Visiting family

I booked my flight last night to go back to Maryland and visit the "fam". I will be staying for a week. During that week I will help my dad go through my moms stuff and clear stuff out. I think he wanted me to have an opportunity to look through her things. . .esp her jewelery. It will be nice to see family too. And of course I will visit my moms grave. I have not seen it with the headstone. It is hard to believe that it has been over 2 years since she passed. I still want to pick up the phone and call her. I am also trying to figure out if I will be taking a break next semester or not. We will see. . . right now I have to work on a paper that is due tomorrow. Oh joy!

Friday night. . .

Well, it is Friday night and I am doing what I seem to be doing every night, trying to catch up! That is the story of my life lately. I have had a migraine all week and finally got rid of it. . but the meds made me extremly tired! Ugh. I still need to write the introduction and conclusions to my research paper on technology in the classroom. I can not seem to get anything done recently! Oh well...I really must go write now. . .too bad I don't have technology that can do it for me!

Cooking. . .lots of cooking!

Well, I did a lot of cooking today since I had to make a couple of Chicken Splot Pies for people. One for my best friends family whose lost a beloved Grandpa, one for a friend of a friend who lost a beloved son (way way too soon!), and of course I made one for us and one for Karen because I can't make Chicken Splot Pie and not give her one! I also had an 8 and a half pound Pork Roast, so I cut off 12 chops and froze them in a Balsamic marinade and garlic studded the rest of the roast.

For dinner tonight we had Garlic Studded Pork Roast with baked beans and rolls. Most of the kids made sandwhicheds with the roast and rolls.

I think I might run away now. . .I can't even finish typing because the kids keep coming inside (they are out playing football in the nice weather) and complaining about EVERYTHING! UGH! Is it any wonder I can't think straight?

Oh well, cooking reminds me of my mom. And it was also a small thing I could do to help those around me. Since I can't bring back my friends loved ones, I can give them some small comfort in their time of need. It is what my mom would have done too. . .

Random stuff

Well it is almost 2 am, and I should be in bed, but I am enjoying the quiet- a rarity around my house! I am not, however enjoying the fact(s) that I am itching like crazy again (cuz I forgot to take my allergy meds yesterday), my house is a mess, my dishwasher is broken (agian!), I can not find a job that I can do while the kids are in school, and that my number 1 key keeps popping off of my laptop!

I am up so late (early) because I had an assignment that was due for school 2 days ago (there goes my 1 key again) so I had to finish it. There was also an assignment due today that I will have to do tomorrow cuz I was working on the one due 2 days ago! LOL. Why did I ever think that I could do this college thing againg with all the other things i have going on in my life? I an getting zero suppor/help from my family and truth be told I am going to call my advisor this week and just tell her that I can not continue after this semester because I am too stressed and also because I need to find a job. The phone is ringin off the hook from 8 am until 9 pm. UGH!111111 (key again!!). I am not a quiter, but I just can not continue on this way, I am so stressed right now. I suspect that may be why i am getting hives. I don't know, but it could be.

Between the one car for 7 people, the college courses, the bills that are due, the house that is always a WRECK, the obligations at the school (volunteering), and the gazillion other things i have going on, I am wiped out all the time! When is it going to be time to focus on me. . .probably never, so I should just get used to it and stop trying!

I have never inhaled. . .

Someone asked the other day why no one cared about Michael Phelps smoking pot. Well, that is an interesting question. I actually do care. Yes, I do care. Everyone says that he is just a kid and it was a mistake. Okay, I get that, really I do. But, lets me serious, not everyone has inhaled. People say that "everyone" has tried drugs or alcohol. Well, I am here to say that is NOT true. I have never ever inhaled or even touched the nasty evil stuff! Drugs are just stupid and there is no redeeming factors about them. . .at all! Alcohol is a different story, since it is legal. I don't have a problem with people who have a drink now or then. I personally just do not drink. I did try one drink on my 21^st birthday though. . .just did not like it. Don't like the smell or the taste.

 

My problem with the Phelps thing is this, he is not a young teenager. He is 23 years old, he is old enough to know better. He knows that he has a TON of kids who look up to him. I think his apology was lame. Dude, you have worked so hard for what you have gotten and you awe gonna throw it away so you can get high!? What the heck were you thinking! Was winning so many gold medals not high enough? Really! Give me a break. Grow up already. I have a feeling Phelps mom kicked his ass when she saw him after she found out though. . .she seems like the type who would do that!

 

FYI to my kids. I will kick your asses if you EVER try to do the same crap. Just don't even start it. . .EVER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! There is NOTHING COOL at all about it! Find other ways to get your "kicks", please!

and the Craziness continues!!!!!!

Here is a random pic of Catherine's 15th bday party. Just had to post it.. .lol

Right now my head is stinging from the Ovide lotion (although it is more like a liquid really...) that I applied to my head a few minutes ago. If you do not know what it is used for...well, I will just say it, it is used to KILL LICE (and I really hope that it works and kills those nasty buggers! All 5 of my children and myself have had those nasty little things and come on now, after almost 2 weeks. . . I am SO OVER it already! Mix in one child with strep, 2 college courses with work that needs to be done (it does not matter that I have to pick lice and nits out of every one's head, including my own!), physical therapy for my knee and back, normal household chores as well as extra with all of the sanitizing of bedding, clothes, couches, carpets. . .you see where I am going, right? and yes, the craziness does indeed continue.

I am trying to play catch up on my school work and for the most part that is going OK. One of my instructors is not being cooperative though, but what can you do, right? I am really enjoying the courses I am taking and until this "speed bump" I was doing well. But of course with the lice making their appearance I have gotten way behind in EVERYTHING (I mean WAY more than normal, people!)I just do not have any extra time at all to do anything. As a matter of fact, right now I should be doing: laundry, dishes, cutting and organizing my coupons, planning my weeks meals, school work for the week, PTA stuff, faxing receipts to our health insurance so we can actually USE our medical credit card (would have come in handy on the 100's of dollars that has been spent on killing lice), taking out trash, doing the exercises my physical therapist gave me, going to bed (ha ha, yeah right. . .can't do that until all of the kids go to sleep. . .I could go on and on here really. But I am writing this blog post instead, because maybe someone else will read it and not feel so bad about that CRAZINESS that is going on in their life at the moment. Also it feels good to be able to get it all out of my head.

Testing

Testing Microsoft Word Blog Creation

So, I saw my good friend Karen using Microsoft Word to create a blog post and I thought I would try it. . .you know since it has been a LONG time since I have posted anything on my blog! So here goes.

I have had a very crazy few weeks. . .but what else it new around here, right? I have been taking online college courses since September and for the most part, I LOVE it. I am still learning how to make ME a priority. I am so used to making everyone else a priority, but the fact that I am even taking classes is a step in the right direction I think. So in addition to my college I also have my PTA obligations, my kids, the house, etc. Needless to say, my life if very busy. Over the Christmas break I told myself I was going to "get ahead" in my college work since I get my assignments at the beginning of each course. Well, of course, I did not even touch any work over the "break"; I just relaxed and spent time with the kids (and tried not to lose my mind!). The first week back after break I had a PTA meeting on Thursday. Monday-Wednesday I was pretty much out with a monster migraine. I mean, I was in bed and feeling like I was going to throw up it was so bad! So Thursday's meeting came around and since it was the first one after vacation we did not have a whole lot on the agenda. The meeting was fairly short and the next day we were going to hand out treasure to the kids who brought "Trash 2 Cash" items.

Friday morning my oldest daughter knocks on my bedroom door, waking me up. She and her brother are old enough to get themselves up and ready, so I do not get up to see them off to school. When I open the door she tells me she found a "bug" in her hair. I asked her to show me and she said that she threw it. So I checked her hair and did not find anything. Of course I was barely awake though! So I told her to go to the nurse's office when she got to school. Since it was almost time for me to get up, I turned off my alarm and got dressed. Then I woke up the other kids and started getting them all ready for school. Right after all of the other 3 kids were gone on the school bus, I got a call from the school. It was lice and I had to come pick her up. WHAT! YUCK!!!! So I called the other kids schools. . .all 3 of them to inform them and have the other 4 kids checked. Then I went to pick up the one who had a confirmed case of lice. On the way I got a call from one school saying yes it was lice and another saying no he is fine. So I stopped at the last school, the one I was supposed to be at anyway, to see if the kids had been checked yet. School had not started yet, so they were just getting checked. One had it, one did not. So I took the one with it with me and then picked up the other one with it. And so began the LONG week. I am so tired of picking at kid's hair I cannot even begin to explain! And I am very, very behind in my school work, which I should be doing now as a matter of fact. But I am very tired. This evening I went to Water Zumba class and then spent another 2 hours at the pool with the kids. I was not swimming after the class though, I was looking for a place to plug in my laptop so I could do some work. Then I got sidetracked talking to people from church. The church we have not been too in like 3 months or something. But that is a blog for another day. Right now it is time to go to bed. I just heard the timer on the washer so I can put the clothes in the dryer and go to sleep. Maybe one day the kids will actually remember before their bedtime that they HAVE to have clothes washed for school. Yeah, right! I can dream can't I?! I love this pic and I just wanted to see if I could insert a picture using this application. . .LOL

Reflection

Wow. One year ago tomorrow my FIL passed away. I still can't believe it. It was such a surprise when he fell and then when they found the cancer. It was only a month from his fall until his death. So much changed in that short. . . and long. . .month! I really had not fully processed my mothers death, actually I am not really sure if I have now, almost 2 years later!

I still feel tremendously guilty about starting to work at the school last year. It seems like right after I started the you know what hit the fan! I mean literally, I got the call about his fall while I was at the first staff meeting for the school. I still seem to be filled with fear when I think about it. I am very reluctant to actually take another job too for fear something similar will happen. Not that I am just over-run with a lot of "extra" free time or anything. I am over-run with a LOT of bills though. . .amazing how everyone wants their money at the same time. . .lol!

I am sure that I need to talk to someone and try to move past this, but I just don't have the desire or the time!

Apparently I am SASSY!

Apparently I am Sassy now that I got my hair cut! Who knew? I am just glad to not have to take care of that head of hair anymore!

Today was a pretty good day - I actually got some things accomplished. PTA meeting tonight went pretty well too. Now I have to plan the agenda for Thursdays meeting for the other school! And figure out what I am going to make as a treat for the meeting. Maybe my homemade oatmeal cookies- those could be made ahead of time and will still be good.

There is still a LOT I need to do around here and at the schools too though. Never seems like there is enough time to do it all. I am busy busy busy. Now if I could only find a way to still do all of this and get paid! Maybe one of these days!

I found out that one of my fellow PTA board members and friend is going to move to California at the end of the school year. Her husband is in the Army and is being deployed to Iraq in about a month. They decided to not move until school was out for their kids- so they could finish the year at least. I know she is going to have a hard time with her husband being depolyed and still trying to take care of her family. She has also had a bad year health wise too. I will have to do what I can to help her and her family cope with the changes they are facing.

Well, time for me to do some PTA stuff before I check the WOOT and then go to bed.

I need to blog more. . .

Maybe now that I have a laptop I should blog more. I will try. . .

Well, I have been feeling pretty crappy lately. Migraines, aches, stomach stuff. YUCK!! I need to try to figure out what the heck is going on. But I seem to be too busy to do that! UGH!

today one of my neighbors brought home my youngest son and told me that he was seen with a rock in his hand at an abandoned house in the neighborhood and that there had been lots of kids vandalizing stuff recently around there. WHAT! He is 7! Boy is he in MAJOR trouble! He says he did not throw any rocks, that his friend "knocked" it out of his hand. HMM, not really buying that. Not buying that he the one doing all the vandalizing either! He will be under lock and key for awhile, I can tell you that!

I have a lot of stuff to do around the house and at both schools that I volunteer at. Tomorrow I think I will focus on the house, especially folding and putting away the baskets of clothes in my room as well as getting my old regular computer hooked back up so the printer can be used. The back up battery went haywire or something.

I can't believe that it has been a year almost since Wally died. It seems so long ago. And my mom died a few months before that. I wish I could just talk to her again, and I know that my sister would LOVE that too. she is having her first baby soon.

Life is busy. . .good, but busy

Well tomorrow will be the start of the first full week of school. We are still tying to get into a "groove". The kids are not going to bed on time, which means I do not get to bed ontime. Then of course there was the Olympics and as always. . .WOOT and WOOT-TV!! Last Monday was back to school night and we had a picnic sponsored by PTA where we had 100 pizzas. It was crazy busy, but it seemed to go well. Not this coming week, but the week after on September 4th will be our first PTA meeting. So far we have had a good number of parents volunteer or express interest in joining PTA. . .this is awesome news. Most importantly we had someone say she would take over the newsletter! YIPPEEEEEEEE!!!!

I have been busy with PTA stuff and have also done some stuff on the house, although I have a LOT more to do.

Ralph bought me a laptop, which I am on now! YEAH! How sweet is that! Now I can do what I need to on the go! YEAH!

Well, prob time for me to check the laundry and get ready for bed since I have to be at the school early tomorrow for making copies and helping with speech screenings.

Walking with Dinos 1 video of 5 (I think)

Taken with my phone, so quality not the greatest

Weight Watchers

I started Weight Watchers last week, and I am both excited and terrified about it! I am so looking forward to the reward of loosing all the weight I need too, but I am not looking forward to the work. So far it has not been too much work though. I am doing well on the Flex Plan. I lost 2.2 pounds my first week on WW. Well, I have to get up early to go choose RIF books, so time for me to go to bed. . .

Been a long long long time

When someone asked for my blog address today, I realized that it has been way too long since I updated this! I have been SUPER busy lately. Story of my life I know. Right now I have a son who is home sick with Asmatic Bronchitis who also happens to have a broken leg. His cast comes off on April 30. . .I can't wait and I am sure that he can't either! He is being great about it all, but honestly it makes more work for me and I if I am at the school doing PTA stuff I have to make sure to be home to make his something to eat etc. That is only this week since he has been home sick, normally he is at school and I just need to take him and pick him up.

As always, I have a TON of stuff going on in PTA land. The 3rd and 4th grade breakfast is Monday and I am still calling parents to get them to make things for it and coordinating everyting. A couple of the other kids are not feeling well either, so just seems like I am doing a lot more juggling this week. This next month is going to be SO busy with the breakfast, then RIF, then Grandparents Day, and the carnival, and yearbooks need to come in and be passed out and of course the ever present Trash 2 Cash races. If you do not know what that is, here is a link. We are winding down for the year and still have a TON of items coming in. We have submitted Box Tops for Education several times, but still have to count Campbell's Labels for Education, Tyson Labels, Best Choice and Nestle labels. Makes me tired just thinking of it. Box Tops makes it so EASY to submit items. The other companies have annoying requirements. I think we will be dropping Tyson next year. We do not get enough of them and we need to submit 1000 I think before they will send anything! The kids love it though, and hopefully next year we will have more help so it is not just me and Jana doing it ALL!

Well, off to buy a birthday gift for a party tonight. More updating later. . .

Update

what is happening now. . .

The Worst Barbie Commercial Ever!!!

OMG. . .that is just funny!

YO! GABBA GABBA

oh my ga!

Update...

Well, it has been a bit since I have updated this blog so here goes. . .here is whats going on in my life. . .in no particular order. . . . .

• Lee Taylor died this past week after a LONG battle with the same cancer my mother died from 6 months ago, I attended his memorial last night
• I started a new job with my youngest 2 kids school
• This past Sunday we hosted a pool party for all 5 of my kids friends and families at our local pool. Lots of food and CAKE and then like a TOTAL IDIOT, I let 6 EXTRA children sleep over at my house! They stayed up past 4 am, I had to be up for work at 6 am.
• The lifeguards at the pool party saw lightening. . .so they removed everyone for the last hour of the rented time. So we were still there eating and talking but not swimming and since we got kicked out because of weather I get half of my money back! SWEET!
• I have been running around trying to price things, solicit donations and generally plan a lot of things for Back to School night and school in general
• My FIL fell the other evening and has been in the hospital . . .they believe he has cancer of the upper spine. He will be 85 next month
• I found out one of my duties at the school, in addition to watching over recess and lunch is the change the sign out in front of the school. (IT IS REALLY REALLY HOT here. . .so I created a paper template and I do most of the work INSIDE where the AC is, then spend about 5 minutes putting up BOTH sides when I am outside. . .Work smarter. . .not harder I say. . .LOL)
• Who knew getting hired at a school meant so much paper work. . .background checks, finger prints. . .but , oddly enough I never had to pee in a cup. . .
• I kicked my kids off of my computer. . .they kept infecting it with spy wear! Now they have to use our "old" ones . . .poor babies. . .NOT!
• I just finished cleaning up my room somewhat. . .now the door will stay locked so the kids cant make a mess of it!
• For the sleep over Sunday I dragged a king size mattress up the stairs with a little help from my son and his friend
• Our basement and garage and some of my FIL's bathroom leaked. . .argh! But our insurance responded quickly!
• I got my second of 5 shots in my knee for OA. . .OUCH! It only lasts about 5 to 10 seconds. . .but it feels like he hits the bone. . .yikes!
• So much more. . .but I am tired. . .and I have another meeting tomorrow and hopefully my FIL will come home tomorrow too. . .LOTS to do still. . .

You know your a parents when. . .

You go to pour yourself a bowl of cereal (because it is the ONLY sweet thing left in the house. . .) and you find that someone has taken all of the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms box! But you find that there are no more unopened boxes so you pour your bowl and grab the milk. . .there is enough left for a spoonful maybe! Welcome to parenthood. . . Maybe I should skip the snack and log onto my computer. . .But wait. . .my almost 14 year old daughter is on my computer because the other 3 computers we have in the house. . .(in her words) SUCK! My younger two boys are still finding excuses to be out of bed, even though I put them to bed over an hour and a half ago. One wanted help lacing his new Chuck Taylors (thanks to TAX FREE weekend and an insurance check. . .) while the other complained of bleeding. (Nevermind the fact that he is squeezing an old cut to make it bleed. . .)AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH, parenthood! Why did I want to do this again? I know I complain a lot, but it is not all bad. I just can't seem to think of anything good right now! I guess I am not in the right frame of mind. Too much to do before school starts, and being the PTA president I am responsible for a lot of it. Like making a bulletin board for the front hallway. Does not sound too bad, right? well, I have to do that as well as getting kids ready, going to orientation for the job at the school that I accepted (yippee!!!!!), writing the newsletter, planning the first PTA meeting, writing the newsletter, getting ready for Back to school night, and so much more I can't even remember. . .and all I want to do is go to bed with my husband. . .if only those dang kids would go to sleep already!!!!!!!!!!!!