Playing with the kids...

Dear God, It's Me Jodi....

Tonight I was in the organizing mood. I started in the office and began putting pictures in the kids photo albums (which have needed done for well over two years). It didn't take long for the kids to catch on to what I was doing and soon all five were in the office, sitting on the floor with me.

They each grabbed an album and starting oohing and aaahing over their baby pictures, except Marea. She jumped from each of the other girls' books but never said anything about looking at her own (which was laying on the floor right next to her). Finally as I was putting away our family albums she asked if she could look at hers. I told her it was right on the floor. She leafed through it, asking questions but seemed rather uninterested. Megan finished her first album and got up to get another one. Marea watched her and turned to me and said, "Do I have another one too?" I showed her where her other album is. This album is pictures of Marea before we adopted her and before she came to live with us. She has seen this album before but it has been a good two years or so since we have looked at it. Of course had a gazillion questions as she tried to piece together the story of her life. Soon she was rolling on the floor in fits of giggles and then she would be dead serious as she analyzed her pictures. She got to the page where the album goes from "before adoption" to "after adoption". She looked at that page and looked at me and said, "Now I am dead." And she shut the book.

I replied, "No you are not dead." She said, "I mean I am not in that part of the book anymore." I agreed with her and explained that that was her life as a baby with another family. Now she was a big girl living with us. She then decided she wants to be a baby again. I told her that is not possible. And trying the gross factor, I told her babies wear diapers, and they can't talk or walk or eat real food. She still wanted to be a baby. Then she opened the book again and looked at her 1st birthday pictures. She wanted to know where the shirt was someone had given her. I just said, "I can't keep all those clothes. We would have a pile as big as our house." She wanted to know why I couldn't keep even one. Instead of opting to explain again that I wasn't with her then (which seemed somewhat upsetting to her) I found a page with her sitting on a blanket that I HAD kept, Thank goodness! I told her I still have that blanket though. She said, "Can I have it?" So tonight as I tucked her into bed, she snuggled with her baby blanket.

I cannot even begin to explain to you how significant this seemingly small event was for an adopted child with RAD. Much of the therapy centers around treating these children as infants to help them learn that bonding, loving feel they should have experienced as a baby. Hopefully Marea will take this event and use it to grow and change for the better and not crash and burn. Cross your fingers!

This ones for you DAD...

Meg's reaction to your gift!

Is your fridge ready for some artwork???? :)

Christmas over.... booo hoooo!

We had a wonderful holiday here at the OC's household. The kids woke at 6 a.m. and scrambled downstairs. The night before we told them when they get up they were allowed to get into their stockings but NOTHING else so we could sleep until a reasonable hour like 7 or 8. It was a grand idea until we heard little feet scrambling down the stairs. Billy and I both popped out of bed and ran after them.

Mr. Bill gave us a little scare on Christmas Eve morning by puking up his breakfast. I thought we were in for the flu but an hour later he ate three bowls of cereal and a banana. He never puked again. Thank goodness eh!

Can you guess what I got for Christmas? I will give you a hint:

And now my husband is off on a business trip until Thursday so it is just me and the kids and a houseful of toys. Fun!

She's 10!

Happy Birthday to my first baby girl! She is 10 today.

She was actually due on January 14th but decided to be early. We sat up all night on Christmas night playing the new super nintendo games we had given each other. I finally gave up and went to bed at 4:30 a.m. Shortly after laying down I realized I had to pee. I got up and as I did felt a slight gush. I looked at the bed and there was a wet spot about the size of a fist. Thinking it was leaking urine, which all of my pregnancy books assured me could happen during the final weeks of pregnancy, I finished my trip to the bathroom and then went to bed. Billy finally crawled into bed at 6:30 a.m. At 11:30 a.m. my SIL came over and knocked on the door, thus waking us both. I got up to use the bathroom again (the joys of pregnancy). During that trip I noticed blood and called the hospital. They told me to come in and they would check me. Upon arrival at 1:00 p.m. (I had to shower ya know!) the nurse discovered my water had a slight leak (the spot on the bed) and I was already 3 cm and having contractions every three minutes. She said I was staying! Oy! I hadn't brought a single thing with me!

After what I consider a fairly easy (but extremely painful) labor, Rebecca JoAnne was born at 8:41 p.m. She was the most beautiful and content little girl. I remember holding her and just gazing into her eyes. At that moment I knew my life would never again be the same.

Now I stare at a tall (she comes to my chin now!) 10 year old with a big heart and a loving smile. She is such an awesome kid. Tonight as I tucked her into bed she thanked me for all she had gotten for her birthday and for her party. We did good!

It's Friday!

Yahooo! I am so happy it is Friday and almost Christmas.

Today I got the best gift in the world from my husband. I left the house at 10 a.m. and went shopping and got my hair cut and just RELAXED!

I needed that!

--------------------------------
On a side note, I probably won't be back until after Christmas unless I get bored of watching my kids play with their new toys so I will say...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

See you on the flip side!

Just me...

I debated about putting this on my blog because there are some people who read my blog that don't really need to hear this, but there are several others whose opinions I value and so I give this up to you, oh internet, to either rip me apart or hold me up, your choice....

A letter to my husband:
When our kids are teenagers, what will I have left? Five unappreciative kids and a husband with the same affliction. Right now I am hanging on to our son and his unadulterated love for me. But that will not last much longer and then I will be left feeling like a hollow shell, and empty person with no direction or support.

How do we rekindle that flame? How do we find a relationship for ourselves again? I feel like we are careening down a path that will lead to nothing but I don't know how to stop it. I fear if ever another man would make me feel valued, special, important, that I would run into his arms and savor those lost feelings. I want that with you. My heart aches when I think of you. I love you with every cell in my body and the emotions run strong. I want to feel loved, appreciated, valued, and important to you. I want you to tell me how much you love me, want me, and need me. I want you to show your love. I want to spend time with you alone where we can talk and make that flame grow and blossom. I want you to be my lover and my best friend so when we get to the other side of parenthood, we have common ground. I want to emerge victorious and feeling on top of the world.

Did you really think I wouldn't comment?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20051221/en_celeb_eo/18016

Someday in another life......I can marry him right? ;)

He's free! He's free! Oh la la... He's free!

I am soooo excited!

I love Christmas! I love watching my kids excitement when they open their presents and get exactly what they had been wishing for. I can't WAIT!!!!!

Last night my husband went shopping....for me! I have presents locked in his trunk, just sitting there, waiting for me, to come and get them! I MUST RESIST!


Someone duct tape me to this chair until Saturday night would ya!?

I survived!

The sleepover went okay. We had some fighting, some bickering, a sick kid who went home early and a few other normal kid activities but all in all I think they all had fun.

We also had 15 calls for the kittens. Three left on Saturday and I have two on hold for pick-up right before Christmas. I have one gal who left a message that I need to call back today and if she wants the last kitten then we will have successfully found homes for all 6 of them! I can't believe it. Becca cried and cried on Saturday after the sleepover because her favorite kitty was one of the first to go. I wanted to cry with her because I will miss them and I worry about whether or not they went to a good home.

We trekked to my SIL's for the weekend after the sleepover and had our mini Christmas. We exchanged gifts with each other and talked and ate. It was a grand time. We had to be home early on Sunday though as no one had done homework on Friday. We stopped and did a little shopping on the way home but still got home in time to frost cookies and get homework done.

Today I am cleaning up the disaster of from the weekend. I already have swept and mopped all the floors and vacuumed the living room. I need to get to the laundry next. Hi Ho, Hi hooo.....

Yikes!

We are about to step into the realm of girl sleepover parties. Tonight after school approximately 6 extra girls between the ages of 6 and 10 will be entering my house for a night of sleep-over fun.

I wish I could be as excited as my girls are. Something about sleepovers make my stomach churn, whether I am hosting them or the kids are going to them. I have to clench my teeth and agree to let them come or go, whichever the case may be. It isn't that I don't like having the kids over, or that I don't trust my girls, or that it is too much work. I just can't put my finger on why these sleepovers get me so stressed.

When I was a kid I hated going on sleepovers. I don't remember if something traumatic happened at one to set off this hatred but I remember one incident when my mom had to leave to go somewhere and we were staying the night at some friend's house. I knew these people extremely well, they lived with us for over a year when I was 8. But for some reason I did not want to sleep over that night and I cried and cried and cried and begged my mom not to leave me. I know she tried to comfort me and reason with me but beyond that I don't remember how that ended.

So, fear or no fear, there will be 11+ children running around my house in about 3 hours. Say a prayer for me....

I told you it was cold...

When it's Christmas in South Dakota,
And the gentle breezes blow,
About seventy miles an hour
And its fifty-two below,
You can tell you're in South Dakota
'Cause the snow's up to your butt.
You take a breath of Christmas air
And your nostrils both freeze shut.
The weather here is wonderful,
So I guess I'll hang around,
I could never leave South Dakota,
My feet are frozen to the ground!

----Unknown

Sometimes it pays to yell....

Yesterday I received a speaker sound bar I had ordered from a "shall-remain-nameless" computer company. When I had placed my order online I could find no specifications for which monitors the speaker worked on other than it had to be a flat panel monitor. Well my monitor is most definintely a flat panel so I ordered the speaker.

When it arrived, I attached it to the back per the instructions. Then it said to plug one cord into the montior near where the monitor power cord plugged in. Well here is the first problem, THERE IS NO HOLE! Nope, not a single hole to plug the cord into. After much confusion on my part I called the "shall-remain-nameless" company and immediately got connected to a foreign gentleman. Not that foreign is a bad thing, it just takes me a few extra seconds to process each statement he said before I knew what he had just said. So after being on hold with him for over an hour while he looked up this... and looked up that.... he tells me there is an adapter for this speaker that I needed to purchase. Okay fine. So he connects me to the sales department after giving me the part number to give to them.

The sales guy comes on the phone and informs me that the part number is not valid and he goes in search of the part I am trying to order. Another half an hour on hold. He finally comes back and informs me the particular speaker I ordered does not have an adapter but he found a speaker that does and would I like to order that one. Well sure. After we complete the ordering process I say, "Now what do I do with the one I have?" He says I can return it but I need to talk to someone in "Customer Care". He would be happy to transfer me. He also tells me that I need to be sure to let them know how annoyed I am and make sure to point out how long I had been on the phone. I felt like he was hinting to me that in order to get the part returned and get what I deserved I needed to throw a fit. In my head I am thinking, "Oh no, these people would not be like that."

So the sales guy transfers me to "Customer Care". After explaining what I have just been through, the guy informs me I have been transfered to the wrong department. He will transfer me now. He transfers me back to the main menu of options that is 35 button-presses away from speaking with a human. I cuss and press 1, then *, then 25, then enter the 7 digit extension, then type fu*k you just for the fun of it. I finally reach another human, who over the course of the next half an hour transfers me or hangs up on me several times.

Finally I get Katherine on the phone. She is in the right department and would be happy to help me get my return. She pauses while she types stuff into her computer. "Alrightly she says. I have issued a return for you. We need you to take the speaker to the nearest UPS office and pay to have it shipped back to us." Okay, now see, before I got hung up on, disconnected, and transfered to the wrong department 14 times, this might have been okay. But after the last 45 mintues I WAS IRRITATED and had no problem playing the role the sales guy suggested. I told her it was insane for me to drive 30 mintues to the nearest store and PAY to return a part that was obviously incorrect for my monitor. I got the whole, "We are sorry but..." routine from Katherine. I gritted my teeth and said, "I am soooo irritated!" She immediately put me on hold and ran off to "talk to her manager." (I think they go have a cup of coffee.) She comes back and tells me she has made it so that they will refund my money and I get to keep the speaker I already have. Well fine.

But now I am left wondering what I do with the perfectly-good-brand-new speaker that is not compatible with my monitor? Ebay anyone?

Fairy Tales

Once upon a time there was a little boy. The little boy was 3 years old but even so he still had a pacifier. His mom and dad didn't mind too much and so kept giving it to him. The little boy had several kittens living in his home. They didn't notice the pacifiers until one day the little boy left one on the floor.

One kitten picked it up in his mouth and carried it around, dropping it and batting it like a toy. The other kittens thought this looked fun so they joined in too. Eventually the kittens were tired and so they lay down to take a short cat nap. One kitten kept guard over the pacifier while the others slept. While he was watching the pacifier he got bored and began to chew on it. Soon he found he had chewed through the whole thing and the nipple was no longer attached. The little boy walked into the room and saw what the kitten had done to his beloved pacifier.

He screamed, he cried, and he moaned for what was his last pacifier. His mommy tried to comfort him and his daddy did too but nothing would make the little boy stop crying. Finally the little boys older sister pipes up and says, "They sell them at Walmart. We can always go buy another one." The little boy stopped crying and rubbed his eyes. "Walmart?" he said. His sister nodded. The little boy jumped up and put on his coat. His mommy asked him where he was going. He replied, "To Walmart silly!" Fearing for the worst if they didn't go along, the mommy and daddy got on their coats and ordered their other children to do the same. "And hurry!" yelled the mommy.

Finally everyone arrived at Walmart and were safely crusing the baby aisles in search of the beloved replacement pacifier. Down the second aisle, there they hung. They came in blue and red and pink and orange. The little boy smiled and said, "I would like blue please." The mommy handed him a package of two, one of which was blue and then grabbed an extra pack and put it in the cart. The little boy smiled and hugged his package of new pacifiers.

The family paid for their items and went home and they all lived happily ever after.

Never fear...

SHE is here! See I knew I had nothing to worry about. Why did you guys all have me stressed out? I KNEW she would show up. Oh yes, I did! No baby for me now or EVER, if I have my way.

Today I got to go to Marea's Kindergarten class and help the kids roll out gingerbread dough and cut out gingerbread cookies. We had so much fun. I realized while I was there how open kindergarten kids are. The ones who don't even know me would walk right up to me and start talking to me like I was their best friend.

Once we got all the cookies cut out it was "play time" as the teacher referred to it. It look more like mass chaos to me. Kids were everywhere, toys were flying, and voices were loud. The teacher walked around like this was a normal everyday occurance. She turned to me at one point and said, "I think they are a little more wound up than usual today." I am thinking, "Oh my gosh I hope so!" I cannot imagine taking on 20 kids under the age of 6 on a daily basis. I think by lunch I would need a nap for the next 10 years or so.

Hats off to the teachers around the world who love what they do and do it so well!

SPLAT!

This morning Mr. Bill pooed in the toilet and proceeded to wipe his butt "BY MYSELF!" After he has done something good I usually give him a high five. This time, something stopped me.

I know how well he wipes and lets just say usually the toilet paper isn't usually the only thing covered in poo.


No high fives for this task. No sireeeee. A smile will have to suffice.

Meme ME!

I was tagged by Chris....

FIVE LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT ME.

1. I have never kept a job for more than 4 months. But I have never been fired from one either.

2. I had two children while in college.

3. I love to sing along to music but I cannot carry a tune to save my life.

4. I love to read juicy romance novels.

5. I have never tasted alcohol of any kind.

Now I tag: Amanda, Rana, Cora, Tee, and Margie

Squishy Squashy DEAD

Billy and I have been having....problems, to put it mildly, with our computers. His malfunctions all exe files as soon as he turns the thing on, thus not allowing him to open any programs. His is also networked to mine so everytime he connected the network, my computer bogged down big time. We attempted to reinstall and update our Norton Antivirus but it wouldn't even install the dumb thing.

So we picked up the new 2006 Norton last night while shopping at Target. We came home and after much cussing and manipulating, successfully installed it and then did a full system scan. My computer picked up just over 400 virus' and Billy's picked up over 800. When it finally finished we discovered that all 1200 bugs were exactly the same one. A nasty little critter that spreads itself around your computer and any others it can get to and creates havoc with your files.

After it finished scanning it fixed all 1200 virus' and even removed some adware and spyware. Take that you nasty bugs!

P.S. Af is due here any day in the next 5 so someone say a prayer that she makes her regular visit this month. I would hate to pay for this little incident for the next 9 months.

Frozen Solid

When you walk outside and your nose hairs freeze instantly, you know it is cold outside.

When you can ice skate on the top of your car, you know it is cold outside.

When your kids pretend to "smoke" each time they exhale, you know it is cold outside.

When your hands refuse to open after gripping a frozen steering wheel, you know it is cold outside.

When your car thermometer reads "ice", you know it is cold outside.

When your body goes into hibernation mode, you know it is cold outside.

When you live in South Dakota, you know it is cold outside!

Shopping

I took the girls shopping last night. You see, they have their Christmas program on Friday. They could have worn the dresses I bought them last year since they are still in great condition and they still fit, but what fun would that be?

We hit JcPenney's first only to discover all of their dress clothes were 50% off. Can't beat that. Becca and Megan got dress shirts and skirts and Cassie and Marea got dresses. Not wanting to leave Mr. Bill out, his daddy buys him a Minnesota Vikings Helmet complete with a uniform. It was 50% off too. We are NOT sports fans of any kind, so it was sort of odd that he even knew what it was.

First thing this morning, he put on his gear.
My future football player?


P.S. I don't know why this looks so blue. Does it to you guys? My camera seriously needs replaced I think. Anyway it is Viking Purple. :)

Following Tee's Lead...

I saw an online ad for this new cat litter for small spaces yesterday. So I headed out to Walmart today to buy some, even though I just purchased 60 pounds of another brand a few days ago. It is supposed to keep your cat room (such as a bathroom, laundry room, or small apartment) more odor free than with other cat litter. It was 8.47 at Walmart for a 20 pound container. Not toooo bad. I got home and poured it in my 2 new cat boxes.

(A side note here, I discovered on this cat litter website that I was reading, that the experts suggest one cat box for each cat and one extra. I have 10 cats currently and ONE litter box. No wonder the babies were peeing behind the t.v.! Remember my new Bissell Green Machine? It has been getting a daily workout thanks to the baby cats! Blah!)

So anyhoo, I poured it in and was amazed to see it looks more like little balls of litter rather than dirt like the other scoopable stuff. Before I even got the two boxes down and filled the cats were inspecting them, climbing in them, and the momma cat took a crap as soon as I set it down full. So far it has been about two hours and I smell nothing, and when she goes in the other one, it stinks! I am cautiously optimistic that this will work as well as it says.

UPDATE: THIS MORNING I SCOOPED AND THE WET SPOTS WERE ACTUALLY CLUMPS NOT WET SPOTS UNDER THE LITTER! SCOOPING IT WAS SOOOO EASY. I CAN'T COMMENT ON THE SMELL YET AS ONE OF THEM "MISSED" THE BOX LAST NIGHT SO THE ROOM SMELLED WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR. I THINK I AM SOLD.

Merry Christmas Giggles

My Dad, he is so silly!

Today in the mail, I get a note from him. An abbreviated version of it says this:
"I told you that you had better be careful what you wish for. It did come true." (Included was a printout of a deal at Office Max for 5 boxes of printer paper with 5000 sheets in each box). He also sent money and has instructed me to go purchase it!

I will and I will get photographic proof on Christmas day, oh yes! I will. The kids will be in paper heaven! And I bet for at least a week I will be able to print on real printer paper! :)

He also says at the end of the note, "By the way there now is no excuse why I can't receive a couple of hand drawn pictures in the mail."

Ummm, you WANT pictures??? Why didn't you say so!? I have millions and millions more are being made as we speak.

How big is your fridge Dad?

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

....everywhere I go! (Or at least every window I look out of!)

----------------------------------------

Mr. Bill's favorite Christmas Song....

Deck the Halls
Deck the Halls with bows of holly. Fa la la la la la la la la
Throw Salami at your mommy. Fa la la la la la la la la
Deck the Halls. Fa la la la la la la la

I'm Alive!

We just experienced "Blizzard 2005".

Sunday it rained and rained. By nightfall it became freezing rain. By midnight it was snow. Oh and don't forget the 50-60 mile an hour sustained winds! No school on Monday, or work either.

We lost power Monday in the early a.m. around 3. By 11:30 a.m. our house was freezing and I couldn't cook anything. We called the power company and were informed they had NO IDEA how long the power would be out. We opted for a motel. After Billy scraped and chipped away th ice coating my van just so we could open the doors, we piled in. We made the 30 minute-teeth-grinding-nerve-wracking drive to the nearest town with power and camped out for the night. We made sure to pack our swimsuits and spent a good portion of the day in the motel pool and hot-tub. Our neighbor called at 4:30 and said the power was back on. We decided to stay the night anyway.

By bedtime they had closed both interstates in SD. No travel was allowed anywhere. We got up Tuesday morning ( no school again) and the interstates were still closed. By 10 a.m. they were reopened and we ventured home. The interstates had been sufficiently cleared of ice but the highways were slick as snot! We arrived home to an ice covered house and tree branches down everywhere in our yard. Many of our neighbors lost whole trees. The farmer's fences had ice coating them. They actually looked pretty in the sun if you ignored all the damage that ice had done.

We got inside and discovered our house was a mild 57F! Apparently, after another call to our neighbor, we discovered the power had gone out again (due to all the ice on the power lines and the hundreds of them that were knocked down altogether) and had just turned back on about an hour prior to our arrival. We have continued to have power since then but most of our county is not so lucky. 90% of our county is still without power. Many people have had to move into emergency shelters nearby. They still don't know how long it will take to restore power as so many power lines and poles are down. We saw miles of lines down on our drive home. The kids haven't had school at all this week since the school is out of power as well. Hopefully tomorrow things will return somewhat to normal but then it is still snowing.

Pics of Blizzard 2005:
Ice covered tree.

This evergreen is supposed to be upright, too much ice weighing it down.

Poor little bush! We have 6-8 foot drifts in our yard too! Oy!


The windows next to our front door (the north side of the house). That is ice coating them.

Plucked, cooked, and stuffed

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family. May you be thankful for what you already have!

Handwriting 101

My oldest two girls are in third and fourth grade. At these young ages they have already been taught the proper handwriting format: start at the bottom, make loops where necessary, each letter must have the correct slant, and never form a letter in any other way then what the teacher taught you.

Megan has beautiful handwriting, absolutely beautiful, and perfect according to her teacher.

The other day I noticed she wrote her p's the wrong way. She made almost a full circle after making the line and then finished the circle. This was NOT the way she was taught to make them and I knew it because Becca has already completed this part of life. I opted not to say anything to Megan as she obviously was still impressing her teacher with her handwriting despite her error. A few days later Megan came home from school and as we were doing homework she says, "My teacher says I make my p's wrong." I mentioned to her how I had noticed that as well. So Becca shows Megan how to do it "correctly" and then Megan adjusts her technique appropriately, never to p incorrectly again.

But you know what really irks me? By the time these kids are in sixth grade NO ONE is going to care how they form their letters or which direction they make them in so long as they can read what has been written. So why does it become a life and death situation for these little 7 and 8 year olds?

I remember as a kid I wrote big, as in really really big! My teachers always gave me crap about it and told my mom at parent teacher conferences that I need to practice writing smaller. And you know what? I didn't. I still write big but I have nice handwriting and it is legible and I like it! And no one ever tells me anymore that I don't do it right!

All I want for Christmas...

is printer paper! LOTS AND LOTS OF PRINTER PAPER!

Why? you may be asking yourself would Jodi want printer paper for Christmas. Well let me tell you...

Because my kids use it for every drawing, art, craft, or project they feel like doing and then when I go to print something, I have NO PAPER! Stuff just doesn't look right printed on lined notebook paper, ya know?

Boys

It is funny how different the girls and Mr. Bill are. Most of the time he is fairly mellow and life is good.

Lately however, when he is tired or hungry or just feeling a burst of energy, he attacks Marea. I mean, attacks!, as in kicking, punching, tackling, etc. I am not sure why she is his target. Maybe because she lays there like a wounded dear squeaking, "Mr. Bill stooooooppp it."

Yesterday I found him hanging from my new curtain tiebacks. OY!

Today I was sitting on the couch and he ran over and headbutted me as if to say, "Hey MOM come play with me!"

When his Dad gets home from work he tackles him at the first possible moment and they wrestle.

Me? I prefer to go shopping or color...
I really need to learn how to be more boyish.

3-0

He finally did it, he turns 30 today!

Happy Birthday to my Hubby!

Change is good.

Being a stay-at-home mom should add to your identity and not take it over." Mary Goulet, Heather Reider

I love this line! (See Tee's review to understand what I am talking about.)

You know I came here today to rant about my husband and what a low-life, scum-sucking.... okay, well you get the picture. While I was busy throwing up and wishing to die, he was doing nothing. The house got trashed and no one cleaned it. Last night after he spent an hour or so getting the laundry started and the dishes done he sat down next to me and said, "There, I got it started for you." I immediately am thinking, "AS IF I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT YOU CLEANED UP YOUR OWN MESSES! AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY YOU STARTED IT FOR ME?! LIKE YOU ASSUME I AM GOING TO FINISH IT?!"


But you know what.....? He is right. I will and he does know it because I have let being a SAHM become my life. He knows I will be here everyday at 4:30 when he gets home, he knows that the dishes will get done by me, he knows I will do the laundry, he knows I will clean the toilets, and everything else in the house. Why, because for the past 10 or so years it has been this way. Somewhere along the line, we became a casualty of routine. He expects it, I do it. Just as I expect him to go to work everyday he expects me to run the house. A fair trade, perhaps, if we didn't have five kids who also contribute to the house.

Sometimes it gets to me. A lot of times I feel unappreciated. I try to keep it all in perspective. I think it is time for a shake-up. Now if I just knew how to get it started.

Dying....

Someone breathed on me....

I spent all day yesterday with my head in the toilet and today is not promising to be any better. Becca is right next to me puking too.

I need a decontamination chamber inside my door for when the kids get home from school.

Blah!

Updates

Winter has arrived in South Dakota, with a BANG! Today we woke up to a light dusting of snow and then the wind arrived. All day is snowed and the wind pushed it around. I had to take another sick kid to the doctor and had the misfortune of driving in it. We are supposed to get 50-60 mph gusts tonight with 4-6 inches of snow coming down with it.

NaNoWriMo is not going to happen this year. I have lost interest and have not been able to challenge myself enough to write on my story. I am disappointed but have learned something too. Next year I will do a book more my style. I tried to stretch this year and do something new. What I discovered is, this is not my kind of book. Oh well.

I am half way done with my Christmas shopping. I have two of the five kids completed (and Becca's birthday presents are done for the 26th of December) and much of the S-a-n-t-a stuff done too. I like it when I can shop earlier and not on Christmas Eve. It makes it so much more fun! :)

Mommy Brain strikes again!

Do you know why people with more than two kids seem to go on and have 10 more? Do you?

I do.

It is because each kid has used up so many brain cells that we FORGET TO TAKING OUR FREAKING PILLS FOR THREE DAYS IN A ROW AND DON'T EVEN NOTICE!!!!

If I am puking instead of posting in about 4 weeks, you'll know why!

Free Kittens?

Any takers? ;)

Ta-da!

Well you can see what I have been up to today...

At least in between holding Cassie's hair as she hurls into the toilet. Gotta love winter time and kids! :)

Self-preservation

I am afraid of heights. Seriously, I get too high on a ladder, bridge, building, etc. and my legs get weak, my heart starts racing, I feel a lump start to grow in my throat and I cannot make myself take another step. I didn't have this problem as a kid. My brother and I climbed trees, swung from ropes that threw us across rivers, and rode all the carnival rides that took us upside down and round and round. But as I got older (and supposedly wiser) this fear erupted.

Now my kids are starting to mimic me and a few other adults and are pretending to be afraid of heights. I started thinking about the other day and realized for me it is not a FEAR so much as a physical reaction. As in, my body suddenly realizes it is up way to high for my own good and thus responds to force me to get down. This is not a phobia, but rather a form of self-preservation.

So you see, I am not a chicken, I am smart!

Kids Appreciation Day

We have a tradition here in the Sides' household that involves kids. Amazing isn't it? I know you are just astounded but wait it gets better.

It is a tradition that involves celebrating the fact that we are happy, yes H-A-P-P-Y that we had kids...
that I labored for 26 hours with each of them...
that we sat up at night staring at each other wondering why on God's earth they wouldn't stop screaming...
that we get the privilege of cleaning up kid puke at 3 a.m. and again 10 minutes later...
that we spend hours driving kids here and there...
that we get to be told, "I hate you!" on a regular basis...
that we get to do homework for three hours a night...
that we can stare at their sleeping faces and sigh...
that we remember the big picture does still exist amongst the trivial crap...
that they sneak up and say they love us...

We had another Kid's Appreciation Day on Sunday. We dropped the surprise on the kids while we were in the car. I give the kids a card, each with a reason why we love and APPRECIATE them. The kids eat this stuff up and honestly it is nice to be able to sit down and let them know we didn't have kids to get maids. Here is my tribute to my kids, who mean the world to me.

Becca~ At the ripe old age of 9, you have the amazing ability to suck it all up and pull through even in the toughest of circumstances. You are an awesome helper, and without you many situations we have encountered would have been worse. You are the most kind-hearted and loving child who always steers towards the correct path, even when it is not with the crowd. Your dedication and commitment amaze me. I am so proud of you.

Megan~ Whoa girl! I never thought I would meet anyone even close to as stubborn as me, but I have met my match. You have your teacher floundering at your unwillingness to change your mind. What can I say? You are incredibly funny and fun to be around. You see the humor in all situations and never hesitate to laugh out loud. You are a beautiful girl with enough determination for all of us. Thank you for keeping me smiling.

Marea~You are the smallest challenge ever to come into my life. Day-by-day we kick, fight, argue, and scream to keep you and me together. You have been by far my longest and toughest labor, but you are soooo worth it. I cannot imagine a day without you here in our home anymore. We may butt heads on a regular basis but our hearts are melted into one. You can fight with me all you want but you cannot make me run away. You have the potential to be an awesome woman, don't let yourself fall short my girl. I know I won't.

Cassie~ You are my little lover. You are so quick to make everything right for everyone in the world. I can see the potential in your little heart. You spend most of your time making others happy, and finding satisfaction in that. I love you for being such a sweetheart. You are blossoming into quite the social butterfly. I cannot even keep track of the list of friends you are constantly talking about. Quite a leap from the shy little preschooler who wouldn't even talk the entire first year. I am so proud of you.

Mr. Bill~ You are my heart Mr. Bill. I never imagined having a boy would be so different, yet so much fun. I love the way you hug me in the mornings and after your nap, the way you smile at me when you are walking down the stairs, and the way you climb in my lap and snuggle. As quick as you are to cuddle though, you can also be distant. You embarass so easily at the ripe old age of 3. You are smart beyond your years. I love the way you replay a movie over and over in story-form for us complete with all the details. If only you could stay small.

Time-out

On the way to the mechanic this morning Mr. Bill and I have this conversation:

MB: After we are done at the car fixing place can we go to the park?
Me: It might be too cold to go this early in the morning.
MB: No it is warm.
Me: You think so? We could go to the park when we go to town to have lunch with daddy.
MB: Or we could go to Ton o'Fun (think Chuck E Cheese) again. I liked it there.
Me: It was fun.
MB: Was I naughty there? You put me in time out. Why was I naughty?
Me: I don't remember.
MB: We could go back there now and find out what I did.

Sly one isn't he?

Ouch!

Got the official rundown on the van this morning.

In addition to the parts I had listed the computer scan pulled up the thermostat, gas cap, and solenoid. The airbag and rear windshield washer squirter were easy fixes however, and he fixed them right up for me. He also reset the airbag light and the service engine light so at least I have two less lights flashing at me. Hopefully the parts will all be in on Friday and I can take the van in to be fixed on Monday.

1 broken van= $978.62
1 empty wallet= $0.00

Getting the van fixed=Priceless?
Nah, but the look on my husband's face will be when I hand him the estimate. Ouch!

Broke(n)

Why must cars break? Why?

My van has been having issues for a couple of months now. I knew it needed to be taken in to be fixed but they are not life-threatening (or van threatening) problems so I have procrastinated. Well, that and my money tree has stopped producing.
So today I sucked it up (see #6) and called the Chevy Dealer to take the van in and get it fixed. Here is the laundry list:
1. Hood Latch not functioning properly~needs new cable!
(You should see the guys fidgeting with this when I take the oil in to get it changed. The last time they didn't even latch my hood OR tell me they didn't. I noticed as I walked to the van that it didn't look latched completely!)
2. Middle Row lap belt doesn't retract all the way~ must buy new one, they aren't allowed to repair them.
3. Rear Windshield Washer Fluid doesn't squirt~forgot to mention this one to him, must tell him tomorrow.
4. Gas Gauge is haywire~ 'Sending unit' broken and it is IN the gas tank. Those my friends are four very bad words in the car industry. The gas tank must be taken off to replace this one part.
5. Airbag light keeps going off and on~ possibly a small wire to the airbag in the drivers/passenger seat
6. Power Sliding door went defunct yesterday and squeals upon opening and refuses to close properly thus alerting us with a bright orange light "Door is Ajar!" and an incessant and annoying dinging noise. Possibly a broken roller.

Total price tag? Somewhere between 500-1000.00! Oy!

Success!

We had parent/teacher conferences last night for all our children.

I am happy to report Megan and Becca came out with all A's and B's and Marea and Cassie came out with all S's and S+'s! That is right, I said MAREA got S's! Last year she couldn't name a single letter or the sound they make, name any of the numbers, or color words. This year by the end of the FIRST quarter, she knows most all of it.

We did make the right decision by keeping her in Kindergarten again.

Big thanks to Andrea, who was a huge support through making that decision, even if she didn't know she was! I hope Mr. B is doing as well!

Our House is a very very fine house

I have recently discovered a few new blogs. The people behind these blogs have a serious disorder much like myself.

It has to do with old houses, stain, tools, and demolition. They are blogs about people who are renovating their old house. They blog about which sink to buy, how they found old beadboard under the sheetrock, what colors of paint the kitchen cupboards were originally. I am addicted. I looooove seeing other people's houses. Especially older houses getting a new life.

Here are just a few of the things we have done to our house since we bought it in 2002.

1. Siding

*Before* 2. Ripped out a pantry to make it a bathroom

*Before*

3. Rip out a bathroom someone put in the entryway(still in progress on this one, the walls need mudded and painted)
*Before*
4. Moved the washer and dryer out of the creepy gross basement and into the upstairs bathroom (which required removing a window).
5. Replumbed the entire house with new pipes and sewage lines.
6. Upped our house's electrical service to 200 amps and consolidated the 5 fuse boxes into one regular circuit breaker box (charge for electrician? 600.00)
7. Installed a new furnace and duct work to the upstairs
8. Replaced the main sewer line that exits our house.
9. Install a shower in the upstairs bathroom
10. Put in a kitchen (with donated cupboards for now, later we will renovate the whole room). As there was merely a metal sink in the kitchen when we moved in.


We still have sooo much more to do. Things like the roof (1 layer of cedar wood shingles on the bottom and six layers of asphalt on top of that), carpet the entire upstairs, gut the largest bedroom and move the attic stairs to prepare for finishing off the attic, redo the kitchen, refinish the stairs, and do soemthing with the foundation outside. It is looking pretty shabby.

But it is so much fun to see the changes and progress we are making. In just a few short years the house will be "done" and we will be able to sit back and enjoy it.

Here are just two of the blogs I have been reading: This Old Crack House, 1902 Victorian. Check out the links on the 1902 Victorian and you will find many more house blogs. Fun!

Running away!

I am struggling soooo bad with this years NANOWRIMO novel! It is making me run away from my computer at every possible chance so I apologize for my lack of entries lately.

This struggle is nothing new for me. I have such great book ideas and then once I get some of it spilled out on paper, there is nothing. I got my first entry done with such flurry and gusto and now trying to write more is like trying to comb a dog's hair with a staple. I am getting no where in a big hurry. I had this same problem last year so hopefully I will get back in the groove soon. If not I may bore you and me to death but I will write 50,000 words! LOL

This type of novel is a challenge for me and is forcing me to think outside of my box, comfort zone, etc. I hope in the end, it ends up being worth reading.

-----------------------------------------------------

Tomorrow is friday and I can't wait. Well that was until I found out my sister-in-law with the four hellion kids may have to come stay with us for the weekend. She was booted out by her boyfriend about 2 months ago and has been living in a shelter/home thingy since then. She HAS to be out tomorrow by two and hasn't heard on her apartment just yet. If ya'll are into prayers would you please say one that she hears something by 2 tomorrow so she doesn't have to come stay here. I may have to check myself in somewhere if she does!

-----------------------------------------------------

On the run again,
Jodi

Oops!

When asking your three year old what he wants to eat for lunch, be specific.

Today I asked Mr. Bill what he wanted for lunch.

His response? BOOBS AND TOES MOM!

He is definitely his dad's son! Oy!

Day One

I have successfully started off my first day of NaNoWriMo, 1808 words down!
I must admit it is taking some creative thinking to get me back into the novel writing mode. I don't usually write on the books I have everyday so this is a challenge, albeit a fun one!

We succesfully made it through halloween, all five kids in tow. The kids had so much fun walking 15+ blocks and knocking on doors to get candy. By the time we got home the buckets were overflowing and the kids were melting. Becca was by far the freakiest of them all. She had so much fun getting scary. Mr. Bill got into it about half way through and didn't want to stop even though he couldn't carry his own bucket because it was so heavy.

Is it just me or is blogger being a pain in the arse today? I have made several attempts at posting and each time blogger crashes as I publish it. Watch, they will all show up later after all this effort. Blah!

Found out my mom has indeed moved into her own apartment. I don't know much else, except that she is extremely angry with me (sort of expected that though). I hope things are going well for her.

Tomorrow is picture day for my kids. Naturally one of them had to go and fall off the jungle gym at school and leave a nice bruise and two huge abrasions on her cheek and chin, yes? These will be good pictures! LOL

Christmas is coming and I can't wait. I love the feeling in the air as Christmas comes and winter joins in. This year for some reason I have a longing to go to New York and see what it is like there. I have never been to New York and never really had any desire to go until now.

I need to start a new sitcom called "Life Without Hubby". Not that I want him to leave but I sure feel like we aren't connecting lately. It is hard to explain but things sure are changing here and not for the better I am afraid. I got the best advice from one of my parenting magazines several years ago. It had an article about people who were unhappy in their marriage. They did a study and found that those people who were unhappy in their marriage were not unhappy anymore when they checked in on them 5 years later. So while it may take awhile, I know that this too shall pass.

Halloween Party-OVER!

We had the halloween party on Saturday and I have to say it was a hit! We had about 40 kids in attendance who all partook of the games, food, and fun! The haunted house was also a hit! My husband has never been so proud. :)

Here is a picture of all of my kiddos dressed and ready for the party!


Tonight it is trick-or-treating for us all! (Yea! Free Chocolate!)

OMG!

I just realized today is October 31! Do you know what that means!?


TOMORROW NANOWRIMO STARTS!

I have to start writing my second novel, currently titled, Trafaglar!

Are you ready? I know I am!

So this is where our money is going....

Exxon Mobil posts record U.S. profit

They should all be lined up and shot. Making the poor suffer and the middle class become poor just so they can drive to work.

Joy

I have been tagged by Rebekah!

10 things that give me JOY & 6 people to tag:

1. Spending a rainy day inside curled up in bed with a good book.
2. The smell of a freshly bathed newborn baby.
3. Watching my kids play together WITHOUT fighting.
4. A night spent talking with my hubby about what our future holds.
5. Good friends who listen when you want to talk.
6. Surprising my kids with a treat.
7. Getting complements about what a great family we are.
8. Eating chocolate after my kids are in bed for the night.
9. Watching my kids master a new task and knowing it.
10. Writing in my blog everyday.

Now I tag:
Sandy, Amanda, Evey (the comment stealer), Rana, Margie, and Steve!

Insert Foot!

Also today while I was in town, I ran into a lady I babysat for my freshman year in college. Her kids are much older now and I haven't seen her in probably 10 years. She knew I had adopted a child.

I was telling her the kids ages and she says, "So which one is yours?" I didn't know how to respond. I wanted to yell, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHICH ONE IS MINE!? THEY ARE ALL MINE YOU DIMWITTED MORON! YOUR LITTLE COMMENT COULD HAVE JUST UNDONE ALL THE WORK WE HAVE BEEN DOING WITH MY DAUGHTER TO HELP HER FEEL LIKE SHE DOES INDEED BELONG TO THIS FAMILY!"

But instead I hesitated and put my hand on Cassie's head and hoped Marea wouldn't notice. Then, as if sensing her mistake, the lady says, "Well, I guess they are all yours."

Why? Why would you even say..... or even think such a deameaning thing......?

Black and White

On the way to town today, Cassie and Marea were having a conversation about good and bad words. Mr. Bill apparently said the car was stupid and dumb (two words he no doubt learned from his sisters) and Cassie and Marea were arguing about whether or not they were bad words.

I volunteered that although they weren't "bad" words, they weren't nice words and if they used them they could hurt someone's feelings.

This seemed to confuse the heck out of them. Marea pipes up, "So are they good or bad words then?"

"Neither," I said. "They are just not nice."

Cassie says, "So they are bad words!"

It just isn't that black and white girls!

Money

My blog is worth $9,032.64.
How much is your blog worth?

Weekend, whew!

What a full weekend we had around here!

Friday, I spent the entire day cleaning the house and getting ready for my lesson on Saturday. We had my Sister-in-law and her family coming on Friday night so I had to get the house cleaned up and ready. Becca had basketball practice and a game too so as soon as Billy got home he rushed the kids off to basketball. I spent the evening tweaking my webpage I had created to teach at the family history conference from. His sister arrived at 8 and he finally got home at 9. We stayed up until 11 talking and catching up. Finally I had to go to bed as I knew I had to be up by 5:30 a.m.

Saturday morning I woke and showered and got ready for my Family History Conference lesson. I woke Billy up as I was leaving so he could get up and get the kids ready to go. They were headed to the Hobo Day parade in Brookings (part of the SDSU fall lineup, we attend every year). It is a great parade. Usually it lasts well over an hour, sometimes closer to two. I had to miss it this year and I was bummed.
I arrived in Sioux Falls at 8 a.m. and set up for my class. A fellow teacher, P.H. was there again this year. He is the guy that sets up the internet and screen so I can teach my class. I bookmarked the webpage I had made for my class so it would be easy to access when it was my turn to teach.
I saw a lot of old friends at the conference this year and I got to stand up and teach. Two things I enjoy immensely. My first lesson went off without a hitch, although the webpages started loading extremely slowly toward the end. Many people came up and thanked me for the lesson. My second lesson didn't go nearly as well. The internet did not want to cooperate for me and many times I ended up talking with nothing to show the class. I finally roped P.A. into coming up and messing with the internet. Several times he had to come up and as soon as he stood by me the pages loaded. I told him he just had to stand by me as obviously the computer liked him! LOL After a few minutes of this, the computer finally kicked in and the rest of my lesson went off without a hitch. After that I was done teaching so I sat and watched the last lesson of the day. At 3:30 the conference ended and I was out the door. I stopped in Brookings and picked up some pizza for dinner, as I was NOT about to cook, and we still had our company.

Billy's sister stayed until 8 or so and then they headed for home. We crashed into bed at 9!

Now today I am staring at piles of blankets that need washed (comes with having company I guess) and the disaster area called my house. Oh well, small payment for a fun weekend!

Mmm, mmmm, good...

Goes well with PMS....

More Halloween Preparations

Here is a pic of the beanbag toss game my hubby made for the halloween party. Is he good or what? Just a little plywood and paint and tons of talent. :)

"Junk from Jodi"

Think of this like Hints from Heloise. These are tricks I have learned on my own.

*If you put a piece of bread in dry brown sugar overnight, magically it gets soft again. Remove the bread after the sugar is moist or the bread is dry. (You may have to repeat with a new piece of bread if the sugar is really dry).

* Windex will take ink out of fabrics. So will hairspray but you have to use a lot more of it.



What tricks do you have up your sleeve?

5 BIG ONES

Andrea did an awesome post and asked us five big questions. Once we answered them we were to go to our blog and do our own so here I am.

Answer them if you dare.....

1. How did your parents tell you about the birds and the bees?

2. What is one thing you wish you could have changed about your wedding day?

3. If you could be on any talk show, which one would you choose, and what would the topic of the show be?

4. Have you ever had surgery?

5. Did you ever sneak out of your parents house as a kid? Where did you go?

Halloween Explosion

I have created a monster.....

I told ya all I am in charge of planning our town Halloween party right?

Well Billy volunteered himself to do a haunted house. I gave him free rein and told him it was up to him as I was busy enough with my own stuff. Well, 300.00 later we have a housefull of scary props, strobe lights, and everything else orange, black, and scary.

He has plans, BIG plans. He spent the last two nights building a coffin out of plywood. He has to make several other items including some free-standing walls. I had no idea he liked halloween this much......

Happy 6th Birthday to my baby!

Happy Birthday Miss Cassie!

Boy in Training

Daddy did it! When we were at Hobby Lobby yesterday, Billy took Mr. Bill to the bathroom and apparently had a lesson in "How To Pee Standing Up". Mr. Bill was so proud of himself as he told me what he did. I gave him a high five (all the while thinking that now I am going to have to deal with a boy standing and peeing at home!)

Now today everytime I go in the bathroom the toilet seat is up. He is not peeing standing up, he still sits but no longer on the toilet seat. Obviously this needs some further explanation. Thanks Dad!

Self Portrait Friday

I have never done one of these but Tee's was so amazing that it got my brain going at this early hour so I here are mine:

Today we are to post:
Favorite photo you took.
Favorite photo someone else took.
Favorite photo of yourself.

1. A favorite pic I took:












This was taken at the beginning of the summer. Mr. Bill found one of the first dandelion fluffs.

2. Favorite Photo someone else took

All of my kids at Easter time. What a bunch of cuties! Their dad took this picture. Usually I am the one taking pics so it was hard to find a picture I hadn't taken. :)

3. Favorite Self Portrait

This is my favorite baby picture. I was 9 months old. I think this is the only time I ever had professional pictures taken as a baby cause everyone of them I am wearing the same dress.

My spidey boy

My deal of the year. I went to Walmart yesterday after taking my dear sweet forgetful husband his wallet which he had left at home. We checked out the clearance racks in the infants section and Mr. Bill spotted these pajamas. The were the ONLY ones left at a size 3T (just his size!) and they were.........



TWO DOLLARS!

He put them on as soon as we got home yesterday afternoon and has not taken them off since. Hopefully I can get him to remove them today so they can get washed and so can he.

I love getting a good deal.

The death toll is up to 5.....

What happens when 3-year-old boy meets monster toys! :)

Update

I am gearing up for NaNoWriMo 2005. This years book is headed towards a fantasy, I think. That may change but for now that is where I am leaning. I tend to write young adult type stories which is funny because those are the types of books I like to read the most. I am always raiding the young adult section at the library. :) On November 1 I can start writing. I am going to do the blog format again this year even though it is a pain afterwards cause the whole story goes backwards. LOL If you want to read it, you can find it at Jodi's Novel Idea. I am very excited to put out another novel this year. The one from last year, if I print it, is over 50 pages. Yikes!

I am also preparing my lesson to teach at the Family History Conference again this year. This year I am teaching the same class twice. I get to talk about Internet Searching. I really enjoy sharing my passion for genealogy with others.

I have also volunteered myself to head the Halloween Committee for our town's halloween party. Bascially I have two weeks to get donations, make plans, and implement it all. Yes, I am a gluten for punishment.

I think I am finally on the mend health-wise as well. I am beginning to feel somewhat normal now. I did manage to breathe on Billy and give him whatever I had. Poor guy, and he has to work because he has used up all of his sick-leave between me and his mom's funeral. He got antibiotics right away though so at least he didn't have to suffer for three days first right? The girls and I are just finishing up our antibiotics so hopefully we shall all be better for awhile.

I haven't heard a thing about how my mom is doing. I hope she really has turned things around. I imagine I will hear if she isn't doing well.

Alrighty then, everyone caught up? ;)

Sucker!

Family are good for so many things....

1. Babysitting
2. Birthday Gifts
3. Taxi Service
4. Fundraisers

My nephew calls me on the phone tonight.

"Hi Aunt Jodi"
"Hello, who is this?"
"C"
"Hi. What's up?"
"Do you want to buy some popcorn for boyscouts?"
"Oh, sure. Give me the chocolate covered stuff I got last year."
"Okay, That will be 16.00 (for like 6 ounces of popcorn)."
"Okay."
(His mom whispers in the background, "Tell her thank you!")
"Thank you. Good Bye!"
"Uhhhh, Bye."

Watch out!

Apparently once I obtained the wonderful bacteria that causes strep throat, my body became the most inhabitable place for germs looking for a new home.


On Friday, my ears, nose and every other orifice in my body filled up with fluid. I feel like someone is sitting on my head and I can only hear out of one ear at a time, depending on which way I tip my head. Yesterday the cough started. At least I am still on antibiotics so nothing like a sinus infection or ear infection can happen right? We won't even mention the insane itching the yeast infection is causing, complements of the antibiotics.

When I get sick, I go all the way baby!

I am it, again!

I got tagged by Margie

Here's the deal:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five other people to do the same.

Here's my 23rd post's fifth sentence:
After we got the kids to bed I sat and played Star Wars on the computer with Billy.

I won't tag anyone, as I can't remember who hasn't done this one. If you haven't done it already, consider yourself tagged! :)

3 wishes...

Did you all happen to catch the NBC show "3 Wishes" last night?

It was shot in what I consider my hometown. I currently live 30 miles north of Brookings, South Dakota but my heart still lives there. It was so awesome to see all these places that I frequent to be portrayed on t.v.

The man in the story who is dying of cancer, used to work at the same place my hubby does. So close to home.

I am eager to see the Sparkman family roaming about Brookings too. I am sure I will see them eventually. How cool that the mayor made a wish like that.

And Rosie, man can that girl sing! You can download the mp3 of her song, Higher up the Mountain from the nbc website. The girls have been listening to it all morning! I hope she aspires to great things.

Music Lover

I know I am slow on this one, but since I have been sick I have an excuse, right? ;)
Here is the list of Top 100 Songs from 1992, the year I graduated High School. The blue ones are ones I remember, red for the ones I loved, and the others I don't like or don't remember.

1. End Of The Road, Boyz II Men
2. Baby Got Back, Sir Mix A-lot
3. Jump, Kris Kross
4. Save The Best For Last, Vanessa Williams
5. Baby-Baby-Baby, TLC
6. Tears In Heaven, Eric Clapton
7. My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It), En Vogue
8. Under The Bridge, Red Hot Chili Peppers
9. All 4 Love, Color Me Badd
10. Just Another Day, Jon Secada
11. I Love Your Smile, Shanice
12. To Be With You, Mr. Big
13. I'm Too Sexy, Right Said Fred
14. Black Or White, Michael Jackson
15. Achy Breaky Heart, Billy Ray Cyrus
16. I'll Be There, Mariah Carey
17. November Rain, Guns N' Roses
18. Life Is A Highway, Tom Cochrane
19. Remember The Time, Michael Jackson
20. Finally, CeCe Peniston
21. This Used To Be My Playground, Madonna
22. Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough, Patty Smyth
23. Can't Let Go, Mariah Carey
24. Jump Around, House Of Pain
25. Diamonds and Pearls, Prince and The N.P.G.
26. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, George Michael and Elton John
27. Masterpiece, Atlantic Starr
28. If You Asked Me To, Celine Dion
29. Giving Him Something He Can Feel, En Vogue
30. Live and Learn, Joe Public
31. Come and Talk To Me, Jodeci
32. Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana
33. Humpin' Around, Bobby Brown
34. Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover, Sophie B. Hawkins
35. Tell Me What You Want Me To Do, Teven Campbell
36. Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg, TLC
37. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday, Boyz II Men
38. Move This, Technotronic
39. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
40. Tennessee, Arrested Development
41. The Best Things In Life Are Free, Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson
42. Make It Happen, Mariah Carey
43. The One, Elton John
44. Set Adrift On Memory Bliss, P.M. Dawn
45. Stay, Shakespear's Sister
46. 2 Legit 2 Quit, Hammer
47. Please Don't Go, K.W.S.
48. Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes), Mint Condition
49. Wishing On A Star, Cover Girls
50. She's Playing Hard To Get, Hi-Five
51. I'd Die Without You, P.M. Dawn
52. Good For Me, Amy Grant
53. All I Want, Toad The Wet Sprocket
54. When A Man Loves A Woman, Michael Bolton
55. I Can't Dance, Genesis
56. Hazard, Richard Marx
57. Mysterious Ways, U2
58. Too Funky, George Michael
59. How Do You Talk To An Angel, Heights
60. One, U2
61. Keep On Walkin', CeCe Peniston
62. Hold On My Heart, Genesis
63. The Way I Feel About You, Karyn White
64. Beauty and The Beast, Calms Dion and Peabo Bryson
65. Warm It Up, Kris Kross
66. In The Closet, Michael Jackson
67. People Everyday, Arrested Development
68. No Son Of Nine, Genesis
69. Wildside, Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch
70. Do I Have To Say The Words?, Bryan Adams
71. Friday I'm In Love, Cure
72. Everything About You, Ugly Kid Joe
73. Blowing Kisses In The Wind, Paula Abdul
74. Thought I'd Died and Gone To Heaven, Bryan Adams
75. Rhythm Is A Dancer, Snap
76. Addams Groove, Hammer
77. Missing You Now, Michael Bolton
78. Back To The Hotel, N2Deep
79. Everything Changes, Kathy Troccoli
80. Have You Ever Needed Somone So Bad, Def Leppard
81. Take This Heart, Richard Marx
82. When I Look Into Your Eyes, Firehouse
83. I Wanna Love You, Jade
84. Uhh Ahh, Boyz II Men
85. Real Love, Mary J. Blige
86. Justified and Ancient, The KLF
87. Slow Motion, Color Me Badd
88. What About Your Friends, TLC
89. Thinkin' Back, Color Me Badd
90. Would I Lie To You?, Charles and Eddie
91. That's What Love Is For, Amy Grant
92. Keep Coming Back, Richard Marx
93. Free Your Mind, En Vogue
94. Keep It Comin', Keith Sweat
95. Just Take My Heart, Mr. Big
96. I Will Remember You, Amy Grant
97. We Got A Love Thang, CeCe Peniston
98. Let's Get Rocked, Def Leppard
99. They Want EFX, Das EFX
100. I Can't Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt

This year was the beginning of the end for Rock as we knew it. It was the beginning of the alternative crap that made me switch to country. :)

Bored?

God must think I am bored. Or people have learned I am a stay-at-home mom. Over the course of the last week, I have gotten several calls from people wanting me to do some activity or another.

I have been asked to put on the local halloween party for the kids. That could be fun.

I have been asked to babysit for a gal who is having her first child in a week and needs a babysitter but hasn't been able to find a daycare she likes. Money and a baby, hmmmmm?

I have been asked to be a Girl Scout Leader again this year. Definitely not!

Bored, me, Nah!

Where art thou?

I am back! Did you miss meeeee? ;)

We had a good weekend, although not perfect. Friday on the way out to the hills my throat suddenly started to hurt. When I say suddenly I mean like right NOW. It didn't get a little scratchy and progress to painful, it went from perfectly fine to full-blown SPIT DON'T SWALLOW!

By Saturday morning, I obviously had a fever. Thankfully I had stopped at Walmart and purchased some drugs, lots and lots of them the night before. I had my brother's wedding to get ready for so I lived on motrin all day.

His wedding was beautiful, amazing, and everything you want a wedding to be. I am so happy for them both. They have been together for the last 10 years and seem to just worship each other. It is great to see two people who love each other so much. The reception was great too. The DJ they hired was amazingly sneaky at getting us into dances we had no intentions of doing but we had fun anyway. I even got to see my husband, who never dances, dance to several songs. By about 9:30 my sore throat and fever had caught up to me and our kids were getting tired so we headed out. The kids crashed when we got back to my sisters and I tried to sleep.

By the time I got up on Sunday, I KNEW I was dying. We arrived home at 10:30 Sunday night and I crashed again. When I woke up on Monday I called the doc. Billy stayed home to help take care of the kids, as I was in no shape to even get up to pee. By Saturday, Becca and Megan both were complaining of sore throats as well so I took all three of us in to the doc. STREP THROAT. Two words I never want to hear again. We all were given antibiotics.

The antibiotic they gave me, can apparently "upset your tummy". Ummmm, I spent allllllll day and ALLL freaking night puking on top of my already-sore-throat! I called the doc yesterday to switch meds and thankfully got some much easier on the tummy. During our conversation the nurse tells me, "You may want to stop taking that antibiotic and just wait until you get the new one." YA THINK!

Today I am moving, although slowly. Billy is back at work. Let's hope I NEVER get this again.

Freedom

Today is the first day of the rest of my life...... well...... sort of......

Today is the day my guardianship expires on my mother. I have decided to give her the chance to go it on her own. It hasn't been pretty. She called me yesterday and talked like a drunk redneck, with plenty of growling, cussing, and spitting. She is angry with me, and probably will be for the rest of her life. Why? Because I took her out of her home, locked her up in a mental facility, and then locked her in a horrible building with OLD people. That is her version anyway. Mine goes more like this: I tooked an overdrugged person, scared for her life and slowly taking her own life, out of her self-designed prison and got her the help and care that she needed to see clearly again and rejoin the world. I put her in a wonderful assisted living facility where she had the opportunity to make friends (even if they are old) and join in some normal human activities.

I don't think she is ready to face the world. No, I don't. But she does and since she has been dependant on first my dad for 15 years and then my step-dad another 15 years, I figure she at least deserves the chance. Should it come to this again in the future, I will step in and be her guardian again, but next time we play by MY rules.

It is soooo goood to be freeeeeee!
------------------------------------------------

On a side note, we are off to my brother's wedding for the weekend. See you all on Monday!

Here is a friday funny for you. I got a good laugh from it.
Football finally makes sense.........
A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game.
They had great seats right behind their team's bench.
After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.
'"Oh, I really liked it," she replied,
"especially the tight pants and all the big muscles,
but I simply don't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents."
Dumbfounded, her date asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game,
all they kept screaming was:
'Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!'
I'm like...Helloooooo?
It's only 25 cents!!!!"

Life after

You know the line in your wedding vows where you say, "Till death do us part"? When I was a kid I thought that was sooo romantic and would be such a long long time. Now as a married woman that line really bugs me.

I don't want to leave my husband upon our death. I want to be married to him forever and ever and ever and EVER! There is so much about the events following death that I am so unsure of. I don't know what to believe but I HAVE to believe that there is more to life than death and then "the end" ya know? Heaven is an amazing concept, if it truly exsists they way we imagine it.

This is one aspect of the Mormon Church that piqued my interest. They believe a family is forever and they do not say "Till death do us part" in their vows. They believe a husband and wife remain husband and wife long after they pass from this earth. I want to believe that too.

Your opinion?

How do I love thee....

Let me count the ways....

1. You clean up spilled grape juice stains from years ago.

2. You suck up bloody spots from one cat formerly known as the pregnant cat.

3. You dance across the carpet returning it to its orignal tan color.

4. You require little to no effort from me to finish your job.

5. You leave a fresh clean scent in your wake.

6. You have ridden me of the dirty-carpet-guilt.

7. You have returned the joy of carpet to my home.

8. You have restored my faith in the gift of children who-no-longer-drink-from-tightly-sealed-sippy-cups.

If ever a time for vacation...

NOW WOULD BE GOOD!

Our "baby" kitty gave birth to six cats on Sunday. Yes this is the same cat who gave birth to one cat in April. She was still nursing the one cat and so we assumed would not be in heat. WRONG! She got out and got preggo and now, two months later, ta-da! She was in labor for 11 hours and during the last two hours she escaped outside and gave birth to the last kitten in our cold dirty garage. I went out to find her before we went to bed for the night only to discover the sixth baby kitten laying on the dirty cold cement, dying.

I grabbed the momma and the baby and ran them inside. The baby was still moving and squealing so we grabbed the heating pad and wrapped the kitten in a towel and layed it on the heating pad. Momma kitty was in extreme pain although we concluded she had had all of the kittens. We debated running her to the vet (by then it was 11 p.m.) but decided to hold off and see how she did. Billy slept downstairs by her just in case. By morning it was obvious something was wrong so I called the vet. I had a doctor's appointment for Cassie (who developed strep throat over the weekend) and asked if I could bring the cats in after that. They agreed. The vet gave her a shot to make her uterus contract because she did seem to have a placenta still in there and an antibiotic shot just in case.

By last night she had delivered two placentas (and ate them, EWWWWWWWW!) and was feeling much better. This morning she has finally cleaned herself up and is starting to clean the kittens. She is still leaking blood though, which worries me. The sixth kitten warmed up nicely and is quite happy snuggled up to his/her brothers and sisters. I am supposed to take her back to the vet to have her re-checked today so I will be out the door in a little while. I just hope she is okay. This time she will get 'fixed' asap so we don't have to go through this again.

I don't know how I am going to deal with grandchildren. LOL

***UPDATE***
Took Mouse to the vet and he said she was looking much better today. He mentioned he was concerned about dehydration yesterday. I told him she wouldn't eat or drink at all yesterday and that was probably why. I asked him when we could have her fixed so this doesn't happen again. He said as soon as she weans her babies. Well last time Micki wasn't weaned and she ended up preggo. Hmmmm......He gave her another antibiotic shot and sent us home. She hasn't left her kittens since we got home. I don't think she cares much for the vet. :)

A typical Saturday

We hit the ground running this morning with a list of things to do. Number One was to get new tires on my van as it will be making a cross-state trip in a week. We were headed out of Brandt when on a whim I asked Billy to stop and see if our local repair/gas station had reopened (It had closed down due to the only mechanic getting into a one-vehicle motorcycle accident). By golly, when we pulled up it was indeed open, just for yesterday and today. I like to support our small town station so we stopped in to ask if he would be able to put new tires on. He agreed to do it and said it would be ready by noon. Since we were headed to Watertown to do some shopping he agreed we could just pick up the van on the way home and pay next Friday when the station will be open again. We ran home and packed our kiddos into the metro like sardines. We made a pit stop in Clear Lake to pick up a plant someone had sent to us "In Sympathy" for our loss. Then we ventured to Watertown.

Our first stop was Walmart to get Billy's oil changed. The guy offered to change the air filter and the windshield wipers as well. Ironically, on the way to Watertown, we were commenting on how much his current windshield wipers sucked because the widow had a horrible film on it and they were doing nothing to remove it. We gave the guy the go ahead and then spent an hour shopping until we heard them exclaim over the intercom that Billy's car was finished. We checked out and packed everyone back into the metro. The wipers were magical as they cleared the remaining drops off the windshield.

Then we headed to an auto parts store to buy a new rear view mirror for my van that my dear sweet adorable husband broke when he brandished his ball cap as a fly swatter a few weeks back. Instead of hitting the fly, he hit the mirror and smashed it good. $20.00 lighter and we were out the door with a new mirror in hand.

After that we pulled into Menards. You should have seen the way people looked at us as 7 people piled out of that little metro. It was like the clown cars you see on t.v. Only we weren't using any special effects. There were plenty of people to gawk too. Apparently today was the last day for the 15% off bag sale so Menards was wall to wall people. We got what we went for (plus and minus a few things) and headed home. When we arrived at the gas station to pick up our van, the owner was still there so we paid and drove our newly-tired van home. My only objection is he put the ugly white stripes on the outside. I hate those. Oh well.

Now we are going outside to use our new purchases. A chainsaw to limb the dying trees with, and a lawn edger to find the sidewalks once again.

Sitting? That will come later.

A new species

Mr. Bill is sitting on the couch eating Peanut M&M's. After biting into one, he turns to me, surprised....

"Mom! These have seeds in them!"
I nod.
"I am going to plant them and grow an M&M tree!"

If only son.... If only..... :)

Life After Death...

A death in the family suddenly finds me thinking about my own death. Not just because of the thoughts in my head, but because of the various questions coming out of my kids.

"When are you going to die?"

"What will we do when you are dead?"

"Do we have to have a funeral for you?"

"Where will daddy go?"

and then the ever-heart wrenching statement...

"I don't want you to die, Mommy!" (I don't want to die either honey!)

Karen's funeral was good. The siblings made it through with out any major catastrophes or fighting. I was a little disappointed that Karen hadn't prepared more for this event, seeing how she knew it was coming. I thought a letter from her to her kids, to be read at the funeral, would have been way more meaningful than several bible versus someone picked for her. The four of them seemed to be floundering a little, not knowing exactly how to put a funeral together or what exactly is expected. Thankfully the funeral home director was extremely helpful to them and gave them much needed guidance. Many of Karen's siblings were also available for some advice and for that we thank all of you.

We have also discovered she left no will, no direction, no thoughts about what or how her kids are supposed to go about getting her stuff all sorted out and paid for. It is going to be rough I think. Death is hard enough on families without leaving them to do it all on their own. I am saddened to think that my husband has not even turned thirty yet and has lost both of his parents. He lost his dad 8 years ago and now his mom. I cannot fathom the pain he must feel, but he deals with it quite well.

This funeral has made me sit down and think about what I want/don't want to occur at my funeral. The control-freak in me is making plans. I will probably leave this world with everything set and ready to go, given the chance. :) The joys of being Jodi. LOL

In the midst of all of the activities above, I have also been dealing with my mother. On Wednesday night we arrived home to find 3 messages on the machine. Two were my very irrate mother and one was her bank. Oy! I have decided to give her the "chance" to go it on her own. She is supposed to be finding an apartment and everything else she needs to. My guardianship expires on the 30th of this month and I am going to allow it to expire rather than seeking permanent guardianship. Even through this painful week, she has only been able to think of herself. I just cannot take on another child, no matter how much I love her.

The end

My mother-in-law passed away yesterday surrounded by her family after a two year battle with cancer.
She will be missed greatly by her children and her grandchildren. It is just so hard to believe she is really gone. The funeral is scheduled for Wednesday.

***This pic is from July when we all went to visit her***

Kid-ism's

As we were driving home from town, Mr. Bill saw a truck pulling a car out his window. He yells,

"Look MOM! That car is giving the other car a piggy back ride!"

They keep me rolling!

The Pics are in!

Here are the pics of the kids we had taken a month ago.

Homecoming

Today is homecoming day at the kids school. I really like the way the school here does the homecoming parade. Each grade in elementary school gets to be in the parade. They have a theme each year; this years being songs. The kids normally have some kind of costume but this year I lucked out and all four girls only had to wear red, white, and black.

I remember in Hot Springs we loved Homecoming week because we all got out early to go build a float. Each class, freshman thru senior, had to build a float. It usually involved napkins stuffed in chicken wire, and spray paint. I think I stuffed enough napkins over the course of those 4 years to supply the entire world. In the end, 90% of them would blow away as we were driving down the parade route. Those were the days.

So anyhoo, today the parade starts at 2 p.m. so Billy took half a day off of work so he can be here to watch the girls walk in the parade. The girls were very excited as they left today. Go Cardinals!