My honesty post...

I've seen other bloggers do this and it makes me feel so much better about my own house. I also think it is refreshing to "air your dirty laundry" from time to time. This is my post for that!

This is what my house looked like Friday night, all day Saturday (because we left the house at 6am and returned exhausted at 7pm), and Sunday morning until we hit it hard and got it cleaned up.

This pic was actually taken after we cleaned...and after Paislee smashed her Goldfish crackers to smithereens!

What.A.Mess!!

Oh, my Sully-boy...

You are such a sweet and smart little guy. My hope is that you'll turn out to be the genius that I think you have he potential to be. You are kind and loving. You whine and get your feelings hurt easily too. Sometimes you care too much...but that is what make you YOU!

You keep an eye on your younger, more ornery sister and you help out your older sister without skipping a beat. You are such a great brother, big and little. You make your mom and dad very proud/happy as we know great things are in store for you. You are aware of so much more than one would expect.

I don't know how but you just know to take care of and watch out for Scotland. You help her open things she can't. You hold her hand to help lead her where she needs to go. You get me whatever I might need for her whether it be a tissue or pull-up. If it is for Scotland you are more than willing to help.

You sometimes ask why she can't do the things you do and it is hard for me to explain it to you, but I do my best. You take it all in stride because deep down inside you just know. Our discussions about your older sister have always been straight and to the point so your 4 year old mind can grasp it...but either way, you get it.

The other day we saw a little girl with Down syndrome and I pointed her out and said, "Sully, isn't she cute?" You smiled and said, "Yes" then after a pause you said "She's like Scotti." It warmed my heart and I will never forget it. I guess you just saw the resemblance in her face and body language but I was surprised nonetheless. I'm glad you get it...even though I'm not sure how.

We love you Sully. You're a special little guy that we are blessed to have in our lives.

I'm going out on a limb...I'm being bold!

I admit it...there are times when I feel I am better than others. Today has been one of those days and this is why...

I'm not snobby, hoyty-toyty or uppity. I don't always feel that I am better than others. I don't openly boast about this feeling (except for right now). But, I'm feeling rather opinionated right now and let me just tell you about what I've witnessed today that convinces me that I am, in fact, better than these people.

• I am not walking outside of the hospital that I am admitted to in order to smoke...while also being PREGNANT!


• I do not yell, yes I mean YELL, empty threats at my kids in public while letting them run amok!


• I live a relatively healthy life and try to instill this into my kids.


• I teach my kids manners.


• I remove my kids from environments where they can not control themselves.

First point: Yes, I witnessed with my own 2 eyes, a pregnant woman wearing a hospital gown walking outside the hospital while smoking. Obviously she was walking to the designated smoking area since our local hospital is smoke free. To bad she couldn't also follow the rule of NOT SMOKING WHILE YOU ARE PREGNANT. What goes through the minds of these people? I just don't understand. In my overly opinionated state I feel that they should be held accountable for child endangerment. Period!

Second point: While I wait for my 3 year old to enjoy her dance class I am left in the small hallway of a smelly old school building to fend for myself while some of the other moms allow their younger, bratty children to wreak havoc on my nerves. This havoc ranges from yelling to running to climbing to crying to spitting in the water fountain. Yes, spitting in the water fountain. I'm sure the mom was less than impressed when I looked at her and said, "I think he's spitting in the water fountain." She looked over at him, watched for a bit and replied, "he just keeps drinking it." Ah NO! He is spitting in the water fountain and that is disgusting. Please get your child under control or leave. He kept it up and she eventually got on to him for it; however, I'm sure his disgusting little germs had already spread all over the place. This same child yelled the whole time while mom yelled back empty threats. When she would actually spank him he would just grunt back at her. He also told her "No!"

Stuff like this infuriates me. How are people not embarrassed for others to see them smoking while pregnant or allowing their 2 year old to run the show? How has the world come to this? How is it that in the year 2011 people act and do whatever they want just because it is their God-given right (whether it is actually right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy)? This is a sad state we're in...

So you see, I don't think I'm better than others because of the material things I have, the way I look, my career or education level. I think I'm better than others because I've instilled the traits of respect (for one's self and others), manners, and common courtesy in my children. They will be good people if it kills me...I will not settle for less!

It is Thursday and Fall is in the air...

I know this because our whole house seems to be under-the-weather in some way or another. Poor Paislee has had a cough and runny nose (clear snot though) all week. Yesterday I felt a sore throat coming on and sure enough, I've felt like crap today. Craig also said he didn't feel hot yesterday. Sully was sent home from school today w/ a fever...this is why I'm blogging at 2:30pm on a Thursday! I can only imagine how Ms. Scotland will feel by the time she gets off the bus. This will make for an interesting day tomorrow, I'm sure.

Any way, it is Thursday and very Fall like out there. As the seasons change and my body expands each morning presents its own challenges. Today I was feeling rather creative with an impromptu outfit concoction. I sported Craig's XL purple men's dress shirt, my ladies medium cardi, black stretchy pants, a brown belt and brown knee-high boots. I felt as though this outfit was questionable in the sense of working in an office but hey, I wasn't sent home early to change and I even got a few nice comments. Don't we all have those days...when you're wearing something and you just can't tell what the reaction will be...some of us seem to run into this more than others ;)

In an effort to save myself some embarrassment I tried to crop as much out of the pic as possible. That is, in fact, my crammed and disorganized closet behind me and I apologize for the dirty mirror and blurry pic. A girl works with what she's got...and that's all I had as I got ready to leave for work.

For those of you who have checked out the blogs that I follow, jeez aren't they cute??!!, you might have noticed a lot of them do a "What I Wore Wednesday" (WIWW) post. I can only assume they do this on Wednesday because of the W's. Well, mine is a "Look What I Threw Together Today" (LWITTT) post. Perhaps I will make this a regular feature.

I've got to wrap up as I wait for the 3rd child to return home from school. Keep your fingers crossed that she's not sick...however, I suspect that it will be soon coming if she's not already. We may just medicate and sleep all evening...all of us!

I'm either all or nothing...

It seems I'm either changing my blog around multiple times a day or not doing anything at all with it...including posting.

After the Ruby Tuesday's ordeal we did in fact head to Nauvoo, IL for camping fun with the family. Of course there were good times and bad. We had a few melt downs but all in all it was nice to get away from home for a bit. The kids loved it and still have the mosquito bites to prove it...GROSS! Sully's legs were completely covered and Paislee even ended up with a few on her face.

The hubs, Scotland and I all headed home late Sunday night while the grandparents, Sully and Paislee headed to Mt. Pleasant, IA on Monday. Fun was had by all. I attacked our bathroom the majority of the day Monday and ALL DAY TUESDAY. I took pics of the work, and now that this post reminds me, I highly irritated that I've misplaced the memory card with those pictures! Wow, what a quick way to ruin my evening! Anyway, the bathroom is about 95% done, walls painted, vanity painted, new mirror hung. Now for the final few details...that will likely never get completed until it is time to sell the house and move. Besides working on the bathroom Monday and Tuesday I really can't remember the rest of the week...

Last Saturday was a total waste! We got up and went to Sully's first soccer game, which he absolutely hated. He stood on the field and cried as soon as the game started...and I don't mean cry, I mean WAIL AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS! I ended up dragging him off the field, like any mom-of-the-year would. I drug my chair away from the Grandmas and made him sit beside me until he was ready to go back in...which never really crossed his mind. We put him back in near the end of the game for him to stand in one spot while rubbing his eyes and attempting not to cry...the kid does not like soccer. Next Saturday should be a real treat. On the other hand, Paislee started dance and absolutely loves it. There was no sign of shyness at all. This girl is going to be an entertainer. I'm excited to see how she grows from it all.

After the exhaustion/frustration of the soccer game we all went home and lounged around watching TV until lunchtime. I admit that I dozed off a bit. Then we ate lunch and took naps. After naps Grandpa Mark came to pick up the star soccer player to go to the monster truck show. Then the hubs, girls and I ate some supper and continued to lounge around until bedtime. The girls' bedtime was followed up by more lounging until I fell asleep on the couch and Gpa and Sully returned home. The hubs put Sully to bed and I fell back asleep on the couch. I was literally in a horizontal position for ~20 hours on Saturday...what a sloth! I blame it on the baby!

Thank goodness Sunday morning rolled around and we managed to get the house cleaned before heading over the the in-laws to watch the air show. It was a long day but the kids had a blast playing with all the other kids who cames with their parents. I was surprised the bathtub wasn't clogged after baths Sunday evening...those kids were filthy.

There are no excuses, I am just off this week. I've been off on my days and dates, I keep mixing things up at work, and I know it will only get worse. I'm 29 weeks and I've hit a wall. It seems Mr. Hogan has grown quite a bit in the last week as he is kicking in all directions at all times. It is still fun and exciting though. Last night I finished my "Complete Idiot's Guide to Natural Childbirth". I've gone back and ear-marked the chapters that I need to revisit. I'm still pretty stoked about the challenge before me. I just hope I can keep my composure and make it through. I've been watching TLC's A Baby Story on my lunch break for inspiration...today was a good one, but the rest have been stupid. About 90% of them have been c-sections and the other 10% have just been annoying people that have rubbed me the wrong way. Either way, today's was great. It was a natural water birth and this lady wailed about as loud Sully did on the soccer field.

Any who, I'm tired and that's enough catching up for now. I'm ready to snuggle in with my blanket and fall asleep....only to be woken up by the hubs and told to go to bed. Yes sir!

Oh Ruby Tuesdays, you suck so bad!...

Against my better judgement we took the girls out for dinner at Ruby Tuesdays (Sully went with Papa Mark to get the camper set up in Nauvoo, IL). We've had horrible service and bad food at Ruby Tuesdays multiple times and no better than to go there...but we had a coupon for a free kids meal. Scotland got the coupon at summer school...poor Scotland!

The horrid experience began with our seating. They had an area with 6 tables, 2 rows of 3 tables each. Instead of staggering the seating of these tables they had 1 row of 3 tables full while the other row of 3 was empty. They could have easily spaced out the 3 parties so that we wouldn't be bumping each other with our chairs. WHATEVER, I digress....Next came the worst part of the whole ordeal.

The waitress, who was overly cheery as they all are, while I was already crabby from realizing that we shouldn't have chosen there to eat, came and got our drink orders. Upon her return with our drinks she proceeded to hand them out, except my iced tea. She knocked my ice tea over on her tray, that she was holding over my 5 year old Scotland. The whole tray dumped, spilling iced tea and the glass itself all over Scotland. I'm not talking a spill in the lap. The tray was being held over Scotland's head. Her shoulder, which I can only assume was hit with the glass itself, her whole right side, tummy, right leg and even right shoe were drenched. I was infuriated!

Poor Scotland instantly started to pout, but she was such a big girl and kept it together...she did better than mom! I picked her up and took her to the bathroom to get cleaned up. She was cold and wet. I could have handled it if it had happened to Craig or myself, but a child...I was hot. So hot, in fact, my face literally felt hot. I was instantly ready to just leave. By the time we headed back to our table the manager gave me one of those pathetic "I'm sorry" faces and asked if we had ordered yet. I replied that we hadn't and she was nice enough to let us pick out an appetizer on her...really, you're ever so kind! (SARCASM!!!) Well, low and behold, they moved us to a different table...the one they should have seated us at to begin with.

The waitress apologized over and over again. I kinda felt bad for her because it could have happened to anyone and I realize she didn't do it on purpose...but I was still totally raging about it all. I pretty much just kept my mouth shut because I knew if I got started I would never shut up.

We finally collected our barrings and order our FREE APPETIZER and meals. We waited for our food, continue to be shocked at how 1 restaurant could suck so bad! They brought us our food and SHOCKER-my meal was messed up. I had ordered my mini-burgers without mayo, and here it was. Fantastic!

I cleared it off, lettuce, tomato and all and nicely laid it on the table next to my plate. We ate our meals and were then offered free cupcakes for either there or to take home. WE'LL TAKE THEM HOME PLEASE! I was SO ready to get out of there.

They brought our check and I was sure they would mess it up in some way. She pointed out the coupon we had brought in and the FREE APPETIZER we were awarded for letting our 5 year old have iced tea spilled all over her. We paid too much for our experience and I am mad I didn't complain more than I did...honestly, I was just so ready to get out of there that I just wanted to pay and go home. We ended up paying $35 for 2 adult meals, 1 kids meal, and Craig's beer. Keep in mind that 1 kids meal was going to be free either way and the appetizer and cupcakes were free. The appetizer and cupcakes were not worth the iced tea all over Scotland and my order being messed up.

LESSON LEARNED! THE CLARK FAMILY WILL NO LONGER BE SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL RUBY TUESDAYS...WHETHER WE HAVE A COUPON, FREE MEAL, OR EVEN IF IT IS SOMEONE ELSE'S TREAT!

Again, I do feel bad for the waitress, who we later found out was still training, SURPRISE SURPRISE! And, Craig said his meal really was pretty good.

**I am curious though, have you ever had a meal/drink dumped on you or anyone else at your table?**

Did I say I was going to give the class another shot...

Well, I didn't. Long story short, a facebook friend request came in and then I paniced that my blog either would be found or had been found. Keep in mind, I didn't talk badly about anyone in the class or the class itself, I simply stated that it wasn't my thing...and I stand by that 100%. But it would still be SUPER AWKWARD if I had gone to class and someone had seen my post from yesterday. So, I kindly ignored the request and immediately sent an email that I had appreciated what I learned from the first class but would not be returning. Yep, I backed out, and I am relieved now.

Besides that, the hormones have been on a roller coaster tonight and I'm about to throw my computer out the back door. I'm tired, crabby, and my back hurts. I'm calling it a night. Here's hoping there are no roller coasters tomorrow or the weekend.

Idea Alert!!!

Thanks Grandma Janet, for sending this idea my way. Lord knows we have plenty of cribs at our house!