That isn't quite how I remember it...

So I reread the post I put up yesterday and I have to say that that isn't exactly how I remember it happening. I know hard to believe. Here is how it really happened.
We are in the awesome green truck. I am in the middle, Mason is on the passenger side all bundled up and in his car seat, Austin is driving. I knew this would be an adventure when Austin had to go back to his parents garage and grab the 2x4 block of wood that keeps his door shut. It is always a tight fit in the truck when we are all three in there because of the car seat and gear shift, this time we were really lucky and had the dog with us also. Hyde couldn't sit on my lap because of the gear shifter so he had to settle for Mason's lap. This made Mason really happy. I was hoping that Mason would sleep on the way home but the truck is too loud and he was too excited after he realized that Hyde 'wanted' to sit on his lap.
After we got all settled we were off to try to get out of the driveway. This might be where I suggested for the first time that maybe we should just walk back to the house and stay the night. Austin looks at me like I am crazy so I smile sweetly and say 'It was just a suggestion that I now realize was stupid.' Austin actually laughs. At me. I couldn't believe it.
About halfway down the drive we encounter a drift that easily covers the tires and is longer than the truck. We get about halfway through it and the back end of the truck starts to slide sideways but I don't say anything. We make it through finally and I am sure I just had a heart attack and we aren't even to the highway yet.
At this point I am thinking this could be interesting but at least it isn't too cold out for the walk back. I know I really played the 'good wife' and trusted my husband to get home in one piece.
We get to the highway and it looks clear so I am thinking that the road maintainers have been out and cleared the roads. Then we get to the top of the next hill and I know better. The road is covered in snow in areas and where it isn't you can see the snow blowing across it. About half a mile down the road we run into the first big drift. I am surprised that the truck doesn't have any problems getting through it. I say to Austin 'What is the strategy for getting through those? Speed.' He looks at me, smiles and says 'Nope. I didn't have you pressing my foot down on the accelerator.' I was speechless. I might have been wondering if I heard him wrong or something. Needless to say I didn't say anything back and made a mental note to ask him about it later. That is when we come across the biggest snow drift of the night so far.
We are coming up on this thing and Austin isn't slowing down so I look at him and he is smiling. A little excited type smile. I say quickly and a little frenzied 'Aren't you going to go around that thing.' (the last of which was said in such in a high pitch that I think only the dog heard it) as we hit this monstrous drift. To me it felt as though we had hit a brick wall. I closed my eyes vowing to myself not to open them again until we get home.
I didn't keep this resolve very long.
I had a moment to think about it and decided that I wanted to know what was coming. I open my eyes and it is like I am in some kind of nightmare. We are just getting through the drift and Austin starts laughing and says 'Don't you just love that feeling. Like a roller coaster where your stomach falls out the bottom.' and laughs again. Mason being awake is loving every minute of this. He has become a mimic lately and even if he doesn't know why you are laughing will start laughing with you. I feel as though I am surrounded by two laughing idiots that are taking me on some crazy ride down some redneck rabbit hole.
Again I am sure that he has just taken 10 years off my life. I am sweating and starting to feel queasy I ask him if we can roll down a window a little bit. I must have looked green because my husband who has an aversion to anything cold didn't hesitate to roll the window down.
The next mile or so was okay as were in the valley between hills. We come to the top of the next hill and I am sure this is where we are going to die. I don't think there is anything worse than this feeling. We are at the top of a hill where we encounter a couple of medium sized drifts but I don't notice them. I am frozen in fear of what is to come.
You see at the top of the next hill is a stop sign and what looks like a huge white wall. Austin asks me if I can see any headlights coming from either of the other directions and I can't so that is what I tell him. I still don't know if this was a bad idea or not. All of a sudden (I say all of a sudden because to me it feels like time has stood still) Austin punches the gas. I get a little frantic and grab his arm and say what the crap are you doing? Again he smiles. A little sardonic smile. I want to just slap him. For a split second I think it is my imagination and that we aren't speeding up but no luck. We hit that drift and I knew we weren't going to be stopping for that stop sign.
Austin and Mason start laughing again and are having a great old time. I feel as though I am going to throw up. I am sweating and dizzy and I think I taste bile in the back of my mouth. I don't know if it was my imagination or not but it felt like we were spinning and the walls were closing in on me.
Next thing I know Austin has pulled over and is asking me if I need to throw up. All I could do was ask him to roll down the window to give me some fresh air. He informs me that the window has been down for the last 3 miles. I tell him that I get by and just to get me home. He informs me that the worst is over. All I am thinking at this point is liar.
The next couple of miles are uneventful because it is flat ground so there aren't any big drifts. We are coming up on the second stop sign and I see that the intersection is drifted fairly bad. I also notice that my husband isn't slowing down and we have to take a right at the stop sign. At this point he notices that I am quiet and ask if I am okay. I am thinking great how sick do I look.
I yell at him tell him that I am fine. We barely get through the intersection and there is a huge drift. (there is a house close to the intersection and the wind blowing around their wind break causes a drift all the time.) I hadn't seen this particular spot drift that bad before. Austin tells me to brace myself. I really start to panic at this point. Austin being the ever observant one notices this and tells me that he has a shovel and it isn't likely that we would rollover if we happened to go into the ditch. Didn't that just make me feel better. Ha.
I don't know how it happened but I had a moment of clarity. A brief moment but a moment non the less. I look at him and say that is okay because if you really want to live to see another day if you at any point think we won't make it through one of these drifts you will pull over and walk home and get the chains and then come back and get our asses. Understood.' He didn't even blink but turned pale and agreed. We only encountered a couple of little drifts and one big one the rest of the way. The big one though we had to drive on the wrong side of the road where other people had driven through it. I was just glad it had some tracks through it unlike the other ones we encountered.
Finally we turned onto our gravel road and he asks if we can have some fun. I agree because the ditches on our road aren't ones that we rollover in. He was a little disappointed that we didn't see any big ones. I am just thankful that our neighbor knew we would be coming home that night, thought of us and plowed us a path from the highway to our driveway.
We pull into the driveway and Austin turns off the truck and opens his door, Hyde jumps out, Austin gets out and then I get out. Austin is still laughing so I tackle him. I was so mad. He just kept laughing. I put snow down his shirt and even managed to stuff some down his pants. He never did apologize for scaring the crap out of me. Nor did he yell at me for tackling him and putting snow down his pants and shirt. He just kept laughing. Probably figured he deserved it. He did.
I unloaded the truck of our junk and he took Mason into bed and came back out to help and make sure I was okay. We went inside and went to bed. I will never forget it. Never.

Snow

Last night we got a bunch and bunch of snow. So much snow that it rubs Hyde's belly and touches the bottom of my car. I opened the back door and it comes up about 10 inches on the door.

Snow? I like snow...

Yesterday morning Mason and I went outside to play with his sled. He loved it!! He would laugh and giggle the whole time we were moving. He had to cry whenever we would stop. I think he is really cute in his little snow suite he looks like a blue marshmallow. Faster mom!

He tried to clap his hands with it and even put some in his hood but surprisingly enough the chunky kid didn't try to taste it.

I thought it was so cute. He sees that the snow is a different level than the ground he could see so he thought it was like a step. Needless to say he 'fell' through.
At this point he decided he was done. Especially after he lost his little glove. He got himself up and marched right to the door. I was laughing so hard.

It's the most wonderful season of all...

It snowed all day yesterday. All. Day. I tell you. Normally I wouldn't mind because I generally don't go anywhere anyways but the little mutt I so lovingly call 'The Hairless Wonder' doesn't like to go outside when it is cold. So every 20 minutes I have to let him outside so that he can run to my car and mark the tire and run back inside. Over and over again all day. I do get a kick out of it when he has to go #2. If I'm watching him he will run as far away as he can and run around in a circle until it falls out of his butt. It is like he is afraid his feet are going to freeze down. I have been trying to catch this on video but he has not been cooperating with me. This morning he pooped right on the back steps because I wasn't watching him. And to think I only around 10 more years of this. Yay me!
It started to come down around 6 or 7 and ended finally around 5 or 6. For a lot of the day the there was a slight breeze so it didn't stick to the huge side yard until about 2. The side yard with the clothes line is sheltered and now has around 8 inches. It is beautiful. A nice fluffy light weight snow that is easy to shovel.

This was taken last night around 10 while I was 'helping' Austin get his truck started and loaded with weight. Honestly how much help did he think I was going to be when he saw me take my camera out with me.

I thought I did pretty good considering I didn't have my tripod.

This is our road looking south.

This is our road looking north.

Guaranteed our road will just like for 3 days. Well maybe not just like this but really close after all everyone drives down the same path.

Oh, My

So I have been trying to teach Mason to say 'Merry Christmas'. It isn't going so well. Most of the time he just looks at me like I'm crazy. A couple of times he said 'No, Momma.' A couple of other times he said 'Tada Raura, No Momma', and my all time favorite and what earned him nap early was 'Eeve I lone' (Leave me alone). What a wonderful sweet little boy I have.
I am determined that he will know Merry Christmas by Christmas. I don't care if that is the only phrase that we say all the way to my mom and dad's. It would make for a very long 3+ hour car ride though. I think he'll be able to say it. Honestly I am surprised he hasn't said it already. Words usually come so easy to him. As long as he doesn't 'You Butt' to me again or while we are there I will be a happy though.
Well I better head to town and buy milk. The weather people think there is going to be a good sized storm come through here tomorrow. One station says 4-6 another says 2-4 so we'll see. I wouldn't mind some snow. Even if that means my husband has to work from home.
I understand we have had our differences about it in the past and we have agreed that as long as he doesn't expect me to acknowledge him during the day we will get along good. For some crazy reason he expected me to take care of him during the week like I do on the weekends.
Well obviously that just isn't going to happen. I cannot help it if he isn't smart enough to know where the cereal and peanut butter and jelly are located.
I summed it up fairly easily for him I told him that he never takes care of me and that maybe he should try to get his work done and take care of me at the same time. He told me I was crazy. So I said Yeah during the week between the hours of 7 and 3 you are not my responsibility. He wasn't real thrilled with this but has gotten over it and we have gotten along great the last couple of times he had to work from home.
I even left Mason home with him and went to MOPS last time. I know he wasn't thrilled about it but got over it. Well kinda, I told him to drop it or we were having Ramen Noodles for supper the rest of the week. Amazing how fast that shut his yapper.

yep

Big storm tonight. Austin working from home tomorrow and Thursday and most likely Wednesday because of weather... um... yeah... we'll probably be getting divorced by next Monday. That is way too much time together in one house... alone... together... with just Mason for an ice breaker. Yeah. Pray for my husband. He will need it.

Tank... Really

Well yesterday was Mason's 18 month well baby visit... I don't know how I feel about this... I am not ready for him to be 18 months.Considering it took forever to get out of the house. I let the dog out and went outside to start the car, came back in to get Mason and Hyde slipped back inside, I go back in to put Hyde in the kennel and get the diaper bag. I put Hyde in his kennel and give him his treat, I grab the diaper bag and am ready to head out when I notice the diaper bag is leaking. So I look in it to find the culprit and smell it... Yep... Dog PISS!!
Talk about a jealous pup!
So I hurry and get new diapers, wipe off the wipes... grab clean clothes to go in it and a clean diaper bag. Thankfully one was in the dryer.
We finally get on our way and everything was going good... um... yeah... all except for the part about the ride there where he got his finger stuck in a toy truck. Yes, you read that correctly. A. Toy. Truck.
Then he started to panic... and fling the truck around... and scream... all while I am driving on a questionable road covered with snow. So I pull over into a driveway and twist around to reach him and I can't get the truck off his poor little finger. I finally get it off with the ole spit maneuver and then comes the real test... Can I even get out of this stupid driveway?
It took a couple minutes of slipping and sliding but we made it out. Here is something for the record books... I was still early!! How often does that happen.
We pull into the doctors office to see my husband pulling in also. He decided to join us. Yeah... can you read my enthusiasm.
I think it was retards are us at the check in counter. Every time they ask all those questions about if everything is current. She starts in and I stop her and say 'Everything is the same.' to which she replies 'I'm sorry mam, (I saw red at that point, I am not old enough for MAM) I have to ask these questions because it has been six months since your child was in.' So she starts over with the questions. Starts over as in even asking Mason's name.
I think steam started coming out of my ears.
My husband seeing this slipped into the next line and got Mason checked in in less than 15 seconds. I didn't say anything back to her I just stomped over and asked the other lady to please put a payment on the account. The other gal follows me over and whispers in the other girls ear. I couldn't believe it but by that point we needed to get going before we were late.
I hated to just leave it at that so on the way out I stopped and asked to talk to the manager. I filed a complaint and the lady in charge was appalled by how I was treated. Evidently I am not the only person to file a complaint against this gal.
So now on to the good stuff. Mason is healthy. Duh like I didn't know that.
He weighs 29 lbs 14 oz 71 percentile and is 33 inches tall 91 percentile. The Dr. asks me all the normal questions. Yada yada yada. He picks Mason up to see how he is walking and calls him a tank. Most little kids when you pick them up are lite but he said Mason has substance to him 'like a tank, or linebacker.'
When he asked me how many words Mason knew I chuckled and asked 'Words that I can understand or words that his dad can understand?' He said 'Words that you can understand. Otherwise technically no little kids would know any words until kindergarten.' Austin looked offended but all he understands is no, Mama, and Dada. We get talking with the doctor and Mason is looking at his book and points to a truck like he had stuck on his finger and says 'Truck. ouch.' Even Austin understood it so he looks at Mason and being my son says 'what? NO! WHAT!!'
The Dr was floored. He said even though parents tell him all the time that their 18 month old knows so many words he had never seen such a demonstration of that knowledge. All I could say was 'Ouch is a new one'
So the nurse came back in and Mason got his shot and we declined the flu shot again. We were on our way.
The ride home was no better. Mason has a water sippy that has a straw and he has recently learned how to slide it open. He would open it and water would splatter all over, he would take a drink and close it. Over and over and over again for the whole 30 minute drive home. I was happy he didn't nap but upset that everything was wet.
After a quick diaper change and some dry clothes it was nap time. I don't understand why going to the doctor has to be so horrible. It really ruins the day.

One Of Those Days...

that you want to slap the people who say 'Good Morning'.

Well it is Monday.
There is snow on the ground and the roads are icy.
We got the bathroom painted (one coat) and I need to go get more paint.
I took a bunch of photos this weekend and now can't find the card reader.
I have exactly half a gallon of milk and 4 diapers.
This week is not starting off so good and I don't see it improving. I have so much to do before my PartyLite party next Sunday. Truly if you like candles call you PartyLite lady and get in on the really good hostess deals this month. Double hostess credit if you have a party by the 15th with one booking. That is even better than the deal I got in on this last July where I got $350 worth of stuff for a whole $20.
Anyways enough about that already we'll just say that I am busy. I have to get he second coat of paint on the bathroom and hopefully get the ceiling painted, it would be nice but sure isn't a requirement so I am not going to kill myself getting it done. Then I have to get all my little decorations hung. I have a couple of things that I got from my last PartyLite party that need hung in the bathroom. Along with a couple of wall plaques and some photos. I also have a little corner shelf that needs painted. Fun stuff you know.

Mason Birthday

We have been so busy. I really hope this is not how the whole summer is going to go. It has been awhile since I have wrote anything of sustenance so that is my goal for today. Some things have happened over the last week or so that I can laugh about NOW. I think we will start with last Friday.
Last Thursday we got rain. I don't mean a little rain. I mean we got r-a-i-n. It was a torrential downpour. We got about 4 inches here at the house. Ames got around 7. Friday morning while watching the news I hear that parts of Ames are flooding. I wasn't concerned about this for awhile because I don't drive into Ames very often. Then I remembered that we had Mason's cake and sandwiches ordered at the new Super Walmart to be picked up in the morning before his party on Saturday. I might have started to panic at that point. The Super Walmart is located on the same road they had just shut down for the flooding. Then they show the parking lot on TV. Almost the whole parking lot is under water. So I make an executive decision and call another Super Walmart close by and switch my order to that store. It might be a little farther to drive but at least I knew we would be able to get our sandwiches and cake for the 25 or so people that would be invading my house on Saturday.
I then spend the next 2 hours on the phone getting everything canceled and set up. Let me rephrase that, I spent 2 hours on hold with the Walmart in Ames trying to cancel. While on hold with the bakery, the bakery calls my home phone. Let me just say 'Are you f'n kidding me? They leave me on hold to call other people.' So they were calling me as a courteous call (HAHA) to say that the City of Ames had closed the store due to rising waters and that they won't be able to get my cake done. So I asked her if they had a line on hold she said 'yes' so I told her to pick it up. Yep it was me on my cell! So I had her pick me back up from my home line being on hold and transfer me over to the deli. That was a quick call I wasn't even on the phone 5 minutes. So why didn't they just answer my call earlier instead of leaving me on hold. I might still be a little upset about that...
Saturday finally rolls around and the Walmart deli in Ames calls to see if I want the sandwiches on white or wheat. I was to say the very least annoyed. I told them as nicely as I could that I had called yesterday to cancel the order. Believe it, or not, she got upset with me. I kindly explained to her that I did my part and that it wasn't my fault if one of her co-workers dropped the ball and then I hung up.
I had planned to go and get the cake and sandwiches by myself. You know to give myself a chance to relax, calm down, maybe hear my own thoughts (translation- sneak a cig) because I knew the day was going to be busy and stressful. Well I didn't get to go by myself. Nope! Austin was having none of that. So Mason and I set out to town and what do you know the car needed gas and my sweet child has learned that if he screeches just right it annoys mommy and keeps himself awake. So after making a quick and painful stop at the gas station I turned up the radio real loud and made the rest of the trip in relative silence. I don't know how long after leaving the gas station Mason fell asleep but he did. So after getting to Walmart I opened the doors to the car and enjoyed myself a cig. It was over 3 months old and dried out real bad so it went real quick but I didn't care.
I left the house at 9:30 and Austin called at 12 to see where I was at. He got lucky I was only about 5 minutes from the house. Walmart was packed. It took forever. Mason got lucky and the bakery ladies gave him a cookie covered in pink frosting. Everything got covered in pink frosting. Including me! Mason was much better on the way home. I think he was asleep before we even got out of town. While I was gone Austin did vacuum and get some things ready. Lucky for him because otherwise I would have been very upset. Bonus for me he didn't smell any smoke on me. That or he knew better than to say anything.
Everyone showed up about 1 or so. Lucky for us it was sunny out so no one was in the house too much. While at Walmart I bought bubble wands for the kids to play with so that kept them fairly occupied and out of our hair. We did the food, cake, ice cream, presents and talked. I would like to think that everyone had a good time but when you have little kids together it is not a party until they all cry at least once. So in that regard it was a blast. yippee.
Mason basically just took all the frosting off of his little cake and rubbed it all over his little face. He tore the cake in half but I don't think he actually ate it. He did end up with frosting in his nose that stayed there for 3 days because he wouldn't let me pick it out. I figured it wouldn't kill him so I didn't fight him about it.
Towards the end of the party a snake joined us. Yes a snake. A BIG snake. My b-i-l Jesse ran to the garage and grabbed some hedge clippers and snipped the snake but what do you know that just made it mad. So I went and got a spade. The snake was M-A-D and kept striking at the spade so finally I got it put on it just below the head and proceeded to cut the head off. Now it is a dead snake. I was rather proud of myself. I didn't just stand there and scream and act the wimp. Austin was rather surprised. I know that he would have just put it in a bucket and taken it to the creek and I would have had to worry about it every time I stepped outside. This way I don't. I can walk outside without having a panic attack.
So after that things calmed down. Almost everyone left about 5 or so. Mom, Dad, Mare, Jesse, Major, and Hunter left about 7:30. It was a long day. Good but long.