My little crazy corner of the world

It's been a long time!

2011-06-15T19:21:00.002-04:00

I had to pull away the cobwebs to get here, it's been so long! Is anyone even out there anymore? I've been living in semi-cyber hermit mode except for playing Frontierville via Facebook and throwing out the random pithy comment here and there. Like everyone else, life just started piling up on me and settling on the frontier was just the easiest way to go! Not so sure it's the most mentally healthy way to go according to some but what are you going to do?!

Just thought I'd kick the dust off and see if anyone's still out there. Sometimes these rambling thoughts in my head bubble over and need a place to go!

Food allergies...now? Really?

2011-01-15T21:32:00.002-05:00

I've come to the conclusion that my body is turning against me. All the little DNA pieces are getting together and saying "Did she treat us right?? Nooooooooo! Are we going to take this anymore??? Noooooooooo!" and so they revolted!

In this long quest to figure out the origin of the mystery rash I went for allergy testing. I knew I'd test positive for the animal dander and some "outside environment" things but I didn't expect my back to light up like a Christmas tree and test positive for EVERY tree, grass, weed and most of the molds they tested me for! And then....the horror of horrors....but we'll get to that in a moment.

Did you know you have to get on a scale at the allergist's office? I didn't. I thought it would be one of the few medical visits where I'd be safe from that dastardly devise but nooooooooooo. I should have known then that things could only go downhill from there. Skipping over all the Q & A that occured I'll just jump right to the testing. I had to lay facedown on a table while the technician stabbed me in the back (literally!) over 60 times. I'm not going to lie, it hurt! Not excruciating pain kind of hurt but after about 20 times and you know you aren't even halfway finished you start to tense up a tad! But I lived through it and the tech said to just lay still for 15 minutes and he'd be back. He came back when he said and says "Well, I don't have to ask you how you're feeling....it's evident by your back!" Then he asks me if he can take a picture for me with my cell phone "Because you really have to see this!" Apparently my allergy reactions are over-achievers and he hadn't quite seen one like mine before. Happy to help in the name of science! So then they decide to do some more testing and stab me up and down both arms. (Sidenote: I've decided acupuncture is not anything I'm interested in exploring!) The doctor comes back and shows me the list of highlighted items ( the comedian/technician quips "I had to get a second highlighter!"). As well as the previously mentioned items I also tested positive for corn and.........it pains me to type this........(imagine Ralphie saying "soap poisoning") ....CHOCOLATE!!! I blurted out "That is just cruel!!!"

Did you know that corn is in EVERYTHING????? I had to go on a corn free as possible diet for at least a week and then have CORNPALOOZA where I ate as much as I could stand of things with corn in it. The rash did come back. Sadness. It's much easier to find gluten free items than it is to find corn free. It's depressing and I have wavered back and forth from being mopingly depressed to "ok, I can do this".

But my question is why now? Why at am I suddenly breaking out in rashes because of corn. I live in the corn belt! I worked in high school/college detassling corn or working corn pack. Why did it turn against me???

I think the corn and my personal DNA are in cahoots with each other! And I can't even discuss the whole chocolate issue right now....it's just too soon!

Things that make you go "huh".

2011-01-02T16:41:00.002-05:00

After much internal debate I posted on Facebook this morning about how I had made tomorrow my start date for THE "losing weight" journey. On top of the mysterious rash that no one can agree on what's causing it I've also been dealing with anemia, an aching knee and apparently high blood pressure (which apparently is the cause for the discomforting sensations in my chest that will occur from time to time). In short...I'm a mess! And so I went public (and am doing so once again even though it's a small public for my blog!) in the hopes it would make me more accountable. I'm hoping I'll be a little less inclined to give up...again...if there's the chance that someone will ask me how the journey is going.

But then the thing that made me go "huh" happened. Someone I've been friends with since I moved to Rankin waaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1978 commented that I had one of the strongest sense of will power that she knew. I definitely have never thought of myself in that way. Stubborn maybe but not always in a beneficial way, more like I wasn't going to let some particular annoying people in the past "win" but I never thought of it has having strong will power. She also reminded me she's seen me through some tough times and you know what? She's right. I have gone through some nasty crapstorms but I've always told myself that everyone has so who cares? I'm not going to go all Dr. Phil but there have have been some people in my life who should have been built me up but instead seemed to like chipping away at me instead. But you know what? That was then, this is now. I can let those voices keep whispering away in my head that I'll never succeed so why bother or I can remember that I HAVE (excuse the melodrama here!) sailed through some crapstorms a little bruised and battered but I did survive! Stubborness or will power? Who cares?!

But this does have me wondering do any of us see ourselves as others see us??? How amazing it would be if we did? (Unless people think you're a jerk and then it's probably better not to know! )

Hey Kelli, look!!!

2010-12-29T21:01:00.004-05:00

It's been so long since I've blogged that I wasn't sure I remembered my password! I thought I had forgotten it and then realized that someone had turned the numbers lock key off. @@ But just for my friend, Kelli, I wanted to post something so I can say "There! I blogged!"

I go from thinking I have nothing entertaining to write so this little corner collects cobwebs to I still have nothing entertaining to write but let's share it with the world anyway! (Hey, I never forced any of you to click your way over here to read my ramblings now did I??? )

Life has been a roller coaster ride lately but hopefully I'm headed in the right direction to take care of some of that with my appointment with the allergist next week. Apparently while living in my head dealing with my own "doctor drama" I've been missing some drama going on around me. You know what? I have no problem with that! I used to feel like I had to know everything but the older I get the less that urge hits! And the more I'm able to let some of the family drama go as well. It's no fun for people if they don't have an audience...or so I've heard! I hope that's true but even if it isn't...not my problem!

So there's my teaser of a blog and Kelli, I'll try not to have it be months before I blog again!

Anybody out there?

2010-10-05T19:42:00.002-04:00

Now that the link to my nonsensical ramblings doesn't appear on my FB page anymore and the fact I went from part time to full time in a big way I haven't really paid this poor little corner much mind. I'm not even sure anybody's out there anyway...tap...tap...tap...is this thing on???

Rambling Thursday

2010-08-12T12:42:00.003-04:00

I had the day off from work today so I deep cleaned the kitchen this morning. I'd much rather have gone to work! But now all the greasy dust bunnies are banished and for a moment all the dog hair is off the floor. Sad thing is these people are going to expect me to actually COOK in there tonight! And mess up my masterpiece?!?

Day two of school and I'm almost feeling guilty to say I wanted to cheer when I saw the boy's bus lumbering around the corner this morning. His bus driver (same wonderful woman that drove when Katie went to that school) said she would pick up and drop off in front of our house "just like I did with Katie" because according to her the kids are not supposed to be crossing the street to get to the bus stop. I told her it's been that way every year since we've been here and I did let the transportation office know two years ago. She said "Well, he's not crossing the street when I'm driving!" Love her! The "problem" is that the boy is already fretting over NEXT year when his friend who is a year behind him will be riding the same bus. "But I want to be with him at the bus stop!!!" Two days into the school year and he's gnashing his teeth over a year from now. Not one of my finer moments to admit that it's these moments I want to go running into the night or rather early morning in this case. I THINK that he's feeling out of control with all the changes and Stinky is trying to get the better of him so he's stressing over, what to me, are silly things, at the moment. It's sometimes hard to keep reminding myself of that when all the drama is unfurling.

Which I think is possibly the root of my next rambling and this lovely hivey rash I seem to suddenly have going on since yesterday. I have problems with eczema so I think it's a branching off of that and stress but it's definitely annoying.

Oh, where is my deserted isle? Where's the S.S. Minnow when I need her and her crew?!?

Back To School

2010-08-10T09:53:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow the kids go back to school. The boy will be going to a different school this year and thanks to how the district lines are drawn only one other kid from his class will be going to the same school. The rest of them will just go across the street from where they were last year. He'll be going into 5th grade and this year he'll have different teachers for different classes and be moving around a lot. A situation that makes a mom worry about her OCD/ADD labeled child. I worry that "Stinky" (the name we gave the OCD) will rear its ugly head and he'll lose some of the ground he worked so hard to gain. I keep telling myself to have faith and I really do want to but it's difficult! It's part of a mom's nature to want to protect, the hard thing is part of what he needs to be protected from is how the OCD can make him think. And when you have an "smart" kid to boot it's not like you can try to "trick" him into thinking differently! He's already thought through everything a million different ways himself!

So I worry about him and then wonder if I've sent enough concern in his going into 8th grade sister's drection too. You couldn't pay me to go back to junior high!!! She's Miss "Julie Joiner" so I think/hope/pray she'll be ok. It should just be the typical mean girl garbage we face on occasion....at least I hope so!

Ok, I've poured out some angst and now have a slippery hold on things again! If you think about it tomorrow send up a prayer for both of my going back to school kiddos and their frazzled mom too! ;-)

Attending the symphony, dahling

2010-08-07T10:24:00.002-04:00

I don't know why I feel the need to talk in a voice that is MY interpretation of an actress playing some hoity toity part in a 1950's movie when I talk about the symphony but I do. Pretending I'm cultured or something I guess! LOL But anyway, dahling, tonight my family is attending the symphony, go ahead and be fabulously impressed! "How is she getting her children including an almost 10 yo boy to the symphony???" you ask? Ok, I'll admit it....it's Video Games Live! Music from video games with scenes from those games playing on a big screen behind the symphony! And now you know the truth about how cultured I really am...not! LOL I looked up some videos on YouTube to get an idea of what we'd be seeing and Robbie was hiding his head under a blanket and pillow. "I don't want to hear or see it and ruin the show, Mooooooooooooooooooom!!!"

Now I wonder....is it permissible to take your camera into the symphony??? Or would that prove how uncultured I really am?! LOL

Inching back to the land of the living

2010-08-06T23:07:00.002-04:00

I've been dealing with some sort of germfest that's been holding me hostage for a couple of weeks. I'll spare you the gory details but suffice it to say that if felt like a Mack truck had run me over a few hundred or so times! After a few phone calls and two doctor visits the doctor ordered blood tests. Turns out I'm "seriously anemic" according to the nurse on the phone. Had I felt better at the time and been thinking quickly on my feet I would have asked if there was a way to be "humorously anemic"! ;-) She told me a number on a scale but that meant nothing to me! But I've been taking a slow releasing iron tablet (to help with the tummy issues) for a few days and I'm already feeling more human. It's amazing how being low on one itty bitty mineral can really wreak havoc with your system! The fatigue was no bueno and throw in the inability to think clearly and WHOA Nellie! (Throwing in a mixture of slang and languages there! See?! The iron is working already!)

And there's my, what seems to have become, monthly update!

I know, I know

2010-07-18T17:33:00.002-04:00

Once again I am a blog slacker which I guess is better than being a log snacker. Can you imagine how the bark must get stuck in your teeth?!?

Once again I have no good reason to not have blogged and once again I'm not all that sure it matters to anybody out there anyway! LOL I have been "busy" taming the wild frontier and fighting off bears, groundhogs, foxes and snakes though! Ok, so it's just over on Frontierville via Facebook but it's still a jungle...er....a frontier out there!

Speaking of Facebook I followed a link from a friend's wall to some stranger's blog. She had blogged about the mayor of her small community killing her older teen daughter and then herself. I guess there was an uproar about having a joint funeral and a memorial service being held for the mayor which led the blog author to talk about how judgements from people like that are probably the very reason this woman and her daughter didn't reach out to anyone while they were in so much pain. It seems the husband/father had died of cancer two years prior and the home had been close to foreclosure four times among other problems they were dealing with. I don't know what was going on in the woman's mind or that of her daughter but the whole story saddens me. Not only for the loss AND the pain they were going through and now their family and friends are going through but also because I know there are other people struggling out there who either don't know how or won't ask for help simply because of the judgements they fear. And sad to say in many cases they're probably justified in that fear.

Depression is an evil thing. It can quickly sneak up on you and try to pull you under. Or it can just linger around like a haze tainting things just enough that nothing seems right and you don't know quite why. I used to have somewhere that I thought I could go to for some support but found out the hard way that either support wasn't known how to be given or just didn't want to be, or so the judgements I faced there seemed then and admittedly still do. Thankfully there are a couple of good friends from that place that still hold me in the palm of their hands and hopefully they think I do the same for them.

I'm just as guilty of being judgemental at times. We are all human and therefore fallible. I will rant about "stupid people" and even judgemental people which kind of lumps me into that same boat doesn't it? And I'll also admit that if I catch someone lying to me I'll get judgemental pretty fast, I dealt with a liar for far too long way back when and just don't have the patience to do it anymore. But I do hope that anyone I know, whether in person or online, knows that if they feel like they are at the end of their rope and it's fraying fast that they can count on me to be there. I may not know any good words of wisdom but if I can throw a lifeline to someone so they don't feel alone and that they don't feel they have to choose the path the woman I mentioned earlier did then hopefully that will be enough for that moment. Sometimes day by day is too much and you just have to go minute by minute.

And now I'll get down off my soapbox and go fight a bear or something!

Hormonal Women Shouldn't Blog

2010-06-20T17:14:00.003-04:00

Doesn't that sound like a great title for a movie?! Sounds like a Mike Nichols movie to me! I see the opening....a frazzled looking woman driving a tank in a big city and there in her sights is that annoying Mother Nature character from those stupid commercials! It would be "poifect" I tell ya, "poifect"!

So THAT being said....hee hee hee... I'm smacking my fingers today to not reply to a variety of FB statuses (statui???) today. There's no reason for me to take any of them personally but they're causing some reaction just the same. Sometimes I'm not a fan of maturity and would love to let loose with some catty remarks of my own but somewhere in my head that ol' fuddy-duddy reminds me that there are consequences of such actions. She's such a stick in the mud!

I'm starting my vacation/staycation. I should be h-a-p-p-y!!! (You have to spell that like you're cheering folks!) But Hormonal Woman is battling Fuddy Duddy Woman......where the heck does that leave ME?????? And thus I'm in a bit of a funk today. This too shall pass but probably not fast enough! ;-)

We're still waiting for the family doctor's office to get the insurance referral before the pediatric orthopedist's office will schedule an appointment. That's not helping the HW vs FDW wars either! lol

And so I shall stop blogging and go on to figure out the closing scene for the aforementioned movie!

Just rambling

2010-06-14T09:21:00.002-04:00

We lost a tree during our thunderstorm yesterday evening. It wasn't a huge tree but still it had nest in it and had been home to some baby birds. I'm hoping they were strong enough to fly away before the recorded 74 mph wind gust came through! Or they were at least strong enough to "wind surf" with the gust. They're probably setting up home in Ohio or Pennsylvannia at this point! But that makes two evenings in a row when storms have rolled through. Makes me wonder what tonight may bring!

I'm taking the boy to the doctor today and I'm a little nervous about it, hence my rambling! His gait has always been a bit "off" compared to other kids. A doctor two years ago told us to try getting him on a bicycle because she had read that can help. We tried to get him on a bike and even got the kid a new bike (since his other one was too small) for his birthday last year when that was not what he really wanted. He tried to ride it but he just can't keep his balance on it. I noticed about a month ago when I was following him down the stairs that his one leg turns almost perpinduclar to the other when he goes downstairs. You can also notice it when he runs. He's made comments about how he's no good at the things they do in PE and I think other kids may have been saying things. This week-end after scout camp he mentioned to Mark that he thought he needed to see the doctor about his leg and feet so we're wondering if something was said at camp too. Which with kids being kids is a good possibility.

I feel so badly for him. He's had a tough road the past couple of years. But he's developed a wicked sense of humor with a flair for sarcasm! (No idea where he may get that DNA from!)

I'm hoping they can refer us to physical therapy or something and not in the direction of surgery which is where my worried Mom mind wants to go but I keep telling it to STOP! Hopefully there will be some exercises or stretches or something we can do.

I actually scrapped!

2010-06-11T09:52:00.004-04:00

Ok, it's been a work in progress for a few weeks but I just finished it last week. I always want to scrap but can't seem to sit down and do it for some reason.

But anywho.......last year we got free tickets to the 4th of July Indianapolis Indians ball game. Of course a weird weather front came through and it was a chilly monsoon all day long. We decided to head down there anyway since there was a "chance" that the rain would let up.....it didn't! At one point the cement steps on one part of the bleachers was the backdrop for a lovely waterfall! We were all soaked and miserable but it was still kind of fun!

As for the layout...I bought the "baseball" sticker but I made the question mark and the "rainfall!" using my Cricut and Glossy Accents. How is it I have never used the GA before??!! That stuff is so cool! It makes me want to make all kinds of glossy stickers! lol Oh, and I used tiny Doodlebug rub on letters on the baseball too.

Stupid is as stupid does

2010-06-10T20:48:00.002-04:00

Conversation with Katie today....

Katie "So how was work? Any stupid people today?"

Me: "Just me."

Katie: "Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooom, you're NOT stupid!"

First let me point out that it's my 13 yo saying I'm not stupid. A notable feat in and of itself! lol

Secondly, I know I'm not stupid but I just feel that way a lot at work. I really feel like I'm thinking through all the things I need to before I do something but it's still been an "interesting" few weeks. And I should note that no one I work with/for is treating me like THEY think I'm stupid and I was told that I'm harder on myself than my supervisor ever would be. But I still hate feeling stupid! Yes, I know, NO ONE likes feeling that way! Some MIGHT, MAYBE, PERHAPS say that I have some control issues. Ha, ha, ha, I scoff at that! ;-) I don't have control issues, I just want to know it all! Where's the problem in that?!?

Blog slacker

2010-06-02T15:05:00.002-04:00

Over a month since I've blogged?! What has my vast audience done without my pearls of wisdom?! coughcoughhackhack...yeah, that last one was a little hard for me to swallow too!

I wish I could tell you I haven't blogged because I was too busy doing wonderful acts of humanitarism....orrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... traveling around the world....orrrrrrrrrrr....skipping down the lane with singing woodland creatures living a fairy tale life but sad to say...NOPE! It's just been a busy time.

The kids are now out of school for the summer so things may slow down a bit which would be nice! We took a Memorial Day week-end trip in to PA and Mark got to see his mom, siblings, his oldest two kids and their kids. Katie had a great time being Aunt Katie too. Busy jam-packed week-end and a few debates on how to pronounce the word "CREEK". And I stand by my saying a "crick" is what you get in your neck!

And now for a random (it's not really but I don't feel like going into details!) shout out to my friend, Jeanne. Who told me in an e-mail the other day that I'm strong. She said other nice things to me too but I needed that particular shot in the arm! Especially after spending several days feeling like I shouldn't be burdening anyone with my thoughts. I never think that about anyone else and tell people to stop being silly if they say it but for some reason it's ok for me to think it. I don't know! But Jeanne is one cool lady and also has one of the coolest blogs I've ever read! I want to be more like her! Thanks Jeanne!

Friday......???

2010-04-23T15:18:00.002-04:00

Musings goes well with Monday but for poor old Friday all I can think of is Flatulence and while that may be an accurate description of my bloggings I still don't want to use it! lol

Friday Findings??? Well, I don't think I'm really finding anything though.

Friday Fiascos??? No, that doesn't work either, it's been a calm day today.

Friday FillInTheBlank/ForgetAboutItAndTypeAlready??? Ding, ding, ding we have a "weiner"! Although the alliteration is not that good!

I picked Katie up at the school an hour ago after her three day 7th grade camping trip. We hadn't even pulled away from the light at the school when the 'TUDE made it's presence known. I had hoped that she'd either be so weary or so thankful to be home that we'd get through the night at least before Tudezilla showed up. Alas, it just wasn't meant to be! I know I'm asking too much of a brain that will turn 13 on Sunday but in all my parental glory I've been known to slip and wonder WHY??? Why almost 13 yo brain would you think it's a good idea to get that snot-nosed tone in your voice and to talk in the manner that is going to get you into trouble?!? And then, it hits my 43 yo brain....."WHY ARE YOU ASKING WHY?! IT'S AN ALMOST 13 YO BRAIN, FOOL!!!" And then I clear away the steam that came pouring out of my ears and go find a quiet spot until the next eruption!

Monday at work we are starting Mission SlimPossible. It's open to everyone who works for the bank no matter what building/state they are in and it's going to last for six weeks. it will work something like The Biggest Loser. We'll turn in our percentage of weight loss each week (after the initial weigh in Monday) and see who wins. I'm not sure if we're just winning bragging rights or what but it's certainly a good motivational tool to finally get me started and to keep going. I can get started, I just quit! One of my co-workers pointed out the other day that if we don't try during the week it affects the whole team and not just ourselves. That was the point I thought "Oh craaaaaaaap!" GUILT! Guilt is a good motivator! I do well during the day but for some reason at night I want to snack. And exercise and I have not been very close buddies either. Time to get reacquainted! UGH! I don't mind hiking or doing stuff like that but I hate exercising just for the sake of exercising. I know it's good for you but it feels like I'm wasting time because I'm not accomplishing anything right then and there, you know? Like getting to point B, or smacking a ball, or whatever! Oh well, time to just do it anyway! Almost sounds like a sportswear ad, doesn't it?! Hey?! Does that count for anything?!!

If anyone has any good "gettin' healthy" tips, lay'em on me!

Monday morning musings

2010-04-19T08:54:00.002-04:00

1. No, I'm NOT your mother, 4th grade girl at the bus stop, but when you and others are pushing each other for "fun" on the sidewalk and I envision a busted head I'm going to tell you to stop it. And all the "who do you think you are?!" looks and walking away muttering won't intimidate me in the least. This ain't my first dance at the rodeo, chickie!

2. I'm very appreciative of the fact my husband made the bed this morning while I was in the shower in the attempt to brighten my mood. A dark funk descended last night and it's still hanging out but I appreciate what he did and his offer to clean the bathroom tonight.

3. I adore spring but I'm hating the high tree pollen count that is causing misery for me, Katie and countless others!

4. Similar note, I like the dandelion patches I see on the side of the roads as I drive to work. Reminds me of when I was a kid playing in the yard. And the inevitable game of "Mama had a baby and it's head POPPED off!" as we snapped the not yet bloomed dandelion heads off the stems. Did you ever stop and think how so many nursery rhymes and things are kind of gruesome in their basis?! Ring Around The Rosy, etc, etc. That might explain a lot!

5. I wasn't sure I wanted to drive the 2+ hours to Alumni in two weeks but now that I realize due to other things going on that week-end I can't make it that makes me kind of sad. And I'm not sure why since the people I was closest to in high school can't make it anyway.

6. I wonder what it will take to kick this dark gloomy funk out of my head!

The Donut Whole

2010-03-31T09:13:00.006-04:00

This place didn't open until after I had moved away but it was while Sam still lived in Wichita so she was able to check it out and wanted to show it to me while we were in town. We went around noon on Friday and the light coming in the windows was AMAZING! It was an ameteur photographer's dream! Such a cool, ecclectic place! I asked the woman behind the counter if she minded if I took photos and she said they had photography students in there snapping away all the time. I would have liked to take more time and take some more artsy-fartsy shots but Sam was making her way for the door!

We went back Saturday evening with Sarah. It was getting dark and cloudy so the lighting wasn't as good but the donuts were just as good as they were Friday! This is not your ordinary donut! Interesting flavors and combinations and all made fresh right there! YUMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!! They also have live music some nights too. It was such a cool place and I wish it was closer to me but maybe with as good as those donuts were it's a good thing it isn't! And no, I do not know what a rooster has to do with donuts but there were a lot of the little guys decorating the place!

Home again, home again...

2010-03-29T12:24:00.002-04:00

but I'm too tired to do any jiggity jigs. And a headache decided to join me yesterday morning and hasn't decided to leave just yet. Some guests just don't know when they've overstayed their welcome!

I had a great time traveling with my oldest young'un this week-end and seeing all my scrappin' peeps back in Wichita! There are people there that I miss greatly and I'm sure I always will. Working with some of them was really like working with family, things weren't always sunshine and roses but all in all we worked well together, knew and accepted each other's little quirks and STILL liked each other! Where I work now is good too but it's a different environment being a bank and not a store where you can get creative so the atmosphere is understandably different. Not as many occassions to break out in boy band dance moves or to quote movie lines incessantly! lol

But with all that said I think that, after almost two years here, it's finally hit me that this is really now our home. Floating around in the back of my head was that after the three years Mark would have to work here so we wouldn't have to pay back any moving money that maybe, just maybe, he could get his old job back in Wichita. I've associated so many negative things that have happened to this move, some probably less fairly than others. I still have flares where I take issue with how it all went down but it is what it is at this point. Moving back to Wichita isn't going to make Robbie's "issues" go away, it won't make Samantha's life any easier and I definitely wouldn't be getting my old job back! And Katie hit the ground running here and I doubt we'd be lucky enough to have it happen in reverse too. I don't think the job here for Mark was as big a bonus as he envisioned. The cost of living is definitely higher here so the extra money in the paycheck is a wash but he tells me that there's more chances for advancement here. If that makes him happy in his work life then I have to accept that. It's time to try to force some roots in Indiana.

Samantha had her own revelations this week-end. We both are full of conflicting emotions right now but we both agreed that growing up is sometimes "pretty sucky". ;-)

Road Trip

2010-03-26T15:32:00.002-04:00

After a somewhat chaotic afternoon at work Sam and I hit the road. We stopped in Vandalia, IL at a Sonic and got our first Sonic fix of the week-end...YUM! However it caused the need for a rest stop and for some reason Sam didn't think we should stop in a rest area late at night! Just because I mentioned the most recent Criminal Minds episode we watched?! We stopped for gas and a potty break in a well lit area but even that felt kind of creepy. It's funny how even though I think I'm an independent "hear me roar" kind of woman I still feel safer with Mark around in certain situations! But we made it through some rain and some heavy traffic in spots and got to Columbia, MO and stopped for the night. I just don't sleep well outside of my own home anymore for some reason so I slept for maybe 15 minutes at a time and not too many times! A cup of coffee or two the next morning though and I was ready to hit the road.

We hit some rain and a lot of areas that looked like they had had downpours but thankfully we missed that while driving! We got through KC and stopped at a QT (and it wasn't me who needed the potty break that time! lol) and I got a French Vanilla cappacino...aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! Yes, it's a convience store cappy but it's the BEST one I've ever had!

We got to Wichita at lunch time and Sam picked Louie's for lunch. Fried green beans?! Who knew they'd be so yummy?! We got to check into the hotel early and then Sam dropped me off with Mary and she met up with some of her friends. And now I'll spare you the play by play for now! LOL

It's good to be back here visiting but I also think that we both have found some closure. I can't speak for Sam but I think it's finally hit me that while I loved living in Wichita and it will always be full of fond memories it's no longer "home". I guess it's time to start forcing some roots in Indy. (But Mark and I both agree we'd like to find a different neighborhood to live in within the next couple of years!) Sam and I agree that growing up sometimes sucks (and I hate using that word but it fits this situation).

And I'll cut this short because soon it will be time to head to Get Scrappy!!!

Westward ho!

2010-03-24T09:10:00.002-04:00

I go to work in a bit and then after work Samantha and I will be hitting the road. Mark and the kids are going to come over with Sam in her car and pick up the van and then we'll jump into evening rush hour traffic--oh the joy of that timing. @@ Sam seems to think she can drive the night away. I'm useless once it's dark thanks to the kerataconus and no night vision so things could get interesting tonight! We'll make it at least to St. Louis but she wants to push further. We'll see what happens. I have visions of her being juiced on Amp and my wondering how I can safely knock her out and get some peace and quiet! lol

I have mixed emotions about going. I'm excited to see Mary and Sarah and everyone but feeling guilty about leaving too. Katie has a busy schedule these days which means Robbie will have to ride along as Mark ferries her about. Which they would all say it's no big deal but it's just the tip of the Mommy guilt iceberg. We'll all survive though and Mark already told them it was Ci-Ci's for supper tonight so they were pretty happy about that!

So look out, Wichita, I'm on my way!

A month??

2010-03-20T18:45:00.002-04:00

Almost a whole month since I've blogged! I started a couple but never finished them. What can I say?! Apparently not a whole lot..at least not on the electronic page!

My first Saturday off in a month and we had to get up at 0 dark thirty to get Katie to the school by 6:50 this morning so she could board the buses with the rest of her junior high band and go to their competition. I'm surprised the kids were walking a straight line that early on a Saturday let alone play three pieces of music beautifully in my opinion! All three judges scored them in the GOLD category so way to go FJH Varsity Band!!!! I was trying to take a picture of Katie on the stage before the concert and you could tell when she spotted me in the crowd from the expression on her face! LOL It was like "Oh geez, here she goes again with the camera!" Then I had to sneak pictures during the concert since the announcer said no photos as the flash could interfere with the musicians, but I didn't USE my flash so I don't think I'm really a rule breaker!

After the concert we brought Katie home for about an hour before Mark ran her to an event she had to volunteer at to get her hours in for National Junior Honor Society. The girl is in 7th grade, I thought we had another two years before she was overbooked!!! She also joined the track team too. Whoda thunk a child of mine would enjoy track?!? But so far she seems to be enjoying the practices so good for her! So band, NJHS, track, Girl Scouts, Campus Life and CTV.....I THINK those are all her activities on top of classes and home! No wonder I'm so tired all the time, it's from watching my kids go in a gazillion different directions!

Robbie went down to the playground today and evidently climbed a tree and has said several times since he liked it. I've seen those trees, they're rather young and I'm not sure their branches are strong enough to hold a tall 9 yo boy for very long! I envision a trip to the ER in our future! I miss our old house and backyard! There was a GREAT tree for climbing in the back! Katie used to climb it all the time.

Speaking of the old house, Samantha and I are leaving after work Wednesday night for Get Scrappy 5 in Wichita! Well, she had a gazillion plans with all her friends but I'M going to hit Get Scrappy both days and she'll be there on Saturday. I have plans to hang out with Mary on Thursday evening and I'm really looking forward to that! I miss our talks, the phone is great but sometimes you just need that face to face interaction with a few "Are you NEW????"'s thrown in! lol And Samantha and I will re-create the "noisy table" from last year with Sarah! I miss her a lot too! I miss working with people who understood my "quirks" like talking to and answering myself or dancing in an aisle to 80's music and getting caught doing it by a customer! I just miss my "peeps"! I guess Toni and Nikki can't make it to Get Scrappy this year and that makes me kind of sad but that's life. sigh

And I really should get off of here and start figuring out what I'm going to pack for the crop! You think Mark would get worried if I just packed it all?????

At least it wasn't snow!

2010-02-22T12:48:00.002-05:00

After a beautiful sunny Friday (and with 40 degrees it even felt warm!) we've had nothing but dreary drizzle since early Saturday morning. It's helping to melt the snow (we found we still have a deck!) but it's creating yucky, dreary looking mud pits instead. But at least it isn't more snow! And the yucky dreary looking mud pits were going to have to happen eventually so maybe we'll get it all out of the way in the next week or so just in time for March and hopefully the beginning of spring! But I really hate looking out and seeing nothing but dirty snow mounds and mud buuuuuuuuuuuut at least it wasn't more snow! (Notice a theme here?!)

We had a scout filled week-end this past week-end. Robbie's Blue and Gold Banquet was Saturday evening. Next year he'll be a Webelos II and crossing over to Boy Scouts and if next year's ceremony is like this year's I'm sure I'll be a bawling mess! I appreciate the value of ceremonies and marking achievements but boy is that rough for a parent sometimes! ;-)

Sunday we spent over five hours at Thinking Day for our local Girl Scouts. Katie's troop's booth was Costa Rica and they did a great job! It was really neat seeing all the different countries that were represented. Some of the troops went all out on their booths! And there was a group of Pakistani dancers that were just awesome! I know the dancing told a story and I wish I knew what the story was! But it was so cool to watch even if I was clueless!

Today I had the day off from work so I've cleaned bathrooms and have spent the day washing towels and bedding. Wheeeeeeee! I've also been listening to Celtic Thunder's latest CD. I think they could sing the phonebook and I'd buy the CD and enjoy it! They just make me happy and when I think back to Katie's excitement at the concert last November and Ryan putting his arms around me and Katie ("He touched my shoulder!" "I know, he touched mine too!") it just makes me even happier. I can't remember another group that I can listen to over and over and never get sick of listening! And their version of Amazing Grace IS amazing. That was my Grandma Lambert's favorite song and even though she never got to meet Katie (whose middle name comes from Grandma) listening to this song with Katie just makes those family ties seem tangible. I'm not putting it into words very well but it's an amazing thing!

Now I think I'm going to maybe go scrapbook!

It's been awhile

2010-02-20T09:04:00.002-05:00

It's been almost a month since I've blogged. I wish I could tell you (and by you, I'm thinking it's just Jeanne and Kelli who are reading!) that it's because I've been living a fabulously exciting life and had no time to write but alas, I'd be lying! (It's so easy to use the word "alas" when writing but how often do you hear it used in vocal conversation?!)

It's just been a routine kind of life lately which sometimes is a nice thing. Take care of the family, go to work, fight this never-ending crud that won't seem to completely let go of any of its victims, be Cookie Mom for Katie's troop and swear, once again, that I will NEVER do it again. I think I mean it this time though. I don't want to go publicly into details but it's just been frustrating on my end. I was told I was the "odd one" for being responsible and on top of things (and not saying all the other parents are irresponsible parents) and I just don't have the need to add that frustration to my life again.

There's also been the never-ending snow this year. I think this year it's just been spread out over a longer period so it just feels worse. We did have glorious sunshine yesterday but today it's lightly snowing again and the weather folks are saying it's going to get pretty ugly Sunday and/or Monday. I was threatening to find the bleepin' groundhog and hang him last week.

Bright spot is, even though I didn't think I'd make it this year, I'm going to Get Scrappy in Wichita at the end of March! I'll get to hang out at the "noisy, cool kids" table again and hopefully get some mass quantities of layouts scrapped! Ok, with all the laughing and noise there may be not be mass quantities!

And now I've rambled for a bit and it's time to go serve some food at my cafe on Facebook!

The brighter side of my old job

2010-01-24T07:55:00.002-05:00

My Sunday paper was missing the actual paper this morning. I had the ads and the Sunday magazine but no newspaper sections at all which meant it didn't take too long to peruse it! So I got on the computer, and while listening to what sounds like the wind trying to blow the house apart, I got onto the 2 Peas website and started perusing CHA sneak peeks.

There are so many cute lines coming out! And bright, vibrant colors in some of the lines! You wouldn't know it looking at my house but I like bright colors! It's hard NOT to be happy when you're scrapping with bright colors! And I hesitate to admit this again out loud to some people but I could take or leave most of the Basic Grey lines. There have been a couple that caught my eye in the past but they often seemed "darker" to me so I was never a BG junkie like some people I know! lol But they have some cute lines coming out and there's one out right now, I think it's called Sugar Rush, that is really cute too! And I loved all the Bo Bunny peeks I saw and then there was Fancy Pants and...and...and...!!!!

I do miss that part of my former job. The CHA review nights and then seeing everything when it started arriving in the store. Standing up there at the counter, pulling stuff out of the boxes, and sometimes squealing in delight or hearing one of my co-working friends squeal in delight! I miss that! The stashes that were started in the hold drawer. Certain people who could look in the computer system and see how much money employees had spent that year being sworn to secrecy! lol It was always baaaaaaaaaad when CHA stuff started coming in! They should have just paid me in merchandise and saved the paper check during that time frame!

And I miss working with some outstandingly creative women too! It was so easy to appreciate everyone's different styles because they were all so great at what they were creating!

sigh......I miss my peeps! So now in between scrubbing bathrooms today and maybe doing our taxes maybe I'll sneak in a few more peeks at what's to come and then go try to use up some of my stuff so I can make room for the new!

New job

2010-01-23T16:16:00.003-05:00

I've only been back to work a month and I'm already relishing the fact that I have tomorrow off! I like the job but I had become such a quasi-hermit that this interacting with the public every day is rough! lol

I've hit my assigned goal for mortgage referals and the contest isn't over until the 12th so that's pretty good! Today I had a customer in the drive thru asking about the "4's and 5's" hanging in our window so I explained to her about our mortgage rates. She said to have the mortgage banker give her a call next week. It was during "power hour" where we were to ask every customer if they wanted to donate to St. Jude's so I mentioned that to her and she said to take money out of her cash she wanted back for it. My co-workers were complimenting me and I kept saying "It's beginner's luck!" I don't want the to upset the Fates with too many praises, doncha know?! ;-) I did say though "If I knew I was going to be validated like this I would have been here a long time ago!" LOL

We started a conversation about family taking each other for granted but then a customer came in so we got side tracked off of it. I think that's probably just a natural part of family life is you can take each other for granted. All I know is no one has ever sang my praises over how clean a bathroom was! LOL And considering the owners of my former place of employment....well, let's just say praise was not exactly forthcoming. Which is not something I really expect so it's sort of hard to get used to with this new job!

There's still a lot to learn but I definitely feel better about it than I did a couple of weeks ago during "school"! And everyone at the branch has been great about answering questions and not making me feel like a nuisance or an idiot when I need help with something! Including when I forgot I had put the card with all my safe codes on it in my pocket and washed it the other night! I felt like a kid saying "My dog ate my homework." but instead of getting upset my supervisor and the co-worker that I share codes with and had to write them all out for me again both just laughed and said at least I hadn't lost the card somewhere and everyone had to get new codes. Definitely would not have been that calm of a response at a former place of employment!

I'm afraid to say this in case those pesky Fates are listening but my work life is good! Maybe the fact I got salt water out of my bathroom sink this morning (stupid water softener is going haywire!) is the balance of karma?! ;-)

I am a rock star!

2010-01-21T18:59:00.002-05:00

Whose drawer balanced yet again? And WHO got her first referral for our mortgage banker today?! Yeah, that's right! ME!!!! We're supposed to get so many referrals each month anyway but right now there's a contest on and I have to get five in the next month. My second official day on the job (minus training) and I have a referral! Go meeee, go meeee!

Certainly helped turn my day around after the first two people I asked said they had already refinanced or just weren't interested.

And I have caught Katie's cold and feel like my head is stuffed with cotton balls and just generally feel cruddy but go meeee, go meeee!!!

A midweek entry!

2010-01-20T09:30:00.002-05:00

I'm actually posting before the week-end! I'm sure my fan base of maybe...two?....are ecstatic! lol

I did my first day "without a net" yesterday. I say without a net but I did have to ask my supervisor a couple of questions but she was great about it. But anyway, I had a couple of large deposits and one person who wanted their cash back in an odd assortment and I still balanced at the end of the day! Oh happy day!

I wish I knew why I've been getting so overly nervous and anxious about this job. I've had new jobs before and would get nervous at first but not the levels I've been hitting this time around. And the people that have trained me and that I'm working with now are great so it's not that. And I've worked with money before so that shouldn't be it either. I don't know! But at least, hopefully, maybe, perhaps I'm on the downside of that anxiety! Although in the shower this morning I realized I had put something in my proof work that I should have put elsewhere. sigh But I balanced!

Katie's had a cold for almost two weeks now and I've been fighting it. I have lost that fight. I dropped the dogs off for their grooming appt and then went straight to CVS to restock some cold meds. Hopefully they kick in soon! I've actually done pretty well in the cold/flu dept this winter (knock on wood). I'm hoping all the germs didn't just join forces to have one helluva party in my body!

Robbie has a new bus driver who apparently is "MEAN!". From what Robbie said the man stopped the bus in the middle of the road and yelled at everyone and he's going to make the 4th grade boys sit with 1st grade girls. I guess Robbie was upset when he got off the bus yesterday and Mark said all the kids looked downcast. The boy has RTC (resistance to change) along with the other issues. I think the RTC is probably a big factor for most people with OCD though. It's difficult dealing with a 9yo with this conditions in this situation. Change is a big part of life and you can't escape it no matter who you are. But what's the best way to help a 9yo who is already navigating a minefield to deal with change? We're muddling through it though. And I explained to Robbie that the bus driver is the "boss" of the bus and he has to do what he deems neccessary to keep all the kids safe on the bus. Robbie said he didn't like being told what to do and I told him he might as well accept that as a fact of life because he already has people telling him what to do and it's not going to stop! He replied "That's why I'm never gettting a job or moving out." I said "Oh.yes.you.are!" lol Oh, to be 9 again and have the whole rest of your life mapped out so certainly!

weekly update

2010-01-16T08:56:00.002-05:00

I seem to be just getting here on the week-ends lately. But now that all my training is over and I'll be going into a "regular" schedule starting next week maybe I'll be here a tad more often once we get the routine down in the home....then again, knowing me who KNOWS what may happen! lol

My mentor week went well. I don't know why I was as nervous as I was Tuesday morning. I've started new jobs, moved to new states (and a different country once!), etc before and had been nervous but nothing like I was feeling Tuesday morning for some reason. I'm not sure if I was thinking "old dog/new tricks" or what. But my mentor was great! He's not much older than my oldest kidlet but he didn't make me feel like a dinosaur! He seems to have the same dry sense of humor I do too so that helped. I know I'm still going to have to ask my supervisor for some guidance time to time in the beginning but I'm pretty confident I can at least get people's deposits done correctly!

So now I have this three day week-end laying before me and I'm wondering what to do with it. There's the typical household cleaning stuff and I need to go do some shoe shopping for work. Mark and Robbie both need some shoes too....have I ever mentioned how much I HATE shoe shopping? And then the trick will be to not waste so much time online and maybe get some scrapbooking accomplished or try to read through the stack of library books due back soon. And at some point I think Mark and I are going to have to take the dishwasher apart and see why it's not rinsing well at all. I pray they didn't crimp the water line or something when they were fixing the leak and then pouring in new cement!

And I was going to borrow something from Jeanne's blog but can't get it to c/p for some reason. I'll try again later...hopefully before next week!

trials, training and tests

2010-01-10T10:32:00.002-05:00

I spent this past week in "school". The bank has a training center in Greenwood which is south of Indy...I am northeast of Indy...so that meant driving in rush hour traffic to and fro all week. Just on a typical week I wouldn't be making that drive every day to a job! Too many crazy people out there driving like they're in the 500! But throw in the snowstorm that hit Thursday morning as rush hour was picking up and you get oodles of joy and fun...NOT! There were part of I-465 where you could not see the road nor tire tracks of the vehicles in front of you. It basically looked like a white field out there and not a highway. A drive that had been taken me roughly 45-50 minutes to make took two hours that morning. By the time I got to the training center I had a splitting headache and a ton of body aches from being tense and clenching the wheel. No gouda as we say around here!

But the good news is I aced my test even after feeling like the stupidest person alive on Tuesday. I was fighting tears driving home Tuesday and the only thing that kept me from saying "Curse it (not what I was actually thinking!), I'm quitting." was the whole setting an example for my kids thing! Don't you hate how often that can come around to bite you in the butt?! But I maintained and got through the course. I don't think, however, that the test is a good indicator of knowledge learned in that class! Most of the 50 questions are worded in a way that makes the answer more than obvious! But I aced it all the same. This week I go to a different branch than the one I'm assigned to so I can work with a "mentor". I'm told the guy I'm assigned to is a "real whiz kid". Great, another situation to make me feel like an idiotic dinosaur! Can't wait! cough cough. But I'll be working three full time days and then I guess if I pass that then the following week I'll start part time at my branch. I'm ready for it to be a year from now and all this being routine! Not that I want to rush the year but I just want the comfort level already!

I'd also like a maid but that's another story....

2010

2010-01-01T10:40:00.002-05:00

I have high hopes for you, 2010! Your older sibling, 2009, had the grace to end on a positive note in my house but a good chunk of it was a naughty, mean spirited little year! But look at you, 2010, you even have a pleasant way to say your name, Twenty-Ten! Your two looks curvy and fun, your one stands tall and steadfast and your zeroes look like they're just chockful of hope, happiness and goodness! I think you are going to be a splendid year indeed! It's wonderful to meet you today!

MIA

2009-12-22T07:54:00.003-05:00

I know it's been awhile and I could make a hundred excuses but it's just been LIFE. And I know everyone knows what that's like!

It's just starting to get light outside and I'm watching it snow. It's beautiful and relaxing. At least until I have to go out into it later today! I keep hearing a line from a song in my head over and over every time it snows lately. I can only hear the one part and can't think of the title or who sings it and I know it's not a Christmas song. "There's a kind of hush all over the world tonight." One of my favorite things about snow is how it muffles the sounds outside. A kind of "hush" if you will. So far we've just had patchy snow this year but if it keeps up like this then we may have a white Christmas. I think later in the week it's supposed to be icy rain though and after the great ice storm of Wichita a few years back I have no desire to go through anything like that again! Good thing Santa has an ATV sleigh!

I finally got some pictures up on Facebook of the whole plumbing mess. The new flooring is down but not without some complications along the way. The two guys who came in to put down the flooring said they had to call someone to move the toilet in the half bath because they don't do that. Apparently they were told over the phone that they DO do that but they didn't put it back very well. First it was a rocking chair and then a recliner. They finally sent an actual plumber out to reset it. Then a different man came out to put the shoe moulding back up. Supposedly they took the old to the shop so the paint could be matched up. It's not. The new pieces are white and the baseboard is more of an almond. Mark and I both agree we're just tired of dealing with the whole mess and we need to paint this spring anyway so we're just going to live with it. I'm sick of us having to call people back out and I'm sick of having people in and out of my house all day long lately. The man who is POC on the flooring is coming out tomorrow for a final inspection and to have Mark co-sign the check from the insurance company so I am going to point it out to him. And who knew a couple of tiny holes could be so costly! So far the cost to us has been $3000 and the restoration company got a check from the insurance company too. We're hoping they reimburse us for some of the plumbing costs as well. But trust me, find something more fun to spend your money on!

I could ramble on and on but the youngest just got up and I need to go make sure he eats some breakfast!

Moving in with Kermit

2009-11-14T20:54:00.002-05:00

We have a swamp forming around our house. I noticed a spongy spot in the yard last week and pointed it out to DH who said "We'll keep an eye on it." NOT one of my favorite sayings but in the interest of family harmony I try to ignore it when I can. Last night the neighbors came over to show us what the small side yard between our two houses looks like and the dampness on our foundation. Today in the sunlight we see how swampy it is on the other side of the house too. Huge sigh.

A man from the water company came out, checked the meter and said "Nope, it's not here". Which I'm sure is what his job description entails but to quote my son's friend who was here all afternoon, "C'mon dude!" A little more helpful insight would have been appreciated.

This was while we were getting ready to hang Christmas lights outside since it was a warm, sunny day. DH discovers he has again misplaced a piece off the staple gun that fell off a few months ago. He found out and apparently it got lost again. So off to Ace he goes to buy a new one and I got online to check the town's website. I found a number to call for possible sewer emergencies so I call it and hear "Sheriff's Department" My tongue trips over itself as I start apologizing and tell her I had call the number listed on the website to call for sewer emergencies. She assures me it's ok and that she's working at "dispatch" and on the week-ends they get emergency town calls too. I explained I wasn't sure if we were an emergency or not and tell her what's going on. She put me on hold and then came back and said she had called someone from the sewer company to come out. Alrighty then!

A little bit later a kidlet brings me the phone outside and it's "sewer man". He said "I just got a call from the sheriff's department???" So I explained the number on the website to him too and we both agreed how strange it was. He comes by a little later and said he doesn't believe it's a backed up sewer since thankfully there's no awful smell. He said he thinks we have a leak and that all the pea gravel under our slab foundation has absorbed all the water it could so now it's spreading out. Then he says "It could be a pinpoint leak and been there since it was built." GREAAAAAAAAAAAAT! If we're lucky it's in a spot he pointed out on the side of the house. If it's under the house then I have horrifying images of jackhammers and flying concrete and linoleum through the kitchen in my head.

But how bad can it be to live in a swamp...really? Kermit did and look how well he's done for himself! I have kids, aren't they like fuzzy Muppets sometimes?! Then again, Kermit LEFT the swamp for Sesame Street.....can you tell me how to get...how to get to Sesame Street????

Oops, two weeks?

2009-11-06T19:54:00.006-05:00

Ok, I did pretty well there for about a week! Then the girls were in a car accident and this and that and I just didn't get around to blogging.

I'm going to skip over the car accident for now...both girls are ok but Samantha's car had over $2200 worth of damage done to it. Luckily it was someone else's fault and their insurance is paying for it!

One of the big stories of the week is the CELTIC THUNDER SHOW!!!!! Oh my gosh, it was so AWESOME! And yes I am talking as badly as, if not worse than, my 12 yo daughter! Even Mark is saying "I want to see them again!" Such a great show! And they ain't bad to look at either! LOL

We picked Katie up early at school so we could make the over 2.5 hour drive to South Bend (which is north of us which I just found funny and Katie found confusing!). Mark went in to get her and I snapped a shot as they were walking to the van. Notice the Celtic Thunder t-shirt Katie is wearing! I ordered that from their website for her birthday back in the spring. And you can see Mark lugging her very pink and very HEAVY book bag for her, such a good dad!

So we drive while listening to the three Celtic Thunder cd's on the iPod! The Morris Performing Arts Center (PAC) was basically right off the road we drove most of the way up there. We were on a divided highway and then right into the city. Easy directions, gotta love that! We got there around 4 pm. The show didn't start until 7:30 pm and they didn't allow anyone into the theater until 6:30 pm but we weren't sure about the drive, traffic, etc and I wanted to make sure I could get a picture of Katie with the marquee since cameras weren't allowed into the show. So I got THIS shot....

See tiny Katie there?

I take pictures and then we drive around to find a place to eat and park the minivan. A lot of one way streets in the area (as it seems to be in almost every downtown!) so we find ourselves coming up a side street behind the theater when I saw the Celtic Thunder semis at which point I'm excitedly telling Mark, who was NOT in the turn lane, "Turn down that way!!!!!" He managed to make the turn without angering any other drivers and we parked. The back of the Morris is up against a one way street, obviously we didn't know that or know how easily we'd be able to see the trucks AND the tour buses!

Somewhere on that bus is my future son-in-law! At least that's what Katie tells me!

We get back into the van (even though Mark tried to keep my door lock so I'd get hit by oncoming traffic! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) and cut through the parking lot and I ran into the ticket office to ask about parking. The kind man there told me where a parking garage was and we found our way there. Right across the street from it (on the same one-way street as the back of the Morris) we saw an Irish pub called the Fiddler's Hearth. Katie was game to try it so off we went. She surprised us both and went for the Irish stew even though there was lamb in it...there was some discussion over being able to eat "tiny, cute little lamb" or not beforehand! I had a seafood stew called Molly Malone Stew and it was really good! Good food at reasonable prices and we were in the Irish atmosphere getting into "the zone"! We finished our early supper and still had over an hour until we could even get into the theater but the place was starting to fill up with others going to the concert so we gave up our table and walked down to the theater.

We walked around in the front a bit even though I wanted to go back by the buses. Katie kept worrying they'd call us stalkers if we went back there though. Mark finally said "Let's go back there and see if we see anyone." There was a group of three women back there who told us we had just missed Damian (my future SIL for those keeping track!) Then we saw Keith walk out of the building and into one of the buses, he waved but didn't come over to the portable fence thing set up. One of the guys with the tour said they normally don't come out as a group because people pay big money through the PBS stations for the meet and greets and the organization doesn't want to upset those people. He also said though "What they do on their own though is out of anyone's control." So we were just standing there chatting with him and other fans when Ryan comes walking out. We all assumed he was going straight to the bus but he looked over and said "Hey there" and started walking towards us. Ok, I'll admit it, I freaked out! Ryan is the one who plays the "bad boy" in the show but he was so friendly to everyone. All I had to give Katie to hand him for an autograph was our dinner reciept. He laughed and said "I'm signing a receipt?!" in that gorgeous Irish accent! I said "I didn't know you were going to come out here!!!" So he laughed again and then let Mark take a picture of him with me and Katie.

Katie and I were saying to each other "He touched my shoulder!" We were such girls and Mark was such a good sport about it all! We also got to see George and his wife but they didn't come over to the fence.

We finally got to our seats (I'll skip over the crowd getting into the place and at the merchandise table). We were in the balcony and we had warned Katie that it wouldn't be like watching the DVDs. She said "Mom, these are good seats, they won't look too small at all!" LOL She kept thanking us over and over throughout that night! They made the final announcements and the lights dimmed. The show opens with Heartland which has a strong drum beginning. Katie grabbed my hand and I thought she was going to break my knuckles she was squeezing so hard! Once Damian came on stage she let go of my hand, let out a sigh and was riveted to the stage! They sang for about two hours and it all went by way too fast. If you've ever enjoyed watching one of their two DVDs seeing them in person is about a million times better!

After the show we walked back behind the building on the way to the garage. We saw Keith again who this time came over to the fence but my camera was in the van since it couldn't go inside and the camera phone didn't take a good picture in the dark so we didn't get one with him. No one else came out for awhile and it was getting late and we had a long drive ahead of us so we left. I wish Katie would have gotten to see Damian up close but it didn't work out that way. She kept thanking us again and then asked "Can we do it again sometime?" They're supposed to have another U.S. tour next fall so I hope we can take her again!

But I've been typing for awhile now and I'm getting tired so there's your short update!

Freaky Friday

2009-10-23T08:06:00.003-04:00

We had a tanker truck explode on the interstate yesterday. The amazing thing is no one died and there were only a few non-life-threatening injuries. The pictures on the news and in the paper (you could try wishtv.com or indystar.com if you want to see) make you wonder how anyone survived it. It happened where I-69 and I-465 come together here on the northeastside so now we'll have to find some alternate routes to get into downtown Indy for awhile. It happened on an underpass so they have to check the bridge structure stability before anyone can drive on it. That's the big local news.

Personal news....I'm feeling frustrated and worn out this morning so instead of griping I'm going to my three things and wishing you all a fabulous Friday!

1. Leaf rain--you know that sound leaves make as their skittering across pavement....I love that sound!

2. the fact the overnight downpour of actual rain, no leaves, seems to have abated long enough for me to walk the boy to the bus stop in a few minutes!

3. alone time--everybody needs it every once in awhile.

Wily Wednesday

2009-10-21T07:56:00.003-04:00

Three days in a row I've blogged now. I hope certain people have noticed! ;-)

I gave Katie the last of the nighttime cold medicine last night because she needed it worse than I did but I woke up with a nasty sinus headache. Eh, we're supposed to hit 70 today so I'm sure that will help it go away quickly!

Minor complaint, and I know it is so minor in the scheme of all we've been dealing with with the boy, but I wish we could go just one morning where I didn't have to keep repeating directions over and over just to get him ready for school! "Eat....eat...eat....drink your milk....drink your milk.....brush your teeth.....have you brushed them yet......get dressed.....have you changed yet....what are you doing in there and why are you still in your pajamas......etc...etc....etc" I think it's just bothering me more this morning because of the stupid headache. I'm glad the medicine for the ADD seems to kick in by the time school starts but there are mornings I wish I had woke him up around 4 am just to take the medicine and then have him go back to sleep until it's time to get ready for school! Hey, I never claimed to be mom of the year!

Robbie mentioned something about my flamingo marionette (see what I mean about focusing on getting ready for school?! lol) this morning. I'm grateful to him though because it sparked an idea to expand upon my Christmas card idea! Heeheehee....when we bought the house in Kansas (I still miss that house! sigh) I had flocks of flamingos arriving from all over the U.S. So now I think.......well, I don't want to ruin the surprise!

My three things.......

1. My quirky kid that inspires me even when he's driving me around the bend!

2. Our 13 yo Belle the Heinz 57 variety of pooch. She's an "old lady" now but she still likes to be in the same room with one of us at all times. I was so sick when I was pregnant with Katie and Belle would curl up next to me as I just laid there on the bathroom floor since there was no point in leaving the bathroom at that point! She can't see or hear as well as she used to but she still likes to position herself so she'll notice movement and can haul herself up to follow us to the next room.

3. My husband--who will get up and make me and the kids brownie sundaes during the Biggest Loser without commenting too much on the irony!

Toddlin' along Tuesday

2009-10-20T14:24:00.003-04:00

I think from this point forward I'm not going to mention the job until I hear something. I drove by the new branch yesterday and it doesn't even have a paved parking lot yet so I'm hoping that means there's still a chance. But it gets old saying "No news yet" so when I know you all will know!

Katie stayed home today. A lot of congestion and coughing from the drainage but still no fever thankfully. I think a day of rest and fluids will do her good. The good news is we're actually into the 60s today! The weatherman said this morning it was the first time in 23 days we were going to be near average temps, not that anybody's counting! So I just opened the windows and hopefully all the old, stinky, germy air will blow out and we'll have nice, fresh, sunshine-smelling air in the house instead! Let a woman have a dream, ok?!? ;-)

I spent the morning dusting and washing dresser scarves and the like in our room. Dusting sets off my allergies in a most undelightful way so I always put it off. Evidently I had put dusting our bedroom off for a lonnnnnnnnng time! achoo! Another reason I hate turning the furnace on (besides the gas bill!) is all the dust that seems to come out of the ducts even though we had someone come in to clean them last summer. But for today and tomorrow I'm going to enjoy the non-forced air breezes and those afternoon temps of mid-60s!

I think I'm going to try to keep my three things I'm thankful for going until Thanksgiving. Here's hoping I can do it!

1. warm, actual fall-like weather!
2. a nice cold Coca-Cola
3. a certain Schnoodle named Daisy Doodle that likes to jump in my lap and "help" me read whatever it is I'm reading at the time!

Oh, and just for the record I have to say it's kind of weirding me out that I'm seeing hits on my blog from Seoul and Jakarta when I don't know anyone there and it looks like they're finding me through some sites that tell you how to get more hits and referrals on your blog! I don't need more hits or referrals on my blog, folks! I welcome new friends but this is just a little strange!

Just another manic Monday

2009-10-19T08:05:00.003-04:00

I started to blog a couple of times this week-end and got sidetracked every time and now I'm not feeling chatty. Go figure!

Still no news on the job front.

Katie has a cold and is sharing it with me. Grrrrrrrr, I just barely got over the non-oinking flu! At least there's no fever this time so there's a bright spot.

Two weeks until we take her to see Celtic Thunder!!! I'm getting as excited as she's been since the ticket arrived! Soon we'll be northbound for South Bend. Very confusing! lol

Samantha asked me last night if I'd be mad if she moved back to Kansas next summer. Mad? No but..... I told her before we wouldn't be paying for the move like we did this summer and last night I told her people wouldn't be mad......and she said "Upset?"...... I basically said that people wouldn't be thrilled but she has to do whatever she feels she has to do at this point in her life. And that's about all I can say about that.

My three things:

colorful fall leaves --just wish it would be warm and more importantly dry enough to get out and try to take some pictures of them before they're all gone!

a Steeler win yesterday--makes for a happier hubby and even though I couldn't give you any stats on the team I'm always glad to see them win!

my son showing compassion towards others--we were watching Extreme Home Makeover last night and Robbie out of the blue said something along the lines of us being terrible for not helping all those people. I explained how not everyone can go build a house but we help others in different ways. He commented on how bad some of the houses are on that show and how he has a good house and shouldn't care that he doesn't have everything he wants. Pretty heady stuff for a nine year old! Do I think he'll continue that thought when it comes time to ask Santa for Christmas presents? Probably not but at least I know he DOES think about things like that and will hopefully continue thinking about it and become quite the compassionate young man as he grows older!

the waiting is the hardest part

2009-10-15T07:52:00.002-04:00

Sing along, you know you want to! Early Thursday morning and I still haven't heard one way or the other. But I'm surprisingly calm about it. If I get the job then great and if I don't get it then I'll be disappointed but I'll try to take it as that means there's something better out there. Eh!

Again it's a rainy, chilly day. A local weatherman said this morning we could not get another drop of rain or snow this year and still end the year above normal in rainfall. I've heard Seattle is beautiful but if this is what the majority of their weather days are like I could never do it! AND....there's a chance of snow flurries this week-end as it's supposed to get below freezing overnight! WHAT?!?!?! In October?!?!?! We went straight from muggy-running-the-a/c-temps to grab-a-sweater-break-down-and-turn-on-the-heat temps. Where were the jeans and a t-shirt weather days? If this is a sign of the winter to come then I'm afraid, very afraid!

But here are my three of the day (I know I'm not blogging every day but take what you get! lol)
I'm thankful for:

1. The boy's teacher this year
2. My computer that allows me to keep in contact with my friends
3. Samantha made cookies last night!

still no word

2009-10-13T14:37:00.002-04:00

It's Tuesday afternoon and I still haven't heard either way about the job. If only they'd come to my blog or Facebook page they'd see from some of my friends that I'd make a good employee! Hmm, do you think we'll get to the point where you really can get referrals right off of Facebook??? Sort of an enterprising yet scary thought at the same time!

Robbie had a good appointment yesterday! I'm always nervous about celebrating the good things because I feel like the fickle hand of Fate is just ready to smack me down for daring to announce any joy! Hey, if you really know me then you understand and are not at all surprised by that fact! ;-) Robbie has been drawing comic books for a few months now. It came up yesterday during his appointment and we asked him what "the thought" would be called and look like as a super villian. He came up with Super Stinky and drew a picture for the therapist. She gave him "homework" of drawing out a story of Super Stinky being defeated. I think we may have finally found something that will make him believe he IS strong enough to "talk back to the OCD". I hope and pray so anyway!

I'm part of a group of women that I "met" online that sounds around a book box. We use a priority box so it's the same shipping for everyone and then when each person gets the box they take out the books that look interesting to them and in turn put in their old books to refill it. I got that box today! Always a good mail day when you get books! I have so many paperbacks I need to read from the last time they came around and some my mom gave me in the spring. I need to avoid the library for awhile and catch up on them but I just can't seem to do that! Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE books?!?!? lol

I've also kicked around a Christmas card idea using my Cricut. Haven't tried to make a prototype yet but I have an idea in my head after seeing some cards online. I'm taking bits and pieces of other ideas for mine, it won't be fancy but hopefully those that get it will like it! (assuming I get them finished!) After having a family member laugh and tell me I had too much time on my hands after sending out handmade cards one year I don't send handmade cards to everyone. It's a little disheartening when you craft something and you feel it's not appreciated!

So my three things today.....
1. I'm thankful for Robbie's great and funny mood yesterday and this morning! Even if I could have waited for the one joke he told last night until AFTER supper! lol

2. I'm thankful for books, those who write the books and the LIBRARY!

3. And I'm thankful for the two guys at Mike's Car Wash that saw how muddy the wheel wells on the van were after the "boys" scout trip this week-end and they worked on cleaning them for me even though I didn't pay for the Deluxe wash! Sometimes it's the smallest thing that can make a person's day!

The sun!!!

2009-10-10T09:30:00.003-04:00

After what feels like months of constant rain and no sunshine we have a cold but SUNNY morning! It definitely rained basically non-stop from Thursday morning until late last night so maybe not months but it felt like it! It was supposed to stop around noon yesterday but apparently the front stalled out. The guys' scout den decided not to camp out last night (I'm not sure the tent stakes would stay in the saturated ground anyway!) but they went up to the "event" this morning and plan to stay the whole day and maybe the night too. So at least they got to stay warm and dry last night!

It's just me and Katie today since the guys are gone and Samantha's at work. I HAVE to vacuum since it hasn't been done in over a week thanks to the flu and I bet there's probably 10 pounds of dog hair in the carpet! But after that I think I may just play with my scrapping supplies today! I say that and always get distracted but today I'm going to try to stay on crafty task!

My interview lasted for 45 minutes so I'm hoping that's a good sign. I don't think it was a slam dunk but I think I still have a good shot. I'm not sure how many others they're interviewing or when they're planning on making a decision. Two good questions I SHOULD have asked but didn't think about until I was driving home! Those nerves I said I didn't have started hitting the closer the Garmin told me I was getting yesterday morning! The fact I don't have actual banking teller experience isn't helping since my credit union days was back office but I stressed I did have face to face interaction with people there and also said "If you can help a mother of the bride whose daughter has decided at the last minute she wants handmade invitations to her wedding stay calm and have her leaving the store happy then you can deal with just about anything!" And I think I answered some of their questions in a good way if I'm any good at reading faces! We'll see and if nothing else I survived my first job interview in over five years! Almost four years at the Garden and then a year off.....wow, doesn't seem that long!

There's a website by Jessica Sprague that my lil dinosaur here would just lock up on if I tried to use. (I think I got the name right, Jeanne, Kelli or Marg can correct me if I'm wrong!) Apparently one of the things they're doing on that website now is listing three things you're thankful for each day. I saw Jeanne's been doing that so I'm going to do that too. I think it's a good exercise to help keep a body out of the "dark and twisty" place! So here goes:

1. The sun shining today! This morning I picture this cartoon sun out there wearing his shades just beaming away at us all!

2. The fact I got a job interview. Even if I don't get the job (though I hope I do!) I'm thankful that something I said in my application and phone interview made me seem interesting and smart enough to get the in person interview. You spend days just thinking of yourself as someone's mom or wife and you'll get that!

3. I'm grateful that I AM someone's wife and someones' mom! Even on the days I want to go screaming into the night with car keys in hand I always come back to being eternally grateful that I have them all!

quick update

2009-10-09T07:13:00.003-04:00

It's raining cats and dogs here this morning and has basically been raining since yesterday morning. We went straight from summer to brrrrrrrrisk fall and I'm not liking it! None of the jeans and a t-shirt and feeling fine in the fall sun while soft breezes blow over you! Straight from running the a/c to "Is tonight going to be the night we cave in and turn on the heat???" le sigh

But the phone interview must have gone well because I have an in person interview with three or four different people late this morning. After I get the boy onto the bus this morning I have to come back here and............gasp...........the horror...............IRON!!! Usually I try to get Mr. Retired Military Man to iron for me since after 23 years of ironing uniforms he does an excellent job! But he and the boy have a Webelos camping trip this week-end....in the rain and the cold.....so I didn't want to bother him with ironing my blouse while he was trying to pack them up for the trip.

I'm a little nervous but no where near what I think I should be. It's all happened so fast I guess I haven't had time to get nervous. I just filled out the online app on Monday!

So now I have to go get the boy (who has no fat on him to keep him warm in the rain and cold while camping....yes I can mulit-task...do an interview and worry about my kid!) up and going for school.

Happy Friday to you!

Wacky Wednesday

2009-10-07T10:52:00.002-04:00

I'm still fighting the crud, some wheezing and sinus gunk going on, but since no one will put me out of my misery I'm trying to fight the good fight!

I've applied for some jobs recently and this morning I got a phone call from one of the places. I talked to the woman for almost 15 minutes and she scheduled me for a formal phone interview in the morning! It's with a bank but the job I applied for is probably already filled if the person they're offering to accepts it today but there is an opening in Zionsville for which the HR person wants to interview me. It's about a 30 minute drive WITHOUT rush hour traffic and it's a part time position so that's the downside. But it's a foot in the door and there is the possibility of transferring to a branch closer to home if a position ever opened. I'm also thinking that part time might be a better transition for the kids for now...or maybe it's better for me thinking of them since I think they're ready for me to be gone! At least that's what they say now, once Mom isn't around 24/7 to take care of things that tune may change a bit! ;-)

I badly need a haircut but haven't wanted to infect anybody with this crud. There was a small part of my brain that started thinking "Must get haircut today!" For a phone interview! And no, I wasn't thinking it was because they'd see me over the phone, I'm not that far gone! But I was just thinking of the whole "feeling good/sounding good" issue and if it's a bad haircut that's one extra day for it to grow out before an "in-person" interview. However, common sense has won out (for now at least) and someone will be spared the possibility of my germs for one more day. No promises for tomorrow!

Blah

2009-10-04T18:38:00.002-04:00

We're fighting the flu here but according to the half of the time accurate test at the doctors' office it's not swine flu. What is the point of a test that's only accurate half the time?! Just another of life's mysteries I guess!

Yesterday I thought I was getting healthy but today I feel like it kicked my butt all over again. But this time it feels like the baby elephant is trying to sit on my chest and I didn't have that last week. Ick.

Katie had to have seven baby teeth removed this week too. All at once. The stubborn little things did NOT want to come out on their own so the permanent teeth were hanging out the baby teeth. Not a great mix! She was a trouper there and is doing so much better now.

I'm just feeling blah and lonely and....and....again I say ick.

Not an exciting entry but that's all you're getting today!

Where to start?

2009-09-19T19:20:00.002-04:00

Ok, Jeanne, I get the message! ;-) It's kind of funny that you (and I'm including myself in that generic sort of "you") don't write for a bit because there's not much worth writing about and then it becomes a "Oh my gosh, all of this has gone on and I don't even know where to begin!" Not that I think my life is overly exciting and what movies are made of, mind you, I have no delusions of grandeur!

Let's just stick with the boy for this entry, shall we? There are days I feel like it's one step forward and three steps back. I can only imagine what it feels like to his nine year old mind! The "anti-touching" thing is still an issue. Long story short they did a med change thinking it would help and it actually got worse, noticeably worse. Even to himself. The doc's solution? Let's add back the old medicine on top of the new so now he's taking three pills a day which makes me more than nervous. I keep expressing my concern about this and the docs keep telling me "It's not forever....it's just until HE can manage to control these things himself without use of the meds." Ok, I get that. And I get that they are far more trained in this area than I am or will ever be BUT....(you knew there was one coming, didn't you?! heehee) he is NINE YEARS OLD. The boy is intelligent (he gets it from his mama!) but at nine years old does he even possess the skills to "apply tools" for this? I'm...um...NOT nine years old and I'm not sure I could do it all the time.

And it's one thing to take a medical cocktail myself not sure of the results but it's an entirely different story when you're basically forcing your child to do it. You have to wonder what long term affects will be. And could this come back to bite him later on down the road if he wants to apply for some job and he has to say yes, he took some of these medications? It's just so harrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd! And now for a moment of bare naked honesty....there are days I just don't want to do it anymore. Take the basic parenting stresses and irritations that pop up and then throw a mental health issue on top of it and it's "no gouda" as we say around here. There are a couple of online scrapping buddies that help me hold on to whatever scrap of sanity I have left. And on those days I hear one of them saying "Just get through this minute, then the hour, and then the day". And that's what I do. And I remind myself that as frustrating as it is on my end it has to be even worse on his. Which also adds to my angst because I CAN'T take this thing from my child so he doesn't have to deal with it but that's a whole other post!

We are blessed this year in that he got a wonderful teacher. She's used to "quirky" kids because she's been teaching the gifted and talented class for a few years now. She is one of those teachers that still enjoys their career and she goes out and studies up on methods and things on her own personal time. I try to remember to thank God for her every day! I love that she will make allowances for some of the boy's issues but she also holds him accountable when he needs to be. She called me to warn me about his grades but assured me that he knows his stuff. He's just not taking the time to get it down on the homework and tests like he should. He wants to rush through those things but could talk about it to her for hours she said. She told me that she will catch him doing something else when he's supposed to be listening so she'll call him out on it. She said "And darn it if he can't repeat to me what I said word for word and then expand on it!" I said "I know! Don't you hate when he can do that because he does it to me too!" We got a good (and probably much needed laugh) over it.

The other night at supper Robbie was telling us that his teacher changed the seating around in class. He said "It's a test! She put girls with girls and boys with boys! And she put my two best friends right next to me!" I told him "Well son, I hope you can pass it!" Then he said she told them she changed seats around because they were being loud and obnoxious! I about spit peas across the table at Katie from laughing so hard! I asked "Well, where you all being loud and obnoxious?" After a few beats of silence he said "Um...probably." LOL I know some parents would be up in arms over it but in the context Robbie told me and from chats I've had with her I LOVE the fact she called them all out on it! And he owned it. She told me that's another good thing is that Robbie will own his mistakes in class. So he'll admit to them, he just won't slow down to prevent them from happening again!

And so there is the novella on the boy. Jeanne, that should keep you reading for awhile! Hugs my friend!

Blog entry coming soon

2009-09-10T09:15:00.003-04:00

I just saw Jeanne's comment about my falling off the face of the Earth! LOL I'm still here, it's just been either "nothing to say" or "way too much to say" lately! Right now I'm fighting a headache for the past few days so I'm not in much of a bloggin' kind of mood but I will be back! Don't worry, there will be new entries for you insominacs ("I wish she'd write something so I could fall asleep! heehee) soon!

It's that time of year again!

2009-08-23T16:08:00.002-04:00

Time to start meeting the kids at their bus stops and hosing them down with the Lysol before they enter the house! Friday afternoon I was suddenly hit with the dizzies that lasted a few hours. Since the dogs were acting fine I assumed it was sinus and/or weather related and not a gas leak. We all have our own testing methods! Yesterday I had some stuffiness but felt ok. This morning I woke up feeling pretty icky as did Samantha and Robbie. Robbie definitely sounds like he has a "cold in the nold". Katie's head is hurting her and Mark said he doesn't feel too badly right now but not good either, just sort of wiped out. Eight school days in and we got hit! I'm thinking that has to be some sort of record for us! So I've been pushing fluids on everyone today and Mark and I scrubbed down the bathrooms. Hopefully tomorrow everyone will have some sort of miraculous healing!

We went to Borders yesterday so Katie could spend her prize from the summer reading program. She was second place in the teen category and won a $25 g.c. to Borders. I saw a couple of books from The Biggest Loser that picqued my interest. I have a "membership" card to B&N and had an internet coupon so I ordered the family cookbook and the 30 day jump start books today. I believe it's September 15 when the new season starts. I'm hoping with some motivation, the books and watching the show I can make some changes and can answer their question of "What have you done today to make you feel proud?!" I'm a stress eater. Bury the crap under food! But then that just creates more stress and blah blah blah. I know why I bawling along with the contestants EVERY time I watch an episode! It's a very emotional thing. Hopefully this year will be THE year! I think once I'm ready to make it official I might blog it just to make myself a little more accountable. I don't know if that will work or not or if I'll just say "blank it"! We'll have to see. And I doubt I tell y0u my starting weight either! Hopefully I'll be able to just list pounds and/or inches lost!!! There's only so much accountability a gal can handle! ;-)

Surprise for Katie

2009-08-19T16:36:00.003-04:00

We've been a little worried about Katie feeling lost in the shuffle with all that's gone on around here the past few months. All of the things Robbie's dealing with (along with the rest of us in trying to help him) and then Samantha moving in here this summer had us worried she'd feel resentful or ignored. So far she's showed no signs of it other than reminding people that it IS her room! ;-) And she's made some comments in comparing herself to her brother or sister but no major acting out or anything like that, thankfully!

She was so sad that Celtic Thunder wasn't coming to Indianapolis and asked "If they EVER come here will you please take me???" She even offered to find a way to pay for her own ticket. We saw they were coming to South Bend, IN which according to Mapquest is a little over 2.5 hours away from our house. But it's on a Monday night and with work and school we just thought it would be too hard. Then a week or so ago Mark asked me something in passing about when and where they were going to be. I think it stewed in both our brains for a few days and then Saturday afternoon we made the stealthy decision to order tickets online because "she can sleep on the way home" and Mark could take a vacation day if he needed.

We kept it a secret from her. Today the tickets came in the mail. When Mark got home from work he handed the envelope to Katie and said he had a nasty paper cut bugging him so could she open it for him. She did and tried to hand it back without looking inside. He told her to pull whatever it was out of the envelope. She did and said "It's tickets." I said "Tickets?! To what???" The following pictures (taken while I was "adjusting the light settings on my camera because I think they're messed up" heehee) tell how excited she was far better than I ever could write it!

Sunday in Chicago

2009-08-19T09:08:00.008-04:00

Edited to add: For some reason Blogger won't leave my spaces between paragraphs in once I publish it. Sorry for the seemingly run on paragraph if it doesn't take again this time!

We sort of decided at the last minute to take a day trip to Chicago Sunday. We talked about it off and on but didn't really make the decision until Saturday. We went to American Girl Place and the Lego Store and walked along the Magnificent Mile between the two. A lot of walking in some very warm and humid weather! Along with a gazillion other people since the Boat and Air Show was last week-end and just a short distance away! I was worried how Robbie would do (and myself a bit too since I'm NOT a crowd person) but he did great!

Katie and Samantha both got to fulfill a childhood dream (Sam a little later than Katie which we heard about!) by visiting the American Girl Place. They were both sad that their dolls, Samantha and Nellie, were retired last year (which we knew about) and that the store had nothing for those dolls. Books and videos but no clothes or accessories. Sam got a Bitty Baby and said ( a few times) "I used to go through those catalogs at Christmas and add up what it would costs to get one and all the stuff to go with her!" We just bought her the Bitty Baby, she's 22 yo, she can handle any accessories! Katie got her picture on a magazine cover and a contemporary dress for Nellie.

Robbie was almost quivering with excitement as we rode up the two escalators to get to the Lego Store. I think I was as bad, if not worse, as he was exclaiming over all the Lego sculptures! Monday was his birthday so Sam let him pick out his present from her there and we got him something too since the girls got something. Great Lego haul for the boy! That was a cool store but VERY crowded. One of the sales people told me it was a "little more" crowded than typically on a Sunday. I just know there were a lot of people in there!

We've decided that parking garages are THE business to go into up there! We paid a LOT in parking and ended up paying in two different garages since we weren't sure where we were going to eat so drove around a bit while deciding.

I took a lot of pictures of the buildings. I loved all the different shapes and angles and materials! The new up against the old. I wish I was talented enough to get some fantastic shots with the right camera equipment but I think I got a few decent ones with just me and my Canon!

It was neat to see how one little butterfly could make so many passer-bys smile! I actually did the "Yesssssssss!" when I saw I had captured the photo I wanted! Yes, I am that much of a dork! lol

I thought it was great that all my kids, even down to the a day away from 9 yo, knew this couple was from "American Gothic". I don't think I knew it was called that at age 9 or 12. I just always thought of it as "That picture with the grumpy looking farm couple"! Hey, I already mentioned my dorkiness, don't act surprised!

I have a lot more pictures that if anyone wants to see just let me know and I'll send you a link to Snapfish. Facebook won't let me upload photos this week for some reason.

Just some pic-a-tures

2009-08-14T15:08:00.004-04:00

Robbie, Samantha and Katie at the local state park

See the little bug on the petal?

Me Tarzan....

You Jane!

It doesn't seem to be showing well here but you could see the clouds reflecting in the water that day. Sort of a Monet feeling going on!

I wanted to tweak this one but the editing software that came with the camera is limited but that was one humongous spider web!!!

Sweet, sweet bliss!

2009-08-14T14:37:00.002-04:00

Today, for the first time since the end of May, I am completely alone in the house! Well, with the exception of Belle, Daisy and Lucky but they're all fairly quiet housemates! I am fighting another stupid barometer headache but it's tolerable since it's quiet! The sad thing is I have less than 30 mintues until the first one is due home! I love my family but it's so true that absence makes the heart grow fonder sometimes, especially after a crappy summer! lol

I talked to Mary for an hour today and while talking to her the mailman brought me the cardstock I ordered from Rocky Mountain Hobbies. Absolutely wuuuuuuuuuunerful hour!!! Archiver's was out of all the cardstock that the Bazzill matchmaker said matches the Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday line. I found maybe half of it online at RMH but they were out of colors too. What gives? Inspiration struck everyone at once?! Oh well, I also ordered some clearanced paper from RMH too to make it "worth the shipping costs". ;-) And surprisingly it was only a few sheets! Showing restraint in my old age!

Tuesday we had the meeting at school and I thought it went very well. His teacher this year really seems to enjoy her job and the challenges of teaching "gifted" kids and she had already done some online research on the issues Robbie's dealing with. She said, and I agree, that she thought we were going to work well together and get the boy successfully through 4th grade! I think I'm just going to love her!

We had some MAJOR snafus with the bus routes but I THINK (knock wood) that as of this morning we've worked our problems out. It sounds like there were problems throughout the district. I got thanked for being so pleasant everytime I called the transportation office. I didn't think I was acting all that special so they must have been getting some really cranky calls. There's some road construction messing things up on our side of town so I'm sure that isn't helping the bus drivers either. Not a job I'd want to do so I'll stay pleasant until they give me reason otherwise. I can't blame the first day snafus or construction on them though!

I know another round of Tropical Storm Crap is out there but for now I'm just going to enjoy the lull! And maybe....eventually....scrapbook something!

Monday, Monday

2009-08-10T20:55:00.002-04:00

This evening was the "Back To School Ice Cream Social" at R's school. Robbie got to put his stuff away in his desk and see his new teacher. He also stopped in and talked to last year's teacher for a minute. I was surprised but impressed when last year's teacher asked if she could hug him and he said ok. He didn't hug back but just letting her hug him was a big step. I think they both frustrated each other at times last year (I'm keeping my opinions out of it) so it was surprising to see their interaction this evening.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with this year's teacher as well as the school counselor and the principal. I was surprised once again and impressed at how quickly his new teacher replied to my e-mail requesting a last minute appointment during what has to be a hectic time for them. I'm praying that's a good sign for the year ahead.

We hit McD's after the school thing and Robbie said it would be cool to get the mini flamingo beanie baby in his happy meal. He actually DID get that one in his meal and said that "today was a good day". Anytime I hear that I have a good day. Might be kind of silly to think that God is using a happy meal toy to remind me He's near but I'm going to go with it anyway.

I haven't slept well in over a week. I went to bed early last night and just laid there unable to sleep. Everytime I closed my eyes they'd just pop back open due to the never ending stream of thoughts in my head. I ended up coming downstairs and watching Roseanne reruns on TVLand until after 2 AM. I took a muscle relaxer around 1 am to help with the tension in my neck which meant that I was groggy most of the day.

Funny how a quick e-mail response and a Happy Meal flamingo can give you the "umph" to fight through the grogginess and find something positive to hang onto.

However, I'd still be willing to trade a child or two for some SLEEP maybe!

The web can be a dangerous place...

2009-08-08T17:04:00.002-04:00

...especially if you're wont to go looking for as much information that you can find on a particular subject. I've been looking at websites concerning children with OCD. Apparently ADD and OCD can often go hand in hand so there's a crossover of information and a lot of it. On one website there was a FAQ section and a parent had asked what could they have done to prevent ADD in their child, one of the "possible" factors was a lack of oxygen during birth. Automatically my mind goes back to that prolapsed cord and the emergency c-section. I know it does no good to try to figure out why and who, if anyone, is to blame, and I'd be the first person to tell someone else that and mean it....for them. But for myself there are moments, not all the time but definitely moments, where I can't help but wonder "What if......". Does it do any good? Of course not but it is what it is.

It's an extremely helpless feeling to not be able to fix something for your child. And then that helplessness turns into anger. I get angry at God for starters, why should ANY child have to go through the things I see my son going through or the things I hear about a friend's child going through as a young adult. It's not fair, it's not right. And once again, I know life isn't fair, but it angers me that any child should have to suffer through any condition, medical, mental or lousy living conditions. As adults we either sink or swim through our own actions and decisions but for a child to have do fight to swim? It just isn't right.

Then I get angry at myself because I can't fix it and make life a little easier for him. And those days when I lose my patience and get momentarily angry with him I get both anger and guilt slamming through my body.

And then there are those family members, friends or acquaintances who scoff at what the family doctor, school counselor, two therapists and a child psychiatrist have said and say "He's just trying to control everyone around him. He just doesn't WANT to do x,y or z. Why doesn't x bother him if y does?" You know what? We don't know why x doesn't bother him if Y does and HE doesn't know why either! Yep, anger shows up there too.

Perhaps I should have titled this one as "My blog is an angry place..."! I'm just feeling drained and worn out the past couple of weeks. I've used up my reserves and somebody making a less than smart decision concerning the boy last week didn't help either. So yes, there's some anger there too. I'm trying to work through it all and get back to a calmer place so I can help my son as best as I can but right now I'm feeling tapped. And school starting this Wednesday has me concerned too. After talking to his therapist about it this week I've decided I need to call the school Monday and try to arrange a meeting with his teacher and the school counselor to fill them in on this summer's developments. And then try not to get too defensive for him during said meeting.

On a good day the boy is so awesome! He's even awesome on the bad days but you couldn't convince him of that. I just want to do my best for him and my girls too (I worry especially about my middle child feeling resentful of all this drama, so far so good but I couldn't blame her if she felt lost in the shuffle sometimes). And right now I'm falling way short of that goal and some of those dangerous websites don't exactly help either. Maybe I should be looking at "get rich quick" sites and then the travel sites???

I'm paying vet support this month!

2009-07-31T08:40:00.002-04:00

Daisy's been twice this month for ailments and Belle went yesterday for her annual exam. They said she's doing pretty well for an old gal! But after a couple of tests (one of which she let them know she was not happy about them probing back there!), shots and another year of heartworm preventive meds I once again thought "Holy crap!" (ala Frank Barone) when I got the final bill. I'm still wondering if I can convince the insurance company they are newly adopted children with a hair body problem! We've paid around $500 to the vet's office this month, ok, the credit card company has paid it and I'll be paying them and paying and paying......! But you have to keep the critters healthy so what else can you do? Besides sigh a lot when the bill comes in?! lol

I think Robbie has passed his nightmares off to me. The past few nights I've been dreaming there's some faceless person after me because they think I know something. No idea what it is I supposedly know or why they want to kill me over it! Last night's version morphed into my getting a job tying bows onto candy but only if I'd come in and work on Thanksgiving Day when I had a houseful of company. No idea where any of it came from!

Today is the first day this week I don't have to take a dog or a child to an appointment. There are plenty of household things I should be doing but I'm considering making myself scrapbook. I'm not really in the mood to do that either but I want to be so maybe if I force myself to do it it will work? I need something fun to reset my mood-ometer!

It's the end of the day

2009-07-29T21:17:00.003-04:00

and I am oh, so glad it is! Today was another rough appointment day. This doesn't feel like the right forum to go into detail....so why bring it up, you may ask. I guess to ask for some prayers. I feel like I've lost a former sounding board area and I don't want to bother anybody with all this "schtuff", because it can be heavy schtuff, so I'll just ask for some prayers, if you don't mind. And ask you don't judge me too harshly if you see me on the evening news with the announcer saying "Indy Metro Area Mom Goes Bonkers!" ;-)

I just sat here trying to think of what else to write about and this week it all seems so negative! Sheesh I say! I had to take Daisy back to the vet because she had diarrhea all week-end. All their tests came back negative so they're treating the symptoms which meant more expensive medicine plus she needed another 'scrip for the heartworm medicine so there was another $180. OUCH! She's been an expensive doggy this month!

Good news is Samantha got hired as an assistant manager at The Children's Place last week! So I found something good to say but it's HER news not really mine so let's think some more..........

Well, it IS the end of the day so that's good!

Quiet for almost a month!

2009-07-19T16:57:00.002-04:00

Who woulda thunk it possible?!? I just seem to be stuck in one of those phases where writing seems like a chore and nothing I've done seems blog-worthy. WARNING: I'm very much in a blah mood today due to lack of sleep. Nightmare having son around 3 am and then a Schoodle with a tiny bladder around 5:30. And it took me until almost 5 am before I could fall asleep from checking on nightmare boy.

Reader's Digest version of the past month....Katie went to camp for almost a week, Mark flew to Kansas and drove a truck back to Indy with Samantha and her belongings in it, next week Robbie and Mark went to scout day camp and that brought us to last week where we didn't do much of anything. I'm kind of feeling like I've become nothing more than a activity director/maid lately. I guess more than sleep is feeding that blah feeling!

I have so many photos I should be getting into scrapbooks and there's a part of me that wants to scrap but it just seems like work right now for some reason. I don't miss my former employers but I do miss my co-workers/friends and those CHA show recap meetings we had at work! Those always inspired me, probably more in the shopping department than in the scrapping one but still they inspired me! We drove to a scrapbook store on the western outskirts of Indy yesterday. We stopped in there once last summer too and Samantha and I have agreed it's not worth the trip from our side of Indy. It's not that it's neccessarily a bad store (although both times we were in there I didn't feel overly welcome) but there's not much there that I couldn't get at Archiver's or Michael's which are both much closer to me. And a lot of stuff I saw in there yesterday is stuff I remember stocking onto shelves and pegboards in Kansas over a year ago. I think some of that is just indicative of the hobby industry in this economy though so not all the "fault" (for lack of a better word) is the store's. It was just kind of depressing to go in and not get excited over anything though. There is a Sonic out that way (again none close to us!) and even that didn't live up to our fond memories! Both my and Samantha's lemonberry slushes were very heavy on the lemon and light on the berry! I'm glad she mentioned it first so I didn't think my blahness had applied itself to scrapbook shopping AND Sonic!

Friday we did go hiking through Ft. Harrison State Park. Very nice little state park and you really don't realize you're so close to the "big city" or one of the interstates! We went on trails and ended up hiking over a couple of miles, thankfully it was a cool day for July so we didn't sweat and stink nearly as much as we could have! lol It was me and the three kids and I think we all had a lot of fun. A lot of it would probably fall into the "you had to be there" category but we had fun together! Eventually I'll get the pictures uploaded and I'll share a couple. I never did get a good one of the countless daddy long legs we kept running across though. Those things were EVERYWHERE! Along with Samantha's would be killer squirrel and the "mountain" the three of them climbed up and almost fell down. I stood at the bottom to catch them as they came down in an uncontrolled run almost! I should have sang Miley Cyrus' "The Climb" so Sam could have done her interpretative dance!

And now we've started back to school shopping. Can you believe that? They go back in three weeks! Summers keep getting shorter and shorter it seems.

And there you have it, the blahness that is me! ;-)

The joys of life

2009-06-21T17:02:00.002-04:00

We have heard from a wise philosopher today that "Once you get old and married and have a job and kids, coffee is one of the few joys of life." So says that great guru, my 8.5 yo son! Now do you see what I didn't cut out coffee too when I decided to cut back on the Cokes!

There are days that the boy can really crack us up!

Second time around

2009-06-20T15:12:00.002-04:00

I had posted a blog early this morning that I think only Jeanne had the misfortune to read. (Thanks for the comment though, my friend!)

This has been a tumultuous week and I was definitely sliding into woe is me mode earlier today. I discovered that it's true the person who "fights back" is the one who gets into "trouble". I spoke to someone online in the same tone they've been using towards me for some time and got my fingers smacked for it by more than just the person to whom I "spoke". At first it did hurt because it feels I've discovered people I thought were my friends are not, but truth be told that feeling has been hovering around for awhile now. And sometimes that's just how life is, things and people change. True, the timing stinks with other things going on right now but like REO sings sometimes you have to roll with the changes. (Had to keep some musical reference in there somewhere!)

I'll try not to go too TMI in regards to the problems leading to my needing the biopsy Monday morning but cramping ALL month long is part of it and those have intensified over the past few days. It's become standard for me to have cramps at any time that can have me either doubling over in pain or grabbing onto something to keep myself up. I hope and pray the "unusual lining" isn't due to cancer but I hope and pray just as much they discover what's causing it and can make it go away. But the thought of the big C does flit in and out of my thoughts. Ooooooooohmmmmmmmmmm, that's me putting that back into the box and hoping the doctor doesn't tell me we need to open it!

Robbie had a rough appointment this week. I struggle with how much to share. Part of me thinks if I can help somebody else who stumbles upon this and is dealing with the same issues to not feel so alone then it's a good thing. But the protective mama lion in me has seen first hand this week the stigma is still applied to people who may have certain "issues" and that makes me want to shield him for as long as I can. I can't always do that in real life since some things our kids just have to go through on their own but I can do it here for now.

And I leave you with this quote for now. It's one I put in Samantha's high school graduation album and one I've been reading a lot this week....."Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. "
Eleanor Roosevelt

I'm a rambling mom

2009-06-17T08:45:00.003-04:00

Sorry, butchering song lyrics to make them fit my life seems to be a habit I just can't break! The other day I had "Where, oh where, has my lil scrappin' mojo gone? Where, oh where, can it beeeeeeeeeeeeee?" going through my head. I can't help it, it's a sickness! Ask my family, my friends, anyone who has ever worked with me, I just CAN'T HELP IT!!! ;-)

And my thoughts are in a rambling mood today so don't say you weren't warned! Lately I've been wanting to scrap but unable to for some reason. I'd sit down and have a fuzzy idea in my head but couldn't seem to recreate it with the cardstock and pictures. And what I did mangle together just seemed like "ICK" to me. I tried looking at some idea books, magazines and at 2 Peas but nothing was working for me. I had a layout that I had started using one of BH's sketch books but wanted a title for it. They're pictures from our hiking through Turkey Run last summer and I had two rows. The top one being pictures where we were above ground and the bottom where we were in a canyon and sort of "below ground". Not in a cave but we were eye level with tree roots. I googled scrapbooking titles and that took me to scrapbooks.com. In the hiking titles they had "Can't see the forest for the trees" (although they spelled forest wrong with two r's, another thing I can't help noticing!) and a light bulb went off. And I came up with "Can't see the forest for the roots?!" No, it won't win me any originality or scrapbooking awards but it seemed to be just the thing to break up the creative logjam going on in my brain and I finished that layout and started another!

I'm on a mission to use my scrapping stash and not go shopping for awhile. My shopping has already cut waaaaaaaaaaaaay back since I left my old job (tough to figure that one out! LOL) but in the past year when I have bought it's more because of "Ooooooooh look at the pretties!" than because I needed it for a layout. So now I'm trying to whittle down my stash and make myself get creative with the stuff I bought for some particular reason but now have no idea what it was! Anybody want to join me and start a SSA support group? You know, Scrapbooking Shopping Addict!

There's also a teeny tiny thought in my head that I need to be cranking out pages "just in case" right now but I'm surprisingly shutting that voice down for the most part. I had an ultrasound a week and a half ago to see what Mr. Golfball aka the fibroid had been up to in the past year. When I heard from my family doctor's nurse last week she didn't mention the fibroid but there are some other new surprises. I have two small cysts on my right ovary but they appear to be fluid filled and I'm told that's a good thing! But the endomietrial lining "looks unusual" so I'm scheduled for a biopsy this Monday. That looks to be not a big deal, just in the doctor's office and then home again, which is good! The nurse did say there could be some discomfort for the day but taking Aleve or something like that should keep it under control. Of course, I hit WebMD and Google and then promptly turned away from those sites and didn't go back! A lot of the issues I've been having and blaming on the fibroid also fit other ailments. I'm not going to freak out about any of it at this point. Surprisingly I even manage to go hours at a time without even thinking about it! Highly unusual for me! It is what it is and worrying about it will not change it. I just pray that it's NOT certain things but if it is then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But I wouldn't object to any prayers you wanted to include me in, either! ;-)

They also put me on iron because I'm anemic, I knew that was coming. I started those lovely iron pills and I do think they're already starting to help. My glucose also came back a tad high so I've cut back on Cokes. I was drinking one a day, with the occassional skipping of a day, but thought if I could even cut that back it would probably help! I did ok the first four days and then I was craving a Coke badly! And so we had McDonald's last night and I had a Coke.....I know, I know, the shame of it all! Both the food and the drink! @@ I'm only human, people! lol

And I don't know who even reads this anymore, I see places on the viewer list from where I don't think I know anybody but the more prayers the better right? I have a dear friend whose life has been turned upside down. I'm not going to tell their name or their situation because that's their place to do so if they choose but if you could just say a prayer for them to find strength and peace to help them through all this I'd be grateful!

I think I'm finished rambling for now!

We went to the zoo, zoo, zoo

2009-06-13T11:59:00.002-04:00

how about you, you, you? Thanks to Samantha's young infactuation with Sharon, Lois and Bram I hear that song in my head anytime we go to a zoo! Which of course leads to "One elephant came out to play upon a spider's web one day........." when we're by the elephant exhibit! My kids have just added to my life's soundtrack over the years!

Last Saturday we all (minus Samantha since she's still in KS) went to the zoo. We went first into the aquarium since we hadn't ever made it into there in previous visits. Pretty cool place! I just wish I had realized my camera has an aquarium setting WHILE we were in there and not awhile later when we were over at the dolphin show! There's a shark pool where you can reach in and touch the sharks so we all did that. Robbie was the first one brave enough to try and he kept trying to touch them as they swam by, of course we HAD to find a place for him to wash off afterwards before he could fully relax. He did pretty well but we could tell he was feeling a little tense about the "shark smell getting on everything" until he could wash his hands. There's also a neat penguin exhibit inside there too. They can swim under the floor from one viewing area to another and if it's not packed with people (and it was!) then you can look through areas of the floor and watch them. I put some of the pictures over on Facebook so you can view them over there, and if you aren't on Facebook and feel the need to view someone else's zoo pictures (because you know we all have them! lol) then let me know.

I still think I like the Sedgwick County Zoo better than this one and primarily because of the layout. The Indy Zoo is downtown so they're limited on space while the SCZ has some room to spread its wings if needed. But I did come away last Saturday liking this zoo more than before. We saw more exhibits than before so it didn't feel quite as small as the other two times we've been there. But I still have to vote for the Memphis Zoo as having the best polar bear exhibit!

Yes, I'm putting off being productive around here by ranking zoos now! lol

Life in the "wild"

2009-06-02T08:12:00.008-04:00

We've had quite a bit of "wildlife" visiting us lately. The word, wildlife, makes me think of "lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" even though I know the true definition works for what we saw too!

Thursday afternoon when I went to meet Robbie's bus for the last time this school year I found this little guy sitting on the driveway behind my van.

He wasn't trying to fly or walk. He looked like he was just trying to balance while squawking every once in a while. Katie said he was there when she came home 45 minutes earlier and he stayed there for quite awhile after Robbie got home. I looked outside later and saw he was on the sidewalk and an older kid and his dog were standing there staring at it. I don't think they had harmed it (the dog was just sitting looking around like he was bored) but something was wrong with the little guy. Robbie came in later saying the bird's eyes were closed and he was "sleeping". Mark later went outside to check it out when the kids were getting ready for bed. All I'm saying is that the bird was gone when the kids checked Friday morning and they think his mama came back for him.

Saturday afternoon I was sitting on the couch reading when I heard some rustling noises and then Daisy was at the window trying to stalk something through the screen.

This little one was jumping around inside the bush and when I took his picture then this one jumped out of the flower bed underneath the window.

This is the look I was getting from Daisy after I told her to be quiet and sit down and that no, she couldn't go chase our guests! I hope I don't fall down a well anytime soon because from that expression I think she'd leave me there!

About an hour later the tornado sirens went off startling everybody. It was still partly sunny near our house when they went off but from the looks on the tv it was all around us and one possible tornado was heading our way. I, of course, went outside to take pictures and watched the clouds move in like a scene from a ghostly movie. I thought of Ghostbusters. I watched one area get a little rotation off and on but thankfully nothing came of it in our neighborhood other than a freaked out 12 yo and an interrupted Penguin game on television!

This was the view out our back door as the different cloud banks were converging.

I need a tripod so the shots using the nighttime setting aren't blurry but this was the view down the street. This is the view that had me thinking of the giant Sta-Puff Marshamallow Man!

I'm still here!

2009-05-26T12:15:00.002-04:00

I've started to write a few blog entries but I type a few words and then POOF the writing mojo is gone. No idea why but that's why I haven't written in awhile.

I got a surprise Thursday evening. Mark, Katie, Robbie and I were eating supper when I heard the front door opening. In rapid fire succession these thoughts tumbled through my head "check, check, check, we're all sitting here..........then who the hell is just walking into our house?!?!.......why isn't the door locked.........why isn't Mark alarmed by this??........." That was all in a split second and I was up out of my chair heading towards the front door ready to kick some stranger out of my house. I came around the corner with Katie and Robbie behind me and see Samantha about the time Katie yells, "Sissy!!!" My first comment to her? "What the hell are you doing here?!?" Ah, nothing like motherly love to make you feel at home! LOL Mark knew she was driving from Wichita that day and they kept in contact through the cell phones. Katie knew she was coming but not on Thursday. Robbie, the dogs and I were left in the dark. She brought out a car load of her stuff before the move next month.

Which brings me to the next item: the post-college job hunt is not being kind to her in the Wichita area. Her lease is up in June so she's moving here to look for a job that will pay her bills without her working 24/7. She's never minded working a lot of hours so that's not the problem. It's just finding a job, or two, that will allow her to cover her expenses and actually have a few hours to sleep too! Indy was named the top city for job seeking college graduates this year so hopefully one of those jobs will belong to my brilliant, hard working newly graduated from college daughter! All employers having just read that please contact me and I'll get you in touch with her! ;-)

Alumni week-end a couple of weeks ago was great! I'll have to post on that sometime soon!

Rainbow at the end of the crapstorm

2009-05-07T13:50:00.002-04:00

I know I'm tempting fate but you know what I'm going to live dangerously! I think we're actually having a respite from the crapstorm of the past year. Maybe it's just the eye of the crapstorm hurricane but it's wonderful to have some time to regroup and not feel like we're having to bail out the life boats 24/7!

Tuesday night was the parent info meeting for the REACH program at Robbie's school. I think this is going to be a wonderful fit for him! The teachers were going through a list of personality traits of "gifted" kids (I dislike that word because it seems pompous to me. ALL my kids are gifted just in different ways! But I digress....) and Mark and I kept looking at each other like "Check, he's got that!" The teachers warned that there is an adjustment period at the beginning of the school year because these kids have never really had to THINK before. Most of the material they see in class they automatically get and don't have to figure out how to figure things out basically. I related to that myself. I never studied in high school and was still second in my class (yes, it was only 15 that graduated but I was still second! lol) but once I got to college I felt like I was struggling to keep my head above water. I don't want that for any of my kids! But everything they were saying at this meeting just felt like a balm to my stressed out Mama's soul! I had tears in my eyes on the way home talking about it to Mark. Then the clouds parted (no, seriously they really did! lol) and the evening sun's rays were shining down and looking like a light from Heaven. I know you've all seen what that looks like! I said "I hope that's a sign!" I'm taking it for one anyway!

Funny part was when we were talking to the teacher for next year she said Robbie's current teacher had great things to say about him. Mark and I both asked "She did?!?!"

Yesterday was my birthday. Mark and the kids made me a chocolate cake which was uniquely and beautifully decorated! I'll have to keep the pictures uploaded soon. And the pictures are from my combo birthday/Mother's Day present that I went and got. Mark used my camera over the week-end and complained about the lag time between being able to take pictures. He told me to not worry about the costs and to go get myself a new one. So I sucked it up and I did! A Canon PowerShot SX 110 IS wish a 10x optical zoom! I played around with it yesterday and took pictures through our back door since it rained all day. I was able to zoom in on a house on the other side of the pond and pick out the details on their grill! LOL Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice! Then last night I played around with it and took pictures of the beautiful tulips Sam sent me. I'll have to get it all uploaded soon!

And then this week-end I'm heading back to Rankin for my 25th high school reunion. A month or so ago I wasn't even sure I was going to go and now I can't wait for Saturday! The last I heard 11 out of 15 are going to be there and I'm surprised by how much I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and catching up again! I'm also surprised by how many memories have been crashing and tumbling over each other in my head! Things that would mean nothing to anybody else but would get an "Oh yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" and a smile from us. I know that's true for everyone, there's just something when it's your own set of memories though. And then go further and go into the one-liners that my best friend, Sharon and I could spout off to each other and be able to have entire conversations in just a few words where no one else would know what we were talking about....... to quote Sam, "Good times, good times!"

My own little Rainbow Connection!

It's a new dawn, it's a new day...

2009-04-30T09:06:00.002-04:00

..and I'm feeling good. Go ahead, sing along with me! I was just thinking how many of my posts refer to music. There are so many songs that take me to particular moments in time or the lyrics just seem to fit my mood at the time. Must be why my musical tastes are wide and varied!

But the reason for my feeling good? The day before yesterday Robbie brought home a letter from the school saying they wanted to put him in advanced math next year. He'll be in fourth grade but would be doing at least fifth grade math. I wasn't suprised since he can often grasp Katie's homework before Katie, and even me sometimes, can. I was a little surprised after this school year that THEY finally acknowledged his abilities though!

Then in the mail yesterday I got a letter from the school district saying that Robbie had tested well enough to be placed in the entire advanced program! Whoo-hoo!!! I had to pick him up early from school for a doctor's appointment so I took both letters in with me to ask why we got two different letters. The secretary gave me a somewhat twisty/turny explanation but said he did qualify for the advanced program. There's an info meeting next week we'll be going to to get more answers. I'm just so happy for him! And I have to admit the mama lion in me said "HA!" when I thought of certain school personnel! (I never claimed to be mature all the time!) Robbie said he wasn't sure he wanted to do it because he wouldn't be in the same class with one of his friends but when I told him his teacher had already told me she was recommending they not be in the same class next year because she thinks they "might visit too much" that seemed to help. I also hope that means he won't be in the same class with the little snot that's been tormented him all year....and "snot" is not the word I wanted to use!

I'm just going to enjoy being happy over this "win" for him in a school year that's been so topsy turvy!

It's a new dawn, it's a new day and I'm feeling goooooooooooooooooood!

Summery Sunday

2009-04-26T21:41:00.002-04:00

We have by-passed spring and went from cold to hot it seems. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not a fan of the cold temps but I could use a little springtime action too! It's been hot and a tad muggy today. And right now I'm wondering which of my neighbors is outside using some sort of power tool in the dark! It wasn't THAT hot that they had to wait for the sun to go down to play with electricity in the dark!

We're having some computer issues here especially on Facebook. It will just lock up and you can't even ctrl/alt/del out of it without waiting an eternity. I tried deleting some stuff today and defragmenting it and tonight I deleted a bunch of Facebook apps off my account (I'll leave Mark's for him) to see if that helps but so far no luck. I'd love to get a new computer but that's just not in the budget right now. (siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh) I was planning on getting a new camera (mine is slowly dying) for a birthday/Mother's Day present but thanks to dental bills and vet bills I don't see that happening either. Sometimes being a responsible adult is highly over-rated!!!

But in less than two weeks now I'll be headed to Rankin, IL for my 25th high school reunion. How the heck did that happen?!? I don't feel old enough to be out of school for 25 years.......well, ok, somedays I DO feel old enough but that's besides the point! Right now it sounds like we have 2/3 of our class coming back for it. We had such a large class too......15 graduating seniors in 1984! Boggles my kids' minds! LOL I went from a big elementary school in Louisville, KY to Rankin when I was in the sixth grade, biiiiiiiiiiiig change! I was talking to my BFF from high school (for the third time this week) today and we were talking about things and we agreed that there were times we were more like a group of squabbling siblings than just classmates. There are several people I don't think I've seen in 25 years and it's funny the closer to Alumni it gets the more memories start crowding back into my brain. I wasn't even sure I wanted to go to it this year for a variety of reasons but the closer it gets the more excited I get! It will be fun to see everyone who shows up and then everyone else at the banquet from the other classes too! '84 parties more! Didn't we have great poetic rhyming skills?! lol

Biggest Loser

2009-04-25T21:41:00.002-04:00

First I'm going to talk about the show and then how it applies to me so if you've recorded this past week's episode and not watched it yet then you want to stop reading my blog now! Okay, then I guess that means the rest of you have either watched it or don't watch the show at all and don't care, if you don't watch it then this first part won't matter to you but here goes........... I was SHOCKED at Ron's whispered conversation with Mike! I feel for them and I like Mike but Ron has been rubbing me the wrong way for a few episodes now. I was starting to feel like he was shifty and he just confirmed that on this week's episode. And from her comments before leaving I think Kristin had his number! She was my favorite and I really wanted her to win but I bet she wins the "at home" prize. Mike WAS my second favorite but after his "Yeah, I think I'm going to win it" at the elimination table I don't know. He HAS broken records and he has worked hard but I'm wondering if I haven't misjudged his true character. And yes, I do realize I'm talking like I know this people personally but I think most of the fans of this show DO feel that way! Now I don't know who I want to win. Not Ron. Helen irritates me. I lost respect for Fillipe when he blamed Jillian for not working with him and not taking the blame for his over indulging during their "night of luxury". Tara has seemed cocky to me but maybe she's entitled to that after this season? Right now I think she's my favorite but I do think Mike will win.

I really related to a lot of the things Kristin has said in her interviews. I've related to a lot of the contestants but this week when Kristin said she's afraid to voice the things she wants for fear of them being yanked away I SO got that! That is me. It's a mentality of "if people know how I really feel or what I really want then something in the universe will prevent me from getting it" so you plod along in the same self destructive habits while getting angry about it but not feeling entitled to voice that anger or brave enough to do something about it. Don't draw attention to yourself, keep your head down and put up barriers so people won't look your way. I ask why I bawl during every episode but I know why. I could be one of those contestants, I get what they're saying.

And after a recommendation from my friend, Sarah, (I don't know how to turn her name into a link but she's here too) I read the book "The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl". I wanted to cry during parts of that book too. Excellent book but if you're like me be ready to possibly see yourself in the proverbial mirror when you read it! She would eat out of frustration, boredom, anger, etc. I DO that! And you (generic 'you' there) tell yourself it's the one thing you can control, what's going in your mouth, but you really aren't in control. In a way it's like taking every crappy thing ever said or done to you and just putting it into your gut.

So how do people get beyond that and maintain? I wish I knew. I wish I could do that.

And now I have my 25th high school reunion in two weeks which is just bringing all these careening into the forefront of my mind for me. I weigh considerably more now that I did when I graduated. I've gained more than my son currently weighs. Imagine how having that visual smacks you in the face! Ugh, ugh and triple ugh!

And I wish you could hear my "tone" as I'm typing this. It's not boo-hoo, woe is me, but more of a quizzical "how do they do that and why can't I?"

Bring on the rain....

2009-04-19T10:23:00.003-04:00

the thunderstorms forecasted for today that is. There's just something about a stormy Sunday afternoon. I don't feel as guilty for being a slug when it's storming outside! Strange philosophy but it works for me!

We will be trekking down to one of the Indy malls today though so Katie can use her "free animal" gift card that Build A Bear sent to her for her birthday. Slick marketing ploy if it works for them but I've already laid down the guidelines about how we will NOT be accessorizing this animal beyond a shirt! Katie and Robbie both have several animals from BABW that they got during the timeframe Sam worked at the one in Wichita. I don't think one "bare bear" in the bunch will be too catastrophic for anyone!

Katie has once again earned her Bronze Award in Girl Scouts. She did it with her troop in Kansas and now again with her troop in Indiana. All the girls did a good job Friday night during the event and clean up went pretty fast. There were a few moms (not from our troop) who were standing around talking and not showing any signs of leaving until one of our troop dad's called out "Oh, you all stayed to help clean? Great!" Feet started moving pretty quickly after that! LOL

Yesterday we went to part of Robbie's scout pack's camp out. Since they were forecasting rain and he missed a day of school last week due to the crud we didn't think camping out all night was a healthy idea for him but he did just about everything else. Katie and I left early but the guys stayed a couple of hours longer. We were there for the raingutter regatta, unfortunately Robbie didn't place but he had a cool looking ship! Once I get the pictures onto the computer I'll have to post one.

I THINK my schedule is relatively clear this week (I probably shouldn't say that too loudly! lol) other than Katie's b-day on Saturday. She wants her cake to be chocolate with chocolate frosting and with the green decorator icing. Any guesses as to what sort of "theme" she'd like it to have? She asked if we'd take her to Ireland when she graduates high school if that tells you anything! The child knows my lacking cake decorating skills so this should be interesting!

I want money, lots and lots of money.....

2009-04-16T16:23:00.003-04:00

c'mon...sing with me...hopefully you're old enough to know the words to the song!

To say life has been stressful lately is an understatement. But I've been just bobbin' along, going with the flow, as much as possible, hence no dark and twisty posts! I'm not even going to go into it all because I just don't want to rehash it or think about it. But I will say to those that pray keep Mark in your prayers that his health issues clear up ok!

But today while cleaning and looking at the sunshine I thought "Tomorrow maybe I'll go out and maybe do some scrapping shopping." Because I just knew that $645.80 bill we got from the dentists' office had to be a mistake and they just hadn't filed something. And I just knew that someone in scouts had made a mistake and we didn't still owe $90 for Robbie's scout camp this summer. HA! My luck doesn't run that way, you'd think I'd quit attempting to be optomistic in that way! I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with the dentists' office today. I did manage to get $90 taken off the bill because they told me at Katie's appointment that our insurance company said Katie's panoramic x-ray would be covered but apparently they didn't cover it so the office charged us for it. And they found a $3 charge off they should have taken off so now we ONLY owe $532.80. I still say that we've never had a discrepancy of that much before, I think our old dentist may have written off more than this new one will.

And Robbie's pack dues are more than I realized so the check we wrote in February covered that and the DEPOSIT for camp so we DO owe that $90. Throw in the $175-some we'll owe on Katie's camp in July on top of every other bill and Katie's birthday coming up and I will NOT be going shopping anywhere tomorrow.

It is what it is and it's all part of being an adult but for this moment I'm going to stomp my foot and say "This stinks!" ;-) I need a PAYING job!

I DO get to spend my Friday night helping at Katie's scout troop's event to earn their Bronze Award even though Katie has already earned hers in Kansas. I SHOULD feel good about being a good person and helping out and that should be its own reward but when I wanted to do something for myself for a change that's not much comfort! lol

And my tentative plan for someone to watch Katie and Robbie while Mark and I drove to Illinois for my 25th high school reunion (ouch!) fell through because the neighbors are going out of town so now I don't know if I'll be able to go to that either. It's the night before Mother's Day so I don't want to ask any of their friends' moms if they could spend the night. Nobody wants to watch someone else's kid on Mother's Day.

So now I'll go back so singing about how I want money and go chop up meat for stir fry. A couple of good WHACKS on the cutting board out to help!

spring break

2009-04-07T08:11:00.002-04:00

It's the kidlets spring break this week. It started last Friday so we headed to Arkansas to see my parents and the oldest kidlet who drove in from Kansas. Yesterday everyone headed home because of work or work and school. We drove through snow, rain, sleet, hail and some high winds during the course of the day. Just a typical springtime drive!

We stopped at a McDonald's in IL for lunch. I ordered a Big and Tasty with cheese. I got a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. I went back up to the counter and asked for my lettuce and tomato. The crew chief asked if there was mayo on it so we looked and nope, there wasn't so the counter person yelled back for some mayo but the crew chief said "No, make her another sandwich!" I said I was fine with slapping it on there myself but she insisted. So I get a new sandwich and go sit down and check. Tomato? Yes, we have tomato. Lettuce? We have lettuce. Mayo? We have mayo? Cheese? ............................ At that point I said "This is how this all started so forget it!" Then I dropped a ketchup laden french fry on my shirt. Luckily I was wearing a red shirt but Katie said "Mom, this just isn't your day!"

We get back into the car and head up I-57 until Effingham where we grab I-70. There is a giant cross on the side of the road and I opened the window to try to get a picture without having a bug splattered windshield in the way. Apparently there's a good seal on that window because when I opened it everyone's ears popped and there were several "OW!"'s heard! And I didn't get a good picture either because I got part of the window frame in it. So we sacrificed for my art unsuccessfully! lol

We're about 15 miles outside of Indy when suddenly traffic is screeching to a halt and then we see a pile of cars and a small trailer sitting in the left lane of eastbound I-70. Mark pulls off the road and runs over to see if he can help while I call 911 and try to distract the kids (unsuccessfully I might add! Katie kept staring and watching it all!) 911 said they had to connect with me the state highway patrol and the phone rings FOREVER! I finally get someone and I'm telling him what I see and trying to guess at where we were. I had been reading so wasn't paying attention to mile markers but I was able to narrow it down and then describe a sign I could see and apparently that let him know where we were. From what Mark was told the accident had happened just a few minutes before we stopped. There was a small trailer sitting in the front of the mess and the SUV pulling it was in the median. There were three other cars involved and the one in the rear was totaled. She didn't really have a front end of her car anymore it was all shoved up into the dashboard. Mark said there were only a few inches from the steering wheel and the back of the front seat. Fortunately a doctor heading westbouhd had stopped and a RN pulled in in front of us and ran over too. There was a kid, late teen/early 20s I'd guess, that was stuck in the back seat of the middle car. Mark and another guy helped get him out after the nurse said it was ok to do so. Mark said 23 years of all that first aid and safety training in the military kept going through his head. I'm very proud of him! It looked like everyone was moving ok, a lot of chest pain from airbags and hitting steering wheels and head lacerations. That kid from the back seat had a blood stained t-shirt against the side of his face. Once the state patrol got there and asked Mark and the nurse if they had seen the wreck (nope) he stopped traffic so they could both get back to their cars and clear the area. That's about the time I got the shakes. I'm fine when I have a task to do in an emergency but once that's over then forget it apparently!

Then we're stuck in traffic. We are literally sitting in Park on the interstate. From what we could hear on the AM radio traffic update (very hard to understand electronic voice!) they were doing clean up from another accident four miles up the highway. All the vehicles were gone once we got to that spot but from the looks of the tire tracks on the road and in the grass I'm guessing two semis hit. That and the fact there were oranges in the grass all along the side of the road! Must have been a produce truck!

We finally get home, much later than anticipated, and started to unload the van. I went out for my second load and was commenting on how spongy and wet the ground was. I don't know what happened but Mark said he thought I caught the edge of the driveway but the next thing I know I'm trying to keep myself from doing a face plant in the driveway. I managed to just bang the heck out of my palms and knees instead. I laugh/cried to Katie "It really ISN'T my day!" My knees and back are hurting this morning. Nothing major but enough that I don't forget it happened!

Today I think we'll just stay home where hopefully it's safe! lol The kennel was full so the neighbors came over and dog sat for us and apparently Daisy and her exciteable bladder christened almost every room so I'll be cleaning that today. Then again declaring it Reading Day sounds good too!

Mini catch up

2009-04-02T17:59:00.004-04:00

I'm supposed to be getting things ready to go visit my parents so I will keep this entry brief...well brief for me anyway! lol

First, I just want to thank everyone who offered their condolences over my uncle. I appreciate it very much. Monday was the funeral. How does one describe a funeral??? Saying it was "nice" seems odd to me but I guess as funerals go it was nice. I saw a lot of family I haven't seen in five or six years and some longer than that. The kids did really well. I was impressed by them both. There was some family drama over the week-end but thankfully we missed it! Back in B.C. (Before Children) it always seemed exciting to witness family drama firsthand. The older I get the less I want to see it! Just give the Cliff Notes version and I'm fine! I'll spare you the details but I wasn't surprised by the names I heard that were causing it! I told my mom that it wasn't a family get-together without drama and then quoted from St. Elmo's Fire, "It's not a party until something gets broken!"

My uncle was buried close to where my grandma is buried. I went over to her marker and bawled like a baby. It's been 15 years and I can still lose it like she just died yesterday. I really miss her and wish Katie and Robbie would have gotten the chance to meet her and that she'd see how well Samantha is doing. She would have been so proud of her!

Tuesday I went on Robbie's third grade field trip to the art museum. I want to go back sometime just the family and really check it out. Some cool art there! I'll go into further detail on that trip later maybe.

Today I met one of my online AOL Scrapbooking message board friends! Elaine and I have e-mailed for a few years now and she's been one who has really listened and talked to me over all the stuff Robbie's been going through. I had a great time visiting with her and her daughter over lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. None of us had any cheesecake though! I was stuffed after my crabcake sandwich but I did bring some cheesecake home for me, Mark and Katie to eat later tonight. I'll try to get Robbie to eat some but I bet he won't!

And lastly here's a layout I worked on last week. It's from our first trip to the Children's Museum last summer. I used one of Becky Higgins' sketches for the layout idea. I took her idea and tweaked it so it worked for me. Did you notice there were ten, count'em TEN, photos on there?! I even used some Bazzill chipboard letters I've had for awhile! The ones I covered are covered with Bo Bunny's new birthday paper line. The papers are double-sided and I used the "non" birthday side. I originally planned to use more of it but decided there were enough colors in the photos so I kept it simple.

Loss

2009-03-26T19:05:00.003-04:00

I found out this morning that one of my uncles, the oldest of the nine siblings my mom has, had a stroke last night and was brain dead. They removed him off life support and he passed away shortly before noon today. Visitation is this week-end and the funeral is on Monday. Now that we're living closer (2 hours 22 minutes according to the GPS) we're more able to attend these sorts of functions. Not exactly a selling point for living here but it's not like I can blame that on Indiana! The weather is supposed to turn cold and snowy on Sunday too, not great timing for Mother Nature, but is there EVER a great time for something like this?

It will be Katie and Robbie's first funeral, for the others that have happened they either weren't born yet, we were overseas or several states away and were told to not make the trip. Selfish of me to wish that were still the case. I know no one enjoys these things but I just hate feeling hopeless in helping someone who is hurting. And anything I say now will just sound stupid. So I'll just say that my Uncle Bill will be missed and I hope he's with his mom, two youngest brothers and one of his sisters right now.

I'd probably be better off to end this entry at that but there are other kinds of loss too. I know it's inevitable that some friendships will eventually run their course but it's sad when they do and you don't know why. But when there is a group of people I guess it's natural for there to be rifts and splits. Some losses are greater than others but some days they can all feel equally sad to a certain extent. But such is the circle of life I suppose.

Rainy day

2009-03-25T10:43:00.002-04:00

What a difference a day makes in regards to the headache! It started to ease up a bit last night and this morning it's fading away. Aaaaaaaaaaah! It's been raining all morning as I figured it would be. I can predict snow with my headaches too! Such a talent to have, eh?!

Today the kids get out of school early due to teacher workshop days so soon Katie should be walking through the door followed by Robbie about an hour later. He has a friend coming over today after lunch. I'm sure Pokemon talk will be flying about the house and I won't understand 98% of it!

I have a pot roast going in the crock pot and if I say so myself it's smelling pretty darn good! I love using the crock pot. It's silly since I'm the one throwing the food into it in the morning but once the afternoon comes and I don't have to start thinking about heading into the kitchen and cooking I feel like I sort of got the afternoon off! It's the little things, people, the little things that get me through the day! LOL

weary and day two

2009-03-24T11:02:00.003-04:00

If the barometer headache I've been dealing with since last night is any indication then we're going to get one helluva storm later on today. Add to that the stress and doubt of not knowing the best thing to do for Robtar and then crying at last week's Biggest Loser episode that I finally got to watch this morning and I'm feeling weary. A lobotomy doesn't sound half bad at the moment!

I'm not going to go into all the details of the past week because it's exhausting but I had hoped to leave from the appointment with the new doctor feeling "A-ha, we've found some answers!" and needless to say I didn't. And if one more medical professional says to me "Would you deny him insulin if he were diabetic?" when I voice concerns over medication I'm liable to create a "great story to be told at parties". There's a huge difference, people, in a proven medical condition and just making educated guesses at what MIGHT be going on inside the boy. I know I'm not but right now I'm feeling lost, lonely and confused. HATE IT!

But....day two of my Wichita trip......I'm attempting to get some sleep in Samantha's room and had woken up before 5 am, tossed and turned for over an hour and then fell asleep for just under an hour when the sounds of a ROCKET going off have me going from sleeping to suddenly standing up in the middle of the room! When one of her neighbors turns on their shower it sounds like a rocket is going off beside her bed. Why? I don't know, poor planning of the architect??? All I know is I woke up in the middle of jumping up and saying "What the......???" (fill in your own blank there!) It was around 7 am at that point so I got a shower and then forced Samantha to get up so we could go get breakfast and COFFEE!!!

Off to The Good Egg where I had a yummy and even I couldn't stretch it into being healthy for me omelet! Which ended up being the only meal we had all day so THEN I was able to justify some healthy components into it! lol I finally got my glasses adjusted so they sit where they're supposed to on my face and then driving through the, what I'm told is magical, snow we went to The Nifty Nut House. How is it that I never went there the eight years I lived in Wichita??? I'd had things from there before from other people but had never ventured into the store myself. Very attentive employees there and any time we said "Oh, that looks interesting/good/different" they were offering us a sample. We could have skipped breakfast and filled up there! We got some goodies to take to Get Scrappy and I got a few things to bring back to Mark and the kids.

Then it was off to Scrapfunattic in Andover!!! Where I discussed the merits of Benny and the Jets and Elton John in general with Sam and Renee who was working there. Young'uns just don't know classic music when they hear it! LOL And I did SOME shopping for me and more for Sam and Katie. (And went back on Saturday and spent even more money!) I miss having a bona fide lss nearby! Archiver's and Michael's just aren't the same.

Samantha had a budget presentation to make on campus so we went back to her apartment and then I just hung out there while she got ready and then left to make her ROCKSTAR presentation. It must have been great because she got SAC all the money they had asked for!

Then we went off to the Beech Activity Center to help during the final moments before Get Scrappy and I got to see all my fellow garden refugees!!! Once the crop started I didn't get much accomplished that night other than talking and laughing. And it felt SO GREAT!!! I got to see Kay and Jeannie while they manned (womanned???) the supply table. And Nikki, Toni and Toni's daughter sat at the table right next to the table I sat at with Samantha and Sarah. And when Mary, who was feeling poorly the poor thing!, had a few moments she was sitting with us all too. I can't even put into words how good it was to be there with everyone. Just talking, laughing (sometimes over stupid stuff!) and making occasionally scrapping--speaking just for myself there, everyone else was creating some beautiful layouts!!! I wish there was a way to bottle that feeling and take a hit of it when I needed it!

We stayed until the end that night and then Sam and I headed back to her apartment and tried to get some sleep so we could be raring to go the next morning!!!

Random musings

2009-03-18T13:58:00.002-04:00

I know I said I'd blog about day two today but I'll try to do that later. (Like anybody is out there just dying from anticipation about it all! LOL) Today I feel like being random...notice the new blog topper?! I guess that fits into the trip stories so you'll hear about it later! ;-)

Yesterday I took Katie to her orthondontist consulation. I was impressed with the office and even more so when the doctor said she wasn't ready for braces and there was a SLIGHT chance she wouldn't need them at all if we could get all 8 1/2 (yes a half! Half of one baby tooth came out and the other half is still in there) baby teeth out relatively soon. Until all the baby teeth are out and the permanent teeth move into place he said no one could know for sure what her mouth will need. I like the fact it wasn't an immediate "You need this. Write us a check." meeting.

Unlike my appointment with the eye doctor back in November where the doctor who was 90 minutes late to my appointment, tried to initially argue over which eye had the corneal transplant and then talked over me the whole time while telling me I need a "ring" inserted into my left cornea to improve my vision. Out of the blue this morning I get a call from their office and the woman tells me my insurance approved the surgery. I told her I had cancelled any future appointments with them. She asked if she could know why so I very politely told her. I could hear her writing things down and she was taken aback by a few things and asked "WHO said this to you?" I told her I understood emergencies coming up and doctors being waylaid but that no one bothered to inform me and then I was treating like an annoyance by two people when I stepped out of the room to find out WHY I had been sitting there for 90 minutes. She apologized profusely. I told her it wasn't HER fault but thanked her for doing so. I also told her that to add insult to injury I was just there to have my prescription checked and was told I'd have to pay $30 to get a copy in order to get new glasses made. She said that was standard and I told her (politely but firmly again...I was quite proud of myself!) that in my almost 37 years of wearing glasses neither my parents nor I had EVER had to pay any eye doctor, specialist or not, extra to get a copy of the prescription. I pointed out that they had already received my co-pay and at the time would be receiving in the future a healthy payment from my insurance company. I've seen what the keratoconus exams can run and it's not cheap! But long story shortened a tad she asked me to take her name and number and said that if I decided to give them a second chance to call her. I don't know if I will or not. If I do then I won't see the same doctor I did before that's for sure. Maybe I was spoiled by my doctors in Kansas, if you can be spoiled during eye surgery and all the exams! But Dr. Gangadhar and Dr. McGuire both didn't want to rush into surgery like the guy here did. I went through the contact lens torture for a few months before they finally agreed that wasn't going to work for me. Even though I hated the contacts I appreciated the fact they weren't anxious to throw me into the surgical chair.

I just thought it was interesting that I got a phone call out of the blue like that this morning.

Especially right after I had called our family doctor to talk to the nurse about some questions concerning Robbie. The boy has bruises from knee to ankle on both legs. It seriously looks like somebody has beat the tar out of his legs. We've asked him what's happened and get the "I don't know" response. Even though I didn't think his medication was the cause I wanted to double check if it caused easy bruising. The nurse looked it up while talking to me and it doesn't. She said her first thought was that someone IS kicking him and he just doesn't want to tell us. I told her that was my first thought too but he's a tough nut to crack and so far he's not giving up any information. A fact that kills me as a mom but I'm not going to let myself go that route today.

I also asked her if Robbie was tested for gluten allergies with the blood work last month. He wasn't. I told her that while I was in Kansas someone mentioned it to me (Thanks Kay and Jeannie!) and said that while I knew looking at medical websites could be a dangerous thing to do that Robbie seemed to meet some of the symptoms. She understands that I'm trying to find some definitive answer as to why all this stuff, to us, just suddenly popped up. She was going to talk to the doctor and call me back about setting Robbie up for testing for gluten allergies. Mark and I both agree we need to start a food/mood diary for the boy and see if we can find some corelations. Some rhyme or reason as to why some days are mysteriously (again to us) good and others are horrible for Robbie. I just want him to be happy again and right now he's not. And it's my job to keep turning over stones to figure out why so stone turning I'll keep on doing!

Then I had to run errands including working at Katie's school book fair. I'm such a sucker for books! All my kids know it! So yes, Katie came in and I bought books for her and the newest 39 Clues book for Robbie. I adopted the mantra from this past week-end and kept saying "It's for charity!" LOL These kids are all 5th or 6th graders. I'm not sure what grade this one boy is but he looked like the stereotypical kid that gets teased a lot. The kind that pulls at those mama heart strings. He bought a book that his class had already read because he really liked it and wanted to re-read it a lot. Kid after my own heart! That was AFTER he made sure he had enough money to first buy a book for his little sister! AND he was spending his birthday money! Go ahead, admit it, you just thought "Awwwwwwwwwwwww!" like I said at the time! There were three of us moms working at the time and we all told him how sweet he was and what a great big brother he was. He just thanked us and acted like he wasn't doing anything special at all. There are days I wish I were wealthy so I could give it others and today was one of those days. I would have bought that boy every book he wanted for himself and his sister!

Wichita Trip-Day One

2009-03-17T09:38:00.003-04:00

I have flown several times before but this trip was the first time I've ever flown by myself, no husband or kids along, just me! It was an adjustment to just have to keep track of me and my stuff but it was kind of nice! The only problem came from not having that automatic seat mate! I was in "baby planes" both legs of the trip. One seat on one side of the row and two seats on the other side. Indy to St. Louis I sat in the one seat row but St. Louis to Wichita I sat in the seat next to the window and had "touchy, talky" guy sitting next to me. He was one of those people you can just tell is overembellishing the story as he's going along. I had a book in my hand but that didn't deter T&T man at all! He'd touched my knee or my arm every now and then while he was talking. I mentioned my "retired military" husband MANY times! lol And my three childen and two step-children and the s-c's children! I don't think he was flirting with me but he definitely was annoying! I mentally thanked the couple in front of us that were flying home to Hutchinson who would occasionally throw something into the conversation! Safety in numbers and all that! lol

Once we got to Wichita we had to sit on the tarmac because another plane was at our gate. I got a laugh when I said "I'm a mom on a mission so get me to that gate!" Kudos to the ground crew though because in the time it took me to walk from the gate to where Sam was waiting for me my suitcase was already circling the baggage carousel! Then Sam drove me to a restaurant on the west side of town after offering to make a stop somewhere else on the west side to see if I'd be asked to leave said spot! (Don't know where she gets that from!) We went to Pei Wei and enjoyed an early dinner and then my version of the story is she tried to show me the inside of a school bus tail pipe but she'd disagree! ;-)

We hung out at her apartment for a bit and then hit the mall to see if she could find a different outfit for her presentation on Friday which we didn't. A quick trip to Target and then a drive to Sonic, IN THE SNOW, so I could get my lemonberry slush! Stupid snow! And no Kayla, it is NOT magical after you've seen the amount of snow I've seen! lol

Then back to the apartment where I was reminded where Katie gets her talking non-stop skills, it's from her older sister!!! I tried to tag Kayla via Sam's text messaging and tell her she was it but that didn't work! There are different levels of conversation with Sam. There's where you both talk and then there's where only she talks and you make noise when she takes a breath! Love ya, Sam, and you know it's true! But it was so good just being with her so other than my sweatshirt dementor diguise I just sat and listened!

Then it was to bed and trying to sleep which leads to me "wake-up call" on Day Two that I'll go into tomorrow!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

2009-03-16T10:40:00.002-04:00

No, no jigs being done here, I'm too exhausted! I had a GREAT time this week-end! My only complaint is that it went way too fast! (Well I could complain about some of my traveling companions but I won't...at least not today! lol I WILL say, however, that good personal hygeine is NOT optional when you're going to be sealed into small planes with others, people!!!)

It was good to be with Sam all week-end. And it was good to be with my friends at Get Scrappy. I had so much fun and I laughed like I haven't in a looooooooong time! Yes, there were even some of the snorting laughs too! I'm sure that others wouldn't find as funny as we find ourselves and some of the stuff we laughed at might not even make sense to others but we have "great stories that we should tell at parties"!

I don't have the official tally yet but they announced that it was at least $10,000 for the Women's Crisis Center and that's even in a down economy! It was astounding to see the show of hands of people who have been touched in some way by domestic violence and reading Crystal's story (the woman who inspired Linda and Mary to start Get Scrappy) on her "silent witness" provided by the YWCA brought tears to my eyes. I imagine many of us have stories but that's for another day and time. I just can't go there today!

I know I've whined about the move A LOT in the past. So when I say the following I should feel like I should first state a disclaimer! I've accepted the fact of the move and I'm not boo-hooing over it anymore but that said Wichita just feels like HOME when I'm there. Maybe someday the Indy area will but I'm just not there yet. I know things would have changed if we were still there since I'd would have lost my job when all the other "garden refugees" did in October but it still feels like home to me the two times I've been back to visit since moving. All my little birdies would be in the same general nest and I'd have my friends closer too. But I know they're just a phone call or e-mail or Facebook comment away! Not the same as living near each other but it's better than nothing! I was blessed to get that job almost four years ago. Not because of the place but because of the co-workers who became friends. What a great week-end I had with them!

Once I'm over the "traveling tireds" I'll blog some more about it all!

Tomorrow can't get here fast enough

2009-03-11T08:45:00.002-04:00

My younger two children are on a last ditch effort to drive me insane so I can't board the plane I think! I'll spare you the details but I am sooooooooooo ready to get to Wichita where I can see the oldest child who remains steady in her effort to drive me insane and my friends. Just hanging out, cropping, talking, laughing with people who follow (Or who at least are used to) my random thought processes and that I enjoy being around.

Today I'm going to finish up cleaning the house and doing laundry. Am I the only person who feels compelled to do all that before going on a trip? It's not like Mark couldn't do any of it and it's not even like he asked or expected it to be done before I left but *I* feel the need to have it done. Do I expect it to still be clean when I get home? Bahahahahahaha I don't think they'll trash the joint but I don't see any of them jumping out of bed and grabbing a dust cloth or vacuum either! lol

I got my scrapping stuff for the crop into one of those plastic 12x12 boxes and an extra large ziploc bag. I showed it to Mark and he said "Wow! Really?" It does looks sparse but I'd rather spend money on supplies there than to pay for another bag at the check-in counter! I do think I'm actually ok though. I'm sure there's something I'll have forgotten but I think I did pretty well in packing! I'm scrapping all the pictures from Sam's first trip out here last summer. In theory I could actually run out of stuff to do but knowing myself I'm not worried about that!

The countdown is on

2009-03-10T12:43:00.003-04:00

In 48 hours I will hopefully have just lifted off the ground from the Indy airport on my way to Wichita. My fear is my plane will be cancelled and I'll have to wait for a later flight or be re-routed! Luck hasn't exactly been a friend lately but I'm going to try to maintain high hopes! Just like that little old ant! In my mind I'm singing that song along with Laverne and Shirley!

I think I'm pretty much ready to go scrapping supplywise. I finally threw in the towel and said if I needed something else then I'd hopefully find it at Get Scrappy or I'd go to Scrapfunattic and find it! I do want to cut out a couple of things on my Cricut but I'm sure I'm going to forget something! And I'm also sure I'm taking some stuff that I won't even use! Just the nature of the beast!

And a shout out to Scrapfunattic for getting behind Get Scrappy 4! I had planned on going out there on Friday morning anyway but now I really feel the need to support their family business! It's a shame that I feel, both morally and ethically, unable to support my former place of employment. Yes, it's a business and a source of income for the owners but I still say that losing the "me first" mentality could boost business more than they'd realize. Unfortunately I don't see the current attitude there changing.

Changing gears for a bit, things are still stressful around here. Long stories short: we're changing doctors for Robtar. He's still losing weight and it seems like we go two steps forward somedays and two steps back on others. Katie has her inital appointment with the orthodontist next week too (both appointments on the same day...yes, I'm a glutton for punishment). I'm a little nervous about the appointment from things the dentist said but I'm not telling her that. I'm talking her down of the fear wall whenever she tries to climb it. I'd like to go wire some classmates mouths shut to stop them from giving her misinformation! (yes, I'm a mean mom too!) Last night Mark told me he wanted me to promise him two things. First was I would do my best to put all this crap out of my mind while I'm at Get Scrappy and just enjoy myself. He got the "Are you new?" look. Then he said "And the second thing I want you to promise me is....THAT YOU'RE COMING BACK!!!" LOL I joked with him that I could get off the plane in Chicago and disappear and he said that's what he's afraid of! Don't worry, dear, I'll be back! heehee

Lately it has been a challenging time for me and my faith. My very good friend, Kelli, e-mailed me today and I'm trying something she suggested. I have some friends I've made online through a scrapping message board on AOL years ago and there are a few of them who lately have helped me more than I can ever say. I think Kel's the lifeline God's throwing to me because He knows where my faith is right now. Jeanne is the one who understands what I'm saying, thinking, feeling and reminds me I'm NOT the root of all evil. Laura's the one who throws some common sense thinking my way even when I don't want it. ;-) And Leonore is the one who sympathizes with me (and Samantha too!) and always knows what to say to make me smile and sometimes even laugh! Thank you ladies!

And now this week-end I get to go hang out with my former CO-WORKERS and STILL friends (better, Sarah?! ;-) ) and I know there will be a lot of laughter and comfort there! And I'm sure there will be several times I do the lovely laugh-snort too! And I can talk to myself again without people looking at me strangely! Yessss!!!!!!!!!!

Hey little reader, want some Girl Scout cookies?!

2009-03-05T19:10:00.003-05:00

I have become a cookie pusher! I thought about saying a "cookie pushing 'ho" but that just didn't seem appropriate since we're talking about Girl Scouts! Katie's cookie sales numbers took a nose dive this year. Her "customer base" is back in Kansas and it was so cold and snowy during the pre-sale that she didn't get the numbers she wanted. I've been talking to the cookie mom about cookies and other things (yay! an adult to talk to that I'm not married to!) and she told me (and the other parents) that if the troop sells another 80 boxes or so then the numbers average out so each girl gets a t-shirt. Mark's sold some more at work and I sold some at the dentist office. Irony at it's best, isn't it?! lol This morning when I was at the cookie mom's house to pick up some cookies the dentist's office called my cell to say I could come in early. I told them I was at the cookie mom's house and would go straight to their office from there. Then without even thinking I asked "So does anyone there need more cookies?!" I sold two more boxes! The c.m. and I were laughing and I said "I used to be a quiet, reserved person, honest!" We talked about how we go out of our comfort zones for our kids. Ain't that the truth?!

Now I feel like I should get a trench coat like that old character, Lefty the Salesman, on Sesame Street who was always trying to sell Ernie a letter. Except my line would be "Pssssssst! Hey kid, wanna buy some cookies?!"

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Lefty_the_Salesman

Is it Saturday yet?!

2009-03-04T08:49:00.003-05:00

This is the week of the multitude of appointments. And just this morning I remembered I volunteered to help Robbie's math teacher with an ice cream party on Friday! So I guess it's a good thing I'm going to meet Mark for lunch and then hit the commissary down there and get some groceries today instead of my normal pay-day grocery run.

All this running around and getting myself and/or others all over the metro Indy area means I haven't had any time to work on packing for the crop next week. (YAY!!! It's NEXT WEEK!!!!) I know, I know...I've known about this for two months and have had plenty of time before this week to plan and pack but....wait for it.....you know what's coming....ARE YOU NEW?! Packing for a crop two months early?! I can't even wrap my head around that kind of thinking! ;-)

Robbie has a laser-tag birthday party to go to Saturday morning but then I THINK we actually have the rest of the week-end off! First time in almost two months! There's a slight chance we may be selling girl scout cookies (anybody need some???) on Sunday but I think that's a very slight chance. But from my post the other day you know how well trying to do anything scrap-related with everyone home works for me! Monday morning is my morning to volunteer at Katie's school library and then there's scouts Monday night. Now we're pushing into Tuesday and Wednesday and it has to be finished by Wednesday night because Thursday I'm "leaving on a jet plane"! Sing along, you know the words!

Back to one of the multitude of appointments this week, both the kids passed their dental cleanings with no cavitites! YAY! However, we have to make an appointment with an orthodontist for Katie. We knew it was coming but still doesn't prepare you for it! Ka-ching ka-ching The dentist showed me her panoramic x-ray and I see why he thinks some teeth may need pulled. They are crowded in there! And she has several baby teeth that are trying to hang in there for dear life. And I saw one of her permanent teeth in her upper gum that is coming in at an angle and is now up against the root of another tooth. So we have to get some space in there for that thing to come down before it messes up the roots of the other teeth. He also said it's not just her teeth out of alignment but her jaw as well. He started talking about "appliances" and Katie's eyes were getting bigger and she was looking scared so I did a slight head shake and he nodded in understanding and cut that conversation short for now. "We'll see what the ortho says and go from there." He has kids so he knows! lol

I'm still waiting for MY billion dollar bail out! Heck, I'd settle for a million!

My dental PSA for the day

2009-03-02T14:27:00.004-05:00

If as a child, like me, you got some of those lovely silver metal fillings in your teeth and as an adult a dentist (or two) says to you "Those should be replaced someday.", believe them and do it sooner rather than later!

I spent two and half fun-filled hours in the ol' dental chair today. (And my day's not over because I have to get the boy to a doctor's appt in Indy and the girl back here for a scout thing by 5:30--I hate Mondays!) We all thought that they were going to replace three old fillings and put in one small new one thanks to a new cavity. The x-rays LIED! There was decay under two of the old fillings, the new cavity was bigger than it appeared on the x-ray and they found yet another new one hiding between teeth when they removed the old filling. I honestly lost track of how many times a needle was shot into my mouth. I've always had a high tolerance to those meds and needed "extra" anyway but because of the amount of work they were doing the meds were wearing off faster than any of us wanted them to! One of the dental techs said "I've never seen anybody get that many shots before!" Happy to be the first for you!

I'm starting to feel bruise-like sore at some of the shot sites but I'm still a numb, swollen feeling mess. They told me to not try to eat anything other than yogurt or ice cream for a few hours so I didn't hurt myself. Once I got home I thought "How difficult will it be to eat some yogurt?!" I have spent the last 35 minutes laughing at myself as I try to eat a little six ounce cup of yogurt! Literally laughing out loud at myself as I try to suck the yogurt off the spoon! Yes, I am sometimes easily amused! It's kind of sad though when you have to go look in the mirror to make sure you're clean after eating something as simple as yogurt! lol

The highlight was probably when the one dentist (it's a husband and wife team) said that having had those fillings since I was a kid they were probably close to 20 years old. I laughed and said "Yeah, we'll go with 20!" ;-) And the fun thing is I get to go back Thursday for the left side!!! So when a dentist tells you an old filling needs replaced...BELIEVE THEM!!!! Don't wait because you never know what those nasty little bacteria are doing in their little silver love hideaway!

Page planning...something actually scrapbooking related!

2009-03-01T11:09:00.003-05:00

In an attempt to push past the "this money would be wiser spent elsewhere" feelings I'm attempting to plan some pages for the Get Scrappy crop in Wichita. Since the airlines charge you per bag now and I couldn't drag all my stuff with me anyway I need to plan my pages. It's harrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd! I'm a "push the photos around and hem and haw over all my crap..I mean scrapping supplies and then decided what to use" kinda gal. I know pre-planning works for many people but my thoughts have always been if I'm going to go that far into the layout I might as well slap it all together right then and there! I picked out the photos and now I just have to start going through my stuff and making "page piles" as I'm calling'em.

Here's where the "problem", such as is it, lies. We used to have a basement and I had a dark corner at the far end. Not great on lighting but it was a few yards away from the kids playing video games and I could have my iPod hooked up to the speakers and scrap away. Here we don't have a basement. We have what they called a "loft" at the top of the stairs on the second floor. It's become our "basement" in a smaller space. So within a few feet there is someone on the computer, someone else on the PlayStation and then me in my corner looking at my scrapping stuff. These "stations" are too close together for me to turn on my music without bothering others and it's hard to concentrate when you're hearing ninja fighting noises coming from the boy's Naruto game on the PlayStation! I miss my "hole in the ground" and my space.

But back to planning because the mood I'm in I could really go off on a tangent! I have one of those 12x12 plastic boxes that I'm going to throw everything into. Mary offered me the use of her paper trimmer when she first heard I was flying in so I don't have to worry about packing that! Now I just need to figure out what lettering or shapes I want to cut out of my Cricut and then cut them out and run them through the Xyron. Oh, I'll be just like Lisa B. when she's on QVC! Except I'm pretty sure she has somebody doing all that work for her before she "demos" a page! lol I have a little over a week to accomplish this. Anybody want to place a bet???

Saturday

2009-02-28T09:58:00.002-05:00

in Wal-Mart I'd rather put a stick in my eye! Sing the title and that first line to the tune of Chicago's Saturday in the Park and you got musical comedy!

The boy needs a new pair of tennies and we need stuff for scouts and birthday presents for two of their friends and a new furnace air filter, et, etc. THIS is the stuff of my shopping trips. Pathetic, eh? Not exactly the stuff of which blogs are written! Then next week the rest of our tax refund is going to the dentist. I know, I know. I'm causing envy amongst you all!

Due to recent events I was considering seeing if I could cancel my flight to Kansas and get a refund on my plane ticket. It must have been weighing on my mind more than I realized because last night I had a dream that I just didn't go to the airport and it was an hour after my flight left before anyone realized I was supposed to be there. Then they were trying to hurry me to the airport and I didn't have anything packed. I saw people throwing scrapping supplies I don't even own into a bag in my dream. I was telling Mark about it this morning. He told me I was going and to not worry about money. I asked him....Mary knows the question!....."Are you new?" He's cute when he's trying to tell me what to do! lol

Looks like the rest of the family is almost ready to go. Off to face the teeming masses at a Saturday morning Walmart! (shudder!)

questions of the day

2009-02-26T16:18:00.002-05:00

1. Why is it in a house with 2 1/2 baths and 4 people I found myself putting new toilet paper on the roll in all bathrooms this morning? The odds say I should have only had to maybe change one. 3 toilet paper rolls--4 people--only ONE person should have been spared that chore not THREE!

2. How is it I did three loads of laundry yesterday and the hamper is already full today?

3. Why is my husband is the one who skipped the last dental cleaning appointment before we moved while I went to mine but I'M the one who was told she has a new cavity today? It's becoming apparent to me that I should never go to Vegas because the odds are definitely NOT in my favor!

4. How can I be on antibiotics for 3 1/2 days and still feel like crapola? I guess it's upgraded crapola but still not where I'd like to be at this point.

These are the questions weighing on my mind this afternoon. Jack Handy and his Deep Thoughts don't have anything on me!

I gave in

2009-02-23T10:59:00.003-05:00

After almost two weeks of feeling cruddy and waking up this morning in pain and feeling like trying to think was like pulling cotton balls out of my head I gave in and called the doctor. What started out as a viral infection as now become a sinus infection so now I have an antibiotic and some cough syrup with codeine in it so I can sleep once again! I miss sleep! I've had a non-stop headache for several days that the doctor said is probably from a culmination of little sleep, coughing and packed sinuses. Hopefully soon this will all be just an ugly painful memory!

It was a scouting activity filled week-end. Saturday afternoon was Robbie's Blue and Gold Banquet and right after that was Katie's Father/Daughter Dance. Yesterday Robbie's den went bowling while Katie was hawking Girl Scout cookies at a local grocery store with other girls from her troop. Busy, busy, busy!

Robbie and Mark with Robbie's patch that I can't remember the name of!

Mark and Katie before the dance. The dress had skinny straps and Katie wouldn't let me take a picture of her without the wrap that we bought separately on! Let's hope she keeps that modesty as she moves into the teen years! I don't think the picture does her or the dress justice. She was very cute that night!

This is the life

2009-02-21T13:14:00.004-05:00

Aren't there days you'd like to have a life like this?!

I took this last week (we haven't seen much sun this week). Daisy and Belle worshipping the sun. It's their "downward dog" pose! heehee

Test update

2009-02-18T14:34:00.002-05:00

I got a copy of the results of the boy's blood tests in the mail today. Everything is within normal limits except for a "very mild low creatinine level". Which according to the doctor means his muscle mass is less than it should be but she said that's due to the weight loss. So maybe not a definitive answer as to why he's losing weight but we were thankfully able to rule out some possible reasons! Hallelujah!

Here comes the snow again

2009-02-18T08:57:00.003-05:00

You have to sing the title like Annie Lennox singing "Here comes the rain again"! We had a couple of days in the 40s but a cold front is coming through this afternoon. It's a rainy gloomy day and that's supposed to turn into snow. Thankfully it's not supposed to amount to much.

I still have the crud. I've talked to some people including the pharmacist assistant at CVS and apparently this garbage can last up to two weeks and it's not uncommon to feel better and then relapse. All I know is it better be gone by the time I head to Wichita for my cropping week-end! Oh my, I leave three weeks from tomorrow!? I need to get some sleep so I can see and think well enough to pack my scrapping supplies! Clothes are easy, it's the scrapping stuff I'll have trouble deciding upon!

I can't think of anything worth blogging about. Maybe tomorrow?

Happy Anniversary to us!

2009-02-14T07:16:00.002-05:00

Mark and I have been married 17 years today! Yay us!

I'm still sick so I'm not sure what, if anything, we may do today to celebrate. But we'll be together...enjoying it one moment and driving one another crazy the next...and I don't think either of us would have it any other way!

Friday

2009-02-13T09:33:00.003-05:00

Original title, no? I just don't have it in me to be overly creative today! Yesterday I felt fine and then yesterday evening it felt like the mother of all head colds just suddenly appeared and now I have the fuzzy thinking, sore throat, earache, blah, blah, blah. Apparently I gave Mark a taste of what it's like to sleep next to him. I woke up around 2:15 and he wasn't there so I went downstairs and he was on the couch sleeping. He said I was "sawing logs". I wish I could say it was just his own log sawing he was hearing but the way my sinuses feel I have to admit it was probably me! I had thought about going to Archiver's today just to look around but I'm in my sweats and don't plan on leaving the house. I foresee a nap in my future!

I took Robbie in for his blood draw yesterday. The lab tech used a butterfly needle thankfully so it went smoother than he had anticipated. He didn't watch her taking the blood but then wanted to see the vials afterwards. A boy thing? I know when I have to have blood drawn, I don't mind doing it, but I have no need to see it!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and my and Mark's 17th anniversary! Robbie has a party at school today and had to make a milk jug "bottle beastie" per his teacher. He decided he wanted his to be one of the Pokemon characters. I had serious doubts as to how we'd pull this off but he assured us he had a picture in his head and we managed to bring it to "life". He chose Caterpie since it's a nice Pokemon. Since Caterpie doesn't have a mouth the opening for the Valentines is cut out of the back of the jug behind the handle.

Pretty cool? I thought so! And we got to play with my Cricut to cut out Caterpie's eyes and his heart underbelly!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bring on the rain

2009-02-11T13:45:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm now channeling JoDee Messina and have that song going through my head for a few reasons today. (Is it frightening to anyone out there how many people seem to live in my head?! I wonder if this is how Jeff Dunham got started?!)

Anywho....it's been raining ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL day today and isn't supposed to stop until tomorrow I don't think. Starting this afternoon and throughout the evening hours we're supposed to have t-storms and wind gusts of 50-60 mph. If they were blowing in the right direction maybe I could wake up in the morning and say "Daisy, I think we're in Kansas again!" It's easier for us all if you just go with it!

My son also had a doctor's appointment this morning and tomorrow morning he gets to go in for a fasting blood test. He's been losing weight that he can't afford to lose and in the past month he's lost another two pounds. Which would be nothing to most of us but at age 8.5 on a kid who was skinny to begin with it's kind of a big deal! The pants that used to be snug on him are almost falling off of him now. sigh

The past few months have been rough on the poor kid and being a mom I find ways to feel guilty about it. I think that's normal mom behavior. It makes me heartsick to know that something inside my son is fighting against him and I can't fight it for him.

But together with his doctor, his dad and I and him are going to find a way to beat whatever all this is! So again I say ala Jo Dee Messina "Bring On The Rain"!

Another day has almost come and gone
Can’t imagine what else could wrong
Sometimes I’d like to hide away somewhere and lock the door
A single battle lost but not the war (‘cause)

Tomorrow’s another day
And I’m thirsty anyway
So bring on the rain

It’s almost like the hard times circle ‘round
A couple drops and they all start coming down
Yeah, I might feel defeated,I might hang my head
I might be barely breathing - but I’m not dead

Tomorrow’s another day
And I’m thirsty anyway
So bring on the rain

I’m not gonna let it get me down
I’m not gonna cry
And I’m not gonna lose any sleep tonight

So bring on the rain

Yes, I DO think I'm funny!

2009-02-10T21:37:00.003-05:00

First I have to say that you have to be familiar with SNL'S Kristin Wiig's character, Penelope, and the ditzy Tatiana on this season of American Idol to find this nearly as amusing as I did this evening! heehee After seeing the "a legend in her own mind" T on tonight's episode of AI it hit me as to whom she sometimes resembles and that would be Penelope! So I started doing the hair twirl and talking in that wispy monotone much to my family's "delight". I'm sure they were delighted, what other expression could that have been on their faces???

I stopped for awhile when the show came back on and then when a commercial began I started reciting lines from The Princess Bride ala Penelope! I used to "delight" my former friends/co-workers with my Princess Bride recitals! See how I bring sunshine and happiness to all those around me?! *I could be the...next...American...Idol!!! Now if only I could stop doing the hair twirl!

Oh, oh!!! Christopher Walken's "I gotta have me more cowbell, baby!" recited ala Penelope! Coming soon to a theater near you!

Winter Reprieve

2009-02-10T10:15:00.006-05:00

This morning I woke up to 54 degrees. Faaaabuloussss! Especially when you consider last Tuesday was when we had four inches of snow in three hours! It's cloudy and rainy off and on but it feels like an early, balmy spring day...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! And we'll ignore the fact they're calling for possible snow on Saturday. Ssssssssshhhhhhhhh!

I took the dogs out for a walk this morning. I defintely have girl dogs because they squeal like teeny-boppers when they see their leashes! "Oh Mom, oh Mom, we're going for a walk?! Really?! Oh, I'm so excited!!!!" Yes, I often imagine the conversations my dogs have! Don't judge me! ;-)

Apparently Belle thought Daisy's side had the better smells or something because she was trying to push her out the way here. I think Belle has adopted the philosophy of "I'm old, I'll walk when I'm ready to walk, lady!" She'll be 13 in May so maybe she's earned that right but not enough to continually try to trip me! We all know how graceful I am anyway!

There really is a sun hiding behind there! It can hide all it wants if it stayed in the 50s/60s for longer than today!

This is one of the ponds in the neighborhood. I wonder how long that ball has been out on the ice? Now it's more slush than ice. I wonder if the owner is waiting for it all to melt and the ball to get pushed back to the edge of the pond by the waves?

Daisy, in the brief moment she'd actually look at me and not everything else!

Belle NOT looking at me. "I've spent all winter looking at you!"

Now both doggies are snoring away. But I bet if I grabbed those leashes again they'd find some energy!

Welcome Race Fans

2009-02-08T19:31:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Robbie's Pinewood Derby. Every car ran four heats and Robbie was second twice and third twice so he didn't win a trophy. His best friend did though and it was cute to see how excited Robbie got for him! A lot better reaction than two years ago when he grumbled "Well, this was a waste of time." when he didn't win! But he also got the ol' Mom lecture of how it's not about winning, he spent time with Dad "building" his car, and learned new things, etc, etc that year so he probably remembers it and didn't want to hear it again! lol

The car!

The racer!

It was a little different than in Kansas but they did have a neat computer system here that projected a screen onto the wall that showed the racers in each heat, their lane position and then their finishing time. In Kansas they had a wooden track and the one here seemed more like those old tongue-n-groove plastic Hot Wheels tracks. (Which when you get swatted with one of those things it HURTS! My brother and I were always so loving towards each other!)

Katie complained of being bored and after a couple of times of hearing it I told her that Robbie had been bored at her choir concert and would be at her band concert in a couple of weeks too. She looked highly offended! Then when I said that the derby was as important to Robbie as those things were to her she managed to look a little chagrined. Then she was attempting to change the subject! Kids, gotta love'em!

Fake it 'til you make it

2009-02-05T14:18:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling a bit weepy today and frustrated with certain things today. I was going to post a few moments ago and whine and then I exited out so I wouldn't do that. Then I felt myself going into my closed-in hermit mode. Then I heard a rattle come from downstairs so I went to check it out (while my brave dogs sat at the top of the stairs @@). I'm making homemade chicken soup and bread in the bread machine for supper tonight. I had sat the bread machine on top of a piece of paper on the counter. I guess it gave it enough traction to "walk" to the edge of the counter. Luckily that wasn't the rattle but rather a General Foods coffee tin that I had washed out to alter at some point. I started laughing and thought "Even the bread machine has had it and is headed for the door!" which reminded me of my "fake it 'til you make it" philosophy I was going to attempt to adopt this year.

So here goes.......

I'm listening to Celtic Thunder on my iPod right now. Yes, my 11 yo is obsessed with them but I totally understand it! There's such emotion in the songs that they pull you in. Love for country, love for family, romantic love. They make me wish I was 100% Irish instead of the smidgen of my Heniz 57 heritage!

I watched Jane Austen's Book Club today. I liked it. Most know I'm an avid reader but I've never really gotten into Jane Austen but the movie made me think about attempting one of her books again someday. I love books! If it weren't for the library I don't know what I'd do because I couldn't afford to read the way I do if I had to buy all my books! I love that anticipation of opening the cover for the first time! It's like stepping into new surroundings and meeting new friends to me. I love it when you find a book that is so good that it almost hurts to stop reading it! And then I'm sad when it's over!

If only I could get as enthusiastic over exercising as I do about books and music I love!

Feeling bad

2009-02-03T14:15:00.002-05:00

I feel badly that while I was whining about the snow there was an almost 30 vehicle pile-up not far from my house. 20 cars, 5 semis and a fire truck and 2 or 3 fatalities depending on your news source. You can go to indystar.com or wishtv.com and see the details if you want. The video I saw on the noon news was horrific. I feel so badly for all those involved, whether in the accident or the resuce personnel. They're working in -9 wind chills, strong wind gusts and snow (4 inches in 3 hours). I typically keep certain thoughts close to my heart and in my mind but may God bless them all.

a blog rerun

2009-02-03T10:48:00.003-05:00

It is snowing AGAIN. Robbie and I stood at the bus stop just under five minutes and I had to dump the snow off his backpack before he got on the bus and our footprints were almost covered on my trek back to the house. Stuck record I know but (close your eyes if need be!) I AM SICK OF SNOW!!! Well, it's more like I'm sick of winter. Snow is pretty if you don't have to go anywhere. Cold weather makes me hurt (whimpering over the twinges in my right hip as I type). I try to make myself feel better by telling myself that the cold temps help keep the bug population under control so we can go outside in warm weather and enjoy it more. I'll get back to you on if that's working or not! I just heard on the radio that temps have been falling all morning and the wind chill is now -1. Major sigh.

This morning I got Robbie out of bed by my talking about wishing for warm breezes, budding flowers and "little bunnies hopping through the yard". When I got the bunnies his eyes popped open and he said "WHAT?!" in a tone of voice that makes me think he's questioning his mom's sanity! Perhaps rightfully so!

February already?!

2009-02-01T10:41:00.005-05:00

How can it be that 1/12 of the year is already gone? It's not like I've done anything in the past 31 days that would make time fly! Before you know it I'll be back from Get Scrappy already...no! I wish there was a way to slow certain moments down. But then you get into that whole space/time continium thing....I learned about that from watching Star Trek: Next Generation!

One of the local weathermen made me laugh out loud this morning. Officially the Indy Airport got 12.5" of snow the other day and this morning he announced that they were officially "down to 10 inches!" I don't know why it struck me as so funny but it did! This week has just confirmed what I already knew about how I wouldn't be able to life much further north and be able to maintain what small grip on my sanity that I have! This morning when I went outside to grab the newspaper out of the driveway it was 37 degrees. And it actually felt BALMY! I wondered if it was pathetic that 37 seriously felt like a spring morning to me or if it was a testament to my bright, sunny outlook on life! Bahahahahhahahaha...snort..snicker....!

But look! My little smiley face I drew on the side of the van agrees! Although he suffered an untimely passing when I whisked him away to the ground so I could make the Great Cabin Fever Escape the other day!

It's a bright, bright sunshiney day

2009-01-30T13:40:00.004-05:00

We still have a foot of snow and it's still COLD but the sun is shining brightly today so it feels like a psychological shot of Vitamin C! The kids had another two hour delay today because of the bus stops being under snow and they don't want kids on the streets in the dark and during rush hour traffic. Once I got Robbie on the bus I was warming up the van so I could escape cabin fever!

I hit the library and returned a couple of books and picked up two more they were holding for me. Then I decided to head into Indy and just walk around Michael's and then Archiver's. First I wandered around the scrapbooking section of Mike's and saw some cute things but nothing that said "BUY ME! BUY ME!" to me. THEN I headed to the dollar spot and I found this (Insert the sounds of angels singing!):

Not the best shot in the world but when you have two dogs trying to "help" you take what you can get! All that was $1 each! Chipboard albums! Rhinestones! Paper packs! Chipboard embellies! Regular stickers! Shiny, glittery stickers! Flowers! Ribbon! (Angelic voices being heard again!) They had four different colors of paper packs and then matching things to go with them as well as four different styles of chipboard albums and paper cut to fit into the albums. I didn't get any of those but they were cute. I COULD have brought a lot more home but I made myself exercise some restraint and keep it under $20!

Then I went by Archiver's to look for the newest Cosmo Cricket papers (they didn't have them and the clerk didn't know if they were getting it or not. I miss having a lss!!!) but I did find some stuff from KI's school line this summer that was half off and some brads in the $1.99 spot. I got stamps and shiny rub-ons that match the paper I bought this summer.

Free books from the library and scrapbooking supplies on sale...it's a bright, bright sunshiney day!

Got Snow?

2009-01-29T11:47:00.004-05:00

I posted more pictures over on my facebook page but here are a few for you non-facebookers! The snow started shortly after noon on Tuesday and didn't stop until around noon on Wednesday. The amounts vary all over the metro area but 9-12 inches seem to be the range they're reporting. I went out Tuesday afternoon and shoveled thinking I'd stay ahead of it. Mark was enjoying a twice as long as normal ride home from work at that point. I'd say within three hours you couldn't even tell I had been out there! Yesterday I went out to take some pictures and then shoveled until Mark took over. Last night both of us were starting to feel the pain and the pain has remained with us today! The next snowflake I see falling from the sky gets it from a hair dryer!

When the kids went into the backyard Robbie said "An all you can eat snow buffet!" The dogs are not fans of the snow when there's this much of it. Poor Daisy can't even go outside without her belly being submerged in it! The upside of that is that today they aren't wanting to play "I want out/no, I want in/well, maybe I do want out!" Today it's more like I'm getting looks of "YOU go out there and TCB and see what it's like!"

I'm in the middle of an e-mail exchange with Robbie's teacher. Tuesday afternoon was not a good one for our young hero. Apparently the class was supposed to be working on a weather booklet and at the end of that time his teacher saw he didn't have his booklet and had drawn a page of his comic book he's making instead. She took it from him and threw it away in front of him which apparently caused some strife. I'm sure my eldest will tell you that my first question to my kids is usually "Well, what SHOULD you have done instead of x, y, z?" So yes, Robbie should have told her he couldn't find the booklet and NOT drawn pictures and he paid for that mistake yesterday during his snow day by spending almost two hours on school work. (Yep, I'm mean!) BUT....(and you knew one was coming, didn't you???)....why did it take her an hour to discover he wasn't doing his work? Why wasn't she walking around the class checking on all the students and seeing who might need some help? And today, in an e-mail, I found out he was sitting in the back of the classroom but "after Tuesday's episode" was being moved to the side/front. We've had several conferences, phone calls and e-mails with her since his ADD diagnosis. I thought we had covered that the doctors said kids with ADD should NOT be in the back of the classroom due to all the possible distractions. To our faces she agreed with that so why was he back in the back of the room??? Sometimes it feels like she sets him up to fail. We are doing everything we can at home and telling Robbie what he needs to be doing so WORK WITH US WOMAN! She likes to tell us that he's not eligible for the 504 Plan because that's designed for kids who are failing and Robbie's too smart. From my research it's unfortunately up to each school district to decide how they will interpret it but that some set forth criteria to prevent a student from getting to the failing point. He IS very smart but I see him throwing in the towel if we can't change something soon.

This week I've been reminded several times that parenting is not for wimps.