Top Ten: Just Passing Time

I woke up early this morning, fed my four month old son, did the dishes, and baked some muffins for breakfast, to be ready when my two year old finally got out of bed. Then, with a (mostly) clean house and very little left to do in the way of chores, I brought up my cherished online game, ready to tackle the achievements and quests that the game has to offer. I completely forgot that today is Tuesday, which means that my game has it's weekly maintenance and so will be down for a couple of hours. This game is what I consider my "prize" for the amount of patience and understanding I have, being a mother of these two troublemakers. Each mom has their own little "getaway", and this is mine.

I love my boys, but I still havent figured out how they manage some of the things they do. Such as how my oldest can be playing peacefully in his room when I start lunch, and by the time I come out of the kitchen with his grilled cheese sandwich, he will have found a way into the bathroom, tearing off toilet paper one square at a time, pretending to wipe with it, then putting it in the toilet. Or how he found his way into the bathroom sink, brushing his teeth with my toothbrush. Or even how my four month old figured out how to not only roll over in his crib, but how to get to the complete other side of it and tear the musical toy off the railing and drench it in drool.

So, I started thinking of things I can do to pass the time, and remembered once again that today is Tuesday--which means time for a Top Ten! Except I didn't actually write a top ten. So this is not a top ten, about the top ten things I will do until my game is back online.

1. Give the boys a bath. It has been 3 days for the youngest and one day for the oldest since their last baths. They both enjoy their playtime in the tub, and getting clean is just an added bonus!

2. Start dinner. Days when I have lots of extra time on my hands means days that I can cook long and elaborate meals, such as the pot roast that has been sitting in the deep freezer waiting for the right time to be cooked.

3. Get up-to-date on Facebook. I go through phases where I'm on Facebook all the time, then I'm not on it more than once a week. Checking up on recent status posts, updating my own status, and seeing what all is new in the family, possibly even uploading a few more pictures from our albums.

4. Not writing a top ten. I haven't posted to my blog in a while, mostly because I haven't had anything to say that I felt was anywhere near interesting enough to share with the world. It's already a bit late in the day, so I will post this as a top ten, but it's not something I would normally write for such an awesome blog trend. But everyone has those days where they write their "not a top ten". This is mine =)

5. Reading a book. I am currently awaiting the last book in my favorite series, The Wheel of Time By Robert Jordan (the last few books finished by Brandon Sanderson after the original author passed away). Since it won't be coming out until sometime next year, my husband has bought me what seems like a billion other book series' to help me pass the time. I am currently reading the World of Warcraft books, which although not exactly based off the game, do give me a lot of background and insight into the past history of the game and its better known characters.

6. Replacing batteries. Quite a few of the kids' toys have run through their battery life, and I have been reluctant to restore them to their full volumed bells and whistles. However, we did not buy the toys for their ability to be quiet, but because the sounds keep the boys occupied and content. So, I shall finally bring the toys back to life at the risk of losing my sanity (and hearing).

7. Cleaning and re-cleaning. Keeping the house clean is an ongoing mission. It never stops, it just gets easier or harder depending on how active my son is or if my husband's friends visit that weekend. My two year old and I play this game, where every time he goes into the living room he sets up his toy animals all over the place. The lion sleeps on the couch, the rhinoceros guards the front door, the family of giraffes parade across the ottoman, and the gorillas wander across the entire floor. Then every time I go into the living room, I return them all to the "jungle", a special shelf I have designated just for his animals. Then my son returns to the living room, and the cycle repeats itself. I think it's my turn to play, because when I let the dog out this morning I'm pretty sure there was a yak on the pool table.

8. Restock diapers and wipes throughout the house. Three different rooms in my house have stacks of two different sizes of diapers and a full container of wipes. Im getting a bit low in a few rooms, and it's time to refill the wipe containers anyways (it's not fun when you run out of wipes in the middle of a very messy diaper and have to manage your way to another room for more with a wiggling baby).


9. Write out a shopping list. We are on a budget this month, since most of our money is going towards our vacation in two weeks. So since I will be going shopping this week, it is a good idea to have a list already ready, to ensure that I only buy what I need and dont get to the store and suddenly feel like I need to buy a carton of strawberries and three boxes of popcorn.

10. Sleep. Hahahaha... this one is only wishful thinking. Once my boys are awake, there is no sleeping for mommy again till after everyone is in bed that night. Now, the boys can take naps if they feel like it, but the moment my head hits the pillow they are wide awake and either hungry or extremely hyper.

Well, looks like I found a few things to do today after all. =)

Top Ten: What I love ♥ about my Husband

My hubby has to work overnight tonight in Dallas, and after he left for work this morning I couldn't fall back asleep. I already had most of a Top Ten written, but as I laid in bed trying to go back to sleep, I began thinking of how much I miss him already, and it inspired me to change my theme at the last minute. So next week you might hear about the Top Ten things I think children under 18 should have, or maybe Top Ten things me and my sister did while she was here this summer. But today, I want to share with you something extra special. The Top Ten things I love ♥ about my husband.

1. I love ♥ his Cowboy style. Don't get me wrong, I am one of the first people to tell you that it's what's on the INSIDE that counts. But my husband has it all, both inside and out. The first time I laid eyes on him, I fell in love with him. He was wearing tight blue jeans, a button up shirt, cowboy boots, a black Stetson cowboy hat, and the biggest belt buckle I had ever seen. He was country cowboy from his head down to his boots. He doesnt dress like that all the time, which doesnt matter because I think he looks good no matter what he's wearing, but whenever he gets dressed up all cowboy style, I get flashbacks of the first time we met, and I fall in love all over again.

2. I love ♥ that he's smart. I met my husband in the Navy, in Nuclear Power school. You have to have a certain IQ for that job... you have to get a very high score on the ASVAB (military placement test), and you have to have the ability to learn difficult things very quickly. I survived well enough, but my husband amazed me-- no, AMAZES me-- with the things he is able to learn, and the rapidity with which he learns them. The intellectual conversations we have from time to time remind me that he can do anything he puts his mind to.




3. I love ♥ how hard he tries. My husband is in a constant state of denial about just how good we have it out here. He looks at every dollar we dont have, instead of every dollar we do, and he sees every problem we have instead of every problem we dont. In a way, you might consider that a flaw. But it's those thoughts that lead him to be so thoughtful and caring. It's because of those thoughts that he works harder and tries his best to get me anything I could ever need/want. And I will never get tired of reminding him that all I need is him. Seeing how hard he tries is what lets me know how much he cares.

4. I love ♥ his architectural skills. And his mechanical skills. And his technological skills. Okay, I just love his skills. He can build anything he thinks of, from remodeling the bathroom to building new bird cages to building a trebuchet (kinda like a catapult). He can change a tire, change the oil, change the headlight lamp when it blows. He can fix my car's A/C or completely replace his truck's clutch. He rewired the entire house and built me a computer from parts he ordered. Is there anything my hubby can't do?

5. I love ♥ that he supports my hobbies. No matter what I like to do, whether it's knit and crochet, start a garden, skinning and tanning furs, or reading a 15 book series, my husband is right there to support it. He helps me research what I'm going to do and find out the best ways to get started. He buys me any and all supplies I might need, and he asks around at work to see if anyone's wives do the same things or have any advice. Even if he has no interest in ever doing it himself (like with blogging) he still stands behind me and encourages me.

6. I love ♥ what we have in common. From things so simple as "we both like the Harry Potter movies" to things as complicated as "we can both glide through Calculus", the things we have in common-- both big and small-- bring us together and give us plenty to bond over and talk about for hours. We both like movies, and so our collection is enormous. We both like animals, and we have a farm full to prove it. We both like all the same foods, so I know that he will eat anything I cook.






7. I love ♥ what we dont have in common. Our differences tend to compliment each other. For example, he doesnt like to read, and I love to read. So during long car trips, I will bring along a book and read it to him aloud as he drives. He's a dog person, I'm a cat person. He likes it more outdoors, whereas I prefer the safety and comfort inside. If we had everything in common, our lives would be so boring. But because of our differences, we always have something new to talk about, and new things to learn and teach each other.









8. I love ♥ his affection. I love when he hugs me just because he can. When I'm cooking or cleaning, and he comes over and puts his arms around me and smiles. When I'm being a geek or a nerd, and he laughs at me, but when I turn around to look at him he has such a look of love in his eyes. When we're driving to town and he holds my hand in the car. I love all those little moments.

PS: Thank you sweetie, for giving me the Red Qiraji Battle Tank, when you won it. You knew how rare it was, and you still gave it to me. I love you. ♥ xoxo

9. I love ♥ his personality. He's funny, he's smart, he's talented... but he doesn't brag about anything. I think I could write a book about everything I love about him, but since I only have room for 10 today, I think I will leave it at "his personality." Just everything about him.

10. I know it's über nerdy, but because of our shared passion for it, it belongs in the Top Ten.

I love ♥ that he plays World of Warcraft. It is a computer game that has taken over the geek world, and although it has been around for years already, it is constantly growing in popularity. I picked it up myself in Nuclear School and I was hooked instantly. I introduced everyone I knew to this game, and I was thrilled to see my hubby pick it up as well. As a matter of fact, I think he's better at it than I am! Apart from a small twinge of jealousy, that thought makes me insanely happy. Because when he's good at something, he sticks with it.
We get online and play together and with our friends, and we can give each other gifts and things in-game. We can even send each other little messages back and forth (which is funny since our computers are in the same room, so we're right near each other when we send them). World of Warcraft, however addicting a game it might be, is a great bonding tool for my husband and I. When we can't go out on a date in the real world, whether because of a lack of a babysitter or lack of expendable cash or lack of time, we can always go in-game... we can fly on the wings of magical creatures, and soar above mystical lands. We can set up a Great Feast and have a picnic on top of a waterfall. We can explore mountains and caves, swamps and forests. We can relax and go fishing! Or go on an adventure through a dungeon, fighting side by side. The possibilities are endless, and I'm proud to share them with my hubby.

I have half a million other reasons I love my husband, but today was only about 10. Why do you love your significant other? :)