It's pretty ironic that we lived in Virginia for over 3 yrs, we move to the gulf, where Hurricanes congregate, and instead one slams Virginia. I felt bad that my mom and brothers were still there, and couldn't afford to leave, but I am glad everything is almost back to normal. Sadly, an 11 yr old boy was killed when a tree fell through his apartment just south of Williamsburg...The power outtages were wide-spread, but I kept checking the dominion power site for my mom and saw how quickly they were working on getting their 2million customers back up to speed---and happily, it was restored for my mom today. She said there were lots of trees down, but the flooding wasn't too bad. She thankfully lives next to a store which had a generator and a starbucks and an atm lol...needless to say, they hiked up their prices and made a killing. While other stores gave out free ice and water. I can't imagine not having eletricity with my babies....the only time we went without electricity for a few days was in upstate NY during an ice storm...while John went to work, Susan and I were in the apartment, where you could literally see your breath. We eventually decided to stay in a motel one night, and then head west to the indian casino lol. So easy when you don't have babies!
When we buy a house next spring, we will be buying further north so we won't be in any Hurricane zones...but for now everyone says once we get through september, we are in the clear...fingers crossed- one more month!
I just heard from our renter and saw that one of our huge trees in the back unfortunately split in half (they are about a foot and a half wide...) and demolished a neighbor's shed, their fence, and another neighbor's fence. After reading extensive stories and legalese online about this very common occurence, as far as I can see, my neighbor's home insurance should cover it, especially since they are healthy trees which otherwise wouldn't have fallen, but for an act of God. We'll see..I don't know either of those neighbors so I'll wait to hear from the insurance companies. We were going to have all those trees taken out when we first moved in because they are right on our property line and I wanted a fenced in yard, but we got a quote for about $1000 EACH tree. So we went without a fence and kept our dogs leashed. I am so glad no one was hurt, but it's pretty scary. Well, I am going out there in October to get a new tenant in for the next term, so we'll see what damage is left then and talk to property managers about everything.
I auditioned and failed for American Idol 2011. I had so many second-thoughts and second-second-thoughts, but ultimately it became something most of my mind thought of as a fateful quest I had to complete to get out of my system. Soon it would be too late to even say I tried out. I left by myself at around 4:30am and there was no traffic. As my nerves crept in, I started dreading it and wanting to hurry and get home back to my life and my family. But I continued anyway, seeing it as my last little shenanigan before giving up these false hopes!
I parked pretty far and started walking to get in line. This is such a dumb pic...but I didn't get many..I was being rushed and this sign said "American Idol" just before my stupid camera flash had charged..ugh.
The line was already huge, and we stood/sat outside, as the sun came up, in the hottest part and time of Texas, for 4 hours..already sweaty and tired. All so the Idol cameras could get their big shots of the crowd. The cameras were all interviewing people that were dressed dorky or had some gimmick...this guy dressed like pokemon i think, to support his sister:
And the sun started coming up, on an already humid sticky morning:
I befriended some nice girls in line and we practiced a bit and talked about things we have in common. Like kids, music and farts--you know, all the typical stuff you talk about with strangers. :)
This is my new friend Kristine:
She sang a Regina Spektor song really well. I was going back and forth between "Destiny" and "Too Far Gone". When we finally were allowed into the stadium, we were seated according to our tickets so I got separated from the girls I liked :(. There were about 9 sections full of contestants, each section had >800 people....They started doing dorky group songs like "I'm So Excited" by the Pointer Sisters, and doing things for the camera, like saying "I'M THE NEXT AMERICAN IDOL! TEXAS BRINGS HEAT!" I didn't think I was too good to do those things, I just was drained from the heat and had to drink water and sit down and eat my fiber one bar lol. I'm 27 ya know!
Neverending....
So they began allowing the first rows down to sing for 11 desks of low-level producers. It was obviously a very slow process even while in groups of 4. I saw a few golden tickets given out and then had to get out and walk around. I met up with a girl I met at the Voice auditions and we practiced. So many people were singing in the halls to practice and their voices filled the stadium--my falsely-semi-inflated ego (due to sounding 'good' in the shower or while driving) was deflated as I realized I don't measure up at all. I just don't have the power behind my voice like these people. There were so many times when I thought I would leave, but some part of me was determined to stay the course.
The setup:
I didn't have any other food or drink with me so after a few more hours, I went to get something to eat and drink---and I got plain nachos..(so much for weight watchers..) Pretty much the healthiest option...And I moved to the area where parents and friends wait to see if their 'idol' made it or not. It was nice to be alone and not crammed together. I got so sad when I saw little babies and toddlers....First, I was sad because I felt so bad that people would bring their babies to something like this, waiting for hours on end, undoubtedly running out of food and milk or diapers etc, not letting them have a nap in their beds...not really caring for them in this huge stadium. Then, I got sad thinking about my babies...I really felt out of place--I missed my babies and my Johnny. I texted him a bit but after 9 hours, my battery was dying.
Getting away for a bit:
Finally my section was escorted down and I got in a group of 4. Felt like I was literally going to pee my pants. Considering i've had L + O, it was possible to uncontrollably pee...I was in a group of 16 yr olds singing Lady Gaga (the girl was so beautiful...wish she didn't sing that pokerface crap though..) and Alicia Keys. It came my turn and I did "Too Far Gone" by Emmylou Harris. I did pretty well considering my nerves. The 2 producers talked behind some papers and then told me I had a good voice, but was not the level they were looking for at the time...Which is probably what they told everyone without golden tickets lol.
12 hours, built up to that 30 seconds of scared singing and a "sorry you are not a winner. please try again". I was relieved. I really don't know why my subconscious made this into a duty, but my uh, regular conscious was totally relieved to be free, albeit disappointed. Unfortunately, we were thrown back out in the 104 degree humid heat, where our cars were baking. Had to drive with a towel on the wheel at first. I couldn't wait to get back to my family. I am glad to be where I belong. :) I can't say it was fun, but I can say I tried and that I learned that although I am not a real 'singer', I love music and I love learning songs and odd chords and performing open mics. Maybe in the future when the babies are older, I can make something out of that and possibly form a band that i've always wanted to. Who knows.
I did get so many compliments on my hair though--once again I recommended your tutorials Iris lol.
The good news is, LUCAS POOPED IN THE POTTY AGAIN TODAY! I love my kids :) They made me feel so loved when I got home and they had missed me. Olivia almost fell over!
This was our dancy-time tonight--Lucas was really excited and getting down to some Big Band music :) Made me feel so happy to come home.
P.S. My new friend Kristine got through to round 2 with more producers tomorrow! Glad I got that pic with her. Nice gal--has 3 kids ! She is staying in touch with me even when she's all buddy-buddy with Ryan Seacrest lol.
Please pray for everyone on the east coast and for Hurricane Irene to be pushed further out to sea. My mom and brothers are still in Williamsburg and are as of now predicted to be hit with a Cat 3..very rare to hit VA...and they just had a rare 5.9 earthquake too. I think they should leave now and drive inland, I just dont know where.
John and I also have really tall trees in the back of our Williamsburg house...they swayed a lot even during little storms...I really pray that they don't fall and hurt anyone or damage property.
"Assist us, O Lord our God;
and defend us evermore by the might of Thy holy Cross,
in whose honour Thou makest us to rejoice.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen. "
I had mentioned in my weight loss blog, that I was distracted by a recent endeavor, but didn't want to share it til I finished it. Some people thought I was pregnant again, but that cannot be right now...no room in my apartment, car or body!
Well, I know I am making a huge deal out of nothing, especially since nothing came of it, but it was a huge task for me at this stage in my life. Last week I decided I would audition for the NBC show, "The Voice" which took place this morning in Houston.
Practicing for my audience...(Lucas and Olivia)---Didnt end up wearing heels...felt more comfortable in my flip flops lol. I would've looked (more) like an amazon woman with heels anyway.
John and I watched the premiere of this new show earlier this year. I liked the idea--if you haven't seen or heard of it, it's a singing talent show that in the beginning allows celebrity judges to pick a team of singers, based on what they hear of their voice--not seeing them. It was pretty interesting, even though I rarely agreed with any of the song choices. The show seemed different than American Idol because it claimed to focus more on technique and tone, rather than whether you had a young 'pop' sound. As the show progressed it seemed to be more about projecting a liberal image/agenda (at least for some of them) and not their singing talent. The winner (Javier Colon) was a good singer, but I was sort of rooting for the shy 16 yr old Xenia, and sorta liked Dia too.
This is me during my "dress rehearsal" lol yesterday--John was a good sport.
When I decided this last week, I practiced and practiced and tried to pick good songs. They really wanted a current song, and I was stuck...The only songs I really like to play on guitar or sing are old...I know pretty much NOTHING new/mainstream. I'm a stay at home mom---I could've sung the Yo Gabba Gabba song. Current music to me, is still like, the 90s lol. I worried so much about this audition. I read so many people's accounts of their auditions in other cities...people who were really good singers, but didn't even get a call-back. Then I looked up the people that actually made it far on the show, and saw that most of them had recorded multiple records or toured the world with their bands etc...I thought they were a little more inexperienced and fresh.
Well, I was initially going to sing an old country song called "Too Far Gone", but they really stressed to be authentic; to sing the genre of song that you would be if you made an album. Since I am not really a country singer and know NO current country songs, I decided to change the song 2 days ago...to "Aint No Sunshine", Eva Cassidy's version. I had a backup of "Destiny" by Zero 7 if I was asked to do another one. I wore the only dress I own, fixed my hair by Iris' tutorial vid, put my fake lashes and makeup on and thought I had a slight chance.
Here's a 4 yr old video of me doing "Ain't No Sunshine"--don't have a more recent one..I hope I've gotten better over the years though...can't believe this was before I became a mommy:
This morning I got up at 4:30am and got ready. I am so grateful to John for helping me out and volunteering to drop me off so I wouldn't have to drive through Houston alone. We put the babies in their seats and they eventually went back to sleep. I got there around 6:30am. Thankfully since John was dropping me off so we didn't pay for the parking at the stadium. lol. I brought my guitar thinking we would have time to practice like on Idol. (You were not allowed any accompaniment during auditions)
Sorry for crappy pictures...my camera was really fogged up this AM...the line was pretty long. Glad I got there when I did (before the sun was blaring on my part of the line)
I met a lot of nice people in line and shared experiences. From my appearance no one could believe that I am a 27 yr old stay-at-home mom lol. I said I should've worn a mumu lol. It was probably best that I went alone, because family and friends were not allowed once inside the building. We were herded upstairs to turn in our passes and be seated in one of 2 rooms full of chairs too close together to even allow practicing..I met more nice and interesting people. Then row by row we were taken to a smaller waiting room with chairs. Then 10 at a time, we were taken to the audition rooms, which surprisingly only had one producer/judge in each. While waiting, I was approached by a camera crew and asked to play some guitar. They interviewed me about my audition and then had me sign some forms/waivers. I thought it was a local tv station, but it was NBC--filming for the voice! I guess this season they are going to show some of the interview process. So I at least have that--hope I get on TV :) (I think the show airs later this yr)
Anyway, I got called to sing first, and man I wanted to bring my guitar...lol..my crutch. I screwed up a word out of nervousness, but kept on going. My voice echoed in the large room. I gained a little confidence half way through, but when you're that nervous after waiting for 4 or 5 hours, it's hard to really hold a note. Everyone clapped for each other. The other 9 people went up--some of them really good. After the last person, the producer guy (young redhead guy--very polite) said, "Thank you all for coming, I am not sending anyone through from this group." Sad and surprising, but it was the same story for everyone else who exited--NO ONE from their groups got through. Since Houston was one of the last cities, I think they may have filled their quota already. The only 2 girls who anyone saw get a callback, were these really funny big black girls with mohawks--I was told they were backup singers for Beyonce. This led me to think maybe this show really only wants people who are sort of established in the industry. But the girls did compliment me on my hair---I got A LOT of compliments on my hair (Thanks Iris!--I let people know about your Youtube to look it up!) AND they loved my George Washington bag--not sure if they get it, but they liked it :) thanks mom!
I waited outside with the other people waiting to be picked up--I talked with a girl from my group who ironically lives pretty close to me. We decided we might come back next week to do the American Idol auditions (it's at the same stadium). Who knows what either show is looking for, but I'm almost passed the age limit and I'm close by and John has the day off, so I think I will give it a shot. IF THERE ARE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR SONGS (OLD OR NEW) LET ME KNOW!
So it was a fun experience, but I hope I can be a little more prepared for the next one. I wish they would allow instruments. I also wish I had played more music and sang for the past few years. I know I've been a busy mom, but I wish I had kept up with this hobby..maybe I would have been significantly better. The only other audition I ever went to was in 2005 I went to NYC on a train with Susan to audition for Beyonce's all-girl band. My guitar playing sucked, but it was cool to see her :)
Here's the only pic I got inside--they weren't allowing video or pics so I only got this. I was glad to go in with the people I did--they were all very nice. This guy sang Amazing Grace.
There were so many people I've read and met that are very talented and didn't get the call back, and that makes me feel a little better. I hope I can do better next time around :)
I turned 27 yrs old yesterday. Pretty crazy. I was volunteering in the church nursery Saturday night, and a couple young girls were helping out too-17 yrs old. It was really weird to know that I am TEN yrs--a decade--older than them. But I am happy with where I am with John, and all we still have yet to experience together. :)
I look like I'm about to eat you huh? Kinda scary lol. I did a different Iris hair tutorial...very sloppy compared to hers. I also got some lipstick--I never like it on me, but I am starting to like it sometimes.
We went to Red Robin last night--it was the last night of my WW week 3, so I had allowance pts saved up. I had my favorite, a BLTA--yeah, that's bacon, turkey, avocado, tomato, lettuce and mayo on a buttery croissant!! Don't forget the fries too. The sandwich itself was 20 points, but well worth it.
Then since I so maturely asked for the VIP table as it was my birthday, the waiters all came out with a sundae and sang me a song. The kids smiled a very confused smile at that lol. I gave some of the sundae to the kids, and had a few bites, leaving more than half of it. Yeah, I do have some restraint !
And Lucas posing with me :)
My mom sent me this cool bag for my bday--If you can't see, it has George Washington's picture on it, with a bubble saying "WTF?" (Which I think means whigwam trance fandango). Very practical for a diaper bag/purse. I was getting the feeling that my John Cena backpack was going out of style.
My friend Tina was so sweet to think of me---she gave me a birthday card with a $30 gift card to my favorite umm...store. You know me too well already Tina! thanks!
And the sundae that I had a few bites of.
Johnny was going to give me a really good back massage, but fell asleep on the couch. It's alright though, he worked yesterday and has been working hard all week, which has earned him an early $3 raise!---very proud of him. He gets 4 days off to rub me now :)
Olivia eatin crayon and fries, while daddy makes faces at her.
Lucas even wished me happy birthday. He can be so sweet sometimes. Yesterday after church Olivia went to sleep, so Lucas and I watched an episode of one of my favorite shows, "Wonder Years." He loves it---he and I always wave, "Hi Kevin!" in the intro lol. Anyway, in the end of the episode all the Arnold's were sitting by a bonfire singing together and hugging each other. Lucas looked up at me and climbed in my lap to hug me, and then kiss me. So loving when he's not having a tantrum.
I'm still undecided about who I will support in the primary...I liked Pawlenty alright, but he wasn't garnering enough support, so he appropriately dropped out of the race today.
I was behind Herman Cain, but lately he just doesn't seem prepared enough and as I always say, I really want to elect someone that doesn't make me nervous when they are being questioned. You know, someone like
Chris Christie
or Ben Stein :)
I like Michelle Bachmann but I just don't know if she can handle all the scrutiny and hate that a conservative female president will undoubtedly get. And, I although I am not fighting for gay marriage rights etc, I want a candidate that doesn't have any "pray the gay away" backgrounds.
I actually agree with Ron Paul--that marriage is NOT a state or federal issue, but a CHURCH issue. It's not an important issue in my book--it's a joke. Compared with the state of the American dollar, unemployment, criminal justice, foreign affairs/terrorism, and life and death issues (i.e. abortion), 2 people wanting to have their wedding acknowledged takes the back seat...the way back seat, like not even in the car.
Romney is a good looking, well spoken guy...but that doesn't make him el presidente...(I mean, look at our clean articulate president from Kenya..yeah, I'm kidding bout that last part). Romney seems too willing to compromise...after all, he governed Massachusetts..
Rick Perry just got into the race---I like what I know of him. Heck, I live in his great state of Texas, and I can say they seem to know what they're doing. We'll see what ridiculous lies and exaggerations (or bad photos) the left will soon create.
Senator Rick Santorum recently replied to a question about abortion and exceptions that got a lot of attention. I am glad that he pointed out that a rapist cannot be put to death, but a baby that was a product of said rape, can be. Pretty backward. I hope these kinds of discussions continue to open people's eyes to the truth, and stop them from being blinded by BS.
“That child is an innocent victim,” Santorum replied. “To be victimized twice would be a horrible thing. It is an innocent human life, genetically human from the moment of conception. We in America should be big enough to try to help women in those terrible situations who have been traumatized already. To put them through another trauma of an abortion, I think is too much to ask. So I would absolutely stand and say that one violence is enough.”
So, that led me to this little video by a famous youtuber guy "machosauceproductions"--its a little skit about a criminal on death row and a baby in the womb..
(also, someone aptly noted that you kill a dog (michael vick) it's a huge deal...you kill a baby, you can be president!)
This is a better video--this guy knows what he's talking about:
John actually works with a few guys he worked with while working as a nuclear electrician in the Navy. But another friend Timmy lives in Austin, which is a little over 2 hours away. He was visiting Houston so we all met up with them for dinner in the city at a place called "Spaghetti Warehouse".
I wasn't too hungry, and didn't want to overdo my WW points, so I got a Ceasar salad--not really my thing, but I am glad I didn't get a heavy sauce and pasta dish. The babies behaved fairly well, although the place was so busy it scared her to be around that many loud people.
From left to right:
Robert, Jeremy, (John + Lucas) and Timmy.
Olivia looks so happy :)
It was fun to see old pals he worked with even though they were all miserable in the Navy. Everyone seems to have either found a good job, or working toward a career and degrees. John will be enrolling in the local community college in the spring. He finally spoke to a counselor about the GI Bill benefits. I am excited to "help" with homework lol.
John finally got a navy tattoo like he always wanted. HA HA!
He fell asleep and so I gave him a tattoo...Didn't know what I was doing but kept drawing since he didn't move or wake up lol. Next time it's gonna be his face! Hope he likes it lol.
So, in the last blog, I spoke too soon. Lucas didn't get over his pacifier-less nights. I tried everything, and he was damaging the apartment, and keeping neighbors up. We decided we would give it back to him until we get a house early next year. I don't think he was ready for so much change at once and I honestly feel like he was very affected emotionally by that "Spirited Away" movie, that he feels like everything is being taken from him--he begs for us to stay with him...saying "pacifier..gone.." :( and he's also been rejecting going potty lately too. I feel like a failure, but I realize this little blip is going to mean nothing in the long run. Next year we will be able to reason with him better-plus, it won't matter if he has tantrums. He never had tantrums like this before, but now EVERY tiny little thing he doesn't get (i.e. his show or movie, or another book read to him, his diaper instead of underwear, the dance workout dvd being over etc) he screams red in the face for sometimes an hour...I have no idea what to do because my eventual reaction is to spank him and I don't want to. The tables have turned--Olivia is better behaved. I am going to keep pushing with potty training, but I am going to let him have his pacifier when he sleeps. So shoot me..
ANYWAY, we went to the beach in Galveston today, but didn't stay but an hour or 2 because of the heat. We got to park right by the beach, and I saw they had umbrella/chair rentals. I went and asked some guy standing at the "rental" flag, and he said just go sit at one and a guy will come charge me for it...okay?. he said the price was "negotiable". yeah. So we sat down and John brought all our stuff down. A guy with a clipboard came over and asked me to pay $10 for an hour, or $25 for the day. I said "oh, how about just the umbrella?" he said "$10 for an hour or $25 for the day." (yeah, real negotiable). So I told him we only had $8 cash and he said, "it's $10 for an hour or $25 for the day"...ugh. dick.
So we set up our stuff in front of the chairs and umbrella...He eventually huffed and puffed back over to move the chairs and umbrella since people wouldn't want to use it with us sitting right in front of it haha.
Anyway, I brought our little tent for the babies but they barely used it. I tried to keep them sunscreened and with hats on but it was too hot and sunny so we had to leave. We will be doing what all the other smart people did--buy our own portable canopy gazebo thing :)
She was confused by this water pushing her over lol:
Lucas fishing:
Having a snack:
The water was nice and we even saw some fish. The babies had fun in the sand, but we always hate leaving feeling dirty and sticky. Of course, Olivia likes being dirty---check out her snacking on her dirty foot in the car:
And Lucas whining about..who knows anymore...
We had a good time and it was free. Not too far from us either. Now I gotta vacuum all the sand out of the car ..:)
We have been making progress here in the Hodge home. I am feeling good about my life lately :)
Firstly, I have been on Weight Watchers for all of a week and a half lol. I hope to keep up with that and post progress on my fitness blog. My weight was slowly going down last year and I was proud. Through all these changes and moves, I have only been putting the lbs back on, so I am glad to have new inspiration and structure to focus on being healthier, active and fitting in clothes better.
I have been doing these workout DVDs I check out from the library, and apparently Lucas likes them too! He woke up grumpy from a nap and I asked him, "You wanna dance?" And surprisingly he said "uh huh." So he gyrated next to me through a dance routine and got MAD when it ended...had to start it over lol. Here he is trying to do the easier "country" routine:
He is maturing very quickly lately. So I am finally expecting more of him. We already saw how emotionally involved he became with "Spirited Away", which shows me that he is comprehending more than we thought. He loves when I read books to him. I was just commenting to John the other night that I am happy Olivia + Lucas are at a good age for me to read to them again. We used to read to Lucas every night, but once 'fat chance' lol came along she didn't like it. She is now becoming interested in stories and participates. She can even say "library!" ("ah ba ee")
Then, the other day after a nap I asked Lucas if he was a big boy...I told him pacifiers are for babies and he's a big boy. I told him I will throw it away since he's a big boy...Now, I know at 2 1/2 yrs old, it's pretty late for him to even have one. He and Olivia both only have it at night, and Olivia sometimes if she's teething real bad. I admit it was just easier to let them have a pacifier to help them sleep so I could get a break. It made things easier in the car on all the cross country driving we did. But I don't want it affecting Lucas' teeth, and he doesn't need it. It's been hard the past few nights/naps...he screams and throws toys at the door. I am trying to be persistent and resist giving it back to him. I instead gave him a little flashlight which I call "the big boy flashlight" to sleep with. It works sometimes. But it was so cute last night he was asking us to lay down with him...then I said "no baby you're a big boy I'll see you in the morning."..he held my hand tight and said, "hand hand! " while crying..I wanted to stay but then I remembered all the Supernanny episodes we've seen with the parents laying on the floor by their 8 yr olds beds to get them to sleep and I don't want to start a new pattern..lol. He eventually went to sleep--hope it gets significantly easier soon.
In bigger news, Lucas took his first poop in the potty today! I was so surprised. He has been peeing in the potty most every time, but I think he needed privacy to do #2. He was doing my dance workout with me and I smelled something...I said "who's poopy?" and he said "poopy" and he just farted. So I asked him "Do you have to go poopoo on the potty?" He says "uh huh!" so he went and sat by himself and a minute later came over to proudly tell me he did it! (Only the really special people got a beautiful text message pic of it lol )
Although he has been a little behind verbally, he is catching up. His comprehension is there, and he is learning to better communicate and putting together small sentences. John and I are going to try to get more one on one time with each of them to help each of them feel special, and to also allow them to focus better on whatever we want to teach them. That's all the updates for now :)
Oh also, this isn't progress but its kinda interesting. John saw what he thought was a leaf blow in when he opened the door...Tyrone ran after it and tried to eat it...John looked down and saw a pile of something he couldn't recognize...thought it was a dead bug that Tyrone bit the head off...but we turned it over and saw it was a baby lizard :( lol:
UPDATE: Of course all my optimism needed to be kept in check; I just dealt with THEE most disgusting horrific poop mess ever...I think that turd earlier opened the floodgates...Lucas had a mess in his underwear and shorts...then of course both babies had to step in it and smear in the carpet (trying to run away from me) and kitchen floors...then Olivia was messy poopy in her diaper too...i threw the babies in a bubble bath and threw all the dirty wipes, my socks and all the babies clothes in a trashbag...i couldn't bear to bother washing it. I am cleaning the floors with pinesol and scrubbing the carpet with resolve while the babies are crying in the bath, and I find an unnoticed dried up puddle of dog pee on our carpet. I am so tired of cleaning to no end, only to have it undone. I am going crazy...and now Lucas won't take his nap without his paci...I m not giving it to him, but someone's going to call the cops--Lucas is banging all his stuff against the door. I have read every book to him..he wants me to lay down with him...ugh..he quieted down with the door open so hopefully he will sleep..I need to rest...
btw, if anyone has a good method of getting set in stains out of carpet, tell me...I'm scrubbing with resolve, then putting a dog mess carpet powder with baking soda and vaccuuming but you can still see it...We won't be getting any of our deposit back on this apartment...
