Merry Christmas!

The girls and I on our way to church on Christmas Eve. P and J are at work.

Young and Old

Yesterday I went to Fry's for groceries, and I've shopped at that location for a long time the cashier said it was her 37th Christmas at Smitty's/Fred Meyer, Fry's. That made me feel very young. I was 6 when she started working! Today the girls and I went to the dentist, R and I to get our teeth cleaned and S had a tooth that needed to be pulled. The dentist that cleaned my teeth, not the regular dentist, was talking the whole time, asking questions, I nearly choked when he asked if I had any grandchildren. That made me feel very old. Geez, I do have friends I graduated with that are grandparents, but my oldest is only 16.

Christmas Lights 2009

Not as may lights as in years past. Last year we had a problem with the lights blowing fuses, so P decided he would alternate the roof one year and the snowmen and deer the other year. I miss the deer and snowmen :(

He did it!

For the first time since he was in 6th grade J earned honor roll! At his high school they do grades only at the end of semesters, I am beyond thrilled! If you know of his struggles the for the last 5 years you would understand my excitement. S and R also earned honor roll for the 2nd quarter. I am one proud Mommy!

Contacts

S has started in the past 2 weeks not wearing her glasses. She's decided they are very uncool, even at home unless I ask her where they are, so I know she hasn't lost them.. R desperately wants glasses because she thinks they are cool, but right now her eyes are not bad enough to have them. S's eyes really are not good enough to see well for long periods of time. I know when I was in 5th grade I hide my glasses in my desk everyday, my eyes are much better that S's. I totally get S thinking they are uncool. She last went to the eye doctor in January she will have wait a few more weeks to go back. Last year the doctor said when she was 13 she could get contacts. I don't know if she remembers or not, I think I won't say anything and surprise her and wait to tell her when we get there.

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

J took this test in October. On Saturday a Air Force Sergent called him. He did very well on it. 74th percentile, which I guess is good. He was very happy to hear he did well. The Sergent said he will most likely be able to pick the job/speciality he's most interested in doing, which made J very happy. Speaking of J, his knee surgery will be on Jan. 13th, Aunt Marlene's birthday, he missed sharing a room with Aunt Jul by 2 days, her knee replacement surgery is on the 15th. Oh, that reminds me I meant to fill out the form today for a personal day for the 13th, I need to remember to do that tomorrow.

Productive weekend

I got a lot of my Christmas wrapping done on Friday afternoon. I even talked P into helping me after dinner. It feels good to have that mostly done. Saturday I had to get up early, but not as early as the Saturday before J needed to be dropped off at 8, to gather mistletoe with his scout troop. When I got home I laid back down for a little bit, not that I fell back to sleep, but resting felt good, my cold seems to be getting worse not better. I had to wake both girls up at 12, in order to be downtown by 2, so we could watch their cousins dance in The Snow Queen. When we got home I reluctantly did 4 loads of laundry. After church today I started my Christmas baking. 4 loaves of Amish Friendship bread, and pizzels. I think I'll only be baking a few different kinds of cookies, peanut blossoms, M and M's, chocolate chip, and sugar cut outs. Since I really suck at making fudge, I'm not even planning on trying this year, the only candy I plan on making is Christmas bark. Only 4 and a half more days of school,(until winter break) Although I am working till 3 on Friday, I don't want to use my personal time to leave at 12 when students leave, we have to option of working, not getting paid for 3 hours or using personal time, teachers get to leave when students do though, so not fair! I am so ready for the break.

Not trying to stress

But I'm having a hard time keeping myself in check. Not getting enough sleep, and a cold on top of that isn't helping my stress level. I did cross off 2 major things on my to do list. Christmas cards, and the invitations for our church Angel Tree party. I just need to stamp everything to mail. I called P at work to bring me the stamps. I tried cutting down on the amount of cards send this year, by only sending cards to just my first cousins and not second cousins. Since I only send cards to P's Aunts and Uncles, I already send way more cards for my family. The tree is still not decorated yet. Well, that's not completely true, someone started to, but then got bored or something. I have 4 boxes sitting on my living room couch, and on the love seat there's a large broken down box for S to use in her project that's due soon, I hope. The only place to sit in my living room is on 1 of 2 computer chairs. The boxes are making me feel claustrophobic. P is off tomorrow I have hope that the outside lights go up and the tree gets finished. Well, maybe not the tree the girls have dance and J has to work 6 hours. I haven't baked one cookie or wrapped one present yet. Maybe this weekend, I can fit something in, in between all the other activities. I will not stress, and enjoy December, and get a couple of good nights sleep to kick this cold...

Emotions

I'm sure that some of the extreme emotions I felt yesterday had to do with being up since 5:30 AM. Yesterday was the first of 2 shows for my girls as they danced in The Snow Queen. While they were on stage dancing during the first show I just felt very proud of them and happy, and frustrated that because they are in the same scene very hard to watch them both at the same time, and they were on different ends of the stage the whole time. At the end of the show all the dancers come out by group to take a bow. I cried then. The plan was to come home between shows to grab something to eat before heading back downtown for the next show. S and R didn't come out of the dressing room, everyone else left including the show's director, and still no S and R, I was freaking out, and it was worse because I'm the only one standing there waiting for them. I tried to go back to get them, but because of security they wouldn't let me. Finally they come out, They are not alone they have another girl with them, who is about R's age. She wants to go to Subway, R wants to go with her. I was very angry at that point and no way would I let R walk around downtown without an adult and we needed to go home not only to get dinner but to get P who was coming to the evening show. I'm sure I embarrassed her with my anger. I felt embarrassed too, but I was stressed out and angry. We finally made it to the car, and surprisingly I figured out how to get to the freeway by myself. Only one freeway curves off and the freeway I'm in the wrong lane to get on the freeway I need to be to get home. Sigh. So I get off the wrong freeway to turn around to get on the right one to get home. By the time we stopped to get food (fast food) to eat at home, because J and P needed dinner too, we had 30 minutes to eat before we had to leave to drive downtown again. I'll get back to what P did that made me crazy. On the drive home, my cell phone rang. S got it out of my purse for me, I just figured it would be P or J wanting to know where we were or what's for dinner. Nope, it was my MIL who tells me that herself and FIL will not be coming to the evening performance, because her brother died and she was too upset to go and FIL was going to stay with her, so he wouldn't be coming either. OK, I get it that her brother just died and she's upset, I don't want to sound cold here but her brother had cancer, and really he lived a lot longer than his doctor thought he would. So it shouldn't really come as a shock that he died. There's more feelings into this, but I can't get into it. P called her when we got home last night and she couldn't talk very long to him without crying. So she hands the phone off to Dad, P asks his Dad about the Cardinal game they are supposed to go to today. Yes, he would still be going to that. MIL wants him to go. WHAT. That really angers me. She'll be OK, the day after her brother dies, for her husband to go to a football game, but not be OK to let him go watch his granddaughters dance the night before? Really, really angers me. I thought I would feel better about it today, but really it makes me more angrier, because you see my husband as in S and R's father is going to this football game with his father and not going to watch his daughters dance. Back to P last night. He just was getting home when we pulled up to the house at 5 PM. Only he forgot to get my prescriptions that I've had on the counter since Wednesday, I call the scripts in and leave the empty bottles on the counter, so he knows to pick them up, they are filled at the pharmacy located in the store he works at. He leaves to go back to get them. So instead of having a little (and I mean little since we only had 30 minutes anyway) of a peaceful family meal together, I was left to do everything and be stressed that he would be back by 5:30. He barely makes it, and I don't talk to him the whole drive downtown. There was just too much for me to be able to talk nicely, so I just didn't say anything.

Snow Queen Weekend Ahead!

This afternoon P (so thankful he was off to take them to one of the rehearsals) took the girl to their first of 2 rehearsals at the theater they will be dancing at for 4 shows this weekend. Tomorrow I get to take them to the second one. Then I get to take them Saturday for the first show by myself, come home and pick up P and J, and go back down for the evening show (P can drive us then). Sunday I get to do the whole day by myself. I so NOT like to drive down town. I always feel all mixed up, when driving down there, I am already feeling very stressed out. I took J to work, and got groceries this afternoon, which I hate doing, well both buying groceries and going after I've been on my feet all day at school. The girls needed to have snacks for back stage and we'll need food to eat next week, no time for that this weekend. But man oh man do my feet hurt. And I started coughing this afternoon and it's getting on my nerves already. It better go away fast.

What a Mess!

I love decorating for Christmas, but I hate all the mess. It is very time consuming too. The kids were supposed to help me, but that didn't work out so much. J was the most helpful and he worked 8 hours today. If I can convince one of the girls to vacuum I'd be happier about all the boxes stacked in the family room. P is off tomorrow, the boxes should disappear into the attic then.

I am sweating!

I dropped J off to work (safety training) for the first time this morning. I wanted to take his picture, but I didn't want to embarrass him. Yesterday I put away all the autumn decorations and did 5 loads of laundry. Today I am boxing up most of the everyday decorations around the house and washing 4 more loads of laundry (the girls cleaned their room yesterday). I have 6 boxes done, with 2 more to go, I am waiting until the dishwasher is done, because I wanted to wash all my mugs and teapots I've collected since high school first, my plan is to have them clean for the month they are in the attic, so when I'm ready to put them back they are clean and dust free. I'm ready for P and J to get the Christmas boxes out of the attic, when they both get off work this afternoon. Hope I feel like starting to decorate tomorrow. I thought the weather was supposed to be in the 60's today, so I put sweat pants on this morning, I am so hot, I should have put shorts on to work this hard!

Exciting News

But I can't tell you what. But he will be home for 30 days starting Dec. 12th!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone will remember all the blessings in their lives, whether they are large or small. We will be home all day, I don't want to take R out, she needs to rest and let her rash clear up.

Medical updates

Monday I went to have my bruising and claw marks looked at. Thank goodness I had a appointment. Or maybe it would have taken 2 hours. It took about an hour and 45 minutes. On Friday I asked if it was going to take a long time, and was assured it wouldn't since I had an appointment. NOT. The only thing the doctor did was look at it, and said "it was healing nicely". What a compete waste of time. The antibiotics they gave me caused a yeast infection. So not pleasant and it's been since Sunday. I only took 2 pills. Rachel woke up yesterday morning covered from head to toe with a rash. P was at work already. We took the day off and headed to the doctor's office. Her doctor said it's hives, but from what we don't have a clue, nothing new. Off we went to buy Zyrtec and Calamine lotion. By the afternoon and a long afternoon nap for her, it was worse. Since it was too soon for more Zyrtec the doctor said Benadryl and Avenno lotion. This morning she was still broken out and had more redness than last night. I called the doctor who said that's normal, but no school again for either of us, P again was at work already. J went to the Orthopedic doctor yesterday afternoon. Good think P was off then, so he could take him, but I don't feel like all my questions were answered, I should have taken him, but I was already trying to handle R's crises. The MRI J had done a few weeks ago showed cartilage that broke loose under the knee cap, he will need to have that fixed, or it could blow his knee out completely. Maybe that could be scheduled for January when my sister is having her knee replaced, they could take care of each other! J's surgery is not supposed to be that bad, like maybe crutches for a few days, he may not miss any school except for the day the procedure is done. I don't know when that's going to be yet, I was hoping the doctor's office would call today to schedule it since I'm home.

Really?

Was it necessary to have a fire drill and lock down drill on the same morning at school? The lock down didn't go well, so have to do it again one day next week. Oh, joy. In between drills we had a student incident. Which took an hour to take care of. I was left with claw marks, swelling and bruising. I had to go and file a claim, and get a tenuous shot. Took over 2 hours, and I am only going to get paid 30 minutes for that time, and I have to go back on Monday. To say that today was a long day would be putting it mildly. Now, J is off at a friend's house watching a movie, S is spending the night at a friend's house, P is working till 11:30, and R is have 2 friends over to spend the night. I just want to veg. in front of a movie and relax.

Seaweed!

R is so funny, last week I made spaghetti squash for the first time for my family. R said she kinda liked it, but ate 2 big helpings. Tonight I cut up a kiwi for each of us for dinner. She first thought it was too sweet, and wasn't going to eat it. I mentioned that I think kiwi kinda tastes like strawberries to me, which she loves. She tried the kiwi again, she rated it kinda good, like the seaweed last week! LOL She then asked for another, cut it up herself and ate it, and was disappointed that there are no more left, maybe she'll get desperate and eat J's who hasn't eaten yet, because he's to busy polishing his shoes for a competition this weekend to come out and to eat.

Not Striking!

P's union made an agreement with the company and right now they won't be striking! Union employees still have to vote and approve the contract. I am hopeful the employees will approve the contact. I heard this news early yesterday morning, but felt better by the news after talking to P about it after he got off work yesterday. What a relief! J was hired as a temporary employee if they striked and filled out all the paperwork, they need carry outs at P's old store (the store that hired J), the front end manger talked to P yesterday and him to have J to call her on Monday.

Veteran's Day Parade

J marched with his JROTC unit today in the Phoenix parade. The rest of us went to watch. Long 6 block to the parade for me, and 6 longer blocks back to the car. Oh, how I which my feet could walk pain free, like they used to. I was thinking earlier about the many parades I marched in when I was in middle school and high school. The veteran's one was always iffy on what the weather would be like. Well really any parade in PA was iffy on the weather. Like rain my freshman year's fair parade, sunny and hot during a Christmas parade, and the worst year was one was it snowed during a parade, a veteran's day parade, which must not have been on Veteran's Day because we had a football game that night too, I remember my Mom trying to steam dry my uniform so I didn't have to wear a wet wool uniform all night in freezing temps. Must have been the last game of the season or close to it, by the second week in November.

No go on the cell phone and job for J?

Cell phone doesn't work. Not sure when I'll be replacing it. Thinking it should wait until we see what happens this week and P's job. J was supposed to have an interview today at 5 at P's old Fry's, only the computers were down, so she asked him to wait 30 minutes. I decided to do some grocery shopping, not to waste time doing nothing. Then at 5:30, she says come back between 7-7:30, only I had him call before we drove down there, and now the interview is tomorrow at 3:30. There is supposed to be a meeting on Wednesday (I think) for union employees. I hope they get to vote, whether if they'll except the contract or strike. P says the union is fighting for future employees rights and not current union employees.