Peter's time-out

Yesterday, Peter made an unusually large mess in his bedroom (in a matter of minutes, I swear!) and was told to clean it up before dinner. Upon checking on his progress, we found that he was still not cleaning up but actually had taken out a board game to play in the interim. We told him that he would have to sit in time out until he was ready to start cleaning up his mess. After some weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, he went to sit on the couch for time out.

A short time later, I went to check on him and ask him if he was now ready to go clean his room. I found that he had grown quite comfortable in his time out situation and hadn't a care in the world.

It was a fun night.

The Bronx Zoo

On Memorial Day, we took the kids to the Bronx Zoo. It is enormous and absolutely beautiful...the Bronx, who knew? It is ranked 3rd in the world, as far as animal exhibits; and ranked 2nd in the nation as far as 'children's zoo'. It was quite impressive, really. Once again, our kids were unimpressed. One of them actually asked at one point, "So, we're

just going to walk around and look at animals all day?" Now, if the zoo had added some type of video arcade exhibit, now that would have been something the kids could really sink their teeth into. Speaking of sinking teeth, here's a picture of Caleb; in honor of the many caterpillars who are now spinning coccoons in his room. Next is a picture of Peter as a midge fly. Midge flies, as you know are VERY VERY important...just click on the picture and read the sign if you don't know why. I won't bore you with other pictures we took of various animals, etc.

We bought a year pass to the zoo so we can torture our children with many many visits there!

Ugly New Jersey

I am adding this post because some of you are concerned about how ugly New Jersey is...if you're like me, all you know of New Jersey is what you may have seen on t.v.: the Sopranos, lots of industrial/petrol chemical factories, etc. NOT pretty. Indeed, there are many parts of New Jersey that are scary, industrial, and downright UGLY. However, we chose north Jersey, not just because it is ridiculously overpriced, but because it is so pretty. (Thus the overpricing, I guess)?
Today we took the kids hiking at a place called Ramapo Valley Reservation. It was about 10 min. from home. It was very pretty, as you can see, with lakes, falls, and lots of rocks and caterpillars. There were a lot of people there, but it wasn't crowded. Many people were fishing, walking their dogs, and I believe swimming although we never found the swimming area.
Unfortunately, the kids were unimpressed. I assumed that all little boys would enjoy hiking, running, throwing rocks and sticks, skipping rocks in ponds, climbing waterfalls, etc. Although they appeared (to me) to enjoy these activities, they acted like they were being tortured. Caleb just wanted to leave and go swimming at the city pool, Sam wanted to go to K-Mart to buy more YuGiOh cards, and Peter was upset, mostly, because we wouldn't let him throw rocks at us. You just can't please everyone, I guess. The one really downside was that we were constantly bombarded by swarms of gnats. Seriously, you couldn't even open your mouth for a second or you'd get a mouthful. I'm sure I've doubled my protein intake for today already.
We stopped at T.G.I.Friday's on the way home, just in case. That seemed to make the kids a lot happier, too!
p.s. The little white speck at the top of the falls is me.

Field Day!

Today the kids had Field Day at school. When I was a kid, I always looked forward to this day with great excitement and anticipation. It was always SO much fun. I ALWAYS won the blue ribbon for the hoolahoop contest. I kicked b*tt at hoolahoop! I was quite good at the high jump, too; I think because I've always been freakishly limber and I could jump up and somehow use that to my advantage to contort my body over the bar without knocking it down.

ANYWAY, enough about ME. The kids had a really good time and we enjoyed our warmest day so far...87 degrees! Peter was stuck hanging out with me most of the time as I was signed up to man one of the water stations. I gave him the camera now and then so he could amuse himself. He's getting pretty good at it and it's funny to see the world from a 5-yr. old's perspective. For example, the picture of the garbage can full of cups. He took that all by himself. I didn't crop it or anything. Maybe I'm partial, but I think it could be displayed in the Smithsonian Museum of Modern Art. WHICH, by the way, I visited last weekend. I'd love to tell you all about it but am waiting for Christy to figure out how to send me pictures online. Please e-mail her and tell her to get with the program: queenie95@cox.net

Ok, two funny kid stories. 1)Caleb has accumulated about 20 fuzzy caterpillars in one jar that he keeps in his room. He feeds them LOTS of leaves each day and insists that he will raise them to butterflies. I don't doubt this for a second because he has actually done it before. Yesterday, at the school playground, he enjoyed himself immensely by carrying around a couple fuzzy caterpillars (named Frankie and Mike) and he would place them on his cheeks and go up to girls and make them squeal. Sometimes he would also pretend to put them in his mouth but WOULD actually put them halfway in his mouth. Even the boys squealed at this.
I don't really like having them in the house but it seems they can't crawl out of the jar and I'm getting over the fact that when they squirm around they look like a bunch of furry tarantula legs creeping up the glass.
2)The other day, Peter and I were driving down the street and we passed an elderly lady walking along the sidewalk. She had short, fuzzy, poodle-ish white hair, big glasses; she was wearing BRIGHT yellow pants and her shirt was BRIGHT purple with huge white polka dots. As we passed, Peter did a quick double-take at her and exclaimed, "Mom! Look! A clown, a clown!" I bursted out laughing and, again, wished I had my camera. All she needed was big, red floppy shoes. Poor lady; someone needs to send her into that show "What Not To Wear".

The Shellminator

Last week, before my trip, I was pouring some shampoo into a travel size bottle. You want to make sure you get the lid on tight, right? Well, when I screwed it on and then gave it a little more 'oomph' to tighten it up, the lid just snapped in two, right in my hand! Cracked all the way across the middle. WEIRD, I thought. So I poured it into a different bottle, and when I tightened that one, it snapped in two just like the first one did! Different bottles, different brands, etc. Double weird! Maybe I need to lay off the weights a little bit? I told Dave he should be very afraid of me...I'm like the Terminator and don't even know my own strength.

That being said, I had to have HIM open a jar of jam on Tuesday, and yesterday I couldn't get a bottle of lemon juice open. I tried SO hard that when my hand slipped on the grooved top, it stripped some skin right off my index finger! Dave had to open the lemon juice for me, too. Of course he did it on the first try, but I'm sure I got it all loosened up for him...

Speaking of the picture, I had Peter take it...I'm supposed to have a snarly Schwarzenegger face but had a hard time keeping while saying, "PLEASE push the button NOW Peter!" He did a great job, though.

Trip to D.C. part 1

Last weekend I took a trip to D.C. by MYSELF to have a girls-only weekend with old high school friends. I say 'old', only because we have known each other forever, not because we are old, of course...
Anyway, I will have to blog this in parts because there's so much to write, AND because I forgot my camera and need my friends to send me some of our awesome pictures. Come on Nichole and Christy, YOU CAN DO IT!

First of all, I took a bus into NYC where I was to catch the D.C. bus in Times Square. I had an hour to kill and was originally going to walk around Times Sq. (lots to see and do, of course) but realized that my luggage was so freakin' heavy and I was just going to have to stand in one place for an hour. SO, I'm standing in Times Sq., in front of a bank, talking to my friend Steph (on my cell phone). There's a gazillion people walking by, of course, and this man in a business suit walks by and, I think, mouths something to me. I just ignored him but noticed that he then turns around and is walking back to me. He sidles right up next to me and asks me if I have lunch plans. I said, "Excuse me?!" He again asks me if I have plans for lunch to which I told him I was just waiting for my bus. He says ok and walks away.
Now, I know what you're thinking here. You're thinking maybe that guy was trying to pick me up. And who knows, maybe he was. But you have to understand something first...I looked awful. I had my hair pulled back into a greasy ponytail, I was wearing BIG, baggy, grey sweats and tennis shoes. It was not attractive. Trust me on this. I was dressed appropriately for a 4 and a half hour third class bus ride and that's it. So my first assumption, at the time, was that HOLY COW, this guy thinks I'm a prostitute standing here working the corner! And, by my appearance, he must think I'm a cheap prostitute. Which I am NOT...cheap that is...or...a prostitute, either. And then I realize I'm standing there with a big bag and I think, no WAIT! That guy thinks I'm a bag lady and he's trying to do a good deed by buying a meal for a homeless person! Either way I wanted to kick him in the shins and yell down the street, "I am not a prostitute OR a bag lady! So there!" Maybe he was just a lonely guy who wanted someone to sit with him during lunch, but I've been married for 14 years this Thursday and I just don't know how all that 'pick up' stuff works anymore!

OK, two more things about the bus ride to D.C. Or, I should say, two things about fellow passengers on the bus ride to D.C.
1) There was this college guy sitting in a seat across the aisle from me. He was quiet but every now and then he would doze off. No big deal, right? Well, he would be facing me while he slept. He had his mouth wide open, one eye completely closed, and one eye half-closed...or half-open...depending on whether you're an optimist or pessimist. Anyway, it was creepy. I SO wish I had had my camera. I totally would've taken a picture and posted it here. He was giving me the ol' stinkeye the whole trip!
2) Across the aisle behind the college guy was a Hispanic couple, probably late 40's. Anyway, I couldn't understand what was being said, but the woman talked continuously for FOUR AND A HALF HOURS! Every now and then the man would nod his head or mumble a response but really, she just monologued the entire time. Now, I like to talk, too, but I can't fathom finding anything to talk about for that long! Every now and then she would pause and this became a game for me. (I had lots of time to kill). Her average pause was 4 seconds and her longest pause was 90 seconds. I thought about offering her a granola bar so maybe she would shut up just for a minute.
Other than that, the bus ride was uneventful. There were some tense moments as the BUS DRIVER talked on his CELL PHONE while driving, but, hey, people don't die in bus accidents that often, right?
More to come on the D.C. trip...Christy, Nichole, send me photos!!!!

What a storm!

Hello! Well, I have so much to write; I'm just going to have to take it one step at a time and start with last week. But first, before I forget, our crazy robin came back to visit last week! One morning, there he was, flying stupidly into the window over and over. I was so happy to see him! My long lost friend! I guess he'll stop by periodically to remind me how annoying he can be.

Afterschool each day, instead of actually picking the kids up at school I just meet them at the school playground and they play for quite awhile. One day last week, I FINALLY remembered to bring their kites. It was sunny and very windy so I thought it would be a perfect day. There is a very large, empty field adjacent to the playground so it was perfect. Anyway, poor Caleb had the first kite up for maybe 2 minutes (while I was assembling the 2nd kite) when I heard thunder in the distance. I told him to reel it in; naturally he complained that it was sunny and no need to worry but I told him to bring it back anyway. The storm came in fast and furious. As soon as I had loaded up the kids, it started sprinkling and by the time we were out of the parking lot, it was pouring buckets. (By the way, did I mention my windshield wipers don't work)?! We don't live too far from the school but the street was blocked by a downed tree...already! I then went an alternate route to find some powerlines down on the road. They were flailing about like a fish out of water, spewing sparks and fire all over the place! I did a u-turn and found a road block set up on the only other street I could use to get home. Now I was starting to get a little annoyed, especially since I knew ALL the windows were open in our house AND my guitar was sitting, exposed, on the floor right next to a window...not in its case, of course. I finally drove up on a sidewalk to get around the roadblock (when the cop wasn't watching) and made it home. Luckily, earlier in the day Peter had taken my guitar to another room to play with it (which is actually against the rules) so it wasn't wet afterall. Good thing, because the floor where the guitar HAD been was absolutely soaked!
So, I know this isn't the most exciting story, but it's just an example of an average day for me. I think I'm a fun, spontaneous mom to bring the kids' kites...they happily start flying them in a large, open field, only to find a severe storm will arrive in 2 minutes. Hey, at least I didn't give them a metal key to tie to their kite string!
p.s. We were without power for 4 hours, but luckily it came back on before dark.

Peter's pet, Picky

Today Peter caught a butterfly all by himself. He decided to keep it as a pet and named it Picky. Why? I have no idea. He and Picky had a great day together, playing cards, watching t.v., etc. Then Peter decided to let Picky go. In the last picture, you see Peter waving good-bye to his new friend. I see LOTS of these little white butterflies in our backyard all the time, so I'm sure Picky will "be back" to visit often.
I forgot to mention last week that on Friday, as I was finishing up lunch with Peter, I thought to myself, Hmmm...seems like there was a day coming up soon at the kid's school where they were supposed to have a special "mom comes to eat lunch with me" day where ALL the moms come to eat lunch with their child. (In Oklahoma, you could do that on any day you wanted, but here, it is too crowded so you're not allowed to come eat with your kid, normally). And I thought, Hmmm...what day is that? So I looked at the calendar and of course, it was today! Caleb's was from 11:30-12:15, and Sam's was to start at 12:15. I frantically looked at the clock. It was 12:10. Yikes!!! I threw Peter in the van and we zipped to the school. Of course, I couldn't find a parking space so we had to park a block away and run all the way to the school. I caught Caleb just as he was entering back into his classroom. I apologized profusely and he took it as well as he could. He said that another mom felt sorry for him and bought him an ice-cream. (Picture knife through heart and slowly turning around and around). We got there just in time to have lunch with Sam so at least I only felt like a half-terrible mother. On a positive note, Caleb's teacher, whom I've never been terribly fond of, didn't recognize me at first. She said she thought I was a teenager! SO, maybe I like her a little more now!

Stage Fright and ANOTHER bird

Ok, so I didn't fall off the stage. YEA! It was kinda scary, though, and it felt really high but I did it! I'll do anything for my fans, right? Yesterday's class at the Y was even fuller. I had 65-70 people in that gym so it's a good thing we were in the big gym. Tonight I'll be in the same room as last week so I'm worried that 70 people will show up and the fire marshall will shut us down or something...always worrying...
Yesterday Caleb went out to play in the backyard and told me there was an injured bird lying in the grass. I went out and sure enough, there was a baby bird sitting there. (No, it wasn't our crazy robin)! Anyway, one of it's wings looked all bloody and the other wing was twisted at a grotesque angle and obviously broken. Caleb said a little prayer for it and started digging up worms and tried, unsuccessfully, to feed it. Despite having pms at the moment, it was ALL I could do not to cry as my 8 yr. old sat there dangling a wriggly worm in front of the poor baby bird saying, "come on little bird, you can do it" over and over. I tried to inform Caleb, as gently as possible, that there was no way this bird was going to live and there was absolutely nothing we could do to help it. AND that, in fact, it may be in a lot of pain and would be a blessing for it to die soon. Caleb then suggested stomping on it with his foot (OH MY) but I said that was probably not a good idea. So then he suggested making it as comfortable as possible by covering it with old rags to help it stay warm. (It appeared to be shivering). So we did this and over the course of the evening Caleb was convinced that the bird was feeling better and was actually on the mend!
Anyway, when I went to bed last night at 10pm I got a great idea that Dave should go out and get the baby bird, kill it, dispose of it, and in the morning when Caleb finds it gone, he will think that it got better and flew away! Dave, who was comfortably settled into bed, under the warm covers, in his pajamas, etc. did not share my feelings that this was a great idea. We both thought it was very likely that an animal would come by and eat it anyway, hopefully leaving no traces behind and Caleb would, again, think the bird flew away. SO, what actually happened was that Caleb got up, went out, found the bird was dead, dug a hole for it and buried it...all while I was still sound asleep in bed. I guess he is more mature than I give him credit for? Sam, always germ conscious, hounded Caleb afterwards to make sure he washed his hands thoroughly, at least twice. Caleb even put a big rock over the grave so an animal couldn't dig it up and carved R.I.P. on it. Ahhh, the circle of life continues...

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I told the kids I wanted one thing only today: no screaming or yelling in the house. I think they tried...it's hard to tell for sure. Anyway, it was a good day. I had breakfast in bed (glass of milk and powdered white donuts), the kids sang to me and it was a nice relaxing day, overall, for me. Not so for Dave. He slaved in the kitchen most of the day to make special meals for me. We had mexican seven-layer dip and fresh salsa for lunch. (He's finally perfected a fresh salsa recipe). For dinner we had homemade lasagna and garlic bread. Dessert was "better than Six Flags" cake. It's actually called better than sex cake (that's actually the name of it, I didn't name it) but Dave told the kids it was better than Six Flags cake because it tasted better than spending a whole day at Six Flags. I'm not sure they agreed, but they liked it anyway. You should've seen the look on my face when he told them what we were having...he didn't forewarn me, of course, and I thought he was going to say better than sex cake to them! My eyes just about popped out of my head when he got to the S.....ix part. He did it on purpose, too, just to freak me out.
This past week I did a couple of Zumba classes for the local YMCA. It was a first for them...they haven't had any new or exciting classes there in 17 years (literally, I'm told) so these poor people at the Y went Zumba crazy last week! Each class I had 40-50 people in it. I felt kinda bad for them because we didn't have enough room for that many people and the ones in the back couldn't even see me. They ended up putting me in a different room to accomodate everyone but this week I will be in the full gym, up on stage so they can all see me. It is really exciting, but also a little scary because I really don't like heights and even though the stage is only like 5 ft. high, I'm scared to death I'm going to fall off! Surely a person can't actually die from falling 5 ft. off a stage, right? Right? Right?

Old Spice and Puberty

The other day at school, Sam had what they now call the "puberty" lesson. You know, that one special day when they separate the boys and girls and have their own lesson about...stuff. I remember getting it in 5th grade, apparently they are now doing it in 4th grade. We've already talked about most of that stuff with him anyway so it was totally fine, BUT he came home with instructions that they are supposed to shower everyday (which, admittedly we are not very consistent about..."we" meaning the kids, not me and Dave!) AND their very own sample size stick of Old Spice deodorant. Now, I don't mean to be critical of Old Spice deodorant; Dave wears it and I actually like it. However, I don't particularly like it on my 10 yr. old., especially in the quantities that he is putting on. But he is kinda excited about it and I don't want to rain on his parade. We talked with him about how he didn't need to really be using it yet, but he could if he wanted, and that believe me, I would be the FIRST to let him know when he really starts needing to use it! He said all the boys in his class are using it so now I feel really really bad for their poor teacher! I can't imagine a room full of pre-pubescent Old Spice reeking boys!
On a sad note, our robin is gone. After driving me nuts, pecking our glass, staring at us through the windows, and making a fine mess of the windowsills for 5 days, he finally gave up or died. Dave thinks he spent all his time bugging us and slowly starved to death. As much as he annoyed me, now I kinda miss the little fella. It was strangely comforting to know as I sat at the computer that he was not far away, watching me or flying into the window over and over. Now when I see a robin in the backyard, I watch and wait expectantly, only to be dissappointed when it doesn't fly into the window. I know, I know...I'll mention it to my therapist next week. I've got to get past the denial stage and move on to grieving.

Fun in NYC

Ok, so we dragged poor Granny and Bob all over NYC! We went to Rockefeller Center, Times Square, St. Patrick's cathedral (which is named after St. Patrick), Grand Central Station, Little Italy (and had the BEST Italian food, cannoli, and Granny ordered the most delicious New York Cheesecake ever), Central Park, the Library (to find a bathroom), and the Museum of Natural History. I'm sure we went to more places but I can't remember them all right now! (Speaking of bathrooms, I did take Peter...at the end of the day and out of complete desperation...into a hotel lobby bathroom like someone suggested. I just marched right in like we were hotel guests, never made eye contact with anyone at the front desk and luckily saw the sign for the bathroom immediately. I walked straight there like I already knew where the bathroom was! It worked! Nobody said a word to us.) Anyway, we had a wonderful time. In these pictures, you can see Sam and Caleb in front of one of many many dinosaur skeletons. Then we have Caleb and Peter standing in front of a big meteorite. It is iron, of course, and doesn't feel anything like a rock...it is even harder, if that makes sense...
Then you see Dave and the kids in Central Park and then me in Central Park. I don't know why we didn't take advantage of having Granny and Bob with us who could've taken our picture all together! I guess we are used to being on our own all the time!?!

Sleepy Hollow, NY

While Granny and Bob were visiting, we took advantage of a beautiful spring day and drove about 40 min. to Sleepy Hollow which is next door to Tarrytown, New York. Sleepy Hollow was made famous, of course, by Washington Irving's story of the headless horseman. We visited the Old Dutch Church where Ichabod Crane frequented and the adjacent cemetery where the headless horseman hung out, apparently. We learned lots of interesting historical tidbits from a friendly, and somewhat creepy, cemetery caretaker. Anway, I won't bore you with all the info. here, if you're dying to know just e.mail me and I'll fill you in...I love history! The cemetery is quite large and it contains the decomposing corpses of many rich and famous people such as: Washington Irving, Elizabeth Arden, Chrysler, Rockefeller, and many more. Apparently, that's the place to get buried if you are anyone of consequence! Ichabod Crane apparently isn't one of consequence as he is buried on Staten Island.
In these pictures you see Caleb "listening" to the grave of Katarina (the girl Ichabod Crane fancied). Then you have Peter dancing on the stone wall that surrounds the cemetery. How reverent...

Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty

A few weeks ago, while the kids were on Spring Break, my mom and stepdad, Bob, came to visit us! After I picked them up at the airport (or should I say, after I navigated myself through New Jersey traffic and figured out how to get to the Newark airport all by myself), we went to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
Ellis Island has a HUGE museum. We only went into one building, though. The whole place is like a campus. You could easily spend an entire day there. The kids were overall unimpressed with Ellis Island (the highlight for them was the ferry ride) but I thought it was fascinating. It was neat to look at the registry books and see how they recorded every single person who came through. Name, age, eye color, hair color, complexion, where they came from, where EXACTLY they were going, who they would be staying with, etc. Then they would ask them questions like how much money did they have in their pockets (many only had $5)...at one time they had a rule that you had to have at least $50 in your pocket or you weren't allowed into the U.S. They also asked if they were polygamists, anarchists, etc. Interesting...! I guess if you answered wrongly you were sent back. Also, they wouldn't allow unescorted single females into the country. I don't know if they were afraid they were going to be prostitutes in NYC or what. SO, those women either had to have family already in the states that could come get them from Ellis Island or they had to stay on the island and wait for someone to come marry them, literally right there on Ellis Island. Then they could enter the U.S.A.
The Statue of Liberty was really cool to see, too. She is a lot bigger up close and in person! The pillar that she stands on, alone, is 10 stories high. The original bldg. (and island) used to be a fort complete with cannons to protect the U.S. from approaching enemies. My, how times have changed!

Weekend events

Hola! Well, yesterday was Cinco De Mayo. I'm sure we all enjoyed our margaritas and pinatas, right? I had a special Cinco de Mayo Zumba class at one of the clubs I teach at. It was FULL, and really fun, even if we didn't have margaritas! For some reason I thought all Latinos celebrated Cinco de Mayo, only to have one Latina inform me that that is Mexico's independence day (duh, I guess I forgot that part) and that all Latino countries have their OWN independence day that they celebrate. So, I'm a bit chagrined but had fun anyway!

A family from church invited us over Sat. night for an impromptu hamburger cookout. It was really fun, especially the s'mores! The kids had a blast exploring the garden-like front and backyards and the inside of their 110 year old house (which the kids called a mansion). It was beautifully decorated and restored. I loved wandering through it, too, but the kids were eventually disappointed to find the 4th floor widow's walk off limits. Supposedly the house is also haunted, but by a 'friendly' ghost, so they were naturally intrigued!

Today now makes FOUR days the robin has been harrassing us. And my windows are truly filthy now thanks to his non-stop pecking, etc. And the window sills are littered with his droppings. Dave is worried about him because he spends all his time at our windows instead of going out and looking for food. Hopefull he'll starve to death and leave me alone. (just kidding...sort of) I guess I'll never be admitted to the Audobon Society.

Crazy Bird

I know this is none too exciting but I just wanted to share that there is a robin in our backyard that has been bugging me for two days straight. He keeps trying to get in (I think) the sliding glass door or then he goes to the kitchen window which is a few feet over and does the same thing there. He jumps around and pecks at the glass and flies up and down the glass like he's looking for an opening. I don't know if he's stupid, confused, or a re-incarnated relative. Maybe he's trying to tell me something...? Probably that my windows need cleaning...

Mixed UP

Ok, again, I'm new to this blog thing. I just figured out that the most current post will be at the top of the page and older posts will be toward the bottom. Duh. SO, what you see below is in the wrong order and I don't know how to fix it and I want to go to bed now. Brief explanation: directly below is actually from an e.mail I sent out in Feb. to update everyone on our goings on. It is very long so if you already got the e.mail just skip it! Below it (Death to Bees) is what actually happened today, May 3, 2007. So now that we're on the right track, we can continue upward and onward!

Our first day in NYC

February 2007
Hello all!

Sorry this is a somewhat generic message...I am SO behind on keeping in touch with all of you that it seems overwhelming. Dave was supposed to write our Christmas letter this year but, as you may have noticed, it didn't get done. He says he is already working on one for this Christmas, though!

Anyway, so many of you have tried to keep in touch with me and have sent me emails, etc. THANK YOU! I am just now getting my feet on the ground.
Ok, so here's what's going on:

In December, Dave graduated from the watchmaking program at OSU. He passed his final with flying colors, of course. He was then offered his dream job with Patek Philippe in NYC. They are like the Rolls Royce of luxury Swiss watches. (If you've never heard of them, it's because you (and we) will never be able to afford one). Anyway, it was a very unique opportunity and actually an honor that they would even hire him straight out of school. They are also just a great company to work for. Very nice, very professional, etc. They take pretty good care of their employees. SO...

Here we are living in New Jersey. We packed up quickly and left Tulsa on Jan. 10th. We were hoping to make a leisurely trip 'cross country, visiting all our friends along the way but, if you remember, that's when a huge ice storm hit the midwest on Jan.12th. SO, we hustled as fast as we could to leave OK and get to NJ before the storm caught up with us!

We are renting a lovely house in a town called Waldwick. It is on the NE side of NJ in Bergen County. Dave takes the bus to NYC everyday and it is about an hour and ten minutes from door to door. Patek only requires a 35 hr. workweek so Dave is always home in time for dinner, etc. Which is good since many wives I talk to say their husbands commute to the city and don't get home 'til 7 or 8pm. Bergen County is very pretty; LOTS of trees, kind of hilly, lots of little lakes and ponds. I haven't been crazy about the cold temps. but spring will be here soon and I think it will be beautiful! The kids have enjoyed playing in the snow, sledding, etc. Something they haven't done sine we lived in Michigan.

I am teaching classes at several local gyms and trying to get my name 'out there' as a personal trainer. My most popular class so far has been Zumba ( Zumba.com ) since no one here had even heard of it yet. I am already pretty booked up with classes so that, and unpacking, has kept me busy busy busy!

Last month I gathered all my courage, loaded up the kids and went to NYC for the first time! We took the bus in and then took the subway. I figured out the subway all by myself with only a few mistakes here and there. I had nightmares the whole night beforehand that the subway was really crowded and I would get off with two kids and somehow leave one kid on the train and it would leave the platform with me screaming, etc. It was a great night of anxiety driven sleep. ANYWAY, it all worked out well. We finally got to the TODAY show just 15 min. before they finished up. We were able to stand outside the window and peek in at Martha Stewart cooking something and then Ann Curry interviewing some lady in a green sweater. That's about as exciting as it got, though.

Then we went into Dave's building which is right next to the TODAY show. He's on the 9th floor and had to come downstairs to get us past security. The security isn't just for Patek Philippe, of course. There's a Citibank in that bldg. and also the Dutch Embassy and probably other important stuff, too. Not to mention a dentist...he must be a dentist to the stars because I don't know how else he could afford the overhead costs in a bldg. like that. Anyway, we got to see EVERYTHING there was to see at Patek Philippe. Dave's boss showed the kids some interesting watches, etc. I nearly gasped when he handed a $60,000 watch to Peter to 'play' with. I was so afraid he would drop it!

Afterwards, we went to lunch at McDonald's (of all places) then Dave went back to work. I took the kids to Grand Central Station which we all thought was really cool. I've only seen it in the movies, of course, so the first thing that really struck me was all the people that were in there! I guess when they shoot a film, they somehow empty the place out as much as possible. Then we went to the Empire State Bldg. We didn't actually go up since it was a 2 hour wait...we just walked around the lobby and took pictures, etc. The kids especially enjoyed the King Kong display.

Then we took the subway to Central Park. We walked around a bit 'til we found some playgrounds where the kids had a fun time. I liked the playgrounds because they were fenced and gated so you don't have to worry about your kid somehow wandering off into the city or something. Our playtime was cut short by Caleb's need to go to the bathroom. Which is a serious problem, actually. I couldn't find a public restroom anywhere . SO, we took the subway back to the bus station because that's the only place I knew for certain we could find a public restroom! Someone told me later that you just walk into the hotel(s) and act like you belong there and it's usually not a problem. Any suggestions?

After that we went to meet Dave in Times Square which was CROWDED. I had one kid in each hand and one kid holding onto my belt loop on the back of my jeans...just to make sure I didn't misplace someone. They walked, of course, with their heads and eyes turned upward the whole time looking at all the huge tv screens, etc. So I had to literally pull them through Times Sq. until we could meet up with Dave at ToysRus. It felt like I had been walking uphill for two blocks.
Anyway, the toy store there is pretty cool. They have a full size ferris wheel right inside the store. They also have a huge dinosaur from Jurassic Park, that really does look very real. It roars and moves it's head, tail and even eyeballs around. Also, they have entire Lego creations of the Empire State Bldg., Statue of Liberty, and much more. It was really cool. After that we headed back to the bus station and got home in time for dinner!

I was really proud of myself for surviving my first day in the city, especially with 3 kids in tow! They had a good time, too, but need to learn a few more lessons about being in the city. Like: hustling on and off the subway train quickly, getting OFF an escalator quickly so 20 people don't bottleneck behind you, same for going through the subway turnstiles, AND last but not least NOT getting smashed by a revolving door. Peter and Caleb both had a very bad experience with the revolving door at the Empire State Bldg. Luckily it was a manual door so it did stop (after they were smashed). SO, we'll just have to learn to be a little more city savvy and have some practice with those darned revolving doors!

Graduation Day, December 2006

Death to Bees

Ok, so I am new to this whole blogging thing. Don't know if it will stick but I'm going to give it a try. I don't even know how it all works or how exactly to set it up, but hey, my five year old could probably explain it to me. So I'm going to try to keep my posts short and sweet. Otherwise, it'll seem too overwhelming and I'm afraid I will quit. Hopefully this can be a way of keeping in touch with our many friends and family now that we are so far away from everyone. Enough of that...
SO, today, Caleb decides to take his butterfly net and run around outside to catch butterflies. Peter has to copy everything he does, of course, so picture him running around right behind Caleb...both with their long handled butterfly nets. Anyway, I guess the butterfly catching was too difficult so for one reason or another, Caleb decides to catch a bumblebee. He apparently caught one and trapped it between the net and the ground. He sent Peter to me (inside) asking for a needle so he could poke it to death, I guess. I, stupidly, actually gave Peter a needle but also a glass jar with lid and told him to tell Caleb that I didn't think this was a very good idea at all but here's a needle and a jar anyway.
Two minutes later Caleb comes screaming into the house that he's been stung (big surprise!) and you'd have thought he was dying. I felt really bad for him since I know it really hurts to get stung and this was his first time. One ice pack and some Tylenol later, he seemed to be OK. The bee, however, was not and is now pinned on display somewhere in the house. How many of us can say we saved the bee that first stung us? How many of us have it on display?