NaBloPoMo

Yay! NaBloPoMo! I have to say that I'm looking forward to the month ahead. Not because I've vowing to do a blog post a day, but I am vowing to *READ* all my faves everyday!

She Totally Gets It!

The last couple of days have really been fun. Thursday night we went to a Harvest party at church for the kids. Every year the church holds this for the kids. They set up a bunch of carnival type games with candy as prizes. KJ, being the 14-year old (have I told you how 14 is such and UGLY age?) really wasn't going to be playing, so she came to help out. Izababy dressed in her "Rag Doll" costume, otherwise known as R.aggedy A.nn had a blast! Of course being only 17 months old, she wasn't playing any of the games, but the child NEVER stopped! She ran around so much, weaving in and out of kids and adults. It was hysterical AND exhausting! She came in first place for the best costume. Is there any wonder why?

So this was Izababy's 2nd Halloween, but the first one that she actually went out "Trick Or Treat"ing. I wasn't sure how the night would go. I guess I just assumed that we would only go to a couple houses. We met up with my cousin and her kids and went around her block. I was SHOCKED to see that Izababy totally got it - at 17 months old. She would walk up to the door holding her cousin's hand and hold out her pumpkin for the candy! If they handed her the goody, she would promptly put it in herself. Then along with the other kids she would scoot towards the next house, knowing she would get more goodies. Never once did she go in her stroller. We must have hit 25 or more houses and it wasn't until the very end when she started getting tired and started to stumble.

After we were done, we finished the night by visiting Grandma. My cousin had made an apple cake that everyone said was delicious and Grandma made cawfee. Apparently, according to Cactus & his family - that is the way I pronouce coffee. Whatever! Anyway, back on track, it was a GREAT night, until... Izababy tripped over the leg of one chair and bumped her head on another! Oh well, isn't the first time, won't be the last. Hope everyone's Halloween was happy!

Whew! How long was I out for?????

It seems like forever since I posted... close to it I know. My one and only reader even noticed I was gone. So, where have I been? What have I been doing? What has been taking up MOST of my free time these days, as if there was really any of that to begin with?


We moved!


So, for the last two months I've spent almost every bit of free time either packing or getting the new apartment ready. It was exhausting! I work full time plus, which could be anywhere from 50 to 65 hours a week. So add packing and painting on top of that and by the end of the night -- dishrag!


I never really realized how much stuff we had though. When I met Cactus, KJ and I were renting a 2 bedroom apartment, just her and I. It was comfortable. I did have some stuff in the attic -- a few containers and some clothes. Not too much. Then in July of 2005, Cactus moved in (that will be a whole nother post).


We lived on opposite coasts - me on the "right" and him on the "wrong". I flew out to SF and we drove back to NY together - in his truck. All of his tools valuables came in the truck with us and the rest of his belongings were shipped to NY. We took 5 days to make the trip, traveling 600+ miles every day. At the end of each day we would lug all his tools valuables into the hotel - sometimes up a couple floors to the safety of our room. His other belongings arrived in NY the Tuesday after we did and fortunate for me, I was already back to work. I had NO idea how much stuff he actually had. While I was at work he unloaded the pallets, carried it up to the apartment and carried it up another flight of stairs to the attic. I had no need to really go in the attic, so I never really knew.


When we got pregnant we decided we needed a bigger place, so we moved directly diagonal to where we were - from one corner to the other. This place wasn't much bigger, but there were no stairs and we could fit a crib and changing table in our bedroom. We also had full use of the basement for storage.


I didn't lift a finger for this move as I was pregnant and considered high risk (once again... another post). So on the day of the big move, I stayed in my bed in the bedroom only to leave when it was the only piece of furniture left to move. I never saw all the containers of Cactus's crap valuables they dragged out of the attic, across the street and down to the basement.


This move - there were no excuses. I wasn't at work. In fact, I took days off! I wasn't pregnant. I couldn't get out of it.


The weekend before the big move we had a tag sale. We had TONS of stuff and got rid of quite a bit, thankfully. Whatever was left over was donated to a friend of my husbands who was having a huge tag sale to benefit the Children's Miracle Network.


The apartment was ready sooner than we anticipated and we were able to move in before the 1st of October. I still can't believe the amount of stuff we have. We've been here for about 3 weeks and we still have stuff in boxes. Some stuff we put in my mom's attic - while she was on vacation in Florida. She said we could, but I just felt it was better if we did it while she wasn't around! Some stuff we have out in the shed.


Our next move MUST be into our own home - with lots of storage! I've given up on trying to get Cactus to get rid of stuff. He's got this horrible case of separation anxiety when it comes to his stuff. Case in point - It took him almost 2 years to get rid of his California cell phone after he moved to NY. He walked around with 2 cell phones on him at all times. He just loves his stuff!


So - that's where I've been. *yawn*

Ok... So What About the Title of This Blog Anyway?

When I decided to finally be a blogger instead of just a bloggee I thought long and hard about what I would call my blog. I remember reading a post by Crystal about just that subject. Hmm... three things that define me??? #1. Wife, #2. Mother, #3. Full time employee... BORING! Ok, let's try it again. #1. Butt, #2. Diet Coke, #3. More Butt! Uh... no thank you! So, I decided on calling it "Way 2 Old 4 This Chit!" because I find that I say that more often than not these days.


Sure I know that 42 isn't old, but it sure feels old some days. As I explained in my very first blog post ever, I have 2 children. One is 14 and the other, 15 months old. So, essentially KJ will be going off to college just as Izababy will be going off to Kindergarten. Boy, I planned that well, didn't I?


KJ was every mother's dream as a baby. She slept through the night at 6 weeks, just in time for momma to go back to work. When she was hungry or needed changing she barely cried. She was a wonderful eater and still is. At the age of 2, her favorite food was salad! I can still remember her picking the red onions out of the salad and eating them just like that. She was also extremely well behaved and I really felt I could take her to the finest restaurants if ever the opportunity arose. She's 14 now and as "ugly" as 14 can be, she's still a really great kid.


Izababy on the other hand has been completely different. She was trouble even before she was born! The nurses hated having to monitor me because as soon as we had a good strong heartbeat and the nurse left the room, she would move. Then at 32/33 weeks she had decided enough was enough - she wanted out. Don't get me wrong. She's not a horrible child, she's just completely different than what I'm used to.


I'll never forget the day her nurse told us she could go home. "When I can hear her crying all the way across the room and see both arms and legs flailing, it's time for her to go home!" And she still cries... and LOUD!


She was a good eater as a baby, nursing until she was 7.5 months old. However, when it was time to feed her "real" food, suddenly it was an issue. I can only list 3 things that I *KNOW* she'll eat, no matter what - cheerios, pasta pick-ups & fruit. One day she'll eat something and do well with it - another day - forget it! And she won't try anything. You literally have to shove it in her mouth while she's screaming and then all of a sudden, if she likes it, she stop crying and sign "more". If she doesn't like it, well... she just continues to scream. Oh, and once she's done... she's done and don't even bother trying to get her to eat another bite. In what seems like seconds she gets this attitude. She'll drop the food on the floor and if you reprimand her for it, she'll cry and start wiping her hands all over her hair. Also, if you find something she seems to like, don't even think about offering her a bite of something else because if she doesn't like it, you've just ruined everything and she won't eat anything. This happened just tonight and the only thing I could think was... "I'm too old for this chit!"... LOL!


I cross my fingers, hoping and praying every night that she'll sleep through the night. I work long hours and I get up early, so sleep is very important to me. When I had KJ I could survive on very little sleep - not anymore! She still manages to get up in the middle of the night maybe twice a week. I lie there, pretending to be asleep, and let Cactus handle it. He doesn't mind really because he's not the one getting up at 4:30am and I appreciate it so.


Anyway - that's how the title came to be. When's she's fussing and fighting, all I can say is "I'm too old for this chit!" But one sweet smile or one hug or kiss and I *know* I wouldn't change a thing!

Umm... Can I sit with you guys?

For the last 2 plus years I've been reading blog after blog after blog. It's become quite the ritual for me - bathroom, cawfee, blog reading. Cactus makes fun, but what does he know?


How did it start? Hmm... to make a short story long. I met the man of my dreams and we married in August of 2006. The second marriage for me (third if you talk to anyone who knows me) & the first for him. Before we married we had "the discussion". I would be 40 when we married and my concern was that he would want children. I had a daughter, KJ from my first marriage, but he had none. It wasn't that I didn't want any more. It was just that I knew pregnancy wasn't easy for me - right down to getting pregnant. It took me 7 years to conceive KJ and I knew I didn't have 7 years at this point to make him a daddy. I also felt infertility treatment was out of the question because I was 40! Anyway, he assured me that he was fine with his decision to marry. Afterall, he loved KJ as if she were his own. We also agreed that we wouldn't rule pregnancy out. So, it came down to this - If I became pregnant, GREAT - If I did not, GREAT too! Little did I know that 2 months later I would, in fact, become pregnant!


So, what does all THAT have to do with my blog reading??? Well, I went out on disability during the 13th week of my pregnancy and then landed in a hospital 51 miles away from home during the 25th week. I make sure to point out that it was 51 miles away from home as Cactus made that trip daily for the 49 days I was there and then both of us for the 23 days that Izababy was in the NICU. Oops... derailment! Anyway - I had a lot of time on my hands and that's where you guys came in. The blogs I read on a daily basis are what got me through my stay. Cactus couldn't be there 24/7 as he had KJ to take care of as well, so as soon as he'd leave I'd plug in my air card and there you would all be for me. I was never alone.


So, for the last couple of years, you guys have been my friends... my companions. You make me laugh, you make me cry. You even know exactly how I'm feeling or at least that is what it seems like when you write a post I could have written myself. I've always felt like somewhat of a stalker though. I've read your blogs... looked at your flickr pictures... followed you on twitter. Sure, I've commented a time or two, but not much more than that. I've felt like I'm on the outside looking in. Like that lone girl during lunch in highschool, looking at all the other tables of girls having fun and wishing I could be one of the group. I don't write well and I'm not sure how often I will post. I guess I'm just trying to give back what was given me.


So, can I sit with you guys?