Tell your creepy dog to stop staring at me...

Now that I am home for a while, our dog Arthur and I have to get a few things straight.

First of all, stop staring at me. I will win any staring contest that you instigate. I have Vicoden on my side and I can space out for long periods of time. I will win.

Second, there is no room for you on my hide-a-bed. There is a machine strapped to the bed that is the size of me and you will not fit. Stop whining at the edge of the bed because you want up.

Third, your gas is nasty. Do not look at me when you do it. I will not take the blame. You did it, it came out of your butt, I did not throw my voice to make that sound come out of there.

Last but not least, when I let you outside on your chain of course, do not get tangled up and then start barking because you are stuck. I know that you know how to untangle yourself, because you do it when you think I am going somewhere without you.

Arthur, I love you, but you are strange.

Here I go again...

Hello everyone! It has been a long time since I have blogged, but I will try it again for a little while at least. So many things have happened since my last blog that I don't even know where to start.

I will start here. I changed jobs again. I went back to driving forklift. I was not satisfied at my last job so I went back to full time forklift. I love it. Now I can be myself and not have to worry about saying the wrong thing to upset anyone. Women are very hard to work with. Way too much drama.

Next, we have left the trailer park for good. We bought a real house with a real yard and the house is no longer on wheels. We were somewhat entertaining the thought of buying a house, since my best friend Miah and Al did, so we were looking. We wanted a place outside of Sioux Falls and we kind of had our hearts set on one at the end of Main St. here in Lennox, but they were asking way to much for that particular house and when we were driving around looking for houses, we stumbled upon this house that would be up for auction. Low and behold we got the bid and here we are!! It is a beautiful 4 bedroom, 2 bath house on 2 1/2 lots in Lennox. Now I don't have to worry about my boys becoming "trailer rats". Lennox has a good school and seems to be a good community so we have much to look forward to. It is still a small community and therefore people are not as warm to the "transplants" as the families that orginated here, but my folks have been in this town for many years so at least we have a little head start.



The week after we moved in, we received a letter from the son of the family that originally built the house in the 20's. We are only the third family to live here. Kind of exciting. I emailed the gentlemen back and told him that pictures and info would be great, and he emailed back saying that he had written a book about his parents (the builders) and that there were pictures of the original house in that book and that it was in the Lennox library. I of course checked it out and haven't got very far. Some of the pictures are hard to place because of all the changes over the years, like the second floor, the patio doors, etc.

Now I will have plenty of time to read that book, because last week I injured my knee and had to have surgery on Tuesday. I had torn my ACL and they replaced it with a cadaver ligament. Sounds a little creepy, but it will drastically reduce my healing time compared to my other options. (Robbing ligaments from my already handicapped knee) Hey who knows, maybe I have the knee of a 20 year old, or an African American so I can run and jump faster. He He. All I know is that it is terrible pain, and that I would rather give birth again that to go through this pain. I know it has only been 2 days, but it really frickin' hurts. I had to stay in the hospital overnight and had a wonderful nurse Andy who kept me heavily medicated to alleviate most of the pain during the night. I am at home now, and will be for at least a couple of weeks, so I will try to keep up on my blog until then, maybe longer now that we have internet access now. (We were to cheap to splurge on wireless internet and the neighbors had protected connections. Damn them.)

Whew, that was a lot to say, so I will blog later with so much more to say.

Happy List

I was thinking that since my last blog was so depressing, that I should make up for it by making a list of things that make me happy so you don't think that I am a psychotic, unhappy person. So here it is in no particular order...

Paula's Happy List:

1. Samuel and Nathaniel

2. Watching my children learn new things, and their reactions to them. Especially when Sam does or says something that just blows my mind.

3. Listening to "Break Things" by Limp Biscuit on my way to work at full blast in my pimped out mini-van. (after I have dropped off my kids, of course)

4. Eating Blue Bunny's "Super Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough" ice cream in bed.

5. The t.v. show Scrubs

6. Watching dads with their kids

7. Payday

8. Homer Simpson singing "Spider Pig"

9. Jake

10. Miah

11. Julia

12. Thinking about the good ol' days

13. My family

14. Sitting outside

15. Bacon

16. Grape Bubble-Yum

17. Dove candy bars (Regular or Dark)

18. When Jake tells me that I look cute

19. Looking cute

20. Playing Sudoku on my phone

21. Cooking (when I am not rushed)

22. Reading my cookbooks

23. Cuddling with my munchkins

24. Watching people at stoplights

25. Pepperoni and mushroom pizza

26. Sarcasm

27. Trivia

28. My oversized puppy Arthur

29. When the squirrels tease Arthur

30. Stopping at the truckstop to catch up on gossip or just to visit

31. Mello Yello

32. Driving forklift

33. Wildflowers

34. Riding horse (even though it has been 13 yrs. since I have been on one)

35. Listening to old school Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog

36. 95.7 -so I can listen to all of the old school and eighties music.

37. Ribeyes (seven days without beef makes one week)

38. The smell of new plastic

39. Spring

40. An ice cold glass of milk

41. Rain and/or sleeping in on a rainy day. Sounds too cliche doesn't it.

42. Babies laughing

43. Perverted text messages and sick jokes

44. Taking pictures *NOTE* Notice I said taking pictures, not developing them. I am just a little slow

45. Pillow talk

46. Hugging and kissing Sam and Nathan

47. A sense of accomplishment

48. Mexican food, especially from Puerto Vallerta

49. My Mom's homemade salsa

50. My family's sense of humor


I am sure I will think of more things, but I have to go and meet my Dad for lunch. Ahh, #51.

I am back from lunch and it was delicious. We went to Puerto Vallerta. My favorite. Anyway, I thought of a few more things that make me happy.

52. Getting all the green lights

53. The summer of '03

54. Dollar stores

55. Friday afternoons

56. Practical jokes

I know you missed me...

Well, I haven't been very good at updating because we have been very busy at work. I don't have very much blog-time. So many things have gone on since my last entry, but we will start with Sam.

If you have two children, and the baby is hungry, please heed my warning: DO NOT leave your two year old alone with corn. He will find somewhere to insert it, a nose for instance. There was so much corn in there that I thought he planted some up there (9 pieces I think I counted). Did I forget to mention the spaghetti that came out too? I couldn't help but laugh, but it was still a little scary. I have heard the horror stories about the kid who put a bean up there and it started to grow, etc... That was last week, so on Sunday when he started getting green boogies, I panicked. My child has corn in his brain and it's going to grow!!! We got to the doctor on Monday and thankfully there was no corn lodged up there. Maybe the planting season is over. The weather is not ideal for growing in the nose, who knows. Anyway, she then informed me that my son has allergies. Wonderful. She suggested Claritin everyday for two weeks, and if that doesn't help, come back for some more stuff. So far it doesn't seem to be working. When I pick him up from daycare, his nose is raw from all of the blowing. Poor guy. If anybody has any sugestions for something that might actually work, let me know. I will try just about anything if it means relief for my little guy.

Now on to Nathaniel. He is growing like crazy. He is already into 9 mo. outfits already and only 13 weeks old. Mommy's little giant. We used to call him Peanut, but now it's Meatball. He is solid though, and doesn't look too much like the Michelin Man. He is still a handsome little devil with my dimples, and a smile that could melt anyones heart. I am blessed once again.

Now it's my turn. Every month at Curves you are to be measured and weighed. This month I have lost 4.5 lbs. and 6.25 inches. Two of those inches don't count because it was in my boobs, and I had just fed Nathaniel. But still, 4.25 inches! Yeah ME! A step in the right direction.

I think...

I think rice and Cream of Wheat are making me stronger.

Scaling Down

I have lost 7 pounds since I have been going to Curves. I can only attribute some of the weight loss to them and some to the fact that I was very ill on Sunday/Monday. Still, I am ecstatic that I shouldn't have to keep buying larger and larger jeans. Yeah ME!

The boys had their 2 yr. old and 2 mo. old check ups on Monday. Samuel is in the 90th percentile for his height and weight and the Dr. said he looks good. Nathaniel is in the 90th for his length but over 90th for his weight. He is a large boy. He is at 15.6 lbs. and only 8 weeks old. I must be doing something right (I breastfeed). Doc also said he is right on target. I love to hear that. They both got shots, Sam only one, but poor Nathan got three and was a little cranky the last couple of days. Poor little man and thank God for Tylenol. I wish I could have taken them for him so he didn't hurt. Maybe next time...

From lumpy to curvy...

My sweetie got me a membership to Curves For Women. I am absolutely ecstatic. I went to my first workout last night and I love it. The place is just plain fun. You only work on each machine for 30 seconds at a time and then switch. Perfect for me since I am what one would call "fitness challenged". The last time I had a membership to a gym, I didn't know what to do or how to use the equipment so the first time I went, I sat in the locker room and watched T.V. and the second time I just sat in the hot-tub, so I am definitely making progress. I was actually sweaty and it wasn't from the warm water. At first I was a little shy (don't say it Miah) and reserved until I looked over and saw this girl jogging like a disco dancer, so if she is comfortable with herself, than I can be too. I will have to post updates on how I am doing, because this is a big step for me and I am very proud. Yeah toast! My goal is to go from lumpy to curvy and to definitely lose the bingo wings.

Samuel turns two tomorrow. Holy underwear. Where did the time go? What's next, graduation? Just joking. We will be having a party for him at Jake's mom's house. Nothing better than a little barbeque, family, friends, and of course cake and presents.

Speaking of presents, I will finally admit that I am 30. I think saying it is the hardest part. I had a great birthday. None of my teeth fell out and I still have all of my hair even though some of it is discolored, you know, light black?

Have a spank-tacular weekend!

Don't Drive Angry!

First of all, I shouldn't even be allowed to have contact with the public today, because for some reason I woke up with a splendid persona - Super Bitch. I'm not for sure why I'm grouchy, I just am. O.K.? Anyway. I want to know who sent out the memo to all of the unattractive and trailer-ific people to meet at Wal-Mart. Do I fit into this category? One of life's mysteries I suppose. Do I have to start the transformation into one of these people since I live in a trailer? Sorry, mobile homes for all of those politically correct individuals. That's it. Stretch pants and excessively large tank tops (with or without bra), here I come.

Easily entertained...

I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. Arthur had found an empty suet (for bird feeding) package in an empty Diet Coke 24pk. so he had to investigate. This is the result...

I was laughing so hard, and Sam was scared because Arthur looked like a monster. He would walk around and run into stuff, like the house, and then just stop. He would stand there for a while and then turn around and walk some more until he ran into something else, like the bushes. I would eventually feel sorry for him and remove the box, but the short term memory loss dog would do it all over again. Finally I gave up and started taking pictures. Thanks for the laughs Arthur!

Balloons

Last Saturday we woke up at 5:30 a.m. to go watch the hot air balloons take off. One problem, we weren't for sure where they were. They usually depart from Tuthill Park or somewhere over on that side of town, but we had heard that they were somewhere else this year. So we all pile into the death van, Arthur included. First we are on the interstate, going to the north end of town, then we get off on Benson, go east until Six Mile Road. For those of you not familiar with Sioux Falls, that road is between Brandon and Sioux Falls. Then we turn south until about 69th st. (south Sioux Falls) and we see nothing. We call Jake's uncle who always knows what's going on, and that's when we find out that it was too windy for the balloons to take off. Damn it. I could have slept in today. Oh well, so we tried again Sunday. Once again up at about 5:15 a.m. but it was totally worth it. Sam thought that they were the neatest things ever. Nathan slept. After the balloons were all gone, we ventured over to the park and played. It was a good time. Arthur finally got to get out of the van and play too. He even went down the slide too!

Poor Arthur going down the slide.

I finally captured a picture of Nathaniel's heart melting smile!

Trailer park drama, the saga continues...

Once again, Mario Andretti down the street has wreaked havoc on our quiet mobile home community. This time they shut down one of the entrances to our park. The owner of V.I.P. Limousine Co. owns a building and the road its on (which is also our entrance), and is tired of speeders. He has placed two speed bumps within 30 ft. of each other in front of his building that we have to drive on. That wasn't good enough. One day my parents were coming over to visit and were redirected to the other park entrance. My Mom was driving her Chevy Tahoe (which to me doesn't resemble a Ford pickup)and the V.I.P guy stopped her and yelled at her for speeding through the park and she explained to him that she was only visiting me and that it wasn't her. Soon after, Jake was on his way from work and took that route and he stopped to visit with the owner of the road. The guy told Jake that he was tired of that lady speeding there and shut down the road. He is apparently very angry with her because there was even talk of a protection order against her. So you see, I am not crazy. She is an imbecile and needs to be stopped. STOP THE INSANITY!!!!!

Found a Peanut

I'm ba-ack... Our new little boy has finally arrived. Well, actually 5 weeks ago today. Nathaniel Dale Haar (I call him Peanut) arrived on April 25th, 2007 at 10:01 p.m. He was 8lbs. 6oz. and 21 1/2 in. long and cute as a button. I had an appointment that morning, and because it was my due date, they did an ultrasound and found low amniotic fluid. Then they did a NST (non-stress test) to see if little man was o.k., but his heart rate was a little sporadic and going pretty low at times, so with that combination of things, my doctor said, "I am not going to call an ambulance for you, but get in your van and get to the hospital right now." He was supposed to be born at Sanford (formerly known as Sioux Valley) but since my doctors office is right across the street from McKennen and that's who she is associated with, so that's where Nathaniel arrived. I didn't really want to deliver there, but baby comes first. However I can honestly say that we had the best nurses on the planet there. So if somehow, someway that you read this Misty and Lori, my hats are off to you, and thank you for the absolutely terrific job that you do!

I forgot what having a new baby entails. Especially with a two-year old. Wow! Here comes the jealousy. Samuel is good with his brother, always wanting to be helpful, but sometimes he doesn't like his pacifier crammed into his mouth while he is sleeping. Some other things he doesn't like: big plastic trucks in the swing with him, fingers inserted into his eyes, ears and/or other orifices, shoes on feet or head, and rocking in the car seat at carnival ride speed. It is hard to explain to him, especially since he isn't getting 100% of my attention anymore. What a traumatic change for him. Being two is hard.

The schedule is another fun thing to try and manage, even more since I went back to work. Here is a sample of my day:

5:45 a.m. - Alarm goes off, hit snooze.

5:50 a.m. - Alarm goes off, hit snooze again.

5:55 a.m. - Alarm irritating now, get up, realize the time and get stressed out because I have to shower fast now.

6:05 a.m. - Wake up Nathaniel to see if he will eat. (I breastfeed, so no propping the bottle while I get ready.) Dig frantically for clothes that fit since he is growing like I gave him Miracle-Gro. Find clothes, change diaper, and dress baby. Check to see if he is hungry yet. No dice.

6:20 a.m. - Attempt to style hair. Apply makeup. Look in mirror and see and old hag. Want to break mirror. Find clothes that fit my post-baby body. Get depressed and wish to be 19 again. Hold back tears.

6:30 a.m. - Turn on Samuel's light and look at him with much love, so peaceful and cute.

6:31 a.m. - Attempt to wake sleeping beauty and get groaned at. Get him out of crib and pick out clothes. Much whining. These pajamas are his favorite pajamas in the whole wide world, and come hell or high water, they are not coming off. What was I thinking.

6:39 a.m. - Have removed beloved pajamas and am attempting diaper. Success! Samuel will be dressed now.

6:43 a.m. - Nathaniel awake and hungry now. Sit down for feeding.

7:00 a.m. - Must leave house now, but have to pack milk, strap baby in, Samuel's shoes are not on, my shoes are not on...

7:05 a.m. - Grab diaper bag, purse, electric pump, car seat w/baby and Samuel. O.K. we are ready to go. Crap, where's my keys. Put everything down and dig for keys at bottom of purse. Find them and load up again.

7:11 a.m. - Strap Samuel and Nathan in, throw everything into van, strap myself in, and we're off!

7:30 a.m. - Arrive in Worthing to daycare. Unbuckle Samuel and chase him around the driveway to get him inside. Grab Nathan, diaper bag and head inside where all of the sudden Samuel thinks that I am leaving and never coming back. Console him and coax him into eating breakfast. Place Nathaniel on table, visit with Brenda for a minute or two and then head off to work. Aah, work. Now I can relax?

Here is Samuel holding his new little baby brother. That is what he calls him, "Brother".

I hope his father dressed him.

Counting Down

Have you ever heard Arnold Schwarzenegger in his movies yell, "Get Out! Grab My Hand!"? Well, that's how I feel today. Get this baby out of me. I know once they come out you can't put them back in, but I am ready. I think. Don't get me wrong, I love the waddling, constantly pulling up your pants, peeing every 15 minutes, and the sudden change of moods, but I think I am ready for my precious son to be here.
I am curious to know who he looks like, Jake or me. Samuel looks nothing like me, he is all Jake, so I wonder if this one will resemble me at all either. Either way he will be a handsome little man, because I am his mommy and I said so. I went through baby clothes finally on Sunday, and I forgot how tiny the outfits are. Poor Jake had to listen to me ooh and aah over them and I know he wanted to run away. I'm sure he was thinking "Pick a mood, woman".

This paragraph is dedicated to my sister.

Alright, alright, you have talked me out of it. Jake and I have decided to name our son (drumroll please) -- Felix Giuseppe Richard Nixon Haar. We will call him Clementine for short.

Please do not be offended if I do not tell you the name of my unborn son. I would like something to be a surprise and it is my choice not to tell. I do not tell you what is inside your Christmas presents before you open them, so do not get upset about the name thing and try to guilt me out of it. Patience is a virtue, and you will know soon enough. (The sooner the better! Say it with me, the sooner the better, the sooner the better, the sooner the better...)

Now that I have polished off an entire bag of powdered doughnuts, I will sign off. If you don't hear from me in a while, it's because our little boy has arrived. Wish us luck!

Goodbye

Yesterday was the funeral for Jake's Dad. It was pretty sad, as funerals are. He was cremated, so there was no body to view, but instead his urn and pictures of him were displayed on a table in the front of the church. Their neighbor (with help from the family) had put together a slide show with music and did a wonderful job. It showed his life from childhood to days before he passed away. I don't know how many times I watched it, but every time still hurt just as much. It is so hard to believe that he is gone. He will be greatly missed, and always appreciated. I am glad that I got to tell him "Thank You" for everything that he has done. He raised a wonderful son (well, three of them, but I am only in love with one) , he was a wonderful Grandpa, and an outstanding person overall. I am fortunate and thankful to have been a part of his life.

Dale F. Haar

May 17, 1949 - April 15, 2007

We will miss you!

No weezing the SALT!

I went to my weekly doctor's appointment on Wednesday, and she said I am between a 1 and a 2. Yeah me. Physically I am so ready to have this baby, however I am not prepared in most other ways. Jake's dad is still hanging on, and all of the family is pretty much staying with him in hospice, so we haven't finished the baby's room or went through baby clothes, or anything. When I get off work, I pick up Sam from daycare, (which is 20 mi. from home but totally worth the drive) go to hospice for a little bit and then it is Sam's bedtime so we go home, and we both try to catch some zzz's. Although it doesn't sound like much, it is pretty exhausting. How am I going to function with double the workload? No wonder mom's are crazy. It's hard for me to understand how the generations before me had 5 or more children and still liked each other without straight jackets, and chronic alcoholism.

Word of caution to all pregnant women: Do NOT eat a whole bag of sunflower seeds and expect your ankles not be the size of grapefruits. It was just plain ridiculous. I could grab my ankles and my handprint was still there five minutes later. Way to go Einstein.

Watching grass grow

Kathy is my friend. She is strong and beautiful. She does not care for chinese food. She likes BBQ sunflower seeds. We go together like peas and carrots.

This is our mascot. His name is Woody. He eats termites and drinks vodka. That is why he stands in one spot.

Haim Gnillewlu

Happy 20-10th Birthday to my bestest friend in the whole wide world!

When we were younger we would have celebrated our birthdays in a totally different manner, but now that we are older and wiser (more like- we have more responsibilities and we're tired) we do things that are relaxing and fulfilling. In our earlier twenties, a nice meal with our families would never end so we could go party, but now it's something we look forward too. A meal that we don't have to cook, and someone else cleans up after us. What could be better. Oh yeah, if Applebee's still had the Rio Rancho steak. Sorry Miah.

Then:

Now:

I hope you have a super birthday, and hopefully we can get together soon and celebrate your new decade. HA HA HA. I shouldn't talk much, my time is coming soon to a theater near me...

Have a great Easter weekend and don't forget to hide the eggs inside on Sunday, as they don't freeze well and neither do the children.

Hug Day

Yesterday, Jake and I received some horrible news. His Dad has only a few weeks left to live. He is suffering from esophageal cancer (yes, the same shit my Dad is thankfully recovering from). I won't get into all of the details, but today I would like everyone to think of their loved ones and appreciate them. I am guilty to the core of taking the people I love for granted, and not spending enough time with them, and when they are gone I am going to kick myself. So I just wanted to give a little reminder that no one is forever, and maybe give your family and friends an extra hug and kiss today, just because you can.

Showin' off the family unit

The Beckley family unit.

L-R: sister Erika, brother-in-law Bob, sister Jenette, sweetheart Jake, me

Dad, Mom, and Samuel

Are we considered hillbillies if we tie the dog to the sled?

My son is a genius.

In the future, this picture will be used strictly for blackmail purposes only.

He is truly the love of my life.

Vex

vex: to irritate, to annoy vex: to irritate, to annoy vex: to irritate, to annoy vex: to irritate, to annoy vex: to irritate, to annoy vex: to irritate, to annoy vex: to irritate, to annoy vex: to irritate, to annoy vex: to irritate, to annoy vex: to irritate, to annoy

Rainy Day Reading

This is a picture of a guy.






Today is a boring day. Just sitting around at work exploring the internet and all of the wonderful crap that I can entertain myself with. YEAH TOAST! I went to the doctor yesterday, as we are on a week-to-week basis now, and she said that I am at 1 cm. Only 4 weeks to go! I am totally NOT prepared.

We (mainly Jake) are finished with Sam's new bedroom, paint and all. Now all that we need to do is add Sam and decide if we would rather use a toddler bed or stick with the crib. Jake and I are still having a few problems getting Sam to bed, and he will be outgrowing his crib very soon. That is mostly my fault because I was a "lazy" aka exhausted, nursing mom and just threw him in bed with me and fed him, and he stayed until morning. That went on for about a year, until I realized that the longer that went on, the harder it would be on both of us. Now he plays in his crib for about an hour at bedtime and doesn't cry too much, but I don't think I can trust him to sleep in a "big boy" bed yet. I just have a feeling that I would wake up with his face in mine, and we would scare each other. That wouldn't be so bad for me, because he's so cute, but I wouldn't want him to be scarred for life.

We had to take Arthur to the vet last week because we let him run on concrete and since he has become a city slicker, the pads on his feet were not conditioned for the tough terrain. The vet prescribed him some antibiotics, wrapped his feet, and gave him a cone to wear. Poor Arthur, limping and sporting a lampshade with a two year old bully. Life's rough.

May the schwartz be with you.

Trailer Park Drama

Hi everyone!
This is my inaugural post, so I hope you enjoy. I don't really have a clue as to what I am doing since I have fallen behind in computer technology in my old age. I can remember when I was in school and working on the old Apple II computers. Black screens with green writing. Yikes! Anyway, I never really had any reason to start a blog except that my best friend Miah has one and in order for me to publish a comment, I had to sign up. Well, you know me, I can't keep my mouth shut, so here I am! I hope that someday I will learn how to add pictures so you guys can have something to look at besides my rambling.

This morning in my trailer park (this already sounds intriguing) there was a lady (if one should so like to call her that) following me a little too close for comfort. I decided to wave her around me, but she must have mistaken this signal for "Please get closer". Being the safe, courteous driver that I am (right Miah?) I applied my brakes hoping she would get the hint and back off a little bit. This too was to no avail. She was now so close I couldn't even see her headlights (she was in a truck and I was in a go-go mini-van or the death van as Miah calls it). So now I am extremely pissed off and put my van in park and get out. I ask her if there is a reason why she is on my bumper and she says something that I don't hear, and then I tell her that I am going to call in her license plates, and she replies "Go ahead, you SISSY!" I can't believe it. I have been called many things in my life, but never ever a sissy. So I did what every sissy would do, I called the cops. So here's to you angry trailer park lady - Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah I'm gonna te-ll !