assistant, and then talked about how the market tanking is a great opportunity to build client relationships and steal clients from other companies NOT building those relationships. I love how his mind works.... The pic is courtesy of Dad--Cass is laughing and Chase is holding is eyes open b/c he's a blinker like me. I love it.

So I'm adding adorable pics of Chase and Cassie. Chase made the Lego Fire Station pictured all by himself! And Cassie is actually smiling, and I can almost never get her to smile for the camera. I actually didn't in this pic, either. Chase did. But I love the fact that she's laughing at her big brother even more! Plus, I think the resemblance to her big brother is just flat out creepy-crazy in this pic.

Jamie's annual awards banquet is tonight, so I should have the usual formal wear shot posted in the next few days. I'm wearing a bridesmaid's dress from 2000--I decided to creatively recycle. Quite honestly, if anyone actually remembers that I wore the dress 8 years ago, props to them. Seriously. I got a pedi Wednesday night and am good to go. My feet will be frozen, but my toes are looking good!

We've still got a lovely '02 Chrysler T&C for sale if anyone is interested! Anyone? Anyone?

.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Happy Fat SUPER Tuesday

I'm giving up soda for Lent. Jamie is BEGGING me not to...

Today I happened to vote around Chase's lunchtime. As our polling place is also his school, I had lunch w/him. One of the kids in his class asked why I voted and I said that we were determining who would run for President. He said, "Barack Obama is going to be the next President." I said, "Gee, I hope not. We're rooting for the other side." Chase said, "Barack Obama SUCKS!" And even though I had to tell him, "Chase, please don't say the word 'sucks' at school..." I was really very proud of my little Alex P. Keaton.;)

Monday, February 4, 2008

So I don't have any pics of Chase's Jump 4 Fun party on my PC b/c I left my camera at home. Fortunately, Aunt Mikki saved the day w/hers.

The pic to the left is Bennett, Ryan, and Chase just after Chase blew out the candles on his Spider-Man cookie cake at the "family party" after the Jump 4 Fun party. Mikki has a few pics of the Jump 4 Fun party on her blog www.hodgefamilyhappenings.blogspot.com .

Saturday was a great day--Dad watched Cassie during the party (and got her to nap in her crib for the first time all week--WTG, Grandpa)! Post-party, Mik, Bud and the kids came over for lunch and played a bit. Hayden and Brady were so good, we really had a nice time. Hayden kept telling Mikki and Bud that they could leave, but she was staying. I think she likes the Backyardigans On Demand.... Shortly after Mik and all departed, Todd, Jenny, Sarah, Ryan and Bennett arrived. Todd and Jamie took the boys to the common ground to sled and I put Cassie down for nap 2. Sarah enjoyed having the bounce house to herself for a while...then the grandparents arrived, we ordered a few pizzas, and had party #2.

Chase got so many wonderful gifts, he is in Lego heaven right now. He's spent just about every waking minute since Saturday putting together his new Legos and is very forgiving when Jamie or I mess something up trying to "help." Right now the kitchen table is ground zero for his fire station...

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Well, Chase visited our ped on his bday (both kids had ear infections) but he (and his cookie cake) made it to school after the dr. As Jamie and I had Mr. K's visitation that evening, Grandpa came over and took him for a special bday dinner. He asked for Denny's and had breakfast. When he walked in and announced "It's MY BIRTHDAY!" the waitresses fawned all over him and he ended up getting grown up pancakes w/his kids meal--he was quite excited. All day he would look at me and ask, "Mom--am I six yet?" And all day I would say, "Nope. Not until 10:05pm." Poor kid. We've got the party at Jump 4 Fun this morning and I know he's looking forward to it. I need to get the remainder of his presents wrapped, although I've already given him a few "early."

So yesterday while we're at the car dealer completing the paperwork, I was holding Cassie. She kept grabbing at Chase's hair and ears. I thought it was cute. Chase didn't. So like an hour later while we're doing all the finance paperwork, Chase is between Jamie and me (I'm still holding Cass) and he buries his face on the baby, who promptly screams. I looked at him and said, "What did you do?" And he said, "I didn't MEAN to bite her..."

We're at the Toyota dealer, filling out paperwork and he BIT his baby sister. Rage filled me. I looked at the finance guy (a father of five himself, so it's not like he hasn't BTDT) and said, "Excuse me." Then I grabbed the little terrorist by the scruff of his neck and said, "Bathroom. Now." And we went to the bathroom. I gave that child the lecture of his life, then we went back into finance guy's office and he sat in a time out the rest of the time we were there. Jamie was stunned when he found out I hadn't spanked him--but I don't think spanking the kid for biting sends the right message. I don't think it will happen again--Chase was appropriately horrified. And if it does happen again, I'll do to him what my mom did to my sister to get her to quit biting me...b/c I was her teething ring for a few months.

On a happier note--the new car is A-MAZING. The heated leather seats make my butt happy and Chase is thrilled by the sunroof + DVD player. He's also thrilled b/c the DVD controls are in back, by him. That's a change from the T&C, which is still FOR SALE, btw. The T&C is visiting Grandpa's driveway--have I said thank God for my dad lately? I really don't know what I'd do w/o him. B/c the logistics of us owning four cars right now are significantly less complicated when we can park one over there. Anyway, back to the Sienna--I love everything about it. Which is a good thing since Jamie told me last night it's going to be a while (like our six year old may be driving) before I can replace it...it has 25 miles on it right now. That sort of blows my mind.

I'll leave you on this note: reason #565 I love my husband (and no, Mikki--it isn't the car)--last night he and the finance manager spent more time talking about the finance manager's personal finances than our stuff. He is Jamie's newest client. And he even though his hours drive me batshit crazy, I do love/admire that he's so passionate about what he does that nearly everyone he talks to asks for his card b/c they want HIM to look at their finances and help them retire, send the kids to college, whatever. That makes me proud. But don't tell Jamie, or he'll think the crazy hours are okay. And they aren't...