The Story of Me

I've finally got home from my fabulous month in Canada. So, I'm here for a few moments of boredom while hubby gets some work done......crazy man, working on his birthday. I saw this on a friends blog and figured, "Hey, I'm always game for a new way to waste time on the computer. Ha!"

MY STORY.

Hi, my name is: Erin, and I am made of awesome

Never in my life have I: been off the American continent

The one person who can drive me nuts is: my mother-in-law

My high school is: undergoing a HUGE renovation right now....my little home town is growing like crazy

When I’m nervous: I bite my nails

The last song I listened to was: I"ll Stand By You ~ The Pretenders

If I were to get married right now it would be to: The same guy I've been married to for the past 10 yrs.

My hair is: straight, brown and boring

When I was 4: I freakin' rocked!

Last Christmas: was pretty quiet and uneventful (I hate living so far away from family)

I should be: home unpacking

When I look down I see: My feet in black sandals

The happiest recent event was: spending a month in Canada with my family

If I were a character on ‘Friends’: I'd be Chandler.....sarcastic and funny

By this time next year: I will possibly be leaving TX

My current gripe is: my kids not listening

I have a hard time understanding: politics. And math.

If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be: Hubby

I want to buy: a new car, since my van was written off in Ross' accident

I plan to visit: Ireland, sometime before I die

If you spent the night at my house: you'd have one rockin' good time!

The world could do without: hate.

Most recent thing I’ve bought myself: a new pair of jeans. I lost 10 pounds up in Canada, and needed some new clothes.

Most recent thing someone else bought me: clothes (thanks mom!).

My middle name is: Rebecca

In the morning I: am usually the first one up

Last night I was: getting off the plane in Dallas, and going out to dinner with hubby and the kids

If I was an animal I’d be: a horse.

A better name for me would be: anything but what it is.....I've never liked my name.

Tomorrow I am: unpacking and getting the house back to normal

Tonight I am: taking hubby out for dinner and a movie for his birthday

My birthday is: coming up in a couple of months

Ooh...that was kinda fun! I challenge all of you to give it a try the next time you have some time to kill! Happy Saturday!

The Old High School Me

Oh what the heck? Let's give this a shot...I could use a trip down memory lane (and as usual, I'm taking you all along with me. Ha!) And being back in my home town and seeing familiar faces and places has left me feeling a little nostalgic. So here we go:

Fill this out about your High School! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be!!

1. Who was your best friend?
~Well, I had a few of those, and I can't single one out as the best. Michelle, Karen, Trish....basically everyone in show choir

2. What sports did you play?
~Does being the volleyball stat count? Also, I really liked running track.

3. What kind of car did you drive?
~I didn't drive a car in high school. I lived in a small town where I could pretty much walk everywhere.

4. It's Friday nite.....where are you?
~Usually at the stake dances or out with my boyfriend

5. Were you a party animal?
~No, not really

6 Were you considered a flirt?
~Oh heavens, no. The boys came to me! Ha ha! (Just kidding)

7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
~I was both in band and choir

8. Were you a nerd?
~Nope. I am made from awesome.

9. Did you get suspended/expelled?
~Never

10. Can you sing the fight song?
~I sure can.....not bad considering I graduated 14 years ago

11. Who were your favorite teachers?
~Mr. Van Orman, my English teacher an Mr. Baldrey, my PE teacher

12. Where did you sit during lunch?
~Usually at the seminary building -- it was right behind the high school and where most of the LDS kids spent their time when not in class

13.What was your school's full name?
~Raymond High School (pretty original, huh?)

14. School mascot?
~Well, we didn't really have a mascot, but our team was called the Comets

15. Did you go to Prom?
~ Yes. Two. One for my boyfriend at the time (he graduated a year before me), and then my own

16. If you could go back and do it again, would you?
~Only if I could know what I know now and convince my young self to take my education more seriously

17. What do you remember most about graduation?
~I remember ditching my date and hanging out with some other girls date. She was pissed, but he and I hit it off really well. I also remember that my mom had a pancake breakfast at our house the morning after grad night. She was awesome. (Still is)

18. Where did you go senior skip day?
~ We didn't have senior skip day at our school.

20.Were you in any clubs?
~Besides choir, band, and the volleyball team....no. (However, I am now starting a club to find out what hapened to question #19)

21. Where did you go most often for lunch?
~Again, usually the seminary building

22. Have you gained some weight since then?
~ Of course. 14 years and three kids will do that to you

25. Who was your Senior prom date?
~David Campbell

26. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion?
~Well, I had planned on going, but my brother in law was killed and I went to his funeral instead

27. Who was your home room teacher?
We didn't have home room in high school

.28.Who will repost this?????? Hopefully everyone who reads it! Come on...memory lane ain't so bad!

29. Who was your high school sweetheart?
~Steve Smith

30. Do you still talk to people from high school? I'm facebook friends with quite a few of them and talk to a few others via MSN messenger and email

Greetings from Canada

Well, I've been here in Canada for 5 days now.....and it has been absolutely wonderful. It is great catching up with family and friends that I haven't seen (some for many years). The kids have been having a great time getting to know their cousins, and the best part is -- that because we aren't in the sweltering TX heat, they can actually play outside for more than five minutes at a time. It's been great.

Anyway, not a whole lot to report...but there is one thing. The day after I got here, and great family in my hometown lost their entire home and all it's contents in a house fire. So, if any of you get a moment, or think about it, could you please pray for Bro. & Sis. Jack Stone and their family. They are truly remarkable people, and my heart is going out to them.

Anyway, I may not write again for a month, until I'm back home. I' m having too good a time, and want to spend as much time with friends and family as I can.

I Needed That

Yes, I'm still here. The Babysitter's Club wouldn't return my calls. Dang that Dawn (and Stacey, and Claudia and Mary Anne....). So, I hope that the rest of you Mommies out there are having fun in Mexico. Have a shot of tequila in my honor, would ya? Ever notice how you can be having "one of those days" and then all of a sudden, out of the blue, the simplest thing can happen and it makes all of the screaming and yelling and fighting and arguing and mess (Oh man, the mess...it's going to take me all morning tomorrow to clean up the playroom!) disappear? Our two younger boys had bunk beds in our old house. They seperate into seperate beds, but we only had 3 rooms, so the younger two had to share. Our boys slept together in that room for an entire year and a half....which considering Ryker just turned 4, was a long time for him. They both enjoyed the comfort of sleeping with someone else and it really helped Ryker transition out of our bed and his crib into his own bed. Every now and then, Ryker will sleep with one of the other boys in their rooms. It happens very rarely. The past three or four nights, however, Ryker has been asking to sleep with Rand almost nightly. We didn't think much of it until tonight, when she asked Ross if it would okay for the fifth night in a row. We were suspicious. When Ross probed a bit, Ryker started to cry. He said that he had had a "bad dream" about falling out of bed and he was scared to sleep alone now. I do believe his dream, but I also know that he's got a bit of anxiety right now what with just moving into this new house, and our impending trip to Canada (without daddy for a whole month), etc. This is where the magic that I so needed to witness kicked in. As soon as Ryker started to cry, Randall, who up until this point had been struggling with his PJs, held out his arms and hugged Ryker tight. He said, "It's okay, Ry. It's okay. Don't cry. Don't be scared. It's okay". There is a connection and a bond between them that surprises even me some days. And tucking them in tonight (we let Ryker sleep with Rand after Ryker asked Randall, who replied, "Sure!" with the understanding that tomorrow night everyone will have to sleep in their own beds), I was grateful for being able to see that magic and that love that exists. I needed that.

Calling All Mommies

I've had it. I really mean it this time. I've really had it. And I'm done. The summer just started and the boys are driving me insane. I can't take any more of it and I'm scared I'm really going to lose my mind this time and they'll have to haul me off to the insane asylum. I'll be drugged and bound and put into a rubber room all alone... Uh...wait, that doesn't sound that bad. The kids aren't coming to the asylum, are they? They aren't? Oh. Okay, well, then put me down for a single rubber room. I like my eggs over easy in the morning.

But until the authorities come to take me away (don't worry, I'll put on a good show!), I'm calling all tired, frustrated, fed up Mommies out there to join me in running away from home. If you're like me and are already counting down the minutes until the school bus arrives so you can shove your child onto it and fall into a heap as it pulls away, I've got a plan. And, what the Hell, if your child is still in school but you're still dealing with the trauma from the thoughts of the upcoming summer, you can come, too. And lastly, if your child(ren) aren't going to school because they're still too little, well, you can have the front seat!!I've got a plan....

First thing we have to do is figure out where we're running. From what I can gather, we're all coming from completely different parts of the nation, so we need a good, amicable spot to gather. Every movie I've ever seen about people running away has taught me that all roads lead to Mexico. That's our destination. Mexico. Now, I can already hear your questions and worries: "But who is going to take care of my children? Who will be left to hold down the fort? The house will fall apart if I'm not here!"Don't worry, I have a plan for this, too.The Babysitter's Club.Remember those books? Well, I'm sure that Mary Anne and Claudia and Stacey and all of the others would love to have a re-union!

So, we'll call them, tell them to sharpen their crayons and pack their Kid Kits and get moving!! It's a Babysitter's Club Emergency! The Mommies are all on strike! Does that ease your mind? You read the books when you were younger, didn't you? Before you realized that caring for children wasn't actually that much fun half the time? They were always such responsible young adults, we'll have nothing to worry about! Are you still pretty sure that the house will fall down around your family if you decide to leave? I'll let you in on a little secret....They'll be fine. Really. It's just their natural survival tactic to tell you that their whole world will fall apart the minute you aren't there. It's the only way your husband can survive in the parenting world. And your kids, too. They actually won't care that much once you're gone. Kids are like stray dogs...they just love whoever is feeding them. Trust me. Plus, one of the members of the Babysitter's Club always had food hiding around and I'm sure she'll share....

Right, so we have a place to go. And someone to watch the rug rats. Now we just need a departure time. I'm leaving right now -- as soon as I post this plea to all of the Mommies. I'll meet you there.....

Okay, so I'm not Jack Handy

That's right, Jack Handy's wit and wisdom are not lost on me. And I know I'm not him, but I do however have some deep and random thoughts that occassionally occupy my mind.....usually when I should be working or concentrating really hard on something. So here are some random thoughts I've had today:

Random thought number one:Why do they make toilet bowl cleaner that smells like peppermint? It's an incredibly intense and incredibly nauseating smell that attacks me every time I pee.

Random thought number two: Is there ever going to come a day when my fair skinned children and I can spend a day at the water park and not get sunburned? Even with a super strength SPF 70 waterproof sunscreen......the intense summer heat was determined to turn us in to a family of lobsters.

Random thought number three:I bought myself a new bathing suit on Saturday. (I haven't had a new suit in about 5 yrs). Now I'm feeling guilty, as usual, about spending the money on myself. Why is that? I will buy new stuff for myself maybe once or twice a year, and then I am wracked with guilt over it and swear of shopping for months at a time.

Random thought number four:Is it September, yet? Because I am so ready for the rug rats to go to school. I love my children, but even when they are in school it feels like I never get a break from them. I just need some "mommy time" once in a while, and I wish my family could understand that without taking it personally.


Random thought number five: Only 9 more sleeps until we go to Canada. I can hardly wait.

Random thought number six:I have gained some weight. Not a whole lot. Just a couple of pounds. But I am determined to get back on track and shed the ice cream muscle.

Random thought number seven: Sometimes this blog is the only thing that saves my sanity during the day.

Independance Day

Why doesn't anyone warn you about four? I mean, there are entire books devoted to the "terrible twos" and everybody has a horror story about the time their little Junior took off all of his clothes and ran around the playground buck nekkid before finally peeing on the slide all in the short time it took for Mom to fetch a juice box out of the diaper bag. "Oh, those terrible twos!" Insert nervous laughter here....

But four....Well, like I said, nobody warns you about the ferocious fours. Nobody tells you about Independence day. Ryker turned four this past May. This is my third time around with a four year old. And I'm having a bit of deja vu.It's almost like somebody flips a switch the day a child turns four. And gradually, they become more and more adamant about their abilities to do everything (and I do mean everything!) by themselves. No help required. Even if it takes forty minutes to tie their shoes, they do not want help! In fact, should you intervene and try to assist, let's say because you have someplace to be and can't play the "let Ryker tie his shoes by himself, he is a big boy now, who cares if it makes you drastically late for the doctor's appointment" game, screaming and crying ensues, as well as a general hatred directed towards Mama.

Ditto for pouring milk into a cup. Which is what happened this morning while I was trying to tidy up the kitchen. For the record, Ryker has never poured anything into his own cup before. Ever. Unless you count water from the bathtub, but I don't count that because that water was usually destined for his brother's head and it didn't matter if it spilled everywhere. Don't get me wrong...I want my children to go up to be confident, independent people. I want them to be able to do things for themselves and not be totally reliant on their mother at the age of thirty ("Mom, I'm late for work, could you pour me a glass of milk?"). And I'm all for learning. I realize that their little minds are at their peak right now, taking everything in and digesting it and turning it into knowledge. I get it. My only issue is that there is no lead up.

Ryker just woke up this morning and decided he was going to make his own breakfast and pour his own milk. Again and again, I might add. The little snot had four glasses of milk. Probably just because he wanted to keep pouring! I seem to remember going through this with Andrew and Randall. By the time they hit four, there was no going back. They were going to conquer the world all on their own, backpack and shoes and milk included. They got over it. They learned what they were able to do and what they needed help with. And now they're relatively independent children who are not totally reliant on mom, but they also knows when to ask for some help.

Just like the terrible twos, they do grow out of the ferocious fours.I can hardly wait.