It's been awhile....

Wow, it's really been a long time since I have posted anything....the first of July...that's a long time....let's see, what have we been up to.

Joe started his new job as Technology Specialist with the school district, or "geek squad!" I think this job really fits him a lot better than teaching and I think he really likes it.

J and j both had birthdays....I cannot believe my baby is 2! Where does the time go???? I wish I knew. We spend their birthdays in York....j got some baby dolls for her birthday, as she loves taking care of here babies....except, for some reason, she would rather have their clothes off....silly girl. I really can't think that we did much else in July...I just can't remember! Oh yeah, we went to the county fair...j like the carasel the best....I really have no idea how to spell that!

August has been busy...doing something every weekend....the first weekend we headed to Stanberry to the annual church carnival that I grew up with. j LOVED it...it was a rather hot evening, so we didn't stay too long, but it was fun to see all the old games I used to play. I do remember turtle races, but they don't have that anymore...to bad, that would have been fun watching j watch them.

We again headed to York last weekend for J's grandma 80th birthday party....j was a busy girl!!! Finally about 3:30, I decided to take j for a ride in the car to get her to sleep....it took less then five minutes!!! I don't know why it took until 3:30 to figure that out! Those trips to York are always quick trips and I don't like packing for one night, but I'm glad we only stay for one night....I love being home on Sundays to recoup form those trips....I know it's only one night, but I just get worn out!

Tomorrow night is my 15 year class reunion, again where does the time go? j is going to spend the night at my brothers, so we are childless tomorrow night...whoo hooo!!!

Next weekend, a group of my co-workers are going to Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun....they have a special that military and public safety workers get in free, and Dept. of Corrections employees count!!! Yeah...I have never been to Oceans of Fun. I just hope the weather cooperates.

A while back I had mentioned that I was reading The 5 Love Languages....well I finished it and J read it too, which I was very grateful for...I actually couldn't believe that he did....anyway, it has been good for us, and we are both working at making things better....not that they were bad, just challenging for a while....it's still a work in progress, and I know will always be...I forget that part from time to time. We are planning a weekend trip in Lincoln for our anniversary and sending j to Nana's. Can't wait.

Off for now....

Oh Frustrated

Oh I am frustrated with potty training....I need patience and to know when is the right time....it's hit and miss...frankly she doesn't give a tiny rat's ass if she get M&M's....so I guess it's not the right time, huh? Then J and I don't agree about it either....I really wish she didn't show an interest in it a month ago. I know there will be setbacks and when we are frustrated she is going to be the same way...I know this isn't that exciting of a post and noboby probably cares about my "potty troubles" but for some reason I am very frustrated with j right now and I'm hoping that by writing this down, it will help....seems to be. I can remember at different times in the past two years with trying to change something or do something different, she was resistant, and I got frustrated as hell, but when it was time it happened....damn, she is a strongwilled child....good quality to have, but at 2?????? God help me raise this child....love her dearly, but man she is fiesty!

More Pics

I really don't know how to move the pictures around and write around the so here ya go! Pics of the zoo, swimming at hotel and her bday party.

Happy 3rd of July

We really don't have big plans for the 4th of July....later today we are going to the movies to see Public Enemies...I'm really looking foward to it...not sure if we will go out to dinner or not. Tomorrow I am headed to Stanberry to enjoy the parade with my mom and maybe play a game or two in the park...nothing to exciting....I'm not even sure if we will watch fireworks tomorrow night. I guess it depends on the weather.

Last week, my little family went to Omaha for a couple of days. We headed up last Thursday and let j run around in the room for a bit (she needed it after the long car ride.) Then we headed to the mall for a bit of shopping and to the kiddie play area. j loved it...she did not want to leave....so much that she head butted me when I picked her up to go! I love my daughter! That night we headed to the hotel swimming pool, which was great as it went from 8" to 3 ft. and had a toddler slide and an intermediate slide....j loved being in the water....about 1 minute after I said to J "I wonder if j will throw up after all the chlorine water she has drank" she did!!! Tons of fun with that little one, I tell ya....the best part was informing the other father and daughter that were playing at the other end....oddly enough, another little boy threw up at the top of the bigger slide....well then it was time to go back up to the room and clean up (after I informed the hotel staff and apologized to them). We let j sleep with us in bed (we never do that at home) and it was just horrible....she slept sideways, stood up, moved all around....I don't think any of us slept very good that night. Friday, it was off to the zoo. I was HUMID! At least it was overcast sky so the sun wasn't blaring down on us...we enjoyed our time there and saw lots of animals. We also rode the "skyfari" which I was a bit nervous about because I was terrified that j would wiggle around, but she held on tight!!! I would say it was a 10-15 minute ride from one end of the zoo to another. Once we left, j fell asleep within 5 minutes of leaving! She was TIRED! I slept sooooooo good that night.

Saturday we recouped and got ready for her birthday party in Stanberry on Sunday....she had a great time and loved all her presents, especially the 3 Wheeler that Grandma got her. I made her a hot air balloon cake with Elmo, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster in the basket! All she cared about was eating it....she didn't care what it looked like.

Joe started his new job on Wednesday....so far so good.

So I ordered the book today....looking foward to starting it....I HATE these moods that I go through....I really wish I could get it leveled out....writing it down really does help though....

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Good Days & Bad Days

I have my good days and bad days....I have a lot to say and don't know if I will get it all out in this one sitting because I might start crying...most likely I will be rambling with whatever thoughts hit me at the time, with no particular order. So if things don't make sense, sorry.

I've written before that I am struggling, and still am.....I really don't know what my deal is...at this point I cannot decide if I've changed or if J's changed or if both of us have. I'm sure the changes we've encountered have a lot to do with j and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. I get so pissed at my husband sometimes....there are days when I just don't think I'm important to him at all....the last couple of weeks have been good, then BAM I get pissed about something....and I can't shake it....it usually lasts about 2 days then I'm over it....but during that time, all I can think about is what he is or isn't doing. I really want to take this time and just complain about him, but I realize that won't do any good....I cannot change him, no matter how much I want to....a good friend of mine suggested I read a book...I think it's called "the five love languages" or something like that...I still haven't got the book, but I am certainly one step closer, as there is no way I can do another 50 years like this (yes, I'm going to live to at leat 83!). I get tired of taking most of the initiative in this relationship, but again, I know I can't change him....so I need to make a decision and follow through

A while back, I had made a comment about a 2nd child and J tells me that he's not sure if our marriage could survive another baby....at first I was very angry and stayed that way most of the day. By the time, nighttime came around I had decided that at least he cares about our marriage ....but now am really struggling because I don't know what I want...I do not want j to be an only child, but really don't know what would happen to "us" if another baby came around.....I can't figure out if I want another one or if I want another one because I don't want j to be an only child.....

Sometimes, I just don't feel like a very good mom....I get so impatient sometimes and it totally shows. I don't know how to remainn calm at times...sometimes I'm good at it, and sometimes I'm not. I love her dearly, but sometimes I get so irritated...then there's times when I step back and realize that she is almost 2 and she's doing the things she is supposed to do....how the hell did my mom make it with six kids....sure does make me want to apologize to her!!!!!!

Well, it's a couple days later and it's been a couple of good days....so hence the good and bad days....I don't think it should be like this...but am not sure what to do....ARG....

Thanks for listening...

BTW, it really does help to write it down and let it out....I need to do this more often.

Moving Foward

Things have improved the Alley house. Sometimes, I just struggle so much with everything that I have mentioned earlier. Me and J had a long talk which always makes thing better, but sometimes I wish it didn't have to get to that part, not that I don't like clearing the air, but we need to work of making it happen sooner.

We had a date Friday night which was wonderful. We took j to my sisters and we went out to dinner and watched Angels and Demons. The book was better...the book is always better, but it was nice to get away for a few hours and reconnect.....we tell ourselves we need to do that more often and time moves foward and we get busy and we lose sight of things. Maybe not this time.....maybe

'Nother Day

I'm really struggling here....I cannot decide if I'm being selfish, have too high of expectations, if it's horomones, or if it's not me at all....I don't know what my deal is lately....actually I know what part of it is....it's the whole appreciation thing. I WANT to know that I am....so here's the deal, I really cannot complain about what he doesn't do because he does do chores around the house and I do appreciate it and I tell him. I've read in those magazines that they want to be appreciated so I try to do my best to say "thank you" for different things. But I also want the same thing in return and I don't see that I get it....like I've said before he's not much of a verbal kind of guy, but I wouldn't think that "thank you" would be very hard to say. That's why I've tried to focus on my grateful list, but I've done a shit job with that too. I dunno, maybe my expectations are too high. I can't help but think it's not entirely me.....we've had these discussions before and it usually goes back to the same. So I get mad when I don't feel appreciated, then I just ignore him, and that usually makes things worse. I wish I knew the secrets to making a great marriage...and I really hate to say this, but things have changed since j was born and I knew they would, but not quite like this.....he's a really good dad, but sometimes I feel like he's forgotten about me...again, why I've tried to pay attention to those things to be grateful for and what he does through his actions....again not doing a good job with that.....I really do love him very much......I really wish I could get past this

Thanks for listening....