Happy Easter!

What joy we have in Easter!

I would reflect more deeply, but the talkers who surround me...

This week::

Pizza-hating Tierney got her first real job--at Dominoes!

Easter Egg Dying

Liam was very apprehensive about having a giant Easter Bunny enter our home at night. He couldn't fall asleep and kept crying. So we wrote a note. 

Searching for Eggs

Gabe eating his Easter morning meal. He pulled himelf to stand at the couch today!

Life in this here house

A boy and his (big brother's) balloon

Karl determined to hippify my baby

Too early, mom!

Gabe LOOKS really long in these, but they are too big. He is a tiny guy. He still crawls out of six month pants. His butt is so little.

New Dining Rug

I finally got around to replacing the rug in the dining room. It's so nice to have a rug again (and cozy on my feet!).

Who knew a table leg could get so dirty?! I never even SEE the table legs.

Being an Adult Sucks

I went to bed before eleven and fell asleep quickly, as usual. Then Karl came in a 2:30 and woke me up and baby up (he had fallen asleep on the couch). I got baby back to sleep and finally managed to doze off again.

I was in my kitchen organizing and washing dishes I had brought from my mom's house (not really, but in my dream). Then the room spun around, and the kitchen reorganized itself into an open concept kitchen/livingroom. I was nesting plastic bowls together to put away, when I noticed my mom sitting on the sofa. I felt like she was waiting for me to talk to her, expecting that she would be listening. But when I opened my mouth to try to speak it was dry and the words just wouldn't come. I felt bad, because I knew she would be disappointed, even in the afterlife, thinking noone cared that she was hanging around, so I flew over the counter and stopping midair a few feet from her. I managed to croak out, "Are you a ghost?" She turned slowly to me, pale eyes lifeless and dull.

That scared me back awake. I was trying to get back to sleep when I heard Liam crying and yelling, "I need a hug!" It was about 3:30. I went his room and turned out the light and tried to get him to fall asleep with me. No luck. Around four, I gave up, and we got up. Then I heard Gabe crying. So I got Gabe up and we hung around until five. At this point, I woke up Karl to sit with Liam. I went to bed with Gabe and got him asleep and put him in the playyard. Then about 5:30, Liam came in jabbering and hitting, and just being the pain he has been for the past week or so. Gabe woke up, whether due to Liam or my loud response to Liam, I don't know. I won't lie and pretend I am a good mom at five a.m. Liam continued chattering happily, "Did I literally wake Gabe up?!" Liam is very loud. Finally, I gave up and told Karl to go back to bed. AND HE DID. I am so mad at him. He fell asleep around nine or so.

I am not looking forward to subbing this afternoon. 

And the baby doesn't sleep

Gabe is the worst sleeping baby ever. Well, he's up there with Caleb, anyway. He will take about two naps of less than an hour, I will get him to sleep around eight and then between 30-60 minutes later he is up again. He wakes all night long. He is a very light sleeper, like his mom. Well, eventually they sleep through the night. Well, Caleb doesn't. He always had sleep problems.

Anyway, the back pain left earlier this week, thankfully. Even at night, it appears to have healed. The gross bruise tan-colored and nearly gone.
We have a rental, and are looking for a new auto. We were leaning towards an old Explorer, but they don't seem very reliable. So, it's going to be a minivan or a car. I may try for another Taurus, somewhere between a 2003 or newer. Karl wants it to have less than 120K. The van was about 115K when we bought it and then 140K now. Since I stopped working at Pleasant Hope, we haven't put too many miles on it. We had it three years. The nice thing is, we paid about 4200 for it, probably less than 1000 in repairs, and we are getting 3800 from the insurance company. Not too bad. Although, I personally don't care for accidents.

Driving the rental, a nicely stocked Ford Explorer with only 20K (and seats 7) is lovely, but I don't want a car payment. Of course, I couldn't get the explorer anyway. Payments would be at least 500 a month, and while I appreciate that other people need to buy new cars in order for me to buy used, that would be rather ridiculous in my case. And I don't use my car for business where I need to present an aura of success. I guess then I wouldn't want a Ford, anyway:o).

No calls on my job applications. I could try elsewhere, but if we move, what would Karl do? He can transfer to Orlando, wonder if they need teachers? I don't want to live in Florida, though.

Anyway, I guess I will go read and try to get Gabe to sleep. Or the other way around.

Jobs

With a bit of hope, I filled out a job application and mailed it off. I did a couple online, I searched through jobs to see what else I could apply for, and then...it started. What looked like a great job was too far away. An hour is a long way to drive. But then I thought of my certification running out in 2014, and I felt that I had to something. Working won't really even net us more money. But I feel that now or never feeling. I have spent two years not teaching, if I don't get a job this year, I don't think it will happen.

Being home isn't all bad, although it's been a bit stressful lately, I don't like depending on someone else. I like subbing, but I am really just a babysitter when I sub. I don't know. I had a nice long list of things to write about, but Gabe, the boy must powernap, because he never sleeps long, is crying.

New Project

This will be my newest project:

Seeds and Trees Baby Blanket

Thanks to the magic of YouTube, I learned how to do the things that look hard. My hardest part is still not dropping stitches or gaining extra loops without meaning to.

This looks pretty easy. 

Beware the Clouds of March

It's another cloudy day, but I don't mind. We have had some lovely days thrown in.

Have I mentioned how much I adore Gabriel? Just thought I would. EVEN though, he wakes up five or six or seven times a night from nine p.m. until five or so. He is so cuddly, although I have the feeling once he can walk, that cuddly stuff will be over. Liam never liked cuddling much.

Liam is pretty much potty trained. The sticker chart was a huge success, and he started asking to go potty within in a few days. He still has the occasional accident, and of course, wears a diaper overnight, but otherwise, he can wear clothes now! He decided he did NOT want the chainsaw after all, but wanted a battery operated toy power drill set, so we have ordered that from Amazon, and are awaiting its arrival.

I love Harry Potter. I want to go to Hogwarts and have a Harry Potter themed house (with custom mades, not the overpriced commercial stuff), and live happily ever after.

I love avocados whipped with a touch of olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of garlic and eaten with good quality tortilla chips. For breakfast.

I love income tax refunds and the feeling of peace and comfort having a few dollars in the bank brings me.

We can't all make 60K, so this little few thousand boost feels nice.

I wish I didn't cater to the invisible audience-how adolescent!

I wish I could take my family on vacation and Karl had more vacation time. He is using almost all his vacation to go to Europe. I don't mind him going, and we can't afford for us all to go, but I am jealous and I don't understand why he is going to be gone for 10 days. I would be furious if someone came to stay with me for that long. Seven days is the limit. Period. And for seven days, they had better be VERY close family to me personally. Anyone else a couple days, max. Wouldn't one get tired of houseguests after that? I can't relax when people are visiting.  Not to mention, I can't believe he's using his whole vacation to be away! Grrr. Huh. Didn't realize I felt that strongly about it until now. Well, the plane ticket is bought, so I guess that's that.

But I am in a good mood! :o). Almost talked myself out of it, but the dryer is running, fogging up the house, because the hose isn't on right, and I am too afraid of spiders to fix them. I have read and read on them, and brown recluses are common (and I know we have them), but bites are rare and serious bites are very very rare. So...I just have to hope and pray we'll be okay. Sticky  traps are about the only good thing to use, because pesticides kill their food and make them more aggressive. And I guess I will say no to shag rugs!I will happy when Tierney gets all the things we are saving for her in the basement out. And I will need to get work gloves for them when they are moving.

I can't believe my first child is planning on getting her own place in a few months. Of course, she'll be shacking up with her boyfriend and possible a roommate. I am old enough to still feel a little embarrassment about that, although almost everyone does it. I guess it would be less embarrassing if she'd wait until AFTER college, but she'll be 19 in September, and I foolishly got married at 19. I knew it was foolish, too! Silly, silly.

There are pluses to this, of course. Caleb can move into Tierney's room, which is a more conventional room that what he has now. One less car to crowd up the driveway.
But I can't imagine not seeing Tierney, not having that person to drift into geekdom with (Taryn IS a big geek, but she is at the age where I pretty much suck all the time). I won't have her amazing practical skills and energy. I am not practical nor energetic. I won't have her personality around. I may start calling her just to hear her voice, and making up reasons for her to come over. She'll probably roll her eyes and growl when my name pops up on her caller ID. I really can't imagine what it will be like to have a child live elsewhere.

Weird. I hope she finishes college and keeps the student loans down. I hope she gets to a place where she makes more than minimum wage before she has a baby. I know I pretty much have no say anymore. Well, we all have our own path, I suppose.

Date Night

Last night, Karl and I went out. I realized that our time with our wonder babysitter, Tierney, is limited, and that Karl and I need some more time together, stress free. First we went to San Francisco Oven. Since we had already eaten, we just bought coffee and desserts. I had the first carrot cake that wasn't really good in my life! The icing tasted more like shortening that sweet icing. I did manage to eat it all, though. The decaf was surprisingly good, though.

Then we went and watched Silver Linings Playbook, which was enjoyable. Jennifer Lawrence was beautiful in it, I would love to have that body, and of course, Bradley Cooper isn't so bad, either:o).

Having lived with someone with bipolar, I can say it was a nice lighthearted look at problem. I got it.

Now, I have to take Taryn to an extra cheer practice. I can take Karl's truck to drop her off, and then, Tierney kindly left her car for me to pick her up with. I don't like driving Tierney's car. For one, it's too small. After being in an accident, it's hard to want to be in a small car (a Corolla). Secondly, it's been in several small fender benders, and frankly, it's ugly, now. But, that's just pride, I suppose.

It's been raining and spring feels as if it's arrived, and life is quite grand right now.

Love,
Jill

I did it! I did it! I did it!

I finally finished my infinity scarf! It's a bit too long (I have to loop it three times), I assume because I used bulky rather than super bulky yarn, but I so rarely finish anything that I am celebrating!

 On a sadder note...Liam has his first bout (I think) with the stomach flu. He's being a real sweetie about it, but it's pathetic!

It was impossible to get a good shot of both Gabe and Karl. It was sort of funny...

Have a good one!

How I Met Your Mother

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy this show. It took a long to time to get over Barney's behavior in order to enjoy it. However, for the last few months something has been creeping up on me regarding the show. It's so freaking sexist. Even the female characters on it refer to other women as bitches, hos, and sluts. I think this is supposed to make them look cool. Instead this emphasis on the show that MOST women are shallow sex objects is super annoying. I say most because I assume they feel differently about the women in longterm relationships.
And I am not alone. I finally got around to googling it, and a lot of people feel the same way.

The worst part: it's the ONLY sitcom I watch. Out of all that I have seen, it's the most entertaining.

Depressing.

What a Beautiful Day

It was really lovely. Liam and I enjoyed some sunshine out front for a bit.
Gabe has a cold and is quite miserable.

I have watched two movies in the past few days.

Argo--I expected more. Maybe if I had watched it before the Oscar hype, but frankly, it was a little boring to me.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower--I loved it. I want to watch it again. I just liked it. It was more of a...sketch than a deep show, but it was really enjoyable. I like it more than the book. The book didn't really tickle my toes.

The bruise is one week old and big and ugly, and it makes my family cringe whenever they get a glimpse. My back STILL hurts. It's crazy. I ache during the day, and then at night, forget getting comfortable. It's just under my scapula, the pain, and I wish it would just stop already. I also noticed a big bruise on my knee. Their insurance company has been ignoring me since I asked for a rental. Or maybe they are investigating the guys claim that there two green lights. Ridiculous.

Anyway, it's late, and I have to somehow try to get comfortable enough to sleep.

It's supposed to turn cold again tomorrow. Does that make this March a lion or a lamb beginning? 

Thirteen

I keep reminding myself that Tierney and I weren't the best of friends when she was thirteen, because frankly, everything I say is uncool, stupid, and causes some other thirteen year old to turn her nose up at me. Oh, I am exaggerating, but it does hurt sometimes.