Yawn!

I have to say, I just do not understand why Daylight Savings time is still practiced. It was GREAT when I was, say, 21, childless, and changing back to "standard time" meant another hour the club/bar was open. Now that I have children...not so much. Ya see, 3 & 2 year olds do not understand the concept of gaining an hour of sleep. And now that I think about it, I don't really get it, either. Does that mean that November 7 was actually 25 hours long? It sure felt like it since I had 2 kids up at 5am on a Sunday! Clearly this whole time change thing was the idea of a childless person who wanted to screw with all the parents in the world. Curse you, daylight savings inventer...curse you.

Alright, ranting aside, it's already mid-November! I should probably post some pictures of the kids from Halloween. Here ya go...yeah, for some reason it put the pictures on the top of the post...and I'm just too lazy to figure it out right now.

AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaakkkkkkkkkk!

*sigh* Sorry. I had to get that out, but I feel better now. Let's just say that the month of October has not been a good one for the members of the Rudegeair household under 3 feet tall. Paige is 1 1/2 going on 13 and Carl's behavior is worse now than when he was 2! Whoever came up with the term "Terrible Twos" forgot to mention that they progress into "Terrible-er Threes!" All I have to say is we'd better get "Fantastic Fours" or I'm selling the boy to the circus.
I think the most frustrating thing (but at the same time a really good thing) is that at school he's wonderful. His teachers are always commenting on what a good listener he is and how kind and patient he is with the other kids. They're saying this and I'm staring at them blankly thinking, "Do they know who my kid is, or do they just say this to all the parents?" But, no. He really is! Apparently there is a new little girl in his class named Katie. Katie gets really upset when she gets dropped off and kind of shies away from playing with the other kids. Carl was telling me about this one day and I told him that maybe he should try and be her friend. So yesterday, when Katie got dropped off and started crying, Carl walked up to her, took her hand, and hung out with her all day. He involved her in all the games they were playing, sat next to her at Lunch Bunch, helped her open her lunch bags (sandwich, crackers, etc.), and proceeded to draw all the kids in Lunch Bunch pictures and hand them out. Color me confused, because as soon as this boy walks through the threshold of our house, he's a totally different kid! Ah, well...I guess I should be happy that he's not a terrible monster at school, right? Right.
Paige is in the beginning of the 2-year-old whiny, temper-tantrum, "Pick me up. Put me down. Pick me up." stage...I am not amused. I've been there, I've done that, I'm not putting up with it again. The poor girl is probably going to have abandonment issues, because whenever she throws herself on the floor in protest of whatever injustice was dealt to her, I just leave the room and don't look back. She then proceeds to follow me through the house continuously flinging herself at my feet. It got so bad one time that I just locked myself in the bathroom until she got bored and walked away! Ah, parenthood...it's so glamorous, isn't it? I've resorted to hiding from my children in the bathroom.
On a brighter note, both kids are really excited about their Halloween costumes! Carl IV, after much debate and going back and forth ("I want to be a gorilla! No, wait...Spiderman! No, Batman!") we have decided on Optimus Prime...with a foam pirate sword...because no ensemble would be complete without a foam pirate sword. Paige is going to be a bumble bee. Her costume is so cute I can't even stand it! I had a tutu made in black and yellow, she's going to have the striped tights, wings, a headband with antennae...I can't wait to see the whole thing put on her! I'll be sure to take oodles of pictures to post.
This past Tuesday Carl IV's school took a trip to a local farm that has a pumpkin patch. I had 5 vacation days left for the year, so I decided to take the whole day off and go with him. So much fun! We started out with a hayride out to the pumpkin patch (which, can I just say, is absolute TORTURE for a mom with allergies whose little boy thinks throwing hay is hilarious?), then the kids ran around the pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin each. Okay...if you haven't seen 15 3-year-olds let loose in a pumpkin patch, add it to your Bucket List. ADORABLE! They're running around like it's the day after Thanksgiving sale at Macy's! Carl, of course, headed directly to the muddiest corner of the patch and found the perfect pumpkin...which was immediately discarded because he passed another perfect pumpkin...this happened at least 7 times. Hilarious.
Carl: picks up pumpkin..."Mommy! Wook at dis one! It's so BIG!"
Me: "Wow! That is an impressive pumpkin, dude! Are you sure that's the one you want?"
Carl: "Yep. Dis one's my favowite...I'm going to cut in eyes, and a mouf, and...WAIT! I want dis one instead."
Repeat x 6.

Carl III and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on October 8th! Can you believe it?! Yeah, me, neither. It is so weird to think that I am old enough to have been married for 6 years! Here's to many more! Love you, babe! xoxo

AUTUMN!!!

Ahhhh! Today is the first official day of fall...or it will be at 11:09pm. You would think autumn in Pennsylvania would mean temperatures in the 60-70 degree range, right? Well, it has been amazing the past couple of weeks, until this week...when it is actually fall...we have highs in the 90s. Mother Nature, get with the program, would you? I cannot STAND being teased with open-window weather only to return to A/C weather again! Ugh!
Okay, now that I have that off my chest, onto family stuff.
Carl IV started nursery school again last week. The school did short days for the first week (he's still going Tuesdays and Thursdays), so yesterday was his first REAL day. This year the school's Lunch Bunch program runs an hour longer, so he'll be going from 9am - 2pm! He's thrilled! Apparently the teachers take turns running Lunch Bunch and his teacher from last year was in charge yesterday. She couldn't get over what a big guy he's turned into! She said he was the only one who set up his whole lunch by himself (opening sandwich bags, juice, etc.), and she said he has the most advanced speaking skills of the kids in his age group (and how! He gets plenty of practice!), and according to her a pretty deep voice for a 3-year-old. He's one of a class of 6 which is fantastic! Lots and lots of individual attention, which he craves now that he's a big brother.
Paige is adjusting to flying solo during the day pretty well. The first day that Debbie dropped Carl off at school she said that Paige started skipping to the door, turned around to see if Carl was there, and totally lost her mind when she realized he wasn't coming with them! But, I think she's started to notice that it's a pretty sweet deal having your grandmother all to yourself 2 days a week! She's started talking a LOT more. I feel so bad a lot of the time because she just rambles on with such infliction in her tone and I'm just staring at her with a smile on my face thinking, "What the heck is she saying?!" She's started to get to the point that she's frustrated when we don't know what she wants, so that's super fun. <---- oozing with sarcasm.
Carl III has been back at Asplundh Tree Experts for a few weeks and things are going beautifully (thank God)! His foreman seems to like him and recognizes that he knows what he's doing, so that is always nice.
I have been sick the past week or so, so I'm trying to get motivated to run again...which is a lot like getting motivated to punch myself in the face. I can't deny it, though. When I'm running regularly I feel better, I sleep better, I'm more energized, all that crap that people tell you about exercising turns out to be true. Who knew?! I have to say, though...I will never go running on a Wednesday morning again. My dog tripped me up about 4 times trying to sniff everyone's trash cans and then to chase the trash truck. I was lucky I made it home without a broken limb!
Carl III's step-sister, Krystal, had a baby boy on Monday night. Carl IV is SUPER excited about having a boy to play with (although he doesn't seem to understand it'll be a while before he can). Congratulations, Krystal, and welcome to the family, Avery!

Fall is in the air!

Yes, that's right...it's beginning to feel like autumn! Ahhhh...I'm looking at the temperature reading in the bottom corner of my screen and it's a beautiful 68* outside right now. I absolutely ADORE this time of year. Windows open throughout the house and office, jeans and tee shirts are the norm, everyone just seems so much more pleasant when it's no longer a bajillion degrees outside. I LOVE IT!
I started a running program called 'Couch to 5K' yesterday and am really excited. The general idea is that this program takes you day-by-day through a training regimen from the absolutely pathetic out of shape (me) to someone who can run a 5K without dying in just 2 months. I made the mistake of dragging my somewhat chubby 4 1/2 year old malamute/german shepard mix out with me yesterday, and I think we made it about 100 yards before he just sat down. I tugged his leash and made enthusiastic "Come on, buddy! Let's go!" noises (which was tough at 5am), to which he replied by lying down in the middle of the road we were on. Maybe I should hide bacon in my pockets next time to make him keep up.
Paige has FINALLY cut all her teeth...until her molars come in, that is (which I'm afraid is going to be right around the corner). But, this lack of gum pain has made her so much more pleasant lately! She's laughing constantly, which I adore because she really has the cutest little giggle; she jabbers to herself all day long about, well, we have no idea what she's talking about because it's jabber, but she'll look at you straight in the eye with such a serious expression and her jabber has the cadence of a real conversation...I'm pretty sure she's discovered the meaning of life and is trying her damnedest to relay it to us, but alas...we don't understand toddler jabber.
Carl IV is, well, getting there. We're still having some serious issues with him talking back and bedtime is something that I dread on a daily basis. But, he's not talking back nearly as often as before, he's not pitching as many fits, and he's going to bed a teensy bit better now that I've started a bedtime chart for him. Fingers crossed that soon I won't have to bribe him with a prize in the morning to keep him from losing his noodle every night at bedtime. I think his going back to school is going to help with a lot of our issues. He'll be worn out from playing with all of his friends, he'll have a little more structure to his days than he does now (which helps him enormously), and hopefully he'll buddy up with some really well-behaved kid who will rub off on him! What? Wishful thinking? ...maybe...
Carl III got some exciting news this week! He got called back by Asplundh. For those of you who don't know, Carl worked for Asplundh (you know...the tree guys with the orange trucks) in Florida for years and years. He was a foreman then, so he was hired on here with chances for advancement at a much sooner rate than a new guy would normally get! Also, he'll be making more money AND get fully-paid benefits for the entire family! Hooray! This also means that once we have health insurance back, we'll be trying for baby #3 (boy, boy, boy...please be a boy)!
My 29th birthday is in a little over a week and I'm getting excited and frustrated all at the same time. My opinion: birthdays are a big stinkin' deal regardless of how old you are. Apparently very few people feel the same way. If I had my way I would still have a huge party with cake, ice cream, presents...just like when I was a kid. When was I supposed to outgrow that, because it seems like everyone else did and I missed it... So many people don't even advertise that it's their birthday. What's wrong with you people?! About a month before my birthday I revert back to my 7-year-old self: Crossing the days off the calendar leading to Sept. 6th; Casually mentioning to everyone I know that my birthday is coming up; Dropping (not-so) subtle hints on what I might want as a gift...I just missed the "Grow up and get boring" bus I guess...thank God! Whoo! It's almost my birthday!

August?! What happened to July?!?!?!

Alright, I can explain. I know I promised to do this more often, but the kids...yeah, the kids...it's all their fault. The pesky little brats want all of my spare attention. Okay, I'll admit it. I just suck at this. Sorry.

July has been a pretty horrible month for the Rudegeairs. We've all been stressed beyond belief Carl III and I because of money, leases, health insurance, and every other adult responsibility that refuses to go away; Carl IV has been SO BAD lately, and I'm thinking that he's probably bored to tears with his whiney little sister as his only child company lately, he also got tonsilitis which really added a certain something to his attitude...crappiness...that's exactly what it added; and Paige is cutting her canines, so she's a real peach.

But, things are looking up! Carl III just found out he got a job closer to home (so we'll save bunches on gas $$) that offers benefits! Hooray! Carl IV starts school in a month, so hopefully that will lessen his boredom and bring back my sweet little boy. Paige's last tooth is almost completely through, so that should help hush her up (God willing)! Ahhh...and if all of this happens, it will brighten my mood SO MUCH!

I had the pleasure of taking my sister-in-law, Leah, my cousin-in-law (?), Kelsey, and my friend Kim to a concert on the waterfront in Philadelphia. That was a blast!! I got to see 2 of my favorite bands (Tegan & Sara and Paramore), hang out with some awesome girls, and get out of work early! All in all a pretty super Wednesday!

Paige has started talking more and more, and it's so entertaining to listen to her try to figure things out. A lot of "words" are more sounds than actual words. Like "hot" to her is a "HAAA." Hillarious. "Carl" is "Cawa." She has mastered "kitty" (which is funny since we don't have one, and "Mama" which is nice and obnoxious at the same time since she follows me around the house, arms lifted whining, "Maaaaamaaaaaaa!").

Carl III starts a new job on Monday (cue the choir of angels)! It's for the same pay that he was getting at his last job, but it's about 30 minutes closer, so we'll save a ton on gas money, plus it's a driving position, so no more physical labor! Hooray! I'm hoping that goes really well, because I know the poor guy just wants to find a job that he can go to every day, work a set number of hours, and come home.

July

Sheesh! Over a month since my last post...that's just disgraceful. Sorry, cyber-stalkers, to keep you in such anticipation for so long! LOL
Alrighty, so what have the Rudegeairs been up to lately? Well, my mom and dad flew up from Florida over the 4th of July weekend. It was so great to see them, and to see them interact with my kids (especially dad and Carl IV). So cute! They flew in on Friday evening, and by some fortuitous twist of fate their plane was late, so we missed all of the traffic and made amazing time on the drive home! We then picked up Carl at home, left the kids with Debbie (love you, Deb!) and headed over to Pepper's, a local Italian restaurant, for dinner. After that, everyone was exhausted and we called it a night. Bright and early on Saturday morning we braved the 100+ temperatures and roamed the Philadelphia Zoo. It was a great time, but I have to admit, I think the ice cream was probably what everyone enjoyed the most since it was so freakin' hot! After that, we dropped the parents off at their hotel and took the kids home so they could take a nap (which, of course, they didn't because they had slept in the car...grrrrr...). So, after the imaginary nap we piled back into the car and headed over to my parents' hotel to invade their pool (which was located in the center of the hotel, therefore shaded from the ridiculous heat and FREEEEZING cold!). By the time we thawed out and changed, we hit the hotel restaurant for dinner and headed home. Sunday was another scorching hot day, so we just hung around our house all day. I picked up mom and dad and brought them home for breakfast. After breakfast we all just hung out for a while. It was during this hanging out that I overheard what could very well be the most adorable thing ever! I was washing the breakfast dishes and Carl IV had my dad in his room showing him all of his cool toys. Dad asked Carl, "Have you ever been fishing?" (For those of you who don't know my dad, fishing...kind of a big deal.) Carl replies, "Nope. I don't have a fishing rod." Dad looks at him and says, "We'll have to see what we can do about that. Then, next time you come visit my house, we can go out on my boat and I'll take you fishing." Carl's eyes got huge! Cutest. Thing. EVER! It was a great weekend and I was just really happy to have both parents here!
Since then, my bestest friend, BJ, has moved to Pennsylvania! He's in the Marines and has recently become a recruiter. He and his wife, Keila, moved to Seilensgrove, PA (about 2 hours away from me) last week, so I drove up on Saturday to help move some furniture since Keila is about 5'1" and probably 97 lbs soaking wet! But, to my suprise, I arrived to a fully unpacked house! So, we just hung out and drank and I got to get to know Keila, which was nice. I have to admit, I was a little worried...I mean, she's married to my best friend, but I'd never met her...what if we hated each other?! But, luckily, that is so not an issue because she is so nice and really personable, so we got on beautifully!
Paige has started talking a little more lately. It's part of her evening ritual (pre-dinner) to follow me around the kitchen whining/moaning/crying...must be the combination of not seeing me all day, hunger and almost bed time that brings out this beautiful side of her. <---Imagine me saying that ooooooooozing with sarcasm for full effect. So, for ages, I would just ignore her whining, she would follow me around whining, and eventually give up. The other day it finally happened. Somebody taught her my name. "Waaaaahhh....Maaaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaaa..." Ugh! Damn it! Ah, well...she also says 'baby' and 'dada' and 'all gone.' WAY more than her brother said at this age. I think it definitely helps that she has an older sibling that she can hear talk. All the time. Continuously. Without stopping. Ever. Even if he's alone in a room. Talking. CONSTANTLY. Oi!

Wow, I suck at this.

I keep telling myself that I'll write a post soon...as you can see I blow myself off pretty easily! Sorry for the infrequent updates lately, but those of you who have ever had a full time job outside of the home (hell, even inside the home) and small children, you understand that by the time I get a few minutes to myself, I'm usually passed out on the sofa!
Alright, so what's been going on with the Rudegeairs? Hmm...Carl IV had his last day of nursery school last week. He was devestated yesterday when he asked why he wasn't going to school and I told him it was vacation time and he wouldn't be going back for a while. The poor kid looked at me as though I'd just told him that Santa wasn't real! He's happy that his buddy that lives behind my mother-in-law's will be home again, though (he started kindergarten last fall). He has recently shown an overwhelming sense of sympathy/empathy toward his friends and animals. Yesterday he found a dead worm on the sidewalk and was practically in tears because it was hurt. He dumped some water on it trying to make it better, but alas...his worm remained dead. His eyes were welling up just telling me about it. We also have the occasional talk about how the kids that live behind Debbie (who are older, and occasionally...okay, ALWAYS, really manipulative and pushy) are not allowed to boss him around and take toys or hit, and he started crying (but an angry, defensive, silent, tears running down his face cry) and said, "He my fwiend. You have to be nice. He my fwiend." Sweet little dude.
Paige is on the verge of talking everyone's ear off! As of now, she's just babbling (constantly!), with the occasional word in there. "That!" "Kitty!" "NO!" and "HI!" are her favorites. Everything is an exclaimation, which I absolutely love. It's not, "Hi," but, "HI!" So cute!
As for Carl and I, we had a much needed night out a couple of weeks ago. Carl's mom took the kids all day and overnight one Saturday, so Carl and I headed out to his aunt's beach house in Ocean City, NJ and just enjoyed the peace and quiet of a beach town right before peak season. Aaaahhhhh...so nice.
I finally hooked up our web cam to the laptop I got last fall and got on Skype with my sister last weekend. It was so cool to see her and my niece, Bobbi. I have to admit, watching Alie with a kid cracks me up as she was always kind of "anti-babies/kids" when we were growing up. It's just funny. (Sorry, Alie!) :)
We're still trying to scrimp and save to get to London the week after Christmas, but it seems like every time I think I'm getting ahead, something happens and I have to dig into the savings account to pay for something. Such is the life of a grown up.
I'm really excited for next weekend, though! A friend of mine from youth group in high school got in touch with me a while back and said her sister was getting married and did I want to come since it's in PA? I was like, "Umm...hell yeah!" So, we're going to Erika Weber's wedding (which weirds me out since she was probably 14 the last time I saw her!), and I get to see Heidi who was one of my dearest friends through high school, and I haven't seen in AGES! I am thrilled! Also, she has 3 boys that are close-ish in age to my kids, so it'll be nice to talk to a friend who has kids and they can entertain each other while we gab away about the goings on of our lives since, oh, 2002! It should be a fantastic time!
On a more somber note, a friend of mine and Carl's lost her mother to cancer last week, so if you're the praying type, I ask that you please keep the Ferlick family in your prayers. I know it will be greatly appreciated.

May 2010

Okay, so it's been forever, but our family has been going through some serious stuff. Blah.
I'll just cut to the chase and say that Carl's grandpop had another stroke the week after Easter, was hospitalized for a week, and passed away the following week. His funeral was the following Thursday, so the whole 2 weeks were a whirlwind for our family. Obviously we were all upset, and with Debbie (Carl's mom) holding a power of attorney for Pop, she had to be present for a lot of the goings on at the hospital. This, in turn, resulted in me missing a lot of work since she's the one who watches the kids while Carl and I are working. Fortunately, my boss is really cool and understanding, so it wasn't an issue with him, but in the back of my mind I couldn't help but think of the brutal blow everything was going to have on my paycheck. I know, I know...and I don't resent or regret any of the time taken off to show respect to Pop and the family. But, given our current financial situation, every penny counts, and I knew this was going to add one more thing to my "stress" list.
Carl III is also HATING his new job at the landscape company. Aparently this place is the most unorganized business in the entire world! So, we're still sending his resume out to every job that looks appealing, so fingers crossed!

90 Degrees in April?!?!

Yes, you read that correctly. For the past 4 days we've been hovering around 90 degrees up here! That's bananas! This is hot even for my Floridian self! Whew!

I had the day off on Good Friday, so we took advantage of the beautiful day and hauled the kids off to the city to hit the zoo. Good idea, right? Well, the rest of Philadelphia thought so, too. We were 4 of 10 gazillion people there. Glad we went as early as we did, though, because the line to get off of the interstate to head to the zoo was backed up for miles when we left! The kids had a blast. That was the first time Paige had been since last summer, so it was cute to see her actually "get it" and get excited about the animals. Well, most animals. She freaked out a little when we got too close to the giant tortoise. Actually, now that I think about it, she seemed more impressed with the trees/landscaping than the animals. Ah, well...we had a good time.

We ended up taking the kids to the early mass on Easter Sunday, and they did suprisingly well! Paige spent the whole time flirting with the people in the pew behind us (which the people behind us were just eating up!), and Carl spent the whole service waiting for us to be splashed by holy water (at the renewing of the baptismal vows). After mass we went home and the kids napped for a little bit, then we headed to Carl's Aunt Patty's house for dinner and egg hunting. I have pics of that, but forgot to bring the cord with me to upload them from my camera, so you'll have to wait for those.

Carl III just got hired on with a pretty big tree/landscaping company up here, so that is a humongous relief! His interview was this morning, and after a mere 30 minutes he was hired!!! Hooray! It's less money than he was making with U.S. Roofing, but about the same as his unemployment brings in (which is working fine for us), but once he makes foreman (which is only a matter of a month or so) there will be no chance of seasonal lay-offs! WHOO-HOO!!! Add to that he's going to get benefits...awesome. This is such a huge weight lifted off of our shoulders! Let's all breath a huge sigh of relief together. WHEW!

The Lesser of 2 Evils

Okay, let me explain the title of this post. I am completely torn between taking the kids with me to the Easter Vigil service which is Saturday night at 8pm or getting them up and braving the 8-bajillion people that will be at Easter Sunday mass the following morning. The upside of the vigil is that it's at 8pm, so the odds of one or both kids falling asleep are greatly in my favor. Also, it's really visually interesting what with the Easter fire, getting candles to hold, etc. so they'd be entertained a bit more than usual. The downside is it's at 8pm, so if the little punks don't sleep they'll be total...well...punks. Plus, having gone to the vigil solo the past couple of years, I don't remember seeing many kids there, so if they do make noise, it will be REALLY amplified. The downside of the Easter Sunday mass is the 8-bajillion people, half of whom will be under the age of 10 and all hopped-up on jelly beans! Ugh! Ah, well...I think I'll play it by ear and see how they're acting on Saturday to let that be the deciding factor.
Our trip to Baltimore was good. We got up before God on Saturday morning and enjoyed a quiet cup of coffee before waking up the kids and getting them dressed and in the car. When Mapquesting directions to Ken's house, I did a search for Waffle Houses between PA and Baltimore and, TA-DA, I found one on the way!!! So, I had the best hash browns I've had since I moved north of the Mason Dixon Line, and we hit the road again. All in all the trip took about 2 hours, so we were in Baltimore around 7:30 or 8am. We hung out at Ken and Beth's for a little bit and Ooooh'd and Aaaaah'd over little Zoe (totally adorable...and SO quiet!). Then, we grabbed the strollers and hit the park. We did a lap around a great park near their house (which brought to my attention how ridiculously out of shape I am as I was panting by the time we finished), and headed back to their house so Paige and Zoe could take a nap. Then, we hit a nice area by the water and just strolled around (again, more walking, more aching!). We hit the road to head back home around 6:00pm hoping the kids would sleep the whole way home, then we could just toss them into bed and hit the hay ourselves...silly us. Would you believe those little monsters (neither of whom took a decent nap that day and both got up about an hour earlier than usual) stayed awake until we were 10 minutes from home?!?! By that time I was like, "Hell, no! Stay awake! Stay awake! You're going to change into jammies, go potty, then go to sleep." Ugh. It was a fun, exhausting day.

March Madness---and I'm not talkin' about basketball!

WHEW! I cannot believe that it's already the last week of March! It's been a total whirlwind with the Rudegeairs this month.

We started off with Carl IV's 3rd birthday which was a lot of fun. We just had people over to our house for pizza and cake. It was a good time. The kid gets more presents in one birthday than I think I did over my entire childhood! It's obscene! But, he also plays with EVERYTHING so at least none of it's going to waste.

Things have been picking up for me at work (Thank God!). Carl III's still unemployed and being Mr.Mom, but we have a few irons in the fire, so hopefully something comes up soon.

Last week we decided to trash all of Paige's pacifiers, which is a total non-issue to her...until bedtime. I had no idea she would become so dependent on a stupid piece of silicone to help soothe herself to sleep or I never would've given her one! Ah, well...better to take it away now than to go through what my sister is currently. Her daughter is almost 2, and they just took hers away and are having a hard time because she can ask for it! At least Paige can't scream the word "BINKY" to me. :)

This past Saturday Carl IV's nursery school hosted an Easter Egg hunt which we took the kids to. It was really cute, but I think they were a little overwhelmed by the number of kids that came. It seemed like it was 30 kids and 29 eggs, if you know what I mean. They didn't have the ages broken up very well, either (3 & under in one hunt...so I've got my 1-year-old going up against her 3-year-old brother for candy?! She's going to get the shaft...whatever). All in all they handled everything well, though.

We're heading to Baltimore to visit one of Carl III's best friends and his wife and new baby next weekend. Hopefully the weather cooperates so we can see some of the city! Fingers crossed!

BAM-MOM!

Okay, I know I shouldn't make fun of the way my (almost) 3-year-old talks, but it's so stinkin' cute the way he pronounces certain words I just can't resist! For instance, Grandmom is "Bam-mom," huge is "HOOOJ," Aunt Leah is "Aunt Wee-yuh"...you get the picture. Also, his little spin on what he calls certain things is adorable. Paige is not just Paige. No, sir. She's "Paige-y." And our enormous dog (he's half Alaskan Malamute, half German Shepard...and thinks he's a poodle!) is named Gregory (after the last street we lived in before leaving Florida), but Carl IV insists on calling him "Big Horse," because he heard my mother-in-law refer to him as such. Freakin' cracks me up! Imagine a 3-year-old yelling across the house, "Here, Big Horse! Where Big Horse is?" The kid's a nut.
Alright, enough of that. Onto what the whole family has been up to.
I have decided to make more of an effort to get everybody together to go to mass again. I admit, we have been severely slacking in this area lately. It's just such a pain to get the kids to be quiet for an entire hour. I called our church and they do not have a cry-room or a nursery! What the hell?! So, we're going to have to be "those people" with "those kids" during mass, because that's the only way that the little boogers are going to learn what's expected of them during mass. So, to all parishoners of MDP, I apologize in advance for the chatty kiddos in the front...that's us. But, seeing as we have no alternative, please keep your dirty looks to yourself, I'm doing the best I can.
We have also been making more of an effort to eat dinner together as a family at our dinner table. We had a habit of feeding the kids early in the kitchen and Carl III and I would just eat on the couch a little later. I remember growing up we always ate dinner together, and it's a really important thing to instill in your kids. That is "family" time, and it needs to be something that we stick to. So, wish us luck, but so far so good!
Carl IV's 3rd birthday is rapidly aproaching and he found out that they're going to have a party for him at his school...big mistake. He won't shut up about it. Out of the blue he'll turn to me and say, "Mommy, guess what! My birfday come up soooooon! I have party and presents and ice cream!" It's cute the first, say, 12 times...the following bajillion...not so much.

Valentine's Day (a few days late)

Valentine's Day was on a Sunday this year, and Carl IV's nursery school was supposed to have their party last Thursday. The kid was so excited at the mere thought of a party with candy that he was SERIOUSLY let-down when school was cancelled on Thursday because of the blizzard. Fortunately they had the party yesterday, and let me tell you...Carl IV gave out the coolest Valentines by-far! I got 8 Transformer's mini-boxes of chocolates at Target for 99¢ each. Normally I would've just bought a box of the little cards and taped lollipops to them, but I figured I would take advantage of him being in such a small class and get the good ones this time. Hmph. Apparently I was the only parent who felt that way. Ah, well...he was really excited and they got to paint the bags to hold all their goodies, they made cards for mom & dad (really cute!) and glued stuff all over hearts that the teachers cut out of construction paper.
Paige and Carl IV both got haircuts on Sunday, and let me tell you...they've never looked cuter! I was really impressed by Paige holding it together for her 1st haircut experience. She was so captivated by the huge mirrors (my daughter is SO narcissistic)!
We're prepping for Carl IV's 3rd birthday which is in about 3 weeks. I can't think about it for too long or I start to get teary. My little man is turning into...well...a little man! 3 is officially a little boy. Not a toddler. Not a baby. He is a little boy now. Hard to believe this time 3 years ago I was begging my O.B. to induce me because I was convinced I was going to have a humongous kid. "But you're measuring perfectly normal, Dominique. He's not going to be that big." Ha! Goes to show you how accurate their measurements are. The monster was 10lbs 3oz! Still weird to think of myself as a mom, but the mom of a 3 year old...whoa.
Carl III is still unemployed. He's still waiting to hear from the water company up here, and heard through the grape vine that his step-dad's brother (who is pretty high up at the company) was putting in a good word, so we shall see.
I, on the other hand, just had my 1 year review at work, and got a raise! Whoo-hoo!!!
Today is Ash Wednesday (1st day of Lent), so I would like to say farewell to meat on Fridays. It's been nice having you around, and know that you will be missed. See you in a little over a month.

Snow...AGAIN!

Friday night 2/5/2010 into Saturday 2/6/2010 the Philadelphia area got upwards of 2 feet of snow. Okay, I can handle that. After all, I am aware of the fact that it is February in Pennsylvania. But, another 2 feet less than a week later?! COME ON!! That's a bit much.

We've had 2 blizzard condition storms in 4 days. Whew! That's a lot of flippin' snow!

These snow days have, however, given me a lot of time to browse the web looking for money-saving tips/blogs because I am absolutely disgusted by how much money groceries cost. I found a really good one and figured I'd share. It's called 'Cha-Ching on a Shoestring.' I'm adding their button to my blog because a lot of the coupons are good nationwide and not just in our local stores in the Northeast.

Ugh.

I know it's been a long time since I posted anything but there has been a stomach bug that's having its' way with my family for the past week.
It all started on Sunday night around 8:30pm when Carl IV woke up crying and whining. I was exhausted and had just lied down for the night so I sent Carl III in to check on him. 2 seconds later I hear, "Oh, man! Dee, I'm gonna need your help in here!" So, I step into Carl IV's room to see my poor little man lying in his vomit-covered bed just crying his eyes out. And, of course, he wants me to pick him up even though he's covered in the smelliest puke ever. And, because I'm not a terrible mom, I pick him up and have to breathe through my mouth the whole way to the bathroom and while giving him a bath because now I smell like it! Ewwww! So, once he's cleaned up, I get a cup of water and take him to the couch with me to calm him down and give Carl III some time to clean up his bed. The whole time we're sitting there the poor little guy is saying pitiful things like, "Mommy, my belly hurts!" and, "Why I fow up? I not wike it." What a helpless feeling! So, we proceded to explain to him that everybody gets sick sometimes, and it'll get better soon. I don't think he bought it since shortly after as I was carrying him back to his bed he threw up all over himself and me. EEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww! So, another bath and change of clothes later, I get him into bed, and he eventually passes out. Around 10:30 he wakes up again and I go into his room thinking he's been sick again. Thankfully he hadn't been, he was just still freaked out from the earlier episodes. So, Carl III comes to the rescue again and sleeps in Carl IV's room on the floor so he would calm down and get some sleep.
Tuesday was okay for the most part, although Carl III was starting to feel a little if-y towards the end of the day. Wednesday Carl III was sick with the stomach crud, and Wednesday night I was up from 9pm to 4:30am with my head hanging in the toilet. Yuck. Not fun. Thursday morning while I was practically comatose on the sofa, Carl III went to get Paige out of her crib and found that she had been sick all over the place, too. :( Poor little lamb. So, I gave her a bath (all the while gagging at the smell) and she and I sat on the couch all day drinking Gatorade and eating crackers. Not fun at all.
So, now that we've all had it, I'm hoping that we've met our "sick quota" for the year. I don't know if we could survive another round!

January 22, 2010...Carl's 31!!!!

Happy Birthday to the most incredible husband I've ever had! Hahahahaha! I crack me up...Seriously, Carl's 31st birthday is today!! We're going out tonight with some family and friends for sushi and drinks to follow...should be a well-deserved good time.
Carl III's latest job didn't work out. It was a set pay of $60/day, which sounded good when they told him the average day was 4-6 hours long. But, he worked an average of 10 hours/day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday! That's less than minimum wage! So, needless to say, he said adios! to that place and is now back to the job hunt.
Carl IV is quickly becoming a favorite of all the grown-ups at his nursery school. He's aparently the most helpful kid in his class when it comes to cleaning up after an activity, he's potty-trained (I think the only one in his class), and he's a really cool kid (don't roll your eyes...if you've met him, you know it's true!). I'm really glad we decided to enroll him in this program. He's non-stop chatting about it every evening after he's been! It's adorable!
Paige is getting tougher by the day. You can definitely tell that she's grown up around a rough-and-ready little boy. She takes so many spills, tumbles, bumps, etc. and generally just gets up and walks it off. I'm glad she's not a "delicate little flower" kind of girl...that would not last a second in our house! She's going through that stage where she ALWAYS has a huge bump/scratch/bruise on her head. It's a little less obvious with her than with Carl thanks to all her hair!
All in all we're hanging in there. I keep seeing these horrible disasters on the news...the earthquakes in Haiti, the flooding/mudslides in California...it makes me realize how much worse things could be going for us, and makes me focus more on the things that we DO have...clean water, a home, clothes, food, stable ground under our feet. It's really helped to put things into perspective...

This Getting Old This SUCKS!

I don't know what came over me Saturday, but I cleaned every square inch of my house. I mean, REALLY cleaned. I scrubbed the entire kitchen, my bathroom...everything. I even cleaned the kids' rooms (which I usually avoid like the plague due to the fact that I know they'll destroy them again the second I leave the room)! All that cleaning resulted in a little stiffness on Sunday morning. So, when my massive son jumped into my arms Sunday morning for a hug, something in my back said, "What the...?! Screw this!" and twisted/pinched/knotted, resulting in my hobbling around the remainder of the day like a 90-year-old hag! Things like this remind me that I am not 20 anymore.
Carl got the job that he interviewed for on Friday! In case you're wondering why that's not in all caps, bold, and underlined, it's because it's not the greatest job ever. They don't offer benefits, and the pay is kind of...eh. But, it's more than a lot of people have right now, so we're still pretty relieved. For all of you that sent good vibes, thoughts, prayers, etc. Thank you!
Carl IV is heading off to his 2nd day at nursery school tomorrow, and we've been talking all weekend about how tackling people is totally unacceptable, and if he does it again, his teachers won't let him come back. I don't know if that's true (probably not), but it gets the point across. He's really excited, and we're thinking about signing him up for their "Lunch Bunch" program as well. For another $5, he gets to stay until 1:00 and have lunch/hang out with all the other kids that participate in the program. I'm thinking he'd really get a kick out of it!
Paige has been absolutely miserable the past couple of days. I'm hoping it's teething (I seem to be saying that a lot lately). She has definitely had a bit of a growth spurt recently, she's in 18 month clothes, and they fit beautifully! She's starting to lose her "baby" look and is taking on that "little kid" look. I love it!

**Fingers Crossed***

Carl got an interview! I emailed his resume to a listing I saw on CraigsList for a job as a driver for a beverage company in King of Prussia yesterday and they called him today and want to talk to him today!! If he gets the job he starts MONDAY! How sweet is that?! I don't want to get my hopes up too much, because we don't know how much it pays or if they offer benefits, but I figure if nothing else this will help lift his spirits a bit to know that people are interested in him as an employee. Cross your fingers, legs, eyes, whatever...PLEASE LET THIS BE THE JOB!!
On another note, Carl IV had his first full stay at nursery school yesterday, and he did really well. Carl III dropped him off and said that he just took off his coat, turned around to wave, and then took off in the classroom! Debbie went to pick him up and snuck in a little early just to watch how he was doing, and she said he was really good! We did have one incident that I was afraid of...he tackled some little boy for taking a toy (or not giving him the toy...one or the other), but the teacher just said, "Carl, we do not tackle our friends. Say you're sorry," and he did! So, things are looking really good for him with school. Although, he was thoroughly disappointed with the fact that he doesn't get to ride the " 'cool bus" (school bus) he enjoyed being able to interact with other kids his own age.
Paige has 6 teeth now! She got 4 at once on top (which explains all the drooling/pooping/whining), and she looks so silly with all those teeth up top and only 2 little teeth on the bottom! Here's hoping the rest fill in MUCH faster than the ones she has...I'm not sure how much more teething I can take!

We Can't Catch a Break

Just when things were starting to look up for the Rudegeair Family, fate backhanded us in the face. Carl III got pulled into the general manager's office at his new job yesterday. He's been working for a trucking company down the road from our house for the past week and a half, and was just getting into the swing of things when the G.M. tells him that the company's vehicle insurance company won't cover Carl under their policy due to his 10-year driving history. Their hiring screening only requires a 3 year history, in which he's been great. If any of you remember what Carl was like in Florida with his driving, you know what I'm talking about. He was like most guys in their early-20s and got tickets, accidents, suspensions, etc. So, they had to let him go. Here we go again with the job hunt.
I just feel so bad for Carl because all he really wants is an okay job with okay pay that he can work at until he retires. That's all. It's so frustrating to keep getting pushed down time after time. So, if you're the praying type, please keep him in your prayers, not only to get a job, but to keep his spirits up. If you're not the praying type, please send positive vibes his way. God knows he needs them.

Why?

Ah, the joys of having a 2-year-old. I have recently discovered that the absense of tantrums results in an increase of questions. Normally I would be thrilled with the fact that my son is so inquizitive about all the goings on in his world, but the "Why" thing is getting on my last nerve! Here's an example of a typical conversation between me and Carl IV lately:
Me - "Alright, buddy, let's get our shoes on."
Carl - "Why?"
Me - "Because, you can't go outside without shoes on."
Carl - "Why?"
Me - "Because it's freezing cold, and if you don't put shoes on, your toes will get cold and fall off."
Carl - "Why?"
Me (rapidly losing patience) - "It's called frostbite. If your fingers or toes get too cold they fall off, and if you don't have toes you can't run or walk or kick a ball or anything. So, put your shoes on, please."
Carl - "Why?"
Me - "AAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! JUST PUT YOUR SHOES ON!!!!"
Carl - "Mom...not get so mad..."
Me - "Fine. We're not going outside."

Sigh. It's exhausting.
On a brighter note, Carl IV is going to his first day of nursery school tomorrow! He is absolutely thrilled! I, on the other hand, am having mixed feelings. I am so happy that he is so excited, and I know it will be good for him to have interaction with other kids his age. I am, however, nervous about the possibility of him being, "That kid." You know..."THAT kid."
"Mom, that kid hit me!" or "Who threw that toy across the room? Oh, it was that kid." He's just SO physical in everything he does, I am so afraid that he's going to get so overwhelmed at all the new friends and new surroundings that he's totally going to go nuts! Also, I'm a little freaked out at the thought that my baby is old enough to be going to nursery school!!! Alright, stop making fun of me. I know it's only 2 mornings a week, but still...the next step is REAL school. That's INSANE!!! I'll definitely update on how things go by the end of the week.

Shhh...don't tell.

I'm almost afraid to put it down in writing for fear that I'll jinx it, but I can't help it...I think we might be working our way out of the worst of the terrible-2's! <Dee looks quickly from side to side checking for the return of the demonic 2-year-old that has inhabited this house for the past several months> Whew! I don't think he heard me. Carl IV has had the best week and a half in recent memory this past 10 days! I hope it's not a fluke...that would suck. He's been behaving really well (don't get me wrong, he's still 2, but his tantrums have been few and far between), he's eating entire meals instead of taking 2 bites of whatever we're having and then demanding Cheerios and "wack-a-woni" (macaroni), he's being nice to Paige, there's hugs and kisses galore! I love it! He's started talking a lot more which is making me think that maybe the tantrums and yucky behavior were out of frustration from him not being able to get his point across. If so, I'll take the little chatterbox that he's become over that terrible monster any day!
As for Paige...she's had better weeks. I think she's getting some more teeth, because she's been drooly, poopy, and fussy for a few days now...I'm hoping it's teething and not her getting sick. There is really no feeling more helpless than having a sick infant. She'd better be teething. She's also getting quite chatty. She got a doll with a stroller for Christmas, and she pushes her dolly around the house just babbling away. "Dadadada...mamamama...lalalalala." It's pretty entertaining. It's really fun to watch her start to develop an understanding for language. She came wandering over to me this morning all whiney because Carl IV had taken back his cup from her after she'd picked it off the table. So, I looked at her and said, "Where is your cup? Can you go find your cup?" And, wouldn't you know, my little genius girl turned around, scanned the room, saw her cup on a different table, and toddled over and picked it up! Then she turned around and looked at me with such excitement in her little face! Like, "Look, mom! You said cup, and I found my cup! Check it out!!!" I forgot how cool it is to watch your baby start to turn into a kid. Some moms get sad when they can't call their kids "babies" anymore. I'm thrilled! I love being able to communicate with my kids! I love watching them develop independence and how thrilled they get when they realize how much they are capable of doing! Give me a toddler over an infant any time!