Grouchy but determined

We have been cooking in the upper 90's to low 100's all week and the heat is starting to get to me. When it is too hot to go outside I get cranky. Plus the air conditioners have been on full blast for the past week which makes it hard to sleep. I need a good nights sleep. On top of all that I have some stomach virus that started on Friday. I thought it was nerves because of my interview but it has continued all weekend. Blah.

On a better note,
We are starting demo on the girls room. We will be cutting the hole for the new stairway up to the attic and will be totally gutting the bedroom so we can add insulation and new drywall. At least I can take my anger out on the walls. Pictures to come soon.

Interview Over

They will call me in the next two weeks to let me know if I got the job.

I think the interview went well. They kept asking me questions that related to my previous job and I just kept answering the best I could since I hadn't worked in the last 10 years. Duh!

Anyway I don't want to over-analyze the whole thing since it just makes me nervous so just cross your fingers for me.

What I Found on my desktop this a.m.

There was a banner Billy made for me too hanging over the doorway. I will get the pics of that up later.

32

Yup, I am officially a year older today.

Happy Birthday to me!

Immunity

You know those battery operated toys OTHER people give to your kids. The ones the kids love but have the parents running for the hills?

Oh I am sure you have all received some of these toys.

I realized the other day that I am immune to the powers of these toys. My daughter was given an adorably cute pink and white bear that sings LOUDLY over and over and over. At first it is cute and I listen to the song. Then I get bored and it takes about 2.6 seconds for my brain to shift over to its immunity role.

I seriously don't hear it anymore.

Afterall, I need to save those few precious braincells for the important things like checking my email while pouring the fifth glass of juice for Mr. Bill.

And if the worst happens and they actually invent a toy I can't tune out, I can pretend to not have any more batteries when the toy mysteriously dies after the first day of use.

Mommy-Power!

She is off her meds today

My daughter is playing in the dining room near the window air conditioner. I hear it turn off and then quickly back on again.

I yell, "Marea, What are you doing?"

She comes around the corner, "Nothing."

"Why did you turn the air conditioner off and on?"

"I didn't."

"Um, yes you did. I plainly heard it turn off and you are the only one in there."

"No I didn't do it."

And I have green hairs sprouting out of my head. Yeah right girl!

This is why she is medicated. (Except I forgot to give it to her this morning.) The lure of that little knob was more than her brain power could handle.

I have a job interview

I got a call today and my interview is on Friday.

It is a mindless job but it will get my feet back in the workplace and the hours fit our schedule so the kids won't be in daycare. Plus the pay is good.

Wish me luck!

(And untie the knots in my stomach too would you?) ;)

My Walmart

Say what you want about Walmart. Me... I am in love.

This weekend I went here.

I uploaded 102 photos to the Walmart website. All from the year 2004 when we got our first digital camera. (I haven't printed a single picture to put in kids photo albums since that day).

I ordered 206 pictures (had to get five of several prints).

They will be delivered to my home about a week after I ordered them.

Total cost: 35.00 including shipping and taxes.

My kids' photo albums brimming with new/old pictures: Priceless

Kid Central

I don't have a big family.

At least I don't feel like I do....

Until I go out in public, that is.

Every time we go to a store, park, or even a kid-oriented place like Chuck-e-Cheese people stare.

They are not discreet about it either.

I don't find it in the least bit strange to pick up four gallons of milk in one trip to the store. Or ten loaves of bread either.

What is it about a large family that makes people so fascinated?

It is never any good dwelling on goodbyes. It is not the being together it prolongs, it is the parting. ~Elizabeth Asquith Bibesco

A sure-fire way to piss me off

Went to town yesterday to buy groceries.

Used my new credit card to get gas. No problems here.

Get to town, go to walmart, fill two carts overfull with food and miscellaneous items.

Check out, swipe card, see DENIED.

Be confused. Listen as clerk suggests there may be a daily limit. Reswipe card for a lesser amount. DENIED.

Call 800 number on back of card.

DENIED because of suspicious activity on our account. Two charges in one day and a large amount the second time. She wants to speak to the account holder as I am only an authorized user.

60 minutes on the phone trying to contact our bank (which closes after 5 p.m.) to verify that we are indeed the people we claim to be.

No bank answers the phone. Card still DENIED.

Write a check while cussing to myself. Have to call Credit Card company back tomorrow to fix the problem.

This is a card we will be cutting up unless they pull some serious magic to fix this. What if we had been on vacation in the bahamas trying to rent a motel room? Would they have left us stranded there too?

Seeing red!

Eeek!

I was not prepared for this....

My oldest daughter has suddenly turned cheek and run.

She doesn't like Mom and Dad's music tastes. No more does she want to listen to country music. Even my beloved 80's hits are *yawn* boring to her.

What does she like?

Rap!

My daughter, the one that I gave birth to WITHOUT drugs of any kind, so that she would born normal and with all of her brain cells!

Be prepared to hear me yelling, turn that crap rap down!

I am sooo tired of hearing...

We can't afford that. We don't have any money.

I am tired of hearing it...tired of saying it....tired of feeling it.

When Billy and I were dating we had no money. I worked while he went to his mom's to paint her house and/or finished high school. All of my money went for our wedding.

When we sailed off to college we had hopes and dreams of one day having enough money to buy the things we wanted AND needed.

During college we held part time jobs and depended largely on student loans to get us by. We also discovered welfare. Once you have kids this stuff is too easy to get. (But that is a whole different post).

After college someone kicked off the student loan deferral switch. Suddenly we owed someone money. A lot of money.

We found jobs. Billy doing animation. Me taking care of our two babies. We still aspired to be those wealthy college grads.

Almost 10 years later and here we are living paycheck to paycheck. In short, we have become poor college graduates.

Who says we aren't living the American dream?

Finally Friday...

This has been the longest week EVER. Not for any particular reason but it seems to have been dragging. But it is Friday and my husband will be home in a few hours. Hallelujah! We are forecasted highs in the upper 90's and low 100's. Sweat, Sweat, Sweat!

I will leave you with my new favorite song lyrics for the weekend.... It is my new motto in life.


If You're Going Through Hell
by Rodney Atkins

Well, you know those times when you feel like
There's a sign there on your back.
Says: "I don't mind if you kick me;
"Seems like everybody has."
Things go from bad to worse:
You think they can't get worse than that an' then they do.
You step off the straight an' narrow,
An' you don't know where you are.
Use the needle of your compass,
To sew up your broken heart.
Ask directions from a genie,
In a bottle of Jim Beam an' she lies to you.
Well, that's when you learn the truth:
If you're goin' through hell,
Keep on goin'.
Don't slow down:
If you're scared don't show it.
You might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.
Well, I've been deep down in that darkness,
I been down to my last match.
Felt a hundred different demons,
Breathin' fire down my back.
An' I knew that if I stumbled,
I'd fall right into the trap that they were layin', yeah.
But the good news is there's angels,
Everywhere out on the street.
Holdin' out a hand,
To pull you back up on your feet:
The one's that you been draggin' so long,
You're on your knees; you might as well be prayin'.
Guess what I'm sayin':
If you're goin' through hell,
Keep on goin'.
Don't slow down:
If you're scared don't show it.
You might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.
Yeah, if you're goin' through hell,
Keep on movin'.
Face that fire:
Walk right through it.
You might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.
Oooh.
Instrumental break.
If you're goin' through hell,
Keep on goin'.
Don't slow down:
If you're scared don't show it.
You might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.
Yeah, if you're goin' through hell,
Keep on movin'.
Face that fire:
Walk right through it.
You might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.
Yeah, you might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.

Twice, the number of times I slapped him...

We found the wallet. You will never guess where.

Let me give you some hints.

It was a place I asked Billy to check TWICE.

It was a place he said he did check TWICE.

It was the only place I didn't check.

It goes to work with my husband every single day.

It has four wheels.

It goes vrooom vrooom.

Yep, the car. The one I asked him to look in and then asked him several times if he was sure he checked the whole car.

He is fired I tell you, fired!

Ramblings at the O.C.

I had good intentions of getting in here to post yesterday, but then I had 5 kids all wanting time on my laptop. Oh well.... I am here now and that is what counts right? ;)

Yesterday we got a really good job offer for Billy doing what he loves most, animating. It could turn into something huge if the guy likes Billy's work. I can't give details at this time but if you think of it, please say a little prayer that this becomes a good thing for our family.

I finished a super book last night. It is called Traveling Light by Katrina Kittle. I couldn't put it down. It was about a gay couple who are dealing with an illness and imminent death. I finished the book bawling, but very grateful for my family and the fact that they are still all here. The love the two men in the book share is immense. The author did an amazing job of getting that into her readers. I love books that make me stop and take a look at my own life and/or family.

Speaking of bawling, I started my new bc pills this month and man are they making me all crazy. One minute I am deliriously happy and the next I am sobbing over something really dumb. I hope this levels out over the next few months. If not Billy may be running away. LOL

The wallet is still missing. The kids and I scoured the house to no avail. It cannot possibly be here. I told Billy to call the few places we were on Saturday to make sure he didn't lose it. I am afraid I am going to have to cancel all our cards today if he doesn't come up with anything. I really hate doing that.

I talked to my mom on the phone the other day. She called and said she had some sad news so I called her back. I was nervous, after what happened with her a year ago, she would have nothing nice to say to me. (I have heard through other family members that she goes to the bar still and tells anyone who would listen that I am a horrible daughter, I ruined her life, etc.) She actually managed to hold a conversation and seemed to realize there was a point at which she should contain herself and stop whining instead of going on for hours and hours. Maybe what we went through was a good thing as the outcome is looking brighter.

Other than all that life at the O.C. is quiet and calm and I am enjoying it.

Good Morning to you too!

This morning at 6:30 a.m. my husband comes upstairs and wakes me.

"Don't use the downstairs bathroom. I turned the water off because I discovered this HUGE leak in there." "You can't do dishes either. The water is off in the kitchen too."

I roll over thinking, "Cool! I don't have to do dishes today."

10 minutes later, as I am dozing off again, he comes back and I hear him waking up the kids.

WTF!? Why on earth would he wake all the kids when he is the one who needs to get up and go to work? I look over to the door as he comes in to wake Cassie, who had crawled into our bed last night some time.

He looks at me, "Have you seen my wallet?"

I shake my head.

"I put it on the couch last night and now I can't find it anywhere."

By this time his conversation with me is full of four letter words and other expletives. He is also now convinced that one of our kids stole his wallet.

After he starts slamming drawers and doors, I get up, since I am not going to be able to sleep anyway. "You handle stress so well don't you," I tell him.

I start searching for his wallet, but it is now 7 and he needs to leave for work.

"Just go to work and I will look for it."

He hugs me and leaves.

So here I sit at 7 a.m.. I looked for his wallet but did not find it. No doubt it will turn up in his car or a pair of pants he threw in the laundry.

Cute Overload

I found this site awhile back. It is loaded with cute animal pics. How can you resist this?

Go check out the rest at Cute Overload! Trust me it is worth it!

Cranky

Well, I think we have successfully eliminated the plugs from our house. Mr. Bill hasn't requested one since the heartbreaking episode last week. He seems to have gotten the concept.

But ooooohhhhh is he cranky.

I mean really how can we expect him to take one. more. step. by himself.

And we want him to brush his teeth ALL BY HIMSELF TOO!

And there was the time I expected him to wear his seatbelt, just as he has every single day since his birth.

Oh and don't forget how I force him to sit down and watch ANOTHER cartoon.

We are soooo mean.

Evolution of Dance

I laughed way too hard at this video. If you haven't seen it yet, you must watch!

Reading

The other night my husband so graciously offered to make dinner. I let him get started while I tended to our kids.

Once I finished what I was doing, I went in the kitchen to make a salad. I glanced over at the stove and saw my husband with a box of hamburger helper. That is a fairly simple meal. Just read the directions on the box right?

Well, that works if you READ! My husband had water boiling on the stove and the little package of noodles in the water. The hamburger is browning in another pan. I smirked and said, "Did you read the directions?" (If you haven't ever made HH, just let me say it is intended to be made in one pan AFTER you brown the hamburger.)

He laughed and shook his head. Only my husband could screw up hamburger helper.

Perhaps cooking school is in order, or reading lessons?

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Independence Day!
America truly is an awesome place to live. There are so many places on this earth that I could have been born, in much less than ideal conditions. I am very thankful I was born here. America is great!