Sometimes

My new 50mm 1.8 lens finally came in. I was hoping it would come earlier in the day so that I would have a chance to play with it before Austin got home but it didn't. Nope the UPS guy followed my husband in the driveway. Austin might have been a little surprised.
I didn't get to play with it. I got it put on the camera but that is about it. Because of the Women of Faith thing I have going on this weekend I needed to get to town and get my hair cut. I had decided that while I was in town I would fill the gaps in my wardrobe. I ended up getting a couple pair of capris, a couple shirts, a cute pair of shoes. Got my hair cut and even my nails done.
It had been so long since I have done anything like that for myself. It felt good.
I just have to question why it has been so long. Is there a reason. Other than being a mom. Nope. I just need to take the time.
As I was explaining this to my husband he was looking at me like I had fallen off my rocker. Like I was being selfish.
I then had to put my foot down and said "Get over it! From now on every other Wednesday I am going to go do something for myself."
He just sat there looking stunned.
Finally I said "Say something".
He said "I'm just shocked. You don't usually behave like this."
He got me curious with that so I asked "Like what?"
He said "Like a girl! I think you should go and do whatever makes you happy, you are kinda outnumbered here."
Yep, that is what my husband said.
He really is a complete and total push over... Especially since my hormones have been all over the place. It is like he is handling me with kid gloves.
I might as well take advantage of the situation.

Is crazy contagious?

Monday night at work was boring. It was slow and the sandwich cooler was making this awful noise. Imagine a dog coughing up a hair ball. Really bad noise. Business was slow because it was chilly out and kinda misting but not really. Just one of those lovely weather days we get here.
So I played on my phone all night and pretended to be busy. Yes you read that right I pretended like I was working.
There are cameras pointed at me all night while I am behind the register so I put my phone in my pocket and grab the broom. I walk out of sight of the camera and play on my phone. My boss thinks I am a hard worker because it looks like I am always doing something.
Anyways it just felt like crazy person after crazy person came into the store. And they all wanted to talk to me. I don't get it. Why me? Do I look crazy? I understand that I went to work with my hair wet and it was sticking out and misbehaving making me look crazy but I'm not. Even some of the crazy acting people had seemed normal the last time I worked so is it possible to catch crazy?
I sure don't want to catch it. How horrible to have all the cashiers in the world whisper 'CARAHRAZY' after you leave somewhere. Not that I ever do that. You know I'm nice and say 'Well wasn't that just sweeeeet'.

Swine Flu

http://www.kcci.com/health/19315056/detail.html#

My sister-in-law, Princess Hateful Raquel, is the one standing up in the top photo. She was so excited to be on tv. Best yet she thought she looked good.

I know I'm being catty and mean but I just don't care today.

Women of Faith

This Friday is the Women of Faith conference in Des Moines. My husband has known about it since January. Last week when I reminded him that he needed to ask his mother if she wanted to babysit on that Friday he acted clueless.

Well at least until I grabbed his phone and pulled up his calendar with showing that he had accepted my invitation and added his own notes. You would think he would be smarter than that.

As it turns out his mother has to work that day so it came down to Austin taking the day off or his sister, Princess Hateful Raquel, watching him.

Austin put in for the day off.

I really didn't care either way. I figure it isn't like we would be leaving her a car seat so she couldn't go anywhere and Mason can fairly well fend for himself and annoying the shit out of a saint play by himself.

I might not like her but I trust her to take care of my child because she loves Mason. Worse yet he loves her...

Snake season...

Red and Buddy are natural snake killers. 3 so far and it isn't even May yet. Yay!!
I have to say though that I was a little surprised by how BIG those 3 snakes were and I saw them after they had been killed.
Those dogs are worth every aggravation and trust me there are a lot.

No Excuses!

I have no good excuses for my lack of blogging. Well you know other than the hormonal bitchiness that has become my life lately.

The Metformin seems to be doing its job. Thankfully! Now if I could only remember to take it at the same time everyday... I've now got it in my phone on a daily reminder, annoying but it works.

Last week I bought Photoshop Elements 7 and have been playing around with it a little bit. I don't generally have time to get on the computer very much anymore with the weather starting to get nice. So needless to say I haven't been getting much sleep.

It rained all weekend so we are inside today. Thank God for tv and IPTV. My little boy is trying to drive me nuts. Literally.

Mason thinks it is great fun to throw tantrums at my feet. He doesn't even have to be in trouble or told no for this to happen. Nope it could be something stupid innocent like his car falling off the table, or my favorite, Hyde sniffing his little monkey. I know some of you are thinking so just walk out of the room. I do and guess what the little boy just picks himself up giggles and follows me to the other room and proceeds to continue throwing his tantrum at my feet.

I seriously doubt there is any of me in him. He is just a little replica of his father. It is on days like today that I have to check my sanity.

I don't think Austin will be letting me go to Best Buy alone anymore. I went in to buy Photoshop and came out with photoshop and a new tv for the kitchen. I have been thinking about a new tv for awhile and my tv fund finally got bit enough. It is a miracle it did because I kept taking out of it for my photography purchases.

I decided the tv in the kitchen didn't have to be anything special. Basically able to change volume and channel was enough so I got in on a pretty good sale. I had to do something because my old tv would no longer turn off and was starting to smell if it was on for more than 20 minutes.

With the left over tv money and what I had in my photography account I had more than enough to buy my new lens that should be here on Friday. FRIDAY!! I should have enough to get my flash by the end of May.

Austin was a little worried about my timeline. Ha! I might have neglected to tell him that he was getting paid 3 times in May. If he gets paid 3 times in May then so do I. Amazing how that works out. I get 75 in fun money out of his pay check and then all of my checks in May go to fun money. If he was that concerned about it he would just take over the budget. I don't see that happening so he will just have to get over it.

I have to work tonight. Our assistant Manager quit last night. Our manager is a nut job and she got fed up and just quit. He had better not have changed my schedule. I am not even digging him out of this mess. Someone else can have the hours.

Forever

I love this song...

I catch my husband singing this song. So cute. I love his voice but as soon as he knows I can hear him he gets real quite and pretends he wasn't doing anything.

before

After

Yesterday afternoon I came into the dining room from washing dishes and I find my hellion sweet little boy asleep. He couldn't have been asleep that long because I had just checked on him 10 minutes earlier.

*my floor really needs vacuumed...

Before

After
Okay, so I've been playing in Photoshop Elements 7. This was a really cute photo to begin with so I just cropped it, cleaned up some blemishes, and unsharp mask his eyes. I don't know if I like this or not, I can't decide if it looks real or not.

So...

I went back to the doctor and she was shocked about the symptoms I had on the birth control. We are now trying Metformin. So far I have had no side effects from it.
Well other than a couple of good ones. I have actually lost some weight this week!! I was so happy to see the number on the scale go down. It is really frustrating to be an active person that exercises 5 days a week and not see a change in weight. I do more than exercise don't get me wrong. I do a cardio workout 5 days a week, walk on my treadmill at least 10 miles a week and Mason and I go for walks everyday it is nice out. I don't eat unhealthy stuff so it is very disappointing to be as heavy as I am. It is a really big relief to know that it is all related to what my doctor thinks I have.
It was always an upset to go to the doctor and have her tell me that I needed to lose some weight. I think she thought I was lying about how much I actually do work out. Then I went in because we want to expand our family and that is hard to do without a period and ovulation. She puts me on birth control which was a wild ride down crazy lane. So she was shocked by my reactions to birth control and I suggest metformin because it is the same thing my sister is on and so my doctor started listing off the list of symptoms that they would give that for and I was able to answer yes to every one of them.
We will see how this does. The next step would be clomid and I think we would rather have Mason be an only child if it comes to that.

6 inches

I could be measuring a lot of things. The height of a stair step, the width of a window sill, the size of a pretty goldfish in my fish tank, the distance I had to move forward the seat in the pick up, the depth a flower gets planted, the size of a book, the size of a penis... ha ha honestly you think I would measure that?? Anyways it is none of those things!
Nope, it is SPRING in Iowa and we got 6 inches of snow on Sunday. Six inches of heavy wet snow.
Kinda put a kink in our bike riding, outside playing, puppy exercising plans.
Most of the snow is already gone but now we have soupy muddy mess outside. It will be awhile before we can go out and just play again. I am more than ready for some sunshine and warm temps. Just you know minus the humidity and mosquitos.

Well

After a racing heart beat, shortness of breath, erratic thoughts and blacking out I have decided I am no longer going to take the birth control. Anything that can and did cause those symptoms doesn't need to go into my body.

No wonder Austin was calling this the house of crazy all week. I read back through some of the emails I sent him this week and it is just crazy. I don't blame him now for not understanding what in the world I was talking about.

I called my doctor to tell her and she told me to stop taking them. I just snidely answered 'no duh Einstein. and asked her if there was anything they could give me that wouldn't make me bat shit crazy. She told me she would have to do some research because she has never had someone react like that to what she gave me. I think she was concerned about the erratic thoughts. Odd I was more concerned about the blacking out. Really what if I had been driving?

Anyways so that is where we are for now.

I work all weekend, Monday and then Friday. I have off Easter weekend and we are going to my Grandma's house. Hopefully our week goes good. Otherwise I am leaving Austin at home with Mason. No that crazy talking...

I have explained to Austin about the new house rules and he is resisting just a little. I tried to explain that i had been lax on this issue for awhile but now that I expect Mason to follow them that I needed him to follow them to. I don't want to be a 'do as I say not as I do' family. With one exceptions of me smoking. I mean really Austin doesn't need to know about that. I know I am totally bad but it is the only keeping me from totally hurting my husband some days. You'd think after awhile he would figure out that we already have 2 gallons of milk in the fridge and that I really didn't need to go to town.

I have had a very irritating day.
I had to take the dogs to the vet to get snipped. A vet that is only a half mile out of Austin's way on his route to work. Um... still seething about this one.
Mason wore underwear and didn't have an accident the whole time we were gone. He even went in the potty at WalMart. We get home and I'll be if that kid didn't go through all 30 THIRTY pair of clean underwear. What am I to do with him. I know what I did do with him.
I put a pull-up on him and put him down for a nap. I don't know if this is his idea of a power struggle or what because he won't actually wet his undies. Nope it is just dribbles until I go to grab him to run to the bathroom and then he lets loose and pees all over both of us. I am on my sixth outfit for the day.
I know your thinking I catch it on the dribble but he isn't able to hold it by the time I get to him. Nope not the case. Yep! That little kid is all Austin.
I catch him on the dribble but if I don't say anything or go for him he can go for a half hour. I can pick him up, hug him, kiss him, play with him and nothing. The second I say lets go use the potty or look you need to potty, or you need to tell mommy when you need to potty he lets loose. It is beyond aggravating.
Then last week at the doctors she put me on birth control. My moods are all over the place. I mean all over the place. I am still confused as to why she would put me on it to begin with. I mean I was already not having my period so lets put me on birth control. She said it will maybe kick start my cycle.
Um... HELLO... if is going to keep me this crazy it isn't worth it lets try something else, like now. My poor husband has been on the receiving end of some fairly bad abuse this last week. I know he takes it so well normally but it has been really bad. I wouldn't be surprised if one of us is sleeping on the couch by the end of the week. That's bad considering I am usually so even tempered and non grudge holding. I am still pissed that he didn't put the car seat in the car this morning. Instead he brought it to the house and put it in the kitchen. How hard is it to put it in the car. Yeah, still pissed. It usually wouldn't bother me and today it is just under my skin.
So now that you have seen the crazy that is Laura I think I'll stew about the car seat and wash dishes while Mister Pee Body is napping. Maybe I can get myself calmed down by the time my husband gets home.

Random

Just some shots taken in between pics of the dogs.

Well ones that weren't of my husband anyways.

Our pups

This is Buddy. He is a little scatterbrained but so loveable.

Here he is again.

This is Red. He is the more serious of the two.

Here he is again. I don't think there is a playful bone in his body.

I picked Buddy and Austin picked Red. I know hard to imagine I would pick the playful one and Austin would pick the serious one.

Wonder where he gets it from...

Here is my husband trying to get this post out of the ground.

I know he is trying really hard.

Can you see the vein in his forhead bulging?

Now here is Mason trying really really hard to get the same post.

He is pulling it towards himself with all his might.

Now he is pushing on it with all his weight. Such concentration!

Now he is trying to pull it again.

He is trying to pull it up. He is huffing and puffing so hard I am afraid he is going to pass out.

And now he stops everything because I couldn't hold my laughter any longer and am caught taking his picture.

What the crap was I thinking...

Austin's week off of work wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
You'll notice I said 'as bad'. Tuesday, after my doctors appointment, we went and picked up two heeler pups. One red and one black with blue face and feet. Austin named the red one Red (I know real original) and I named the black one Buddy. I know mine isn't real creative either but he is such a Buddy, I can't imagine him being named anything else. I will have to upload some photos whenever I get some free time on the computer again.
Wednesday we stayed around the house until we got tired of each other. It took longer than I thought. Honest it did:)
We have been 9 years in June and every year when we get out tax return back we say 'now we go buy plates and silverware'. But we never do.
Wednesday night I was washing supper dishes and broke 2 forks so I holler into Austin and say 'we got our tax return the other day' he hollers back 'now we can go buy plates and silverware'. He thinks he is joking until I yell in 'be ready in 20 minutes!'
I was shocked when he was ready. We now have matching service for 12.
Thursday Austin worked on the bathroom. He got the ceiling painted and the door finished so it doesn't lock little kids in anymore.
Friday Austin got a new front tire on his motorcycle and a much needed new helmet. Sometime this week we need to get him a leather jacket. I want my car back and a leather jacket is cheaper than brakes on the 'bird'.
Friday night we went to his parents house for supper. Always a fun time! I have already told my husband that if I ever treat our daughter-in-law how they treat me to just slap me. I hate going over there. Now they are upset that we won't be around for Easter. Hello we were there last year! His mom was real upset when Austin told her we were going to my mom's for Mother's Day. I don't know if you all remember last year but it can be found HERE and HERE. I calmly explained to my husband at the time that it was my day and that I wanted to spend it with my mom. He wisely kept his mouth shut.
Saturday I got out of the house by myself for the afternoon. I went to a PartyLite party of a friend and then I had to go to WalMart and HyVee. I finally got home around 9. I might have taken advantage of the situation.
Sunday we started the 3 day potty training method. Today is day 3 and I think it is finally clicking. Hopefully!! I think it will take more than the 3 days but he is getting better everyday so hopefully soon we can say that yes he is completely potty trained.

um yeah

It is Sunday morning and I am 'sleeping in'. My husband thinks that I am in bed still asleep.
Oh that fool!
Sundays are the only day of the week that I truly get to sleep in (if I so choose).
He should know better than that. Really how could I be asleep after listening to my son fuss for 20 minutes before my husband deigns to get out of bed. Then he fusses while having sit on the potty and then while my gets his breakfast ready.
Really how can anyone sleep through that?
Luckily my husband is a creature of habit and I know that as soon as he goes downstairs finally that he down there for good. That is when my 'sleeping in' really begins. I grab my book or blackberry of the night stand and dig in.
I am sure he would be quite upset with me if he knew the truth of me 'sleeping in' but I figure it's once a week and I deserve it too darn it.
Austin has next week off so I am sure he will be sleeping in more than he should too. Pray for me a week with him should be fun. I did go ahead and schedule my doc appts during his week off because I want to be able to go alone. I need to get a couple of things looked at and I can't concentrate when Mason and him are arguing. I'm nervous enough as it is. I would like to forgo this all together but the only person that is going to take care of me is me. I figured I should probably start taking as good of care of myself as I do my husband and son.
Now I'm going to go pray for some peace and tranquility for the week to come. I am sure I will need it...

Oh, so Blue...

This last week or so the sky has been so achingly blue it almost hurts to look at it.

I could sure go for this kind of weather year round.

It's Real Life~ Through A Child's Eyes

So it is time for It's Real Life over at FarmFreshIowa.

I thought I would miss this one! My first thought was 'why would I give my nice expensive camera to my 22 month old who likes to throw everything'.

Well... my husband obviously doesn't think like me and ended up putting my camera in the stroller on my child's lap while he went to beat the dog for getting in the road again find the dog. Imagine my surprise when I unloaded the camera and this photo was on there.

I asked my husband what prompted him to take a photo from this angle because the only way he would be able is to lay on the ground. Someone who is 6'5" can't crouch down in to that kind of position with out taking out some ribs.

He told me that I must have taken them and forgot about it... Let me tell you that isn't very likely!

So, me, being the trusting wife I am, looked at the date/time stamp and what do you know, I was at work. I must be pretty amazing to be able to wait on the wonderful people of Stratford and take a photo 5 miles away.

When I confronted him brought this to his attention the whole story came out.

I don't know why he insist on not telling what really happened the first time. Maybe he gets a thrill out of it. I surely don't know. I am, however, surprised that my little boy took this photo. There was even some slobber on the eye piece to prove it. Obviously I have had a stern talk with my husband about camera etiquette.

This photo is of what my son looks at all day.

He takes these little cars from window sill to window sill all day. It is so cute he will push on one end and make the little car sound. Then when they are to the very edge he will go to the other end, push and make the little car sound. Over and over and over.

I think little boys are born knowing how to make that sound.

For more It's Real Life head on over to Farm Fresh Iowa.