Well, it’s been far too long since I last wrote. Amazingly, a lot has changed over the past month and a half! (How can it not with 4 kooky kids, a military man, and a few feisty faunas!?) First of all, we tried to do online public school for Owen and Julian. Key word there……TRIED. That failed miserably! I don’t think any of us liked that one! It was fun for the first few days and then it was just a big ole’ chore. Owen hated working with me. I hated trying to teach him. Julian would look around the room and ask if he could be done. I would try to get him ‘on task.’ It was just a battle that no one could win. Finally I gave in and started looking at what I like to call ‘real’ public schools! I still refused to send them to the public school that they were supposed to go to. (It has terrible ratings, it’s in the heart of a seedy neighborhood, and it’s more than a mile away and they would be ‘walkers’……I wasn’t having it.) So, I pulled up my sixth best friend Google and started tapping away. What did I come up with, you ask?? Well, another district, first of all. And, secondly, a really awesome school! My boys have started a new school and they love it and I love it! They attend Woodmen-Roberts Elementary in Academy District 20. (Doesn’t THAT sound fancy??) AND Julian even gets to go to full day Kindergarten!! I have to pay for it, though, but because we are poor and qualify for FREE school lunches, we get the reduced rate! Whoo Hooo! And, can I just say, I looked this school up on www.schooldigger.com and last year only 12 children received free or reduced school lunch?!?! Can I say ritzy neighborhood?!? And it is!! The houses in this neighborhood are GORGEOUS! I drool every time I drive the boys to school. I feel like I’m in a dream. Seriously, the last couple times I picked the boys up from school, I was almost to the school parking lot and I thought I saw some dogs in one of the front yards of a house near the school. When I looked a little closer I realized they were deer! There were 7 deer eating in someone’s front yard! They didn’t have a care in the world. I totally stopped the van and stared at them. They didn’t give a crap. They just kept eating! It was too cool! I would LOVE to live in a neighborhood like that someday!! Oh well, at least my kids can go to school in that neighborhood!

You know what’s even cooler??? The boys get 5 choices for lunch each day! 5!! And there’s a salad bar! They can have as much as they want from the salad bar without getting charged extra! How cool is that?! My boys are picky and they literally eat opposite things, so for them to have 5 different choices everyday…….that rocks! (And, it’s free for them!) Yes, I’m bragging about being poor…..

Cleo……..my little Cleo. How she loves Preschool! Her teacher ADORES her! I’m so happy that she got into this class! The funny thing is, she wasn’t supposed to be in the class at all. I found out that there was a mix up with papers and Cleo’s ended up on top of someone else’s and Cleo got the spot instead! I believe that everything happens for a reason and she was just meant to be in that class. It’s funny though; because Cleo’s Preschool is about 7 miles southeast of our Apartment and the Boys’ school is about 7 miles northwest of our Apartment. So, their schools are literally in the opposite directions!! Oh well, at least they are all in school now!


Last Thursday was the first time I experienced a wee bit of quiet alone time! I was beautiful! The boys were at school, I dropped Cleo off at Preschool, and then Westin and I came home. I put him right in his crib for a nap and I sat on the couch. I sat there for a while just enjoying and pondering the strange sound of silence. The dog was even looking at me strangely. I didn’t quite know what to do with myself! It was quiet, I was (pretty much) alone, and I was happy! I can’t wait for it to happen again! I didn’t get it on Friday, though, because Jeff was off of work and I had to run some errands. And tomorrow I have to get another MRI and I don’t know what tomorrow will entail…….so we shall see………

Yes…….that’s my other bit of strangeness. I’ve had terrible headaches since I’ve moved to Colorado. They were bothering me so much that I finally saw my doctor about them. He switched up my meds, ordered a blood test, urine analysis, and an MRI. Everything came back normal except the MRI. It appears that I have a possible cyst on my pineal gland in my brain. Because they can’t quite see my pineal gland, I have to go in tomorrow for another MRI, but this time with contrast (where they inject the dye in your bloodstream). As of now, they think it measures about 12mmx10mmx7mm. But after tomorrow I hope they’ll know more? I don’t know. But now I’m reading about a bunch of people having negative reactions to the flippin’ dye! Ugh! Can’t a girl get a break!? One step at a time, I guess.

Jeff went to his doctor about his knees last week. They think he might have arthritis, but he needs x-rays before they’ll let him have an MRI. Who knows if anything will show up on an x-ray? One step at a time for him, too. Owen has a doctor appointment in Aurora (near Denver) for his throat on the 14th of October to see how his RRP is doing. I can’t tell right now. His voice is pretty quiet again. I just don’t know. I’m hoping he doesn’t need another surgery this year. Ugh! We are a broken family!!! Literally!

I am taking 2 classes online at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. They don’t really have much to do with my degree, but they are pretty neat! I’m taking Gothic Architecture (pretty much all about Gothic Cathedrals) and Criminology (all sorts of stuff about crime, criminals, racial disparity, etc). They are both cool and I’m doing well……so far. We all keep busy around here, that’s for sure! With school, the Army, and medical crap……I think we have enough to last us quite a while!

Oh…..I almost forgot……that would be my ADD kicking in…….I DID get to go back to Minnesota for my sister’s wedding! It was a very short weekend, but at least I got to see her get married! It was a very pretty little ceremony and a very nice day! (Gorgeous weather!) She had a cute little get together at her house afterwards and then they immediately went on their honeymoon! I got to see my mom and dad and some of my girlfriends and then I had to come back to Colorado Springs. It would have been nice to bring my whole family with me to MN and to be able to see everyone, but the time and money just weren’t available. Hopefully we will be able to come back for a visit someday soon??!? We shall see. Again…….one day at a time! That’s what I have to tell myself in order to survive each and every day!

I will write more later, but I need to get to bed soon. I have to wake up bright and early to get my brain scanned again! Ugh! Let the noise commence and the headache begin!

~Rachelle 

Preschool Pilgrimage!

Well, Cleo is officially a preschooler now!  I got a phone call last week saying that Cleo was accepted into a preschool class through the local school district out here!  I was shocked, because I was told she would be put on a waiting list.  And when you're on a preschool waiting list, you should consider yourself screwed!  But she got the last spot in this particular class.  We went in today and met 2 of her teachers (there will be 3 lady teachers working with 16 children).  They were SUPER nice and the classroom is HUGE and Cleo was in heaven!!  She didn't want to leave!  No one else was there when we arrived, so we didn't get to meet any other kids/parents, but there's an Open House on Thursday.  Hopefully we'll get a chance to meet some of her future friends!  She asked today, "When are my friends coming??"  I told her that school doesn't start until next week, so her friends will come then!  :)  She can be so cute sometimes!  We are all really excited for Cleo to go to school.  She gets to go from 11:45 to 2:30, Monday thru Thursdays.  It will be so good for her! 

Cleo on June 8th, 2010

I submitted all the paperwork for the boys to start Connections Academy!  And, it's being finalized!  The boys have been accepted and now we just have to wait to get all their books and supplies in the mail!!  I am so excited for them to start school.  Technically, today is the first day of school for Colorado Connections Academy students, but they won't be too far behind.  It will definitely keep all of us busy!  Between bringing Cleo to Preschool 4 days a week and helping the boys with school work.......yeah, I think we'll be plenty busy!  It's good, though, because I am actually starting to get bored!  I'm sure there are tons of things I should be doing, but meh.  Not today.  That's what I say.  (God, I'm a procrastinator!!!)  At least we have schooling figured out for the kiddos!

My boys on June 8th, 2010

Now I just have to wait to hear from the University of Colorado to see if I can start school soon.  I might not be able to get in this semester, but I definitely want to get in NEXT semester!  I miss school!  (I know, I'm such a geek!)  And Jeff is still 'in the field,' but he might be able to come home tomorrow night for a couple days?!?  I'm not sure, yet.  Of course, we're talking about the Army, so you never know until the last minute!!  I will keep my fingers crossed!

Me and my hubby on top of the world!  (Okay, maybe not the world, but a mountain!)

The only other thing that's really on my mind right now is the uncertainty of going to Minnesota soon.  My little sister is finally getting married and I would love to be able to go.  I'm hoping I'll be able to buy a plane ticket home for a weekend, but I don't know if we'll be able to afford it??  I've gotta sit down with the hubs and look at our bills and see if we can swing it.  I would love for ALL of us to be able to go back for the wedding, but there's NO WAY we could afford that right now.  But perhaps I can go alone.  We shall see.  Otherwise, things are going all right.  School is falling into place, we are getting comfortable in our new little home, and we are all excited to be keeping busy soon!  Other than that, I don't have much to talk/type about, so I'll quit now!  I'll post more soon!  Hugs and Kisses to all my friends and family!  XOXO

~Rachelle

School, Army, Life......Colorado

So, yesterday Jeff left 'for the field' until August 28th.  It sucks, but at least I know that he's only 15 miles away.......even if I can't see him.  :)   Gotta stay positive, right?!  And, as much as I have to do while he's gone, I also don't have much to do.  Does that make sense?!  I have a doctor appointment tomorrow, so I can get my prescriptions re-written.  It will be the first time I go onto post without Jeff.  So, I have to navigate my way around that mini-city and find the hospital.........and make it to my appointment on time!!  Eeeek!  (For those of you who know me well, you know I'm not the 'timeliest' person out there!) 

I'm also in the process of getting Owen and Julian signed up for Connections Academy.  (It's a bunch of paperwork).  I know I went back and forth trying to decide what to do about school for the boys.  I don't like the one they are supposed to go to, so that's not even an option for them.  I DID fill out some paperwork at a school nearby, Howbert Elementary.  It has great ratings, but it's an itty bitty school!!  (Not that that's a big deal).  And then there was always the option of Connections Academy Online.  I have been researching and Jeff and I decided that we would try the online route.  I hate to say it, but one of the biggest 'pros' of C.A. is the fact that we don't have to wake up at the buttcrack of dawn and drive to and from school everyday!  I am also NOT a morning person.......I never have been.  And the idea of waking up everyday before 7am, getting the kids breakfast, getting the kids dressed, lugging them down 40 steps (no matter the weather), so I can drive 3 miles and drop them off at school........is NOT my idea of a fun time!  I probably sound selfish now, but I talked to Owen and Julian about our options.  I asked them if they would rather GO to a school or do school online at home and they said they would be fine with either one.  I know Jeff wasn't totally convinced until I showed him Connections Academy's website.  The curriculum is awesome!  They can work at their own pace and spend lots of time on the subjects that challenge them and whiz through the subjects that are easy for them.  They can also take electives!!  What?!?  Yes, my Kindergardener can take Spanish!!  And Owen can take French, Spanish, or Sign Language!!  I think it's awesome!!  They also coordinate field trips and they send all the supplies you need to your front door!!  If you need a computer and printer, they will send those, too!  AND.....they will pay ME money to go towards my internet bill!!  But, another big 'pro' is the flexibility that it will offer.  If we want to take a vacation, we can.  When Owen needs a surgery, it will be so much easier than pulling him out of school (and Julian, too) every time.  And, I will know everything that my kids are learning.  I will know what they are good at and what they need help with.  Honestly, there were days Owen came home from school last year and I'd ask him what he did that day and he would say, "I don't know?".......Really?!  That's your answer? 

And, yes, I'm sure you're thinking about the 'cons'........The biggest 'con' is the fact that they won't be getting out of the house and physically going somewhere and interacting with other kids.  To me, socializing my children is very important.  I don't want them to have complexes when they get older, because they are so anti-social!!  My plan of attack for that one is to sign the boys up in some extra-curricular activities.  Right now, I'm thinking I'll get them in a karate class.  And, because they will be doing school from home, I can bring them whenever I want.  I don't just have to look for evening classes!  And I believe they can use karate towards their phy. ed. requirements for school!  There is a chess club through C.A., as well.  I think I'll sign Owen up for that, because he really loves chess.   So, I'm really excited about all the possibilities we have before us!

Now, what about Cleo??  I have filled out the Preschool packet for her to attend the preschool through the district.  Of course, I'm sure she'll be on a waiting list.  But if they have an opening for her, I will sign her up!  She would love to go to school!  If I can't get her in a class, I plan to sign her up in a dance class.  And because I'm still waiting to here back from the University of Colorado, I'm not sure what I'll do with that.  I plan on attending school myself, if I can.  I know they have a childcare center on campus and I might be able to bring the kids there so I can attend classes and so they can play with other kids!  I think they would love it, because they've never been in a daycare before. 

And.....Westin......well, he'll just be himself and go along with whatever works!  He's usually pretty laid back, so he should be fine!  Let me tell ya, the boy is just about 19 months old and he will NOT walk!!!  Are you kidding me?!  Are you gonna wait until you're two!?!  He finally stands up on his own in the middle of the room.  He doesn't stand for long, but at least he's trying!  He also only has 4 teeth.  But it's more than Cleo had at this age!!  What's up with my kids waiting until the last minute to do things?!?  Sheesh!

Other than school stuff and Army stuff, I must say I really do love Colorado!  It is so beautiful here and it never gets old waking up, opening the blinds, and seeing those big mountains every morning!  I actually LIKE opening my blinds now!  I have something to look at!  And the weather is cool, too!  Usually around 4 or 5 pm, it rains a little.  And when it storms here, it's awesome!  The thunder is crazy loud and the lightening is insane!  But, I LOVE storms!!  And, it can be 80 degrees and then it will rain and cool to about 60 degrees!  It's not as humid as Minnesota, either.  There's definitely a lot of variety here.........and I love that! 

As of now, Jeff still plans on being done with the Army after his 3 year contract is up, but we need to just take it one day at a time.  Perhaps he will stay in the Army??  I don't know.  Or maybe he won't, but we might stay here and buy a house??  Or we will be done and go back to Minnesota??  I have no idea what our future holds, but I think it looks bright!  Hopefully I can get through the next 18 days without going insane!!  At least I get to talk to Jeff everyday, though, so that's nice. 

Well, I will stop here for now.  Hopefully I will have a little more figured out by the next time I write something! 

~Rachelle

Colorado Springs and the journey getting here!

WOW!  I haven't blogged in over a month now!  SOOOO much has happened since my last blog! 

First of all, Jeff arrived in Minnesota on June 25th.  Of course, we weren't lucky enough for that to go smoothly!  His plane was late, due to storms, and I was sitting in the airport with the kiddos until 10pm!  The kids were excited and exhausted all at the same time.  And, I am terrible, I did NOT even take any pictures of Jeff's arrival and the hugging and whatnot.  We were so stressed and tired that we tried to get out of there quickly!  It was so nice to have him come home after 4 long months!

After he got home, we planned on driving out to Colorado together on July 5th.  Did things happen this way?  Absolutely not!  (Does anything ever happen normally in my life???)  I called the moving company and told them I would like to have movers come within the week.  She pretty much laughed at me and said that there was no way it could happen that quickly.  I was so disheartened by yet another obstacle.  The soonest they could get packers and movers to my house was July 15th and July 16th.  And Jeff HAD to be to Fort Carson by July 8th..........So, he had to drive out there alone.  He left on July 6th and made it to Colorado in time.  Although things didn't go as we had planned, it gave Jeff the opportunity to look at places for us to live.  He looked at lots of different houses and apartments and we decided that it would be best to get into an apartment.  Yes, we have a large, crazy family, but the deposits are so much cheaper and we were strapped for cash.  I found the apartment online and he went to look at it.  It's called Camelback Pointe and it's kind of on a hill and the views of the mountains are AWESOME!  He looked at it, called me, and put in an application.  The next morning we were told it was ours!  This was finally some good news for us.  We would have a place to live once we arrived in Colorado Springs!! 

During all the craziness, I did take Owen to see his ENT and they said he needed another surgery.  They left it up to us on whether or not to do it before we left for Colorado.  I decided to have it done before we left Minnesota.  So, on July 9th, Owen went in for his 2nd throat surgery.  He did great and he wasn't nervous or scared at all!!  My dad was there the whole time with us, so that was a relief.  Since Jeff couldn't be there, it was nice to have someone else with us.  The doctor took some pics while he was in Owen's throat, so we could see the 'before' and 'after' and I was, again, disheartened.  His papillomas were the same size as the first time he had the surgery done.  So, in just a little less than 5 months, they were back with a vengeance.  I can't imagine having to do this more than once a year!  But, we can't leave it be, or he could stop breathing one day.  So, we will find an awesome ENT in Colorado and keep a close eye on his throat.  He recovered just fine and by that evening, he was laughing and jumping around and having fun.  He bounced back and was a little louder that same day! 

There was another issue........how would I get myself, 4 kids, 2 cats, and a dog out to Colorado by myself??  I figured out how to situate my minivan and I was pumped!  I knew I could do it!  My mom, being the wonderful mom she is, said, "You are NOT driving to Colorado by yourself!  I am going with you!"  So, my mom planned it out, so she wouldn't miss work and we planned on where we were going to stay at the 'halfway' point.  We had it all worked out!  So, my packers came on July 15th and packed my house.  The movers came on July 16th and loaded my house into a semi-truck.  We stayed with my dad for two nights, then we stayed with my mom for two nights, and we left bright and early on July 20th!  We drove from Maple Grove, Minnesota to Grand Island, Nebraska.  It was an all day event, but the kids did awesome, and so did the animals!  I was amazed at how well the cats did!  They didn't even meow or cry!  And, they were free to roam the minivan while we drove.  I think they liked that!

We stayed in a hotel in Nebraska and in the middle of the night, Cleo woke up and said she had a sore back??  I rubbed her back for awhile and then she started burping really weird.  I knew what was coming........yep, she puked in the bed.  I felt so bad for her.  I gave her a bath at 5 am and changed her into fresh jammies and we covered the small puke spot in the bed and went back to sleep for a few more hours.  We got up bright and early and got on the road again.  Cleo was fine, so it was a one time deal (thank God!)  We were all super excited to finally get to Colorado! 

I gotta tell ya, once we got into the Denver area, we could see the mountains in the distance.  It looked like a painting.  I had to keep blinking, because I wasn't sure I was really seeing what I thought I was seeing!  They were gorgeous!  The kids were really excited to see the mountains, too!  But, on the drive from Denver to Colorado Springs, I had NO IDEA that we would get that much closer to the mountains!  I thought they were cool in Denver.........they are so much cooler in Colorado Springs!  There are points when you are driving and it feels like the mountains are going to eat you up!  It's amazing!  We made it to Colorado Springs and the kids were really getting antsy!!  They started chanting, "Colorado Springs!  Colorado Springs!"  I think Westin was the loudest!!  He just wanted to yell!  We made it to our apartment and Jeff was there waiting.  It really is a cute apartment.  It's on the third floor (top floor) on a corner.  It has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a fireplace, bay windows in the dining room, a covered deck, a patio area outside the front door, and my favorite thing.......CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING!!  Any of you who know about my previous residence know that I did NOT have a/c there!  And I was livid about it!  So, now I'm cozy in my little 1,244 sqare foot apartment with central air!  You can't go wrong with that! 

My mom stayed the night in our empty apartment and she flew home the next evening.  Honestly, I don't know how I would have done the drive without my mom.  I'm sure I could've if I had to, but it was so much easier with two adults!  I cannot thank my mom enough for the help she gave me!  She left on a Thursday and the movers said they would be coming with all our stuff on Saturday!  We were so excited to get our stuff!  I felt terrible for the movers, though, because there are NO ELEVATORS here, so they had to huff it up the stairs over and over again!  (I guess there aren't elevators in a lot of apartments in Colorado Springs!)  We got our stuff and when the movers left, we had boxes all over the place!!  It was very overwhelming!  We have A LOT of stuff......so to have to downsize was difficult!  The next day, I think we unpacked just about every box.  We threw a lot of crap away and we had three giant boxes that we donated to the Goodwill the next day!

We are settling into our new home nicely and the kids seem to really like it here, so far.  I looked into the kids' elementary school nearby........then I was disheartened, yet again!  The school they are 'supposed' to go to is called Jackson Elementary.  It's more than a mile away and they are walkers!!!  Are you kidding me?!?  I am not letting my two boys walk more than a mile to school!  They would get lost or get hit by a car or who knows?!  (I guess Colorado Springs is not big into bussing kids to and from school).  So, I figured I would be driving them everyday.  That led me to another issue.  Jackson Elementary is NOT my idea of a good school.  I have done a lot of research on the schools in the area (http://www.schooldigger.com/ and http://www.greatschools.org/  ......awesome websites!!!)  Jackson has 2 out of 5 stars on one site and a 5 out of 10 on another site.  This, to me, is not good.  If I am going to drive them anyway, I may as well find them a good school!!  So, I just called some elementary schools yesterday (because the offices just opened) and I ended up 'attempting' to enroll them at Howbert Elementary.  It's rated 20th out of 837 elementary schools in the state of Colorado.  It's a very small school and it's old.  We walked in yesterday and Julian said, "Ewww!  What's that smell?!"  I said, "Julian, that's the smell of an old school!"  It was funny.  But the ladies in the office were fantastic!!  I filled out two papers and now we wait.  Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time to do this, because school starts on August 18th!!  If they don't accept the boys, then I plan on doing online public school.  My brother Dylan does it.  Connections Academy.  It's completely free and all online.  It's not home school, it's actually public school.  Although I wasn't planning on doing things online for them, I would rather have them do online school, than go to a school I don't feel is good enough for them.  I might sound like a b***h, but when it comes to education, I want my kids to have an awesome experience and a well-rounded education.  As a parent, it's my job to make sure that they are in good hands when I'm not there.  If I am not comfortable with a certain school, then I will not settle and let them go there.  So, now we wait and see what Howbert has to say. 

I also applied to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to start this semester or if I will have to wait until January, but either way, I'm going to go and get my Bachelor's Degree!  I plan on getting a B.S. in Biology with an emphasis on Teaching.  We'll see how that goes!  It's nice, though, because the college is like 5 minutes up the road from my apartment!  It would be so convenient!  And it will keep me occupied when Jeff will be in the field and gone for training and deployed.  That's another thing.......Jeff has to 'go to the field' on August 9th (yes, next Monday) and he won't be home until August 28th.  It sucks, because I have to get the kids' school stuff figured out by myself and he will miss their first day of school (if they get accepted to Howbert).  Jeff will be 'going to the field' again in October and November (for like 5 days each time) and then he will be gone in Louisiana the entire month of February!  Ugh!  And, as of now, he's scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan sometime next summer.  But, I've learned quickly, that the Army is never a 'sure bet' until it actually happens.  They might say one thing and do another, so I won't hold my breath on any of Jeff's field dates and deployment dates until they actually happen.  Oh well.  Only time will tell. 

But, we really are having fun here and we are enjoying Colorado Springs very much!  We even drove to the top of Pikes Peak the other day!!  It was AMAZING!! .....and terrifying!!!  It was an all day event, but very worth it!  We saw a bunch of animals along the way and we saw some incredible views!  I see why people come to Colorado Springs and never leave!  It's so beautiful here!  It really is.  Of course, we miss our family and friends, but we can chat on the phone and Skype when we want to see each other.  We will make it work!  It was funny, the other day Cleo said, "I so happy to be in Colorado!"  It was really cute.  I'm sure we will all be getting homesick as the holidays near, but we will make it work out.  Our crazy little family is very tough and we have a lot of love going around in this apartment.  There's nothing we can't do, as long as we have each other!  (Man, I sound like a Hallmark card!) 

Anyway, I thought I would post a little (long) update on the past month.  I know I didn't even cover all of it, but that's how we got to where we are now.  I will say it again, thank you to all the family and friends who have supported us along the way.  I know it hasn't been easy, but having your support makes it feel a little easier!  We love you and miss you all!

Love (from Colorado)
Rachelle, Jeff, Owen, Julian, Cleo, and Westin

6 days left and COLORADO, here we come!!

WOW!  By this time next week, Jeff will be back home!  On June 25th, his plane will come in around 7:30pm and the chicklets and I will be there to welcome him home.......after 4 long months!!  You know, sometimes when I think about it, it seems like he left just yesterday.  And other times, it feels like he's been gone for years.  I have gotten used to doing everything by myself, that I'm not sure what I'll do with all the extra help around here?!?  Don't get me wrong, it will be WONDERFUL to be able to go to the store by myself again and make a quick 'run' to Target or the gas station without having to lug all 4 kids with me.  It will be nice to watch tv with Jeff at night, instead of watching shows by myself.  (Not that I totally mind watching tv alone......it's actually the most enjoyable part of my day lately!!)  But, once he gets home, it's not going to be roses and cookies.......then the crazy stuff will start.........scheduling movers to come pack us up and move us.........finding a place to live in Colorado Springs.....saying goodbye to family and friends........getting ourselves ready for a couple day drive to Colorado......getting the animals ready for our move.........and so on.  The "FUN" will really begin once he gets home. 

But, once we make it out to Colorado and get settled into a home, things will start to fall into place.  I don't know what the future holds for us, but I know it will be an adventure regardless.  Some good, some bad.......but always an adventure.  The kids are hideously excited to move to Colorado!!  I'm not sure if they really 'get' what it all means, but as of now, they can't wait!  I can't wait to see their faces when they see the big old mountains for the first time.  I'll have to make sure NOT to pack my camera!!  This will be such a fun trip for them!  I just hope we can find a place to live that will work out for our chaotic little crew!  But, we have a little time, yet, so I won't stress too much! 

I still don't know how we went from getting our 'last place choice' of duty stations.........switched to our 'first place choice'???  And, with less than 2 weeks to spare!!  We are very lucky.  Especially Owen.  I am banking on the fact that Colorado will have better medical care for Owen than Texas would have.  In fact, I still need to bring him in to see his ENT one more time before we leave.  His voice is sounding scratchy again and I feel another surgery is in his near future.  I know this is something we all need to get used to.........but how do you get used to the fact that your child is going to be put under and have his throat scraped and prodded at and poked at??  And to know that it will happen again.......and again.......and again.......  With, most likely, no end in sight.  Unless they come up with a cure for this disease, my baby will be in and out of clinics and hospitals his whole life.  I know I should be grateful........I know I should count my blessings......I know it could be wore.......much worse.  Some kids in his situation have already had 5, 10, 30, 100's of surgeries............right now, he's one of the lucky ones.  I just have to keep my fingers crossed that his papillomas aren't and won't become aggressive.  But only time will tell.  So, once we get settled into our new Colorado home, I will be on the hunt for a fabulous Pediatric ENT.  That's all I can do.  And, as a mother, it breaks my heart that I can't do more.  It absolutely breaks my heart.

Well, now that I've gotten all dismal and depressing, I will stop here!  No more unhappiness for now.  We have 6 days until we get to see Jeff and that's wonderful news!  I will keep everyone posted once we find out when and where we will be moving!  Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures, too!  Again, thank you to everyone who has been supportive of this insane decision we've made.  We cannot thank you enough!

~Rachelle

12 days until Jeff comes home!

I can't believe it!!  We are almost done with the first leg of our Army journey!!  When Jeff gets home, he will have been gone for exactly 4 months!  He comes home on June 25th and I cannot wait!  Of course, with the Army, anything is possible and  things can change at the drop of a hat........but, as of right now......Jeff will come home on June 25th........be here for 10 days with us.......then go to our duty station alone to check in (which is still up in the air at the moment...go figure!)......then he will *attempt* to take a 10 day leave to come home and get us and drive to our new duty station together.  That's the plan, anyway.  But, we don't even know where the heck we're going......so who knows?!?  I've learned that with the Army, nothing is official until it actually happens!  Ugh! 

Yesterday was the first day one of the kids broke down and cried because daddy isn't here.  Cleo busted out bawling when she saw a picture of daddy.  I felt so bad!!  Honestly, I'm surprised we've all made it this long without MORE breakdowns and crying spells!!  So, she talked to Jeff on the phone tonight.  She said to him, "Maybe I miss you I think."  It was so cute.  She can be a shit, but she can be so sweet, too.  I know all the kids are super excited to see daddy!!  The end is finally in sight......well, the end of THIS phase.  Then, the REAL journey will begin!  EEEEEEKKKK!

Okay, can I say, I have the super coolest mom of all moms!?!  She came over last night to watch the kiddos so I could get out of my house and hang out with some great friends!  It was very much appreciated and very much needed!!  I have been going crazy in this house!  I went out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings with Katie, Marissa, and Denise.  We ate some good food, drank some good drinks, and shared some great laughs!  Then we went back to Marissa's garage to drink a few more beers and have a few more laughs!  In fact, I brought my camera and I found some silly pics on it today!  Katie and I swapped cameras for a bit and I found a ton of hideous pics of myself!?!  (Thanks Katie!)

The above pics are some of the 'highlights' of the evening!  It's so nice to get out with the girls and laugh and have fun and not worry about being a mom and paying the bills and missing my hubby.  I got to be.........well, me!  So, thanks to the girls for making it a fun night and thank you to my wonderful mother for offering to stay at my house with my chickens!  I know the kids had lots of fun with Grandma, too!!  :) 

It's kind of weird, because I've had so many things going through my mind lately, but I feel like I have nothing to say!?!  How does that work??  Me, not having anything to say??  I'm sure I'll have lots more to say later this week (assuming we find out where the heck we're going to be moving?)  Eh, all I can do is wait........I'm so impatient!  I think I will sign out now, before I just start writing weird random things that have nothing to do with anything!  Ha Ha!  I know I planned on writing on this blog a lot more often......I've been terrible at it.  But, I WILL write more when I find out what state possesses our future home!  I think I'm just tired.  Perhaps when I have a clear mind I will write something that's actually interesting!  For now, I bid you adieu........

~Rachelle

Texas or Colorado??? Where will we end up???

Okay, so I haven't posted anything in a while now.  I've been so crazy in my own head that I can't even begin to describe all the things that I'm thinking, feeling, and experiencing lately.  So, I guess I haven't even posted the duty station that Jeff has been assigned to...........A few weeks ago I checked his 'Army account,' as I like to call it, and it said Fort Bliss Texas!!  Are you kidding me??!  That is the LAST place I want to go!!!  I do NOT want to be in El Paso on the border of Mexico and live there with my children!!  Now, no, I've never been to Texas.  I really have nothing to go off of except for what I've heard and read about El Paso.  Most people say that this is one of the worst or the worst bases to be stationed at.  REALLY?!?!  Am I THAT unlucky??!?! And for those of you who know me well know that I DESPISE the heat!!  Anything over 72 degrees and I start whining and getting crabby.  I can only imagine what it would be like in Texas!!! 


So, basically, we've been trying like hell to get out of this.  Because of Owen's 'disease' (it's hard for me to write that word......wow) we had to fill out special paperwork.  Basically, it is SUPPOSED to make it possible to ONLY go to bases where he has the medical care he needs available to him.  After a long process, the paperwork has been turned in.......but now they are saying it could take 6 weeks to process it!  Well, Jeff graduates in 22 days!!  Luckily, Jeff has talked to a Sergeant about our situation.  Jeff told him that we are not comfortable bringing Owen to El Paso and having to rely on the doctors there.  (I know that makes us sound like snots, but I don't care.)  When it comes to my children, we will fight to the death for them.  And maybe I shouldn't judge a place before I've even seen it, but I don't have ANY desire to go to El Paso and I don't want my son to have to see doctors there.  He has EXCELLENT doctors here in Minnesota and he will be needing more surgeries down the road, so it is essential that we end up somewhere with GREAT doctors!  Okay, back to Jeff's deal........He told this Sergeant our situation and he asked, "Well, where do you WANT to go??"  Jeff told him that our ideal place would be Fort Carson Colorado.  The Sgt. made it sound like it wouldn't be a problem and he would see what he could do to get the orders changed.


Well, nothing has changed and we are 22 days away from Jeff being done.  Jeff talked to this same Sgt. AGAIN yesterday and he is still working on getting orders changed.  He said it just needs to be signed off by someone else and then we should be good to go.  Of course this makes me wonderfully excited, but I'm not going to count on anything until it's official.  I am absolutely unaccepting of the Ft. Bliss situation and I have even considered NOT going because of my strong feelings against it.  I know a lot of people think that I'm being selfish for not wanting to go, but I'm thinking about my child and his health and I'm thinking about our safety in general.  I've heard some really nasty things about the El Paso area.......not to mention that the schools have terrible ratings down there!  I would most likely have to have my kids do online school if we move there.  Seriously.  Maybe I'm a weirdo, but I have extremely high expectations for the education my kids will receive.  I will not 'settle' just because it's more convenient.  And I am not FOR home schooling.  I think it deprives children of the social interactions that they desperately need at that age.  But if it meant keeping them safe and well educated, I would be willing to look for other alternatives temporarily. 


I've had so many different scenarios go through my head in the past month and I cannot even begin to put them all into words!!  I am excited, terrified, stressed out, and exhausted from all of this!  I miss Jeff terribly and I just want this part to be over and done with.  He is also missing us and we are very excited for the next 22 days to go quickly.  But......it also means that in 22 days our world will flip upside down and inside out and I have no idea what's on the other side.  Yes, technically it 'says' we are going to Texas, but I will not plan on going there until it's "official."  I am so in denial about Texas that I refuse to look at homes for rent online.  I did at first and it makes me cry!  These houses are hideous and small and in bad neighborhoods and I just won't do it!  If we end up moving to Texas, I will wait until we actually get down there to find something.  I want to look at a place in person before deciding to live there.  It's also really hard to find a house the size that we need for a price that works.  There's a 'housing crisis' going on at Ft. Bliss, I guess.  There's NO WAY we could even live on post if we wanted to.......the waiting list is horribly long.  Which is fine, because I don't think I want to live on base anyway.  On the other hand, I have also looked at houses for rent in Colorado and there are tons of choices and we could easily find a house that's big enough for a decent price.  I wouldn't have a problem picking one out online and going with it.  But Texas, nope!  I won't do that unless I see it for myself! 


So, other than not knowing where the heck we are going in the next few weeks, things have been okay.  Julian finished Preschool last week and they had a little graduation ceremony.  It was cute and he was proud!  I can't believe he's going to be a Kindergartner next year!!  And today is Owen's last day of first grade!!  Where has the last year gone?!?  Don't get me wrong.......I am so sick of waking up at 6am to get Owen up and ready for school......so that's going to be so nice to be able to *hopefully* sleep in a bit!  We shall see!


Owen has been doing really well with his voice lately, too.  We have learned some more techniques and he's been practicing and he's getting louder!!  Everyone has commented on it, too.  I've even had to tell him to be quiet!!!  I haven't said that to him in soooo long!  Owen recently had an appointment with his ENT and they looked in his throat.  The papillomas are growing back, but they aren't causing any blockage at this point.  His doctor said he wants to see him at the end of June to check them again.  I suppose I should get used to this, because we will probably be doing these doctor visits a lot.......especially in the next few years.  He technically has what is called RRP (I can't remember if I blogged about this before).  It stands for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis.  Basically, he has warts that grow on his vocal cords and he has to have them removed........and warts are a 'forever' thing and they grow back.  So, I'm sure we have many surgeries and doctor appointments ahead.  Some people that have RRP have to have surgery on a weekly basis to have them removed!!  So far, we've been lucky, I guess, because Owen has only had one surgery so far.  But, even the ENT said the papillomas (warts) are starting to grow back, so that pretty much means another surgery in the somewhat near future.  It just depends on how quickly they grow.  It's a very heartbreaking experience for me as his mother.  I can only imagine how this will affect him as he gets older. *sigh*


Julian had a bit of excitement the other day.......He lost his first tooth!!!  Already!  Owen was almost 7 when he lost his first tooth and Julian is only 5!  I just found out last week that he had a loose tooth and he was eating a piece of string cheese on Tuesday and it just fell out!!  He didn't even pull it or anything!  I was shocked and he was wonderfully excited!!  The Tooth Fairy came and left him $5.00!  He thought that was pretty cool! 


Cleo is a little diva.  She's usually pretty happy, but if you piss her off.......oh boy!  If looks could kill!!!  Yesterday she was totally being a butt and she was getting in Julian's face and kicking him for no reason.  So I told her to knock it off and she looked at me and said, "NO!"  So, I got up, spanked her and put her on the couch.  She cried for about 20 minutes, because she was mad at me.  (She's not usually the one getting spanked in this house!)  She look at me with a nasty little look and says, "Mommy, I don't like you in this house!  I want you go to work!"  I told her that I wish I could go to work, but I don't have a job!  So she sat there and sulked for another 20 minutes and then said to me in a matter-of-fact kind of way while using hand gestures, "Momma, you no spank me again, okay?"  I said, "Well, then you need to listen to me.  If you listen to me and be nice, then I won't spank you."  She said, "All right!  I will!"  (in a fine....geez.....kind of voice!"  It was pretty funny......but if she acts this way at 3, I can only imagine what she will be like as a teenager!!  Eeeek!  She is usually pretty funny, though, so as long as she's in a good mood, things are good with her!  :)


Westin is almost 17 months old and he still doesn't walk.  He can pull himself up and walk along the furniture, but he won't let go!!  Cleo didn't walk till 18 months, so I won't get too worried until then!  Ha Ha!  He has two teeth and his 3rd is ready to pop through any day now.  He's been pretty crabby because of it, too.  His sleeping has been messed up because of those little teeth!  It's times like this when I wish he would have gotten his teeth a long time ago!  Westin is also very funny.  He will make weird faces and do funny little things to make you laugh.  And once he figures out that he's being funny, he'll keep going!  He really is a little joy for the most part, but he's going to be trouble when he starts walking!!!  He LOVES to touch everything he shouldn't!  He's very curious about everything, so he'll be a feisty one!!


Jeff is doing well.  He's lost about 12 pounds since he left in February.  He told me yesterday he's going to need to buy new clothes when we move!  He is really hating Kentucky. I guess it's hot and humid and I think he's allergic to some stuff down there!  He's pretty much been sick since he got there and he just wants to be done.  I still get to talk to him just about every day, which has been wonderful.  We text everyday and usually talk at least once per day.  We've been very lucky.  He's feeling like he made the wrong decision in joining the Army, though.  He believes he's suppose to finish his Law Enforcement degree and be a cop somewhere.  He has pretty much made up his mind that he doesn't want to re-enlist after his 3 year contract with the Army ends.  I told him we should just take it one day at a time, but I think this experience has been harder on him than he ever imagined it would be.  But, even though we've had our rough patches and it's been hard at times, I am so proud of him for everything he's done for our family.  He's an amazing father and husband and I couldn't ask for anyone more perfect to spend my life with.  We went into this process together and we are going to get through it together.  Perhaps this will just be a 3 year 'detour' in our lives and then we'll get take a different path to get to where we're supposed to be.  No matter what, though, I think everything happens for a reason and we were meant to do this.  We may hate every minute of it, but it's got to teach us something, right?!?!  Oh well, maybe we will LOVE it, too!  You never know!  I can pretty much bet that we will enjoy this experience more if we end up in Colorado!  But, it's not in my hands to decide.  Time will tell.  My husband has been amazing through all of this and he's listened to me cry, vent, rant, scream, yell, b**ch, moan, and whine about this process.  I know I haven't always been the best through this experience and I feel terrible about it.  I wish I could make this whole thing easier on him, but I know it will get easier once he's finally done with his AIT training.  As much as I complain and stress about everything, I really AM excited to see what's next on this crazy journey!  I know we will make the best of the situation, as we always do, and we will all be okay.  (even if we end up in Texas.....)  Well, that's all for now.  I will have to post more when I actually find out more about our 'future residence!' 


For all of you who follow my blog and actually read the crap I write, I thank you for 'listening' to me.  I know it's probably boring to read, but at least I can look back at this a year from now and most likely laugh at the situation.  It doesn't seem funny to me now, but I'm sure it will be down the road!!  Thanks for hanging in there with me and being supportive.  We all appreciate everyone's love, concern, kindness, and positive thoughts!  We love you all! 


~Rachelle (the girl who has so much to do and doesn't even know where to begin!!!)   :)

Another day in the Escher household.....

Last night we actually got some rain!  It's about time!!  I love the dreary, cool, rainy days.  So, today has become a "do-nothing" kind of day.  I am still sitting here at home in my jammies.  Julian, Cleo and Westin are also in their jammies.  I just put Mr. Baby Guy down for a nap and it's probably time I make something for lunch.  But, I thought I'd type a little ditty, since I'm not keeping up with this blog like I wanted to!!  I thought I'd write every day, but I haven't been successful.

Yesterday was the first day I didn't hear from Jeff at all.  I think we have actually talked every single day that he's been gone but one.  And that day he texted me.  But yesterday there were no texts and there was no chatting.  I knew that he wouldn't be calling, because he said he would be "in the field" for a few days straight.  What this exactly means, I'm not sure.  I just know he's doing Army stuff and he can't chat!  It was okay to not chat, because Marissa and I got to have a lovely phone date!!  (Thanks, Girl!  I needed that!)  I must say I'm surprised that I've gotten to talk to Jeff as much as I have.  Everybody was telling me that I would be lucky to talk to him once or twice a week, but I really get good chats and texts daily from him!  So, I've been pretty "spoiled" in that respect.  He's been gone for 48 days now and sometimes it feels like he just left and other times feels like it's been an eternity since we last saw him.  He only has 8 days until he's done at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma!  Then, he's off to Ft. Knox, KY!! It's funny, because we have no idea when his final day is at Ft. Knox.......or so we thought.  You see, Jeff has an online account with AKO (Army Knowledge Online) and I have access to it.  It turns out it's full of information!  I found a link that shows all of his training dates and I found one for Ft. Knox, Kentucky!!  So, when he called the other night I was teasing him......I said, "I know more about you than you do!!"  He was confused.  I told him, "I know when your last day at Ft. Knox is going to be!!"  He said, "Really??  When?"  I told him that according to the website he would be done on June 25, 2010.  He was a little ticked, because he thought he'd be done sooner, but I was happy!  I thought we wouldn't see him until July!  I understand that the Army can change things at any given moment, so this "date" might not stick.  But at least I have an idea of when he's going to be done.  So last night I made a giant colorful paper chain with the kids.  It has 73 loops on it and we will cut one off each day to countdown when we will all be together again!  It's spans most of my big wall in my living room, but at least the kids can have something to visualize and to help them understand how long daddy will be gone.  Looking at this paper chain is depressing and exciting, all at the same time.  On one hand, it looks terribly long and feels like it will take forever, and on the other hand I know that there's an end in sight!  I am so very excited to be done with this part of "Army Life." 

I don't know if everyone is familiar with the Army and how it works with getting stationed.  (I'm still learning about all of this myself).  Well, each Army member gets a "wish list" or a "dream sheet" of places you would prefer to be stationed.  Jeff found out that you can fill it out online through his AKO account.  So, he told me to go find it and fill it out!  I was super excited!!  I found it and you had to pick 3 places in the US and 3 places that are Overseas.  There were little dropdown lists and the choices we had were NOT what I thought they would be.....but in a good way!  (I texted Jeff before I actually picked the places, to make sure we wanted the same thing). 

Here are our US choices:
1-Ft. Carson, Colorado
2-Ft. Lewis, Washington
3-Ft. Drum, New York

Here are our Overseas choices:
1- Germany
2- Hawaii
3- Alaska
(Alaska and Hawaii are considered Overseas, I guess)

So, now I am SUPER excited!!  If we get any one of our 6 choices, I would be ecstatic!!  I know that we might not end up at any of our top choices, but it's nice to know that we COULD end up at one of them.  Some of our picks are places we didn't think that we could even end up going to, so this is exciting to us!!  Now we just have to wait and see what happens!!  (In the mean time, I will keep my fingers crossed hard for one of the 6!)

Okay, we'll steer away from Army talk now.  I'm sorry.  I'm not even IN the Army or on a base and it consumes a lot of my thoughts right now.......But I'm sure it drives people nuts to talk about it a lot, so I will stop for now!

Owen had a doctor appointment last week and his weight to height ratio was off.  He's super small for a seven year old.  I know this.  His height was on the very bottom of the curve, but it was following it.  His weight, though, was way under the curve.  (I think he weighed in at 37 or 38 pounds....).  The doctor was a little concerned and suggested they do a few blood tests to rule some things out.  They tested him for anemia, Celiac's, and some other electrolyte panels.  Well, I was really hoping it wouldn't be Celiac's......If I had to remove gluten from his diet, that would suck!  He already can't eat apples and that's been a challenge, because a lot of the stuff he likes to eat and drink have apple in them.  But, the doctor called me last night (yes, his actual doctor called me) and said all of his blood tests came back normal.  So, he's just a wee boy!  We just have to hope that he'll gain a little more weight soon!  But he's okay!  The doctor also said at his appointment that he has what's called "Ligamentous Laxity."  I guess it's over-flexibility in his joints.  He can bend his arms and ankles further than most people.  I asked if that's a problem.  He said that it's not a problem now, but as he grows, his ankles might not support his legs the way they should so it could cause his legs to turn in, which would then affect his knees.  It could also affect his shoulder joints depending on what sports he might want to play.  So, we just have to keep an eye on that, too.  He isn't into sports, but he did just start a Chess class after school yesterday!  He's really into chess and he's actually really good at it.  For the next 5 Mondays, he'll go to a Chess class and hopefully have lots of fun and learn a lot!  I taught him the basics of chess a few months ago.......I didn't even think he would be able to grasp it, because of all the different rules for each piece, but he did!  So instead of a sport, he wanted to do Chess! 

Owen has also been practicing his voice exercises and I can tell that it's getting stronger and louder!  It's happening slowly, but it's happening.  I know I need to get him in to see an ENT again, to make sure his papillomas aren't growing back in his throat.  I'm really hoping that they aren't coming back already, but we will just have to see.  But at least his voice is coming back a bit.

Julian is still doing fine in Preschool and he's learned so much!  I just wish he'd act the way he does at Preschool when he's at home!!!  Oh, well.  He's my little red-headed crazy boy!

Cleo has been working on using the potty.  You know, I've heard people say that it's easier to potty train girls than it is boys.......Yeah, well they don't have my daughter!!  She is by far harder to potty train than my boys!!  She is so sassy and puts up a fight when she doesn't feel like using the potty.  It drives me nuts!  I know she can do it.  I know she gets it.  Her independence is getting in the way of it happening faster!!  Oh, well.  She's been doing pretty well this past week.  I hope she can be fully potty trained within the next month (at least during the day).  We just have to keep going!

Westin is still being his slow and lazy self.  He is 15 months now and he still has only 2 teeth and he just crawls.  He can pull himself up on things, but only into a kneeling position.  He eats a lot more "people" foods now and he doesn't gag at every new thing I give him.  It's nice to be able to feed him big boy food now.  He's just a happy little guy and he loves to watch the world work around him. 

Well, now my kiddos are REALLY hungry, so I better quit for now!  Again, to the people who read my blogs..........Thank you and I'm sorry!!  Thank you for taking the time to read my ridiculously long stories about nothing and I'm sorry that you are reading my ridiculously long stories!!  I appreciate everyone's support right now and I love you all!  I will write more later!

~Rachelle Escher

The time is flying by...

Oh my......It's been so long since I've posted anything!!  I'm terrible!!  My house is always a chaotic crazy mess!!  Eeek!  Most of you know Jeff left on February 25th, so we've been doing our thing for over a month now.  I must say, it's gone by very quickly so far......much quicker than I could ever have expected!!  I'm sure most people wonder if I talk to Jeff or know what he's up to.  Actually, since he left, we have talked every single day except for one.  He texts me all the time and we usually have a mini phone date every night.  Sometimes it's only a 5 minute conversation, but we've also had hour long chats, as well!  So, it's been very nice to be able to talk to him regularly.  He's doing well in Oklahoma.  He has about 2 1/2 weeks left there and then he'll go to Fort Knox, Kentucky for the rest of his training.  I don't have an "official" date that he will be completely done with all of this, but hopefully as soon as he gets to Ft. Knox, he'll know some more we can begin our "hardcore countdown!!"  He's keeping busy and so are we, so it all works out!

We've finally gotten the sickness out of this house!  Ugh!  That seemed to last forever!  It just kept going around and around!  But now that that is done with, I hope it doesn't come back!!  Owen is doing well.  His voice is slowly getting a little stronger!!  I brought him to a Speech Pathologist and we figured out some sounds and techniques to use to make his voice smoother, louder, and stronger!  The Speech Pathologist believe Owen will definitely be able to get his voice back with lots of practice and hard work!  We will work at it, that's for sure!! 

Julian is still doing well in Preschool.  He's actually a lot better at school than he is at home!!  (Go figure!)  But he really enjoys school and he's learning so much!  I can't believe all the things he can do now that he couldn't just a few months ago!  It's crazy what they learn in a short amount of time!! 

Cleo is still her sassy little self!  She thinks she's a princess and she's always dancing around and posing at random times.  And when she doesn't get her way, watch out!!  That girl has looks that could kill!  She's a stinker, but I love her girly ways!!

Westin is such a good little boy.  He just sits and watches the world go by.  He's so calm and he's getting around  a lot more now.  Not walking, but he crawls really fast!!  He loves to go after the cats and the dog!!  He will sit and pull on their fur and they will growl at him and he thinks it's so funny!  I'm constantly moving him to other places in the house so he doesn't get hurt!!

As for me, I'm just a crazy busy mama.  I am still taking 2 online classes that take up a lot more of my time than I expected them to.  It's nice, but frustrating at times.  Sometimes I just wanna scrapbook.......but then I have to do my homework first!!  I've been really itching to scrapbook and I have even bought myself a few new scrapbooking toys (The infamous Cricut machine....I got a killer deal on it and a few cartridges to go with it!! Yay for scrapbooking nerdiness!!)  I'm also going to attempt a new business venture!  I have an obsession with Ebay and I love buying and selling, so I've already purchased some wholesale clothing and I'm going to resell it on Ebay to try to make a profit!  If I don't, that's okay.  But I'm going to try.  It's something I enjoy doing, regardless of the money factor.  I just think it's fun.  Plus, I'm not working right now, so it will make me feel like I have a "job!"  I have so many ideas swimming in my head!!  I just have to find the time to do all of them! 

Speaking of time, I need to go to bed.  It's been a long day!!  We went to the MN ZOO today and had a blast!  Of course, it totally thunderstormed on us while we were at the farm looking at the goats, but then it cleared up and it went fine.  The kids were terribly exhausted and so am I!!  So, I will go to bed and "try" to sleep in tomorrow.  But I'm sure Julian will pop out of bed at 6:15am like he normally does.......oh, I hope not!!  Anyway, perhaps I will type more tomorrow.  It's my "Do Nothing Day!"  I finally get one!! YAY!! 

Well, you all have a wonderful Easter if I don't post before then and I love you all!

~Rachelle   :)

12 days down......???? to go

So, Jeff's been gone for 12 days now.  It's been a crazy week and a half, but it's starting to calm down......I think!  I hope!  So far, I've been able to talk to Jeff every day, which is great.  Of course, I don't get to talk to him nearly as much as I'm used to, but at least I get an update every day.  He's doing well.  He's been a little sick with a sinus infection, but other than that he's good.  He's even been able to talk to the kids a few times and I know they love that!!  I've only cried a few times since he's been gone, which surprises me.  (I thought I would have been a ball of tears by now, but I'm doing okay.  Taking one day at a time.)


We still have a little sickness going on in the house, but it's ten times better than last week!  I've been doing tons of laundry (with bleach), scrubbing everything with Clorox wipes, and steam cleaning the couch and living room (in the middle of the night......sorry Katie and Bill!!)  But, I've been trying to do whatever I can to get these damn germs to DIE!!!  Soon......soon.......


We've had some visitors over the weekend.  My mom came over yesterday and I gave her a haircut (and then Julian wanted one, too) and my brother-in-law Dave came over yesterday, as well.  The kids were T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E. yesterday and I think we all cried at some point and I did a lot of yelling........but it has passed and I shall move on!  Today was a much better day (behavior wise).  My dad and Liz came to visit today.  The kids were pretty good and had fun.  I thought they were so good today that I even made a cake before bedtime and they each got a piece!  (It's a nummy treat that I need to try to keep my hands off of!!!) 


I even got a chance to color my hair today.  (My roots were lookin scary!)  While I was dyeing my hair, I asked Cleo, "Hey, should we dye your hair black, Cleo?"  She grabbed her hair and said, "NO WAY!  I want it be golden forever!"  I thought that was pretty cute!  I don't think she realizes that her hair is "blond," to her it's "golden" (like a princess, of course!)  ............Yesterday, I was getting dressed and Cleo was staring at me.  I said, "Cleo, one day when you get bigger, you're going to get big boobies!"  She exclaimed with excitement, "Really??!"  I said, "Yep, and you can even wear a bra!  Would you like that??"  She said very matter-of-factly, "Course!"  She can be so flippin cute sometimes.......keyword....."Sometimes!" 


Julian was pretty much a butthead all day yesterday.  At one point, the boys were digging in their piggy banks and counting their money.  Julian had just finished counting his and he was shaking it around and ready to put it back on the kitchen counter......and, of course, he dropped in and it shattered.  So, coins went all over the place and he cried cuz his monkey bank broke.  Dave was here and he was nice enough to move the stove so we could get his coins.  Well, it was gross under there, so we vacuumed it up and Dave went to put the vacuum cleaner away.  He said, "Hey Julian, could you please come open this door for me?"  Julian looked at him and said, "You have two hands."  (In a snotty little tone.)  We didn't really know how to react to that one.  It was funny and horrifying all at the same time!!  Little shit!


The other day Owen was asking me to write down everyone's names in the family.  He wanted first, middle, and last names.  I wrote mine, Jeff's, his, Julian's, Cleo's, Westin's, Phillip's, Dayna's, Dax's, and Cliff's names down.  He said, "Hey, why don't Dax and Cliff have middle names??"  (Keep in mind this is the dog and the turtle.)  I said, "I don't know.  I guess we just never thought of any middle names for them.  Maybe you could think of one?!"  He thought about it for a while and then he announced, "Mom, I came up with a perfect middle name for Dax!"  I said, "What did you come up with?"  He said, "CARL!"  So, I said, "Dax Carl Escher???  Like, Carl with a "c" or Carl with a "k"??"  He said, "Carl with a 'c'!"  I said, "Well, why don't you think of some other names??"  He said, "No, I already decided....his middle name is Carl."  So, now my dog has a middle name.  A little while later he said, "Mom, I thought of a middle name for Cliff!  It's 'Mayor'!"  I said, "All right.  Cliff Mayor Escher it is, then."  He's so silly.  The thing is, he has such a flippin awesome memory, that he will not forget these names.  There's no way I could change them down the road!!  So, now our whole family has middle names.........


We've had quite the eventful little week around here and I'm hoping we can settle a little more into a routine this week.  I know I said that last week, but I didn't know I was going to have tooth issues and that Cleo would get pinkeye again!  Oh, did I not mention that??  Yeah, Cleo had pinkeye.....again.....UGH!


Now, I just need to work on planning some little outings for the kids.  I know if I keep them in this house all the time they will go insane.  So, besides just playing outside, I need to think of things to do and places to go!  Perhaps we will take a library fieldtrip this week or maybe a Maple Maze excursion??  I don't know.  It has to be fun and cheap!  I don't like figuring things out last minute.  It makes it so much easier for me when I plan ahead.  So, I'm going to start getting creative!! (We'll see how that works out.......ha ha!)


Anyway, I thought I'd just put a little update that things in the Escher household are still crazy, but they are a little less crazy now than last week at this time!  So, all my children have been sleeping for a while and I'm going to enjoy the little bit of quiet time I get each night!  I will write more later!


~Rachelle  (The mom with the crazy kidlets!)

CHAOS ENSUES!!

Oh boy, what a chaotic last 2 days I've had!!  So, yesterday Jeff actually got to fly to Oklahoma.  He was supposed to fly out on Wednesday, but there was an issue with paperwork, so he had to wait until Thursday.  Well, yesterday was supposed to be my "do nothing day."  I planned on laying around and doing nothing!  I haven't felt well and I've been so tired, so I just wanted to rest.  That was the PLAN.  Well, when you have 4 kids, plans change at the drop of a hat.  So, Cleo told me her ear was hurting.  Normally she doesn't talk about that.  The only other time she said something like that was when she actually had an ear infection.  And, Mr. Baby Guy has been sick for the past week with a nasty cold.  I also saw him digging in his ears.  So, I think, let's go to the Minute Clinic at The Marketplace right up the road.  We'll do it quick and come right home.  Better to find out right away.  So, we go, and they are on break.  So we patiently wait for 15 minutes.  Then I get in and start signing the kids in at the kiosk.  When I type in Westin's birthday, it says "We do not see patients under the age of 18 months."  I was like, "Really?!?"  Ugh!  So, I talked to the doctor and she said sorry, but they can't treat babies.  I figured since we were already there I might as well get Cleo's ears looked at.  Turns out she's fine!  No ear infection!  Great news......but annoying.  The doctor WAS nice enough to peek at Westin's ears just to tell me if it would be worth it to take him in.  She said I should go. 

So, we all get back in the van and I think.....what to do??  It's almost 4:00 pm at this point.  There's an Allina Clinic like 2 blocks away from my house.  But you need to have an appointment to go.  I call and they say they can squeeze him in at 4:45pm.....Perfect, but my kids eat dinner between 4 and 4:30.........and we have 45 minutes.  We rush home and eat a bunch of snacks.  We get back in the van, drive two blocks, and wait in the waiting room for about 35 minutes!  Ugh!  So, we get in the room and we are in there for another 15 minutes......The doctor says it's a double ear infection (again).  This is his 3rd one since October 2009.  Perhaps tubes will be in his very near future......but that's another chapter in itself........

He is prescribed Amoxicillin again, but it takes the damn pharmacy almost an hour to fill a flippin prescription and I don't want to wait anymore or go out anymore!  (Terrible mom that I am, I had some Amoxicillin saved from the last time Julian had an ear infection.  It was only a couple days past the expiration date.  So, I gave him a dose of that and planned on picking up his prescription the next day.)  So, we get home and I'm totally on edge and I end up yelling at the kids a lot.  We sit down in the hallway and have a talk about being a team and helping out mommy.  I told them how I am one mommy and they are 4 kids and I don't have daddy here to help me, so they need to be nice and help me so we can have fun and mommy won't yell so much.  They agreed (which isn't worth much in this case).  They went to bed.  I watched a little tv and went to bed. 

I wake up at 4:00 am today with a THROBBING tooth.  It is my fault.  I haven't been to my dentist in years and I know I have a cavity in this tooth.  It's a back top molar and the pain is literally shooting into my gums, jaw, and head.  I realize that when I close my mouth, just the slight pressure of one of my bottom teeth touching THAT tooth makes me want to scream!  I can't even push up on that tooth with my tongue without it killing!!  So, I go take some Excedrin.....also dumb, because it has caffeine, but it usually does the trick with pain.  I go lay in bed and my nose stuffs up so bad I can't breathe.  But, amazingly, I can smell that the 27 pound cat has pooped the smelliest poop I think I've ever smelled!!  I am surprised it didn't wake my kids up!  It was really bad!  So, I couldn't even lay in my bed.....I couldn't breathe, the smell was terrible, my mouth was throbbing and I just felt like crap.  I decided to go dink around on the internet.  Actually, I went to my facebook page and looked at all of my status updates for the past few months.  I have been sick since February 3rd!  Ick!  That's straight.....without getting better........But I've been on-and-off sick since last October!  Eeeew!  Why have I been so damn sick??  And my Mr. Baby Guy, too!  He's been sick on and off for the past few months.  So I google "how not to get sick."  I found some websites talking about Echinacea and Zinc and Vitamin C to help with the immune system.  I decided I would go buy some of  that later!!  (I will try anything at this point!) 

By this point, it's 6:00 am and I am antsy and in pain.  I decided I'm so mad about being sick that I dug out a bunch of Clorox wipes and started wiping EVERYTHING!  Everything the baby touches, everything I touch, everything the kids touch (door knobs, light switches, toys, books, cupboards, the vacuum, the kennel, everything!)  I also decided I would open windows once the kids woke up.  Of course, to add to my lovely moment, Julian comes downstairs crying, "Mom, I peed the bed...."  (And when he pees.....ugh......he PEES!)  So, then I go strip his bed and make him strip......so now I'm doing laundry.....then I opened all the windows upstairs.  (I only kept them open for about 15 minutes.....I just needed to let some fresh air in....) 

I wish the story could end here and I could say that I spent the day in my jammies......alas......I did not.  I had to bring Owen to his Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor.  The doctor told me that Owen's voice should return to normal right after the surgery......well, he still sounds terrible.  (I don't know if I posted this before, but Owen had some Papillomas removed from his vocal cords.  It literally blocked about 75% of the tube.....that's why he has been so raspy when he talks.)  Unfortunately, this kind of thing is very rare and usually comes back over and over again.  The doctor said he's seen patients with the same thing that have to come back every 4-6 weeks to have them removed!!  Well, we went in for his appointment today and the doctor listened to him count to ten.  I asked if it was normal for his voice to still be raspy.  He said it was unusual and most kids recover their voices shortly after the surgery.  He recommended speech therapy.  I asked if it would help.  He said it might or he might never get his voice back.........That....breaks my heart.  So, now I need to contact a speech therapist and see if it's even possible to "fix" his voice.  The doctor said he wants to see Owen in 2 to 3 months to check his throat and see if anything's come back.  I hope this isn't something we need to do over and over again.  I don't know that I can take watching my child go in for multiple surgeries on something there is no cure for.  There's nothing I can do, either.........I feel so helpless........

We had a decent night and then Jeff called!  Yay, right?!  Well, his voice was so depressed......I was like, "What's wrong?  What happened??"  He said he only got about 30 minutes of sleep last night and then he got some bad news.  They changed some dates on him, which means he will be gone longer than we thought.  Really?  He's supposed to do a week of "in processing" and then start "training" on March 5th.  From March 5th, it was supposed to be 4 weeks in Oklahoma......then on to Ft. Knox, Kentucky.  Well, they changed his start date of training to March 18th.  Yeah, 2 weeks....not a big deal......but he's supposed to start "training" at Ft. Knox on a specific day.  That will push THAT start date back.......so who knows how long he will be gone?  Kentucky could tell him because he came in after his start date that he might have to wait a few more weeks to start his training.  So, now we are for sure looking at 16 weeks of him being gone......probablly even longer.  I know there's nothing either of us can do.  We have to just deal with it and keep truckin' along.  I have to try to stay positive or I will go insane!!  So, now I am typing this and thinking and knowing I need to go to bed in a few minutes.  I have a wonderful day of scrapbooking planned with my mom and sister and I can't wait!  I haven't scrapped in so long that it's going to be so fun!! 

Everyone has been so wondeful, too!  Everyone is asking if I need help or if there's anything they can do??  Well, we are okay right now......perhaps in a few weeks I might need an hour or two out of the house without the kids!!  We'll see.  For now, we will just keep going day to day and making the most of what we have.  The only thing that really keeps me going is the thought that life COULD be worse.  I could be in a much worse situation.  So, I shall keep going......stay positive.......be excited......and try to stay sane!  I love you all and I appreciate all of your support!  I know my blogs might be overly detailed and kinda pointless, but I enjoy getting my feelings out.  I do it so people can see what's going on, but I also do it as a form of self therapy.  It makes me feel better to get it out!  So, I don't blame you if you find my posts to be absolutely ridiculous!!  And, I know sometimes they are really positive posts and sometimes I'm a 'Debbie Downer'.......I don't wish to bring anyone down.  So, if I'm doing that, I'm sorry. 

Well, time for bed.......I will post more later

~Rachelle........Crazy mom......Crazy life.......Crazy kids........Crazy cool!