~Hi-de-ho-neighbors~

Okay, if that isn't one of the silliest subjects, I don't know what is :)

I just couldn't think of anything to put there... so that is what ya'll get.

I'm feeling a bit upset with myself at the fact that it has been almost a week since I've posted a real entry... I keep saying that too... but I still don't do anything about it!!

I guess with both kiddos being so active and needy at times, I'm having a hard time getting to sit down long enough to actually type out an entry.

I would wait until they go to bed... but they usually go to bed the same time I do... then an entry would never happen.  I guess I'll continue to find the time when I can... like now, with Zachary throwing a fit in his high chair... lmao :)

 

Hmm, lets see what has been going on.

Oh yes.

Friday was a pretty busy day for the Pickle Jar.

Mr. Zachary had a cardiologist appointment.  His little ticker is doing well and the murmur is getting better.  The doctor said he noticed that it was a lot quieter.  The bad news is that he'll continue to be on his meds until June.  Well, I guess it isn't bad if it is keeping his heart happy and healthy... although my whole family was looking forward to getting him off of his meds.

In June we'll go back... have his sonogram on his heart... another EKG... and find out if he'll really come off the meds.  When he does, they'll stop them cold turkey... which seriously scares the shite out of me...

Shoot, I'm already stressing because his dose of meds is for a 20lbs baby and he weighs 22lbs... so technically, he is being weaned... so we have to start watching for signs of SVT.  Scary Scary Scary!!

 

After the appointment and after picking up Miss Ro from school... the kids and I went to hang out with Laura and one of her kiddos, Daniel, at the McDonald's near her house that has a Playland.  Let me tell you... the kids had a blast and it was nice to have some adult time mixed in there too :)  I do have pictures... so, I'll have to get those up soon too.

 

Friday night my friends and I went out for my best friend Amy's birthday... we went to Olive Garden to have dinner and then just spent some time hanging out... it was fun... it was good food and good company.  I can't wait to go out for adult dinner again!!

Which, because my parents are wonderful to me... I get to do again on Friday!!!  Woo Hoo for Jenn.

 

Mr. Zachary is doing a whole lot more walking guys... it is the cutest thing.  He is actually letting go of one object to walk to another.  I'm so proud of him... I know kids walking is a pretty natural thing, but for him, it just is another sign that he is a happy, healthy little boy.

The walking does tire him out a lot more too though.  Plus right now he is getting another tooth... and he has some kind of cold or allergy going on... So, you can imagine, when he gets tired and needs to go to bed that I better stop what I'm doing, heat him up some milk and put his cute little booty to bed!!  There is nothing like dealing with a cranky baby... and I so don't like dealing with one.

 

Hmm, what about Miss Rowan... lets see... oh yes.

My daughter has now become the human recording machine.  She literally remembers everything you say about anything or anyone.  I made a mistake of calling someone a crackhead the other day driving and she went and called my brother, her Uncle Boo, a crackhead yesterday... Yikes... not good.  So now Derek and I have to really watch watch we say.

My mom also started working on some Preschool work books with her today.  Yes, she does go to preschool... but we thought some extra help would help her get along better later on.  I have one or two work books here at the house, so I'll probably be working with her on those on the weekends.

 

Derek starts his days off tomorrow, although most of his days off will be spent working OT :(  Oh well... it is okay.  I'll get to hang out with him for most of Saturday before he goes to work- if he goes as planned.  Maybe all four of us can get to go to lunch or something...

 

Well, I must be going... Zachary isn't taking the Oreo that I bribed him with as a good enough payment, lol.  Plus, I got to go find Rowan... she has gotten lost in the bathroom- that can be scary!!!

I hope you all have a great rest of the week!!

See you soon,
~Jenn~

~Special Surprise in My InBox~

So, I got a surprise in my InBox the other day from my friend Nae...

She had taken some pictures that I took in Pismo and cut and pasted them together to make this picture:

Isn't she the sweetest?  And doesn't she have talent for some great Graphics??

 

So, thanks Nae for brightening my day!!  You are great :)

Love ya!

~Pickles~

~Pismo Pictures~

    

We had a wonderful time in Pismo... the sand and shore were beautiful and thankfully the weather held out for us- well, most of the time.

The drive down there was a little longer than we were used to.  It usually takes us 3.5hrs to get there... but because we were going with another family that was hauling a Weekend Warrior with 4 quads in it, it took a bit longer due to going slower.

It was okay though... we didn't have to be anywhere... plus, we stopped twice which was nice for both us and the kids.

The first day/night we were there, the wind was horrible.  It kicked sand up underneath the trailers and into our faces.  Thankfully when the sun went down it died down... and thank goodness for our big ol' bonfires!!

As you can see from the pictures, we did get a storm in... Tuesday.  It rained for a good 4hrs and also brought in a high tide.  From the end of our trailer, the water was maybe 100 yards away.  Pretty neat... and pretty scary all at the same time.  We kept hoping there wouldn't be any out of control waves.

The kids had a wonderful time in Pismo.  Rowan loved walking in the ocean with her rain boots while collecting shells... and riding in the Rhino... which is a type of ATV.

And Zach... well, Zach liked the sand... as you will see :)

We can't wait to do the camping on the beach thing again... such a blast!!

Hope you enjoy the pictures of Pismo and the few random ones I threw in too ;)

Hugs,
~Jenn~

~He's Walking~

Yup, you read that correctly!!

 

Mr. Z is walking... sorta.

 

He'll walk if you put him up to it... but I think after last night and the walking he did, he'll be doing it on his own soon!!

 

I'll be back later today with details and possibly with pictures from our Pismo trip and just random ones that I've taken over the last few days!!

 

Have a wonderful Thursday!
~Pickle Jenn~

~Real Fact #31~

I'm just on my lunch break and I thought I'd share some stuff with you all... keeping life on the happy-go-lucky side today, ya know?

 

Here is a Real Fact... presented by one of my favorite drinks- Diet Snapple Lemon Iced Tea-

 

"The average human eats 8 spiders in his/her lifetime while sleeping"....

 

Can you say "Ewwww"

 

Snapple.com Real Facts

~Hi Guys~

Hi Guys.

I just wanted to stop in and say hello.  I feel like I'm neglecting my journal and what not lately.  I so don't want to do that either...

I find comfort in writing in my journal.  I find it easier for me to actually come here and share my life with you all... and to find myself reliving it all...

 

The last few days have been a bit tough on my family. 

We went to my grandparents house on Saturday and it didn't seem right.  I told my mom it didn't feel the same with Grandpa not there.  Not sitting in his chair or shuffling down the hallway.

What made it really real to me was when we were leaving, my grandma came out with things of my grandpa's for both my brother and I.  See, my grandfather was in the Air Force... retired as a Lt. Colonel.  He had taken his wings and made them into a bracelet that he wore ALL THE TIME.  Well, my grandma gave me that.  I just started crying.  It was just to real to me... he wasn't coming back.

She also gave me his Retired badge from the CHP and his ID.  I have it sitting on my mantel in the shadow box he put it in... but it is falling apart so I will be getting a new and better one for it.  I want to honor him by having it in something that he deserves!!

 

I suppose it will take some time getting used to calling over to their house and not having him answer the phone... and not seeing him when we are there... or having him come over to our houses.  I know the sorrow will slowly go away... but the missing will always be.

 

In other news... the kids are doing well.

Rowan went back to school today after her week off... let me tell you, she didn't want to go.  She didn't want to get up... she didn't want to have breakfast... she didn't want to get dressed.

It all really surprised me too... because she loves school.  I got her up and ready though... and I know when I picked her up from school that she had a good day, even though she didn't want to go in the beginning. :)

Zachary is well also.

Still not walking... but standing longer periods all by himself.  He is also doing the whole straightening his legs with his hands on the ground... that "I'm going to try to stand up" position... but he doesn't.

I know he'll walk soon... but I guess you can say I'm a bit worried on why he isn't walking yet.  I might be too used to Ro and her walking at 10mons.  But his daddy, Derek, didn't walk until he was well into his 14th month.

I guess Zachary will walk when he is ready... Right?? ;)

 

Oh, I do have some wonderful pictures from our trip to Pismo to share with you... but I'm thinking it will be a few days- more like Wednesday- before I can share them with you.

I will be going back to work tomorrow too.  I took today off because my mom had some things to do that had to deal with my grandpa...

So it will be a short week.

I'm also looking forward to Friday for a few good reasons.

Friday morning Zachary has a cardio appointment.  I'm hoping this appt. comes with some good news... or at least news pointing us in the direction of when he'll be coming off his medication.  I guess we can only wait and see...

Then I'm supposed to be meeting up with Laura for lunch or coffee... I can't wait.  We were supposed to do it earlier in the month, but because of Zachary being sick, I had to cancel.

Then Friday night I'm going out!!!!  Can I get a Woo Hoo?? 

Yep, I'm going out to help celebrate my bestest friends 24th birthday... We are going to do the dinner/drink thing.  Should be a blast...

 

Well, I think I've rambled on long enough... I'm sure there is something I missed... but I can't think of anything right now.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

Love and Hugs to you,
~Jenn~

~A Year Ago~

A year ago, we almost lost our son.

Just at the very tender age of 3 weeks old... Mr. Zachary Justice got very sick.  We didn't know what was wrong with him for a good 2 weeks and then finally, on March 17th, 2005.... he became very sick and was put into the hospital for 12 days...

This picture of him was taken just a day after we got to the hospital in Sacramento:
   

Doesn't he look so tiny... And sick.... Far cry from him today:
                                     

If you don't know the story of Zachary.... You can find the links here....

Zachary's Story Part 1

Part 2 and Part 3

 

So, obviously, I'm pretty proud of how far my little man has come....

I guess you all can tell that we got home safely from Pismo as well.  We had a wonderful time...

Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away yesterday afternoon.  I was glad I was home and not in Pismo when it happened.  My mom and dad were with him... and he went quietly.

So, if you don't see me around for a while, its probably because we are busy dealing with that...

Love to you all...
~Pickle Jenn~

~Can't think of a Title~

I should be starting to pack for our trip to Pismo... and being excited about going.

Yet, I can't get excited, even though I truly want to go.

See, my grandfather still isn't doing too well.

Friday night around 1130pm, my mom got a call from the doctors at the hospital and told her that she should make her way down to the bay area (where they live) because they weren't sure if my grandpa would make it through the night.

He did... thankfully.

So the kids and I got into the car on Saturday morning and headed down there... I needed and wanted to see him.

My grandfather not only has a broken hip, but his kidney's are shutting down, he has a UTI, a bacterial infection in his intestines and has sepsis (an infection in the blood stream).

My grandpa is 88 years old... a True American Hero... someone who doesn't deserve this... we always thought he'd go out in a fiery crash or in his sleep.  We never thought he'd be in a hospital fighting for his life like this.

After having lunch with my parents, my brother and his fiance, and my grandmother, we went over to the hospital.  Thankfully the kids stayed behind... if I had a hard time seeing him in his condition, Rowan would have too... although she truly understands that her Grandpa Ben is sick... very sick.  She wanted to see him... but I'm now glad she didn't.

First of all, being in a hospital since Zachary's situation, it always brings back memories.  Seeing the equipment, understanding what the numbers mean and what not... takes me right back.

So not only did I get emotional from seeing my grandfather in his situation... I was remembering dealing with Zach's and got all emotional from that too.

My grandpa wasn't really responsive the first time I went into his room... I went next to his bed and said Hi Grandpa.  His eyes kinda flickered open but that was about it.  I told him that I loved him and then I broke down.  Of course, when my mom saw me like that, she broke down too... so I had to leave the room.

It took me a good 10 mins before I got up the strength to see him again...

I'm glad I went back in there though.  This time, he tried with all his might to communicate with me and everyone else.  I said Hi Grandpa again and this time he really opened his eyes... I grabbed his hand and told him if he could hear me, to squeeze it.  And he did :)  That made me cry of course... but I stayed next to him for a good 30 mins talking to him.

He tried to tell us that his mouth was hurting.  I think it is because he is dehydrated.  His tongue is swollen and has some sores on it.  They do this thing that swabs his mouth... and after us trying to get him to talk we finally figured out that he wanted something done about his mouth.

When we told him that we loved him, he tried to tell us that he loved us back... but it was too hard on him.  When I told him they were going to be moving him to isolation, he raised his eyebrows... he does this look where if he acts surprised, he raises his eyebrows.  It was good to see him doing something like that.

He just looks so old and fragile.  Granted, he is 88 years old... I know he is old.  Yet, it was extremely hard on us... on me... My grandpa is my hero... or shall I say one of them.

He made it through last night too...

I called my mom this morning to get an update- they are heading down there again- and his status hasn't changed.

His blood pressure is really low... 88/44... and he still sleeps most of the time.  I hope that when my mom gets to talk to the doctors he'll have some better news.

Please continue to keep him in your thoughts... It really means a lot to know you all care so much.

I guess I should start doing some stuff to get ready for our trip to Pismo- yes, we are still going... if anything major happens while we are gone, we'll be notified and I'll be heading there asap!!

We leave tomorrow morning... so you won't be seeing me for a while... it should be a good trip... if I can keep my mind of fun.  The weather is supposed to be pretty mild and only some showers on Tuesday.

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and a great week...

Hugs to all,
~Pickle Jenn~

(See Nae... told you I had you beat for worst days ever... lol)

~Whew, What a Week~

I can't believe I haven't posted since Sunday.

It has been an awfully long week... let me tell you.

Monday started the week off pretty good.  Derek and Zachary showed up at my work as a surprise.  It was really nice of them to come all the way to my work to only stay about 20mins.  Yet, seeing them made my day.

We were supposed to get our taxes done that evening too... but that didn't happen.  The gal that does our taxes does taxes on the side of her other job... and that job had to have her somewhere else that evening.

It was okay though... because I would have been doing the taxes myself.  Half way home from my work that morning, Derek got a SWAT call out.  He was on the call for 9.5hrs.  He didn't get home until around 915pm.  Poor guy was starving too.  Let me tell you, he grubbed on some food when he got home...

So instead of getting our taxes done on Monday night... I took Rowan to gymnastics.  She did good as usual, but I got a call from my mom while I was there... to tell me that my grandpa had fallen while trying to get to the bathroom at the care-facility he is at.

(he is at the care-facility to help him get over the pneumonia that took both him and my grandmother out)

My mom also told me that my great-aunt (my grandma's sister who is in her mid 80's) had fallen into a comatose staight at the hospital where she was recovery from a stroke and fall (broken hip as well).  I guess her organs are failing her... they give her 5-7 days to live.

So you can probably guess that our Monday didn't end as well as it began...

Tuesday is normally Ro's dance class... but Derek and I decided to skip the class and do some shopping at Target for our 'camping' trip in Pismo next week.  We got a bunch of good stuff for our trip... another sleeping bag, one for Ro, lantern, ect.  Now we can't wait to go since we have all the stuff...

After shopping at Target, we went to a little mexican restaurant called Mariachi's.  Oh it is soooo good.  Derek is officially obsessed with this place and would seriously eat there as many days of the week that he could!!

Wednesday, Zachary started comingdown with a pretty good cold.  He has had a cough now for about 2+ weeks, but it is getting worse and his nose is also really really runny.

Why does it seem like every time we plan on going somewhere... someone in my family gets a cold???  The last time we went to Pismo, Ro was getting over the flu!!

Wednesday night did bring us some good vibes though.  We went and got our taxes done and let me tell you, we left the gals house with a big fat smile on our faces.

What I find funny is that when we find out how much we get, we automatically start allocating it to where it needs to go.  We break it down a bunch of times, different ways... so basically when we get the money, it is already spent.

Thursday didn't bring us anything special.  Zachary's cold got worse... I had to cancel my lunch date with Laura, because I didn't want to get her or her little man Daniel sick.  It was a really big bummer for me to do that, because we had been planning the lunch for a while... but I know I wouldn't want to have my child get sick from another child we were with... so I thought I'd be nice and not let Daniel get sick too!

(Laura, we'll have to reschedule really soon... okay!!!)

Rowan and I did watch the newest Harry Potter movie last night though.  I really enjoyed it... actually cried at one point... but Miss Rowan was a little scared though... more so than the other movies.  I'm guessing it was because it was a little darker than the other ones.

Poor Mr. Zachary was still not feeling good this morning... so I ended up taking him to the doctor.  The doctor put him on antibiotics too.  I guess with his cough lingering and his nose being so runny, she thought there might be something up with his sinus.  Hopefully the antibiotic will clear him up and prevent him from getting an ear infection too.

I did get some bad news today about my grandfather though.  He isn't doing so well... in fact, he isn't doing good at all.

See, after he fell the other day at the care home, they x-rayed him and what not.  Supposedly he didn't have a broken hip... he was fine.  But a few days later, he started acting weird. 

Today, he became non-responsive.  He hasn't eaten... he hasn't drank anything and he won't take his meds.  He was taken to the ER via ambulance...

Come to find out, he does in fact have a broken hip... a pretty good one!!  One that will require him to have surgery!!

He also has a UTI.  Plus, his kidney's are failing.  I guess he is so bad off that the ER doctor has told my mom that they should look into getting a DNR.

Yeah, so I'm not sure how to handle this.  My grandparents live 1 1/2 hours away... my parents will be going there tomorrow.  We don't know if he's going to get better... or when he will.

So, if you can... please keep him in your thoughts....

I've gotta run.

The kiddos are being all crazy.

I hope to get back here to do another entry before we head off to Pismo. 

Have a great weekend everyone.

~Jenn~

~Really, What Happened to the Weekend?~

I'm at a lost to where the weekend has gone.

I can't believe that it is almost Sunday afternoon right now... I feel like it was just Thursday!!

I guess all the laundry that I did and folded made up for most of my weekend... lol.  Maybe it was all the naps that I took with my babies too.  Who knows, but it surely doesn't feel like it should be Sunday afternoon.

This evening Derek is having some friends over to watch the "UFC: 58" fight.  Its all good, because I love watching the fights.  It was on last night on PPV, so I bought it and recorded it to DVR.  I had strick instructions to not watch the fight, because Derek wanted me to watch it with him and his buddies... but around 930pm I just had to switch over to it.  Sssh, don't tell Derek okay???

So tonight will be pizza and the fight... hopefully my friend Amy will come over and hang out too.  That way I won't be out numbered by boys :)

It is so ugly outside right now.  The wind has picked up and by this evening, the rain will be pouring.  It is going to be like this for most of the week too.  I just hope that the weather stops being a pain by the time we go to Pismo!!  I won't want to be in a trailer for 3 days while it is raining.  No fun No fun!!

The weather report for Pismo Beach says that it will be raining pretty much on and off until Saturday.  I wish I could see what the forcast would be the following Mon-Thurs!!  Cross your fingers that we get nice weather, okay??

My boy has been doing some more solo standing.  Every once in a while he'll take a step or two to some other object of furniture or what not... but no true walking.  I can't wait to see him just take off some day soon... he looks like such a little man, it will be just too cute!!

Well, Miss Rowan is whining that she wants a bagel for lunch.  I guess that means that I need to "Step Away from the Computer" for a moment to make one for her...

Have a great Sunday,
~Pickle Jenn~

~Short Day Satruday~

I feel like today has zoomed on by.

I guess that would have to do with the fact that I wasn't up until 9 this morning and then didn't do much for the rest of the day.

Thankfully I was able to sleep in this morning, because I wasn't able to fall asleep last night until way past 1130pm.  I did catch the new show "Conviction" on NBC.  It was pretty good... good story line and some cuties to look at too :)  Plus, they even played James Blunt songs during the show.  How awesome is that??

After that, I pretty much flipped through channels... didn't find anything worth wild to watch though.  Kind of a bummer... I thought I might happen on some good new show on late night or something.  Guess I thought wrong.

Today is Derek's Friday!  That means he'll be home for 4 days starting tomorrow...

I did send him off today with a really good supper.  I made him these really thick pork chops that were marinated in Lawry's Dijon and Honey marinade... then some really HUGE artichokes... green beans and a salad.  Lets just say, I won't be having dinner tonight.  Maybe just a little snack :)

Ugh.

Both of the kids have been in moods today.  Miss Rowan is testing her limits with me with her attitude.  I swear she thinks she is 12 or something... And poor Mr. Zachary has just been cranky.  I guess I'd be cranky too if my sister was picking me up, pushing me around, taking my toys... ect.  Oh well.  I guess there isn't much I can do for him though... they both love being with each other.  I'm sure he'll learn to turn around and "run" in the other direction soon enough if he really wants to get away from her.

Get this...

I'm STILL folding laundry.  It seems that once I've finished folding the pile that I've got in front of me, there is a new one that appears right in its place.  I can't believe how much laundry a family of four produces!!

I'm watching "XXX: State of the Union" right now.  I didn't realize Scott Speedman was in this movie...  He is also in "Underworld" (both parts) and what a cutie pie he is too... he sure makes watching this movie much easier... "XXX" with Vin Diesel was much better than this.

It is awfully quiet in Jland today.  That or the alerts aren't working.  I swear, I haven't gotten more than 10 alerts for new journal entries today... just a little off.  Lets hope the alerts are working huh??

Time to get a move on...

Got things to do... kids to take care of.

I hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend!!

~Jennifer~

~The Second Thing I've Learned Today~

So I'm onto my second thing that I've learned today...

First was the fact that my stupid alarm clock turns off if you hit the snooze button more than three times...

And the second...

Well, I've learned that if you take a 3 hour nap, there is no way in hell that you'll be going to bed at your normal time of 10pm!!

Yup, I took a three hour nap today with my baby boy... Miss Rowan played Miss Independent and napped on her own in her room- where she also napped for 3+ hours.

 

I guess our day of shopping at Target and then having lunch at Chili's with my friends wore us out...

I guess I'll be finding out what is on TV around 1130pm and midnight tonight... lol.

Have a great Friday evening all.

~Jenn~

~You Learn Something Every Day~

Do you know what I learned today?

I learned that if I hit my snooze button 3 times... that the alarm actually shuts off and won't go off again.

Yup, good thing I found that out on a day that I didn't really have anything important to do besides take Rowan to school.

Usually, I'm up at 645am on the days I need to take her to school.  Today, I woke up at 720!!!  Eeek... we are usually out the door at 745am!!  Surprisingly, we made it out before 8am... we flew around the house.  lol.

I have to go to Target today.  Fun stuff... I swear, I need to look into buying stock into that company for all the money that I spend at that store.  I need stuff like toilet paper, plastic garbage bags and other what not stuff...

I am also going to pick up "The Lady and the Tramp"!!  I love that movie and Rowan has been begging me to get it for her since her YaYa picked it up the other day.  I've already told her I would, so I guess today will be the day. 

Its probably a good thing that we'll be out of the house for a while today.  Poor Derek didn't get home from work and into bed until around 845 this morning.  His shift actually ends at 4am.  He is one sleepy boy... So it will be good to be out and let it be quiet in the house for him.

Thankfully he only has two more nights of work and then is off for four days.  I'm sure he'll be enjoying his time off and getting some extra rest.

Well, I think I need to get a going.  Got some more laundry to fold... I swear it is never ending... plus I want to watch the movie Derek got for me the other day "The Craft".  I love that movie :)

I hope each and everyone of you has a wonderful Friday and enjoys their weekend.

~Jenn~

~It's (my) Friday!~

 

Ah, Thursday.  One of my most favorite days of the week, by all means. 

 

Yet, this Thursday feels kinda different.  Maybe its because of the weather... it has been raining since Monday on and off... kinda puts you in a downer if you aren't careful.  Maybe it feels weird because it feels like it shouldn't be Thursday.  This weekend has gone by so quickly, it isn't even funny.

 

I'm also really tired today.  I had a hard time staying awake at work today... sad huh?  I don't know why though.  My TV was turned off at 1030pm and I don't remember waking up until around 4am when Derek came home.  I did have a lot of dreams though.  Interesting ones.  Maybe it had to do with me watching "Ghost Hunters" last night?  I oh so like that show :)

 

For the longest time I can remember having dreams about this big house... with multiple rooms and a secret stair way that lead through another hidden room with a window that opens out to the back yard.  I feel like I've been in this house before... like its not something I made up.  After I have dreams that involve that house, I just feel kinda outta wack. 

 

Weird?

 

Btw, did any one watch "One Tree Hill" last night??  Goodness, how real it was!!  I think it was a pretty good episode until the end.  I won't say anything in detail about the ending, in case someone didn't see it and DVR'd it.  But I wasn't too happy with it... Maybe they'll make it up to the viewers next episode- when ever that is!!

 

Guess what I get to do tonight... which I should be doing right now... Can you guess?

 

Cleaning house!!  Ugh.  No fun.  Actually, I have to fold laundry and I can't stand folding the laundry.  I guess I'll be spending my Friday and Saturday cleaning house though, we are having company on Sunday.

See, Derek is having me DVR the "UFC" fight on Saturday night while he is at work and then Sunday evening, Derek will have his buddies over to have pizza and beer and watch the fight.  Good thing I don't mind the "UFC" fights and his friends, huh?  It should be fun.  Maybe I'll invite my friend Amy over for some extra "girl power" in the room ;)

 

Well, I know it wasn't a long entry... but I need to get my booty in gear and fold some laundry!!  Yippee... not :X

 

Have a great Thursday evening,

~Jenn~

 

PS. Only 77 more days until Disneyland :)  Woooo Hoooo!!!!

PSS. Mr. Zachary took 3 steps for Grampy (my dad) today... plus, he did a whole bunch of solo standing... once for up to 30 seconds!!

~Hello March!~

 

Well Hello March.

 

I can't believe that it is already March.  I feel like we were just celebrating Christmas.  Soon, it will be Summer and we will all be complaining about how Hot it is outside :)

 

Only one more week and the Pickle Family will be heading to Pismo Beach, CA to do some camping on the beach and riding some quads.  I hope the weather clears up, because its been awful rainy here lately.  We will be renting a 26 foot trailer and camping on the beach... that means bonfires and roasting marshmellows if the weather permits :)  It will be the Pickles (lol... love that name!) and my best friend Amy and also a friend of Derek's and his family.  They have planned on taping off an area so that the kids can play safely and not have to worry about bikes coming into "our" camping area.  We'll be there for 3 nights... it should be fun!!

 

Next Monday (3/6) we will be getting our taxes done.  Finally.  We have put it off this year, for some unknown reason, so I'm happy to finally be getting them done.  I hope we get a little something-something back for all that we pay into everything.  We could use a little bit of extra cash... but hell, who couldn't ;)

 

My nose is doing pretty good.  A little sore, but that is expected!  I put a darn needle through it, what was I thinkin'?  The area around the piercing is starting to get less red but also a bit of dry skin.  I think it has to do with the antibacterial soap that I am using- that they sold me.  Last night I did almost (accidentally) pull it out!  Eek :X  I was cleaning around it and in my nose (laura! you asked...) when I went to dry it, I rubbed it instead of patting it!!  Eek.  I freaked out when I saw the stud half way down my nose.  I quickly pushed it back in... recleaned it... inside and out... and made sure it wasn't bleeding or anything.  Whew.  Close call :)

 

Speaking of last night... I took Rowan to dance class- Mr. Z stayed home with Daddy.  I spent most of my time there reading "For Laci" by Sharon Rocha... but I did do a little bit of watching the kids.  I can't believe how fast Rowan catches on in that class.  She didn't go last Tuesday, so last night was the first night she was there to learn their dance for the Spring recital.  It was pretty amazing at how quickly she was learning the steps.  At the end of class, they went into one of the bigger class rooms to share their dance with the other classes and watch the other classes dances.  Well, some of the girls just sat there, a few tried and another one just went and sat by the teacher.  Miss Rowan tried her hardest to keep up and do her best.  Well, when they finished their dance, one of the parents (I think she was a grandmother) said "That was Horrible!!".  Oooh, I was flaming.  Seriously, I was really ready to say something to her.  But I held my tongue and didn't say anything.  Those little girls are 4 years old... nothing more... of course what they do won't be the best... especially when they are barely learning a dance... but she didn't have to go and say they were horrible when her girl wasn't doing good!  There were a few in there that actually tried!!  Ugh.  Can you still see that I'm a little bit miffed at that?

 

::breath in... breath out::

 

Okay, I'm better now :)

 

Hmm, Derek goes back to work today after being off for 4 days... We will miss him tonight... but not having him home makes it much easier for me to watch my shows that are on tonight... lol.  Am I evil or what?  Nah, we'll really miss him. 

 

Oh, my mom IM'd me today while I was at work to let me know that she was working with Zachary on drinking out a sippy cup rather than a bottle.  She said he downed 5oz and had no complaints about it being a cup.  Good deal good deal.  I didn't have to try to wean Rowan off of a bottle... so I don't know exactly how hard its going to be.  I hope easier than I think!!

 

Also, Zachary was doing some solo standing last night... and seemed to enjoy it.  I swear, he'd just stand there and smile and smile.  When I tried to get him to move he'd look at me, shake his head and drop down to his booty.  I guess he'll walk when he is ready... maybe a few more sessions of solo standing will boost his confidence!

 

Well, thats pretty much it for now... but I did want to take a moment to send some love to some journal friends.  If you get a chance, go stop by to these lovely ladies and let them know you are thinking about them too!

 

(((Barbie))) My Mama Lion... I'm with you, even though I'm some hundred miles away.  Let me know if you need anything and I mean it!!  Love you!

 

(((Emily))) Tony might be off, getting ready to fight for his country, but know that he is still with you... just look at that beautiful baby girl of yours... she is part of him.  He'll be home before you know it... and until then, you've got your Jland friends to help you out!

 

Toodles my friends,

~Pickles~