Welcome to my life..my family..my world..unedited.

Check out this site:  Electoral Compass
Answer a series of questions and it will tell you how your answers compare to the candidates. You can even compare your specific answers to theirs AND it gives links backing up their information.  Very cool.
Thanks to the Queen of the Mayhem for sharing this!
[And for the record, that's probably about the extent of politics you'll find here...I may complain or rant occasionally, but I don't argue politics anymore - my always right brother cured me of that!  ]

Ever brilliant and hilarious, OTJ wrote about zen and the art of parenting today. It was a nice reminder and very timely for me.
I had to take the boys to the doctor today – Matt has some horrid rash that kept all of us up all night last night and since nothing we were trying was working, I decided it was time to drop the twenty bucks and get a doctor-educated opinion. We seriously could not get out of the house…a dawdle here, an “I need” this there, a “I want to hold your hand” and I was ready to scream before we even got to the garage!
Parenting Zen would tell me that I need to get them started sooner and then I don’t have to rush them around, screaming like a lunatic that we’re going to be late! [ohm]
His poor little butt and…uh….nearby areas!  He’s so red and scratched up – he can’t stop itching.  So, a prescription, some encouragement not to itch and instructions to check tonight to make sure it’s not pinworm [blech] and we were on our merry way.
And later, when Matt wanted to help clean the kitchen floor and Preston wanted to mop, …

Ok, seriously.  We can’t do it.  We can’t even call the vet, let alone take Riley in. This whole lack of outward illness combined with the eating is putting us over the edge.  We’re not calling the vet today. Everyone keeps saying we’ll know when it’s time.  I hope that’s true, because as of right now we obviously don’t. So what if he sleeps all day – he’s old.  And so what if he only eats once a day – he’s old and thin like a little old man.  He can still walk and get up and down the stairs; he can still jump on the chair to sleep. And right now, he makes it outside to go to the bathroom about 98% of the time – about 100% if we’re home and awake.
We’re taking it day by day.  What a crazy emotional roller coaster.   I need a dog psychic.

The other day, I heard Matthew saying this from the bathroom:
Mom! I accidentally forgot what color the toilet was; I forgot it was white and not blue.
He was in there with his brother and he had to pee. We told him it was ok if Preston stayed in there with him…then I realized that Preston was wearing a blue shirt….
Apparently, this is the age that they start making up stories about things!   Needless to say, clothes were quickly removed and the bathroom cleaned up as we explained to Matt about the importance of peeing IN the toilet and to Preston the importance of not standing NEXT TO the toilet when someone is peeing in it. 
I don’t want Matt to think he can’t tell us the truth about stuff; especially stuff that is not important in the grand scheme of things. Obviously (I hope) he didn’t pee on his brother on purpose, so why make up a story about it?
We’re working very hard on getting the boys to ask for things the right, polite way…I didn’t know we’d have to work on the stories thing so soon.  Such is life.
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Riley seemed to suddenly be making some changes for …

Just how wrong is it to “let” Matt watch tv in bed while I’m blogging?
At what point should I really let him know it’s morning? Apparently, once the phone rings.
I love having short hair; I love it most when it’s freshly cut. I needed that time out last night.
My house is a disaster. The possibility of family coming soon should be motivating me to get things cleaned up…but I’m not giving up hope on the fairies showing up while I’m asleep to clean up.
Matt and I talked about Riley and the Rainbow Bridge. He seems to kind of understand. Of course, he has the optimism and hope of a 4 year old that Riley will get better, so I got to gently squash those hopes right down. This parent thing has its downsides. He wants to get a new puppy in the Spring “like Riley”. Me too.
Still waiting on information on my aunt’s funeral. I feel so bad for my cousins and uncle.
Preston was up for an hour last night – wide awake and super silly. Man, I love that kid. He never fails to make me smile, even when he’s being a brat. …