Updates

My brother is doing better, he gets to get off morphine tomorrow. All his doctors were shocked on the size of his spleen. His blood counts are the best they have been in a very long time. The pathology report will still be another week or so, but Mackie should be leaving the hospital sometime this weekend. My Aunt Mary is slowly dying. My sister and I went to see her tonight, she was in a lot of pain, and she's getting morphine hourly. She is unable to talk, she had one eye open the whole time we were there, and when I sang Amazing Grace to her, she opened the other. Aunt Mary looks so much like my Mom, it was hard to see her.

The birthday girl had a good day.

I woke her with breakfast in bed, and gave her #10 charm. She went off to chorus and school, just 10 minutes late, only because of Rachel, goofing around whining about this or that, and getting on my nerves.. I picked up her cupcakes at the store and took lunch in for her. Pat was off today, he came to lunch too, she was so surprised to see him, walk into her classroom. She knew I was coming, but I didn't tell her, her Daddy was. Tonight at school was literacy night, so for her birthday dinner she had pizza. She did a few things in the classroom, but had to go to girl scouts. She brought cupcakes to share that I made for her troop.

Perfect 10!

10 years ago at 4:32 PM, my beautiful much awaited and wanted daughter was born! It doesn't even seem possible that she could be "double digits" already! She is my shinning star and I am so proud of her. She's also my "busy" girl and holds many interests. While I worry that she will not be able to do them all she takes it all in stride and puts her everything into all she does, whether it's dancing, gymnastics, chorus, girl scouts, student council, and her education. I love you Sarah, Happy Birthday!

What a relief!

Today, my big brother, Mackie had surgery to remove his spleen. The doctor was very surprised to find it a lot larger than he thought it was. Thank God it didn't rupture. The doctor also found a second spleen, that my brother was born with. This is a very rare thing to happen. But given mine and my sister's history of weird medical issues I'm not all that surprised. Mackie is still in recovery, please pray that he continues to do well.

Celebrate...Celebrate

Last night, Sarah got to celebrate her 10 birthday with her 2 best friends. One of the girls wasn't able to spend the night, but the girls packed in lots of things in a few hours. Pizza, presents, chatting with their Nintendo DS', scrapbooking, making a sleep mask, watching a movie, having a PJ fashion show (which was totally funny, the girls modeled and Joseph told jokes between girls). Pat and I watched "Click" in our room with Joseph, while the girls watched Cheetah Girls in the family room. The girls were asleep by 11:30. We had to Sarah's surprise Pop-tarts for breakfast (I haven't bought them in probably a year). I gave Sarah and Rachel their birthday cards from their Great Aunt early and we went to Gamestop to get games for the Nintendo units, then they let me go to Michael's and we went to Subway for lunch. A little later, Rachel's friend came over, and all 4 girls played great. They just left, that was one long, good birthday celebration for Sarah! Now we gotta eat and get ready to go to their Uncle and Aunt's house for more celebrating. Sarah, Rachel and a cousin have birthday's 9 days apart so we'll celebrate all 3 special girls altogether. :)

shadow

Today was Sarah's field trip to the state capital museum. I love how this picture turned out. Pat went with her today as a chaperon.

What a Goof!

Last night, I was so tired, I fell asleep on the love seat, then went to bed at 10 and fell right back to sleep. I actually got 7 hours of sleep before waking up once. This morning, I was laying around while I did some laundry, my left eye was really bugging me, it felt like there was something in it. After I finished the laundry, I'm getting dressed and putting in my contacts, and lo and behold what was in my eye was my contact. I had totally forgotten to take them out last night. I remember going to the bathroom in between the love seat and bed, and thinking about my contacts, but I thought I had already taken them out. Guess NOT! Oops!

Games

Tonight while Sarah and Joseph were at scouts, Rachel and I played charades, well she acted out movies and I sang song from movies. I thought I was sounding pretty good but, Rachel says to me "why is your voice all bumpy?" I guess I just sounded better to myself because my ears are all plugged up. I guess I'll never make it as a singer.

Never Ending

Yesterday morning- first Rachel who had a lovely weekend, and a lot of that apart from me couldn't go to school without me. Well, that was not going to happen, since the oldest 2 had to go to the orthodontist. When I left Pat, I seriously said, I'll go fight traffic and you can fight with her. It took forever at the ortho, (like I had time to read 2 magazines and the Arizona Living section of the newspaper) since Joseph had the pull thingy put in at the oral surgeon, Dr. M wanted to get the arm thingy put in. (I have no idea what all these thingy's names are so they are thingy's, when they tell me these things, I think there is no way I'm going to remember what they are called, so I don't pay much attention) Dropped Joseph off at school first, because I had a few things to do at Sunrise. Rachel who couldn't go to school without me was totally fine without me. Came home and laid down for a little while. Sarah had student council yesterday after school. Rachel was great getting ready for dance, until we get there and she puts on her taps shoes but they are too tight. We have a big issue, she wants to wear the shoes she wore in the car, except they are Sarah's and are way to big, and won't even stay on her feet, after a few minutes of arguing, I leave her at the dance studio to decide for her self what she's going to do. Pick Sarah up and we go back to the dance studio and Rachel is happily dancing. Why does she do this to me? UGH I was supposed to go to my book club last night but I thought my head was going to explode, this cold is getting worse and worse by the day. Some how, I got the girls in bed and asleep right away, but not so lucky with Joseph, who kept turning on a TV, while he was supposed to be getting ready for bed. I did finally get him into his room by 10. Between by head, nose, chest and ears being stuffed up, I thought the night would never end. Rachel was going to start to freak out this morning, but some how, I convinced her not to cry. I wished I could figure her out.

Long Weekend

Bingo Night at school on Friday night. Not a large turn out, but a turn out, so we could say that it was a success. I'm sure the rain keot people away. Joseph was going to be out number caller, but right before we were to start, Pat and he are having an issue about $6.00 disappearing from the counter that morning. I guess Pat was just trying to find out what happened to it, but Joseph thought he was being blamed. (we still don't know what happened to the money) Joseph gets really mad and wants to walk home, I'm on the stage in front of this small crowd of people trying to quickly figure out what's happening, I quickly figure out that it's going to take much longer, and we need to get started. SO who gets to be the caller? ME! YIKES! I was having a very hard time trying to hold a microphone, talk into the microphone (remember I've been fighting a cold, so my voice is not in the best of shape for this), spin the thingy, and dropping a little ball. The balls were flying all over the stage. Into the second game, one of our P.E. coaches walked in, I was never more happy to that man ever. He took over after that game. Our other P.E. coach walked in right after the first one did, so they shared the duties for the rest of the games. Sarah spent the night at a friend's house, Rachel was really mad, because she won't have anyone to play with. But really who is she going to play with at 9:30 at night! And wouldn't she miss me too much anyway? Saturday, I had a children's ministry meeting to go to, the girls played at my friend's house, then a bizarre thing happened, Rachel wanted to spend the night with her friend, but only if I promised to go to bed with the phone, in case she needed to call me. (she didn't and she had a good time) Sarah had her friend spend the night here, I'm not sure when they finally fell asleep, sometime after 11:30, but before Pat got home from work. This morning, I woke Joseph up, to help me in the nursery for the first service. He says he's too tired, but I point out Daddy is more tired since he was still working when you went to bed. So he got up. Picked Rachel up on the way, I didn't want to push my luck with her not missing me, and I let her "help" me with the toddlers. Pat brought Sarah to church, and when we got home from church I started laundry, and some cleaning, and the girls went off to play again. By 6, the kids were all home and driving me nuts. I am so sick of the mess that they make, and then just leave it, without much or any attempt to clean up. I lost it. I had to leave the house for 10 minutes. Leaving was effective they cleaned up while I was gone, because they didn't want to be in any more trouble, and I calmed down. I must remember this in the future. I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten so mad, but because I really don't feel good still, it really is effecting my mood.

Cold and Raining

Rarely do those two words go together in Phoenix! But today they would go together. Usual rain here is like 10 minutes, not all day long like it has all day today. I'm complaining slightly, because of the cold I have, that it now getting worse and not better. Really we need the rain, but really not the coldness, the trees and bushes in the front of my house don't look too good. The leaves are in shock and are very odd colors. I hope they can hang in there and make it a little longer, or the yard is going to be very bare. Anyway, back to my cold. Yesterday, I took a 3 hour nap, and still managed to sleep well, last night. Today, I went to school for a little bit, came home and took a 4 hour nap. I feel achy all over, with no energy. It's going to be a long weekend.

Little Voice

Tuesday night, I was so cold, I made myself a hot chocolate before bed, bad idea, the caffine in the choloate kept me awake. Like all night. arounf 6 I finally fell asleep, needless to say I was much to tired to get up with the kids at 7. I beg Pat to get up. I stay in bed, but the kids come in like every 5 seconds (maybe a little longer, but it sure felt like it), to ask me questions, or in Rachel's case, cry, that she coudn't go to school without me. I stay in bed till 12, then I had to do a few errands, before picking Joseph up to go the the oral surgeon. The office is at Cave Creek and Tatum, it seemed to take forever to get there from 51st Ave. and Grovers. He has a chain put on his braces to pull up a tooth that hasn't came in yet. It didn't talk much on the way home, and of what he did I didn't understand! I drop hom off at home and go to the store to buy him soft foods, that he'll need to eat for the next 3 days. Make pancakes for dinner. Pick up Rachel at a friend's house (the first time she's been able to go without me, so that's an improvement). After dinner, Rachel and I work on designing her birthday party invitation, send her to bed. Pat and I start watching Rocky, so we can go see the new movie tonight. I fall asleep, and miss the "big fight with Apollo Creed" Not only that, but I fall asleep on my bed, because on the way back from using the bathroom, I pass the bed, and think I'll just rest a minute. Well, that was what my body needed, but I missed the rest of the movie, and I didn't set my alarm for this morning. I woke up at 7:20, woke Sarah up for chorus, that starts at 7:30, begin the fight with Rachel, but I have no voice, so not fun to fight with someone when you can't talk. I just dropped Rachel off at school, who knows she's going to cry all day, because she's going to miss me too much. I feel so yucky today, I'd love to go back to bed right now, but I've got to get a little laundry done, ick.

I love her...

I love her, I love her, that's what I have to keep saying when she is freaking out about going to school, because she's going to miss me too much. This morning was not that much fun. First, I get up and Joseph is not out of bed yet, so I turn on his light ask, " why are you not up?". He says "I don't want to go to school today". Like that is really an option. Then I wake up Sarah for chorus, Rachel starts already with crying that she just can't go to school without me. It was a very. very long hour. I did get her to school, we walked in together, I left her in the PTO workroom, until the bell rang and I went to the office to make some copies. She was actually fine, and went to class when the bell rang. Rachel's teacher sees me and asks me to do some laminating for her, no problem, except I don't want Rachel to see me, when I takethe finished stuff back to the teacher. Luckily, there was a girl I knew walking back to her class, so I asked her to stop by and give the laminates to Mrs. S. But did I mention that, I didn't have time to get dressed or put in my contacts this morning? I'm walking all over campus in my jammies, classes and coat. Pat has not had a day off since last Wednesday, and he's closed a lot of those days, and he has to close again tonight, so I'm tired already all right of doing this on my own. I'm getting sick too, with a stupid cold, UGH!

Listen and Obey

Since there was no school today, we all slept in which was a good thing to start this cool day off. Since Friday Rachel has been complaining about having to go to the bathroom after she's just gone, and then going. I was a little concerned about a possible UTI, so I make an appointment to take her in. Before I left I started some laundry and asked Pat and Sarah to keep it going, because I wanted to get it done before 3:30, and I wasn't sure when I'd be back with Rachel. At the doctor's office before we went back to see the doctor, I convinced Rachel to pee in the little cup, and she did on the second try. So, we go back and the girl who brought us back didn't get the lab called to run the test, for the UTI. so the doctor sticks his head in 10 minutes later and says that's what we need to do, duh, I knew that already. So, another 10 minutes go by, doctor comes back, and realizes he did not hit the "lab" light for the lab tech to come. So, we wait for the lab guy, who shows up and asks "if we are waiting for the result?". Yes, of course we are, so he goes and checks with doctor, then comes back and says it will be ten minutes for results. Rachel is way bored now and is dancing all over the room, and sticking her head out the door. Lab comes back negative, doctor comes in does examine, says he'll have a culture done and call me on Wednesday. I made this so easy for them, and it still got messed up. Come home and and find that no laundry is done yet, and Sarah turned off the washing machine, (I'm not at all sure why, even asking her, I still don't know). So, I am mad at Pat for not handling this for me, maybe I gave him to many jobs, since he also had to take out the ham pie, I put in the oven for dinner too. (that did get done, thank goodness) So, I take over doing the laundry, but I am in so not a good mood now. The house is a mess too, it drives me nuts when the kids do something then leave things out or open, and move on with what they want to do next. This is not something new, I've started, I've always been on them about this issue, they've really gotten lazy lately and it's making me nuts, to have to keep calling them back to put stuff away or close something and even turn off lights. Lights left on was a big thing at my house growing up, so it's stuck with me as a peeve. I finish the laundry, Pat goes to work, and it's time for dance. It takes me forever to get Rachel to get ready for her classes, because she doesn't want to go, which isn't a new thing for her, she doesn't like to go to class lately, she just wants dance in the recital. We get there late, there is only one girl in her first class, Rachel is crying and won't go in, unless I go in too. So I sit on the floor and watch, which I would never be able to do if her normal class was there. She finishes her first class, and goes in to jazz by herself, but comes out and wants me to come in after more than half the class. I don't because, I have to go pick up Sarah for her classes. Plus, I really didn't want to either. I get Sarah, leave Rachel and she's totally fine while I'm gone. Rachel and I come home and eat dinner, I had to go or send Rachel 4 times to get Joseph to join us for dinner, I was so mad at him I threw a wooden spoon at him, I missed though. But he got the message that I was trying to make, and I made him do extra chores after dinner to make up for this not obeying deal he had. Went and got Sarah from dance, luckily Rachel and Joseph listened to me about getting ready for bed and taking a shower, while I was gone. I read a book to Rachel send her to bed, she comes out every minute to tell me she can't go to sleep, or she's hungry, or something. At 8:30, Sarah is watching TV in my room, I tell her she needs to get ready for bed. At 8:45, I have to go back and tell her again, now I'm mad again. She goes to bed, but Rachel of course is still awake, so they goof off. I give them more than 3 chances to knock it off and go to sleep. Finally at 9:30, I take the wooden spoon in to get their attention. They finally go to sleep. Tell, Joseph to go to bed, but guess who is still goofing off getting ready for bed at 10:20? Why can't I be taken seriously?

So wrong

According to AOL weather it is 35 degrees here in the Valley of the Sun. I checked to see what the weather was like for my brother back east in PA. AOL said it was 52 degrees, but it's raining. It's supposed to get colder a little later in the week for him and have snow flurries or storm. It just seems so wrong to me that I am colder then he is right now. Wished I still had an electric blanket. Brrrrr

Today thus far

Sarah set my alarm for me to go off at 7 AM! (she didn't tell me this, last night) Yuck, for a Saturday. She didn't know when her Girl Scout outing to Stuffington Bear Factory was, so she wanted me to wake her up so she'd be ready. UGH. She left at 9, so we could have slept a little longer. Joseph spent the night with his oldest male cousin last night, Pat had to go to work, so Rachel and I spent a fun morning shopping! JoAnn's, Barnes and Noble (we had a yummy smoothy and bagel for breakfast here too), Michael's (90% off Christmas stuff, I got a bunch of candle holders and baskets for next year's holiday store for Sunrise), then to payless to get Rachel some new sneakers, all of a sudden her old ones are to small :( ,last we went to the 99 cent only store, to get some makeup and nail polish for Rachel's birthday party in 3 weeks. Next Friday night is Bingo night and on Saturday, I have a meeting for church, and the next weekend is Sarah's birthday party, so this was the weekend, Rachel and I could pick some stuff out. Sarah called while we were there and said she was home, she waited for me in the laundry room (she locked herself in, and I was home in 10 minutes and found her birthday present, the little sneak!). By then we were all hungry again, so went and grabbed some lunch at Koyoto Bowl (we shared and still had left overs, so maybe we weren't that hungry.) Now the Sarah is off selling Girl Scout cookies and Rachel went with her. I'm tired, it's been a long day already.

Rachel and me

Went to the AZ Sience Center today with all the rest of the first graders and chaperons. The kids didn't have a whole lot of time to play though, but Rachel was very gald I could go with her. I was very glad it was the science center today and not the zoo, it was really cold and windy today (well cold and windy for Phoenix anyway!)

Shocking!

Today was the monthly PTO president's luncheon for Deer Valley School District. Even though, I'm the VP this year, I get to go to the lunches. Not much happened on the agenda, but they knew that would happen today, since we were talking about special ed. students, which is a very hot topic, so that was not shocking. What was? I won this months raffle! $25.00 Borders gift card! Probably the funniest meeting I've gone to this year. Next month's meeting is the same day as the 5th grade field trip, I offered to go on the field trip, unless some parents step up and go through volunteer training and then volunteer for the field trip, I'll be at the Halle Heart Center, instead of lunch. Think, the 5th grade teachers will buy my lunch then?

Fundraisers

It's time to start all over again with fundraisers. Thank goodness for Christmas so we could have a few weeks break. Sarah starts selling Girl Scout Cookies on Saturday. She only needs to sell 500, as her troop per girl goal is, piece of cake, HA! Maybe I should say piece of cookie! When that about wraps up, Sunrise PTO is going to sell Gold Canyon candles. PTO is trying get get some money together for a playground for the primary grades, all they have are broken bleachers on their playground. Hopefully these will be the last 2 fundraisers until Fall! If you need any cookies or candles let me know! I know where to get both.

I don't know what to do

Rachel is still having separation problems, school is getting better, she can go to the neighbor's house for hours and be fine, but she screamed and screamed when I left to go to the movie with Pat on Saturday night. She has spent several nights in bed with me, or on the couch, if I haven't gone to bed yet, just to be near me so she can fall asleep. She is fearful of going to sleep, I just don't know what to do any more. Does it seem like there is something medically wrong with her, and I should take her to the doctor's?

Sleep

Didn't happen last night, not until really early this morning. Needlessly to say, when my alarm went off this morning for church, I just turned it off and went back to bed. Pat and I went to a movie last night, we saw the Pursuit of Happiness, it was really good. But I think that even though Pat ordered for me a caffeine free diet coke, they gave me a regular one and I can't do caffeine at all after 4 PM, or I'm up all night. I'm still so very tired now. UGH!

"Fur ball"

The kids are going to be so mad at me. The neighbor behind us today came over to ask about the kittens. She's been feeding mama cat for awhile now, (even though it is not her cat) because she is so skinny. She offered to take "Fur ball" to humane society for us, and she looked in the backyard for the other 3 kittens, she found one. She went over to the neighbor's house who owns mama cat, to talk to them, but no one was at home, I'm sure she will not let it drop. She works at Petsmart and will be able to take way better care of the cats than I, while the kids are at school. I hope the kids can forgive me.

Back to School!

The kids went off to school this morning, I wasn't sure if the girls were going to make it, they would not go to sleep last night, (it was past 11) they were way too excited, because of the kitten in the house. The kitten got in the house, because the girls found it in the backyard yesterday, and the mother cat ran off. They are very attached to it already, but I'm a little nervous because we can't get it to eat, we tried putting some cat's milk in a bowl, but it didn't have a clue what to do, so I bought a bottle to fed it, but we can't seem to get it to take the bottle either. I'm not sure what to do now. Rachel this morning was fine, as she ran to her classroom, but within minutes found me on campus crying, that she just couldn't do it, she misses me so much. I walked her back to class and talked with her teacher, who gave Rachel something special to help her with, I was on campus a lot today, and every time I walked from the office to PTO room or visa versa, the class was out going somewhere she was doing fine. She did complain of missing me when she got home. I hope she'll get back in the swing of things soon.

Today

Pat had to get up this morning and go to work, the rest of us stayed in bed really late. I got up at 10:30 and not one of the kids were up yet. Sarah was the first one up at 12:15. I had her wake the other 2 then, I'm sure I'll have a hard time getting them to bed tonight, but it was so peaceful this morning, I didn't want to wake them earlier. While they were still in bed, I started taking down the Christmas decorations, Joseph climbed in the attic and got the boxes down, he couldn't get them back up there by himself, so they are sitting in the family room for Pat to help him with them tomorrow before Pat has to go to work in the afternoon. We did all the inside decorations except for the tree, I hate doing the tree, I never feel very good afterwards. I took the kids to see Night at the Museum this afternoon, I was worried that Rachel would be scared, but she said she liked it. Afterwards we stopped for dinner, Pat got picked up from work, by his Dad to go to the Fiesta Bowl.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!
Originally uploaded by muffinmet.

With poppers in hand, we are ready to welcome the new year!