Grace

1. Weekend - though it will be busy. DJ has a bball game tonight in Ste. Gen, Sonya has a tournament tomorrow - who knows how long that will last and I need to go see Heather. We recently bought a laptop on ebay and accidentally had it sent to her dorm instead of here to us. I'm gonna run up for a visit and grab the laptop. I'd rather spend the money on gas to see her than more postage to overnight and insure the laptop. Then, we're supposed to go to a football party on Sunday - so busy, busy week and I've only had 9 hours of sleep in the past 2 days. I'm bushed.

2. I'm thankful that my boss is gone for the day. It's always a little more fun around here when she's gone. We may even skip out a little early.

3. I'm grateful that Ted Haggard is not my husband or my preacher. I saw him on CNN last night and googled him today. Oh My Goodness! What a douchebag!!!! I mean, live your life the way you want it, but don't go around preaching against the exact thing your doing. And add to that list Blago - the gov of IL. You've been impeached - get over it already and shut the hell up!!!! Nobody is interested in your line of bs any longer.

4. I'm grateful for this beautiful, cold winter day. Somehow, it doesn't seem so cold when the sun is shining bright. And it does wonders for your mood too.

5. As always, I'm totally thankful for my wonderful children - crazy as they make me sometimes.


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OK, my kids have been out of school for 4 days this week because we had 6 or so inches of snow. They totally could have gone yesterday and if not, then absolutely today - but whatever. It's just cost me an arm and a leg to feed all of mine, 3 of my nieces & nephews, 2 of DJs friends and 1 of Colbys.

DJ's friend Devin is always at our house. I really love the kid, but like my own, he can get on my nerves. I am comfortable enough with him though to tell him about it when it happens. I just treat him like one of my own.

Today, I asked Colby to load the dishwasher. I've never asked him to do that before, but there were no clean bowls or glasses when I left this morning and they were all cleaning up so I asked him to try it. He said "When I get it all full, I'll ask one of the geniuses to start it for me." I laughed knowing he was talking about DJ and Devin.

I said "Don't forget to put soap in it!" and he said, "How am I supposed to know how much soap to put in? Oh, don't worry, I'll ask the geniuses."

Fast forward a couple of hours. Sonya calls and her nose is severly stuffed up. So I say, do you want me to have one of the geniuses give you some cold medicine and she said "Well, DJ and Devin are gone to practice and Colby is the only one here and the last time I checked, he's no genius!!! I'll just wait for Dad to get home." Good idea! Whatever am I going to do with this child???

Grace in Small Things

One of the blogs I read, 3Carnations turned me on to this idea.

Several bloggers are taking part in Grace in Small Things. The idea is to post 5 things you're thankful for each day. Since I don't typically post everyday, I'll be a little different, but I do plan to try to do this on the days I do post. Stay tuned.

1. I am grateful that when I went in the basement this morning to find clothes for myself, Colby, Sonya and Darrell (since he had surgery on his knee and elbow last Friday and can't make it up and down the steps yet) that I found a nice, clean presentable outfit for each one of us in the mass of folded clothes that I haven't gotten around to putting away yet.

2. I am grateful to have a job to go to (to get away from Darrell who is driving me crazy after his surgery last week - so needy) and that they are very lenient with me as far as what time I get to work. I would be so stressed everyday if I had to worry about being late.

3. I am grateful to be in a place financially that I can help out my dad who is struggling right now. He has been struggling his entire life - lots of depression since my mom died and lots of addictions that I don't really want to know all the details of. Today would have been my parents' 39th wedding anniversary and may have been a partiularly bad day for him, if I hadn't offered him the help. It will still probably be emotional, but hopefully it will be tolerable for him.

4. I am grateful for my son Colby - who always tells me he loves me - even if I am yelling at him to hurry up and get out of the car or he'll be late for school. He is such a loving guy. I hope he never loses that.

5. I am also grateful to Colby for helping Sonya catch her rat this morning and put it back in the cage. It was already a late, chaotic day when she discovered that Stewert had disappeared from his cage and was hiding behind her bed. She couldn't get to him, but Colby got him and the day was saved.

These are kind of silly, I know, but they just came to me as I was typing - and it's still really early in the day. I'm grateful for so many things each day - this will help me remember.

Thanks, 3Cs!

How did we ever survive as kids?

I am 38 years old and I still remember only being allowed to talk on the phone for 20 minutes at a time. I then had to hang it up for at least 30 minutes, in case someone was trying to call and couldn't get through. I wasn't allowed to "tie up the phone" all night. Now, I'm not saying that our kids should have to go through some of the things that we did, but come on, can't we make them suffer a little?

Everyone in our house, with the exception of Sonya has a cell phone and texting privileges. Sonya will be 10 in March and she wants a cell phone. Whatever, kid! Two of her 10 year old cousins have cell phones and "ALL" of her friends have them, so I am being the worst mom on the planet because I won't get her one.

First of all, we are on A T & T's family plan and they allow 5 phones - there are 6 of us - so until Heather starts paying for her own cell phone - there is no way she can get one anyway. I told her to talk to her dad - there's no way he'll budge on this - for one - he's a tightwad and doesn't think anyone but him should have a cell anyhow - good luck darlin'.

Also, they have called school off tomorrow because of the cold. This is kind of weird to me. I mean, we do have heat in our schools and I feel bad for some of the parents that work and won't be able to find someone to keep their kids. I remember having to walk to school in the cold (maybe it wasn't this cold) I think it's supposed to get down to 2 degrees tonight, but anyway, walk to school with a dress on, with pants underneath and my grandma made me wear a headscarf - of all things. You know, the kind that old ladies wear when they leave the beauty shop? The ones made of nylon? Hideous.

I must be getting old, but I think our kids just have it too darned good! I may have to think of something to make them suffer tonight - I just may end up making them do the dishes! I mean, by hand - not using the dishwasher!

How does that happen???

Of course mornings in my house are crazy and chaotic, to say the least. Darrell usually doesn't get up with all of us, but when he does, he just adds to the chaos. Today was one of those days...

Heather is home from college and doesn't go back until next week, so she's trying to sleep and I'm yelling at everyone to get up - find your shoes - brush your teeth - oh, no the bus is 2 minutes early - hurry up and go pee before she comes back up the road - you get the picture. At this point, Heather has Aunt Shelly syndrome (the name I made up about my sister - because she is NOT a morning person).

DJ is in the shower because he rides with me to school (he's too cool to ride the bus now since he'll be 16 and driving himself in only 9 short weeks - UGH!!! Darrell goes in there and flushes the toilet on purpose to scald him and make him start yelling. I'm telling you - you've heard of dysfunctional before - well my husband came from a home that put the capital D in that word - and he thinks there's nothing funnier at 6:45 am than to have everyone yelling and the dog barking, etc on the days when HE is up. Any other morning, we're supposed to be library silent - yeah right!

We got ANOTHER new puppy - this brings the total to 4 beagles (for hunting, outside in the pen) 4 beagle newborn puppies - also in a separate pen with the 5th momma beagle. Outside - running free is Gunner, a pure-bred lab given to us recently - wonderful dog - huge, scary to strangers but a sweethear - he plays fetch and it's so fun. Rocket - a beagle mix who is skiddish around people. Hannah - a former hunting beagle turned pet who is blind in one eye but a total sweetheart and Winston - a 25 pound teacup poodle that I got snookered into buying from a website for abused animals. We also have two cats - Cinderella and Toby (Cinderella's kitten), one rat (Stuart) and a visiting gerbil (Kisses) who will return to Mizzou with Heather next week. Shall I reiterate the chaos factor in my home?

So the new puppy - Cooper is a purebred boston terrier - 10 weeks old - very ugly, yet cute in the same way - who needs lots of potty training attention and has to eat special food, etc. Sonya is supposed to be his sole provider - but you know how that goes - she doesn't do morings well, either - so I'm stuck with it all.

I started this to tell you that I forgot my purse this morning and had to drive all the way to work - 75 miles - without a phone, wallet, credit cards, cash, powder, lipstick, etc, etc, etc. I had to borrow money from my work friend so I could stop for gas on my way home.

After telling this story, I can't believe I even wondered how it could happen that I would leave my purse on the table as I walked out with my totebag, my makeup bag, my coat (I can't wear it while I'm driving that far), my coffee cup, my earrings, my cereal and my lunch bag.

Calgon, take me away!

Holiday weight gain, blah!!!

I joined W eight W atchers in November and as of December 4th I was down 5 pounds. I even got a gold star sticker with a 5 on it for my weight log book. yay! Kinda lame, yes, but it made me happy for a minute.

I had surgery on December 10th (gallbladder removed - almost painless - doing very well now, thank you) and I hadn't been back to a meeting with the time off of work and holidays, etc.

I went to my first meeting of the new year today and I've gained 8 pounds since December 4th. That's not only the 5 I took off, but an extra 3 to boot! What the hell is wrong with me??? Now, I know I'm not alone and blah, blah, blah I will get on track now that the new year has started, but you know I wish a person could just lose the weight and forget it, but that's just not the way it goes.

This week has sucked big toes at work this I'm very stressed here and at home, so it's not been a good week to "start" any new eating programs. Originally, I thought I'd begin again on Monday, but I don't think my body can take it. I must start now. - well, tomorrow because I've already blown it today. I'll try to not blow so much for the rest of the day (too bad for hubby:)) and will go to the grocery store tonight and get the "good" foods I need to do this properly and I'll jump right back on that damned old bandwagon again tomorrow!

Wish me luck!

New Years Resolutions

I have but one resolution, to post more often here. I've found myself going back through my blogs many times this year to see when something happened. I've been sort of using it as a reference.

Well, Darrell and I are not getting along at all and I would really like to journal more of what goes on between us. I may end up making this private, I'm not sure yet, but i do know that I'd like to make it a habit of posting at least 3 times a week, so here goes.

Happy 2009, may the year be joyous for all of us.