life and death

Today I heard that Minna, Eric's black cat, may be dying. She has kidney failure. Minna lived at my home for a year last year and I love her dearly. I also had the pleasure of caring for her in my duplex home too. Minna was a special cat, so cute and princess like. She had a special meow we called "cancer meow".

It reminds me that everything good must end. Everything ends. Things change. Minna touched a lot of lives. She only let a few people into her world but many put her into theirs. We can't shy away from living because we are afraid of death. We must just live and accept death while loving and enjoying those (people, kitties, and doggies and other pets) around us.

Today, in sadness and gratitude, I value life. I value my kitties and my boys and my Bryan.

A day in a mom's life

Today I woke up to my husband leaving for work just as my toddler poops in his underwear, which results in poop up and down his legs. I haven't ate breakfast yet so after he is wiped down with soap in the bathtub, I fix my oatmeal. By that point, Oj's show is done. I am able to watch the local weather while eating my oatmeal. During which Oj insists we need to leave the house because he is "bored ".  I insist he play with toys because last night he couldn't go to bed because he said he never has enough time to play with his toys.

While brushing my teeth and watching hj go pee pee in the potty, the stool he is standing on freakishly slips out & he falls, his arm falling into the toilet. I toss down my foamy toothbrush as he screams in horror because he is shaken & stuck from the fall and also hates being wet or dirty. I wash his arm off with soap and cuddle him until he is finished crying, luckily he calms down quickly since he is cleaned & dry.

Then hj wants to watch koo koo kanga roo, so I insist they actually do the workout video with me. I usually don't do so much TV but I needed to workout & clean. They do dance a little and I jog & clean the entire floor, and sweep around them. I move onto the kitchen and sweep the floor and clean the counters.

By this time it's 1045 and I need to shower before "work". I break up a few fights over toys, put hj in a time out, discuss his actions, run into the bathroom, take the fastest shower possible with shaving because I now work in 20 min!

I wash the table to prepare for lunch and the child coming and there he is! So then they have playtime, and I prepare lunch. Clean up all counters and table after lunch. Teach the kids how to use a cleaning mitt on the windows & surfaces. They play toys while I wash dishes. I start the boy to sleep at 1. Then read books to hj,  then 2 to Oj, totaling 6 books read.  I convince my cats to sleep with Oj and they are all sleeping by 145pm. Whew.

Then the fun all starts again in an hour or 2 when they wake up and we do snack.

September's hot weather!

Today was pretty warm, at one point the temperature was 87. I have mixed feelings about the warmth. I almost believed that the weather was going to stay in the 70s for the rest of summer, but I apparently forgot the few days of warmth in September. Yet, here we are again, with predictions of 90s tomorrow. With most weather extremes, I would love if the temperature was suddenly 100 tomorrow! It would be very exciting! I'll take 90s though, and I'll believe it when I see it. However, I will probably, at times, be sick of the heat as everyone else. I'll do my best to ignore this because this year, the thoughts of rainy weather and 40s is looming over my head. I'm not ready for the warmth to end, but on the other hand, I can't wait untiil fall !

I'm thinking that the reason I feel like fall and chilly temperatures are so soon is because summer has been so for 5 months this year ! It's been warm for so long in Minnesota, I feel like it's got to get cold anytime now? That feeling is most likely wrong, as I'm guessing September to be reasonably warm this year.

I'm going to celebrate the awesome hot weather with swimming tomorrow!

oliver

Well, I seemed to have abandoned this blog! truthfully i started updating facebook instead of coming on here. I only get a small amount of time online, now with baby Oliver, so I choose few things. I also keep a written journal that I can grab anytime Oliver does something new! However, maybe as he gets older, I can write about silly mom stories in here.

Let's update since last time.

Oliver William Jones was born 12/29/09.

Now he's 7 months old, today! He is a very busy busy boy.

He was sleeping through the night so well, and then suddenly decided he really dislikes sleeping in Washington and wakes up 2-4 times a night, deciding 545am is wake up time!

He also has been sick since we got here, and made his mommie sick.

Where are all my favorites going?

Over time, I've seen a lot of stores close down. I might laugh, thinking, with those prices how could you expect to stay alive?? (Face the Music, Suncoast...)

BUT now, my favorite stores are closing regardless of price. Arby's, my favorite fast food, keeps closing locations in malls. Baker's Square, my favorite sit down, closed all its locations in the metro. Bennigans was a restaurant my friends loved and we spent great memories there, and it closed its locations. Jamba Juice closed down in Plymouth too, I've gotten nearly every flavor of smoothie there.

This is where I start getting upset. My favorite thing to do on Tuesday night for the last couple of months is go to Trivia at Old Chicago. I'm not that great at trivia, but the announcer, Jim, is really nice and funny, and plays the best music between questions. I meet my friends there every time and have made new friends also. Then we find out last week that they are canceling trivia at our Plymouth location. WHY?!! It's so packed every time that we can't find a parking spot, and have to park in another lot and walk. We also are very lucky if we find a table and often are squished. Clearly, they are making money. I do like Old Chicago and their food is great, but the prices are soooo expensive!!! Luckily, there is a location in Minnetonka that still does it and we will probably go there. Plymouth will suffer and their sales will drop but that's their fault. Minnetonka better be ready.

THEN, my brother just told me they are replacing Chris Baker on 100.3 morning show !! WHAT?!!! He has the best morning show!!! When we listen to his show, no one is even allowed to talk because we don't want to miss anything. Everytime I turn it on, I'm entertained. The topics are usually about politics, ex. taxes or something new Obama is trying to pass, or about issues going on in the community, ex. schools. Those topics can be dry and boring but Chris Baker makes them hilarious. This is important because I listen more carefully when I'm having fun, and then I remember these issues later on. I actually have an opinion and know what's going on in Minnesota or the country.

I have just learned that they are moving his show even earlier!! 5am-9am. I'm glad they are not getting rid of him, but I'm definitely not going to be listening then. :(

What else is going to close down or disappear?

sad face.

After telling everyone I'm going to see the Ting Tings, the concert passed by without me noticing. 

I just checked when they were playing and realized I missed it by 2 days!! I wasn't even doing anything that day. 

I remember going to check when the date was a couple times, but always getting distracted by facebook or looking for apartments, and forgetting. 

My forgetfulness is getting worse so rapidly. I'm not going to remember my own name by age 30. 

I discovered they are from UK, and that makes sense. Everything I like, lately, comes from there. It's not on purpose either. I deem the person, band, or movie my favorite and look it up only to find its British. Strange. Too bad I hate the weather there. (by what I've researched anyway)

March 22nd- Flight! - March 23rd Jacksonville

We were a little late on our way to the airport, trying to find things and get everything together before we leave. Near the airport, I couldn't find my ID!!! I was so worried and thought we would have to spend tons of money to reschedule. Luckily, I was over checking everything, and found it in my back jeans pocket. I don' t remember putting it there, but it doesn't matter. The relief I felt after finding made me forget all my other worries. We were on time for the flight, and everything went smoothly. There were 2 kids behind us and they had never been on a flight before, so they giggled and laughed on the take off- it was soo cute!! 

Detroit airport isn't very pretty, but it has really cool stuff!! We spent an hour and a half there.

 -white walls, boring floor

-listed little cesar's but we couldn't find one

* awesome water fountain with "jumping" streams of water

* indoor train that was pretty cool and easy to hop on to take to each end of the airport

Florida airport- Gorgeous!!!! We only spent 10 minutes here but it was so pretty. 

*lots of color

*tropical decorations

*in the main part- hotel built on top of the airport, so it just looks really cool to look up and see 5 or so stories of hotel rooms. What can I say- high ceilings are soo cool. 

*train! I love those. 

I feel like a dorky Minnesotan here, but I'm proud of it :) Wearing my layers and being pale. My black hoodie and dark jeans. 

Right now we are staying in Jacksonville, in a beautiful condo by the beach! It's on the 8th floor and takes up the whole floor. Feels a little bit like a movie, and I'm almost unsure what to do! I'm meeting a bunch of new family members, on Bryan's side, so that's really fun too!