FYI

I wore the grey sweater yesterday!

How Tacky!!!!

So, I don't know if any of you have noticed, but it seems like every picture I post of myself I am in the same grey sweater. I don't even particularly like the thing either! Lura and I were joking about it the other day when I noticed it. I guess it is because I have limited choices in my wardrobe - I worry more about Sean and the kids having clothes and figure when I get a job then I will need them! I just laugh now everytime I see a picture of me in the sweater. How Tacky!

Luke and Sean are at the ped. for Luke's physical. I take Caitlin at 4 today for her's and then Johnny goes at 4 tomorrow. They get their kindergarten shots...whooppee!

We are sleeping tonight at my mom's and then I will come back to the house each day to do more packing. We hope to be completely out by the weekend. I just want it to be done! We have so much ueless crap in here that it is taking forever!!!!

That's all for now, I need to go get ready to go and meet my nieces. Maybe I will wear the gray sweater! ha!

Our Attempt at a Picture.

Psychosomatic

I have no idea if that is spelled right or even the word I am looking for. After all the snot talk I have developed the runniest nose!
We are packing and moving. Sean and Vic's husband Tim are taking a load of furniture right now. We are very thankful for his help! I tend to get in the way and get yelled at and then I cry. So Sean prefers man help and not aMANda help!
Hope you are all having a great day!!!
:)

Retraction

What I hinted about Cheryl in the post below is completely untrue!
She was very quick to respond to my address request. I apologize.
I hope you don't sue me for slander or libel....whichever I did.
You could if you wanted a falling down house!

Buzzzz......

I finished The Secret Lies of Bees last night and now I am working on Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich. I would have started the Friday Night.... but I ended up having to stay at my mom's last night. Luke woke up screaming and he did not settle down well. Everytime I thought he was asleep he would start in again. I think he is just having a hard time adjusting. He woke up Johnny, thankfully Caitlin slept through. I had to sleep in my clothes because I had nothing there and I didn't think Caitlin's princess pj's would fit me! We are slumber partying here tonight, so hopefully it will be a better night for Luke. The good news is that they went into school easier today. I wonder if any of them are spending recess in time out. Gabe has been staying with my sister, so I see him for just a few minutes a day. It sucks! Hopefully he will be here tonight. I miss him! Night Terrors and all!

So the bee book was really good. It is set in the civil rights movement time, right when Black Americans are given the right to vote. It is a very moving story. The language is a bit surprising, but remember the time period of the book. The use of the "n" word and reading negro instead of African-American or Black was strange. I would read this book again in a heartbeat.
"Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina - a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna."
Thank you Wikipedia for a review almost as disappointing as mine would have been.
Anyways, I reccommend this book to all.
I need to go work on packing. Thank you to those who sent me your addresses and birthdates and anniversaries. YOU WILL ALL BE GETTING CARDS! I won't mention the names of those who didn't, but I don't think that Cheryl wants any mail!

Oh, by the way, my absolute doll of a husband brought me home a bouquet of roses today. He thought that I deserved them for all we have been going through. Sean is not a flower kind of guy, he writes me little ditties or brings me my favorite trashy magazine. I was touched by his thoughtfulness. So even though you don't read this - I LOVE YOU SEAN!

Have a great day!

To quote the great Dr. Sidney Friedman "Ladies and Gentleman take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice."

Anyone know where that's from?

Aww Crap....

Read my title lke you are from Minnesota. It cracks me up everytime!
Maybe it's just me. Lint tends to crack me up sometimes. Oh well...
My morning is going splendidly. I just picked up a million and one ants
that found animal crackers that the triplets smooshed under the princess
tent. Then I put my hand in sticky goo, still not sure what it is, and
I am having a sneezing fit! Luke went into school this morning very
well, I was so proud, Caitlin sobbed her head off and they had to drag
her in, Jonathan was so so. Yesterday Luke and Caitlin had to spend second
recess in time out. They were both there for talking in class. To get "On the
Wall" you have to ignore a few warnings, so I was not pleased. I found out about
the time outs from Jonathan. He couldn't wait to tell me! Sean is at the
laundromat washing socks. I couldn't find any for the boys - luckily my mom had bought them some at Target. Only they were black and red Darth Vader socks!
So my boys are in Tan and blue shorts outfits with Black and Red Darth Vader socks.
F.Y.I.- Target has Star Wars, Disney, and cool Halloween socks for a dollar
a pair. I am reading another good book. I will write another stellar review when
I am done. This one is called "The Secret Lives of Bees" I think that is the
title at least. My mom has the best book collection! Maybe I will find an online
review and post it here, mine tend to be a bit confusing. I tried to explain how the M.H.Clark book ended to Lura and I think I confused both of us!
I still need to finish the Friday Night Knitting Club and get it back to Kellie, so that one is going to my mom's with me and will be my next one.
I am anxious to get out of here. I think that I will be able to hook up my laptop in my old bedroom as there is a cable outlet. Does anyone know if I can just plug into that and be connected into my mom's roadrunner? I don't want to use her computer as I always break it! Plus I need to use mine for studying.
Gotta Run! Have a super day!

Wed*nes*day

The kids have LOGOS today so I get to spend a couple of extra hours trying to pack. Boy did I ever become a pack rat over the past 8 years! I never realized how much junk I held onto. I did recycle the 3 page bill from the vet when we had our cat euthanized several years ago. I don't know why I held onto that, well I do, sentimental reasons! Our cats name was Beelzebub (again, we didn't name him) so it was funny to see "Beelzebub euthanized" on the bill.
I did finish my book. It is called "Where are you now?" by Mary Higgins Clark. I am normally not a fan of hers, but this book was awesome. There are too many names to keep straight so I won't use them, but here is a very short, kind of pathetic review:
It is about this guy who vanished 10 years ago and would call home every mother's day with a short "I'm okay" message. The parents and younger sister tried looking for him, then the father is killed on Sept. 11 in one of the towers. Th mother and sister still get the call every Mother's day. The 10th year he calls, the sister yells into the phone that she is determined she is going to find him. A note mysteriously turns up in the offering basket at her uncle's church during mass that says something to the effect of "Whatever you do don't look for me!" Of course that adds fuel to her desire to find him. Another girl goes missing and leaves a message for her father and brother saying she will call on Mother's Day. So, they figure it's tied into the disappearance of the other guy and think he has now staged his mysterious vanishing and kidnapped her. The police tie him into the disappearance of 3 other girls during the 10 years he has been missing. The sister sets out to clear her brother or prove his insanity as well as find him.
So many things happen along the way and many characters are introduced, but it is an excellent read. I recommend it for any one who likes a good mystery. I loved it!
So that's about all that is going on in Amandaland. I hope that you all have a great day!

We are mOving

No, we didn't find a place. We are moving in with my mom.
I hope and pray that this will work out. It isn't the solution that
I wanted, but it is only temporary and hopefully we will find somewhere soon.
I will still be able to have internet access, which is good, I don't know what I would do without you guys! We are going to try and be in her house and out of here by the weekend. I told Crystal earlier that if we didn't have kids in school I'd move to Cincinnati in a heartbeat. There are places to rent there!!! And I here that there are some nice people in the area! :)
Hope that you all have a good night. Think of me, I am packing. Oh and I am also reading a book that I am going to review. It is sooo good! That is one great thing. My mom is the book queen! She loves to read and so did my dad. There are overflowing bookshelves and piles of books all over the house!!! I won't have to worry about the fact that Sean still has my library card confiscated!
I am thinking of you all and hope that things are going well for all of you!

We are meant to be box dwellers!

I am so frustrated! The box is gone to change the text color!!!! That is not why I am frustrated, I just happened to notice that. We looked at a place today that was decent, nothing great - but liveable. They don't want to rent to us because there are too many of us! Then I find out that renting through a complex or realtor requires you to have a credit check done. We have to pay for it AND we filed bankrupcy and are being foreclosed on. We don't have credit right now! What in the world are we supposed to do?
To top off my afternoon the kids and I ran to Wal Mart to get some groceries. We went through a lane that was right next to the self check out. Luke kept going over and pushing the HELP button so it would call the lady over. Then he kept changing the language to Spanish so you would hear this lady talking in Spanish. Then he noticed the baby ahead of us so he stood there loudly going "WAA WAA" so he could upset the poor little baby. I am trying to wrangle him and the other 3, unload the cart, reload the cart and get my check ready. So the couple in front of us was a hispanic man, white woman and their baby. We were behind them on the way out of the store and Luke kept yelling "Spanish" over and over. The couple kept looking at us and I was mortified. He was just repeating the register not referring to them, but they didn't know that. And wouldn't you know it, they were parked right next to us!!! When we got in the car I let Luke know how rude he was and that I didn't like his behavior. He kicked me out of his band club. Seriously, that is his response. "Fine Mom, you are out of my band club!!!" I didn't even know he had one!
He got no dessert and spent time in the corner. I don't think that affected him at all.
I hope that you all have a pleasant night. I hope we do at this house!!!
Thank all of you who so nicely gave me your addresses. I appreciate it. Now I can mail Cheryl's card that has been sitting here so long all the news is outdated!!!!

A Favor

For about the 12th time this year I have lost my address book.
Could you all please e-mail me your addresses as well as birthdays, anniversaries and any other dates you think I would send a card for!

Hope you are all having a good day. I have some junk to post about, but I will have to do it later.

I DID IT! WOO-HOO!

I added a playlist, all by myself, no help, I am a genius!
Okay, maybe I wouldn't go that far, but for someone so computer illiterate, this is a huge deal! I do suggest that if lyrics offend you you not listen to Sublime or Seven Mary Three. The song I'll Cover You is one I have sung to my kids ever since they were little ones. Low is kind of our Family Song right now....no reason in particular, we all just like the beat. The Great Divide is a good, inspirational one as well as Prayer by Petra. Honestly some of these songs are from my past that just make me remember happy times. You can always mute them if they offend you! Sweetest Girl is a good one too!

Noplacetoliverrea

That title's for you, Charity!
I definately have it!

In my Senior Year of High School, we got memory books. I wanted to share my What I see myself doing in 10 years. We can see if I was anywhere near close.

Self-Description- a thin, sucessful psychologist working in a major hospital. Long hair. NOPE!
Employed- an abnormal behavior psychologist. NOPE!
Salary- medium to high income. NOPE!
Residing in- a nice comfortable house. NOPE!
Marital Status- married or at least engaged (hopefully!) GOT ONE!
Children- one or planning on one to start with. WELL, I HAVE 4!
Vacationing at- a small, secluded beach, The Carribean, Australia, Europe, a horse park. WHAT'S A VACATION?

Well, I accomplished 2 out if the 7! That is better than none! There was also a spot to list the senior class friends you think you will still be in contact with. Lura was the top of that list. I think I got that one right too!
My favorite t.v programs were Home Improvement, Who's the Boss, Golden Girls, MASH, MTV, ER, Blossom and Shop Til You Drop. Mash, somethings never change!
In 1992:
Gas - $1.11 gallon
Jeans - $35.00
Album/Tape - $14.99/$8.99
Favorite Snack - $2.75 fig newtons
Favorite Magazine - Stare (free)
Candy Bar - $.45
Burger - McDonald's cheeseburger $.69
Domino's Lg. Cheese Pizza - $8.95

I would love to pay $1.11 for a gallon of gas!!!
Have a great day!

I've been hacked....and I know who the culprit is...

If you notice the info under my picture, someone put some lies!!! I don't life to eat chips off the bowling alley floor - I prefer pretzels. And I don't like dancing in my underwear - I prefer, well let's just leave it at that!
I feel just like Sarah Palin, we were both hacked this week!
Things here are going okay. We still have not found a place which means that we will most likely be moving in with my mom for a bit until we do. I hope that we can find something very soon!!!!!
At least we can save up a little more money. It just stinks.
I have nothing really exciting to say, I hope that everyone has power back...I am sorry that it has been so long for you guys!

No Go

The mobile home is a no go. The guy was a real jerk on the phone. I don't think that is the kind of person we want to rent from. He was cruel to Sean. God's intervention?
We continue our hunt.
Hopefully tomorrow.
Have a great night. I hope that you are all back in lights and water - just not at the same time! That would be really bad!
Love you guys!

Hey

Sean is talking to somebody right now. Please keep your fingers crossed and prayers going that it may turn out well for us. It is a mobile home in a lot. Not my first choice, but would be an answer for us!

Gosh, my problems seem so little right now compared to what everyone else is experiencing. We did not sustain any damage from the storm, no limbs down - although a few trees blew down on our street, none near us. Our waterlessness is not due to the storm and while we have no heat, the temperature is nice so we don't need it.
I am so sorry for all of you who are experiencing loss of power and water. It is a huge inconvience and I pray that it is restored soon. I am so thankful that you all in southern Ohio (and those here too!) are safe and unharmed.

We are still looking for a place. We called about a few this morning, but only got machines. I assume that I will hear back this evening. I hope I do! We will be losing water for good very soon!
I packed up some dishes today and am working on misc. things as well. It is hard to pack up 8 years of 'living' - I don't know what else to call it. And it is so emotionally taxing and overwhelming. I feel lost and like everything is so out of control. I think that once we have a place to go I will feel much better.
My mom is taking us out to dinner tonight and the kids are staying with her, they stayed here last night and Luke was up with screaming fits. I woke up with him in bed next to me with his arms wrapped around my neck sound asleep. I think this is disrupting them so much, reguardless of how much we are trying to keep things 'normal.' Johnny would not go into school this morning and Sean had to walk him to his classroom. Caitlin cries for me at school and at my mom's. Gabe is acting out a little more than usual as well.It is so hard as a mom to watch my kids be upset.
It is only temporary, I know and things will be better than ever!
Have a good day.

No luck today. I am kind of discouraged - it is hard. I know that my rainbow is coming...maybe the leprechaun with the pot of gold is holding it up!
More packing tomorrow...the Goodwill has got to love me. I am the donation queen!

I am getting ready to wake up Sean so we can start our day. We are going to look some more for a new place to live. It would be a lot easier if there weren't 6 of us as most places are two bedrooms, but I know that God has the perfect place for us out there. Pray that we find it today!
The kids stayed the night at Amy's and my mom's again last night. I hate splitting up the family, but I know it is only for a short time.
Thanks for all your support.

@#$% !!!!!

Well, I am sure it could still get worse here. The house could actually come alive and eat us.
To make this quick, Sean and I are starting to pack the house up. While digging Sean hit the gas line. The fire dept. and gas company came. They can't find the shut off valve so we are waiting for another team to come and shut it off. While all this was going on, the gas guy goes into our basement to check things out and finds that we have had a gas leak, probably since we moved in here & nothing is up to code. He said all these are things that our home inspector should have caught - he has 25 years experience. Why didn't he? So they are shutting off the gas until things are brought up to code. The minimum that we are looking at to bring things to code is aroun ten thousand dollars. Wow.
So, we are leaving. I don't know where we are going, when, or how. I am scared but I am trusting in the Lord. He is good and He will provide.
My rainbow is out there somewhere.
Please pray for my family.
I guess Caitlin will have to wait for her new room a few weeks, but she will get it as soon as we move!
I love you guys. Thank you for your support.

UGH

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS...LITERALLY!

DUE TO THE RAIN, THE WATER GUYS CANNOT DO OUR WORK TOMORROW. SEAN IS OUTSIDE TALKING TO THEM RIGHT NOW. I AM HEARING IT THROUGH THE WINDOWS. THEY WOULD NEED TO WAIT ANOTHER WEEK. WE CAN'T FIX THE SEWER WITHOUT THE WATER. NOW WE HAVE TO TRY AND FIND SOMEONE BETWEEN NOW AND TOMORROW, OR WAIT ANOTHER WEEK. OUR NEIGHBOR, WHO'S WATER WE ARE TAPPED INTO, HAS TO REPLACE HIS BOILER WHICH MEANS HIS WATER IS BEING SHUT OFF. WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE GOING TO DO? I HAVE A BASEMENT FULL OF CRAP, A FOUNDATION THAT IS BREAKING, AND NOW WATER GUYS THAT CAN'T WORK!!!!

THERE IS A RAINBOW HERE SOMEWHERE. MAYBE IT IS THAT SEAN GOT TO TAKE TODAY OFF OF WORK AND I GET TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM. MAYBE IT IS GOD TELLING US WE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MODERN DAY CONVIENIENCES-I.E. PLUMBING, I DON'T KNOW.

I WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW WHEN I DISCOVER THE RAINBOW! IT WILL BE FOUND, THAT I CAN GUARANTEE!!!!

oh no

I am trying my best to find the positive in this. Please pray for us. Sean went down to the basement and found that the sewer line is definately broke and the sewage is backing up into our basement. The foundation is cracking and everything is falling apart. It will cost thousands and thousands of dollars to repair on top of the couple thousand that the water will cost. We don't know what we are going to do.
Well, Sean and I always said that our lives were a bit shitty, I guess now they really are!!!! ha ha

We are so blessed!

Maddie, Grandma and the 6 grandkids in a water balloon fight
Johnny and his pink balloon
Old Grandpa and Luke
Jonathan, Luke and Caitlin giving each other kisses

Caitlin and Scarlett
Caitlin, Maddie, Johnny and Grandma
Gabe launching a waterballoon at Grandma while Caitlin ducks!
Maddie, Carmen, Caitlin and Scarlett getting ready to be soaked by Grandma's balloon!
Luke,Maddie, Grandma and Carmen

Too often I think I don't take enough time to really count my blessings.

Today I have spent some time thinking about how truly blessed myself and my family are. I would like to share just a few, in no particular order:

-I have wonderful friends!

-I have a husband who is magnificent in every way

-While we have health problems, none are very serious

-God has shown how he provides many times over, a perfect example being the tardiness of the banks to file our foreclosure (there is still no action taken against us! We were supposed to be long gone by now.)

-Our wonderful neighbors who are connected to us by garden hose to allow us to have water to bathe and go potty!

-A wonderful mother who is doing our laundry for us so we don't have to pay at a laundromat. She is doing the laundry!! (I think she secretly fears I will break her machine given my history!)

-Loving families

-Sean's sister called him to apologize for something that had caused great tension in the family.

-My kids are adjusting to the school year.

-Gabe's night terrors have drastically lessened!!!

-Jonathan's pulse ox level has risen enough to keep him unhospitalized

-I have reconnected with old friends who have always been a great source of love and support

-I have my tremendous blog buddies who I love dearly and can't imagine not having in my life!

-God is taking care of Carrie's eyes!

-My grandmother's health is improving

-Victoria is having a smooth pregnancy for the most part

I could go on and on and on! It is so easy to see the good things when you look at life with a positive attitude.

Stuff

Am I crazy or did all the print on blogger get much bigger?
Dropping off the kids this morning did not go all that smoothly. Luke refused to get out of the van, he screamed "Mom, Mom" over and over at the top of his lungs and everytime Sean got him a few feet away from the van he would run back sobbing. I couldn't get out and take him in because I looked, as Sean so nicely put it, like the bag lady from hell. So Sean, who was getting very frustrated, picked him up and carried the screaming kid across the parking lot and inside. It was late enough that he could take him to his room, where he eventually settled down. I got a progress note from Caitlin's teacher saying that she is doing great academically and everyday at 1:30 she cries for Mom. I thought it was supposed to get better each day! It would be much easier for Sean and I if they would get out in the carline each morning so we didn't have to park and walk them in, but Luke refuses to. Jonathan is excited to get to go back to school tomorrow. Hopefully he will go in without a problem!
Gabe just got home, I need to go and greet him and get his snack.
Oh Lura, you would be irrate if you saw what the kids have done to the house!!! I work on it a little each night, but boy oh boy......

Jonathan is better, 94% pulse ox. level, and he will go back to school tomorrow. We will have to give him breathing treatments while he is there, so that will be tricky.
I am getting ready to study. Yay me! Sean and Jonathan went to the store, and then I am going to continue some scrapbooking and cleaning. Fun sounding day, huh?! I hope that you all have a fabulous day.

I just read Charity's blog and I wish I was more educated on politics as I am sure there is a great debate there! I am impressed with how well you voiced your opinions, Char. I agree with Cheryl that it does make me want to find out more.
Jonathan was home from school today and will be tomorrow. His asthma has flared up quite badly - he is only unhospitalized because the dr. says Sean and I are good parents. What a pat on the back for us! He gets breathing treatments every 3 hours and is on steroids. So tonight around 8 I should be sobbing as his steroid rages should start! Ugh. We go back to the ped. again tomorrow morning - pray for a higher oxygen level, he is at 93 and if he drops he will be in the hospital. He is mad because he doesn't want to miss school!
Tomorrow night we have the ice cream social for the start of LOGOS. All my kids will be in it this year. They are stoked! (It is an afterschool church youth program.)
I can't wait until Saturday....I am looking forward to showering with water that doesn't come through a garden hose! I shouldn't complain, at least I have water now! I am grateful for that.

Have a great day!

Have you heard?

I read in Time magazine today that JK Rowling is putting out new Harry Potter-ish books. The picture of the book they showed had Harry Potter written at the top. Has anyone else read about this?

A Scavanger Hunt at the Arboretum

Grandma and the trio looking for fish. Caitlin in charge of the map.
Grandma and Luke finding Goldenrod.
Sitting on a less nerve wracking part of the terrace.

Weenies Eating Weenie Hut weiners.

Today the triplets and my mom and I went to a local college's aboretum for a small event. It was put on by the metro parks and was a lot of fun. We did a scavanger hunt along the path around the lake - through butterfly and hummingbird gardens, over a bridge, on a nerve wracking terrace over the lake... It was fun. There were several local artists around the path painting and you could stop and watch them. We had to search for plant and tree names, dates, pine needles - all kid friendly and Amanda friendly.

Afterwards we stopped at the Weenie Hut vendor that was there and got the kids huge hot dogs. They enjoyed it and Sean and I are going to go over to walk after we drop the kids off this week. It is supposed to be gorgeous in the spring as there are tons of flowering crab apple trees. We didn't see any hummingbirds, but we saw butterflies and geese, a swan and fish as well as several different kinds of plants, trees, and grasses. We passed a ginko biloba tree - I didn't know it was a tree- and I thought about licking the bark to see if it would make me healthy. My mom said she didn't think it worked that way.

Update on our H20

The city came yesterday again to check things out. Sean had tried to dig out some but it will take him a week to dig to the street. The water line is buried approx. 4 feet deep and is incredibly close to the gas line. It was decided that this cannot be done by Sean, so there are 2 guys from the water dept. that do this on the side and have over 50 years combined experience who will be doing this - next weekend. They are cheaper than the local companies and being with the city, can shut off everything themselves and we will avoid delays. The bad news is that it is still going to cost several thousand dollars. We don't have credit cards and due to the bankrupcy cannot get a loan, so Sean's dad is going to take out a small loan for us. See, God will provide. In the meantime, my mom will do our laundry and we are trying to get ahold of our neighbor to hook up to their water meter for enough water to shower and potty. The city will disconnect their meter so they will not be charged. Hopefully the neighbors will agree!
I am feeling very frustrated today, but I know that God will take care of us.

Our lives must have been too easy again....

Sickness must have been to easy for us to handle in this house.
Yesterday I noticed a sick-o smell in the kitchen and couldn't trace it so I just ignored it.
Around 10:30 last night Sean went out to the kitchen, smelled the stink and checked the basement. Turns out the water line from the house to the street broke and the sewer line did as well. So the street dept. came and said it was the old cast iron pipe from the house to the street - Sean has to dig that up and replace it. Then the sewer has ruptured underneath the basement concrete floor. So we have to break up the concrete and redo that. We are pretty much at a loss this morning as to what to do. Financially we cannot afford to do it, physically and mentally it will be a challenge. It is so frustrating. Thankfully we have parents who can most likely help us out on the finance end of it, and I have a therapist to help me out on the mental end of it, and God will take care of it all.
I am so glad to have my sense of humor!
Oh, and I went to empty the trash in the upstairs bathroom and a grey mouse ran out! We have never had a mouse upstairs and it scared the crud out of me! It ran back into the access panel under the tub. Sean thinks it came up from the basement, probably driven up by the sewer stench!
Then we had 3 huge brown spiders and a wasp. Talking to Lura this morning we decided that we must be going through the seven plagues - spiders, wasps, mice, sewer, water, sickness...I am going to hate to see the last one! Lura suggested that it would be everything I touched turns to cotton candy, but I would eat my family that way! yuck. I am hoping maybe it is something to do with chocolate, and not everything I touch turning to it either!

So my friends - I am asking for your prayers. Please pray that God provides a resolution for all these issues. Maybe he will send the Orken man and a retired plumber who wants to work for free. Oh, and a girl scout with cases of left over cookies that they want to donate to families facing plagues!

Have a super day, I know we will aim for that at this house. Something great is bound to happen. I just know it!

I really have nothing major to post about today so I thought I would ramble. Sean is sick in bed, we can't seem to shake it at this house. He has been throwing up all morning. I am avoiding him - not because I think he's gross (which, well, he kind of is today...), but I don't want to get whatever he has. I am starting to think that our house was built on the grounds of an old leprasy colony or sanitarium or something. All the sick ghosts are invading us. Great, now I freaked myself out. I am sure glad it is not dark out! I am armed with Lysol and a vacuum, so today is my cleaning day. Hopefully I can get rid of some of the pesky germs!
Last night Lura and the boys stopped over after their meeting. It was late, so my kids were in bed and didn't get to see their friends, but it was nice to see them for a brief moment. We were both sorry to have missed stitch and bitch at Vic's, but hopefully next time we will be there.
I made 8 more cards this morning. I am trying to use up my scraps and clear out one of my craft bins. They are nothing fancy, but I like them. I also took a bag of kid's books to the Goodwill and cleaned a section of the playroom. I figure on tackling the rest of it after a bit. I need to set aside some time to study this afternoon as well.
I am going to go ahead and paint Caitlin's room next weekend when Sean gets paid. Now she has decided on sparkly blue, like Cinderella's dress. I don't think I can find sparkly blue. I am hoping she will settle on pink with some blue accents.
Dropping the kids off did not go smoothly this morning. Caitlin cried in the parking lot, Johnny and Luke did inside. I said my goodbyes and walked away and Luke ran after me sobbing. I felt so bad leaving them there. I know it will get easier, it is just hard leaving them like that. I think they are all getting some separation issues. They do it more for me because I am with them all the time.
We are still at a wait and see to see if the teachers here are going to go on strike. They are not going to any of the meet the teacher open houses, Gabe's is tonight, but I am not going. It is for parent's only and if the teacher's are not there, who are we going to meet??? I don't know what is going to happen if they do strike. Do I send the kids or keep them at home? I guess having a sister who is a teacher, my parents both were and Sean works for the schools will help in making that decision. I hope it doesn't come down to that though.
I have really rambled about nothing, so I am going to go clean some more.
Have a good day!

Everyone went back to school and work today. I have a housefull of laundry and sick germs and kid messes to clean up. It seems like the sicker they are, they more destructive they are! I probably have a trash bag worth of garbage flung all over the house! Oh well, small price to pay for happy, healthier kids!
Sean and I did a monster shopping trip this morning. I should have enough groceries to last me for probably just a week! We had to get lots of lunchbox items, and I am trying a healthier menu for dinners this week. Tomorrow Sean and I get marinated steak salads. yum! I promised the kids we would make cookies tonight too. I think we are making gingersnaps.
Caitlin had a rough night last night. She has been crying a lot about going to school. She likes it just fine but she says she misses me too much. She won't go to sleep unless I hold her hand and stay with her. I feel really bad as she is the one that always was my good sleeper! I think it is probably just some separation anxiety. I got her puzzle done this morning. I will take a picture of it and post it later. It was a bear!
Do you guys think I am silly for painting her room knowing that we will not be staying here? She really wants a girl room. Right now it is bright blue with trucks and trains and planes. Actually the remnants of them, the trio started ripping the wallies off! If we are here until next year, she could enjoy it for awhile. She is such a girly girl and keeps talking about her princess room. I don't want to spoil her, and I am working on wall art for the boys as well, so it is not just her, but they don't need their room repainted.
I have an hour left of free time before I go and get the kids. I am going to leave early and get a paper and diet coke and relax in the car line!
Have a great day!

Tuesday

Well, I am at home with sickos. I took Jonathan to the dr.'s this morning after he threw up all night and had an asthma attack yesterday. He has a virus as do Luke, Caitlin and Sean. I am still running a temp and feeling poorly, but being mommy I have to forge on. Ooh, I sounded like a pioneer. Did I even spell it right? Did pioneers forage? Yet I digress.
Can you tell I am suffering from severe lack of sleep?! :)
I hope that you all had a fantastic labor day weekend. Due to the physical state of my family, we didn't do much - other than a picnic at my mom's yesterday. We took around 70 water balloons for the 6 kids to do after lunch. The 6 and my mom raced around the yard pelting each other with the balloons. I will post pictures as soon as I download them. It was fun to watch.
I bought a Disney puzzle this morning for Caitlin's room. It has cutout edges and a pic. of Sleeping Beauty on it. It is a pain in my butt!!! We are going to mod podge it and put it on her wall. She is so excited! I hope to find more, they didn't have much of a selection. I am going to paint her walls pink and we are going to find more princess things to hang up. She loves her princesses!
I have to go and take care of the kids and Sean. Have a great day!