How far is far?

You know when I was in high school far was much farther than it is now. I mean I used to drive 35 minutes to see Mike one way two or three times a week. If I got out there and someone needed me to go get them, SURE. I'll drive back to Milwaukee's East Side pick you up and we'll go back, got gas money? I didn't care that it was 2 hours in the car in one day not leaving Metro Milwaukee area.

Now though, Man sometimes the other side of Cedarburg is too far and it's probably only got a 2 mile radius. The mall? Well that's 20 min one way that's too far.

I think I'm old. I'm not sure when it happened. I mean when did my world get very small? I am a worldy person darn it! I've even been to Canada. So what if I don't own a passport? I have friends all over the world so why is driving a little bit so tough? Time to stack the Ipod with new music and go for it!

This weekend we're heading to Chicago ( just over 2 hours without traffic) to see a dear friend of ours. He's going to be in town on business so that's as close as he's coming to us probably all year. It's worth the drive to see him and really 2 hours is NOT far. Now toll and gas money, that will kill ya but it's worth it.

So I think I'm going to work on my perception of far again. I used to believe that if I could get there in the car and you paid gas I would drive to Alaska to pick you up. Now maybe I'll at least go to the other side of town for you.

Notes

I think I need to keep notes so that by the end of the day when Gabe is in bed and it's quiet (FINALLY) I remember all the interesting things I wanted to talk about.

Gabe has been a sass lately. He definitely gets that if he says please he gets things. So if it's something I say no to he says it again and again and more and more pathetic. He signs it too so the signing gets BIGGER. "Pwease Momma" "Pwease" and the lip sticks out and he gets the puppy dog eyes. It's hard to say no to that.

If you stick to your guns and say no then the balls up his fits and says NO to you and gets angry. Geez that kid has a temper, and he's stubborn too (wonder where he gets that stubborn streak from? :P)

We had a really good weekend though and it was nice outside so we spent lots of it running around getting dirty and scraping knees which need to be kissed several times a day even days after the event, he's such a ham.

Tonight for example, he goes to bed fine, then Mike and I hear him out of bed. Mike goes up and suddenly I hear Mike yell at Gabe. There is lotion ALL over the bathroom (Sugar shortbread a Bath and Body Works discontinued one). So the bathroom smells nice, and the cats got extra water (mostly on the floor). How one 2 year old can do so much damage in 3 minutes amazes the heck out of me.

While he drives me nuts sometimes I love that kid.

Sad

I'm just sad. We lost another house. I know it's not really ours til we're in it but still. I'm frustrated and annoyed.

We have two more houses that have come on the market in the last week that we're going to look at. One is a HUD house so it has to be shown by a HUD agent so hopefully someone is around this weekend. The other one our regular realtor (mom's cousin) can show us.

Please I just want to be done with this and moved into some place. :(

Carseats?

I've thought about this for a bit.  I don't want this to be a carseat blog but I do get lots of questions about carseats.  I'm always happy to help and it is part of who I am.  

If there is something you'd like me to look into for you let me know.  I've put in hundreds of hours now helping people and it feels really good to help.  It's something I can do from my little corner of the world.   I also know that not everyone is going to take advice and I think that's the hardest thing. 

I know what's safest, I know more than the average bear, and yet sometimes I have people look at me like I have three heads.  I mean if my kids knees are bent they won't spontaniously combust?!  That's crazy talk!  What they are so uncomfortable that way?!  Suuure they are, wanna see how uncomfortable they are there are tons of pictures floating around of those "uncomfortable" children sound asleep.  Now I don't know about you but when my son is uncomfortable the LAST thing he's going to do is fall asleep because he's not going to let me forget he's not comfortable.

Gabe is one of the tallest kids I know for his age and he has a really long torso too.  He outgrew the Britax Marathon rear facing by height 3 weeks shy of his 2nd birthday.  Something that if you didn't see many people wouldn't believe.  He'll be 2 1/2 next month (June 23rd) and he's already 40 inches tall.  At least he was when I measured him about 2 weeks ago, the kid grows like a weed.  

So he's forward facing in a Britax Regent that was VERY generously donated to me (brand new) from a mom that I have never met in person.  She wishes to remain anonymous but if she's reading know that I am FOREVER grateful.  Gabe's Marathon is in my mom's car forward facing now since honestly I hated the Cosco Scenera.  It drove me nuts.  He's THIS CLOSE to outgrowing it forward facing by height anyhow.

Many of our kids are getting older, taller, heavier and as they transition to forward facing if they aren't already there is a whole new set of rules and things to consider. 

So anyhow I got side tracked.  If anyone ever has any questions email me, comment, poke me with a stick if you have one long enough and tell me what you NEED and I will do the Googling for you.  I can help and it makes me feel useful.   

Sleeping and cookies

I'd like the thank Heather for her post about Joe falling asleep.  It reminded me that I took the cutest pictures of Gabe last weekend.  

Mike and I went to see a movie and when we came back he was sleeping.  Grandpa was here watching him and Grandpa said "well that's where he fell sleep so I left him".  

This is the first time Gabe has EVER fallen asleep somewhere other then his bed.  He's very picky.  Notice that Grandpa covered him up and put a pillow on the floor so if he fell off the step he was safe.  Thanks Grandpa :D

Grandma gave Gabe and I some really great cookies last weekend too.  They were SOOO big I knew no one would believe me if I told them how big they were unless I took a picture.  Seriously my kid had a cookie the size of his head.  He ate the whole thing too and that's okay.  He's filthy from playing outside like a good boy too.

That's what happens when you spend the day with Grandma or Grandpa.  They let you get dirty and fall asleep in funny places.  Not a bad way to spend a weekend when you're 2. 

Mom's worst fear

I just about had a heart attack today.  

We were at Lowe's getting some flowers for my mom's place that's having an open house tomorrow.  We're in the outside area which is still "in" the store with fences and stuff and we're standing in line.  I turn to my mom say "got him?" and she says yeah.  I walk off to find out a price on a plant and turn back around tell her and then walk back to the cart.  I get there and I look around and go "Mom where's Gabe?"  Super calm figuring he's on the other side of the cart where I can't see. 

She whirls around and says "uhh"  So I holler his name still thinking he's probably right there and get NO answer.  So first I run out into the lot afraid he's in the parking lot with the cars and yell.  You can hear the panic in my voice now.  

He's not there so I run back into the rows of flowers and start yelling his name and I'm really scared now.  I hear someone say "He's here" and a woman had him by the hand.  I scooped him up and kissed him, thanked the woman and turned around before I started to tear up. 

Oh my God.  I was so afraid that he had wandered off.   I was just afraid that he was going to get hit by a car.  I think I aged about 10 years in 10 seconds today.   

He was fine and not scared at all and was smelling flowers crazy kid.  Thank God he was okay and thank you to the woman who knew he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

Tick tock, tick tock

I am not a patient person.  In case you didn't know that before I'll tell you some things that prove I'm not a patient person.

• I once tore apart our entire apartment to find a St. Nick's gift because Mike didn't think I could find it.
• Mike hides Christmas/birthday gifts at other people's houses or work so I can't find them
• The FIRST thing I told the U/S tech was that I needed to know if we were having a boy or a girl.  I didn't care if there were 2 arms and 2 legs I NEEDED to know (and I would have loved the baby even without 2 arms and 2 legs).
• Every time the phone rings and it's my mom I assume that she has information about the house!  My heart skips a beat.

Really I know you're sick of hearing about house stuff but right now I'm CONSUMED by house stuff.  I look every single day for new listings.  I wish there was a way that I could find out if a house had an accepted offer without calling the realtor, waiting for her to call them and then call back.   It's a pain in the ass!  

I think I'm giving myself an ulcer and grey hair too.  I'm too young for grey hair.  I mean I'm only 26.  I realize it's down hill from 25 but that would just be too much for me to deal with right now.  

Gabe on the other hand would probably point and laugh (Mike would teach him how to).  He's a smart cookie.  He understands bribes.   Grandma wanted a kiss so she told him if you give me a kiss I'll let you play with my phone.  I've never seen the kid stop in his tracks and turn around so fast before.  He ran right over kissed her on the cheek and then put his hand right out for that phone of hers.  I just about died laughing so hard.  

So when I'm stressed out I just try to remember that little boy making me laugh.  As long as he doesn't break anything today it will be a good day.