In Retrospect ....

This July 7th, Ryan and I celebrate 9 years of marriage. (WOW!)

I met Ryan in the late Summer of 1998. I was home from SDSU and enrolling at Crafton Hills to get some General Ed classes out of the way that I somehow missed the first time around. Ryan was fresh out of the Army and volunteering at the YMCA Camp Edwards. Somehow, I got dragged by my mother to a lunch at camp, where my brother Sean was also volunteering. All I can really remember was telling my mom that the guy Sean had been playing ping-pong with up there was real cute. The next weekend that my brother was home, I dug around and tried to find out as much as I could about this "Ryan" guy as I could. I found out that he was casually dating one of the Australian girls who was there as an exchange student of some sort, and that he would be attending CHC in the fall as well. (Ahh the infamous GI Bill!)

So as the Aussie Girl (who I actually became friends with later) moved on at the end of the Summer, I made my move! Turned out, Ryan and I were in the same Bio class (on different days, rats!) ... but what could be more romantic than studying Biology together?? Somehow, I weaseled my way into study session after study session, and one thing leads to another .... use your imaginations!

By July 2000 we were engaged and we got married on July 7, 2001 in Redlands. I didn't think I could ever experience a happier moment (until the birth of my children that is!). We honeymooned on Maui and Kauai, and returned to reality. I was so estatic to graduate with my BA in Liberal Studies, with a minor concentration in Human Development from CSU San Bernardino, and finished off my CA Credentials with CSU Fullerton. I was hired by Colton Joint Unified School District as a 2nd grade teacher, and Ryan graduated from CSU San Bernardino, and promptly headed off to the California Highway Patrol Academy in Sacramento on December 3, 2002. I stayed behind in Redlands in our brand new house ... alone. (Oh ya, we had a dog too - he was a nut job ... maybe he should be a separate posting!!) I lived for the weekends when Ryan would drive down from Sac with his buddies John and Jim on Friday nights, and spend a whole day and a half with me before packing up again to drive up north at noon on Sunday. We lived like this for 6 months, and when he graduated from the Academy as an Officer on June 13th, 2003, I was already 6 months pregnant with our first child.

Unfortunately, straight out of the Academy, we were sent to Hayward for his "break-in" period. I had NO clue where that even was!! I remember Ryan calling me the day he got his "assignment" and looking up on my computer in my classroom a map of northern California. UGH northern California. I was really afraid of living so far away from my family. I was petrified of having my baby away from my mother, I was ticked off that I had to sell my house, give up a job I really liked (notice I didn't say love), yet at the same time, excited at all the new possibilities that lay before us. I tried to think of it as an adventure.

Adventure is exactly what this ride of 9 years has been. We've lived in Redlands, San Ramon, Modesto and back to Redlands again - 5 moves in about 5 years - finally settling down in 2005 into the house we are in today. We have given birth (well, I have) to three beautiful kids, and lived through all their ups and downs, as well as the challenges associated with being a parent. We have shared euphoric moments in the CHP and the saddest days we could ever imagine. We have dealt with the loss of grandparents and lost friendships ... and celebrated the births of our nephews. For a very long time, Ryan slept during the day, and I slept at night ... our schedules flip-flopping every few days. And recently, I have taken on the role of being alone a great deal of the time while Ryan is on special assignment with the state. It has meant long days apart, and my patience tested enormously. But after all is said and done, Ryan is the ONLY person I could ever imagine having shared this ride with. He knows me probably better than anyone I know. He is a selfless provider for me, Josh, Maddie and Ty. He takes care of the kids and I like no one else can. He is a loving father, husband and my best friend. I hope and pray that these 9 years we have shared are just the beginning ... because I never want this ride to end.

I love you Ry. Happy (early) Anniversary!

"To Pee .... or Not to Pee"

I have been consistently purchasing diapers from Costco since September 2003. When April of this year rolled around and Ty turned 2, all I could think about was, "When can I start potty training this kid?!" It is my new goal to be diaper-free by the end of the summer. My mother-in-law thinks he is ready, my mother says, don't force it. So what's a mom to do?

2 days of waking up in the morning "dry" and I decide, it's time. I dig out Josh's old McQueen and Elmo underwear and a few miscellaneous boxer briefs and I'm ready to go. 10 minutes later, he wets his pants - ON the leather couch. Rats!! I smile at my concerned looking Ty and assure him that mommy will clean it up (of course) and we get another pair of underwear, do a few drops on the potty and forge ahead.

This time, I set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes. Getting ready for lunch, he asks for a drink. I give him the teeniest bit of lemonade. I kid you not, 5 minutes later he is yelling "uh-oh!" as he pees on my kitchen floor. Again I smile and take him by the hand (as Maddie is yelling gross! from the dining room). Back to the potty, and another pair of underwear. This time I let him choose which ones he wanted. He chose the boxer briefs, "Josh" he said. Smart kid! He wants to look like his big brother.

The next few accidents were minor, both occurring outside while playing with Maddie. But now I have Maddie enlisted as his "guardian". She is constantly asking him in her "I am the mommy" voice, "do you have to go pee pee?" So cute!

Now don't think that this first day was filled with merely accidents (well, 75% of them were) but there were a handful of times he actually had dry underwear and went on the potty!! Those were times he got a reward of 5 M & M's (great bribe tool for Ty). Then there were the couple of instances he cried kicking and screaming, "no pee pee!" And I thought, maybe this is not the time ... However, when he woke up from his nap DRY in his pull-up, I thought, this is IT!!

So today is Saturday ... and when he woke me up with a full diaper (of #1 and #2) a small part of my thought again, I don't want to do this!! So I changed him and was preparing to let him choose his underwear, when he says to me, "Momma, pee!!" We ran to the potty and lo and behold, he went!!! And not a just a few dribbles, he went A LOT!! Hoo-ray!!

2 hours later, he has gone again, and is still in the same pair of underwear. I know that today won't go perfectly, and I am ready for the ups and downs of getting Ty out of diapers. (Think of how much money we will save!!) Independence is a good thing. I'm ready and I think he is too!!

My "Jobs" ....

School is out for the Summer! Whoo hoo!! I have been very involved this past school year with Josh being in Kindergarten. I attended one teensy, weensy PTA meeting at the beginning of the school year (on the very first day of school to be exact), and before you know it, I was: Teacher Appreciation Week Coordinator, Room K-2's room mother, A weekly volunteer in K-2's classroom (4 hrs/week!), Fill-in photographer for the yearbook, Nominee for PTA Vice-President for 2010-11 school year.

Phew! I was exhausted by those few jobs. Plus, I still had to get Maddie to and from ballet and tap once a week, take Josh to swim lessons 2 times a week, soccer practice 1 time a week and games (on Saturdays this past Fall).

I am now in the process of getting my Daisy Scout Troop together for August, and petrified of my new "job" as PTA VP (ie, Fundraising Chair) for this coming school year. Not to mention the normal volunteering in the classrooms for mostly Maddie's K teacher, and maybe occasionally for Josh's as well.

With all of these non-paying "jobs" I have on my plate, I still love love love my job as a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM - I hate that acronym!). When Ryan questions my "job" I respond, "being home with the kids is really a full-time gig, and that although no amount of money could cover all the talents I have -- I prefer to be paid in hugs and kisses from my favorite little bosses!!" I wear a multitude of hats as the CEO of our family: I am Mom, Wife, Sister, Sister-in-law, Daughter, Daughter-in-law, Aunt, Short-order Cook, Chauffeur, Housekeeper (ick, my least favorite), Laundry gal, Nurturer, Singer, Mediator, Dog feeder, Boo-boo healer, and it goes on and on ....

So lately I have been questioning all of these jobs that I have taken upon myself to oversee. Nine years ago, before we had kids, were just "Ryan and Caryn". How boring life must have been! (I really don't remember!!) Today my life is really "full" .... not just of "jobs" but full in the sense that I feel complete. I am blessed to have a wonderful, supportive husband who works (literally) day and night to make sure that we are all taken care of, and three great children that I am proud (most days!) to call mine. I love when I tuck them in at night and give good-night kisses, they look up at me with those angelic exhausted faces and say "I love you Mommy". That, to me, is the BEST "pay" I could ever ask for.