Anyone looking for Demolition Assistance?

I have decided to hire my family out, neices included. We are a one family wrecking crew. Nothing is safe around us. I am wondering how much longer until my mom kicks us out and friends (i.e. Kellie and Brian) stop inviting us over.
So far: Sean has broken one of my mom's tea cups in her collection,
Caitlin broke a never been used serving dish,
Caitlin colored in permanent marker on the fridge,
Luke spills at least a cup of liquid a day, I walked by the toilet and knocked the new, not yet read Reader's Digest into it, the dryer is not working quite right, the microwave is not working quite right, the kids have sunk several frisbees in the pond and while trying to get one with a butterfly net Gabe managed to disconnect the waterfall and turn a fountain on high, Luke has dug up several plants in the yard, Jonathan has terrorized the pets and thrown up on the bed several times.... these are just the few I can come up with without much thought. Oh, how could I forget....my mom's dog has taken to humping the monkey chair! She has never done that before. Now she is a humping maniac. Of course that could be typical pet behavior in this house as one of the cats humped a woman's leg during Stitch and Bitch a few years ago....
Sunday we went to Kellie's and within the first five minutes my neice, Scarlett, managed to tear one of the shelving units out of the wall.

WHAT IS IT WITH US?????

My mom is out at yet another meeting and has entrusted the house to my care along with a fire burning in the fireplace. PRAY FOR ME!!!!

I hope that you are all having a great night.

Carrie, the song that is playing is by Nickleback, or Nuckleback Ho's.

Merci Beacoup!

If you were the 2 private school girls we over heard on the bus in Washington D.C. in 1985, you would say it: Murky Buck Up.

I always remember the most useful information....

A big THANK YOU to my blog designer, the renowned Luranda Ramstead for the amazing graphics she posted at the top of the page. I am thankful to see a picture of a person with worse luck than me!

Have a good weekend!

Ouch!

Well, I saw the doctor yesterday. She mentioned the bubBLE IDEA. wHAT IS IT WITH PEOPLE??!!! I am just a tad on the accident prone side. My mom pointed out that my Sean and the kids are too. Geesh. Forgive my typing errors, with a bum wrist it is hard to do! :(
So basically, I have a ganglian cyst, I messed up the median nerve, I blew several things in the wrist and am swollen and bruised. Dr. J. said that this injury is painful and slow to heal. It averages about 1 milimeter of healing per day. Woo-hoo. I hope you all learn from my experience and take great care in pulling up a 5 year old's pants. How embarrassing. I am going with an intruder broke in and tried to make off with the picture Jamie gave me of Alan Alda and while wrestling him (or her - you know you all want it!) to the ground I sustained injury to the left wrist and hand. I think that sounds much better. And a bit heroic!
When she asked about the kids and I told her about Luke's troubles at school, we discussed ADHD/ADD and she agrees that it is very likely that Luke has that as I know how Gabe was at that age. She also questions whether or not I had it as a kid - maybe still do. I KNOW YOU ARE LAUGHING KELLIE!!!!!! My mom would lay money that I did/do, but the diagnosis wasn't there when we were growing up. We also chatted a bit about the house and all. She was very supportive and encouraging. Then at LOGOS a wonderful lady from the church came up to me and offered encouragement. They had just heard of our situation and wanted to know if there was anything they could do. I said "just pray!" and she told me that our family has been wrapped in prayers for so long. It was wonderful just to hear that and to get that encouragement. God takes care of us, doesn't He!
We are preparing for a busy weekend. On Saturday we have the final soccer games of the season and then are going to slime fest with Tanis. On Sunday the kids sing at the 8:30 service and then we have Scott's birthday dinner. After that we are going to Kellie's (and bringing the girls) to trick or treat with Tanis. The kids are so excited! They also want to stay and play a bit if Kellie doesn't mind. Do you?!
On top of that we have to find time to finish moving out the big pieces of furniture.
I am so in need of a girl's night, so all you local girls figure out a time. I don't care what we do. Maybe we can go and toilet paper Lura's parents for old times! I think they would love that!!!! I hope they don't read this......
This morning Luke was changing his big boy panties and as soon as he kicked off the dirty ones, Maddie (mom's dog) grabbed them and took off running. I have searched and have yet to find them! She is a crazy dog!
I have begun working on Christmas presents. I am cross stitching my heart out! I have 3 definate projects and hope to have a few more to do. I am trying to be "centsible" this year and am well stocked with supplies. I also have a friend that will mat all my pictures for free. She has all the materials to make them.
I guess I am rambling. I just miss you all. Let's definately plan a blogfest 2009. My kids still ask me when we are going to Cheryl's and if it will be too cold to swim now. I feel like we really let them down as they were counting on a trip to see them! Too many things came up!!!! We will come next year. That is a promise....or a threat. However you take it!!!
I hope that you all have a fantastic day. I love you all and am so thankful for each and every one of you. God Bless you and keep you.

Amanda
Queen of Clutter

Tuesday Schmoosday

Well I had my conference with Luke's teacher yesterday. We both, the teacher and I, cried. Is that a bad thing?! It was 40 minutes long and I left feeling very encouraged. She approached everything with a positive attitude and spoke about "we" not "you" so I did not feel like I was to blame. Yesterday Luke came home with a good note and stayed on green all day! That means he behaved in class. Yay! All three were on green. :) I filled a basket with items from the dollar tree for rewards and they all - Gabe too, he got a 100% on his reading test and a 90% on spelling, chose punching balloons. My mom's pets were thrilled!
I guess I should share my latest bad luck with you all. I had my first trip to the ER in several months the other night. That was impressive for me! I am in a heavy black splint with a thumb spike on my left arm and hand now. And boy do I hurt! My troublesome wrist snapped about 2 weeks ago when I was getting Johnny dressed. I saw the dr. and there was no fracture. good. Well it keeps giving out on me. Sunday night I was coming up the basement stairs carrying as laundry basket and it gave out and I slammed my wrist, palm side up, on the cement wall. Ouch, but no biggie. As the night went on I lost feeling in my hand and after 4 hours a bump formed. When it grew to the size of a large marble and was agony to touch I decided maybe it was time to get it looked at. So I have a cyst that is laying on the underside of my wrist that ius beautifully colored for fall, and apparantly my tendons are herniated and swelling. So I am going to have to probably see an orthapedic surgeon. I consider this good news, maybe he can make my wrist stop giving out. I doubt there will be a need for surgery, I am guessing physical therapy if anything. Just another mark in the clutzy journal! Oh, this morning Jonathan insisted on shutting my car door, slammed it and hit my funny bone soooo hard. It wasn't the least bit funny!
We are still looking for some place to live. I have used all the big boxes for packing, so as of right now the cardboard box home is not a doable option. My mom says we can stay here as long as we'd like, I just would like to be out by Thanksgiving.
My mom's house is like a museum, full of herilooms and expensive antiques. Not a good mix with 4 kids, a large dog and 2 dopey cats. Plus an accident prone Amanda! We have already had a few minor mishaps that have resulted in broken glass.
So I hope you all have a good day. I hope that Carrie can see, Cheryl and Charity feel better, Crys has an awesome week, Sonya gets school straightened around, Debby finds who broke in and ate bites of her burrito, Lura stops sounding like Bea Arthur, Kellerie Land has a fabulous week of teaching, Victoria doesn't have morning (all day) sickness, Kelly enjoys her Janet Evanovich books (I am reading her right now! Love her!, Mel has a restful week and that I stay broken bone free! Did I miss anyone? Love you guys!

Open House Thursday

So, taking 6 kids to a taco fundraiser at Gabe's school sounds like a good idea. Right???
I swear it wasn't my idea. It was my mom and sister's and I went along with it. I managed to not spill the tray carrying 8 tacos, 4 nacos and salsas, 6 drinks, and 6 cookies. Also I had utensils and napkins for 6. They ate neater than I have seen, but the meal ended with my mother crawling around on the floor on her hands and knees cleaning up tacos with a ratty napkin! I tried to tell her that they have custodians for that....just ask Sean! Then we went to Gabe's room and the triplets decided it was play time. I almost wet my pants when Caitlin started spinning the globe as fast as she could, Luke put his hands all over the computer doing the slide show, and Jonathan was playing hide and seek. Thankfully Gabe's teacher is someone I have known a long time and is one of the most patient people in the world. I then had to go to Carmen and Scarlett's rooms to see their open house stuff. We ran home, my mom lives right down the street from Gabe's school, and I hopped in the car to go to the triplet's school across town. I went to Caitlin's classroom first and got a good report, then I did Johnny's and got another good report, then onto Luke's and got a conference scheduled for Monday morning at 8. Can you tell who the troublemaker is? I just wanted to melt into the floor! His teacher said that she has exhausted all dicipline techniques and nothing is working and she doesn't know what to do anymore. Wow. It is only the second month of school. That is not good news. So we will see what Monday holds.
Thursday was funky hat day at the trio's school. Caitlin did not participate because "girl's do not wear hats!", Luke wore a pilgrim's hat and Johnny wore a purple and red sequined baseball cap. Sean was thrilled. At least he is a knight for Halloween and not a princess!
Friday Gabe got to sing the National Anthem at the football game with the 4th grades from all three elementaries. He did awesome. I was so proud of him. It was neat to see all the band geeks and I did feel a bit of longing when they marched onto the field. There were only 4 girls on the dance squad and a ton of cheerleaders. I guess it isn't cool to be a truckerette anymore! I was surprised.
Today we had soccer games and Luke actually played, a lot! I was so happy. During Gabe's game Caitlin started out onto the field to join in the game, twice. Tonight is the Fall Festival at the trio's school. Should be fun. Sean has been at work since 11 this morning, so hopefully he will get home in time to go.

Hi!
So much has been going on here and yet so little. We are still homeless, I know though that the right place will turn up. We are close to being done at our old house. I think I may just take a huge super sucker in and suck up all the rest. I have been mailing out cards to stay connected, hope that you are all getting them.
We had open houses tonight. That is a whole other post. I am too tired to do much typing right now.
You are all in my thoughts and prayers. Love you guys.

It's almost wednesday again!

Hey- I am still around. I don't have the time to be online right now, but maybe tonight. I love you guys and miss you!
Happy belated anniversary Carrie!

Catching up and a book review

hAPPY wEDNESDAY.
Not much new news here. We are still searching for a new place and packing up the old. Lura is coming over Friday and hopefully that will be the end of the junk. She is a good motivator!
I am getting ready to put the trio to bed, Gabe is staying at Amy's. The kids were up late last night so I am hoping that they go to bed easily tonight.
I finished the smoke jumper....excellent book! I am now reading Sandra Brown's "Fat Tuesday" no opinion on it yet. Here is a review for the Smoke Jumper:

The fire that was to change so many lives so utterly started with a single shaft of lightning. It struck a mountain ridge on a still and moonless night and nestled like a pupa of death in the desiccated heart of an ancient pine. There were witnesses no doubt to this sudden splintering of air and wood, but none that was human. The woman, camped nearby with her group of troubled teenagers, slept on and heard nothing.
She has brought them here by court order on a youth program to help them find themselves. But one among them will be lost forever. For soon the cocoon of fire will hatch to engulf the entire mountain and exact its deadly toll. And into this inferno will come ... The Smoke Jumper.
His name is Connor Ford and he falls like an angel of mercy from the sky, braving the flames to save the woman he loves but knows he cannot have. For Julia Bishop is the partner of his closest friend, Ed Tully, an ambitious young musician. Julia loves them both but the tragedy on Snake Mountain forces her to choose between them and burns a brand on all their hearts.
With his blond, blue-eyed looks and laconic cowboy charm, Connor is the only child of a Montana rancher and a rodeo queen. Until that fateful day, he has been happy to spend his winters nurturing a career as a photographer and his summer vacations with Ed, "smoke jumping" — being dropped by parachute to fight remote forest fires.
In the wake of the fire, he embarks on a journey to the dark heart of human suffering, traveling the world's worst wars and disasters to take photographs that find him fame but never happiness. Reckless of a life he no longer wants, again and again he dares death to take him, until another fateful day on another continent, he must walk through fire once more....

This books gets pretty deep and is hard to read at times, but I heartily recommend it for anyone who likes good stories. I would read this again!
I hope that you all have a great night.

Temper Tantrums and Smoke Jumpers

Hey you guys!!! Did anyone else think of the electric company? Remember that show?
My morning started off with a horrid temper tantrum from Luke. He spilled his milk and then played in it and soaked his pj's. I made him strip in the kitchen and throw his clothes into the laundry so he could go upstairs and get cleaned up. He was not keen on that idea and threw a HUGE tantrum! It was so awful it was funny. He eventually settled down and got ready for school and was back to my sweet boy. My mom made the kids waffles and sausage this morning. That is a bonus to living there! Last night we had roast pork, potatoes and carrots and rosy apple rings. Yum.
I hope that my mom survives us. The other day I walked into the living room and Jonathan had taken blue painter's tape and taped himself into an antique kid's rocking chair. Thankfully it was painters tape so it didn't really stick. Gabe played on her computer and somehow froze everything and messed up the internet there. They dumped over two plants last night and tracked dirt everywhere, the dog and cats are not themselves either! I think Maddie, the dog, is going to have anxiety issues! Maybe I should slip her some ativan! :)
I am reading a great book right now called The Smoke Jumper. It is by Nicholas Evans. It is really good, the language is questionable, but the story line is excellent.
Tonight is the Make and Bake Auction for my Mom's garden club. Usually Lura and I go every year, but she is unable to this time. Don't worry Lura, I will not let anybody sit next to me! I will save your seat still. :) I usually get to pick out something fun that my mom buys and puts away for my birthday. This is the 9th year I have gone and it gets fancier each year.
Well ladies, and any gents that read this, I have to go and eat lunch and get to my mom's so I can shower and do something with my greasy hair. I am such a vision right now!
Have a great day!

When I feel useless, I am useful to God.
That was the message I took from church yesterday morning. I can't tell you how many times, especially lately, that I have felt useless. I was really inspired by what Doc had to say. That doesn't happen too often! It gave me a desire to get more involved in my church and start feeling as useful as God sees me.

We are back here to pack and purge some more. I hate coming here and hope we can get done soon! I could have been done a week ago if I had just thrown everything into boxes, but I want to get rid of as much crap as possible. It is freezing cold - 58 degrees inside. Yesterday it was only 55, so we must have had a minor heat wave!

Hope that you all have a great day!

Earth Shattering News!

I have not worn the grey sweater for 2 whole days!
AND....it is short sleeved, so it will be retired for the colder weather. Maybe I can find a long sleeved one!

I know that you will all sleep better knowing this. :)

We are still moving. Lura came over yesterday and we got a lot done. We took several boxes to the Goodwill and got several trash bags filled. I am really purging. Not the vomiting kind, the cleaning kind. I have a lot to do still, but I am feeling better about things. We are moving all the big stuff this weekend - appliances and stuff. I hope to be completely done by Sunday.

Last night was LOGOS. I am a table parent, which means I go and eat dinner with kids - none of them are mine - and supervise the table. They had pizza last night and one of the boys at my table ate 15 pieces!!!!! I felt terrible, if he threw up last night his mother probably hates me. They were square pieces, not the triangles, so they weren't as big. He told me he had pizza for dinner the night before and pizza that day at lunch. They had freezer burnt rocket popsicles for dessert. yum.

I finished Janet Evanovich's book Plum Lucky the other night, then I read ManHunt and now I am working on Smitten. I need to get my books over there so I can read them and then get Kellie's books back to her! Here are my "borrowed" reviews for those two books:

PLUM LUCKY:

Stephanie Plum has a way of attracting danger, lunatics, oddballs, bad luck... and mystery men. And no one is more mysterious than the unmentionable Diesel. He's back and hot on the trail of a little man in green pants who's lost a giant bag of money. Problem is the money isn't exactly lost. Stephanie's Grandma Mazur has found it, and like any good Jersey senior citizen she's high-tailed it in a Winnebago to Atlantic City and hit the slots. With Lula and Connie in tow, Stephanie attempts to bring Grandma home. But the luck of the Irish is rubbing off on everyone. Lula's found a job modeling plus size lingerie. Connie's found a guy. Diesel's found Stephanie. And Stephanie has found herself in over her head with a caper involving thrice stolen money, a racehorse, a car chase and a bad case of hives. PLUM LUCKY is an all-you-can-eat buffet of thrills, chills, shrimp cocktail, plus-size underwear and scorching hot men.

This book is hilarious. Grandma is a nutcase, The little man in green pants thinks he is a leprechaun, and the mob guy goes crazy. I loved this book!!!

MANHUNT:

A woman with a talent for numbers, Alexandra Scott wanted to escape the rat race and go someplace where the men outnumber the women. Trading in her Wall Street job and fancy condo for a rundown cabin in the woods. She's now Alaskan Wilderness Woman. It isn't long before she finds exactly what she's looking for: one sexy pilot named Michael Casey. But this confirmed bachelor has no intentions of getting caught in any woman's crosshairs—especially a hunter as appealing as Alex. It'll take skill, determination, and a little romantic persuasion for this big-game hunter to bag her prey.

This was a reprint of an early 1980's book. There isn't a great plot, but it was a fun, light, no - brainer read. I like the action of her newer books. This kind of reminded me of a Harlequin without any real sleaze in it. I'd definately recommend Plum Lucky over this one.

Have a great day. Carrie - tell Olivia I loved my email! I cracked up when I read it. She is so funny!!! :)

What A Babe!!!!!