Told Ya!

I told you they were little heathens! I finally had to put them all behind bars and show some tough love! That'll teach them to try to grab for my chocolate! ;)

No, seriously I thought I would try my hand at designing and while simple and nowhere near as gorgeous as the one Ro made me, it's not bad for a beginner eh? Don't worry though, I have saved the one that Ro made me and will be bringing it back. I'm just one of those ADD adults who has to have new things to look at constantly or I get bored. lol

So this is the debut of my three heathens' faces. This doesn't mean I will start posting regular pictures of them or anything but I asked their permission to use these and feel okay about doing so at present. Of course, if the person from Reston, Virginia doesn't let me know who they are here soon I may have to take them down as that person is creeping out a little.

These pics were taken during our "Poor Man's Vacation" to Durango, CO and Silverton, CO back in June. It is really beautiful there and I recommend Silverton to anyone who doesn't have adrenal insufficiency. If you do have it then be prepared to get sick as a dog going over the mountain (I sure as hell did and it didn't help that I have a severe fear of mountain roads with drop offs!) ! ;) There is an old jail that you can tour and take pictures inside the cells. Alot of great history there and I loved these pics of the kids.

Lil Man got to ride on Thomas The Tank Engine during Day Out With Thomas as well as do tons of other activities for free. I highly recommend taking your little train lover to it if it comes to your town. The price of the ticket is worth it once you see all the neat free stuff they get to do.

Enjoy and if you would like to read about our week last week then please visit our homeschooling blog- Sona Creidhe as I'm too lazy to post all that over again.

Happy Birthday Sissy!

Today is my only daughter's birthday. I can't believe that this year she is turning 12 and next year she will officially be a teenager. :( The time just goes too damn fast no matter how much you wish it would slow down.

Tonight we are having a slumber party for her and four of her friends. I never thought I would be crazy enough to do this a second time (she had one for her 9th birthday) but here I am. The only reason I did it was because she wanted one so badly and I thought I could do it cheaply. After totalling up everything though this cost me more than the guitar I bought Big B for his birthday. OY!

At least I planned better this time and had a list of games, crafts, gift bag goodies, and other things that they could do and have. Last time I basically was winging it and what a nightmart that was! Last time I did the popular "decorate a pillowcase" idea and ended up with fabric paint all over my dining room table and the carpets in the living room. My husband wanted to choked me for that one! This time though I went with decorating gift bags, prepackaged jewelry making/bead kits, treasure/future maps, facials and pedicures, and CDs with their favorite songs on it. I was pretty proud of myself. lol

Well they ended up mostly just wanting to hang out, paint their nails, eat cake & ice cream, open presents, use Sis' new hair color thingie (washes out), snack, and watch a movie. I was shocked beyond belief especially considering when the girls get together at the park they can get a little wild sometimes. :) . They were fantastic though and things went wonderfully. They didn't do have the crafts or games that Sis and I had planned on but personally I could care less. They had fun and spent time together and that's all that really matters.

As a bonus we told Sis that when they wake up the girls can ask to stay a little later and her friend, E, can ask to stay another night since she will soon be moving out of the country (I'm so jealous).

So the party went over without anything more than a little bit of preteen hormones being tossed around and now I can look forward to (with dread) my little girl turning 13 in 364 days. :( This mommy gig really sucks when they start growing up!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl! You're becoming quite the young woman and I'm so proud of you. You make me madder than just about anyone else but you also make me happy to the point of tears. I'm enjoying watching your journey into womanhood but don't travel too fast okay? I'm still holding on to the picture in my head of a little blonde two year old princess dancing in her little sunflower dress to "Macarena". *tear* Love you sweetheart.

I've Been Tagged...Damn Her!

My blogfriend, Joy, has tagged me for the book meme going around so here it goes...

A book that changed my life- Honestly? There hasn't been one yet. I've read probably thousands of books over the years and none have really been life changing. :( I think the closest I've come so far is Robert Fulghum's "Everything I Needed To Know I learned In Kindergarten". I read that book during a very rough time in my life and being able to let go, realize that life goes on, and laugh at myself were things I really needed to learn.

Right now I'm reading Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain A Survival Manual (2nd Edition) by Devin Starlanyl and hoping beyond hope that it brings me life changing info to help with my Fibro and CMP.

A book I've read more than once- Every book Robert Fulghum has written (own them too. lol)

A book I would take with me if I were stuck on a deserted island- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Hey, if I'm going to be stuck on some stinking island I might as well have a thick "fluff" book because it's going to be a longgggggggg wait! ;) Of course, I think the all in one Chronicles Of Narnia book by CS Lewis is much thicker. Maybe I'll take that. hehe

A book that made me laugh- Be Happy or I'll Scream by Sheri from Bob & Sheri in the Morning (radio program). I couldn't help but laugh because she sounded so much like me and was VERY realistic about how we moms think of our kids, husbands, jobs, homes, and family at times. I definately recommend it.

A book that made me cry- I'd have to agree with Joy on Flowers for Algernon. Totally mindblowing book.

A book that I wish had been written- A book on how to make deadbeats pay their child support without fail. No excuses, no maybes, just plain straight "How To Hire A Henchman And Not Be Traced" and other knowledge filled chapters. Ahhhh I'd like to say I'm kidding but no... no I'm not.

A book that I wish had never been written- Any book the Pearls have written! Their books are good for ass wiping and that's about it because they're shit plain and simple. Agree with me or don't it doesn't matter.

A book I've been meaning to read- Actually I have a few I've been trying to read like Pride & Prejudice, Einstein Didn't Use Flash Cards, and A Yellow Raft In Blue Water. Sadly I have no clue when I will find the time to read them.

I'm currently reading- The afore mentioned Fibro and CMP book, a book about getting your kids to do chores without bitching constantly, and whatever Magic Treehouse Book I happen to be reading to my Lil Man that week.

Blogs I'm tagging- Ummmm I have no clue who hasn't been tagged yet. So if you haven't been tagged and want to do this just leave a comment and I will list you here as tagged. :) Come on, you know you wanna!

There Joy, I did your damn meme! I'll get you my pretty! :p

I'm Brave Not Crazy!!

Or at least that is what I kept telling myself today when I went to the mall...on a Saturday! Nobody in their right mind goes to the mall on the weekend! Okay so not anyone that can't stand large crowds of people like me anyway. :)

Today at the big mall here in town the local Radio Disney station was doing giveaways and had the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well. Lil Man LOVES the Ninja Turtles so there was no way we weren't going to it. Sis was the one who found out about it but she had a surprise party to go to so Big B (with his mohawk fully spiked), Lil Man, and I went by ourselves.

Big B sat with his brother while I went from booth to booth signing up for the prize giveaways. They had Cabbage Patch Kids, Ninja Turtles, and Kandoo booths that were giving things away so I signed the little guy up for all of them. I also got a bag full of freebies which was alot of fun and like an extra treat for Lil Man. After we all sat down they had their RD Frequency singers/dancers do their thing (and they were very good too!) which Lil Man promptly informed his brother "I didn't come here to see this! What the hell?!" Greatttttttttt I have a preschool potty mouth. Lovely. *eyeroll*

Anyway- after the singing and dancing they did their first prize drawings. When it came time for the Kandoo drawing they gave away two shirts and then when it was time for their gift basket (FILLED with all the things Lil Man constantly begs me to get when I buy his Kandoo wipes) guess who won it! Yep, the lil guy's name was called and he promptly walked up to get it. The lady asked him how to pronounce his last name and he clearly and perfectly said it. Then she asked if he needed help carrying his basket to which Lil Man said "No, I'm strong I can do it". LOL.

A few minutes later they asked for three young boys to come up for a contest. Lil Man was picked and went up but when he saw that the contest was hula hooping he informed the lady that he didn't know how to do that. I felt bad for him because he really wanted a Ninja Turtle prize but then they told him that that was fine he still got a prize and gave him a Ninja Turtle DVD. *laughing*

After that he was sad he didn't win more but it was only because he didn't get the whole pick a name get a prize thing. He thought because I put his name in the box that he would win everything. Once I explained it though he told me that was okay because he won really neat stuff. :)

During all this I let Big B go walk around the mall because I knew the poor guy was probably board stiff. When he came back he noticed how cute one of the dancers was and the two of them kept making eye contact. Hubba hubba. Oh and while Big B was walking the mall an old couple stopped him and asked if they could have their picture taken with him! LMAO. I can just hear the story now... "Oh you have to see this picture. When we went to the mall there in *insert city here* this boy with a mohawk came walking by. We just knew we had to ask if he would take his picture with us. It was such a sight! Look at that, a real mohawk!!". *snort*

After the event I took the little guy through Build A Bear where he decided he wants to go for his birthday and then we hit the Disney Store. He of course wanted one of everything and I of course could afford maybe one of something. So we settled for one of the 50% off Lightning McQueen lunch bags. lol.

Big B met up with us there and we walked down to the play area that they have in the middle for little kids. That place is the greatest because your kid can run around like a little heathen and you get to sit down on a cushy seat and just watch them go. It was like heaven to my aching body (my fibro and CMP is going to kick my ass tomorrow!). After 20 minutes there we left and came home where Lil Man got to show Daddy all the stuff he got and won and Mommy got to try to get her second wind so she could make Chicken Parmesan for dinner and now go get Sis from the party here in a few minutes. *raising eyebrow* Daddy is NOT on my happy list today!

All in all it was a great day with my boys and the fact that Big B actually helped with his little brother (there is 11 years between them) and seemed like he wanted to be there made it that much better. I am absolutely loving the homeschooled version of my oldest son. Watching him border between kid and man is an amazing journey and one I hope doesn't end (aka reaching adulthood) too soon.

Tomorrow the Pagan Pride Day festivities! Anyone have any really really good pain meds because I'm gonna need 'em! ;)

Also, be sure to visit Big B's Blog "They're Nuts, I'm Not!" (it's weird but I figure it's his outlet so I leave it alone. lol), Sis' Blog "Life According To Lil Blonde Girl", and one of my best friend's Connie and her blog "Chaos of Four". It's the first blog for all three of them and I'd like them to feel da love too. lol.

Step Two: Embrace Caffiene and Buy A Badass Buffer

Okay I think I'm up for some kind of big fat loser award with this kicking the can thing. It's just not working for me. I went through a 2 liter Saturday because I was stressed out and a 2 liter Sunday for the same reason. My reward for this? Gagging on stomach acid thanks to having GERD. The reflux is a royal bitch right now! I did drink over a liter of water each day though so does that even things out any? :D Can't blame a gal for trying can you?

Today's look into our lives is called "Buff Buff Shiny Shiny & Check Out The Mohawk" (available in stores this fall!). The plot includes me and Big B having a day out together Sunday. We spent some time at the mall mostly just looking around and enjoying hanging out. It was fun getting to hang out with my oldest and look at things I never can with Lil Man in tow. My son even stood there while I looked at women's clothing and jewelry. He never would have done that while he was in public school. It was awesome!

I bought some long necklaces with small beads on them from Claire's. I went for the cheapies because I'm trying to get my neck use to wearing necklaces again. I figure if my neck is still too sensitive from nerve damage then I'm not out much money.

While Big B was in the arcade I allowed a short little Israeli man with pretty eyes sucker me into one of those little stands in the middle of the mall aisle. He said "Lady with the pretty eyes can I show you something?". At that point he could have showed me just about anything because after arguing over the cell with Vin, I needed to hear something nice. lol. So he took out this cool little three sided buffer and started buffing one of my finger nails. When he was finished I acted like a kid who just got a shiny new nickle.

Him- "Do you see how chiny jour pritty fingernail ish now? Very pritty like jour eyes right?"

Me- thinking to myself "Ohhhhh shinyyyyyy"

Him- "Looks very nice right?"

Me- to myself again "Prittyyyyyy shinyyyyyyy"

I ask how much for the buffer figuring that since Vin pissed me off and made me feel ill then I'm spending some of his money. Of course, seeing as the guy is a salesman he asks if he can show me something else. Well duh!!! Like I'm leaving now! So he sprays water on my hands over a bowl, puts some scrub into them and tells me to rub my hands all over. Okay I do it and then he puts some sugar scrub in my hand and I keep scrubbing. Rinse off, add lotion, and the conversation turns to...

Him- "Is nice right? Very very soft and leaffs jour hands feeling so young and new. This all from our Dead Sea. You must visit, very beautiful is the Dead Sea".

Me- to myself "Ohhhhhh softtttttttt"

Him- honestly I didn't hear what he was saying but it contained something about buying this, getting that for free, blah blah blah.

Me- "So how much for the buffer?" I just want the damn buffer and I'm not leaving without it!

Him- "It is $15 and just for you I will throw in the cuticle lotion and shhhh just between you and me, I throw in some extra replacement buffing pads but it's our secret right?"

Me- "You bet" and I'm thinking to myself "Who the hell is he kidding? Everyone would get this stuff for free but I love how he's making it sound like I'M the only person who gets this. Just me. Because I have pretty eyes." lol

After that I left feeling better and smiling like some stupid school girl. The first thing I did when I saw Big B was flip him off in the middle of the mall (whaaat? that was the finger the guy had buffed!) while saying "Isn't it shiny? Check that out!". No clue why people were looking at me like I was some horrible person. ;) We then left the mall and headed out to get Big B a much needed haircut.

Big B has been wanting a mohawk for a very long time but Vin is a little anal when it comes to stuff like this. We are just on two different sides when it comes to these kinds of things. Okay so we're like that with just about everything but still. Anyway- Big B wanted a mohawk but the problem is that he is considering getting a work permit and getting a job. A mohawk wouldn't go over too well with a potential boss. So what to do? We ended up making the mohawk long enough that he can comb it down and look respectable (unless he doesn't add gel and then it is FUNNY AS HELL TO LOOK AT!!!) and we also didn't completely shave the sides. We left them about a half inch or less long.

If he decides not to get a job or can't get one then we shave the sides and dye it black or blue. hehe. Did I mention I'm getting my nose pierced? Oh yeah, Vin's going to keel over on me. lol

Step One: Remove Lips From Can

No I don't mean THAT can but the soda can! I have been a lifelong soda addict (and when I say lifelong I mean mama put milk and Pepsi in my bottle as a baby kind of lifelong) and seriously get migraines when I do without it for over 24 hours.

Lately though I've been trying to kick the habit by drinking more water and taking a caffiene pill once a day to ward off the headaches. It works really well in the fact that I'm drinking a liter or more a day of water but it doesn't work well when I get stressed out (which is every five minutes) and start jonesing for a soda like a smoker does for a cig.

When that happens you can usually find me across the street at the lil grocery store buying a 2 liter that I will have completely torn through by the time dinner arrives. Sad? Yes. Pathetic? Yes? Good for my ulcer? Not even remotely.

So today I ran across this "campaign" Kick The Can and I am hereby pledging that I will also try to kick the habit of drinking soda. My evil nemesis comes in the form of Wild Cherry Pepsi (Cherry Coke if WCP is not available) so as cute as their Diet Coke Kick The Can Button is, I have made my own. LOL.

I hereby vow that I will end cut down on my soda intake and break lighten my addiction.

Hey, you didn't think I was just going to out and out quit did you? Have you SEEN what my daily life is like? Pffttttt I may be screwed up sometimes but I'm not nuts! ;)

The Power Of Comments

I've received some very humbling comments in the last few days on both this blog and our MEN2a blog. Usually comments are just short witty phrases to let you know a person was there. I've always thought comments were alot of fun and can't imagine my blogs without them.

The ones I've had here lately though have honestly set me back on my heels, which is a good thing don't worry. :) People have commented that reading about me and my family has made them want to be more positive and given them hope. That's such a powerful thing to say and I never expected to have it aimed at me. As I said, it's very humbling and appreciated more than those of you who comment could know.

You see, here at home my husband says I bitch, nag, and complain too much (even if I'm just talking about my day it's considered bitching). My kids look at me often in disappointment because I can't take them somewhere they wanted to go. Some days I sit here and do nothing but cry because I feel so worthless and like such a failure. On one hand I know it's not my fault and it's because of the fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, no thyroid, metastic cancer, no adrenal glands, and the meds I'm on. When I think of that I'm proud of myself because I DO try everyday to be the best I can even though I hurt like hell. On the other hand though my family makes me feel like I'm a burden because I can't be the perfect housekeeper, the perfect runaround mom, the perfect teacher, or the perfect playmate. When I look at that side I feel like I have let them down and it hurts. They don't seem to care (specifically one member) but it hurts my heart greatly. Then I see comments like the ones mentioned and I feel like at least something I'm doing matters to someone. Right now you have no clue how good that makes me feel.

As if that wasn't enough, I was checking in on my friend, Robin's, blog just reading and scrolling down when I came to this. It was so unexpected and put me in tears. I never knew she thought that way about me and it honestly made my whole month. Thank you again Robin for being such a great friend. I truly feel blessed.

So this post is just to let all of you who comment know that I appreciate ALL the comments you leave. It's like getting little happy notes in your lunchbox when you were a kid. lol. Thank you everyone who comments on this blog, our MEN2a blog, and our homeschool blog as well. I am forever humbled by your words.

Also, I finally figured out today that a big reason I don't post often anymore is because the pain is just becoming too much to keep up with everything. Sitting in this hard chair typing and trying to finish anything just makes it worse. So I'll do the best I can and hopefully soon the doctors will find something that will disconnect me from the pain a little. I'll keep updating the blogs as I can and fill you guys in as much as possible.

Thank you and blessings to all.

Hugz,
Jo

No Really...It's An Update Post

To everyone who checks this blog frequently- I apologize for not posting anything worthwhile lately. I've had a severe case of writer's block that just would not let go. I even had trouble writing letters to friends and all I had to do was basically answer their questions! lol. So I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things and let you know how life with the heathens is going. For a new twist I'm also going to talk about myself once in awhile too. *insert applause and whistling here*

I have finally realized that I definately have too many blogs which I think is part of why I can never write here anymore. I have a homeschool blog for our "school" stuff, a medical type blog for our MEN2a and cancer stuff, and then this one. Having so many blogs has made it hard to blog here because I'm not left with a whole lot to talk about after I post to the others.

A huge part of our lives are homeschooling, MEN2a, and cancer. In fact, all three play a part in every single day of our lives and when I start dividing everything up into piles of medical, homeschooling, and life in general I find that I've already used all my good stuff on the first two with not much left for the last! :) Thus the reason why this blog has been dying a slow death.

So... I need to rectify this somehow but I'm not sure how to go about it. I honestly don't think people want to hear constantly about Lil Man's funny sayings, Sis' sweetness or sassiness, and Big B's sulky teenager drama. Do they? I know other blogs do that but are there people out there who actually want to hear the little things like that about my family? If so, please feel free to comment and let me know because I could definately blog quite often in that case. lol.

For today's update-

--Lil Man is a smartmouth who doesn't listen yet is so comical about it that you can't help but turn your head and laugh behind your hand ("Uh, Daddy if you are here then we DO have an adult and can stay home. HELLO").

He's fully potty trained now but still has accidents first thing in the morning. I don't mind the accidents but leaving the pull-up on the floor instead of throwing it away is driving me bananas! Rotten child, throw it away!

We read from a Magic Treehouse book every night (two chapters at a time) and we're on #11 so far. I can't believe how much he loves those books! He now wants me to make him Jack and Annie bendy dolls along with a ton of others. I can't decide if this is a good or bad thing yet. :)

--Sis has been rolling her eyes so hard lately that I seriously worry that they are going to just keep rolling and looking like a slot machine waiting to hit payout. She has also very sweetly been playing with Lil Man to which her reward has been him telling her constantly "I wuv you Sissy. You a good Sissy and very nice too. Can you play with me some more"? lol. How can she resist?

She has been enjoying volunteering at the Wildlife Rescue (for more on that read our homeschool blog) and hanging out with her friends. I am so thankful for homeschooling because my daughter now makes friends who accept her for who she is and don't try to change her. I don't get asked anymore for butt showing skirts, crop tops, or shoes with heels on them (which was a constant battle in PS). She has been able to make friends with people of all ages and everyone in the circle (gated community we live in) loves her. She's the local dogwalker and petsitter and doing a great job of it too!

--Big B went to a friend's house yesterday to hang out which was a very good thing with him. Most of his friends since starting to homeschool (actually IN public school too come to think of it) have been girls so his chances of getting to go hang out at someone's house have been slim to none. Yesterday he played basketball, video games, and even got to drink some Big Red which he hasn't done in years. Big B is also contemplating getting a part time job here soon so he has some money of his own.

--Vin basically works, sleeps sometimes, is a bear when he hasn't slept, and enrolled in college classes for the fall semester. I was very proud of him for doing that and also very envious as well. I don't have much to report on him because well, his life is almost as boring as mine. :)

--Me... I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. Literally. If it's not one thing it's another and instead of just getting whiny and crying I get pissed off and stressed out. I'm kind of dumb like that. lol. I wanted to go to college this fall but that didn't happen for many reasons. I'm not going to go into it just simply because it stresses me out.

What else? Oh, according to the doctor's office I've lost 8lbs since December but according to our scale I've only lost 4lbs. Which one is probably right? I don't feel like I've lost 8lbs so with my luck our scale is right. Bugger! I'm starting a new diet on Monday though and hopefully that will help. It's not some fad diet either but mostly just trying to get myself to eat regularly and hopefully lose some weight. I'm going to try to start some sort of exercise as well but it's hard when I hurt all the time (from the fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy BS). I'm getting to the point where I'm just going to start exercising even with the pain and just deal with the effects afterward. I hurt everyday anyway so screw it...might as well enjoy it! ;) Wish me luck.

Other than that alot of our days are pretty much the same and boring which is why I don't post them here. Maybe I should do like some of those MB'ers seem to do and follow my kids around with a notebook waiting for something cute and newsworthy to post. *snort* Nahhhh, my kids might start thinking I like them or something and we can't have that can we? That leads to all that mushy kissy stuff and I hate that....really... I do... okay quit laughing dammit!

Take care and thanks again for reading especially if you just read all that! And drop a chic a comment letting her know you were here...sheesh, it's not like I can't see you on my statcounter people! Show some love. I promise I'll give ya lovin's back. *wink wink nudge nudge*