Stiffed

I am so not creative, but I'm trying really hard to come up with good titles in my blog.

Well, it happened, my short time of selling on e*bay someone has decided not to pay on a winning auction. Can I just say BITCH!!! This woman won two auctions and I thought I was being nice by telling her I could combine her invoices so she would pay less for shipping. She was/is new to e*bay and I wasn't sure she was aware of how it worked. So, I sent her a message explaining that I would do that and sent her an invoice. She responded that she thought that was great and thanked me for offering. That was a little more than two weeks ago!

I stated in my add that contact had to be made within 3 days and payment was expected within 10 days. She had only won two items before winning mine. She paid for both of those right away. So, I was kind of expecting a quick payment. I didn't hear from her after sending the invoice, so before I left to go out of town I sent it to her again in case there were any problems. I checked My e*bay while I was out of town and received no payment and no messages from her. After I returned from out of town I sent her another invoice. After several days and no response I sent her a message asking if she planned on paying. Again, no response at all!!

I had dreaded something like this happening, as I hate confrontation. You would think since it's over the net it shouldn't bother me, but I was still sick about. Enter my wonderful husband. :) He has excellent writing skills and knows how to craft a good message. He did it without attacking her, berating her, etc. But, still made it clear that was she was doing was WRONG!! He told her she won and agreed to pay and it was very poor etiquette to no respond in any way. Also, if she didn't respond I would have to leave her negative feedback and report her to e*bay.

I'm still unclear if the message her attention or the fact that I reported her as a non-paying bidder. But, she responded with a piss poor answer that she overlooked the auction win. She even went on to say that she wondered why she hadn't received the items. And, that she wouldn't pay for them now because she only dealt with nice sellers. Whatever BITCH!!

Although I wanted to send her a nasty message in response I didn't. I stayed professional and told her I was sorry she felt that way, but she was still backing out of the bid and I would leave her negative feedback. (She still didn't care). I wanted to call her on overlooking FOUR messages/invoices. During the time I was sending those she had to have been checking her e-mail or e*bay as she was bidding, winning and paying for other items. Also, if she overlooked the win of the auction how was it that she was wondering why she hadn't received the items.

Ugghhh....how tiring was that post/ordeal?!?

Another year, 32 and counting

So, today I turned 32. I know I'm not old, but all week I kept thinking "wow, I'll be 40 in eight short years!". It just seems like the years a speeding by since I've had my boys. I'm not sad at all of them growing up. I think I get sad about getting older because my parents are as well. That's another reason I don't think of myself as "old", because I don't think of parents as old.

It's really hard when I think of my dad. Aidan just loves his Papa so much, whenever we visit he rarely leaves his side. Well, my dad had a heart attack and triple bypass surgery nine years ago (two months after I was married). The surgeon told him it was from smoking and he could never smoke again. Well, he quit for awhile and has since been smoking and trying to quit since. I told him that Aidan was pretend smoking and how much I didn't like it. He said he's going to try and quit this winter again. My mom said he wasn't to fond of hearing about Aidan mimicking him. I am crossing my fingers and praying with everything that he can do it this time. I want him around not just for his grandkids, but for me too!

What does make me feel good is that my maternal grandparents are doing fantastic. They are in their 80's and still exercise every day! They live out in California and I haven't seen them since last April, but think of them all the time. I was very close with them growing up and can't imagine them not being a part of my life.

What did I do for my birthday? NOTHING!!! I'm kicking back now relaxing drinking a Mike's Hard Berry - YUM! If you're a fan of Mike's Hard Lemonade and haven't tried these I recommend them. Although, by the time I'm finished I'll be ready to crash. The downfall of being older, my party days are WAY behind me. I'm such a lightweight nowadays.

You know I think I should start carrying around a notified with me. Throughout the day I think of really good things to write about. Things that might actually be of interest to read. But, by the time I sit down to write my mind is blank.

Tomorrow is the start of the first full week of kindergarten for Ethan. He just LOVES going to school. I'm so happy he's enjoying it and hope it continues throughout the year. I've been a little concerned as he's not eating much lunch at all. He said he doesn't have time. I've learned that they only get 20 minutes to eat and then they make them leave the lunch room. While I'm sure this isn't a problem for most kids, Ethan takes after his dad and eats very slow. His teacher sent home a general note to all parents about the first week. She did mention that right now the kids are very busy talking at lunch and should settle down in the next couple weeks when they get more used to a schedule. I sure hope so because my little Ethan is already stick thin, he needs to eat!

So much for keeping up.....

This is why it took me so long to start a blog; I have a hard time keeping up to date. We’ve had so much going on lately and while we were up in Wisconsin visiting family I only had access to extremely SLOW dial-up. So, I am very far behind.

The second weekend of August we went up to Wisconsin for Ian’s baptism. We decided to have it up there since everyone who would be attending was up there already. We had it done at my good friend A’s church. We were very lucky in that we were able to have a private ceremony on a Saturday. So, we didn’t have to make all the children in attendance sit through an entire service. It was so nice to just go in and get it done and have all the time we needed to take pictures.

My sister and my best friend are Ian’s Godparents. I couldn’t think of anyone two people who would be better suited for the job. J Nick thought it would be weird having two women, but I assured him that it is in fact 2005 so he’d better get with the times. If I every figure out how to post pictures I’ll put some up. Ian did an absolute wonderful job. When the Pastor poured the water over his head, everyone went still for a second just waiting for him to start crying. He never cried once, he’s such a good baby. I knew the water wouldn’t bother him as he loves the bath. I thought he might cry though because it was his nap time, but he came through like a champ!

We went back this past Thursday because we had a wedding on Friday afternoon. That was different, having a wedding in the afternoon on a weekday. But, it was a family member so we went. I know that doesn’t sound good, but if Nick is going to take a day of vacation I would rather we spent it another way. Anyway, it was an outside wedding and it turned out beautiful. The reception was a lot of fun. The most fun for me was getting a night out with Nick. The kids stayed with Nana and Papa and had a wonderful time.

We came back yesterday since Ethan started school today!!! I can’t believe my first baby is in school. He was so freakin’ excited. I woke him up at 7:30 and he just leaped out of bed. He is so not a morning person, but he was up and ready to run to the bus stop. It was a long hour wait. I thought it would take him a while to get up and get moving. But, he was up dressed and had breakfast all within half an hour. So, I spent some time taking pictures and letting him run around outside. The tears had already started from Aidan, he wanted to ride the bus and it hadn’t even arrived yet.

When we went down to the bus stop he got quiet, but I think he was just being shy because all the parents were there with the kids. Aidan jumped right in the middle of the group all ready to go. My neighbors were laughing telling me I’d better make sure he didn’t sneak on the bus. There was one little boy there who had started yesterday and was not at all happy about having to go back today. He was screaming and crying how much he didn’t like it, that he didn’t have any fun yesterday. I was trying to distract Ethan because I sure don’t/hope we won’t be in that position tomorrow. When the bus pulled up he grabbed his backpack and was off, didn’t even look back. I tried to hold back the tears, but they flooded. I was so proud of him. J I miss him today.

I swear I have a lot of boring stuff to share, but I need to unpack and get the house picked up. Be back soon!

Immunization snob

I know I have been missing; we were up at my parents for a long weekend. I have lots to talk about, but not enough time right now. I have to unpack and get some laundry going.

But, I wanted to quickly post about something that’s been bothering me. A little boy Ethan went to preschool with has become a good friend. He’s been over many times for a play date. And we’ve done some outings together with all of our children together. I won’t get on my soapbox right now, but I am 100% FOR having my children immunized. I knew she had a very different parenting style than I do, but I am ok with that. What I didn’t know, until recently, is that she doesn’t have her children immunized.

I am very angry that she never informed me that her children aren’t immunized. It’s her choice as their parent, but Ian hasn’t been fully immunized yet. They don’t travel out of the country, but it doesn’t mean that they couldn’t have come in contact with someone who has been exposed or infected with something.

I think that the school(s) should inform parents that there are students in the school who are not immunized. And just for the record she doesn’t choose to not immunize for religious reasons. She said that she will say that so that her son can go to public schools. I have to say, I think I almost bit my tongue off trying not to say anything.

So, needless to say I haven’t scheduled any play dates. Does that make me an awful person?

Shit!!

I typed a huge long post, nothing really exciting, but I did type one. I guess I missed that little note about Blogger being down for an hour. Just my luck it went down while I typed my entry, so of course "poof" it's gone. :( Maybe I can come up with something interesting tomorrow.

Normal Head

Ha! Ha! Bet I got you with the title of that one!

It's really not what you think. Ethan, my first born, was born with craniosynostosis. The sagittal suture line (runs down the middle of your head) was fused shut before he was born. Many people think it's the soft spots, but it's not, his soft spots were actually open. When you are born the skull is in several pieces and they fuse shut around teenage years, so that your brain can grow.

I found out when he was just two weeks old that he was going to have to have surgery or his head would grow in a very weird shape. And, they didn't know if it would cause any developmental problems if we didn't have the surgery. It was very devastating to me. He had to surgery at just nine weeks old. Those seven weeks of waiting were agonizing to me. I prayed hard every day that he would be ok. I was so scared, I just held him all the time and cried a lot. The most serious part of the surgery, besides anestheia, was if he would need a blood transfusion. So, my wonderful husband gave blood that would be there for the surgery if it was needed. I wasn't able to donate blood because it was to soon after giving birth. Plus, daddy and son have the same blood type.

I can remember the day of his surgery like it was still yesterday. Ethan's surgery was delayed a bit due to an emergency. So, I got to hold him longer, but still couldn't feed him - poor guy. We were in the "prep" area. There were so many children coming and going for surgeries. Most of them were there for ear tubes, it was like an assembly line. When they came to get my little Ethan I just lost it. It was the hardest thing I ever did, handing him over to a nurse to carry him down for surgery. It still brings tears to my eyes. I couldn't imagine my life without him, even though he'd only been with us a few weeks.

The surgery ended up taking much less time than they expected. The neurosurgeon himself came out to make sure I was ok! I told him not to worry about me, how was my baby!!! He was a great doctor and I am ever so grateful for him taking such good care of my baby.

So, today was a big check up before he starts school. And I am so glad to say that his head is growing perfectly!!! I was a little concerned about how lumpy it still is, but he assured me that it will still fill in (will always be a little lumpy) - probably not until he's 11 or so. So, we are done with the neurosurgeon. :) That is just a huge relief - whew!!!

Jeans, Jeans and Jeans!!

I am a girl and love my accessories, shoes, purses, jewelry, etc. But, as far as a favorite piece of clothing I have a real addiction for jeans. I can't seem to get enough even though I have way to many.

I have been scouring for new ones because I finally dropped a size and gave my old ones to my mom. I figure if I get rid of them then I have to stay a smaller size - right? No more snatching a fry or two from the kids!

I think my infatuation stems back to high school. I used to buy at least one new pair each time I got paid (every other week). I used to go to The Buckle because they did alterations for free. And when I was in high school of course the style was tight, tight, tight! We used to have our pants altered at the calves to so we could just get them over our feet. Boy, when I think back to those days I feel like I won't miss out on having a girl. I can't believe some of the things that I wore in high school - eeekk! I guess it was ok because I was actually very skinny back in the day. My best friend and I are always cracking up about how we looked "fat" in our tiny size 3 pants! Sick! Sick! Sick!

Right now I have 14 pairs of jeans - yikes! Plus, I'm bidding on a few new pairs on e-Bay, so hoping that I win them. I am a huge fan of the Saturday jean by Ralph Lauren Polo. The fabric they use is so comfortable, they fit so good and I can wear them in a size 6! Huge accomplishment for me!!! I also like the Hydraulic brand, I buy mine at Maurices. I am also a fan of Tommy Hilfiger jeans. I am really not a name snob, it just so happens that the jeans that tend to be on the more expensive side fit nicer and I can wear a smaller size. :)

Now really, I can't justify spending a fortune on a pair of jeans. But, my birthday is at the end of the month and I would really like to get a pair of SEVEN jeans or something along those lines. Where will I wear them - hmmmm, I don't know. I don't know that I will go through with buying a pair, but it sure is nice to think about it. I at least need to make a trip and try some on. I really can't even justify owning the number of jeans that I do have. After all I do just stay home with the kids, who do I need to look good for these day? My husband of course! :)

I guess that's enough about jeans, just not to much worth writing about right now.

Parenting is HARD

Sometimes I think it is just so hard to parent my children. Today was a hard day. :( Sometimes my wonderful little boys just want to be children, you know play and have a good time. I come along and have to ruin their good time. I hate that I have to set restrictions and create boundaries for them. I feel like I am the one who does it most of the time, so I feel like the big owly old mom. Nick works all day and comes home and does fun stuff, still sticking within the boundaries of course. But, he's not making them adhere to these guidelines all day.

Sometimes I feel that Ethan has it the worst. You know I always swore that I would treat my children the same. But, I have learned that it is impossible. Each child is different and each age requires different guidelines and restrictions. Since Ethan is the oldest I feel that he is supposed to "understand" more than Aidan. Sometimes I think I am asking him to help out more than a 5 year old should be doing. So, I have to just let some things go and let him keep being the wonderful kid he is right now. I don't want to make him bitter or resentful towards his two little brothers, so I've learned to relax and not ask him to help so much. It's just difficult because he is a good little helper. :)

Aidan on the other hand can't always understand that Ethan is older and gets to do some things that he can't. For example, Ethan is ready to start kindergarten and he made some good friends in preschool. He gets invited to playdates and Aidan can't go with him. I have to listen to Aidan cry and ask/beg to stay and play too. :( It breaks my heart. I try to make him understand that he is starting preschool this year and will make his own friends to have playdate with, but he is just 3. I try and do something a little special with him on those days, but it's just not the same.

Ok Joana, if you are reading I am on the edge of my seat waiting to know how Nate died (Six Feet Under)!!! I am still so shocked about that one!! I am so hoping they come out with it quickly on DVD. I was so faithful watching it every other season, I feel sad that I'm missing this one. How cheesey is that, it's just a TV show. But, it's one of the best shows I've ever seen. I was so totally addicted from the very first episode I caught.

I forgot to talk about our adventure on Friday. I took the boys up to Rockford to the Discovery Center Children's museum. Anyone in the area that hasn't been I highly recommend it. It was only $13 for me and the boys to get in and a membership is only $55, which I am thinking of getting next year. It was a very fun place for the kids. It's a interactive learning center. They had so much fun and didn't even realize how much they were learning. We were there for 5 hours and didn't even see everything! We are hoping to make a trip back with Nick because I think he would enjoy it as much as the kids. :)

Busy, busy, busy

You know I feel so busy doing nothing. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it just seems that there is so much going on, but it's really a lot of nothing.

Our weekends just seemed to be packed with a variety of things. So, I am left during the week trying to clean the house, keep up laundry (ha!) and keeping the kids entertained.

This past weekend I hosted, actually MIL did, a shower for my future SIL. My MIL (actually Nick's step-mom) is great and loves to throw parties. She didn't think it was appropriate for her to have a shower for her future DIL. So, she made the invitations and put on them that I was giving her the shower. Of course I felt obligated to help out. I bought the prizes, went over early to help with food and was in charge of games. It turned out really well, I'm just getting really tired of all these weddings. Last year we had five weddings and this year there are three more. Not only is it draining going to all these showers and weddings it's hitting us a little hard in the pocket. I guess I sound like a downer talking like that and I don't mean it that way at all. I love weddings, we have just had more than enough lately.

Nick stayed at home with Ethan and Aidan all weekend which was a nice break for me. I took Ian with me since I am still nursing. My mom kept Ian all day Saturday while I was at the shower. It's so rare for me to be kid free, it was a nice break. The selfish side of me wishes I could've been out by myself enjoying some me time seeing a movie or ready a good book. Sunday I went shopping (yes, again) with my good friend. It was very HOT, but we love to shop and really like it when we are able to go together.

Spending time with my good friend Amy is always so great. We have been friends forever it seems. I couldn't ask for a better friend. I wish we could live closer together. We have so much fun together and love to do the same things. It would also be great to have an exercise buddy. While I have always been open to the idea of moving around, one of the downfalls is not being close to my friends and family.

I got home late Sunday night and enjoyed some quiet time with my husband. It was actually a very nice weekend. I love my kids so much, but I know that I do sometimes need a break from them. I hate to ever complain about being a SAHM, but the downfall to that is never getting away from your children. It was nice to be all refreshed yesterday morning with the boys.

E-bay selling is going just awesome. I have sold everything but two items that I've listed. It's really great, I have to say that I enjoy selling better than buying. I have been shocked a few times but what things have sold for, I am surprised at what people are willing to pay.

If anyone reading watches Six Feet Under please share what's been happening during this final season. After the last season I cancelled HBO as we never watched it other than for Six Feet Under and Sex and The City. It's killing me that I'm missing it!