some thoughts on pregnancy

• First trimesters, for me (as I know it is for many women), are a time when I wish that I could die a speedy death instead of enduring 24/7 nausea and throwing up.  Or maybe happen upon a time machine that could simply skip over the next month of my life and land me in February. I know that when the curse of "pain in childbearing" was placed upon mother Eve that meant that we'd suffer through the labor and delivery part, but c'mon God.  Really?  REALLY?  Did the sweet, darling baby package also have to include feeling like death warmed over for 3 months solid?  
• Why is it that when I'm not pregnant I have a desire to eat and prepare healthy meals, loaded with whole grains and vegetables, and then when I am pregnant (you know, when one's nutritional intake truly matters) I crave stuff like top ramen, canned chili, Oreos, sour cream n onion potato chips, and Taco Bell?  And I am too exhausted right now to even care about preparing a meal that requires more strength than the push of a microwave button.
• Why does my husband's deodorant/cologne/general male scent utterly repulse me right now?  Oh wait, I know.  It's my body's way of saying, he's the one that did this to you!!!  Keep him far, far away.  I don't really mean that, of course.  It's just funny how pregnancy turns us into human bloodhounds.  Today the girls were eating some now n' later taffy at the table and the smell of the candy was making me nauseous...from the other room.
• Josh has been SO attentive this time around.  He seems to have much more compassion on me and has even taken an afternoon off here and there on my really bad days, to take care of things so I can be a blob on the couch.  In the same breath, he's also the male that keeps saying, "I'm so glad I don't have to go through that!"
• Does a pregnant woman have the right to slap a man when he makes comments like the one aforementioned?  Yes I hear you say?  Alright then.  Be right back.......
• This pregnancy has been such a new experience for me in that the kids are all old enough to understand that they will soon have a new baby brother/sister.  When I had Jayden, Joanna was barely 3, and Jaclyn 1 1/2, so obviously they didn't get it at all.  Jayden especially has shown such compassion for me whenever I'm in the bathroom feeling sick.  He comes in, pats my back and says, "it's ok mom, you'll be ok."  He even brought me a glass of water one time. "Here you go mom, drink this and you'll feel better."  What a sweetheart!! 
• I have a new-found respect for people who endure daily health problems that make it difficult to function.  I am so grateful to God for blessing me with a healthy, whole body that can conceive and carry a baby, as so many desiring women cannot.  I am grateful that I have never had a long-lasting illness or condition that makes daily activities a struggle.  I can barely handle 3 months!
• Eyes on the prize.  Eyes on the prize.  At least I'm gettin' a cute little baby to snuggle when I reach the finish line!

Family Pictures

I'm not the best at having our family pictures taken.  The last time our family was altogether--in one picture--for a more formal picture was when the kids were 4, 2.5, and 9 months.  I know.  Sad, right?  Since they are now 6, 5, and 3.  ;-(  Sad by today's standards, I guess, since this is 2011 and it's so easy and inexpensive to take a picture.  For the moment, judge me through the lens of a photographer in 1922, who would think that taking family portraits 2 years apart was both unnecessary and extravagant.

Here are some of my favorites from our Sunday photo shoot.  Pay close attention to Jayden's sign.  No reason.  Just sayin'. 

 Looks like somebody is not so happy about 

relinquishing the "baby-of-the-family-throne" soon.

So, there you have it.  Cat's out of the bag.  We decided to make one more of these cute little minions.  I'd tell you how far along I am but I don't even know.  Haven't been to the doc for an ultrasound yet and I have NO idea, not even an educated guess, as to how far.  Gotta thank my always irregular cycles for that.  Curses!!!  Based on my symptoms with the other pregnancies I'd say I'm about 7-8 wks along because that's when I started puking with them.  And I threw up for the first (but, alas, not the last) time today.  All I can say it, let the countdown to 2nd trimester begin! 

Halloween 2011

This year I decided that since I'd never dressed up as a witch for Halloween in all my 32 years of living, this year was 'the year' to get my witchiness on. My children could testify that I don't need a costume or a designated holiday to act the part, but that's besides the point.

The kids had a BLAST with their costumes.  For once I planned ahead and bought their costumes a good month in advance (yeah, I know. Very un-Jolie like)  so basically all of October was spent wearing their costumes around the house.  Or in Jayden's case, everywhere!!  He insisted on wearing his Spiderman costumes to the store, out to pick up the girls from school, to the park...it was so funny!  And is it any surprise that Jaclyn chose to be a princess riding a unicorn and Joanna a cowgirl riding a horse??  Ha. 

For the trunk-or-treat Sat. night Josh wore his Batman costume.  He looked pretty bad A.  Sadly, our stupid camera (that wasn't even 2 yrs old!) broke a couple months ago and he forgot his iphone that night so we didn't get any pics of him.  Minus the cheesy pose, he looked something like this:

We didn't go for family themed costumes this year, but I guess Jayden and Josh inadvertently did! My superheros.

Finished Draft

Upon reflection and some help from a local friend I pared the letter down and took out some ardent phrases and loaded words.  I don't want to come across as a crazy person and I decided that burning bridges in this small one-horse town probably isn't such a good idea.  But you all will know just how I really feel!  Here's the finished letter I just submitted for publication:

To the Editor:

As a CWU alumna, wife of a CWU employee, and an Ellensburg resident, I am invested in preserving the quality and reputation of my alma mater. Thus, I have carefully followed the dialogue surrounding Mr. Gaudino's bonus. Why is our community so incensed by a presidential bonus? Two words: poor timing.

Were students not facing steep tuition increases, CWU staff's wages not frozen, and had state funding not been significantly reduced, then his acceptance would not have produced such vehement opposition. But, Mr. Gaudino knew the current financial atmosphere, had time to consider the community reception of his decision, and still, agreed.

Receiving incentive bonuses is common for university presidents, but he might have considered a more honorable approach. For instance, accepting the incentive on the condition his fellow employees' wages are unfrozen. My husband and I feel angry and betrayed when my husband's future contributions to the university will go unrewarded. His decision was a figurative slap in our faces.

Where is the honor in accepting a $500,000 bonus under these conditions? Mr. Gaudino is a U.S. Air Force veteran. Certainly he was taught the importance of honor and camaraderie. Why not serve this university in the trenches of economic sacrifice alongside his fellow staff members?

Over the course of his career, Mr. Gaudino has taught in college classrooms. His title and job description have changed, but he is still an educator. What life lesson did his decision indirectly teach our university students? The lesson is: Sometimes one must throw ethics aside to get ahead in life. An effective teacher and leader would have taught through his honorable example how to conduct himself in the business world post-graduation.

Mr. Gaudino is quoted in the Daily Record as saying, "in the contract there is a provision that says this money throughout the five years will be unfunded and unsecured, which means that it's not coming out of any existing program allocation." That is not acceptable. If I managed our household's budget using this spending model, we would be in debt. I never make a purchase not knowing beforehand where the money is coming from. Mr. Gaudino should never have accepted a bonus not knowing beforehand the money's source.

Mr. Gaudino should admit his error and recant his bonus — at least until he proves that he can take the financial burden of receiving a college education off his students' backs and lift his staff's wage freeze.

Jolie Ramsey

'08 CWU Graduate, Ellensburg

Dear Mr. Gaudino,

As a CWU alumna, the wife of a CWU employee, and an Ellensburg citizen, I feel invested in preserving the quality and reputation of Central Washington University. For these reasons I have carefully followed the dialogue regarding your incentive bonus. You have heard our community's vehement expressions of dissatisfaction with your decision to accept your bonus. And why?

The underlying issue in this mess boils down to one word: Timing. If students attending your university weren't facing steep tuition increases, if your fellow employees' wages weren't frozen indefinitely, and if state funding hadn't been reduced, then perhaps you wouldn't be met with such opposition for accepting this bonus. But the fact is, even after considering these factors you still went ahead with accepting such an exorbitant amount of money. And THAT is what "we", the faculty, students, alumni, and community members are so outraged about.

I am well aware that incentive bonuses are given all the time to university presidents, and that your annual salary is actually more "modest" than some. But maybe you should have considered accepting your retention bonus when, and only when, your fellow employees' wages are unfrozen. Every American wants to make a better living for their families, no matter what tax bracket our income falls in.
Mr. Gaudino, again, I stress your fellow employees. Accepting that bonus was a figurative slap in your fellow employee's faces.  We, the employees of CWU and their families, feel betrayed by your poor example of leadership. Where is the honor in accepting a $500,000 bonus when my husband's wages have been frozen? No matter how hard he works at making YOUR university better, he can not be compensated accordingly. You say you need the money to support your two children and aging parents. To you I ask, is your $290K/year salary not enough to meet your family's needs?

I don't know how many social ladder rungs you had to climb to get to where you are today. Whether you arose like the phoenix from the ashes of poverty or worked hard in life to maintain the affluent lifestyle you've always known, it does not matter. A man with any integrity or genuine concern for this university would have turned down that bonus in a heartbeat. A true leader would have shown our university's students through his honorable example how to conduct themselves in the business world post-graduation.  Instead, the message you sent to your students is this:  Sometimes one must throw ethics aside to get ahead in life.

You are a U.S. Air Force veteran.  Certainly you know about honor and camaraderie.  Why not serve this university in the trenches of economic sacrifice alongside your fellow staff-members?

I want there to be an addendum to your present contract. Upon your five-year review, you should be held accountable for your service here at CWU. You should have to prove not only to the Board of Trustees but more importantly, to your students and faculty, why you deserve an enormous bonus just for doing your job. If and when this bonus is approved, there needs to be full disclosure of the allocation of funds used to finance your bonus.  You were quoted in the Daily Record saying, "the contract there is a provision that says this money throughout the five years will be unfunded and unsecured, which means that it's not coming out of any existing program allocation."  That is not acceptable!  If I managed our household's budget using the same spending model you and the BOT follow, we would be in debt! I never go to the store to make a purchase not knowing beforehand where that money is coming from.  And you should never have accepted a bonus not knowing beforehand who's pockets the money would come out of.

Good luck holding your head up high in this town for the next five years.  Everyone I know feels disgusted and betrayed by you.  The noble thing to do now would be to come forward, admit your error, and recant your bonus--at least until you prove to us that you can take the financial burden of receiving a college education off your students' backs and can lift your staff's wage freeze.

Jolie Ramsey
'08 graduate of CWU

this made me laugh

I am SO gonna frame this picture and hang it in my kids' rooms when they are teenagers.

Honey, did we pay our tithing this month?

It's a really good thing that we have fire insurance--both temporally and spiritually--because this last Sunday night, it sure came in handy...

Sunday was a long day.  We had our Primary program in church that morning.  I'm the Primary Chorister, so church seemed busier than usual. After church we came home, snarfed down some lunch, and I took what I felt was a well deserved nap.  ;-)

Later that afternoon I informed Josh that he was going to take the kids to the park so I could cook dinner in peace.  That's right.  Even though he's the newly commissioned Officer, I still give the orders around this house!  haha

As Kuzko would say, "Oh yeah! Things were going my way."  Josh followed his instructions and took the kids to the park.  I practiced my clarinet...then did a crossword puzzle....and then I got around to starting dinner.  I had all the ingredients laid out on the counter--opened.  I preheated the oven...
I went back to clarinet practicing for a minute when what to my wondering eyes should appear?  Why, some sparks and some flames coming from the oven so near!!
 

I very intelligently open the oven door with my bare hand only to be met by friendly flames and a shorting-out, sizzling element.  Ok, now's it's time to panic.   I rushed to grab the fire extinguisher and screamed like a crazy person for my bro-in-law, Nate, to help me.  (he lives with us)  I gave Nate the fire extinguisher and he put the fire out.  The oven's heating element was still sparking so Nate pulled the oven away from the wall and unplugged it. 

Phew.  A sigh of relief.  That's over.  But oh my word! Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher before?  This was my first time and I guess unless you're the one who has to clean up the foamy/powdery mess afterwards, you don't realize just what a feat it is to clean up after using them! I wish I was able to take some pictures of the ginormous mess, or even of the sparks and flames.  Because there's no better time for a photo op than when your oven is on fire!!  But my kids were playing with my camera a few weeks ago and I haven't seen it since.  Grrrr. 

I had to throw out all the food that was opened on the counter and wipe down everything in the kitchen from the soffits on down to the floor.  That white powder stuff was everywhere!!  Of course, the alternative would have been a burned down kitchen, so I probably should've felt a bit more grateful as I cleaned my kitchen until 2 a.m. that night. 

That range was really old.  I had problems with the two big burners shorting out and not working, too.  Like while I was canning peaches last month and the stupid burner kept shutting off during processessing.  Our landlords were quick to order us a brand new range (yeah!) but Sears can't deliver it until October 3rd.  So until then I've been using the microwave, the crock pot, the griddle, and a plug-in single burner hot plate thingy my grandma gave me.  Maybe I should just stop using a range altogether because we've gotten along just fine without it this week, and best of all, there's been less dishes to wash!! Less big pots and pans = more space in the dishwasher! 

Officer Ramsey

About two years ago we decided that Josh should re-up with the Army Reserves because we needed some serious dough.  Moola.  Amigo money.  Let's just say that on Josh's salary right out of college we would have qualified for food stamps.  Ouch.  (Do you ever wonder why you went into debt to get a college education, only to get crap wages afterwards??  I have a bachelor's degree and you want to pay me what?!?!)  Sorry, tangental rant there.

Why did I emphasize two years ago??  Because the first recruiter we worked with to process Josh's paperwork was an r-tard and had no idea what he was doing.  He'd just forget about Josh's in-processing packet and when we'd call to check on his orders status he would: a) not return our phone call; b) give us the runaround about it taking longer than expected and he would get to it when he had time.  Uh huh.  Oh, ok.

Finally I said enough was enough.  I demanded that Josh request to work with a different recruiter.  They told us that this guy was the only recruiter in the state that in-processes Prior Service Direct Commissioned Officers, so we had to go through him.  Sigh.
(oh yeah, Josh joined the Army Reserves right out of high school and served for 8 years, so he's considered "Prior Service.")

Then we caught our break.  Recruiter R-Tard left the office and was replaced by a guy who actually does his job!  Within 4 weeks of this new guy working on Josh's paperwork, Josh is now a signed, sealed, delivered, and commissioned Officer in the U.S. Army Reserves.  Hurray!!

He was commissioned on Sept. 9th.  The kids and I went to watch the ceremony.  I jokingly told the kids that since dad is a soldier now they have to say "Yes Sir" whenever he asks them to do something.  Haha
Joanna actually said it a couple times later that day, but soon forgot after that.

We're not entirely sure what his job title will be yet, but he will be doing finance/admin type work for his unit.  And he'll drill at Ft. Lewis/McCord which will be nice since we have family that lives close to the base. 

Jayden turns 3

Happy Birthday Jayden!!

A Tale of Two Teeth

Jaclyn has sucked her thumb since birth.  Well, if you want to get technical, she even sucked her thumb en utero.  We caught her sucking her thumb during an ultrasound.  All that thumb-thucking in her first 4 years made her front teeth look like this:

and like this:

Needless to say, we figured braces were going to be in this girly's future!  Well back in July, Joanna and Jaclyn were running wild at great-grandma Ramsey's house and had a pretty nasty head-on collision.  Joanna's head met Jaclyn's front teeth.  Not only did Jaclyn have a bloody, puffy top lip for a few days, but the top front teeth were knocked loose.  Within a week we noticed that the teeth were also starting to turn greyish. 

So I took her in to see the dentist who took an x-ray. Sure enough, those teeth were gonners.  The roots were dead.  The dentist said we could wait 4-6 mon. and let them fall out on their own and risk infection, or we could extract them.  So we opted to have them extracted.

This was taken in the dentist's chair just prior to all hell breaking loose.  (note the greyish teeth)

Now you may remember that Jaclyn's nickname is banshee.  And for good reason.  This girl is a screamer!!  You can imagine the fun we had as she had her gums get pricked with a needle, as they covered her nose with the nitrous mask, and then yanked her teeth out with a metal instrument!  There was much weeping, wailing, and knashing of teeth. 

When it came time to actually pull the teeth out, it took me, two dental hygenists, and the dentist to hold her down long enough to finish the procedure. 

Oh, that poor, poor child. 

Here's what she looks like these days:

Isn't she cute without those front teeth?  What's really endearing is the way she's forced to pronounce many 'th' and 's' words that she used to be able to say perfectly.  My speech pathologist mom could immediately hear the difference in pronunciations while talking with Jaclyn on the phone.  Of course, she's got an ear for that sort of thing!  Jaclyn will be thspeaking like thisth for a long time becauseth the dentistht thsaid that judging by the xth-raysth, she'sth not going to get her new teeth for at leathst two more yearsth!!

mine! mine! mine! mine! mine! mine! mine!

A couple Saturdays ago we went to a wedding in Sequim. In order to get to Sequim from Ellensburg you need to drive to Seattle, take a ferry to Bainbridge Island, and then drive the rest of the way.
As we arrived at Pier 54 in Seattle, the ferry was just leaving. We had an hour to kill before the next ferry came along, so we parked the van and took a casual stroll down Alaskan Way. (You know, the street that's got Ivar's and Ye Olde Curiosity Shop.) Stomachs were growling so we decided to grab lunch at Ivar's. Mmmmmmm. Clam Chowder. Fish & Chips....

Ok, so for those who've been to Ivar's before, you know that if you eat outside there are two options:

#1.  Grab a seat in the awning-covered picnic table area and peacefully eat your fish & chips while watching the ships come and go from Pier 54; Act as an innocent bystander as you witness all the stupid humans who chose the #2 dining option.

This is the covered picnic area at Ivar's.

I STRONGLY suggest that you choose this dining option the next time you hit up Ivar's.

Why you ask??? Oooooh just keep reading....

That Saturday was a GORGEOUS day in Seattle.  Sunny and 75 degrees.  Perfect weather for outdoor eating, thought Jolie.  I wanted the kids to really take in the scenery and enjoy the nice weather.  Now since I. AM. the neck of this family, despite the head's insistence that we choose dining option #1 (eating in the covered area), I overruled the head (and muttered a comment about how the head never likes to try anything new) and led the family toward option #2:

#2.  Find one of the many surprisingly empty tables located near the Pier's edge and eat your meal while taking in the sights.... the majesty of the Olympics mountains in the distance, the waves rolling into the Puget Sound, passing tug boats.... and OH MY GOSH what is that dive-bombing toward my head......

SEAGULLS!!!!!

I can read his thoughts.  He's thinking, "Lady, if you don't hand over that piece of fried fish in 0.7 seconds I will snatch it from your hand." 

This is how close the vultures...err....I mean, seagulls were to our table.  Our table was right next to that guard rail where SWARMS of hungry (and fat!) seagulls perch to beg for food. 

Can I just tell you how unnerving it is to put food up to your mouth when, at any moment, a bird with a sharp beak and talons could rip it from your hands?  After the first kamikaze seagull snatched food from Jaclyn's hands, all 3 kids were pretty nervous about our little eating venture.

As we were getting up to leave a vulture dang I keep doing that!  A seagull buzzed our table one last time, spilling the basket of leftovers out of my hands and onto the ground.  I was mad!  As we all loaded into the van to board the ferry all of us agreed on four things:

1. Dad "may" have been right about eating in the covered picnic area
2. Having Ivar's fish & chips for lunch still outweighs the perils of eating in close proximity to seagulls  (You ain't had fish & chips until you've had Ivar's fish & chips. So good!!)
3. Our family now understands the hungry seagull reference in Finding Nemo.  Mine!  Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!
4. All of us were still hungry because we'd fed the birds and had the rest spilled on the ground

It also makes me think of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds".  I felt a little like this lady:

chip off the ol' block

People have always told me that Jayden is the spitting image of his daddy.  What do you think?

Above:  Jayden at 2 1/2  years old

Below:  Josh at 2 1/2 years old

I took a picture of a picture ('cause I'm real techy like that) to compare their wee 2 year old faces. 

And WOW is Jayden a little mini me!!    

Preschool Pirates

The girls had a pirate dress up day at their preschool in June. Here's how their makeshift costumes turned out. They had a blast being pirates for a day.

"Arrrrr matey!!"

Jaclyn walking the plank

Joanna tells me that she was pretending to be a "sneaky shark" in this one

Preschool Pics

This year both girls are attending preschool. Their teacher, Mrs. Martone, is excellent. I can't say enough positive things about her. I've watched her in action and I am ever astonished at her ability to command order, obedience, and good attitudes from a gaggle of preschoolers, all the while maintaining a fun-loving, cheerful atmosphere. I am in awe at her talents.

Even though the girls are technically in separate classes, the two groups work together on many activities.

I was curious to know if the girls get along well at school or if they fight and squabble like they do at home at least 80% of the time. ;-)

And you know what Mrs. Martone told me? She said that Joanna & Jaclyn completely ignore each other at school!!! They never sit next together, work together, play together, etc. !!!! They are as different as different can be, personality wise, and spend the rest of the day together, so I guess that shouldn't surprise me much.

Back in March the kiddos made Leprechaun traps for St. Patrick's Day.

Here's Jaclyn show-and-telling her trap.

Jaclyn demonstrating how to catch that tricky Leprechaun.

Joanna with her Leprechaun trap.

Joanna demonstrating how she caught "that tricky little fellow!"

Jaclyn working on some serious preschool worksheets. ;-)
*Note how Jaclyn is writing with her right hand above and with her left hand below. She still hasn't decided which hand is her dominent. Maybe she'll be ambidextrous? I'm pretty ambidextrous myself, and so is my grandpa, so maybe she is too?

One of the very few times the girls sat next to each other!

Meow!! Jaclyn was the cat in their Christmas 2010 play.

Jaclyn's best friends at school are boys!

This picture of Joanna cracks me up. Her crooked glasses, black eye (my butthead son threw a toy bin at her face for no reason.), and chocolate covered lips make this picture look like some sort of artistically-staged mug shot. Doesn't she look like she just survived a bar brawl??!!