The Adventures of Super O!

Rascal...My Hero!!

2011-02-12T10:20:00.004-06:00

This dog is my hero. Something happened last night that was so heinous, so horrible, so skin crawling so tight I look like Joan Rivers this morning, so...words cannot describe it, and Rascal saved us. It was so bad that the only way to communicate it was to resurrect this poor little blog that I've been neglecting for over a year. Read on if you dare...

About a week ago, the man thought we had a mouse in the basement. Mice in the basement is not a huge deal when you live in the country on a farm, it's kind of expected. This doesn't make it okay or better, but I've learned to live with it. He set a few traps, as he does every year around this time, and we waited. A few days ago he had a sneaking suspicion that this mouse wasn't a mouse after all, but a rat. The traps he was using had been sprung, the bait had been eaten but there was no 'body' to be found. He and his nephew poked around down there for a while on Wednesday and they found more evidence that this wasn't your cute, little, run of the mill mouse. They actually saw it, or at least part of it, and described it to me as 'half as big as Sophie'. This is when I started getting worried because Sophie is our 12" long, 5 pound, 3 month old daschund puppy. In my mind I was picturing a huge sewer rat! The kind you see in crime shows, when the characters are looking for a dead body in the underbelly of a large city. I was NOT okay with this rodent living in my house!!

Last night, Super O! and I were on the couch watching a movie and I noticed that Rascal was acting very strange. He's usually relaxing on the couch with us but last night he was very agitated. He couldn't be still, he was running between the living room and Super O!'s bedroom door. He was whining. Something was amiss. I went to Super O!'s bedroom door and removed the gate so he could investigate. At this point I realized the rodent was in her closet! I could hear it moving around in there. I started to panic! What do I do? I can't send her to bed in there...not with that B rated movie sewer monster in there! I was afraid to even tell her about it. I couldn't deal with her panic on top of my own! I let Rascal stay in there for a while. He sniffed, he poked his nose into nooks and crannies, he stared at the walls as if he could sense it moving around in the skeleton of the house. He freaked me out!

After a while I decided the best course of action was to just put the gate back up and close the door. The man would take care of it later. After all, he IS the man and rodents are his job! Around 10:00 we went to bed. I let Super O! sleep in my bed because of the horrors that were laying in wait in her room. I put the dogs into their crates, locked the doors and turned off the lights. We settled into bed. After about 10 minutes Super O! fell asleep and I started to drift off. That's when I heard it. IT WAS IN MY ROOM!!! How it got there I still don't know but I could hear it's little nails scraping on the hard wood floors at the foot of the bed. Then I heard it next to the bed!! I jumped up, turned on my nightstand lamp, grabbed my glasses and cautiously started looking around. I refused to leave the relative safety of my bed! I must have spooked it (HA...I spooked IT! Right!) because I didn't hear it anymore. I waited a few minutes and bravely got out of bed to get the phone. I called the man to let him know what was happening...IN OUR BEDROOM! He suggested I let Rascal out for the night to see if he could catch it. Rascal has never been out of his crate while we're in bed so he wasn't sure what to do. He went from the bed to the floor to the living room and back again. After a few minutes he vigilantly settled in by my feet and watched. I figured I was safe at this point so I started to drift off.

I'm not sure how much time passed but I was rudely jolted awake by the sound of Rascal hitting the floor. He was determined to get the intruder and save his female masters. However, the rodent was sly and got away from him...this time. He came back to bed to play the waiting game again. This time he sat upright at the foot of the bed. The next time he saw his foe he wasn't going to fail. He had a duty to protect his family and he took it very seriously! I felt safe with my knight in furry armor standing guard so I drifted off again.

Again I was yanked from the depths of sleep by the sound of my hunter pouncing on his prey. Rascal had it and I knew I didn't want to look. It was over in a matter of seconds but the sounds I heard keep replaying in my head. The victim squealed a few times and then...cruuuuunnnnnnch...it was done. The rodent would not be bothering us any longer.

I was very relieved until I remembered that the cats we had when I was a kid liked to bring their new 'toys' to us so we could see how well they were earning their keep. Was Rascal going to do this? Was he going to jump onto the bed with a rodent corpse in his jaw, his ears perked up and a sparkle in his eye? "Look Mom, I got this for you!! Isn't it great?" I knew the man would be coming home soon but would it be soon enough? I laid in bed, paralyzed, willing him to come home RIGHT NOW! Ok, RIGHT NOW! No? How about RIGHT NOW? I really don't know how long it was and at some point I realized I couldn't hear Rascal in my room any longer, but finally I heard the man on the deck. My man was home! I didn't have to deal with a corpse because HE WOULD!

He came straight to our room when he got into the house. I told him what had transpired and begged him to find the body. I don't do well with dead things and he knows this. Rascal was jumping around as if to say "Guess what I did Dad...come look...it's the coolest, bestest thing I've ever done!" The man poked around in our room and couldn't find anything so he followed Rascal to the living room and there it was. I like to believe he knows how his mother is and felt the need to remove the body from the scene of the crime so she wouldn't completely LOSE HER SHIT! I love him for this.

The man took the evidence outside where he deposited it in the snow a few feet off the end of the deck. Right in the center of the view from my kitchen window. So I could see it when I got my morning drink of water. And he thought this was funny. I still love him though.

So, that's the story of Rascal the Rat Slayer and how he saved his damsel's in distress. He's a good boy and he knows it!

p.s. Super O! slept through all of this. The barking, the yelling, the freaking out, the lights turning off and on, the talking...she didn't hear a thing! And the rodent wasn't as big as the man made it sound or as big as I imagined it. It was about as big as a small can of fruit cocktail. I know this because it was one of the first things I saw this morning. Outside my kitchen window. Where the man who loves me left it. For me to see. Did I mention that I still love him anyway?

Angels among us...

2009-11-02T16:52:00.005-06:00

So, a few years ago I met a whole bunch of wonderful people at Jackie's TV Blog. In the last year I haven't visited there much but I have kept in touch with a few of the friends I met via Facebook.

A couple of weeks ago I made a status update about how Super O! wanted a pillow pet in the worst kind of way and she was driving me nuts about it!

This is where the angels come in... Two of the ladies I met at Jackie's TV Blog, Margo & Laurie, took it upon themselves to order one for Super O! as an early birthday present. As you can imagine I was completely floored at the generosity of these two people I had never met in person! Why would they do something so wonderfully nice for my little girl? The answer...because they are two of the best people I know!

Super O! wanted the puppy pillow and it was delivered on Friday. As expected she was over the moon with excitement and has slept with it every night since it came. It's her favorite thing in the world!

She even incorporated it into her Halloween costume...

Thanks Margo & Laurie for bringing such a bright spot into our lives! Thanks for being the wonderful people that you are!

2009-10-05T10:08:00.003-05:00

What? Has it been 6 months since my last post? I'm sorry little blog of mine but Facebook has taken over as my communication method of choice. I promise I'll try not to ignore you so much in the future.

I just thought I'd stop by and say a huge THANK YOU to anyone who has used my Amazon link over in my sidebar. Because of you I just ordered Olivia another game suggested by the special education teachers at her school. They play What's GNU? in her speech class all the time!

Thanks again from Super O! and her Super Mom!

Is there anything cuter than puppies??

2009-04-12T17:03:00.003-05:00

My aunt Betty has 10 week old puppies. They're mutts but we're pretty sure there's some chihuahua, some kind of boxer and maybe Jack Russell terrier in there. Super O! absolutely loves the puppies!!

One is a boy, PJ, and the other is a girl, Molly. Don't ask which is which because I can't tell them apart!

The only thing cuter than puppies is a kid with puppies...

See...I told ya so!!

Howdy from Georgia!

2009-04-12T10:02:00.010-05:00

Super O! is having a blast! She's meeting relatives she never knew she had. And guess what?? The Easter Bunny found her all the way down here! I'll post more pics later of her hunting for eggs in shorts, something she's never been able to do in the frozen tundra that is Wisconsin...

This is Super O! and her Papa. He got her a Nintendo DS for Easter. Right now he's her favorite person in the whole world!!

This is Super O! and Granny, her great-grandma and my grandma. We love our Granny!!

We took Super O! to "meet" my grandpa who died right before I turned 13. I wish he could have known her.

Papa was trying to teach her how to hit a baseball. She's not so good at keeping her eye on the ball but she does alright.

And we'll leave you with this. I just love this face!

Vacation Baby!!!

2009-03-31T08:51:00.003-05:00

Super O! and I are embarking on an adventure of epic proportions next week. We'll be traveling to Georgia to visit my dad & grandmother. She is so frickin excited she can't contain herself. First of all, we'll be going on a plane. How cool is that? Second of all, if you look at a map GA is very, very far away from WI. We've discussed the weather in GA, which is averaging at about 70 the last few days. This means she'll be able to wear shorts!!! Papa is taking her fishing, which is something she's never done. We'll be spending a day in Savannah, which is by the ocean. I mean, what isn't there for a 6 year old to freak out about?

I'll be sure to post pics upon our return. I may be offline while we're there too. I can't remember if Granny has moved into the 21st century or if she's still on dial-up service.

You guys rock!

2009-03-27T08:48:00.004-05:00

A few months ago I added a link in my right side bar for the Amazon Associates Program. I just wanted to let you guys know how much I appreciate your using it. I received a gift card from Amazon this morning which has allowed me to purchase a few couple of computer games for Super O!.

She's getting ITZABITZA

And Jump Start Kindergarten

You guys are the bestest eFriends anyone could ask for and this is why...

A few months ago her teachers and I realized that Super O! can recognize letters, numbers and read words that she sees on TV or when playing computer games but when asked to do the same things by me or a teacher she shuts down. We believe that she's afraid of being wrong and looking "dumb". When she's interacting with a non-person there's no pressure. The TV or computer can't think she's "dumb". They've been trying to include more educational videos and computer games in her one-on-one classes like speech and math and she seems to be responding well.

Because of your generosity I was able to order these games that can help her at home. Not that I couldn't afford to buy them myself, but having the gift cards allows me to spend my money on other things she needs like clothes (that kid is growing like a weed lately!!), books and educational videos.

Thank you so much from the very bottom of my heart! Please give yourselves a big bear hug from me & Super O!

I'll keep you posted on how she does with the games once we get them.

Snippits

2009-03-25T09:29:00.005-05:00

Super O! is at such a fun age. She's always saying the funniest things & just cracking me up. Lemme share a few...

Last night at 7pm
Me: You have to go to bed in an hour.
Her: But I want to stay up late.
Me:Fine, you can go to bed at 8:00 then.
Her:AWESOME!!!

Yesterday at the doctors office. We were looking at a book with animal babies & mothers that included a lion & her cub.
Her: I don't want Buddy & Schatzi anymore. I want one of those!

We used to live a block away from my mom. About a year ago we moved 4 miles away. Super O! spent the night at Nini's house on Saturday and on Sunday she told me this.
Her: When we're done living here, I want to live across the street from Nini.

Random from a few weeks ago.
Her: What my heck?

I was playing a Hidden Object game from Big Fish Games.
Her: Mom, can I help you.
Me:Sure. Find a basketball.
Her (a minute later): Mom, I can't find it. My knee hurts too much.

A few nights ago I made burritos for dinner. I told Super O! to go wash her hands before dinner. She threw a fit but washed them anyway. When it was time to eat, I got a burrito shell out for her and asked what she wanted on it. She said nothing. I informed her that a flour tortilla IS NOT dinner. She rolled her eyes at me, told me I was mean & stomped into her bedroom.

Mr. President...

2009-03-23T09:44:00.003-05:00

One thing about Super O! getting older is that she's starting to understand grown-up concepts. Leading up to the election in November, her school was all about electing a new president. In January, the kids all got out of class to watch the Inauguration in the auditorium. Because of this, Super O! is very aware of who our president is. She's pretty much in love with Barack Obama.

We turned on the TV a few weeks ago and the first thing we saw was President Obama. Super O! looked at the TV and said "Hey, I know that guy! It's Barack Obama!". I asked her who he was and she said "The president". Yesterday I was watching the Obama interview on 60 Minutes and Super O! was all excited because Barack Obama was on TV. She even dragged Corey into the living room saying "Come look...I have to show you something". When he got there she pointed at the TV and said "Look...it's Barack Obama!". This girl is very proud of our president.

I'm just glad that she's old enough to start to understand what this man means to our country. I have every faith that he will make things better for younger generation. I'm glad that she gets excited when she sees President Obama on TV. I'm glad that our country was smart enough to elect a man who can change things for Super O! Thank you President Obama. From the bottom of this Super Mom's heart.

If you missed the interview, you can watch it here...

Watch CBS Videos Online

Oh my...

2009-03-19T14:31:00.002-05:00

Has it really been THAT long since I've posted here? No wonder nobody ever reads this stuff!

I only have a minute, but I wanted to stop in and share a video of Super O! that I took on my Blackberry phone the other night. I'm not sure, but I think she's looking at beauty pageants in her future...

Sorry for the poor quality, but as I said I took this with my phone.

Isn't she the cutest thing EVER!?!

Gingerbread Man Update

2009-01-05T12:44:00.005-06:00

When I dropped Super O! off at school this morning, I took a gander at the postcard map in her classroom. There are about 25 postcards and 3/4 of them are for Super O! I plan on taking a picture of it so you can see what you guys did!

Thanks to everyone who sent a card!

Update: I got a picture this morning!

Sorry for the poor quality. I took this with my Blackberry.

Thanks again to everyone!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-29T11:16:00.006-06:00

Christmas was here and now it's gone. We had a wonderful holiday packed with presents, food and good company. Super O! was really into Santa this year, so it was especially fun.

I have some video and pictures to post when I find the time to get them off of the cameras. While you're waiting, here's the loot we left for Santa on Christmas morning.

Santa even left her a note in the card she left for him! Oh my!

Schatzi even had a moment of Holiday cheer and let Super O! love on her. She's not happy that I got it on camera!

And...since Santa has come & gone, Super O! thinks she doesn't have to be good anymore. Look out everyone!

(The pictures were taken with my Blackberry phone, so please excuse the poor quality.)

Partay!!!

2008-12-17T09:30:00.011-06:00

Super O! had her party on Saturday. We decided to do it at the bowling alley and it was the first time she had her friends at a party. I kept it small, only allowing her to invite 6 friends. As you can see from the pictures, most of her friends are boys which is not surprising if you know my child. It was a huge success!

The cast of characters...

(From left to right - Back row: Tyler, Kyle, Jacob H., Jacob K.; Front row: Kylie, Super O!, Addyson)

Here she is helping Addyson get the hang of bowling. She's only 4 ya know!

And last but not least. Here's Super O! bowling. Not sure what she's doing on the floor, but...

Shhhh...it's a secret...

2008-12-16T13:16:00.004-06:00

Guess what Super O! is getting for Christmas?

Now, I know what you're thinking. "That's for ORKMommy, not Super O!" Well, you're a little bit right and a little bit wrong. I want the Wii Fit for exercise, but Super O! loves it for the fun games. She loves the downhill skiing and you should see her doing the hula hoop game. So, this is probably more of a family present, but with times the way they are I'm just gonna pass it off as a Super O! present!

p.s. Her birthday party on Saturday was a huge success. I'll post more as soon as I get the pictures & video on the computer...

THANK YOU!!

2008-12-09T16:11:00.002-06:00

We have about a dozen post cards coming from different areas of the country. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help Super O! and her Kindergarten class. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read this.

Also, thank you for the well wishes for my mom. She's doing fine. She did find out that her right lung was bruised but she hasn't had any side effects so that's good. We found out that the other person did indeed have insurance. She was planning on buying a new car in the spring so this just moved up her plans a bit. She'll probably get more money to put down than she would have gotten on a trade too. Again, if you don't know what I'm talking about, read this.

Thanks to everyone from Super O! and Super Nini!

Super O! Needs YOU!!!

2008-12-05T09:22:00.003-06:00

Hi!

I'm the Gingerbread Man. My friend, Super O!, was reading a story about me in kindergarten. I decided to jump out of the storybook and come visit you. I know my friends back at Edgar Elemebtary School are wondering where I ran.

Please help them by sending them a picture postcard depicting something about the area where you live. The class will hang the postcard on a large map of the United States. This will help them in their study of the United States by showing them what different parts of the country look like. Later this year, my friend will get to take the postcard home.

You can mail it to:

Email me at orkmommy@gmail.com and I'll send you the address

I know my friends will enjoy hearing from you and learning where I have run!

Thank you for your help. Gotta run!
The Gingerbread Man

Poor Nini!

2008-12-04T16:24:00.007-06:00

Super O!'s grandma, Nini, was in a car accident yesterday morning on her way to work. She's okay, but her car isn't!

She was traveling down the main highway, about 45-50 mph, and it had snowed the night before. A car with high-schoolers was coming down a side road and apparently didn't give themselves enough time to stop with the ice & snow. They went right through the stop sign and hit her. She slid about 100' at an angle and landed in the ditch. The ditch was about 6-8' deep and very steep. Had she hit the ditch sideways, I'm positive the car would have flipped over.

She was taken to the hospital by ambulance just to be checked out and everything was fine. Both airbags deployed but she has major soreness in her right shoulder from being hit by the airbag.

The thing I don't get is that of the 3 kids in the car, and the mother who was on the scene within minutes, only the younger boy (about 12yrs old) showed any concern for her. To this very minute, nobody has called to see how she's doing or what the extent of her injuries were. Wouldn't you call to see how the other person was doing if you slammed into their car?

She's fine now, but her car isn't. And I'm pretty pissed off!

She's so funny!

2008-12-02T11:57:00.011-06:00

Story 1:
The other day, Super O! and I were going over some of her school work. The page looked like this:

There were several pages with different letters and pictures. We were looking at one and she couldn't think of the word for the picture. This happens to her frequently because of her speech delay. She knows what the picture is, but she just can't find the word. I could tell she was thinking very hard because of her face. She finally looked at me and said "I need to open my brain".

Not sure where she got that, but I told her that mommy feels the same way all the time. Don't you wish you could open your brain and find what you're looking for?

Story 2:
A few days ago, Corey came into the house for lunch and he & Super O! were running around playing with each other. Since it was the weekend, Super O! was still in her fleece footie pajamas. After a while, his back started hurting so he laid on the floor on his stomach to stretch it out. Of course, Super O! climbed on his back so he could give her a horsey ride. He got up on his hands & knees and started to go and she yelled "Wait!!!" and climbed down. She ran into her bedroom and came out a minute later wearing her horseback riding helmet. She climbed back onto his back and said "Ok, now go!". (No, I didn't get a picture...I couldn't find the camera and they quit too soon.)

Story 3:
Super O! has started writing things other than her name. A few weeks ago, before my dad made the trip up from GA for Thanksgiving, she wanted to write PAPA. I helped her the first few times and now she's a pro. The other day, I got out of the shower and she was waiting for me. She said "Mom, come look! I wrote Papa!". I said "Good job honey" and went to see her work...on the wall, in the hallway, next to the bathroom door!

We are the champions....AGAIN!!!

2008-11-21T09:52:00.006-06:00

Yes, our boys did it! The Stratford Tigers are the 7-time WIAA State Champions for Division 6!! This was the 6th year in a row that they've done it too. No other team in the history of WIAA football has ever won 6 in a row, or even 7 total!!! I can't believe how amazing the football program in Stratford is!!

It was cold in Madison, but we bundled up and it was so worth it. Congrats to the Stratford Tigers! We love you guys!

p.s. My nephew, Josh, was the leading defensive player of the game. He had 10 tackles, 7 individual and 3 assisted. He's such a bad ass! :-)

Update: Josh was named Defensive MVP for the game!!!

High School Football!

2008-11-19T12:48:00.007-06:00

Super O! has two male cousins, Josh & Joe, who are huge sports buffs. They play sports, they watch sports, they play sports on their Playstations and XBoxes, they talk about sports...well, you get the drift.

Josh is a junior in high school and has been on both the varsity football & basketball teams since he was a freshman. His high school has won the WI State Championship for their division for the last 5 years in a row and they're going back for #6 tomorrow. Their opponent? A school from a neighboring town that they've had a very long rivalry with. As a matter of fact, it's the school that Super O! is attending. It's also the school that beat them in regular season play and took the Conference Title away from them.

This is a huge deal for our family because one of our own is a star on the team. In their semi-final game last Saturday, Josh kicked the winning field goal and cemented their place in the championship game! After the winning field goal, he was interviewed for the local news and there are tons of write-ups and pictures in the local papers. Our little boy is a star!

Now, I'm not a sports fanatic and I don't really get into football at all but I am totally pumped for the game tomorrow. I arranged to work on Saturday so I could get tomorrow off and we're driving to Madison to watch the big game. So, please keep our Stratford Tigers in your thoughts tomorrow and maybe say a little prayer for them. After the legacy left to them by their upper classmen, they have a lot of pressure to keep the winning streak alive. And the team they're playing beat them in the regular season.

Edit: I forgot to mention that my wonderful friend is babysitting Super O! on Saturday so that I can make up the hours I'll be missing tomorrow. She's the bestest friend ever!!!

What's that over in the sidebar?

2008-11-13T15:17:00.002-06:00

I recently became aware of a program through Amazon.com where you can put a link on your blog and if someone uses the link to shop at Amazon, the blog owner can get a small kickback on the sale. Usually I'm opposed to these things...I didn't start this blog to make money after all. I decided to give this a try because one of the payment options they offer is an Amazon Gift Card instead of an outright payment. I have several learning aids (books, DVD's etc) that I'm looking at for Super O! to help with her language skills so I thought I'd see if this could work for me.

IF you plan on shopping at Amazon.com anyway, please consider using the link in my sidebar under the Amazon? heading. It won't cost you anything and we'd really appreciate it.

As Super O! would say "Tanks!"

This apple fell on top of the tree...

2008-11-07T11:02:00.002-06:00

I had Super O!'s parent/teacher conference last night. She's doing well in school, but struggles because of her speech delay. With all things considered, she's doing better than expected. One of the things her teacher said is that when it's time to do her work, she's more interested in what her friends are doing and making sure they're actually doing it than in her own work. Because of this, she requires a lot of supervision. When the task is an individual task, she usually fails because she doesn't listen to the directions and does whatever will get her done the fastest...so she can socialize.

When I called Nini to give her the update on Super O! she laughed. Not because she thought it was funny mind you, but because she heard the same exact things from my teachers when I was in elementary school!

After dinner, I had a talk with Super O! to let her know that it's okay to play with her friends but when it's time to work, she needs to concentrate and do HER work. She looked at me with a sad face, like she was in trouble. I told her "Don't worry honey, Mommy was the same way when I was a little girl. I know how hard it is to do the work, but you're just gonna have to do it." She smiled, threw her arms around me and said "I love you Mom!!!"

Coupla Things...

2008-11-05T15:48:00.003-06:00

The other night we had chicken for dinner. Super O! finished her leg and wanted to climb onto the couch where I was playing a computer game. I told her to go wash her hands first because they were covered in greasy chicken. A few seconds later she was still leaning against the couch so I told her to go wash her hands again. She looked at me with this 'DUH' look on her face and said "Mom, it's okay...Schatzi licked them!". I replied "Schatzi licks her own butt and eats poo. Now you have chicken, Schatzi's butt and poo on your hands. GO WASH THEM!". She looked at her hands in disgust and ran to the bathroom!
_________________________________________

Super O! didn't really get the whole election thing but then again, she's only 5. I took her with me to vote and after we left the polling place I tried to explain what we just did. I told her "The president is like the boss of the whole country." She was okay with this explanation. A minute later she said "Mom, I'm gonna be the president!". I said "Baby, you can be whatever you want!".
_________________________________________

As you can see from the button on the right, I'm an Obama supporter. I was so excited to see our country come together for one cause and vote the right person into office. I'm not so naive that I think he's going to be able to change everything in 4 years, but I think he has the right ideas. He's a 'normal' person just like the rest of us. He really 'gets it'. I'm so proud that Super O! will grow up not remembering a time when a minority could be the president! President Elect Obama, I salute you and wish you all the best in bringing our country back to the way it should be!

Happy Halloween! Arrrrgh...

2008-10-31T09:53:00.009-05:00

Super O! has decided to be a pirate this year. She's been very much into pirates since International Talk Like A Pirate Day. They did some fun pirate stuff at school and it's just stuck with her.

Last night we tried on the whole costume to make sure everything worked together and here are the results...

Isn't she adorable! Just don't tell her I said that because pirates are NOT adorable!
__________________________________________

While we were taking the pictures off the camera, I came across this.

Don't tell Schatzi, but I have proof that she likes Super O! sometimes!

Somebody...

2008-10-21T14:19:00.002-05:00

Super O!'s latest thing is "Somebody (insert action here)". She says things like "Somebody help me" or "Somebody make Buddy get off the chair" or "Will somebody get me a drink?". The problem with this is that most of the time it's just the two of us. Her somebody is me. Is it wrong that I'd like to be called Mom instead of somebody? Usually when she says "Somebody" I'll ask her, "And by somebody, do you mean me?".

That kid...I tell ya!

Bad Mom Turned Good!

2008-10-17T13:10:00.002-05:00

This morning I dropped Super O! off at her classroom. While we were putting her things away, I noticed several of her friends had envelopes with quarters clanking away. I knew they were doing face painting during lunch because of a big football game tonight, so I didn't think much of it because Super O! doesn't like to have her face painted. We finished our task, I kissed her goodbye and started walking towards the door. On my way, I overheard a few older students talking about the popcorn sale. The middle school students have popcorn sales frequently to raise money, but I had no idea there was a sale today. When I got to my truck, I found 50 cents and went back to give it to Super O! so she could get popcorn. I got to the classroom and saw all the kids lined up at the door waiting to walk to the office to get their tickets for the face painting and popcorn. All of the kids except for Super O! She was standing at the back of the line, off to the side, all by herself with an "I don't have money so I can't go" look on her face. My heart broke! She was the ONLY kid not in line! I walked up to her, gave her the money and asked if she wanted to get popcorn. Super O!'s face lit up like a Christmas tree. She grabbed me around the legs in a huge bear hug, looked up at my face and said "THANKS MOMMY!". I kissed her goodbye, told her to enjoy her snack and left.

As I walked back to my truck, I remembered being left out because my parents forgot something or didn't have the money for it. I never want Super O! to have to be that kid. I'm sure there will be times that I just forget, but I hope they're very few and far between.

Did that ever happen to you when you were a kid or have you ever forgotten to send something to school for your kids so they wouldn't be left out?

New Shoes?

2008-10-06T14:29:00.003-05:00

We had a wedding to go to on Saturday which meant new clothes for me & Corey. We went to ShopKo where they have a PayLess Shoe Source. I was trying on shoes and Super O! asked where her shoes were. I told her we weren't looking for shoes for her right now, so she improvised.

I wasn't paying attention to her and didn't notice that she had decided to try on Women's size 8 1/2's until a lady came down the aisle and said "Oh my, what pretty shoes you have on". This is what she was walking around in...

Somebody call the fashion police!

I can't wait...

2008-10-06T13:11:00.001-05:00

Until Super O! is old enough to appreciate this song with me!

Aaargh!

2008-10-02T12:29:00.003-05:00

So, yesterday Super O! brought home a long string of pale yellow yarn from school. I'm not sure why, but it was in her backpack. While I was getting the table ready for dinner, she brought me a section she had cut and asked me to tape it to her head. Yes, I said "tape it to her head". I explained that taping wasn't a good idea and convinced her that tying it in the back was better. I tied her headband and she was on her way.

About 5 minutes later, she comes back with a piece of white paper that she had cut into sort of a rectangle and a piece of tape. She wanted me to add it to her headband to make an eye patch! I taped it over her right eye and she went on her way again.

A while later, dinner was ready so we all sat down to eat. Super O! sat there with her make shift eye patch and the only thing she would say was "Aaargh". Corey asked if she was an Indian (yea, he's kinda clueless sometimes) and she gave him this look...

I explained that she's a pirate. Duh...

p.s. Guess what her latest request is for her Halloween costume!

NOT A Little Lady!

2008-09-24T13:58:00.003-05:00

I finally got copies of the pictures Super O!'s t-ball coach took of the team. Super O! is the little blond in the first row, right side.

This is the zoomed in version.

Isn't she such a lady?!

School Update!

2008-09-23T14:57:00.004-05:00

Last night was the Kindergarten Parents Meeting at Super O!'s school. The teachers explained the plan for the year; discipline, curriculum, special programs, etc. As I sat there listening, I thought "There is no way she's going to be able to keep up with her speech delay". I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. My poor baby!

After the meeting, I had the opportunity to speak to her teacher. I expressed my concerns and Mrs. C said not to worry. She has a plan in place to "make sure she goes to 1st grade with her friends if it's the last thing I do!!!". This is the plan...

Super O's school has a Title 1 Reading Program teacher, Mrs. S. Mrs. C was able to arrange for Super O! to have 1-on-1 time with Mrs. S for 15 minutes each morning where they go over the reading program for the day. Right now they're working on letter comprehension. After her time with Mrs. S, she goes through the regular program with the other kids and Mrs. C. Then, after lunch she has a 30 minute 1-on-1 session with the Speech & Language teacher, Mrs. H. All three teachers are focusing on the exact same things with her THREE separate times in the day. They incorporate songs, dancing, play acting and whatever else will make it fun for Super O!. Right now they're working on the letters in her name, M and S.

Mrs. C and I came up with a plan for her to send something home each day so I can continue to go over her material with her at home. Last night, we played "Letter Scavenger Hunt". I showed her what M looks like and she found EVERYTHING in the house that contained the letter. We then moved on to S and she absolutely loved the game. Mrs. C also suggested I introduce the Letter Fairy. Basically, the Letter Fairy leaves a card under Super O!'s pillow each night with a letter on it. We practice sounding out that letter and finding words that start with it. Last night was the first night the Letter Fairy came and Super O! was super excited.

Hopefully this will work for her. I spent part of my work day creating cards from the Letter Fairy. What do you think?

Wondering...

2008-09-22T16:47:00.002-05:00

Why are the hours left in my countdown's an hour apart? I can't figure that out...

Why does Super O! think she only needs to feed the dogs once every few days?

Why do men think it's okay to leave their dirty dishes, socks, underwear, shoes, etc. all over the house for us women to clean up?

Why do people who don't stop at stop signs and almost hit you give you a dirty look when you beep at them?

Why do cashiers insist on getting to know every person in their line when the store is at it's busiest?

Why do stupid people think they're smart?

Why do I keep posting on this blog when I don't get much traffic?

Why do people think they can send nasty emails to the author of a blog when they don't agree with their posts?

Why do we have to give a two week notice when we leave a job? It's not like we work during the last two weeks...

These are just a few of the things I'm wondering about right now. Got any of your own?

Gadgets, Widgets and Flash...Oh My!

2008-09-19T12:01:00.002-05:00

I am by no means a web developer, but I have picked up a few things in my time. I'm also not into clutter (just don't look at my house!). I don't like those websites that take forever to load on a super fast broadband connection because they have so many widgets, gadgets, flash elements and graphics. I like clean pretty stuff.

With all that said, I was surfing around and found those two nifty counters over on the left side. I think they're kinda cool and fun. Like 'em?

So, in however many days it says, you can send lots of presents for me & Super O! to enjoy for our birthdays!

In lieu of presents, you can send cash!

Those two magic words..."Thank You"

2008-09-11T16:22:00.001-05:00

I was reading an article on CNN.com about the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon when I remembered something that happened to us on Friday night.

I was in the Wendy’s with Super O! on our “date night”. She was trying to get through her hamburger so she could have her Frosty and I was gobbing the sour cream on my baked potato. I looked up and saw an older gentleman at the condiment counter and the whole evening changed for me. The gentleman was wearing a retired Marine hat and t-shirt and was leaning on a cane. He started walking back to his table so I got up and followed him. When he reached his table, where his wife and young daughter were waiting for him, he turned around and looked at me. I held my hand out to shake his and said “I don’t mean to disturb your meal, but I wanted to take a moment to say Thank You”. He took my hand, looked me deeply in the eyes and said “Your Welcome”. With that, I walked away.

I went to the counter to get Super O's Frosty and he followed me. When he got to the counter he turned to me and said “Ma’am, that young man working the drive-thru is also a Marine”. I waited a moment until the young man came near me and said “Excuse me but I just thanked that gentleman for his service and he told me you’re a Marine too. I just wanted to say Thank You.” That young man also looked me deeply in the eyes and said “Your Welcome and thank you for recognizing our service”.

As I walked back to my table with tears in my eyes, I passed the older gentleman’s wife who mouthed the words “Thank You” to me. I stopped to tell her that I always thank service people when I see them, but I can’t do it without tearing up. You see, I have a little girl and I understand that our men and women are serving our country for her future. A future where she can be free to reach whatever goals she sets for herself. With that, I got all choked up and couldn’t speak so I waved goodbye and walked back to my table. Super O! saw the tears in my eyes and asked why I was crying. I told her “because I love you”.

We finished our meal by sharing her Frosty. As we left the restaurant I made eye contact with the retired Marine. There was such gratitude in his face. Gratitude for a complete stranger took a moment to thank him for doing his job.

Now I’d like to challenge everyone reading this. Please, no matter how silly or embarrassed you feel, say Thank You to each and every service person you meet in your daily travels. Even if you don’t support the war in the Middle East, please support the people who are giving their lives to fight for us. A simple little Thank You can make all the difference.

Where did my baby go?

2008-09-11T13:51:00.003-05:00

When did she go from being my funny toddler to my funny little girl? When did she start acting like a real person? Why didn't someone warn me?

Super O! is in Kindergarten now. She says things like "Oh yea baby!" and rocks out to songs on the radio. Her favorites are 80's classics because that's what I listen to. She's starting to get embarrassed when I want a kiss before I leave her at school. She has friends in 2nd grade! When I told her she looks nice today (it's picture day) she replied with a very polite "Thank you". If I say shit or damn, she reprimands me with a "Don't say that bad word Mom!". If she falls asleep on the couch, it's all I can do to pick her up to carry her to bed. God forbid she falls asleep ON ME because we need a crane to get us off the couch. She takes showers instead of baths and washes herself. She still needs help washing her hair, so I have that going for me. Best of all...she tells me she loves me without me saying it first! Just out of the blue "Mom, I love you!".

My baby is growing up but no matter how big she gets, how old she gets or how many kids she has, she'll ALWAYS be my baby!!!

When you're done reading this, please take a moment to pray for all of the people we lost in the 9/11 attacks and their families. Then take another moment to pray for the military personnel who fight for our freedoms. We will never forget!

Somebody call the police...

2008-09-09T08:40:00.003-05:00

It happened last night. My baby tried to steal something. I couldn't believe it, but I guess it's not uncommon at her age. This is how it went down...

We were at the Dollar store looking for footie pajamas. Super O! wanted everything in site, which is unusual for her. She usually just casually hints that something looks cool and if she's good and it's cheap, I'll get it as a treat if we buy other things. Last night, she was in a mood and the uglies came out. "Mom, I want this...Mom, can I have this". All of the answers were NO! As we were leaving the store, I was in front of her and I heard her touching a rack behind me. I opened the door, stepped out, turned around and I saw it. She had a hand held battery operated fan in her hand and was about to walk out of the store with it. I saw red! How could this happen? My baby is only 5, where did she get the idea that taking something that doesn't belong to you is okay?

I immediately turned her around and marched her up to the checkout counter. The lady was busy helping another customer so we stood there, Super O! with guilt on her face, me with embarrassment on mine. When the lady was finished, I calmly said "My daughter tried to take this from your store". Super O! handed it back to her and said "I'm sorry" in her tiniest voice. The lady was very nice and said "Thank you, it's okay". I followed her with my stern mommy voice "No, it is not okay but thank you for being so nice about this." With that, we left the store.

When we got to the car, I didn't know what to do. I was so angry with her and wanted to put the fear of God into her, but I also didn't want to go overboard. She was acting like she had no idea what the big deal was which was NOT okay with me. I told her that what she did was very bad and if the lady in the store had wanted to she could have called the police because stealing is against the law. This got a reaction out her! I then told her that if she EVER tried to steal something again, I would make the person in the store call the police and they would deal with her. Again, reaction. At that, I left the issue alone.

We were almost home when she brought it up again. She asked if I was still sad at her. I told her that I was sad at what she did. She then asked if I still loved her. My heart broke a little bit and I said "I will always love you, no matter what you do, but what you did was very bad and you can't ever do it again." When we got home, I got a big hug and I don't think she'll ever try to steal again.

Edit: On a side note, my mother reminded me that I stole from a department store when I was in Kindergarten. She handled it the same way I did and I never did it again. Who knew I was passing on the kleptomaniac gene!

The Loverboys

2008-09-08T10:24:00.007-05:00

My farmer and I had a rare opportunity a few weeks ago. We got to enjoy an evening out together...alone...without Super O!

We decided to check out the Central Wisconsin State Fair in Marshfield. Loverboy was playing. I LOVED Loverboy back in the 80's. I also loved big hair, stretchy pants tucked into my bunched socks and Madonna sweaters.

This is the Loverboy I remembered:

This is the Loverboy we saw:

Now, if I were all about being fair I would post pictures of me now & then but this is my blog and I'll post what I want damn it!

The morning after our outing, we were enjoying a few minutes alone in bed...without Super O!. As we were talking about how old the guys in the band had gotten, I had a mental image. Take a walk into my future with me please...

The setting: 40 years in the future. Me and the man are closing in on 70...
Edit: In 40 years, we'll be closing in on 80, not 70. I guess old age has set in already!

Me: Honey, remember when we went to the fair and saw those Loverboys? Weren't they nice fellows?
Him: What?
Me: The Loverboys...remember when we saw them?
Him: Damn it woman, I can't hear you!
Me: THE LOVERBOYS! REMEMBER???
Super O!: Mom, the name of the band was Loverboy...not THE Loverboys.
Me: What?
Super O!: Nevermind...

Ahhh...getting old...isn't it priceless!

p.s. They still rocked the house! You go Loverboys!

Kindergarten & Football

2008-09-03T15:14:00.004-05:00

Super O! started Kindergarten yesterday. Thanks for asking and yes, I'm okay. She was in 4K last year for a few days a week so I got all of my "oh my, my baby is growing up!!!" out then.

She was so excited to start school and see her friends from last year. We bought her school supplies two weeks ago and put them in her backpack. She took them out and looked at them every single day before school started.

Last night, after we got home and settled, I opened the backpack to see what was in her folder. She had her school picture package form (They're doing them next week! What's up with that?), a sign up form for flag football (yes, she is playing!) and a "Star Student" certificate from her teacher. It said "Olivia was such a joy to have in class today. She smiled all day and is really enjoying school!". So, I guess she's gonna be one of those kids who loves to go to school. As opposed to her mother...well, we won't go there.

Yes, I said she's playing flag football. She's into all the "boy" sports and doesn't even want to consider figure skating or dance classes. After I asked her if she wants to play and she said yes, I asked her if she even knows how to play football. She replied by going into her room and getting a foam ball. She then returned to the kitchen, threw the ball on the floor and yelled "Hutt Hutt". Then she said, See, I know how to play! So, I guess she's all set! I'll be sure to post more as the season gets closer!

Kiss my...

2008-08-28T08:50:00.002-05:00

I grew this in my garden. Nuff said...

Misc. Stuff...

2008-08-18T12:21:00.004-05:00

Wow! Has it been that long? I didn't realize I haven't posted in a while!

Things have been pretty busy. Super O! had her immunization boosters for school and they were HORRIBLE!! She didn't like it one bit and I felt so badly for my poor baby. Her left thigh swelled up and she had a HUGE red welt for a few days, then on Friday evening she had a 102 fever. She's fine now, no more injection site swelling and no fever. Thank God that's over with!

The Athens Fair was this weekend. I kept forgetting to take my camera so I have no pictures. Bad mom! Super O! decided she's too big for the baby rides so she made me and Nini ride the "big kid" rides with her. The first stop was the Trabant. I found this random video on YouTube that shows the ride in action:

I felt very nauseous when we got off, but do you think the little creep had any sympathy for her poor old mom? NO!! She made me go on the ferris wheel, which shouldn't have been bad, but because of the Trabant I got even sicker! When she wanted to go on the Tilt-A-Whirl, I made her grandma go with her!

Day two of the fair brought more big kid rides, but I got smart. I made her grandma go on all of them with her. She rode the spinning Strawberries and the Octopus. I did go on the ferris wheel with her again, but I was okay that time.

The parade was yesterday and let me tell you...for a small town parade there was a lot of stuff in this one! It lasted for about 1 1/2 hours and I got sunburned! Super O! got just enough candy to last her a few weeks so she was a happy girl.

All in all, it was another fine fair season. We're already looking forward to next year!

Sad News...

2008-08-08T12:38:00.004-05:00

Corey has had a dog for the last 15 years. Her name is Shaggy Dog. Sadly, she had to be put down because she's very old and we could tell she just wasn't the same dog as she was 6 months ago. Today was the day. She went peacefully on the farm, the only home she's ever known. She left us in the arms of her favorite person in the world, the only man she ever loved.

As corny as it sounds, I know she's in a better place. She can run and jump and bark again. I just hope everyone in that better place knows what a great dog she was.

Shaggy Dog, we love you very much and we'll miss you. Take care old girl...

Photography

2008-08-07T13:13:00.006-05:00

Way back when I was pregnant with Super O! I decided to buy a digital camera. I got a really nice Olympus that cost about a billion dollars. To this day, I still haven't learned to use all of the advanced features of the camera. So, what did I do? I learned how to use Photoshop!

Super O! and I took the dogs out for a play last night and I shot a few pics so I could play with my new found knowledge. Tell me what you think!

So, should I quit before I embarrass myself? Think I have any creative talent whatsoever?

The Loves of My Life!

2008-08-06T14:50:00.004-05:00

Because I can, I'd like to share a few pictures of the most important people in my life.

These two are completely in love with each other and sometimes they make me feel like I don't exist.

That's okay though, I'm so grateful that I found someone who loves my baby as much as I do!

p.s. Corey really does have eyes, they're just kinda closed when he smiles!

Shots!

2008-08-05T13:02:00.003-05:00

Super O! is starting Kindergarten in a few weeks. As I'm sure you can all imagine, she needs to get a few immunization boosters before school starts. She's not excited about this at all! How do I explain what's going to happen without scaring her to death? She knows that shots hurt and she doesn't want them, but what can I do? I'm going to see how much it costs for a tetanus booster and maybe I'll get one. It's been several years since I had one so I'm sure I'm due.

Poor peanut! Any ideas?

Field Trip to Green Bay

2008-08-01T09:40:00.014-05:00

Before I get into the field trip, I'd just like to say that as much as I loved my old blog wrapper, it sucked! I couldn't get it to display correctly in IE and I couldn't get any answers from the site that created it. So, it's back to the boring old Blogger templates until I can find something better.

Yesterday was a wonderful day packed with new adventures and boy were we tired when we got home! We started at 9am with a 1hr 45min bus ride to Green Bay. It's been 22 years since I've been on a school bus so I was pretty excited. As a matter of fact, I think I was more excited about the whole day than Super O! was to begin with. We started our day with a tour of Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers. Did you know that Lambeau Field is the "Crown Jewel of the NFL"? Yea, me either!

We got to experience a sky box that costs approximately $80,000 a year to lease and that's with a minimum of 4 years on the lease. That costs more than our whole house and believe me, it was a lot nicer. Here's a view from the box...

After the sky box we got to go into the bowels of the stadium where we entered the field through the players tunnel. Now that was incredible. The whole tunnel is lined with speakers and we could hear the "roar of the crowd". They even played the same music they play for the Pack on game day. We came out of the tunnel and there it was...in all it's glory...the field! Now, I'm not a football fan & I'm definitely not a Packer fan, but I have to admit that it was pretty darn awesome! We weren't allowed to go onto the grass, but we did get to go into the stands and take a bunch of pictures. Here's one from the end zone...

Super O! doesn't understand the history behind Lambeau Field, nor is she a sports fan yet but she was appropriately impressed. The best part of the tour for her was when we were in the stands (where I took the above picture) and the tour guide had us all yell "GO PACK GO" together. The echo came back to us and we could all imagine how it would sound on game day with 70,000 screaming fans in attendance.

After the stadium, we went to The New Zoo in Green Bay. I knew Super O! would enjoy this part of the day because she LOVES animals. We saw the giraffes...

And prairie dogs...

A huge tortoise...

A sleeping raccoon in a log...

Two penguins...

And a very gentle lion that the kids climbed on...

But the coolest thing we saw was a white alligator!

All in all it was a great day. When we got home we were both hot, sticky and exhausted. Super O! went to bed at 8:30 and as I was tucking her in I asked her what the best part of her day was. She said "The zoo" and asked what my best part was. I told her "The best part of my day was spending it with you!". She smiled all goofy and said "My best part was your shoe!". I said "My shoe?" and she replied "No...with you!" Then she gave me this look...

Which is very common!

All Grown Up!

2008-07-28T15:41:00.003-05:00

Super O! has transferred to the school age program at her daycare center. I'm not quite ready for this. She's not a baby anymore! She's starting kindergarten in a little over a month! When did this happen and why didn't anyone stop it?

One of the things about the school age program is that it's run out of the elementary school and they don't have access to the kitchen. This means I have to pack a cold lunch for Super O. We went to the dollar store yesterday and she found a whole lunch set; insulated bag, sandwich keeper, snack keeper with pop-up lid and water bottle. She had to go with the Disney Cars theme because they didn't have the lunch bag in the Spider Man theme (for shame!!!).

How unbelievably cool is she?

So, at 5:30 yesterday evening she was in the kitchen preparing to make a sandwich to put in her new sandwich keeper. Two pieces of bread and grape jelly. Watch out Rachael Ray! There's a new sheriff in town!

Note: If you're viewing this in Internet Explorer, you've probably noticed that the right sidebar is empty. Well, it's actually at the bottom of the page and it's not my issue, it's IE's issue. I'm currently trying to find a fix for it. Stay tuned and if you know what's good for you, you'll download FireFox and quit using IE. It's much more stable and it doesn't suck!

You like?

2008-07-28T14:03:00.007-05:00

So, do you like the new look? I've been looking for simple but nice Blogger templates for a while and all I could find were ones that would require me to do a lot of changing and upkeep. Frankly, I don't have that kind of time. I found this one at Blogcrowds (Thanks Blogcrowds! You're the bestest!) Ain't it purty!!

I didn't want one that would require me to upload a picture (because I can never settle on a favorite) and I didn't want to have to change a lot of code (because I'm not that talented) and I wanted to be able to use the built in Layout settings (because it makes my life easier). This one fit the bill!

Hope you enjoy it cuz I'm keepin' it!

UPDATE: Apparently Internet Explorer is having an issue with my new template and it's pushing the right sidebar to the bottom of the page. From what I can tell, this is very common with a lot of blogs on Blogger and it's an IE issue. I'm working on it now. In the meantime, I STRONGLY suggest that you install FireFox and quit using IE. It's much more stable and it doesn't suck!

I Five Now!

2008-07-25T16:06:00.004-05:00

Super O! turned 5 in December. For whatever reason she's decided that now, 7 months later, she's going to pull out the "But I five now!" card. Here's a few examples:

"O, you can't cut your sandwich with a steak knife because you're too little!"
"But I five now!"

"You need to apologize for talking to me that way!"
"But I five now!"

"You can't let the dogs out without their leashes because they'll run away!"
"But I five now!"

See what I mean!

p.s. What does being five have to do with letting the dogs out without a leash? I've been trying to figure that out for days!

Whas up?

2008-07-18T13:48:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted in a few days because I can't think of anything to blog about. How about a few tidbits about what Super O! has been doing the last few days.

She was mooing at the cows out the bathroom window this morning while standing on the toilet.
She fell into the toilet when she went to sit on it while I was bathing the dogs last week.
She got very mad at me when I told her to look in the mirror when she said she wanted to see her "titties". Read this!
She had her last t-ball game of the season on Tuesday. She actually got pretty good by the end.
She loves anything with noodles, potatoes or cheese. In the last few days I've made two casseroles that contained the above mentioned ingredients so she's been eating like a horse!

Ok. I just read over my list and saw how boring it was so I'll stop now.

I promise I'll try to come up with something more interesting next time...

Titties! (aka Kitties)

2008-07-14T13:48:00.005-05:00

Am I crazy? Really...do I have a sane brain cell left in my head? We have 2 dogs in the house and 4 outside. We also have a hamster, 2 ponies, chickens, barn cats and a whole herd of dairy cows. So can anyone tell me why I now have two 4 week old kittens in a dog crate taking up half of Super O!'s bedroom? And why does she think we'll be able to keep them when they grow up?

Let me back up a minute. My farmer found kittens (or "tittens" in Super O! speak) in the hay mow. He actually found several of them...the only problem is that only two were alive. We're not sure if the tom cat got the babies or what happened. The two that were alive are poor sick little babies. Their eyes are gooped shut and they have colds. With this weather, it's no wonder they're sick. As soon as I saw them my mommy instincts kicked in. I got a warm washcloth and cleaned their eyes and noses. Then they purred and cuddled. How could I let them go back to the hay mow to get sicker...or to let the predator get them?

So now we have two kittens in a dog crate taking up half of Super O!'s bedroom. And my checkbook is about $40 lighter (I had to get kitty formula and a feeding bottle, eye drops, food and litter). Super O! thinks they'll grow up and sleep with her and be her best friends and they'll let her dress them up and dance with her. (These are things her dogs won't do...and they started out as her best friends too!).

I'm inclined to find them homes when they get bigger and stronger and my farmer isn't objecting to that line of thinking. I really don't want to deal with litter and hair all over the place. Super O! says she'll take care of them, but she said that about the dogs and the hamster too. She is only 5 but she's old enough to feed her animals. Do I really want to take care of two more animals?

They really are cute though...

UPDATE!! - I found homes for both kitties. One of the guys I work with took one for his wife and the other went to one of Super O!'s daycare teachers. Both families LOVE their new babies and hopefully the titties are happy too!

I'm baaaaaack!!! Didja miss me?

2008-07-11T11:24:00.003-05:00

Still don't have internet at home yet, but I'm comfortable enough at the new job to post on breaks or lunch. So, without further ado, I'd like to share a short story about Super O!

The other day, Super O was winding down and relaxing before bed. Relaxing came in the form of cutting and gluing small pieces of paper for me. She's so artistic! Anyway, I saw her sitting there with her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth, concentrating so hard on cutting a perfect square. I had one of those unbelievably strong mommy urges...you know the kind, where I wanted to eat her for a snack...cuz she's do damn cute! Anyway, here's the conversation.

Me: I love you baby!
Super O: I wub you to Mom!
Me: But I love you more!
Super O: Sigh.... I wub you to. (said with "that" tone")
Me: But I love you the most!
Super O: HELLO!!! I'm busy!!! (insert eye roll here)

I could have eaten her right then!

--------------------------------------------

Things are going well for us. I absolutely LOVE my new job. I'm always super busy and the people here are awesome! Plus I get free chiropractic care and my back and neck have never felt better. I was always skeptical about chiropractic in the past and had never had an adjustment but boy am I a convert now!

--------------------------------------------

We're officially trying to get pregnant again! After what happened earlier this year we're a little scared but we won't let that get in the way of trying to have another child. My farmer is so awesome with Super O that I feel it would be a shame for him not to have one of his own. He's actually okay with just having Super O if that's the way things end up, but DAMNIT!! I want another baby!! So, keep us in your thoughts and wish for lots of successful "alone time". It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. I'm willing to take one for the team! (tee hee hee).

Hurry!!!

2008-05-07T16:56:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post to say we're alive and miss everyone. Thanks to those who have left comments!

Heather - Our yard is a sink hole because we have new construction that ended in December. Winter was about to set in so we couldn't do much with our yard and now that spring is here...well, muddy sinkhole mess!

Hopefully it'll be a pretty green in about a month!

I'm out...see you soon (hopefully!)

We temporarily interrupt this program...

2008-04-18T12:21:00.002-05:00

I'll be disappearing for a bit. Today is the last day at my present job. I start the new one on Tuesday. Why is this a problem? Well, I don't have internet at home because our yard is a muddy mess and the guy from my wireless internet company can't come do a site survey until he can climb up on our roof. Which would be dangerous right now because his ladder would most likely sink into about 3 feet of muddy quicksand. You think I'm kidding? Well, get this...we have to use the 4-wheeler to get from the driveway to the door. We can't even walk in the yard. I tried this a few weeks ago and I lost my shoes. My brand new shoes. They're pretty black clogs and they were lost in the mud! I had to throw my socks away because they were caked in mud and even bleach wouldn't get them clean. Don't worry though. I found the shoes and they were able to be cleaned. Thank goodness!

Anyway, I digress. As soon as I can either surf at work or get internet at home I won't be around much. I will miss you.

Stay tuned...

My Buddy & Me! (Well, "Her Buddy & Her" actually!)

2008-04-15T12:45:00.005-05:00

I finally got a few pictures of Super O! and her puppy. It was a painful process, but here ya go...

Ain't that purty...

Sick her Buddy...Get dat Mommy!

Awww...ain't they cute!

p.s. I apologize for the freaky glowing eyes on Buddy. I just got PhotoShop but have no idea how to use it. Not to mention that I'm posting this from work (shhhhh...don't tell anyone) and PhotoShop is on the laptop at home. I promise to try to do better next time. Amen.

p.p.s. I also have some hilarious videos I need to figure out how to upload. We have "The Boobie Dance" starring my huge ass bra and "SuperO! Plays Wii Bowling". Really, they're funnier than the titles sound!

I didn't give permission for this...

2008-04-11T09:28:00.002-05:00

Yes, it happened again. SuperO! decided to have another sleep over. This time it was with her billy goat. Oh how I love this child!!

The best little sleep over hostess!

2008-04-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

I went to check on SuperO! before I went to bed the other night. This is what I found:

She's so good to her guests! I hope SpiderMan had a good night!

And it just keeps on commin'...

2008-03-14T09:24:00.003-05:00

No, it does not get better! If this month doesn't end soon, I may go crazy!

I took Super O! to the doctor on Wednesday morning because she was up most of the night coughing so hard she was throwing up. The worst part is she was throwing up huge chunks of phlegm. She gets bronchitis a few times a winter, but this was different. How did I know it was different? Well, first of all, she had no fever. She ALWAYS gets a fever when she has her cough. No fever = something is different. The doctor heard some wheezing in her chest, so he opted for an x-ray and low and behold, she has a touch of pneumonia in the lower part of both of her lungs. I told you something was different!

She's on strong antibiotics and slept through the night. Today, she's at home with Super Nini! so I can save at least a few vacation/sick days for the rest of the year.

Someone let me know when March is over. I really want to get off this ride!

Pin Cushion

2008-03-10T16:37:00.002-05:00

So, now it turns out that I'm not having your run-of-the-mill miscarriage. I have an ectopic pregnancy. My hCG levels have risen a bit since last week and I'm having sharp pains in my abdomen. I went to the doctor, she did an exam and that's the diagnosis. I had to have another set of blood work drawn (that's twice today!) and I had two shots in my ass! The medicine I had injected is called methotrexate. Basically it inhibits the growth of the placental cells in my fallopian tube. It's a very common treatment for ectopic pregnancies and it usually works. As a last resort, I may have to have minor surgery to remove the tissues. I really hope this medicine works!

Anyway, I've had the shittiest couple of weeks in my life. Please tell me it gets better than this!

Sad Super Family...

2008-03-05T11:21:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in a while, but there's a good reason. I'm ready to tell you now...

Last weekend, we found out I'm pregnant. Before you congratulate me, let me finish the story. I took the test on Saturday (2/23) and for the next 3 days we were in heaven! We had decided to start trying in December, so we were extremely happy when it only took a few months. From our estimations, I was about 5 weeks along.

Then I woke up at 2am on Wednesday with cramps...cramps like I hadn't had in years...cramps like the ones you have before you go on the pill. I freaked out and ran to the bathroom and low and behold, I was spotting. I woke The Farmer up and told him what was going on. We were both scared. I called the doctor first thing in the morning and was told that this is relatively normal. I was told to take it easy and stop at the hospital for a blood test on my way to work the next morning. I had the test on Thursday and was told that my hCG levels were normal. Of course, I was still spotting and nothing they said could make me feel better. They decided to repeat the blood test on Monday and told me to take it easy for the next few days and see what happens.

I had a repeat test on Monday and the news was not good. My level should have doubled or tripled, but it had only gone up a few points. The doctor strongly felt I was starting to miscarry and I prepared for the worst.

I had another test this morning and my levels have dropped significantly. So, I'm definitely miscarrying. The good news (if there is such a thing as good news with a miscarriage) is that the doctor feels it was a chemical pregnancy due to a blighted ovum and there's no reason to think we can't successfully try again.

Why am I telling you this? Well, it actually helps me to "put it down on paper". Additionally, I don't know anyone who's gone through this. I know a few men who's wives have gone through it, but I don't know the wives well enough to talk to them. So, if you've gone through a miscarriage and don't mind sharing your story, I'd love to hear it. Leave me a comment, or if you don't feel comfortable doing that, email me at orkmommy@gmail.com.

Thanks for listening!

Wiiiiiiiiiiii....

2008-02-21T13:34:00.004-06:00

Hey, guess what...guess what??? WE GOT A Wii!!!

Yes, you heard me right. I finally found a Wii. I was at Best Buy picking up my new laptop. While checking out I asked the guy "I don't suppose you have any Wii's in stock, do you?". Surprisingly, he said "Yea, I think we have like 6 of them." OMG!! I couldn't believe my ears! So, I ran back and grabbed one as fast as I could. After I grabbed my Wii, I looked at the games and found a kids game for SuperO! Cosmic Family is designed for kids ages 4-8. I sure hope she likes it!

So, what's a SuperMom! to do? I have a Wii, a new laptop and Survivor is on tonight. What would you do?

A couple of things...

2008-02-15T16:13:00.004-06:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a few days. Things have been hectic. So, what's new you ask? Well...

I got a perm. I don't know if I like it yet. I'm still in the "new perm and it won't stop being poofy for anything" phase. I'll let you know what I think next week.

Super O! got a hamster for Valentines Day. I've been wanting to get her one for a while and finally took the plunge. She got a female Black Bear European hamster. The only difference between her and a Teddy Bear hamster is her size. When she's full grown, she'll be between 5-6". I picked her because I figured a big hamster would be better for a little girl. So, let me introduce Teddy Bear..

She named her Teddy Bear because she's a Black Bear and not a Teddy Bear. Make sense? Yea, I didn't think so...

So, it's a 3 day weekend for me. See ya'll on Tuesday!

The Eagle Has Landed...

2008-02-12T10:48:00.000-06:00

Ok, I told you we were getting new furniture for Super O!...and we did!! She absolutely LOVES it. She helped put it together (which took all weekend!). Since my camera isn't working so well lately, I had to find stock photos. So, here's the bed...

And here's the armoire. It's nice because it has a hanging rod so we put all of her shirts in the top and her pants are in a drawer. She can get all of her own clothes in the morning. She's finally a big girl!!

New Furniture!

2008-02-08T14:29:00.000-06:00

Super O! is getting new bedroom furniture this weekend! She doesn't know yet, so don't tell her. Shhhhh.....

Bathroom Habits

2008-02-05T11:02:00.000-06:00

As you know, Super O! is a 5yr old girl. As a 5yr old girl, it's very important for her to have good potty habits. We're working on the whole wiping thing and how much toilet paper is too much.

Last night, right before bedtime, Super O! announced "Mom...me poo-poo!". I said, "Then go, but don't forget to wipe!" She yelled "OK" as she sprinted to the bathroom. About 2 seconds later, she ran back into the room holding her hands about 12 inches apart and asked "This much??". I laughed and said "Yup!".

At least she knows how much toilet paper to use. Now, if I can just get her to use it every time...

I bought her this Cottonelle toilet paper to help her use the right amount. What a rip-off! First of all, 5 squares is too much unless your kid has a honkin' big behind! Second of all, the pack I bought didn't have the puppies printed in the right places. She's supposed to tear it off on the square with the puppy. As a 5yr old with a new puppy, she doesn't want to tear the puppy in half! Why would they make kids "kill" these puppies by printing them on a perforation? Who thought this up? Needless to say, I won't be buying this again!

Yippeeeeeee!!!

2008-02-04T09:01:00.000-06:00

So, who won the Super Bowl? Our Giants won the Super Bowl, that's who!!!

Super O fell asleep right after half-time, so she didn't get to yell and scream with me and because she was sleeping I didn't get to yell and scream like I wanted to. So, here I go...

YAY...WHOO HOO...YIPPEE...GO GIANTS...YOU ROCK...TAKE THAT TOM BRADY!!!

Ok, I'm done now! :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a side note...

8

When is it okay to say "Shit"?

2008-01-25T14:41:00.000-06:00

We live in central Wisconsin. Because we live in central WI, it is assumed that we are Green Bay Packer fans. Because I grew up in the Chicago area, we are NOT Green Bay Packer fans. My DNA has been imprinted with a deep seated hatred for the Packers. It's nothing that happened during my upbringing, it's just in my genes.

My stepfather grew up in New England, mostly in the New York area. Hence, he is a NY Giants fan. His DNA has been imprinted with a deep seated hatred for all teams that are not the NY Giants (he was able to control the DNA strand that hates the Bears, but only after he realized his marriage could end if he didn't stop yelling "You Suck" at the TV when the Bears were playing).

Ok, now that you have the back story, let me move forward. My story takes place on Sunday, January 20, 2008. The place...my living room. The Green Bay Packers vs. NY Giants NFC play-off game was on the TV. Because of my DNA and my stepfather, we were NOT rooting for the Packers.

Super O! likes football because Nini & Dave have taught her how to cheer "Na na na Nana Nah Nah" while pointing her fingers up in the air alternately whenever "her" team does something good. Whenever the Giants did something good, we did our little cheer. Whenever something bad happened, Super Mom! yelled SHIT at the TV. Super O! knows that shit isn't something she should say, and Super Mom! knows that shit isn't something she should say in front of Super O!. BUT COME ON PEOPLE...it was the NFC play-offs!!! After the first few times I said SHIT, Super O! decided to try her luck with the word. The next time something bad happened, I yelled SHIT and she yelled SIT (her version of shit). This the conversation that ensued...

Super Mom!: You can't say shit Super O!
Super O!: Why?
Super Mom!: Because it's not nice.
Super O!: You said it.
Super Mom!: You're right honey, Mommy said it. But the Packers just sacked Eli Manning. I couldn't help myself.
Super O!: looks at Super Mom! with confusion on her face
Super Mom!: Okay, for the rest of the game, if I say SHIT, you can say SIT. But when the game is over, you can NEVER say it again!
Super O!: YAY!!!

So, is it wrong to let my 5yr old say SIT during an NFC play-off game when something bad happens to my team? I think not!

p.s. GO GIANTS!!

Is...

2008-01-24T15:15:00.000-06:00

...your computer screen dirty? Try this...

She Speaks!

2008-01-24T14:30:00.000-06:00

If you've been reading this blog from the beginning, you know that Super O! has speech delay issues. She started 4K in the fall and gets speech therapy 3x a week. Let me tell you people, that shit really works! At least it does for my superhero! She's talking up a storm these days and had I known she would be so bossy, I might have kept her home this school year. (Not really, but sheesh...she's bossy!)

Super O! has to have things HER way. She likes to direct the people and animals around her. If you don't do something exactly to her specifications, she stops the action and explains her directions in a verrrrry slooooo manner. As if we were all French and she's trying to communicate with us. "Nooooo Mom...do it diiiiissssssss waaaayyyyyy". I really didn't know I was so stupid until she started talking. Are all children like this?

Her favorite thing lately is "Me Superman". Whenever she does something she considers outstanding (like finishing dinner first), her explanation for her actions is "Me Superman". One night last week, I finished before her. She was completely dumbfounded. How could I have beat her? It couldn't be because she was more interested in moving her plate, cup and fork around on the table until they were in the exact right positions...it couldn't have been the fact that she kept stopping to play with the dog. The only explanation in her mind was "Mom, you Superman?". My answer "No, I'm Supermom and I outrank Superman!".

p.s. I know you're reading this. I see the numbers on my ShinyStat report. I dare you to leave a comment!

TiNee 1

2008-01-22T10:11:00.001-06:00

Well, my farmer and Super O! were sick last weekend and now it's my turn! Those stinkers gave me their death cold. I haven't been sleeping and nothing I eat tastes good! Will this ever end?

Since my head feels like it's on a balloon floating above the rest of my body, I can't think of any good blogging fodder. I know Super O! has done several cute and funny things in the last week, but can I think of any of them? NO!

Oh wait...here's one for you...

Super O! can't remember the name of our puppy. I yell "BUDDY" at least 10 times a day because he's either chewing on something, trying to hump my leg, or peeing/pooping on the carpet so I can't understand why she can't remember his name. To solve her problem, she's given him her own little name..."Tiny One". When we come in from outside and he's done his bidness out there, she gives him a treat and says "Here Tiny One". When she wants him to follow her, she says "Come, Tiny One". When she prays for the newest Barbie Dream House , she solemnly bows her head and says "Oh Tiny One, please grant me the new Barbie Dream House".

Because I think "Tiny One" is kinda lame, I like to think of him as a rapper from Detroit.

His new name is TiNee 1 and he's bad ass!

My Buddy & Me!

2008-01-10T09:29:00.001-06:00

Who's a pretty boy?

I'm a pretty boy!

Guess what, guess what!! We got a puppy last night! My farmer's mom breeds shih-tzu's and since we just got the new house, she decided to give us a puppy as a gift! He's almost 5 months old and just the cutest little thing!

Super O thinks he's her dog, but Buddy would tell you another story. Shih-tzu's tend to be a one-person breed...they pick one family member and attach themselves. Well, Buddy has decided that I'm his person. So much so, that when my farmer came in last night, Buddy barked and growled at him. I assume he thought my farmer was there to do some type of harm. Now I call him my attack dog! :-)

Farm Hand!

2008-01-04T10:45:00.000-06:00

If you've been reading the site, you all know that my man is a dairy farmer. We now have a house on the farm which Super O is very excited about. This means she can see her horses everyday and she can help in the barn. While Super O may be excited about barn work, Super Mommy is NOT! I don't know if any of you have been in a dairy barn when it's 10 degrees outside, but it smells. The Farmer is used to this because he grew up in that barn, but this city girl definitely does not like being in the barn in the middle of winter. Anyway, I digress...

As I said, Super O likes to help in the barn. Because she's only 5 there's only so much she can do. Basically, she helps feed hay to the cows and she has a kid sized snow shovel that she uses to bed the animals and push sawdust into the gutters with. However, she has found a new chore that she can perform. Scraping poop!!

Yes, I said she can scrape poop. What exactly does this mean? Well, there's a manure gutter that runs along the back of the stalls where the cows do their business. When it's time to milk, we have to scrape any poop that missed the gutter and landed in their stall. Naturally, this involves a flat ended shovel. Super O decided to try her hand at scraping the poop last Friday and she's become quite the expert! The shovel is kind of big for her, but she manages to scrape that poop like a seasoned farmer. And the best part...SHE LOVES IT! She can't wait to get into the barn to scrape poop!

I had to work on Monday morning, so she stayed home with The Farmer while he did his morning barn work. Apparently, she couldn't wait to get in there and start scraping poop. She spent all morning with her shovel waiting for the cows to do their business so she could clean up after them. Yes, my child is weird...but it gets better...

Yesterday morning, as we were getting ready to leave she asked The Farmer what he was going to do. He told her he was going to the barn to take care of the cows. She inquired about the need to scrape poop and of course he said he was going to have to do it. She asked if she could go with him and I told her no. I swear people...SHE STARTED CRYING!!! Yes, there were real tears! It wasn't a full on tantrum, it was the kind of crying where her little heart was broken. You know what I'm talking about. She really wanted to get in there and scrape the poop.

Anyway, The Farmer has the makings of a real life farm hand now. He's very excited about this. I wish I could say the same! Although...the more she does, the less I have to do.

Super O...get in there and scrape some poop girl!! Mommy wants to take a nap!

UPDATE! Super O got her own poop shovel! She's so very exited! You shoulda seen her carrying it out of the store!

Keepon!

2008-01-02T11:32:00.001-06:00

I want one! Super O would have a blast with this!

Marek Michalowski of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, US, and Hideki Kozima of the National Institute of Communications Technology (NICT) in Kyoto, Japan, programmed the squishy, yellow robot, called "Keepon", to pick out the beat in a piece of music and move along in time. It can also track the rhythmic motion of a person or another object and move in time to that. For more info, see Infanoid Project.

(I've never embedded a YouTube! video before. I hope this works!)

Oh My!

2008-01-02T09:42:00.001-06:00

Has it really been this long since I posted? I'm so sorry! Although, my site counter says nobody is visiting anyway. Maybe it's because I never post anymore!

What's new you ask? Well, we moved into our new house on Christmas Eve. I can't remember if I posted this or not, but we found a house to move to the farm. We had it set on a basement and needed the septic, well, electric, etc installed. We moved the house on Oct. 24 and moved in on Dec. 24. I guess that's not too bad, 2 months! It's great for my farmer because he only has to walk about 100 yards to get to the barn!

Santa found Super O with no problem. My secret? We had magic reindeer food! Santa mailed her a baggie of oats and glitter to sprinkle in the yard. The oats were to attract the reindeer and the glitter was so that Rudolph could see where to land. Super O was very worried that Santa wouldn't find her since we moved on Christmas Eve, but thanks to the reindeer food he found her!

I promise I'll post more often this year! I know there are a few lurkers out there!

Happy New Year everybody!

Eat the baby?

2007-10-30T09:08:00.000-05:00

What to be for Halloween? That's a tall order for little Super O. We went through several options and settled on a baby. I liked this idea because a) it was hers and b) it takes very little preparation to create the costume. Now, what to do with the baby? This was the conversation...

Super Mom: O, what do you want to be for Halloween?
Super O: Baby!
Super Mom: You want to be a baby?
Super O: Yes, me baby...you mommy!
Super Mom: You want to be the baby and I get to be the mommy?
Super O: Yes, you mommy...you eat baby!
Super Mom: You want me to EAT the baby?
Super O: NO...you eat baby!!
Super Mom: O, you want me to EAT the baby?
Super O: NO...EAT (she gave the sign for eating)
Super Mom: Ohhhh...you want me to FEED the baby...
Super O: YES...FEED THE BABY!!

Why am I so stupid? I should have known!

Family Portrait

2007-10-11T10:02:00.001-05:00

Gettin' Naked!

2007-09-18T19:40:00.000-05:00

Super O's speech has improved SOOOOOO much since she started school two weeks ago. I don't know what those teachers are doing with her, but it's working!! This morning, my boyfriend and I realized that we really need to watch what we say around her because she's starting to interject comments into our conversations.

We were on the way to daycare and I was talking to Corey on the phone, he was commenting on how hot and humid it was in the barn so I said "Why don't you just take your clothes off?". Super O piped in from the backseat "Yea Towey, det nettid!" (translation: "Yea Corey, get naked!"). I laughed so hard!!!

Speaking of naked. As I write this post, Super O has stripped to nothing and is commentating on her state of undress. "Me nettid...pee pee...butt". This child is crazy!

Playing Catch Up!

2007-09-10T21:11:00.001-05:00

Ok, it's been a while since I posted. I'm sorry. Things have been very busy around here! Before I catch up on the school thing, I have a few funny stories...

Story 1: On Friday, I picked Super O up from daycare. When I walked in her teacher greeted me with "O, we have to talk to mommy". This is never a good thing. Then she suggested we talk in the hallway. This is really never a good thing. We go into the hallway and Super O knows she's in trouble so she starts hugging me. I picked her up as her teacher starts her story...

Teacher: "I went into the kitchen to get snack this afternoon. I put all of the stuff on the ledge of the pass through window and O was sitting at the table with her friends. I came around the corner to go back into the room and O...what did I see?"
Super O: (ignores at first but timidly says) "butt"
Teacher: "Did you and your friends moon me?"
Super O: "Yes..."

If you read my previous post on Moons, you'll understand why I had a moment of panic in my brain. So I asked "Do you know who's idea it was?"...the answer...NOT Super O!! THANK GOD!! Long story short, I had a super talk with Super O and she promised to NEVER moon her teacher again!!

Story 2: Last night I put Super O to bed, nude of course. I went to check on her about 20 minutes later and I noticed something strange. It looked like she was wearing something. I took a few steps into the room and I couldn't figure it out. I went right up to the bed and looked closely. The pillow case wasn't on the pillow...it was on Super O...like a sleeping bag! Yes, she was inside the pillow case, fast asleep!! This is one strange child! :-)

Ok...wanna hear about school now? Today was the first day of 4K (4yr old kindergarten). I took her to daycare and waited for the bus with her two friends who also started 4K today. I was proud of myself because I didn't cry! The bus came, the 3 kids lead the way to the bus stop barely stopping to kiss the 3 poor mommies who walked them out. They marched their little selves onto the bus and never looked back! They didn't need us! They had each other! (Yes, I bawled myself out when I got back into my truck!)

So, that's about all that's going on. Well, there's more but I'll save it for another post. My fingers are tired from all the typing. See ya soon...

My Baby Is Growing Up!! Whaaaaaaa...

2007-08-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

Yes...it's that time of year. The beginning of school. Now this hasn't affected me since the 1987-88 school year (my senior year of high school), but this year it affects me in a BIG way!! My little Super O is going to school! I can't believe it's happening. I remember when we moved here to Central WI two years ago. I wasn't concerned with which community we lived in because school didn't matter. I remember saying "I'll deal with the school thing when it happens in a couple of years". Well, it's a couple of years later and I'm having to deal with it.

If you've read this blog from the beginning (last summer) you're aware of Super O's speech delay issues and the problems I've had with our local elementary school. (If not, you can catch up by reading posts from Aug/Sept last year). Anyway, she'll start her Early Childhood classes next Tues, 9/4. They're on Tues/Thurs in the afternoon and she'll be on the little bus. This is also where she'll get her speech therapy. The following Monday, 9/10, she starts 4K (pre-k, 4yr old kindergarten). This is on Mon/Wed/Fri all day and she'll get to ride the big bus with her friends. She's already made a seat deal with Kylie (her new best friend).

We went to an open house for the EC class yesterday and met her teacher (Mrs. Wolfe) and the speech teacher (Mrs. Heil). She loved it! We go next week for the open house in her 4K room and we'll get to meet that teacher too!

I'm not really worried about the whole school thing, it's the bus that has me freaking! This is my tiny little baby girl. She's not big enough to sit on a school bus without her 5-point harness booster seat!! What happens if there's an accident?? In her 4 1/2 years, she's only ridden in cars driven by family members...and not even many of them!! I have to put my baby on a big bus with a stranger driving and no booster seat! Are these people insane???

I know I have to let go and let her grow up. Thousands of 4 & 5 year olds get onto buses every single day of the school year every single year. Those same thousands of children safely get off of those buses too. And yes, I do realize that something bad could happen when I'm driving her around. But at least I'm with her!! I guess all parents have a weird something they worry about and this is mine. Let me have it for now. I'll get over it and move onto something else eventually.

So, congrats to Super O on your first day of school! Mommy will be there to put you on the bus and to walk you to your classroom. I know you'll do just fine!

Sniff...sniff...(does anyone have a Kleenex?)

Sleeping in the Buff!

2007-07-23T16:20:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I went to check on Super O before my shower this morning (cuz I'm a good Super Mom). I opened the bedroom door and found her laying sideways on the bed. Something looked amiss... Upon further inspection, I found that Super O was buck naked! Yup...she decided to sleep au natural. Why? Who knows!

This is why I had a child. You never know what you're gonna get! I just love my little Super Peanut!!!

Haircuts and Boys...

2007-07-17T20:09:00.000-05:00

Super O has decided that she wants to be a boy. So what did she do? She cut her hair!! She didn't cut it as badly as some kids do, but it was bad enough. Super Nini tried to fix it as best as she could, but it really needed professional help. We went to a kids salon called Snip-Its for her first salon cut.

I asked the hairdresser to give her a Dorothy Hamill circa 1970's cut. As you can see from the pictures, we didn't get exactly what we wanted. I was kinda upset for the first few days, but then I got used to the cut and we both really love it!

Why does Super O want to be a boy? Who knows! She tells everyone "Me boy!" every chance she gets. Most of her friends at daycare are boys, so maybe that's her reason. Maybe she thinks boys have more fun...they get dirty and don't have to wear dresses. Again, who knows! So here we are, Super O is a boy and has a boyish haircut.

p.s. We got Super O's school supply list in the mail today. Super Mom isn't ready for her Super Baby to go to Super School!! Whaaaaaaa!!!!!

PONIES!!

2007-06-25T15:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, Super O got 2 ponies this weekend! Did I mention what a wonderful man my farmer is? He grew up with horses and decided that Super O needed one of her own. Well, I found an awesome deal where they were trying to unload some horses from a children's camp so I basically got two for the price of one! Here's a few pics...

This is Dusty. He's a 5yr old miniature gelding. He stands 38" at the withers. Isn't he the cutest thing!! Super O was kind of unsure about riding him, but her buddies took a ride and she warmed up to the idea pretty quickly.

This is Windy. She's a 15yr old Shetland Pony mare. She didn't want to be ridden this weekend, so I don't have any "action" shots of Super O yet.

I'll post more about the ponies later. I'm at work and don't want to get in trouble. Shhhhh...don't tell anyone :)

Moons

2007-05-10T14:16:00.000-05:00

I'm a mooner from way back. Some of my fondest memories of childhood involve me dropping my pants and shining my friends. Don't ask me why, I just think it's funny. So what do I do? I teach Super O to do it too! She knows that it's only appropriate at home with family. It's so cute when she drops 'em and sticks it out. I'm so proud of my baby!

Hide & Seek

2007-05-07T20:49:00.000-05:00

Super O loves to play hide & seek. The other evening we were sitting in the reclyner reading with several of her animal toys and she decided we were gonna play hide and seek with them. She wanted me to hide them and she would seek them out. She closed her eyes and put her hands over her eyes while I hid her animals. I hid the small plastic horse between my knees and put some of the other animals over it. She found it pretty quickly, then it was her turn to hide. I closed my eyes and waited...

She decided to hide the horse first...between my thighs....and she was serious. What was I to do except pretend like I couldn't find it.

Aren't kids great!!!

Tyler!

2007-05-06T21:10:00.000-05:00

We've been super busy but not a lot has happened. Super O is talking much more. She repeats almost everything she hears. A few weeks ago, Super Nini was talking about work and she mentioned her boss, Tyler. Super O heard her and repeated Tyler with a question in her voice. Ever since then, she says Tyler at the strangest times. Last night I was laying on the couch and she was playing. This was the conversation:

Super O: Tyler
Me: What honey, I can't understand you
Super O: Tyler
Me: What? Tyler??
Super O: Yes, Tyler
Me: What about Tyler?
Super O: Tyler me hi
Me: You want to call Tyler?
Super O: Yes!

So, I did what any Super Mom would do. I called Super Nini...

Super Nini: Hello
Me: Do you have Tyler's home phone number?
Super Nini: Why?
Me: Because O wants to call Tyler.
Super Nini: My granddaughter wants to call my boss at home on Saturday night?
Me: Yes

We both laughed so hard we almost peed!!

A Change In Plans...

2007-04-16T20:53:00.000-05:00

Ok...in my last post I told everyone about our new home. Well, it's not happening. It's not a bad thing, it's actually a very good thing!

The farmer and I decided to put off the mobile home and buy a new truck instead. I know...that sounds like a strange trade off, but there is a good reason. My car is falling apart and I drive 30 miles one way for work. I've been seeing tendrils of smoke from my steering column and smelling burning electrical stuff. Not a good thing!!! The land improvement estimates are coming in much higher than we anticipated, so we decided to stay where we are for a year...save money...spend the next 7 months or so paying cash for a septic system, well, & electricity and build a real house next spring. That's the plan anyway. It just didn't make sense to over extend ourselves for a home when we're in a perfectly good place and need a new vehicle. Know what I mean?

The new truck is a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer LT. It's fully loaded with heated leather seats & everything. I never thought I'd be driving a vehicle this nice! What does Super O think about the new truck? Well, as you can see from the picture, it's blue (which is her favorite color) so SHE LOVES IT. This picture isn't our truck but it's close, the only difference is ours has running boards. This is a great thing because Super O can climb in and out on her own. Apparently this is a very big thing for a 4 year old!

So...that's what's going on. We love the truck and our stress level just went down about 10 levels ;)

Yes...We're Moving Again!!

2007-04-10T20:31:00.000-05:00

In the past two years we've moved 5 times. The first one was right after Super O's dad left, I couldn't afford the rent in the place we shared with him. The second was when I moved 200 miles north to be by Uncle B's family and we lived with them for 3 months. The third was into our own place and we ended moving from there after 5 months because it was too expensive. The 4th was when we temporarily moved into Nini's house before the place we're at was available. Then we moved into this place. That was last May and I was hoping we'd be here for a while...

...That is until the farmer and I decided to buy a home together!!! Yes...we're going to move in together!! We decided it's the right thing to do and we're jumping in head first! We had been talking about putting some type of home on his farm but didn't think we could afford it because we would have to improve the land. This means digging a well, getting a septic system, having the electric lines run and creating a very long driveway. Well, we were wrong.

Last Saturday we went looking at a local home dealership. You know the kind...mobile homes, modular homes, lots of models to walk through. We found out that mobile homes aren't very expensive and we found one that we fell in love with. I never thought I'd be excited to buy a trailer, but this is the first home I've ever owned! We got a few estimates, went to the bank, and found out that we can most definitly afford to do this now.

We can't start the land improvements for a few weeks because of the crazy weather. The ground has to unthaw and we have to cut for the driveway first. Hopefully we'll be done with everything by mid-June.

The plan is to live in the trailer for about 5 years, pay the loan off and build a house on the site. I'm so unbelievably excited!!

Stay tuned for updates!

Green Acres???

2007-03-26T20:34:00.000-05:00

OK...so the farm doesn't really look like this...but am I cut out to be a farmers wife?

A few people have asked for updates on the "thing" with the farmer. Well, I'm happy to say that "things" couldn't be better! We've had a rocky month but we're back on track. I won't go into details about what happened, so let's just say that there were forces working against us and we almost let them win.

OK, back to the question at hand...am I cut out to be a farmers wife? The answer...NO!! First and foremost, farming is hard work and my farmer is in a situation where the milking herd is to big to handle for one person, but not big enough to pay for a second person. Because of this, my farmer ends up working about 14 hour days - 7 days a week - 365 days a year. As you can imagine, this doesn't leave much time for a relationship or any kind of social life. So, what do we do about this? We sell the cows of course! Yes, you heard me right...he's selling the cows. Is he doing this for me/us? No...he decided to do it during our break-up. He was actually planning on selling them and moving about 500 miles away! Second reason I can't be a dairy farmers wife? I really don't enjoy the barn work. I'd much prefer to have my cushy office job and work my 40 hours a week thank you very much!

Anyway, we started talking one night and realized how much we mean to each other...and he started telling me how he wants to sell the cows...and get a regular job...and he wants to buy us a house...and get married...and be Super O's dad...and have babies...and all that mushy stuff!!

We decided to give it another chance and these last two weeks have been some of the happiest in my whole life! He's warm and loving and caring and strong and cute and...well...I feel like we were meant to be together!

OK...how many of you are gagging now? I'm not usually a mushy, girlie, lovey dovey kind of person, but something about that farmer of mine brings it out!

Know anyone who wants to buy a herd of Jerseys? Cuz I know where you can find some...

Peep!!

2007-03-19T20:44:00.000-05:00

Super O LOVES television!! Since it's just the two of us, we tend to have the TV on most of the time for background noise. About 1/2 the time we have one of Super O's shows or movies on. Some of her favorites TV shows are; Handy Manny (Playhouse Disney), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Playhouse Disney), Fairly Odd Parents (Nick), Jimmy Neutron (Nick), Magic Schoolbus (Ready, Set, Learn on TLC), and Bigfoot Presents (Ready, Set, Learn on TLC). Her favorite movies are; Chicken Little, Barnyard, Open Season, and Curious George.

But right now, her absolute FAVORITE thing to watch on TV is Peep and the Big Wide World (Ready, Set, Learn on TLC)...otherwise known as "Peep". The show is set in and around a pond, a bush, and a tin can, and follows a newly hatched chicken named Peep, and his friends Chirp and Quack (a robin and a duck), on their daily adventures. One of my favorite parts is that it's narrated by Joan Cusack. I just love Quack because he knows everything and makes sure everyone knows it!

I've been recording Peep for Super O because it comes on just as we're leaving in the morning. As soon as we get home, or sometimes even before we get there, she's asking "Peep?". And my answer is always the same "Yes O, you can watch Peep in a little while". Now that she knows it's on tape, she wants to watch ALL THE TIME!! I guess it could be worse...she could want to watch Spongebob.

So, what do your kids watch?

Bear and the Potty

2007-03-10T16:52:00.000-06:00

So, what's new? I think we can safely say that Super O is potty trained now. If you've been reading the blog from the beginning, you know we've been working on this since September. I swear I have the most stubborn child on the face of the earth! Finally, about a month ago, she decided to start using the potty. She did really well for a few weeks, then started backsliding. Two mornings last week, she decided to make #1 in her pants standing right in front of me...as we were trying to get out the door!! I decided that enough was enough and took drastic measures. She has a little stuffed bear that goes EVERYWHERE with her. I told her that if she made pee-pee in her pants again Mommy would take Bear away and she couldn't have him back until she went in the potty. Well, this upset her very much but I was determined to stick to my guns.

When I picked her up from daycare that day, I found out that she peed in her pants standing in the bathroom. Not an accident, a deliberate act of "I am not peeing in the toilet". So, what did I do? I took Bear. Super O was very irate that I had actually done this, but it was what I said would happen if she didn't go in the toilet. Bear rode home in the front seat with me and went on the shelf in my bedroom when we got home. Super O was beside herself with grief. I told her if she made pee-pee on the potty, she could have Bear back. Well, she decided it was worth a try. Afterall, Bear is her best friend and she'd do anything for him. She went in the bathroom and sat there for about 5 minutes. I think she was ready to give up when it happened...tinkle in the toilet!! She was so happy when she was reunited with her long, lost friend a few minutes later!! It was a tear jerking moment for all involved.

That was last Thursday. Since then, we've had one accident (on Friday) and it was really an accident. She was busy playing, realized she had to go, ran to the bathroom and couldn't get her pants down fast enough. She looked at me when she realized what had happened and said "No Bear" with a very sad look. I told her that I wouldn't take Bear away because it was an accident. She tried to go and didn't make it. She was so relieved!! Since that time, she's been dry day and night. We still do pull-ups for naps and nighttime, but she wakes up dry. I think I'll get a mattress protector next week and try her in panties overnight. It's about time, but she finally did it! I'm so proud of my little girl!

On a side note, things are back on with the farmer. We've been talking all week and he's made some positive changes in his life. We're totally in love and have decided to try to make it work. We both made mistakes, we've learned from them and hopefully we can move forward from here. I'll keep everyone posted on our progress.

One more thing...I know you people are looking at the blog because my site meter tells me I'm getting hits. Why aren't you leaving comments? I'd love to hear from all of you!!

Super O and the "Baby"???

2007-03-03T07:39:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of Super O and a doll...but what if the baby were real?

The other night Super O was being silly and showing me her tummy. I reached out to tickle her and she got all serious on me, pointed to her stomach and said "Baby". I was a little confused, so I asked her "Do you have a baby in your tummy?". Of course, she said "Yes". Now you can imagine how funny this was. Here is my little 4yr old daughter trying to tell me she has a baby in her tummy. At first I couldn't figure out why she would think that, then it hit me...Super O's favorite teacher is having a baby in June. She's a small woman with a little round tummy...just like Super O's tummy. She thinks she has a baby in there because her teacher has one!!! I tried to explain that there's no baby in her tummy because she's just a little girl, but she won't have any of that! She insists there's a baby in there. I can tell by the look on her face that she knows there's no baby, but she likes to pretend so I figure I'll just go along with it. What harm can it really do? I'd just like to know who the father is ;)

The 30-Second Bunnies Theatre

2007-02-27T19:03:00.000-06:00

My friend sent me a link to The 30-Second Bunnies Theatre today. This is one of the funniest websites I've ever seen. It's cartoon bunnies doing 30-second reenactments of blockbuster movies. My favorites are Jaws, The Shining, and Brokeback Mountain. Apparently the bunnies are featured on Starz! but I wasn't able to find them on their website.

Let me know what you think! Be sure to pass it along to anyone you think needs a smile...

Happy Birthday to Super O!

2007-02-25T17:14:00.000-06:00

Ok...where did I leave off last fall? Well Super O turned 4 during the internet/blog hiatus. Her birthday was in December. We had a party for her with the family and she got tons of new toys. Well, Christmas was 5 days later, so she cleaned up pretty good. She got a bunch of new art materials so she's been coloring and cutting up a storm. She's pretty good with a pair of scissors. She cuts much better than she colors.

Super O is doing absolutely wonderful. She's talking much more and thriving! I applied for Open Enrollment so I'm hoping she gets accepted at the "other" school district for fall. She has an early childhood evaluation with them and the principal of the elem school said they very rarely deny anyone in Open Enrollment. I can't believe my baby is gonna start pre-K in the fall. She's just my little baby!!!

Things with the farmer didn't work out. He has too many issues and it just couldn't work. He's a wonderful person, but unless he works on himself, he can't be happy with anyone.

Let's see... I quit smoking in January, got contacts a few weeks ago, and joined Weight Watchers. I felt like I needed to make some changes. Ya know when you just feel like you're in a rut. Well, I was there and winter hasn't helped any. We're both doing great and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!

Isn't it funny that it's been 4 months since I've been gone and I can't think of anything else to write about. Life just goes so quickly and nothing really happens...

We're Back!!

2007-02-23T22:15:00.000-06:00

So, I lost my internet connection in October because Super O's dad decided to be a deadbeat again and I stopped getting support payments. I had to decide between cable TV and internet to make up the difference. As you can guess, Super O couldn't live without Disney Channel, so Super Mom lost the internet. Anyway, we're back and hopefully I can get everyone caught up soon!

Stay tuned...

Misc Junk...

2006-10-22T07:20:00.000-05:00

Wow. I didn't realize how long it's been since my last post. This week has been kinda strange, what with my dad (papa) being here. I'm not used to having company in the evening, but dad's been cooking dinner so I'm not complaining!! Let's see, my last entry was on Monday, so I'll break up the week by day...

Tuesday - Kinda boring. Papa made dinner and I got to relax in the evening. Nothing much to report.

Wednesday - Papa picked Super O up from daycare so Mommy could have some "grown up" time. I went out with a bunch of people from work and came home way too late. Super O went to dinner with Papa at the truck stop, one of her favorite restaurants in the world! She had a grilled cheese with fries and ate like a truck driver. Kinda fitting considering where she was :)

Thursday - Papa had dinner ready when we got home again. We were a bit late because we stopped at the farm on the way home. Now, it was the first time I've seen my farmer guy since Saturday, so I was jonesing for a fix :) I'm glad we stopped because he had two new calves, one was born on Wed & one was born late morning on Thursday. The younger of the two was waiting for dinner, so we got to feed it a bottle. I know that may sound like nothing to most of you, but I was really excited. I've never gotten to do anything like that before. Super O was more interested in playing with one of the barn kittens. Oh yea, I also got a "probably" on another date for Friday. When a farmer says "probably" to a date in early fall when he's trying to button up everything before it gets too cold, it's a good day! We got home and went to wash the kitten and calf off of our hands before dinner and Super O started saying "Mow" (pronounced like cow). At first I couldn't figure out what she was saying, then it hit me. She was saying "meow" like the kitten. She's been saying it for days now. Her animal vocabulary now consists of "woo woo" for a dog, "moooooooo" for a cow, and "mow" for a cat.

Friday - Friday was a very good day! We stopped at the farm again and I got a definitly on the date! His sister and brother-in-law decided to join us. The brother-in-law was actually there and I had met him before but I was a little nervous about meeing his big sister. I am a big sister and I can be very protective of my little brother at times. The plan was to go to the raffle drawing for Super O's daycare. I had to be there by 9pm so I could emcee the drawing, so farmer guy agreed to just meet me there when he finished his chores. They ended up getting there at about 9:45. I couldn't believe how excited I was to see him. I think I'm really falling for this guy! We stayed out having a good time until about 2am, then I drove us back to his house. We sat in the car talking until 4am!! The whole time we were talking, all I could think about was "is he gonna kiss me??". Alas, he did not. Somehow we ended up talking about it and he said he didn't want to rush anything, so he was gonna wait until the time was right. Isn't that just too much!! In this day and time (did I really just type that), with everyone rushing to do everything as quickly as possible, he wants to wait for the first kiss!! On the one hand, I can't wait for it to happen but on the other, the waiting just makes everything all the better. So, we ended the date with no kiss, which was fine by me :)

In the meantime, Super O was staying overnight with Nini . Nini's husband wasn't feeling well, so Nini came over at about 7:00 to play. At one point, they were sitting on the couch and Nini was tickling her. Super O would laugh and crawl to the other side of the couch and call my name like she wanted me to save her. Nini kept telling her to say "Mama help". I'd look at her and say "What to you want? Use your words to tell me." Finally, she looked at me and said "hep". Let's see, with the addition of "mow" and "hep" I think her vocabulary is up to around 50 words now!! Pretty soon, we'll be wishing we could get her to be quiet!

Saturday - After getting about 5 hours of sleep, we had a pretty lazy day. We watched a few movies and took a nap. Around 4:00 I decided to go out to the farm and see how my farmer guy was doing. Super O wanted to go see the Mow (kitty) anyway. He looked pretty rough, but he said he didn't regret staying out so late. Did I mention that I think I'm really falling for this guy? We fed the calves again, which was cool because it freed him up to do other things. He wants me to come back today and help with the calves. I told him I'd have to see how the day goes. Don't want him thinking I'm gonna drop everything and run over there whenever ;)

So...that's the week in a nutshell. Sorry for the lapse in posts, but sometimes life just takes over.

Papa!

2006-10-16T20:48:00.000-05:00

Yes...Papa is here! My dad, who lives in Georgia, is here for a two week visit and he's staying with me and Super O. We haven't seen him since last Christmas so I've been preparing Super O by showing her pictures and practicing saying Papa.

He got here just as we got home this evening. He stopped at my brothers house and they all loaded up and headed over. When they got here, Super O's cousins were the first in the house and she kept looking at the door saying "Papa" with a question in her voice. Where was he?? I told her to look out the window and she saw him!!! Finally, he made it into the house. Super O's Papa was here!! This mythical person she had been hearing about was actually in our house! She gave him a big hug and was his best buddy all evening.

I should end this now. It's rude to make blog entry about a person when they're sitting across the room from you :) More to follow...

Mama's Still Got It!!

2006-10-15T21:29:00.000-05:00

So...wanna know how the date went? Okay, I'll tell ya...

IT WAS FABULOUS!!!

As I posted before, he's very shy. We went to a local restaurant/bar for dinner and drinks. He drives this huge Dodge Ram diesel pick-up truck and I'm a sucker for a man with a big truck :) The ride there wasn't too bad, I was able to keep him talking about his brother and sisters. We got to the restaurant and it wasn't too crowded, so we were able to sit down right away. We ordered drinks, perused the menu and whatdaya know...he starts talking! We talked about his dairy farm and more about his family. He asked questions about my job and Super O. He thinks she's just the "cutest little thing". He ventured into the "how could her dad leave her" arena, so I gave him the quick version of that. There was no awkwardness or forced conversation. I think the alcohol helped a bit though...

After dinner, we went down the road to another bar/banquet hall for a few more drinks and to just talk more. Turns out he hasn't been out in about a year, so I think we were just enjoying being in the company of a member of the opposite sex. How pitiful are we :) One of his good friends was at a wedding in the banquet hall and came out to the bar, so we sat and talked with him for a while. It was nice seeing him interact with other people. He's not as quiet as I originally thought. I think he's just shy around girls. Anyway, we ended up leaving at about 12:30 because he had to get up at 6:00 to milk.

I had driven to the farm and left my car there, so we went back to his house. On the way, he was telling me about an addition he just added to the barn for the calves, so we went in so he could show me. Now, I don't know about you, but I've never ended a date by tromping through a barn full of dairy cows. We stayed in the barn for about a half hour just talking and petting the cows (I know, heavy petting on the first date). When it was time to go, he noticed I had stepped in a little somethin', so he sprayed my shoes off with the hose. I know, it doesn't sound very romantic, but for some reason it was very cool. He is very dedicated to his farm and I'm very interested in the whole dairy industry (I have to be, I live in Wisconsin). There were a few times I got the feeling he wanted to kiss me, but he never did and I didn't push the issue.

That's the skinny. I really like this guy and get the feeling he feels the same way. The good thing about it being October is that he'll be done with all of the "farm" work soon and will only have to take care of the cows for the winter, so he'll have more time for a personal life. He's very into snowmobling and I've never been on a snowmobile. He's gonna take me this winter!! I guess that's a good thing, right? He's already making plans for us a few months down the road...

He has the most amazing eyes. They're very piercing, but sparkle when he smiles. I think I'm off the deep end...

I'll keep everyone posted on how things go. I have a fund-raising function at Super O's daycare on Friday night. It doesn't start until 9:00 so I'm gonna ask him if he wants to go with me. Maybe I'll get that first kiss...

My Turn...

2006-10-14T17:58:00.000-05:00

Ok. I know this blog is about Super O, but I have to say this...

I HAVE A DATE TONIGHT!!!!

I haven't had a date in two years, and I'm not sure what to do!! I'm really nervous! I don't really know this guy very well. He's my landlord's son (a dairy farmer) and very shy. I've been trying to get him to ask me out for about 3 months and it finally happened. My birthday was on Monday and his was on Friday, so he's 3 days younger than me. I know...I'm robbing the cradle :)

Anyway, I'll let everyone know how it went tomorrow. Wish me luck!!

Soldiers Are People Too

2006-10-12T20:14:00.000-05:00

I'm going to take a moment away from the Adventures of Super O! to talk about something that I've not really spent any time thinking about. The war in the Middle East. I know it's happening, but I've never really been into politics and I don't watch the news because it depresses me. To be honest, I don't have time to think about anything except bills, work, and raising my daughter.

I see people in uniform when I'm out shopping or at McDonalds and I realize that they could be on their way to Iraq or Afghanistan...or maybe they just got home. When I see them, I want to walk up to them and say "Thank you for fighting for my little girl's freedom!", but I tend to be emotional and I get choked up very easily. I don't want to look foolish. Maybe I should just do it. Do they want to hear things like that? Or do they just want to blend in and be like any other person waiting for their lunch?

Anyway, I was surfing around and came upon a milblog (short for military blog). I started reading some of the posts and as expected, I got choked up and actually cried a few times. It doesn't matter how I feel about the war, or how I feel about the people living in the middle east. It doesn't matter if the politicians running this country are morons or the smartest people in the world. We have men and women who have given up their lives (literally and figuratively) to fight for our freedom! Men who have children they've never met. Women who left children at home with their husbands or parents or friends. People who don't necessarily believe in what they're doing, but who believe in the people who are doing it. These are the heroes of our time. These are the people we should be looking up to. These are the people I will teach my daughter about. Those are the people I want to thank!

If you want to read thoughts and stories from our soldiers, visit The Sandbox. I also have a link in the side bar if you don't bookmark it. There's also a link to Operation AC - US Military Service Members Virtual Carebox. This is a website that allows you to "adopt" a service member. They need everyday things just like we do...homemade brownies, cigarettes, magazines, potato chips, movies, music, you name it. If you can manage it, adopt a service member and bring a smile to a soldiers face! Let them know that someone at home is thinking about them!

Kids Are Funny!

2006-10-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

If you've been reading my posts, you know that Super O goes to daycare full-time. She's been in the same center for a year now and I've gotten to know her friends pretty well. There are a few kids that have attached themselves to us and I'd like to share a few stories.

First there's Elliott. He's a twin and his brother Chad is also in the class. Chad is very rambunctious and doesn't talk to me much, but Elliott is a lover. He's always talking to me and hugging me! He likes to draw and he makes me pictures for my art walls at work. Yesterday when I picked Super O up, there was an envelope in my mailbox. It said To: Theresa - From: Elliott - Happy Birthday! I opened the envelope and there was yet another self-portrait of himself. I wish I had a scan of the picture so I could post it! Anyway, I started talking to Elliott and the subject of cows came up. Elliott's father and uncle own one of the largest dairy farms in the area and apparently, one of their cows had twins! The conversation went something like this:

Elliott (very animated): One of our cows had two twins!!
Me: Twin calves?? Like you and your brother?
Elliott: Yup!
Me: Did you name them Chad and Elliott?
Elliott (with that "grown-ups are silly" tone): NO!! They're girls!!!

Did I mention how cute he is??

Then there's Kennedy. She just turned 5 on Monday, so she's about 14 months older than Super O. Kennedy likes to mother Super O. It's really quite funny. She's big for her age and Super O is small for her age, so it looks like Kennedy is really a few years older. A few times a week, when Kennedy sees me coming, she will take Super O by the hand and say "Olivia, your mommy is here" and walk her to me. She also "catches" Super O when she goes down the slide. Well today she told me her version of a joke. She was playing with Ethan (I call him Why Boy...I'm sure you can guess why) and her joke involved him. Here goes...

I was holding this pillow and pretending a kitty was under it. Then I showed Ethan there was no kitty and he said "Silly Kitty!!"

That was it. It was completely silly and made no sense, but she told it with such gusto that I had to laugh! She's quite the character.

Lastly, there's Ethan. He's such a tough little boy with a very soft side. When he cries, he goes into the corner so nobody can see him. He's also quite the little lover and gives me lots of hugs. As I mentioned before, I call him Why Boy. He's gotten a little better now that he's started Pre-K, but he still asks "Why" a lot! You'd like an example of a typical conversation with Ethan? Okay...

Ethan: Why are you wearing your coat?
Me: Because it's cold outside.
Ethan: Why is it cold outside?
Me: Because winter is coming.
Ethan: Why is winter coming?
Me: Because summer is over.
Ethan: Why is summer over?
Me: Why do you ask why all the time?

This usually stops him. He looks at me with his head cocked to the side like a puppy. Why do I stop him? Why don't I just answer the questions? Why are you asking me why?

There's several more, but those are the main players. Chad (Elliott's brother) really likes Super O and she seems to calm him down. When they go for walks, the teachers usually pair them together. He looks out for her and she keeps him in line so he doesn't run off from the group. They're like yin & yang. It works for me! Owen was her best friend in the toddler room, but he's made other friends since he came to the pre-school room. Rebecca is another friend from the toddler room. She just moved up to the pre-school room, so Super O is showing her the ropes. The rest just treat me like any of the other moms so I don't know them very well.

So, there's a look into Super O's circle of friends. She absolutely loves her daycare! The teachers are fabulous, the other staff is wonderful, the kids are fun....what's not to love??

What's Up??

2006-10-10T21:22:00.000-05:00

Ok...so I know you people are reading the blog? Why aren't you commenting? My Site Meter shows that I have about 5 hits a day. I really want to know what everyone thinks!

Please start commenting. Don't make me beg :)