Ode to a Drive-thru Gas Station

If you don't know this about me, Scott and I met at Southeast Missouri State University.  I transferred there from a small university in GA my sophomore year.  One of the things I miss about living in Southeast Missouri were the drive-thru windows at gas stations.  You could just pull up and order a soda, a 1/5th of whisky, cigarettes--whatever you wanted that a gas station provided (especially if it could kill you evidently). (I see the drinking and driving flaw in this system, but I still love it's convenience--not the drinking and driving convenience--sometimes it's hard to get your point clear here).  We're not talking about high class gas stations here or travel centers.  I'm talking about gas stations where sometimes they still smoke behind the counter (actually I don't know if any of them do this anymore since I haven't been to one in almost 9 years).  I love me some gas station fountain coke with cherry syrup.  For some reason no where else tastes like it.  As far as I know, the only places you can get a coke w/cherry syrup (not cherry coke) are the good ol' gas stations in SEMO, Wibs Drive-In (BBQ joint in Jackson, MO), Steak and Shake, and Sonic.  Here where I live only one of those places exists: Steak and Shake.  Somehow if I go to S&S I'll end up buying more than a soda.  This is why I'm feeling sentimental toward SEMO gas stations.  Sigh!  I miss Sarah Adams and our regular trips to Kidd's gas station, Burgers, Shakes, and Fries walk up restaurant across from the florist where we worked, Wib's (our favorite eatery) and anywhere else we knew we could get our fix.  This girl seriously needs some Sarah Adams and a coke with cherry syrup (don't you dare say cherry coke!). I think neither is likely.  But when I go to Advance (located in SEMO) in 2 weeks, I'm making it a point to stop at Wibs and go through a gas station drive through.  Now if only I could see Sarah it would be a trifecta.  Seriously though, it will be great b/c I'll get to see my grandparents.  I haven't seem them in almost a year. 

Last time I saw Sarah Adams: Nov. 2007
Last time I had Wibs: sometime in 2006 or 2005 probably (and this would have included the infamous soda).
Last time I had a drive through gas station coke with cherry syrup: maybe 7-8 years ago

If you live in southeast Missouri still (ahem..Ann) go and get yourself a drive through soda and some Wibs for me.

Terrible response when given too many choices and a lot of stream of consciousness rambling

If you don't know, I'm the girl who can't get a large menu and make a decision.  I will agonize b/w 2-dishes b/c I'm indecisive and then immediately regret my final choice.  I'd rather see a menu w/less than 10 options.  Then I feel good about my decision--this is one (only one) of the reasons I hate chain restaurants.  I also hate to shop in department stores or discount stores b/c I find them disorganized (except Von Maur, Nordstrom, and the like--but can't afford the luxury of organized department stores and piano playing while I shop with my extremely well behaved child, saying "mommy--please can we go to Hobby Lobby next..I really want to do a craft"...sorry slipped into an alternate universe there).  I don't want to have to dig through things or figure out how the heck they have things grouped by designer--so if I'm shopping for jeans I still have to run around the entire store---drives me bonkers while my child hides in racks, climbs on displays, escapes from his stroller and runs off saying--I not like this store or I can't go to Hobby Lobby or this store or I need to look at toys or let's go to Toys for Us (cause that's what he call Toys R Us--and he recognizes it on sight) !  I get stressed by disorderliness--as in even though I leave stuff out in my house and I'm not always tidy--it's always bugging me and gnawing at me. 

Why am I rambling about this?  Here's why. Evidently choosing a preschool is a bit important.  So important that your kid has to be accepted into it 8-9 months prior to school beginning.  I kid you not.  I did not know these things.  I've "looked into" several preschools, as in surfed their websites, read a couple of reviews, and chatted up other moms.  Seems like there's several good ones.  That's my problem.  Frozen by indecision, so I'm way behind the ball.  Evidently registration begins Jan. 5 (didn't know this until this week).  Guess what, everywhere is closed for the holidays until Jan 5, so I can't go visit anywhere.  Yeah--just call me mom of the year.  So, I'm either going to have to throw our name into the most desirable place w/o visiting or cross my fingers that there will be a spot in our top choice preschool by the end of the month.  Some schools will still have spots, but I'm not sure if our top spot will--b/c I'm not sure what our top pick is.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Can you hear me screaming, blog world.  What if we make the wrong decision--or piddle around and can't get in anywhere that's not skeevy or ridiculously expensive or just plain wrong for C's needs.  Major meltdown coming on.  It will arise in some form or fashion totally unrelated to this question.  As in Scott will ask where XYZ is and I will rip his head off.  Or C will refuse to eat his 6th carrot and I will send him to timeout.  You never know how stress will manifest itself in my crazy world. 

Serenity Now.  There's a tiny, rebellious part of me that says screw your waiting lists and timelines.  I'll sign him up when I'm good and ready and let the chips fall where they may.  But let's get real--I'm not that laid back in reality.  My alter ego--better personality--would just say--it's cool--it's just preschool.  But then my terrible side secretly (well not so secretly anymore) wants him to go where everyone else is going--b/c anyone that's anyone goes.... (wow, I'm going to be that mom--who lives vicariously through her kid hoping that he's popular and adored by everyone).  Seriously hate myself right now. 

One more good scream for posterity?  Sure, why not. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

I could host a giant party and that would take my mind off things for 5 nanoseconds. Or start a huge sewing project (oh yeah still haven't finished that Xmas present). 

Serenity now.  Cocktail anyone?

Throwback: before we were us!

10+ years in the making!

2000: Our first Xmas together-- yes my hair is sticking up in straight sticks in the back--yikes.  Awkward posing here as well. 

January 2001--not quite engaged

Cape Girardeau Christmas Parade: 2000

Superbowl party 2001--still not engaged

January 2001

Summer 2002--some random persons home!--thanks Sam for the summer of swimming at the house of the random lady you knew

September 2001: a very hot SEMO football game--when they were still the Indians!

A couple months before we got married at our Cape apartment--at this point still mine and Sam's apartment.

9 years ago today

I turned in my last name for another on a very cold night in December.  I can't believe it's been 9 years!  We were so young when we got married.  Scott actually graduated the week before.  Our lives have been a bit of a whirlwind since that evening in Cape Girardeau.  We moved about 3 weeks after we got married to St. Louis to live with Scott's parents since we were jobless and homeless.  Then we moved into an apartment in Kirkwood (suburb of STL).  Two years after that we were in our first home in Kwood.  2.5 years later we moved to Columbia, MO.  A little less than 3 years later Scott moved to Bloomington and about 7 months later I joined him here in our rental house in Normal.  So we've had 6 residences, 6 jobs for Scott, and 6 jobs for me (including being a SAHM).  We have a lively 2 year old that makes our little family complete.  We added two dogs along the way, and have had an amazing, if not at times difficult, journey so far.

I was completely shocked when Scott brought me home 1/2 dozen roses tonight.  He has only ever given me flowers a handful of times--and always unpredictably.  He's like that though.  His biggest gifts always come unexpected--not on the usual timeline.  We are looking forward to many more years together. 

Here are a few lot pictures in retrospective.

2001: The rehearsal dinner 9 years and 1 day ago

2001: Cheesy wedding still (photography has come a long way)

2002: Seriously--the only photo I could find of us together in 2002 (sure there's one somewhere, but have no idea where all of our photos have gone)  We were going to a New Year's Eve party (it was not a dress up one, but in years past had been, so we dressed up as Janine and Nigel (enemies) from This is Spinal Tap.

2003: Our first vacation: the Nantahala Mountains in North Carolina--awesome time: mtn biking, hiking, sightseeing and we stayed in a cozy cabin. Scott started his job in the wine industry when we got back from NC.

Xmas 2003 (still in our apartment)

2004: Our trip to Sicily visiting my parents--we are in Catania here near the market.  We moved into our first house 4 weeks later.

2004: Just moved in:

Our little house in Kwood when we first moved in.  The only outdoor pic we have and it's right when we moved in.  It didn't have any landscaping yet.  Again--got to find the pictures--we seem to have a digital gap from 2004-2007. 

2004: Chad and Missy's wedding at Kiener Plaza

2005: We got our first puppy--Cosmo.  Sweetest dog.  He's so big now.

2006: Our trip to Maui--we found out we were moving to Columbia the week before we left, but didn't actually move for 3/4 months (Scott moved ahead of me, so I could finish teaching the semester).

2007: Our trip to Wine Country.  Here we are at Beringer House in Napa Valley.  About 2 months later we found out I was pregnant (we like big changes to happen after vacation)

 2008 before C joined us--I think this was March, so I was about 4 months pregnant.  Notice the addition of Kona.  We got him the March before.

 C arrived that July--Here we are at our home for Thanksgiving 2008.  We had the whole family for the holiday.

Our CoMo home-Xmas 2008

2009: the year of family weddings.  Scott's siblings both got married.  Here we are at his brother's wedding.

 At Sarah's wedding

Family photo at Grant's Farm in St. Louis

No vacation this year, but we did make the big move across 2009/2010

2010: Our Normal, IL home this Xmas

Hilton Head Vacation

Sorry for the indulgence of photos.  For our 10 year anniversary I'm preparing a digital slide show of wedding photos and friends who have impacted our lives.  I know you can barely contain yourself until next year--you're welcome!

No longer a baby

We turned C's crib into the toddler bed tonight.  He's so excited.  I don't think he really understood when we would ask him if he was ready.  Today though, he made himself a pallet on his bedroom floor, and chose to take his nap there.  He was still on his pallet when I went to get him, so he understood what the big boy bed would allow him--freedom to get up and down at will.  He was really cute when he saw what it all meant.  Hoping it goes well.  I'm sure we'll find him in some odd positions sleeping.  Unfortunately his bedroom door sticks really bad, so we can't sneak in and check on him.

We wish you a Merry Christmas! We wish You a Merry Christmas!...

...And a Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays friends and loved ones.

We had a wonderful time with family over the Christmas holidays.  I hope everyone's was as wonderful as ours.  Already looking forward to the new year and the possibilities it holds.  Christmas was a lot of fun with C this year as he seemed to get it more.  He was a lucky little boy to have both sets of grandparents with him Christmas day.  He was so good, and he even missed his nap on Christmas.  There was a lot of sleeping in by C because of this.  He got a groovy play kitchen, tons of CARS toys, some Thomas stuff, some movies, a firehouse/firetruck and much more.  He has loved playing with all his new toys.  He said one of the sweetest things to me while we were playing away from everyone on Xmas day.  He told me, "All the grownups love me,"   referring to the whole family that was together.  It was so sweet. It made me feel happy that he knows he is loved.  We have some great pictures to sift through, but I'm not ready to revisit it yet. 

I pulled down and said goodbye to the Christmas decorations today. I was going to leave them up until New Year's Day, but decided it was just time.  I have left my Christmas cards out b/c I just love them.  Our strand of beads is ridiculously full (need to take a pic).  Doing a little decorating for New Year's and looking for some ideas.

Some handmade gifts

So, I finished 3/4 homemade gifts.  Luckily 3/4 aren't due until mid January when we celebrate Xmas with my brother's family.  I still have to finish Traci's gift, but the boys' are done.

For C (C's was in his stocking holding his cars) and Wyatt

Wyatt's filled w/5 hotwheels

One of them is ready for a drive

Here's C's bulging.  Mater didn't really fit--definitely meant more for hotwheels--which is what it will house in our to-go bag.

The colored pencil/motorcycle roll (of my own design)

Holds 1 small motorcycle, 12 colored pencils, and 1 small pad of paper. 

I'm happy w/the way it turned out.  It sort of evolved as I went along.  I couldn't find a notepad quite small enough.  I need to write down some notes about the size I used.  I found 5/8" was the perfect size for a colored pencil though!

Our Christmas

We were supposed to leave tomorrow for St. Louis, but b/c of the threat of bad weather we are leaving after C's nap this afternoon.  Our original plans were to celebrate our family Xmas tonight or tomorrow morning before Scott went to work.  Plans changed.  So we celebrated last night.  I made chicken pot pie (as requested by Scott) and chocolate souffles. We ate a late dinner (because we HAD to watch this dumb movie Scott had put in our queue so I was running behind) and opened gifts while the pot pie was in the oven. I'm embarrassed to say I ever saw this movie.  Terrible!  I digress.

 after we annihilated it (not so pretty) Homemade but w/store bought crusts.

Mark Bittman's recipe

Scott and I decided to exchange the majority of our gifts during C's nap, so we could enjoy him.  I made out like a bandit.  I got a NOOK and some money to spend on my NOOKbooks.  Already loving it.  I love reading free samples.  I want some down time to just read.  I got some cute sweaters Scott picked out, some new glove/mittens (the kind that bend back and your fingertips are out), but good ones from Wild Country--that will actually keep you warm.  I got the Sound of Music, Itunes gift card, a NOOK case, and some wintery pjs.  Scott got a lot of nice stuff, too.  But as he doesn't blog, I'm not listing them.

We got C a rocket ship by Imaginext, a motorcycle (that he's been loving at the stores), and a doctor's kit.  In his stocking he got a pair of house shoes, and some cars (Hotwheels and CARS figures).

I think he enjoyed himself!

Attack of the Peanut Butter!

Thanks to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for getting C to eat celery (with peanut butter) from the Mouskercising episode.  Unfortunately for me, C LOVES peanut butter.  He ate 2 stalks of celery with his pb, but requested more pb as he ate it off the celery.  Here's the result. 

These clothes went straight to the wash. This was already his second shirt of the day, sigh. The table required a lot of cleaning.

Tea and Playdough

Tonight ended with a little playdough and tea--by C's request.  He asked for the playdough, and then I was making myself some tea, and he wanted some too.

Playing playdough w/C is basically making whatever he requests.  In his words, "I'm not good at building." Tonight was all about planes and space shuttles and having a "tea party"--I guess that's anytime you drink tea.

Monster Trucks book

C has been so into this book this past week.  It was a favorite of his in June when we borrowed it from the library.  Sarah and Mitch got it for him for his b-day, and we read it a lot.  It kind of got cycled out of the favorites for a while, but would occasionally make an appearance.  In the last week he's become fascinated by it again.  To my surprise last night, he told me he wanted to read it.  He can read 5 or 6 of the 14 pages at least.  He isn't really reading, but memorizing it.  They all have a rhythm to the pages, but it's amazing to hear him say words like "a milk-hungry heifer" and "vitamin d dose." It's about construction vehicles, city maintenance vehicles, and few other types of trucks.  Each page (except the last) is about a specific truck. The drawings make the trucks look alive--kind of like monsters.  The last page has stats about each truck. His current favorite is the milk tanker truck--which he was terrified of until last week b/c it looks kind of like a bull.

Here's the words to the last page--which he has memorized.

Monster trucks, monster trucks
Mighty, massive monster trucks
They squash and crush,
churn and crunch,
pack and stack ,
and Mix and Munch

Trials of Parenting but a cute little guy too!

I have posted before how challenging C can be.  He can go from being incredibly fun and sweet to a terror.  This jeckyl and hyde personality is always amplified if he is tired or sick.  He has been a bit under the weather for the last couple of weeks.  Scott and I have both been feeling bad for a week or so.  This makes parenting this stubborn child difficult to say the least.  The things about C that make him so much fun are also the things that make him challenging. 

Advanced communication abilities:

Pros: he can tell us what he wants, he tells funny stories, he can recite stories and tons of others
Cons: we know he can communicate and it's extra frustrating when he doesn't use his words to communicate.

Ability for independent play and focus:

Pros: he plays very well by himself if given interesting pretend situations (i.e. he has been playing in his tanker truck all day--a stack of pillows in the corner of our room); he can stick with an idea
Cons: he is hard to dissuade from things/ideas (i.e. I couldn't get him to leave his tanker this morning to run errands and it turned into a full scale battle).  He can also be antisocial and controlling. He doesn't want you to play his pretend in the wrong way.  This leads to lots of frustration with other kids, so he often chooses to play alone.

In addition, C seems to have extreme problems controlling his emotions.  If he isn't getting his way he generally lashes out violently--even if it's hitting inanimate objects or yelling.  Most frustrating are his poor choices to hit us, the dogs, and other kids.  We took him to music class Saturday, and he was having a great time exploring the instruments.  A little boy was playing w/one he was interested, so he picked up a drum stick and whopped the kid on the head.  It was awful.  The little boy didn't cry, but it was really upsetting for me and Scott.  It set a negative tone for the rest of the lesson.  He was standoffish unless the activity was very physical and engaging, and he kept saying he wanted to go home.  He had a good time, but it was frustrating to see him be so anti-social. The owner was amazing trying to engage him.  He responded very well to her.

Scott and I are at such a loss on how to parent him through this.  It is hard to remain calm and cool in these situations.  I also struggle with when I get upset with him that he understands he is still loved.  He usually apologizes to me by telling me he will take care of me.  It is so sweet, but so frustrating.  I know so much of it is his age, but he seems extremely emotional. 

Here are some highlights of the little guy today and from Saturday's music lesson.

Playing in his "tanker truck" (inspired by Monster Trucks, Monster Trucks book--which he has partially memorized).  Getting these overalls on today was an ordeal--he's not worn overalls since before he was a year old, but most things were dirty, and I knew if he didn't wear them now he'd outgrow them.  Pretty cute.  The only way we could get him to stop being irate about wearing them was to tell him he looked like a farmer or a truck driver--so he built his tanker here, where he had been sulking before.

 Looking for "things" to put in his "truck." These things have been tools and dog toy ropes that he uses as lassos and fishing poles. 

A hot chocolate mustache preparing to share with his airplanes.

One is taking a dive to get a "drink." He ended up with all toys that could fly on the table eventually. Lined up of course for their chance at a drink.

Playing the jingle bells he made at music class.

 being the horse in "over the river and through the woods" which he loved after shedding his sweater.

sitting in the corner, but being engaged by an instructor.  She was awesome at trying to help engage him when he pulled away.

And winter officially hasn't started, but it already sucks!