P.S. I wasn't going to put any pictures of my kids at the end of this post, but I just can't help it. They are soooo cute. This one is of Jadin during the rally of 2008.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
That time of year.
It must be because the bikes are everywhere. Once a year they ALL come to Sturgis for the rally. Or at least it feels like it. I mean, we usually score 20,000 of them. And they are nuts. They don't care about the rules. Or speed limits. They travel in large groups, sometimes 5 of them side by side in one lane. I don't dare drive during the week of the rally (want to live, thank you very much) We stock up on everything a week ahead. But it seems they start coming earlier and earlier each year. The rally is not for another two weeks and they are everywhere already. I wish we could just leave town like all normal people do. But in addition to everything else M will be crazy busy at work starting this week. More terrorists...oops, I mean, tourists :) mean more food to feed them. I will be a single parent for a while. Oh, well, at least we will be going on vacation at the end of it.
P.S. I wasn't going to put any pictures of my kids at the end of this post, but I just can't help it. They are soooo cute. This one is of Jadin during the rally of 2008.
P.S. I wasn't going to put any pictures of my kids at the end of this post, but I just can't help it. They are soooo cute. This one is of Jadin during the rally of 2008.
Lost
We do not have a big house. In fact, until two years ago when M built an addition, all we had was one bedroom, a small living room and a tiny kitchen. It's a little bigger now with a dining room and two small bedrooms but it's still not big by any definition. So why do I loose things? And I mean not loose something in a mess for a time but permanently loose things like clothing and, now, drugs. Boys' pro-biotics to be exact? Those pills run 60$ for a month's supply. I had at least another week and a half worth. And they are nowhere to be found. To say that I am upset is a severe understatement! I turned everything up side down, looked in every spot including the boys' toy box! I have been so tired lately that they could have been easily misplaced. But they are gone. So, we are going to Walgreen's for more. *sigh*
The reason why I was so tired is because Rachael had horrible fever Sat. night through Sunday night. And before that we went camping.
No, we are not abusing our daughter, she was just really tired and wanted a nap but the car seat is not good for that. It turned out to be a perfect solution.
Jadin has been taking swimming lessons at the Y for a couple of years now. At only 5yo he is a strong swimmer. It's amazing that such a little guy can learn to swim so well!
My little flower girl :)
It was freezing the night before, I didn't get much sleep.
This one is just so cute. And look at her. Not a slightest sign of fever that would strike only a few hours later. We did discover a tooth responsible for it. On Sunday night she was doing so badly she looked like she was dying. Her little face was beet red, her lips swollen, her breathing fast and shallow. And that was an hour after I gave her the meds. There was nothing else we could do. M wouldn't agree to take her to the emergency room. And on top of that our pianist was gone so I had to be in church or they would have no music. Both in the morning and at night. I wasn't going to go at night (and the Pastor's wife called and said that if she wasn't doing well I could stay home with her) but I took her to the mall (daddy HAD to take a nap, he was going to work at 1am Monday morning) and she was very happy, refused to sit in the stroller and ran around and played the whole time.
So, anyway, when we came home from church Sunday night I was crying watching my baby suffer like that. M proposed a cold compress, and though she cried, I kept it on her head for there was nothing else we could do for her. 15 minutes later the fever was completely gone. Just like that. She was fever free all night and though she was a little warm in the morning, Motrin took care of that and she was just fine. I hate teething, last time she had a fever like that for a WEEK! No other symptoms, just the fever. And 4 new teeth. I am really not looking forward to more teeth!
The reason why I was so tired is because Rachael had horrible fever Sat. night through Sunday night. And before that we went camping.
No, we are not abusing our daughter, she was just really tired and wanted a nap but the car seat is not good for that. It turned out to be a perfect solution.
Jadin has been taking swimming lessons at the Y for a couple of years now. At only 5yo he is a strong swimmer. It's amazing that such a little guy can learn to swim so well!
My little flower girl :)
It was freezing the night before, I didn't get much sleep.
This one is just so cute. And look at her. Not a slightest sign of fever that would strike only a few hours later. We did discover a tooth responsible for it. On Sunday night she was doing so badly she looked like she was dying. Her little face was beet red, her lips swollen, her breathing fast and shallow. And that was an hour after I gave her the meds. There was nothing else we could do. M wouldn't agree to take her to the emergency room. And on top of that our pianist was gone so I had to be in church or they would have no music. Both in the morning and at night. I wasn't going to go at night (and the Pastor's wife called and said that if she wasn't doing well I could stay home with her) but I took her to the mall (daddy HAD to take a nap, he was going to work at 1am Monday morning) and she was very happy, refused to sit in the stroller and ran around and played the whole time.
So, anyway, when we came home from church Sunday night I was crying watching my baby suffer like that. M proposed a cold compress, and though she cried, I kept it on her head for there was nothing else we could do for her. 15 minutes later the fever was completely gone. Just like that. She was fever free all night and though she was a little warm in the morning, Motrin took care of that and she was just fine. I hate teething, last time she had a fever like that for a WEEK! No other symptoms, just the fever. And 4 new teeth. I am really not looking forward to more teeth!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Grilling and Food Related Quotes
Another thing I have never done since moving to America is grilling. M is excellent at it but for some reason is refusing to teach me. Well, the absence of teachers never stopped me before. So I finally decided to grill us some bratwursts yesterday. I know that M doesn't dump the old coals, he just puts a couple of new ones on and drizzles a generous amount of lighter fluid on. How hard can it be?
I decided not to mess with his coals and just put the lighter fluid on what was already there. The flames died down 5 minutes later. So, does it mean I can go ahead and put the meat on? The grill didn't feel very hot but at that point there was no turning back. So I put some foil paper on (to avoid the clean-up :) and there went the brats also. I went back to look 20 min. later and the brats looked just as raw. At that point I started thinking of what else I could feed three hungry kids.
So, after some time the grill got really hot, which makes no sense to me since the was no flame that I could see. And the brats got a little crispy on one side. But they were still delicious. I served them with some potatoes and green beans (last time we went shopping I really wanted to try this steamer bag of veggies in garlic sauce. Jadin liked them a lot) Another American experience down my belt. :)
And now, the food related quotes from the kids (my favorite part!)
From Jadin: I was cutting up some strawberries for Rachael and asked Daniel if he wanted some as well. Jadin came skipping in the kitchen saying 'Oh, mommy, I want some as very well!'
From Rachael as she was sitting in my lap eating/playing with a slice of apple. She started raising her hands saying 'apple! flying bah-ball!' Baby Girl, if you think a slice of apple is a flying ball, wait till I share my favorite sci-fi books with you!
I decided not to mess with his coals and just put the lighter fluid on what was already there. The flames died down 5 minutes later. So, does it mean I can go ahead and put the meat on? The grill didn't feel very hot but at that point there was no turning back. So I put some foil paper on (to avoid the clean-up :) and there went the brats also. I went back to look 20 min. later and the brats looked just as raw. At that point I started thinking of what else I could feed three hungry kids.
So, after some time the grill got really hot, which makes no sense to me since the was no flame that I could see. And the brats got a little crispy on one side. But they were still delicious. I served them with some potatoes and green beans (last time we went shopping I really wanted to try this steamer bag of veggies in garlic sauce. Jadin liked them a lot) Another American experience down my belt. :)
And now, the food related quotes from the kids (my favorite part!)
From Jadin: I was cutting up some strawberries for Rachael and asked Daniel if he wanted some as well. Jadin came skipping in the kitchen saying 'Oh, mommy, I want some as very well!'
From Rachael as she was sitting in my lap eating/playing with a slice of apple. She started raising her hands saying 'apple! flying bah-ball!' Baby Girl, if you think a slice of apple is a flying ball, wait till I share my favorite sci-fi books with you!
My Faith Story
I really enjoy reading other people's conversion stories so I thought I'd share mine. After all, how cool is that to see God at work in so many different ways!
Dedicated to God and ALL of His faithful servants who were willing to exchange the comfort and safety of their home for uncertainty and danger of witnessing to people who never heard the Gospel.
I grew up in a family of atheist. And so did my parents. When they were little Communist Party still had a really good grasp on the society and most people lived in fear of being called the enemy of the state. If you were declared that, they would come without any warning and usually late at night, so that you would not have a chance to escape. They take you away and your family would never see you again. If both parents were under suspicion, the kids would just be put in an orphanage. It was a dark time.
My parents grew up believing in the Party Line. It's a religion in and of itself with God taken out and replaced by the current Party Leader. Though my parents never heard about God, the longing was still there in their harts. I remember when I was about 15 and we were on our yearly getaway to the Black Sea my mom saw a kid's bible on a book stand. She said she wanted to buy it. I laughed in her face. After all, who wants this bunch of old wife's tales in the house. She bought it anyway.
That fall a close friend of mine asked me to attend English lessons with her. She didn't want to go alone, they were late at night and it would be safer for two girls walk home afterwards. My parents always encouraged classes of any sort, so I went. A couple of months later her family ended up moving to Russia. And I stayed. By then I was in love with the language and the teacher (don't worry, he was 60 yo by then :) He kept saying that if we really wanted to know the language we needed to practice with native speakers.
My opportunity to practice came through another friend who introduced me to a co-mission team. It was a group of young people who came to Ukraine to teach the Bible in public schools. I wasn't interested in the Bible but I really liked the young people. They were so different not and just culturally. I didn't know what it was but I wanted to be like that. Since a very early age I took social injustice very hard. My kindergarten teach told my mom that she had a little freedom fighter of a daughter (she told me that years later, of course).
Fast forward a year. I was studying the Bible with the co-mission people, still just for the language. It's not that it sounded silly, if there really was a God, it would make a lot of sense. But I am one of those people that need tangible proof. I had been dating for a year at that point and was engage to be married (on July, 4th :) Something bothered me, though. First of all, I really wasn't in love THAT MUCH. Secondly, I knew, if there was any chance of there being a God, He would not have approved. The guy was selfish and very ambitious, the kind that doesn't need any one's help, definitely not from on high. So, one night I challenged God. I told Him that if He really existed and if He really wanted me, He would have to stop the wedding. The plans were in place, we were registered with the government to be married a month later. I didn't think anything would happen, it was just for my own peace of mind. For I had doubts.
Well, two days before the wedding my husband-to-be was drafted into the army. It was highly unusual. The drafting period ended in may when he was still a student and didn't qualify to be drafted. That year was the first year EVER when they decided to extend the drafting period just long enough for him to be done with school. Two days before the wedding he had to report.
Be careful about what you ask for for you might get it. In my mind I knew I got my answer and that meant that God was after all THERE. And he wanted me. That meant that everything the Bible said had to be true. That's how my faith journey began.
PS. In August after 15 years of not seeing her I am going to visit a friend who was on that co-mission trip and played a major role in my conversion and Christian growth.
Dedicated to God and ALL of His faithful servants who were willing to exchange the comfort and safety of their home for uncertainty and danger of witnessing to people who never heard the Gospel.
I grew up in a family of atheist. And so did my parents. When they were little Communist Party still had a really good grasp on the society and most people lived in fear of being called the enemy of the state. If you were declared that, they would come without any warning and usually late at night, so that you would not have a chance to escape. They take you away and your family would never see you again. If both parents were under suspicion, the kids would just be put in an orphanage. It was a dark time.
My parents grew up believing in the Party Line. It's a religion in and of itself with God taken out and replaced by the current Party Leader. Though my parents never heard about God, the longing was still there in their harts. I remember when I was about 15 and we were on our yearly getaway to the Black Sea my mom saw a kid's bible on a book stand. She said she wanted to buy it. I laughed in her face. After all, who wants this bunch of old wife's tales in the house. She bought it anyway.
That fall a close friend of mine asked me to attend English lessons with her. She didn't want to go alone, they were late at night and it would be safer for two girls walk home afterwards. My parents always encouraged classes of any sort, so I went. A couple of months later her family ended up moving to Russia. And I stayed. By then I was in love with the language and the teacher (don't worry, he was 60 yo by then :) He kept saying that if we really wanted to know the language we needed to practice with native speakers.
My opportunity to practice came through another friend who introduced me to a co-mission team. It was a group of young people who came to Ukraine to teach the Bible in public schools. I wasn't interested in the Bible but I really liked the young people. They were so different not and just culturally. I didn't know what it was but I wanted to be like that. Since a very early age I took social injustice very hard. My kindergarten teach told my mom that she had a little freedom fighter of a daughter (she told me that years later, of course).
Fast forward a year. I was studying the Bible with the co-mission people, still just for the language. It's not that it sounded silly, if there really was a God, it would make a lot of sense. But I am one of those people that need tangible proof. I had been dating for a year at that point and was engage to be married (on July, 4th :) Something bothered me, though. First of all, I really wasn't in love THAT MUCH. Secondly, I knew, if there was any chance of there being a God, He would not have approved. The guy was selfish and very ambitious, the kind that doesn't need any one's help, definitely not from on high. So, one night I challenged God. I told Him that if He really existed and if He really wanted me, He would have to stop the wedding. The plans were in place, we were registered with the government to be married a month later. I didn't think anything would happen, it was just for my own peace of mind. For I had doubts.
Well, two days before the wedding my husband-to-be was drafted into the army. It was highly unusual. The drafting period ended in may when he was still a student and didn't qualify to be drafted. That year was the first year EVER when they decided to extend the drafting period just long enough for him to be done with school. Two days before the wedding he had to report.
Be careful about what you ask for for you might get it. In my mind I knew I got my answer and that meant that God was after all THERE. And he wanted me. That meant that everything the Bible said had to be true. That's how my faith journey began.
PS. In August after 15 years of not seeing her I am going to visit a friend who was on that co-mission trip and played a major role in my conversion and Christian growth.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Changes
(Warning: if you don't like reading about other people's kids, skip this one)
We are back home and life is back to normal. Kind of. I have been very slow going back to reality.
Rachael is at that age when I have to keep a note book and a pen handy at all times. She is developing so quickly, saying and doing more and more every day. She watches me so closely and imitates. When she is frustrated she makes these little grunts that I recognize as mine. She spilled some water today and when I gave her a paper towel to lean it up she went and found a plastic bag to put her used paper towel in (I did that at early stages of potty training when I had to blot pee out of the carpet) It's scary at times to realize how everything I do effects her. EVERYTHING!
She interacts with brothers more, too. Yesterday Daniel was being stubborn wanting to go exactly where she stood. There was a ton of room to go around on either side but he stood in front of her saying 'Excuse me' over and over and OVER again. Right in her face. She observed for a while than shoved him aside saying 'excuse YOU!' I was rolling on the floor laughing. I wish you were there to see it.
She is quite stubborn, too. On Wednesday night she decided that sleep was severely overrated. She was sooo tired yet refused to go to bed. She was wailing and screaming for an hour. I am just not used to that. She is always out about 15 minutes after we put her down. I was sitting at the computer by her crib the whole time (don't want her to think I am abandoning her) She stopped for a minute and I turned around to see what she was doing. She was standing in her bed looking at me. When she saw she had my attention she started saying 'Baby crying! Baby crying' NO KIDDIN! That's a severe understatement! I said 'Rachael done crying now' She agreed and quietly sat down saying 'Baby all done crying' Ten seconds later she was asleep. Just like that. Go figure.
Jadin has really grown up over these couple of months. She takes up more responsibilities. For some reason he decided he was going to unbuckle his brother. We always encouraged him to help Daniel, and he did it every once in a while. Now he insists that HE does it. He also picks up his toys with pleasure taking pride in his work. The changes are amazing. He keeps telling me that he is my big helper and that he likes cleaning up. When Rachael is using the potty in the Nursery it is Jadin she is asking for.
Of all the three kids Daniel is my baby, my cuddle bug, my sensitive one, the one who comes for hugs and kisses often, the once who reminds me again and again how much he loves me. He is the one I have to be most careful with when I talk. I think it's going to be harder for them to go off to school than it was for Jadin even though he can't wait for fall.
The kids are growing so fast, changing so much. For the first time in my life I wish I could stop the time, to bask in their baby love just a little while longer. But I also enjoy the changes in them.
We are back home and life is back to normal. Kind of. I have been very slow going back to reality.
Rachael is at that age when I have to keep a note book and a pen handy at all times. She is developing so quickly, saying and doing more and more every day. She watches me so closely and imitates. When she is frustrated she makes these little grunts that I recognize as mine. She spilled some water today and when I gave her a paper towel to lean it up she went and found a plastic bag to put her used paper towel in (I did that at early stages of potty training when I had to blot pee out of the carpet) It's scary at times to realize how everything I do effects her. EVERYTHING!
She interacts with brothers more, too. Yesterday Daniel was being stubborn wanting to go exactly where she stood. There was a ton of room to go around on either side but he stood in front of her saying 'Excuse me' over and over and OVER again. Right in her face. She observed for a while than shoved him aside saying 'excuse YOU!' I was rolling on the floor laughing. I wish you were there to see it.
She is quite stubborn, too. On Wednesday night she decided that sleep was severely overrated. She was sooo tired yet refused to go to bed. She was wailing and screaming for an hour. I am just not used to that. She is always out about 15 minutes after we put her down. I was sitting at the computer by her crib the whole time (don't want her to think I am abandoning her) She stopped for a minute and I turned around to see what she was doing. She was standing in her bed looking at me. When she saw she had my attention she started saying 'Baby crying! Baby crying' NO KIDDIN! That's a severe understatement! I said 'Rachael done crying now' She agreed and quietly sat down saying 'Baby all done crying' Ten seconds later she was asleep. Just like that. Go figure.
Jadin has really grown up over these couple of months. She takes up more responsibilities. For some reason he decided he was going to unbuckle his brother. We always encouraged him to help Daniel, and he did it every once in a while. Now he insists that HE does it. He also picks up his toys with pleasure taking pride in his work. The changes are amazing. He keeps telling me that he is my big helper and that he likes cleaning up. When Rachael is using the potty in the Nursery it is Jadin she is asking for.
Of all the three kids Daniel is my baby, my cuddle bug, my sensitive one, the one who comes for hugs and kisses often, the once who reminds me again and again how much he loves me. He is the one I have to be most careful with when I talk. I think it's going to be harder for them to go off to school than it was for Jadin even though he can't wait for fall.
The kids are growing so fast, changing so much. For the first time in my life I wish I could stop the time, to bask in their baby love just a little while longer. But I also enjoy the changes in them.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Experiencing America
10 fingernails at a time. Another one of those things I always wated to try and never had a chance. I now look like a 6th grader with these fake finger and toe nails. I think they are awesome even if not comfortable and obviously very fake. How do people live with fingernails that long? I am not even sure I will be able to put makeup on and I am definitely leaving my contacts at home. And I finally understand why my piano teacher demanded very short nails at every lesson.
Also, once I put them on I realized I have no idea how to remove them. Or the glue that my fingers are covered in (it's horrible, I hate the feeling!) Does anyone know?
We are leaving here in about 30 min to go to M's parents and attend our friends' wedding. Be back on Monday night.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends!
Also, once I put them on I realized I have no idea how to remove them. Or the glue that my fingers are covered in (it's horrible, I hate the feeling!) Does anyone know?
We are leaving here in about 30 min to go to M's parents and attend our friends' wedding. Be back on Monday night.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Hello, Blog.
I have been neglecting you. Too much going on in the summer. I am always tired. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. I feel like I can't think in complete sentences. Let alone write.
Speaking of writting, my essay won third place! I am sure it was because there were two other adults participating. Ha-ha. They gave me a really nice T-shirt and informed me I was outperformed my an 8yo and a 10yo :) Still, 3rd place? Not too bad for a foreigner :) :)
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I have to put this picture on here. I just can't help it:
I told M that all I wanted for my birthday was a cake. He heard me! Look at this beauty! It's a chocolate ice cream cake with layers of moist velvet cake and raspberry filling. AND chocolate shavings. From Cold Stone. I found that Cold Stone ice cream tastes almost as good as Ukrainian.
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Cell phone drama continues. We got the phone the company promised us only to find that they cent their 5$ 'el cheap-o' model instead of the one they promised. M sent it right back to them.
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We are going to visit M's parents and attend the wedding of our friends tomorrow. This will be our first trip since Rachael was potty trained. It takes about 6 hrs to get there. I am not sure how this will work with a baby that needs to go potty every hour and a half and refuses to drink out of a sippy cup.
Also we will be bringing back 3/4 of a cow that M's parents are giving to us (and some of it to sell for them) It has to somehow fit into our van along with three kids and all our luggage. I wish the van was stretchy.
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I am still going to write a post about the priesthood of all believers. I am pretty sure what we (and the Bible) mean by that is quite different from what the Catholic church does. Also, I want to post my faith story, the story about my conversion. I would love to read your stories, too. I will even try to put a link to your faith story here, with your permission. :)
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And to finish this post, here are a few cute pics of our fav. summer activities:
Rachael and a goat at Old McDonald's Farm
Ahh, the lake. That rock I am sitting on has a story to it. I was standing ankle deep in the water wishing out loud for a chair to drop out of heaven to sit on. My wonderful husband went right ahead and rolled this huge boulder in the water for me. I am married to the most wonderful man in the whole Universe. :)
And finally, the dog that our neighbor uses to keeps us awake all night :) It found a way to escape her back yard, too. Do you see what I mean when I say it's a pit bull the size of a miniature horse?
Have a wonderful weekend
Speaking of writting, my essay won third place! I am sure it was because there were two other adults participating. Ha-ha. They gave me a really nice T-shirt and informed me I was outperformed my an 8yo and a 10yo :) Still, 3rd place? Not too bad for a foreigner :) :)
----------
I have to put this picture on here. I just can't help it:
I told M that all I wanted for my birthday was a cake. He heard me! Look at this beauty! It's a chocolate ice cream cake with layers of moist velvet cake and raspberry filling. AND chocolate shavings. From Cold Stone. I found that Cold Stone ice cream tastes almost as good as Ukrainian.
---------
Cell phone drama continues. We got the phone the company promised us only to find that they cent their 5$ 'el cheap-o' model instead of the one they promised. M sent it right back to them.
---------
We are going to visit M's parents and attend the wedding of our friends tomorrow. This will be our first trip since Rachael was potty trained. It takes about 6 hrs to get there. I am not sure how this will work with a baby that needs to go potty every hour and a half and refuses to drink out of a sippy cup.
Also we will be bringing back 3/4 of a cow that M's parents are giving to us (and some of it to sell for them) It has to somehow fit into our van along with three kids and all our luggage. I wish the van was stretchy.
---------
I am still going to write a post about the priesthood of all believers. I am pretty sure what we (and the Bible) mean by that is quite different from what the Catholic church does. Also, I want to post my faith story, the story about my conversion. I would love to read your stories, too. I will even try to put a link to your faith story here, with your permission. :)
---------
And to finish this post, here are a few cute pics of our fav. summer activities:
Rachael and a goat at Old McDonald's Farm
Ahh, the lake. That rock I am sitting on has a story to it. I was standing ankle deep in the water wishing out loud for a chair to drop out of heaven to sit on. My wonderful husband went right ahead and rolled this huge boulder in the water for me. I am married to the most wonderful man in the whole Universe. :)
And finally, the dog that our neighbor uses to keeps us awake all night :) It found a way to escape her back yard, too. Do you see what I mean when I say it's a pit bull the size of a miniature horse?
Have a wonderful weekend
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Cell Phone Drama
I think I mentioned the fact that my cell phone got washed and quit working. While the battery is fine, I can't hear anything. The good thing was M was able to transfer my 418 minutes to his phone. Now, to the drama part. I mentioned to my mom that the phone is no more. I really shouldn't have, knowing my mom, but I couldn't resist. See, when the phone was in the washing machine and the water started pouring, it made a desperate phone call (on it's own initiative) to my husband's number. Even phones in our home know who is likely to step in and save the day.
My mom didn't find the story amusing at all. I think she forgot that they raised two children just fine without a cell phone.
So, anyway, they have a collection of good phones at home (both dad and brother LOVE high tech toys so they buy a new phone pretty much every year or sooner if they find one they really want :) He insisted on sending me one (or two :) of their old phones. I was trying really hard to explain that they will not work here and why. I also pointed out that we use tracfone for a phone, not one of the big cell phone companies.
Fast forward to Thursday. My brother calls me around 2pm (which is past midnight in Ukraine!) asking me if we were going to be home on Friday, because he just sent me a birthday present. I knew right there and than it was a phone and was fearing the worst. I was afraid he bought one of those really expensive cell phones that require a very expensive contract. And I wouldn't have the heart to tell him 'Gee, thanks, you went out of your way to buy a very expensive phone in the US (I still have no idea how he did it from Ukraine, but out of the two of us he's always had the brains and I have...something, I am sure:) And you overnighted it so that it got here on my birthday, but we are not going to use it, because it requires a contract'.
Well, the phone came, and it was a tracfone (obviously he has more brains than I give him credit for :)! The nicest they've got, too. I was really exited! Well, M went to activate it and it wouldn't. See, my brother bought it on e-bay from a guy in Arizona, not knowing that it wouldn't work in SD. M spent 2.5 hours on the phone last night trying to figure out what to do with it. He got tracfone to promise to send us another phone (the kind we wanted, too) with a prepaid envelope to send this one back to them.
When he was finally done, we went to the store to look at the phone 'in person' just to find out it is on sale for 15$, and that includes a car charger and a hands free ear piece! We bought it. It was just too good of a deal and we can always use the car charger, if nothing else. Plus, M's phone is about to die. So we will be using the phone the company sends us to replace M's when it dies and I got a brand new phone for 15$. With a card that doubles our minutes! (the card alone is 50$ if you buy it at the store) We are not sure why it doubles our minutes, we think it's because my old number was transferred to it and it had the card on it (another hour on the phone this morning).
Life is never dull here :)
My mom didn't find the story amusing at all. I think she forgot that they raised two children just fine without a cell phone.
So, anyway, they have a collection of good phones at home (both dad and brother LOVE high tech toys so they buy a new phone pretty much every year or sooner if they find one they really want :) He insisted on sending me one (or two :) of their old phones. I was trying really hard to explain that they will not work here and why. I also pointed out that we use tracfone for a phone, not one of the big cell phone companies.
Fast forward to Thursday. My brother calls me around 2pm (which is past midnight in Ukraine!) asking me if we were going to be home on Friday, because he just sent me a birthday present. I knew right there and than it was a phone and was fearing the worst. I was afraid he bought one of those really expensive cell phones that require a very expensive contract. And I wouldn't have the heart to tell him 'Gee, thanks, you went out of your way to buy a very expensive phone in the US (I still have no idea how he did it from Ukraine, but out of the two of us he's always had the brains and I have...something, I am sure:) And you overnighted it so that it got here on my birthday, but we are not going to use it, because it requires a contract'.
Well, the phone came, and it was a tracfone (obviously he has more brains than I give him credit for :)! The nicest they've got, too. I was really exited! Well, M went to activate it and it wouldn't. See, my brother bought it on e-bay from a guy in Arizona, not knowing that it wouldn't work in SD. M spent 2.5 hours on the phone last night trying to figure out what to do with it. He got tracfone to promise to send us another phone (the kind we wanted, too) with a prepaid envelope to send this one back to them.
When he was finally done, we went to the store to look at the phone 'in person' just to find out it is on sale for 15$, and that includes a car charger and a hands free ear piece! We bought it. It was just too good of a deal and we can always use the car charger, if nothing else. Plus, M's phone is about to die. So we will be using the phone the company sends us to replace M's when it dies and I got a brand new phone for 15$. With a card that doubles our minutes! (the card alone is 50$ if you buy it at the store) We are not sure why it doubles our minutes, we think it's because my old number was transferred to it and it had the card on it (another hour on the phone this morning).
Life is never dull here :)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
P.S.
I just have to tell you about our trip to the mall yesterday night. For some reason things happen to us...Remember that time when we lost a poopy diaper in the middle of Sears? Well, yesterday we dropped our two new snow tires and wheels at Sears to be balanced and went to the mall's food court to grab something to eat while we were waiting for them (it was 7pm, too late to try and cook after we got back). We said our prayers and I grabbed the drink without realizing the lid wasn't on very well. Rachael (who I was holding at the moment) was drenched in ice tea in a second. She was screaming so I took her soaked dress off and she felt better. She went to check out the bubble gum machine dressed in her underwear while I ran to the car for a pair of jeans and underwear for her (I always carry an extra pair of pants and panties in case of an accident) M says this guy was turning the corner and got startled by this little child in her underwear with no parents in plain site (M was sitting at the table right next to the bubble gum machine, so she really wasn't alone, but the guy didn't know that) He looked really distressed by the site of her and was looking around for the irresponsible parents who let their baby roam the mall in her underpants :)
33 and random thoughts
I am turning 33 tomorrow. I remember when I was in my early 20's and thought that 30 is really old. I have been too busy to think about it until yesterday when M proposed to go camping on Friday night. He said he would rather take me out to eat but if we don't go on Friday we might not be able to go for a while. Hey, it's the 4th of July, we can go camping, swimming in the lake and making smore's and maybe we will even see Mt.Rushmore all lit up at night. They used to have fireworks on Mt.Rushmore but they are off this year due to high fire danger. It's funny because this year has been one of the wettest years in the last 10-15 years and they called the fireworks off in February! Seriously, no one can tell what summer is going to be like in February. Why not wait till April to decide? So, no fireworks this year, but we have seen them before. They are spectacular, by the way!
So, back to my birthday. I really don't mind turning 33. I am happy where I am at in life. Numbers don't matter much anymore. It's interesting, though, how my childhood is still influencing me at almost 33. My mom has always been a big girl. It's her constitution. Growing up she always reminded me to watch what I eat. She told me how she always wanted to be able to wear shorts or even jeans when she was young and never could because of extra weight. She told me how her own mother lived through years of going hungry and just couldn't say 'no' to her children when they asked for food and they actually HAD the food in the house. So I have always been mindful of putting an extra pound on. I have never been that fat, even being pregnant the heaviest I ever got was 180 pound. Which isn't too much considering I am 5'10 (the down side of being that tall is not being able to find clothes long enough in small sizes. Teen sections are usually better stocked but let's face it, I am a little too old to wear shorts in neon colors with rips all over) I have had a mentality of a fat girl all my life, because in my mom's mind (that I inherited) there's no such thing as too thin. So, yesterday we went to the lake, right. And before going to the beach I took the baby to the bathroom. I noticed this cute skinny girl in the corner of my eye as I was passing the sinks. 'I wish I was that skinny' I thought to my self as Rachael was doing what she was supposed to do. On the way back I looked in the mirror and realized that that skinny girl I saw was a reflection of ME in the mirror! What a lesson! I am soo hoping I will not pass that obsession with weight to my daughter the way it was passed down to me.
And while I am at it, let me boast a little about Rachael's progress speech wise. As I came up from the gym to pick up the kids yesterday, one of the ladies said that Rachael told them 'Mommy, class!' That was because the day before someone asked me what fitness class I was taking and she overheard the conversation. No, I am not taking any classes, I am just to clumsy and uncoordinated (and fat. oh, wait, that's not me. got to change that way of thinking!) But isn't it amazing that she heard it and understood what was talked about, remembered and applied it appropriately the next day? I am so proud of my little girl! The down side? She is standing here screaming 'Mommy! Bath! Mommy! Bath!' because she heard me telling Jadin we can go to the playground after I take a shower. So I better go do it. :)
So, back to my birthday. I really don't mind turning 33. I am happy where I am at in life. Numbers don't matter much anymore. It's interesting, though, how my childhood is still influencing me at almost 33. My mom has always been a big girl. It's her constitution. Growing up she always reminded me to watch what I eat. She told me how she always wanted to be able to wear shorts or even jeans when she was young and never could because of extra weight. She told me how her own mother lived through years of going hungry and just couldn't say 'no' to her children when they asked for food and they actually HAD the food in the house. So I have always been mindful of putting an extra pound on. I have never been that fat, even being pregnant the heaviest I ever got was 180 pound. Which isn't too much considering I am 5'10 (the down side of being that tall is not being able to find clothes long enough in small sizes. Teen sections are usually better stocked but let's face it, I am a little too old to wear shorts in neon colors with rips all over) I have had a mentality of a fat girl all my life, because in my mom's mind (that I inherited) there's no such thing as too thin. So, yesterday we went to the lake, right. And before going to the beach I took the baby to the bathroom. I noticed this cute skinny girl in the corner of my eye as I was passing the sinks. 'I wish I was that skinny' I thought to my self as Rachael was doing what she was supposed to do. On the way back I looked in the mirror and realized that that skinny girl I saw was a reflection of ME in the mirror! What a lesson! I am soo hoping I will not pass that obsession with weight to my daughter the way it was passed down to me.
And while I am at it, let me boast a little about Rachael's progress speech wise. As I came up from the gym to pick up the kids yesterday, one of the ladies said that Rachael told them 'Mommy, class!' That was because the day before someone asked me what fitness class I was taking and she overheard the conversation. No, I am not taking any classes, I am just to clumsy and uncoordinated (and fat. oh, wait, that's not me. got to change that way of thinking!) But isn't it amazing that she heard it and understood what was talked about, remembered and applied it appropriately the next day? I am so proud of my little girl! The down side? She is standing here screaming 'Mommy! Bath! Mommy! Bath!' because she heard me telling Jadin we can go to the playground after I take a shower. So I better go do it. :)
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