The Car Must Go...

Ah, college. Those were the days, I was young, idealistic, and had no real obligations except the three jobs I had to pay for the classes I took, the food I ate, and the roof over my head. Back then all I wanted was a car. I spent three years taking the bus and walking everywhere. For the most part it was fine, except that I worked a night job until 10 PM and had to take the bus out of downtown at night. I only got bothered once at the bus-stop. Plus in Minnesota it gets cold, real cold. Waiting for the bus at -30 degrees is not much fun. So I got a car.

A beautiful car. A 1993 Pontiac Grand AM. 30K miles. Burgandy. My own car to take me wherever I wanted. She was a good car, a damn fine car. Until my husband decided he had to take her pheasant hunting. Since I don't like the whole hunting thing, I knew it was a matter of time until God stepped in and stopped him. Well after about 8 good years together, the Grand Am's engine block cracked. This is not good. It costs $1,000 at least to fix and when a car has 170k miles on it you definitely don't want to spend that kind of money on it.

We decided to drive it until it could drive no more and we used the Grand AM as a backup car. Only for short trips otherwise it would overheat and always kept some radiator fluid in the trunk. We had the new, good car that I used most of the time and my husband has a work car that he drive. This worked fine for another year or so until the "new" car needed to be repaired and Carter and I were in the Grand AM and it stalled on me. The Grand AM was parked with plans to sell it and get a new car. Then I went on bedrest for Brady and well you don't need a car when you are trapped in bed for days, weeks, months. Well we finally bought the new car, but well let's just say it would have cost more money to have the car towed to the dealership than we would have gotten on trade in. So she sat in the driveway and sat and sat and sat and sat.

Now Winter is coming and my husband has informed me that it is time for the car to go. It would be nice to have the driveway back and I'm sure the neighbors don't really like the car that never moves sitting in the driveway. I have dreams of her finding a new home, but I expect she'll probably go to the junkyard to give up her parts to newer, younger cars.

Wolves in Chic Clothing

I'm a book slut. I read anything and everything I can get my hands on in the few minutes I get in quiet. Wolves in Chic Clothing is my pick of the week. If you like chick lit definitely check it out!

It's My Birthday!

Ok, so yesterday was my real birthday, but since I pretended that I was turning 30 (again) I can also pretend that I didn't forget to post that it was my birthday.

Guess what the cool thing is about grown up birthdays?? Your kids make you neat stuff like chocolate cupcakes (because I hate cake) and your husband tries to make dinner without needing any help.

Let the Daycare Battle Begin

Yesterday I heard the words I had been dreading from Brady's daycare, "Brady visited the pre-school room today." The gauntlet has been thrown down and it's time for mom to do battle.

I know you're thinking what's the big deal, he visited the pre-school room so what??? Well he's not ready, he's no where near ready to move up. Brady is well how to describe him, hmmmm....absolutely huge. Not a little big for his age, more like this kid is going to be in the NBA big (if only he didn't run a wee bit funny, but that's a different post). On the second week of kindergarten, Brady went with Dad one day to drop of Carter at school and one of his classmates thought that Brady was a new student. Carter has always been "off the charts", but Brady brings a new definition to that term.

So anyway as I said Carter has always been a little tall for his age too so I've been here before at a different school. A different school...hmmm why did he change daycares you ask... because his old school took my perfectly happy 27 month toddler and forced him to move up to the pre-school room (which you have to be 31 months to attend) early because he was big and it made my life absolutely miserable for about six months! Now a child being big does not mean that they can do everything ahead of schedule, they are just taller than the norm.

When they moved Carter early, my little angel was almost 100% potty trained, had come out of the biting stage, and was a well-rested, even-tempered little guy. Two weeks in the pre-school room turned him into a diaper wearing, sleep deprived, terror who I didn't recognize. The teachers were too busy taking care of the three and four years olds to notice the signs of when he needed the potty and basically ignored the fact that he wasn't verbally at a level to tell them what he needed yet. After a couple of months of going with it and hoping he would catch up (and after finding him watching the rest of the class play bingo and being two he didn't quite know his alphabet or numbers yet - cause well HE WAS TWO!!!) I pulled him. That day. He never went back. We took a couple of weeks to calm him down and then found a new center - even in the same chain but in a different suburb and it was perfect for him.

Now I find out they are doing the same thing to Brady trying to push him to be older than he is just because of his size. This is emphasized by the fact that there is a little girl in his class that is one day older than him and easily half his size. When I asked if she was visiting the pre-school room yet, the answer was that she wasn't old enough yet. When I pointed out that they were exactly the same age, the director had no words to justify what she had just said. I have asked the center to slow down and not rush him and we'll see if they do what I asked. I hope that I don't have to find a new place for him since he had such a hard time adapting to this one and he is finally happy there.

The Monarch Release

A couple of weeks ago we took Carter to the State Fair. Just Carter, no evil attention grabbing little brother who would want to do little brother things at the fair. He thought this was very cool. His favorite part of the day was spent at a secret butterfly garden, a kind of oasis in the craziness that is the fair. It is a giant tent filled with all kinds of butterflies. They land on you and the kids can touch them (in some cases a nasty little kid will hurt them - definitely not Carter!!) He loves the butterflies!

After spending nearly a half hour in the butterfly tent which is a very long time for a little boy to spend doing one thing at the fair, my husband was ready to call out a search party because we couldn't possibly still be looking at butterflies. At the end of the visit we eagerly purchased two little monarch caterpillars - he even wanted to buy one for the evil little brother.

The day after we brought them hope, the first caterpillar turned into a crystalid (like a cocoon) and unfortunately the other little guy didn't make it :( After almost two weeks of daily checks with no butterfly to be seen we had all but given up on him emerging. Then after dinner last night I heard an eager yell "mommy, mommy come quick!" Of course I started running through the options of what on earth could be wrong because at the time I was about to step into a hot bath and NOBODY INTERRUPTS MOMMY'S QUIET TIME!!!!! So I knew it had to be something awful, somebody had to be bleeding or something for them to chance my wrath.

I am down the stairs to find the boy with the biggest smile ever holding his little butterfly in its cup! I don't know that he's ever looked happier. Of course I oooo'd and ahhhh'd and excused myself to take my bath.

When I emerged a mere 20 minutes later, I expected to find the delighted boy with his little butterfly but instead I find him uncontrollably crying. After a few minutes a got him to calm down and learned that daddy talked him into releasing his new friend right away. Apparently they both thought that the caterpillar / butterfly that had been living in a little plastic cup for the last two weeks would "hang around" for a while outside after tasting its first taste of freedom. Low and behold the butterfly bolted as soon as they let it go and Carter was devestated because he didn't get to say goodbye. Poor little boy was heartbroken.

We spent the rest of the evening looking up stuff about monarchs and how they have a long way to fly to make it to Mexico by winter.

Mommy Aren't Allowed Sick Days

There is one rule of mommyhood that is universal, moms are not allowed to get sick.

Oh we get sick all right right, but it's not the same sick as our kids or our husbands. Their kind of sick includes someone tucking them in, letting them nap, bringing them whatever their heart desires during their illness. Nope, not for mommy. When mommy is sick, their husband tells them to lay down and get some rest right before they give you a list of 30 things that need to be done today.

When mommy is sick, I can guarantee you this is the day that the mailman knocks LOUDLY on the door with a package, at least 10 people come by to sell you something, and the phone that never rings will ring off the hook (at least half of these calls will be your husband just checking up on how you feel and of course have you finished the list he gave you this morning yet??)

When mommy is sick, the dryer breaks down for some mysterious reason and the dog throws up on the carpet (sympathy sickness for mommy). They boys attempt to take care of mommy as best they can. They hug, they kiss, they tuck me in and then they get into a knock down, drag out fight on top of me over who gets to tuck the blanket it. Of course this ends up in a tug of war that leaves mommy with no blanket at all shivering in the big blanket-less bed.

Well today mommy is sick and my head is going to explode any minute and I'm going to try to get a few minutes of sleep before all heck breaks lose again.

Why Yammer Yammer Yammer?

Ah yes, the age old question of the origin of the blog name. The source of the name is my beloved (sometimes) husband "big daddy" who claims that all I do is "yammer, yammer, yammer" each day when he returns from a hard days work of discussing yesterday's game (doesn't matter what sport), fantasy football strategy, and this weekends tee time / hunting trip / fishing excursion. Some of you may get the same glazed over look that he gets on his face others may find my experiences thrilling or at least mildly amusing.

Job Description: Mom

One of my friends emailed this article to me and I had to share!

Job Description - MOM

POSITION:
Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy, Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

The First Day of School

There are so many mixed emotions involved with the first day of school - especially when they are going for the first time. There is the excitement and fear of the unknown. The the build up of the prepartion culminating with the ultimate First Day of School.

We eagerly downloaded the school supply list in early August (everything is online these days). Once we got past the initial surprise that we needed to provided basic classroom supplies like soap and kleenex (thank you school budget cuts), we started the search for the ultimate Spiderman backpack.

We anxiously went school clothes shopping and realized that Carter had grown a full size over the summer and needed a complete new wardrobe. (And as a mixed blessing his "little" brother of 2 years, 3 months can now wear his 4 year old clothes).
We bought the supplies and all the clothes.

We talked about the new friends he would make.

When the day actually arrived, we were really excited. He finally got to wear the extra special bull shirt that had brought him to tears when I bought it. We loaded up his Spiderman backpack with the endless list of school supplies. We took his picture all ready for school like a big boy.

We walked him to class holding hands and said a quick goodbye. He was scared but so brave and ready to start his new adventure.

Brady was not nearly as ready to let him go and did not like leaving his big brother in the new school one bit. He was the last to hug Carter goodbye and he didn't want to let go. We finally had to carry him out of the school with tears in his eyes. He cried for all of us.

I worried about Carter all day and even timed our daily walk to the park so I could sneak a peak of him at recess. He played with the kids like an old pro and I was proud.

When the time came to pick him up, I was the first Mom there. Brady and I waited in the car for 15 minutes before we could go in. We had to wait in the gym with the rest of the eager parents picking up their kids with Brady running around with pure glee.

We the school bell finally rang I was anxiously waiting to have him run into my arms and tell me about his big day. All my fears melted away the second I saw the pure joy on his face! "Mommy, I lost my second tooth!!" As he dug the little tooth out of his new pants. He was so grown up and full of love and joy I couldn't help but be so happy for him.