Road Trip

We recently returned from the first of many "sanity vacations".How do you possibly do this on a limited budget and short notice?
1. Work so much that you have comp time up the wazoo
2. Travel so much for work that you have enough points for a free night stay at a beautiful resort
3. Have connections related to travel (i.e. friends that work for hotels) that let you have awesome rates for the other nights. *Thanks Krista-you're thebomb.com
4. Conveniently work for a state that has Fridays off...and a holiday on Monday
5. Participate in activities that cost next to nothing. AKA "Beach Hopping"We needed a break from reality, so we packed up the car and headed to Cali. We all love the ocean and thought that Cole would really enjoy one last bit of summer.As much as we travel, we've never really been anywhere with just the three of us. We also realized that this was Cole's first time in a hotel. He really enjoyed calling the front desk.We finally just unplugged the phones.

We had a wonderful time and the drive wasn't even that bad. We broke it up and stayed in St George to make things more manageable. Cole has a thing for his grandpa and continued to ask for him while we were in California. Brian and I got to talk a lot and we made some decisions regarding Cole's health. We want to thank all of you that have been supporting us through this. We think we're going to make these little get-aways a tradition or we will possibly go insane. I think that I may already have diagnosed myself as mentally unstable! :) Any suggestions for the next trip?

We went to Huntington Beach first. We had blue skies, no wind, and not a cloud to be seen. A lot of people had the same idea as us, but we marked out a patch of sand and had a great time.Cole also enjoyed eating it, rolling in it and being thoroughly covered in sand. I am still finding in in my purse, shoes, car, etc.

We then made our way to San Diego. The weather continued to be perfect. We went to the temple, ate Mexican food in Old Town, watched the sunset and just played. We went to La Jolla, Coronado and Mission Beach. That is one thing I love about San Diego-the beaches are so beautiful.

Cole was awesome! The only time he had trouble was when we had to leave the beach. I think that he could feel mom and dad relax a little, plus he is a big fan of the water. At night, things were interesting. Cole won't go to bed unless it is dark and quiet. Brian and I ended up going to bed at 8:20 one night because we were all in the same room together. Every so often we would hear a soft, "Hi" as Cole would try to get a response, knowing we were right there. He would occasionally say things like, "Night, Dad!" and we would have to try and keep our laughter quiet.

We really needed the break and can't wait until we can get away again.

Hired Help

Things have gotten so crazy around here, I finally broke down and got a housekeeper.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

There is some on-the-job training that I have to do; but I think it's going to work out.

Sometimes You Just Can't Win

In the midst of one of the most depressing weeks of my life so far, at Enrichment this evening, a kind lady asked me:

"When are you expecting?"

I think I just gave a blank stare before I informed her that I was not pregnant. She then mumbled some excuse that had something to do about my blouse and it looking a lot like maternity clothes these days.

If anyone wants me, I'll be the one under the covers refusing to come out.

A Note On Victory

Much to my Dad's pleasure-Cole's favorite new word is grandpa
Cris is more than a little upset.

A Note On Vacation

Sometimes the anticipation is as good as the real thing.

5 days and counting!!!

Not to worry. Cole's path of destruction has continued. Despite being sick, this kid still knows how to make a mess.Things like breaking the Scentsy, while strapped in his highchair.
Finding a used razor blade in the bathroom garbage-while I was in there with him. Let's just say there was blood EVERYWHERE.
He has even attempted to swallow my wedding rings.

We are hanging in there, even if it sometimes feels like it's by a thread. There has been a lot of rocking and watching Mickey (pronounced a lot like "Daddy") and Elmo (pronounced "Melmo"). Not much else. No wonder I can't sleep because the Hot Dog song is in my head!

I don't think that I can describe the emotions that you go through when you have a child with medical problems. Let alone when you are dealing with a few yourself. I am just glad that there is a higher power, because it's what holding us and my sanity (or what's left of it) together. Three of them in two days is rough. Especially the one in Wal-Mart. I am so glad for people who listen to the spirit...and pay for my groceries because I apparently can't even remember my wallet!

I guess I had better go and clean up the garbage. Cole decided that he would like to take things out of the recycling box and leave them strewn throughout the house. Mixed in with my freshly folded laundry that Cole un-folded, this will be fun! At least if he is in destruction mode, you know that he is feeling a little better!

I'm Learning To Hold It

Who knew that taking a potty break can be dangerous?

Get yourself a toddler and you'll begin to understand.

Lately Cole has become smarter and quicker. It seems that he just knows that when I am out of his sight for a few seconds it is the best opportunity to destroy and get into heaps of trouble. I kid you not...the majority of this happens when I duck into the restroom.

My mom told me the other day that I should keep a 10 day journal of all the things Cole breaks or the naughty things he does. Cristine was laughing her head off at the suggestion. Hmmm...does she have a sick sense of humor? Yes.

So-Sunday. I felt nature calling. Cole was corralled into the kitchen/living area and I snuck away. It was really quiet on the other side of that door. Too quiet. Mind you, I am only ten feet away in the half bath. I finish washing my hands, open the door and look around for my munchkin. In two minutes he has somehow taken off the rubber band that was holding the doors shut on the cupboard under the sink. You know the one-the cupboard that you put all of your cleaning supplies in?

He was actually sitting inside of the aforementioned cupboard and had the majority the supplies strewn all over the floor. This happened in two minutes. Thankfully all of the lids were still on so I don't think that he ingested anything. He did however pull out every single Lysol disinfecting wipe out of a Costco-sized tub and had them decorating the area by the sink and oven.

Next up...the murder of the Scentsy