Moving and leftie updates

Well, folks, we're getting down to the wire with this move. A few hitches: the snow storm that's due tomorrow (think/pray/meditate the ice off the roads before I have to drive a truck that's hauling my car!!!) , the travel reservations place called and left a message saying that my plane tickets are not only not on the day I chose, but I have two separate arrangements for two separate days and I need to call to pick a day and arrangement (did that make sense? thought not. ), and I'm finally starting to get nervous. My kids are excited to go see Man, and my grandmother who lives out there called to invite us to spend Christmas with her. What fun! I haven't spent a Christmas with her in... wow, like 17 years.

I left a note in Tag's daily folder for his preschool teacher, asking if she has noticed any hand preferences. She said that most of the time he uses his left hand, but after he picks something up he tends to switch between them. Leftie? Ambi? He has both in his genes, so the jury is still out concerning which hand he'll choose.

Toy sushi. Tres cute!

Southpaw!

He seems to use both hands equally, but this afternoon preferred the left over the right with no prodding whatsoever. His preschool teacher sent home these papers to help him with his cutting skills. We'll have to see if he tries his new skillz on his hair.

And a pacifier update:

I found another two in my backpack. And another one I forgot about was in my uncle's truck and he says that I managed to lose another one at his house.

Yes, dear reader, it would seem that the only vacuous space is right between my ears with a door leading to it labeled as follows:

pacifier finding (in)ability: caution beyond this point.

Ok, ok, took permission off

Alright, Man has said that we should still do no names or locations regardless of security, and I noticed that far fewer people were able/willing to come pay me a visit with the passwords up.

We're back open for business as usual!

Lasik

There is a great price on Lasik out here, a price I never thought I'd see: $299 per eye. As soon as I saw that I scheduled an appointment for an evaluation. New recliner or lasik? It's in the bag, folks. I drove through three highways, braved Big Man In Little Car and his road rage, trudged through yards of parking lot and started on paperwork only to be told that I would just have to wait to get it until I havn't been nursing for 3 months.

What?

Yes, that's right, and what's more, I ALREADY KNEW THAT!!! When getting an eye exam and new contacts and glasses before Pebbles was born, the optometrist told me to get another exam after she was born and then again after I stop nursing. Something about pressure in the eye changing the geography of it.

I also got to learn about the newer technology which was cooler, more effective and exciting, and $1700 per eye plus change.

-sigh- Getting the old technology would actually save us money in the long run. With the cost of a contact exam, cost of two eyes' worth of toric lenses, and another chunk on (ok, relatively cheap) glasses, my eyes cost us a tidy bundle every 12-18 months. Let's just say that getting the old technology would pay for itself in less than two years.

Are your eyes expensive?

The pacifier vacuum (cross post)

When Baby was immobile (how many months ago was that? geez.. ) I was always able to find her pacifiers after her nap. How far can a little person really throw those things? They would sometimes roll around and I'd smile complacently knowing that they could all be found. I prided myself on the fact that until she was 6 months old, I had all of the pacifiers we had acquired since her birth accounted for.

Then.

She learned how to crawl. (ominous theme music plays)

I have purchased 10 pacifiers to work with her older mouth and, this very afternoon, could account for one (1). And that one was the emergency only pacifier. I began to think of all the places where a little person like her could have left those things, to what little spirit did she sell them for pieces of candy, to what small worm hole did she toss them with glee, and most importantly, can I find one before nap time.

She always loses them in one particular room in the house. I need to just sit and watch her one day to see where they all end up. Perhaps tomorrow.

So this evening I went on a mad hunt for these things. Couch cracks, between furniture and walls, under everything, between everything, even going so far as the crawl around on the floor to see what she might see. I think everyone around me was starting to get a little worried about my skulking about, ranting and muttering about vacuous space where some day I'm going to find millions of pacifiers tucked away in an alternate plane of existence.

I determined that I would search the house top to bottom until I had found at least half of the pacifiers I know I own, wondering what sort of pain I was actually promising myself. I took a break to tuck the older two kids in bed when I saw a brown and blue little object winking at me from my very own bed frame.

Could it be?

Of course it was! Yay! As I stashed it in my pocket I just had to laugh when my hand came in contact with my second discovery: the one I lost before dinner. Two! On a roll, I looked behind my bed and found another 3, including that silly ribbon that's supposed to clip the darn things to her clothes.

So, now I know where 6 pacifiers are. I'm missing a pink, a blue, and two yellows. I just thought it was kinda funny that the vacuous space I was ranting about would be under my own bed.

No passing the buck on that one. :)

First day of school

Well, Tag is at his first day of school. He isn't officially enrolled yet since this is an extended evaluation for the special education program. He'll be going three days a week for all of November. It was kind of funny to see everyone eye-balling my armload of asthma treatment paraphernalia and epi pens.

As I walked away from the school I tried to sort through my feelings. A little anxiety, a bit of relief, but mostly I wondered how well I did with him up until now. They're going to see all of his little quirks now and I won't be there to explain it, reassure him or them, correct it, etc. Suddenly someone else has the authority and responsibility to teach and shape my child. I hope they love him. I was very impressed with his teacher, Mrs. O. She radiates capability and cheer.

Princess Butterfly is disappointed that Tag gets to go to preschool and not her, but I've assured her that I'll do my best to get her in after we move. At the very least she gets to start kindergarten in the fall. It's hard with the little friend we live with also going to preschool. PB is already lonely without a playmate.

And can you believe it? I forgot to take pics of Tag..... -forehead smack-

Moving update, blog security update

Yay! Blogger has finished its beta and we now have a secure blog. We'll have to see if Man will allow names now. If you know of someone who would like to be able to view the blog, email me with their contact info and I'll see what I can do.

Moving date is set! We'll get the truck December 1st, and the kids and I will fly out the following Tuesday. I chatted with a nice young lady from the housing office and asked if there was some way to adjust the moving date so we could aviod paying over half a month's worth of rent when we won't be living there, and she got the date adjusted double quick. She even said that when we got there we could look at a few different houses and pick the one we would like to have. Yay! Many thanks to M at The Parks housing office.

Best. Magazine. Ever.

I love Family Fun magazine! I just treated myself to a year's subscription for $10. I seem to find the $10 subscriptions for one mag or another every year, switching magazines so I can continue to get a montly treat for cheap.

Further moving update: My parents have agreed to help with the move, but Man and I are still in negotiations concerning the precise modus operandi we will employ to get our bodies out there. Should be interesting to see how this works out.

Moving update

Well, Man has expressed continued interest in us getting out there, since there is a date in the middle of the month when, if we havn't moved in to the house, we have to start paying rent on it if we want to reserve it. So, I just need to make sure I have someone to drive out with me (still in negotiations), pack a moving truck, and drive on out. And hopefully this is the last time in my life when I'll have to pack my own moving truck. Ever. Hopefully.

Anyway, I'm stressed and out and busy which either means I won't be on the computer at all, or I'll spend all my free time trying to mentally detox by playing. Let's see.... I'm sitting here, editing pics and typing on my blog. Which option do you think I'm taking at this exact moment?

For your viewing pleasure:

His face has gone through the toddler -> kid transformation.

Movie star pose with sad baby:

Just took this one this morning. Those eyes are just enchanting.

What if we were told to move...

... And you only had a couple of days? Would you be able to do it? Most of my stuff is already in boxes. All I'd have to pack is one room.

This is all (mostly) hypothetical, by the way.
Man called and there is a house waiting for us, provided it wasn't a pet dwelling. ;)

Teaching the kids at home

Technology has made it easier than ever to find free resources for teaching children at home. Starting tomorrow, I'll be working with Tag on his numbers, shapes, colors, and alphabet. Princess Butterfly already has a head start but I'll be working with her at the same time as a refresher, just in case I can't get her into preschool until next semester. Tag will be starting some more intensive evaluations next week and since he's my first to actually start attending public school, I'm anxious to start good habits now for staying involved with his education. Who knows... maybe if I get good enough at teaching him and PB and getting them out and involved in the community, I might consider some form of homeschooling. It would all depend on how much exposure to society and different minds they can get while getting homeschooled. Please feel free to send me any links to helpful websites that you have found, as well.

Starfall

Donna Young, with some good writing practice pages, among other things

(more links forthcoming)

The Energizer Me

Do you ever feel like you're going, and going, and going, and going... And it just doesn't look like an end is in sight? I think I've finally gotten used to the idea of never sitting totally still while in my own home unless I decide that it is time to sit still.

I feel tired. But I like staying this busy, oddly enough. Just enough time to cuddle and play, take care of life's little neccessities, and do a couple of projects every now and then.

I spent the day at the local fort getting insurance taken care of so Tag doesn't run out of his medicine and then took a look around the PX and commissary. Cool stuff, and there are sure some great deals to be had if you look closely. I almost bought a high chair, almost bought a crib (the other one received irreparable damage, Pebbles sleeps in a travel crib for now), you know the story. Good deals everywhere. One of Man's fav quotes: Elephants for $2! It's a great deal if you need elephants and have $2.

In Tag words

T: Mommy! Here's a present for you.
M: Oh, thank you! -reaching for invisible present inside a dollhouse- What is it?
T: Birthday cake!
M: Thank you! -snarf down invisible cake-
T: Ew, mom! Don't eat the box! (apparently the cake came in a box)
M: Oh, sorry. -fake ralphing noises to get box back up, open the box, then snarf cake again-
T: Ew, mom! Don't eat the plate!
M: -more fake ralphing, hand him the plate-
T: There you go. Was it yummy?