Outcome of Fight Back Challenge

Well, sadly I lost my battle of the Nebraska taxes. I went to the on base tax center and they took a look at what happened. Somehow Turbo Tax calculated my taxes for Nebraska as if I was not a resident of Nebraska at all. So much to my dismay, I won't be due another 2,000 dollars like I wanted!

But I did not take this loss in stride....I vowed to figure out a way to fight someone! Instead of the Nebraska taxes, we are taking on our home phone. We hardly use the darned thing, but I really insist upon having one since I don't always keep my cell phone on me. Plus for emergency purposes I like to know where I can get to a phone that will get me to someone immediately. With a cell phone I never know where it is.

Right now we have Vonage, which I am very happy with. But my mom has something called a Magic Jack, that is 40 dollars for two years! We almost pay that much for one month of Vonage! I am sending Joe tomorrow to get the Magic Jack.

In addition we are considering switching from our local cable company, to satellite. I think it will be cheaper, I am just concerned about installation fees and such. We need to sit down and figure all that out and if it would indeed be cheaper.

One money saving thing I did this week was make Homeade Yogurt. It turned out okay, just a little runnier than I had hoped. I will experiment and get it just right! There are several reasons I wanted to make my own yogurt. First my version will have much less sugar in it than the store bought. Plus it is much much cheaper! And there are no plastic cups to end up in the landfills since I put them in reusable containers.

I will keep you all updated on my Fight Back!

Update on Garden

Jordan loves to water!

The garden has been so much fun for Jordan and I. I love to go out after work and water with him. He has so much fun blasting each plant with water. I keep expecting the plants to
shoot out of the ground from the water pressure!

These are my first radishes! They were yummy :)

Here is some lettuce! Coming up nicely!

Fight Back!!

I read this blog called the Red Tape Chronicles, and read an inspiring post today.

It is about taking on some stupid fee in your life and taking an hour out of your day to fight back!

We pay too damned much for our tv, internet combo. This week I vow to spend some time trying to get it lowered, or switch to someone who is cheaper.

The other thing I vow to do is figure out our Nebraska taxes. After I did my taxes, I was supposed to get some money back from the state of Nebraska. Then we got a check in the mail for about half what I expected. NO explanation, No means to contact them to figure out....nothing. I will get to the bottom of this!!

I will report back in one week and let you know how it went....

What are you going to fight this week?

Cobbler Night

Joe is taking a class every Wednesday night from 5-9 pm. So every Wednesday I was alone. Most of the time I wasn't even getting to see him when I came home from work, so my mom or Charis was watching Jordy until I got home.

The last several weeks we started a Cobbler night. It all started by accident. I was having a really rough week, and had to get some stuff from the market before I went home. Since I was so upset, I did some emotional shopping and came home with cupcakes and ice cream and a blackberry cobbler.

When I got home, Charis and my mom were already there. We made the cobbler and hashed over the distressing events that led to the emotional grocery shopping. It was so nice! So we have been continuing the tradition.

Tonight we had cobbler and made cards. I am a huge scrapbooker, and thanks to my friend Katie, started making cards to use up my scraps of paper. I taught my mom how to use her stamps and she ended up making some nice ones (we won't mention the starter card she made!)

Charis's best friend, Bridgette, is here visiting and was a great addition to our cobbler night. I wish she didn't live so far away!

Cobbler night has turned out to be a bright spot in my week. Instead of having a lonely night, it is really nice to look forward to girl talk, yummy food, and sometimes craft time too. Jordan seems to like coming over intermittently to see what we are doing!

Update 101 in 1001

It has been a while since I updated this...in fact I forgot about it :)

Time to start again with renewed vigor!!

The Blue are in progress, The Red are completed, The Brown are Abandoned

1. Become a member of AAFP and complete the monthly CME quiz.

2. Read the ER book by the time we leave here.-just didn't finish it all :(

3. Every month while I am in the ER, draw blood and start an IV so I don't lose my skills.(9/9)

4. Go to at least 3 social events with work people before we leave here. (3/3)

5. Renew ACLS

6. Take on a new task at work.- Radiology Wet Reads while Eric was gone.

7. Once a month date night where Jordy has a sitter.

8. Take Jordy to play group at least 10 times before we leave here (Korea). (10/10)

9. Find a wonderful daycare for Jordy once we get to Florida, one that is bilingual.

with all the problems with speech delay Jordan has had, we were just happy to get him speaking one language!

10. Work with Jordy, when he is ready, to learn spanish.

11. Take a family trip to Everland.

12. Take a family trip to Mt. Sorak.

13. Start going to church here, go at least 10 times (hey I am being realistic!) (0/10)

14. Find a church once we get to Florida.

15. Have professional pictures of us done.- will do this once Baby Girl arrives!

16. Have a big family Thanksgiving where I do the cooking.

17. Take Joe on a romantic weekend alone.

18. Take Jordy on a camping trip.

19. Go on a cruise with family.

20. Make a letterbox and place it.

21. Make 8 weekly menu plans to alternate. (2/8)

22. Learn 5 vegetarian recipes. (2/5)

23. Learn to Eat Clean and Incorporate some of these recipes into the regular

24. Go an entire two months without buying anything for myself. (2/2)

25. Go without tv for one week.

26. Get one of my scrapbook pages published in a magazine on a website

27. Close accounts that I am not using.

28. Master Quicken.

29. Make and keep a monthly budget.

30. Save "enough" for a down payment for a house in Florida.

31. Start saving for Jordy's College.

32. Get Joe a car when we get to Florida that isn't too outrageously expensive.

33. Get an annual credit report for both Joe and I. (1/3)

34. Start a garden to grow vegetables.

35. Start composting.

36. Have a big yard with a doggie door for Pezzy.

37. Make a cleaning schedule and stick to it. (4/32)

38. Buy Joe the tv of his dreams.

39. Have people over for a home cooked meal and a movie.

40. Get pictures from my dad, sister, and a few others to have enlarged and displayed in my home.

41. Send 5 thank you cards to people for how they have impacted my life. (0/5)

42. Test drive an extravagantly expensive sports car.

43. Get Botox.

44. Play golf for the first time, and not miniature golf.

45. Read 15 books from the library, or other second had book. (4/15)

46. Stop swearing! This one isn't measurable, but I really need to stop being such a potty mouth.

47. Knit a sweater.

48. Participate and complete the 365 Portrait Challenge

49. Take a Class at the Community Center on making paper crafts.

50. Lasik- Sadly this had to be abandoned, not for my lack of trying though. I found out b/c of my incredibly dry eyes, I am not a candidate for it! Guess

51. Recycle aluminum Cans Regularly.

52. Once I am doing the cans, move on to plastics.

53. Stop buying individual yogurt cups, buy the big one and put in my own reusable container.

54. Have one day per week where I don't drive and use public transportation.

55. Buy/Find enough cloth bags to use for grocery shopping. (5/10)

56. Consistently use the cloth bags when grocery shopping for one year. (0/24)

57. Donate old clothes and other things rather than throwing them away. (2/4)

58. Start using natural cleaners in my home such as Vinegar and Baking Soda and lemon.

59. Buy an Air purifier to clean out the YelloW Dust

60. Stop buying paper towels and napkins for a month. (1/1)

61. Take the clothes Jordan has outgrown to the Consigment Shop on Base.

62. Eat Sushi 10 times (10/10)

63. Go to the Seafood Festival in Florida

64. Play video games with Joe at least 5 times. (1/5)

65. Go to 10 movies with Joe, or watch pirated ones here in Korea, that Joe picks. (4/10)

66. Find 15 new ways to tell Joe that I love him. (2/15)

67. Have a spa weekend with Jennifer, my treat.

68. Landscape backyard.

69. Try 10 new resteraunts. (10/10)

70. Make 100 scrapbook layouts.

71. Go on a picnic 4 times. (0/4)

72. Draw Jordan's Family Tree

73. Make a photo book of all of Jordy's pictures.

74. Go to Disney World

75. Go to Disney Wild Animal Park

76. Get an account on Facebook

77. Watch a Marky Mark movie with Jennifer while we drink strawberry daiquiris

78. Visit the Park's in Alaska.

79. See 5 plays/musicals/concerts. (0/5)

80. Find a Charity I am passionate about and help them raise money.

81. Participate in Gimme your Stuff

82. Send PostCarts in Post Crossing (5/5)

83. Exercise for health, not to maintain some unrealistic goal for myself.

84. learn to love myself, my body, and mind, even though there are countless flaws.

85. Go to Miami

86. Exercise regularly 3x per week.

87. Run a 5K

88. Get a perfect score on my next fitness test.

89. Laser Hair Removal

90. Do pictures for at least 5 groups of people. They can be family, wedding, kids. (0/5)

91. Stop buying bottled water. Get a filter for work so I can use a cup instead.

92. Continue to be a nonsmoker and encourage my patients to quit.

93. Have Joe and I both make "bucket lists"

94. Make a list of 100 things I love.

95. Go Hiking at least 10 times. (4/10)

96. Go to the DMZ.

97. Make Joe a new quilt.

98. Wear heels at least once per month starting in March 2009

99. Go to the Florida Keys

100. Write in my blog once per week.

101. Organize this list!-I just don't care to organize this list....too many other things in my life that need organizing :)

Personal Goals:

98. Wear heels at least once per month starting in March 2009. (0/30)

100. Write in my blog once per week.

101. Organize this list!

94. Make a list of 100 things I love.

92. Continue to be a nonsmoker and encourage my patients to quit.

80. Find a Charity I am passionate about and help them raise money.

81. Participate in Gimme your Stuff

82. Send PostCarts in Post Crossing (4/5)

97. Make Joe a new quilt.

92. Continue to be a nonsmoker and encourage my patients to quit.

93. Have Joe and I both make "bucket lists"

94. Make a list of 100 things I love.

95. Go Hiking at least 10 times. (0/10)

Environment Goals:

91. Stop buying bottled water. Get a filter for work so I can use a cup instead.

60. Stop buying paper towels and napkins for a month. (1/1)

61. Take the clothes Jordan has outgrown to the Consigment Shop on Base.

Fitness Goals:

83. Exercise for health, not to maintain some unrealistic goal for myself.

84. learn to love myself, my body, and mind, even though there are countless flaws.

85. Know that having a few jiggles here and there doesn't make me unlovable.

86. Exercise regularly 3x per week. (0/

87. Run a 5K

88. Get a perfect score on my next fitness test.

Work Goals:

1. Become a member of AAFP and complete the monthly CME quiz. (1/32)

2. Read the ER book by the time we leave here.

3. Every month while I am in the ER, draw blood and start an IV so I don't lose my skills.(1/9)

4. Go to at least 3 social events with work people before we leave here. (0/3)

5. Renew ACLS

6. Take on a new task at work.

Family Goals:

7. Once a month date night where Jordy has a sitter. (1/32)

8. Take Jordy to play group at least 10 times before we leave here. (0/10)

9. Find a wonderful daycare for Jordy once we get to Florida, one that is bilingual.

10. Work with Jordy, when he is ready, to learn spanish.

11. Take a family trip to Everland.

12. Take a family trip to Mt. Sorak.

13. Start going to church here, go at least 10 times (hey I am being realistic!) (0/10)

14. Find a church once we get to Florida.

15. Have professional pictures of us done.

16. Have a big family Thanksgiving where I do the cooking.

17. Take Joe on a romantic weekend alone.

18. Take Jordy on a camping trip.

19. Go on a cruise with family.

64. Play video games with Joe at least 5 times. (0/5)

65. Go to 10 movies with Joe, or watch pirated ones here in Korea, that Joe picks. (0/10)

66. Find 15 new ways to tell Joe that I love him. (1/15)

67. Have a spa weekend with Jennifer, my treat.

68. Visit Heidi in Kentucky and meet her family.

Travel

96. Go to the DMZ.

99. Go to the Florida Keys

Jordan is taken over by the Exorcist

Friday night I was feeling pretty down,and just wanted to go to bed early. It had been a long week, and I was ready for it to be over. Joe and Charis were wanting to go see a movie, so I stayed home with Jordan. As soon as he was all tucked into bed, Joe and Charis left, and I nestled snuggly into my bed to watch some tv and play on the internet.

Soon after I finally fell asleep, Jordan came running into my room crying. I woke up to hear and see him projectile vomit, seriously at least three feet, of chocolate milk and bologna chunks all over my cream colored carpet. It went on and on and on! I jumped out of bed and by the time I reached him, it was still going!

Finally it stopped and I picked him up and we went into the bathroom, to prevent my carpet from any further demise. I grabbed the phone and called Joe to tell him to come home immediately, after he stopped at CVS to pick up a prescription (sometimes it is great to be a doctor!).

Poor Joe and Charis had just got their tickets, gotten all their snacks, and had just sat down in their seats when I called them! They both were so sweet and didn't complain at all, just rushed right home.

Unfortunately Joe misunderstood me and just got some pedialyte, and didn't get the prescription. So back to CVS he went, this time to the wrong one. But finally the poor guy got it all right, right CVS, right prescription. I felt so bad. We gave Jordan the nausea medication, and he intermittently would complain of a tummy ache but thankfully no more vomit!

My carpet on the other hand will never be the same. After vigorous shampooing, there is still a stain...damned chocolate milk! Too bad that wasn't the only insult my carpet sustained this weekend.

After the vomiting bonanza was over, the next joy to settle upon our house was diarrhea! I was taking a nap, because I also got some sort of plague during this, leaving Joe to man the house alone. Joe came rushing up with Jordan and declared he had explosive diarrhea. He plopped him down on the bedroom floor and started to change him. When he opened the diaper it was like he opened the portal to hell! The smell was horrific, but was even more disturbing was the sight of completely watery poop come flowing out of his diaper and all over the carpet!

Back to the carpet shampooer I went. Like the vomit stain, it will always be reminder of this horrible weekend.

For the next three days Jordan had diarrhea, nearly every 10 minutes! I swear it was terrible. We went through an entire box of diapers, a sixty count, in one day. I would have been completely panicked if he weren't bouncing off the walls between episodes.

In the middle of the night he would get out of bed and wander into the hall declaring, "Poozy!" Joe would get up and change him. I tried to alternate with him, but felt like death myself.

Today is Tuesday. Jordan seems to be better. I still feel weak and tired. Walking up the stairs took a huge effort. But the real victim is Joe, he is sicker than a dog now. Last night he was just burning up and said he felt nauseated.

This weekend we have some people coming to visit, hopefully we won't infect them!

Vacation, temper tantrums, and family drama

Joe on Bourbon Street

Joe ate a raw oyster, I played the pregnancy card (no raw foods!)

Eric, Roger, Brad, and me (guys from residency)

These last few weeks have been a whirl wind of activity. I had a military training/conference thing to go to in New Orleans. Being as this is probably one of the last times Joe and I will have to go on vacation before the new baby arrives, we decided to leave Jordan at home!

We went to New Orleans and had a wonderful time. Half of my residency class was there! It was great to see them again. We had so much fun catching up and comparing life after residency. Most of the days I was done with my lectures before 12, so Joe and I would hit the town! We were right in the French Quarter so we were within walking distance of everything. Every lunch and dinner we went out of incredible meals. I actually gained 6 pounds in five days! I was an eating machine!

Some of the days Joe was feeling pretty down because he missed Jordan so much. We saw him on skype every night. Charis did an incredible job taking care of him! My mom also watched him when Charis had to work. Together they took Jordy to the zoo, the beach, and the park. I wasn't as worried about Jordy as Joe was, but I knew he was in good hands, and have left him in the past for long periods of time. But this was only the second time Joe had ever left him! When Jordan was about a year old, Joe and I left him overnight with my parents. That was it, in 30 mos, Joe has only been away for one night!!

So we were both really excited to get home and see Jordan, but Joe especially! When we did get home, Jordan was so excited to see us! It was so cute to see his little face get all excited! Plus he started calling me mommy instead of Bee!!

We were all so happy to be a whole family unit again....

Then the next day happened.

I needed to return some maternity clothes that I had bought online to Old Navy. We got to Old Navy and while I was talking with the sales people, who couldn't return my stuff b/c I didn't have the invoice, Jordan found some silly putty he wanted. Joe tried to wrestle it away from him, resulting in a horrible temper tantrum.

We got outside the store and we put him on a time out. Joe had to pee really bad so I said I would hold the bag, my purse, and two jackets, plus watch Jordy so he could go pee. Just when Joe was out of sight, Jordy made a run for it into the street.

I darted after him, as fast as a pregnant woman wearing uncomfortable maternity pants that are too big and falling down, holding a purse, a bag of unreturnable clothing, and two jackets, could dart. I did manage to catch him, grab him by the shirt and drag him to the other side of the street, all with about 3 cars witnessing the spectacle. Once on the other side, he wriggled free and made another dash for it.

This time I caught his arm, and yanked him back from certain death. Thank God we were in public, because by this point I was so mad I could have killed him on the spot!

Joe returned to Jordy howling on the side of the road, me crying, and the day shot. I insisted on being taken home.

Joe got Jordan into his car seat, and hugged me, then said, "This is what we rushed home for?"

The next two days weren't much better. Everything we planned to do, Jordan found some new level of temper tantrum to reach. Joe and I periodically look and say, "I can't believe we are doing this again!"

I certainly hope my sweet little boy returns soon....I miss him.

On a happier note, we got the ultrasound done on Monday. We were fully expecting it to be another boy after taking that IntelliGender Test. Imagine our surprise when the lady said, "Its a GIRL!"

We made her check three times, each time it was still a girl!

That night I went out and bought a little pink dress! Then after a quick look around the little girl department, realized it is quite possible I will go to the poor house buying cute pink clothes!