The Past Few Weeks.....

The past few weeks have been a couple of the most stressful ever!!! The week after we moved to Holloman I started looking for child care. It is so incredibly hard to find only part time care for kids! All facilities want the money from a full time child to fill their slots. I thought I had childcare for all three kids a few weeks before I finalized my classes. AFTER I finished registration I went back to verify and give my hours for childcare. I found out I had no childcare!!! This was a little over a week until classes started. The race was on......I must have made over 150 phone calls, and spent one of my kids college accounts on gas running around trying to find care.

NOAH----I had a decent daycare all set up. Then, they informed me they put me on the waiting list only because if they had full time children they would get his spot!!! I was not happy. I went back and forth with them. They said they couldn't give me an answer until the Monday school started!!!! Who in their right mind would agree to that! So the search began again to find another center. Phone call after phone call..."Sorry....Sorry....Sorry..." Then, I thought I found the PERFECT place! NOOOO!! I was willing to pay the outrageous fee for my precious little Weebo. I went to sign him up...in Las Cruces. I packed up Noah to find a center that barely (I say none...) had air conditioning, nasty dusty carpet, 60's decor, weeds everywhere, paint chipping, and a tiny little room for the price of a 4 star resort. I was really crying. I could not leave my sweet baby there. I decided to get some school business done and on the third trip back to Las Cruces decided to stop by the original daycare center. I guess going back in person did the trick...It was the Friday before school started, I was on my last mental leg, and they held a conference with the director, ...HE WAS IN!!! One down, two to go....

TEA & MADISON----I had been to the Youth Center on base numerous times gettting information and sign up packets. Everything was set. I decided to check back in the week before school started after the mess finding Noah care. And wuddya know?? Tea and Madison have been kicked off the list as well. They weren't even on the list!!!! You do not know my mental state at this point. I didn't either. I got a little firm with the receptionist as to why there is no childcare available on base after going home and calling every person on base that has after school care and calling ALL the childcare centers downtown...including The Boys and Girls Club of America. Alamogordo does not service the base. I even called the licensing bureau to see if I missed anything. One person on base had no idea that you had to have a car seat for your kids!!!! Everyone else was full. I called the Youth Center again. They LOVE me....:) The main person there said to bring them on Monday!!!! It was unbelievable. I had childcare for all three kids!!!!

Monday I went to school, Noah went to his school, and the girls went to the Youth Center. I had the biggest sense of relief. It was sooo short lived. The bill for T &M was over 400.00!! I was confused....Two hours, twice a week...She thought they were, all of a sudden, for some reason full time. I told her no, so she said they had no room for parttime and they couldn't go there!!!! I can't even tell you how I felt. Mental ward was looking like a possibility.... Actually, a sure thing. I really felt so utterly defeated. But I have found some really good friends here and they now watch Tea and Madison for me after school. I provide snack for all the kids and they play until I get home. God REALLY REALLY likes to keep me on my toes.

The situation with Kerry is another story.....I'll have to write about that one when its not after midnight and my adrenaline is back down. Just to raise it again.....

Well, tomorrow starts another week, and after church I may be ready for it!! I need some sleep. I have some pictures of our trip to Cloudcroft with Bob for tomorrow....

The Bestest New Shoes....Not!

Noah got new shoes!!! And...he absolutely hates them. I have never made Weebs wear shoes because he hates anything on his feet, head, and/or body, but with winter approaching and Noah almost walking...it's time. We put his shoes on for an outing with Papa and to go to a BBQ at the neighbors. You can see from the pictures that he was sooo happy to have them on :( He was crawling around trying to take them off while screaming. He got one off and just kept pulling at the other one. It was so funny, but not at the same time. Poor baby....even wearing shoes is a milestone. He did wear them the rest of the day...well, he had at least one on at any given moment the rest of the day. When I'm at school, the daycare takes the babies that can walk outside, so if he wants to go, he better wear his shoes!! They have the tiniest play equipment I've ever seen just for his class. It is so cute!

The School Carnival

Madison & Madison....

Tea & Rachel...

Madison had to do bubbles!!!

Typical Day.....

All the kids eating lunch....

The girls ar doing homework after school...

Noah is trying to figure out what Gerber Graduates to choose...

Tea helps Madison read her library books...

Noah crawling around the house....

We have been sooo incredibly busy lately doing incredibly mundane things. We have been getting used to schedules after school has started....

Birth Control....:)

ummm..

We really haven't done anything fun...well, except go to tax free weekend in Texas. The mall was sooo hot and we really didn't get that much. Madison scored some pretty awesome boots and of course, Tea hit Hollister. Noah was a really good sport.
The kids have really been having a lot of fun hanging out with the neighborhood kids. There are about eight in our culdesac that all play together. Needless to say, Tea and Madison love the social interaction and I really like the mommies.
School starts next week...I am soo excited to get going, but then I'm dreading it as well. The all night studying, asking the kids to be quiet, Noah crying at my feet....Any de-stressing tips?? I hate the kids having to suffer through it as well.
My weebo is calling ---actually yelling for his milk. It's 08:30 and he's still up!!! I was busy with the carpet cleaner getting some spots up....and getting laundry finished. Well, a full week is coming up. Hope to get the kids some fun time before next Monday!!

Kids first Day of School

Here is Tea and Madison before we left for school.....

They look so pretty with their curls!

Here is Ms Madison sitting at her desk in the 1St grade!!

Tea and Mia saying goodbye.....and Tea is off to her class!!

Here is Tea sitting at her desk adjusting her smarty pants glasses...

Here is Tea before we leave her to her first day of 3rd grade!!

And last but not least....Mr Weebo after his bath. He went to check out his new school as well. We drove to Las Cruces to time our trip to daycare and NMSU. Just for the record, I did dress him. He just loves to be naked and is happy as ever hauling around the house in his birthday suit and his hair combed all "suave"!! He is so adorable!!!

Well, the girls have survived the first few days of school...barely. Madison loves her class and her teacher. Tea ....ummm.....well, she was scared to death of her teacher. Mrs. Williams is not what she is used to. We've had a few tears, but after today all should be well. We had a talk after school in the office and Tea is happy as ever and ready for a great school year!!! Tea is testing into 5th grade levels and has impressed Mrs. Williams a great deal. Mrs. Williams plans to have Tea help other kids in her class---there are some testing in 1st grade!!! I may have to supplement at home some curriculum. Madison has Mrs. Draney and is very happy. She brought home a drawing of a turtle today that was really spectacular!! I was so impressed with the detail of the shell....it was really amazing. I really could not have drawn it...at all. I am the luckiest mom in the world!! My kids are so amazing--I have no idea what I did to deserve them!!

Sweetest Kiss Ever....

This morning after Noah ate we were playing and I asked him for a kiss. He smiled at me and bent down and kissed me!!! It was the first time he ever did that. It was the best kiss ever!!!

We've been pretty busy these past few days....the kids wanted to go bowling.

And they are working at mastering Guiter Hero...Tea asked if Aerosmith was still alive... :)

Yesterday we went to visit Bob in El Paso. He made us an awesome dinner...some potato and ham casserole. Weebo likes to go sit in the grass with him...

Weebo likes to smack the grass for some reason....

School starts tomorrow!!! I still have to take the girls to get school supplies. They are always out of supply lists, so I guess we'll just buy what is cute ?? I promised the girls I would take them swimming today as well. As soon as Weebo is asleep we are ou the door!! It was nice having a tan this summer. I start school in two weeks....I looked up the syllabus for each class....I am in for it!!! My tax class professor is trying to get people to drop before class even starts. :) I don't scare easily and this is the class I am most looking forward to!! Weebo is getting fussy, so it's almost time to go!

Peek a Boo!!!

Yesterday Weebo did peek a boo all by himself!!! He cries more times than not when I put him to bed at night, so I always try to make a game out of it. I cover his body with the blanket and jerk it away ...pchoo!! And he laughs and laughs. He covered his head, so I said "Where's the baby.... where's the baby?!" Then he pulled the blanket down himself. We played it for awhile! It was soo cute. Speaking of cute.....Here is before and after lunch ....

He had to have a bath after eating 1/2 peanut butter sandwhich, half a banana, prunes, pizza, apple juice, and fruit!!!

Here's a video of him acting goofy..........

Gone...

Today is the 1year anniversary that my dad passed away. It just brings back all the thoughts of the things I could have done to make him happier or comfortable. If he had been at Jeannie's, she would have taken him fishing. I just feel like I failed and should have should have should have....In the weeks before he died, he kept dreaming of going fishing with his dad. One morning he even got up thinking that's where he was going. He was really sad when he realized... I think the worst thing I've ever done in my life was not taking him to get a burrito one morning when he wanted to. I was just being stubborn. There are some things you can never take back. I wish I had taken him and just dropped the whole issue. He was just trying to drop it. I wish I could re-do that day and so many others.

My dad LOVED fresh seafood. In April we took him to get raw oysters on the half shell the day he got out of the hospital from his first surgery. We also took him to get oysters the last day we were in Houston with him. (We should have put him in bed!) Of course I couldn't have raw shellfish when I was pregnant, so I didn't get any.....My mouth was watering the entire time. We used to eat oysters with my dad since we could eat solid food. He would take us to Kimah's boardwalk to get fresh seafood from the Gulf on weekends and make a big feast. We would even get octapus. He could make anything and everything. Maybe he went fishing today.....

The Fort

Tea and Madison decided to build a fort today....

Madison had to see a specialist the other day and was informed she needs surgery.....Needless to say, she freaked out. It was soo sweet because Tea started crying and they were just glued to one another. They have their arguments(everyday :) ), but it's times like that, you can see how kind and soft hearted they are. It reminds me how much they depend on each other. I hope they stay this close forever.... Maybe if Kerry had that she wouldn't be so wierd...JUST KIDDING!! Kerry is perfect the way she is.....Just look at the goof ball>>>>

Kerry opening gifts after graduation.....

It's Rented!!

Holding my weebo...
Weebo playing on the floor....
Tea and Madison playing around at the store..they are so funny!!

The back yard at the rental house..... Weebo resting in Papa's arms after a long few days of cleaning the house....

Today I finally finished cleaning the house and it is ready to move in!! I spent the last few days cleaning and cleaning and cleaning...Well, it wasn't that dirty, but I oiled all the wood (lots!!!) shined all the light fixtures, puttied all the holes, and just wiped down every nook and cranny!! Just for the record ...I HATE CLEANING BLINDS! I am going to make it a priority to swiffer dust at least every other day at this house. The kids were awesome....Tea and Mia took care of weebo while I cleaned ..even though he cried and was bored. And so were they!! As a matter of fact, so was I! :) I took over a hundred pix of the house and Bob made a disc for me as a record of the house the way I left it. The lawn looks soo beautiful and we don't get to enjoy it! Bob drove up to the base here with all our lawn equipment ect... That was so nice of him.

I just want to veg out tomorrow and do nothing, but that's not going to happen. I still have school issues to deal with and clean this zoo we live in. The rest of the week will be dedicated to the kids before they start school. Maybe I can think of somewhere fun to take them that isn't too hot for weebo. Kerry just informed me she may have strep throat so maybe she can get in to see the doctor. Tea is looking forward to playing soccer this year and Madison wants to go to ballet and gymnastics. She also mentions swimming lessons everyday or so. She wants so much to jump off the diving boards at the pool. She has NO fear....

I am actually going to read tonight before bed and not fall asleep after the first page...hopefully. The girls are having LOUD fun right now wrapping themselves in my dirty sheets I just took off my bed and walking each other into everything. They are having soo much fun I hate to remind them weebo is in the next room asleep!! Oh well, I guess if he wakes up, he'll go back to sleep eventually. :)