Determined in 2010

Had to make sure and get at least one post for December.
I am determined to get a routine down in 2010 with working and getting back to all the things I want to do. That includes blogging again and reading blogs. That make take a while especially with a work schedule that constantly changes, but I know I can do it.
I have finally gotten rid of the Thanksgiving background. A good first step back!
Well I am going to keep this one short and spend the rest of the year with my family.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Seriously, HOW DO YOU DO IT?

For those who are moms who work, how do you do all of it? Just over two weeks and I just can't get it all done! Like now I need to be cleaning and baking for everyone to come over tomorrow. Most days I come home exhausted! I can barely get a load of laundry in. Forget folding! The family has really stepped up to help me, but there is so much I need to do on my own. I just feel like I am not getting there. Chores need to be done, I really need to be studying to catch up with all the people who have been in the pharmacy for years and with those who have gone to school for it. So many, including my boss, think it's better to learn from working. But no one prepares you for how much there truly is to know. Not for a lack of trying. It's just once you've been there for a while it's all second nature.
And you can forget me time! I have a book over due I want to finish reading before I return it since there is a huge wait list for it. It would be forever before I got it again. It would be a fast read if I could just get the time with it. I also fear my newly learned knitting skills are running away due to no practice. And there is so much I want to sew.
I know it would all be easier if I had a steady routine worked out, but m y job is one that has a different schedule almost daily. And being part time and putting down you would work any time just to get the job makes it even more likely to have an unsteady schedule.
I just need to plan it all out as best as I can, but how do I do that?!
The other thing I hate is I don't feel as involved in my kids lives anymore. I still stay on top of grades and work to find out what they are doing in class, but it just doesn't feel the same. I will keep an eye on things. Maybe the more independence will be good for them, but they know if it makes it worse I will quit and there will be no happy campers here!
Ok, time to get to it and try to get all the cleaning done and hopefully some baking too. Hopefully I can schedule in blog reading/writing in too!

Adjusting

Yesterday I had my first day of work. It is the first I've worked other than a little substituting in 7 years. That means I haven't worked a steady job since before I was wife and mom. I was only doing training, but it was still a long tiring day.
It is a bit overwhelming to adjust to working and still doing all I do around the house. The family did great yesterday and stepped up to give more help. I just hope they keep it up. And I know I have to really work on delegating work and not trying to do it all myself. Things will get done even if it's not MY way.
The nice thing about it all. I am too busy to watch much t.v., to waste my time, or to eat much. Yay! That means weight will fall off.
I do need to find a schedule that will leave me lest frantic and will allow me time to do the things I want like my knitting and sewing.
I also need to find a large collection of do ahead meals that the family will like and that will be easy for the girls to prepare when I need them too. Such as lots of crock pot meals and meals that can go from fridge/freezer to the oven. So lots of research for recipes we will all like that I can do ahead. Suggestions welcome. I got tonight's meal from A Year of Slow Cooking.
Ok, not much time left for me to get dinner in and ready to go...I will catch up on reading soon I hope!

This morning I was "That" Mom!

I had one daughter about to walk out the door to catch the bus and the other one already gone. Hubby had just left. I was sitting on the couch still in my PJ's waiting for everyone to leave so I could go lay down for a bit since I haven't gotten much sleep the last couple nights. Hubby has been up a lot at night due to being sick and he is rather noisy when he is sleeping right now since he is so stuffed up (poor guy!). So with all that I'm not sleeping well either. But just minutes before the last to leave was to walk out the door, the phone rang. It was my other daughter upset telling me she forgot her belt and if she didn't get it before the 8 o'clock bell she would be in trouble.
The school district the girls attend has a uniform dress code. For the most part it's good, but at times like this it is ridiculous. Who cares if they have belt loops and aren't wearing a belt as long as her pants stay up.
So I told her meet me outside her door and I would get it too her. So I quickly threw something on and ran out the door to get it to her before all the traffic made me too late. I got there a little before 7:45. Plenty of time! And I waited. And waited. Finally I decided I better drop it off in her class room. Reluctantly I got out of the car. Why reluctantly? I had my hair still pulled up the way I sleep with it. I had my bright blue PJ shirt on with my favorite sweater jacket thrown on over it with only 2 of the 8 buttons done trying to hide that I had no bra on. I had found my brown wind pants that are too large on me now. My black slide on shoes that are covered in neon flowers (fun in the summer and comfy to wear around the house). My teeth weren't brushed and I had had a couple spots this morning of dry skin I had scratched at. Obviously stupid so I had bloody spots on my face.
I peeked to see if she was in the office in case they had made her wait there. Nope. So I went in the door to her class hallway, and proceeded down the walk of shame. Teachers being kind and saying good morning trying not to give me a funny look (they only half succeeded). I found her room and with all the kids was overwhelmed trying to find her. She was at her desk cheerfully calling out "Hi Mom". SHE loves it when I come to school. And since she doesn't have a great sense of fashion herself, she thinks nothing of the crazy lady at the door who is her mom.
I handed her her belt and hissed why weren't you outside? She made a good point: I had said "your door". I didn't make it clear the door outside that I drop her off at. But I did say OUTSIDE your door and she wasn't there either.
So I couldn't gripe at her too much but did hiss I looked like an idiot and didn't want to come inside. So no normal hug this time as when I have had to come to school for other reasons. I couldn't turn and get out of that room fast enough!
She won't be in trouble when she gets home, but we will have another explaining of when she can get away with not wearing a belt. And what the plan is if I ever have to bring her something at that time of day again. Anything to avoid being "that" mom again!

Can't think of a title, but it looks so much nicer with one

I need to be cleaning my room and getting chores done before the hubby comes home. He is sick and went in for just a half day. But I have the itch to get a post done and with how bad I've been I better jump on it.

I still need to get to work on my sewing machine, one of the reasons I need to get my room straightened up. Good news though, I HAVE A JOB! I am just waiting for the drug test and background check to come in, but I am going to start part time for now at the Walmart pharmacy. It is not at the store I shop regularly which is perfect. It is only a 20 min drive due to all the stop lights (it's about 10 miles away). So it helps to keep work separate from life but won't guzzle my gas. I will be a Tech in Training while I work on my certification. I am very excited. I didn't want to mention it till I started, but I know I have the job just waiting on all the formal stuff.

Also I forgot to mention my fairly new hobby. I finally have learned how to knit. And I mean with needles and not my knifty knitters. Joann's offers various classes and I have been wanting to take the knitting one for a long time. I was told by the cashier at Michaels in September about a promotion Joann's was doing. From then until Christmas, yarn and needles were provided by the store. I decided it was the perfect time to go and I would make it a birthday treat. My friend Tina joined me at the class. I told her it would be a good thing for her to get a hobby she could do when she needed to relax. I am super glad she went because we ended up being the only two in the class. I will not post a picture of my knitting from the class. It is pitiful, but I will treasure it. :) It was a 2 1/2 hour class and apparently there is so much still to learn. We learned the basic techniques but have no clue how to really make anything or read patterns. Anyone who knows how to knit have a suggestion on how to learn all that on your own so I can spend my money on supplies instead? :D

I did finally get to practice for the first time on Sunday since the class back on 10/17.



It took hours just to get this much done (granted I had to take a lot of breaks so I wouldn't get frustrated). So my next questions for knitters. How long did it take to be able to really get some speed on your knitting? And what gets you there? Just lots of practice? Suggestions and advice greatly appreciated.
Ok, need to get to work. Will post about birthday and Halloween soon.

*I had to add this: I have been dealing with some rather frustrating things involving the kids and school lately. I like to keep things positive and let the kids keep their dignity, so I rarely mention it. I am rather frustrated. I am making progress with one with only an occasional set back. But as usual I stuggle with the other. Anyway....I just found this blog post and it was great! It made me laugh and hits so close to home. It helped me to feel better about myself and to relax and know if I keep working at it and praying I will get them there! They are great kids just hard headed.

I am...

the BIG 3-0 today! Been one heck of a busy week! I am behind on my reading of every one's pages and writing on my own. I will be back soon with an update. I am off to run some errands to get everything needed for Haylee to play with the band at the high school football game tonight. Pictures soon hopefully. Holly had a choir performance last night, but I forgot my camera...grrr. Just shows you how crazy this week has been. I am off though. Laters!

Life takes over sometimes

I mentioned before my birthday is coming up. Technically it is a week from tomorrow...AH! How fast this year has gone! It's a big birthday for me, my 30th. I had made some plans I was really looking forward to, but in the past couple weeks things have happened to cause these plans to not be able to go through. I had been battling canceling my plans for a week now. My fabulous parents stepped in to help make sure it all happened, but then more things happened and I decided I just didn't feel right to continue with my plans when so many other things needed caring for. I am disappointed but relieved at the same time. I know that if I continued with them I wouldn't have enjoyed myself as much as would have liked. I would have felt very guilty. It's not always fun, but it's life. Needs come before wants. I know this also is a good example for the girls. Everyone faces this problem, but now days many people don't make the right choice. I want the girls to learn to be some of the ones that do. Wow, I really am getting older. I am proud of myself and will fulfill these wishes when things are in a better order.
The main disappointment is it was motivation to get a lot of things done before my birthday. I hope I can stay motivated to still get them done.
On a different note. I have got to get to work! At a job and with my sewing machine. The dogs are in desperate need of new beds. And a dear friend is expecting her first baby Christmas day. A boy! Her shower is Halloween day (how fun is that?!). So I have got to get to work on baby gifts, my favorite!
So on that note, need to get off here and get to work.

Homecoming '09

Here are pictures of the girls and their mums my mom made them before we headed to the game. And one of Holly with her spirit stick she caught. She spends almost all of every game we've gone to trying to catch something from one of the tosses, and last night was her lucky night. Our team won 65-0 keeping us 6 and 0, undefeated.

I get it from Mom

My love for making pretty things. My mom is who has and still is teaching me to sew. She always gave us fun crafts and projects to do growing up. Thankfully Holly has gained this too. Haylee had when she was younger, but as she is turning into a teen her choices in activities are changing. I feel she will come back to wanting to do more crafty things when she gets older as long as I keep showing her my interest in them. I truly believe you lead and teach by example.

The other reason I believe she will come back to crafts and hand projects is because of her recent request. She asked me back at the beginning of school if when homecoming came we could make mums. She had done a simple one last year at her mom's and wanted to do it again. I am happy to do anything within reason that will get her into her new school's spirit.

But to do this task I called on my mom. She made one for me when I was around Haylee's age and I loved it! I have it some where but in all the packing of growing up I don't know where it is to have shown it to her. She came over Sunday night and made Haylee's and will come over tonight to make Holly's.

Here is her fabulous work and proof of why I like to make things.

(This was made completely from scratch. Nothing bought pre made.)

The forgotten purse

I was just looking through the pictures on my camera that I need to load onto my flash drive and realized I forgot to post the pictures of the Artsy Clutch I made for my friend Tina a couple months ago.

I got the pattern from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing. I made one adjustment of making the purse a little wider and I used a hair elastic for the closer. Cheap way to have a bunch of different colors. I loved the fabric so much I bought more to use on another patter I want to try in her book. Maybe I'll soon get back to my sewing. Not only do I want to make that bag, I want to make my own artsy clutch, I have fabric waiting for two more bags like this one, and I owe my mom one from some fun pear fabric for her birthday back in July...bad me!

Blug

That's today for me. I have things I NEED to be doing, things I need to do, and things I want to do.

I NEED to be cleaning the house to get ready for a family friend to be comfy staying with us.

I NEED to be cleaning my laundry/office to get ready to paint it.

I NEED to be doing my normal chores (laundry, mopping, vacuuming...).

I NEED to be working on job applications.

I need to be baking breakfast goodies to freeze and have on hand for mornings.

I need to be getting planning and pricing done for my birthday plans.

I need to be at Garden Ridge picking up some more of their cheap fleece blankets so I can make new beds for the dogs.

I want to be reading my library books and magazines.

I want to be vegging in front of the T.V.

I want to be working on my hat I started the end of last winter so I can wear soon since it seems like it might soon be staying cool.

But things haven't gone as planned today so I am doing none of it. I did get something planned and started for dinner, so yay for one thing!

I did work somewhat hard finally organizing the cabinet under my "junk" counter in the kitchen this weekend. I have a pile of items waiting to be box and donated.

I also have one child home. She woke up with a tummy ache and insisted she could not try to get ready for the day and see how it went. She is now awake feeling fine and bored as heck. She is stuck in bed with no T.V. as per normal stay home from school sick rules. I knew her tummy ache was due to my allowing them to have a fun weekend after a hard work week at school and not forcing them to go to bed at any set time. Also she ignored my warnings last night and ate a bit too much right before bed. Someday she will learn.

So since I am not doing my NEEDS I am not doing much of anything....ah well.

Here finally is a pictures of our newest family member, Rosco. I feel bad "replacing" Milee so soon, but she shows no signs of making it home and I was really starting to see the depression in Sassy and Matty.

Tightening that belt

So I am taking a break from my workout to post. I'm mowing the yard and I consider that a major workout that some days gets divided over a couple days due to how huge our lot is. It feels really good today so hopefully I can get it all done. But I had to wait longer than normal for the morning dew to dry since it was a much cooler morning (nice change!). So it may be too hot soon to finish it all up.
That was a long tangent.
I have been doing pretty well with my workouts lately. Last week a lot happened keeping me from wanting to do a really heart pumping work out for a few days. I am proud to say though I still made sure and got out and had a leisurely walk so I could stay in the routine of moving some each morning.
I need to get back to really eating better. I'm doing good, but it's not good enough to loose weight. It's just enough to keep me from gaining again. That is still a good thing I'm proud of, but I do want to make that extra push. I have been watching a show recently called "Cook Yourself Thin". I really like their cooking style. They don't believe in denying you the things you like to eat, they just teach you better ways of fixing them to make them healthier. They show you how to make things still flavorful without all the fatty ingredients. They use a lot more spices and non-noticable substitutes. I have checked out the cookbook from the library many times, so I need to just buy it. But for now I can spend the money saved on ingredients for the recipes. I am going to try my first recipe from it tonight and hopefully it will go over well with the family. I have a back up for the kids if it just ends up all wrong.
Like I said earlier, I am holding my weight right now. But the good news is: I AM GETTING SMALLER! I am starting to tighten and tone. I stopped in JCPenny the other day with my mom to make a return and help her with some shopping. I noticed jeans were on sale, so I decided to go back the next day and look for some for me. I really didn't want to buy any till I had really lost a good amount of weight, but I was down to one decent pair and they are fading fast. Since the prices were so good, I decided to go ahead. I tried on a couple pairs I liked in the woman's section but they just weren't comfortable. So I went ahead and tried on some in the juniors section. They fit! I need to really find a good ab work out so they can look a little more flattering, but I couldn't believe I had gotten back into a pair of juniors jeans that made my butt look good! I also was down TWO sizes from the last pair of juniors jeans I had purchased last winter! I got those ones to go with some boots since that was the only section that had some that worked. But they weren't that flattering. I think they were actually a bit big, but the size just below that was definitely too small.
I am very excited to be getting the results I want! I also tried on the shirts I am working to get into for my birthday. I can get into them! I could also wear them if I really wanted, but I think a few more changes are needed for me to feel like I really look good in them.
Had to get this all down so I could have it where I can see that my hard work is getting results!

Be vewy, vewy qwiet! We're hunting canned pumpkin!

For over a month now I have been struggling to find canned pumpkin. I am a freak for all things pumpkin. And with my dear friend Lori introducing me to the Spiced Pumpkin Latte from Starbucks a few years ago, the addiction is even more insane.
If you have been dropping in for a while, you may remember this post of finding my own recipe for one last March when I had a craving for the drink that is only made September through December.
Well the anticipation of its return had me a bit on the impatient side. So back in August I had the itch to make one. I've had the itch many times, but couldn't find the canned pumpkin. I figured it was just the wrong time of year for it even though I know I've seen it year round in the past. My thoughts were surely it would be on shelves in late August. Apparently I was wrong. No luck ANYWHERE! And I mean ANYWHERE! I went to MANY grocery stores looking. In addition to my coffee craving my husband was starting to crave pumpkin bread with all my talk about not finding canned pumpkin.
So Starbucks released its drink, and I began spending WAY too much money on pumpkin coffees. So I start mentioning my lack of finding on my Facebook page. I got many kind and attemptingly helpful comments. But I could tell that many thought I was just doing something wrong in not being able to find it.
Last weekend I went over to Lori's house with the girls to visit with her and Lucas while her hubby was having to work at the Cowboys game (he is an editor for the Dallas Morning News). We went to the grocery store to get stuff to cook for dinner. I thankfully thought to look for my precious canned pumpkin and FINALLY found some!
The next day I was happy with my find and about to start making various pumpkin goodies. But when doing some of my daily blog reading I found a title that stopped me. This post from 5dollardinners.com explained a lot.
So I quickly called Lori and informed her of my new found information and asked her to please pick me up some more cans. I also started getting my family to all hunt for me too. With knowing about this shortage I became even more desperate.
That evening Lori's husband came home bring treats from a business dinner. He was disappointed due to not finding a standard pumpkin treat he loves. Lori informed him of the new information I had given her. He decided that might be an interesting news tip to put out. So he passed it on to his higher ups who agreed. And low and behold we have an article that I am in!
I am tickled pink that my hunt for pumpkin is news worthy! And I'm not crazy after all! hehe

It's one of those days

It's like I have severe PMS today but I am no where near time for that. It's so crappy that I had half a post written out, but hated it so much that I erased it.
My main thing is to thank Larry for his putting up with my crappy mood that seems to be being taken out on him for no reason. He is doing all he can to help me out even with needing to work.
And thank you to my good friend Tina for calling to talk/vent at the perfect time. How do friends know what you need without you saying it? Those are the angels in disguise!
I don't know what has me in this mood, whatever it is, I hope it leaves quick or whatever I need to fix it better come soon.
Ok time to go, cause this posting isn't working either to help me.

Thought I would so I will

My Charisse said I may do this so I think I will. But first, go check out her new page! It's fabulous!!!! And I love the quote/description. It fits her perfectly!

Now her questionnaire

1. What is you favorite line from a movie?
"And we're getting maaaarried!" From Father of the Bride. I loove the way the little girl says it. Makes me smile each time.
2. What group did you belong to in high school?I was an honors brat, band nerd. Ditto
3. If you had $1,000 to spend on yourself, what would you spend it on? I would end up spending it on things for the house.
4. Favorite childhood cartoon? Tom and Jerry and still love it!
5. What kind of sleeper are you? curled up side sleeper
FIRST questions
1. Do you talk to your 1st love? Nope
2. First alcoholic drink? honestly don't remember. Jack and Coke I think
3. First job? Chick-fil-a
4. First car? '88 Ford Tempo
5. First person to text you this morning? Tina.
6. First person you thought of this morning? Kids and getting them up for school
7. First grade teacher? Mrs. Stigler
8. Where did you go for your first flight? Hawaii to visit a friend living there I was 20.
9. Who was your first best friend and do you still talk? Roseanne in 1st grade. And yes. Actually just went with her to a baseball game this last Saturday
10. Where was your first sleepover? First attempted one was with Roseanne, but got homesick. First successful one was with Nicole Taylor. My friend who died due to a car crash 12 years ago.
11. First person you talked to today?Larry, he was telling me what time it was since I over slept. I told him I know since he said it when I was getting up.
12. Whose wedding were you in first? Well I was dressed and waiting for my friend Jenny's to start right after graduation, but it didn't happen since the marriage license was no where to be found
13. First thing you did this morning? Go to the bathroom. Same as every morning.
14. First concert you went to?The Kissmas Concert. Concert given by local radio station every year with bunch of various artists. I was near the ticket spot when they announced one of the spots on the radio
15. First tattoo?Don't have one
16. First piercing?Ears, of course...ditto
17. First foreign country? Does Mexico count. Only one I've been to
18. First movie you remember seeing? I really don't know. A lot pop to mind and who knows which was first
19. State you lived in first? Texas-only
20. First roommate? Lori
21. First detention? never had one
22. One thing you would like to learn, given the chance? play the piano
23. Who will be the next person to post this? no one that I know of

LWT and LGT and...

LBT and LBJ. Those are my goals. That is White T's, Grey T, Brown T, and Blue Jeans. I have some T-shirts I had bought recently and ones that had been bought for me. Not on purpose, but they were bought a bit on the small side. It is my goal to be able to wear them where they look nice on me by my birthday. I feel that is a reasonable goal. I don't need to drop too much weight to get into them. I also would like to buy a new pair of jeans. While taking the kids clothes shopping back before school, I saw a number of cute brands I would like to purchase.
I noticed a couple things last night and today that had me over joyed with my results so far. I have not lost weight yet since I really just got back into it this week. But last night I was doing some various activities that normally wear me out. And instead I still had energy when I was done. And I have noticed that I have been doing much better on food choices. I am finally finding things that fill me up with much less food! Woohoo! It's about time!
Just wanted to share my goals and results so far. I think this time they are ones I will be able to make long term.
And here are some pictures from my walk this morning which turned out a bit too long. I got a little too into exploring and went way farther than I should have. I wasn't prepared for that hefty of a workout today.
It's been raining for over a week and I was only able to do outdoor workouts two mornings this week. And this was what I saw all over during this morning's workout.

Mushrooms!

T is for Toby!

Got both kids back to school today, and the hubby need to use my jeep, so I am most definitely stuck at home for the day. But that's ok. Need to get some disinfecting done around the house and hopefully working on a few projects (back to work on some).
So much to do today leaving little time to post.
But I had to share this blog post with you. It's not new, but I just read it in some of my catching up. Check out the adorable shirts her two oldest children have on for their first day of school. What a FABULOUS idea!!! Wish I had little ones again to do that with or had thought of it when mine were little. I could go on and on about how great it is, so check it out for yourself!
And have a great day!

Fairness in Drainage and Ginger

First off, so loving the leading into Fall. As with every September, Crock pot cooking is becoming a big thing again. So I am enjoying the easy of finding new recipes. Now to just start putting them into use.

Saturday night Larry and I went out to dinner with my parents. We had a nice light meal at Souper Salad. Perfect for the rainy weekend. The best thing about eating there is dessert for me is Ginger bread. Love that stuff! But I haven't had any in such a long time. And that made me realize I need a good recipe to make it myself. Anyone know of a good one?

My oldest has developed allergies. I noticed a few weeks ago she was taking Tylenol often for headaches. I figured it may be sinus headaches, so I told her to start taking Zyrtec daily like her sister does. Tylenol or Advil daily is NOT GOOD! As figured, it takes a bit of time to get into your system. So she complained for a bit that it wasn't working. Over Labor Day weekend she forgot to take it and felt pretty bad Tuesday and had to miss school. She seemed to figure it must be working after that.

This last weekend she had to go without it again and started feeling pretty awful last night. She said that the medicine really must be working. She got up and got ready for school this morning, but was really dragging and ended up missing her bus. I think she was hoping I would just send her back to bed.

Few problems with that.

1- ATT guy was coming to replace the receiver in her room since apparently the one put in last week was no good. And I knew (which he did) that he would want to try a few things before he put the new one in.

2 - It's just not good to miss school!

3 - My other daughter suffers from SEVERE allergies. Hers usually start getting super bad late October/early November They last for a month or two then die down till Spring . She often has rough nights due to all the drainage, and coughing. But she knows she still has to go to school and pushes through. If we kept her home every time they were bad, she'd be home more than at school each year. I do keep her home when they are super severe.

I realize allergies are a new thing to Haylee, but it just doesn't seem fair to let her stay home when she feels cruddy when the rest of us push through. Especially when her sister pushes through with way worse.

I felt a bit mean talking to her about it, but told her she really has to work to figure out when it's just allergies she can push through since all the rest of us do and when she is truly sick and needs to stay home. I hate when my kids feel bad. I want to just baby them, but that's not how the world works. It doesn't stop each time we feel bad, and neither can we.

(Just a few pictures thrown in that I had taken over the past few days)

Losing more than just cats

Still no sign of Milee. I decided to not put it off and told Holly of her disappearance. I told her how I have experienced this before and have had the cat return. So she is handling it well. On my way to run errands today I passed a black kitten in the road who had met an early demise. I was quite sad and thought about Milee. I fear this is ultimately what may have happened to her even though she has a fairly large fear of large moving objects. Larry believes that someone probably has lured her in and tried to make her their own. I am continuing to debate the idea of a companion for Matty. Normal rule of thumb is if I were to do this it would surely cause the return of Milee. Wonderful, but then will put me over the limit of household pets legally and sanely. For now I will just continue to wait.
Today I got super inspired. I am just over a month from my 30th b-day. I have big plans for it. But I made a new one today. I recently purchased some cute t-shirts that ended up being a little on the small side. This was not done on purpose, but I did hope after discovering it that it would lead to returning to my weight loss goals. I decided today though that I would really love to be wearing them when my birthday arrives. I have been able to do a work out two out of the three school mornings this week. The one I missed was Tuesday, the first day back, and it was due to circumstances I could not control. So the main thing I now need to focus on is sticking to working out each week day and back to eating better again. So I hauled off to pick up some healthy snacks. My goal for tomorrow is to plan out healthier lunches and breakfasts. If I stick with focusing on changing my meals that I majorly eat alone and stick to my normal dinners, I think the results will come quickly. My main problem with my snack shopping spree is storing them. I am trying to keep them handy but put away from the rest of the family so I will have what I want. But I needed a snack earlier and was not able to get to it without being noticed that I pulled something out of a secret place. I will have to find a new location. I hate being sneaky and keeping things from the kids and hubby, but with the non stop eating that goes on with two growing kids and one very hard working husband, you have to hide it.

Milee

Last night was a bit of a rough night. I woke up in the middle of the night due to a dream. In the dream I was aggravated with the hubby and one of the kids. She had acted up and Larry ignored my handling of it and took her to the movies. Something totally crazy especially since the house we were living in was the one I grew up in and I was hiding in the garage across the street to cool off. I woke up in the middle of the attempted cool off and hung on to the upset mood all the way through morning. HORMONES!

Also our cat Milee is missing. We went camping over Labor Day weekend. Apparently while we were gone she disappeared. There wasn't enough food missing for two cats to have been eating all weekend. When we have been gone for a bit, she becomes very clingy. She doesn't normally want to be petted much but she is dying to be held when we return from a day or more away. This time she didn't show up for her normal shoulder riding and cheek scratching I give her.

Our cats are indoor/outdoor cats that come and go as they please. This is how it always was when I was growing up and had cats. So I am always prepared that something may happen. The last time we lost a cat though, Holly was only 4 and didn't really notice him missing. Milee would rather meow back and forth with you than sit in your lap, so no one is quite as attached to her as our other cat we currently have, but it's not going to be easy if she doesn't show back up soon and I have to break down and tell my youngest she's missing. My older one already knows. She has caught me outside calling for her and looking around.

Like I said, she isn't one to be a lap cat. She's very independent. But she is a super pretty one and was an anniversary gift from Larry for our 4th anniversary. I was in the wreck that lead to finding my tumor the day before our anniversary and couldn't do anything to celebrate, so Larry got me her. He knew I had always wanted a calico.

That is the other reason my night was so rough. Worry and every time something jumped into the bed I would wake up thinking it was her just to find out it was Matty our other cat.

Now for the super hard part. Continuing to wait without worrying too much since I have had cats disappear and then return, and to decide when will be the right time to inform Holly.

Then what to do? Does replacing her make it easier? Does Matty still need company? We had gotten our cat Flash (that we had to send to my Aunt's) as a companion for Matty. We still had Milee to keep him company when we had to let him go so I didn't replace him. Matty hasn't shown any signs of being lonely so far, but he does enjoy wrestling with the other cats we have had. He has never minded other animals so I don't worry about a territory thing as much as him getting lonely.

Ugh, this is why it is often easier NOT to have pets.

SEPTEMBER

Is here!! Woohoo! And starting the end of last week, the temperatures have started cooling down. It has really been nice to be outside lately. Not quite nice enough for me to turn off the AC and open the house up, but I think that will be coming sooner than normal.
Sorry haven't gotten into the posting regularly again yet. The first week of school was a bit hectic. Haylee ended up deciding that the athletics department was a bit rougher than she cared for. Thankfully it was no problem getting her switched over to P.E. She is much happier. She has also proven me right and quickly made friends. She is already making plans for hanging out at a friends house after school soon to do homework and have fun. I'm very pleased. From different comments Haylee's made about the girl, she sounds like another one with a good head.
Holly is enjoying being in intermediate, but she enjoys anything new so it's no surprise. She's my easy to please child. Strong willed, but easy to please!
My other problem is my computer has a major virus detected so I can't use it now. So again on Larry's. I really need a new one anyway. So may finally seriously look into getting a new one (that one is 7 years old now), and redoing mine and making it into one for the girls to use without me worrying about what they do on mine so much.
Ok, off for today. Got to get some cleaning done and then errands run. Hope to finish up most of my major chores this week, then spending most of the days next week at my mom's while my dad is on vacation with my brother. We have some projects to work on. Then the next week get to work on organizing and painting my laundry/computer room. Hopefully I'll have time for sewing/knitting and reading somewhere in all of that.

Back to the Norm

Holly 5th grader

Haylee 7th grader

First, sorry for the Fall background. I do realize we are still experiencing almost 100 degree weather, but I LOVE the colors in this one. I found it a month or two ago and had to make myself resist putting it on sooner. I decided when school started it would be ok. Fall is my favorite time, and I love almost anything to do with it, so sorry about the most likely frequent background changes.

Yesterday the girls started back to school. Seems both had reasonably smooth days. Holly is loving not being in elementary and seeing her old friends. Haylee is adjusting to being in Junior High and in a new school district. She came from middle school, so isn't having too hard of a time getting into the grove of class changing and such. She joined athletics and had to be at the school super early this morning for volleyball tryouts. I am anxiously waiting for her to get home and let me know how it all went. Only thing she really worries about is making friends. She is shy, but I know she will have them quick. She's like her daddy where people just want to talk to her even if they don't know her.

Yesterday I TRIED to spend the day enjoying my freedom again. I ran to Hobby Lobby to find some fabric to better match a project I am getting ready to work on. I then treated myself to lunch out. But it wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be. I then got a few groceries. While in the store I had to run to the restroom to discover I had a UTI. Unfortunately Larry's work doesn't have insurance and with all the back to school needs, my bank account is VERY tight till pay day in a couple days. And no doctor's office will bill you so I had to go the ER to get checked out. Missed getting to take the girls for an after first day of school treat, spent 3 hours in ER, and will be getting a too large bill soon for them to tell me exactly what I knew. But got my meds and am starting to feel better.

Starting to get things cleaned up in and out of the house after a busy summer, but with this lovely infection it has me a bit on the run down side, so cleaning is slow.

Coming Soon

Actual posts!!! School starts back TOMORROW leaving me with more time to do things and less having to entertain and run kids around. This summer did seem to go fast though. But even with no vacation trips this year it stayed busy.
I also hope to really kick up my studying for my certification to help hopefully get a job within the next month or so. This is the one time I'm looking forward to flu season since it puts a spike in jobs.
I also hope to be able to get more sewing done, work on my knifty knitter projects and finally learn to knit with knitting needles . And most importantly to get to organizing and painting done! With this organizing I am looking forward to getting rid of a lot of things!
Ok so that's a lot I hope to do, but with some changes that will be much easier to make with the kids gone, such as the T.V. off more, it should happen. I just will have to organize my blog reading since I spend too much time on that. But there are SO MANY interesting blogs to read!
Oh and I forgot to mention wanting to get the books read I didn't get to this summer.
That's a lot to do, better go and enjoy the last day of summer vaca so I am not wishing for it when working on all of that!

Have you ever...

discovered you are suddenly obsessed with a color that you once thought was just horrible? I am experiencing that now with the color chartreuse. At least I guess that's what color it is. It started with me buying it in a tube top for me to mow in. They had so many cute colors that I bought 5 tops picking this one to mow in and not getting the pretty ones nasty. I knew the color looked horrible on me so no big deal that I cover it in sweat, dirt, and grass. Then the more I looked at it the more I liked it. And before I knew it I had this collection:

Tube top in the center, plaid shorts, plaid scarf, flip flops, nail polish, and fabric, thread, and buttons for making a little project. I don't wear the top in public cause no matter what I think of the color, it still looks awful on me.

So anyone else experienced this? If so what color?

Purse Postin'

Back in March I mentioned a handbag I was working on that ended up having problems with. Then my mom came over a few days later. I had shown the mess to her and she showed me how to fix it without pulling the whole project apart. So now I was mere minutes away from being finished. But in between the time of the original problem and my mom fixing it, I had moved on to another project. So that one got put in my to be finished box and forgotten about. Well I pulled it back out and, like I figured, I finished it up super quick. I made one adjustment to the patter which was to add a little flannel to the handle to make it more sturdy. I am glad I did and love it!!!

The pattern is from this book. The handles work like a drawstring when you hold them and the weight of the items in the bag pull downward. I have yet to use it. I have been enjoying admiring it so far.

Holly has also been at work again on her own purse designing. My mom gave her a bunch of fabric and other sewing goodies for her birthday this year and she has been enjoying them. I was super impressed with the design she made with this one. It doesn't lay out well for photographing, but maybe you can get the idea. It is a little tote where the top is actually wider than the bottom like a cupcake paper cup. She added some strings to tie it close so your goodies don't fall out. This was a little gift for me that I treasure. She is doing it all by hand and so it's not really usable, but I am so VERY proud of her creativity!

Hey look at me!

Finally posting! Lots I want to write about. I was smart this time and wrote it down. So much though and some of them need pictures I haven't taken yet so I will wait and put it in another post. Woohoo that means more coming SOON.
First this week we have Sassy's little brother Tiny visiting. He is here while my aunt recovers from knee surgery. The surgery was on Monday and went well, but we are keeping him here so he doesn't accidentally get under foot. He has come at a good time. Sassy is in the beginning stages of heat (we haven't been able to take her in to get her fixed). Due to her leakage she is blocked from all areas of the house except the living room, dinning room and kitchen since they are all tiled. She is also very limited on outside play time, obviously. So Tiny is helping to keep her company when the rest of us are in other areas of the house. She is not as depressed and lonely.
Here is a picture of them in one of their brief chill moments. Tiny on left Sassy on right.


Monday I had my yearly MRI. The drive was rough since I have to go about 50 miles to get to the imaging place. It was pouring rain most of the way and I was driving my mom's jeep instead of mine. Larry had to take ours to work so he didn't get soaked on his motorcycle. I have driven my mom's jeep many times, but it is still stressful when it's pouring, you don't know where the controls are since it's not the same model, and you are going a route that you normally don't. All went well except for putting my IV in for the dye. I don't have a problem with blood or anything like that, but apparently my body was over worked from the drive and I almost passed out with the insertion. I prefer them to put needles in my left arm since I rely so heavily on my right, I don't want to make it hard to use. But my veins weren't cooperating. He couldn't get it in my arm so went for my hand instead. He didn't like the way it looked once he got it in, so I told him it was ok to go ahead and do the right arm for it. But that hand one didn't go so well for my body either. I started to feel real light headed and broke out in an instant sweat. I felt embarrassed so I sat there giving myself a pep talk in my head instead of telling him what was happening (stupid, I know!). I guess I must have turned white cause he asked if I was ok. I confessed so he made me lay down and got me a DP. Thankfully he was the one to put my IV in last year and remembered I had no problem. So he explained what my body had done and why that had happened. Hope he's there next year too. I went to use the restroom right after so I wouldn't need to in the machine. I felt much better, but when I looked in the mirror I could see I was pretty pale. Let's hope for good weather next year. Now I am just waiting for Dr. Chang's office (my neurosurgeon) to get back with me to set my appointment for him to look at my films from the MRI. I have a spot the are monitoring. I am not sure if it is left over from the surgery that was more of a danger to remove than to leave, or if it is a new development discovered last year after my MRI. I never got to ask him about that, so that's top question this year. Fingers crossed it hasn't done anything in the past year.
So it has rained all week causing Larry to need the jeep and leaving us at home. We have been doing some remodeling and moving of furniture in my bathroom and bedroom so I used this time to get it a little more organized (well as much as can while in the middle of it all) so I could get some of my stuff out of the living room. I forgot to take pictures before we started, but not too much has been done so that's some of the pictures I will talk for my next post as the sort of before pictures. I also was able to get most of my sewing table set back up. So I hope to finish that today and get back to work. My projects are stacking up.
I will go now though. Mail was exciting today. I got a magazine, the latest Joann's flyer, and the 2010 IKEA catalog! I had just found my 2009 and was about to find ideas for furniture I want for all our remodeling. Guess someone was listening and decided it would be smarter for me to have the new one now. WOOHOO! Off for some day dreaming time.

Two Years Later

A week after surgery The day the first set of stitches came out. (My neck didn't heal so he had to go in and close it up again about a week after this.)

One year after surgery.

Two years after surgery.

Today is a special day!

Also Happy 17th Birthday to my niece Kelli!

And remembering a special friend, Nicole Taylor, who passed 12 years ago today due to a tragic car wreck. Nicole, you are thought of fondly often, and I thank you for being with me during my surgery to see me through.

Honest Scrap blog/tag

So Charisse tagged me for this some time ago. Let's see what I can come up with.

The Rules:
(1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award {that would be me}
(2) Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
(3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
(4) Name 10 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
(5) Nominate 10 Honest Scrap Bloggers.
(6) Post links to the 10 blogs you nominate.
(7) Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.**********************************************************************************

1. I love magazines. I have narrowed down my number of subscriptions to 3 but will often buy the ones at the store I stopped subscribing to if they have an interesting article. I stay so busy I can't get them read most of the time, but I will not just throw them out without reading them first. That would be wasting money and killing trees. So I have a monstrous stack waiting to be read.

2.Socks gross me out! I will not put on a pair of socks again even if I had put them on and for some reason had to take them immediately back off. And I HATE touching other people's socks.

3. I am obsessive with how the laundry gets done. I don't like anyone else doing it and will let it become massively piled up if I can't do it instead of letting someone else help me.

4. This is very revealing, but I'm proud of it. "I saved myself for marriage." I don't look down on or think any differently on anyone who hasn't chosen to do this also. Heck, most people would be embarrassed to say that in these times, but it was a choice I made. I am most proud of it mainly to show off my strong stubbornness and will power.

5. I have lived in Texas my whole life, so far. I have traveled to many other states, but only lived in the Lone Star State.

6. I have always been proud to look younger than my age. I know that one day I will really want it, so I have never allowed myself to dislike it. I do dislike people who treat you poorly because they think you are young.

7. I have a blast with my name. I enjoy shocking people on the phone when they ask for Toby and are stunned silent for a minute when they find out I am a girl.

8. I have always been a tomboy, but within the past couple of years have become more girly. Since marrying my husband I have started to have an obsession with handbags. I love clothes and shoes and accessories such as scarves. I have never felt the need to impress anyone with my looks, but am now into them more (of course this would come about after I no longer have my fabulous figure :P)

9. I love fall. I love marching band season (Football-I can take it or leave it). I love the comfortable weather and being able to wear what ever you want: jeans, shorts, t-shirts, or sweaters. Most of all I love the colors. The reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and browns. I get so anxious to decorate for fall I often do it while still in the 100 degree weather.

10.My family is very into pets. I've always liked them and asked for them growing up, but was told no most of the time. So I've had to learn to not ask with my husband because he likes them as much as I do. We have had many cats and dogs, chickens, ducks, hamsters, birds, fish, turtles, and our newest addition is an iguana. But for that we got rid of the fish. So our current brood is 3 dogs (one lives in East TX with my mother-in-law, though) 2 cats, and an iguana.

So there are 10 things. Don't know how interesting they are, but I did it.

I am tagging from my blog list:

http://whosies.blogspot.com/

http://thehurtadofamily.blogspot.com/

http://ryandustyhaskins.blogspot.com/

http://snapdragonchristy.blogspot.com/

http://saltandchocolate.blogspot.com/

http://janddreese.blogspot.com/

http://fourwisemonkeys.blogspot.com/

http://embrace31.blogspot.com/

http://a-friend-to-knit-with.blogspot.com/

http://sugarshop.typepad.com/sugar_shop/

It's a Special 2yr Anniversary for Me!

Today is a very special day. Two years ago it was the first of a string of the scariest days of my life. But now I celebrate it for all that it means and for all the fabulous things that have happened since that day. So much has happened in two years that I still can't believe that's all it has been. And if it wasn't for this day two years ago it may not have all happened and all the wonderful things to come may not have happened either.So in honor of today here is my blog post talking about it from July 6, 2007

*I figure if I don't keep people updated on this, I may end up with my butt kicked.

If you read my last blog, some of this will be a little bit of a repeat, so I apologize.

As I mentioned before, in one of my physical therapy appointments, one of the therapists, saw the reaction of my eye, and suggested an inner ear problem. She sent me on to an ENT. I saw him for the first time 2 weeks ago. The reactions I had to the various tests he performed did not lead him to feeling it was an inner ear problem, but more likely neurological (brain) problem. So he ordered an MRI/MRA (the MRA is where they stop the MRI for a bit and give me a shot of dye. The dye shows them possible abnormalities (I think that's the word I'm looking for)). He also ordered a hearing test to just double check things.
I had the MRI done last week, and the ear test and got the MRI results yesterday. The hearing test is normal! So when I tell everyone to turn it down, or say what when I don't hear, I'm not having problems.
The results from the MRI were not quite as happy.
My eye problem is neurological. Wow even typing how to inform people of this is hard. How do I make it easy on you? Guess I take my doc's approach. Get it out. I have a benign tumor on the left of my Cerebellum. The key word there to be thankful for is benign-non cancerous!!! It also is thankfully a moderate size. Where it is located, it is putting pressure on an area that controls skills of my left side. This explains my problems with my left eye moving, and why I have become clumsy in the past few years, stumbling towards my left side, and so on. Some tests of my skills were quite comical. I can't describe them all, but there is no way I could pass a sobriety test hehe. It is not currently possible for me to walk heal to toe without stumbling or even falling.
Anyway, my ENT got me referred and into a neurosurgeon yesterday. Thankfully the ENT's assistant was right. He really is one of the best.
Ok, now a little bit of a description on the tumor: Best way to describe it is like my mom said, it's a "birth defect" that often doesn't show up till later in life. When my brain was developing as I was a fetus, some of the blood vessels got twisted. These vessels have now created a mass that is putting pressure on my brain.
This mass is going to have to be removed. They don't think much blood is flowing through it right now since I have no signs of past bleeding out. But if it is not removed it could do this and cause me more problems down the road.
The doctor thankfully doesn't want to put it off. Not due to any life threats, but so I don't sit worrying for a long time. For this I am thankful. I've never had surgery before. But heck why not take it like everything else and make my first time a big one.
So the surgery is going to be in about 2 weeks. I have to have some other tests done first. I will have anagiagram to make sure there isn't much blood currently flowing through the mass. And I will have another MRI done. The other one wasn't clear enough for him to use to make out his plan on performing the surgery.
The surgery is going to take approximately 6 hours. This is not due to how long it will take him to cut it out, but how long it will take to cut and to use all the various machines for them to see. One will help him with seeing exactly where he is going, better than just using a scope. And after they have removed it, they will place me in another MRI to make sure they get it all, so they don't have to perform another surgery down the road. The MRI will take a while because they will not close me up when they put me in, so they will have to cover the area and keep it all sterile.
How they will get to the mass: The location of it will have them going through my Cerebellum to get to it. They will be able to go through folds though causing very little damage to brain tissue.
Like all surgeries, there is some threat on your life, but it is a small threat even though they are operating on my brain. The worst possible results would be some damage that causes my current symptoms to be worse. The removal of the tumor out weighs the leaving of it greatly.
So what I need from my readers: Not a bunch of sympathy and pity. This is all still quite shocking to me. Yesterday was very emotional for me and my husband . (I went to the ENT on my own thinking results would be good. So my husband was quite upset to have not been with me. He did come home and was with me at the neurosurgeon). I want to try and continue things right now normally. Much to my husbands protests, I sent him on to work today. I actually wanted to be at the gym right now, but felt the need to get this all down. I will tell you, this news truly does change how you look at the world and life. This is why I want to proceed normally. This change on how I look at things is a bit disturbing. I didn't appreciate my life as much as I should, and I want to do that now. And I want to do that by doing my normal stuff. So please don't send comments. Especially ones that say: Oh my gosh Toby, I'm so sorry!
I would merely appreciate prayers and to know (without you having to say) that I can call on you if I need some help taking care of my family during and after the surgery. If all goes well I will only be in the hospital 4 to 5 days. Only is his word. For having never been in a hospital more than a few hours, 4 or 5 days is forever to me.
So that's it. Please don't pity or worry. I truly feel God will take care of me and do what He feels is best for me. If you have questions, feel free to ask. It may be one I don't know and need to ask myself.
Love and Blessings to you all!!

P.S. To those who talk to my brother: please don't bombard him about this either. I prefer him to be allowed to talk about it with who he chooses to. He has his own stuff going on, and I don't want him sitting thinking about all of this any more than he has to. Please, please, PLEASE respect this request!!! If you HAVE to choose only one to respect, make it this one!!*

Today 7/5/09: My advice to you. Be thankful for each day you have even the scary ones. That day really is the beginning of the rest of your life!This changed how I look at everything around me and I truly worry less and am more thankful for each day and all that is around me!God Bless you all as he has me!

Long and Short all at Once

That's the way I feel about summer right now. With how extremely hot it is so early this year it feels long. With my kids here and at their mom's and figuring out where they will be when it feels long. With my husband working to find an honest job (I say honest 'cause he has almost and then has taken two different ones where they were doing wrong to their customers) it feels long. With me trying to get my foot in the door to a career I want it feels long.

But then there are the want to do's that make it seem so short. I want to work on sewing projects (haven't gotten farther than half cutting out that dress). I want to get out all the yarn I have bought (and with some super sales lately that pile has grown again) and finally learn to really knit and crochet. I want to spend time with friends. I have gotten to do some of that. I want to be able to just sit back and read all day. I am happy to say I am half way through my 3rd book this summer. I wish that number was larger, but I have picked some that are thicker than others and that just are a little slower read (no less interesting though). My brother's girlfriend is my inspiration. Last summer I believe the total was 25 books she read. At Father's day she was half a book up on me. I haven't gotten the recent tally but I'm sure she 's quite farther than me now.

What I've read this summer:

This one is a Christian novel and has two more in the series I am looking forward to starting shortly.

Make sure you have Kleenex handy for this one. You can pretty much figure out what the ending is, but it still gets you. Also the author mentions some major life events that happen to her that will get you too. I want to read Marley and Me also, but since I've seen the movie I think I will for-go reading the ending on that one.

And this one is making me want to learn knitting even more, but they do warn you of it. There is a follow up to this one and at least one more novel by this author that I hope to read.

Soon I will read the Twilight books. I have had the first one for a while now, but decided to hold off reading it till after the movie since often I don't like the movie if I've read the book first. I picked up the second one a couple nights ago so I could get it before the price went up on it as it gets closer to that movie coming out. Main thing I need to do is quit going to the library. I have so many books at home I want to read, but then I drop in there to let Holly check out or pick up pharmacy books or a book on CD and always have my attention caught by another bright cover and end up checking out a pile of books for myself. It's an addiction!

OK, off to read while I do chores at the same time.

A Getaway Right at Home

Lately I have gone back to being lazy with eating healthy and pretty much nonexistent with my workouts. With it being summer I use the family as an excuse. I haven't pushed to get them eating a little better and I haven't been working to set an example. I just fall right into their junk eating or greasy eating out food. And with everyone home and nothing pressing for us to do we have fallen out of any kind of schedule. Every time I set my alarm for early to get up and get back into my routine it doesn't work. When that buzzing starts the hubby rolls over and decides to snuggle. And I'm sorry, but that's hard to resist! So back to sleep we go. Then it's super late when we get up and eat breakfast throwing all meals till late and that just keeps us going late into the night. Then with Holly home she is instant on enjoying summer and staying up late watching TV. Eventually I get tired of the arguments and pouting so I just give in and let her stay up. BAD MAMA!
But yesterday things happened that I have decided need to put a stop to all of it. First was me. I was extremely irritable all day and it is not even near that time of month. Then the other two started having stomach problems. I think a lot of it was probably something they ate at lunch. But Larry has IBS and I think Holly has it some too so I think the problems were magnified by not being on any kind of schedule.
So this morning I got up when the alarm went off (I did wake up 3 minutes before it should go off and decided that my original thought with an hour later was a better time for starting back into my routine. We'll save the extra early for after I've gotten back into it good). Got dressed and decided instead of getting on the exercise bike in my room I would go ahead and go for a walk since it wasn't too hot yet and Larry actually didn't stir when the alarm went off this time. Normally my working out has been during the school year. It's not hard to get going working out since I already have had to be up getting Holly ready for school. So I really haven't gotten out and walked on a Summer morning.
But I will more now!!! It's a complete tiny vacation!!! With everyone around it's hard to get away and with Holly and Larry having similar personalities I will admit some days they are a bit overwhelming at times. This morning I walked out the door leaving them behind. I did my stretches, put in my headphones and for the next 30 minutes the ONLY thing I thought about was looking for cars and saying good morning to another walker or someone working in their yard that I passed. I enjoyed MY music with no interruptions. Soooo fabulous. I want to work on my bike too, but at home everyone can interrupt. With my leaving no one does. Then I come home and am happy and refreshed for my family.
Yay for my new found daily vacation!!!
And coming soon my tag from Charisse.

A Weekend Recap Before it's Even Over

So we are closing in on the end of Saturday and tomorrow is mostly planned out, so I thought I would go ahead and write about this weekend.

I will jump all the way back to Wednesday to better explain how things went for the weekend.

Larry dropped in to visit the girls while in Austin like I mentioned. While there, Holly decided she could no longer bare being away and came home with him. I love the fact she missed us and home so much she was willing to come home and be an only child again until her sister comes in a week or two (she stayed to spend all the time she could with her friends before her mom moves). But it does throw a kink in plans. I take advantage of the girls being gone and try to plan adult/friend time while they are gone. No sitter needed or no short trips/visits due to them being home alone. So I had planned for Friday to meet up with an old friend I found on Facebook whom I haven't seen in over 15 years! My parents had plans too so I could ask them to spend part of the day with her and there was no way I was cancelling our visit, so I planned out how to take her and be able to talk without worrying about what Holly would hear. Thankfully I thought of a cousin to call who was super gracious and took her for the afternoon/early evening. Heck, they turned it into a sleep over.

So all turned out great. Holly had fun with her young cousins and I had a wonderful time catching up with a good friend I had thought I had lost due to distance. Isn't the internet wonderful?!

I then had a fun loooooong phone chat with Lori. Her hubby was treated to a much deserved night out with friends (the fun start to his first Father's Day!), so she stayed home with baby and we had a fun evening on the phone after he went to bed. A good night of lots of talking with two fabulous people!

Today I braved the grocery store and FINALLY stocked back up on food. I normally do my shopping weekday mornings, but I had some needs and didn't feel like making a ton of trips to the store this week. This evening we had a great family dinner. And I am finishing baking cookies for my dad for Father's Day (I'm pretty sure he doesn't read this. If you do, Dad, you didn't read that part!)

We celebrated Father's Day for Larry on Thursday. We tied it in with his last day before returning to working at a job near home...YAY! So we took him to Old Navy to take advantage of their half off guy's clothes sale and to buy work shirts and some regular clothes for him. We then went to one of our favorite places, the Movie Tavern, for dinner with a movie. A super fun day for very little money!

So tomorrow I will obviously be dropping in on my dad and I think Larry is going to head out to East TX to visit his for a few and to pick up the last of his stuff that is still out there from working with his brother. I want to go with him, but I got a bit lazy today at times so most of the day tomorrow will be spent doing major cleaning and getting ready for Lucas to spend Monday with us! Love me some Lucas time!!!

That's it for the early recap hope it didn't ramble off and get too confusing. It is about bedtime I just realized.

I am a Girl Who

obviously lives for the pressure.
I have the house to myself for a short time and here I sit. The girls are still at their mom's for part of summer and Larry left yesterday for Austin. He went to work on the AC in his brother's rental house they are about to sell. He is finished and is just enjoying a little time trying to find some old buddies he grew up with and making a stop in to visit with the girls. There mom lives just North of Austin...for about another week. Then they will be living about 40 miles from us. NO MORE DRIVES TO WACO WOOWOO!!! That just cut off 400 miles a month on my Jeep!
Anyway my point. I CAN'T MAKE MYSELF DO ANYTHING! Well I did unload and reload the few dishes I had for the dishwasher, clean out the fridge, straighten and cleanup all the kitchen counters except my connection counter (a.k.a. paper catcher and junk holder), dropped an important letter off at the post office (but didn't think to get a quick package ready to be mailed too), and picked up some study books that had come in I reserved at the library. That's a little bit of a list, but nothing that took long. I am waiting for the guy who is rebuilding our fallen mailbox to get here, but he is having truck trouble so who knows when he will arrive (I definitely could have done my workout this morning and gotten my shower in before he showed even though I slept 30 minutes passed what I planned).
So I should be doing things. I have a couple more chores to do, but they aren't pressing and will take no time. I have a book due at the library next week that there is a long reserve list for so there is no way I can renew my checkout. I have my simple summer dress that got put on hold I wanted to sew, Holly's summer bag that needs a strap repaired, some embroidery I would like to start since I haven't done any of that since I was a kid, some cross stitch I would like to work on, and new yarn I bought last week that I would love to use (got to really get to learning better how to knit), some studying to do, a little paper work to get done, and a number of things I need to take back to a few various stores. Oh and I need to touch up my paint on my toe nails. But only a little of that actually has a dead line, but it's not pressing that much till later in the day and most of the rest has none. So without pressure today, I just can't get myself to get up and get to anything. Once I get started on something it will all just start to flow and get going, but it's that getting started. I just have absolutely no motivation today....grr.
Enough griping about it, no one probably wants to even read it. I think I'll pretend Larry will be home soon and go get to work on some of it. Just wanted something else to do with drinking my Cherry DP from Sonic (oh yeah, stopped there to get that and an order of mozzarella sticks for my craving/early lunch. healthy?) other than that list.

You know you're getting old when...

Going to a water park for the day does not fill you with pure excitement but also worry.
My nephew, Craig, has been visiting us since Tuesday. In honor of his first time to stay with us alone, Larry and I took him to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. When I was a kid preparing for it meant putting your swimsuit on. Now preparing takes much more!
First was finding towels for everyone and enough sunblock to last 3 people all day (I am proud to report that we were there for over 6 hours and no one has a sunburn!). Also making sure there is enough money to cover needing a drink or snack and locker rental, but not letting anyone know you brought very much so they don't go begging for the $13 souvenir cup or the $8 hot dog!
Then there are the worries for myself.
Where will I put the locker key to keep it safe? They thought of that for me. They have now switched to the coolest invention. They put on your wrist one of those plastic hospital type bracelets you have to cut off. It has a water proof chip, or whatever it should be called, to where you hold it up to a sensor that programs it to a specific locker that opens each time you put the bracelet up to it. Genius!
Next worry for me is being able to see. I wear glasses and have not gotten myself up to the idea of wearing contacts. (Due to past problems as a kid, the idea of putting something in my eye creeps me out.) Thankfully this last time at the eye doctor my prescriptions didn't change, so instead of paying for 3 lense changes for all the types of glasses I have to wear (it is not a fashion thing I have to wear different prescriptions for different things) I got to buy a new more fashionable pair of sunglasses. So I had an extra pair of prescription sunglasses that I can wear for these kinds of outings that I won't have a heart attack over if I loose. Just put a strap on and I'm good to go.
I also can no longer tolerate running barefooted over the hot rough sidewalks. So I don't care how silly I look in my non swimsuit matching crocs. My feet are still happy with me today.
There is also the thought of wearing a swimsuit that lets me get a little sun, but covers up enough of what I don't want showing anymore. And balancing not looking too old but not trying to look younger than I should either.
Sheesh a lot goes into it! Not to mention the making sure of not leaving the tickets you bought and printed over the computer at home.
I am happy to say it ended up a fun day! We went on the perfect day. It rained all day the day before so most people didn't come for fear of cold water. It was a bit colder than normal, but the sun was out and hot so it took no time to get use to and we were not loosing each other in the crowds or getting shoved around or ran over in the lazy river. We were able to really play and have fun. We hope to take the girls soon, so I guess I will look for going again the day after a big rainstorm (if we get that lucky again).

Starting back up slowly

So I think I've caught up on reading all the blogs I follow and am ready to be steady at my reading and posting, and then life happens! I get busy and blogging just has to be put aside.

Many things have happened, some good, some bad, and some just plain crazy. I won't post on most of it though because it's all still happening. Just please lift us up in pray for guidance and SANITY!!

I keep meaning to post the pictures of Holly's purse, so here they are.

I personally am very impressed. She thought of the shape herself and cut it out all on her own. No pattern used. She then chose to hand sew it. So it won't hold up to much use, but she did load it with change one day and used it to do some shopping at the dollar store. It actually held up to that impressively well.

Ok, for now that will be all. I'll keep it short and work to at least post a something more often.

P.S. say a pray for us also because Larry and I both have job interviews tomorrow. Larry's had a bunch of them recently. Nothing has come out of them so far that will work for us, but tomorrow's sounds promising.

Mine is with a company I previously worked for. I'm not really wanting to get back into that field of work, but for now work is work. And I'm trying to find the benifits in it if I do go back. The drive is not great, 20 miles, but again you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. Ok, that's all I want to write on that for now.

*pat,pat,pat* Anyone out there?

Sorry, but like I said this is a crazy month. Hopefully soon I can post some pictures. One is of a purse Holly made herself. I'm quite proud of her creativity. Then as soon as it's finished a dress I'm working on. My first piece of clothing to ever sew! And then as long as I remember to do it before she leaves for her mom's, the bag I made Holly for her summer fun kit.

Summer vacation officially started for us this week. And so far it's been great. First we enjoyed Memorial Weekend with my fabulous friend Charisse coming into town with her family for a few days. They are gone now leaving the house feeling very empty!

Then we spent a fun evening at my friend Tina's enjoying her apartment's pool (that is one of the few things I miss about living in apartments).

And then just various other activities.

Sorry this is short, but Larry is headed back into town and we are going to take Holly to see Up before she leaves with her stepdad to spend the first half of summer with her mom and that side of the family.

But here is a picture of her from last night at her now former school at Movies with Mom night in the gym.

Crazy Busy

This week I am cramming a weeks worth of chores into two days. And I have had success! As we speak I am waiting to finish my last chore (well not including folding laundry, but I plan to do that while watching Wall-E tonight. that makes it less of a chore). Over half our house is tiled, so I am waiting for the first half to dry so I can move the furniture and mop the other half.
Why am I doing all of this so quickly. Main reason: Charisse is coming to town with her family!!!!! They arrive Thursday morning. I will spend the day with Lorelli so Charisse and Rob can get some sleep after driving all night.
So why do I have to have my chores finished by today? Well got an e-mail from Lori needing some help this week with Lucas. So tomorrow I am watching him for the day. YAY! Two days in a row with two of my favorite little ones!!
Hopefully tonight I will be able to finish or almost finish Holly's bag for her summer activity kit I am surprising her with. Then tomorrow during Lucas naps and tomorrow evening I can hopefully get a couple chew blankets made for Holly to give as an end of the year gift to her teacher. She is expecting this coming fall. This way it can be an original, useful, and cheap gift since I already have all the supplies. If not Ucreate had a link to a cute idea of a colored pencil bouquet. Something That won't cost me too much either.
OK, better go check my floor and finish it up before Holly gets here so don't have to worry about dirty feet and wet floors. Hopefully I will have some time soon to AGAIN get caught up on reading my long list of blogs I enjoy.

Check it out!

Click on the banner to the right to find out details to try to win the quilt!! It's gorgous!

Where do you go?

For crafty or other ideas for entertainment for your kids for the summer?

My mom turned me on the the magazine Family Fun a few years ago.

I am going to be pulling out my stack of issues within the next few days and going through them for ideas.

When we were kids, my mom gave my brother and I our summer entertainment kits each year on the first day of summer. What I can remember it containing was a skein of yarn for making our crochet ropes (basicly the same idea as the knifty knitter looms just on a MUCH smaller scale. I guess that's why I enjoy the k.k.'s so much), a new spiral note book for a summer journal, and film for our camera. There were more things, but I can't remember them. I am going to make my own version for Holly this year especially since there is a good chance she will spend the majority of her summer at her mom's since I will hopefully have a job. She normally spends only 4-6 weeks at her mom's. And there isn't a lot for her to do while she is there due to the heat and not having many toys there. So she ends up watching a lot of T.V. I'm hoping this might give her more things to do while she's there.

But I am looking for more ideas of things for her to do while she is here or there. We spend a majority of the summer at the library here, but that is not an easy option for her there. So please send ideas of activities for kids. Especially ones to keep them entertained on their own. (I don't know where her younger sisters will be during the summer. She is closest to the one just younger than her, but I think she may be with her dad or in daycare most of the summer. And her older sister and brother usually hang out together and exclude her when they are together :( ) Or let me know where you go to find ideas for your kids.

Thanks and good luck to all the moms about to be back on steady full time entertainment duty. Especially to those who have to deal with the heat like we do here in Texas.