So sorry

I didn't mean to bail on you all yesterday but I got a bad news phone call AGAIN!

They are letting my mom out. Apparently they gave her a self-sufficiency test and she passed "with flying colors". I have been unable to speak with her doctor so far but I refused to take her out until I do. The nurse said they have two other patients who need their help and my mom doesn't. I think she is basically being a pain in their arse and they want her gone. I don't think they even worked on her mental issues.

So the weekend will be spent stressing.

So much fun!

P.S. Andrea, I always have time for you girl! I would be happy to put your banner on your blog. Just drop me an email (toogirls2000@yahoo.com) and we shall getter done! ;)

Just a little remodeling...

I thought it was time for a change since summer is quickly departing and I am ready to start gearing up for fall......

What do ya think of my "new" blog?

Birthday Blues

The day after is just never as exciting as the day of is it? ;)

I was emailed this picture today and while it doesn't really apply to me TODAY I thought it was cute so I am sharing with you all.

It's my Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to meeeeeee!
Happy Birthday to me!

Dishes

The kids are fighting over who gets to do the dishes after each meal. So far Megan has done dinner dishes, Cassie did the breakfast dishes, and together they did lunch.

This can't last......

Kid Lingo...

Mr. Bill just brought me one of these:


He said it is a BUG SMACKER and I need one for when the bugs come.

He really keeps me in stitches lately!

When I grow up....

According to Mr. Bill "when I grow up and be's a girl, I can be a train driver!"

Who knew all boys grow up to be girls!? ;)

Scrubbing...

Today has been a very productive day. The temps are hovering around 75 and it is raining, so it was a great day for cleaning and scrubbing. I decluttered, scrubbed, and scoured. Now I am taking a break while the oven cleans itself.

We ran down to Soo Foo to visit Billy's Mom on Saturday. She looks older and tireder but otherwise she is holding her own. We got pictures but I am afraid it may be the last ones we get.

My dishwasher died on Friday. NOT a good thing at this house. I told Billy we would have been divorced by now if I hadn't have always had a dishwasher, now I remember why I said that! I HATE doing the dishes and I refuse to "make" my kids do them. I remember how much I hated washing dishes as a child and I figure I have the time so I will do them. Billy even graciously offered to help me do them every night. I am taking him up on it just for the time alone with him (I doubt the kids will be hanging around while we are washing). :) I have requested a new dishwasher though at least by Christmas.

Too much

We found out yesterday that Billy's mom's cancer has returned and she has been given a very short time to live.

I am beginning to feel extremely overwhelmed by everything going on in our lives right now.

Somebody please stop this madness!

Poo Inspector

After assisting Mr. Bill in his daily butt-wiping exercise, I flushed.

He screamed, "MOM, I didn't get to look at it first!"

I stare at him, unsure if I heard him right.

He lays down on the floor and kicks and screams some more.

I apologize for flushing too soon.

He gets up, hugs me, and says, "It is okay mommy."

Dead Cats!

While I was gone to my sisters apparently the cats (or cat) got angry that we were gone and began using MY bed for the litter box. When Billy came home on Tuesday he cleaned it all up and scrubbed down our mattress. Since then I have scrubbed our mattresst twice because my supersensitive nose can smell the urine still. I thought once we got home that would be the end of the cats rampage.

This morning I wake up to a crying kid. The cat had peed on her bed while she was in it! One more time and they will all be booted out the door. I have had it!

Anyone want some naughty cats?

From Andrea...

Your Power Color Is Teal

At Your Highest: You feel accomplished and optimistic about the future. At Your Lowest: You feel in a slump and lack creativity. In Love: You tend to be many people's ideal partner. How You're Attractive: You make people feel confident and accepted. Your Eternal Question: "What Impression Am I Giving?"

What's Your Power Color?

So me! Thanks Andrea that was cool! :)

July

July is by far my favorite month of the year. It is usually the hottest month where you can spend lazy days at the beach, playing in the water, and just cooking in the sun.

It is also the month I was born. July 27, 1974 to be exact. My parents were living in Hot Springs, South Dakota at the time. My mom had a fairly easy pregnancy (by her accounts) and I came exactly on my due date. (So like me, to be exactly on time!) There is a long standing joke that I resembled a monkey at birth as I had a ton of black hair on my head and all over my body. I have only seen my birth picture once, in a photo album at the hospital I was born in when I was 16. That hospital has since been closed down and I don't know what happened to that photo album. Here I am at 9 months, looking much cuter than a monkey! :)

I am excited to celebrate my birthday this year. I have so much to be thankful for. I have a step-dad, who despite being in my life for the last 15 years, didn't have much of a relationship with me until this last week when we all came together as a family to help my mom. I have a birth-dad who has supported me through everything despite being several hundred miles away. I have three siblings who are the best siblings a girl could ask for. And most of all I have a husband who I love and appreciate and five kids who keep me hopping and keep my passion for life alive. I can't wait to celebrate this years birthday or the next 50 of them. But they don't need to come too quickly! :)

Home again...

Hopefully for awhile this time. We arrived home last night and it was so nice to crawl into my own bed.

I had 11 messages waiting for me on the machine and a stack of mail I had to deal with. Not to mention the weeds that have taken over my flower beds and garden! Who knew they could grow so fast. On the plus side, I had ripe raspberries and I have some tomatoes growing now too. Yummm!

One of the 11 messages was my mom's nurse calling with my mom's phone number at the place she is now living. I guess she got over her anger? Or she wants to rip me a new one? Hmmmm.... to call or not to call, that is the question.

I have much to catch up on, but it is soooo good to be home.

Oh and happy 33.... ummmm.....29th? birthday to my big sister who I love very much! I hope you get to do something fun today!

Almost done...

My mom's hearing was this morning. After 3.5 hours of testifying and the lawyers doing their thing my mom was sent to the state mental hospital. She was mad, very very mad. But it is where she needs to go. Let's hope she will let these doctors help her.

My kids are on their way across the state, due to arrive around midnight and I can't wait!

Talking...

Talking is how I work things out in my head. The more I talk about it the more clear things become and the better I understand myself and the situation I am in. Forgive me if I talk too much....It is my way of resolving an issue.

Jodi is

Teee heeee.... this looks like fun. I got it off of Alison's Blog. You type in your name and IS in a google search and then share your favorite results here. So *drumroll please* here is "Jodi is....."

Jodi is slightly obsessed with cycling. (Really? Why didn't I know that?)

Jodi is weak. (MAN! I was sure I was the strong one in my family!)

Jodi is not concerned with exclusivity and will work cooperatively with other sources. (Getting better....)

Jodi is enormous. (Well okay, I know I need to lose a FEW pounds but sheesh!)

Jodi is not quite emotionally ready. (Ready for what?)

Jodi is humble, quick-witted, inventive, curious, detail-oriented, and gracious. (YEAH BABY!)

Jodi is not only professional, but she is down to earth and friendly. (Oh yea! Now we are getting to the truth! he he)

Jodi is very typey with nice movement, structure and nice bone. (Well that is better than enormous!)

Jodi is outrageously funny and utterly serious at the same time. (Thank you, thank you very much!)

Jodi is the miracle we were looking for. ( I know, I know. You are making me blush!)

Jodi is code stripped of all functionality. (I don't know what that means but it sure sounds scary!)

Jodi is up to her neck in trouble! (Damn, ya caught me.)

Jodi is a real pain in the ass. (Oh yea!?)

And finally: Jodi is dazzling, hypnotic, subversive, ironic, and breathtaking at the same time.

Winding Down

The hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning so soon this will all be done with. Amen!

I talked to my sister yesterday and the kids are doing okay. Becca was crying last night as she realized they were spending the night again without us. Mr. Bill slammed his finger in the door and was very embarrassed/nervous/upset. I tried to talk to him but he just cried and cried. I can't wait to hold all my kids again. Billy is going to see them tonight and spend the night with them to hopefully make things easier. Then he is headed back this way tomorrow. I really miss them all.

Thanks Tee for adding me to the Biggest Loser Blog! I will do my best to lose these pounds I have been unwillingly carrying around for years now. For me the trick will be smaller portions and less junk. My plan is Bran for Breakfast, protein for lunch, and a small dinner. And of course some exercise thrown in. But you can all read more about that on the Biggest Loser Blog! :)

So what have you all been up to?

Note to self:

Next time you leave home for a crisis, make sure you have listed all the people's blog's you read in your blog roll, because otherwise, YOU CAN'T READ THEM!

Oy!

Recovery

Sorry to keep you all hanging for so long. As you can imagine I left to come to my mom on Friday after we got all those phone calls. She lives across the state from me (an 8 or so hour drive). We got here and I stopped at the hospital to see her. She was indeed in ICU and not doing well. She was pretty much unresponsive and did not even know I was there. The doctors said she had a 10% chance of recovering from this infection as it had gone septic (got in her bloodstream). I went to my sister's fearing the worst but shortly after 9 a.m. the next day they called and said she was awake and asking for visitors. Someone was definitely watching over my mom that night. She has since been transferred back to the mental ward as she is completely stable and up and walking. She has a hearing either Thursday or Friday and that will decide what happens to her from here. Her mental state has most definitely deteriorated but I do think the infection added to the delusions she was having.

At any rate she is physically better. I have stayed behind to deal with the legal stuff and Billy took the kids to his sisters on his way home so he could go back to work. He will be back here on Friday. I cannot believe how much I miss my kids (although I really like the sleeping in part. Today I got up at a quarter to 11. Aaaaahhhh, sleep! :) Becca cried as they left to go home but Billy said she was fine a few minutes after they drove away. My big girl.

I am staying at my sister's house and have unlimited computer time so I will try to get caught up in all your blogs and I should be able to update a little more often now that the chaos has settled some. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I missed you all and my blog!

Midnight calls

Last night about 1 a.m. my cell phone and my home phone started ringing off the hook.

My mom has been admitted to the ICU with a severe infection. She is in critical condition and is expected to live 1-3 days if they cannot get this figured out. They don't know where the infection is or what is causing it.

Note to self: STOP answering the phone, it is never good news.

For the Bavinator....

Because she deserves so much more.....

Addicted?

If, as you live your life, you find yourself mentally composing blog entries about it, post this exact same sentence in your weblog.

Life as we know it...

Well it all started on Friday. My mom called rather distraught. Life for her has not been well for about 10 years (mental and severe physical issues) but now things have escalated and she is mentally not stable. She called and told me her life was in danger from my step dad and she needed out of the house now. I called all my siblings to find out if they knew what was going on BEFORE I called my mom since she has this way of blowing little things out of proportion and is rather delusional. None of them knew. So I sucked it up and called my mom.

All I can say is after an hour conversation with her, she has definitely lost her mind, literally.

So I called my siblings to see what our options were and what we wanted to do with her. My step-dad and I talked after I talked to my mom and he agreed she could stay until we figured out where to put her. She is physically unable to take care of herself and honestly she is quite self destructive when not supervised. After spending a stressful weekend on the phone I finally got ahold of some people on Tuesday. Everyone I talked to said the only way to get her help if she is not willing to go on her own is to have her committed.

After many phone exchanges, my sisters and I decided it was the only way to get her the help she so desperately needs. My youngest sister took on the job of going to the police and filling out the paperwork. 15 mintues later the police were at my mom's house loading her into the ambulance and taking her away. (My mom and the police have a history so they knew how urgent this was and they live in a small town)

I don't know what will happen from here. We hope she will show her true colors and they will have her admitted to a mental health facility but we are now dependant on the doctors.

I never thought this day would come, never even dreamed it. This is my mom. The person who gave me life, supported me, loved me, and took care of me. Somewhere along the way that loving person lost her ability to think, function, and cope. She is not the person she was 10 years ago, even the person she was 2 months ago. She is slipping away into her own reality and it does not match the rest of the world's reality. I have been grieving the mom I lost for the last 5 or so years but now it is so real. She is gone both physically and mentally. I do not have her to depend on, to get comfort from, to hold, or to find solace in. She is gone. I pray she will get the help she needs but she is so against the world that I am not sure that is possible.

If you haven't already, hug your mom today.

Oy!

Things are not good here, not good at all.

I do not have time to write about it all now but I will be back soon with details.

Sorry to go missing for so long.