7 years in!

7 year ago I married a man that I thought was great.  The thing was I didn't really get how great.  When we first started dating I didn't see it at all.  In fact I wanted to toss him to the curb.  But Mary and Sandy saved him from that fate.  Thanks for that old friends.

When I see Jason now I see a strong, independant, loving, caring, and open man.  He is a great husband, father, and friend.  I have been so blessed to have him in my life.  When I was younger I was convinced that there wasn't anyone out there for me.  That I was just going to be along forever.  And I was ok with that.  But then Jason walked into my life and I was never the same again. 

It's strange how life is.  We spent years crossing paths and never met.  We went to high school together.  Drove on the same bus every day for a year.  Went to the technology campus together.  Bowled on the same night at Lakes Bowl.  I bowled on the women's league and he bowled on the men's league.  The same league that my dad played on just at the other end of the alley.  We never met until I was a bartender and his brother, Jeff, was a cook at The Hardware Store.  Then when he gave me his number I freaked out!  Not only was his name Jason (the same name as the guy I had just stopped dating) but he was standing right next to a guy that I had just went out with one night earlier. (Awkward!)  I never called.  A week later he and I happened to be hanging out at the bar together and started a wonderful friendship.  After a little while we went out on a date.  It was the weirdest, strangest non-feeling date ever.  After a few weeks I decided I was done and that's when Sandy and Mary stepped in.  Mary told me, "Your right.  He's to cute and to nice.  You should break up with him."  So I gave him one more chance.  Something happened after that and we were never apart again.  6 months later he proposed and 1 1/2 years later we married.  Oct 22, 2004. 

7 years ago I said "I Do" for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, till death do us part. I mean it as much today as I did back then. Even though our days might not always be perfect, I couldn't imagine going through it with anyone but him. 

And here's where we're at today. 

Notre Dame

Notre Dame Fighting Irish VS. Air Force Falcons

WIN for Notre Dame 59 - 33

Big thanks to my in-laws, Jerry and Sherry, for letting Sarah and I use their tickets for the game.  What a great time! 

Few fun facts about the Notre Dame football stadium. 

• The stadium holds 80,000 people (although the attendance for the game was 80,795.  Pretty sure I know where those extra 795 people were sitting.  Our row.)
• The seats are only 12" long and 4" wide (roomy)

• Regis Philbin is always at the game.  I'm pretty sure I found where he sits.

• The Marching Band is humongous and AWESOME! 

Most entertaining moment.

• Drunk girl in front of us turns around and shouts, "There's a little girl in a green shirt whose deaf and she's missing somewhere in our section!"  A wave a panic runs through section 20.  Sarah turns around and tells the people above us.  I ask the drunk girl, "How old is the little girl?"  "I don't know" she replies "Let me ask the usher."  We hear a number that is bellowed back to us that is either 6, 16, or 60.  She shouts back to the user, "16?"  He shouts back loud and clear, "SIXTIES!"  So I turn around and clarify to the people behind us, "Turns out she's not such a little girl, but still deaf and still missing."  Then the guy behind us asked if his grandma was at the game.

Coolest Thing to Happen.

• This award has to go to the B2 Bomber fly over before the game.  It came from behind us and flew right over our heads.  A-MA-ZING!

The Bewitching Hour

So at our house we refer to dinner time as "the bewitching hour".  It's starts around 4 and doesn't end until around 6.  (Yes I realize this is actually 2 hours, not just one.)  This is the time when all hell breaks loose each and every day without fail. 

Today Wyatt had his first homework assignment.  So he gets home from school and wants to relax and watch a little TV.  (This was my first mistake.)  "Ok. But when that's over you need to do your homework."  So around 4pm we start his homework.  He fake cries through almost the whole thing.  The only time he doesn't is when he's bouncing his ball and catching it.  (Yes - This is homework..?.?.) 

Then there's Riley who is sitting next to him trying to do his homework for him.  "Here Wyatt, do you want me to just do it for you?" 

We can't forget about Ben who is suddenly starving.  So we get him a yogurt.  To stop Riley from doing Wyatt's homework I ask her to help Ben eat his yogurt.  WELL....  We all get distracted helping Wyatt with his homework and look over at Ben who is drinking his yogurt.  He's got it all over his face, pajamas, and highchair.

Of course we can't ignore poor Collin who is laying on the floor in the living room crying because he wants mom's attention too.   I help Wyatt finish his homework, clean Ben up, and go to the living room.  Great!  Collin stinks.  Grab a diaper and the wipes.  Lay him on the living room floor.  (Yes that's right - the floor.  By the fourth kid you don't even have a changing table anymore.  Where ever you can catch them and get them to lay down is where you change them.)  Open up the diaper and that's when the Ass-splotion starts.  He's like a frikin' Play-Doh machine.  It just keeps coming and coming.  "RILEY - GET ME ANOTHER DIAPER.  HELP. HELP."  "GET ME THE FLOOR CLEANER.  THERE'S POOP ON THE FLOOR.  HELP. HELP."  Poop is everywhere.  He finally stops so I can clean him up and the floor.  I feed him a little more bottle and he goes right to sleep.  Eat, Sleep, and Poop.  That really is all they do.

I make dinner and as I'm calling the kids Riley comes in crying with her tongue bleeding.  What the heck!  She bit her tongue or something and now can't eat.  Really?!?!  Now she would would like a nice hot bath to relax in so she can soak her tongue.  Whatever... 

By now it's past 6pm.  The bewitching hour is over.  Thank God!  Not sure how much more I can take.  Let's put these kids to bed and call it a night!!!

Movie Theatre Date Rules

Rules to going on a Movie Theatre Date according to Wyatt

• Things you are allowed to do.
• hug
• blow kisses
• bring stuffed animal dogs
• girls can eat waffles

• Things you are NOT allowed to do.
• kiss
• kiss on the cheek
• bring real dogs
• bring toys
• sleep in the theatre
• eat waffles if you are a little boy 

If you are caught doing anything on the "Not Allowed" list you will be kicked out! 

Now we are ready to go and see The Lion King 3D.

FIRE! FIRE!

OK.  So maybe the title is a little dramatic.  It was a small camp fire in the neighbors tree that landed on the power line which runs between our yards. 

First we get Riley and Wyatt off to school.  Then Ben wants to play in the backyard.  Sure - Why not.  We're sitting on the deck and I look up to see smoke coming from the trees.  Thankfully Collin fell asleep and actually let me lay him in his bed for once.  Then (brainiac me) decides to take care of this myself and I go get the hose.  Well... We have no water pressure so it didn't work.  (good thing too since I wasn't thinking of "you don't put water on an electrical fire").  So I decide to call 911.  The fire department comes out.  My neighbors come over.  (Finally met our neighbor Nancy across the street for the 1st time in 8 years.  Nice lady.)  AND The fire department does nothing except for call Com Ed.  I thought they at least cut the power, but no.  The Com Ed guy told me they don't do anything.  The fire in the trees just went out on its own.  So now the Com Ed guy is sitting in his truck in front of my house waiting for the tree trimmers to come out. 

In between  the fire department leaving and Com Ed coming out the neighbor from behind us comes over.  She tells me that her son (the guy who was mowing the lawn and I told the fire department is coming) tells her that the lady with the daycare called the fire department.  I corrected her and told her, "No.  We just have a lot of kids."

You want to know what thought kept popping in my head every time I was talking to the neighbors, the firemen, and the Com Ed guy.  "I still haven't brushed my teeth.  Gross."  Now I'm going to be known to the neighborhood as the smelly daycare lady.  Great!

Don't worry I did get a chance to brush them before writing this blog just in case any of you out there have smell-o-vision.

P.S.  Riley and Wyatt sure will be bummed when they find out they missed the firemen in our backyard. 

Wyatt's First Day of PreSchool

I don't have a picture, but I do have to share.  Wyatt was so upset that I had to go to school WITH him today. 

"Can't I just go on the bus today mom?" 
"No Wyatt.  This is what your teacher's want us to do.  Some kids are a little nervous."
 "I'm not nervous mom." 
"Can't you just drop me off mom?" 
"No Wyatt.  Your teacher's want me to go with you today.  Tomorrow I will just drop you off." 
After school... "Tomorrow NO PARENTS MOM!  I'm going by myself!  I'm a big boy now!" 
"Trust me Wyatt, if they would let me you'd be going by yourself for a full day on the bus.  Not a problem." 

Dominick's

My first visit to the grocery store by myself with all 4 kids.  To sum it up in a phrase "We survived . . . barely".  There was a lot of tears from Collin, whining from Ben strapped into the car, arms flying out of the cart from Wyatt and Riley pushing the cart - into things.  All in all I would call it a success, since we got everything that we needed and are all home now.