I have known my little sister for 22 years now and she just noticed today something very obvious.

Kayce: "I think you are OCD"
Me: "Really? Why do you say that"
Kayce: "Because of the way you clean your house"

Hmmm, I won't even argue with her statement. I will be the first to admit that I think I suffer from OCD. Although I have never been diagnosed, I have suspected for years that I suffer from the disorder. I first realized when I had Connor that I was OCD. Having a baby throws your schedule for a loop and I about lost my mind. I couldn't balance anything those first 6 months and changing my routine was difficult.

Is being OCD a bad thing? I wouldn't consider myself a freak. I just like everything in order. I like neatness. (like Monk) I do have a deep confession that I will admit first here on blogger. com. I sometimes go into other houses and I lay awake at night thinking about how I would organize and clean everything. I have gone into other homes and cleaned and organized and it is something that I enjoy doing. So, is it a bad thing?

This one is for Tiffy

Working overnight not only gives me an 8 hours stretch of darkness and sometimes, blissful silence but it educates me on the latest and greatest gadgets and gizmo's. Beware, you are about to enter into my thougths during an overnight shift.

Last night it was the Hoover Round chair. Why, do you ask should you buy the Hoover Round Chair? Well, I learned the following: 1. Getting older does not have to be about doom and gloom. The seniors riding on their Hoover Round chair not only suddenly appeared ten years younger but dark skies and frowns were replaced with sunny skies and smiles when they received their Hoover. 2. Tom Kruse. Do not confuse this Tom Kruse with THE Tom Cruise. Tom Kruse not only invented the Hoover but he fully endorses it. Who is Tom Kruse? Who the heck knows but he sounded sincere when talking about his dream and the creation of the Hoover. 3. Not only can you get your own Hoover within in a matter of weeks BUT.....if you order now your Hoover will come with the complimentary expandable grabber. Now you can sit in your Hoover refusing to walk at all and you can use your expandable grabber to take over the use of your arms. Don't get me wrong, I do not mean to be disrespectful because I know that many people benefit from inventions like the Hoover. I just know that I rest better at night knowing that the Hoover Round Chair will be there for me. And if Tom Kruse tells me it is the best chair out there, then by darn it, it must be.

Another late night repeater is the continuous commerical for the classic commercial for Extend Ease. The male enhancement product that will revolutionize the way that you view pharmaceuticals for men. Amazing the things they have invented for the older generation.

In between Hoover Round, Extend Ease, and Tom Kruse I have reruns of Married with Children, Home Improvement, and Seinfeld. Nothing like watching re-run after re-run of Al Bundy complaining about being constipated. Or hearing the grunt of Tim the toolman Taylor. And as a closing thought, or two.....I wonder how much they paid the actress that plays Peggy Bundy to wear those spandex pants and cheetah print shirts. I bet more than I am making, sitting watching these reruns while my patient is asleep. I wonder if they would be interested in making a new show about a new Peggy Bundy living in New Jersey. Hey, I would wear spandex and cheetah print shirts..........

The weather is warming up. Connor has made some friends in the neighborhood and spends a majority of his time outside. Today he was anxious to run out and join his neighborhood pack and his little brother wanted to tag along. Connor agreed to keep an eye on Jaxson and the two of them strolled outside together. Not even 5 minutes later Connor comes running through the door yelling, "MOM! Jaxson took his pants off!!!" This was not good news since the boys were in the backyard of the famous neighbor "The Jersey Devil" (Because even though I think he is in fact the Jersey Devil, Connor really enjoys playing with his twin boys) I made it to the front door and Jaxson was standing there with no pants on and half of the neighborhood boys were standing behind him laughing. And despite the ridicule, pointing, and laughing from his peers.......Jaxson is as I speak standing beside me with no pants on.

The question of the day.....will my three year old ever keep his pants on? Seriously, this kid takes his pants off as soon as he gets into the house. The kid has no shame. My children are so opposite. Connor has NEVER walked around the house naked. He has been ashamed of his nakedness since the day he was born. Jaxson, came out naked and he has been determined to stay that way. Since owning a dog, I have discovered that I dislike the following things about dogs: they chew up diapers and pull ups, they chew on underwear that has been thrown on the floor by a three year old, they do not like to have their teeth brushed and have poop breath, and they victimize my friends one year old child crawling on the floor. (Ok, maybe that is just the perverted, stinky dog that we own) I knew we should have picked the female dog. I was back and forth about getting Connor a dog but I am so happy we did. He loves Dallas. He still takes very good care of him and sincerely loves that dog. Having Dallas has taught him to care for someone other than himself. I think it really has made him more aware of other people. He seems to understand that he has to take care of Dallas. I love watching him fill Dallas' water bowl and food every morning and evening. He does it now without any reminders. He is very concerned about his dog and asks numerous times during the day if Dallas will still be alive when he is 26. He is preoccupied with the age 26. I guess 26 is considered old age for Connor.

Connor is anxious to get a strike

Jade going for the split

Look at that form!!!! No wonder I am the bowling champion!


Jaxson is the serious bowler. The kid is obsessed.

We took the boys bowling on Friday night. Jaxson asks EVERYDAY, "Bowling?" He loves it. I love watching them throw the ball down the aisle and then dance back to the chair after they hit some pins. They gets so excited. I swear Jaxson is going to get a hernia carrying the heavy ball but he refuses to let anyone help him.

On a completely different note, I had a dream last night that I was 22 years old and I was running away from home to go to Vegas with some friends to see a concert. Does that dream mean I secretly want to be irresponsible?

As promised, here's the hockey photos. Connor is so excited to play hockey. I like the picture above with his beloved puppy Dallas Star. The picture in the middle is Connor after his hockey practice. All sweaty, tired, and thirsty. Sometimes I can't believe how fast he has grown up. Time is flying by.

Connor

Kids say the funniest things. Without even meaning to. They are natural comedians. I took the boys today to get free water ice at Rita's. While pulling in, Connor got really excited and exclaimed, "MOM! I just saw that Obama guy at Rita's getting water ice." I told Connor that he was mistaken but he insisted. "No. Mom. That is Obama. Don't you know who Obama is? The guy that everyone voted for to be president" I laughed and parked the car. We walked to Rita's and low and behold......No, Obama was NOT at Rita's but there was a man at the window that looked just like President Obama. I had to look twice. Connor got really excited and yelled, "See mom! There is that Obama guy!" Everyone laughed and I was just thankful that Connor yelled Obama and not Osama.

I am tired. Not just the tired like, Oh-I could go for a good nap right now. The kind of tired where I could lay down and sleep for like 18 hours straight. I worked overnight Sunday night and Monday night. I had last night off but I spent the evening going to Connor's first hockey lesson. I work tonight and my lack of sleep is just now catching up to me. It is 5:12 PM and I know that Jade will be home from work in 15 minutes and that I should prepare something to eat but I just don't want to move out of this chair. I want to go and crawl into my bed and dream.

The weather in New Jersey is beautiful right now and we have spent the past two days at the park. I get the boys off the bus at 12:30, we eat lunch and then we go play. It is nice for me because I can sit in one spot and just watch in a half daze as the boys run around the playground.

I will post some pictures of Connor in his full hockey gear later. I was so proud of him last night. He was so excited and tried so hard to skate his best in all that heavy equipment. He has a passion for hockey. The kid TRULY loves the sport. It must have been some secret injection the Canadians gave him in the hospital after he was born. Some Canadian experiment?? It was exciting to watch Jade getting Connor all ready and the excitement that I know both of them were feeling. Connor surprised us last week by reading a book to us. We didn't even know he could read! Go figure.

Jaxson is still the little fireball. The kid has an attitude that is out of this world. He loves to sing and makes us listen to his favorite song, "I love Mud" everytime we get into the car. He has become a tattle tale too. He likes to come and tell me everything that Connor is doing to him and then instruct me to put Connor in time out. He is still very affectionate and I love hearing him say, "Hi mommy" when I walk in the door from school or work. The kid still won't leave his pants on and we frequently find him with no underwear on either. We took the boys to Chick Fil A on Friday night and the boys went into the play area. We were eating at our table when I noticed people talking and pointing at the play area. I looked and Jaxson was standing in there with no pants on. Yelling, "I need to PEE!!!!" Jade frequently gets paged over the loud speaker at the gym because Jaxson is in the kids area with no pants on. While at the zoo over the weekend, we saw a monkey that was sitting upright like a human would and his parts were exposed. Connor pointed to the monkey and said, "That is a Jaxson monkey because he is showing his business like Jaxson does" We couldn't argue with him on that!

Cape May Zoo

Spring Break

I am officially on my last Spring Break. It is amazing to me that after 5 years of school I will finally be finished in May. I don't know if I ever really expected to finish? Everyone is commenting on how I have achieved so much and what an accomplishment it is but I just don't feel like I have finished what I am suppose to. So I ask myself, what is it that I should be doing or that I should do? I don't know. Maybe I am just getting the jitters about being finished and the responsibilities of being a RN.

I do feel a little bit of sorrow. When I started nursing school, Jaxson was 11 months old. I look at my three year old now and I miss all the times that I didn't get to hold him and hug him because I was in lecture or clinical. Although, I do have many fond memories of the patients that I cared for when I couldn't be home and I just pray that somehow I made a difference in their lives.

I am feeling VERY homesick. It has been two years since I have been home and I am just aching to see my family and friends. I am resisting the urge to run home right now because I want to wait for the warm summer months in Utah. I LOVE Utah in July. 100 degree temperatures and the spirit of patriotism in the air. Watermelon, ice cream, going water skiing on the boat, cool nights sleeping in the backyard, and the beauty of the sun rising in the morning over the mountains. This is very much what I imagine my heaven will be like.

Jersey Snow

The storm of the century hit Jersey. School was canceled, Dr. offices shut down, and the shelves at the stores were bare. (I am NOT joking!) After the snow was done falling, we went out and had some fun! Jaxson didn't last long as he proves to be more like his mother every day and took an immediate dislike to the cold, wet snow. Connor was true to his birth country of Canada and spent HOURS out in the cold, wet snow just savoring every moment of it's splendid glory. When dad got home it was time to go out AGAIN and built a New Jersey igloo. Connor and Jade are proud of their man made Canadian habitat. Connor is a little upset that I refuse to go inside of it and Jaxson seems a little reluctant too.