Pins and Needles

I have never been so relieved to hear that an election is over. I mean I am always glad when the US elections end so my t.v. can return to its regularly scheduled commercials that don't end with "I approve this message." But this Iraq election really had me stressed. Not for us, but for them. Americans take for granted the fact that we can vote, and most of us don't. In the last election wasn't it like 45% of all registered voters actually got out and voted? How pathetic are we. They said in the early releases this morning that of the 200,000 Iraqis who are living elsewhere, 93% of them voted. I am anxious to hear how many unbelievably brave souls went out and actually voted in Iraq. They faced death to put in their say yesterday. Would you do the same? I can honestly say I don't know what I would have done. I saw one lady at the polls holding a child of maybe 2 years old. I thought, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING BRINGING A KID!?" But then I realized, they face death everyday. I imagine this wasn't much different to them. God Bless those people as they come out of this mess. I hope they become a truly wonderful place.

Last night I did some work on my genealogy. It has been a good year since I have sat down and done some good searching. I started back at my grandparents to see if anything new had been put online. I found a ton of documents for my family. I found birth records, death records, marriage certificates, etc. I finally closed IE at 12:30 this morning and called it a night. I have a ton of other searching I want to get in today. Maybe at nappy time. :)

Have a great Monday ya'll! ;)

Caught

I was 8, what can I say?

We were living in our quaint little house on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. We lived in a town called Kekaha. Our street was Nene Road. Some friends of my parents also lived with us. They had three girls. They were the beginning of the end for us.

See that bush on the corner of the house? That is where the trouble brewed. I am in the pink dress in the front.


One warm summery day all of us kids were outside playing. We swung on the coconut palm leaves that were breaking off the tree and hanging down (It was great fun!), making lei's out of the flowers that grew in our backyard, and making jelly out of the little pumpkin shaped berries that grew next to the carport. Then someone (I honestly don't remember who) got a "great" idea to pretend to smoke. The older girls got some sticks and were walking and smoking their sticks like they were superstars. As the game went on, we all got involved. It was fun prancing and smoking. We looked much more glamorous than our parents did when they were smoking! Then someone got a really "good" idea: "Let's get some real cigarettes." She went to the cars and dug out some cigarette butts and a lighter and came back. We all ran over to a bush near the side of the house and hid there. We attempted to light the butts and smoke for real. After several attempts, we went in search of matches. They would work better right? I stepped out of the bush and started around the back of the house. I turned in time to see my mom's friend standing with her head peeking in the bush at my siblings and her own kids. I ran and hid behind the house. I heard her yelling and the kids start crying. "You are sitting right under the bathroom window kids!" she yelled. The kids all cried louder. I ran around to the back door and snuck in the house. I slowly crept over to the laundry room and stood behind the door. Over the course of the next few hours (according to my mom, it seemed like minutes to me) I stood behind that door listening as everyone else got punished. Then they came searching for me. I watched as several people put their heads in the washer and dryer and came in and out of the door but not one of them looked behind the door. Finally after what seemed like forever my mom came in the house and said, "Jodi if you are in here please come out. We are really worried." I don't think she thought I was in there but I could hear the desperation in her voice (and I was getting really tired of hiding) so I slowly came out of my hiding place and walked into the living room. My mom turned and smiled. She gave me a hug and then called out to everyone outside that she had found me. My dad came in and they took me to their room. They sat and talked to me about how what I did was wrong and how much I scared them. They told me since I was obviously upset, I would not get as harsh of a punishment. I was sent to my room to join the other kids. They had been grounded for a week, I had been grounded for the night.

I am in the light blue with my back to the camera.  

The moral of the story: RUN AND HIDE! ;)

Yup!

The bloggies.... Have you all heard of these? Awards for blogging what an awesome idea. Dooce was nominated for several categories. If you enjoy her blog as much as I do, GO VOTE!

A quote heard on the radio by a senator about the new smoking ban they are trying to put in place. "Having a designated smoking section in a restaurant is like having a designated pee area in a pool." Amen!

Mental Picture

Kenny Chesney covered in warm ooey gooey cheese sauce.
Can I lick it off? ;)

If I have totally lost you go here and read the comments to the mock lasanga post.

Teaser

"You suck!"
"Yea! Well so do you!"
"You are never home, you don't help me around the house, and I am sick of doing everything while you keep your ass glued to the couch!"
"You do everything huh? Do you work 10 to 12 hours a day? I don't think so! You lay around here on the couch watching t.v. and eating chips all day until you know I am coming home then you get up and do something!"
"How could I do that since I never know WHEN you are coming home dumbass!"
"Ooooo, big words for such a small girl"
"Do you really think you are so great?! Just because everyone at work likes you doesn't mean you are such a great guy you know!"
"If I am so horrible than why did you marry me?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
With that Mary stomped off to her bedroom and slammed the door. Greg walked off into the living room. As he entered the room he noticed all 8 eyes staring at him.
"Are you and mommy going to get divorced?" asked Jenny, the oldest.
"No, don't be silly. Your mom is just mad. It will be fine." Greg replied.
Everyone turned their attention to the t.v. again. Greg sat down on the couch between the twins. He rubbed Jason's head and leaned back.

Mary stomped down the stairs and turned into the living room door. She hurled the pile of papers in her hand towards Greg. "Here ya go! See ya!" Mary let go of the papers and watched them fly into the middle of the room and slowly float to the carpet. Greg jumped up, knocking Jason in the eye with his elbow, and yelled, "Go ahead, LEAVE!" Jason grabbed his eye and started crying. Jenny jumped up and ran over to her brother. She held him as he cried. Greg, feeling the rush of anger, ran out of the living room and followed Mary out the door. "Go ahead and leave. See if we care. We can get along just fine without you. We will be even happier without you!"

Mary slammed the van door and started the ignition. She threw the van into reverse and pushed on the accelerator. The van flew backwards as Mary turned the wheel. The van curved around and scraped the trashcans on the curb. Mary shifted into drive and pressed the accelerator to the floor. The van took off like a bullet out of a gun. Greg watched as the van sped off down the street, out of sight.

Jenny rocked Jason back and forth as he cried, "Daddy hit me. He hit me." Jenny patted Jason's head. The back door slammed shut. Jason jumped, "He is back! Jenny he is back!" Jenny patted Jason's head again and smiled, "It will be alright Jason. Daddy won't hurt you. It was just an accident." Greg stomped up the stairs and into the bedroom. He picked up his pillow off the bed and threw it at the wall. "Ten fricking years of marriage and that is it!? Just like that she throws it all away!" Greg sat on the bed and looked around the room.

Jenny looked at Jason's eye and decided he would be okay. She sent Jill into the kitchen to get some ice when she was sure her dad wouldn't be coming back downstairs. Jill, Jason's twin, obeyed. Sarah sat in the corner avoiding all the commotion by playing in her dollhouse. Jenny looked around the living room at the papers her mother had thrown. "What are all of these?" she wondered. Jill came back in the room with the ice and handed it to Jenny. Jenny put it on Jason's eye and took his hand. "Hold this with your hand but be gentle." Jason put his hand over the bag of ice. "Jill, would you help me pick up this mess please?" Jenny asked her younger sister. Jill nodded and started picking up the papers and neatly piled them on the coffee table.

Jenny glanced at one of the papers as she picked it up. Jenny read to herself, "filing for divorce, the defendant Mary Warner, has admitted to adultery but states that the problems began before she made that decision. The defendant wishes...." Jenny jumped as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Jenny grabbed the remaining papers and quickly put them on top of Jill's neat pile. "Let's all go to my room and watch t.v." Jenny grabbed Jason's hand and pulled him off the couch. Jill and Sarah both followed Jenny out the door. Greg came around the corner of the stairway and saw all four of his kids standing there. Jenny smiled quickly and said, "We are going upstairs to watch t.v." Greg nodded and grunted at Jenny. Jenny pulled on Jason's hand and quickly made her way up the stairs. When they were all in Jenny's room, she shut the door and sighed. Jill looked at Jenny and started to cry. Jenny held out her hands and Jill rushed into her. "It is okay Jill. Everything will be fine." Jill sobbed into her sister's shirt until Jenny was soaking wet. Jenny fought back her own tears. " I have to be strong for them," she thought.

Jason sat down on Jenny's bed and Sarah sat next to him. "What if they are going to get divorced?" Jason asked Jenny. "I don't know Jace," she replied. Before Jenny picked up those papers she never thought her parents would truly get divorced but now she wasn't sure. She didn't get to read enough and there were too many big words for her to completely understand what she had read. "Would they get divorced?" she wondered. Jill stopped crying and rubbed her eyes. "Why don't we turn on the t.v. and see if we can't find something to watch?" said Jenny. Jason pushed the power button on the remote and sat back on the bed. Jenny heard the front door slam. She walked over to the window and looked down at the back yard. She saw her dad open the gate and walk out to his van. He opened the door and got in. "He wouldn't leave us here alone!?" Jenny whispered. Sarah snuck up behind Jenny and peeked out the window. "Is he leaving us too?" she inquired. Jenny shook her head, "No, he isn't leaving. Don't worry."


Mary drove around town with no particular place in mind. She just needed to clear her mind and think things through but everytime she tried to think all she could think about was Greg. "Why does he have to be such an inconsiderate clod?! What happened to the kind and loving man I married? I just don't understand it all." A tear rolled down Mary's cheek as she thought about how many times she had tried to discuss her feelings with Greg. Those times went much like they had tonight. "I just can't live like this anymore. I am tired and angry and I need some support. Why is that so hard for him?" Mary wiped the tears away with her sleeve and pulled into the 7-11 parking lot. She leaned her head on the steering wheel and cried. "The kids are probably freaking out and Greg is probably sitting and watching t.v. I wonder what he thought of the papers? If he even picked them up and looked at them." Thinking of her kids made Mary cry even more. I don't want to hurt them but I don't know how else to get my point across. Greg just won't listen and it is either now or never for me!" she yelled to the steering wheel.

Just then someone knocked on Mary's window. Mary wiped her eyes and looked out the side window. A police officer stood there in his freshly pressed uniform. Mary rolled down her window and smiled meekly at the officer. "Hello Maam. Is everything alright here?" Mary nodded and whispered, "Just some marital problems." The officer aimed his flashlight at her face and then around inside the vehicle. "Is anyone with you Maam?" "No. I am alone. I just needed some time to think." The officer nodded and asked, "May I have your license and registration please." Mary nodded and reached over for her purse. "Oh! I didn't grab my purse when I left the house. I am afraid I don't have my license." She reached toward the glovebox and said, "I think the registration is in here though." She pulled the lever and the glovebox door flopped open. The officer aimed his flashlight at the newly opened glovebox. There sitting in now plain sight, was a handgun.

The officer cleared his throat and quickly ordered Mary to put her hands up where he could see them. "Damn him!" muttered Mary as she raised her arms above her head. The officer opened the door and ordered Mary to step out of the vehicle. Mary obeyed and slid out of the seat into the parking lot. The officer took Mary's hands and put them behind her back. Once she was handcuffed, the officer called for backup, "This is officer Tangent. I need backup at 49th and Western." The officer moved Mary to the back of her van and let go of her. "Stay here," he ordered. Mary nodded. The officer walked back to the open door and looked around. "Are there any other weapons in this vehicle?" he demanded. Mary shook her head, "I don't know. That one belongs to my husband and I didn't even know it was there. There could be more."

What I love...

1. Those early morning smiles from my little guy.
2. Big hugs from my girls after school.
3. Godfather's Pizza buffet on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
4. Spring like weather in the middle of winter.
5. The first signs of green peeking out of the ground in the spring.
6. Those breakthrough moments when my kids suddenly get something they didn't understand.
7. "I love you too mommy"
8. Talking for hours on the phone about everything under the sun.
9. Shopping!
10. Chocolate!
11. A good cup of cappicino in the morning and again in the afternoon.
12. Feeling like a good mom.
13. Looking good in a pair of jeans.
14. Getting dressed up and going OUT.
15. Spending time with my husband.
16. Baking with my kids, especially if chocolate is involved.
17. Being a mom to five kids.
18. New socks.
19. That I have lived in 7 states, including Hawaii and Alaska.
20. Those looks from across that room that scream "I love you"
21. Getting flowers.
22. Feeling appreciated.
23. A meal cooked by anyone but me.
24. Reading.
25. Being creative.
26. A good garage sale find.
27. Mommy time.
28. Cell phones, email, and anything else that makes communication instantaneous.
29. Learning new parenting techniques.
30. My sisters and brother, who are growing up into wonderful adults.
31. Getting a great haircut.
32. Laying in the sun on a hot summer day.
33. Reminiscing with my family about the good ole days.
34. Helping other people overcome a challenge.
35. Becoming the best Jodi I can become.
36. Smiling.
37. A clean house.
38. Daydreaming about what I would do if I won the lottery.
39. A brand new sharp pencil and blank pad of paper.
40. Uncle Steve who thinks I hate everything so I made this post to prove him wrong. :)

Meals schmeals

Who needs to actually sit down and eat a meal. You know the kind: a fork, spoon, plate, cup and some food?

Mr. Bill has decided grazing is the way to go. I give him a plate full of food at a MEAL TIME and he sits down, looks at it, gets up and leaves. About 15 mintues after the rest of us are done eating, he comes over and says, "My tummy hursts. I need some bwekfast."

I know you are all screaming at me to give him the dinner plate full of food he didn't eat right????

Well, I did. He sat down at the table, looked at it, got up and left. Then he went into the pantry and got himself some bugs (Lion King Fruit Snacks shaped like bugs) and ate those.

Dinner and a movie?

Maybe this will get him to come home, even if it is just for tonight?

Email sent to my hubby:
Dinner and sex here at 6:30 sharp, whether you are or not.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. ;)

Blessed Dr. Phil!

I was watching Dr. Phil today and his show was about adoption. It was a great show as usual. I always watch his show even if it seems irrelevant to my life because I always, yes ALWAYS, learn something that I can take away and apply to my own life. Well today at the very end of the show, he was talking to a couple in which the wife would really like to adopt but the husband said no way. His main reason for not wanting to adopt is because he already has so little free time because he has to work many extra hours a week. Do you know what Dr. Phil responded with? Do ya? Huh? Huh? He said,

You need to provide more than just financial structure to your family. You also need to provide emotional structure."

What an amazing concept and so eloquently put!

If I could get close enough to Dr. Phil I would give him a great big kiss! I really need to get his families first book and somehow, in some third realm, get my husband to read it. I think that will be like pulling teeth from a dinosaur but I have to try right?

Megan  

Selflessness

Conversation between me and Megan on the way to school this morning:

Megan: Mom, Are wishing stars real?

Me: I don't know, what do you think?

Megan: I don't think they are because once I wished for a doll and I didn't get it. And another time I wished for Serafina (a toy cat) and I didn't get it either.

Me: Well maybe your wishes are too selfish.

Megan: What is selfish?

Me: When you want something you don't really need. Maybe you could wish for a family who doesn't have food to get some food.

Megan: Why?

Me: There are lots of people who don't even have what we have. Maybe there is a little girl out there who doesn't have a winter coat so she is cold everyday. You could say a wish for her.

Megan: But why should I wish for stuff for other people when I can wish for stuff for me?!

Expectations...

Yup, that is the problem....

If you aren't expecting anything, you are pleasantly surprised when something happens, right?

That is why I get mad. I expect my husband to come home on time and you know what? He never does. So I guess if I just stop hoping, I won't get mad.

At least in theory........

Time's UP!

Okay, you asked for it:

I AM SO SICK OF DEALING WITH MY HUSBAND! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

What freakin genetic disorder did God hand down that makes my husband think he is on his own damn time schedule? Huh? What is it? The man goes to work when he pleases and he comes home when he pleases and you know what? I AM SICK OF SITTING AROUND WONDERING WHEN HE IS GOING TO DRAG HIS LAZY ASS HOME!

I hate that he spends no time with the kids, no time with me, no time with us PERIOD! It makes me think something is wrong with me. I mean why do you avoid someone? Because they make you uncomfortable, unhappy, etc. right? So which one of those is the reason my husband never comes home? What is so exciting at work? Why do I have to call and make him feel guilty to get him to come home? Are we that bad? URRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

My first love

I remember the very first time I saw "Stand By Me". I don't remember which friends house I was at, but I know I wasn't at home because my mom wouldn't let me watch those kinds of movies. I sat and watched as the boys found the dead body, as they ran through the water and came out with leeches in unmentionable places, and as they created a unique type of friendship that would endure forever.

I fell in love with River Phoenix that day too. He melted my heart at the end of the movie. He truly was my first movie star love. I still think back fondly on that movie. Weird as it was, it sparked a whole new level of love for me.

Uncle Jamie is buried there somewhere! 

My dad and all of us. The baby on his lap is my niece, Shanna. 

Me and Cassie 

Nose Hairs

Today was the first day all week that I have been able to walk outside and not have frozen nose hairs after the first breath. Aahhhh. If you don't live in the frozen tundra you can't possibly imagine what I am referring to but those of you who have stepped outside when the temp is below zero know exactly what I am talking about.

It is wednesday, hump day! I am soooo ready for the weekend. I have been dragging myself out of bed all week and I haven't been able to even get myself to exercise until today. I need a vacation. Blech!

I started this new birth control patch today. Have you all tried this yet? It is like the pill but you don't take it daily and it just sticks to you for a week at a time. Fairly foolproof so long as I don't show some kind of allergic reaction to the adhesive. I am allergic to bandaids so I am crossing my fingers. If these don't work Billy will be off to see the doctor. SNIP SNIP! :)

Taxes are coming! Are you all ready for them? We get a return every year so we are always anxiously awaiting our W-2's. I can't even imagine what it will be like when we actually have to pay taxes. By then I will be a working momma and it won't hurt so much though right? RIGHT?!

I have discovered some new blogs this week, mostly through Andrea's blog. It is so cool to go read about other mommies who are living in this insanity with me. I am not the only one. Go check them out too. Margie~~~Alison~~~Cori and this one is a collaborative effort that just cracks me up The Topless Review (NOT PORN).

Cyberfamous

I was famous for a brief and fleeting moment. I was actually quoted in an online article.

"We realized we needed a new (vehicle) shortly after we got our two foster kids," said Jodi Sides, a stay-at-home mom from Hot Springs, South Dakota, with five kids under five years old. "We needed a vehicle that could hold seven people comfortably. We also needed one that could hold five car seats."

They ended up with a used Mercury Voyager to drive the kids around and to make the 800-mile round trip to visit Jodi's inlaws. "My husband really wanted the TV/VCR combo, but it was a little too far out of our budget," she said.

I emailed the author after reviewing the article to tell her we bought a PLYMOUTH voyager not a mercury voyager. She acknowledged my email but obviously didn't think it was important enough to go back and change it. This article is from 2000 I believe. Oy!

The joy of innocence...

Thoughts that must run through my kid's heads on a daily basis:

you mean you actually have to PAY someone to have running water?

the electricity isn't free either?

you have to go to work EVERYDAY for 8 whole hours?

you don't get to buy all the junk food you want?

you can't go out to eat everyday?

toys can't cost more than .25 cents, can they?

bills, what are bills?

what do you mean food doesn't cook itself?

you don't get summers off?

mommy and maid mean the same thing right?

Random thoughts

It is Monday-Laundry day at the Sides house. Today is also Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday (observed) so my kids have school off today. Billy is already off to work so I get kid duty and laundry duty all at once. LOL

Yesterday as I sat in the quiet of my house (Mr. Bill was napping and everyone else had gone sledding with daddy)I was fantasizing about what it would be like to go to work everyday. I realized I will need "the perfect job". I need a job that lets me go to work after the kids head out to school and one that lets me come home shortly before the kids do. I need a job that lets me have every school holiday off and one that doesn't care when I call in because my kids are sick. I also need a job where I am not required to work holidays or weekends. Do you suppose such a job even exists? Maybe it is time to start my own business? ;)

Saturday we attended another meeting of the Family Shape Up group I enrolled us in. The kids got to play tag, parachute, duck duck goose, etc. while us adults learned how to use those exercise bands (you know the elastic ones?) Our instructor said if you use it 2-3 times a week for 15-20 minutes you will see a huge improvement in your strength in just 2-3 weeks. I think I will add it in to my daily routine. It is really easy to use (much like lifting weights) and you can pick the amount of resistance depending upon where you hold the band. The kids had a blast playing and were quite tuckered out by the time we got done.

Billy and I finally got his sister's computer up and running. Their computer quit functioning in oh, september. They gave it to us to fix and they borrowed Billy's since he was in Greece anyway. Billy got the new hard drive installed and a new mouse put on it but then the video card was not working. We decided to download a new driver for it so it would run again. I went to the manufacturers website only to discover they had filed for bankruptcy and were no longer in business. To make a long story short, I eventually found a message board where fans of these cards hang out. They provided links to sites where individuals provided the drivers for downloading since the company no longer does. After 4+ hours of digging and reading I found the correct driver and ta-da! it is up and running at full speed. Gotta love those computers! :)

I am knee deep in gardening catalogs this week. Apparenly it is time to start thinking about what to plant even though I can't plant anything until mid to late May! First I have to buy a tiller because for the last two summer we have used a shovel to dig up our garden and I am NOT doing it again this year.

Have a great fun-filled day!

Act your age!

What Age Do You Act?

I am acting like I am 21 apparently!

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.


(Billy took the test and he is acting like he is 25!!) LOLOLOLOL

Confuscious Say:

When it is -24F you can be assured your van won't start. And it won't be the old decrepit one, it will be the new one.

Confuscious also say:
Smart woman makes man stand out in -24F and install new battery.

George!

Thanks to George! for sharing this fun quiz. Go try it and see how nerdy you are.




Mine said:
90% scored higher,1% scored the same, and 9% scored lower.
What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:
Definitely not nerdy, you are probably cool.

Cool! Did you hear that internet? I am cool!

Tuhersday?

What day of the week is it again? Cripes! This week has flown by.

Yesterday I broke my computer trying to fix it. I ran the virus program again as there were still 13 adware virus' that I hadn't been able to delete. I clicked the links to get help and it gave me instructions on how to delete them. You see, you cannot just go find the file and say delete, nope, you actually have to wave a magic wand, say some magic words and trick the computer's hard drive before it will allow you to throw the heinous amoeba into your virtual trash can. So anyhoo, once I printed out the step-by-step directions I proceeded to rid my computer of the final bits. I did step one, no problem. Step two, minor problem (couldn't find the file it listed). Step three, deleted key, no problem. I rebooted and waited.

The computer started up just peachy and all was good. Then I tried to log on to the internet. It connected and IE popped up minus the 40 pop-up windows that used to accompany it. Success! But wait!, it says, "page not found". I hit refresh, try another page, try all my bookmarks and still the plain white, "page not found" page is in my face. I call dh, "I think I broke my computer." His response, "Oh. That isn't good. I will look at it when I get home." Now wasn't he helpful? He got home at 8:00 p.m. At 10:00 he sat down to look at my computer and went into the start menu and pulled up this fancy gadget called "system restore". Have you all seen this thing? It allows you to go back a day, a week, a month in time to when your computer WASNT broken and put it back that way. One click, a restart, and we were back on the internet in full glorious color.

So Mr. Fix-It decides I did it wrong and HE is going to follow the step-by-step instructions and show me up. Step one, no problem. Step two, still no file as it is listed. Step three, deleted same key, no problems. Restart and open IE and guess what? The notorious "page not found" appears. I grin and watch as he restores the computer again. This time he checks out the pages I printed out online and sees for himself that they are indeed correct. At this point I am bored with watching him break and unbreak my computer so I find something else to do. About a half an hour later I come back to find him rummaging through some files in the hard drive. I see a log file with the same name as the virus and yell, "Hey what is that?" He clicks on it and inside we see the details of this virus that so quietly downloaded itself onto my computer. We also see that it has a uninstall file. Mr. Fix It does a search for the file and TA-DA! He runs the uninstall program and it is gone. Criminey!

What we discovered is this virus melted itself into our IE files and made it so it opened with IE. It also covered some of the old files with its files and thus ruined the internet experience once we deleted the files without running the uninstall. Since they can't do pop-ups online anymore (too many pop-up blockers) they have made the pop-ups show up on your own computer! How rude! Whoever invents these should be shot.

Today I had my annual torture-me-by-making-me-sit-butt-naked-waiting-for-you doctor visit. Someday they are going to find a way to do a pap smear WITHOUT making woman strip and sit in a cold doctors office. Anyway all went well and I addressed some health realted issues to the doc. He assured me I am in good health. I told him all the charts I found on the net tell me I am about to become overweight. He said those charts are all done poorly because they are based on a "perfect" weight. He said I am doing just fine. So I will continue with the current exercise regime and stop sweating each pound. He told me my shoulder pain is likely something called Burstitis as I only feel pain when I have to raise my arm when it is extended out to my side. He said there really is little they can do for it. Great!

Insert hubby-slamming comment here that I have deleted in an effort to save you all from my whining. You are welcome.

Becca is feeling much better these days and there are no signs of any other kids getting sick. Thank heavens for that. We all seem to have a sniffly stuffy nose but it hasn't gotten any worse.

I have been asked to teach sunday school at our local lutheran church for the months of Feburary and April. Ya sure, yabetcha! I get to teach preschoolers, all four of them. LOL

Last night we left Mr. Bill nakey again and he peed in the toilet twice. I think the key to potty training boys is leaving them naked until they get the hang of it. I have heard this from several mommies and thought they were on drugs but now I must apologize for thinking this, as it is obviously working here. I will do whatever it takes to get them interested in the toilet. I need to buy some of those toilet targets that you drop in the toilet so the little boys can "aim" at them in order to NOT pee on the floor, walls, toilet, ceiling, etc.

Okay, now that I have thoroughly bored you to death I will run. Have a great day!

Wet Socks, Sore Throats, and Babies

Wet Socks! Ewwwww! I hate when it snows because my husband walks around in his shoes after being outside and then I come along and step in the melted snow he left behind. I hate when my socks get all wet. I go through 10 pair a day this way. Blah!

I am sorry I missed getting in here yesterday. I ran all five kids off to the doctor yesterday morning. The doctor checked out Megan and confirmed her throat was red but suspected it was from the snot running down the back of her throat as she otherwise looked fine. Becca hopped up on the table next and the doc checked her out. The doctor asked Becca to open her mouth and stick out her tongue. The doctor peeked in with her little light and literally jumped backwards with an "OH!". She turned to me and said, "Oh my! That looks bad." I nodded and said, "She has been complaining quite a bit since Saturday." The doc said she could test Becca for strep but she was pretty sure that was what she had. I told her since this is something she gets quite a bit that I didn't feel we needed to test it. She wrote out a prescription and handed it to me. She actually doubled the dose Becca got for the first day, so she really must have thought her throat was bad. :( Becca is home today still as she is not feeling much better yet. Hopefully one more day of antibiotics and she will be back at full swing.

I awoke this morning to my alarm going off as I was in the middle of a dream. I was dreaming that Billy and I had just had a baby but we were still in high school. I was riding around in a car with my friends and holding my brand new baby. All the while I kept thinking I should be home being a responsible mom but I was having too much fun being a teenager. Sheessh! Analyze that! LOL

Last night my son, formally known as the shy child, stripped nakey and refused to get his pajamas on. Being too lazy to chase him and dress him, I let him run. After about 10 minutes of being free, he looked over at me and Billy and crossed his legs. We both instantly recognized that look of, "I gotta pee NOW!" Billy ran with him to the bathroom and he jumped up on the toilet and peed. We both celebrated quietly with him (if we get too excited he gets embarrased and then won't sit on the toilet again for several days). He got down and got his pj's on. Maybe he is starting to figure this out eh? Maybe.

Today I need to finish the laundry I didn't get to since I was at the doc's yesterday. I also bought myself ten puzzles while at Walmart and I am currently working on one with 1000 pieces. It is a picture of a pile of candy. I may get it done if Mr. Bill stops undoing it when I am not looking. :)

I hope you all had a good weekend! Have a great Tuesday and remember summer is only days away. (Okay days and days and days and days, but it IS coming!) :)

No Fair!

Andrea, it is not fair to breathe on us all the way from Canada and through the internet no less! ;)

My kiddos are all sick! Daddy came home with a sore throat on Thursday. Becca got it Friday night, Megan on Saturday, and now Cassie is complaining hers hurts. Becca is really wiped out by whatever it is. They are all running a fever but Becca complains that it even hurts to swallow. She has been eating cough drops like candy trying to keep her sore throat numb. The poor thing. I will run her to the doc tomorrow morning if she is not doing better. I really wish they would have a clinic that is open on Sundays around here! Urrrrr!

Last night Billy and I stayed up until 2 a.m. watching all three "Back to the Future" movies on TBS. I have never seen the third one and had only seen parts of the second one. I forgot how good those movies were. I really enjoyed watching them. It was fun to sit and watch t.v. without kids hanging all over us. :)

Geico Gecko

The Geico Gecko has a blog! Who knew!? I think that little Gecko is the cutest dang thing. Have you seen his latest commercial where he is strapped in a van (a Chevy Venture Van, may I add) and he starts singing? He is just so adorable. And I also found out you can purchase Gecko paraphanelia on the Geico Website! They even have a baby gecko on a baby blanket! So cuuuuuuttttte!

Next time you see me I may be wearing a Geico Gecko t-shirt! :)

New Feature...

I added a new feature to my blog.

At the very very very bottom of my blog you will find a google search box.

It can now be used to search just my blog.

Very cool option if you are searching for a particular subject eh?

Just thought I would share. :)

Feelings

One perk of being me: I don't get to worked up over much.

It is perfectly fine with me if you are gay, catholic, married, purple, happy, skinny, etc. because those choices don't affect me. I am a pretty tolerant person, I think. But there is a downside to this perk. You see when large tragic things happen, I don't get too affected by them. When 9-11 happened I knew logically that was a bad thing and that many people suffered. When the Tsunami hit and those hundreds of thousands of people died, I knew it was bad but I find it hard to feel anything about it.

I see other people reaching out and trying to raise money, find food, and do whatever it takes to help these people who are trying to rebuild their lives. It catches me off-guard when I overhear people talking about it and when I am reading other blogs about the devestation as it is not something I think about a lot.

Today on the radio though they were talking about how the kids who have become orphans were being registered with unicef so they could be taken care of until their family is found. Apparently bad people will steal the kids and sell them for slaves. What a horrible place! For some reason that hit home for me. I thought of my own kids and how horrible it would be to go through something like that and not be able to find your parents, or to even know if they are alive. Thinking of my kids suffering made my heart go out to those families who are now incomplete. I can't even imagine.

Another blogger friend of mine also mentioned how she sits at her house with a roof, clean water, food, and other things we think of as luxuries. It could all be taken away from us in a heartbeat too. Somehow, for me, that made it all seem more real.

While I sit here typing on my computer, another mother thousands of miles away is probably digging through a mound of debris hoping to find a child that she lost, as mother earth ripped through her house. While I sit down to dinner tonight, that same mother will be sitting on the dirty ground hoping a helicopter shows up with some food to fill her rumbling stomach. While I curl up next to my husband tonight in bed, that mother will sit, in tears, wishing she knew if her husband was dead or alive, praying for his life. When I get up in the morning to wake my kids and get them ready for school, that mother will be scouring the streets, looking for any sign of her children. I am sending my prayers and thoughts to all of those people who are in the process of rebuilding their homes and families. I cannot imagine the horror they are dealing with today.

Princess Jodi

Mr. Bill (looking at wedding pictures): Mom! That is you! You are a princess!
Me: Yep.
Mr. Bill: I don't want you to be a princess.
Me: Why not?
Mr. Bill (looking at me with puppy dog eyes): You won't be a princess? Are you the mom now?
Me: Yep, I am the mom.
Mr. Bill: *hugs me*

Hmmmm....

What do you think of my new blog?

Pretty or pretty ugly? ;)

Ta-Da!

I fixed it... I fixed it! Na na na na na! :)

My husband got my computer semi-functioning so yesterday I was able to install Norton Anti-Virus and scan my computer. After two hours of flipping through every single file it found two virus files. One was deleted and the other, quarantined. So now I have a fully functioning, happily running computer again. I also now have a mega-machine as my husband gave me more RAM for my computer for Christmas. I can run the big stuff now baby! ;)

I am still in the process of overhauling my blogger so be watching for some changes soon and don't be surprised if you can't get to it occasionally in the next few days. I am trying to squeeze some computer time in inbetween kid time. I feel so guilty when I sit here when the kids are awake and want my attention, so my goal for this year is to only be on the computer when the kids are sleeping. Today Mr. Bill is sleeping in so I have had some time to get myself caught up. :)

My new year is off to a jumpstart. I have good intentions and much motivation to get things moving this year. My goal for 2005 is to get us as debt free as possible. I am tired of forking over every penny we make to bills, bills, and more bills. I am paying off all the little crap bills that we seem to acquire over the course of a year and I am not adding any new ones. With five kids, even 10.00 more a payday can make a difference. They say writing your goal down and telling others is good motivation to keep at it, so there-I told the WHOLE WIDE WORLD! :) I am also determined to keep working on being the best mommy I can be. I need to find the fun in life and use it to the max. Sometimes (well lots of times) I get caught up in the day-to-day crap and forget that life needs to be fun too. I love my husband and kids and I need to remember to show that to them.

While we were in the hills I got to see my dad, who I haven't seen in 9 years. I went there with no expectations but was pleasantly surprised. He came to my sister's house everyday and spent several hours with us. Mr. Bill quickly figured out that this grandpa liked to play and interact. He spent many days coloring with him. The girls also liked their new grandpa. Becca was excited to finally meet him and told me so. I enjoyed having some time to spend with him and getting to know a little about the guy who helped make me. :) I wish we had more time to sit and talk and just get to know each other but I had to come back to life in Brandt and he has to get back to life in Oregon. Pooh!

Many of my family members expressed concern over my exposing my life for all to read on the internet, my dad included. I will reiterate what I told them: "If I think it is too personal, I won't post it here." I mean really, I am not talking about sex or pap smears or boobs. I mean, it really could get much much more personal. I visit a site called Dooce where she literally tells it all. I love her site though because she tells it all. I feel like I know her and I thoroughly enjoy reading about her life. If you think I am too personal, go check out her site and then come back here. You won't think so anymore. :)

Know what I got for Christmas? Billy gave me two tickets to a Montgomery Gentry and Trace Adkins concert. He even arranged a babysitter so we can go. Unfortunately it is not until February but hey! I will take it. After Angie's wedding I realized why Billy and I don't go out on dates. It is not because we have to find a babysitter, it is because they are addictive. Alone time with just my husband and no kids is very very tempting once I had had a taste of it. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids to death, but oh! the joys of having alone time with the man I married! I almost remembered why we got married to begin with. (I am JUST KIDDING! Relax people!)

I got Billy a remote control dodge ram that he broke the day after Christmas. Men!

The kids got gifts galore. I cannot even begin to list them all. Santa brought them a trampoline though and that they are very excited about. Unfortunately it has to stay in the box until spring.

We are supposed to be getting some snow today and well into tomorrow. Up to a foot in some areas around us. Maybe they will cancel school and I can get in some computer time. he he he

Well you have heard all I have to say for the day and Mr. Bill is awake now. I will run and have some fun! (Hey, I am a poet and didn't even know it!) LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL TTFN!

Before the storm

I am jumping in here before my dear sweet husband gets in here and crashes my computer. It is temporarily functioning but tonight it will get the big overhaul unless a miracle occurs. I am transferring all of my stuff off of this computer so I don't lose it all but it is still going to be messy!

We had an awesome Christmas/New Year. We left our house and headed out to the hills. My dad arrived the same night as us but we were too late to see him. He came over the next morning though and it was so cool to see him after 9 years of not. The kids warmed right up to him and soon Grandpa and Mr. Bill were coloring and having "guy conversation". LOL!

Angie's wedding came way too fast but it was a blast. Vonnie and I got our hair done at 1 p.m. the day of the wedding. It took about 3 hours to do both of our hair. During the hair session, the alcohol was opened. Having never drank in my life, I had no intention of joining in. My sister tried to convince me to try this tuaca bomb (a mixture of red bull and tuaca ((is that spelled right???)) Anyway, I told her it probably wasn't a good idea to start drinking on her wedding day as I also had to walk down the aisle. I told her it could be pretty messy. She said, "Or it could be pretty funny!" I agreed with her but abstained anyway. I would have hated to puke on the way down the aisle. LOL

Vonnie and I got our dresses on and headed over to the wedding hall. We looked pretty darn good if I do say so myself. I will get some pictures up after the great computer redo! :)

Angie's wedding went off without a hitch (excuse the pun) and the "I-do's" were said. The reception got short-circuited by someone's idea to run the bride and groom around town to go bar-hopping. Most everyone took this as their cue to leave and so by 10 p.m. 90% of the guests were gone. The kids and I did some dancing and eating and we headed out at 11:30 p.m.

We spent the remainder of our days visiting with everyone and of course we got lots of pictures. The kids were spoiled rotten with presents but they loved every minute of it.

We arrived home to discover our neighbor had graciously removed a pile of old wood we had hauled out of our basement and left sitting in the yard. Sometimes small town's have their perks.

The kids are off to school today and I am recovering from vacation. It was nice to go but it is even nicer to be home. It makes one appreciate ones family much more eh? ;)

TTFN!

Hack-hack-hack

My dear sweet husband downloaded a virus and my computer is not functioning properly. I will make him get on it asap and will be back! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and New Year. TTFN!