My most embarassing story ( I thought it would be more entertaining than my last few posts)

Anyone who knows me should tell you that I would never imagine shoplifting, it's just not something you could imagine me doing. I don't drink alcohol, never have. I have never tried pot, or any type of illegal drug (wouldn't know what pot smelled like if someone knocked me over the head with it). I won't even take painkillers, except for when I had my miscarriage. If I see money on the ground at work I just walk right on by like I never even saw it because it belongs to the post office. I'm just that way.

So, this is what happened.

We moved to AZ in 1998. I was 19 and we had both gotten hired on at the post office. We lived in an apartment in Mesa for the 1st 3 years we lived here. Seth bought a motorcycle in 2000, I think. He couldn't keep it at the apartment because there was no where he felt safe parking it, so we kept it in his aunt Lori's garage. In the fall of 2000 we finally got serious about buying a house, so Seth decided to sell the bike. He asked me to stop and pick up a cycle trader magazine.
I didn't realize it was an actual magazine. At the grocery stores and gas stations here almost all of them have little racks of free magazines and apartment finder books. I thought that's what the cycle trader was. So one evening I was driving home from work and he had reminded me again that he wanted me to stop and get one of those. I was in a hurry because it was late and cold, so I thought I would just run into the corner store and grab one. I walked in and asked the clerk if they had the cycle trader. She pointed them out to me on the office door towards the back of the store which was about the size of a closet. I grabbed one and walked out. She never said anything to me as I was leaving and didn't come after me (of course I was in a hurry.) I think I may have even left my car running, where I could see it of course, which just made it look really bad.
I pull in the parking lot of our apartment complex and as I'm driving down towards where I usually park, there's some guy with his door open taking up the space that was open where I would have normally parked, so I backed into the spot across from it. Anyway, I went inside and got ready to go to bed, since this was during the days when we worked about 60-70 hours a week. About an hour later I was ready for bed watching tv or something and there was a knock at our door.
Well, no one ever came to see us, and I mean no one. So Seth goes to the door and the person who knocked had their finger over the peep hole so he couldn't see (never quite figured out why). Seth is the type of person who can, and will, own a gun for protection, and since we were living in the middle of Mesa he grabbed his gun when he went to the door. We were both a tiny bit paranoid. They knock again, so he said "Who is it?" and the guy says "Mesa Police Department" Seth is freaking out! He cracks the door a little bit and it really is the cops! He asks if I live there, and Seth is like "Yeah, hang on". I don't remember exactly, but he yelled at me and then he made sure to tell the cop that he owned guns and all that. The cop takes Seth's glock and gives it to his ride along to hold (the guy wasn't even a cop). So, I come into the living room and he's asking me where the magazine is. Well, I don't read magazines, and I had totally forgotten the cycle trader already, since it wasn't for me, and I didn't consider it a magazine(not to mention my short term memory sucks). I probably looked at him like he was an alien. Finally, after he asked if I had picked up a magazine or something that night I figured out what he was talking about.
I said "You mean the cycle trader? I thought those were free." And at this point Seth is looking like he doesn't even want to claim to know who I am. The cop asks "Is there some reason why you backed into the parking space when you came home?" Like I am going to try to hide my car! I told him the truth, some guy was standing in the space I usually park in and all that. So I finally ask how much the magazine cost. It was $1.50!!! The really embarassing part is that I offered to give them the money and of course I was already hooked on the debit card by then and didn't happen to have any cash on me, so they drove me over there in the cop car to pay for it!!
I told the cop the whole story and I guess he believed me, cause he seemed like he got a good laugh out of it. So when I walked into the store to pay for it I told the clerk I was really sorry, and I couldn't believe I did that, laughing at myself. She was not in a joking mood I guess, just rang it up real snotty like.
Obviously they didn't tolerate shoplifters there, I mean really, call the cops and make them investigate a $1.50 magazine like I'm a serial killer or something.

All was well, it didn't even go on my record or anything, so my shoplifting was never really official, but I did learn what was free and what was not. I also have to admit, it took me years to be able to pick up those free books in the grocery store.

Uh, oh!

I forgot to feed the fish this morning. If you know about my gardening skills (or lack therof) this would come of no suprise. It also ranks up there with why I don't pay the bills. I have a lot on my mind, so little things like feeding the fish are on the bottom of the list. Seth told me a couple of days ago that feeding would be my responsibility. This came after a few days of me asking him if he had fed the fish, to find out if I should feed them. So that was it, it's now my responsibility. I'm really going to work at this.

When I got home from work I went to check my e-mail on the computer in the den. It happens to be right next to the fish tank. I didn't notice anything at that point because the light was off. Seth doesn't turn the light on and leave it, the water is a tad bit cloudy and he just thinks it looks horrible. This is my area too, and we've already had a few discussions about getting something to take care of that. Anyway, back to the original subject. I went about my normal stuff after checking my e-mail, making lunch, dealing with whiny, fussy, sleepy kids. I got Rylie down for a nap, and in the process, I made myself rather tired. So I decided to take a little nap too. (I can blame it on being up at 6 am, and then working in the 90 degree heat, inside a vehicle that's actually 10 degrees hotter than outside, even with the fan blowing.) I woke up from my nap, and went to check my e-mail again. This time I decided to turn on the light. There was a dead crab laying almost upside down a the bottom of the tank. I said "Uh-oh! This crab doesn't look so good." Seth proceded to fill me in on the fact that the angelfish had been chasing him around all day. So it was labeled a homicide and determined that the murderer was the angelfish.

I must say that it was probably my fault. I know forgetting one time isn't going to starve them enough to prey on the others, but I have a feeling it was just overall underfeeding. I thought I was feeding them enough because it seemed like I was putting tons of food in there, but after inspecting the fins of the angelfish, it looks like he's not the only one that's hungry. This is actually our second fatality in the tank. The first was the little tiny plecostemus that the lady in the store insisted would ne the right size when full grown. I should have listened to my gut and gotten a bigger one. She promised that if I got the bigger one it would outgrow my tank. Well, better to outgrow the tank in a few years than get eaten by the bigger fish (or crabs). I'm really going to try to remember to feed these little guys. Maybe I'll check into some kind of automatic fish feeder.....

So Silly!

We are finally getting to a point where it seems like the kids will play well together. For the last few months they've been taking baths together. Why is it that when your 3-year-old is outside of the bath tub, he starts crying hysterically if your 1 year old gets too close, but if they are in the bath tub than she can climb all over him and it's just fine? Tonight after our very early dinner (4 pm) they were playing and laughing and having such a good time for almost an hour and a half. At one point Rylie was laughing so hard because Hunter was "tickling" her. He doesn't really know how to tickle, he just moves his fingers back and forth close to her tummy, but she laughed anyway. Then I decided it was time for a snack before bath. Hunter was eating some cheetos and Rylie was eating a cracker. I look over and Hunter is reaching way over the side of the table to give Rylie one of his cheetos, which she finally was able to get ahold of. Then he said "I gotta go potty, I'll be right back Rylie." So finally bath time. He so enjoys "washing" her hair. That's what he calls it, really he's just dumping the cup of water over her head.

It's so nice that they can play together (sometimes) and give us a break from the whining and crying that, so often, makes us wonder why we were crazy enough to think we wanted to have kids in the first place.

A new look.....

I finally found a place that had some cool layouts and figured out how to change from the basic one I had. It takes me forever to do things like this, because I'm way more interested in reading other people's blogs than I am about changing my own. However, I was browsing blogs and found one with a really cool flower blossom and at the top there was a link to this website to find other layouts.

Among some of the blogs I have been checking out was one of a young couple living in Hong Kong from New York. I don't know why, but it interested me. It's just about their daily life, and what they've seen and done over there. I guess it's interesting to me because it's not really a place I'd choose to go on purpose. Nothing about it makes me have any desire to go there. It sounds like there are way too many people for the space given (I'm only a tad claustrophobic), and even the thought of eating some of the things they've tried makes my stomach turn. It's no 3rd world country but I've got to give them some credit because that's a long way from home.

In case you'd like to check it out here's the link http://thesmithsinhk.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html

The new fish tank

We've been talking about getting a fish tank for Hunter since before his birthday(yeah, a couple of months is a long time to think). The other day when I went to pick them up from daycare he spent 20 mins looking at the fish and crabs in the tank that they have out in the front room. That made up my mind, so I went this weekend and picked out one for him. I started out planning to spend less than $100. I was way off. When I started looking at smaller tanks it seemed like you were spending more money than big ones (cost per gallon-wise). So I wound up with a 29 gallon tank (with a kit), and a mission style stand. I only bought some gravel to get it set up. Monday I went and let Hunter pick out some fish. We got a ropefish(Hunter calls it his snake) an angelfish, and a betta. I also let him pick out a decoration, which was a skeleton (pirate).
Today we needed some better housing for the ropefish and also better food, since he doesn't seem to like the flakes that came in the sample packets. Since we were going to the pet store we picked up a few more fish to add to our tank. 3 tiger barbs and 2 crabs and a plecostemos. They have a 14 day return policy if the fish don't happen to be compatible. There are also some new plants to keep things interesting.
Hopefully we'll be able to keep all of the fish healthy and happy.

More dentist appts.

First, a pic of Hunter driving Rylie on his gator.

Yesterday was Hunters dentist appt. He actually got his teeth cleaned and had some xrays taken. He was very good, not scared at all. He does have 5 cavities, and needs a root canal, because they want to save the tooth. He won't be having anesthesia, so at least it won't cost quite as much.

Rylie's 1!

Rylie turned 1 on Friday! We had a party for her tonight with the family over for a barbeque. It was a lot of fun, and Rylie did so well even though she hasn't been feeling good the last couple days. I got her a Tinkerbell cake, and it looked great in her hair.

Here we go again....maybe

Poor Rylie got sick at daycare today. Then after we got home she was pretty clingy and acting tired, so I made her a bottle and went to rock her, and before we got there she threw up her lunch. They had said she had a pretty messy diaper too, and then later she had another one. She did, however, keep down the water, bagel, and toast she ate. I took her with me when I went to pick up my computer from Best Buy, and she almost fell asleep on the way home. She was really good the whole time we were out. Seth put her to bed as I was getting dinner ready, and knock on wood I haven't heard a peep from her. I hope it was just something bothering her tummy, and not strep or an ear infection. We'll see how she feels in the morning.......

As I mentioned, I picked up my computer. I'm typing on it right now, no problems as of yet. Of course they didn't find anything wrong with it. They offered to send it out to the place where they could run more extensive tests on it, but I decided to just work with it and if I start having problems again then I will do that.

I also learned something about dentists today. A pediatric dentist is better known as a pedodontist where insurance provider directories are concerned. Apparently the woman I talked to from Blue Cross didn't know that either. So I now have an appointment at a Pedodontist for Hunter on Monday the 21st. I hope he can hang on that long.

We also managed to get our plane tickets for our trip. We even got a really cheap deal. Hopefully the rest of the week will continue to go better. It would be great if Rylie was feeling better tomorrow, and I could have a chance to clean for the party on Saturday. Plus, no girl should have to be sick on her birthday!

What a day.......

Here's how the morning started. Rylie always winds up sleeping like this. She's usually a very smiley girl in the mornings, even if we have to wake her up. I hear that she takes after her momma. This is a nice break after having Hunter, who always started the morning way earlier than we really needed to, and would cry immediately if we didn't come and get him as soon as he was awake.

I hurried up to get through my route so I could get Hunter to the dentist, only to find out that the insurance person I talked to the other day gave me the number of a pediatric dr, instead of a pediatric dentist. There's a big difference! I got to the office and sat there for a minute in the waiting room, and at least I figured it out before I waited too long. I'm thinking I'll probably wind up taking him to the one that our insurance doesn't cover. It's not like the insurance pays that much anyway.

On top of that, my new laptop that is only 2 weeks old+1 day, is back at Best Buy tonight in the hands of the Geek Squad. They have a 14 day return policy on computers. So since I'm 1 day past they have to diagnose the problem and possibly have to send it off to some more qualified people if they can't find out what's wrong. It's very disappointing to have a brand new computer with problems. I know it's not an operational problem, I'm no idiot when it comes to computers, and when you turn it on and the keyboard just doesn't work, there's a problem. Let's hope it's a simple fix.

And here's how the evening wound down (pic below). Hunter has just about used my treadmill more than I have since I got it (I haven't had it long). He likes to get on it and walk (on the slowest setting possible). I'm not sure how he can possibly find it a fun thing to do, but he does actually stay on for 5 mins at a time. I hope I can get caught up to him, with my 30 mins a day. Speaking of which, it's that time........

I feel Horrible!

Ok, I finally took Hunter to the dentist today. I feel like the worst mother in the world. He has a bunch of cavities, and needs the equivalent of a baby root canal. He said on the way to school that his mouth hurt, and I checked out his mouth when we got there and one of his back teeth has a brown spot, and almost looks like it broke. I feel absolutely horrible. I know it's all my fault, I'm the one who does the grocery shopping (no more sweets), and he always has juice (even though it's diluted alot). Combine that with how hard it is to remember to have him brush his teeth (let alone me remembering my own) and the fact that he grazes all afternoon. Just a combination for disaster. It's going to cost a pretty penny to get it all fixed. They are going to put him under to do it, so at least he won't have to suffer too much. I think it would be worse for him to be awake and drugged. I know one thing for sure, Rylie is not having juice at all for a good long while. I'm just getting her off a bottle, and the only thing she's getting is milk and water. And I'm going force myself to remember to brush their teeth, even if I have to do it while they sleep.

It's been a long day, I had to leave work to take him to the dentist, and then go back to finish. Seth had the day off and he went too. Hiunter did really well for his exam though, had to have 3 xrays cause it's hard to get the little biter thing in there. He always does really good at the dr office, so I wasn't too surpised. I'm glad Seth was there though too, he was able to keep him distracted while we waited for the dr.

Obsession

Hunter recently (about 2 months ago) developed a liking of Spiderman. Since he's only 3 it's really the first time he's had a specific thing he likes. He's had general preferences, sure, but nothing where you could say "look Hunter__" and expect him to really care, (except candy of course). So sometime in the last couple of months, he expressed an interest in Spiderman. We thought this was really cute. So one day I took him to the store with me, and I thought he'd really like to watch the Spiderman movie. Well, what's better than buying the DVD for $20? Buying all 3 DVDs for $30, of course. Since then we've seen all 3 movies more times than I could begin to count.

Hunter started running around the house pretending to be Spiderman. It's really rather funny because he goes up to the wall and acts like he's going to climb it. For Easter Hunter got a Spiderman costume. The first day he had that thing on and off about 50 times. Of course he can't do it himself, so he has to bring it to one of us to put it on. At least he didn't insist on wearing it out of the house. We explained to him that Spidey stays home, and that seemed to work. We're finally down to putting it on only a couple of times a day. Hey, at least we're already set for Halloween!

Our baby turns 1!

Well, in less then a week Rylie will be one year old. She's walking all over the place. I've almost got her off of formula, and they are transitioning her to the toddler room at daycare. Pretty soon she'll be driving, wah!!!!