Queen In a House of Blue

Couponing....

2011-07-05T22:31:00.000-05:00

When Braden was an infant, I spent a lot of time using coupons and running around getting the best deals. Then, life happened, and I am kinda lazy, so I gave up on it. My have things changed! I am trying to start it again, but there are so many things to learn to get the best deals...

Where do I start? Do YOU coupon? You know that show - Extreme Couponing - is not 100% real, right? LOL :)

Explain to me in simple language what I need to do each day...or week...or whatever. Ready? Set...GO!

It's Tuesday, July 5th...

2011-07-05T13:05:00.000-05:00

SO much has happened since I last blogged.

I turned 32...
Jeremy turned 34...
Ryan turned 9...
We moved...
We got a new yard calf...His name is Norman...
Our dog was run over....and patched up...and then took a horrible infection...and was operated on...and is now great...
We observed the anniversary of my sister's death...9 years...it seems longer, and yet like it was yesterday at the same time...
We blew things up....and swam in our pool...and spent time as a family for two whole days! That NEVER happens.

Living Life

2011-03-26T23:25:00.000-05:00

Life is not a race, but indeed a journey.

Be honest.

Work hard.

Be choosy.

Say "Thank You", "I love you", and "Great job!" to someone each day.

Go to church, take time for prayer.

The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh.

Let your handshake mean more than a pen and paper.

Love your life and what you have been given, it is not accidental - search for your purpose and do it as best you can.

Dreaming does matter - it allows you to become that which you aspire to be.

Laugh often.

Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them.

Some of the best things really are free.

Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming.

Forgive, it frees the soul.

Take time for yourself - plan for longevity.

Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know.

Live for today, enjoy the moment.

FAIL

2011-02-26T20:19:00.000-06:00

My 365 project....FAIL. I have taken plenty of pictures, I am just not very good at sharing them.

I should get a reprieve....I AM working full time now, and I DO have three children. And a farm...and a fever. BLAH. Stupid fever. LOL

Days 5, 6 and 7 of 365

2011-01-16T19:42:00.000-06:00

I did not forget! I took a lot of pictures this weekend, but was too uhm...tired to post yesterday!

Day 5:

My very best friend ever. EVER.

Day 6...technically taken on Saturday, so it works. :)

Day 7: Braden at Cody's first basketball game of the season...

Day 4 of 365

2011-01-13T22:16:00.001-06:00

I could not choose between the 3 of these, they all made me smile...

Pete - ready for the birthday festivities. He wore his hat for a really long time.

Daddy loves his hat, too!

Our big birthday boy. Happy 4th Birthday, Braden!

Happy Birthday Braden John!

2011-01-13T01:29:00.000-06:00

Four years ago, our little Braden came into the world. He has changed our lives and completed our family in ways that I never thought would be possible. He is a funny, cute, sweet, loving and incredibly ornery little boy. I would not change one single thing about him. We worked really hard to have Braden, and were assisted by the very best OB-GYN EVER - Dr. Shera Gaslightwala. She helped us through a very difficult time, and rejoiced with us when this perfect little boy was born. I went in for my monthly blood draw/hormone level check appointment, and was told we were expecting! I had a little bit of an idea, but was so happy to see Dr G's smiling face giving me the news during the ultrasound. She was going to tell me that day that it was time for us to start trying again if we were ready...guess we beat her to it. :) Then, the tears came...I was happy, SO HAPPY - but worried and scared...and my due date was January 12, 2007. My sister's birthday. It was bittersweet. Now, this was not my first rodeo...I KNEW the likelihood of having this baby on it's due date was slim, especially with my track record. (Cody was induced on his due date and he was born 2 days later. He was a short little butterball - 9 pounds, 19 inches. Now, Ryan...I thought that kid was NEVER going to come out. He was forced out on the 1st of June...I was due originally on the 27th of May, but then it was moved to the 18th of May. Did you do the math? Yep - 2 weeks overdue. He was ready when he came out - and a giant. 9 lbs, 5.5 ounces and 24 inches long. TWO FEET LONG!!) Anyway - given my history of having big babies, Dr G assured me that if I did not go on my own before, that we would induce on my due date, as long as everything was looking good, of course.

It's a Boy!

Ryan CRIED when he learned he was getting another brother. BAWLED.

Cody was fine with it - he is so easy!

This was the best belly picture I could find tonight...

On the 10th of January, I went for my appointment and had my last sonogram. Everything looked great - baby boy was getting cramped and was safe to be evicted. The sonogram lady said he was big - she was guessing over 9 pounds, nearly 10 and when Dr G saw that, she said - be at the hospital on Friday at 6 am. So...we checked in to Shawnee Mission Labor and Delivery and we...sat...there...all...day..long.

Pitocin was started around noon....water broke around 6pm. It was pretty traumatic once the contractions meant business. I had an epidural and took a nap. Around 9 pm or so, the room was busy. Labor was not progressing, my body was ready, baby just was not coming! Then, B's heartrate slowed WAY down and we were told we would wait an hour and see what to do. The hour went by, I was miserable because I could not get comfortable since I had to be flopped around to keep his heart rate up, and we were told again...we could wait an hour, or we could go ahead and do a c-section. At this point, my hopes of having him on the 12th were gone. I thought it would be better to get it over with, get him out, and not risk anything bad happening.

I was wheeled into the operating room at 1:17 am (I know that because they called out the time when I entered the room) I was shaking like crazy, and I know Jeremy was scared...and wondering where he would get a 'suit' big enough. They had given him the standard issue scrubs for dad's, and when he stood up - he busted right out of them. Hee hee. One of the big male nurses gave him a set of his OR scrubs, and he came in and sat beside me. We convinced them to let my mom in, and she took pictures.

Braden John Pickens was born at 1:40 am on January 13, 2007.

He was not straight in the birth canal and would have not EVER come out that way. The cord was wrapped tightly around his neck, and his head was sideways. His poor little head looked awful the first few hours of his life, but it was perfectly round before the sun came up that morning.

Braden was my smallest baby - 8 pounds, 12 ounces. He was not born on my sister's birthday, but he was born the next day in the same hour of day that she was and he weighed the same as she did when she was born. He just wanted his own birthday, and I am okay with that.

See his poor little head? Awww...

You cannot see it, but his daddy was crying...and so proud. I am mean, I was laughing at him.

My mom....she helped me bring all 3 of my babies into the world. She is THE BEST labor coach/partner...even though I am so mean to her. :) Just ask her...she will tell you!

This is the first time I got to hold him...and I was struggling. My whole body was numb, and I was EXHAUSTED! It was around 4 am at this time...I had just sent Jeremy and Mom home. They had to relieve Sharon, who was with Cody and Ryan, and Mom was going to get them off to school the next day.

See? VERY BEST DOCTOR EVER. I adore her. She came to visit me everyday that I was in the hospital...even after I had been released from care. She did not have to do that. We would sit and chat, and laugh and cry...I seriously adore her. She is such a great person - and doctor.

Right after Jeremy and mom left, I sent Braden to the nursery from the recovery room until I got settled in my room. While he was in the nursery, they decided to admit him to the NICU. He was having a really hard time regulating his breathing, so he was grunting and his oxygen levels were falling REALLY low. I was so scared. And sad...I cried for hours. Then, they wheeled in the breast pump. It was so hard to relax enough to pump while I was worried about my baby. Granted, he was the biggest NICU baby I had ever seen, but nonetheless....he was a NICU baby.

Finally, the day after he was born, I was allowed to hold him.

On the 14th, he was finally allowed to nurse and the next day he was released to my room. I had already been discharged from care, but was allowed to stay in my room until he was released as well. We spent the night together, and on then we were able to go HOME on Tuesday, the 16th.

Braden's 1st Birthday...

2nd Birthday...

3rd Birthday

Braden's last night of being 3...

And now, BRADEN IS FOUR!!

I know I was pretty picture heavy for the first year. I just cannot believe how quickly the time has gone.

Day 3 of 365

2011-01-12T21:41:00.000-06:00

Jeremy and I shared this cupcake we made for Amber's Birthday

Wordless Wednesday...Happy Birthday Amber

2011-01-11T21:05:00.000-06:00

Today's post is a Birthday post.

My sister would be 27 today.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Ber.

I love you and miss you so much ...

Day 2 of 365

2011-01-11T13:41:00.000-06:00

Ten on Ten

2011-01-10T23:27:00.000-06:00

Today was 10 on 10 day .... A picture every hour for 10 hours on the 10th of the month. I started out strong - but I failed. I have been working really hard on other stuff. You know, stuff. Like - cleaning the house. And playing in the snow. We had a snow day today. I suppose I should REALLY stop grouching about the snow...it is the first real snow we have had since March of 2010. Hmmm, how about that? We nearly made it a year without snow. Well, we deserved that break after the HELL we went through last winter!! We have a snow day tomorrow, too. Too bad the boys won't have anything fun to do, and all of their toys are locked up in the shed in tubs. Guess who's foot was impaled by a lego, and who will be spending the day tomorrow snuggled in bed with the sick little boy watching Diego and Wonder Pets in a CLEAN room? Yep. That would be ME. Guess who will be cleaning until their room is sparkling and no longer growing new pets under the beds? YEP - CODY AND RYAN. They are stoked, I know it.
Braden is sick. He is coughing a little, nothing major, but he is also running a fever. We were snuggling watching Dan in Real Life (have you ever seen that? You should watch it, it is so good) and his fever broke and he was all sweaty. I am glad, it has been going strong since yesterday morning. Advil is awesome. Ibuprofen is awesome. I am hoping that my mindless rambling will make up for the fact that I did not take 10 pictures today. How about this? Instead of the 10 on 10, I will try to commit myself to the 365 day picture challenge. I promise to try my very best to take a picture every day for a year and post it. Hold me accountable stalkers! :)

I will start today. I will give you a few extras, too.

Maybe just a day behind...

2011-01-09T23:49:00.000-06:00

My baby turned 11 yesterday. It was a good day. We went and met Grandma Debbie for lunch in Topeka, then rushed home and power cleaned the house to get ready for the party! The boys were all good - and I hope that they had a good time. I went to bed a little after 2 am, and there was just one last little guy barely hanging on to staying awake.

Cody was born in Texas on January 08, 2000....I remember being very anxious that I was going to go into labor and my loved ones would not be able to get there in time. Thankfully, that did not happen...even though it was THE LONGEST labor I have ever had. EVER. I checked into the hospital on January 6th at 4 something in the afternoon. Cody was born at 11:10 pm (AT NIGHT!!) on the 8th...2 days later. IT WAS HORRENDOUS. But, in the end, my squishy 9 pound, 19 inch long baby was SO worth it. I don't have a ton of pictures within scanning distance right now, but here are a few...

My belly ...about a week before he was born -

I gained nearly 70 pounds and did not have any stretch marks until the last 3 weeks!

Proud AuntBer

Aunt Shauna!

Papa John was always stuffing my poor baby into things...

First haircut

This was a hot day in APRIL when I was pregnant with Ryan. It was so hot!

He LOVES my grandma. He calls her "The Great One"...LOVE it!

Four generations...I was so skinny!

It is really hard to go through and only pick a few pictures. My kid is cute. And, he is 11 now. So sad...but so excited to see what the future holds for him. I love you, Cody. Thank you for being you, and making me a mother, and for being such a great big brother. Happy (late) Birthday, Buddy.

Remembering 2010 ... continued ♥

2010-12-28T02:17:00.033-06:00

May...
I met Erin and Chris while Saving Boobies with my bestie and I turned 31.

(YES, that is a urinal)

We met Super Braden, more barn babies were born, the garden started growing, and
Pete became Braden's new best friend.

June...

Ryan turned 8! I became a stay at home mom, and the pool came out! The kids and I spent a lot of time in that pool. We had pool parties in the middle of the week, and it was so much fun.

July

July brought us some rain for the 4th

& Sweet Baby Layne

We cannot forget the 'Cougar Attack' in the barn....

And...WEDDING STUFF!!

LeighAnna's wedding festivities really took off for me this month. The bachelorette party was way too fun. Even with shards of glass from the black light in my arm, I managed to have a great time, and of course, we had an impromptu pool party!

August ...

the end of Summer break, 4H County fair, LA & Charles' wedding, and family vacation

Our little family took a mini-vacation to Omaha at the end of August. We stayed at CoCoKey resort and went to the Henry-Doorly Zoo.

The Float Friends took the annual float trip a little later this year - but it was by far THE BEST TRIP EVER. We missed Tina and Matt, and of course BriAnn and Tyler, but we added Chelsey, Sean, Kyle, Krissy, Jason, Susan and Eric, or is it Jeff? to the group. We had such a great time. Cannot wait for next year!!

The weekend after the float trip, was the infamous 'gangsta kids' picture fiasco...
by the way - those two are such good kids - my little niece and nephew are members of the 'I Love My Mom' gang. Hoodlums, I tell ya. We are all in trouble!! (HAHAHAHA)

Shauna and I played softball, too!
Jeremy and I also celebrated our 8th Wedding Anniversary...sure does seem like it has been WAY longer than eight years! :)

October ...

was a pretty quiet month. The boys were doing well in school, the farm was starting to settle in for winter, and we celebrated ourselves for living on the farm for a year and surviving!

Pete has the funniest places and positions to sleep in...

Baxter went missing for a week, and then, when he finally made it back home *thank you to whomever you were that dropped him off at the end of our driveway at 2 am* he was not very nice to the kids and me, so he moved to the farm down the road. He is thriving, is happy and even has a girlfriend!

My cousin Justin got married in October. So, I participated in Mindy's bachelorette party
and was privileged enough to witness this man and his version of the 'lotus peacock'.
Don't worry - I got his card, and he does private yoga lessons...haha
Then, I was a cake attendant at the wedding, with my cousins Kelly and Erin
Halloween came...we had a Mario, Luigi and a ninja. The boys had so much fun, and got to trick or treat TWICE since Halloween was on a Sunday and the community did the Hometown Halloween parade on Saturday evening.

November
was pretty quiet too... The tree went up, and we started preparing for Christmas. The weather was great, and all of the animals were happy, healthy and comfortable. Braden has really started to become a very silly little boy - and he makes us all laugh a lot. He finds joy in the simple things...you would not believe the amount of fun he can have with a wooden spoon!

I won free tickets to go see Barney in Concert - Braden was SO excited! The other two? Yeah, not so much.... We did have a good time, though.DECEMBER...

Kyle's 30th birthday party kicked off the month. It was a lot of fun, and we ended up with Matt in the ER before the night was over. He has a broken elbow, but the memories that we made that night will stay with me FOREVER. I laughed so hard, and was somewhat scared for my life all at the same time. Thank you for sharing that with me, Scott...Shauna...Matt...Tina...random Er visitors. :)
We spent the month getting ready for Christmas, doing a little shopping and a lot of hoping the snow would stay away! We were rewarded with a very laid-back, relaxed and mostly snow-free holiday and were able to do all of the things that we had planned. The boys were all very grateful for the gifts that they received and are enjoying the last of their winter break.

Tomorrow is New Years Eve.

Today is Suz and Eric's wedding day. Congratulations to you both!
It is also Pinstripe Bowl Day. GO STATE!!

Remembering 2010

2010-12-27T23:49:00.013-06:00

Bear with me...I am in a mood. I am feeling nostalgic - and have a few other posts I want to do, but it is just not time for them yet. So..I am going to attempt to remember 2010, without crying the whole time about the LOOOOOOOONG miserable winter. :)

I have said it several times, but the Summer of 2010 was by far one of my most favorite. It was spent with my children every day, and filled with love and laughter and a lot of beer with some really wonderful friends. I am a very lucky girl. I have three BEAUTIFUL little boys that call ME mommy. I have a husband that works very hard to provide for us, and even though he is not very good at saying it - I am pretty sure he loves us too much to put it into words. (At least, that is what I like to tell myself, lol.) My parents are happy and healthy, and my friends...well, the word 'friend' is not sufficient. They are my family. My CHOSEN family. I have been spending the past few hours looking at all the pictures I have taken over the year. I am going to attempt to share as many of them as I can. Enjoy....

January brought more snow. Lots and lots more snow, some ice, and these two cute little fellas.
Cody turned 10 - TEN!
And, well - we were still snowed in, so no big party. We were sure to spend a lot of time in our pj's, and played a LOT of Wii!

Braden turned THREE...
and his favorite things to eat were "Mock n Geeze", hot dogs and ANY fruit you put on his plate.

February...still cold. With snow. We were really getting tired of it - so we decided to put eggs into bottles without breaking either object...

SUCCESS! And a 1st place blue ribbon in the science fair! Cody is such a little scientist. So stinkin smart.

Here - a snow picture...

And, I actually did lose a little bit of weight ... which I promptly put back on drinking all those beers this summer! :)

March.....

Oh! Look - more snow! It was really getting ridiculous at that point...the kids were snowed in on SPRING BREAK! LOL

FINALLY....the snow melted and it warmed up.
See...Pete was even happy about that!
The babies were all born and grew SO FAST! Here is Annabelle and a few piglets...

Oh - and we must not forget that day - you know, the WINDIEST day in Jefferson County history...yeah, the same day that the people up the road decided to burn trash and not cover their barrels? Uhm, hum....pasture on fire...firetrucks and police EVERYWHERE.

In the end, we counted our blessings. The animals and barn were fine, and all that we lost was a bit of fence, some trees and a lot of dried out grass that we would have burned off in April or May. So, we did not have to burn anything off since it was all done for us a bit early that day...lol
The boys were supposed to be watching to make sure that the perimeter was well watered. I caught them dancing on the manure pile.

April brought Easter, spring storms and concerts, planting and fishing!

April also brought Miss Laci

I have to break this up into separate posts...blogger does not like it to be too long, I guess. Stay tuned for the second part tomorrow...or the next day. Someone remind me that I left it this way, ok? :)

Cody...just a few old pictures.

2010-12-27T13:21:00.004-06:00

And..It's all over.

2010-12-27T11:59:00.002-06:00

I love Christmas....I just wish it was not over so fast. It feels like we work on it and work UP to it and then poof! It is done. Any how, we all had a great one. The boys were SO grateful, I was really proud of them. Not one time did they whine, or complain that they did not get what the wanted, or that something was missing. The only thing that even came close to a complaint was Braden laughing and telling us that Santa was silly because he thought a PANDA bear was a POLAR bear...heehee. Silly Santa just could not FIND a Polar Bear (Pillow Pet, that is) for less than $100 and that was without shipping costs. :) Thank goodness for PapaJohn and his eBay sleuthing, a similar (and better, in my opinion) object was found and the original request forgotten.

The boys are staying with my parents for a couple of days...it is SO quiet here. I am going to take down all the decorations and get all of that stuff put up. It will be nice to get the house back to normal - I love the decorations, but they have been out since the 1st of November, so I am ready to see them go, too. :) I need to get out the spring stuff - maybe if I make it SEEM warm it will start to get that way? I will be perfectly happy if we just skip right through winter and head on into Spring!

The birthday's are coming...Cody is turning 11 on the 8th and Braden is turning 4 on the 13th. How did they grow up so fast?

2010-12-06T09:12:00.002-06:00

I was sleeping so good this morning and then all of a sudden...wide awake and frantic. I SMELL SKUNK. Ugh. I am not sure if any of you have actually smelled skunk, like straight from the source, or if you have only had the pleasure of experiencing the roadkill skunk smell. Let me tell you, roadkill skunk is like sniffing freaking ROSES compared to straight from the sprayer skunk smell. I called Jeremy and all he could do was laugh at me. I was pretty much a hot mess, freaking out running all around looking for the dog. He let me run around like that for a few minutes and finally he tells me to calm down. There are no animals in the house. It sure smells like there is SOMETHING in here. yuck. Cody went out to the barn this morning before school to check on his chickens and came FLYING back into the house yelling so loud and so fast that Jeremy said he had no idea what the kid was trying to say. He finally figured out the word skunk, so out to the barn they all went. The skunk was digging under the rabbit cages, Bella - our lab was up in its butt sniffing away and bam! Spray. All over the dog. This is Bella's 2nd round with a skunk...unfortunately for her, I cannot give her a bath this time. It is 18* out there, not sure she would appreciate that bath. Anyhow, Cody and Ryan go off to school and Jeremy goes to work. The dogs are all curled up outside in the lawn chairs, and the house is reeking of skunk. Then my phone rings....
Cody was in the office - smelling like skunk. He just got out of the shower, and his coat is on its 2nd round in the washer. I am thinking I may just throw it away and go buy a new one...

So, that is a first for us. Our kid got kicked out of school because he smelled like a skunk. What did YOUR kid do today? :)

100 truths about me

2010-12-05T11:51:00.002-06:00

I stole this idea from a friend's blog...I love these things.

1. Last beverage - coffee
2. Last phone call - Jeremy
3. Last text message - Tina
4. Last song you listened to - Could've Had Everything - Pink
5. Last time you cried - from laughing? last night/this morning Crying for real? Gosh, probably yesterday...I cry all the time.

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice - no, I do not think I have.
7. Been cheated on - yes
8. Kissed someone & regretted it - yes
9. Lost someone special - too many times
10. Been depressed - yes
11. Been drunk and threw up - yes
LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:

12. Purple
13. Pink
14. Blue

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU: (2010)
15. Made a new friend - yes
16. Fallen out of love - no
17. Laughed until you cried - yes
18. Met someone who changed you - yes
19. Found out who your true friends were - yes...well, sort of. I already knew, but they solidified it for me
20. Found out someone was talking about you - yes
21. Kissed anyone on your fb friend's list - yes

GENERAL:
22. How many people on your Facebook friends list do you know in real life - Most. After 4 years, I consider my online mommy friends real life friends, too.
24. Do you have any pets - Yes, several
25. Do you want to change your name - no
26. What did you do for your last birthday - BARN BASH!
27. What time did you wake up today - I never went to bed. So, 6;45 am YESTERDAY
28. What were you doing at midnight last night - Oh Lord...celebrating Kyle's birthday.
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for - Float Friends 2011
30. Last time you saw your Mother - last Sunday
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life? - more money
32. What song do you love listening to - Smoke a Little Smoke by Eric Church
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom - yes
34. What's getting on your nerves right now - nobody! It is quiet here. Jeremy took all three boys out Christmas shopping!
35. Most visited webpage - Facebook
37. Nicknames - Momma, Tricky
38. Relationship Status - Married with Children
39. Zodiac Sign - Taurus
40. He or She? - She
41. Elementary? - Woodlawn, and McLouth
42. Middle School? - McLouth
43. High School? - McLouth
44. Hair color - Brown
45. Long or short - medium, but getting long
46. Height - 5' 9"
47. Do you have a crush on someone? Yes
48: What do you like about yourself? My sense of humor

49. Piercings - ears
50. Tattoos - two
51. Righty or lefty - righty

FIRST:
52. First surgery - Heart ablation in 1994
53. First piercing - ears @ 7
54. First real best friend - Cheryl Bergstrom
55. First sport you joined - Softball
56. First vacation - no idea

RIGHT NOW:
59. Eating - Nothing
60. Drinking - coffee
61. I'm about to - work on my very LAST assignments for this semester
62. Listening to - the football game, iTunes and the dryer
63. Waiting for - lunch

YOUR FUTURE :
64. Get Married? - no thank you
65. Want Kids? - I have three, and would love 2 more, but we are done.
66. Career? - I am a mommy, a passion diva, and a wife. What more do you want?

WHICH IS BETTER :
67. Lips or eyes? - Eyes
68. Hugs or kisses - Hugs
69. Shorter or taller - taller
70. Older or Younger - older
71. Romantic or spontaneous - romantic
73. Sensitive or loud - sensitive
74. Hook-up or relationship - relationship
75. Trouble maker or hesitant - trouble maker

HAVE YOU EVER :
76. Kissed a stranger - yes
77. Drank hard liquor - yes
78. Lost glasses/contacts - yes
79: Broken a bone in your body - yes
80. Broken someone's heart - yes
81. Had your own heart broken - yes
83. Turned someone down - yes
84. Cried when someone died - yes
85. Fallen for a friend - yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
86. Yourself - yes
87. Miracles - yes
88. Love at first sight - yes
89. Heaven - yes
90. Santa Claus - no
91. Kiss on the first date - yes
92. Fate - eh, maybe...

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
93. Had more than one bf/gf? - yes
94. Is there one person you want to be with right now? - yes
95. Did you sing today? - no, but only because I have NO voice. I LOVE to sing
96. Ever cheated on somebody? - yes
97. If you could go back in time, how far would you go, and why? - I would go back to 1998 and do a lot of things different.
98. If you could pick a day from last year and relive it, what would it be? There are a few...it was a really really great summer full of love, laughter and wonderful friends
99. Are you afraid of falling in love? - no
100. Did you have fun writing 100 truths? - sure

WAHOO!

2010-08-15T11:46:00.003-05:00

SCHOOL STARTS IN LESS THAN 3 DAYS!! I am so excited for the boys to go back, and to start back up myself! I think I will be over it in a month or so, but for right now... HALLELUJAH!!

So....with the beginning of school, I must start thinking about the holidays - it seems that they fly right up on me. I have started ordering Christmas presents! I love it ... I am vowing to be more prepared this year, not that I could really control what happened last year. Rest In Peace, Nanny.

Jeremy has been out of town for awhile. Up in Nebraska. Funny, we get along SO well when he is gone ;) We have the best conversations on the phone, and talk more in a day while he is gone than we do in a week if he is home. I used to think that my mom was crazy when she said she liked it when Dad was home, but that things went better when he was working. I TOTALLY get it now. I don't really even mind having to do the chores alone...but, when it comes to deciding what to eat, and preparing it - I miss him a lot. I hate cooking. And vacuuming, and laundry and....

Okay, off to do some more laundry and clean up the kitchen.

PS...yeah, i know this blog is pointless, but I was reading a friend's earlier and she made a good point. I am also a bit put out when I go to read a blog and find it hasn't been updated for weeks...guilty as charged.

Passionate about My Future...;)

2010-07-01T12:18:00.002-05:00

I am a Passion Parties Consultant. I rock. I am not the highest seller, nor am I the best rep out there, but I LOVE what I do. It is so much fun. There are fun people, fun places, and GREAT conversations that happen at my parties. At first, it was not that big of a deal, if I had a party scheduled, great. If not, oh well. Then I started to get bummed out because I was not getting to go out and sell my toys. Then, Spring and Summer came, and holy cow...people must get really frisky when the weather warms up! :) I have a great time, I have met some AWESOME people, and I love doing this. The stuff sells itself, I just have to tote it around and display it for people. You should go look at my website - you can order through there and it is 100% discreet. If you order through my website, I have no idea what you ordered. You should go check it out, or book a party! We would have so much fun!

I have a great old friend (old, like from our childhood...not our age) that is a Premier Designs Jeweler. She is awesome, and I just LOVE her stuff! If I were not already so busy with the Passions, I would no doubt join her and sell that jewelry. You should go check out her blog, she does different giveaways and stuff. If you want to book a party, tell her I sent ya! :) I am going to try to get some sort of a party together so that we can both hang out and cater to the ladies. Hmmm, I need to be thinking harder on that one...I also know a Diva Girl purse lady....what better way for a lady to spend a day? Dildos, jewels AND purses? SCORE! I better get to planning that out. Later gator!

I cannot believe it is Jun...er, JULY already!

2010-07-01T11:23:00.002-05:00

Holy cow this summer is flying by. The animals are all fine, the garden is growing, and Jeremy and I even got it weeded the other night. Thank goodness for that, too because it was BAD. Cody was a HUGE help ... he has decided he loves to weed eat. AWESOME. One less thing for mom to do that she hates. :) Ryan is doing so good in his summer program. He actually really enjoys it. They have goals that they set at the beginning of each week, and if they meet at least 80% of their goals, they are invited to go on the big, fun field trip on Thursday. Yesterday, Ryan brought home his paper and he met 95% of his goal - NINETY-FIVE PERCENT!! That is so awesome, especially since he was not there on Monday! So, he met and exceeded his 80 % in just 2 days! I am so proud of him. He was pretty pleased with himself, as he should be. :) Braden has decided that heis afraid of everything. He will not get into the big pool, is terrified of the "monsters" under his bed, in the closets, behind the toilet...the list goes on and on. He says some pretty funny things ... and is 100% potty trained. YAY!! He has been using the toilet for awhile, but would have at least an accident or seven everyday. Not anymore. He is a professional - even with the monsters behind the toilet. :) I asked him why he did not want to go swimming in my pool with me the other day and he looked at me with the sweetest, saddest face and said "because I am horrible scared of it." Hey, at least the kid is honest!

This is all I have for this post. I have another coming that will be more 'business' related, so if you are not interested in my business...stay away! :)

HAPPY JULY!!

Just real quick...

2010-05-04T18:00:00.002-05:00

I have a million things I have to do tonight, so I only have a minute, but the garden is coming right along! The tomatoes and peppers are in, and a lot of stuff is poking up from under the dirt! It is so exciting. I got my first sunburn of the year today while I was out watering and planting my good from the garden swap I attended this past Saturday. Nothing too bad, but it's there!

Ryan is still having a really hard time at school - I have a feeling that like me, he is just done. Finished, checked out until August. I feel like this summer is going to bring a lot of big changes for our family, but I have not made any final decisions known, so I will not go into it just yet. I have a couple of weeks left of school and I will DEFINITELY be taking this summer off from that....I have really stretched myself too thin on it and put way too much pressure and stress on myself. Blah.

Jeremy has been gone a lot with the weather better - hallelujah for the growing bank account, but the kids are not to pleased about it. Braden will scream "I want my Daddy...!!" whenever he is in trouble, hurt, tired, hungry, happy, clean, dirty...you get the picture. LOL
There are so many things that have to be taken care of on a farm....Geesh! I should think about hiring a cute little farm hand. KIDDING. I am the only farm hand we will have. I am just a tad lazy sometimes.

I had a blast with a group of super cool people on Sunday. I am sure if you look hard enough, you will come across a few pictures from the day. (I must state my disclaimer: My children were NOWHERE around any of it, and I was a free bird for ONE day. So, therefore, what happens on the Save the Boobies Run, STAYS on the Save the Boobies Run...right?) Our mission was to Save the Boobies. We drank, played and laughed all while being driven around in a pimped out party bus. I had a blast - and laughed so hard. Some of us ( I am not naming any names) even peed our pants. Ha! But, dont tell anyone..... ;)

Oh my..

2010-04-21T17:14:00.007-05:00

I have so much to write about - and cannot even figure out a good place to start.That is the sunset from last Sunday...it was prettier in person, but this picture isn't too bad.

Fresh in my mind is the DMV contest, of which my friend Mel is the reigning champion. I wish I had seen this earlier - I am POSITIVE that my van would win, hands down. The entries are awesome. You can go see for yourself at Tales from the Motherhood.

We have gotten our garden planted! There are a couple of things we still have yet to add - like peppers and tomatoes - but they can wait a bit longer. We planted 5 rows of corn, 2 rows of green beans, a row each of red, yellow and white onions, half a row of broccoli, a row and a half of brussels sprouts, a row of lettuce, half a row of carrots and a row and a half of okra. We also planted 6 hills of each - cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and cantaloupe and 4 hills of watermelon. YUM....it is going to be a LOT of work. I am ready for it. :)

Here are a few pictures of the garden. I *hope* to update them as things begin to grow.

The garden would not fit into one shot - so I took three. :)

I also planted strawberries - they are so cute. And sure to be yummy...if I can keep the kids out of them!

I have a new hibiscus tree, and cleaned out all the nasty overgrowth and junk weeds that were occupying the old bathtub in the yard. I struggled with even leaving the old tub out there ... it is so WT, but I ended up keeping it. I threw a few seed mats down that I had gotten from fundraisers, and weddings, etc. I dont have any expectations for it, so maybe a flower or two will pop up and surprise me. I planted a couple of bleeding hearts, that the boys promptly tromped on, and 2 baby clematis. Hopefully, they will grow up the old windmill base and cover it....again, a little bit WT.

The rabbits are doing well. I have decided to not breed them anymore until fall. I thought they could use a break, and I did not feel it would be very nice of me to stress them out in the heat. I do actually have 4 that are bred, but will have their litters weaned and out before the first of June.

We have a lot of chickens. We had a pretty good laying program going, until the Beagles decided that they liked to kill and eat chickens. We lost 4 laying hens, a rooster, 3 pullets, and then had an accidental chick death. We will not press charges, but if we did, Braden would be convicted of manslaughter....at the very least. :( Poor little chick. We have about 26 broilers that will be ready soon...that should be an experience. We have 83 pullets that we have raised from chicks. I am going to try to sell some on craigslist, but the rest will be great layers in the fall and next year. I will at least have the murdered chickens replaced.... so sad.

Baxter is the chicken killer. Hard to believe he could do such a thing with a face like this...I am supposed to be finding him a new home, but it makes me too sad, so I am going to declare that I will go through a form of PPD if he moves away. Wish me luck, I doubt Jeremy buys it. I dont know why we cant just build some sort of doggy play pen for the puppies while the chickens are out during the day. Actually, I just got an idea - and I may be building that myself. I will let you know how it turns out.

I love this picture of my difficult child. He is having a really hard time right now. I have been on the phone with the clinics and the doctor and the therapist all damn day. He has been suspended from school for 2 days for hitting another child. He does not really care that he cannot go to school - or that he missed a field trip today. *Sigh* Lord, grant me the serenity......

Ah...Procrastination

2010-03-08T20:47:00.002-06:00

I dont know why I procrastinate. All the damn time. I have a TON of homework that was assigned about 2 weeks ago (some even a month ago) that I have yet to even read about what the assignment is. I think I might be burned out. BLAH...

That was just about45 seconds of your life you will never get back. Sorry. :)

Just wanted to Share...

2010-02-19T09:54:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine shared this blog with me yesterday. I cannot stop thinking about it. It was so beautifully written, and such a touching story. I want to share it with all of you who read this...all 11 of you. :) Anyway, perhaps it will touch you as well.

Nella's Birth Story

You will have to let me know what you think.

February 18

2010-02-18T10:08:00.002-06:00

I am still working on the weight loss. I have a puppy with a broken leg that is just BEGGING to get out and play, poor thing. Today is the 9th anniversary of Jeremy and my engagement. I bet he doesn't know that. :) I have 28 rabbits, and 4 of them are due to have babies this week. I am not really a huge fan of this house we are living in. I sell sex toys. Our house is being overrun by animals that I am too soft hearted to make live in the barn. I know how to get an egg to go inside a bottle without breaking either object when the bottle opening is smaller than the widest part of the egg. I have a lot of school work to do and this is what I am doing instead..... Have a great day!

December 22, 2009

2009-12-22T07:50:00.002-06:00

One week down...the results are stunning. I weighed in yesterday and I am down 7 pounds!! Holy cow! I do not look different, but I feel like I can really do this now. I have done a really good job at sticking to the diet, even after going through all the craziness of our schedule this past week. I missed my telephone conference because we were doing family things, but I was excused. I feel like I missed out on some valuable tips and suggestions, but family time is more important right now.
I finished up my Christmas shopping, with the exception of the few things I need Jeremy to grab for Ryan, and I am feeling a lot more settled.
We bury my Nanny today...it will be so hard, and I am really worried about my dad. It is never easy to lose someone you love, no matter how ready you think you are. She is no longer suffering and is no doubt partying like a rockstar with my sister...and her daughter...and her husband...and her momma...and all of the other loved ones we have lost over the years.
Happy Tuesday everybody.

Day 3...4...5..oh my.

2009-12-17T19:47:00.002-06:00

I am on day 5 of the KU Weight Control and Management Clinical Study. It is not too bad - I have to eat so many shakes and so many of these pre-packaged entrees that they provide for me. Along with that, I must eat a minimum of 5 one cup servings of fruits and vegetables. I also have to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. It is basically this.. www.hmrproducts.com but the quick start set - I do not get the cereal or the snacks.

I weighed myself this morning - just to see...I am down 5 pound. CRAZINESS. I am super excited about it....

On a less happy note- my grandmother, Nanny, is dying. I pray her passing is peaceful and painless.

2009-12-04T16:37:00.001-06:00

I know its been awhile - but this caught my attention, and it is pretty important. Go check it out.

Say hi to my friend Mel while you are there.

I've gotta feeling....

2009-09-17T08:40:00.002-05:00

that everything is about to go crazy around here. No real reason, just a feeling. Back in June, our washing machine flooded our house, and we have not had a clean or organized house since. It is really frustrating and I cannot understand why people cannot just come in, do their job and get the hell OUT of my house!! I have about 8 different repairs started, but not a single damn one of them is completed! It is VERY frustrating and extremely depressing to see my house so ....gross.

Way off topic, just to occupy my mind with something other than the destruction of my house:
Braden is obsessed with Barney, Caillou, and Elmo. Thank goodness we have Sprout!
Ryan has been telling his teacher, the principal, and the counselor at school that he never gets to eat breakfast in the mornings because I dont let him, or because we are mean...WTF!?!? The little shit would get his breakfast, if he would get the heck out of bed and get ready to go when he is told, instead of whining, yelling, screaming and fighting with everyone in the mornings. Not even kidding you....I wake him up around 7. He showers at night, so that is not an issue. School starts at 8:10, so in order to have school breakfast, he has to be there by 7:45. He has not made it to school before 8:20 more than 3 days yet. It is SO stinkin old. We have started to just leave, and if he wants to get to school, he starts walking (it is a whole 7 blocks).
Cody is still pretty calm, cool and collected. He has started fibbing a lot, and we are working on it.
Both of the boys are doing really well at school, and Braden is trying to potty train! It is fun, but sad. My babies are growing up way too fast.

Ooops...sorry.

2009-09-14T10:07:00.004-05:00

I know I promised to be better at this, but I really suck. The rabbits are all grown, weaned and most are gone to their new homes. We have expanded our breeds, and are now raising New Zealands and min-rex in addition to my little loves, the mini-lops. I cannot help but adore them. They are all so sweet and funny. I have more pictures, but I need to get some new ones today.

Silly Wabbits

2009-07-15T23:06:00.002-05:00

Back in March, we bought 2 rabbits- Oliver and Sophie. They are really so sweet and fun to play with. They are cuddly, and litter box trained (awesome! and SO easy!) and we love them. We knew that we had a male and a female - and we were prepared for the inevitable. What we were not prepared for, however, was for OLIVER to give birth. :) So...now we have to get used to either calling them the opposites, or to figure out new names. It is hard to go so long calling a rabbit by a name that is no longer a very good name....I am sure we will survive.

We have 5 seemingly healthy, wiggly, bald, pink babies. Oliv....erm, Momma seems to be taking to motherhood quite well. She is in great spirits and does not seem to mind at all when I poke around to snoop on the babies. They are so cute - in a gross kind of way. They are not really gross, just bald - and they've not opened their eyes just yet, so it is hard to really tell what they will be like later on. Based on their skin color, I would say we will probably have one that looks EXACTLY like Momma, and an all grey (Chin - think chinchilla) one, which I am excited about. Looks to be a mostly white, and then another broken black - but not as much black as momma, and a broken chin like daddy. Whatever they look like, they are sure to be freaking adorable. I will have a hard time letting them go if someone wants one. My plan is to keep my favorite one - as long as it loves me a bunch, too. Anyone in the market for a baby mini-lop on or around September 7th? I can totally hook you up! See pictures below...

Daddy 'The rabbit fomerly known as Sophie'...

Momma 'Oliver' ...

The babies...they are covered in the mom's fur - she made this nest about 5 minutes before she gave birth. She pulled all that fur out of her stomach and chest and pulled all of her hay out of her feeder to make it. She also scratched and pulled off as much of the cardboard from the box that she could...

July 13, 2000

2009-07-14T02:03:00.003-05:00

Nine years ago, I had just moved back home with my infant - escaping a marriage that would even torture Satan. I had reconnected with my friends, and the livin' was good.... On the 13th of July in 2000 - my world turned upside down. My best friend, George was swimming in Perry Lake, he went under to retrieve some dropped sunglasses for a friend and disappeared. It was probably, at that time, the worst thing I could ever think of experiencing. I remember sitting by the phone - glued to the television- surrounded by people that I grew up with, and that all loved George so very much - praying, waiting...hardly breathing. We all had our own thoughts and hopes - perhaps he was disoriented and swam to shore? He was a certified scuba diver, a strong swimmer - drowning was not even a possibility, right? Wrong. Impossible things happen. They found his body shortly before 9 am the next day. I sit back and reflect on my uni-browed best friend and realize that although life is so devastatingly different and wrong without him, in his death he gave me a lifelong gift. I feel strongly that he made sure there was someone to take care of me and my son. Jeremy and I would not have ever taken the time to connect in the manner that we did had life not taken such a turn. In the two weeks after George's death, I found myself surrounded at home by people that no matter how far we grow apart, I will always hold dear to my heart. You do not endure the loss of your 'brother', your best friend, without the group of people that move along in life holding you up along the way. Life has taken many different turns, but it has taken me in so many wonderful - and some equally horrible - places. My support group dissolved - and all that has been standing through everything has been my rock - otherwise known as my husband. I will forever thank George for bringing us together, all the while cussing him for leaving me....

School's Out for Summer!

2009-07-14T01:59:00.003-05:00

I just uploaded my final assignments for the two classes I took this summer....hallelujah! It was excruciating, jamming a semester's worth of work into 7 weeks. Kicked my ass, really. Thank goodness it is over - I will not be voluntarily taking summer classes again! I guess we will have to see if my stress paid off when grades are posted Thursday...

Today

2009-06-30T13:02:00.002-05:00

You know, just when I think things cannot get any worse - they do.

Just when I think that I cannot take any more - something bigger is thrown at me and I discover that I can.

As soon as I feel overwhelmed, and am ready to turn my back on the world - a dirty, sticky, slobbery kiss from a two year old makes the world right.

Summer Time

2009-06-11T12:31:00.001-05:00

My kids are going to drive me to the nut house. I am serious. I only work Monday, Wednesday and Friday so I am off on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the boys. God help us.

The Time of My Life

2009-06-11T11:33:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I suppose there are times I have had more fun, but at the moment, I cannot think of any. My dear dear friend Lydia, whom I met on the internet while pregnant (even though she only recalls me after we gave birth) with my youngest son Braden, and her family drove all the way from their comfort zone in PA to the flint hills of KS. They arrived on Thursday, and stayed through Monday evening. We did not do anything super exciting, but I had a blast. We played with the kids, and went on short day trips. In the evenings, we ate good food and drank wine. I was nervous about them coming and Jeremy being a jerk. I worried for nothing. Jeremy had a wonderful time and impressed me with his instant befriending of Derek. We are hoping to travel East in the Fall/Winter - and it was all Jeremy idea and suggestion! YAY!

If I can remember how, I will upload a few pictures...

2009-04-26T10:06:00.002-05:00

Been awhile - AGAIN. I still suck at this.

So, awhile back the boys asked to join 4H. Sure, no problem. What a better way to teach them responsibility, help build their character, and provide a positive socialization outlet, right? We have been going to meetings, and have chosen our projects for the year. Because Ryan was not 7 by January 1, he has to be a Cloverbud. No big deal, you would think. WRONG. He is pissed. Seriously. It makes me laugh, but really, once he figures out that he can do EVERYTHING Cody is doing, and NOT have to keep a record book, I think he will change his mind. Their projects are poultry (enter chicks and ducks), geology (yay - rocks!) and rabbits. Ryan is only interested in rabbits. Cody wants to do EVERYTHING. It is exhausting, but fun. I have learned to raise baby chicks and ducks, and I have a few that are quite fond of me. And more that hate me. LOL Oh well. I have been the only one taking care of said animals. Cannot say I am surprised....

Summer is coming! SO Excited. I will only work 2-3 days a week this summer, so the boys and I can go do lots of fun stuff...as long as it is cheap! I am excited to spend days at the ool. I love the pool.

I am going to go back to school. I am torn on what to do, but I need to go back and finish what I started. I will just take online classes for awhile, then when I get Braden's schedule all figured out at daycare, I may go on campus ... but I doubt it. I am too old for that shit.

I am turning 30 so very soon....

KELLY ROCKS!, Facebook....and other Randomness

2009-02-10T10:09:00.001-06:00

Facebook - I love it. I think I may be addicted. I couldn't really get into the whole twitter thing...it was annoying - always left me asking for more. But, Facebook...I can find ANYBODY on there, and if I want to know more, I ask...SOMEBODY knows! MySpace was good for that for a little while, but it is so INVOLVED...too many clicks to get where I really want to be. I like that I have more contacts on Facebook - it must be where the cool people hang.

Kelly - congratulations you skinny bitch...spend your $50 well. Buy something sinful.

Braden is being referred out to the Children's Mercy Asthma and Allergy specialists. Waiting for them to call me and tell us when...hopefully we can avoid another RSV episode, or worse.

Back to work for me - there are my random sputterings for the day.

Once upon a time....

2009-02-06T20:09:00.002-06:00

I was skinny. Like, really - skinny. I was frickin HOT. No more. BUT - I am trying. I am on a 1600 calories a day lifestyle change. I have been exercising and watching what I eat very closely. I actually installed an app on my phone to track the food I consume. I have been drinking protein shakes for breakfast and lunch, drinking herbal tea extract and moving my ass. Pray for me...I need it.

What the hell?

2009-02-06T20:04:00.002-06:00

You complain you are fat...and eat crap - truly CRAP.
You bitch about money being tight.....and buy a brand new house for a lot of money.
You ask for opinions...and shoot down every logical idea offered.

I don't get it. Do people really not realize that they contradict themselves out in public, for everyone to hear and see? Grrr

Oh Yeah, Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T23:47:00.003-06:00

So, we survived Christmas. Everyone was pleased and all is well at our house. Jeremy and I are doing really well - even getting caught up on the bills we put off to afford Christmas. I feel like he is actually "getting" me again. Almost like he actually HEARS me when I talk! Amazing. lol This year was the very first time EVER in our almost 10 years that he has gotten me the one thing I asked for. I only ask for one thing so as not to overload him with ideas, and this year it finally occurred to him to actually get it! Yay! We have had a lot of time off over the holidays - which made for a shit ton of family time - and we are all still alive and well!

I have 2 boys getting ready to turn a year older. Cody is turning 9 - OMG! NINE!! - on Thursday. We are going to go out for dinner and celebrate. It will be all about him - the past few years he has gotten lost in the after - Christmas depression and then the whirlwind of a new baby, and the 'baby's" first birthday, etc..... This year we are doing it better. It is my New Year's Resolution. Braden is turning 2 on the 13th. We are not doing anything too special - just dinner at home and a cake and ice cream party for the grandparents.

I have decided to live a new healthier lifestyle. Cannot call it a diet - I fail diets. I have a goal and a somewhat method to achieve it. Still working on the specifics. For this week, I am drinking more water, adding far less junk to my coffee and walking more - at least 30 minutes 3 times. I am toying with the idea of taking pictures weekly, but I am too embarrassed to post them anywhere until after I actually see some change for the better. For this month, my goal is for my fat pants to not be tight. Please pray for me.......

Emotional Wreck?

2009-01-05T23:41:00.002-06:00

Something in me has decided that I am going to feel everything for other people. I find myself crying for other people's losses, changes, triumphs.... Empathy? Compassion? Maybe, but it is pissing me off. Okay - not really, but I am preoccupied worrying about how my friend Cami is doing with her 3 girls, on an island with her husband overseas. I am consumed with what it must be like - how badly it must hurt - to not have your mother or father still alive and on the other end of the phone when it rings. I even find myself in anguish over the death of John Travolta's son Jett. That is a pain so intense, and I find myself worrying about my own children, as they are tramping all over the house sounding like a herd of flippin' elephants. I hear my voice - "Don't do that! Be careful - you will get hurt!" I am such a freak. Must be time to up the meds again...huh?

Wow.

2008-11-01T10:48:00.002-05:00

November 1st. Something less than 60 days until Christmas. Only 26 school days until Christmas. WHOA! Where has the time gone?

Halloween was okay - not too exciting, but it really never is around here. C wore a mask that had a little heart attached with tubing that he hid under his sweatshirt that he could squeeze and it looked like his face was bleeding. He thought it was the coolest thing ever. Rhino was a Clone Trooper and BDiddy a duck - "cuck- cuck" he kept saying. Along with "Tit Ter Teet" and profuse "TAINT TOO!" s. LOL He is adorabe, and so funny. The realization that I HAVE to get the child's hair cut was made clear to me though, when EVERYONE asked if the boys' little SISTER would like some candy too. UGH! He is NOT a girl. FatSmellyMan just shook his head, smiled sadly, and said he didn't know how to tell me earlier but that he agreed....time for a haircut. Sadness.

C isn't healing as well as we all thought he would, or he is really milking it. I think he really doesn't feel right -he opted out of his class party yesterday and asked to stay home and sleep - WHAT?! He isn't really eating. Or drinking. Or talking.... I think he was dehydrated yesterday - I forced him to drink about 32 ounces of water and he really perked up. Enough so to go to the Trunk or Treat in the church parking lot, but before we got all the way through all 10 cars that were there, he was asking to go back home. I feel badly for him, but he has said he feels MUCH better today and he actually has eaten eggs and stuff this morning.

BIG GAME today! GO CATS! They are playing KU in Lawrence at 11:30. How funny is it that when they are playing 20 miles from us, we do not go - but trek 100 miles West for their home games? We are strange. Actually, we were planning on going today, but life happened.

Speaking of life...it seems to be a no-go on the baby girl mentioned before. Baby Mama isn't returning phone calls and it is rumored that Baby Daddy is back in the picture. The whole situation has made us really question if we are even emotionally ready to handle being a licensed home. This has been pretty draining on us both and there isn't even a child placed here yet... While fostering and adoption is something we truly want to do - it may just be bad timing right now.

Busy Life

2008-10-19T10:12:00.002-05:00

I suppose in the grand scheme of things, I am not really THAT busy. But, I feel like I am being pulled in 18 different directions and honestly, my head is spinning!

C is playing basketball for 3rd and 4th graders. He has decided that he is now the expert on the sport and does not waste any opportunity to tell us about it. He is also having surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids the Tuesday before Halloween. They said he would still be able to trick or Treat, so I guess we are golden? He will have to sit out of PE and basketball for 10 days, but that only means 2 practices and 1 game, so he was fine with it.

I am starting to question Rhino's ADHD diagnosis. I do not deny that there is some sort of mental issue going on, I just am not quite comfortable with the ADHD label. My friend and I have been taking a TON of mental health and foster parenting inservices over the past few weeks - more on that later - but one we went to last week really gave me a different idea of his disorder. I am going to look into ODD and try to find him a second opinion *ok, third* from an in-home therapist. I am actually quite excited about it, as we could all use a bit of therapy I am sure.

BDiddy is getting big. And busy, and quite independent. He is funny - and is really trying to communicate more with his words and less with the baby grunts and coos. Sadness. He is growing up too fast!

We went to the pumpkin patch on Tuesday - just the daycare kids. C and R were in school, so it was me and B and a whole slew of toddlers! It was rainy and muddy and gross but SO MUCH FUN! The pumpkin crop seems to be awesome this year, and the kids actually got to PICK their pumpkins from the vine, as opposed to having the pumpkins lined up along the outer edge of the field alread cut, clean and ready to go. What is the fun in that? Of course, amongst all of the pretty and perfectly ORANGE pumpkins, BDiddy picks a GREEN one. I love it. He is awesome. :)

As a family, we went to a fall festival last night at Gary's Berries. Corn Maze, Haunted House, giant slides made out of sanitation tubes....Fun times. We got lost as hell in the maze and never made it out to the pumpkin patch. But, it was fun. I think I got some pictures, but it was so dark...

We may be getting our home licensed for foster children sooner than we had thought. A baby girl MIGHT need care in the very near future, and I am feeling it pulling me that way. There are a lot of alternative options, and who knows what will happen, but I would LOVE a new baby in the house.... I guess if anything happens, and I am allowed to post about it, I will. Confidentiality is a big thing with the foster care system.

Hmmmm.....

2008-10-06T21:38:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday!

BDiddy is not feeling well, so we get to stay home tomorrow. I think he is fine, but had a freak fever this afternoon, so we are happily following the rules and staying out for 24 hours. I need to catch up on the laundry, and read up on the message boards I have been neglecting.

Went to the KSU game Saturday - HUGE let down. But, oh well, still got my drink on!

I miss my friend in PA. I wish I didn't live so far away, or I would go sit with her and do nothing but chat all day and watch the babies play.
I hope Kelly has her baby soon - just so I can stop annoying her with my 'are you still pregnant?' im's. :)

That's all. How is that for Random? LOL

2008-09-22T21:36:00.001-05:00

Monday Randomness...

2008-09-22T20:59:00.003-05:00

BBC Post Secret - So, we all have our secrets, right? Mine is that I will never be happy with myself. My family will always be better than yours. I will always want more than I can have. I will always wish my husband was nicer to me..loved me harder...
Gah - Bad day. Better revisit that one later.

BDiddy is talking so much. And, today went binky-free from about 8 am and is still holding strong. He is sleeping - we will see how the rest of the night goes. He has started to tell me when he needs a diaper change. "Grooss....Ah Pooob" It is the cutest thing.

C has an appointment with an ENT on Wednesday - poor kid needs to get his tonsils and adenoids removed. Wish us luck.

Rhino...wow. The kid is nuts. He is obsessed with jeans, boots, his belt and those damn pearl-snap shirts. He is 80, trapped in a 6-year old's body. He wants to "get a coupla a hogs and a calf or two" and raise them up as pets out in the front yard. Oy.

I must stop now - I have to watch CSI:Miami to show FatSmellyMan that Horatio is not, in fact, dead.

Single?

2008-09-20T22:59:00.006-05:00

I think I want to be single and then, I don't. I mean, I am pretty sure I could do it. I am alone with the boys pretty much all the time anyway, so that wouldn't be any different. I already have no freedom to go out with friends, but I chose to have kids - I am where I belong. We would be pretty strapped for cash - maybe, I mean, I of course would not have this monstrous house payment to make.... And then, he walks through the door, or calls me on the phone, or sends a poorly typed text, haha. Something about him makes me forget I was mad - sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I am not completely fooled by him. Actually, I am pretty well onto him. BUT...
There are always so many varying factors in our relationship. The one constant is that I love him. He loves me. We love our kids. I don't want to be single. But I do not want to live like this forever.

Sorry - that was pretty random. But, I was thinking about it and figured I could type it out and see if I felt any better. I think I need chocolate.

My blog will suck

2008-09-20T13:42:00.004-05:00

Just thought I better forewarn you.
I will forget to post stuff, and then one day - I will post a shit ton of crap. You will like it. Or you won't. Either way, I don't care - I just need a place to vent random shit and share silly stories. Myspace, Facebook, BBC...I am bored with them - Myspace is only good for mobsters anyway.
Hey - anyone want to join my mob?