Pacifier Free!!!

We are finally pacifier free! Last Saturday we bought Ryan 4 Superfriends on the condition that his fussy (pacifier) stay in the crib. No using it in the car or to watch television. That went really well. Every time he asked for the fussy, I threatened to take his pacifier away.

Yesterday I was on the phone with my mom and Ryan said he wanted to go to the store and buy the Planet Hero from Venus - http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=10&e=planetheroeslanding. I told him he had to throw away his fussy FOREVER. He said no.
I continued to talk to Mom, then hung up. He told me he wanted Venus and went in the kitchen and threw the fussy in the trash. We immediately went to the store and bought Venus, and that was that. He played with Venus all day and took his nap just fine. Going to bed was another story. He never asked for his fussy, but couldn't get to sleep. Finally at 2 am he fell asleep with me in our bed! It was a long night.

Did I mention that he did all this while he had a fever?

Misc.

Speed Racer

Three Generations of Steins

Ryan in his new pool, which lasted only 5 minutes before it started leaking and collapsed

Magellan Zinnia in Jean and My's Bed at the Discovery Garden

My front flower bed when it was brand-new in 2006.

My front flower bed in 2008. I did all the work myself, except my dad helped me dig the bed, and Ryan waters it. Everything in it is red, orange, or yellow.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy 4th everyone! As usual, I am home alone with Ryan today, but I got the better end of the deal. Todd is working with his parents to clean the bar and get stuff ready for the sale. For those of you that don't know, Todd closed the bar a week ago Tuesday to spend more time with Ryan and me. It is sad, but I think he is ready to be done with it. Last Saturday he and I worked there until 10 pm packing up the liqour and doing inventory. Ryan stayed at Mike and Sandy's. Sunday I went to the store and gardened all day. Literally like 8 hours because I didn't have a 2 yr old pestering me!

Ryan has been enjoying going next door every Wednesday night for 2 hours so I can work at the Discovery Garden and run errands. It's worth the money for me.

Not much else new - just trying to keep my #$%^ together at work and home. Whoever says they can easily balance their career and family is lying. Ryan is very clingy now when I drop him off at school because he wants to stay home with me. The other day I bawled all the way to Merle Hay Road.

Two weeks ago we had my grandpa's and great uncle household sale. It didn't bother me like I thought it would. I was just counting my lucky stars that I didn't have to help clean out his house or schlep the stuff to the sale. Ryan had a good time with Big Grandpa, and we got to see some of the tornado damage. It seems weird to look out my parents' windows and see the neighbors house (the barn blew away).