As if the kids aren't enough.

The husband has decided to join in on the big plot to give me a stress heart attack.

It is apparently mid-life crisis time. First is was the motor cycle, then the second piercing in his ear. Okay, I can cope.

However, I can only assume he is after the life insurance. Sunday is was the "oooooops, I layed the bike down in the gravel", resulting in major bruising to his arm and butt.

Last night it was "oooops, I got a speeding ticket"....................64 in a 40. 64 in a 40 that we are always yelling at others for speeding on. 170$ worth of 64 in a 40, not to mention how much our insurance is going to increase.

Heart attack time, I'm telling ya!

My darned internal clock!

Most mornings it is a huge struggle for me to get up at a decent time. This is so I can have the schoolwork ready, drag the kid's up, get ready for whatever gajillion errands need run, etc.

Today, Sunday, blissful Sunday. Nothing to do, no where to go until this afternoon. A perfect day to sleep in. No arguing the kids out of bed, no homework to ready.

Nope, not to be. For some reason I come leaping up at 7. Have coffee, shower, start a load of laundry..............all this before 8. Then surprise #2. 2 of the 3 kids are up, bathed, fed and dressed by 8:45. A feat that usually occures only with herculean effort on my part. And they did it on their own!

Some things are normal though, making me realize that we have not, in fact, been transported to an alternate universe. S is still asleep................whew.

No, I have not been taken by aliens.

Unless you count the ones I have to live with every day.

For my loyal 2 readers I have decided that I had better start blogging again. Cause everything I have to say is just so darned interesting right?

Skipped homeschool group today. It rained here overnight and there are some very large puddles in the road. I didn't really feel like taking the kids to the park that has lots of wood, mulch and sand. Sounded to much like extra laundry to me.

B gave herself a haircut sometime in the middle of the night:( Not at all a pretty one either. At least she stuck to the bangs. Or, what were the bangs. Now she just looks like she has a really high, stubbly forehead.

Blah, blah, blog.

I have not blogged in like, forever, it seems. I haven't really had anything nice or funny to say. A couple of my friends told me to do it anyway. I guess misery loves company:)

We did have a great time last night. Our homeschool group had a private pool party and I got to look at an entire catelog of beautiful matronly swim suits. Not a bikini in the bunch. At least on the Mom's.

The kid's and Dad are still asleep this morning. I am trying to decide whether to wake the kids, or just enjoy the peace. Although there is not much I can do as I try to tippytoe around the house. They collasped like a house of cards. Bodies draped all over the living room, including hubby:)

Little B is sneezing up a storm, that does not bode well............

I saw my future..............

and boy was it ugly. I am doomed to be one of little old ladies who stand in her window, spying on the neighborhood.

It all started last night. Someone was lighting off fireworkds and another neighbor was flying an RC airplane around them. I was already in my official old lady pj's and bathrobe, but wanted to go out front for a better look.

Suddenly, I notice 2 guys on someone's porch. Now, this would normally be no big deal, but these guys do not live at this house and they had several of the homeowner's plants upturned and out of their pots. So I go charging over asking them what they are doing?

The response was not kind and contained words I cannot print here, including the demand to mind my own business or they will kick my @##. Hubby can here this, in our house, with the tv on. He comes charging out, while dialing 911.

The police want to know why I did not just call them instead of confronting them. Uh, I don't know????

Turns out they were friends of the guy who lives there, old military buddies. (I say old but none of the people living there or trashing there are over 30.) They were apparently arranging a "suprise", involving firecrackers etc. for their "friend."

I think one of them went away with the nice troopers...............I also don't think my neighbors like me very much anymore.

My hubby isn't very thrilled with me either.

Thursday in Indiana

I do truly believe that my sinus cavity might just implode. One day it's raining, the next its 90 and sunny. We have more rain coming supposedly later today, continuing all day tomorrow.

The kid's don't understand why I haven't set up the pool yet. They don't quite understand the concept of a bog. Which is what the yard is turning into. The pool would just sink into the ground. Not to mention the fact that all that standing water doesn't smell like perfume......................

Life goes on...............

It might be boring, but it's going on.

The funeral is over, the police investigation continues............

Summer is here, but it has been too rainy to actually set up the pool. The backyard is so oversaturated is actually smells like rot. I cannot imagine what a yard in say.................Seattle would smell like.

Not smoking. Picked up a bad beef jerky habit though.

Okay, I really have nothing interesting at all to say, just wanted to post something.

Hold tight to your kids.

Foreclosed houses are the bane of my existance.

There is one 2 doors down from me. Yesterday we lost a little, precious, 5 year old girl to that pool.

Who is at fault? We, the neighbors who knew it was a hazard and did nothing? The original owners who were angry and did not close the pool cover properly? The bank who took back the house 6 months ago and have never even come to look at the property?

I was there when she was found. I will remember Sheyenne for the rest of my days. May the memory make me scream a little less, hug a little harder, and remember that there is always time to be silly.

And that sometimes, you just gotta smoke.

I hate yard sales

Actually, I love them when someone ELSE is having one.

We are in the midst of a 2 day sale. I just love the fun. People trying to bargain you down from that big ol' dollar you have something priced at. Hubby invariably getting an injury. The hauling in, the hauling out.

The fact that everything seems to multiply so that you have just as much left at the end...................

Acknowledging the elephant.

There seems to be one in my living room. I try not to talk about it with too many people. However, it has been 4 solid, non cheating days..................so the truth must out.

I am now a non-smoker. Sigh...............I said it. I will never go back, as these 4 days have been rather like a strange 60's experience...........................one I do not want to repeat.

Maybe in another day or so I can actually teach the kids something. Right now my IQ is still about 20.

The Good, the Bad and the Innie.

Great news! B Finally gets to go to hs group for a while tomorrow. She can only stay part time, but can begin playing a bit!

Bad news, we are going to the park with the creek that all the kids will want to jump into. B is not permitted into untreated water for another 5 weeks.

Pooey!

Happy weekend.........bluh.

Hubby on duty all 3 days of this lovely holiday weekend. I spent the time weeding the *wildflowers*, otherwise knows as the pestilance, out of one of the garden beds.

We are also enjoying our Stargate SG-1 marathon. B has a couple more days before she allowed to do anything remotely fun, such as stretch, jump, run, etc. I am having a heck of a time keeping her still, especially since it was so beautiful yesterday. She is awfully happy with her new innie though;)

J found the new glasses, so I guess I will let him live, although I need to send him back to the factory for an attitude adjustment. Just have to find the right packing materials.

The village idiot.

I think J is auditioning for the position.

He has lost his brand new glasses.............................he is also grounded for all of eternity.

The new innie.

B will officially have an innie in a week or so, after the swelling goes down. She was amazing. She was so brave and didn't care about the IV or anything. The nurses were very impressed.................or just brown nosing, I don't know.

She came through things with flying colors. She was very tired and sore yesterday, but seems to be bouncing back already. (The liquid Vicodin might be helping:)

I, on the other hand, am still exhausted. The worry of yesterday, combined with sleeping precariously with B on the couch last night have rendered me quite useless.

She is already mad at me cause I had to call her gym last night and pull her from her Tuesday class, as she is not permitted to do gymnastics for 4-5 weeks.

Is it Monday again?

B is having her hernia fixed Friday morning. Fortunately it is outpatient and (fingers crossed) all will go well.

J got to pick up the CORRECT glasses today, yay!

I am in a terribly grumbly mood, must be the yucky, rainy, chilly weather:(

And on it goes.....

Just got home from the ER. Little B has an umbilical hernia. The Dr wanted to wait until she was 6 before seeing if she required surgery. I guess that most kids born like this heal on their own.

This afternoon she was doubled over, screaming in pain. I took her in and they did a cat scan. Apparently the big ol' belly button hernia that usually sticks out like a cherry tomato has somehow slid back inside the muscle wall and was causing pain. They manipulated it around and eased the pain and it is partially back out, but she needs to have surgery very soon.

I will call the surgeon in the AM to schedule.......................

Hiding in my turtle shell.

What a day. Last night with the kittie surgery. This morning, hubby ran out of gas on the way to work and I had to drag the kids out at 6:30 to rescue him. Oh, yeah, forgot the part where I tripped over the unpacked bag from the weekend visit to the parents and pulled something in my back.

Get home, let the dogs out, go inside to fill the water bowl. J decided that it would be funny to put a band around the spray nozzle. Standing there, staring into space, when I finally realize that I am soaked, the kitchen is soaked, even the toaster is full of water.

Paying so much attention to screaming at the child that the escape dog realized that I was not watching and did his vanishing act.

3 hours later we nabbed him.

J's new glasses came in so we went to pick them up. Duh, the idiot tech I always get stuck with (as opposed to the 2 smart ones) ordered them in the wrong size. Okay, they are going back and we wait some more....................

I give up. Just waiting for the next thing to happen:)

Oh, the things I do.....................

My hubby has an Aunt. He also has a cousin with a girlfriend (our age) who live with the Aunt. The girlfriend has a kitten. The kitten got a fishhook stuck through the roof of her mouth. The other end came out the side of her lip. Instead of going to the vet........................

They showed up at my door. Did I send them to the vet?

No. I got out the side cuts, the licocaine and the needlenose. Yes, I removed the hook and fixed the kittie.

I need a beer.

What I learned today.

I learned that my kids have suddenly gotten a hysterical fear of bees. Reason? I dunno.

Solution, (provided by a good friend), hand them a dryer sheet and they are then *protected*. I don't know whether it really keeps the bees away, but the kids now view them as a kind of armor. I need to buy a case...........................

Certain things just don't mix.

Like hubbies who forget their age, beer and a unicycle.

I'm not saying any more.................................

Too much to do, so little to say.

The dandelions are taking over my garden. I don't care if they stick to the lawn, but they are not sharing space with my tulips! Have to do something about that.............

J is doing great at the new gym. We even *stole* 2 of the other boys from his old team. Feeling slightly guilty over that, but not too much.

J's new groove

Well, we got tired of spending lots of money so J could go to gymnastics and have playtime. So, we pulled him from his gym early in the week. Went Friday night to another gym to check it out. Wow, we were really impressed! He was actually coached! Not just, gee, great, you can do that, let's move on. But, great you can do that, now let's work on it till you do that just perfect!

He could barely move Saturday, it was quite amusing.

So now, he is going to a new gym. With a much smaller team and a much better coach. And the money we are throwing into it at least results in us being able to laugh at his sore muscles.

It's here, it's here!

The new furniture has arrived! Unfortunately, having not purchased new living room items before, we forgot to think of the size. I finally thought of it last night and checked the dimensions online. Duh.......the couch is HUGE. We wanted a living room that we could all sit in at one time and enjoy together. We could invite a whole other family over and still have room.......it's amazingly comfortable though.

Like a vine ripened tomato.

Or a lobster. That is the current color of most of my skin. Went to our friends out at the lake Sunday for a cookout and to help them get the pool ready for the season. High of 66 degrees and I look like I was laying in a large easy bake oven. We did get the pool ready though and safely tucked under a solar cover for a couple of weeks til it's warm enough to jump in.

Spring must be almost here!

I am starting to pull out of my winter stupor enough to look around my house and wonder how it got so dirty. It seems that I just don't care in the winter.

So, today is for moving the furniture type sweeping and some serious hands and knees grout cleaning. Boy, I am only half way through and am worn out! Still want to clean up all the wood furniture.

Our new living room couch and loveseat should be here in a week or two, so maybe I am just preparing for that.................

Spring break, my heinie.

Too little to say, too much time to say it.

I have been a bad blogger. Note to self: blog every day. Unfortunately, this choice will bore everyone to death.

Today S turned 8! Cupcakes and good wishes at homeschool group.

We were late arriving because I had an eye Dr. appointment. Silly me, Chris drove me. The Doc decided to dilate my eyes since I had a driver. (Had not been done since 2003). Then we went to group.

Went to the bathroom and almost locked myself in, as I could not focus enough to get out. Wheeee.

Amazingly enough, my eyesite has actually gotten better! I thought the problems I was having with my contacts, and my inability to properly focus on a book meant......................bifocals. No, just LESS of a prescription. Amazing, astounding!

Just to fill up space.

Nothing new, nothing exciting..................

B got hurt at skating last week and is still sporting a lovely lumpy head. She fell and then a teenager fell on her. The sad part (to me) is that the teen is a girl we know, that used to be part of our group. She never came to check and see if B was okay:(

Other than that, it has been a typical week. fortunately the kids are finally feeling better! YAY!

Catching up on missed appointments, playing with my new laptop.

Blah, blah blah.

And so it goes................

Ready to snap at any moment.

Last week when I took the kids to the Doc I was told it was the flu, a virus, nothing to do but treat the symptoms.

One week later, kids still sick. Very very sick. Little B doing much better but J and S not at all. Back to the Doc.

Okay, not so much a virus anymore. (Gee, ya think?) S has pneumonia and J is on the verge. Antibiotics, nebulizer treatments, script cough meds, etc.

I am terrible Mom. I know they are sick. Yet, the whining, crying, sheer meaness to each other has gotten on my very last nerve.

I am pretty sure I have told them that at least 1055 times over the last several days.

I really need a spa day.

And it continues.

Chris made it out of the driveway and half way to work before turning around and taking another sick day. I don't ever remember him doing this for a bug before.

J has it bad. Sucks, he is supposed to have a gymnastics meet Saturday. I don't think there is any way he will make practice tomorrow night.

B looks like one of the characters from A Nightmare Before Christmas. Fever over 100 no matter how many meds I give her.

I have it now.

Chris going back to work tomorrow. I guess that leaves S in charge.

EEEEEEEK.

The only thing worse than a sick kid...........

is a sick hubby.

You know the one I mean. That big smelly lump on the loveseat. Occasionally raising a wavering finger to pronounce the latest need. Tissue...............juice..............more Vicks in the humidified...........remote................tissue..............medicine..............

Little B is very sick also. Her whining pales in comparison.

Things do happen in threes!

Okey dokey, things do happen in threes!

My not so bright step-brother, who is my age, by the way, almost killed himself in the most ridiculous fashion ever.

Long story, but I will try to keep it simple (and not to giggle too much). He has severe allergies to perfumes and dyes, but chose to purchase colored, perfumed, CONCENTRATED laundry detergent. He then took that detergent to a laundry mat that apparantly does not really rinse all the stuff out. He also chose the More Is Better theory of dispensing said detergent.

Days later, in the hospital, on a ventilator, the Docs finally figure out that the overload of detergent has been building up in his system, through his skin.....................

Darwin Award Winner Here!

Update on John and B:
Both are doing very well!
B was sent home tonight. All tests show no signs of organ failure and she is stabalized on insulin.

John will be sent home soon, with a cervical collar for 6 weeks. They believe they will have to operate, but want to wait until the swelling in his spinal column goes down. They wanted him to go to a rehab hospital, but Heather is an RN and works 3 night shifts a week. They agreed she could offer equal care for now. Her retired parents live in a wing of their house, so he and the boys won't be alone.

It comes in three's...........

Waiting for the third bad thing. I am hoping that S's Linda Blair inpression the last couple of days is actually the THING.

Very good friend who recently moved to Texas was in a motorcycle accident yesterday morning. He is still in Surgical ICU waiting to hear if he will require back surgery. He broke his back at C7, so should not be paralyzed, fortunately. He underwent 7 hours of surgery yesterday to repair one leg and one arm. The other arm just has *simple* fractures. Oh, let;s not forget the 67 stitches in his face.

Robin, my bud from the lake, has 2 wonderful daughters. They have a charming 14 year old friend, B. B has been working very hard to eat right and exercise and has lost 50 pounds so far. Yesterday morning she could not be woken. The ambulance took her to the local hospital who life-flighted her to St. V's. No one had any idea she was diabetic, she has never had a problem before. Her blood sugar level was over 800. She has finally, in the last hour, become responsive, but will remain in the hospital for at least a week to get her on insulin and check for organ failure.

Waiting and waiting and waiting.

The dude from American Family came out and approved the new roof. Now, however, I really wish they would get their $%^& together and send us the paperwork already. Our roofer (wonderful guy) cannot start until we get the paperwork. Probably have another huge storm before they get their @## in gear and then we won't have any roof at all.

Not very thrilled with them right now. We have everything, home auto, life, through them. That would be a great deal of business for them to lose.

Hope someone from American Family Insurance is monitoring blogs today:)

This lovely weather.

We had some pretty nasty storms through the area last night. A tornado touched down about 2 blocks from our house and tore through 20 houses. I thought we had escaped the damage.

That is, until I let the dogs out this morning. all came running back in except one. When I leaned out the back door to look for her I realized that several of our fence panels were laying in the neighbors back yard. Rosie, apparently, was just enjoying her new, larger yard. I did not enjoy trying to prop them back into place so that the *nice lady* next door did not have a cow. Finally had to resort to bungee cords.

Then hubby came home. Now we need the roof repaired also.

I knew getting older sucked, but really!

I guess that in addition to a weekend long brain freeze, I also froze my face. Remember, all I did was walk from the lot into the store and back. Then go home and unload the groceries, etc.

My face is peeling like I had some sort of chemical peel. And its a lovely shade of red. Same soap, same lotion...................

Maybe my new face will look much younger and smoother.

Although, at the rate of exfoliation, it might be a tiny little head.

Rationing the toilet paper.

Finally felt really good this morning. Kids seemed fine too. Pretty much out of everything. Can't eat, can't do laundry.

"Who has the roll?" time.

Go warm up the van.................wheee we are off to the store!

In the short walk from the van to the store I delevoped a major brain freeze. Like stick your entire head in the tub o'ice cream freeze.

It has not left yet.

Sigh.

Penguin pants.

Yep, that is the true meaning of friendship.

We got a chance, finally, to hang with Robin and Andy out at H lake today. Usualy this is a bi-monthly thing, but it has been post-post-post poned due to illness, weather, surgery, etc.

The rule of hanging is that you MUST be wearing comfies. No real clothes permitted.

Last year Chris and Andy bought matching jammies penguin pants. They look like Me and Minny me. Andy is very tall and *thick* with a shaved head. Chris is shorter and thickening with a shaved head.......................................

Today was so wonderful. A and R have the most incredible non-homeschooled girls I have ever met. 13 and 15. They just swoop my kids away and the adults get to cook and play cards, etc.

I even wore my slippers.

Idiodic injury.

I am not even sure I have the words to describe just how idiotic, and painful, this is.

I actually swallowed the wrong way, whatever that is, and brought on a huge coughing, gasping, falling on the kitchen floor fit, before hs group this morning.

I knew I had hurt my back, but I was also afraid that I had exploded something in my brain, as I had a headache all morning centrally located above my left temple.

Fortunately, I am still breathing this evening, and my brain seems to be functioning as well as usual.

My back is a different story. Hubby has already taken steps so I do not have to leave the house tomorrow if I am unable.

It sucks to be aging. I am only 41 and already forgetting how to breathe without an incident.

What happens next?

Ammendment to the Resolutions!

I have decided that I need to add a loophole to that whole pants thing. I just realized this today.

When it is that time of the month jammie pants are not only permitted, they are recommended. And slippers, definately slippers.

The trouble with resolutions.

When one resolves to wear actual pants, one should make sure they own enough.

I forgot to check this fact. I only own 4 pairs of jeans. 2 fit fine. One looks like I am a toddler with a full load and the other might put someone's eye out when the button flies off if I actually relax at some point. Nevertheless, I am persevering.

I get a lot more laundry done this way.

New Years Resolutions!

For the first time in many years, I have actually made some resolutions I think I can stick too. Maybe. Hopefully.

1. Wear actual clothing! Usually, unless it is HS group day, I shower and put on clean jammy pants.

2. Freecycle half the contents of the house so I can actually find something. Or fill it with other stuff...

3. Really try to grow my online business so that I am not always fretting over the bills.

I think I might actually be able to do these this year:)

I had no idea.

I know my hubby has OCD and I am a pack rat, but OMG! I cleared off a shelf today in my quest to divest myself of stuff. There was a pair of maternity jeans on it. Now, I have not given birth in just over 5 years. Yep, need that dump truck.

Freecycle will either realy love me, or really hate me this year:)