Life Gets In The Way

 Life isn't always pretty and organized, nor are people.  

We make mistakes (hopefully learn from them) and struggle, but in the end it all works out!

Crap happens! It is life! I know this, but do I really have to accept it; all the time? I guess I do, but I sure as hell don't want to.

In the last two weeks:  My car failed inspection, I needed to pay for my personal property tax (on our cars), but until we can (over $400), my vehicle plates are dead. We found out the owner of our house is going to sell and I NEED a job. Instead of being a work at home mom, I need to find a job outside of my home this summer ( I pray someone is hiring).

I will say, we should have tried to pay gradually on the car taxes over the year but when you are having to juggle just to pay simple bills like power, rent, gas for working (hubby has to drive 2 hrs to work), etc, the personal property tax just doesn't enter your brain.

House: The owner decided to sell the house only after they found out they have A LOT of repairs because the property manager failed to do the yearly inspections that were required. We have been telling them on and off all the repairs that needed to be done (even wrote it all out so they had a list), yet nothing was done.

We are currently house hunting thanks to a contact my husband was able to make through his boss.  Use your network (family, friends, co-workers), you never know what information you may gain.

Car
My car needed rear brakes and a tie rod end, for those that know about cars. We didn't have the money at the time, so we had to bring it home, failed. The shop wanted to charge us between $300 and $400. What a rip off.

I had to ride around with a failed inspection sticker (only a few times) praying I didn't get a ticket. Although, I did tell myself; what is the worst that could happen? I would get a ticket, right? I just didn't want the hassle.

The brakes and tie rod end weren't so bad that it would cause a safety issue; yet, but I still did not want to drive it until the car was fixed (but as I said, I had to a few times, no choice).

I went this past Friday, purchased the rear brake pads and tie rod end along with renting the tool my hubby needed. Parts and tax: $75 I started in on the brakes Friday afternoon, had one side almost completely finished when hubby showed up from work.

He finished the side I started and the other side in less than 30 minutes. At most, with using manual tools (not the air/hydraulic tools the shop has), 30 minutes total for both sides to be complete. Yet, the auto shop wanted to charge almost $200 for my brake job.

Next, tie rod end. He was able to get to that Sunday morning; Saturday was crazy and he couldn't fit it in and he was finished before 11AM.

I swear, I do not even think it took him 30 minutes to complete that job and that  included taking off the front tire (manually, no impact wrench). The tie rod cost $18, renting the tool $15 (we got that money back when we turned to the tool back in) and 30 minutes at most of labor.

Was that really worth the almost $150 they were gong to charge us?

Car conclusion (warning about to type words I do not normally type): We saved a SHIT LOAD, I mean a SHIT LOAD of money taking an hour total of our time. Now I know not all vehicle repairs are that simple, but really; do they NEED to charge triple what it cost us? That is just going to far!

Still working on the personal property tax bill and job hunting!


*I did wonder as I wrote this whether anyone really wants to know such personal money issues, but you know; sometimes you just have to vent.  This isn't whining about how bad my life is, because I know I am truly blessed.  I have beautiful children, a caring, loving husband (with a good job), a roof over my head...you get my drift.  Sometimes life throws us curve balls we are not sure we can hit, much less get a home run from; so thanks for reading/listening!
 

Shoulder Update

Side note: This is a follow up on the surgery I received January 15, 2010 because of a tear of the labrum and bone spurs in my right shoulder.

I went to the doctors for another follow-up exam; 8 weeks from surgery. Have to return in two months. He stated that I am doing well and I seem to be doing better than he anticipated. Apparently I have progressed faster than most patients (he said this)and I say, THANK YOU LORD!

Frustration, a little depression were just two of the emotions I was experiencing at first. Frustrated because I was so limited in what I could actually do and depressed because the household just seemed to be going downhill quickly and I knew I could do nothing to save it from getting worse.

The upside, my children did help tremendously. They helped every way they could think of, the problem was me and my expectations. While they played a role in that frustration by not doing what I asked sometimes, the majority of the time they did accomplish tasks they were given.


Many moms/wives know though, no one in the house can do it the way they can, nor as well. Did we die because the floor wasn't the way I liked it or the bathrooms weren't quite as spotless as I prefer....no, but it sure felt like it at the time. Am I pitiful or what?

Ok, all complaining aside, much thanks goes to my family and friends who helped with dinners, cleaning and anything in between.

While I am not a hundred percent and won't be for months, at least I can wipe my own butt now with my right hand and not rely on my poor left hand which in all honesty was having a difficult time with tasks it was not use to performing.

Sweet 16

My daughter Chels turned 16 March 6th! Yes 16! I cannot believe it either. I remember her sweet little baby face like it was yesterday, chubby cheeks and all. What a beauty she has become.

I am so proud of her for the young lady she is becoming and can't wait too see what kind woman she becomes. While we have the typical teenage drama to deal with at times; talking back and school, she is a very good girl.

Chels wants to become an animal rehabilitator and I so hope she continues, works hard and never gives up that dream.

Happy Birthday my sweet girl and may all your dreams/wishes come true!


Mommy

Friday’s Freebies and Deals

Here are some freebies for you. Enjoy and have a blessed weekend.

Freebies 4 Mom

• Freebies 4 Mom: Christmas Music - 3 Free Songs

I downloaded the Christmas songs that have become available so far. I plan on downloading all of them and making CD’s as gifts.

VF8Y2AD7Z8M7

• 
  Freebies 4 Mom: Free The Coventry Carol Song

Moms by Heart

Baby Cheap Skate

A chance to win a $200 gift card from Baby Cheap Skate as well as two $50 gift cards from Sears.

There is much more at these wonderful sites geared toward us mother’s looking for cheaper and better ways to take care of our families. Thank you to all these site for the time and effort they put forth to bring us this amazing information.

Technorati Tags: friday's freebies,freebies,moms,family,deals

Just Another Day

It is Wednesday and yet I feel like I haven't accomplished much this week. I guess that isn't totally true, just feels that way.

I am taking care of my nephews this week for my brother and sister in law. The boys are adorable and so funny. If I wasn't so tired today I could probably enjoy them a bit more. I think the anti inflammatory I took last night for my shoulder is making a me a bit tired and groggy this morning.

Hope you like the new look!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

I cannot believe this year has passed (it seems) so quickly. I really think the end of the year arrives well before I am ready; well are we ever ready?

I am officially back. After months of sporadic posting and nothing much to say (so I thought), I have decided to pick my blogging back up. It probably helps that I am not really working much right now and any small change I can pick up will help.

The best thing about blogs, they just keep going

I have had difficulty even getting a retail job, now that is sad. Not sure if it is just because there are so many applicants, too few positions or if since I am older (wow almost 40...hehe) and they want younger. Whatever the reason, Kohls, CVS, Walmart, Kmart, Old Navy...etc., do not seem to want this woman who is willing work her tail off to make some extra money for her family.

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I do know that no matter my money making situation, I am very blessed and so much more than many others out there.

Take care!

Apple Picking Weekend

My mother, brother and I traveled to Winchester, VA Saturday and came home Sunday; we had a blast.

On the drive we stopped at a winery and did a bit of wine tasting and had so much fun on the drive taking our sweet time, it took us double the time to get to our destination.

Sunday we picked Fuji apples and ate a few while we were at it. Oh my gosh, can I say how delicious these apples are? Well, I just did and they are! Not only sweet and extremely juicy, but BIG. I mean HUGE!


Here are some pictures from our trip. My brother is in a couple of the photos....enjoy!

Funny Mondays

Okay, I think I finally back on track. Today is Monday and I am supposed to be posting something funny for you guys and gals. For the last few weeks I have totally forgotten when Monday came around. I still think it has something to do with all the weird things going on with me, but hey, such is life. Below are some funnys for you!


From the Good Clean Fun Archive: A new take on an old classic, Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First". Being married to a Costello, I have a special affinity to the "Who's on First" bit. Now, this one is even considered old by today's computer standards, but you can still appreciate that humor.

Costello:  Hey, Abbott
Abbott:    Yes, Lou?
Costello:  I just got my first computer.
Abbott:    That's great Lou. What did you get?
Costello:  A Pentium II-266, with 40 Megs of RAM, a 2.1 Gig  hard drive, and a 24X CD-ROM.
Abbott:    That's terrific, Lou
Costello:  But I don't know what any of it means!!
Abbott:    You will in time.
Costello:  That's exactly why I am here to see you.
Abbott:    Oh?
Costello:  I heard that you are a real computer expert.
Abbott:    Well, I don't know
Costello:  Yes-sir-ee. You know your stuff. And you're going to train me.
Abbott:    Really?
Costello:  Uh huh. And I am here for my first lesson.
Abbott:    O.K. Lou. What do want to know?
Costello:  I am having no problem turning it on, but I heard that you should be very
careful how you turn it off.
Abbott:    That's true.
Costello:  So, here I am working on my new computer and I want to turn it off. What do I do?
Abbott:    Well, first you press the Start button, and then
Costello:  No, I told you, I want to turn it off.
Abbott:    I know, you press the Start button
Costello:  Wait a second. I want to turn it off. Off. I know how to start it.
So tell me what to do.
Abbott:    I did.
Costello:  When?
Abbott:    When I told you to press the Start button.
Costello:  Why should I press the Start button?
Abbott:    To shut off the computer.
Costello:  I press Start to stop.
Abbott:    Well Start doesn't actually stop the computer.
Costello:  I knew it! So what do I press?
Abbott:    Start
Costello:  Start what?
Abbott:    Start button.
Costello:  Start button to do what?<br />
Abbott:    Shut down.<br />
Costello:  You don't have to get rude!
Abbott:    No, no, no! That's not what I meant.
Costello:  Then say what you mean.
Abbott:    To shut down the computer, press-
Costello:  Don't say, "Start!"
Abbott:    Then what do you want me to say?
Costello:  Look, if I want to turn off the computer, I am willing to press the
Stop button, the End button and Cease and Desist button, but no one in their right mind presses
the Start to Stop.
Abbott:    But that's what you do.
Costello:  And you probably Go at Stop signs, and Stop at green lights.
Abbott:    Don't be ridiculous.
Costello:  I am being ridiculous? Well. I think it's about time we started this conversion.
Abbott:    What are you talking about?
Costello:  I am starting this conversation right now. Good-bye.

From the same site:

"An abstract noun," the teacher said, "is something you can think of, but
you can't touch it. Can you give me an example of one?"



"Sure," a teenage boy replied. "My father's new car."

This one cracked me up from Giggles and Laughs.

Dear Mom,

$chool is really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With
all my $tuff, I $imply can't think of anything I need, $o if you would like, you can just
$end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.

Love,

$u$an

P.$. Thank$ for $ending the $weater.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Susan,

I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an
hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you
can never study eNOugh.

Love,

Mom

P.S. Thanks for your NOte!!

Enjoy and have a wonderful Monday!

First Ju Jitsu Tournament

My hubby had his first Brazilian Ju Jitsu tournament on August 2, 2008. Don't laugh and no he isn't THAT old! Yes, he is 37 years of age, but has lost almost 20 pounds from Ju Jitsu training and is having a blast. I can honestly say that Ju Jitsu has definitely improved him not only physically, but mentally and I am sure it is a great stress reliever.

The point of this post is to showcase my husbands work and how proud we all are of him! He may not have won his first match, but he sure as hell tried and put his all into the match. His black belt even told him he did really well.

This picture shows the start of the match. My hubby is the one being taken down and his head/chin is on his opponents back. Fortunately, he did not get taken down, not yet at least. This match was exciting, amazing and our children loved watching their dad. It was wonderful to see our children rooting for their dad and we had a blast, as a family, supporting DAD!

Below is the slide show with the tournament photos:

Technorati Tags: brazilian ju jitsu,tournament,children,family fun,ju jitsu fight,opponent,dad

Proud Wife

What can say? I love my husband; even if he does get on my nerves most of the time.

That being said, I am so proud of him!  He was able to attend graduation ceremonies

Saturday evening and once he finishes his last three weeks of class, he will officially have a BS in IT (Information Technology) with an emphasis on MIS (Management of Information Systems).  His next goals are the certificates that can only help him in the long run; those include Cisco and Microsoft Certifications.  From what I understand, they are not easy cert's to pass.  He will need to do a bit more homework I guess. 

I have some wonderful pictures, but somehow missed the one of him actually crossing the stage.  I hoping to get that one from his mom, who of course was there to cheer on both hubby and his brother.  Yes, can you believe it; both of them graduated at the same time.  They pretty much do these type of things together, cracks me up.  They work together, went to school together and even have wives with similar names...sister-in-law is Laurie and I am Laura...weird huh?

As you can see, he is one handsome fellah!  He is the one smiling!

 

Now, as usual for a family of five (seven if my older two girls are visiting); we have pretty busy weekends.  This past weekend was no exception!  Unfortunately we had to wait until the last minute to purchase a dress for my daughter Chels (14), who had a semi-formal dance to attend at school last Friday night.  So I was quite busy after the kids came from school that day.  I am not sure if her school does this every year, but this year the 8th graders got to have this dance and attend an after party.  Chels had tons of fun and was oh so cute, well cute may not be the right word.  After all, she IS 14...HAHA...as she would say.

 

She definitely looked older and more grown up!  What amazed me was the transformation Saturday after her hair was cut for Locks-of-Love; WOW!

 

Back to the dance and after party. 

 

Chels had a great time at the dance, but apparently wasn't too interested in dancing with any boys.  She told me there aren't any at her school she likes, so I guess that is good, right?  The after party rules were that a parent had to attend with their child.  The 8th graders and parents got to enjoy a ton of pizza and the fun that comes with being at a sports park.  Go-cart racing, batting cages, mini golf were all available for 10 bucks.  Not a bad price huh?  I was going to play and tag along with Chels, but she was having so much fun with her friends I decided to hang back.  Not knowing the other parents, I was kind of bored.  Thankfully, one of the girls from our neighborhood showed up with her dad and since I have met him and sort of know him, we chatted for a bit.

 

I know, all that is so interesting isn't it?  Well, it does get a bit better.  Chels comes into where we were sitting just about in tears.  Apparently she went to the batting cages and the pitching machine wasn't aligned correctly.  Because of this, when it pitched the first ball, Chels had to step back.  Unfortunately, she didn't do it fast enough because the baseball hit her thumb at 31 mph.  I had a feeling it was broken by the way it looked.  It swelled immediately, purple, blue and black almost as quickly and the pain never subsided. 

So off to our friendly Orthopedist that we know oh too well.  Yep, she fractured the upper joint closest to her thumbnail.  It is more of a crack, but still.  They put her in a type of splint I hadn't seen before; called a stacked splint.  Because of the swelling, even that hurts.  As usual though, she is tough and is getting along just fine.

 

Saturday we spent getting our hair cut (all three of us girls), more shopping and sweating our fool heads off.  Omg, it was so freaking hot and humid!  With the A/C out in my car and leather seats, driving around town was not the idea of fun for me.  Saturday night was the graduation and we had dinner after.  Thankfully Sunday, I vegged!

Here is another picture from the graduation and you can even see their cute hairstyles!

 

 

 

Technorati Tags: after party,brothers and sisters,BS in IT,dance,family fun,graduation,hair cuts,MIS,teenagers

My Daughter: Her Knee

Chel is still having problems, although, in the scheme of things, better than before.

The Chondromalacia Patella has not improved, yet I cannot say for sure if that is my fault of poor Chel's body?!  I will elaborate!

 

Good Mom/Bad Mom?

She is supposed to be receiving physical therapy to add in strengthening one side of her knee and until this week I just couldn't afford to send her.  It isn't necessarily expensive, but with everything that has been going on, an extra 20-30 bucks a week to visit the physical therapist was just a bit too much.  Because of this, Chels has had to wait and we have not been able to find out if the therapy will actually work.

On one hand I feel like a complete failure as a parent, on the other, I know it was either therapy or giving up something else, such as prescription drugs, food or gas.  Which one too choose?

Now, Chel has been moving around and trying to get as much exercise as her knee can handle, so it isn't like she sits on her butt all day; unfortunately, because school can be difficult for her to maneuver, she has missed quite a bit and it is causing her grades to suffer.  I personally feel she would have A's and B's right now, instead of C's and one D if it weren't for this problem.

I will be contacting physical therapy and her doctor today to see what we can do; hopefully the therapy will help and she will feel better in a couple of weeks.

 

Technorati Tags: knee pain,chondromalacia patella,chels,therapy

Update on Daughter's Illness

*Note*  My daughter's pediatrician is not the type of doctor that jumps up and immediately thinks something is wrong if there is not evidence.  She does not perform tests or medicate unless she feels it is warranted.

 

That all being said, yesterday was a tad bit worrisome, but I am better today.  I am not the type of parent who automatically thinks something really bad is happening.  I am more the type of parent that people look at say, "Why can't she be more sympathetic?".  From the time my children were little I tried to make sure my hubby and I didn't make a big deal about injuries, whether minor or major.  Because of this my children tend to handle injuries and illness pretty well. 

This incident has scared me and I would be lying if I stated otherwise.  I hate making a big deal about a possible illness, but this just has me baffled.

We re-visited the doctor yesterday and blood was drawn.  Because my daughter Chels already has an autoimmune disorder (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis) she is use to having her blood drawn. 

Her symptoms

Painful muscles (leg and arms), swollen and stiff joints (fingers, toes, knees and neck), a few hot joints, severe headaches, no fever, no other signs of illness. 

The pain has been so bad at times she cried for a couple of hours almost straight.  Symptoms are at the worst in the morning, but last all throughout the day.  She has had some other symptoms over the last six months that haven't made any sense, so hopefully all of this will shed some light on that too.

What the Doctor Says:

While we don't want to think the worst, her pediatrician has recommended for Chels to see a pediatric rheumatologist for possible Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis.  The pediatrician is also having her blood tested for a varied list of viruses that can invade the body, but are not necessarily looked for in a typical office visit.  Chels's pediatrician has recommended I give her high doses of anti-inflammatory medication such as Advil (she gave us a prescription for 800mg) and she has to take an antacid so the ibuprofen doesn't affect her stomach.

 

Where We Currently Stand:

Chels seems to be able to handle the swelling and stiffness a bit better with constant ingestion of ibuprofen.  She is still having issues, they are just lessened with use of the medication.

We have received the results for some of the blood work, but nothing conclusive.  Her CBC panel seems to be within normal ranges (so far), but her white cell count in on the low side of normal.  The doctor told me that we really need to wait until all of the results come in so that it can be looked at as a whole.  Ugh, I hate the waiting game.

Hopefully I will have more news tomorrow.

 

Technorati Tags: sick child,lupus,rheumatoid arthritis,symptoms

Worried Mother

I have been so worried about my daughter Chels (13) since yesterday morning.  She awoke with all over body pain and a horrible headache.  I figured flu, that is the most reasonable conclusion to draw, correct?

She does not have the flu; the doctor performed a flu test.  I do not want her to be sick, but I would rather her have the flu, at least then the doctors would be able to give her a viral medication. 

The doctor did a finger prick to see how her white blood cell count is doing.  It was low (I did not ask how low...dummy me) indicative of a virus.  By last night though I was calling the doctors office back.  She was in so much pain in her legs she was crying every few minutes and that is just not like her.

I started asking her more questions like, "Where did the pain first start?", "What hurts the most?"...etc, etc.  Apparently her feet and legs hurt the most yesterday morning along with her headache (although everything seemed to hurt to some degree).  By last night it was mainly her legs and knees.  Now during all of this she has complained of a tightness in her joints, which is a sign of some type of inflammation in the joints.

She could barely walk last night and after speaking with the doctor, we decided not to take her to the hospital because they really wouldn't do anything anyway; except makes us wait for 6 hours to be told to follow up with the pediatrician.  I do not think the doctor wanted her exposed to the numerous people who may be in the emergency department with the flu; as the flu season has peaked here in Virginia.

We went to sleep (although I don't think she slept all that well).

This Morning

Well, not surprising I ended up having to call the doctors, yet again.  This morning she is complaining of her knees and hands hurting, with the arms hurting more.  Now I have just noticed redness on her knuckles of her left hand.  They are not producing any heat that I can tell yet, but this is just getting worse not better and I have to be honest, I am a worried.

She cannot make a fist, it hurts her to bend her knees, walk, stand up straight and even sit.  She does the best laying down and being completely still. 

We have another appointment for the doctors this morning and they will draw some blood.  Keep your fingers crossed, because right now, I am really concerned for my girl.

 

Technorati Tags: sick child,pain,stiffness,swollen joints,worried mother

Children, Hair and Lice: One Mom's War With the Nit Monster!

I was reminded of this incident because of a recent post at Fenicle:  Sticky Tack Drama

No, not Knit, Nit!  Nit as in the eggs of hair louse. 

This happened some years ago; well, sometime around 1996 or 1997.  I received a lovely note home from the nurses office at my children's school letting me know they had contracted lice.

We were living in a rather rural area so I wasn't really all that surprised.  With four children, two adults and a home to treat; I was not looking forward to this endeavor.  Hubby and I purchased the treatment kits, we thought we were following the directions and as far as we could tell, all signs of the lice were gone. 

The children went back to school and in a couple of days, they were back home; infested, yet again.  I am sure I screamed, cause at that point in my life I was a basket case anyway.

While I may have a cluttered house at times, it isn't dirty, but then again, lice prefer clean (hair) to dirty....I bet you didn't know that!

Now that all of the product was gone from the first treatment we had to purchase more. We spent approximately $200 for these two treatments.   This time I made sure I followed the directions and even bought one of those metal nit combs that are supposed to be better (which they are) and cause irritated, irrational mothers to pull hair out of their little one's heads.  Of course that doesn't describe me at all.

Of course the house was retreated...etc, etc.  You get the process! 

Can you believe that didn't get rid of them?  I had finally had it!  My children had missed school because we couldn't get rid of the nits and I found out that if even one, one little measly nit is left, you will be going through the whole process again in about a week.

I spoke with the nurse, she advised us of some home remedies to try...yea; okay, that didn't work. 

Being the rational mother I am, I sat my children down (all girls by the way) and started shaving heads.  While you may think this is harsh, several months of treatment and hours of nit removal didn't work; what would you have done?  We couldn't afford to go to the doctor for a prescription type and the doctor told us that our youngest couldn't use it; we were stuck.

I didn't shave them bald, just short enough so that the nits had nothing to stick too and when using the nit comb, the nits were found easily.

As a mom, I was devastated.  I didn't want to cut all my girls beautiful hair, but I knew it would grow back.  Now my children weren't so understanding.  My younger two at the time didn't care, but the older two actually got mad at me and thought I did it to hurt them.  Oh, I was so upset.

We got through that though, their hair grew back and we accomplished what I had set out to do; I GOT RID OF THE LICE and the NIT MONSTER!

 

 

Technorati Tags: children,hair,lice,schools,parenting

Ubber Crazy Day!

I have been ubber crazy (yes I said 'ubber') today. I found a press release that I wanted to write on bright and early then after submitting that to AC (Associated Content); I noticed a new Call 4 Content (C4C). I was really excited about this one because it dealt with the HUGE story surrounding Michael Vick's sentencing on federal dog fighting conspiracy plea.

So I started on this article immediately and still barely made the deadline. I figured because I am from Virginia and in the Richmond Metro area, that it would be a breeze. Boy was I wrong! I still had to make sure my opinion was based on accurate facts; but I will say, having it broadcasting at the same time I was writing the article definitely helped and yes, I cited sources.

I finished the article 'just in time'. I really had no time to spare! Now, I am just waiting for approval; which I hope comes in a hurry. Come on now, I need this for my ego, don't they know this? *snickers and rolls eyes*

After all of my excitement and visiting a few forums; I got some additional inspiration. To discuss some funny things that happen in an average, every day family, that would normally embarrass the hell out of us as parents.

How about that time when one of your children walks in on you and your spouse; during the most inopportune moment?

I remember a specifically having one of my five children walking in when hubby and I were 'working it'; we will call it 'horsey style'. Now, I am not one to get extremely embarrassed over this, because I feel that hey, I am married and I am an adult; this is what I am supposed to be doing, right? Well, my child wasn't even freaked. He was so out of it (more than likely sleep walking) that he didn't even notice 'how' mommy and daddy where playing horsey. He did make a comment; something to the affect of "Mommy, daddy, what are you doing?" And you give a response like, "Oh honey, we were just playing (or wrestling as some say) around, now go back to bed." Son says, "But mommy, I am scared I had a bad dream." Well, by now 'horsey' is not 'feeling it' and neither is the rider. We have done what parents are supposed to do, right? Become more concerned about our little one than ourselves. Well, I can say that isn't always the case.

Case in point! One of my four girls (at the time she was about 10-11) had a habit of not going to sleep when told. She was one of those that liked to stay up late and sleep late. Well, hubby and were having our usual 'play time' and I hear this knock (yes our door was locked). Mid stroke (yes I said that), both hubby and I look at other like; GREAT, what the freak does she want? So I yell out, "yes, what do you want?" She proceeds to call back, "Mom, can you please be quiet, you are being too loud!" Oh my gosh, I just about lost a lung laughing so hard! I yelled back and in no uncertain terms informed her that if she didn't go back to bed she would be in trouble; then I told her I would be quieter. So, for the rest of the night, 'play time' incorporated a pillow with my face buried in it.

Why do I tell you these things? Because as a parent and an adult, I can! Will some people find this offensive, yes, probably? To be honest, I don't want to offend anyone, but isn't sex natural? Isn't it a gift from God, just like our children? If we cannot discuss some of the ups and downs of parenting life truthfully, then what is the point of discussing it at all?

Have fun and I will make sure that I bring you some more fun stories from our family to yours!

Family weekend fun

Do you mind me whining? I think I am entitled; right? After five kids, husband, cat and snake; I should be tired right? Well, let me add in a weekend long soccer tournament that Low was in, hubby had to work all weekend (nights). It was just me and the kiddos.

All was not bad! Two of them got invited to a friends house to spend the day and night with; so Low and I had this time all to ourselves. Low is eleven and loves her soccer. It is her first year playing and she is doing very well; even some of the parents on the opposing teams made comments on how well she did in goal. But see, I transgressed. I need to get back on point....my pain! That is alll that is important right? Me? Not the fact that even though my daughter's team lost, they did awesome; or the fact that she has been hurting because she is not used to playing three games in two days. Na, didn't think so! The only one who matters is ME. Oh I crack me up sometimes! All kidding aside; I really am hurting. As some of my readers already know; I have a herniated disc; so certain types of activities cause quite a bit of pain. I also have tendonitis and what is diagnosed as a "shoulder impingement". The reason I bring this up again is explained further:

I went with Low on her field trip today to a local mine. Now, in order to find anything at this mine, you are put in some awful positions; like squating, bending or sitting on big rocks just so you can dig up the dirt to dump in a five gallon bucket. Once you have the bucket full or almost full; you take it over to the water troughs and use the screens to clean the rocks so that you can see what you have collected and pick what you want. Well, can you guess what a five gallon bucket; 3/4's full of dirt and rock; some the size of baseballs weighs? I don't, but I can say it was at least 20lbs.

While 20lbs isn't a huge amout; it is when you are having back/shoulder issues. So, by the end of our 4 hour visit; I was in quite a bit of pain. It didn't really settle in until I layed my butt down at home for some much needed rest. I went to get up to go to physical therapy and just wanted to cry. My therapist treated me well though and I did manage to get some of my exercises accomplished. So all in all, the pain didn't stop me too much. I just wanted to whine! Now, can I have some cheese?

Back to Low and her soccer. So now that I told you where some of my pain came from; I will tell you this; sitting in the cold air Saturday from 11am to 4pm didn't help the ole shoulder either. But I think Low had it a bit worse. She was the one getting all of the exercise in goal. Both Saturday and Sunday she had some awesome saves (diving, falling, sliding, jumping) and all I can say is that I am so proud of her. Now, she is also whinning; so with my hubby being off tomorrow; you might want to warn him of the two whinning girls in his house. Hubby might just want to leave so he doesn't have to put up with us! :)

Yes, I have been neglectfull....Sorry!

I am going to make a concerted effort to start blogging again. I had gotten so wrapped up in my "at home" business that all of my fun times on here suffered. But alas, no more!

So, if you are interested in an update; here is a synopsis of my life since my last post!

I turned 37 May 29th of this year....woohoo. Only three more years and I hit the big 40. But didn't I just hear something about 40 being the new 30? Whatever the hell that is supposed to mean, right? My eldest daughter turned 18 on the 30th--yes, the day after my birthday.

So I really started feeling old knowing I now have an 18 year old in college. Geesh, someone get my a drink! Please!

Logan, another daughter turned 11 in June and Heather turned 16. So I now have 18, 16, 13, 11 and my son who is 8 and will be 9 in January. Wow, I am old!

At the end of the summer we had our first vacation as a family in years. It was absolutely wonderful. We were in Nags Head and I went boogie boarding....oh what fun. We had so much fun we wanted to stay longer; but unless you are made of money or can grow it on trees, that wasn't happening. I did get quite irritated as I normally do with the freaking stupid drivers. People think just because they are in another state they shouldn't do the speed limit. Of course, many were residents; but get a grip people. If you are going to drive, at least do somewhere close to the speed limit. I don't how many times we went down the main drag and people were doing 15 to 20 miles under the speed limit. Just so you know, the limit is 50mph; so going 30mph is a big deal when you are doing the speed limit and come up on someone going that slow. Definite road hazard.

All was great until the last day. I noticed my back was sore but for the life of me couldn't figure out why. Now, take into affect that I had been doing quite a bit of driving and of course the boogie boarding and getting knocked on my arse by the waves. HEHE! I wondered why I was sore? That is laughable isn't it?

The drive home was excruciating and that is not an exaggeration. At times the pain was so bad in my lower back I wanted to scream. By the time we got home (after driving 3-4 hours) I wanted my husband to shoot me just to put me out of my misery. I am sure at times he wishes he could do that; but this time he was just nice enough to help me out.

I rested for about a week or so; doing absolutely nothing because of the pain and it seemed to be getting better. SEEMED; what an interesting word. After a week of some relief, the pain was back full force and just kept getting worse. After another week or so I had had it and decided to visit my doctor. He initially put me on anti-inflammatory, pain meds and a muscle relaxer. Within 3 days I was calling crying the pain was so bad; at this point he had me going for physical therapy which helped cause more pain. We finally decided that I needed an MRI.

I thought maybe there was something going on because the pain was so intense. But I didn't really think it was anything that couldn't be taken care of through time. Boy was I wrong! I have been on physical therapy and a mix of drugs including a course of steroids for over two months and it isn't getting any better. With the results of my MRI finally in; we could make a more educated decision.

NEUROSURGEON

I visited the Neurosurgeon yesterday. Although my choices for treatment of the now diagnosed L4-L5 "large" disk herniation along with a L5-S1 bulge aren't much different from what I have been doing; there is one or two slight variations. Now I am scheduled for an epidural steroid injection along with the possibility of having back surgery.

I am trying to hold off on the back surgery decision until I see how these injections fair. I do not want surgery unless it is absolutely necessary. Although not being able to move, stand, sit and even lay down for any length of time is difficult; the worst is the pain I get in my "love triangle" region and the numbness. Which at times can interfere with "bodily functions"! Yes, you just need to know that correct? LOL

So, aside from all of that drama the family and I are doing well. The kids are doing well in school, Logan is playing soccer and my 13 and 8 year old want to join in on the soccer playing as well. It definitely helps that my husband played soccer for most of his young adult life; so he is our family expert when it comes to all things soccer.

Family humor

So those of you with little boys and those that are boys/men will enjoy this bit of humor from my family that happened this weekend.

I had my daughter go take a shower, well my son who is only 8 decided he wanted to take a bath with her...no biggie. He is old enough to notice "things", but still innocent enough that hey, a shower/bath with sis is no big deal....well....here is what transpired.

So my daughter asks me in the car Saturday if Ian told me what happened in the bath tub the night before? I stated, no and she asked him if he wanted to tell me; he vehemently stated no, she could tell me. Anyway, she proceeds to tell me that her brother asked her a question about his penis. I think she even said the word "penis" which of course I was quite impressed; only because she gets so embarrassed about these things; as children should....right?!! Her brother was having issues with his not "going down"; yes I said that! My 8 year old had an erect penis...poor guy. He doesn't really understand why this happens (of course neither do I); only in the sense of it happening so randomly.

Now you know of course I had to giggle. He was so serious; he did decide to get in on the conversation once his sister let the cat out of the bag so to speak. He was like, "Mom, why does it do that?" "It wouldn't go down", he said again. His sister laughed and told me that she told him not to worry and that she didn't know either.

I explained that sometimes these things just happen to boys and not too worry. There is nothing wrong and it is perfectly normal.

What a conversation to have while your driving in Saturday traffic!

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So I remember another instance where my son and his penis became part of our conversation. This one just between he and I.

He awaken one morning when he was about 4 or 5ish of course to; what else? An erect penis. For those that don't have kids or boy; yes, this is normal. All boys get erect penises during sleep or wake up with them; even babies. It is just part of their anatomy.

I noticed he kept pushing on his underwear. I asked him, "honey, what's wrong?" He said," Mommy, it won't go down and it is bugging me." I laughed so hard. He must of thought mommy was totally nuts. Well, anyone who knows me knows I am nuts...but that is beside the point.

I advised him that it would "go down" eventually and not too worry. He finally left it alone; but I will have these conversations ingrained in my head for years to come. I can't wait until he gets married; oh the stories I will tell. :)

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My new laptop for my business: