Krista Rules

I really just want to go to someone who has my blog in their roll and see that title.
Hahaha.

On to the true post.

"The Tale of Two Worlds Colliding ... Possibly NOT for the Best"

As I have been preparing to head off on our annual road trip to Canada I've been cleansing and purging the house as I pack.
I find I do it less and less as we live in the same stinking house longer and longer and loooonger.
Seriously, I think it may be detrimental to people's health to live in one house for this long.
If not their physical health, their mental health at the very least!

I've discovered no matter how much I cleanse and purge the kids and my stuff, my house will never be a house of order.

Case and point:

Here are examples of MY areas, areas that a certain other person in this household never messes with because well, they're in the kitchen...

Here are examples of a certain other person's space, which I am NEVER to touch, move, look at, or even consider messing with. I did a few times at the beginning of our marriage, I don't think I've recovered from the tongue lashing, WHOO WEE!This, sadly, is my front room. The "holding area" for things of as of yet ... unknown destinations

His office. No really.
And
the Garage.
Notice the car?
Yeah.
Sore topic.

Re-dunk-ulous

I don't know why, but people with over the top talent always leave me in tears. Take my breath away. Have me falling in love.

Britain's Got Talent 2009 Aidan Davis Dancing - Funny bloopers R us

Talent Show

This past Tuesday there was a talent show at Ms. R's school.
There was a good variety of acts that went on for nearly an hour and a half.
Dancing, singing, piano playing, gymnastics, karate, a skit ...
At the end they had all the staff from the school get up and do a little line dance for the kids.
They encouraged all the kids to get up and dance with them

(apparently some of them were scared stiff and the kids really helped them relax!)Lady on the far left is Judy Font, Ms. R's teacher - she's also one of the ones who was nervous!

As we were driving home Ms. R commented on how fun it'd been to be in the Talent Show.
I just smiled inside, it was nice that she felt her small part contributed so greatly ;)

Bad picture! It was the best I could do with my phone and the lighting!

After spending the afternoon at B-mans school, the kids and I headed up to Grapevine Mills Mall with Jerry's mom.
She wanted to treat Ms. R with an animal from Build a Bear then go to the Rain Forest Cafe.

Man, I wish I had a grandma like her when I was a kid!

Splash Day

Yesterday B-man's PPCD class had their annual Splash Day.
The teachers always do so well putting it together.
There are TONS of "stations" for the kids to choose from:
Bubbles
Sand
Shaving foam table
Three different sized pools
Slip n Slide
Shaded reading area

We also ate hot dogs, chips and popscicles.

Awesome pre-summer party!

Stellar

We allow our kids to choose what they want to do on their birthday every year.
Ms. R has choose every year until this year to do hers at Chuck E Cheese.
Bad food, good times.
This year she decided to have a swim party.
At the time I thought it was a spectacular idea.
It's ALWAYS hot here by the end of May.
Always.
Until this year.
This year we've had a very dismal spring.
Barley peaking into the 80's.
For us, that's cool.
When I sent out the invites two weeks ago I figured we still had time for the weather to catch up to the month, warm up the swimming pool water, ect.
Never happened.
She also invited 20 kids.
With this being Memorial day weekend I planned on 1/4th of those numbers, which is a fair amount.
8 RSVPed with "Yes, we'd LOVE to come!"
So I planned for 12 to come, just in case there were kids out there that had parents that couldn't figure out how to pick up a phone or turn on the internet.
TWO kids came.
Two.
Oy.
Ms. R asked me, "Why would _________ and ____________ and ___________ say they could come and then not come?"
Me, utterly defeated and feeling maybe a little mean spirited, "I don't know honey, you should ask them that on Monday..."

The kids that came had a good time though.
Because it really is pretty chilly still the pool was all but deserted.
So they got to go on the slides all they wanted, jump off the diving board, play "shark" with no one to run into.
That's a definite plus.

When we got home I opened my email to find messages from three parents, sending their apologies with the explanation that their kid has come down with Strep.
Then I got a phone call from another asking what time the party started ... ahhh, three four hours ago?

So really ... not AS BAD as I thought.

Though it did make Ms. R sad to think that no body wanted to come to her birthday AGAIN (last year only two kids from her class showed up too).
What doesn't break you makes your stronger?

Oh well, we're having a family party for her up in Canada ON her birthday, I'm sure that will take away some of the sting from having a measly party here.

Bawhahhaha

I What?

I WON!
No stinking kidding.
I honestly usually enter blog contests simply to up the number of people entering the contest and make it a little harder for the winners to win.
I never anticipate winning.
Ever.

I entered a contest Pastor Ryan was having the other day for a "Ratio" cook book.

The question was about what our favorite childhood dish was, since I'm a berry hound I responded with my sisters blue berry custard pie.

I won.

Haha.

Dawn is WAY more of a cook/baker than I am. She has WAY more mouths to feed and WAY more people interested in eating her food than I do.

So you know what?

I'm giving my spoils to her.

Happy Birthday, Dawn!

Badonkadonk

Forget the kids, I am glad the year is nearly over.
Only 5 days left tomorrow.
At least for my kids.
I'm pulling them the last two days.
Only half days of silliness.
We need to haul-butt to Utah to pick up our own personal
Behemoth.


This year I have found myself draaaaging.
Not sleepy.
Just exhausted.
Even after having a nap
or three
a day.
I'd find myself STILL tired.
Chronically having the toilet bowl fill with blood when I pooped
didn't make me feel too excited either.
The almost constant stomach aches
zinging pains from lower abdominal
to chest area
and cramping in the kidney areas ...
When I no longer have periods because I am on Mirena
I see cramping as a BAD sign.
Oy.
I'm a BIG baby about going to new doctors.
I am not a huge fan of the whole,
"Tell me your history and show me your stuff"
it's just ... invasive.
But I broke down and went.
First visit I was given a prescription for things to go in ...
both ends.
Woohoo!
Man, do I
LOVE
my body right now.
That didn't so much work
Cause this time the bleeding is
heavier
thicker
darker
scarier.
No waiting this time.
Into the doctor I went.
A "sample" taken indicated that I do
indeed
have blood in my
feces.
Like I needed them to take a
sample
to tell me that?
BAH HUMBUG!
That is what I have to say to you.
They also drew blood.
Usual crap.
You know.
Referred me to a
gastroentonologist.
For a
colonoscopy.
Called me today to tell me
my glucose is high and iron is low.
Do I have relatives with diabetes?
Ahhh ... not the ones I know.
I think they just caught me on a bad day for that one.
I'm pooping blood dude, I can see why I may be low on iron.
But I apparently am taking those results to a
specialist
too.
Because of a health insurance switch we are in the middle of,
I am waiting to see the g-word guy (I spelt it once, that's all you get!)
till I'm up in Canada.
There is one in Great Falls, MT that is in our network.
Hopefully he'll have openings
(hahhahahaa, that was a dirty pun)
in June.
I can just skip across the line, do the
deed
and go back up .

Let's cross our fingers and just hope Krista has hemorrhoids in some weird duct.

Sensitive

This is from Autism the Musical ... with a little Jack Black added to the mix ;)

Absurd

I went to the library Monday night.
Pulled into the parking lot and
just
sat there
and
stared
at this:That's right folks, I've moved to the ghetto.
Or it's come to me ...

Grandma's Chair

You hear, from time to time,
those sweet stories
from people
involving their
grandmother's chairs.

How they sat for
hours and hours
in that chair with
Grandma Soandso,
listening to her stories,
wrapped in the warmth of her love.

My kids

Well

My kids
will have stories
about how
Great Grandma Helsel
let them
motor
around
in her
power
chair ...

Ain't that swell?

Girl Scouts

A few weeks ago Ms. R requested to be signed up for Girl Scouts. I was all for it because as a kid I had always wanted to be involved in it - but never was for whatever reason. I think maybe my mom had a bad experience with other mom's when Dawn was involved. In any case, I was pretty pumped when Ms. R suggested she get involved in something I was interested in as a kid.

We went to her first meeting last week. It didn't go over so well. She didn't know anyone and they weren't overly inviting (they weren't rude, just not really excited to see a new girl as I think Ms. R expected). She spent the first 20 or so minutes crying, I reassured her that if she really didn't like it, we weren't obligated to stay ... but I did think she should at least give it a try. Without tear involvement.We'll see if she wants to go again tomorrow.

Thank You, My Babies

Both my kids came home from school today with Mother's Day "stuff" ... Here's how Ms. R's read (word and letter exact):

Dear Mommy,
Happy Mother's Day! You are special to me because you are cool, nice and awesome. You are smart. I like you going to Canada with me. (Gee, I wonder what's been on our mind lately)
I wouldn't trade you for a hat or a king or another mother either.
Love, Ms. R

... she'd rather have me than a hat, woo hoo!

And a little "survey" B-man filled out:

My Mother likes to Draw

My Mother is 29 years old.

My Mother's favorite food is Fried Chicken Milk (..... what is THAT?)

My Mother's favorite sport is Blow Bubbles (hahhaha, oh, okay)

My Mother's favorite color is Gray (I have no idea where he got that)

My Mother's name is Krista

I love it when my Mother drives

My Mother is Mom (nicely put, son)

My Mother is good at Reading

My Mother and I like to drive

My Mother like it when I eat apple pie (he's clearly delusional)

My Mother is great because I'm Happy (can't argue with that logic)

My Mom and I play at home

My Mom and I play link and logs (Lincoln Logs)

My Mom and I eat donuts (he's so subtle)

My mom and I go to Sea World (ummm ... once, last year)

My mom and I read books

My mom and I watch moveys (movies)

My Mom and I like to drive in the truck

Random Picture

At the Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Thailand
two year old Saimai,
a Royal Bengal tigress,
is raising 6 piglets.
No
Word
Of
a
Lie.

Thanks ... I Think

After being at her friends all night and most of all day yesterday, Ms. R and her friend still hadn't had enough of each other, so they asked if the friend could play at our house for a couple of hours.
I wanted to repay the friends parents at least a little bit, so I agreed immediately even though I was in the middle of a huge room move.
After playing for a little bit all the kids congregated into my room to watch my progress.
The friend watched quietly for a bit as I heaved the dresser from one corner to another, then commented, "Mrs. Crabb, that looks awful heavy and dangerous ... should you be doing that by yourself? Where's your husband?"
She was sincerely worried for me and my safety.
Trying not to make her feel like her question was ridiculous I answered, "Well Bree, if I waited for someone to help me - it may never get done. Ms. R's daddy is always either working or sleeping ... and he also hates it when I move around the furniture. So he wouldn't really be willing to help."
Her reply, "So you're sure you're not going to hurt yourself? That really does look dangerous for you."

Ms. R pipes up,
"My mom does
everything
by
herself.
She's really strong!"
*sigh* Yeah, thanks for that Ms. R.
I think
I appreciate the sentiment.
Though darn it all
if it didn't make me feel a
wee
bit
lonely.

Date with The Boy

Yesterday after school Ms. R headed home with a school friend for a sleepover which meant B-man and I would be stuck at home staring at each other ... or I could take us out on a date.
I of course picked option "B" as I am not a stay at home type person.

At all.

I picked him up a few minutes early from school and we headed over to the Fort Worth Zoo. Forget the fact that they have shut down the entire Fort Worth Independent School District because of the Swine Flu scare, I'm no sissy. (Now watch one of us catch it ...)
I don't know if it was because there was only an hour and a half till closing when we got there, if people are staying away because of the Swine Flu, or if they were afraid of the impending rain ... or a combination of all three, but the whole time we were there, we saw maybe a dozen people. In all. Including zoo employees.
Never the less, it was really nice. B-man has started stopping and and actually taking the time to enjoy the animals, has me read the information plaques and asks questions. HUGE change from even 6 months ago when he acted like going through the zoo was a race.
Next we headed to downtown Fort Worth to enjoy Sundance Square.On Friday nights there are always tons of street musicians to entertain you as you wander around.
Nobody was phenomenal but it was still fun listening with B-man.
We stopped and watched the two Country radio stations broadcast.He was pretty entertained that the voices we hear on the radio belong to people.

Then we grabbed a quick bite at treated ourselves to some Schakolad Chocolate, hung out at and to top off the night we caught Wolverine (which he slept through). All in all, I'd say we both had a great time.
I'd go on a date with him again ;)

Was That a Compromise?

Funny.

Odd.
Confused.

I've learned not to complain too loudly or long about stuff,
because it usually
doesn't
change
a
darn
thing.
It just makes me feel like a hag.
Which is way worse than feeling angry about not getting your way.
Maybe.

I've left the car situation as long as "Krista-ly" possible without having a minor panic attack.
I dropped "subtle" hints into Jerry's email box.
Links to various cars.
Suggestions on how we'd go about
obtaining a car
for the summer.

His solution:
Buy an RV.
Wait...

WHAT?!?!

This reminds me of the Christmas I asked for a
breadmaker
and he bought me a
laptop.

Still really great
but
NOTHING
like what I asked for.
At
All.

Here's the back story:
His older brother,
Steve,
recently acquired a 10 person toy hauler
to replace a 6 person RV
they've had for about 5 years now
because his kids are getting bigger,
they have more stuff to haul,
blah
blah
blah.
His intention has been
to replace a few things
on the RV
and sell it.
However,
he's been
very short
on time
because they are in the midst of building
a place in Utah also.
So the RV has just been sitting.

The deal Jerry was able to
strike
is that he'll do all the work
if Steve would sell it to him for
a steal.

Steve,
being a good older brother
gladly
agreed.

So now
we're buying
an RV
for the same price
we could have rented one
for the same amount of time.

Sweet.
I think.

I have a few apprehensions.

I rented a Ford Explorer
when Dawn and her kids were here
and thought that was a
beast.

What
am
I
going
to
do
with
a
raging
behemoth?

I am not excited
about getting somewhere
and essentially being
stuck
because I
certainly
am
not
going to
tool around
in a RV.

On the other hand:
If we love it, we have a fun
vehicle to take on weekends to
the lake.
Or to explore the country side.
Or whatever
it is that people do with RV's.

And if we find it's not as
ideal as we'd hoped
we can sell it for at least as
much
as he bought if for.