My Prize and Ryker's Costume

A week or so ago I won a prize from Jenny Matlocks blog. It was for a Saturday Centus I participated in titled Laugh Out Loud. The prize was a little tile mosaic heart that says Live Love Laugh. I simply love it. Thanks Jenny! Here is a picture of it hanging in my kitchen hallway.

This is a closeup

I ordered Ryker a costume on August 28 and got it today. Wow! Those workers over at buycostumes.com are fast. Here Ryker is dressed up as a meercat. They had a one day sale and I paid only $9.79 for it. So much better than the plastic costumes at Walmart. I was reading the reviews and alot of people said the costume ran a bit large. I must have a big toddler because it fit him just fine.

Saturday Centus: Suprise I'm Pregnant

"You can't get pregnant on the pill. You must have done something wrong." I remember saying these words to my coworker in 2008. A few months later, I would be eating those same words.

It was March 2009. I had been feeling queasy lately and was constantly tired. I had missed my period and wondered could I be pregnant? Nah. I'm on the pill. Then I remembered my coworker and the conversation we had. There is an very small percentage of that happening. I went and got one of those home pregnancy test. I showed the test to my husband. "Suprise! I'm pregnant".

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S Is For Sons

I have four children. They are all boys. Snips and snails and puppy dog tails And such are little boys made of. My first son was born on a cold night in Wisconsin in December 1992. We named him Benjamin which is his father's middle name (my first husband) He weighed 8 pounds 2.5 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches tall.

My second son was born on a hot rainy afternoon in North Carolina in June 1995. He was named William after his father (my current husband). He weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches tall.

My third son was born on a cool morning in South Carolina in November 1997. We barely made it to the hospital. I was only there 30 minutes when he made his entrance. He was alot smaller than my other two weighing only 6 pounds 2 ounces and 19 1/4 inches tall. Later that morning we would learn he was born with CMV and this caused his hearing loss. We named him Robert.

My last son was born on a snowy morning in Wisconsin in December 2009. He was our suprise baby. I was on birth control and wasn't suppose to have another baby. He was my biggest baby. He weighed 10 pounds 6.8 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches tall. We named him Ryker and he is the sunshine of my life.

I have always wanted a little girl. My sister has 3 girls but after all the drama I have witnessed with her oldest, I am glad to have my four boys. Sure there is still the drama and the fighting but I am truly blessed and am grateful for my four sons, even if they are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails.

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Cavity Filled and an Ebay Sale

This morning I went in and got one of my cavities filled. Since the cavities were on opposite sides of my mouth, they would only fill one. They did not want my entire mouth numb. I said I didn't mind and they said they were only given 45 minutes for each appointment and I would have to come back for the other one. So in reality, the not wanting to numb my entire mouth was a half truth. They simply did not have the time to fill both.

As I was getting worked on, I thought about my niece who got her filling yesterday. She is 8 or 9 and I figured if she can do it, so can I. Boy was that a false assumption. I'm not sure what hurts more: giving birth or getting your cavity filled. At least after giving birth you get a kid. Hell, I didn't even get a tooth brush! That might be a slight exaggeration but it really hurt even with the numbing agent. Plus my mouth was numb for almost two hours.

I wasn't going to post about Ebay here but I had to tell you about my sale. I had listed Ryker's high chair on Craigslist for a month now. The first day of listing, I got a question about it. The prospective buyer wanted to know if the item came from a pet free and smoke free environment. I told the lady we had a dog but our house was smoke free. She replied she wasn't interested because her baby was allergic to dogs. Hmmm, My dog never used the high chair. Whatever. I then decided to list it on Ebay. I figured if I have to take it apart to ship, I am going to list it high. At first I had $65 or Best Offer. After about 2 weeks, I lowered it to $55 or BO. I got an offer for $15. Hell no was I taking that! I then checked my listing to see what the problem was. The shipping was way off. It was calculated at like over $50. No way did it cost that much to ship. I redid my calculations and got the shipping to the right price around $17 I also dropped the BIN to $50 Bingo! Got a buyer!

Forgot to add that I sold the Tiger toy on the right for $10 on Saturday. A buyer asked me if I was willing to just sell that so I did. Anyways I took the chair apart and cleaned all the pieces. I packed everything up and taped it shut. Just as I was about to reweigh the box, William asked me if I was going to put these other parts in the box. oh crap. I forgot to put the level thingys that make the chair go up and down. I am so glad William caught that. I reopened the box just a little and threw the pieces in. It took me almost two hours to take it apart, clean it and pack it up but for $50 I can't complain.

Saturday Centus: If I Die Young

If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song

This is the first verse of a song by The Band Perry. It was released as their second single in June 2010. It is about making the most of whatever time you're given: whether it is two years, twenty years or two hundred years. It describes the writer as being content with the life she has lived and if she were to die young, she would have no regrets. She is not afraid of death as she knows she has lived a good life.

If you haven't heard this song yet, you can play it here.

Find more The Band Perry albums at Myspace Music

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Cavities? Yup I Gots Them

Apparently I brush Robbie's teeth better than I brush my own. Robbie: zero cavities Me: 2 cavities I hate going to the dentist office. I haven't been in over 5 years and now I am paying for it. The blame isn't mine alone though. I do not have insurance and dentists are expensive. After being on a waiting list at the low income clinic for over a year, I finally got my family in. Since Robbie grinds his teeth, he got the first appointment. No cavities Teeth all nice and clean. William was next. Likewise no cavities but since he has a heart problem, they could not clean his teeth without discussing it with his heart doctor. Bill had an appointment on Wednesday where he was told he would not be seen unless he got some antibiotics from his heart doctor. I had my appointment today.

Imagine brushing these

Going to the dentist is one of the top ten places I hate to go, right up there with the ob/gyn and Walmart. I have bad breath and do not care for people to be poking around in my mouth. The last time I went, I got my wisdom teeth pulled out (around 2005) Not only do I have cavities and bad breath, I suffer from bleeding gums. All my symptoms point to periodontal disease and this visit confirmed it. Yes, I have moderate periodontal disease and require a deep cleaning. Fun times Fun times. I haven't got the cleaning appointment scheduled but I go back Tuesday to get my cavity filled. At least it's not a pap smear!

I'm Really Not crazy... Just Thrifty

Since I do not have a car, I usually walk to my favorite thrift store. This store is located 12 blocks from my house. Not too many know of this gem in our community as it is in a residential area in an old warehouse. Most of the time, I am the only customer there. Although some days it is hard to determine if the people there are workers or not. Alot of them stand around doing nothing and this morning I saw two of them playing some trivia game. Ummm excuse me. You are suppose to sell the games. Not play them.

Anyways, they never give me a bag for my items. I usually just throw them in the basket under the stroller. Today I found some really big plush characters, Big Bird and Cookie Monster. Since they are 28 inches tall, they obviously did not fit under the stroller.  For 12 long blocks, I had put them up on top.

I felt a little embarrassed. I could just imagine what people thought. Like I said, most do not know the thrift store exists and I probably looked like a crazy person taking two stuffed animals for a walk. And to make matters worse, when I got to my block, my neighbor was out in his yard waving at me.

I can't wait to get a car...

R Is For Robert and Ryker and Me!

R is for Robert and Ryker and me! Robert is my third son. He is 13 years old. Ryker is my fourth son and he is my suprise baby. I had him while on birth control. He is 20 months old. So how did we come up with their names? Since Robbie is older, I will tell you his story first.

I have an Uncle named Bob. Robert actually. I tell everyone Robbie was named after him but in reality, Robert's name is the middle name of my first love. But shhhhhh, don't tell hubby that! Sorry Uncle Bob. Robbie's middle name is Aaron. Yup, Aaron. Same as Elvis. You know, the King of Rock. There you have it, how Robbie got his name.

Now for Ryker's story. Ryker was due in one day and we still hadn't settled on a name. I told my husband I was not having this baby unless we had a name for him. I loved Joshua David. David is my father's name. Hubby did not like it. He wanted to use all our other children's middle names which would have been Aaron James Edward Pries. That's alot of names! I wanted him to have his own name. We were watching The Taking of Pelham 123. John Travolta played a crook named Ryder. I said to Bill "How about Ryder?" He did not like that name. I thought for a few minutes and I said "You probably won't like this name either but how about Ryker?" He liked it! At the time, neither one of us realized this is the name of a jail in New York City. Now the middle name. Bill said Lee and that was it.  And that is how Ryker got his name.

How did I get my name? Rebecca is from the Bible. I have no idea where the Jean comes from. I believe that is the name of one of my mom's friends. I'll have to ask the next time I talk to her.

Linking up to Jenny Matlock

Wordless Wednesday: Life

Ryker's New Ride

Yesterday I managed to break the handle on Ryker's stroller. I think it might have been from leaning on it too much. When I left the thrift store, the handle bar was all the way down to my knees. WTH??? When I got it home, I looked to see what the problem was. The bar was bent on both sides causing it to fall down. I tried to bend it back up with no luck. My hubby asked me if it could be fixed. Since I know how long it takes him to do anything, I told him no. I felt bad about throwing it in the trash but we don't need anymore clutter and I honestly do not think the handle could be fixed. I think when I bought it, (I had got it used) it was on its way to breaking as the handle always seemed to low. So this morning, it was off to the thrift store for a new used stroller. This would be Ryker's fourth stroller. The first two, the wheel fell off. They were both the same brand so maybe it is some kind of flaw with those strollers.

There was only this stroller and an umbrella stroller at the thrift store. There was no price tag on it so when I went to check out, I asked the cashier if he would take $5. He took a few seconds to decide. I could tell he was about to say no so I gave him my puppy eyes and told him how I broke Ryker's stroller yesterday and the stroller I was using now (an umbrella stroller) was only suppose to be used for children less than 30 pounds. He agreed and we were on our way.

Saturday Centus: Laugh Out Loud

How do you get a toddler to Laugh Out Loud? Well, you tickle him of course.



Ok So it isn't a picture but there wasn't anything in the rules about posting a video. Besides, Ryker's laugh is so contagious, a picture would never do him justice.

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Q Is For Quiet

Without these:

Robbie's world is quiet. Can you imagine never hearing the birds sing, never hearing the laughter of children, never hearing the crash of waves against the shore? I can't. Sure some days when the children are fighting, the dog is barking, and the phone is ringing, all I could wish for is peace and quiet. But not the kind of quiet Robbie hears. Thankfully Robbie's world isn't completely filled with silence. With the help of these aides, he can hear some loud noises. I'm not sure if he can hear the birds sing but I am sure he can hear Ryker laugh and perhaps one day if we ever make it back to the ocean, he will be able to hear the waves crash against the shore.

linking to Jenny Matlock

Wordless Wednesday: GRRRRRR

Supper Time At Bedtime?

Ryker has made a game out of eating supper. If he is not ready to eat, he will simply throw all his food on the floor. Today was no exception. The minute that first nugget hit the floor, I took his food away. I waited a few minutes and asked if he was ready to eat. He doesn't talk so I took his grin to be a yes. I gave back the food and bam, another nugget on the floor. Fine, we won't eat right now. I took the rest of his food away and put it in the fridge. He got down to play and 3 hours later, I remembered he hadn't eaten supper yet. He was already in his crib and screaming his head off. I put him back at the table and gave him his supper. Guess what? He didn't throw a single morsel.

Following is the conversation I had with my hubby after putting Ryker to bed.

Me: Guess who just finished eating supper?

Hubby: I don't know.

Me: Ryker. I forgot that he hadn't eaten his supper so I just fed him now.

Hubby: You are such a bad mom

Me: Well at least I finally remembered.

Hubby: This is why I don't like you going anywhere with them. You'll probably forget about one and leave them in the store.

Me: I'm not that bad.

Hubby: silence

Me: No, really I'm not

In my defence, I usually do not forget to feed my kids. It has just been one of those days.

My Little Houdini

Ryker has learned to escape his crib. He climbed over the rail about a month or so ago and it was only one night. Tonight he escaped again. After the 6th or 7th breakout, I thought "Hmmm, perhaps if I turn the crib around, he will not be able to climb over the rail."  So far, it is working. He is not happy. I'm sure in another few days, he will be tying his sheets into a rope and getting out that way.

Saturday Centus You Are My Sunshine

When Ryker visits the doctor, they give him a book. Perhaps to make up for the sting of shots? Last time he got "You Are My Sunshine" This is my favorite children's songs and one of Ryker's favorite books. Here he is on the couch reading it.

And here he is throwing it.

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P Is For Plenty

There are Plenty of words in my life that start with the letter P that it was hard to choose just one word. Here is my list of the top ten words that start with the letter P.

P is for Pearl. She is my mother. She has raised 3 daughters and is Grandmother to 10 Grandchildren.

P is for Paul. Paul is my brother in law. He married my twin sister, Sarah.

P is for Pardee Street. This is where I live. Please do not stalk me as I am very uninteresting and I own a gun. :-) (just kidding. or am I?)

P is for Purple butterfly. Yes, Ryker is a boy. Yes, Ryker will kill me when he gets older and stumbles across this picture.

P is for Pampers. Most of my days revolve around diaper changes. Ok so I actually use Luvs but that doesn't start with P. Give me a break. This is harder than it seems.

P is for Please. I am trying to teach Ryker some manners. Although he can not talk yet, you can never start too early with being polite.

P is for Pizza. I love pineapple and ham on mine but no one else does so we never order it. We get pepperoni though. Yay us!

P is for Pizza Hut. This was the first job I had. I washed dishes. It was disgusting but I wasted worked an entire summer because I had a crush on a boy who worked there. Dirty dishes. Totally worth it to see his cute face every day.

P is for Plan. I once had a life plan but than real life got in the way. Nowadays I live life day by day.

And finally, P is for Peanut Butter Jelly Time!





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Wordless Wednesday

Play Keys Recalled

Ryker loves playing with keys. He especially loves playing with my keys and most of the time I have to go on a hide and seek mission to find them. He does not have the set that was recalled but I see them all the time at Goodwill. The are by Battat and here are the pictures of the recalled toys.

You can read about the recall here