Okay...
Uploaded pictures to Flickr...new house, the Pirate Party, and the new Iguana...Monna (yes, the two rhyme). Dunno if it's a girl or a boy, but oh well.
We've definately bitten off a huge chunk with it, care-wise. Chance was supposed to get an easy-care animal for D, but was once again blinded by the light. Oh well, now we just gotta roll with it. If we take care of it it could live for up to 15 years!
Anyhow...life's been pretty lonely. I don't mind the country, cause we're not far away from neighbors, but I just miss home.
Duncan called yesterday and I swear it took everything I had not to bust into tears just talking to him. I was so homesick for the rest of the night. I talked to Pokie too, cause I found the Vancouver/Calgary game on tv, and phoned to watch it with her.
I've gotta send out Christmas cards soon with our new address on it, and contact info. Gotta make em first though.
There's so much to do, that it's kind of difficult to organize a day around everything cause I haven't quite made a list yet.
Got some stamps today though, so D can send a letter to Santa and such. I dunno if they do that here, but if they don't we'll just send it north.
Trying to get the important stuff now, finding Dr.'s and what-not.
Thanksgiving is on Thursday...haven't really made any plans.
Uploading pictures, blogging, facebook-ing. Too much.

Just finished taking D to a Pirate Party at the West Salem library. We were the fanciest Pirates (even got compliments) and had BUNCHES of fun. We needed that, that's for sure.
I'll post pictures later, after I've taken some of the house to post as well.

Backlog in Blogging

Ok, we have officially spent a week in the new house. As you can tell, cause I haven't been back to blog since going over.
We've been busier than snot, and I can honestly say that i'm sick of shopping. It's so much hassel to do even the tiniest errand when you live in the country cause we hafta drive 20+ minutes just to get to the nearest town with services. Anyhow, I'm sick of having shit to do outside the home. I want to get my daily routine settled in with the boys. A healthy way to do the day, where D gets his school-work done, I get some cleaning and errands done in the house, and Hunter naps.
It was funy, the night before we moved in, (I told myself I would blog this) Chance and I were checking everything over after dropping some stuff off. I was outside on the porch and Chance was inside. I heard a loud Thump, and when I went up to the door all I could see was Chance's feet and arms in the air like an upside down turtle. I laughed pretty hard, but he was hurt. He had jumped up to swing from the moulding above the door (it's a 107 year-old house) and it fell off with his weight, and he landed on his back on the floor.
Then, the other day he started a burn pile in the yard, and thought he had put it out, but the breezes of the day picked up the embers and started it again...effectively smoking out the entire neighborhood. Was pretty humerous, lookin back on it. At the time though we were both pretty irritated because we didn't have a hose that reaches that far. So, there we were, filling up jugs, and garbage cans, and anything else I could get my hands on with water from the tap, and Chance was carrying it outside all the way over to the fire and dumping it on it.
We've had a pretty good run in the new house I suppose, everything is set up, and clean, and comfortable.
We've had a lot of contact with the Realty Company in charge of the property, and seem to have something new to speak to them about each day.
Yesterday Hunter fell down the stairs (about 20 steep stairs) and hit the gate at the bottom of the stairs. I had taken him up with me to go and get more diapers from his room, and was bringing down laundry with me along with him and the diapers, and I dropped a sock that we both stooped over to get, and he went over. Was very scary, but he's otherwise ok. He has a rug-burn on his nose, and looks kind of like Rudolph. I felt terrible, as Chance isn't that great at handling Critical Situations involving his kids, and it took me most of the night to work my way through any feelings I had. I'm still pretty leery today, but will try and get past it.
I'm proud to say that all boxes that were brought with us have now been sorted through and everything has a home, except for my sewing stuff, which is ok, cause it's not being used just yet
In any event, we've got plans to have Thanksgiving and Christmas at our house, as it is fairly large.
Darius spent lastnight in his room all by himself for the whole night. Only two nightlights, an outside streetlight, and two flashlights later.
We had to talk to the realty ppl about installing a gate at the top of the stairs. Since the house is so old we're limited to what we're allowed to do when it comes to drilling holes into the walls and the like. Hopefully it won't be a problem.
I'm awful lonely these days. I'm enjoying listening to my music in the new house more, but find that not having anyone to talk to face-to-face is getting a bit difficult. I often wonder why (only when I'm feeling secluded and isolated) I'm so picky about my friends, but I know I can't trust just anyone with the thoughts in my head, only from experience.
We're supposed to have a playdate with D's classmates from the school (that he no longer attends) but as usual, I have not recieved any phone calls telling me ANYone is going to attend or not. It's so frustrating, and I hurt for D cause he doesn't know any better. Am wondering if I should even make any snacks for it. I probably will, but am going to try and keep it to things that I know I can either use right away, or store for later use.
I hope, at least, that we can meet the neighbors.
I've just started trying to get organized with D's school work, and trying to pick up where he left off with his class. I know I should just start all over again, but I can do that once we get everything from the Ohio Virtual Academy.
I'm impressed with them so far, and am hoping not to be disappointed.
Stress is a terrible thing, but I must say I'm trying my hardest to move through it, instead of wallowing in it.
I miss my family, I even miss Tia. I miss the smell of the mountain Pine, and the fresh smell of the lake. I miss the close quarters, and the all night-game-athons, and the super yummy home cooked food I miss having a dishwasher (I need rubber gloves cause my hands are actually cracking from doing the dishes too much), and I miss living 5 minutes away from everything I need. I'm homesick.
Why I couldn't justify anything to myself before I left, I'll never ask. I guess this is what I think I deserve somehow. I'd better just be quiet and make the best of it.

Darius is sick today...*sighs*
Lastnight we got hardly any sleep because he was so stuffed up he kept saying he couldn't breathe. So, I was propping him, blowing his nose and so on. He's feverish today, and still all stuffed up.
I'm concerned that they don't wash their hands enough in school.
Anyhow, so D is at home from school today, and I'm catering to him. Watching movies, and sent Chance to the store to do a bit of shopping and to grab some medicine for him so he can at least sleep.

Yesterday was our 6th Anniversary. Kind of odd to think that I've spent so much time with one person. Chance bought me a new ring with a very pretty yellow stone in the middle.

We we're supposed to have someone over the our new house today to do some repairs this morning, but they called to tell us they would be later than they thought they would be. Our new house is nice, and the upstairs stays very well heated once we turn it on. But there's a horrible smell, almost like something died in the vents, or that there's a horrible septic leak someplace in the house that's causing the smell. There's also a moldy spot in the master closet. When we put the first payments on it, we had to sign a notice about Lead Paint, and of course we discovered some pain peeling in a closet. I'm hoping it'll be fixed so neither of the boys get the idea to eat the chips and get Lead Poisoning.

So, this is the weekend we officially move in. We go grocery shopping and move the beds and couches and dinig set into the house, then we should be all settled.

Hopefully someone from D's class make it out to the playdate that I've arranged, though from my experience I don't hold out much hope. Usually when I plan things they never turn out and no one comes.

I wonder what I can get accomplished today...

I posted new pictures on Flickr

Serious Undertaking

Yes, I could be doing the most serious thing I've ever done...
I'm going to undertake my son's education, and begin Home Schooling him.
I'd like to say that I've always been an out of the box thinker when it comes to my parenting styles, and ideas. Unconventional pretty much sums it up for me. Or, so I'd like to think.
yes, I have two sons, but you'd better believe I encourage both masculine and femenine traits for both boys.
I like the fact that the kitchen sink is also a bath-tub, or a play pool for the boys. I like that they can get nekked and paint as much as they want. I like that they use everyday objects (like a spatula or a toothbrush) as toysI don't mind my son wearing Care Bear socks, or that his favorite colour for an entire year (quite a feat of time for a little one) was purple. I don't mind that he thinks he has pretty girl eyelashes, or that he has a wonderful flare for fashion (at least when it comes to picking out mommy's clothes for her) I love that he's so in touch with his feelings that he'll tell you specifically what you did to hurt his feelings, and the extent of that hurt. I love his flare for the dramatic, and his wonderful sense of humor. His imagination and vocabulary are amazingly deep for a 5 year old.
All of these traits I chalk up to my unconventional ways of bringing him up.
I'm unconventional because while I was raising him i wasn't interested in "How-To" manuals for children, I was interested in "Have Fun AND Teach" manuals, and even the occasional insight from a website or two. I listened to other parent's strategies, and read their strategies.
My point in all of that is I didn't just use one word as law, I used many.
Now, I'm not certain I'm ready to be responsible for the brain in my child, but honestly...what is it that I think I've been doing up until now?
At least this way I can teach my child the morals and values that I hold near and dear without worrying about him falling behind the other children, or going to fast for the other children. I can do my Volunteer work with him, and teach him just how wonderful it is to give without expectations. I can show him that it's ok to give his heart to the world, even if he doesn't get it back.
I want his capacity for that wonderous feeling to be a heckuva lot deeper than mine.
So, Friday is his last day at the school, and though I have yet to make my meeting with the Super, I may just give serious thought to writing a few letters, and letting it rest because putting my effort into him means more to me than telling them to "GO FUCK THEMSELVES" in twenty different ways wouldn't really do much good (though I'm certain it would be very satisfying).
Damn...I'm starting to sound like an adult.

Uphill Battle

I'm so angry, and fuming, and enraged, and outraged. I'm humiliated, and belittled and upset for Darius. If he were older and could understand, this is what he'd be feeling, but because I'm a parent, I shield him from this.
The school called today to let us know they were denying Darius his enrollment in their school. After questioning from this end to their office person, she said we'd need to go to the Super Intendant. Since Don works there he inquired as to why they were denying it (because he says in his 11 years of working there he's never heard of it happening), and the Super said that it was due to "behavioural issues".
So, guess what I get to do?
I get to make an appointment for a meeting between the Superintendant, the school's Principal, and D's teacher Mr. Curtis.
According to their "Open Enrollment" Codes, they can only deny a child enrollment due to "behavioural issues" if they have been suspended from a previous school, or are known to be extremely disruptive to the classroom.
Darius had been in his classroom for 9 days total when they denied him, which was on Friday (that's when his teacher knew in any event) and they only just now got around to telling us (which would make it 11). How fucking fair is that? A five year old is supposed to adjust to a new Country, State, School (with at least TWICE the classmates than his previous school), and Expectations that go with that in NINE DAYS.
I'm not impressed. At first I felt like crying, because it's just unfair for anyone to have those kind of expectations of a five year old.
I'm pissed that this is just another battle in the long list I've had in my entire life. I'm angry because now they're dragging MY CHILD into this.
How dare they, what right do they have??
Fuck them is what I say.
I'm going to give them a fight, and I won't be quiet about it either. Then, when I'm finished, I'm putting him into Home Schooling because those fucking bastards don't deserve to be IN my son's presence.
That's how I feel right now anyways, we shall see.

Moving

Well well.
We started moving stuff in late Halloween Night. Got boxes and stuff loaded up from what we took accross the country into the new house on the first, and today we're supposed to get most of the big furniture from here over to there. I don't plan on sleeping there just yet though, mainly because I'd still like to clean it properly seein as they didn't do it (even though they assured us they would in the 2 weeks that they had before we took possession). It's full of old wood (the antique kind) that needs some special polishing and attention as it definately looks as if it hasn't gotten any in a long time. The walls need to be washed, and the shelving surfaces need to be done again, as well as all of the outlets. About the only thing they DID do, was wash the windows (but not their frames which are all dusty and yuck) and cleaned the light fixtures. Lazy bastards, is all I can think.
Lastnight we were sorting out which box went where, and I'm really cursing our "pare down" because random shit ends up in a box with one room's stuff and I hafta march it to it's home, wasting time. I should juts make a pil, but oh well.
I kept wonderin why Hunter had so little stuff going into his room, then it occurred to me that he's never had his own room before. So, now I get to seperate the toys of D's, and put into Hunter's room anything that he can't eat.
Anywho...tonight is the West Salem Trick-or-Treat, which we'll be taking the boys to. Hopefully it'll g smoothly.
Today D had "Career Day" at school. We tried to dress him like an Archeologist, but who knows how it turned out. I'll admit it, we left it until the last minute.
He's been complaining about some classmtes, and I'm beginning to wonder about this new school. Still have yet to phone them about the busses, but I'll do that once we plan on sleeping at the new house. Then I hsould be able to do the same thing, meet him at the school and show him where to go.
I can still count on one hand how many times I've driven the truck (and that's only cause I volunteer at the school now, that it's gone up). Sad.
There's a slight bonus here...at least they make Pepsi the same down here.